Why are most learners so worried about phrasal verbs?
Because there are a lot.
And they are used a lot.
Not only in casual spoken English, but also in professional communication.
For me, the creativity (and beauty) of the English language begins with phrasal verbs and idioms.
That is where you enter the real game.
You can get by in English using equivalent words or words that are close in meaning.
But, chances are, you will sound more formal, and sometimes odd.
For example, in a formal context it sounds good to say that “the ceremony was postponed due to the heavy rain”.
But it would sound odd to tell a friend on the phone “Sorry buddy, I can’t rehearse today … got some last-minute stuff to do. Can we postpone it till next week?”
Here “Can we put it off?” would sound better and would fit the conversation’s style more.
“Postpone”, the single-word equivalent just sounds too formal here.
1-Minute Tip ⏳
Phrasal verbs are creative. They are cheekily unruly.
They pump life into English communication.
The best way to start making friends with phrasal verbs is to start with the ones that you need the most right now.
Be selective when learning phrasal verbs.
This depends on your profession or speciality area.
This will do two things:
- you will be learning new vocabulary that you need now
- you will get to know how phrasal verbs work (transitive or not, separable or not etc)
It’s easier to get started this way than just picking up some random phrasal verbs book and start on page 1.
You always learn what is relevant to your activity better than what is not. 🎯
Movies and songs can wait.
Although, if you enjoy watching movies, you can of course use them to complement your learning. 😀
This content is original and not AI generated. I write it for you based on my 20+ years of teaching experience.
👋 Hi, I’m Gábor
I help Spanish speaking businesses sell their product or service in English.
Talk to you next time. 🙂
Gábor 🙂
Connect | Gábor Légrádi | MA, RSA/CTEFLA