What Are Phrasal Verbs and Why Do They Matter for SPM?
A phrasal verb is a verb combined with a preposition or adverb (or both) that creates a meaning different from the original verb. For example, “give up” doesn’t mean to give something upward — it means to stop trying.
SPM English tests phrasal verbs in several ways:
- Cloze passages (Paper 1) — fill in the correct phrasal verb
- Comprehension (Paper 1) — understand phrasal verbs in context
- Essay writing — using phrasal verbs naturally shows vocabulary range
Students who know common phrasal verbs pick up marks that others miss — especially in cloze passages where one correct phrasal verb can be the difference between a B and an A.
50 Essential Phrasal Verbs Organised by Theme
Communication & Relationships
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Bring up | Mention a topic; raise a child | She brought up an important point during the meeting. |
| Get along | Have a good relationship | I get along well with my classmates. |
| Fall out | Have an argument; stop being friends | The two friends fell out over a misunderstanding. |
| Make up | Reconcile after a disagreement | After the argument, they made up the next day. |
| Turn down | Reject | He turned down the invitation to the party. |
| Look up to | Admire and respect | I look up to my teacher for her dedication. |
| Put up with | Tolerate | She had to put up with the noisy neighbours. |
Learning & School
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Catch up | Reach the same level | I need to catch up on the lessons I missed. |
| Figure out | Understand; solve | She finally figured out the maths problem. |
| Go over | Review | Let’s go over the notes before the exam. |
| Hand in | Submit | Please hand in your homework by Friday. |
| Keep up | Maintain the same pace | He struggled to keep up with the advanced class. |
| Look up | Search for information | I had to look up the meaning of that word. |
| Point out | Draw attention to | The teacher pointed out several errors in my essay. |
| Work out | Calculate; solve; exercise | I need to work out the answer to question five. |
Daily Life & Actions
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Carry out | Complete; perform | The students carried out the experiment carefully. |
| Come across | Find by chance | I came across an interesting article about SPM. |
| Deal with | Handle; manage | She knows how to deal with pressure. |
| Get rid of | Remove; dispose of | We need to get rid of old textbooks. |
| Give up | Stop trying | Don’t give up even when English feels difficult. |
| Go through | Experience; examine | He went through a difficult period last year. |
| Look after | Take care of | She looks after her younger siblings after school. |
| Look forward to | Anticipate with pleasure | I’m looking forward to the school holidays. |
| Pick up | Learn informally; collect | She picked up English quickly through reading. |
| Put off | Postpone | Don’t put off your revision until the last minute. |
| Run out of | Have no more of | We ran out of time during the exam. |
| Set up | Establish; arrange | The committee set up a recycling programme. |
| Take up | Start a new activity | He took up swimming to stay fit. |
| Turn up | Arrive; appear | She turned up late for the assembly. |
Feelings & Opinions
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Calm down | Become less upset | Take a deep breath and calm down before the exam. |
| Cheer up | Become happier | The good results cheered everyone up. |
| Come up with | Think of an idea | She came up with a creative solution. |
| Find out | Discover | I found out that the test was postponed. |
| Look into | Investigate | The principal promised to look into the complaint. |
| Stand for | Represent | SPM stands for Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia. |
| Take after | Resemble (a family member) | She takes after her mother in her love for reading. |
Change & Progress
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Break down | Stop functioning; collapse | The bus broke down on the way to school. |
| Bring about | Cause to happen | Technology has brought about major changes in education. |
| Cut down on | Reduce | She decided to cut down on screen time. |
| End up | Finally be in a situation | If you don’t study, you’ll end up failing. |
| Give away | Donate; reveal | They gave away books to the community library. |
| Go on | Continue | Despite the challenges, she went on studying. |
| Show off | Display proudly (often negatively) | He likes to show off his new gadgets. |
| Take over | Assume control | The vice-president took over when the president resigned. |
| Turn out | Result; end up being | The event turned out to be a great success. |
| Wear out | Become exhausted; become damaged | The long revision sessions wore her out. |
Formal / Academic
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Account for | Explain the reason | How do you account for the drop in performance? |
| Call off | Cancel | The sports day was called off due to rain. |
| Carry on | Continue | Please carry on with your presentation. |
| Make out | Understand with difficulty | I couldn’t make out what the sign said. |
| Rule out | Eliminate as a possibility | The doctor ruled out any serious illness. |
| Take into account | Consider | The teacher took into account the student’s effort. |
How to Learn Phrasal Verbs Effectively
1. Learn in Context, Not Isolation
Don’t memorise “bring up = mention.” Instead, learn: “She brought up the topic of homework during the meeting.” Your brain remembers stories better than definitions.
2. Group by Base Verb
Learn all the phrasal verbs that use the same base verb together:
- Take up, take after, take over, take into account
- Look up, look after, look into, look up to, look forward to
3. Use Them in Your Essays
Challenge yourself to use 3-5 phrasal verbs naturally in every essay you write. This shows the examiner you have vocabulary range, which directly impacts your marks.
4. Watch for Them While Reading
Every time you read an English article or story, highlight phrasal verbs. Look at how they’re used in real sentences.
Common SPM Cloze Passage Trap
SPM cloze passages often test whether you know the correct particle (preposition/adverb). For example:
“She has to look _____ her younger brother every afternoon.”
- A. at B. for C. after D. up
The answer is C (after) because “look after” means to take care of. Students who haven’t learnt phrasal verbs often guess “at” because “look at” seems logical.
Want to Build Your Vocabulary Faster?
Phrasal verbs are just one piece of the vocabulary puzzle. At SPMEnglish.com.my, we systematically build your vocabulary using SPM-specific word lists, contextual learning, and regular practice tests. WhatsApp us to find out how we can help you expand your vocabulary for SPM.
Related Resources
- Vocabulary Building for SPM — Systematic vocabulary improvement
- SPM English Idioms & Proverbs — Enrich your essay language
- Reading Comprehension Strategies — Understand phrasal verbs in context
- Reading & Use of English Program — Complete grammar and vocabulary training