Phrasal verbs can be tricky to understand. But, what makes them even harder to understand is that there can be multiple meanings for 1 phrasal verb.

Let’s consider some examples:

Get out!

“It’s too dangerous, we need to get out!”

Get out: meaning: leave/escape

“2 seconds before the game ended, they scored the winning shot.”

“Get out! I can’t believe they won!”

Get out: meaning: no way!/unbelievable!

Back up

“I need to back up my car. I’m sticking out of the front of my parking space.”

Back up: meaning: to move something back or backwards

“I need to back up my phone. If I lost all these photos, I’d be really disappointed.”

Back up: meaning: to keep an extra copy, usually on a computer or cloud storage system

Clean up

“I cleaned up the house. Now we’re ready for our guests.”

Clean up: meaning: to put things where they belong and to wash some things

“Wow, I love your dress!”

“Thanks! We all tried to clean up nice for today.”

Clean up: meaning: to get dressed in a more formal or beautiful attire.

——

Well, clearly, phrasal verbs can mean many different things. Hearing and seeing them in stories will help you to improve your comprehension during daily conversation.

Learn with our Flash Story Subscription to improve your English.

Keep up the good work!

-You Are Learning English Team

A group of experienced and certified ESL and English as a Foreign Language teachers.