ESL Vocabulary

Why does look for mean something completely different from look after? English phrasal verbs hide that kind of twist, and these quizzes give you steady practice with the verb-and-particle combos that fill everyday speech.

Common English Phrasal Verbs in Context

Each quiz asks you to drop the right phrase into a gap, in sentences like Lindsay doesn't want to ___ her studies or The investigators are ___ the bank robbery. The sets build from everyday actions up to ones you meet in more formal settings, such as following regulations or turning down a proposal.

These are pitched at an intermediate level, since phrasal verbs are exactly the natural English that textbooks tend to skip. Many have a plain one-word equivalent, yet the phrasal version is what people actually say day to day.

English Phrasal Verbs with Audio Pronunciation

Phrasal verbs live in spoken English, so every quiz includes audio of the phrases. Hearing how the verb and its little word run together helps you use them smoothly instead of pausing to assemble them on the spot.

How One Small Word Changes Everything

That tiny particle can flip the meaning completely. To look for something means to search for it, while to look after something means to take care of it, even though only one word changed. There is a quieter rule too, since some phrasal verbs split apart, so you can say "turn the radio off" or "turn off the radio," while others can never be separated.

Some of these verbs even have a plain one-word twin, yet the phrasal version is the one people actually reach for, which is why hearing them in real sentences matters so much. A verb like turn down (to refuse) lands very differently from the bare word "refuse," even though the two mean the same thing.

Want to sound more fluent and less like a textbook? Start with the phrasal verbs in these free interactive English quizzes and build from there.