[Mastering 20 Essential Phrasal Verbs for Advanced English Communication]-[Speak Better English with Harry | Episode 570]

Speak Better English with Harry · B1 · 2026-01-14

📋 Summary

Enhancing Fluency: A Comprehensive Guide to 20 Essential Phrasal Verbs

In this lesson, Harry provides an in-depth exploration of 20 high-frequency phrasal verbs designed to elevate conversational and professional English skills. Phrasal verbs are integral to natural-sounding English, and mastering them requires understanding both their definitions and their contextual application.

Time Management and Anticipation

Put off: This means to postpone or delay. Harry emphasizes the importance of productivity, noting, "Don't put off doing your homework until the last minute."
Look forward to: Used to express pleasure or excitement regarding future events. A key grammatical tip provided is that "the 'to' is a preposition," meaning it must be followed by a gerund (e.g., "He's looking forward to starting his new job").

Interpersonal Dynamics and Relationships

Bring up: To introduce a topic into a conversation, such as when "she brought up the issue of climate change."
Get along with: This describes maintaining a positive relationship with others, like getting along with "co-workers."
Take after: Used to describe physical or personality resemblances within families, such as how someone "takes after her mother in terms of her looks."
Make up: Refers to reconciling after an argument or, alternatively, fabricating a story.

Professional and Organizational Actions

Set up: To establish or arrange, such as "setting up a meeting with the client" or "setting up his own business."
Bring about: To cause something to happen, exemplified by how "the invention of the smartphone brought about a revolution in communication."
Look into: To investigate or examine a matter, such as "looking into the issue of customer complaints."

Unexpected Encounters and Challenges

Run into: This versatile phrasal verb means to meet someone by chance or to encounter a difficulty, such as when one might "run into some traffic" or "run into some problems with the project."
Come across: Similar to running into, this refers to finding or discovering something by chance, such as "coming across some interesting information while doing research."

Lifestyle and Habitual Changes

Take up: To start a new hobby or activity, like "taking up photography."
Put up with: To tolerate or endure something unpleasant, such as not being able to "put up with noisy neighbors."
Settle down: To establish a stable life, often associated with "starting a family" or finding a permanent home.
Turn down: To reject or refuse a request, such as having to "turn down the job offer."

Problem Solving and Persistence

Break down: This has two distinct meanings: something stopping functioning ("my car broke down") or dividing a complex task into "smaller, more manageable pieces."
Give up: To stop trying or concede defeat, such as refusing to "give up on my dreams."
Carry on: To continue an ongoing action, like deciding to "carry on with our picnic" despite the weather.
Cut off: To disconnect or stop communication, such as when "the phone cut off" during a conversation or power being lost during a storm.

Conclusion

Mastering these phrasal verbs requires active practice. Harry encourages learners not only to memorize these examples but to create their own sentences, ensuring that the verb tenses and prepositions are used accurately to reflect natural speech patterns.

🎯Key Sentences

We're here to help.

we'd be very happy to hear from you

I'll go through them one by one.

I've never been.

I'm not sure they'll get along

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📝Key Phrases

put off

look forward to

bring up

get along with

take after

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📖 Transcript

Hi there, this is Harry.

Welcome back to Advanced English Lessons with Harry, where I try to help you to get a better understanding of the English language, to help you with your conversational skills, your business English skills, interview skills, whatever your goals are.