If you're learning English, then you're familiar with those pesky phrasal verbs you need to know.
And you are not alone in thinking that phrasal verbs are difficult to learn.
So many of my students struggle with this because there are just so many of them and they're hard to memorize if you're just learning them from a list.
The best way to learn any new vocabulary in English is to learn in context.
So, instead of reading vocabulary from a list, if you read new vocabulary in a story or you look up the word you're trying to say while speaking, you are more likely to remember those words.
So in today's video, we're going to learn phrasal verbs in context.
We're going to take a look at a short story that uses verbs that you may have learned from a textbook, and then just switch out those normal verbs for phrasal verbs that have the same meaning and that are much more common to use in natural native speech.
Ready?
Let's get into it.
So let's look at a short story with standard textbook verbs.
Hannah arrived at work late.
She quietly entered the office and removed her coat.
Then she reviewed the emails her manager had sent.
She completed her tasks and departed before 6 p.m.
Okay, everything is correct in this story, but it sounds a bit formal or clunky.
Not how native speakers usually speak.
So let's switch out some verbs for more natural conversational phrasal verbs.
Here's the same story again, but this time with phrasal verbs.
Hannah showed up to work late.
She snuck into the office and took off her coat.
Then she went through the emails her manager had sent.
She wrapped up her tasks and headed out before 6 p.m.
This feels much more natural.
Let's break down the phrasal verbs we have here.
Instead of arrive, we can use the phrasal verb show up.
She showed up late to work.
Instead of quietly enter somewhere, we can say sneak in.
She snuck in the office.
To remove can be replaced with take off.
She took off her coat.
To review something, we can say to go through something, like she went through her emails.
Instead of complete, we can use the phrasal verb wrap up.
She wrapped up her tasks.
And finally, depart is very formal and not often used in everyday speech.
Of course, we could replace this with the verb left.
She left before 6 p.m.
But we can also use the phrasal verb head out, which is almost even more natural.
She headed out before 6 p.m.
So I bet you guys are going to remember these phrasal verbs way better than if I had just given you a list of them with definitions.
By learning them in context like this, you're connecting them to the story you've read or heard and to their meanings, not just mindlessly memorizing.
And in this way, you'll remember phrasal verbs long-term.
Before I wrap up this video, let's see if you can think of a phrasal verb to use instead of the verb in this sentence.
His team supported his decision.
What's a phrasal verb that means the same as support?
Let me know in the comments and let me know if you want more phrasal verb practice like this.
And next time you hear or read a phrasal verb in context, make note of it.
And then when you go to say you arrived somewhere, for example, you can practice using showed up instead.
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Thanks for watching, and I'll see you next time.