If you are preparing for the SSC exam, then phrasal verbs are something you simply cannot ignore. Every year, SSC English papers include questions on phrasal verbs, and many students lose easy marks simply because they have never practiced them properly.
But phrasal verbs are not as difficult as they seem. Once you understand their meaning and see them used in real sentences, they will start to feel very natural. A phrasal verb is simply a combination of a verb and a preposition or adverb that together create a new meaning. For example, 'give up' does not mean to 'give' something 'up.' It actually means to stop trying. That is what makes phrasal verbs so interesting. Yes, a little tricky at first.
In this lesson, I have carefully selected 30 of the most important phrasal verbs that appear frequently in SSC exams. For each one, you will find a clear meaning and a real sentence so that you understand exactly how to use it. Read them carefully, practice them daily, and you will be surprised how quickly they become part of your natural English. Let us get started!
What Is a Phrasal Verb?
Before jumping into the list, let me quickly explain what a
phrasal verb actually is. Many students mix up phrasal verbs with ordinary
verbs, and that causes confusion in exams.
A phrasal verb is a verb combined with one or more small
words, usually a preposition or an adverb. Together, they carry a completely
new meaning that is different from the original verb.
Look at these simple examples:
•
Look means to see something.
•
Look after means to take care of someone.
•
Look up means to search for information.
•
Look forward to means to feel excited about
something in the future.
See how adding just one small word can change the entire meaning? That is the power of phrasal verbs. And that is exactly why they are tested in SSC exams so often.
Why Are Phrasal Verbs Important for SSC?
You might be thinking, "Why should I spend so much time
on phrasal verbs?" Here is the answer.
In SSC English exams, phrasal verbs appear in several question
types:
•
Fill in the blank with the correct phrasal verb
•
Match the phrasal verb with its meaning
•
Complete the sentence using the right form of the
phrasal verb
•
Reading comprehension passages where phrasal verbs are
used
Knowing phrasal verbs also improves your overall writing and
speaking skills. When you write a composition or an email in English, using
phrasal verbs correctly makes your language sound more natural and confident.
So learning them now will help you far beyond just the SSC exam.
30 Must-Know Phrasal Verbs for SSC Exam
Here is your complete list of 30 important phrasal verbs with
their meanings and example sentences. Study each one carefully. Try to read the
examples aloud so that the meaning sticks in your memory.
|
Phrasal Verb |
Meaning |
Example Sentence |
|
Break out |
To begin suddenly / escape |
A fire broke out in the kitchen last night. |
|
Bring up |
To mention / raise a child |
She brought up an important point in the meeting. |
|
Call off |
To cancel something |
They called off the match due to heavy rain. |
|
Carry on |
To continue doing something |
Please carry on with your work quietly. |
|
Come
across |
To find/meet by chance |
I came across an old photo while cleaning the room. |
|
Cut down |
To reduce or decrease |
You should cut down on sugar for better health. |
|
Deal with |
To handle or manage |
He knows how to deal with difficult situations. |
|
Fall apart |
To break into pieces / fail |
Their plan began to fall apart after the first meeting. |
|
Figure out |
To understand or solve |
Can you figure out the answer to this math problem? |
|
Get along |
To have a friendly relationship |
She gets along well with all her classmates. |
|
Give up |
To stop trying / quit |
Never give up on your dreams, no matter what. |
|
Go through |
To experience / examine |
He went through a very difficult time last year. |
|
Hang on |
To wait / hold tightly |
Hang on! I will be ready in two minutes. |
|
Hold on |
To wait / to grasp |
Hold on to the rope and do not let go. |
|
Keep up |
To maintain pace / continue |
She worked hard to keep up with her studies. |
|
Let down |
To disappoint someone |
He let me down when he missed the appointment. |
|
Look after |
To take care of |
She looks after her younger brother every day. |
|
Look up |
To search for information |
I looked up the word in the dictionary. |
|
Make out |
To understand / manage |
I could not make out what he was trying to say. |
|
Pick up |
To collect / to learn quickly |
She picked up English very quickly at school. |
|
Point out |
To indicate / draw attention |
The teacher pointed out the mistakes in my essay. |
|
Put off |
To postpone or delay |
Do not put off your homework until the last minute. |
|
Run out |
To have no more of something |
We ran out of time before finishing the test. |
|
Set up |
To arrange or establish |
They set up a new school in the village. |
|
Show up |
To appear / arrive |
He did not show up for the exam yesterday. |
|
Stand out |
To be noticeable / different |
Her excellent results made her stand out in the class. |
|
Take off |
To remove / to begin to fly |
The plane took off exactly on time. |
|
Turn down |
To refuse or reject |
She turned down the job offer politely. |
|
Work out |
To exercise / to solve |
He works out every morning to stay fit. |
|
Write down |
To record in writing |
Write down the important points from the lesson. |
Let Us Look at Some of These More Carefully
Some phrasal verbs on this list are trickier than others. Let
me explain a few of them in more detail so that you feel completely confident
using them.
1. Break Out
This phrasal verb has two common meanings. First, it means
something starts suddenly, especially something unpleasant like a fire or a
war. Second, it can mean to escape from a place.
Example: A fire broke out in the market. / Three
prisoners broke out of the jail.
2. Come Across
This one is a favorite in SSC exams. It means to find
something or meet someone by chance, without planning it.
Example: While reading the newspaper, I came across a very
interesting article.
3. Figure Out
This phrasal verb means to think carefully and eventually
understand or solve something. It is very commonly used in everyday English.
Example: It took me an hour to figure out how to solve the
problem.
4. Let Down
When someone lets you down, they disappoint you by failing to
do what you expected. This is a very emotional phrasal verb that is often
tested in exams.
Example: I trusted him completely, but he let me down at
the last moment.
5. Run Out
To run out of something means you have used it all and there
is none left. Students often confuse this with 'run away', so be careful.
Example: The students ran out of time before finishing the exam.
Common Mistakes Students Make with Phrasal Verbs
Over the years, I have noticed that students make a few
typical mistakes with phrasal verbs. Let me help you avoid them.
Mistake 1: Using the Wrong Preposition
❌ Wrong: She looked after the answer in the
dictionary.
✅ Correct: She looked up the answer in the
dictionary.
Remember, 'look after' means to take care of someone. 'Look
up' means to search for information.
Mistake 2: Forgetting That Phrasal Verbs Can Be Separated
❌ Wrong: Please write down it.
✅ Correct: Please write it down.
When a phrasal verb has a pronoun as its object, the
preposition must come after the pronoun. This is a very common grammar error.
Mistake 3: Guessing the Meaning from Individual Words
Never try to guess the meaning of a phrasal verb by looking at its separate words. 'Give up' does not mean to hand something upward. It means to quit. Always learn the meaning as a whole unit.
Smart Tips to Remember Phrasal Verbs Easily
Here are some practical tips that I always share with my
students. These will help you remember phrasal verbs much more quickly.
•
Learn in groups: Group phrasal verbs by the same
verb. For example, learn all the phrasal verbs with 'look' together: look
after, look up, look forward to, look into.
•
Use them in sentences: Do not just memories the
meaning. Write your own sentence using the phrasal verb. This helps your brain
connect the meaning to real use.
•
Practice daily: Learn 3 to 5 phrasal verbs every
day instead of trying to memories all 30 at once. Small, regular practice works
much better.
•
Read English texts: Newspapers, stories, and
online articles in English are full of phrasal verbs. When you spot one, write
it down and look up its meaning.
•
Speak aloud: Try to use new phrasal verbs when
speaking English. The more you say them, the more natural they feel.
Quick Practice: Fill in the Blanks
Now let us test what you have learned. Fill in each blank with
the correct phrasal verb from the list below.
(break out, give up, look after, run out, figure out)
•
They __________ of petrol on the highway.
•
A terrible storm __________ last night.
•
Never __________ on your dreams.
•
She __________ her little sister every afternoon.
•
Can you __________ how to solve this puzzle?
Answers:
1. ran out 2. broke out 3. give up 4. looks after 5. figure out
Conclusion
Phrasal verbs might look confusing at first, but once you
start learning them properly, they become one of the most enjoyable parts of
English grammar. The 30 phrasal verbs in this lesson are not just important for
the SSC exam. They are the kind of expressions that native English speakers use
every single day.
My advice is this: do not try to memories all 30 phrasal verbs
in one sitting. Instead, go through 5 each day, write example sentences, and
revise them the next morning. Within a week, you will have all 30 locked in
your memory.
Consistent practice is the real secret to success in English. Keep learning, keep practicing, and you will do brilliantly in your SSC exam.
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