Phrasal verbs

PENCIL IN

To pencil in something or somebody (or pencil something or somebody

in) means to make a provisional appointment for something to happen (for

example, a meeting).

Examples of use:

a) I’ll pencil our meeting in for the 4th February at 10am. Let me know if

you need to change it.

b) Your meeting with Ms Hu is pencilled in for 2.30pm.

c) Pencil me in for an appointment on Friday morning.

infinitive pencil in

present simple pencil in and pencils in

-ing form UK pencilling in - US penciling in

past simple UK pencilled in - US penciled in

past participle UK pencilled in – US penciled in

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PHONE UP

To phone up somebody (or phone somebody up) is to telephone them.

Examples of use:

a) Phone up Mr Hargreaves and arrange a meeting, please.

b) Max is late. Can you phone him up and ask him where he is?

To ring up somebody (or ring somebody up) means the same as phone up.

infinitive phone up

present simple phone up and phones up

-ing form phoning up

past simple phoned up

past participle phoned up

PICK UP

If something picks up, it increases or improves after a slow start or a bad

period.

Examples of use:

a) Their new business had a slow start but it picked up after a few weeks.

b) I hope business will pick up again soon.

c) Politicians are confident that economic growth is picking up.

d) Consumer spending is picking up.

infinitive pick up

present simple pick up and picks up

-ing form picking up

past simple picked up

past participle picked up

Note: this phrasal verb has many additional meanings

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PULL OUT OF SOMETHING

To pull out of something means to withdraw from an agreement, or stop

taking part in an activity.

Examples of use:

a) They are threatening to pull out of the deal if you don’t sign the

documents today.

b) They agreed to buy the business, but pulled out at the last minute.

c) Our investors are pulling out.

infinitive pull out

present simple pull out and pulls out

-ing pulling out

past simple pulled out

past participle pulled out

REPORT BACK

To report back is to tell someone (usually someone in authority) some

information that you have discovered, or that they have asked you to find

out.

Examples of use:

a) Report back to me when you have finished your research.

b) Can you attend the meeting and report back to me afterwards, please?

infinitive report back

present simple report back and reports back

-ing form reporting back

past simple reported back

past participle reported back

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RIP OFF

1. To rip off somebody (or rip somebody off) is to make them pay too

much money for something.

Informal English.

Examples of use:

a) The travel company ripped us off. The cottage we booked for our

holiday was a wreck.

b) Don't buy a used car from him – he will rip you off.

c) Our elderly neighbour was ripped off by a dishonest builder.

d) News headline: Phone providers 'rip off customers'.

rip-off (noun) something that is overpriced. Informal English.

Examples of use:

a) Credit card interest charges are a rip-off.

b) This hotel is a rip-off.

rip-off (noun) an illegal or poor-quality imitation or copy.

Informal English.

Example of use:

Your jacket is a Ralph Lauren rip-off.

infinitive rip off

present simple rip off and rips off

-ing form ripping off

past simple ripped off

past participle ripped off

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RUN BY / PAST

To run something by someone is to tell them something so that they can

consider it and give their opinion.

This phrasal verb can also be run something past someone.

Examples of use:

a) Your ideas for the business are very interesting; I’ll run them by my

boss.

b) I would like to run these plans by our manager.

infinitive run by / past

present simple run by / past and runs by / past

-ing form running by / past

past simple ran by / past

past participle run by / past

SELL OFF

To sell off a business is to sell all or part of it.

To sell off something (or sell something off) is to sell it at a reduced or low

price because you do not want it or because you need the money.

Examples of use:

a) They sold off their book store chain.

b) They are selling off their stock because the shop is closing next week.

c) The brewery sold off 900 pubs.

d) News headline: The Royal Bank of Scotland is to sell off its branch in

Pakistan.

infinitive sell off

present simple sell off and sells off

-ing form selling off

past simple sold off

past participle sold off

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SELL OUT

To sell out of something is to sell all of it and have no more left for people

to buy.

Examples of use:

a) Can you order more Lady Gaga CDs before we sell out?

b) The new iPhones are selling out everywhere.

c) We have sold out of tickets for tonight’s show.

d) He sells out of his homemade cakes every day.

When all the items for sale in a shop have been sold they are sold-out.

infinitive sell out

present simple sell out and sells out

-ing form selling out

past simple sold out

past participle sold out

SELL UP

To sell up (or sell something up) is to sell a business completely and move

onto something else or somewhere else. Mainly British English.

Examples of use:

a) The restaurant hasn’t made much money for the past two years so we’re

selling up and opening a book shop.

b) News headline: Pierre Cardin ready to sell up at 88.

c) We sold up the company and retired to Spain.

infinitive sell up

present simple sell up and sells up

-ing form selling up

past simple sold up

past participle sold up

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SHOP AROUND

When people shop around, they compare the prices and quality of an item

so that they can choose the best one to buy.

Examples of use:

a) I’m going to shop around for the best price before I buy a new phone.

b) Consumers should shop around before choosing expensive items like

computers.

c) Everyone is shopping around for the best deals.

infinitive shop around

present simple shop around and shops around

-ing form shopping around

past simple shopped around

past participle shopped around

SIGN UP

1. To sign up is to agree to do something, or to take part in something, by

signing one's name.

Examples of use:

a) I've signed up for an English language course.

b) He needs a new job so he has signed up with an employment agency.

c) We signed up to take part in the company’s team-building events

2. To sign up somebody (or sign somebody up) is to hire them to work for

you, or to put their name on a list to receive a service from you or to

become a member of something.

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Examples of use:

a) We have signed 100 teachers up for our new online teaching project .

b) We are thinking about signing up a new office manager.

c) The mobile phone company are signing up thousands of new customers.

infinitive sign up

present simple sign up and signs up

-ing form signing up

past simple signed up

past participle signed up

SMARTEN UP

1. If you smarten up somebody or something (or smarten somebody or

something up) you make them / it look tidier, or more attractive, or

cleaner.

Mainly UK English

Examples of use:

a) You must smarten up for your job interview.

b) They've smartened up our local restaurant with new tables and chairs,

and new carpets.

c) Our office needs smartening up – it hasn't been decorated for over four

years.

d) Your shop looks dull and boring; you must smarten it up if you want

more customers.

2. To smarten up is to improve the way you do things, or to improve your

attitude or behaviour.

Mainly American English.

Informal.

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Example of use:

He was late for work every day for two weeks. His boss told him to

smarten up or leave the company.

infinitive smarten up

present simple smarten up and smartens up

-ing form smartening up

past simple smartened up

past participle smartened up

BE SNOWED UNDER

To be snowed under is to be overwhelmed: to have too much work to do.

Informal English.

Examples of use:

a) She is totally snowed under at work.

b) We're snowed under at work because two members of staff are on

holiday.

c) John started his new business last month and he is snowed under with

orders already.

d) I had a week off work last week, and I've been snowed under ever since.

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STAY BEHIND

To stay behind is to remain in a place when other people leave it

Examples of use:

a) When the conference had finished, we stayed behind to discuss the new

project.

b) Question: Are you going home now?

Answer: No, I'm staying behind to finish this work.

infinitive stay behind

present simple stay behind and stays behind

-ing form staying behind

past simple stayed behind

past participle stayed behind

STEP DOWN

To step down is to leave your job (usually an important job or position),

especially so that someone else can do it.

Often + from or as

Examples of use:

a) Mrs Green is stepping down as chairperson in May.

b) He is under pressure to step down from his role as company CEO.

c) Mr Bean stepped down as the head of department in January.

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STEP UP

To step up something (or step something up) is to do more of an activity,

work harder at it, or increase the level or strength of something in order to

improve a situation.

Examples of use:

a) We’re going to sell out of Christmas puddings long before Christmas if

we don’t step up production.

b) The deadline for the project is next week; we need to step up the

pressure on the staff to work harder.

c) News headline: German businesses to step up hiring and investment.

infinitive step up

present simple step up and steps up

-ing form stepping up

past simple stepped up

past participle stepped up

STOCK UP

To stock up is to buy a lot of something.

Examples of use:

a) The weather forecasters are predi