Exercise 1
Choose the correct word to complete each phrasal verb or collocation in the sentence.
Example: She decided to give ___ smoking after her doctor's advice. (up / out / away)
Answer: She decided to give up smoking after her doctor's advice.
Phrasal Verbs and Collocations at B1 Level
Phrasal verbs and collocations are two of the most important building blocks of natural, fluent English. If you want to sound like a confident intermediate speaker, you need to go beyond single words and start learning how words work together.
A phrasal verb is a verb combined with a preposition or adverb (or both) that creates a new meaning. For example, give up does not mean "give" something physically — it means to stop trying. A collocation is a pair or group of words that naturally go together in English, such as make a decision or do your homework.
Read the short story below to see how phrasal verbs and collocations appear in real, everyday English:
Laura was looking forward to her holiday in Portugal, but things did not go according to plan. She ran out of money on the second day and had to call her friend for help. Her friend told her not to give up and to make the most of the situation. In the end, Laura sorted out her finances, got on well with some local people, and ended up having a wonderful time.
Can you spot the phrasal verbs and collocations? Let's break them all down now.
Key Vocabulary and Meaning Breakdown
1. Common Phrasal Verbs
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| give up | phrasal verb — to stop doing something, especially because it is difficult | She wanted to give up learning the guitar, but her teacher encouraged her to continue. | give up smoking, give up hope, give up trying |
| run out of | phrasal verb — to have no more of something left | We ran out of milk, so I went to the shop. | run out of time, run out of money, run out of ideas |
| look forward to | phrasal verb — to feel excited or happy about something that will happen in the future | I'm really looking forward to the concert next week. | Always followed by a noun or verb + -ing: look forward to seeing you |
| sort out | phrasal verb — to deal with a problem or organise something successfully | Can you sort out the travel arrangements for the trip? | sort out a problem, sort out a situation, sort things out |
| get on (with) | phrasal verb — to have a good relationship with someone | I get on really well with my colleagues at work. | get on well with, get on badly with, get on with someone |
| end up | phrasal verb — to finally reach a place or situation, often unexpectedly | We took the wrong road and ended up in a completely different town. | end up doing, end up somewhere, end up in a situation |
| carry on | phrasal verb — to continue doing something | Please carry on with your work while I answer the phone. | carry on working, carry on talking, carry on regardless |
| find out | phrasal verb — to discover information or a fact | I found out that the meeting had been cancelled. | find out about, find out the truth, find out what/where/when |
| take up | phrasal verb — to start a new hobby or activity | He took up cycling after his doctor advised more exercise. | take up a hobby, take up sport, take up painting |
| put off | phrasal verb — to delay or postpone something; or to make someone not want to do something | Don't put off your revision — the exam is next week. | put off doing something, put off a meeting, feel put off by |
2. Everyday Collocations
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| make a decision | collocation (verb + noun) — to decide something | It was difficult to make a decision about which university to attend. | make a quick decision, make a difficult decision. Never "do a decision". |
| do your homework | collocation (verb + noun) — to complete school or study tasks | Have you done your homework for tomorrow's class? | do homework, do the washing up, do exercise. "Do" is used for tasks. |
| make a mistake | collocation (verb + noun) — to do something incorrectly | Everyone makes mistakes when they are learning a new language. | make an error, make a mess. Never "do a mistake". |
| pay attention | collocation (verb + noun) — to focus carefully on something | Please pay attention to the instructions before you begin. | pay attention to, pay close attention, pay attention in class |
| take a break | collocation (verb + noun) — to stop what you are doing and rest for a short time | You've been studying for three hours. You should take a break. | take a short break, take a lunch break, take a day off |
| have a look | collocation (verb + noun) — to look at something | Can you have a look at my essay and tell me what you think? | have a look at, have a quick look, have a closer look |
| make progress | collocation (verb + noun) — to improve or develop | She has made excellent progress in her English classes this term. | make good/great/slow progress. Never "do progress". |
| set a goal | collocation (verb + noun) — to decide on something you want to achieve | It is important to set a goal before you start a new project. | set a goal, set a target, set a deadline, achieve a goal |
3. Dependent Prepositions
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| interested in | adjective + preposition — feeling curiosity or enthusiasm about something | Are you interested in learning a new language? | interested in + noun / verb-ing. Never "interested about". |
| depend on | verb + preposition — to rely on someone or something | The success of the event will depend on the weather. | depend on someone/something. Never "depend of". |
| good at | adjective + preposition — having skill or ability in something | My brother is really good at cooking Italian food. | good at + noun / verb-ing. Also: bad at, brilliant at, terrible at |
| worried about | adjective + preposition — feeling anxious or concerned about something | She was worried about her exam results. | worried about + noun / verb-ing. Never "worried of". |
| responsible for | adjective + preposition — having a duty to look after or manage something | He is responsible for training the new employees. | responsible for + noun / verb-ing. Never "responsible of". |
| keen on | adjective + preposition — enthusiastic about or fond of something | She's very keen on outdoor activities like hiking and climbing. | keen on + noun / verb-ing. Similar to: fond of, interested in |
Collocations and Useful Expressions
Here are some of the most important collocations from this lesson, shown in natural context. Pay attention to the verb that goes with each noun — this is what makes English sound natural.
make + a decision
It took her a long time to make a decision about which job to accept.
make + a mistake
Don't worry — everyone makes mistakes when they are learning.
make + progress
You're making great progress with your pronunciation.
do + homework
I always do my homework before dinner.
do + exercise
The doctor told him to do more exercise every week.
take + a break
Let's take a short break and come back to this problem later.
take + up (a hobby)
She decided to take up yoga to reduce stress.
run + out of (something)
We've run out of time — we'll have to finish this tomorrow.
look + forward to (something)
I'm really looking forward to seeing you at the weekend.
set + a goal
At the start of the year, I set a goal to read twelve books.
pay + attention
If you pay attention in class, you'll find the exam much easier.
get on + well with (someone)
I get on really well with my flatmates.
Important Differences and Confusing Words
Make vs Do
One of the most common areas of confusion for B1 learners is when to use make and when to use do. Both verbs can mean "to perform an action," but they are used with different nouns.
Use make when you are creating, producing, or constructing something — often a result or product:
- make a decision
- make a mistake
- make a suggestion
- make progress
- make a phone call
Use do for general activities, tasks, and duties — especially when you are not creating a physical thing:
- do your homework
- do exercise
- do the washing up
- do your best
- do a course
Find out vs Know vs Learn
Find out means to discover a piece of information, often by searching or asking:
I need to find out what time the train leaves.
Know means to already have information in your mind:
I know what time the train leaves — it's at half past eight.
Learn means to gain knowledge or a skill over a period of time through study or experience:
She spent six months learning how to drive.
Give up vs Put off vs Stop
Give up means to permanently stop doing something, usually because it is too hard:
He gave up playing football after his injury.
Put off means to delay doing something until a later time — you plan to do it eventually:
She keeps putting off going to the dentist.
Stop is more general and simply means to no longer do something. It can be temporary or permanent:
Can you stop talking, please? I'm trying to concentrate.
Look forward to vs Expect vs Hope
Look forward to means to feel excitement or pleasure about something coming in the future:
I'm really looking forward to the party on Saturday.
Expect means you think something will happen based on evidence — it is more neutral:
I expect the results will be announced next week.
Hope means you want something to happen but are not certain that it will:
I hope the weather will be good for the festival.
Common Mistakes
❌ I'm interesting in history.
✅ I'm interested in history. — Use interested (adjective) to describe how you feel. Interesting describes the subject itself (e.g. "History is an interesting subject").
❌ She did a mistake in her report.
✅ She made a mistake in her report. — Always use make with mistake, not do.
❌ I'm looking forward to see you.
✅ I'm looking forward to seeing you. — After looking forward to, always use the -ing form of the verb, not the infinitive. The word to here is a preposition, not part of the infinitive.
❌ He is responsible of the project.
✅ He is responsible for the project. — The correct dependent preposition after responsible is always for.
❌ We did a decision to move to a new flat.
✅ We made a decision to move to a new flat. — Always use make with decision.
❌ I ended up to take the wrong bus.
✅ I ended up taking the wrong bus. — After end up, always use the -ing form of the verb.
❌ She gave up to try after the first problem.
✅ She gave up trying after the first problem. — After give up, use the -ing form. Never use the infinitive with to.
❌ I depend of my parents for money.
✅ I depend on my parents for money. — The correct preposition after depend is always on.
❌ He is very good in maths.
✅ He is very good at maths. — Use at after good to describe a skill or subject.
❌ Don't put off to call the doctor.
✅ Don't put off calling the doctor. — After put off, always use the -ing form of the verb.
Phrasal Verbs and Collocations: Quick Summary and Review
In this lesson, you have studied some of the most useful and common phrasal verbs and collocations at B1 level. Here are the key points to remember:
- A phrasal verb is a verb + preposition or adverb combination that creates a new meaning (e.g. give up, run out of, sort out).
- A collocation is a group of words that naturally go together (e.g. make a decision, take a break, pay attention).
- Use make for decisions, mistakes, progress, and suggestions. Use do for tasks, homework, and exercise.
- Dependent prepositions must be memorised with the word: interested in, depend on, good at, responsible for, worried about.
- After phrasal verbs like give up, end up, put off, and look forward to, always use the -ing form of the verb.
- Context is very important — many phrasal verbs have more than one meaning, so always think about the situation.
The best way to remember phrasal verbs and collocations is to learn them as whole phrases rather than individual words. Try to use at least three of today's phrases in a sentence about your own life to help them stick in your memory.
Now practise phrasal verbs and collocations vocabulary in the exercises below.
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