English Phrasal Verbs With “Take” – A Comprehensive Guide
Phrasal verbs are an essential part of English vocabulary, and those with the verb “take” are particularly common. Learning these will help you sound more natural in both spoken and written English. Below is a detailed list of phrasal verbs with “take,” their meanings, examples, and exercises to test your understanding.
1. Take after
Meaning: To resemble a family member in appearance, behavior, or personality.
- She takes after her mother; they both have the same blue eyes.
- John takes after his father in his love for football.
- My brother takes after our grandfather—he’s very patient.
2. Take off
Meaning: To remove something (e.g., clothing) or to leave the ground (for airplanes).
- Please take off your shoes before entering the house.
- The plane took off at 3 PM sharp.
- He took off his jacket because it was too hot.
3. Take up
Meaning: To start a new hobby, activity, or occupation; also means to occupy space or time.
- She decided to take up painting in her free time.
- This sofa takes up too much space in the room.
- He took up a job as a teacher after graduating.
4. Take over
Meaning: To assume control of something (e.g., a company, responsibility).
- The new manager will take over the team next week.
- After the CEO resigned, his assistant took over.
- The army took over the government in a coup.
5. Take back
Meaning: To return something or retract a statement.
- I need to take back this book to the library.
- He apologized and took back his rude comment.
- She took back the gift because it was the wrong size.
6. Take on
Meaning: To accept a challenge, responsibility, or opponent.
- She decided to take on the difficult project.
- The boxer will take on a strong opponent next month.
- He took on extra work to earn more money.
7. Take out
Meaning: To remove something from a place or to invite someone on a date.
- He took out his wallet to pay for the meal.
- She took out the trash before leaving the house.
- He took her out for dinner last night.
8. Take down
Meaning: To write something down or to dismantle something.
- The secretary took down the minutes of the meeting.
- They took down the old building to construct a new one.
- Please take down this phone number.
9. Take in
Meaning: To understand something or to provide shelter.
- It was hard to take in all the information at once.
- She took in a stray cat and gave it a home.
- The lecture was too fast; I couldn’t take it all in.
10. Take apart
Meaning: To disassemble something into pieces.
- He took apart the old radio to fix it.
- The mechanic took the engine apart to find the problem.
- Kids love taking apart toys to see how they work.
Exercises
Test your understanding of these phrasal verbs by completing the following exercises.
Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks
Choose the correct phrasal verb to complete each sentence.
- She ___ her mother in looks and personality. (takes after / takes off)
- Please ___ your shoes before entering. (take off / take over)
- He decided to ___ photography as a hobby. (take up / take down)
- The new CEO will ___ the company next month. (take over / take back)
- She ___ the dog and gave it a home. (took in / took apart)
Exercise 2: Rewrite the Sentences
Replace the underlined words with the correct phrasal verb.
- He resembles his grandfather in many ways. → He ___ his grandfather.
- She started learning the piano last year. → She ___ the piano last year.
- They removed the old posters from the wall. → They ___ the old posters.
- Can you return this book to the library? → Can you ___ this book?
- I didn’t understand the lecture fully. → I couldn’t ___ the lecture.
Exercise 3: Create Your Own Sentences
Write three sentences using any of the phrasal verbs listed above.
- Example: My sister takes after our dad because they both love cooking.
- Your turn: ________________________________________________________
- Your turn: ________________________________________________________
- Your turn: ________________________________________________________
Answer Key
| Exercise 1 | Exercise 2 |
|---|---|
| 1. takes after | 1. takes after |
| 2. take off | 2. took up |
| 3. take up | 3. took down |
| 4. take over | 4. take back |
| 5. took in | 5. take in |