Phrasal Verbs for Small Talk: A Comprehensive Guide for English Learners
Small talk is an essential part of everyday communication, especially in English-speaking cultures. Mastering phrasal verbs can make your conversations sound more natural and fluent. Below is a detailed guide to common phrasal verbs used in small talk, along with meanings, examples, and exercises.
What Are Phrasal Verbs?
Phrasal verbs are combinations of a verb and one or more particles (prepositions or adverbs) that create a new meaning. They are widely used in informal conversations, including small talk.
Common Phrasal Verbs for Small Talk
1. Bring up
Meaning: To mention or introduce a topic in conversation.
- She brought up her vacation plans during lunch.
- He didn’t want to bring up the issue at the meeting.
- They brought up the weather when they ran out of things to say.
2. Run into
Meaning: To meet someone unexpectedly.
- I ran into an old friend at the supermarket yesterday.
- Did you run into anyone interesting at the party?
- We ran into our neighbors while walking the dog.
3. Come across
Meaning: To seem or appear in a certain way; to find something by chance.
- He comes across as very confident in interviews.
- She came across an interesting article online.
- They came across friendly when we first met.
4. Get along
Meaning: To have a good relationship with someone.
- We get along really well with our new coworkers.
- Do you get along with your neighbors?
- They didn’t get along at first, but now they’re good friends.
5. Break the ice
Meaning: To start a conversation in a social setting.
- He told a joke to break the ice at the networking event.
- She asked about the weather to break the ice.
- Playing a game can help break the ice in a new group.
6. Catch up
Meaning: To talk about recent events with someone you haven’t seen in a while.
- Let’s meet for coffee and catch up soon!
- We spent hours catching up after not seeing each other for years.
- She called her sister to catch up on family news.
7. Go on
Meaning: To continue happening or to encourage someone to speak further.
- The meeting went on for two hours.
- “What went on at the party last night?” she asked.
- He nodded and said, “Go on, I’m listening.”
8. Turn out
Meaning: To result in a particular way.
- The party turned out to be a lot of fun.
- It turned out that they had mutual friends.
- How did your presentation turn out?
Exercises
Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks
Complete the sentences with the correct phrasal verb from the list above.
- I ___ my cousin at the mall yesterday. We hadn’t seen each other in years!
- She always ___ as very professional in meetings.
- Let’s meet for lunch and ___ on everything.
- He ___ the topic of his new job during dinner.
- The event ___ to be much bigger than we expected.
Exercise 2: Match the Phrasal Verb to Its Meaning
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Break the ice | To start a conversation in a social setting |
| Get along | To have a good relationship with someone |
| Turn out | To result in a particular way |
| Bring up | To mention a topic |
| Catch up | To talk about recent events |
Answer Key
Exercise 1 Answers:
- ran into
- comes across
- catch up
- brought up
- turned out
Exercise 2 Answers:
The table already correctly matches the phrasal verbs to their meanings.