Phrasal Verbs for Grade 9: A Comprehensive Guide
Phrasal verbs are an essential part of English grammar, especially for Grade 9 students. They consist of a verb and one or more particles (prepositions or adverbs), and their meanings often differ from the original verb. Mastering phrasal verbs will improve your fluency and comprehension in English. Below is a detailed list of common phrasal verbs, their meanings, examples, and exercises to test your understanding.
1. What Are Phrasal Verbs?
A phrasal verb is a combination of a verb and a preposition or adverb (or both) that creates a new meaning. For example, “give up” means to stop doing something, which is different from the literal meaning of “give.”
2. Common Phrasal Verbs for Grade 9
Break down
- Meaning: To stop working (for machines) or to lose control emotionally.
- Examples:
- My car broke down on the way to school.
- She broke down crying when she heard the bad news.
- The old computer broke down after years of use.
Call off
- Meaning: To cancel something.
- Examples:
- The match was called off due to heavy rain.
- They called off the meeting because the boss was sick.
- We had to call off our picnic plans.
Find out
- Meaning: To discover or learn something.
- Examples:
- I found out that she was moving to another city.
- Did you find out who won the competition?
- He found out the truth after asking many questions.
Give up
- Meaning: To stop trying or quit something.
- Examples:
- She gave up smoking last year.
- Don’t give up on your dreams!
- He gave up playing football after his injury.
Look after
- Meaning: To take care of someone or something.
- Examples:
- Can you look after my dog while I’m away?
- She looks after her younger brother every evening.
- He looked after the plants while his neighbor was on vacation.
Put off
- Meaning: To postpone or delay something.
- Examples:
- They put off the trip because of bad weather.
- Don’t put off your homework until the last minute.
- She put off visiting the dentist for months.
Run out of
- Meaning: To have no more of something left.
- Examples:
- We ran out of milk, so I went to the store.
- They ran out of time and couldn’t finish the test.
- She ran out of patience after waiting for hours.
Take off
- Meaning: To remove clothing or to leave the ground (for airplanes).
- Examples:
- He took off his jacket because it was hot.
- The plane took off at 3 PM.
- She took off her shoes before entering the house.
Turn down
- Meaning: To refuse an offer or reduce volume/heat.
- Examples:
- She turned down the job offer because of the low salary.
- Can you turn down the music? It’s too loud.
- He turned down the invitation to the party.
3. Exercises: Test Your Knowledge
Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks
Choose the correct phrasal verb from the list to complete the sentences.
- break down, call off, find out, give up, look after, put off, run out of, take off, turn down
- She decided to _____ smoking for her health.
- The concert was _____ because the singer was ill.
- I need to _____ who took my notebook.
- Can you _____ my cat while I’m on vacation?
- We _____ sugar, so I need to buy some more.
Exercise 2: Match the Phrasal Verb with Its Meaning
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Take off | a) To cancel |
| Call off | b) To remove clothing |
| Give up | c) To stop trying |
| Run out of | d) To have no more left |
4. Answer Key
Exercise 1 Answers:
- give up
- called off
- find out
- look after
- ran out of
Exercise 2 Answers:
- Take off – b) To remove clothing
- Call off – a) To cancel
- Give up – c) To stop trying
- Run out of – d) To have no more left
Practicing these phrasal verbs will help you become more confident in using them in daily conversations and writing. Keep learning and expanding your vocabulary!