What Are Phrasal Verbs?
Have you ever heard someone say “turn off the lights” or “pick up your toys”?
These small word combinations are called phrasal verbs — and they make English sound natural, expressive, and fun!
Phrasal verbs are a must-learn for kids who want to speak English fluently. In this blog, you’ll learn 10 Easy Phrasal Verbs for Kids to Learn with Fun Examples and Exercises for Grade 4, and fun practice exercises that make learning easy and exciting!
A phrasal verb is made of a verb + one or more particles (prepositions or adverbs) that together create a new meaning. This meaning is often different from the original verb.
For example, the word “look” means to see — but “look after” means to take care of! That’s how phrasal verbs change meaning in a magical way.
10 Easy Phrasal Verbs for Kids with Meanings and Examples
Here are 10 simple and useful phrasal verbs every child can use in daily life.
Verb | Particle | Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example Sentence |
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look | up | look up | to search for information | I looked up the word in the dictionary. |
turn | off | turn off | to stop something working | Please turn off the TV before you sleep. |
give | up | give up | to stop trying | Don’t give up — you can do it! |
bring | up | bring up | to start talking about something | She brought up a new topic during dinner. |
run | out of | run out of | to have no more of something | We ran out of milk this morning. |
wake | up | wake up | to stop sleeping | I wake up early to catch my school bus. |
put | on | put on | to wear clothes or accessories | She put on her shoes quickly. |
take | off | take off | to remove something (clothes/shoes) | Please take off your shoes before entering. |
look | for | look for | to search for something | I’m looking for my lost pencil. |
come | back | come back | to return | Dad will come back home at 8 o’clock. |
Tip: These are among the most common phrasal verbs for children, and mastering them helps students improve vocabulary, speaking skills, and grammar fluency. Phrasal verbs like turn on, wake up, look for, and put on are some of the most commonly used phrasal verbs for kids and are essential for improving spoken English fluency.
Why Are Phrasal Verbs Important?
Phrasal verbs are everywhere — in movies, songs, conversations, and stories!
They make your English sound:
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More natural and fluent
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More expressive
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Easier to understand native speakers
For example:
- Instead of “Please remove your shoes,” we usually say, “Please take off your shoes.”
- Instead of “I will continue,” we often say, “I’ll carry on.”
So, learning phrasal verbs is like adding magic words to your English toolkit!
Also Read: Question Tags Made Easy: 9 Golden Rules Parents Can Teach Kids
Phrasal Verbs in Daily Life
Here are a few daily life phrasal verbs every child can relate to:
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Wake up – I wake up at 6 a.m. every morning.
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Put on – She put on her uniform before school.
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Take out – Dad took out the trash last night.
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Come back – I’ll come back after lunch.
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Set up – We set up the table for dinner.
You use them every day — you just didn’t realize they had such a cool name!
Practice Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks
Fill in the blanks with the correct phrasal verbs from the list:
(turn on, wake up, give up, look for, put on, take off, run out of, bring up)
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Please __________ the lights; it’s getting dark.
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I __________ early to catch the school bus.
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Don’t __________! You can finish your homework.
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Can you help me __________ my lost pencil box?
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She __________ her shoes before entering the temple.
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Let’s not __________ that topic again — it’s boring.
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We __________ milk, so I’ll go to the store.
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He quickly __________ his raincoat when it started to rain.
✅ Answers:
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turn on, 2) wake up, 3) give up, 4) look for, 5) take off, 6) bring up, 7) ran out of, 8) put on
Choose the Correct Phrasal Verbs:
(Words: wake up, put on, turn on, make up, set up, look for, find out, put on, pick up, miss)
No. | Sentence |
---|---|
1 | She had to ________ early. |
2 | She quickly ________ her school uniform. |
3 | She ________ the lights. |
4 | Mom told her to ________ the bed. |
5 | She helped Dad ________ the table. |
6 | She couldn’t ________ her school bag anywhere. |
7 | She finally ________ it next to her shoes. |
8 | She had to ________ her raincoat and boots. |
9 | Don’t forget to ________ the umbrella! |
10 | She didn’t ________ the school bus this time! |
Answers: 1: wake up, 2: put on, 3: turned on, 4: make up, 5: set up, 6: find or look for, 7: found or found out, 8: put on, 9: pick up, 10: miss.
Story Time: “Maya’s Busy Morning Adventure”
(Let’s learn phrasal verbs through a fun story!)
One sunny morning, Maya had a lot to do before school.
She had to (1) ________ early, but her alarm didn’t ring!
When she finally opened her eyes, she quickly (2) ________ her school uniform and (3) ________ the lights.
Her mom told her to (4) ________ the bed before breakfast.
In the kitchen, Maya helped her dad (5) ________ the table.
After eating, she couldn’t (6) ________ her school bag anywhere!
She looked under the bed, behind the chair, and finally (7) ________ it next to her shoes.
Just when she was ready to leave, it started to rain! So she had to (8) ________ her raincoat and boots.
Her brother shouted, “Don’t forget to (9) ________ the umbrella!”
Maya smiled and ran to the bus stop, happy that she didn’t (10) ________ the school bus this time!
Story Time: “Maya’s Busy Morning Adventure”
Let’s learn phrasal verbs through a fun story!
One sunny morning, Maya had a lot to do before school.
She had to (1) wake up early, but her alarm didn’t ring!
When she finally opened her eyes, she quickly (2) put on her school uniform and (3) turned on the lights.
Her mom told her to (4) make up the bed before breakfast.
In the kitchen, Maya helped her dad (5) set up the table.
After eating, she couldn’t (6) look for her school bag anywhere!
She looked under the bed, behind the chair, and finally (7) found it next to her shoes.
Just when she was ready to leave, it started to rain! So she had to (8) put on her raincoat and boots.
Her brother shouted, “Don’t forget to (9) pick up the umbrella!”
Maya smiled and ran to the bus stop, happy that she didn’t (10) miss the school bus this time!
Practice Challenge 2: Write Your Own Story!
Now it’s your turn!
Use at least 5 phrasal verbs from this list to create your own 4–5 line story:
(get up, turn off, look for, put on, take off, run out of, bring up, set up, wake up, give up)
Example:
I woke up late today, so I put on my clothes quickly. I looked for my water bottle but couldn’t find it.
Mom helped me set up my breakfast table, and I promised not to give up on being early again!
Quick Tips to Learn Phrasal Verbs Faster
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Connect each phrasal verb with a daily action (like “wake up” or “put on shoes”).
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Use gestures or small drawings to remember them.
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Speak them aloud in short sentences every day.
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Make a mini flashcard deck with meanings and examples.
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Watch cartoons or English shows and note down new phrasal verbs you hear!
Conclusion
Phrasal verbs make English lively and full of expression. Whether you say wake up, put on, or run out of, you’re already mastering real-world English! So keep practicing daily and soon you’ll use phrasal verbs naturally — just like native speakers!