Here's the thing — the same small word (up, out, off) can bend a verb's meaning a dozen different ways, and the three families of multi-word verb don't all behave alike. This is your sixty-second map, grouped by particle. Every row points home to the pillar that actually teaches it; nothing here re-teaches the rule.
Home links: P4 = The Verb System (verb patterns & multi-word verbs) · P2 = Prepositions · P8 = Word choice & regional vocabulary · Index = Master UK/US Index.
The three families at a glance
| Family |
Shape |
Example |
Separable? |
Home |
| Phrasal verb |
verb + adverb particle |
turn the light off** |
often yes |
P4 |
| Prepositional verb |
verb + preposition + object |
look after the baby |
no |
P2 · P4 |
| Phrasal-prepositional verb |
verb + particle + preposition |
put up with the noise |
no |
P4 |
A dash (—) in a UK/US column means both varieties share the item freely. No invented divergences — a blank is honest.
Grouped by particle
UP
| Verb |
Gloss |
Family |
UK/US |
Home |
| give up |
stop trying, surrender |
phrasal |
— |
P4 |
| pick up |
lift, collect, learn casually |
phrasal |
— |
P4 · P8 |
| set up |
establish, arrange |
phrasal |
— |
P4 |
| bring up |
raise (a child, a topic) |
phrasal |
— |
P4 |
| look up |
search for (information) |
phrasal |
— |
P4 |
| make up |
invent, reconcile |
phrasal |
— |
P4 · P8 |
| end up |
arrive eventually |
phrasal |
— |
P4 |
| come up |
arise, approach |
phrasal |
— |
P4 |
| grow up |
become an adult |
phrasal |
— |
P4 |
| turn up |
arrive; increase |
phrasal |
— |
P4 |
OUT
| Verb |
Gloss |
Family |
UK/US |
Home |
| find out |
discover |
phrasal |
— |
P4 |
| work out |
solve; exercise; go well |
phrasal |
— |
P4 · P8 |
| figure out |
understand, solve |
phrasal |
freer, more frequent US |
P4 · Index |
| point out |
draw attention to |
phrasal |
— |
P4 |
| carry out |
perform, execute |
phrasal |
— |
P4 |
| turn out |
result, prove to be |
phrasal |
— |
P4 |
| check out |
investigate; leave a hotel |
phrasal |
US also = have a look at |
P4 · Index |
| sort out |
resolve, organise |
phrasal |
everyday BrE; US leans figure out / fix |
P4 · P8 |
| run out of |
exhaust the supply of |
phrasal-prep |
— |
P4 |
| fill out |
complete (a form) |
phrasal |
US fill out; strong BrE fill in |
P4 · P8 |
OFF
| Verb |
Gloss |
Family |
UK/US |
Home |
| take off |
remove; depart (aircraft); succeed |
phrasal |
— |
P4 |
| put off |
postpone; discourage |
phrasal |
— |
P4 |
| turn off |
switch off; repel |
phrasal |
— |
P4 · P8 |
| call off |
cancel |
phrasal |
— |
P4 |
| set off |
begin a journey; trigger |
phrasal |
— |
P4 |
| show off |
display boastfully |
phrasal |
— |
P4 |
| go off |
explode; spoil; leave |
phrasal |
go off (food) = spoil, everyday BrE |
P4 · P8 |
| get off |
leave (bus, train); finish work |
phrasal |
— |
P4 |
| write off |
cancel (debt, vehicle); dismiss |
phrasal |
— |
P4 · P8 |
| pay off |
settle a debt; prove worthwhile |
phrasal |
— |
P4 |
ON
| Verb |
Gloss |
Family |
UK/US |
Home |
| put on |
wear; stage (a show) |
phrasal |
— |
P4 |
| turn on |
switch on; attract |
phrasal |
— |
P4 · P8 |
| carry on |
continue |
phrasal |
everyday BrE for continue |
P4 · Index |
| go on |
continue; happen |
phrasal |
— |
P4 |
| get on |
board; make progress; get along |
phrasal |
get on = get along, BrE flavour |
P4 · Index |
| keep on |
continue (often persistently) |
phrasal |
— |
P4 |
| hold on |
wait; grip |
phrasal |
— |
P4 |
| rely on |
depend on |
prepositional |
— |
P2 · P4 |
| count on |
trust, depend on |
prepositional |
— |
P2 · P4 |
| focus on |
concentrate on |
prepositional |
— |
P2 · P4 |
DOWN
| Verb |
Gloss |
Family |
UK/US |
Home |
| break down |
stop working; collapse; analyse |
phrasal |
— |
P4 · P8 |
| calm down |
become less agitated |
phrasal |
— |
P4 |
| turn down |
reject; reduce (volume, heat) |
phrasal |
— |
P4 |
| let down |
disappoint |
phrasal |
— |
P4 · P8 |
| write down |
record in writing |
phrasal |
— |
P4 |
| put down |
lower; insult; euthanise (an animal) |
phrasal |
— |
P4 · P8 |
| settle down |
establish a home; quieten |
phrasal |
— |
P4 |
| slow down |
reduce speed |
phrasal |
— |
P4 |
| shut down |
close, stop operating |
phrasal |
— |
P4 · P8 |
| cut down on |
reduce |
phrasal-prep |
— |
P4 |
BACK
| Verb |
Gloss |
Family |
UK/US |
Home |
| get back |
return; retrieve |
phrasal |
— |
P4 |
| call back |
return a phone call |
phrasal |
— |
P4 |
| pay back |
repay; take revenge |
phrasal |
— |
P4 |
| give back |
return (something) |
phrasal |
— |
P4 |
| come back |
return |
phrasal |
— |
P4 |
| hold back |
restrain, withhold |
phrasal |
— |
P4 |
| look back |
reminisce |
phrasal |
— |
P4 |
| back up |
support; reverse; copy (data) |
phrasal |
— |
P4 · P8 |
| answer back |
reply rudely |
phrasal |
everyday BrE |
P4 · Index |
| cut back on |
reduce (spending) |
phrasal-prep |
— |
P4 |
High-traffic phrasal-prepositional verbs
These three-word verbs behave as a single unit — you can't slide the object into the middle (put up with it ✓, put it up with ✗).
| Verb |
Gloss |
Home |
| put up with |
tolerate |
P4 |
| look forward to |
anticipate with pleasure |
P4 · P2 |
| get away with |
escape punishment for |
P4 |
| come up with |
invent, produce (an idea) |
P4 |
| look down on |
regard as inferior |
P4 |
| catch up with |
reach; get the latest news from |
P4 |
| keep up with |
stay level with |
P4 |
| run out of |
exhaust the supply of |
P4 |
UK / US at a glance
Not for memorising — just for the "is this British, American, or both?" moments. Each row is marked tendency (a strong preference) or variant (both genuinely used).
| Item |
Note |
Status |
Home |
| ring up (= phone) |
everyday BrE; US uses call |
tendency |
P8 · Index |
| sort out (= resolve) |
everyday BrE; US leans figure out / fix |
tendency |
P8 · Index |
| fill in / fill out (a form) |
fill in strong BrE, fill out more US |
variant |
P8 · Index |
| go off (food = spoil) |
everyday BrE |
tendency |
P8 · Index |
| carry on (= continue) |
everyday BrE |
tendency |
Index |
| answer back (= reply rudely) |
everyday BrE |
tendency |
Index |
For vocabulary differences that aren't phrasal verbs, see P8 · Word choice & regional vocabulary and the Master UK/US Index.
Where to read the full teaching
- P4 · The Verb System — verb patterns, separable vs inseparable, and how multi-word verbs take objects.
- P2 · Parts of Speech: Prepositions — the building block behind prepositional verbs.
- P8 · Spelling, Morphology & Word Choice — confusables, regional vocabulary, and noun forms (breakdown, take-off, shutdown).
- Master UK/US Index — the full regional usage guide.