Academic Phrasal Verb Dash

Intermediate (B1) 30 minutes
EAP Academic Phrasal Verbs Game preview for Intermediate B1: matching, gap-fill, forming sentences, freer practice, group work

EAP Phrasal Verbs Game - Vocabulary and Speaking: Matching, Gap-fill, Forming Sentences, Freer Practice - Group Work

In this academic phrasal verbs game, students race to complete sentences with phrasal verbs commonly used in academic contexts. First, students match academic phrasal verbs to their definitions. Next...

EAP Phrasal Verbs Game - Vocabulary and Speaking: Gap-fill, Forming Sentences, Freer Practice - Group Work In this academic phrasal verbs game, students race to complete sentences with phrasal verbs commonly used in academic contexts. First, students match academic phrasal verbs to their definitions. Next, in groups, students play two games in which they race to complete sentences with the correct academic phrasal verb. Players take turns choosing to 'Swap' or 'Play'. If the player says 'Swap', they take a phrasal verb card from another player, give one of their own cards in return and their turn ends. If the player says 'Play', they select a phrasal verb card from their hand to complete a sentence on the table, reading the full sentence aloud. If the phrasal verb correctly completes the sentence, the player wins the pair of cards. The player then takes a new phrasal verb card from the pile and adds it to their hand. If not, play passes to the next student. The player with the most pairs of cards at the end of the game wins. In the second game, students take turns playing again, choosing to 'Swap' or 'Play' as before. However, when a player successfully matches and completes a sentence, they then create their own example sentence using the same phrasal verb. If the group agrees that the match is right and the sentence is grammatically correct and appropriate, the player wins the pair of cards. If not, play passes to the next student. The student with the most pairs of cards at the end of the game is the winner.​
Exclusive PDF Online

Academic Phrasal Verbs Quest

Intermediate (B1) 30 minutes
EAP Academic Phrasal Verbs Board Game preview for Intermediate B1: gap-fill, impromptu speech, answering questions, freer practice, group work

EAP Phrasal Verbs Board Game - Vocabulary and Speaking: Gap-fill, Impromptu Speech, Answering Questions, Freer Practice - Group Work

In this enjoyable academic phrasal verbs board game, students practice using commonly used phrasal verbs and answer questions about their studies...

EAP Phrasal Verbs Game - Vocabulary and Speaking: Gap-fill, Impromptu Speech, Answering Questions, Freer Practice - Group Work In this enjoyable academic phrasal verbs board game, students practice using commonly used phrasal verbs and answer questions about their studies and academic experiences. In groups, players take turns rolling the dice and moving their counter along the board. When a player lands on a square, another student picks up a card and reads out the sentence using the word 'blank' for the phrasal verb in bold, e.g. 'She BLANK an interesting idea during the seminar.' The player listens to the sentence, chooses a phrasal verb from the game board, and says it aloud to complete the sentence, e.g. put forward. If the player says the correct phrasal verb shown on the card, they stay on the square. If not, they move their counter back two squares. If a player lands on a question square, they talk for 30 seconds in response to the question to remain on the square. If the student stops talking or can't think of anything to say, they go back two squares. The first player to reach the finish wins the game.
Exclusive PDF Online

Let's Go Through This!

Intermediate (B1) 25 minutes
EAP Phrasal Verbs Worksheet preview for Intermediate B1: matching, gap-fill, binary choice, rewriting sentences

EAP Phrasal Verbs Worksheet - Vocabulary Exercises: Matching, Gap-fill, Binary Choice, Rewriting Sentences

In this free academic phrasal verb worksheet, students practice commonly used phrasal verbs for academic contexts. Students start by matching phrasal verbs in sentences to their definitions. Students...

EAP Phrasal Verbs Worksheet - Vocabulary Exercises: Matching, Gap-fill, Binary Choice, Rewriting Sentences In this free academic phrasal verb worksheet, students practice commonly used phrasal verbs for academic contexts. Students start by matching phrasal verbs in sentences to their definitions. Students then use the phrasal verbs to complete a conversation. Next, students underline the correct phrasal verb to complete each sentence. Lastly, students rewrite sentences by replacing verbs with the phrasal verbs.
Online

Study Habits

Intermediate (B1) 40 minutes
EAP Study-Related Phrasal Verbs Worksheet preview for Intermediate B1: reading, binary choice, gap-fill, asking and answering questions, pair work

EAP Study-Related Phrasal Verbs Worksheet - Reading and Vocabulary Exercises: Binary Choice, Gap-fill - Speaking Activity and Game:  Answering Questions - Pair Work

In this academic phrasal verbs worksheet, students practice the study-related phrasal verbs: hand in, go over, look up, write down, catch up, drop out, put off...

EAP Study-Related Phrasal Verbs Worksheet - Reading and Vocabulary Exercises: Binary Choice, Gap-fill - Speaking Activity and Game: Asking and Answering Questions - Pair Work In this academic phrasal verbs worksheet, students practice the study-related phrasal verbs: hand in, go over, look up, write down, catch up, drop out, put off, give up, join in, and sign up. First, students read a text about study habits that shows the phrasal verbs in context. Students then write the phrasal verbs from the text next to their definitions. Next, students underline the correct phrasal verb in each sentence. After that, students match halves to form sentences that contain the study-related phrasal verbs. Students then move on to complete sentences with the phrasal verbs. In pairs, students then ask and answer conversation questions about study habits. Finally, students play a guessing game in pairs to practice the study-related phrasal verbs. Students take turns reading a sentence to their partner, replacing the study-related phrasal verb in bold with the word 'Coffeepot.' Their partner then has one chance to guess the missing phrasal verb. For each correct guess, students award their partner one point. The student with the most points at the end of the game wins.
Exclusive PDF Online

Academic Phrasal Verb Antics

Upper-intermediate (B2) 45 minutes
EAP Phrasal Verbs Game preview for Upper-intermediate B2: matching, forming sentences, controlled and freer practice, group work

EAP Phrasal Verbs Game - Vocabulary, Reading and Writing: Matching, Forming Sentences, Controlled and Freer Practice - Group Work

In this engaging academic phrasal verbs game, students race to pair verbs with prepositions to form phrasal verbs and then match them to definitions and...

EAP Phrasal Verbs Game - Vocabulary, Reading and Writing: Matching, Forming Sentences from Prompts, Controlled and Freer Practice - Group Work In this engaging academic phrasal verbs game, students race to pair verbs with prepositions to form phrasal verbs and then match them to definitions and use them in sentences. Start the game by calling out a verb from the cards. Teams then race to find the correct preposition and definition cards to form an academic phrasal verb. When a team thinks they have matched three cards together (verb + preposition + definition), they raise their hands. The first team to match the cards correctly scores two points. Next, teams have two minutes to write a sentence using the phrasal verb in an academic context. When the time limit has been reached, each team reads their sentence aloud. Award one point for using the phrasal verb in the correct context and one point for grammatical accuracy. The game continues until all the academic phrasal verbs have been matched and used in sentences. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.
Exclusive PDF Online

Academic Phrasal Verbs in Action

Upper-intermediate (B2) 30 minutes
EAP Phrasal Verbs Activity preview for Upper-intermediate B2: gap-fill, conversation questions, controlled and freer practice, group and pair work

EAP Phrasal Verbs Activity - Vocabulary and Speaking: Gap-fill, Asking and Answering Questions, Controlled and Freer Practice - Group and Pair Work

In this useful academic phrasal verbs speaking activity, students complete, ask and answer conversation questions with study-related phrasal verbs. First...

EAP Phrasal Verbs Activity - Vocabulary and Speaking: Gap-fill, Asking and Answering Questions from Prompts, Controlled and Freer Practice - Group and Pair Work In this useful academic phrasal verbs speaking activity, students complete, ask and answer conversation questions with study-related phrasal verbs. First, in two groups, students complete conversation questions with academic phrasal verbs from a box, changing the verb form as needed. Next, students pair up with someone from the other group and take turns asking the conversation questions to their partner, who responds accordingly. For the first question in each set, students include the corresponding phrasal verb in their response. Afterwards, students share what they found out about their partner with the class.
Exclusive PDF Online

Academic Phrasal Verbs Jeopardy

Upper-intermediate (B2) 25 minutes
EAP Phrasal Verbs Game preview for Upper-intermediate B2: quiz, guessing, group work

EAP Phrasal Verbs Game - Vocabulary: Quiz, Guessing - Group Work

In this academic phrasal verbs quiz game, students guess phrasal verbs from clues. Choose a square to start the game, e.g. 'Research and Methods' for 100 points. Read the clue for the phrasal verb, e.g. 'to do an experiment.' The first student...

EAP Phrasal Verbs Game - Vocabulary: Quiz, Guessing - Group Work In this academic phrasal verbs quiz game, students guess phrasal verbs from clues. Choose a square to start the game, e.g. 'Research and Methods' for 100 points. Read the clue for the phrasal verb, e.g. 'to do an experiment.' The first student to raise their hand and give the correct academic phrasal verb (e.g. carry out) wins that square for their team and the number of points shown in the square. Write the winning team's name in the square. If a student gives an incorrect answer, their team is out for that question and may only answer again if all other teams answer incorrectly. The winning team then chooses the next square, and all the teams raise their hands to answer, as before. At the end of the game, add up the points for each team. The team with the most points wins the game. As a variation, when a student answers correctly, the winning team tries to make a sentence with the academic phrasal verb. If they do this successfully, the points for the square are doubled.
Exclusive PDF Online

Academic Phrasal Verbs for Research

Upper-intermediate (B2) 35 minutes
EAP Phrasal Verbs Worksheet preview for Upper-intermediate B2: matching, rewriting sentences, discussion, freer practice, pair work

EAP Phrasal Verbs Worksheet - Reading and Vocabulary Exercises: Matching, Rewriting Sentences - Speaking Activity: Discussion, Freer Practice - Pair Work

In this informative phrasal verbs worksheet, students practice academic phrasal verbs used in research and academic writing. First, students read a text about...

EAP Phrasal Verbs Worksheet - Reading and Vocabulary Exercises: Matching, Rewriting Sentences - Speaking Activity: Discussion, Freer Practice - Pair Work In this informative phrasal verbs worksheet, students practice academic phrasal verbs used in research and academic writing. First, students read a text about research projects. Students then match sentence halves to complete key ideas from the text. Next, students match phrasal verbs from the text to their definitions. After that, students rewrite sentences by replacing the underlined verb with a phrasal verb. Finally, students discuss five questions with a partner using the target phrasal verbs and specific examples.
Exclusive PDF Online

Phrasal Verbs for Humanities

Upper-intermediate (B2) 35 minutes
EAP Phrasal Verbs Worksheet preview for Upper-intermediate B2: identifying, matching, paragraph writing, discussion, freer practice, pair work

EAP Phrasal Verbs Worksheet - Reading and Vocabulary Exercises: Identifying, Matching, Gap-fill, Paragraph Writing - Speaking Activity: Discussion - Pair Work

In this academic phrasal verbs worksheet, students learn and practice phrasal verbs commonly used in humanities subjects. First, students read a text...

EAP Phrasal Verbs Worksheet - Reading and Vocabulary Exercises: Identifying, Matching, Gap-fill, Paragraph Writing - Speaking Activity: Discussion, Asking and Answering Questions, Freer Practice - Pair Work In this academic phrasal verbs worksheet, students learn and practice phrasal verbs commonly used in humanities subjects. First, students read a text and discuss two questions with a partner. Students then re-read the text, underline ten phrasal verbs and use context clues to discuss the meaning of each one with their partner. Next, students write phrasal verbs from the text next to their synonyms. After that, students match the phrasal verbs to noun phrases. Afterwards, students complete four questions with phrasal verbs in their correct form. Students then ask and answer the questions in pairs. Next, students complete an extract from a research paper with the target phrasal verbs, using each phrasal verb once. Finally, students write a short paragraph explaining to what extent the points made in the extract reflect their personal experience, using at least five phrasal verbs from the worksheet.
Exclusive PDF Online

Scientific Phrasal Verbs in Action

Upper-intermediate (B2) 45 minutes
EAP Phrasal Verbs Worksheet preview for Upper-intermediate B2: identifying, matching, categorising, rewriting sentences, discussion, communicative practice, pair work

EAP Phrasal Verbs Worksheet - Reading and Vocabulary Exercises: Identifying, Matching, Gap-fill, Writing a Paragraph - Speaking Activity: Discussion - Pair Work

In this insightful academic phrasal verbs worksheet, students learn and practice phrasal verbs commonly used in science subjects. First, students read...

EAP Phrasal Verbs Worksheet - Reading and Vocabulary Exercises: Identifying, Matching, Categorising, Gap-fill, Rewriting Sentences, Writing a Paragraph - Speaking Activity: Discussion, Communicative Practice - Pair Work In this insightful academic phrasal verbs worksheet, students learn and practice phrasal verbs commonly used in science subjects. First, students read a text about phrasal verbs and discuss two questions with a partner. Students then re-read the text, underline ten phrasal verbs and use context clues to discuss their meanings in pairs. Next, students match the phrasal verbs to their definitions. After that, students complete a table by adding two phrasal verbs under each heading. Following that, students complete presentation notes with the phrasal verbs in their correct form, using each phrasal verb once. Next, students rewrite sentences by replacing the underlined verb with a phrasal verb. Students then write a paragraph about a recent science experiment using at least five phrasal verbs from the worksheet. Finally, students share and discuss their paragraphs with a partner.
Exclusive PDF Online

Using Academic Phrasal Verbs

Academic phrasal verbs express actions involved in studying, discussing ideas and conducting research, such as 'go over', 'put forward' and 'carry out'. Learning them in context helps students understand both the intended meaning and the sentence pattern each expression needs.

This page contains ten resources across B1 and B2, including worksheets, conversation practice and games covering study habits, research, humanities and science. One worksheet is available as a free download.

The table illustrates expressions used in study and research contexts. Choose wording to suit the audience and task rather than assuming that every phrasal verb is informal.

Phrasal verbMeaning in this contextExample
go over Review or examine 'Let's go over the instructions before we begin.'
hand in Submit work 'Please hand in your assignment by Friday.'
look up Find information in a reference source 'Look up the term in a subject dictionary.'
put off Postpone an action 'Avoid putting off your reading until the final week.'
put forward Propose an idea 'The group put forward an alternative explanation.'
carry out Perform a task or procedure 'The researchers carried out an experiment.'

How to Use Academic Phrasal Verbs

Learn the expression with its context: Record a useful sentence alongside the meaning. The same expression can have different senses, so check that the definition matches the particular study or research situation.

Notice the words around the verb: Learn common objects and grammatical patterns, such as 'carry out an experiment' and 'put off doing a task'. Check whether an expression takes an object and where a pronoun belongs instead of treating all phrasal verbs alike.

Choose for clarity and register: Expressions such as 'carry out' can fit academic writing, while other choices may suit conversation better. Consider disciplinary usage and the assignment, and avoid forcing a target expression into a sentence where it sounds unnatural.

3-Step Framework for Teaching Academic Phrasal Verbs

Begin with familiar study contexts at B1, then extend the practice to research language at B2. Use these stages across suitable lessons rather than assuming that all resources belong in one lesson.

1. Establish meaning through study routines: Students read a text about study habits, connect its phrasal verbs with definitions and complete sentence exercises. They then discuss study-habit questions with a partner. Use the move from the text to personal examples to check that students understand the expressions before introducing a wider academic context.

2. Connect research actions with appropriate expressions: Students read about research projects, match sentence halves and identify phrasal-verb meanings. They rewrite sentences using the target expressions and discuss five questions with specific examples. Ask them to compare the objects and meanings in these sentences with the study-related language already practiced.

3. Retrieve and apply the language: Teams identify academic phrasal verbs from clues in a category-based quiz. Use the optional sentence-making variation, which awards extra points for a successful example, to check application as well as recall. After the game, revisit any examples where the meaning or sentence pattern needed correction.

Common Mistakes with Academic Phrasal Verbs

Putting a pronoun after a separable particle: With 'hand in', an object pronoun goes between the verb and particle. A full noun can appear in either position, as in 'hand in the assignment' or 'hand the assignment in'. Incorrect: 'I will hand in it tomorrow.' Correct: 'I will hand it in tomorrow.'

Using an infinitive after put off: When the postponed action follows 'put off', use the -ing form. Incorrect: 'She put off to write the report.' Correct: 'She put off writing the report.'

Common Questions About Teaching Academic Phrasal Verbs

What speaking activity helps students practice academic phrasal verbs?

The activity Academic Phrasal Verbs in Action has students complete study-related conversation questions, changing verb forms where needed. They then pair up with someone from the other group to ask and answer their questions. Reporting back on their partner's answers gives the practice a communicative purpose beyond completing the gaps.

What game helps students practice academic phrasal verbs in sentences?

The game Academic Phrasal Verb Dash moves from completing sentences to creating original examples. Players match phrasal verb cards with sentence cards and read the completed sentences aloud. In the second game, a successful match also requires an appropriate example sentence, so students demonstrate how the expression works in another context.

What free worksheet helps teach academic phrasal verbs?

The worksheet Let's Go Through This! introduces academic phrasal verbs through sentences and definitions. Students use the expressions to complete a conversation, choose suitable phrasal verbs for further sentences and rewrite sentences by replacing verbs. These tasks move from recognising meaning to selecting expressions that fit the surrounding language.

Become a Teach This Member

Get unlimited access to the full library, plus new resources added every week.

Unlimited Resource Access

Download from 3000+ worksheets, activities, and games.

Save 5+ Hours Weekly

Cut lesson prep time with ready-to-use resources, plus teacher notes and answer keys.

Trusted Professional Quality

Classroom-tested, editable resources created by experienced ESL professionals.

Fresh Content Weekly

Get 5 new resources added to the library each week.

Join Now Just $29.99 quarterly

Here's what our members are saying...

Jose Pinto

ESL Teacher, Timor-Leste

"There are a lot of resources that are useful for teaching English. I downloaded the games which are handy and use them in my classes. With the games, my students never skip class or feel tired to learn English. The resources for teaching English helped my students progress in grammar, vocabulary, writing and comprehension. They also helped me a lot to guide my students to learn in a practical way."

★★★★★

Julia Lohla

English Instructor, United States

"Thank you for providing these incredible resources. Teach-This.com is always my go-to site for class activities, and I recommend it often. I love how it is organized. I can find resources for a specific grammar concept or language function by level and type of activity. Every time I visit your site, I discover a new classroom interaction strategy that's perfect for teaching the concept I'm focusing on! When I return after the holidays, yours will be the first subscription I restart."

★★★★★

Carrie Brooke-Mellor

ESOL Teacher, United Kingdom

"I am an ESOL teacher, and the resources have helped my classes enormously. In particular, the speaking activities were a great help for my intermediate students before their exam. The website is user-friendly, and I will continue to utilise the resources - next term is reading and comprehension, so I will be looking for more resources from you. Thank you for such helpful activities and worksheets. They save me a lot of time in class preparation."

★★★★★

Charlie Sanders

ESL Teacher, France

"Teach This is an absolutely brilliant website, offering a vast amount of high-quality content, much of it free. Everyone involved in its creation deserves commendation. The leadership's vision has my deepest respect and gratitude. It's undoubtedly the best resource for English teachers, with its clear layout, easy navigation, concise messaging, and lack of invasive advertising - rare qualities that Teach This has perfected."

★★★★★

Joy Tebow

English Teacher, Laos

"When I need to add or change an activity from my school's curriculum, I always turn to TeachThis. While our curriculum is usually very good, it sometimes doesn't fit well with my students. With TeachThis, I can easily find activities that match my topic and level, and the resources make my classes more interesting and varied. I look forward to the monthly newsletter and exploring new materials for inspiration. Please keep it up!"

★★★★★

Mina Zolfaghari

English Tutor, Australia

"I like the efficiency and organization of the website. The resources cater to various levels with topic-based options for higher levels. The worksheets are very engaging and the answer keys are particularly helpful for teacher. The resources are also highly specific to levels and outcomes, making planning much easier. Finding what I need is simple and time-saving with the keyword search feature. Everything is clear and straightforward."

★★★★★

Karin Kiss

ESL Teacher, Switzerland

"The easy and ready-to-go materials have helped me a lot during the last few years. Most of all I like the grammar games that activate my pupils and keep them engaged. My lessons have become way more playful and varied. Additionally, I like the grammar worksheets which I use to consolidate what I have worked on during class. The website is very user-friendly, and I have never had any difficulties finding what I was looking for."

★★★★★

David-Wonbae Lee

Business English Teacher, Canada

"A friend told me about the site, and it's awesome. I have found the Business English resources especially engaging and relevant for my students as the materials help them understand business writing and terms. My teaching experience has also improved from using the games on the site as they allow me to teach in a fun way. The user experience is outstanding. Great job!"

★★★★★

Daniela Garcia

English Teacher, Mexico

"I found Teach-This a long time ago when I started teaching. It's always had great resources. I really appreciate the grammar materials, board games, and group activities. They've saved me lots of time on lesson planning. The materials are easy to use and understand, making my job much simpler. The best thing is that many resources can be downloaded for free. I've used it for around 8 years, and it consistently offers great content."

★★★★★

Thomas Wilson

Primary School Teacher, United Kingdom

"I use the resources from the Games Section as part of my daily 30-minute morning warm-up activities, and I've received rave reviews for using them. The games help me maintain student interest and participation and leave the students feeling happy and awake. I like everything about the site, and customer support is very effective as they respond in time."

★★★★★

Eugenia Fernandez

EFL Teacher, Argentina

"Teach-This is one of the best EFL websites I've found. It's extremely user-friendly, and I always find what I need quickly. I like the design, and the content is fun, engaging and original. I am very thankful for all your work and generosity by making some resources free. I always recommend this website to my fellow teachers. Your work is really helpful, and I value it enormously."

★★★★★

Jakub Havlk

Language School Teacher, Czechia

"I like the grammar-focused resources the most as they save me time. The resources also inspire me. If I see an interesting grammar activity, I often rework it for other grammar rules. I like the fact that I simply pay a flat fee, and I can download whatever I want. Teach-This really is a great timesaver. I know that if I am in need of resources for my students, I can go to Teach-This and find something interesting."

★★★★★

Alice Dimpz

English Teacher, Kenya

"Getting familiar with the site and how to use the resources is not difficult. I found the writing skills resources to be the most valuable as they have enhanced my teaching of this skill. The website is elaborate and full of all types of resources to help me teach English. When I contacted customer support, they were super-fast to deal with my enquiry. So overall, I recommend it."

★★★★★

Ikrram Badaoui

ESL Teacher, Morocco

"I have found the grammar and vocabulary resources the most valuable. They have improved my teaching experience because they are easy to use and well-organized. The materials are very engaging for my students. The website is also very user-friendly. The best thing about Teach-This is that it offers ready-made worksheets for busy teachers, and the content is well-organized and full of information."

★★★★★

Tania Ahmed

High School Teacher, Kurdistan

"I'm really glad I found the Teach-This website. The materials in the General English section have proven to be really helpful and made my classes more engaging. The materials are well-structured and cover a wide range of topics, making it easy to keep my students interested and motivated. Overall, my experience using your resources has been great."

★★★★★

Khawla Orq

EFL Teacher, Yemen

"My first impression of the website was that it was amazing. The games and activities have really improved my teaching. The resources are engaging and relevant to my students' needs, and I find the website easy to use and navigate. Thanks."

★★★★★

Anika Yadav

English Teacher, India

"I would like to thank you for making a fantastic website. I particularly enjoy teaching the functional language materials, which have been very helpful in my classes. The resources have significantly improved my students' communication skills in daily life, so it was rewarding to see them benefit in this way. It feels great to be able to make a difference in my students' lives. Please keep up the good work."

★★★★★

Dr. Elena Petrov

Academic English Coordinator, Spain

"I've been teaching Academic English for over eight years, and Teach-This.com has become my go-to resource for university preparation classes. The academic vocabulary exercises and speaking test preparation activities are exceptionally well-designed for advanced learners. My students particularly appreciate the study skills resources and paragraph writing materials, which have significantly boosted their confidence and exam scores."

★★★★★

Suzanne Coleman

Volunteer English Teacher, England

"I like your resources because they are so interesting and attractive. Your resources help to maintain student interest. Your resources have helped with the planning and preparation of my lessons because I have often been able to find resources focusing on specific topics, grammar or vocabulary. I am particularly grateful for your free resources, which I use at the English Club where I am a volunteer and help to support internationals in the community who are learning English."

★★★★★