Phrasal Verbs ESL Games, Activities and Worksheets

ESL Phrasal Verbs Activity - Vocabulary and Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions from Prompts, Freer Practice In this useful phrasal verbs speaking activity, students ask and answer questions that contain phrasal verbs. Students begin by reviewing the phrasal verbs on the worksheet and preparing the questions they need to ask to do the activity. Students then go around the class, asking each other the questions, e.g. 'Are you eating out tonight?' When a student finds someone who answers 'yes' to a question, the student writes down their name and asks a follow-up question to gain more information, noting down the answer. When everyone has finished, students give feedback to the class on what they found out. show less

ESL Phrasal Verbs Game - Vocabulary: Forming Sentences, Freer Practice - Group Work In this lively phrasal verbs game, students practice forming and using phrasal verbs in sentences. Players take turns laying down a phrasal verb card (e.g. try on) and using it in a sentence, e.g. 'I want to try on this dress.' The next player then puts down a phrasal verb card that uses the same preposition and makes a sentence, e.g. 'I turn on the lights when it's dark.' If a player doesn't have a phrasal verb card with the same preposition, they lay down a new preposition card (e.g. in.), form a phrasal verb with the preposition and make a sentence. Play continues with players now using the new preposition to lay down matching phrasal verb cards and make sentences. If a player cannot make a sentence or use a preposition card, they miss a turn. The first player to get rid of all their cards wins the round. Students play several rounds to practice forming and using phrasal verbs in different sentences. show less

ESL Phrasal Verbs Board Game - Grammar and Vocabulary: Matching, Forming and Writing Sentences from Prompts This fun phrasal verbs board game helps students practice forming and using phrasal verbs in sentences. Players take it in turns to roll the dice and move their counter along the board in any direction. When a player lands on a square, they match the verb on the square with a preposition from their card to make a phrasal verb, e.g. try on. The player then makes a sentence using the phrasal verb and words on the square and says it to the group, e.g. 'I want to try on these jeans'. The other group members listen and judge the sentence. If the sentence is correct, the player writes the verb in front of the preposition on their card, writes down the sentence and crosses out the square on the game board so it cannot be used again. The first player to successfully complete their card with phrasal verbs and sentences is the winner. Finally, review the phrasal verbs and have students share their sentences with the class, giving feedback as needed. show less

ESL Phrasal Verbs Worksheet - Grammar and Vocabulary Exercises: Matching, Gap-fill, Writing Sentences from Prompts In this free phrasal verbs worksheet, students practice using a variety of phrasal verbs in sentences. Students start by matching sentence halves together to complete phrasal verbs. Next, students choose prepositions from a box to complete sentences with phrasal verbs. After that, students complete verb phrases with their own ideas, placing objects between the verb and preposition of different phrasal verbs. Students then move on to answer questions using information in brackets, along with pronouns as the object of phrasal verbs. Lastly, students use prompts to write sentences of their own. show less

ESL Phrasal Verbs Game - Vocabulary: Miming, Guessing Vocabulary - Group Work Here is an amusing phrasal verbs miming game to help students practice some commonly used phrasal verbs. A member of Team A picks up a card, stands up and reads out the introduction on the card which explains what information the other students are looking for, e.g. 'You are looking for a place and two phrasal verbs'. The student then performs the mime on the card to Team B who has two minutes to guess the information they are looking for. If Team B successfully guesses all the vocabulary, they score two points. If not, the other student in Team A can try to answer for one point. Then, a student from Team B picks up a card to mime to Team A and so on. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. show less

ESL Phrasal Verbs Game - Vocabulary: Guessing Vocabulary from Clues - Pair Work In this engaging phrasal verbs guessing game, students guess phrasal verbs from sentences that describe their meaning. In pairs, students take it in turns to pick up a card and read the first sentence on the card to their partner, signalling the words in bold with quotation marks. The words in bold in the sentence describe the phrasal verb. Their partner then reads the sentence back to the student, changing the words in bold to the phrasal verb. If their partner says the correct phrasal verb, they keep the card. The student with the most cards at the end of the game wins. show less

ESL Phrasal Verbs and Idioms Game - Vocabulary: Writing Short Answers, Guessing - Group Work Here is an entertaining phrasal verbs game to help students practice the meaning of various phrasal verbs. Two players go to the front of the class and sit facing their teams. Everyone in the class then answers the first question on their worksheet. Each question contains a phrasal verb. When everyone has finished writing, the teacher reads out the first question, i.e. 'something that might take time to get over'. The two players at the front then read out or show their answers followed by the team members. Teams score one point for each answer that matches their player's answer. The players then swap with someone from their team and so on. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. show less

ESL Phrasal Verbs Worksheet - Grammar Exercises: Gap-fill, Writing Sentences from Prompts - Grammar Games: Memory, Guessing - Pair Work This productive phrasal verbs worksheet helps students to learn and practice phrasal verbs with take, go, come and get. First, students complete sentences by forming phrasal verbs with take, go, come and get. There are words in brackets at the end of each sentence that describe the meaning of the phrasal verb to help them. Next, in pairs, students take it in turns to test each other on the phrasal verbs by reading a sentence using the words in brackets instead of the phrasal verb. Their partner then tries to remember the correct phrasal verb. Next, students choose four of the phrasal verbs and use them in their own example sentences. Students then read each sentence to their partner, leaving the phrasal verb out for them to guess. After that, students think of other prepositions they can place after 'take', 'go', 'come' and 'get' to make phrasal verbs. Students write down the meaning of each phrasal verb and use it in a sentence. Finally, students compare their phrasal verbs and write down any they are unfamiliar with. show less

ESL Phrasal Verbs Quiz Game - Vocabulary: Quiz, Guessing- Group Work In this enjoyable phrasal verbs quiz game, students guess phrasal verbs from their definitions. Read out a definition from one of the squares on the game sheet. The first student to raise their hand and give the correct phrasal verb wins that square for their team and the number of points in the square. The winning team gets to choose the next square. However, any team can try to guess the phrasal verb. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. As a variation, when a student answers correctly, the winning team tries to make a sentence with the phrasal verb. If they do this successfully, the points for the square are doubled. show less

ESL Phrasal Verbs Game - Vocabulary and Writing: Forming Words and Sentences - Group Work In this fast-paced phrasal verbs game, students race to make phrasal verbs with a specific verb and write each phrasal verb in a sentence. Write a verb on the board, e.g. take. The teams then have five minutes to make phrasal verbs from the verb on the board and write each phrasal verb in a sentence, e.g. 'I had to take my shirt back to the clothes shop because it was the wrong size'. When the time limit has been reached, the teams swap papers for marking. For each grammatically correct sentence that conveys the meaning of the phrasal verb, teams score one point. Play several rounds using a different verb each time. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. show less

ESL Phrasal Verbs with Up Activity - Grammar Exercises: Gap-fill, Crossword This free phrasal verbs crossword activity helps students to practice phrasal verbs with 'up'. First, students write verbs in the sentences on the worksheet to make phrasal verbs with 'up'. Students then complete a crossword with the verbs. Finally, check the answers with the class and review the meanings of the phrasal verbs. show less

ESL Phrasal Verbs Game - Vocabulary and Speaking: Forming Sentence Chains, Memorisation In this inventive phrasal verb game, students make clauses containing phrasal verbs that combine together in a story chain format. Students sit together in a circle. Begin a story by saying a sentence that includes a phrasal verb, e.g. 'I walked down the street'. The first student repeats the sentence and continues the story by adding a sentence containing a phrasal verb, e.g. 'I walked down the street and went into the corner shop'. The game continues with each student in turn trying to remember what was said and then adding a sentence containing a phrasal verb to continue the story. Students are out of the game if they cannot think of a continuation to the story using a phrasal verb, forget what was said or take too long to answer. The last student left in the game wins. show less

ESL Phrasal Verbs with Up Game - Vocabulary and Speaking: Forming Sentences from Prompts, Freer Practice - Group Work In this imaginative phrasal verbs with 'up' game, students talk about various topics and try to use phrasal verbs with 'up' in their conversations. The top picture card is turned over for everyone in the group to see, and the students look at the phrasal verb cards in their hand. Students then start talking about the topic on the picture card. The aim of the game is to be the first person to use all their phrasal verbs with 'up' in the conversation. When someone uses a phrasal verb appropriately, they put the card down on the desk. The first student to use all four phrasal verbs wins the round and keeps the picture card. Students then collect in the phrasal verb cards, reshuffle them and deal them out. The next picture card is turned over and the group plays again. The student with the most picture cards at the end of the game wins. show less

ESL Phrasal Verbs Activity - Grammar and Vocabulary: Writing Sentences from Prompts, Gap-fill - Pair Work In this insightful phrasal verbs activity, students share their knowledge of phrasal verbs they already know as well as learn new phrasal verbs from other students. Students start by writing 12 prepositions in the preposition column on the worksheet. Students then write a sentence using each preposition in a phrasal verb, leaving the verbs missing for another student to complete, e.g. 'I ... on the lights when it gets dark'. Next, collect in the worksheets and redistribute them. Students then read each sentence on their classmate's worksheet and try to guess the missing verb, writing the missing verbs in the verb column on the worksheet. Afterwards, students hand the worksheet back to their classmate for marking. That person checks the student's work and gives feedback on any wrong answers. show less

ESL Phrasal Verbs with Come Game - Vocabulary: Matching - Pair Work In this handy phrasal verbs with 'come' game, students complete sentences with phrasal verbs that include the word 'come'. In pairs, students take it in turns to turn over two cards, a large card containing a sentence and a small card that shows a phrasal verb with 'come'. If a student turns over the phrasal verb that correctly completes the sentence, the student reads out the completed sentence, keeps the cards and has another turn. The student with the most cards at the end of the game wins. As a variation, students can play the game with a points system, scoring one point for each correct match. Students then score an extra point by making their own sentence with the phrasal verb that demonstrates the meaning. show less

ESL Three-Part Phrasal Verbs Activity - Vocabulary and Speaking: Forming Collocations, Matching, Writing, Asking and Answering Questions, Freer Practice - Group Work In this three-part phrasal verbs speaking activity, students think of three-part phrasal verbs and write questions with them. Students then ask and answer the questions with their classmates. First, students replace the underlined words in the questions on the worksheet with three-part phrasal verbs that have the same meaning. They do this by choosing one word from each box in order, e.g. 'Who do you look up to the most?' In pairs, students then use the words in the boxes to make 11 more three-part phrasal verbs and write a question for each one. Next, students ask their questions to three classmates and note down their answers on the worksheet. Afterwards, review the three-part phrasal verbs and their meanings with the class. Finally, students report back and discuss their findings. show less

ESL Phrasal Verbs Game - Vocabulary and Speaking: Forming Sentences, Describing, Guessing, Freer Practice - Group Work In this challenging phrasal verbs taboo game, students describe phrasal verbs without using certain words for other students to guess. In groups, students take it in turns to pick up a card and describe the phrasal verb in bold to the other students, without using the three words shown in italics or variations of the words. The other students listen and try to guess the phrasal verb being described. The first student to guess correctly wins and keeps the card. If no one manages to guess correctly, the student describing wins and keeps the card. The student with the most points at the end of the game wins. show less

ESL Phrasal Verbs with Get Activity - Vocabulary and Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions from Prompts, Controlled and Freer Practice In this free phrasal verbs speaking activity, students ask and answer questions containing phrasal verbs with 'get'. Give each student a question slip. The student's task is to find out the information on their card by speaking to everyone in the class. Each student goes around the class asking their question and noting down the most common or interesting answers on the back of the slip. When everyone has finished, students report back to the class on what they found out. show less

ESL Phrasal Verbs with Get Worksheet - Vocabulary Exercises: Gap-fill, Matching - Speaking Activity: Asking and Answering Questions - Pair Work In this comprehensive phrasal verbs worksheet, students learn and practice phrasal verbs with 'get'. Students start by completing sentences with prepositions to make phrasal verbs with 'get'. Next, students match the sentences from the first exercise with sentences that have similar meanings. Afterwards, students ask and answer questions with a partner to practice the phrasal verbs with 'get' from the worksheet. show less

ESL Phrasal Verbs with Take Board Game - Vocabulary and Speaking: Forming Sentences from Prompts, Freer Practice - Group Work In this rewarding phrasal verbs with 'take' board game, students listen to sentences and rephrase them with phrasal verbs. Players take it in turns to roll the dice and move their counter along the board. When a player lands on a 'Take' square, the student to their right picks up a card and reads the top sentence to the player, e.g. 'My telephone rang while I was putting the rubbish outside'. The player listens to the sentence and then uses a suitable phrasal verb with 'take' shown on the game board to rephrase the sentence, changing the form of the phrasal verb as needed, e.g. 'My telephone rang while I was taking out the rubbish'. If the player uses the correct phrasal verb and rephrases the sentence, keeping the meaning of the original sentence intact, they move forward one space. If they answer incorrectly, they move back one space. The first player to reach the finish is the winner. show less

ESL Phrasal Verbs with Get Activity - Vocabulary and Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions, Guided Discussion, Controlled and Freer Practice - Group Work In this interesting phrasal verbs with 'get' speaking activity, students ask and answer questions containing phrasal verbs with 'get'. Students take it in turns to pick up a card and ask the questions on the card to the group. Each group member then answers the questions in turn and the students discuss the topic. The student with the card writes down the group members' responses on the back of the card. When the topic has been fully discussed, the next student picks up a card and so on. When everyone has finished, groups report back their answers for each question in turn. show less

ESL Three-Word Phrasal Verbs Worksheet - Reading and Vocabulary Exercises: Ordering, Matching, Gap-fill, Forming Collocations In this useful three-part phrasal verbs worksheet, students learn the meanings of 12 three-part phrasal verbs and practice using them. Students start by putting a conversation between two people in the correct order. Next, students guess the meanings of the three-part phrasal verbs in bold from the conversation and then match each phrasal verb with a definition. After that, students complete a second conversation with three-part phrasal verbs from a box. In the last exercise, students see if they can remember the 12 three-part phrasal verbs by combining words together without looking at the rest of the worksheet. show less