Phrasal verbs for Cambridge B2 First, C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency
Phrasal verbs appear in every Cambridge English exam from B2 First to C2 Proficiency. This guide shows where they appear, what the tasks look like, and which verbs to learn at each level.
Why phrasal verbs matter
Cambridge exams test how English is really used. People use phrasal verbs all the time in speech, emails, news and stories, so the exam uses them too.
They can cost you marks in two ways. In Reading and Use of English, you need to recognise them and complete them, often by choosing or writing only the particle. In Writing and Speaking, examiners look at the range of your vocabulary, and a well-chosen phrasal verb shows that range.
Where phrasal verbs appear in the exam
B2 First, C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency all have a Reading and Use of English paper. These are the parts where phrasal verbs matter most.
| Part | What you do |
|---|---|
| Multiple-choice cloze | Choose the word that fits a gap. The four options are often similar verbs, and only one goes with the particle, such as back down, not turn down. |
| Open cloze | Write one word in each gap. The missing word is often a particle: The deal fell ___ at the last minute. |
| Key word transformation | Rewrite a sentence with the same meaning, using a word you are given. Many answers need a phrasal verb in place of a one-word verb. |
| Reading parts | Long texts use phrasal verbs for important ideas. If you miss the meaning, you can miss the answer. |
| Writing and Speaking | Use phrasal verbs naturally, in the right style. Many are informal, so check the style before you use one in a formal essay. |
| Listening | Speakers use phrasal verbs as people do in real life, often fast and with the particle stressed. |
Three sample tasks
These are our own examples in the Cambridge style. They are not official exam questions. Try each one before you open the answer.
1. Open cloze
Write one word in the gap.
We had planned to buy the house, but the deal fell ______ at the last minute.
Show the answer
through. Fall through means fail to happen. The particle carries the meaning, so no other word fits.
2. Key word transformation
Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first. Use the word in capitals and do not change it.
They cancelled the match because of the rain. OFF
The match ______ because of the rain.
Show the answer
was called off. Call off means cancel a planned event. Here you also need the passive, because the match is now the subject.
3. Key word transformation
I can't accept his rude comments any more. PUT
I can't ______ his rude comments any more.
Show the answer
put up with. Put up with means accept something unpleasant without complaining. Remember all three words: the verb, the particle and with.
12 phrasal verbs for B2 First
These verbs are common in B2 First texts and useful in your own writing. Each one has a meaning and an example sentence.
- turn downB2
Reject or refuse an offer or request
“I turned down the job offer because of the hours.”
- set upB2
Establish or arrange
“The council set up a recycling scheme for local homes.”
- back downB2
Withdraw from a position
“He refused to back down from the argument.”
- go aheadB2
Begin or continue with a planned action
“Go ahead and start without me.”
- come up withB2
Create an idea or plan, or find an answer
“I came up with a few questions about the offer.”
- take overB2
Briefly do a task that another person has been doing
“I'll take over driving for a bit.”
- call offB2
Cancel a planned event
“They called off the wedding.”
- put up withB2
Accept something unpleasant without complaining
“I can't put up with the noise.”
- break outB2
Start suddenly
“A war broke out between the two countries.”
- look intoB2
Investigate a problem, event, or complaint
“We're still looking into your references.”
- fall throughB2
Fail to happen or be completed
“The deal fell through at the last minute.”
- make upB2
Invent or fabricate
“She made up a story immediately.”
Practise these in Sink In
The Cambridge English topic has Collocation Lock, Bridge the Gap and Phrase Sprint tasks at B2, C1 and C2.
12 phrasal verbs for C1 Advanced
At C1 you meet more formal verbs, such as bring about and draw on. They are useful in essays and reports.
- take onC1
Accept a responsibility or challenge
“Would you be willing to take on the team-lead role as well?”
- allow forC1
Include a possible need, cost, or delay in a plan
“You should allow for delays when you travel in winter.”
- act onC1
Take action because of advice or information
“They acted on the tip.”
- draw upC1
Prepare something in writing, such as a plan, list, or contract
“I drew up a short list of questions to ask.”
- capitalise onC1
Use a situation well so that you gain from it
“The shop capitalised on the sunny weekend.”
- brush upC1
Practise a skill you have not used for a long time
“I need to brush up my Spanish before the trip.”
- bring aboutC1
Cause something to happen
“The reform brought about real change.”
- put forwardC1
Propose or suggest
“The paper puts forward a new method for measuring risk.”
- draw onC1
Use a resource, knowledge or experience
“The study draws on data from 200 interviews.”
- embark onC1
Start something long, new or important
“She embarked on a law degree at forty.”
- cater forC1
Provide what a particular person or group needs or wants
“Does this cafe cater for people with nut allergies?”
- bounce backC1
Become well, happy, or successful again after a problem
“You'll bounce back quickly after the operation.”
12 phrasal verbs for C2 Proficiency
C2 texts often come from newspapers and serious magazines. These verbs are common in news, politics and business.
- abide byC2
Accept and follow a rule or decision
“Players must abide by the referee's decision.”
- hinge onC2
Depend completely on one fact or decision
“The case hinges on one witness.”
- flesh outC2
Add details to make something more complete
“He fleshed out the basic plan.”
- hammer outC2
Reach an agreement after long and difficult discussion
“They hammered out a deal at midnight.”
- crack down onC2
Take strict action against bad behaviour
“Police are cracking down on speeding.”
- fall back onC2
Use something as a backup when other options fail
“She has savings to fall back on.”
- rule outC2
Decide that something is not possible
“We can rule out food poisoning.”
- weigh upC2
Carefully consider the pros and cons of something
“She weighed up the offer.”
- drown outC2
Be so loud that another sound cannot be heard
“The drills drowned out the announcement.”
- pull offC2
Succeed at something difficult
“She pulled off a difficult performance.”
- own up toC2
Admit that you did something wrong
“He owned up to breaking the vase.”
- track downC2
Find someone or something after a difficult search
“They tracked down the witness.”
How to learn them
- Learn what the particle does. Out often means removing or choosing, as in rule out. Up often means increase or completion. When you know the pattern, you can guess new verbs.
- Learn the full pattern. Some verbs need a third word: put up with, come up with, fall back on. Exam answers are marked wrong if a word is missing.
- Learn where the object goes. You can say call off the match or call the match off, but with a pronoun only call it off is correct.
- Learn them in a sentence. A verb alone is easy to forget. A short example keeps the meaning and the grammar together.
- Review a little every day. Ten minutes a day works better than two hours once a week, because each review brings the word back before you forget it.
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Sink In is independent and is not linked to or endorsed by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. B2 First, C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency are names of Cambridge English Qualifications.