Phrasal verbs for IELTS speaking

In the Speaking test you talk about your life, your work, your studies and your plans. Natural phrasal verbs make your answers sound fluent. These verbs come from the IELTS Speaking lesson in Sink In, and the verbs were chosen from public IELTS practice material.

care aboutA2
Feel concern or interest in something
“I care about the environment because I enjoy hiking.”
find outA2
Discover information by inquiry, study or chance
“I found out the shop opened at ten, so I waited.”
grow upA2
Become an adult or spend your childhood in a place
“I grew up in a small town near the coast.”
look afterA2
Take care of someone or something
“My grandparents look after my younger brother after school.”
pick upA2
Collect a person or thing, especially in a vehicle
“My aunt picks me up after my evening class.”
put onA2
Cause a device to start running
“I put the radio on while I make dinner.”
base onB1
Use something as the foundation or starting point
“My opinion is based on my experience of city life.”
break upB1
Break into pieces
“We broke up the old cupboard before moving it.”
bring upB1
Care for a child until they are an adult
“My parents brought us up to respect other people.”
carry onB1
Continue doing something
“Even in winter, I carry on cycling to work.”
deal withB1
Take action to solve or manage a problem
“I dealt with a difficult customer on my first day at work.”
get onB1
Have a good relationship
“I get on well with everyone in my study group.”

Phrasal verbs for IELTS writing

In Writing, choose phrasal verbs that fit the style of your text. Many phrasal verbs are informal, so check the level and style before you use one in an essay. These verbs come from the IELTS Writing lesson.

send outA2
Dispatch to multiple recipients
“The council sends out safety advice to every household.”
go onB1
Continue happening or doing something
“The programme went on despite a shortage of funding.”
look aroundB1
Visit a place to see what is there, especially before deciding to buy
“Visitors should look around local shops before choosing souvenirs.”
look forward toB1
Feel pleased about something that will happen
“Residents look forward to receiving the new health service.”
look upB1
Search for information in a book or online
“The team looked up past rainfall figures before comparing regions.”
put downB1
Write something on paper or on a form
“The survey asked participants to put down their main reason for cycling.”
sign up forB1
Officially register for a course, service or membership
“More households signed up for solar power in 2025.”
struggle withB1
Find something difficult to do or understand
“Many adults struggle with rising housing costs.”
switch onB1
Activate by flipping a switch
“Automatic sensors switch on streetlights when darkness falls.”
take downB1
Write notes quickly
“Researchers should take down key details during each interview.”

Phrasal verbs for IELTS listening and reading

In Listening and Reading you only need to understand the verb, but you must understand it fast. These come from the Listening and Reading lessons.

come inA2
Enter a room or building
“Please come in and sit beside the window.”
go inA2
Enter a place
“Visitors should go in through the side entrance.”
get on withB1
Make progress with a task
“How are you getting on with your new research project?”
take outB1
Remove something from inside
“The dentist may need to take the damaged tooth out.”
come downB2
Drop from a high level it has been at
“Ticket prices come down after the summer season.”
blow upB2
Develop quickly into something serious
“Minor disputes can blow up when resources become scarce.”
cool downB2
Become or make less hot
“The metal must cool down before workers shape it.”
depend onB2
Be decided or affected by a condition or factor
“Seed growth depends on the amount of available water.”
drop offB2
Take and leave someone or something at a location
“Electric buses drop passengers off beside the central station.”
focus onB2
Direct attention or effort on something
“The article focuses on three causes of urban pollution.”

Practice for IELTS in Sink In

The IELTS topic has Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing lessons with these verbs, plus daily practice.

Phrasal verbs for the TOEFL iBT

The TOEFL iBT has many short conversations from university life. These verbs appear in official ETS practice tests for the 2026 format.

call backA2
Phone someone again or return their call
“The admissions office called me back about my application.”
check inA2
Register at a hotel, airport or event
“Please check in at the conference desk by nine.”
turn onA2
Make a device, light, or machine start working
“How do I turn on the classroom projector?”
act upB1
Behave badly or stop working properly
“The classroom printer is acting up again.”
get backB1
Receive something again that you had before
“When will I get my student card back?”
go upB1
Rise in price or amount
“The student bus fare has gone up again.”

Read the full TOEFL guide: all 16 verbs, where they appear in each section, and word order tips.

Phrasal verbs for Cambridge B2 First and C1 Advanced

Cambridge exams test phrasal verbs in Reading and Use of English, often in the open cloze and key word transformations.

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.”
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.”

Read the full Cambridge guide: sample tasks with answers and 36 verbs for B2, C1 and C2.

Practice them in exam style

IELTS: Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing lessons, and Trend Lines for describing charts.
TOEFL: Campus conversations with the verbs from official practice tests.
Cambridge English: Phrase Sprint, Collocation Lock, Bridge the Gap and Open Cloze tasks. They match your level: B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency.

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