20 Common Phrasal Verbs for B2 First: Meanings, Examples, and Exam Tips

Hello English learners! In this lesson, you will learn 20 common phrasal verbs for B2 First, with clear meanings, natural example sentences, exam tips, common mistakes, and practical advice on how to remember them more easily.

If you are preparing for B2 First, learning common phrasal verbs is one of the smartest things you can do. Phrasal verbs appear everywhere in the exam: in reading texts, Use of English tasks, listening exercises, and of course in speaking and writing.

The problem is that many students find phrasal verbs confusing. That is completely understandable. A phrasal verb like pick up can mean collect someone, learn something, or improve. English does enjoy making life interesting.

The good news is that you do not need to learn hundreds of phrasal verbs at once. It is much better to learn the most useful ones well, understand how they work in real sentences, and practise using them in context.

What Are Phrasal Verbs?

A phrasal verb is a verb combined with one or two short words such as up, out, on, off, in, or away.

For example:

• give up
• find out
• turn on
• look after

Very often, the meaning of a phrasal verb is different from the meaning of the main verb by itself.

Compare:

• give = hand something to someone
• give up = stop doing something

That is why phrasal verbs need to be learned as complete expressions, not word by word.

Why Are Phrasal Verbs Important for B2 First?

Phrasal verbs are especially important for B2 First because they make your English sound more natural and more fluent. Native speakers use them all the time, and Cambridge exams often test them directly or indirectly.

You may see phrasal verbs in:

• Reading and Use of English Part 1
• Reading and Use of English Part 4
• Listening tasks
• Speaking Part 1 and Part 3
• Writing tasks such as emails, articles, and reviews

If you can recognise and use common phrasal verbs well, your English will sound more flexible, more natural, and more confident.

Quick Overview: What Will You Learn?

In this lesson, you will find:

• 20 useful phrasal verbs for B2 First
• clear meanings
• natural example sentences
• exam tips
• common mistakes
• advice on how to learn phrasal verbs more effectively

Let us go through the list.

20 Common Phrasal Verbs for B2 First

1. Carry on

Meaning: continue doing something

Examples:

• Please carry on with your work while I answer the phone.
• Even though she was tired, she carried on studying for the exam.

B2 First tip: This is very useful in speaking and writing when talking about routines, work, study, or difficulties.

2. Find out

Meaning: discover information

Examples:

• I was surprised to find out that the exam had been postponed.
• We need to find out more about the course before we apply.

3. Give up

Meaning: stop doing something, usually because it is difficult or because you no longer want to do it

Examples:

• Do not give up if you do not understand everything the first time.
• He has decided to give up eating junk food.

Useful note: You can also say give something up.

• She has given chocolate up for Lent.

4. Look after

Meaning: take care of someone or something

Examples:

• Can you look after my bag for a minute?
• She looks after her younger brother after school.

5. Look for

Meaning: try to find

Examples:

• I am looking for my keys.
• Many young people are looking for better job opportunities.

Important contrast:

• look for = try to find
• look after = take care of

That is a classic phrasal-verb trap.

6. Get on (with)

Meaning: have a good relationship with someone

Examples:

• I get on well with most of my classmates.
• Do you get on with your neighbours?

This one is especially useful in speaking and writing when talking about relationships.

7. Go on

Meaning: happen; continue

Examples:

• What is going on here?
• The meeting went on for nearly three hours.

8. Come up with

Meaning: think of an idea or plan

Examples:

• We need to come up with a solution.
• She came up with a brilliant idea for the school project.

B2 First tip: This is very useful in Speaking Part 3, where you need to discuss ideas and make suggestions.

9. Run out of

Meaning: have no more of something left

Examples:

• We have run out of milk.
• I had to stop writing because I had run out of time.

This is a very natural everyday expression.

10. Turn up

Meaning: arrive, especially unexpectedly; increase volume

Examples:

• He did not turn up at the party.
• Could you turn up the radio a bit?

One phrasal verb can have more than one meaning, which is why context matters.

11. Turn down

Meaning: refuse; reduce volume, heat, or intensity

Examples:

• She turned down the job offer because the salary was too low.
• Please turn down the music.

Useful contrast:

• turn up = increase / arrive
• turn down = reduce / refuse

12. Take up

Meaning: start a new hobby or activity

Examples:

• He has recently taken up yoga.
• I am thinking of taking up photography.

This is a lovely phrasal verb for lifestyle topics and personal-interest questions.

13. Put off

Meaning: postpone; make someone lose interest in something

Examples:

• They have put off the meeting until Friday.
• The bad weather put us off going to the beach.

For B2 First, the meaning postpone is especially common.

14. Set up

Meaning: organise, arrange, or start something

Examples:

• They set up a new business last year.
• Can you help me set up the equipment?

15. Work out

Meaning: find an answer; end successfully; exercise

Examples:

• We must work out how much the trip will cost.
• In the end, everything worked out well.
• She works out at the gym three times a week.

This is one of those wonderfully flexible phrasal verbs that turns up all over the place.

16. Pick up

Meaning: collect someone or something; learn something informally; improve

Examples:

• I will pick you up after the lesson.
• She picked up a bit of Italian while she was in Rome.
• Business is starting to pick up again.

A very common and very useful phrasal verb.

17. Bring up

Meaning: mention a topic; raise a child

Examples:

• He brought up an interesting point during the discussion.
• She was brought up in a small village.

18. Take off

Meaning: remove clothing; leave the ground; become successful quickly

Examples:

• He took off his coat and sat down.
• The plane took off on time.
• Her online business really took off last year.

19. Calm down

Meaning: become more relaxed or less upset

Examples:

• Just calm down and tell me what happened.
• It took her a few minutes to calm down after the argument.

20. Deal with

Meaning: handle a problem or situation

Examples:

• Teachers often have to deal with difficult situations.
• We need to deal with this problem immediately.

This is excellent for essays, articles, reviews, and speaking tasks.

Separable or Inseparable?

This is a question many learners ask, and quite rightly.

Some phrasal verbs are separable, which means the object can go in the middle:

• pick up → I picked him up.
• turn down → She turned it down.
• give up → He gave smoking up.

Others are inseparable, which means the object must come after the whole expression:

• look after → She looks after her brother.
• run out of → We ran out of milk.
• get on with → I get on with my classmates.

You do not need to memorise every grammar label straight away, but it is helpful to notice how the phrasal verb behaves in real examples.

Phrasal Verbs by Topic

One of the best ways to remember phrasal verbs is to group them by topic.

Relationships

• get on with
• look after
• calm down

Study and work

• carry on
• find out
• deal with
• work out

Daily life

• run out of
• turn up
• turn down
• pick up

Ideas and communication

• come up with
• bring up

Hobbies and lifestyle

• take up
• put off

Grouping phrasal verbs helps them stick much better than learning them in random order.

Phrasal Verbs vs More Formal Alternatives

This is especially useful for exam writing.

Some phrasal verbs sound natural and everyday, while one-word verbs sound more formal.

Compare:

• find out = discover
• put off = postpone
• deal with = handle
• come up with = devise
• give up = stop / abandon

In speaking and informal writing, phrasal verbs often sound more natural.

For example:

• I found out that the film was cancelled.

This sounds more natural in conversation than:

• I discovered that the film was cancelled.

However, in some formal essays or reports, a one-word verb may sound more suitable.

The key is not to force phrasal verbs everywhere. Use them when they fit naturally.

How to Learn Phrasal Verbs Effectively

A long list can be useful, but let us be honest: simply reading it once is not enough. Phrasal verbs need to be learned in context.

Learn them in groups

Group phrasal verbs by topic:

• relationships: get on with, fall out with
• study and work: carry on, hand in, look over
• travel: set off, get on, check in
• daily life: wake up, tidy up, run out of

Write your own examples

Do not just memorise dictionary sentences. Write examples about your own life.

For example:

• I need to cut down on coffee.
• I get on well with my colleagues.
• I have recently taken up walking in the evenings.

Notice them when reading

Whenever you read stories, articles, or posts in English, underline useful phrasal verbs.

That is how they begin to stick.

Revise them regularly

Phrasal verbs are a bit like houseplants. Ignore them, and they droop.

Common Mistakes with Phrasal Verbs

1. Mixing up similar phrasal verbs

For example:

• look for = try to find
• look after = take care of
• look forward to = feel excited about something in the future

These look similar, but their meanings are very different.

2. Translating directly from your own language

Phrasal verbs do not always translate neatly. It is usually better to learn them through examples than to translate each word literally.

3. Using them in the wrong register

Some phrasal verbs are informal, while one-word alternatives can sound more formal.

For example:

• put off = postpone
• find out = discover
• deal with = handle

So in informal emails or speaking, phrasal verbs are often perfect. In more formal writing, you may sometimes prefer a more formal synonym.

B2 First Exam Tip

For Speaking and more informal Writing, using a few natural phrasal verbs can improve your language a great deal. However, do not try to squeeze them into every sentence.

The aim is to sound natural, not to sound like a dictionary that has fallen down the stairs.

Use phrasal verbs when they fit the context naturally.

Compare:

• I discovered that the film was cancelled.
• I found out that the film was cancelled.

Both are correct, but the second sounds more natural in everyday English.

Final Thoughts

Learning common phrasal verbs for B2 First is one of the best ways to make your English sound more natural, more confident, and more flexible.

You do not need to learn them all in one heroic afternoon. Start with the most useful ones, revise them regularly, and try to use them in your own speaking and writing. Little by little, they will stop looking strange and start feeling natural.

And that is when the magic happens.

Download Common Phrasal Verbs for B2 First Practice Worksheet in PDF here

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Phrasal Verbs Related to Housework

How to Learn 10 Phrasal Verbs a Week

Phrasal Verbs to Use in Formal Writing

How to Prepare for the Cambridge B2 First Exam

Common B2 First Mistakes to Avoid

How to Write an Essay for B2 First

100 Phrasal Verbs for Everyday Use + PDF

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