Learn English Phrasal Verbs:At School
This set is for students and teachers who need the phrases you hear in class: handing in work, looking up a word, and keeping up with the lesson.
Not sure when the object goes in the middle? Read separable and inseparable phrasal verbs.
hand in
submit work or a form
Please hand in your essays at the end of the lesson.
Please submit your essays at the end of the lesson.
Hand your essay in or hand it in. Never hand in it.
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hand out
give something to each person
Miss Cole handed out the worksheets.
Miss Cole gave out the worksheets.
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speak up
talk louder
Could you speak up during your presentation?
Could you talk louder during your presentation?
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look up
check a word’s meaning
I’ll look up the term after class.
I’ll check the meaning of the term after class.
Look the word up or look it up. Look up to someone is a different, inseparable verb.
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copy down
record something in writing
Please copy down the homework from the board.
Please write down the homework from the board.
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go over
review
Let’s go over the test answers before we start.
Let’s review the test answers before we start.
A careful review. Run through is the quicker version.
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read out
read aloud
Sam, please read out the first paragraph.
Sam, please read aloud the first paragraph.
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point out
draw attention to
Miss Patel pointed out a mistake in my homework.
Miss Patel drew attention to a mistake in my homework.
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put up (one's hand)
raise your hand
The teacher asked me to put up my hand.
The teacher asked me to raise my hand.
In class you put your hand up, or put it up.
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take in
understand
I couldn’t take in all that grammar in one lesson.
I couldn’t understand all that grammar in one lesson.
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work out
solve
I couldn’t work out the last problem on the worksheet.
I couldn’t solve the last problem on the worksheet.
Work the answer out or work it out.
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catch up (on)
finish work you missed earlier
I stayed after school to catch up on the lessons I missed.
I stayed after school to get up to date with the lessons I missed.
With a task, use catch up on the lessons or catch up on them. Without a named task, catch up can stand alone.
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fall behind
make less progress than others
You’ll fall behind if you skip too many lessons.
You’ll get behind if you skip too many lessons.
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keep up (with)
stay level with
I can’t keep up with the rest of the class.
I can’t stay level with the rest of the class.
With a person or group, use keep up with the class or keep up with them. Keep up can stand alone when the comparison is understood.
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drop out
leave school without finishing
He dropped out of school at sixteen.
He left school without finishing at sixteen.
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stay behind
remain after class
I had to stay behind to finish the test.
I had to remain after class to finish the test.
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act up
behave badly
A few pupils acted up when the supply teacher arrived.
A few pupils misbehaved when the supply teacher arrived.
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mess about
waste time
Stop messing about and open your books.
Stop wasting time and open your books.
British. Americans more often say mess around.
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All 18 at school phrasal verbs at a glance
Separable means the object can sit in the middle, and a pronoun has to. Inseparable means it never can. No object means the verb does not take one. Full explanation here.
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| hand in | submit work or a form | Separable |
| hand out | give something to each person | Separable |
| speak up | talk louder | No object |
| look up | check a word’s meaning | Separable |
| copy down | record something in writing | Separable |
| go over | review | Inseparable |
| read out | read aloud | Separable |
| point out | draw attention to | Separable |
| put up (one's hand) | raise your hand | Separable |
| take in | understand | Separable |
| work out | solve | Separable |
| catch up (on) | finish work you missed earlier | Pattern varies |
| fall behind | make less progress than others | No object |
| keep up (with) | stay level with | Pattern varies |
| drop out | leave school without finishing | No object |
| stay behind | remain after class | No object |
| act up | behave badly | No object, informal |
| mess about | waste time | No object, informal |
About this set
Use them when you talk about homework, tests, and what happens if you miss a few days.
Mess about is informal and especially British. Other classroom expressions here, such as hand in and stay behind, are useful in both speech and writing.
Usage notes
- hand in. Separable. Hand your essay in or hand it in. Never hand in it.
- look up. Separable when the object is a word: look the word up / look it up.
- catch up (on). Usually catch up on homework or lessons. Catch up with a person means reach the same level or meet them.
- keep up (with). Keep up with the class is inseparable. Do not say keep the class up with.
- mess about. Informal British English. American speakers more often say mess around.
Mistakes to avoid
Incorrect: Hand in it by Friday.
Correct: Hand it in by Friday.
Hand in is separable, so a pronoun object has to sit in the middle.
Incorrect: I need to catch up the lessons I missed.
Correct: I need to catch up on the lessons I missed.
Catch up on takes the work you are behind with. Catch up with is for reaching a person.
Incorrect: She cannot keep up the class.
Correct: She cannot keep up with the class.
Keep up with is inseparable and the with is part of the verb.
Incorrect: The teacher handed the worksheets in to the class.
Correct: The teacher handed the worksheets out to the class.
Students hand work in to the teacher. Teachers hand worksheets out. The particle sets the direction.
Common questions
What is the difference between hand in and hand out?
Students submit work by handing it in; teachers distribute it by handing it out. With these unstressed personal pronouns, use hand it in and hand them out.
Is catch up the same as keep up?
No. Keep up with the class means you stay at the same pace. Catch up on lessons means you were behind and are getting back up to date. If you fall behind first, you then need to catch up.