Learn English Phrasal Verbs:On the Road
This pack is for drivers, passengers, and anyone giving directions in spoken English.
pick up
collect
Can you pick up the kids from school on your way home?
Can you collect the kids from school on your way home?
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drop off
leave
I’ll drop off the package at your house later.
I’ll leave the package at your house later.
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set off
depart
We need to set off early to avoid the traffic.
We need to depart early to avoid the traffic.
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hold up
delay
The accident on the highway might hold up our commute.
The accident on the highway might delay our commute.
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speed up
increase the speed
The driver sped up to overtake the truck.
The driver increased the speed to overtake the truck.
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slow down
decrease the speed
Please slow down — you’re driving too fast near the school.
Please decrease the speed — you’re driving too fast near the school.
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pull over
stop at the roadside
The police asked the driver to pull over and show a license.
The police asked the driver to stop at the roadside and show a license.
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crack down
get strict with
The police have started to crack down on reckless drivers.
The police have started to get strict with reckless drivers.
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run out of
use up
We ran out of petrol on the highway and had to call for help.
We used up the petrol on the highway and had to call for help.
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fill up
fill completely
Let’s fill up the tank before we leave the city.
Let’s fill the tank completely before we leave the city.
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About this set
Use the verbs when you start a trip, get stuck in traffic, pull over, or run out of fuel.
Most of them are physical and literal, so they are a good first set if abstract phrasal verbs still feel unclear.
Usage notes
- pick up. Separable for collecting a person: pick her up at the station.
- drop off. Separable for leaving someone at a place: drop me off at the lights.
- run out of. Inseparable. You run out of petrol, not run petrol out of.
- pull over. Usually intransitive: the driver pulled over. You do not pull the car over in most everyday speech, though that form exists.
Common questions
What is the difference between pick up and drop off?
You pick someone up when you collect them. You drop them off when you leave them at a place. The same trip often uses both: I will pick you up at eight and drop you off at work.
Does hold up always mean delay?
On the road, a hold-up is a delay, often traffic. Hold up can also mean rob in other contexts, so the surrounding words matter.