101 phrasal verbs for ielts speaking part1

1. ache for
• meaning: to want very much
• example: Do you think that people in the countryside have the same
opportunities as those living in cities?
Not in my country. The people living in the cities have far more
opportunities, particularly with regard to work and education. Many rural people
ache for the chance to live in cities so that they can get better paid jobs and send their
kids to better schools
2. add up
• meaning: make sense
• example: Do you often watch films with your friends?
Sometimes. One of my friends likes watching films very much, but the
problem is that he likes to point out the small mistakes that have been made
with the story, with the props or with the actors’clothes. He tries to find the
things that don’t add up and it spoils it for everyone else.
3. answer back
• meaning: to reply in a cheeky or offensive way
• example: when you were younger, did you get on well with your
parents?
Generally, I did. However, sometimes when they asked me why I did
something wrong I answered back which made my parents very angry.
4. angle for
• meaning: to try to get something, especially by praising a person
• example: Do you get on well with your colleagues at work?
I get on very well with most of my colleagues. The problem is that one guy
is always angling for something. It might just be for someone to get him a
cup of tea, but sometimes it ‘s for something bigger like a loan or even a
promotion.
5. ask around
• meaning: to ask many people the same thing
• example: Do you like shopping in markets?

Yes, I do. Usually, there are several people selling the same item, so I can
ask around about the price and get a better deal.
6. back out
• meaning: to withdraw from an activity or agreement.
• example: Would you like to run your own business?
Yes, I would. In fact, I almost had my own business, but my business
partner backed out at the last minute and I didn’t have enough money to
finance the business myself.
7. blow over
• meaning: to become less important over time
• example: In your country, does the media report on the private lives of
famous people?
Yes, they do that a lot. They love to report scandals, but these scandals
usually blow over after a few days. Personally, I think it’s pointless. What
famous people do with their private lives shouldn’t attract so much attention
8. blow up
• meaning: to become angry
• example: Tell me about one of your neighbours
Well, one of my neighbours is an old man who blows up at the slightest
thing. He gets so angry so often that people simply try to avoid him. If you
even smile at him, he’ll probably start shouting at you for making a joke
about him.
9. bounce back
• meaning: to recover from a bad situation
• example: why do you admire this person?
Because she bounced back after having so many problems in her life. Her
husband left her for another woman, she lost her position as one of the top
actresses in the country and her son became a drug addict. But she refused
to give up and now she is respected more than ever.
10.brighten up

• meaning: improve
• example: why do you like that book so much?
Simply because the main character has so many problems, but through hard
work and the help of some loyal friends his life brightens up and he
becomes successful.
11.bring about
• meaning: to cause
• example: Does your country suffer from natural disasters?
Yes, it does. The south coast has typhoons every year. Nationally, there are
two main problems- earthquakes and flooding. In many parts of the country,
rain tends to fall all at once rather than a little each day, which brings about
flooding.
12.bring off
• meaning: succeed
• example: Do you often watch sports live?
Not very often. The last time I went to see a sports event live was when I
watched the Chinese women’s football team in the Women’s World Cup, I
wanted to see if they could bring off a victory in the most important
tournament.
13.brush off
• meaning: ignore or pay little attention to
• example: what can people do when they meet problems in their everyday
lives?
Well, they can try to brush off the problems. If that fails, they can ask
friends or family members for advice or even take the professional advice if
appropriate.
14.butter up
• meaning: to praise someone with the aim of getting something from
them
• example: Can you think of any disadvantages of being famous?

There’s the media attention. That’s the main reason I ‘d hate to be famous. I
think another disadvantage might be that people will butter you up because
they think you can help them in some way.
15.call off
• meaning: cancel
• example: Are you punctual ?
Yes, I am. I almost always arrive for meetings and appointments early.
One reason is that I leave plenty of time in case there is a traffic jam.
Another reason is that I hate to be kept waiting when people are late. Some
people don’t arrive late, but instead they call off the appointment just a few
minutes beforehand. There is really annoying.
16.catch on
• meaning: understand or discover
• example: Tell me about a short course you have taken.
Last year, I took a short electronics course. It took me several lessons to
catch on to the subjects, as I hadn’t had any formal training in the field. By
the end of the course I had learnt a lot and I took a further course a few
months later.
17.chew over
• meaning: think about, consider
• example: How can individuals help to protect the environment?
I think that everyone needs to chew over the things they can do to help.
They can buy products that have less packaging. They can use less energy.
Basically, they should try to consume less of everything.
18.chip in
• provide information, help or money
• example: Tell me about a project you worked on with a group of people.
Last weekend, my wife suggested that we join a group of people who were
planting trees on the outskirts of Beijing. It was great. There were actually
hundreds of people, so we finished planting the trees much sooner than we

had expected. Everyone chipped in. Kids held the trees whilst adults filled
the holes with earth.
19. come away (with)
• meaning: to receive or make money
• example: why do you like working for your company?
I like the people there and I enjoy the work verymuch. In addition, we
usually come away with an end-of- year bonus.
20. come forward
• meaning: volunteer
• example: what kind of people do you admire?
I admire people who come forward and help others. I think that they really
contribute something to society and show the rest of us that each of us can
do something to make society better.
21. come out with
• meaning: to launch a new product onto the market
• example: Do you shop on the Internet?
No, I don’t. I prefer to buy from shops. However, the Internet is a great way
to see what new products companies have come out with, so I do visit
shopping websites.
22. crack down on
• meaning: to make a strong effort to reduce something
• example: Is credit card crime on the rise?
I think credit card crime is becoming a widespread problem. For example,
police in Shanghai are especially cracking down on card scammers during
international events. Police will closely monitor ATMs and bank outlets to
ensure that visitors have a safe time without being cheated. Recently, police
arrested six people who used phony cards in the city’s ATMs. They are
suspected of being part of an international credit card fraud ring.
23. cut back (on)
• meaning: reduce

• example: Should we reduce spending during financial downturns?
I feel that, during hard times, consumers should cut back on expenses. But
according to a new report, people are spending more time watching TV,
using their mobile phone or accessing the Internet. The report showed that
despite the pressure on spending, consumers were still prepared to pay for
services such as digital video recorders, high definition television and
mobile broadband.
24.die down
• meaning: to become calm after much activity
• example: Do you think that it is easy to become famous?
I think it’s quite easy. For example, you can become famous by posting
videos on YouTube or by appearing on a TV programme. I think that you
can make yourself famous quite easily as long as you have a special skill or
the right personality. However, I think that most people who become
famous, do so only for a short time. Then the situation dies down and the
person is usually quickly forgotten.
25.do over
• meaning: repeat- usually in order to get a better result
• example: Do you often have problems at work?
Yes, I do. My boss is very demanding and so we must do everything to a
very high standard. If we don’t, we have to do it over. For me, it’s a
problem, but not a big one. Other people find it too difficult and leave the
company after only a few months.
26. drag on
• meaning: to last a long time- used when the situation is boring
• example: what kind of films do you like?
I like comedies. I find that the humour makes me forget about any
problems I have. My girlfriend likes romantic films, especially classics
like Gone With The Wind. I just don’t like these films and find that they
drag on. Usually, I go and do something else midway through.

27. dredge up
• meaning: to find information that has been forgotten or hidden
• example: Are computers important to your work?
Definitely. As a journalist, I find computers incredibly useful to dredge up
useful information to include in my stories. Nowadays, of course, doing this
is so easy with Internet search engines.
28. dress down
• meaning: to dress casually
• example: what do you like to do at the weekends?
I like to dress down and go out with my friends. At work, I have to wear
formal clothes, so it’s really nice to put on jeans and a T-shirt. We usually
spend some time going around town in the afternoon and then we go to a
bar in the evening.
29. drop in on
• meaning: visit
• example: Do you get on well with neighbours?
Yes, I do. We live in an apartment block where the people are very friendly.
It is quite common for neighbours to drop in on each other at the weekend
for a chat and a cup of tea. Some people might not like this because they
prefer their privacy, but I like it.
30.drop off
• meaning: to leave someone or something at a place
• example Do you often travel by car?
Yes, I do. I love driving. I sometimes drive my friends to different nearby
places if I can. For example, yesterday I dropped off a friend at the airport.
I had a business meeting near there, so it was no trouble.
31. drop out of
• meaning: leave, finish
• example: Is dropping out of school a good choice for young people?
Dropping out of school, in my opinion, only works for very few people.

There are some who became famous actors or singers, others who founded
Internet and other IT companies, and still others who ended up as famous
athletes. However, these are more the exception rather than the rule, so it is
advisable for all young people to continue studying hard in high school and
university in order to increase their chances of having a bright future.
32. eat away (at)
• meaning: to reduce through use- usually used when referring to money
• example: How do governments raise and spend money?
Well, they raise money through taxation- like income tax, duties on imports
and exports and taxes on things people buy. They spen money on many
things, including health services, education, defence, the police and public
housing. There are other things that eat away at government budgets, such
as bureaucracy.
33. end up
• meaning: to eventually do – perhaps after a long time and/ or many
difficulties
• example: what kind of holidays do you like?
I like adventure holidays. Last year, I went canoeing in North America with
a group of friends. We had a great time. One day we decided to take a break
from canoeing and go hiking. We got lost in the woods, but luckily we
found a road and ended up in a small town where we found someone to
drive us back to our staring point.
34. face up to ( especially used as part of ‘ face up to the fact that’)
• meaning: admit, take responsibility for
• example: Do you have a lot of homework while you were at school?
Yes, I did. However, I didn’t do all of it. I was a little lazy. As a result I
didn’t do too well in my exams. I guess I have to face up to the fact that I
could have done better.
35. fall out with
• meaning: to argue with someone and usually stop interacting with them

• example: Do young people in our country get on well with their parents?
Generally, yes. I’m sure that all children fall out with their parents
sometimes. It’s natural. Kids want to do things and their parents want them
to do something else. They fall out as a result.
36. fall through
• meaning: fail, not reach agreement
• example: Do you consider yourself a successful person?
Not really. I’m not a total failure, but most of my plans fall through for one
reason or another. However, I think it’s important not to give up.
37. feel up to
• meaning: to be mentally or emotionally prepared for something
• example: Do you take part in any sports?
No, I don’t. I used to when I was at school and university, but now I simply
don’t have the time or energy. I mean, when I finish work, I really don’t feel
up to going to a gym or going jogging.
38. figure on
• meaning: expect
• example: what is the weather in your hometown like?
It depends on the season – like in most other places. In winter, it’s quite
cold and usually wet. In summer, you can figure on hot, sunny weather.
39. fill in for
• meaning: to take over for another person
• example: Do you ever work overtime?
Yes, I do. At our company, we regularly have to fill in for other people
when they are on holiday, away on business or ill. I don’t mind because I
get extra pay for it.
40. get across
• meaning: to communicate ( explain) an idea to another person
• example: what are the qualities of a good teacher?
I think that the most important quality of good teachers is that they can get

the subject across to their students. They can communicate well and can
help people to understand using examples, comparisons and suitable
language. At schools, I think that good teachers are also good at maintaining
classroom discipline. This is not usually a problem with adult students.
41. get by on
• meaning: to live on a certain amount of money
• example: Do you like your job?
Yes, I do. It provides me with more than enough money to get by on and
the work is very interesting. My colleagues are mostly nice people to work
with and my boss isn’t too bad.
42. give in
• meaning: to stop doing something and/or to stop fighting something
• example: what are some of the problems rural people have in your
country?
I think that the main problem they have is that there is not enough well paid
work for them to do. Many would like to stay in the countryside where their
ancestors have lived for so many years, but the economic situation is such
that they often give in to the temptation to live in cities.
43. go back on
• meaning: not keep a promise or do something you said you would do
• example: What kinds of people don’t you like?
I don’t like people who are greedy or who go back on what they have said.
But most of all I dislike dishonest people.
44. go under
• meaning: to fail- used with a business or commercial venture
• example: would you like to own your own business?
Actually, I owned my own business a few years ago. Unfortunately, it went
under and I lost a lot of money.
45. grow apart
• meaning: to become less familiar over time( often used with friends or

family members)
• example: Are you still friends with people you went to school with?
No. Now, I only know a few of the people I went to school with and I’ve
even grown apart from those few. Many of us moved to different parts of
the country to study or to work.
46. hand down
• meaning: to pass from one generation to the next
• example: Do stories play an important part in your culture?
I think they play an important part in any culture. Stories are used to hand
down morals, social norms, language and history. In the past, this was
mainly done orally, but nowadays I think it is done more through books and
films.
47. hold someone back
• meaning: to prevent someone from doing something or to slow them
down
• example: Do you think that children of different abilities should be
taught in one class at school?
No, I don’t. Some people think it’s a good idea, because the slower children
can learn from the faster ones. However, I think that the effect is to hold
back the better learners, I think that they should be divided according to
ability so that every child can learn at his or her own pace.
48. iron out
• meaning: to resolve a problem
• example: In a relationship, is it okay to quit when the romance wears off
and reality sets in?
I believe that perseverance in relationships is important. Many couples,
especially during dating, find that they begin to have struggles in their
relationship. Today, there are many books, seminars, and counselors who
can assist couples to iron out their differences. If couples are commited to
resolving conflict, they can have much healthier relationships.

49. jack up
• meaning: to increase the price
• example: what problems do you think foreigners have when they visit
your country?
I think that there are a few problems, but the main ones are the language
barrier and the fact that many sellers jack up prices for foreigners. Unless
the foreigner knows the approximate local price or has a Chinese friend
with them, they can be cheated.
50. jump to (a conclusion)
• meaning: to make a decision quickly, perhaps without enough facts or
knowledge
• example: Can you judge a book by its cover?
When meeting people from other places or economic levels, I feel that it is
important not to jumpt to a conclusion about one person’s character. For
example, some people are suspicious of people from a particular province
or city, and keep a closer watch on their personal belongings. Or, on the
other hand, when a driver of a new luxury vehicle approaches, some people
assume that this person is not only rich, but probably very popular and hard-
working. This may not be the case at all.