Exam prep
Phrasal verbs for IELTS Speaking
Examiners reward natural, idiomatic English, and nothing sounds more natural than the right phrasal verb in the right place. A few well-placed ones across Parts 1 to 3 lift your Lexical Resource score.
These are grouped by the part of the test where they fit best, each with a note on how to drop it in. Learn a handful really well rather than memorising a long list — accuracy matters more than quantity.
24 phrasal verbs · 3 groups
Part 1 — Everyday topics
Short questions about your life, home, and routine. Use these to sound relaxed and fluent from the start.
get up
Daily-routine staple: “I usually get up around seven and check my phone.”
Rise from bed or a seat
eat out
Food and lifestyle questions: “We eat out maybe once a week.”
Have a meal at a restaurant
hang out
Friends and free time: “I hang out with my cousins at weekends.”
Spend time in a relaxed way, often with friends
carry on
Hobbies and study: “I’d like to carry on learning the piano.”
Continue doing something
get on
Relationships: “I get on really well with my flatmates.”
Board a bus, train or plane
pick up
Skills and languages: “I picked up some Spanish while travelling.”
Lift something off a surface
settle down
Future plans: “I’m not ready to settle down just yet.”
Become quiet and stable
catch up
Routine and friends: “I like to catch up with old friends online.”
Reach the same level or position as someone ahead
Part 2 — The long turn
Two minutes describing an experience. These verbs help you narrate, set up anticipation, and reflect.
look forward
Build anticipation: “a trip I’d been looking forward to for months” — remember the -ing.
Feel pleased about something that will happen
end up
Narrate an outcome: “We ended up staying much longer than planned.”
Arrive at an unintended outcome
come across
Discovery: “I came across the place completely by chance.”
Find or meet someone or something by chance
take up
New activities: “That’s when I took up photography.”
Start a new hobby or activity
get away
Holidays and breaks: “We managed to get away for the weekend.”
Escape from a place or situation
look back
Reflection: “Looking back, it was the best decision I made.”
Think about events in the past
bring back
Memory cue: “The song brings back happy memories of that summer.”
Return with someone or something to the original place
Part 3 — Discussion
Abstract, opinion-led questions. These let you qualify, frame, and conclude like a confident speaker.
point out
Concede or qualify: “It’s worth pointing out that not everyone agrees.”
Draw attention to
bring up
Introduce an issue: “That brings up an important question about cost.”
Mention or raise a topic
sort out
Problem-solving: “Governments need to sort out the housing crisis.”
Resolve a problem successfully
carry out
Formal action: “Researchers carry out studies to test these ideas.”
Perform a task or action that has been planned
focus on
Frame your answer: “I’d focus on education as the main factor.”
Direct attention or effort on something
sum up
Conclude: “To sum up, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.”
State briefly as a conclusion
cut down
Lifestyle and environment: “People should cut down on single-use plastic.”
Reduce the amount of something
weigh up
Show balance: “You have to weigh up the costs and the benefits.”
Carefully consider the pros and cons of something
reach out
Society topics: “Charities reach out to people in need.”
Contact someone, often to offer or request help
Sink In — iOS & Android
Drill IELTS Speaking phrasal verbs in Sink In
Sink In schedules every meaning with spaced repetition and four practice modes, so the right phrasal verb is there when the examiner asks — not a week later.
- Learn the pattern behind dozens of verbs at once — not one-off translations.
- Spaced repetition (SM-2) brings each meaning back right before you forget.
- Four practice modes train recall and discrimination, not just recognition.
