Particle guide
Phrasal verbs with on
The particle on starts from one core idea — contact and continuation. Sink In groups its verbs by the recurring ways that idea plays out, so verbs that look unrelated line up into patterns.
107 phrasal verbs · 11 meaning groups
The meaning map of on
Surface
Something touches, grips, or sticks to a surface.
Support
One thing supports another. A plan can depend on people, facts, money, or past success.
Attention
Eyes or thought land on a point and stay there.
Decision
After weighing options, the mind settles on one choice.
Insisting
A person holds firmly to a demand, rule, or status and will not let it go.
Target
An action is directed onto a person, thing or weakness as its target.
Continuation
Sliding forward along the surface. Motion that keeps going on and on.
Power Start
The connection starts. The machine, light, or device begins working.
Wearing
Clothing makes contact with the body. Putting it on covers the surface.
Burden
Weight piles on top of you. What is on you is yours to carry.
Performance
A role, event, or show is put on for other people to see.
Practice these meanings in Sink In
The app turns each meaning group into short review cards: recognition, particle cloze, meaning-to-particle recall, and schema matching.