#321: 21 Phrasal Verbs for Daily English Conversation [Free Worksheet]

Imagine this: You’ve just had a deep and inspiring conversation with a new friend, and when you get home, you’re eager to share the details with your sibling or partner. But as you begin to recount the conversation, you struggle to describe key moments, specific points, how it started, or even the sequence of events.

Sure, you could say, “First she said… Then I said… And then she said… After that…”
But that quickly starts to sound monotonous and simplistic. It lacks the variety and nuance needed to fully capture the richness of a conversation. Instead, what you need are the right words to express exactly what happened and when.

This is where phrasal verbs come in!

In today’s lesson, you’ll learn 21 phrasal verbs that are commonly used in daily English conversations to add nuance and precision to your speech, allowing you to convey ideas more clearly and accurately.

Phrasal Verbs for Daily English Conversation

Phrasal Verbs: What You Need to Know

Let’s take a moment to clarify what these terms mean and why they’re important.

• Transitive Phrasal Verbs require a direct object, which is the person or thing receiving the action. To identify a direct object, ask “what?” or “whom?” after the verb. For example, in “She turned on the light,” “the light” is the direct object. It answers, “what.”
• Intransitive Phrasal Verbs do not take a direct object. They stand alone in the sentence, like in “He woke up late.”
• Separable Phrasal Verbs allow the object to come between the verb and the particle. For example, “They put the meeting off” or “They put off the meeting” are both correct.
• Inseparable Phrasal Verbs must keep the verb and particle together, with the object following. For instance, “She looks after her younger brother” keeps the verb and particle together.

Stage 1: Starting and Joining a Conversation

• Strike up a conversation
  Def: To begin a conversation, usually with someone you don’t know well or at all.
  Example: The line was taking forever to move, so I decided to strike up a conversation with the person behind me while we waited.
  Type: Transitive, Inseparable

• Launch into a conversation
  Def: To begin a conversation abruptly and/or enthusiastically, without much hesitation.
  Example: She launched into a conversation about her weekend plans the moment she walked into the room.
  Type: Transitive, Inseparable

• Join in a conversation
  Def: To become part of an already existing conversation.
  Example: My friends were talking about the upcoming summer vacation, so I joined in; I was excited to tell them about my plans.
  Type: Intransitive, Inseparable

• Jump into a conversation
  Def: To join a conversation by interrupting someone abruptly and not waiting for a pause in the conversation.
  Example: He jumped into the conversation to share his opinion, even though I wasn’t finished talking.
  Type: Transitive, Inseparable

• Jump in (on a conversation)
  Def: To begin participating in a conversation, often without much hesitation or waiting for an invitation. “Jump in” suggests joining the conversation quickly, but it is typically less abrupt than “jump into a conversation” and can be seen as more natural or polite, depending on the context.
  Example: The discussion was getting interesting, so I decided to jump in and share my thoughts.
  Type: Intransitive, Inseparable

• Chip in (on a conversation)
  Def: To contribute to a conversation, usually by adding comments or opinions.
  Example: Everyone was discussing the project, and I decided to chip in on the conversation with my ideas.
  Type: Intransitive, Inseparable

• Butt in (on a conversation)
  Def: To interrupt a conversation rudely.
  Example: I was talking to my colleague when someone butted in on our conversation without any introduction.
  Type: Intransitive, Inseparable

Stage 2: Participating in a Conversation

• Dive into a conversation
  Def: To become deeply involved or engrossed in a conversation.
  Example: Once we realized we were both Latin American, we dove into a conversation about our favorite foods and the things we miss most.
  Type: Transitive, Inseparable

• Engage in a conversation
  Def: To participate in a conversation actively.
  Example: My parents and my boyfriend engaged in a lively conversation about politics.
  Type: Transitive, Inseparable

• Weigh in on a conversation
  Def: To offer one’s opinion or input into a conversation.
  Example: After listening for a while, Rita weighed in on the conversation with her thoughts.
  Type: Intransitive, Inseparable

• Add to a conversation
  Def: To contribute something to a conversation, such as a comment or information.
  Example: She added to the conversation by recounting details of a funny experience she had while traveling abroad for the first time.
  Type: Transitive, Inseparable

• Carry on a conversation
  Def: To continue a conversation.
  Example: The two women carried on a conversation for hours without realizing it was almost midnight.
  Type: Transitive, Inseparable

• Catch up on a conversation
  Def: To update and discuss recent events or news that was missed in a conversation.
  Example: I had to catch up on the conversation with my friends after my unexpected work call ended.
  Type: Transitive, Inseparable

• Get across (a point)
  Def: To successfully communicate an idea or message in a conversation.
  Example: She struggled at first, but eventually, she got her point across in the conversation.
  Type: Transitive, Separable

• Keep up (with a conversation)
  Def: To follow along and understand everything that is being said in a conversation.
  Example: The discussion was moving quickly, but I managed to keep up with it.
  Type: Intransitive, Inseparable

• Speak up (in a conversation)
  Def: To express your opinion or thoughts more clearly or loudly in a conversation.
  Example: I was hesitant at first, but I decided to speak up in the conversation when I disagreed.
  Type: Intransitive, Inseparable

Stage 3: Ending a Conversation

• Wrap up a conversation
  Def: To conclude a conversation in a tidy or efficient manner.
  Example: Let’s wrap up this conversation and get back to the work at hand.
  Type: Transitive, Separable

• Shut down a conversation
  Def: To abruptly end a conversation, often in a forceful way.
  Note: This is usually done to enforce a boundary when someone makes you uncomfortable.
  Example: She tried to change the subject, but he shut down the conversation completely.
  Type: Transitive, Separable

• Break off a conversation
  Def: To interrupt or end a conversation abruptly, often due to an interruption or disagreement.
  Example: They were enjoying hearing each other’s opinions when the phone rang, forcing them to break off the conversation.
  Type: Transitive, Separable

• Wind down (a conversation)
  Def: To bring a conversation to a gradual end.
  Example: As the evening got late, we began to wind down the conversation and say our goodbyes.
  Type: Transitive, Inseparable

• Phase out (a conversation)
  Def: To gradually end a conversation or topic over time.
  Example: We phased out the conversation about work and started talking about our weekend plans instead.
  Type: Transitive, Separable

Recommendations for Practice

To make these phrasal verbs a natural part of your English conversations, here are a few strategies you can use to practice:

• Create Your Own Sentences: Write sentences using each phrasal verb in different contexts. This practice will help solidify their meanings and how to use them naturally.
• Listen to Conversations: Whether it’s a conversation at work, with family members, or on TV shows and podcasts, see if you can notice the phrasal verbs you’ve learned today. Take note of how others use these phrasal verbs to start, participate in, or end a conversation.
• Download Your Bonus Worksheet: Download my worksheet—you can find it below the video.

~ Annemarie

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