The Top 500 Phrasal Verbs

Recognize and define common English phrasal verbs in context.

Distinguish between multiple meanings of the same phrasal verb (for example, 'put down,' 'put off,' 'write off') based on the example sentence given.

Use each entry's example sentence as a model for producing a new sentence with that phrasal verb.

Pair the list with vocabulary quizzes, sentence-writing prompts, or teacher-made flashcards, since this file is a definitions-and-examples reference rather than a practice worksheet.

Focus on entries with multiple meanings (like 'put on,' 'put out,' or 'write off') when teaching nuance, since these show how context changes a phrasal verb's meaning.

Preview a smaller subset, such as one letter's entries, for a single lesson rather than assigning the full 500-entry list at once, since entries are generally ordered alphabetically rather than grouped by topic or difficulty.

Phrasal verb comprehension -- students read a definition and example for each of 500 entries to build recognition of common English phrasal verbs.

Multi-meaning disambiguation -- entries like 'put down' and 'write off' list separate definitions and examples for each distinct sense of the phrase.

Contextual vocabulary use -- the example sentence for every entry models the phrasal verb in a natural sentence.