Below are five phrasal verb games suitable for business English and adult English classes. These activities make learning phrasal verbs a fun process, rather than a tedious one. Also see this article on how to teach phrasal verbs.
1. Find Someone Who…
For this game, students walk around the room and try to find classmates who match the descriptions on their game card. The winner is the student who fills in their game card first. If students are stuck, the winner can be the student with the most names on the game card after a certain period of time. Below are three Find someone who…. game cards with phrasal verbs.
| Find someone who… |
Name and details |
| …turned down an offer and later regretted it. | |
| …always shops around before making a major purchase. | |
| …recently ran into an old friend or coworker. | |
| …has been putting something off that really needs to be done. | |
| …is trying to cut back on something. | |
| …has found out something interesting this week. | |
| …has recently gotten over an illness. | |
| …has recently given in to someone’s demands. | |
| …is looking forward to something special this weekend. | |
| …recently made up an excuse to get out of doing something. | |
| …often mixes up people’s names. |
| Find someone who… |
Name and details |
| …recently cheered up a coworker or friend. | |
| …gets along with everyone in his or her family. | |
| …likes to try things out before making a purchase. | |
| …got into trouble in high school. | |
| …likes to get dressed up. | |
| …has felt burned out at some point. | |
| …works out several times a week. | |
| …considered dropping out of high school or college. | |
| …takes after a close family member. | |
| …has a unique way of dealing with stress. | |
| …is getting together with some friends tonight. |
| Find someone who… |
Name and details |
| …lent money to someone and was never paid back. | |
| …came up with a great idea. | |
| …tends to dwell on things. | |
| …has recently moved in to a new place. | |
| …was picked on as a child. | |
| …was ripped off recently. | |
| …is saving up for a big purchase. | |
| …has recently taken on more responsibility. | |
| …feels worn out. | |
| …likes to kid around with people. | |
| …eats out several times per week. |
2. Collocation Cards
This game is designed for advanced or upper-intermediate students. Students are put in two teams. Each team is given a copy of the cards below. Working together, students must decide which phrasal verb collocates with all the words on the card. The team with the most correct answers after 10 minutes wins. The correct answers are below. Also see this phrasal verb collocations practice exercise.
|
a lie |
your shirt your shoes from work |
patience gas time money |
|
hope |
an offer |
a fire |
|
an alarm |
office president senate |
the phone |
|
an agreement |
a form paperwork an application |
a fight |
| an idea a plan a solution the money |
your homework an application your resignation |
clothes |
Answers
|
a lie |
your shirt your shoes from work (take off) |
patience |
| hope smoking a bad habit (give up) |
an offer a request the music (turn down) |
a fire |
|
an alarm |
office president senate (run for) |
the phone |
|
an agreement |
a form paperwork an application (fill out) |
a fight |
|
an idea |
your homework an application your resignation (hand in) |
clothes |
3. Guess the Phrasal Verb
Students are put in two teams. The phrasal verbs are cut up and placed face down in front of each team. One player on each team starts by choosing a phrasal verb and trying to get their team members to guess the phrasal verb. Once the phrasal verb is guessed, a different person chooses a card and tries to get their team members to guess the phrasal verb. Students continue taking turns trying to make their team members guess the phrasal verb on their card. The team with the most correct guesses after 15 minutes is the winner.
Note that these phrasal verbs are taken from this list of phrasal verbs for business. There is also a practice exercise for these verbs.
| ask around | back up | call back |
| call off | check in | check out |
| chip in (or pitch in) | come across | count on |
| cut back on | do over | do away with |
| drop off | drop by (or stop by) | end up |
| figure out | fill out | find out |
| get back | get back at | get in |
| get over | get together | give in |
| give up | go after | go against |
| go over | hand in | hand out |
| hang on (or hold on) | keep up | let down |
| look over | look forward to | look into |
| look out for | look up to | make up |
| mix up | pass out | pass up |
| put off | put together | run into |
| send back | set up | shop around |
| sort out | take back | think over |
| try out | turn down | use up |
4. Act it out or Draw it
This game gives students practice with phrasal verbs for movement. Cards are placed in two piles — one pile for one-pointers, and another pile for two-pointers. Students are placed in two teams. One player on each team starts by choosing a phrasal verb (from either pile) and trying to get their team members to guess the phrasal verb by either drawing it, acting it out, or a combination of the two. Once the phrasal verb is guessed, another member of the team chooses a card and does the same. The team with the most correct guesses after 15 minutes is the winner.
One-pointers:
| back up | fall down | fall off |
| fall over | fill up | get down |
| get in | get off | get on |
| get out | get up | go around |
| go down | go up | hang up |
| hold on | lie down | pass out |
| pick up | point out | put together |
| sit back | sit up | speed up |
| stick out | take apart | take off |
| turn around | walk by | walk over |
| warm up | work out | write down |
Two-pointers:
| back away | bend down | bend over |
| bite off | blow out | blow up |
| bump into | catch up | come back |
| crash into | cross off | cut down |
| cut off | cut up | drive away (or drive off) |
| fall behind | hold out | jump off |
| jump onto | kneel down | lean back |
| lean on | lean over | move in |
| move out | pass around | pull down |
| pull up | reach out | run after |
| run away | run into | run over |
| tear apart | walk away | zoom in |
5. Video Clips without Dialogue
Video clips without dialogue are a great resource for teaching phrasal verbs for movement. In teams, students watch a short video clip and then work together to explain what happened in the film. Students are given a point for each phrasal verb they correctly use.
Some examples of video clips that can be used for this activity:
Some phrasal verbs that could be used to describe what’s happening in this video: cover up, crumple up, get under, lean over, look over, look under, look up, peek at, pick out, pick up, put aside, put down, slide over, take out, throw away, write down
Some phrasal verbs that could be used to describe what’s happening in this video: clean off, cut off, flip through, get up, look in, look through, pick out, pick up, plug in, point out, put on, shave off, sit down, spin around, take off, walk in, walk out, walk over
Some phrasal verbs that could be used to describe what’s happening in the video: brush off, clean off, climb out, dig up, get out, sink down, spin around, throw out, turn around, turn into, turn over, walk down, walk in, walk up