Common Phrasal Verbs

Here is a list of common phrasal verbs.
Account for
This is an inseparable phrasal verb.
To account for something is to give a reason or explanation for it.

• How will you account for the money you spent on that fancy dress?
• How do you account for the sudden improvement in your grades?
• The student was brought before the principal to account for his behavior.
• Exports account for nearly 60% of our revenue.

Act out
To act out is to express your feelings through your words or actions.

• She was acting out her feelings of insecurity by being overly possessive.

Act up
When children act up, they behave badly. When machines act up, they fail to work properly.

• My kids act up whenever we have guests.
• The car is acting up again.

Add in
To add in something is to include it.

• If you add in the information about his family background, you will understand why he behaves so strangely.

Add up
When something adds up it makes sense.

• Your arguments just don’t add up.
• There is something about his behavior that just doesn’t add up.

To add up is to calculate the total.

• Add up those numbers.

Allow for
To allow for something is to take it into consideration.

• The survey does not allow for the fact that many students drop out of school before they turn fourteen.

Answer back
To answer back is to reply rudely.

• Her children are very badly brought up. They answer back all the time.

Answer for
To answer for something is to take responsibility for something you have done.

• You will have to answer for your actions.

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