Hey there! This is TOP episode 308. 5 Phrasal Verbs for Everyday Conversation
You read English. You understand English. You’ve been learning for years, but when it’s time to speak your mind just freezes, and the words don’t come out. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. My name’s Ola, and this is Teacher Ola Podcast. I’m here to help you finally speak out loud. This isn’t about perfect grammar or fancy vocabulary. This is about your voice. Your words. Your real English.
*Welcome, everyone. Today, we’re going to look at phrasal verbs but not in the usual way. We’re not just memorising long lists of words. Instead, we’re going to study five really powerful phrasal verbs, and here’s why this is smart: 4 of these verbs have more than one meaning.
*Now, from a linguistic point of view, this is exciting. You learn just one little phrase — two words together and suddenly your brain has two or three doors it can open. That’s efficient. One key, many locks. *And from a neuro-linguistic perspective, when you connect one phrase to several real-life situations, your memory becomes stronger. Why? Because the brain loves patterns. It doesn’t want isolated words, it wants networks. So, every time you hear “put ofrf, your brain starts building a little map: “Oh yes, that’s when I delay a meeting… oh, and also when something makes me lose interest.” The more connections you make, the faster you remember, and the easier it is to use the word in conversation.
So, think of this lesson as training your brain to be flexible. One phrasal verb, many options.
Before we begin I have to invite you to another free live class with me. This time we’ll be talking about learning spoken English with youTube an ChatGPT. I’ll show you various ways to use this powerful combo for free at home and with great results! We’re meeting on the 28 September 2025 at 8:20 pm, check out the links below or simply go to teacherola.com/chat to sign up.
*Ok! Let’s learn 5 phrasal verbs perfect for everyday conversations:
*ONE. BRING UP There are two meanings of this phrasal verb, the first is: to start talking about a topic.
Picture this: You’re at a family dinner, everyone is eating peacefully, and suddenly your cousin says, “So… what do you think about the election?” Boom. He just brought up politics. Or imagine you’re in a meeting at work. Everything’s going well, but you know there’s a problem with deadlines. You take a deep breath and say, “I’m sorry, but I need to bring this up, we’re going to be late with the project.” That’s the perfect moment for “bring up.” Listen to these sentences:
She always brings up politics at family dinners.
I didn’t want to bring up the problem, but it was important.
Can we not bring up my ex-boyfriend right now, please?
Go to the comments section and let me know what are the topics you never bring up.
*The second meaning of ‘bring up’ is to raise a child.
Someone asks you about your childhood. They say, “Where were you brought up?” That means: where did you grow up, who raised you? Here are some more examples:
I was brought up in a small town by the sea.
My grandparents brought me up after my parents moved away.
It’s not easy to bring up kids today.
*TWO. TAKE UP This time, I’ve got three ways to use this one phrasal verb! The first one: to start a new activity or hobby.
Imagine you’re chatting with a friend over coffee. She tells you: “I’ve just taken up running. I run three times a week now.” That’s how people use it. Or in January, when everybody is talking about their New Year’s resolutions, you can say: “I want to take up pilates this year.” Three examples:
I took up pilates last year, and I love it.
He’s thinking of taking up Spanish classes in the evening.
During the lockdown, many people took up baking bread.
Have you taken up a new sport or hobby recently? Let me know in the comments.
*The second meaning of ‘take up’ is: to use space or time.
You’re standing in your living room, looking at your big-ass sofa, and you sigh: “This sofa takes up so much space.” Or you’re talking about your work schedule: “Emails take up half my day.” Listen to these:
This sofa takes up too much space in the living room.
Work takes up most of my time.
Answering emails takes up a big part of my day.
*The third meaning of ‘take up’ is: to accept an offer or challenge.
For example, your friend says: “Hey, I’ll buy you lunch if you help me move house.” You smile and answer: “Okay, I’ll take you up on that.” Or your company offers you training, and you accept it, you take up the offer.
I think I’ll take up their offer of a free trial.
He took up the challenge and ran a marathon.
They offered her a new job, and she decided to take it up.
*THREE. PUT OFF
Of course, I’ve got more than one meaning. You guessed it. I’ve got two! The first one: to postpone something.
Okay, imagine this: You get a message from a friend saying, “I’m sorry, I can’t meet today. Can we put it off until next week?” That’s classic. Or you’re talking about your kid’s homework, you say to them: “Don’t put it off until Sunday night.” Some more examples:
We had to put off the meeting until next week.
Don’t put off your homework until the last minute.
She keeps putting off going to the dentist.
*The second meaning of ‘put off’: to make someone dislike something.
Imagine this: you step into a restaurant, you’re about to take a seat, and suddenly you notice a terrible smell. You don’t even sit down. You look at your friend and say, “Let’s go somewhere else.” The smell has put you off eating there. Or you start a new job, and your boss is rude, you might say later, “Honestly, his behaviour put me off working there.” Listen to these:
The bad smell put me off the restaurant.
His rude comments put me off working with him.
I was put off by the long queue, so I didn’t go in.
*FOUR. COME UP WITH
There’s just one meaning of the verb I need you to remember and be able to use and it’s: to invent or think of an idea, plan, or excuse.
Here’s the situation: Your team is stuck in a meeting. No one knows what to do. Then one person says, “Wait, I’ve come up with an idea!” Or your child is late to school, and when the teacher asks why, he comes up with a crazy excuse. More examples, here we go:
She came up with a brilliant idea for the project.
We need to come up with a plan before Monday.
He came up with a funny excuse for being late.
*FIVE. FIND OUT
Two meanings, quite similar, the first is: to discover information.
For instance, your friend says: “I found out yesterday that I’m moving to London.” Or you’re planning to take a train, but then you find out it’s cancelled. You have just discovered some information. You got to know about something new. Like in these examples:
I just found out that my friend is getting married.
We found out the train was cancelled.
She found out the truth about him.
The second meaning of ‘find out’ is: to check or investigate something.
Let’s say you’re going on holiday, and you don’t know when the museum opens. You tell your partner: “Can you find out the opening hours?” Or at work, your boss asks you: “Find out how much the tickets cost.” Check it. Find it out! Examples:
I need to find out what time the shop closes.
Can you find out how much the tickets cost?
The police are trying to find out who did it.
*Time to speak some English! Ok, let’s go! Listen and repeat, not in your head, not under your breath but OUT LOUD. Say the sentences after me, say them out loud:
She always brings up politics at family dinners.
It’s not easy to bring up kids today.
He’s thinking of taking up Spanish classes in the evening.
Work takes up most of my time.
He took up the challenge and ran a marathon.
We had to put off the meeting until next week.
I was put off by the long queue, so I didn’t go in.
He came up with a funny excuse for being late.
We found out the train was cancelled.
I need to find out what time the shop closes.
*And that’s a wrap for today! You’ve learned five powerful phrasal verbs and how to use them in real conversations.
I’d love to hear from you — write a sentence with one of today’s phrasal verbs in the comments below. It’s a great way to practice.
Also, don’t forget to sign up for my free live class happening on 28 September at 8:20 PM. We’ll be talking about learning spoken English with YouTube and ChatGPT, and I’ll show you how to get great results from home for free. Check out the link in the description or go to teacherola.com/chat to save your spot.
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Remember, you can speak English. All it takes is practice, exposure, and connection. Stay fearless, take care, and say it out loud. I’m your teacher, Teacher Ola, and this was Teacher Ola Podcast on YouTube. Bye for now!