Flashcard practice for common phrasal verbs with 'in' and 'out'
1. Learn the meaning
Phrasal verbs with in often include a meaning of inside, while phrasal verbs with out often include a meaning of outside or public. The examples below are some of the most common phrasal verbs with in and out*. Look at the examples - what do you think they mean? Click on the flashcard to show the meaning. If it was easy, you can remove it. If you need more practice, you can keep it and view the next question.
Note: sth = something, sb = somebody
Example / definition:
2. Remember the phrasal verbs
How many phrasal verbs can you remember from the examples? Click on the question to see the answer. If it was easy, you can remove it from the set of cards, otherwise click needs more practice to save it and see the next question. Keep going until there are no questions left.
You'll probably remember these better in the long term if you have a break now or study something different. Come back tomorrow and repeat these, or try the next set of flashcard questions for these words below.
3. Test yourself - same verbs, different examples
Now try these flashcards - they use the same phrasal verbs, but different example sentences.
Here is a summary of the phrasal verbs with in and out presented above.
Meaning related to 'become public'
The news came out that he had decided to quit his job.
come out = become known
People need to come out and say what they think about the new rules.
come out and say sth = say something publicly (that you were thinking privately)
Apple's new iPhone came out last month.
come out = become available to the public (usually products e.g. books, films ...)
Apple brought out their new iPhone last month.
bring out = make sth available for the public
The bank sent out letters to all their customers.
send (sth) out = mail or send sth to a number of people
Meaning related to 'inside' and 'outside'
The new security lock prevents thieves from getting in.
get in = enter a place (or make sb enter)
These prisoners have no hope of ever getting out of jail.
get out = leave a place (or make sb leave)
He liked the house so much that he decided to move in immediately.
move in = start to live in a new house or place
Our neighbour is going to move out next month.
move out = leave your house permanently
I put out some food for the cat.
put sth out = place sth somewhere so it can be seen or used
He laid out the food for the party on the table.
lay sth out = pread sth on a flat surface, so it can be seen or used
He threw out all the empty boxes that were in the room.
throw sth out = get rid of sth you don't want, put sth in the bin
Several students were caught cheating and were thrown out of school.
throw sb out = make sb leave (because they did sth wrong)
The family took her in when her parents died.
take sb in = let sb stay or live in your house
You should take your girlfriend out to the new Chinese restaurant.
take sb out = invite sb to a social event or place (e.g. a restaurant or the cinema)
The builders filled in the remaining holes with concrete.
fill sth in (with sth) = put sth in a gap, so it becomes full or complete
*These phrasal verbs and questions are adapted from the PHaVE list, from research by Garnier, M. & Schmitt, N. (2014). The PHaVE List: A pedagogical list of phrasal verbs and their most frequent meaning senses. Language Teaching Research, 19(6), 645–666. DOI: 10.1177/1362168814559798