Phrasal verbs are made when we use a main verb with another word (or words) to change the meaning of the main verb.
There are lots of different phrasal verbs with ‘take’. We’ll cover some of the most useful ones in this lesson.
Note: Remember, as for all phrasal verbs, phrasal verbs with ‘take’ are best used in spoken and informal written English. It is often best to avoid using them in formal writing and even in some formal spoken situations (for example, you should avoid using them in Part 3 of the IELTS speaking test).
Phrasal verbs with ‘take’ examples
- take off
- take (something) off
- take up (something)
- take (something) up with (someone)
- take (someone) in
- take in (something)
- take on (something)
- take on (someone)
- take over (something)
- take after (someone)
- take (something) apart
- take (something) back
- take down (something)
- take (someone) out
- take (something) out
- take (something) out on (someone)
Phrasal verbs with ‘take’ (off) examples
- take off
1. The plane took off on time. (leave the ground / depart)
2. The product really took off and exceeded expectations! (prove very popular / successful)
3. I’m sorry, I can only stay for half an hour then I have to take off. (leave – very informal)
- take (something) off
4. Take your jacket off; it’s so warm on here! (remove a piece of clothing)
5. I had to take a week off work because I was very ill. (have time away from a job or activity)
Phrasal verbs with ‘take’ (up) examples
- take up (something)
1. I plan to take up golf soon as I need to spend more time outdoors! (start a new hobby)
- take (something) up with (someone)
2. You really must take this problem up with your boss – you can’t continue to work under those circumstances! (raise an issue with someone / complain)
Phrasal verbs with ‘take’ (in) examples
- take (someone) in
1. She had nowhere to live so Sue kindly took her in. (give someone somewhere to stay)
2. I thought he was honest, but he wasn’t. He really took me in! (fool someone in a dishonest way)
- take in (something)
3. Okay, give me a few minutes to read the information to be sure I take in all the details. (fully understand something)
Phrasal verbs with ‘take’ (on) examples
- take on (something)
1. I shouldn’t have taken on the extra work. I’m so stressed and have no time to do everything! (commit to doing something)
- take on (someone)
2. Our company has taken on four new employees this month. (employ)
3. England will take on New Zealand in an international rugby game this weekend. (compete against)
Phrasal verbs with ‘take’ (over) examples
- take over (something)
1. The Marketing Manager has taken over all responsibility for that. (take control)
Phrasal verbs with ‘take’ (after) examples
- take after (someone)
1. She takes after her sister in terms of her artistic talent. (share a similarity with an older family member)
Phrasal verbs with ‘take’ (apart) examples
- take (something) apart
1. He took the broken radio apart and put it back together again. It works fine now! (disassemble)
Phrasal verbs with ‘take’ (back) examples
- take (something) back
1. I took my new phone back to the shop because it was faulty. (return something to somewhere)
2. I take back the negative things I said about him. He’s actually a very nice man! (retract something said)
Phrasal verbs with ‘take’ (down) examples
- take down (something)
1. I took down all the important details. (make notes)
Phrasal verbs with ‘take’ (out) examples
- take (someone) out
1. My boyfriend is taking me out for dinner this evening. (date / pay for someone to go somewhere)
- take (something) out
2. I took the letter out of the envelope. (remove something from its place)
- take (something) out on (someone)
3. I know he’s upset about losing his job, but he shouldn’t take his anger out on me! (treat an innocent person badly because you feel angry / frustrated about something not connected to them)
Click here to try the phrasal verbs with ‘take’ exercises.