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Phrasal Verbs: Life Changes (B1)

August 2, 2026 · Sourov · 4 min read

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B1 ⏱ 5 minutes

Phrasal Verbs: Life Changes

“I had to give up the comfort of Sydney to start over in a new country. I moved on from a career in hospitality, took up teaching, and — after years of moving around — finally settled down in La Réunion. Life is a series of phrasal verbs.”
🎯 Aim: Learn 10 common English phrasal verbs for talking about life changes and transitions.

Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
settle down start living a stable life in one place After years of travelling, I finally settled down in Réunion.
move on leave something behind and start something new It was time to move on from hospitality and become a teacher.
give up stop doing something; quit I had to give up my Sydney apartment when I left Australia.
start over begin again from the beginning Moving to France meant starting over in a new language.
take up begin a new hobby, activity, or job I took up teaching after leaving the restaurant industry.
grow up become an adult; spend your childhood somewhere I grew up in Chittagong before moving to Sydney.
set out begin a journey or plan We set out for France with two suitcases and a lot of hope.
carry on continue doing something Despite the difficulties, I carried on studying French every day.
cut back reduce the amount of something When I became a teacher, I had to cut back on expenses.
open up become more willing to talk or share feelings Living abroad helped me open up about who I really am.

Grammar Note: Separable vs Inseparable

Separable: You can put the object between the verb and the particle.
✅ “I gave up my job.” / “I gave my job up.”

Inseparable: The object always comes after the whole phrasal verb.
✅ “I grew up in Chittagong.”   ❌ “I grew Chittagong up.”

Practice Task 1: Fill in the correct phrasal verb

Use the correct form of a phrasal verb from today’s list.

  1. She ________ smoking after her doctor warned her. (quit)
  2. After the divorce, he moved to a new city to ________. (begin again)
  3. They ________ their journey at dawn. (began)
  4. He ________ in a small village in the mountains. (spent his childhood)
  5. She finally ________ her spending after losing her job. (reduced)
  6. It took years, but they eventually ________ in the countryside. (found stability)
  7. He ________ photography as a hobby last year. (started)
  8. Even when it was hard, she ________ learning. (continued)
Show answers
  1. gave up
  2. start over
  3. set out on
  4. grew up
  5. cut back on
  6. settled down
  7. took up
  8. carried on

Practice Task 2: Your own sentences

Write 3 sentences about your own life using phrasal verbs from today’s lesson. For example:

“I grew up in [city]. I took up English two years ago. I hope to move on to a better job soon.”

Example answers

Any grammatically correct sentence using today’s phrasal verbs is correct. Check that you are using the right tense!

🏠 Takeaway: Phrasal verbs are best learned in context. Write a short paragraph (5 sentences) about a change in your life — use at least 3 of today’s phrasal verbs.

Independent project. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or accredited by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Confers no qualification.

Put it to work

Find out what your English actually produces.

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