Vocabulary: phrasal verbs with 3 parts
Intermediate to advanced level (B1-C2)

Think about how many you already know. ‘Look forward to’ is a very popular one often used in letters and emails.

Here are some examples of how to use it:

I look forward to seeing you on Wednesday.
I’m looking forward to the summer.
You must be looking forward to your holiday.

Remember that the last part of this kind of phrasal verb is a preposition so it can be followed by ‘ing‘. Also remember that a phrasal verb can sometimes have more than one meaning. Here are five more useful phrasal verbs:

look down on (someone)
What I really don’t like about him is that he looks down on everyone. He thinks he is so superior!

keep up with (someone)
She’s much fitter than me. I can’t keep up with her when we go running.
They’ve just bought a new car so they can keep up with their neighbours. [There’s an expression ‘keeping up with the Joneses’ which refers to trying to match what your neighbours do.]

get round to (something)
Some people do things immediately or fairly soon but others never get round to doing things. They might say ‘I must get round to it’ or ‘I’ll get round to it shortly’ but never do. Other people just take their time and when they say: ‘Don’t worry, I’ll get round to it this afternoon’ they actually mean it.

come up with
At the meeting with the advertising agency someone came up with a great idea for promoting our new product. Another person came up with a really creative idea for selling more to our current customers.

feel up to
I have a terrible headache and don’t really feel up to going to work. I’ll have to call my manager and let them know.