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Here are the most common verbs that form part of phrasal verbs:

break bring call come cut get give go keep knock

look make pass pick pull put run set take turn 

Meanings

The basic meanings of the verbs refer to concrete actions (eg break means separate into pieces), but when they are part of phrasal verbs, they often have abstract meanings too. Sometimes the concrete meaning can help guess the abstract meaning, for example, you can look back to wave goodbye to someone as you leave in a car ( concrete meaning - look behind you), to wave goodbye to someone as you leave in a car (concrete meaning- look behind you) or you can look back on your past life (abstract meaning - remember or recall)

Look at the following examples 

give    
I gave my essay in yesterday. [handed it ]
Her parents finally gave in and let her go to the to the teacher] party. [agreed to something they had refused before]

get
She got on the bus. [entered]
Jim and Mary don't get on. [don't like each other and are not friendly to each other]

come Would you like to come round this evening? [come to my home]  
He was unconscious for three hours but came round in hospital. [became conscious again]

Synonyms of phrasal verbs

A phrasal verb can often be replaced by a single verb with more or less the same meaning. The single-verb synonyms are often, but not always, more formal

Put off - Postpone 

Take off - Remove

Turn up - Arrive

Let's put off the meeting until Friday. Let's postpone the meeting until Friday.

Please take off your shoes when you enter the temple.  Please remove your shoes when you enter the temple.

Everyone turned up on time for the meeting. Everyone arrived on time for the meeting. 

Complete these sentences using verbs from the list above.

1 The car b ................................. down on the way to the airport.

2 The heavy snow blocked the roads and c. ................................t he farm off completely.

3 It took him a long time to g ................................ over his illness.

4 It isn't easy to learn German but you must k ..................................o n trying.

5 If you'd like a lift to the station tomorrow, I can p ................................y.. ou up at 9 a.m.

6 This is a really stupid programme. Please t ................................ the TV off.

Decide whether the phrasal verbs in these sentences are concrete or abstract in meaning, by writing C for concrete or A for abstract in the brackets.

EXAMPLE He looked up (C) and saw a hot-air balloon in the sky.

1 I would never go against ( ) my parents' wishes.

2 Shall I cut out ( ) this ad for the new CD player? We might want to buy one.

3 About five miles into our journey the engine cut out and we broke down ( )

completely. It was over an hour before the rescue service turned up ( ).

4 Do we need to dress up ( ) tonight or is it informal?

5 I shall never really appreciate what my grandparents went through ( ) during the war.