Intransitive Phrasal Verbs

Intransitive phrasal verbs are phrasal verbs that can’t take a direct object. They’re also inseparable.

When learning to ride a bicycle, it usually takes a few crashes before the rider catches on.

Well, that was a bit of an embarrassment! We’ll just lay low until it all blows over.

When Anthony was in Grade 6, he had a terrible teacher; he fell behind.

I have a gift to give to Jenny’s new baby, but I think it would be rude to just drop in.

I love watching out the window when the plane flies over a farmer’s field.

The Rat Race involves a lot of pushing and shoving to get ahead.

Do you ever want to just run away when you see your inbox?

Intransitive phrasal verbs can’t take a direct object, but they can take an indirect object. Look for prepositions like to and on.

It sometimes takes a new rider a while to catch on to the finer details of bike riding.

Shall we drop in on Jenny and her new baby?

What do I have to do to keep ahead of all this homework?!

While it’s certainly impolite, it’s also kind of funny when Matt talks back to Prof. Taylor.