Phrasal Verbs – Set 1 (Come, Get, Give) | SSC Banking UPSC CAT Grammar | BhashaLab
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Section 1 – What is Phrasal Verbs – Set 1 (Come, Get, Give) and Why Should You Care?
Have you ever read an English exam question and thought you understood every single word, only to choose the option that feels totally wrong? Picture this: you see the simple verb give, which you know means "to hand something over." But the sentence says give up or give in, and suddenly the whole meaning changes to quitting or surrendering! This is the classic trap that costs thousands of aspirants easy marks in competitive exams.
A Phrasal Verb is simply a combination of a base verb (like come, get, or give) joined with one or two particles (prepositions or adverbs like across, along, up, or in). Adding these tiny particles completely transforms the physical meaning of the original verb into a brand–new figurative concept.
💬 Hindi Analogy:
Phrasal Verbs को आप रसोई के मसालों की तरह समझ सकते हैं। जैसे आलू (Base Verb) में अगर चाट मसाला मिला दो तो "स्वादिष्ट चाट" बन जाती है और हल्दी-मिर्च मिला दो तो "सब्जी"। मूल शब्द वही है, लेकिन साथ लगा अव्यय (Particle) पूरा स्वाद और अर्थ ही बदल देता है!
Mastering this core verb set is non–negotiable: this topic directly carries 2 to 10 marks across major exams like SSC CGL, IBPS PO, UPSC CSAT, and Defence tests!
Section 2 – The Complete Breakdown
Sub–Topic 1: The "COME" Phrasal Verb Family
Phrasal verbs rooted in come primarily describe unexpected discovery, occurrence, publication, recovery, or social interaction. They function as transitive or intransitive verbal structures.
💬 Hindi Context:
"Come" परिवार के Phrasal Verbs मुख्य रूप से अचानक किसी चीज़ के मिलने, घटने, प्रकाशित होने, या होश में आने को व्यक्त करते हैं।
How to Identify
How to Identify (English) | कैसे पहचानें? (Hindi) |
1. Look for come followed by directional particles (across, by, out, around). | 1. "Come" के साथ दिशात्मक शब्दों (जैसे across, by, out, around) को देखें। |
2. Check if the subject encounters something unexpectedly (come across). | 2. देखें कि क्या कर्ता को कोई चीज़ अचानक बिना योजना के मिली है (come across)। |
3. Distinguish physical arrival from regaining consciousness (come to / around). | 3. वास्तविक आने और होश में आने (come to / around) के बीच के अंतर को समझें। |
4. Test if it answers "How was it found?" or "How did it happen?". | 4. जांचें कि क्या यह उत्तर देता है: "यह कैसे मिला?" या "यह घटना कैसे हुई?" |
Quick Examples
Phrasal Verb | Meaning (English) | Meaning (Hindi) | Example Sentence |
Come across | To meet or find unexpectedly / by chance | अचानक मिलना या संयोग से पाना | While clearing the drawer, I came across my childhood diary. |
Come by | To obtain or acquire something rare | प्राप्त करना / हासिल करना | Jobs of this caliber are very difficult to come by these days. |
Come out | To be published, released, or revealed | प्रकाशित होना / बाहर आना / उजागर होना | The company's annual financial report will come out tomorrow. |
Come about | To happen or occur | घटित होना / होना | Can you explain how this disaster came about? |
Come round / to | To regain consciousness / change opinion | होश में आना / विचार बदलना | The patient took twenty minutes to come round after surgery. |
The #1 Exam Rule: Never use suddenly or by chance with come across, as come across already inherently means to meet by chance.
Sub–Topic 2: The "GET" Phrasal Verb Family
Phrasal verbs formed with get focus on movement, surviving difficulties, establishing relationships, escaping consequences, or recovering from illness.
💬 Hindi Context:
"Get" परिवार के Phrasal Verbs किसी परिस्थिति से निकलने, कठिनाइयों का सामना करने, संबंधों को निभाने, या बीमारी से उबरने को व्यक्त करते हैं।
How to Identify
How to Identify (English) | कैसे पहचानें? (Hindi) |
1. Search for get combined with particles like over, along, away, or by. | 1. "Get" के साथ जुड़े अव्यय (जैसे over, along, away, by) को पहचानें। |
2. Check if the context implies overcoming an obstacle (get over). | 2. देखें कि क्या वाक्य में किसी कठिनाई या बीमारी से उबरने का बोध हो रहा है (get over)। |
3. Determine if social harmony or conflict is described (get along). | 3. जांचें कि क्या आपस में तालमेल या पटरी बैठने की बात हो रही है (get along)। |
4. Test if it answers "How did they manage/escape?" | 4. जांचें कि क्या यह उत्तर देता है: "उन्होंने कैसे प्रबंधन किया या वे कैसे बचे?" |
Quick Examples
Phrasal Verb | Meaning (English) | Meaning (Hindi) | Example Sentence |
Get over | To recover from an illness, shock, or heartbreak | उबरना / सामान्य स्थिति में आना | It took her nearly six months to get over the loss of her pet. |
Get along (with) | To have a harmonious relationship with someone | अच्छी पटरी बैठना / मेल–जोल होना | He gets along well with all his colleagues at work. |
Get away with | To escape punishment for a wrongdoing | बिना सजा के बच निकलना | The fraudster thought he could get away with the scam. |
Get by | To manage or survive with minimal resources | गुज़ारा करना / काम चलाना | On such a small salary, it is hard for them to get by. |
Get down to | To begin focusing seriously on a task | गंभीर प्रयास / काम शुरू करना | After wasting an hour, we finally got down to work. |
The #1 Exam Rule: The structure get down to is followed by a gerund or noun, never a base infinitive.
Sub–Topic 3: The "GIVE" Phrasal Verb Family
Phrasal verbs starting with give convey yielding, surrendering, distributing, emitting gas/light, or exhausting a supply. They represent actions of transfer, cessation, or release.
💬 Hindi Context:
"Give" से बने Phrasal Verbs समर्पण करने, प्रयास बंद करने, बाँटने, या दुर्गंध/रोशनी छोड़ने को व्यक्त करते हैं।
How to Identify
How to Identify (English) | कैसे पहचानें? (Hindi) |
1. Locate give accompanied by particles like in, up, out, away, or off. | 1. "Give" के साथ जुड़े अव्यय (in, up, out, away, off) को खोजें। |
2. Distinguish between total surrender (give in) and quitting a habit (give up). | 2. हार मानने (give in) और किसी आदत को पूरी तरह छोड़ने (give up) में अंतर समझें। |
3. Check if physical emissions (smoke/heat) are being described (give off). | 3. देखें कि क्या धुएं, गंध या रोशनी के निकलने की बात हो रही है (give off)। |
4. Test if it answers "What was released, stopped, or distributed?" | 4. जांचें कि क्या यह उत्तर देता है: "क्या जारी किया गया, रोका गया या बांटा गया?" |
Quick Examples
Phrasal Verb | Meaning (English) | Meaning (Hindi) | Example Sentence |
Give up | To stop trying, surrender, or abandon a habit | त्याग देना / छोड़ना / हार मान लेना | He decided to give up smoking for health reasons. |
Give in (to) | To yield to pressure or admit defeat | दबाव में झुक जाना / आत्मसमर्पण करना | The management refused to give in to the workers' demands. |
Give off | To emit or release heat, light, smell, or gas | छोड़ना / निकलना | The rotten eggs gave off a terrible stench in the kitchen. |
Give away | To distribute for free / betray a secret | दान करना / बाँटना / भेद खोलना | She gave away half her clothes to the charitable trust. |
Give out | To become exhausted / stop functioning | समाप्त होना / थककर काम बंद करना | After running ten miles, his legs finally gave out. |
The #1 Exam Rule: When the object of give away or give up is a pronoun (it, them), it must be placed between the verb and the particle.
Section 3 – The Exam Traps (Don't Fall for These)
Watch out! These are the exact trap patterns examiners set every year to catch unprepared students off–guard:
⚠️ EXAM TRAP 1 What students think: "I suddenly came across my old friend yesterday" is a correct English sentence. Correct answer: "I came across my old friend yesterday." Rule: Come across already inherently means "to meet unexpectedly or by chance," so adding suddenly creates a pleonastic (redundant) error. Seen in: SSC CGL, NDA [VERIFY]
⚠️ EXAM TRAP 2 What students think: "He got over from his illness within a week" uses correct prepositions. Correct answer: "He got over his illness within a week." Rule: Get over takes a direct object without inserting an extra preposition like from. Seen in: SBI PO, RRB NTPC [VERIFY]
⚠️ EXAM TRAP 3 What students think: "We got down to discuss the strategy" is grammatically sound. Correct answer: "We got down to discussing the strategy." Rule: In get down to, "to" acts as a true preposition requiring a gerund ($V_1 + \text{ing}$) object. Seen in: IBPS Clerk, CDS [VERIFY]
⚠️ EXAM TRAP 4 What students think: "The factory gave out harmful toxic fumes into the atmosphere." Correct answer: "The factory gave off harmful toxic fumes into the atmosphere." Rule: Emitting fumes, light, or odor strictly requires give off. Seen in: SSC CGL, LIC AAO [VERIFY]
⚠️ EXAM TRAP 5 What students think: "Please give away it to the needy children." Correct answer: "Please give it away to the needy children." Rule: If the object of a separable phrasal verb is a pronoun (it, them), the pronoun MUST sit between the verb and the particle. Seen in: CAT, SSC MTS [VERIFY]
⚠️ EXAM TRAP 6 What students think: "How did you come through such a valuable antique piece?" Correct answer: "How did you come by such a valuable antique piece?" Rule: Acquiring or obtaining something hard to find is come by. Seen in: IBPS PO, SSC CGL [VERIFY]
Section 4 – Solved Examples (Exam Style)
Q1. Identify the segment containing an error: While walking along the riverbank, I suddenly came across an old classmate whom I had not seen for years. [SSC Style] [Difficulty: Easy]
a) While walking along b) the riverbank, I c) suddenly came across d) an old classmate
✅ Correct: c) suddenly came across
Explanation (English): The phrasal verb "come across" inherently means to find or meet someone by chance. Adding the adverb "suddenly" makes the statement redundant. The word "suddenly" must be removed to make the sentence grammatically accurate.
समझाएं (Hindi – Std 8 level): "Come across" का मतलब ही होता है "अचानक या संयोग से मिलना"। इसीलिए इसके साथ "suddenly" या "by chance" लगाना दोहराव की गलती (Redundancy Error) है। यहाँ वाक्य में से "suddenly" को हटाना पड़ेगा, इसलिए विकल्प c सही उत्तर है।
Rule tested: Redundancy with Come across (Section 02 – Sub–Topic 1, Rule 01)
Q2. Replace the highlighted phrase if needed: Once the team leader arrived, all the software engineers got down to finish the critical coding modules. [Banking Style] [Difficulty: Hard]
a) got down to finishing b) got down to finish up c) got down for finishing d) No replacement required
✅ Correct: a) got down to finishing
Explanation (English): In the phrasal structure "get down to", the word "to" functions as a preposition rather than an infinitive marker. Prepositions must be followed by a noun or a gerund . Thus, "got down to finishing" is the only correct replacement.
समझाएं (Hindi – Std 8 level): Phrasal verb "get down to" में जो "to" आता है, वह एक Preposition है। व्याकरण के नियम के अनुसार Preposition के बाद हमेशा Verb की "-ing" वाली फॉर्म (Gerund) ही लगाई जाती है। इसीलिए "got down to finish" की जगह "got down to finishing" लिखना एकदम सही होगा।
Rule tested: Gerund following Get down to (Section 02 – Sub–Topic 2, Rule 02)
Q3. What does the author imply by stating that rare archival documents are extremely difficult to come by? [UPSC CSAT Style] [Difficulty: Medium]
a) Archival documents are easily distributed to the public. b) Archival documents are published on a daily basis. c) Archival documents are hard to obtain or acquire. d) Archival documents are destroyed unexpectedly by accidents.
✅ Correct: c) Archival documents are hard to obtain or acquire.
Explanation (English): The phrasal verb "come by" means to obtain, acquire, or locate something that is scarce. Therefore, stating that rare documents are difficult to "come by" directly implies they are tough to acquire. Option c captures this exact meaning without distortion.
समझाएं (Hindi – Std 8 level): "Come by" का अर्थ किसी ऐसी चीज़ को "हासिल करना" या "पाना" होता है जो आसानी से नहीं मिलती। जब लेखक कहता है कि दस्तावेज़ मुश्किल से "come by" होते हैं, तो इसका मतलब है कि उन्हें पाना बहुत कठिन है। इसलिए विकल्प c सही उत्तर है।
Rule tested: Abstract Contextual Interpretation (Section 02 – Sub–Topic 1)
Q4. Choose the sentence that uses the phrasal verb give away correctly in context. [CAT/MBA Style] [Difficulty: Hard]
a) The industrial chimney began to give away thick black smoke into the pristine morning air. b) Exhausted after running thirty kilometers, the athlete's knee joints finally gave away. c) The double agent accidentally gave away the encrypted communication codes to foreign intelligence. d) She tried to give away her depression by joining a high-intensity fitness boot camp.
✅ Correct: c) The double agent accidentally gave away the encrypted communication codes to foreign intelligence.
Explanation (English): "Give away" means to betray a secret or distribute something free of charge. Option c correctly illustrates betraying confidential information. Option a requires "give off" for emissions, option b requires "give out" for physical failure, and option d requires "get over" for recovery.
समझाएं (Hindi – Std 8 level): "Give away" का मतलब होता है किसी गुप्त बात या राज़ को लीक कर देना (betray करना) या मुफ्त में बाँटना। विकल्प c में जासूस द्वारा गुप्त कोड उजागर करने की बात बिल्कुल सही बैठती है। बाकी विकल्पों में धुआं निकलने के लिए "give off" और थकावट के लिए "give out" आना चाहिए था।
Rule tested: Precision in Phrasal Verb Semantics (Section 03 – Trap 5)
Q5. What is the correct meaning of Give up? [Defence/AFCAT Style] [Difficulty: Easy]
a) To rise higher in the sky b) To cease making an effort or abandon a habit c) To donate money to charity d) To inspect a building thoroughly
✅ Correct: b) To cease making an effort or abandon a habit
Explanation (English): "Give up" primary defines surrendering, halting effort, or abandoning a routine habit. Option b presents this exact definition. The remaining choices describe unrelated physical actions.
समझाएं (Hindi – Std 8 level): "Give up" का अर्थ होता है प्रयास करना बंद कर देना, हार मान लेना या किसी पुरानी आदत को त्याग देना। इसलिए विकल्प b ही इसका सबसे सटीक अर्थ दिखाता है।
Rule tested: Direct Meaning Identification (Section 02 – Sub–Topic 3)
Q6. Complete the sentence: The new edition of the comprehensive encyclopedia will __________ next month. [Railways Style] [Difficulty: Easy]
a) come out b) come across c) come by d) come about
✅ Correct: a) come out
Explanation (English): "Come out" is used when a book, report, or album is published or released to the public. Contextually, an encyclopedia edition releasing next month requires "come out".
समझाएं (Hindi – Std 8 level): जब भी कोई नई किताब, मैगजीन या फिल्म बाज़ार में "प्रकाशित होकर आती है" तो उसके लिए "come out" शब्द का प्रयोग किया जाता है। इसलिए यहाँ विकल्प a सही विकल्प है।
Rule tested: Publication Phrasal Verbs (Section 02 – Sub–Topic 1)
Section 5 – Common Errors Indian Students Make
ERROR TYPE: Pleonastic Adverb Addition with "Come across"
❌ Wrong: I suddenly came across my old school teacher at the supermarket.
✅ Correct: I came across my old school teacher at the supermarket. Why: "Come across" already contains the temporal sense of suddenness or chance meeting. Adding "suddenly" creates a redundant sentence. 💬 Hindi: "Come across" शब्द का अर्थ ही "अचानक मिलना" होता है। भारतीय छात्र हिंदी अनुवाद (अचानक मिला) के चक्कर में "suddenly" लगा देते हैं, जो अंग्रेजी में गलत है। Seen in: SSC CGL, IBPS PO
ERROR TYPE: Incorrect Preposition after "Get over"
❌ Wrong: It took her a long time to get over from the severe heartbreak.
✅ Correct: It took her a long time to get over the severe heartbreak. Why: "Get over" is a transitive phrasal verb taking a direct object. Adding an extra preposition like "from" is ungrammatical.
💬 Hindi: हिंदी में हम बोलते हैं "दुख से उबरना", इसलिए छात्र "from" जोड़ देते हैं। याद रखें कि "get over" के तुरंत बाद सीधे उस बीमारी या दुख का नाम आता है। Seen in: NDA, SBI Clerk
ERROR TYPE: Infinitive misuse instead of Gerund after "Get down to"
❌ Wrong: We must get down to solve the customer complaints immediately.
✅ Correct: We must get down to solving the customer complaints immediately. Why: The word "to" in "get down to" functions strictly as a preposition. Prepositions demand gerunds ($V_1 + \text{ing}$) rather than base verbs.
💬 Hindi: छात्र "to" देखते ही गलती से क्रिया का पहला रूप ($V_1$) लगा देते हैं। लेकिन "get down to" वाले नियम में "to" के बाद हमेशा "-ing" (Gerund) रूप ही आएगा। Seen in: SSC CHSL, RRB NTPC
ERROR TYPE: Confusing Emission ("Give off") with Distribution ("Give out")
❌ Wrong: The chemical plant gave out harmful sulfur fumes into the town.
✅ Correct: The chemical plant gave off harmful sulfur fumes into the town. Why: Releasing fumes, light, or smells requires "give off". "Give out" implies distributing items or running out of energy.
💬 Hindi: धुएं या गैस के "बाहर निकलने" का अनुवाद छात्र गलती से "give out" कर बैठते हैं। गंध, धुएं या रोशनी उत्सर्जित होने के लिए केवल "give off" का प्रयोग करें। Seen in: LIC AAO, UPSC CSAT
ERROR TYPE: Pronoun Placement Violation in Separable Verbs
❌ Wrong: The officer asked the clerk to give away it to the poor.
✅ Correct: The officer asked the clerk to give it away to the poor. Why: When the direct object of a separable verb is a pronoun (it, them), it must sit between verb and particle. Placing it after the particle breaks grammar rules.
💬 Hindi: जब भी Phrasal Verb का कर्म कोई Pronoun (जैसे it या them) हो, तो उसे बीच में बंद करना जरूरी है। इसे आख़िर में लिखना गलत माना जाता है। Seen in: CAT, SSC MTS
Section 6 – Previous Year Questions — Test Yourself
These questions have actually appeared in competitive exams. Try each one before reading the answer!
Select the most appropriate meaning of the given phrasal verb: Come across [SSC CGL 2022 [VERIFY]] a) To travel across foreign countries b) To meet or find unexpectedly c) To cross a wide river carefully d) To reach a destination late
Answer: b Explanation (English): "Come across" means to find or encounter someone or something by chance without prior planning. Option b is correct. समझाएं (Hindi – Std 8 level): "Come across" का अर्थ संयोग से या अचानक मिलना होता है। यात्रा करने या नदी पार करने से इसका कोई संबंध नहीं है, इसलिए सही उत्तर b है।
Spot the error: She could not / get over from / the shock of her / brother's sudden demise [SSC CHSL 2021 [VERIFY]]. a) She could not b) get over from c) the shock of her d) brother's sudden demise
Answer: b Explanation (English): The verb "get over" does not take the preposition "from". The segment should simply be "get over". समझाएं (Hindi – Std 8 level): "Get over" के बाद Preposition "from" लगाना अशुद्ध है। यहाँ केवल "get over the shock" होगा, इसलिए भाग b में गलती है।
Replace the bold phrase: It took the board of directors hours to get down to address the core budgetary issues [IBPS PO 2020 [VERIFY]]. a) get down to addressing b) get down for address c) get down in addressing d) No replacement required
Answer: a Explanation (English): "Get down to" must be followed by a gerund
Select the sentence that uses give in correctly in context [CAT 2018 [VERIFY]]. a) The old engine gave in smoke as it climbed the steep mountain pass. b) After relentless protests from citizens, the mayor had to give in to their demands. c) She decided to give in her collection of rare paintings to the museum. d) He gave in the exam papers after checking them twice.
Answer: b Explanation (English): "Give in" means yielding or surrendering under external pressure. Option b correctly applies this figurative meaning. समझाएं (Hindi – Std 8 level): "Give in" का अर्थ दबाव में आकर झुक जाना या मांगें मान लेना होता है। विकल्प b में मेयर द्वारा जनता की मांग मानने के लिए इसका सही प्रयोग किया गया है।
Phrasal Verb meaning: Get away with [CDS 2020 [VERIFY]] a) To go on an expensive vacation b) To escape unpunished for a crime c) To leave a place reluctantly d) To lose a valuable asset
Answer: b Explanation (English): "Get away with" means escaping punishment for a wrong act. Option b is correct. समझाएं (Hindi – Std 8 level): "Get away with" का अर्थ कोई गलती करके बिना सज़ा पाए बच निकलना होता है। उत्तर b सही है।
Section 7 – Practice Worksheet
Test your mastery with our full practice suite containing 20 exam-level questions! This interactive tool helps you test speed and accuracy across all difficulty levels with instant answer checking.
[PRACTICE WORKSHEET WILL BE EMBEDDED HERE]
Section 8 – Exam–wise Quick Strategy
SSC (CGL / CHSL / MTS): Focus heavily on direct preposition errors (like dropping from after get over) and redundancy traps (suddenly came across). Spot these instantly without overanalyzing sentence context. Aim for under 10 seconds per question.
Banking (IBPS PO / SBI PO / Clerk): Prioritize transitive vs. intransitive usages in Phrase Replacement and Cloze Tests. Watch for structure rules like get down to . Always read the full sentence to ensure contextual fit.
UPSC / CAT / CLAT: Focus on nuanced, abstract meanings (come about, come by) inside Reading Comprehension and sentence completion. Avoid choosing options with direct literal translations. Verify whether the subject is an agent or an object (give off vs. give out).
Defence / Railways / State PSC: Focus on direct definitions of core phrasal verbs (give up, get away with, come out). Rely on quick recall to secure 100% accuracy on these straightforward questions. Check for basic particle agreement.
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