This lesson covers 30 C2 phrasal verbs on Study, Learning & Memory. At Proficiency you must distinguish particles that change meaning subtly and match register across formal and informal contexts. Complete the runner, then use the glossary below to consolidate each verb. Detailed explanations appear in Review mode once you finish the set.
remind sb of sb/sth
to cause someone to think of someone or something
The photograph reminded her of her old teacher.
draw on sth
to use information from somewhere
The researcher drew on several studies for the report.
be founded on sth
to be based on a particular idea or belief
The theory is founded on years of research.
keep up
to be able to understand or deal with something that is happening or changing very fast
It is hard to keep up when the lecturer speaks very fast.
think out sth
to plan or work out something carefully
He thought out the structure of his argument carefully.
look at sb/sth
to focus on somebody/something
Look at the example before trying the exercise.
detract from sth
to make something seem less good than it really is or than it was thought to be
Poor presentation can detract from a strong argument.
go over sth
to think about something that has happened or something that was said
Go over your notes before the seminar.
drop out
if a student drops out, they stop going to classes before they have finished their course
He dropped out of the course after the first term.
run over sth
to quickly read something or repeat something in order to remember it or to make sure that it is correct
Run over your presentation once more before you deliver it.
refer to sb/sth
if writing or information refers to someone or something, it describes or is about that person or thing
The article refers to several important experiments.
read up on sb/sth
to do background reading on
Read up on the author before the literature seminar.
stick with sb
if something sticks with you, you remember it
The teacher’s advice has always stuck with me.
flood back
if memories flood back, you suddenly remember very clearly a lot of things about an experience or period in the past
When she heard the song, memories of childhood flooded back.
put sth behind sb
if you put an unpleasant experience behind you, you forget it so that it does not affect your life
After failing the exam, he tried to put the experience behind him.
piece together sth
to gradually understand or discover something from different pieces of information
The historian pieced together the story from old letters.
skim through sth
to read quickly without studying the details
Skim through the chapter before the lecture.
look into sth
to investigate or find out about something
The school will look into the complaint about the examination.
go in
informal if a fact or piece of information goes in, you understand it and remember it
The explanation did not go in until the teacher used a diagram.
come at sth
to think about something in a particular way
Try to come at the problem from a different angle.
flash back
if your mind or thoughts flash back to something that happened to you in the past, you suddenly remember that thing
My thoughts flashed back to my first day at university.
occur to sb
if a thought or idea occurs to you, it comes into your mind
It occurred to her that she had forgotten to cite the source.
put sb through sth
to pay for someone to study at college or university
Her parents put her through university.
catch on
slightly informal to understand something, especially after a long time
After several examples, the students finally caught on.
relate to sth
to be connected to a particular subject, or to be about a particular subject
The final question relates to the topic we discussed last week.
eat away at sb
if a memory or bad emotion [e.g. bitterness, shame] eats away at someone, they think about it a lot and it makes them very unhappy
The memory of the failure ate away at her confidence.
get in
to succeed in getting a place at a school, college, or organisation
She got into a competitive university programme.
major in sth
US & Australia to study something as your main subject at university
She decided to major in linguistics at university.
bounce sth off sb
informal to tell someone about an idea or plan in order to find out what they think of it
She bounced her dissertation idea off her tutor.
note down sth
to write information down so that you can remember it
Note down the key dates for the assignment.