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.
break down sth or break sth down
to divide information or a piece of work into smaller parts so that it is easier to understand or deal with
The teacher broke the complex topic down into smaller steps.
tick off sth or tick sth off
to mark something with a tick
Tick off each completed task on your revision list.
pick up sth or pick sth up
to learn a new skill or language by practising it rather than being taught it
He picked up basic Italian by talking to local students.
flashback n
an occasion when you suddenly remember something vividly that happened to you in the past
The old classroom gave him a flashback to his school years.
associate sth with sth
to connect someone or something in your mind with someone or something else
Students often associate a word with a picture to remember it.
brush up on sth
to improve your knowledge or skill in something by reviewing or practising it
I need to brush up on my grammar before the exam.
think up sth or think sth up
to create an idea or plan by using your imagination and intelligence
The group thought up an original topic for the project.
piece together sth or piece sth together
to try to understand a situation or to try to discover the truth about something by collecting different pieces of information and considering them at the same time
The students pieced the argument together from several sources.
get down or get sth down
to manage to write down a series of spoken points
I could not get the lecturer’s final point down quickly enough.
mark down sb or mark sb down
to give someone a lower result in an exam or competition because they have made a mistake or done something wrong
The examiner marked him down for ignoring the question.
base sth on sth
if you base something on particular facts or ideas, you use those facts or ideas to develop that thing
The essay should be based on reliable evidence.
cotton on
informal to begin to understand a situation or fact
She slowly cottoned on to what the teacher meant.
deprive sb/sth of sth
to take something important away from someone
Missing classes can deprive students of important feedback.
summon up sth or summon sth up
if something summons up a memory or an image, it makes you remember something or think about something
The old map summoned up images of past journeys.
take away sth or take sth away
if you take away something [e.g. memory, impression, message] from an event or performance, you remember or think about that thing after the event or performance has finished
The main takeaway from the lecture was the importance of evidence.
consist of sth
to be formed from two or more things
The course consists of lectures, workshops, and tutorials.
bury yourself in sth
to give all your attention to something
He buried himself in revision all weekend.
grapple with sth
to try to deal with or understand a difficult problem or subject
Students often grapple with difficult theories at first.
move up (sb) or move (sb) up
if a student moves up, or if a teacher moves them up, they are put in a higher level or class
The teacher moved the strongest student up to the advanced class.
pore over sth
to study or look carefully at something, especially a book or a document
She pored over the article for hours before writing her essay.
jot down sth or jot sth down
to write something down quickly (so that you remember it)
Jot down any questions that occur to you.
check off sth or check sth off
to look at each item on a list, or to write something next to each item on a list, in order to make sure that everything or everyone on it is correct, present, or has been dealt with
Check off each source after you have read it.
call up sth or call sth up
if something calls up a memory or an idea, it makes you remember or think about it
The smell of old books called up memories of the library.
store up sth or store sth up
to remember things, usually so that you can tell people about them later
She stored up stories from her studies to share later.
leap out at sb
if something leaps out at you, you notice it immediately
The spelling error leapt out at the proofreader.
follow up sth or follow sth up
to find out more about something
The tutor followed up the question with extra reading.
talk through sth or talk sth through
to discuss all the details of something so that you can understand it or make a decision about it
The tutor talked the research plan through with the student.
type up sth or type sth up
to rewrite in full using a computer
Type up your handwritten notes before you lose them.
reflect on sth
slightly formal to think very hard about something, or to express your thoughts about something in what you say or write
Take time to reflect on what you have learned.
rough out sth or rough sth out
if you rough out a drawing or an idea, you draw or write the main parts of it without showing the details
The writer roughed out the essay plan before adding details.