10 min - I phrasal verbs nella lingua inglese
- On in inglese: cos’è e cosa vuol dire?
- Cosa vuol dire Off in inglese?
- Phrasal verbs sia con ON che con OFF
- Esercizi con i phrasal verbs con On / Off
Phrasal verbs are incredibly important in English. Yes, you know those verbs like look after, hurry up, go on , or get off? There you have it! (If you need a quick refresher, read our article on phrasal verbs .)
They’re important because English speakers use them constantly , even in informal writing. If you don’t know English phrasal verbs, you risk not understanding the people around you. Not to mention the fact that your English risks always remaining a little… scholastic and unnatural?
That’s why Novakid – the international online school that teaches English from preschool to middle school – has prepared this article for you with the phrasal verbs formed with On and Off .
Yes, because On and Off don’t just mean turned on and turned off in English, they’re also used to form many phrasal verbs. Read on to find out which ones, and get ready to make the leap: even if you’re taking your first English course for beginners , if you start using phrasal verbs, your English will sound fluent and natural .
I phrasal verbs nella lingua inglese
Phrasal verbs are expressions formed from a verb , a preposition , or an adverb (sometimes both). These verbs, formed in this way, then take on a specific meaning.
There are two things you need to learn about phrasal verbs:
1️⃣ Their meaning is not the sum of the meanings of the words that compose them. For example, “Put off” doesn’t mean ” put off. ” It means to postpone, to put off.
2️⃣ The same phrasal verb can have many meanings : Take off can mean to take something off but also to take off . Often you have to try to guess the meaning from the context.
So how do you learn phrasal verbs? Well, there are essentially three ways:
- Learn a couple of them by heart every day. Our downloadable list of phrasal verbs with on and off can help you with this .
- Watch films and TV series in their original language, trying to pay attention to them, and if you don’t know one, look it up in the dictionary and write it down.
- Read a lot .
Phrasal verbs are made up of very common verbs like take , get or make and prepositions and adverbs like in and out , or up and down .
In this article, we’ll focus on phrasal verbs formed with On and Off . But let’s start with On Off: its meaning in Italian and its uses (which aren’t just “on” and “off” in English ).
On in inglese: cos’è e cosa vuol dire?
First of all, let’s say that On is a preposition , that is, a word that indicates where or when something is related to something else . Look at these sentences with On in English :
- The dish in on the table : the word dish is spatially related to the word table because the preposition on tells us that one is on top of the other .
- My birthday is on July 3 : here the word birthday is in a temporal relationship with the date July 3 thanks to the preposition On.
So we can say that On is a preposition of place and time .
In Italian, “on ” translates as “above” (a surface). Other English phrases with “on” as a preposition of place:
- We hung the picture on the wall by the window.
- They ‘ve built a new house on the site of the old one.
- The article continues on page five.
- What ‘s on the menu?
And then, you may know the expression on the road , a phrase which in Italian translates as on the road or on the road .
As a preposition of time ⌚ , On is used together with:
- Days of the week: on Saturday .
- Times of day used with days of the week: on Sunday morning .
- Annual events such as birthdays and holidays: on our anniversary.
- Date specifiche: on January 1
But on is also used for a topic (A book on Italian poetry ); for a circumstance or condition that has a duration (I went on a trip to France while I was on holiday ).
? On is also an adverb! And if you look at the meanings of the adverb, you can better understand the meaning of many phrasal verbs with On . Look at the examples:
- On the body : Put your scarf on .
- In operation, on : Could you please turn on the lights?
- Continuing , without stopping: Read on to discover other phrasal verbs.
- On a means of transport : You must stamp your tickets before getting on the train.
- Please move on and let other people in .
This video provides some ideas for explaining the preposition ON to children !
Cosa vuol dire Off in inglese?
As you may know, the adverb and preposition Off in Italian are connected to the meanings of off, not working :
- Make sure the lights are all off before you go home.
For this reason, it forms phrasal verbs that mean to turn off, such as turn off, switch off.
But off also has other meanings (which it then “lends” to the phrasal verbs it forms):
- Away from a place , a position: Someone ran off with my bag (Someone ran off with my bag).
- It is used for something that has been eliminated, taken away, removed : Take your hat off (Take off your hat).
- Absent : Take some time off (Take some vacation/absence from work).
- Finished, exhausted : She paid off all her debts.
Phrasal verbs sia con ON che con OFF
And here we are with our first table of phrasal verbs: those that are formed with both On and Off.
| Verb | Translation | Example | Equivalent verb |
| Come on | To begin, to start working | I wish the electricity would come on again. | Start to happen or work |
| Encouragement: Come on, come on | Come on, we’re going to be late! | ||
| Come off | To succeed, to be successful | I thought it was a good plan but it didn’t come off. | Be successful or effective |
| Come off as | Result | He is always very kind but sometimes comes off as a bit pushy | Appear, give an impression |
| Get on (with) | Get along | I get on well with my colleagues. | Have a good relationship |
| Get off | To get off (the bus, train, plane) | Laura is getting off at the next stop. | Leave (bus, train, plane) |
| Take a break from work | What time do you get off work?” | Leave work at the end of the day | |
| To leave, to go away | To be at the station at 8 o’clock, you must get off at 7:15. | Leave a place | |
| Remove (clothes or stains) | Get your shoes off before entering. | Remove (clothes, stains) | |
| Go on | Continuation | Please go on, what you are saying is very interesting. | Continue |
| Happen | Journalists have a duty to report what is going on. | Happen | |
| Go off | To explode (of a bomb) | Fortunately, no one was there when the bomb went off in the lobby. | Explode |
| To break, not to function (of equipment) | Stop working | The heater has gone off. | |
| Expire (of food) | Don’t drink the milk, it’s gone off. | Be too old. | |
| Keep on | Continue (to do) | He kept on complaining about everything. | Continue to do something |
| Keep off | Do not consume (something harmful to your health) | to not consume | The doctor told me to keep off sodas |
| Stay out of an area | Keep off the grass. | Not walk on | |
| Log on | Log in | You must log on before you can check your email. | Log in |
| Log off | Log out | Remember to log off after checking your remote banking account. | Sign out |
| Pass on | Die | Grandpa passed on peacefully last night. | The |
| Decline | Jane passed on the invitation because she is not free this weekend. | Reject politely | |
| To pass on, to leave as a legacy | All of Mrs. Smith’s belongings were passed on to her daughter. | Bequeath | |
| Pass off | To happen, to unfold | The march passed off with no incident. | Happen |
| Switch on | Turn on | Switch on the lights please. |
Turn on |
| Switch off | Turn off | Switch off the lights please. |
Turn off |
| Put on | Wear | Laura put her best dress on. | Wear |
| Turn on, put on | Can you put some music on? | Switch on | |
| Put off | Postpone | The exam has been put off until next week. |
Postpone; delay |
| Take on | Assume | We are not currently taking on | Hire |
| Take off | Take off | The plane took off at 9 o’clock. | Leave the ground |
| To remove (an item of clothing) | Please take off your shoes. | Remove | |
| Turn on | Turn on | Can you turn on the lights please? | Activate a device, system, machine |
| To excite, to ignite interest | Football doesn’t turn me on. | Interest, excite | |
| Turn off | Turn off | Can you turn off the lights please? | Deactivate a device, system, machine |
Phrasal verbs con ON
| Verb | Translation | Example | Equivalent verb |
| Add on (to) | Add | Add on the shipping charge of the product. |
Include, attach |
| Bring on | Give rise | His attitude has brought in much criticism | Cause |
| Carry on | Continuation | Carry on the good work, you’re doing well! | Continue |
| Catch on | Becoming popular | This game will never catch on with teenagers. | Become popular |
| Check on | Check | When I am away on business, my neighbor checks on the cats. | Keep an eye on something or someone |
| Count on | Count on | If you are ever in need, count on me. | Rely on |
| Hang on/onto | To hold on/to hold on tight | Hold on to the grab, the next corner is very tight. | Hold firmly |
| Hang on | Wait a moment | Mr Brown is on the other line, would you like to hang on? | Wait a moment. |
| Hold on | Resist, hold on | Just hold on a second. I’ll call for help. | Stay courageous |
| Hold on (to) | To hold on, to hold tight | The road is slippery, so please hold on to my arm. | Grip firmly |
| Move on | To move forward, to move beyond | Let’s move on to the next thing on the agenda. | Go somewhere else; go to next step |
| Moving forward in life, getting back on track | After a great disappointment, it takes time to move on. | Get over; recover | |
| Pick on | To take it personally, to mistreat | Bullies often pick on new students in school. | Treat badly |
| Pounce on | Jump up, catch on the fly | He made an offer that I just had to pounce on. | Jump or leap onto something |
| Pounce on | Attack | I just gave my opinion, no need to pounce on me. | Attack verbally |
| Read on | Continue reading | Read on to discover the properties of avocado. | Continue |
| Settle on | To agree on something | Have you settled on the name for the baby?
|
Agree on a decision |
| Seize on/upon | Take advantage | A great tennis player knows how to seize upon his opponent’s mistakes. | Take advantage of an opportunity quickly |
| Try on | Put on an item of clothing to see if it fits | Where can I try on this dress, please? |
Phrasal verbs con OFF
| Verb | Translation | Example | Equivalent verb |
| Back off | Take a step back (even figuratively) | We had started dating but then Angie backed off. | Retreat |
| Break off | Stop | After the incident, he broke off all contact with his family. | Stop |
| Call off | Delete | The show was called off because of the rain. | Cancel |
| Cut off | Stop | The Red Cross never cut off the supply of medicine and food. | Interrupt. |
| Cut off | Cut out | The storm cut off the village from the rest of the region, leaving residents without power or communication | Isolate |
| Doze off | To doze off | I always doze off in front of the television. | Fall asleep |
| Drop off | Bring in the car | I’ll drop you off at the office, it’s on my way. | Take to a place by car |
| Fight off | To fight (an illness or temptation) | I’m trying to fight off my cravings for sugar. | Resist |
| Hold off | Postpone | Hold off on your decision until you get the results of the tests. | Postpone |
| Kick off | Start | “The show will kick off at 3 p.m. | Start |
| Live off | To depend financially on someone. | I’m living off my parents until I find a job. | Depend on someone for financial support
|
| Make off (with) | Steal and run away | A pickpocket made off with my bag/ | Steal and run away |
| Nod off | To doze off | I nodded off in Math class. | Fall asleep |
| Pay off | Repaying a debt | They managed to pay off their mortgage five years ahead of schedule . | Repay all the money owed |
| Pay off | Bearing fruit | After years of hard work and dedication, her efforts finally paid off. | Be succesfull |
| Reel off | Say from memory | I can reel off all the phrasal verbs with off | Recite from memory |
| Ring off | End a call | As soon as she realized it was him, Jane immediately rang off. | End a phone call |
| Rip off | Steal | Tom ripped twenty dollars off from his mother’s wallet. | Steal |
| Run off | Escape | The thief ran off as soon as he heard the alarm. | Flee |
| Set off | Going on a journey | We set off early in the morning to avoid the traffic and reach the campsite by noon | Start a journey |
| Set off | Get started | His comments set off a heated debate among his colleagues. | Initiate |
| Show off | To show off, to strut | Paul thinks he’s cool and handsome and never stops showing off. | Boast, want to be admired |
| Tell off | To scold severely | The teacher told Pam off for not doing her homework. | Blame, reproach |
| Tip off | To warn, to give a tip-off | Stop immediately or I will tip off the principal. | Warn |
| Walk off | Leave angry | Jane didn’t like my answer and walked off. | Leave because you are angry or upset |
| Wipe off | Clean (a flat surface) | The teacher asked Tom to wipe off the board. | Clean |
Esercizi con i phrasal verbs con On / Off
Now let’s practice! Complete the following sentences with the correct phrasal verb, starting from the Italian translation we’ve provided. Then click “Show Results” to compare your solutions with ours. To help you, save our PDF list of Phrasal Verbs with On and Off and keep it handy .
Dai: __________, let's go before we miss the start of the show. 
Come on, let’s go before we miss the start of the show.
Scendere: You need to _________the bus at the next stop.
You need to get off the bus at the next stop.
Accedere: Please __________to the website to access your account.
Please log on to the website to access your account.
Continuare: If you __________ practicing, you'll get better.
If you keep on practicing, you’ll get better.
Sembrare: He can sometimes ________arrogant, but he's really nice.
He can sometimes come off as arrogant, but he’s really nice.
Declinare, non accettare: I'll have to _______ the dessert, I'm too full.
I’ll have to pass on the dessert, I’m too full.
Decollare: The plane is scheduled to _____________ at 6 PM.
The plane is scheduled to take off at 6 PM.
Proseguire: Despite the difficulties, she decided to___________with her studies.
Despite the difficulties, she decided to carry on with her studies.
Controllare: Could you___________ the baby while I finish cooking?
Could you check on the baby while I finish cooking?
Resistere: _________, I'll be with you in a minute.
Hold on, I’ll be with you in a minute.
Riprendere a vivere: After the breakup, it took him a while to __________.
After the breakup, it took him a while to move on.
Provare: I need to ________ these jeans to see if they fit.
I need to try on these jeans to see if they fit.
Interrompere: The phone call was _________unexpectedly.
The phone call was cut off unexpectedly.
Portare in macchina: I will ________the package at your house later.
I will drop off the package at your house later.
Iniziare: The event will _________ at 7 PM with a performance.
The event will kick off at 7 PM with a performance.
Dare i frutti: Her hard work finally paid off when she got the promotion.
Her hard work finally paid off when she got the promotion.
Scappare: The dog managed to ___________before I could catch it.
The dog managed to run off before I could catch it.
Vantarsi di: He likes to _________his new car to his friends.
He likes to show off his new car to his friends.
Mettersi d’accordo su: They couldn't decide on a movie, so they __________ a comedy.
They couldn’t decide on a movie, so they settled on a comedy.
Non calpestare: Please ___________the grass to allow it to grow.
Please keep off the grass to allow it to grow.
