30 Advanced Phrasal Verbs: Thematic Masterclass (C1/C2)
📌 Contents
🎯 Lesson goal (C1/C2)
At C1/C2 level, learning phrasal verbs one by one is not efficient. This lesson organises **30 advanced phrasal verbs** into 5 high-impact thematic clusters for the Cambridge Proficiency (CPE). Study the reference table and test yourself in the two practice modules of 15 questions each! 🚀
📚 Reference Table of the 30 Phrasal Verbs
Use this table as a guide during the exercises:
| Thematic cluster | Phrasal Verb | Main meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Business & Career | Phase out | To remove gradually |
| Step down | To resign from a position | |
| Climb down | To give in / To back off | |
| Sell off | To sell goods cheaply / To get rid of stock | |
| Weed out | To remove the unwanted items | |
| Factor in | To include in calculations / To take into account | |
| 2. Thinking & Innovation | Mull over | To think about something for a long time |
| Think through | To consider all the consequences | |
| Cotton on | To start to understand / To realise | |
| Hit upon | To find a brilliant idea by chance | |
| Puzzle out | To solve a complex problem | |
| Rustle up | To get hold of / To prepare quickly | |
| 3. Conflict & Negotiation | Back down | To back down / To give in |
| Tone down | To tone down / To make less strong | |
| Fight off | To resist / To fight off an attack | |
| Smooth over | To settle differences / To mediate | |
| Fall out | To have a furious argument | |
| Lash out | To attack with words | |
| 4. Society & Trends | Account for | To explain / To make up a percentage |
| Branch out | To expand / To diversify | |
| Centre on | To depend on / To focus on | |
| Crop up | To appear unexpectedly | |
| Die down | To fade / To calm down (noise/scandal) | |
| Stand out | To stand out clearly | |
| 5. Crisis & Recovery | Bear out | To confirm / To prove a claim |
| Fall through | To collapse / To fail (a deal) | |
| Bog down | To get stuck | |
| Paper over | To hide a problem for a while | |
| Bounce back | To recover after a crisis | |
| Wear off | To fade away / To lose effect |
1. Gap Fill Masterclass (15 Questions)
Complete the sentences with the correct form of the right phrasal verb (check the table above if you need to).