Phrasal Verbs with ON Exercises

The particle on appears in many common English phrasal verbs. It often suggests continuation, connection, or activation. For example, carry on means to continue doing something, put on means to place clothing on your body or to start a device, and turn on means to activate a machine or light. These phrasal verbs are essential for everyday communication because they describe basic actions that we do repeatedly throughout the day.

Some phrasal verbs with on are separable: you can say "Put your coat on" or "Put on your coat," but with pronouns you must say "Put it on" — never "put on it." Others are inseparable, particularly three-word phrasal verbs like get on with (have a good relationship) and count on (rely on). An important point to remember is that on can be either a particle (part of a phrasal verb) or a preposition (showing position). In "She put her hat on," on is a particle. In "The book is on the table," on is a preposition. Cambridge exams at A2 to B2 level test this difference, so practise recognising both uses.