Phrasal Verbs for Technology Exercises

Modern life requires a set of phrasal verbs for talking about technology and digital devices. You log in to your accounts, set up new software, back up your important files, and shut down your computer at the end of the day. When a website appears, a window might pop up on your screen, and if your internet connection fails, your video call might cut out. These phrasal verbs are essential for navigating the digital world and communicating about technical issues in everyday English.

Many technology phrasal verbs are separable: "Set the printer up" or "Set up the printer" — and with pronouns: "Set it up." The phrasal verbs sign up (create an account) and sign in (access an existing account) are often confused by learners. "Sign up" is a one-time action when you first create your account, while "sign in" is what you do every time you access it afterwards. Similarly, turn on and switch on mean to start a device, while turn off and shut down mean to stop it — but "shut down" specifically refers to the complete closing process of a computer. These distinctions are increasingly tested in Cambridge B1 and B2 exams as technology vocabulary grows in importance.