Phrasal Verbs: Call Around, Catch Up, Give In, Show Off, Work Out

1. Warm-Up (3 min)

Question: Think about your daily communication and social life.

• When was the last time you had to call around for information?

• Do you enjoy catching up with friends?

Click to reveal sample answers:

• “I called around last week to find a plumber.”

• “Yes, I love catching up with friends over coffee.”

2. Presentation (5 min)

Read the examples:

• Call Around

  • “I had to call around to find the cheapest hotel.” (telephone several places)

  • “She called around to invite people to the party.”

• Catch Up

  • “Let’s meet next week to catch up.” (get up to date, reconnect)

  • “I missed classes, so I need to catch up on my homework.”

• Give In

  • “He gave in to the pressure and signed the contract.” (surrender, stop resisting)

  • “She kept asking until I finally gave in.”

• Show Off

  • “He likes to show off his new car.” (try to impress, boast)

  • “Stop showing off! Nobody likes it.”

• Work Out

  • “I go to the gym to work out three times a week.” (exercise)

  • “Don’t worry, things will work out in the end.” (resolve, turn out fine)

👉 Notice: Some verbs (Catch Up, Work Out) have both literal and figurative meanings.

3. Controlled Practice (6 min)

Choose the correct phrasal verb.

1. “She missed school and had to ____ on her studies.”

   • (a) catch up

   • (b) call around

2. “They ____ several hotels before finding the best price.”

   • (a) gave in

   • (b) called around

3. “He didn’t want to go, but finally he ____.”

   • (a) gave in

   • (b) worked out

4. “Why does he always ____ in front of his friends?”

   • (a) show off

   • (b) catch up

4. Interactive Practice (5 min)

Matching activity (click/drag): Match the beginnings with the endings.

• Column A

  • “I go to the gym every day to ____.”

  • “We arranged to meet and ____ over lunch.”

  • “She tried not to ____ but finally agreed.”

  • “He loves to ____ his expensive clothes.”

  • “I had to ____ several shops to find the dress.”

• Column B

  • “…work out”

  • “…catch up”

  • “…give in”

  • “…show off”

  • “…call around”

5. Free Practice (5 min)

Write your answer:

• When was the last time you had to call around for something?

• Who do you like to catch up with?

• Have you ever refused to give in to pressure?

• Do you know someone who likes to show off?

• Has a situation in your life ever worked out better than expected?

6. Wrap-Up & Review (1 min)

Quick recap:

• Call Around → phone different people/places

• Catch Up → reconnect or reach same level

• Give In → surrender, stop resisting

• Show Off → boast, try to impress

• Work Out → exercise / resolve positively

Self-check: Can you make a new sentence with each one?

✅ Answer Section

Controlled Practice:
1 → (a) catch up
2 → (b) called around
3 → (a) gave in
4 → (a) show off

Matching Activity:

• Work out → “…every day at the gym.”

• Catch up → “…over lunch.”

• Give in → “…but finally agreed.”

• Show off → “…his expensive clothes.”

• Call around → “…several shops to find the dress.”