Shadowing Practice: 10 Advanced Phrasal Verbs to Understand Native English Speakers - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Here are 10 advanced phrasal verbs for any topic that will help you understand native English speakers.

Hello, it's Keith from English Speaking Success and the website the Keith Speaking Academy, where you become a confident English speaker.

Now, if you want to understand native speakers or proficient speakers, you must know lots of phrasal verbs.

We use them all the time.

Phrasal verb is a verb plus a preposition or an adverbial particle, or sometimes to actually.

For example, right, to switch on.

to switch on the light.

to switch off the light.

Many, not many, some phrasal verbs can be idiomatic, like to turn up, meaning to appear.

"I'm happy that you turned up today.

"Thank you." Yes.

Now, as I said, native English speakers and proficient speakers of English use phrasal verbs a lot.

especially in these everyday conversations, right?

So, oh, and if you're preparing for IELTS speaking test,

then these 10 advanced phrasal verbs today might help you stand out from the crowd.

So in this video, I'll give you 10 advanced phrasal verbs in the context of work.

And also at the end of the video, I'll give you a story using all of them to see how much you've learned.

Oh, and as a bonus, if you download the PDF, You can review all of these,

but also get a story of these phrasal verbs in the context of study, schools and teachers.

The truth is these phrasal verbs are really flexible and I think can be used for many different topics.

Sounds good?

Are you ready?

Let's jump in.

Okay, phrasal verb number one, to drum into.

Okay, now a drum is this.

Right now.

To drum something into someone is to Teach something again and again persistently until They remember it.

It's a bit like the idea of drumming.

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.

You completely, continually drum the information.

You beat the information into somebody.

Right.

For example, our boss always drums the importance of deadlines into our team.

but we still miss them.

Great.

Number two.

Number two, to stir up.

To stir, well, to stir Is this...

I can stir my tea.

But to stir up is to cause a problem to grow.

For example, my colleague Jim likes to stir things up in meetings.

Often he says things that he knows people will disagree with.

Hmm.

Number three, to settle down.

To settle down means to become calmer or to calm down.

Like, It's been busy at work, but things are settling down now.

There's a similar phrasal verb, which is to settle in, but with a different meaning.

To settle in means to get used to a new place.

For example, if you start a new job, your boss might say, "Oh, today's your first day.

How are you settling in?" I'm settling in very well, thank you.

Next.

Number four, to crack up.

To crack someone up means to, well, to make someone laugh uncontrollably.

Or to crack up, if I crack up, I laugh uncontrollably a lot uncontrollably.

For example, my boss is so funny he cracks me up.

Be a bit careful because to crack up, I crack up, can have two meanings.

It can be to laugh or to break down, like an emotional breakdown.

So be careful if your boss cracks up.

It may be that they're laughing, but it may be that they are stressed and emotionally breaking down.

Two very different things.

How do you know?

The context.

Look at the context and you know.

for somebody at work, if they're sick and they're off, maybe you stand in for them.

For example, Jack is off work today, so I am standing in for him.

Great.

Listen, if you're enjoying and finding this useful, do remember to subscribe and like the video.

Let's go in now to number six.

Number six is to fend for yourself. to fend for yourself.

The for becomes for, to fend for yourself, to fend for myself.

I fend for myself.

And it means to take care of yourself.

Do you know, when I was a teenager and I lived at home, my mum used to do the cooking, do the washing, do the tidying.

When I went to university, suddenly I had to fend for myself.

Another example, after I became a freelancer, I had to fend for myself, finding clients, negotiating contracts and so on.

Another expression, an idiom that is similar in meaning, is to stand on your own two feet.

When I went to university, I had to stand on my own two feet.

Nice expression.

Next, to delve into.

And often here we link to delvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv For example, I know these reports are really important, so I will delve into them as soon as I can.

You could also say, "I've got a new book.

I can't wait to delve into my new book." Let's move on.

Oh, another phrasal verb.

Okay, number eight, to dive into.

Again, that /v / sound, to dive into.

To dive is this right?

If you like swimming, you might dive into the water.

But idiomatically, it can also mean to start doing something with lots of energy.

For example, similar to the last one, I've got a new book, I'm going to dive into this book straight after the I've recorded this video.

Or after the meeting, we immediately dived into developing the strategy for the upcoming campaign.

Great, if you're in marketing.

Next.

Okay, number nine, to reckon on.

Now you may know the verb to reckon.

I reckon, you reckon, meaning I think, right?

I reckon it's a good idea.

I think it's a good idea.

But to reckon on something means that you feel something is likely to happen.

And so you make plans depending on that.

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For example, right, we're having a party after the meeting and we are reckoning on about 50 people coming.

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So make sure there are enough snacks.

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You could use it in the negative as well, like, well, we didn't reckon on this product being so popular.

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We need to produce more.

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This is a tricky one to learn.

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It can be used in different contexts.

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So try and expose yourself as much as possible to different contexts.

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Remember, at the end of this, there's a PDF, and there's a story about study and school, which will give you new contexts as well.

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Let's move on to the last one, number 10, which I hope doesn't happen.

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You'll find out why in a minute.

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Number 10 is to drift off, to drift off.

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To drift is just when something moves slowly, like if it's a leaf on the water is drifting,

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something being moved by the water or the air is drifting.

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To drift off means to fall asleep.

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but not usually on purpose.

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I mean, not intentionally.

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So to drift off maybe when something is really boring, then you might drift off.

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For example, the meeting was so boring.

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I began to drift off.

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or I drifted off.

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That's why I hope in this video you haven't drifted off.

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I hope it's been useful

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and you've found out lots of new phrases you can start practicing

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but also listening for so you can understand native speakers and proficient speakers a lot better.

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Now don't leave me just yet because I'm about to tell you a story in the context of work, using all of these phrasal verbs.

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Okay, let's see how much you have picked up.

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to learn informally.

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The story is called Sophie's Big Break.

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- If you're sitting comfortably, let's begin.

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Sophie's big break.

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Sophie had just started a new job at a marketing company.

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She was nervous, but excited.

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On her second day, her manager asked her to stand in for Tim, who was on vacation.

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Sophie wasn't sure if she could handle the responsibility.

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But she accepted.

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At first, it was difficult to manage all of Tim's tasks, but after a few days, things began to settle down.

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The office was busy, but she learned how to keep things under control.

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Her colleagues were very supportive and they helped her when she felt overwhelmed.

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One day, during a team meeting,

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somebody told a funny story about a client and everybody started to crack up.

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Sophie laughed so hard that she almost cried.

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It was nice to see the team having fun together, even when work was stressful.

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After the meeting, the team had to dive into a new project.

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Sophie felt a bit lost at first and quickly realized that there was a lot of data to go through

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So she actually needed to work overtime to delve into the reports so she could understand everything.

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As the project deadline approached, Sophie had to work long hours.

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and sometimes she would drift off at her desk.

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She was so tired.

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It wasn't easy fending for herself.

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Now Tim wasn't there to help her.

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It was challenging but she managed to get everything done on time.

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However, the project had stirred up some confusion among the clients and Sophie had to explain things again and again.

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Her manager was very patient and kept repeating the same instructions to Sophie and the team.

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I need to drum this into you, he said.

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With every new project, we must follow the operating procedures and brand guidelines.

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Otherwise, clients get confused.

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he said.

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Sophie listened carefully and made sure to follow every detail.

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At the end of two weeks, Tom hadn't come back to work.

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He had decided to go and work for himself as a ski instructor.

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Great.

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Sophie was quickly promoted, no surprise, and took over his job, as she had done such a good job during his absence.

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And that was Sophie's.

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Big break.

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Big break, there's a big opportunity, right?

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The promotion and everything else.

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Did you understand the story?

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Did you catch all of those phrasal verbs?

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Oh, did you notice which phrasal verb was not in the story?

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Let me know in the comments below.

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Now, here's a bonus learning strategy for you, right?

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The reason I share this story with you is quite simple.

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When you learn new vocabulary, in order to learn it deeply, you have to see it in several contexts.

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It's not enough to watch a YouTube video with one example.

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That's not learning really.

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A great way to give the context is stories.

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And that's why in my online courses like the Gold Course and the Vocabulary Vault,

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I use stories a lot to give the context to help students like you understand more deeply.

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But I understand not everybody can get a course or an online course.

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So here's something extra for you.

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If you download the PDF of all these 10 phrasal verbs, you'll also get the story of Sophie's Big Break.

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But as an extra bonus, you'll get another story using the phrasal verbs in the context of study, school and teachers.

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I hope that can help you on your learning journey to become a confident speaker of English.

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the next video.

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Take care, my friend.

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Keep studying.

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All the best.

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Bye bye.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “10 Advanced Phrasal Verbs to Understand Native English Speakers”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: verb, phrasal, context, example, Sophie. This video has 188 sentences and 1867 words to shadow. The speech runs for 15:09. The speaker talks at a steady 123 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 82% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.

Key vocabulary in this video

The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
verb noun	/vɝb/	A word that indicates an action, event, or state of being.
phrasal adjective	/ˈfɹeɪzəl/	Relating to, or used in the manner of, a phrase.
drift noun	/dɹɪft/	Anything driven at random.
fend verb	/ˈfɛnd/	To take care of oneself; to take responsibility for one's own well-being.
reckon verb	/ˈɹɛkən/	To count; to enumerate; to number; also, to compute; to calculate.
stir verb	/stɝ/	To disturb the relative position of the particles (of a liquid or similar) by passing an object through it.
drum noun	/ˈdɹʌm/	A percussive musical instrument spanned with a thin covering on at least one end for striking, forming an acoustic chamber; a membranophone.
dive verb	/daɪv/	To swim under water.
delve verb	/dɛlv/	To dig into the ground, especially with a shovel.
proficient adjective	/pɹoʊˈfɪʃ.ənt/	Good at something; skilled; fluent; practiced, especially in relation to a task or skill.
uncontrollably adverb		In an uncontrollable manner; without being subject to control.
vocabulary noun	/vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/	A usually alphabetized and explained collection of words e.g. of a particular field, or prepared for a specific purpose, often for learning.
bore verb	/boɹ/	To inspire boredom in somebody.
colleague noun	/ˈkɒliːɡ/	A fellow member of a profession, staff, academic faculty or other organization; an associate, a workmate.
deadline noun	/ˈdɛdˌlaɪn/	A time limit in the form of a date on or before which something must be completed.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
crack up verb	/ˈkɹæk ˈʌp/	To laugh heartily.
drift off verb		To fall asleep slowly.
settle down verb		To make or become quiet and calm after a period of disturbance or restlessness.
stand in for verb		To replace; to act as a double or substitute for.
stir up verb	/ˈstɜː.ɹʌp/	To arouse or excite (passion or action, etc.).
break down verb		To stop functioning.
find out verb		To discover, as by asking or investigating.
turn up verb		To show up; to appear suddenly or unexpectedly.

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

"I'm happy that you turned up today.
How are you settling in?" I'm settling in very well, thank you.
How do you know?
Did you understand the story?
Did you catch all of those phrasal verbs?

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	you've learned · It's been · I've recorded
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	can be used · being moved · is called
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing	verb, which is · school, which will

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 31 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, you're, I've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “sh” and “zh” sounds: proficient /pɹoʊˈfɪʃ.ənt/, preposition /ˌpɹɛpəˈzɪʃən/, intentionally /ɪnˈtɛn(t)ʃənəli/, negotiate /nəˈɡəʊ.ʃi.eɪt/, emotionally /ɪˈməʊʃənəli/
Long words — get the stress right: vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, adverbial /ædˈvɝbi.əl/, idiomatic /ˌɪd.iː.əˈmat.ɪk/, preposition /ˌpɹɛpəˈzɪʃən/, intentionally /ɪnˈtɛn(t)ʃənəli/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like verb, phrasal, drift.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

Shadowing Practice: 10 Advanced Phrasal Verbs to Understand Native English Speakers - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Phrasal Verbs with "GET"

Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

Key vocabulary in this video

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Sentences worth repeating

Grammar in this video

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?