Idioms and Phrasal Verbs for CELPIP: Sound Natural Without Overdoing It

1Why idioms and phrasal verbs help (the naturalness that separates CLB 9 from 10)

On the productive skills, CELPIP scores Vocabulary partly on range and naturalness — does the language sound like a real, fluent speaker, or like a careful learner translating in their head? Idioms and phrasal verbs are where naturalness lives.

A CLB 9 speaker produces correct, well-formed English. A CLB 10 speaker produces English that flows — they say "I'll look into it" instead of "I will investigate it," and "it's not a big deal" instead of "it is not very important." Same meaning, but the second version reads as a native rhythm. That rhythm is largely built from phrasal verbs and a handful of common idioms.

Two things to keep separate. Phrasal verbs (verb + particle: pick up, sort out, look into) are everyday workhorses you can use a lot, in both Speaking and semi-formal Writing. Idioms (fixed figurative phrases: a piece of cake, on the same page) are seasoning — a little goes a long way, and they belong mostly in Speaking.

The leverage is asymmetric. Phrasal verbs are low-risk and high-frequency: use them freely and they steadily lift your Vocabulary band. Idioms are high-reward but high-risk: one natural idiom adds colour, but a forced or misused one stands out as a mistake. This whole article is built around using the safe one (phrasal verbs) generously and the risky one (idioms) sparingly.

This guide pairs with our collocations and phrase-bank articles: collocations are word partnerships (raise concerns, address the issue) and phrase stems are sentence openers (In my view, For instance). Idioms and phrasal verbs are a different layer — figurative chunks and multi-word verbs — so treat all three as separate decks.

Tip: If you only fix one thing, swap stiff single verbs for natural phrasal verbs in Speaking. It is the single fastest way to sound less like a textbook and more like a person.

2The danger zone: forced or wrong idioms LOWER your score

Many test-takers hear "use idioms to score higher" and cram a list, then sprinkle them everywhere. This usually backfires. Vocabulary is scored on accuracy as well as range — a misused idiom is a vocabulary error, not a bonus.

Common ways idioms go wrong: changing the fixed words ("a piece of cake" becoming "a slice of cake"), using a written-only idiom in casual speech (or the reverse), and stacking three idioms in one answer so it sounds like a performance. Graders notice the seams, and a noticeable seam costs you the very naturalness you were chasing.

Density matters more than people think. In a 60-second Speaking answer, one well-placed idiom is plenty; two is the ceiling. In a Writing Task 1 email, often zero is the right number, especially if the tone is formal. Phrasal verbs are different — those you can use several times without any risk.

The safer default for a high score: lots of accurate phrasal verbs, a couple of strong collocations, and at most one or two idioms you have used dozens of times. That mix reads as fluent and controlled, which is exactly what CLB 10 looks like.

Tip: Have a short personal shortlist of five idioms you genuinely own. On test day, reach for those and ignore the rest. Familiarity is what makes an idiom land.

3Phrasal verbs vs formal verbs: when to use which (a register map)

Phrasal verbs tend to be informal-to-neutral; their single-word equivalents tend to be neutral-to-formal. The skill is matching the verb to the task's tone, not always picking the "fancier" one.

The principle: friendly Speaking and friendly emails want the phrasal verb (it sounds warm and human); formal complaints and formal requests want the single-word verb (it sounds professional). A semi-formal email sits in the middle and can use either, as long as you stay consistent.

find out (friendly/neutral) versus determine, ascertain (formal). "I'll find out and get back to you" to a colleague; "I would like to determine the cause of the delay" in a formal complaint.

sort out / fix (friendly/neutral) versus resolve, address (formal). "Can you sort this out?" to a friend; "I trust the matter will be resolved promptly" to a company.

put off (neutral) versus postpone, defer (formal). "We had to put it off" in conversation; "I am writing to request that the meeting be postponed" in a formal email.

set up (neutral) versus arrange, establish (formal); cut down on (neutral) versus reduce (formal); look into (neutral) versus investigate (formal); turn down (neutral) versus decline, reject (formal).

Tip: When the prompt names a stranger, a company, a manager, or an official, lean formal (single-word verbs). When it names a friend, neighbour, or close colleague, lean phrasal. The relationship in the prompt is your register dial.

425 high-value phrasal verbs for Speaking (meaning and example)

These are everyday, low-risk phrasal verbs that sound natural in any Speaking task. Use them freely — they lift your Vocabulary band without the risk that idioms carry.

• look into = investigate, check — "I'd look into a few options before deciding."
• sort out = solve, organise — "We managed to sort out the problem before the deadline."
• find out = discover, learn — "I only found out about the change this morning."
• deal with = handle, manage — "You have to deal with these situations calmly."
• come up with = produce an idea — "She came up with a really clever solution."
• end up = finally be/do — "We ended up taking the train instead."
• figure out = understand, work out — "It took me a while to figure out how it works."

• put off = delay, postpone — "They put off the meeting until next week."
• look forward to = anticipate happily — "I'm really looking forward to the trip."
• get along with = have a good relationship — "I get along with most of my coworkers."
• bring up = mention a topic — "I'll bring it up at the next meeting."
• point out = draw attention to — "She pointed out a problem nobody had noticed."
• carry on = continue — "We just carried on as if nothing had happened."
• turn out = result, prove to be — "It turned out to be much easier than expected."

• cut down on = reduce — "I'm trying to cut down on screen time."
• keep up with = stay current with — "It's hard to keep up with the news these days."
• run out of = have none left — "We ran out of time before the last question."
• give up = quit, stop trying — "Don't give up just because the first try failed."
• pick up = learn casually; collect — "I picked up a bit of French while living there."
• rule out = eliminate as an option — "We can't rule that out yet."
• go over = review — "Let's go over the plan one more time."

• set up = arrange, create — "They set up a small fund for the school."
• back up = support; copy — "The data backs up what she's saying."
• stand out = be noticeable — "That candidate really stood out."
• take on = accept (work, responsibility) — "I don't want to take on too much at once."

Tip: Pick eight from these lists that already feel natural to you and use them deliberately for a week of Speaking practice. Once they fire automatically, add eight more.

5Phrasal verbs that work in semi-formal Writing (Task 1 emails)

Writing Task 1 emails range from formal to friendly. In semi-formal and friendly emails (a colleague, a neighbour, a club organiser), phrasal verbs are appropriate and make the email sound human. These are the safe ones.

Tip: "Follow up," "get back to you," and "look forward to hearing from you" are three phrasal-verb phrases that sound polished in almost any email. Memorise those three for Task 1.

6Everyday Canadian idioms you will actually hear (and can use)

These are common, neutral idioms you will genuinely hear on CBC, in workplaces, and in daily Canadian conversation. They are safe to recognise in Listening and safe to use sparingly in Speaking. Each card gives the meaning and one natural example.

Tip: Notice how each example fits a casual, spoken moment. If you cannot picture saying the idiom to a friend over coffee, it probably does not belong in your CELPIP answer.

7Opinion and discussion idioms (for Task 7 and Writing Task 2)

Speaking Task 7 and Writing Task 2 ask you to take and defend a position. A few idioms strengthen that, but in Writing keep them rare and only the more neutral ones. Use at most one per response.

Tip: Pair an opinion idiom with a real reason, not on its own. "At the end of the day, cost matters most — because most families are on a tight budget" works; the idiom alone, without support, sounds empty.

8Idioms for describing problems and situations (Tasks 6 and 8)

Speaking Task 6 (dealing with a difficult situation) and Task 8 (describing an unusual situation) often involve a problem or a complication. These idioms describe trouble naturally — used once, they make your account sound real.

Tip: In Task 6, the structure is usually: describe the problem, then the action. One problem idiom in the description plus one phrasal verb in the action (sort out, deal with, smooth over) is a clean, natural combination.

9Separable vs inseparable phrasal verbs (the grammar trap)

Phrasal verbs are safe only when you get the grammar right. The most common error is putting the object in the wrong place. There are two types, and a pronoun rule that catches most mistakes.

Separable phrasal verbs let the object go between the verb and the particle. "Turn off the light" and "turn the light off" are both correct. Most transitive everyday ones are separable: pick up, turn down, set up, bring up, sort out, put off, find out.

The pronoun rule (this is the trap): when the object is a pronoun (it, them, him), it MUST go in the middle of a separable phrasal verb. "Turn it off" is correct; "turn off it" is wrong. "I'll sort it out," not "I'll sort out it." Getting this wrong in Speaking is one of the most audible learner errors.

Inseparable phrasal verbs never split — the object always comes after the whole verb. "Look into the problem," never "look the problem into." Common inseparable ones: look into, deal with, get along with, run into, look forward to, come across.

Tip: If you are unsure whether a particular phrasal verb is separable, keep the object short and after the verb in your example, or just choose a phrasal verb you are sure of. Accuracy outranks variety every time.

10Where NOT to use idioms (formal complaint emails and similar)

The fastest way idioms hurt your score is a register mismatch: a casual idiom dropped into a formal email. Knowing where to keep idioms out is as important as knowing the idioms.

In those formal contexts, swap to single-word verbs: resolve instead of sort out, postpone instead of put off, investigate instead of look into, reduce instead of cut down on, decline instead of turn down. Keep figurative idioms out entirely — a formal complaint has no place for "a piece of cake" or "back to square one."

Where idioms and phrasal verbs are welcome: all Speaking tasks (especially the friendly ones), and friendly or semi-formal Task 1 emails (to a friend, neighbour, or familiar colleague). The friendlier the relationship in the prompt, the more natural an idiom sounds.

Read the prompt's audience before you write a single word. Stranger, company, manager, official equals formal — single-word verbs, no idioms. Friend, neighbour, close colleague equals friendly or semi-formal — phrasal verbs welcome, one idiom optional. This single check prevents the most common register error.

Tip: If a complaint email still needs some warmth, get it from polite phrasing ("I would appreciate it if..."), not from idioms. Politeness and informality are not the same thing.

11A safe starter set: 15 idioms plus 20 phrasal verbs to master first

Do not try to learn everything above at once. This is the curated starter set — the highest-value, lowest-risk items. Master these first, and you will have enough to sound natural without overreaching.

• look into (investigate)
• sort out (resolve)
• find out (discover)
• deal with (handle)
• come up with (produce an idea)
• figure out (understand)
• put off (postpone)
• look forward to (anticipate)
• get along with (relate well to)
• bring up (mention)
• point out (draw attention to)
• turn out (result)
• cut down on (reduce)
• run out of (have none left)
• give up (quit)
• pick up (learn casually)
• go over (review)
• set up (arrange)
• follow up (check progress)
• get back to (reply later)

• on the same page (in agreement)
• the bottom line is (the key point)
• at the end of the day (all things considered) — Speaking only
• weigh the pros and cons (consider both sides)
• see both sides (understand opposing views)
• down the road (in the future)
• off the top of my head (from memory, without checking)
• a long shot (unlikely)
• in a tight spot (in difficulty)
• get out of hand (become uncontrolled)
• back to square one (back to the start)
• bite the bullet (do an unpleasant necessary thing)
• smooth things over (calm a tense situation)
• a mixed bag (partly good, partly bad)
• there's no question that (it is certain)

Tip: Master the 20 phrasal verbs first; they carry most of the naturalness with almost no risk. Add idioms only once the phrasal verbs are automatic.

12How to learn them in context, not as lists

A memorised list does not survive test-day pressure. What survives is language you have heard in real situations and produced yourself several times. Here is how to move these items from a list into active use.

Step 1 — Hear them in real Canadian English first. Phrasal verbs and idioms cluster in natural speech: CBC interviews, Canadian podcasts (Front Burner, The Current, The Decibel), and everyday news segments. When you hear "look into," "sort out," or "at the end of the day" in context, you also absorb the situation and tone that make it correct.

Step 2 — Save each item with its situation, not just its meaning. A good card has the phrase, a one-line meaning, the register (friendly / neutral / formal), and the example sentence you heard it in. The register tag is what stops you from later dropping it into the wrong task.

Step 3 — Produce each one at least three times. Write one sentence and say one sentence using the item, in a realistic CELPIP context (an email, an opinion answer, a description of a problem). An item does not become automatic until you have generated it yourself, out loud, a few times.

Step 4 — Review with spaced repetition and rotate. Use Anki, Quizlet, or FlexiLingo to keep the items active, and consciously vary which phrasal verbs you reach for so you do not lean on the same two every time. Range comes from rotation.

FlexiLingo's phrase detection on real Canadian content flags phrasal verbs and idioms as you watch or listen, so you build your deck from authentic usage rather than from a generic list — and spaced repetition keeps the ones you saved ready for test day.

Tip: Learn each item attached to one vivid example sentence. Under pressure, you will recall the whole sentence and pull the phrase out of it — that is far more reliable than recalling a definition from a list.