take
/teɪk/12 phrasal verbsThe plain verb means to grasp, carry, or accept something.
TAKE is about acquisition and movement — you grasp something and the particle says where it goes.
The confusable set is take off, take out, take over, take on and take up. Keep them apart by what is moving: take off removes something (a coat) or leaves the ground (a plane); take out removes something from inside (a tooth, food from a restaurant); take over transfers control to you; take on adds a responsibility to your load; take up starts a new activity or occupies space.
TAKE ends in /k/, so take off is “ta-koff” and take over is “ta-kover” — the K belongs to the particle in natural speech.
Side by side
Every TAKE phrasal verb, with the one line that keeps it apart from its siblings. Tap any one to open it.
| Phrasal verb | Means | How to remember it |
|---|---|---|
| take offBoth4 meanings | remove clothing; a plane leaves the ground; become popular fast | OFF = away from the body, or away from the runway. |
| take outSeparable3 meanings | remove from inside; get food to go | OUT = from inside to outside. |
| take overBoth | assume control of something | Control crosses OVER to you. |
| take onSeparable3 meanings | accept a new responsibility; hire someone | The load goes ON your shoulders. |
| take upSeparable2 meanings | start a new hobby; occupy space or time | UP = begin, or fill. |
| take inSeparable4 meanings | absorb information; give shelter; make clothes smaller | IN = it comes inside you or your home. |
| take afterInseparable | resemble an older relative | You follow AFTER them in looks or character. |
| take backSeparable2 meanings | retract what you said; return a purchase | BACK = undo it, return it. |
| take downSeparable2 meanings | dismantle; write something down; defeat | DOWN = from up to nothing, or onto the page. |
| take apartSeparable | separate into pieces deliberately | APART = the parts end up separate. |
| take awaySeparable | remove something entirely | AWAY = it leaves and does not come back. |
| take toInseparable | begin to like someone or something | You move TO them emotionally. |