Mastering the American Accent » Noun Forms of Phrasal Verbs

Noun Forms of Phrasal Verbs

Sometimes the phrasal verb has a noun equivalent, or a “phrasal noun.” In that case, the stress is on the first word. We say “work out” if it’s a verb, and “workout,” if it’s a noun.

Sentence Pairs for Practice 

Phrasal verbs (stress on second word)Nouns (stress on first word)
1.The car was tuned up.My car needed a tune-up.
2.I worked out yesterday.I had a great workout.
3.The papers were handed out.We got some interesting handouts.
4.They covered it up well.I heard about the cover-up.
5.A lot of food was left over.We ate leftovers for lunch.
6.That really turns me off!That’s such a turnoff!
7.They let me down.It was a big letdown.
8.The order was mixed up.We’re sorry about the mix-up.
9.He dropped out.He’s a high school dropout.
10.I need to sign up for the class.Where is the sign-up sheet?

More Words for Practice

Stress the first word in these phrasal nouns within compound nouns.

  1. backup plan
  2. cutoff date
  3. sign-up sheet
  4. check-out time
  5. warm-up exercises
  6. pickup truck
  7. carry-on case
  8. play-back button
  9. drop-out rate
  10. workout room
  11. stand-up comedy
  12. drive-through window
  13. sit-down dinner
  14. makeup remover
  15. move in date

Practice Sentences

Stress the highlighted words.

  1. We have a backup plan in case things don’t work out.
  2. I found out that my pickup truck needs a tune-up.
  3. The marriage was called off because the couple broke up.
  4. Let’s eat out after our workout.
  5. He called me up to tell me about the holdup at the bank.
  6. We dressed up for the sit-down dinner.
  7. We found out that the check-in time was put off.
  8. I am trying to cut down on eating out.
  9. I looked it over and gave him the printout.
  10. There was a mix-up at the drive-through window.

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