Phrasal Verbs: Formal vs Informal Register
Formal vs informal register phrasal verbs is the B2 register-awareness worksheet. The pattern: most phrasal verbs are casual/neutral register; their Latinate single-word equivalents are formal/academic. Find out → discover / ascertain; put up with → tolerate; get rid of → eliminate; put off → postpone; go up → increase; come back → return; think about → consider; make up → invent / fabricate. Strong B2 writers switch registers fluently.
This worksheet builds B2 register-shifting fluency with phrasal verbs.
Worksheet preview
What’s inside:
- A register table pairing phrasal verbs with formal Latinate equivalents
- Register-shifting drill: rewrite informal sentences in formal style
- Multiple-choice on appropriate verb for each register context
- Production task: write the same content for casual and academic audiences
- Full Answer Key plus Teacher Notes
Common challenges: Register-awareness at B2 — knowing when a phrasal verb is acceptable (spoken English, casual writing) vs when its Latinate alternative is required (academic essays, formal reports). Over-formalisation: using commence where start fits is stilted. Maintaining register-consistency within a single text.
For: Adult and teenage learners (14+) at CEFR B2, in upper-intermediate classes, 1:1 lessons, or self-study. Maps onto Cambridge B2 First (FCE) and C1 Advanced (CAE) Writing. Part of the Learning, Change & Mixed Practice collection — the natural next step is Phrasal Verbs: Mixed Practice B1.
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