Health and illness come up in everyday conversation — talking about colds, flu, recovery, medications. English has many phrasal verbs specifically for health contexts. 'Come down with' (catch an illness). 'Get over' (recover from — covered in #112 for problems). 'Throw up' (vomit). 'Pass out' (faint, lose consciousness). 'Break out' (skin rash, problems starting). 'Wear off' (effects fading — medication, anaesthetic). 'Clear up' (get better — skin, illness). 'Cut down on' (reduce — for health reasons, like sugar or smoking). Each is fixed and used the same way every time. The lesson is topic-based — grouping phrasal verbs around the health theme. Students who know these chunks can describe their own health and discuss medical situations naturally. Connects to the negative emotion verbs lesson (#84) and the problems phrasal verbs lesson (#112).
Before you start — think honestly about your own teaching and experience.
Look at the examples. Answer each question before reading the explanation — this is how your students will learn too.
come down with (= catch an illness, start to be ill)
I think I am coming down with the flu.
Many students came down with a cold during the cold weather.
get over (= recover from — covered in #112)
It took her a week to get over the flu.
I am still trying to get over my cold.
clear up (= get better, especially skin or eyes)
The rash should clear up in a few days.
My eye infection cleared up with the medicine.
Why do students need these health-specific phrasal verbs?
'Come down with' is a special phrasal verb specifically for catching an illness. The image is of the illness 'coming down' on you. Common with cold, flu, fever, virus. Grammar: come down with + illness. 'Get over' is recovering from — works for illness, loss, setback. The illness is past; you are recovering. 'Clear up' is for problems getting better — especially skin conditions, infections. 'The rash cleared up.' 'The infection cleared up.' These three phrasal verbs cover the basic illness cycle: come down with (catch) → be ill → get over / clear up (recover). Students who know them can describe illness naturally. Students who use formal verbs (contract, recover, resolve) sound stilted in everyday health talk.
throw up (= vomit)
The child threw up after eating too much.
I threw up several times when I had food poisoning.
pass out (= faint, lose consciousness briefly)
She passed out from the heat.
He passed out at the sight of blood.
break out (= skin rash starting / disease starting in a community)
My skin broke out in a rash after eating strawberries.
Flu broke out at the school last week.
wear off (= effects gradually fading)
The pain medication is wearing off.
The anaesthetic will wear off in a few hours.
What does each of these describe?
These four phrasal verbs cover specific medical events. 'Throw up' is the everyday word for vomiting — common in casual conversation. The medical word is 'vomit', but 'throw up' is more natural in everyday talk. 'Pass out' is faint — losing consciousness briefly. Common from heat, hunger, shock. 'Break out' has two health uses — skin rashes ('she broke out in a rash') and disease outbreaks ('flu broke out at school'). 'Wear off' is gradually fading — medication, anaesthetic, painkiller effects. 'The painkiller is wearing off — I need another one.' Each fits a specific medical situation. Students who know these chunks can describe symptoms naturally without formal medical vocabulary. The chunks are essential for talking about everyday health.
cut down on (= reduce — for health or money reasons)
The doctor told me to cut down on sugar.
We should cut down on red meat for our health.
cut out (= stop completely)
I cut out coffee because it was making me anxious.
She cut out smoking for her health.
look after (= care for — covered in #110)
I need to look after my health more.
Look after yourself!
give up (= stop completely, abandon)
He gave up smoking last year.
I gave up sugar for the new year.
What is the difference between cut down on and cut out?
'Cut down on' is reduce — keep some but less. 'I cut down on sugar but did not stop completely.' 'Cut out' is stop completely — eliminate. 'I cut out sugar from my diet.' 'Give up' is also stop completely, often after a period of doing — implies giving up a habit. 'He gave up smoking after 20 years.' 'I gave up coffee because it made me anxious.' Three different levels: cut down on (reduce), cut out (stop completely), give up (stop a habit). Students should know all three for health-related discussions about diet, lifestyle, and habits. 'Look after yourself' is a warm farewell related to health — 'take care of yourself'. These four phrasal verbs cover the main health-conscious behaviour vocabulary.
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| come down with | Catch an illness | I think I am coming down with the flu. | Three-word phrasal verb. With + illness. |
| get over | Recover from | It took weeks to get over the flu. | Also for emotional setbacks (see #112). |
| clear up | Get better — skin, infection, eye | The rash cleared up in three days. | For problems gradually resolving. |
| throw up | Vomit | The child threw up after eating too much. | Everyday word for vomit. Casual. |
| pass out | Faint, lose consciousness briefly | She passed out from the heat. | Common from heat, hunger, shock. |
| break out | Rash starting / disease outbreak | My skin broke out in a rash. / Flu broke out at school. | Two health uses. |
| wear off | Effects gradually fading | The pain medication is wearing off. | For medication, anaesthetic, painkillers. |
| cut down on | Reduce (for health or money) | Cut down on sugar. | Three-word phrasal verb. With + thing. |
| cut out | Stop completely | I cut out coffee from my diet. | Complete elimination. |
| give up | Stop completely, abandon habit | He gave up smoking last year. | For habits especially. |
| look after | Care for | Look after your health. | Also for caring for people (see #110). |
NOTE 1 — Match phrasal verb to health situation: Catching illness → come down with. Recovery → get over, clear up. Symptoms → throw up, pass out. Reactions → break out. Medication → wear off. Reducing for health → cut down on, cut out, give up.
NOTE 2 — Come down with takes illness names: 'I am coming down with the flu / a cold / a fever / a virus.' The illness comes after 'with'. Always 'come down with + illness'.
NOTE 3 — Throw up is casual: 'Throw up' is everyday casual for vomit. In medical contexts, 'vomit' is more standard. For general conversation about being sick, 'throw up' is natural.
NOTE 4 — Cut down on vs cut out: Cut down on is reduce (keep some). Cut out is stop completely (eliminate). Cut down on sugar (eat less). Cut out sugar (stop completely). Different levels of reduction.
NOTE 5 — Give up for habits: Give up is especially common for habits — smoking, drinking, sugar. 'Give up smoking' is the standard phrasal verb. Also works for hobbies, jobs, sports.
Health and illness phrasal verbs are essential for everyday conversation. People talk about being sick, recovering, medications, and lifestyle changes constantly. Students who know these chunks describe their health naturally. Students who use formal medical verbs (contract, recover, vomit, faint) sound stilted in everyday talk. The lesson is topic-based — grouping by health theme. Connects to the negative emotion verbs lesson (#84) and problems phrasal verbs (#112). Cultural context: in some cultures, talking about specific symptoms is private. Students should know the vocabulary but use it appropriate to context.
Use real or imagined health situations for practice. Catching a cold (come down with). Recovering (get over). Vomiting after bad food (throw up). Fainting from heat (pass out). Skin reaction to food (break out). Painkiller fading (wearing off). Cutting sugar (cut down on / cut out). Real situations make the chunks memorable.
Choose the correct health phrasal verb for each situation.
Each sentence has a problem with a health phrasal verb. Suggest a better version and explain.
Use this sequence directly in class — guided discovery, no textbook needed. Tap each step to mark it done.
STEP 1 — Topic-based health phrasal verbs (5 min): Establish that this lesson groups phrasal verbs around the health theme. Topic-based grouping is useful for everyday situations. Health and illness come up constantly in conversation.
STEP 2 — Catching and recovering (6 min): Drill the basic illness cycle. Come down with (catch). Get over (recover from). Clear up (get better — especially skin, infections). Practise five examples. Show the cycle: come down with → be ill → get over.
STEP 3 — Symptoms and medical events (8 min): Drill the symptom phrasal verbs. Throw up (vomit). Pass out (faint). Break out (rash, outbreak). Wear off (effects fading). Match each to a medical situation. Practise five examples each.
STEP 4 — Cut down on vs cut out vs give up (6 min): Drill the reduction phrasal verbs. Cut down on (reduce). Cut out (stop completely). Give up (stop a habit). Match each to a context — eating less sugar (cut down on), no sugar at all (cut out), stopping smoking (give up). Practise the differences.
STEP 5 — Health role-play (5 min): Pairs role-play health conversations. One describes symptoms; the other gives advice. Use the chunks. Then swap. Real practice fixes the phrasal verbs in personal contexts.
Use directly in class — copy, adapt, or read aloud. No printing needed.
For each strategy, choose the option that best describes where you are now.
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