Relationships — friendships, family, and romantic — come up constantly in everyday conversation. English has many phrasal verbs for talking about them. 'Get on with' (have a good relationship). 'Fall out with' (have an argument). 'Make up with' (become friends again after an argument). 'Break up with' (end a romantic relationship). 'Ask out' (invite someone on a date). 'Go out with' (be in a romantic relationship). 'Grow apart' (slowly become less close over time). Each phrasal verb describes a specific stage or aspect of a relationship. Students who know these phrasal verbs can talk about their personal life, friends, and family naturally. Students who do not often use longer phrases ('we are no longer friends because we had a problem') instead of the natural phrasal verbs ('we fell out and never made up'). This lesson covers the most useful relationship phrasal verbs at B1 level. It connects to the agreement/disagreement lesson (#44) and the emotion lessons (#4, #21).
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.
get on with (= have a good relationship)
I get on with my colleagues at work.
She gets on well with her parents.
They do not get on with their neighbours.
For problems and arguments:
fall out with (= have an argument and stop being friends)
I fell out with my best friend last year over a small thing.
The two sisters fell out when their mother died.
For making peace:
make up with (= become friends again after an argument)
We made up with each other after a few weeks apart.
It is hard to make up with someone after a serious argument.
What do these three phrasal verbs cover? Why do students need them?
These three phrasal verbs cover the basic life cycle of many relationships — having a good time together (get on with), arguing (fall out with), making peace (make up with). The pattern: get on → fall out → make up → get on again. Almost every relationship goes through these stages at some point. 'Get on with' is the most useful general expression for any positive relationship — friends, family, colleagues. 'Fall out with' is for arguments that end (or threaten) the relationship. 'Make up with' is for the reconciliation. Students who know these three can describe most relationship situations naturally. The opposite formulations ('we have a good relationship', 'we had an argument', 'we became friends again') are correct but sound flat. The phrasal verbs are more natural in everyday English.
ask out (= invite someone on a date)
He asked her out for coffee.
go out with (= be in a romantic relationship with)
They have been going out for two years.
break up with (= end a romantic relationship)
She broke up with her boyfriend last month.
split up (= end a relationship — similar to break up with)
The couple split up after ten years of marriage.
What are the small differences between break up with and split up?
'Break up with' and 'split up' are very close in meaning — both describe ending a romantic relationship. Small differences: 'break up with' takes a person object (break up with him, break up with her). 'Split up' often has no direct object — it describes both people ending the relationship together (the couple split up). 'Break up with' suggests one person making the choice ('she broke up with him' — she did the leaving). 'Split up' is more neutral about who decided ('the couple split up' — they ended together). For B1 students, both phrasal verbs work and are commonly interchangeable. The grammar pattern differs slightly: break up + with + person; split up (often no object). Students should learn both because they appear constantly in films, songs, and conversation.
grow apart (= slowly become less close over time)
We grew apart after I moved to another city.
The two sisters grew apart as they got older.
lose touch with (= stop having contact with)
I have lost touch with my old school friends.
fall in love with (= start to love someone romantically)
She fell in love with him at university.
Why do these phrasal verbs describe gradual processes?
Some relationship changes happen gradually — over months or years — and English has phrasal verbs for these slow processes. 'Grow apart' uses the image of two things slowly moving away from each other — for friendships or relationships that fade rather than end with an argument. 'Lose touch with' uses 'touch' (contact) being lost — for relationships where people stop communicating, often without an argument. 'Fall in love with' uses 'fall' (downward movement) for the (often sudden but felt as gradual) starting of love. These gradual-process phrasal verbs add useful nuance to relationship talk. Not every relationship ends with a fall-out and break-up — some just slowly fade through 'growing apart' and 'losing touch'. Students who know these can describe the full range of relationship changes.
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| get on with | Have a good relationship | I get on with my colleagues at work. | Most useful general expression. For any positive relationship — friends, family, colleagues. |
| fall out with | Argue and stop being friends | I fell out with my best friend last year. | For arguments that damage or end relationships. Three-word phrasal verb — stays together. |
| make up with | Become friends again after an argument | We made up with each other after a few weeks. | Three-word phrasal verb. The reconciliation after a fall-out. |
| ask out | Invite someone on a date | He asked her out for coffee. | Splits with object: ask her out / ask him out. With pronouns, must split. |
| go out with | Be in a romantic relationship with | They have been going out for two years. | Three-word phrasal verb. Often used in present continuous (going out) or perfect (have been going out). |
| break up with | End a romantic relationship | She broke up with her boyfriend last month. | Three-word phrasal verb. Takes a person object. |
| split up | End a relationship (often mutual) | The couple split up after ten years. | Often no direct object. Suggests both people ending together. |
| grow apart | Slowly become less close over time | We grew apart after I moved away. | For gradual fading of relationships. No argument needed. |
| lose touch with | Stop having contact | I have lost touch with my old friends. | For relationships that fade through lack of contact, often after moves or life changes. |
| fall in love with | Start to love someone romantically | She fell in love with him at university. | For the start of romantic feeling. Note: not 'fall in love TO' — always 'with'. |
NOTE 1 — Get on with is the most useful: For any positive relationship — friends, family, colleagues, classmates — 'get on with' is the basic phrasal verb. Students should learn it first. 'I get on well with my sister.' 'They do not get on with each other.' Note: 'get on' alone (without with) means continue or progress (different meaning).
NOTE 2 — Three-word phrasal verbs: Many relationship phrasal verbs are three words and stay together. Get on WITH, fall out WITH, make up WITH, break up WITH, fall in love WITH, lose touch WITH. The third word (with) is essential and cannot be removed. 'I fell out my friend' (without with) is wrong.
NOTE 3 — Splitting rules: Most three-word relationship phrasal verbs do NOT split. 'I get on with my brother' (right). 'I get my brother on with' (very wrong). Two-word ones like 'ask out' DO split with pronouns: 'ask her out' (right), 'ask out her' (less natural). 'Split up' usually does not take an object.
NOTE 4 — The relationship life cycle: Many relationships go through stages. Meet → get on → maybe fall in love (romantic) → maybe fall out → maybe make up → continue or break up / split up / grow apart. Knowing the phrasal verbs lets students describe each stage naturally.
NOTE 5 — Register: These phrasal verbs are mostly informal or neutral. They work in casual conversation, friendly emails, and personal blog posts. They rarely fit formal academic writing. For academic contexts, use 'have a good relationship', 'have a disagreement', 'reconcile', 'end the relationship'. Save the phrasal verbs for casual contexts.
Relationship phrasal verbs are essential for talking about personal life — friendships, family, romantic relationships. They appear constantly in films, songs, conversations. Students who do not know them miss meaning frequently. The phrasal verbs are also more natural than the formal alternatives in casual contexts. Cultural awareness matters: in some communities, talking openly about romantic relationships is private; in others, it is normal social conversation. Students should know the phrasal verbs and also the social conventions of when to use them. The lesson connects to other phrasal verb lessons — get (#20), put (#34), take (#39), come/go (#54) — and to the agreement/disagreement lesson (#44).
Use stories and characters to teach relationship phrasal verbs. Tell a short story: 'Anna and Maria are best friends who get on well. Last year, they fell out over a small disagreement. After two months, they made up. They are friends again.' Real narrative makes the phrasal verbs memorable. Students can also tell their own short stories about friendships using the verbs.
Choose the correct relationship phrasal verb for each sentence.
Each sentence has a problem with a relationship 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 — The relationship life cycle (5 min): Draw a simple cycle on the board: meet → get on → maybe fall out → maybe make up → continue. For romantic: meet → ask out → go out with → fall in love with → maybe break up with. Establish that English has phrasal verbs for each stage.
STEP 2 — Get on with, fall out with, make up with (8 min): Drill the three friendship phrasal verbs. Get on with (good relationship). Fall out with (argue). Make up with (reconcile). Use a sample story: 'Anna and Maria get on well. Last year they fell out. After two months, they made up.' Practise five examples.
STEP 3 — Romantic phrasal verbs (7 min): Drill ask out (invite on date), go out with (be in relationship), break up with / split up (end relationship), fall in love with (start to love). Discuss small differences — break up with takes a person object, split up often does not.
STEP 4 — Gradual change (5 min): Drill grow apart and lose touch with. These describe slow changes — relationships fade without arguments. 'We grew apart after I moved.' 'I have lost touch with my old friends.' These add useful nuance.
STEP 5 — Tell a relationship story (5 min): Each student tells a short story (real or imagined) about a relationship using at least four different phrasal verbs from the lesson. Could be about friends, family, or characters in a film. Share in pairs. Partner checks: were the phrasal verbs used correctly?
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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