APIEThree-Part Phrasal Verbs: Put Up With, Look Forward To
Mega sporting events and host cities
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Three-word verbs: put up with, look forward to, cut back on
Learn how verbs made of three words work, like put up with and look forward to. Use them to talk about cities that host big sports events.
How to use this lesson
Guide students through the four quick rules and complete all twelve tasks within twelve minutes.
Check the feedback boxes together to talk about common mistakes with word order and word endings.
Read the four pattern rules in the table carefully and look at the underlined word groups.
Solve the twelve practice tasks one by one starting from easy choices to sentence rewrites.
📌 The 4 Golden Rules
Read each rule. Then look at the two examples.
Keep the three words together. Do not put another word in the middle. The thing you talk about goes after the last small word, even a tiny word like it or them. Say put up with it, not put it up with.
• Organisers could not put up with the delays.
• The noise is loud, but we must put up with it.
In phrases like look forward to and face up to, the last word is to. An action word after it must end in -ing. Here, to works like the small word about or in. Say look forward to seeing, not look forward to see.
• Many fans look forward to seeing their team play at home.
• We must face up to paying the bill.
Three words together can make one new meaning. You cannot guess it from each word alone. Learn the whole group as one piece. For example, live up to means to be as good as people hoped.
• The new stadium did not live up to the hopes of local people.
• The team wanted to live up to the fans' hopes.
Only the first word changes: add -ing for something happening now, -s for he or she, and usually -ed for the past (cut stays cut). The two small words never change. Say faced up to, not face upped to.
• The council cut back on spending after the Games.
• The city is cutting back on new buildings.
Why this works: Keep the three words together
Think of the three words as one block. For example: "We will never come up with an answer in time." Do not put another word between them. Say come up with an answer, not come an answer up with.
12 Practice Tasks
Work through the items from warm-up choices to rewrites and error fixes.
Residents disliked the severe traffic disruption around the Olympic park.
The regional tourism board is excited about international visitors arriving.
City authorities must accept the massive financial deficit left by stadium construction.
Fill the gap with the correct past form of the three-part verb that fits the hint.
Last year every taxpayer was pleased when the city council ____ unnecessary promotional expenses.
Hint: (reduce)
Fill the gap with the correct form of come up with to describe an idea produced in the past.
The planning committee ____ a brilliant bid for the championship.
Hint: (create)
Fill the gap with the base form of the three-part verb that fits the hint, after the modal verb could.
No one was sure whether the sporting legacy could ____ the promises made by the city.
Hint: (expectations)
Rewrite the sentence using end up with in the past tense.
Complete the rewrite:
The host city ____ empty stadiums and unpaid bills.
Hint: (result)
Rewrite the sentence using cut back on in the present continuous (with is).
Complete the rewrite:
The committee is ____ the construction budget this month.
Hint: (limit)
Rewrite the sentence using the three-part verb that fits the hint, in the present perfect (with has).
Complete the rewrite:
Every organiser has ____ a fresh security design.
Hint: (invent)
Read the chat message below. One word after look forward to is incorrect.
"Hey! We all look forward to host the athletes next week!"
Type the corrected single word:
Hint: (form)
Read the chat message below. The words in the underlined phrase are in the wrong order.
"The subway disruption is awful and I cannot put it up with anymore!"
Type the corrected 4-word phrase:
Hint: (order)
Read the chat message below. The sender added an ending to the wrong word.
"The committee finally face upped to the huge construction costs."
Type the corrected 3-word phrase in the past tense:
Hint: (grammar)
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