These phrasal verbs are about conflict and fixing it. fall out with = argue and stop being friendly; break up with = end a romantic relationship; sort out = solve a problem or repair a disagreement. Notice each one carries its particle: the little word after the verb is not optional; it is part of the meaning.
When relationships go wrong
fall out with /ˌfɔːl ˈaʊt wɪð/ — Sofia fell out with her classmate over the project plan.
break up with /breɪk ʌp wɪð/ — Maya broke up with her partner after a long discussion.
sort out /sɔːrt aʊt/ — The friends met at Ghafridge Cafe to sort out the misunderstanding.
Not ""Sofia fell with her classmate." (the particle is missing)" — say ""Sofia fell out with her classmate."". fall out with needs both parts. Without out it is not the same verb, and with introduces the person.
Try it: Lars and Diego argued last week, but today they talked calmly and finally managed to ___ the disagreement. (sort out / fall out with / break up with) Answer: sort out — Sort out means fix a problem or disagreement, which matches "talked calmly and finally." Fall out with is the opposite, because it means to start the argument, not end it. Break up with is only for ending a romantic relationship, not a general disagreement between friends.
Getting along and admiring
get on with someone = have a friendly, positive relationship with them. You can add well or badly to describe the quality: get on well with, get on badly with. look up to someone = admire and respect them. The particles do the work here: get on alone means something else, and look up alone just means raise your eyes.
get on with /ɡet ɑn wɪð/ — Mei gets on with everyone in her study group.
get on well with /ˌɡet ɑn ˈwel wɪð/ — Yasmin gets on well with her manager.
look up to /ˌlʊk ˈʌp tuː/ — Many students look up to Amina because she listens carefully.
Not ""Mei gets on everyone in her group." (the preposition is dropped)" — say ""Mei gets on with everyone in her group."". get on with keeps with before the person. Dropping it breaks the phrasal verb.
Try it: Camila thinks her music teacher is wonderful and wants to be just like her one day. She ___ her teacher. (looks up to / gets on badly with / breaks up with) Answer: looks up to — Look up to means admire and respect, which fits "wants to be just like her." Get on badly with means the relationship is difficult, the opposite of admiration. Break up with is only for ending a romantic relationship, so it makes no sense between a student and a teacher.
Caring for people and getting through hard times
look after someone = take care of them; take care of = be responsible for someone or something and keep them safe; get through a difficult time = survive or manage it successfully. Each particle is essential. look alone means see, but look after means care for.
look after /ˌlʊk ˈæftər/ — Sofia looks after her younger cousin on Saturdays.
take care of /ˌteɪk ˈkeər əv/ — Matilda took care of the tickets before the show.
get through /ˌɡet ˈθruː/ — Talking to a friend helped Farid get through the stressful interview.
Not ""Maya got the exam week with help from her classmates." (the particle is gone)" — say ""Maya got through the exam week with help from her classmates."". get through needs through. It is what turns get into surviving a hard time.
Try it: The winter was hard for the family, but they supported each other and ___ it together. (got through / looked after / fell out with) Answer: got through — Get through a difficult time means survive or manage it, which matches "the winter was hard" and "together." Look after means care for a person or thing, but you do not "look after" a period of time. Fall out with means to argue, the opposite of supporting each other.
Tolerating and recovering
Put up with means to accept something annoying without complaining, and it describes a situation that is still going on. Get over means to recover from something difficult that is already finished, such as an illness or the end of a relationship.
put up with /ˌpʊt ʌp ˈwɪð/ — Sofia put up with the noise from the building work for months.
get over /ˌɡet ˈoʊvər/ — It took Diego a long time to get over the disappointment.
Not ""Sofia put up the noise for months." (the preposition with is missing)" — say ""Sofia put up with the noise for months."". Put up with = tolerate. Without with, "put up" means to raise something, like a tent or a poster.
Try it: Ethan's neighbor plays loud music every night. He does not want an argument, so he ___ the noise. (puts up with / gets over / looks after) Answer: puts up with — Put up with means to accept something annoying without complaining, which fits choosing not to argue about noise that continues every night. "Get over" means to recover from a difficulty that is already finished, and "look after" means to take care of someone.
Try it: Maya was upset for weeks after the interview went badly, but by the spring she had completely ___ it. (got over / put up with / taken after) Answer: got over — Get over means to recover from something difficult, which matches feeling better by the spring. "Put up with" means to keep tolerating something that is still happening, and "take after" means to resemble a family member.
Staying close and standing by
Catch up with someone means to meet them after a long time and exchange news. Stand by someone means to stay loyal and support them when they are in trouble. Each particle is part of the verb.
catch up with /ˌkætʃ ʌp ˈwɪð/ — Amina caught up with an old classmate at Ghafridge Cafe.
stand by /ˌstænd ˈbaɪ/ — Farid stood by his friend during a difficult year.
Not ""Amina caught an old classmate at the cafe." (particles dropped, so this means she physically caught her)" — say ""Amina caught up with an old classmate at the cafe."". Catch up with = meet and exchange news after time apart.
Try it: Hiroshi had not seen his old classmate for two years, so he arranged lunch at Farville Restaurant to ___ her. (catch up with / look up to / take after) Answer: catch up with — Catch up with someone means to meet after a long time and exchange news, which is why the lunch was arranged. "Look up to" means to admire someone and "take after" means to resemble a relative, and neither is something you arrange a meeting to do.
Try it: When Wei was blamed for a mistake he had not made, his colleagues ___ him until the truth came out. (stood by / took after / caught up with) Answer: stood by — Stand by someone means to stay loyal and support them in trouble, which fits colleagues supporting Wei until he was cleared. "Take after" means to resemble a relative, and "catch up with" means to meet someone after time apart.
Family likeness
Take after someone means to resemble an older member of your family, either in looks or in character. It is used about relatives, not about friends.
take after /ˌteɪk ˈæftər/ — Camila takes after her grandmother in her love of music.
Not ""Camila takes her grandmother in her love of music." (the particle is missing)" — say ""Camila takes after her grandmother in her love of music."". Take after = resemble a relative. Without after, "take" means to carry or remove something.
Try it: Everyone says Mateo is patient and calm, exactly like his father. In character he really ___ him. (takes after / looks up to / stands by) Answer: takes after — Take after means to resemble an older relative in looks or character, which is what being exactly like his father describes. "Look up to" means to admire someone and "stand by" means to support them in trouble, so neither describes a family likeness.