Formal Alternatives to Phrasal Verbs (B2 Vocabulary)
Some everyday phrasal verbs have a formal single-word twin, and in essays and reports the twin usually fits better. When you want to say you'll find out about something, use investigate; when you look at it closely, use examine; and when you run a piece of research, use conduct. Note that this is about picking the right verb, not about avoiding phrasal verbs: plenty of them (carry out a study, point out a flaw, rule out a cause) are perfectly at home in academic writing.
Verbs for research and inquiry
investigate /ɪnˈvɛstɪˌɡeɪt/ — Scientists must investigate the causes of climate change before proposing solutions.
examine /ɪɡˈzæmɪn/ — The committee will examine the evidence carefully before reaching a verdict.
conduct /kənˈdʌkt/ — The university plans to conduct a study on student well-being next year.
Not ""Scientists must find out the causes of climate change." (fine in a message; casual for a research paper)" — say ""Scientists must investigate the causes of climate change." (the formal twin)". Find out has a formal twin, so a paper prefers investigate. This works verb by verb, not as a ban on phrasal verbs: carry out and point out stay exactly as they are in academic writing.
Try it: A research report needs the formal verb here: 'The team will ___ a survey of local businesses.' (conduct / find out / look into) Answer: conduct — 'Conduct' is the formal verb that pairs with 'a survey' or 'a study'. 'Find out' means to discover something, which is not what you do to a survey, and 'look into' means to investigate a problem, neither one fits 'a survey', whatever the register.
Verbs for actions and decisions
The same pairing works for everyday actions. Instead of 'fill in a form', write complete the form; instead of 'put off a meeting', write postpone it; and instead of 'bring up a topic', write raise it. Check each pair as you learn it, because some twins are narrower than the phrasal verb: raise a topic means to bring it into the discussion, while mention it means only to refer to it in passing.
complete /kəmˈplit/ — Please complete the application form and return it by Friday.
postpone /poʊstˈpoʊn/ — The meeting has been postponed until next week due to the weather.
raise /reɪz/ — The author raises this limitation in the final chapter and returns to it twice.
Not ""We had to put off the launch until March." (put off is too casual for a formal notice)" — say ""We had to postpone the launch until March." (formal and precise)". Replace the phrasal verb with its formal twin: postpone replaces 'put off'. Here the two mean the same and only the register changes, but check each pair, because not every twin matches this exactly.
Try it: In a formal email, which sentence sounds most appropriate? (The launch has been postponed until March. / The launch has been put off until March. / The launch got pushed back till March.) Answer: The launch has been postponed until March. — 'Postponed' is the formal choice and fits business correspondence. 'Put off' is a phrasal verb that reads as too casual, and 'got pushed back till' is even more informal, mixing casual phrasing with the shortened 'till'.
Try it: Your professor asks you to replace the phrasal verb in 'Please fill in this section before submitting.' Which is correct? (complete / examine / postpone) Answer: complete — 'Complete' is the formal equivalent of 'fill in' and works perfectly with 'this section'. 'Examine' means to look at closely, which changes the meaning, and 'postpone' means to delay, which is unrelated to filling in a form.
Verbs for handling an idea
Three phrasal verbs that come up constantly in discussion have single-word equivalents that academic writing prefers. Think about becomes consider, so a committee considers a proposal. Account for becomes explain, so a theory explains a result. Point out becomes highlight, so a summary highlights the main findings. The phrasal versions are not wrong, they simply read as speech.
consider /kənˈsɪdər/ — The board will consider the proposal at its next meeting.
explain /ɪkˈspleɪn/ — The model explains why the two groups scored differently.
highlight /ˈhaɪlaɪt/ — The summary highlights three areas that need attention.
Not ""The report points out that costs rose sharply." (in a formal summary)" — say ""The report highlights that costs rose sharply."". Point out and highlight mean the same thing. Only the register differs, so in a report the single-word verb is the one that fits.
Try it: An academic paper needs the formal verb: "The revised framework ___ the discrepancies in the earlier data." (explains / accounts for / postpones) Answer: explains — If you chose accounts for, the meaning is right but the register is not: it is the phrasal verb this topic replaces. The single-word academic equivalent is explains. Postpones means to delay, which does not fit a framework and its data.
Verbs for changing what exists
Formal writing also has single-word verbs for adding, removing and enlarging. Bring in becomes introduce, used for laws, rules and systems. Get rid of becomes eliminate, which sounds deliberate rather than casual. Build on becomes extend, used when new work continues from earlier work. Reach for these in policy documents and research writing.
introduce /ˌɪntrəˈdus/ — The ministry will introduce stricter limits next year.
eliminate /ɪˈlɪməneɪt/ — The new process eliminates most of the paperwork.
extend /ɪkˈstɛnd/ — This study extends the work of earlier researchers.
Not ""The study builds on Okafor's work." (in a formal abstract)" — say ""The study extends Okafor's work."". Build on and extend both mean continuing from earlier work. An abstract is formal writing, so the single-word verb is the one to use.
Try it: A policy document needs the formal verb: "The department intends to ___ the outdated reporting system." (eliminate / get rid of / extend) Answer: eliminate — If you chose get rid of, that is the phrasal verb a policy document would replace. Eliminate carries the same meaning in formal register. Extend means to enlarge or continue something, which is the opposite of removing it.