PHRASAL VERBS WITH PICK

PHRASAL VERBS WITH PICK

Pick up.
a) To take something up off of a surface. Pick your coat up off the floor.
b) To meet and collect a person from a specific location. Who's going to pick Henry up at
the airport?
c) To buy something Jordan picked up some milk on the way home.

Pick out.
a) To select, to choose. Melissa picked out a shirt and brought it to the dressing room.
b) To separate from. If you break a wine glass, make sure you pick all of the glass out of the
carpet.

Pick over.
To take the best of something and leave what is not so good. The shirts have been on
sale so long that they've really been picked over.

Pick on.
To tease. My sisters and brothers always picked on me because I was the youngest.
Pick from.
To choose from a group of something. Mrs. Stefanson picked a new assistant from the
group of applicants for the job.

Pick at.
a) To take only very small amounts of food. Jessica ate almost everything on her plate, but
she only picked at her peas.
b) To scratch or irritate something, such as a cut or scrape. Don't pick at that cut! Let it heal.
Pick up on.
To understand something, especially something that isn't intended to be understood.
They spoke in Spanish in front of Dorothy, so she didn't pick up on what they were
talking about.

EXERCISE

Place the correct phrasal verb with pick in the blank space in each sentence.

1. What time do you want me to ___________ you __________ from the airport?
2. Alex's mother and sister helped her __________ her wedding dress.
3. Look how you __________ your food. You eat like a bird.
4. Johnny, _________ all your toys and put them away.
5. Evelyn _________ the label on her sweater because it irritates her.
6. Mrs. Russell told the class bully not to __________ the younger children.
7. Barry's a pretty smart little boy; he seems to __________ whatever anyone says.
8. I've a beautiful crystal vase for Bill and Cindy's wedding gift.

KEY: 
1. pick/up, 2. pick out, 3. pick at, 4. pick up, 5. picks at, 6. pick on, 7. pick up on, 8. picked out