What are phrasal verbs?

What are phrasal verbs?

1. A phrasal verb is a verb plus a preposition or adverb which creates a meaning different from the original verb.

Example:

I ran into my teacher at the movies last night.

He ran away when he was 15.

2. Some phrasal verbs are intransitive. An intransitive verb cannot be followed by an object.

Example:

He suddenly showed up.

3. Some phrasal verbs are transitive. A transitive verb can be followed by an object.

Example:

I made up the story.

4. Some transitive phrasal verbs are separable. The object is placed between the verb and the preposition. In this Phrasal Verb Dictionary, separable phrasal verbs are marked by placing a * between the verb and the preposition / adverb.

Example:

I talked my mother into letting me borrow the car.

She looked the phone number up.

5. Some transitive phrasal verbs are inseparable. The object is placed after the

preposition. In this Phrasal Verb Dictionary, inseparable phrasal verbs are marked by placing a + after the preposition / adverb.

Example:

I ran into an old friend yesterday.

They are looking into the problem.

6. Some transitive phrasal verbs can take an object in both places. In this Phrasal Verb Dictionary, such phrasal verbs are marked with both * and + .

Example:

I looked the number up in the phone book.

I looked up the number in the phone book.

7. WARNING! Although many phrasal verbs can take an object in both places, you must

put the object between the verb and the preposition if the object is a pronoun.

Example:

I looked the number up in the phone book.

I looked up the number in the phone book.

I looked it up in the phone book.

I looked up it in the phone book.

Source: http://www.englishpage.com/prepositions/phrasaldictionary.html

Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal verbs are a group of multi-word verbs made from a verb plus another word or words. Many people refer to all multi-word verbs as phrasal verbs. On these pages we make a distinction between three types of multi-word verbs: prepositional verbs, phrasal verbs and phrasal-prepositional verbs. On this page we look at phrasal verbs proper.

Phrasal verbs are made of:

verb + adverb

Phrasal verbs can be:

 intransitive (no direct object)

 transitive (direct object)

Here are some examples of phrasal verbs:

phrasal

verbs meaning examples

direct

object intransitive

phrasal verbs

get up rise from bed I don't like to get up.

break

down cease to

function He was late because his

car broke down.

transitive phrasal verbs

put off postpone We will have to put off the meeting.

turn down refuse They turned down my offer.

Separable Phrasal Verbs

When phrasal verbs are transitive (that is, they have a direct object), we can usually separate the two parts. For example, "turn down" is a separable phrasal verb. We can say:

"turn down my offer" or "turn my offer down". Look at this table:

transitive phrasal verbs are

separable

They turned my offer down.

However, if the direct object is a pronoun, we have no choice. We must separate the phrasal verb and insert the pronoun between the two parts. Look at this example with the separable phrasal verb "switch on":

direct object pronounsmust go between the two parts of transitive phrasal verbs

John switched on the

radio. These are all possible.

John switched the

radio on.

John switched it on.

John switched on it. This

is not possible.

Separable or inseparable phrasal verbs? Some dictionaries tell you when phrasal verbs are separable. If a dictionary writes "look (something) up", you know that the phrasal verb "look up" is separable, and you can say "look something up" and "look up something". It's a good idea to write "something/somebody" as appropriate in your vocabulary book when you learn a new phrasal verb, like this:

 get up

 break down

 put something/somebody off

 turn sthg/sby down

This tells you whether the verb needs a direct object (and where to put it).

Source: http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verbs-phrasal-verbs_2.htm

Prepositional Verbs

Prepositional verbs are a group of multi-word verbs made from a verb plus another word or words. Many people refer to all multi-word verbs as phrasal verbs. On these pages we make a distinction between three types of multi-word verbs: prepositional verbs, phrasal verbs and phrasal-prepositional verbs. On this page we look at prepositional verbs.

Prepositional verbs are made of:

verb + preposition

Because a preposition always has an object, all prepositional verbs have direct objects. Here are some examples of prepositional verbs:

prepositional verbs meaning examples

direct object

believe in have faith in the existence of I believe in God.

look after take care of He is looking after the dog.

talk about discuss Did you talk about me?

wait for await John is waiting for Mary.

Prepositional verbs cannot be separated. That means that we cannot put the direct object between the two parts. For example, we must say "look after the baby". We cannot say

"look the baby after":

prepositional verbs

are

inseparable

baby? This is possible.

Who is looking the

babyafter? This

is notpossible.

It is a good idea to write "something/somebody" in your vocabulary book when you learn a new prepositional verb, like this:

 believe in something/somebody

 look after sthg/sby

This reminds you that this verb needs a direct object (and where to put it).

Source: http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verbs-phrasal-verbs_1.htm

Phrasal-prepositional Verbs

Phrasal-prepositional verbs are a small group of multi-word verbs made from a verb plus another word or words. Many people refer to all multi-word verbs as phrasal verbs. On these pages we make a distinction between three types of multi-word verbs: prepositional verbs, phrasal verbs and phrasal-prepositional verbs. On this page we look at phrasal-

prepositional verbs.

Phrasal-prepositional verbs are made of:

verb + adverb + preposition

Look at these examples of phrasal-prepositional verbs:

phrasal-prepositional verbs

meaning examples

direct

object

get on with have a friendly relationship with

He doesn't get on with

his wife.

put up with tolerate I won't put up with your

attitude.

look forward to anticipate with pleasure I look forward to seeing you.

run out of use up, exhaust We have run out of eggs.

Because phrasal-prepositional verbs end with a preposition, there is always a direct object.

And, like prepositional verbs, phrasal-prepositional verbs cannot be separated. Look at these examples:

phrasal-prepositional verbs are

inseparable

We ran out of fuel.

We ran out of it.

Source: http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verbs-phrasal-verbs_3.htm