2. Phrasal Verbs:
• Phrasal verbs are usually two-word phrases
consisting of verb + adverb, verb + preposition,
verb+ adverb + preposition. It can have a literal
meaning that is easy to understand because
the meaning is clear from the words that are
used in the phrasal verb itself. It can also have
an idiomatic meaning which cannot easily be
understood by looking at the words themselves.
. E.g. 'give up' is a phrasal verb that means
'stop doing' something, which is very different
from 'give'.
3. • Examples:
run into, ran away, gang up,
gear up, back up, back off,
see through, see about, send off,
settle down, settle for, show through,
show up, tag along, take on,
talk into, talk out of, talk back,
tone down, touch up, top off,
turn up, etc.
4. • Phrasal verbs with verb + adverb are called
“particle verbs”.
• Phrasal verbs with verb + preposition are called
“prepositional verbs”.
• Prepositional verbs with two prepositions are
possible: e.g. We talked to the minister about
the crisis.
5. Types Of Phrasal Verbs:
There are four basic types of phrasal verbs:
1. Verb + particle
2. Verb + particle + object/ verb + object+ particle
3. Verb + particle + object (verb + particle inseparable)
4. Verb + particle + preposition+ object (verb
inseparable from particle and preposition)
1. Verb + particle e.g. look out! (= be careful);
We set off on our journey (=started)
6. 2. Phrasal verb with an object either after the particle or
between the verb and particle:
2a) Verb + object + particle e.g. I’ll throw the rubbish away.
Take your shoes off.
2b) Verb + particle + object e.g. I’ll throw away the rubbish.
Take off your shoes.
• Note: When object is a pronoun, e.g. them, it can only go
before the particle, not after it.
e.g. I’ll throw it away (NOT: I’ll throw away it.)
Take them off (NOT: Take off them.)
7. 3. Phrasal verb with object, but verb and
particle inseparable:
Verb + particle + object
e.g. She takes after her mother.
(Not: She takes her mother after.)
Looking after a baby is hard work.
(NOT: Looking a baby after is hard work.)
8. 4. Phrasal verbs with three parts: verb+
particle+ preposition.
In this case, the verb cannot be separated
from the other parts.
Verb + particle + preposition + object
e.g. I’m looking forward to the weekend.
You go now, I’ll catch up with you later.
Going back on promises is not a good
habit.
9. Phrasal verbs can be:
• 1. Intransitive (cannot be followed by an
object)
e.g. He suddenly showed up.
“show up” cannot take an object.
• 2. Transitive (followed by object)
e.g. I made up the story.
"story" is the object of "make up"
10. Phrasal
verbs
Meaning Examples
Direct
object
intransitive
Phrasal
verbs
1.Get up Rise from
bed
I don’t like to
get up early.
2. Break down Cease to
function/ not
function
He was late as
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.
11. Transitive
phrasal
verbs are
separable
subj
ect
verb object particle object
They turned down my
offer.
They turned my
offer
down.
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"
12. However, if the direct object is a pronoun, we must
separate the phrasal verb and insert the pronoun between
the two parts:
Direct
object
pronouns
must go
between
the two
parts of
transitive
phrasal
verbs
Ali switched on the
radio.
Ali switched the
radio
on.
Ali switched it on.
Ali switched on it.
13. Phrasal verbs have a literal and an idiomatic
meaning:
Verb and Adverb (run + around)
• to run around (something) - to run in a circle around
something (literal)
e.g. The dog ran around the fire hydrant.
• to run around (somewhere) - to go to various places
to do something (idiomatic/figurative)
e.g. I spent the day running around town.
14. Verb and Adverb and Preposition (run +
along/around + with)
to run along with (someone or something) - to run
beside or at the same pace as someone or something
(literal)
• e.g. The dog ran along with the bicycle.
to run around with (someone) - to be friends and do
things with someone or with a group (idiomatic/
figurative)
• e.g. The boy is running around with a bad group of
people.
16. 1. Identify the placement of verb, particle and
object in the following sentences.
1. I talked my mother into letting me borrow the car.
2. I ran into an old friend yesterday.
3. They are looking into the problem.
4. She looked the phone number up.
5. I looked up the number in the phone book.
6. I looked it up in the phone book.
7. Cheer up!
17. 2. Complete the sentences using the correct form of
phrasal verbs. Use each phrasal verb only once.
break out, break down, get up, switch on,
ring up, turn down
1. I have to speak to Mr. Mason. I’d better________ up.
2. Do you like ______________early in the mornings?
3. Could you _____________________ the light?
4. The lift has _______and isn’t working at the moment.
5. A fire ______in the offices of ABC cinema last night.
6. That music s rather loud. Can you ____________ it?
18. 3. Replace the underlined words with the correct
form of phrasal verbs.
Come into, run into, come up with, look back on, go into,
1. We’ve examined the problem very carefully.
2. Jane inherited a great deal of money when her
grandmother died.
3. I met an old friend by chance in town yesterday
afternoon.
4. When you remember the past, it’s easy to see the
mistakes you’ve made.
5. We must try to find a solution to the problem.
19. Relevant links/ sources:
• http://www.englishpage.com/prepositions/phras
aldictionary.html
• http://www.englishclub.com/ref/Phrasal_Verbs/i
ndex.htm
• http://www.idiomsite.com/
• http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/
• phrasal-verbs/g.html
• Saadat Ali Shah. Exploring the World of
English. Chapters 1-6.
