Modern English Grammar - Phrasal verb

1. PHRASAL VERB
MEILENA 2014 601 2022
MERLY VISKA 2014 601 2023
SEPTY RIANI PANGINDOMAN 2014 601 2028

2. WHY PHRASAL
VERBS ARE A
PROBLEM
• Some nonnative speakers have a
tendency to overuse single lexical items
in infomal context where a phrasal verb
would be much more appropriate.
Example :
A : Do you need an ashtray
B : Yes, I want to extinguish my cigarette
B : Yes, I want to put out my cigarette

3. WHY PHRASAL
VERBS ARE A
PROBLEM
• A final learning problem involves the optional
or obligatory separation of the verb and the
particle depending on a number of factors.
Example:
Separation optional (direct object is not a pronoun):
Turn out the lights
Turn the lights out
Separation necessary (direct object is pronoun):
Turn them out

4. LEXICAL FEATURES
OF PHRASAL VERB
• Transitive phrasal verb
A transitive verb can be followed by an object.
Example : Harold turned on the radio
I called off the meeting
Others : do over (repeat) , look over (examine), fill out (complete), etc.
• Intransitive phrasal verb
An intransitive verb cannot be followed by an object.
Example : My car broke down
The boys were playing around in the yard
Others : come back (return), come over (visit), pass out (faint), etc.

5. LEXICAL FEATURES
OF PHRASAL VERB
There are some phrasal verbs that can be both transitive
and intransitive.
Example : Open, close, increase, decrease
An arsonist burned down the hotel. (Transitive)
The hotel burned down. (Intransitive)

6. LEXICAL FEATURES
OF PHRASAL VERB
• Phrasal Verb that require prepositions
put up with, look in on, look down on, check up on, give in to, etc.
The phrasal verb and preposition must be learned as a unit. There is no
separation (i.e., there cannot be a noun phrase between the verb and the
particle and the preposition)
For example : Gordon gets away with (murder/it) all the time
*Gordon gets (murder/it) away with all the time
The only thing that can be added to such a string is an adverb (or
adverbial phrase) between the particle and preposition.
For example : I haven’t kept up fully with the work.
Mort has cut down almost completely on his smoking.

7. LEXICAL FEATURES
OF PHRASAL VERB
• Separable phrasal verbs
Bill threw away the ball *Bill threw away it
Bill threw the ball away Bill threw it away
Others: take up (discuss), leave out (omit), pass out (distribute), give up
(surrender).
• Inseparable phrasal verbs
I came across an interesting article I came across it
* I came an interesting article across *I came it across
Others: get over (recover), go over (review), look into (investigate), etc.

8. LEXICAL FEATURES
OF PHRASAL VERB
• Phrasal Verbs that are always separated
There are a few separable phrasal verbs that seem to occur only with the
verb and particle separated, e.g.;
For example:
How can I get (the message/it) through to him?
*How can I get through the message to him?
We’ll see (the ordeal/it) through together.
*We’ll see through this ordeal together.

9. DISTINGUISH PHRASAL VERBS
FROM VERB-PLUS
PREPOSITION
• First test is movement of the particle or preposition in question to the
front wh-question. If the movement transformation is a acceptable, the
form question is probably a prepostion.
For example:
Sara looked at the picture wh-question: At what did Sara look?
Philip made up the accident wh-question: *Up what did Philip
make?
• Second test is to see if the preposition or particle can be fronted in a
relative clause. Fronting is possible in verb-plus-preposition
combintaions.
For example:
The picture at which Sara looked reminded her of her childhood home.
*The incident up which Phillip made was not true.

10. DISTINGUISH PHRASAL VERBS
FROM VERB-PLUS PREPOSITION
• A final test involves placing an adverb between the verb and
the preposition or particle. With a verb-plus-prepostion
sequence the intervention of an adverbial is possible.
For example:
Sara looked quickly at the picture
*Philip made quickly up the incident

11. A SYNTACTIC ANALYSIS
OF PHRASAL VERBS
For example : John turn off the light.
S
NUC
NP Aux VP
N T PV NP
John Past V prt det N
turn off the
light
PV V Prt

12. A SYNTACTIC ANALYSIS
OF PHRASAL VERBS
John turn off the light John turn the light off
The particle movement rule
Output of base : John past turn off the light
Particle movement : John past turn the light off
Affix attachment (1x) : John turn + past the light off
Morphological rules : John turned the light off
Note : the following conditons apply to this rule (p.271)

13. WHEN VERB AND PARTICLE TEND
TO BE SEPARATED AND VICE
VERSA
• The verb and particle are split when the information in the object
noun phrase is old information (i.e., has already mentioned).
• The verb and particle are not split when the objects contains new
information.
• The length nad syntactic complexity of the direct objetct were the
best predictors of particle separation (i.e., the shorter and simpler
the direct object, the more likey the separation of the verb and
particle.
For example :
*The president called the Under Secretary of the Interior up
The president called up the Under Secretary of the Interior.

14. PARTICLE MOVEMENT AND
INDIRECT OBEJCT MOVEMENT AND
PASSIVE VOICE
• If the direct object is not a pronoun and especially if it is long
and elaborate noun phrase, it would occupy the more dominant
position after the particle. If the direct object is a pronoun, it
would be likely be nondominant and would therefore naturally
occur before the particle.
For example: Jhon paid back his loan to the bank
John paid his loan back to the bank – preferable
• Phrasal verb can also occur in the passive. The particle does
not move in cases where the optional agent is retained.
For example: The ball was thrown away by Jack
The ball was thrown by Jack away

15. SEMANTIC
DISTINCTIONS
• Literal phrasal verb
Literal phrasal verbs are those items where the particle retains its literal
adverbial meaning.
For example : I hung up the pictures on the wall.
Others : sit down, dish out, hand out, and take down.
• Completive phrasal verb
Compelative phrasal verbs are those where the particle indicates
complete action.
For example : I tore the piece of paper up
Others: mix up, wind up, wear out, fade out, burn down, cut off, etc.

16. SEMANTIC
DISTINCTIONS
• Figurative phrasal verb
Phrasal verbs are considered “figurative” where there is no
systematic way of semantically associating the verb and
particle.
For example : She looked up the information
Others: turn up, catch on, give in, look over, etc.