Phrasal verbs

PHRASAL VERBS

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE USE OF UP IN EACH?

a)

She walked up the street to get a
bite to eat.

b)

I live up in Springfield.

c)

When are you going to clean up
your room?

d)

I am sorry that I messed you up.

FORM OF ENGLISH PHRASAL
VERBS
O’ DOWD (1994)
SYNTACTIC ANALYSIS OF PHRASAL VERBS
PHRASAL VERBS DEFINED
A phrasal verb ( PV ) is made up of two or more
parts that function as a single verb.
They are sometimes called two-word verbs
because they usually consist of a verb plus a
second word
The second part of the phrasal verb is a particle,
this shows close association with the verb and
its distinction with prepositions and other
adverbs.

FORM OF ENGLISH PHRASAL VERBS
O’ DOWD (1994)

To analyze sentences with phrasal verbs, refine the phrase
structure rule for the VP by generating a PV as an alternative
to V
Cop
VP
V
VP

NP
Ap
PrepP

(NP)2 (PrepP)

The PV category is then expanded in a new phrase structure
rule as a verb and particle ( Prt )
PV

V << Prt >>

O’ DOWD (1994)

The particle is part of the verb phrase but it need not to be
contiguous about it. Here is the basic structure of a sentence
in which the particle follows the verb directly:
Jamie turned out the light.

S
Subj

PRED
AUX

VP

NP
T
N

PV
V

NP
Prt

det

N

the

light

-past
Jamie

turn

out

O’ DOWD (1994)
Here is the tree where the particle is not contiguous with the
verb but rather separated from it by intervening direct
object
Jamie turned the light out.

S
SUBJ

PRED
AUX

VP

NP
T

PV

N
-past

V

NP

Part

Jamie
turn

det

the

N

light

out

O’ DOWD (1994)
SYNTACTIC ANALYSIS OF PHRASAL
VERBS
TRANSITIVE PHRASAL VERBS
Like single-word verbs, phrasal verbs can be
transitive:
Harold turned on the radio.
Barbara passed out the new assignment.
I called off the meeting
Other examples
Do over ( repeat ) look over ( examine )
fill out ( complete ) find out ( Discover )

O’ DOWD (1994)

INTRANSITIVE PHRASAL VERBS
My car broke down
He really took off.
The boys were playing around in the yard.
Other examples:
come back ( return ) come over ( visit )
make up ( reconcile ) pass out ( faint )

O’ DOWD (1994)

TRANSITIVE/INTRANSITIVE PHRASAL VERBS
Just like some regular ergative or change-of-state verbs
( e.g. open, increase) may either be transitive or
intransitve depending on the role of the agent, some
phrasal verbs can have this dual function:
An arsonist burned down the hotel.
( transitive )
The hotel burned down.
( intransitive)

O’ DOWD (1994)

PHRASAL VERBS THAT REQUIRE PREPOSITIONS
Like single-word verbs, adjectives and nouns, many
phrasal verbs take a specific prepositions. In these
expressions the phrasal verb and the preposition
must be learned as a unit

Put up with
Look in on
Look down on
Get away with
Get down to
Get back to

Get along with
Check up on
Check out of
Go in for
Come up with
Give in to

Cut down on
Catch up with
Stand up for
Keep up with
End up with
Pick up on

Close in on
Make away with
Make up for
Drop in on
Run up against
Break up with

O’ DOWD (1994)

A tree diagram with “ three-word phrasal verb “
Donna broke up with Joe.

S
SUBJ

PRED

NP

AUX

VP

Advl

N

T

PV

PrepP

Donna

-past

V

Prt

Prep

NP

break

up

with

N

Joe

O’ DOWD (1994)

THE SEPARABILTITY OF PHRASAL VERBS
Phrasal

verbs

verbs;

share characteristics

however,

there

is

with

one

regular
syntactic

characteristic peculiar to transitive phrasal verbs:
sometimes the particle can be separated from the
verb by the direct object and sometimes it
cannot. Separation is obligatory when it is a
pronoun.

O’ DOWD (1994)

SEPARABLE PHRASAL VERBS
Mark threw away the ball.

*Mark threw away it.

Mark threw the ball away.

Mark threw it away.

Rachel looked up the info.

*Rachel looked up it.

Rachell looked the info up.

Rachel looked it up.

Other examples:
Take up ( discuss ) leave out ( omit )
Pass out ( distribute ) bring back ( return )
Turn down ( refuse )

O’ DOWD (1994)
INSEPARABLE PHRASAL VERBS
I came across an interesting article last night.

*I came an interesting article across last night.
I came across it last night. *I came it across last night.
Josh ran into an old friend.

Josh ran into him.

Josh ran an old friend into. *Josh ran him into.
Other examples:
Get over ( recover ) go over ( review )
Look into ( investigate ) go for ( attack )

O’ DOWD (1994)
A tree diagram for a sentence with an inseparable
phrasal verb:
Angela ran across a classmate.

S
SUBJ

PRED

NP

AUX

N

T

Angela

-past

VP

PV

V

run

NP

Prt

det

across

a

N

classmate

O’ DOWD (1994)

PHRASAL VERBS THAT ARE ALWAYS SEPARATED
A few phrasal verbs that seem to occur only with the
verb and particle separated:
How can I get the message through him? (get…
through= convey; transmit)

*How can I get through the message to him?
We’ll see this ordeal through together (see… through=
survive)
*We’ll see through this ordeal together.

O’ DOWD (1994)

The reason for obligatory separation is to
avoid the ambiguity with the inseparable
phrasal verbs that have the same form
but a different meaning:
I’ll get through the lesson next week
(finish)
You have to see through his excuse (not
deceived by)

O’ DOWD (1994)

DISTINGUISHING PHRASAL VERBS FROM VERB +
PREPOSITION SEQUENCES
Syntactic tests
Only prepositions ( not particles ) allow:
ADVERB INSERTION
We turned quickly off the road.
*We turned quickly off the light.
PHRASE FRONTING
Up the hill John ran.
*Up the bill John ran.
Wh- FRONTING
About what does he write?
*Up what does he write?

O’ DOWD (1994)

Only particles in separable phrasal verbs ( not
prepositions ) allow:
PASSIVIZATION
The light was turned off.
*The road was turned off.
VERB SUBSTITUTION
The light was extinguished = the light was turned
off.
NP INSERTION
We turned the light off.
*We turned the road off.

FORM OF ENGLISH PHRASAL
VERBS
O’ DOWD (1994)
MEANING OF ENGLISH PHRASAL VERBS

SEMANTIC CATEGORIES OF PHRASAL VERBS
Literal Phrasal Verbs
This is comprised of verb that appear to be a
combination of a verb and a directional PrepP.
They function syntactically like verb-particle
constructions. Since the particle retains its
prepositional meaning, the result is a phrasal
verb whose meaning is fully compositional.
Some examples of Literal Phrasal Verbs
sit down, stand up, hand out, carry out, throw away,
climb up, fall down, pass through

O’ DOWD (1994)

Aspectual Phrasal Verbs
The meaning is not as transparent but not
idiomatic either. This category consists of verbs
to which certain particles contribute consistent
aspectual meaning. This can be subdivided
depending on the semantic contribution of the
particle.
Inceptive ( to signal a beginning state)
John took off.
others: set out, start up

O’ DOWD (1994)
Continuative ( to show that the action continues)
-use of on and along with activity verbs
Her speech ran on and on.
Hurry along now.
others: carry on, keep on, hang on, come along,
play along
- use of away with activity verbs with the nuance
that the activity is “heedless”
They danced the night away.
others: work away, sleep away, fritter away

O’ DOWD (1994)
-use of around with activity verbs to express
absence of purpose
They goofed around all afternoon.
others: mess around, play around, travel around
-use of through with activity verbs to mean from
beginning to end
She read through her lines in the play for the
audition.
others: think through, skim through, sing through

O’ DOWD (1994)
Iterative (use of over with activity verbs to show
repetition)
He did it over and over again until he got it right.
others: write over, think over, type over
Completive ( uses particles up, out, off, and down to
show that the action is complete)
-turns an activity verb into an accomplishment
He drank the milk up.
others: burn down, mix up, wear out, turn off,
blow out

O’ DOWD (1994)

-reinforces the sense of goal orientation in an
accomplishment verb
He closed the suitcase up.
others: wind out, fade out, cut off, clean up
-adds durativity to a punctual achievement
verb
He found why they were missing
others: check over, win over, catch up

O’ DOWD (1994)
Idiomatic Phrasal Verbs
Many phrasal verbs are idiomatic, such as chew out,
tune out, catch up, put off. It seems difficult, if
not impossible, to figure out the meaning of the
verb by combining the separate meaning of its
part rather by understanding the underlying
logic of the language. Thus, it would behoove
teachers to guide ESL/EFL students through
some idiomatic phrasal verbs by analyzing their
components parts and then looking for a logical
relatinoship within a specific context.

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