Phrasal verbs are verb phrases consisting of a verb and a particle (preposition or adverb). They are difficult for English language learners for several reasons: 1) changing the particle changes the meaning completely, 2) they are often polysemous with multiple related meanings, 3) it is difficult to know whether they can be separated or not. There are three types - separable, non-separable, and intransitive. Common mistakes ELLs make include avoiding phrasal verbs, confusing meanings, forgetting or incorrectly separating parts of separable phrasal verbs. Understanding phrasal verbs requires learning them as single semantic units.

1. TDC 1
Pedagogical Grammar
Phrasal Verbs

2. Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal verbs are also called two-word verbs or
three-word verbs.
A phrasal verb consists of a VERB + a particle
(a preposition or an adverb).
Examples:
•Peter got up late. (adverb)
•Peter turned off the lights. (preposition)

3. 1. ELLs avoid using phrasal verbs first because they do
not know of their existance and also because they seem
to be more difficult.
2. There is a single word equivalent to almost all phrasal
verbs in the dictionary; these equivalents are often of
Latin origin.
•Did you throw up? (Anglo-Saxon form)
•This medicine may cause you to vomit. ( Latin form)
Examples:
•Could you put out your cigarrete? (Anglo-Saxon form)
•Please extinguish all smoking materials. (Latin form)
Phrasal Verbs

4. The term phrasal verb is used to name a verb and
a particle and/or a preposition forming a single
semantic unit. This semantic unit cannot be
understood based upon the meanings of the
individual parts in isolation, but rather it must be taken
as a whole.
Sentence Meaningful Parts
She ran up the hill. SUBJ. + VERB + PREP. PHRASE
(ADV.)
She ran up the bill. SUBJ. + PHRASAL VERB + DIR. OBJ.
Consider these sentences:
Phrasal Verbs

5. Why are phrasal verbs so difficult?
a) If you change the particle of a phrasal verb, you change its meaning
completely.
Just like any other verb, phrasal verbs determine the meaning of an entire
sentence. Because very few languages have phrasal verbs, the idea of multiple
words to express one action is hard to assimilate.
Examples:
• We managed to get our message across. (make other people understand it)
• We found a way to get around our problems. ( to overcome or escape)

6. b) Phrasal verbs are often polysemic
Polysemy of Take Up
Meanings Examples
1. Reduce in size, alter Please take up these pants.
2. To continue something after
somebody else has stopped
I’d like to take up the the point you
raised earlier.
3. consume Buying a car took up all my savings.
4. Develop an interest on something
new
I took up tennis in college.
5. Absorb, internalize A sponge takes up water.
6. Accept a challenge or an offer We took up his offer in 2008
7. Deal with, work with Let’s take up these issues one at a
time.

7. c) It’s hard for an ELL to know wether a phrasal verb can be separated or not.
There are three possibilities to separate a phrasal verb , look at the chart below.
Separable Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal Verb VERB +
NOUN
Separated by
NOUN
VERB +
PRONOUN
Separated by
PRONOUN
Call off
(cancel)
Call off the
game
Call the game
off
Call it off
Fill in (write
information)
Fill in the
blanks
Fill the blanks
in
Fill them in
Leave out
(omit)
Leave out
the sentence
Leave the
sentence out
Leave it out
Put on (wear) Put on your
coat
Put your coat
on
Put it on
Separable phrasal verbs can be separated when there is a noun
object.
If there is a pronoun object, the phrasal verb MUST be separated.

8. For non-separable phrasal verbs, the verb and the particle must be
together all the time.
Non-Separable Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal Verb VERB + NOUN Separated by
NOUN
VERB +
PRONOUN
Separated by
PRONOUN
Count on
(depend on)
Count on your
help
Count on it
Get in (enter) Get in a car Get in it
Put up with
(tolerate)
Put up with
that noise
Put up with it
Watch out
(for) (be
careful)
Watch out for
that dog
Watch out for
it
o Three-word phrasal verbs are always non-separable.

9. These verbs NEVER have an object
Intransitive Phrasal Verbs
Intransitive Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal Verb Verb + NO OBJECT
Break down Stop functioning My car broke down.
Eat out Eat in a restaurant It’s expensive to eat out
every day.
Grow up Become an adult I grew up in Canada.

10. Common ELL mistakes
1. ELLs frequently avoid using phrasal verbs and use the single-word
equivalent found in a dictionary, doing so ELL’s English sound
more technical or formal.
Too formal: How can I ascertain which bus goes downtown?
Correct: How can I find out which bus goes downtown?
2. ELLs confuse the meaning of phrasal verbs.
Wrong: The coach put down the game because of bad weather.
(destroy)
Correct: The coach called off the game because of bad weather. (cancel)
3. ELLs frequently forget to use the whole phrasal verb.
Wrong: I picked him at the airport last night.
Correct: I picked him up at the airport last night.
4. ELLs do not separate a separable phrasal when the object is a pronoun.
Wrong: Turn down it, it’s too loud.
Correct: Turn it down, it’s too loud.