Main points
*A phrasal verb is a combination of a verb and an adverb or preposition.
*The usual meaning of the phrasal verb is normally altered.
*Phrasal verbs are used in four main structures.
a) Phrasal verbs are verbs that combine with adverbs or prepositions. The adverbs and prepositions are called particles, for example ‘down’, ‘in’, ‘off’, ‘out’ and ‘up’.
- She turned off the radio.
- Mr. Mack offered to put him up.
b) Phrasal verbs extend the usual meaning of the verb or create a new meaning. For example, if you ‘break’ something, you damage it, but if you ‘break out of’ a place, you escape from it.
- They broke out of prison on Thursday night.
- The pain gradually wore off.
c) Phrasal verbs are normally used in one of four main structures. In the first structure, the verb is followed by a particle, and there is no object.
| break out | get by | look in | stop off |
| catch on | give in | ring off | wait up |
| check up | go away | start out | watch out |
| come in | grow up | stay up | wear off |
- War broke out in September.
- You’ll have to stay up late tonight.
d) In the second structure, the verb is followed by a particle and an object.
| fall for | grown on | part with | set about |
| feel for | look after | pick on | take after |
- She looked after her invalid mother.
- Peter takes after his father but John is more like me.
e) In the third structure, the verb is followed by an object and a particle.
| answer back | call back | count in | order about |
| ask in | catch out | invite out | tell apart |
- I answered him back and took my chances.
- He loved to order people about.
f) Some phrasal verbs can be used in both the second structure and the third structure: verb followed by a particle and an object, or verb followed by an object and a particle.
| add on | hand over | put away | take up |
| bring up | knock over | put up | tear up |
| call up | point out | rub out | throw away |
| fold up | pull down | sort out | try out |
- It took ages to clean up the mess.
- It took ages to clean the mess up.
- There was such a mess. It look ages to clean it up.
Remember that if the object is a pronoun. It must go in front of the particle. You cannot say ‘He cleaned up it’.
g) In the fourth structure, the verb is followed by a particle and a preposition with an object.
| break out of | go down with | miss out on | stick up for |
| catch up with | keep on at | play around with | talk down to |
| come down with | look forward to | put up with | walk out on |
| get on with | make off with | run away with |
- You go on ahead. I’ll catch up with you later.
- Children have to learn to stick up for themselves.
h) A very few verbs are used in the structure: verb followed by an object, a particle, and a preposition with its object.
| do out of | put down to | take out on |
| let in for | put up to | talk out of |
- I’ll take you up on that generous invitation.
- Alex tried to talk her out of it.
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Top Tips Abz Ingles: Part A - Part B
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See also:
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