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What are phrasal verbs and how to use them?

By: Stacey Shim Christensen Thu Sep 12 2024
English
Verbs, Prepositions

In English, a phrasal verb is a phrase that acts like a verb, but is made from a verb plus a preposition, adverb, or both. The meaning of a phrasal verb cannot always be predicted from the meaning of its parts. For example:

  • Please turn on the TV.

    turn on = start / activate
  • Can you turn down the volume, please?

    turn down = lower / reduce
  • Please turn off the TV before going to bed.

    turn off = stop / deactivate

In all three examples, the verb “turn” is coupled with different prepositions (on, up, and off) and creates new and unpredictable meanings.

Phrasal verbs are very common in both written and spoken English, and there are many of them! While the frequent use of phrasal verbs makes them important to know, the sheer number of them could be somewhat overwhelming for English learners. Don’t let that discourage you, though. The chances are you already know many of them!

In this post, we will talk about the structure of phrasal verbs, how to use them in sentences, and what makes them different from other kinds of English verbs. Along the way, we’ll introduce you to some of the most common and useful phrasal verbs in English. Are you ready? Let’s dive in!

Table of Contents

    What is the structure of phrasal verbs?

    As the word “phrase” indicates, a phrasal verb consists of a group of words, which functions as a verb. There are three ways that a phrasal verb can be structured:

    • verb

      preposition

      I don't give up easily.

      give up = stop trying

      Why don’t you look up the word you don’t know in a dictionary?

      look up = seek information in a database
    • verb

      adverb

      Mary works out every morning.

      work out = exercise

      Mary put forward a solution to the problem.

      put forward = submit or suggest
    • verb

      adverb

      preposition

      I look forward to meeting you.

      look forward to = think about a future event with pleasure

      I can’t put up with his rude remarks any longer.

      put up with = tolerate

    The adverb or preposition in a phrasal verb is sometimes called the particle. Therefore, a phrasal verb always has the structure: verb + particle(s)

    Tip

    There are a few verbs that used in a lot of common phrasal verbs. Some of the most common ones are listed below:

    take

    take off, take on, take out, take up, take away

    get

    get up, get off, get on, get in, get out, get away

    make

    make up, make out, make over, make up for

    pick

    pick on, pick up, pick at, pick out

    put

    put on, put off, put up, put away

    look

    look for, look up, look out

    turn

    turn on, turn off, turn up, turn down

    Check out this much longer list of phrasal verbs to learn more!

    How to conjugate phrasal verbs in English?

    ContConjugating phrasal verbs is easy! Just change the form of the verb like you would change the form of any other verb. The adverb and/or or preposition does not change its form.

    Let’s look at the phrasal verb pick up(to go collect something or someone) as an example:

    Verb form type
    Example sentence

    Present tense

    I usually pick up my son from school at three o’clock.

    Past tense

    I picked up my son from school at two o’clock yesterday.

    Future tense

    I will pick up my son tomorrow at the usual time.

    Progressive tense

    My husband is picking up my son right now as we speak.

    Perfect tense

    My husband has picked up my son a few times this past month.

    Infinitive

    I need to leave now to pick up my son on time.

    Gerund

    Picking up my son on time is important.

    What do phrasal verbs mean?

    The meaning of a phrasal verb is often related to the meaning of the verb part of the phrase. For example:

    Base Verb
    Phrasal Verb

    wake

    become awake (formal)

    wake up

    to stop sleeping

    come

    move closer

    come back

    return

    lie

    be in a flat position

    lie down

    to move to a flat position

    call

    contact by phone

    call around

    to contact many people by phone

    However, over time, many phrasal verbs have become idioms. Though the meaning of a phrasal verb was originally related to the meaning of the verb part, that relationship is no longer obvious. For example:

    Base verb
    Idiomatic Phrasal Verb

    count

    determine a quantity

    count on

    to expect someone to help

    run

    move fast on foot

    run out of

    to exhaust or reach the end of a resource

    dig

    cut through dirt

    dig in

    start eating enthusiastically

    And just like any kind of verb, phrasal verbs can have more than one meaning. For example:

    • take off

      remove clothing / leave the ground to fly / become successful

    • look up

      seek in a database / become better

    • check out

      examine / officially leave a hotel

    It is best to learn the meanings of phrasal verbs as independent words. You can use the meaning of the base verb to help you remember a phrasal verb once you know it, but don’t assume that you can guess the meaning of a phrasal verb just because you know how to use the base verb!

    For example, when it is cold outside, you will put on a hat, but you do not put off your hat when you come home! The opposite of put on is actually take off. The verbs put off and take on are phrasal verbs, but they have a totally unrelated meaning!

    • put off

      make someone dislike you / postpone

    • take on

      accept a challenge

    To avoid running into problems like this, always look up unfamiliar phrasal verbs in a dictionary. Or, you can check out this list of common phrasal verbs in English with examples to get started learning!

    Separable vs. inseparable phrasal verbs

    Phrasal verbs can be divided into two groups: separable phrasal verbs and inseparable phrasal verbs. A separable phrasal verb can be separated by an object, but an inseparable phrasal verb cannot. Let’s have a closer look at the difference.

    Separable phrasal verbs

    In a separable phrasal verb, a direct object can follow the verb or it can come between the verb and the particle. The meaning is not affected.

    phrasal verbdirect object

    I will pick up Steve at the airport tomorrow.
    = I will pick Steve up at the airport tomorrow.

    phrasal verbdirect object

    I will put on a casual shirt for tonight's dinner.
    = I will put a casual shirt on for tonight’s dinner.

    Some common separable phrasal verbs include pick up, put on, take off, figure out, call out, give up, and more!

    Important

    When the direct object is a pronoun (me, you, him, her, it, etc.), it must be placed inside the phrasal verb.

    phrasal verbdirect object

    I will pick him up at the airport tomorrow.

    I will pick up him at the airport tomorrow.

    In all other cases, both options are possible.

    How to add an indirect object to a separable phrasal verb?

    If you want to add an indirect object to a separable phrasal verb, it should always come after the verb and the direct object, inside a to / for phrase:

    phrasal verbdirect objectindirect object

    I picked up the medicine for my grandomother.
    = I picked the medicine up for my grandmother.

    phrasal verbdirect objectindirect object

    She put together the shelf for her friend.
    = She put the shelf together for her friend.

    Tip

    In speech, you may sometimes hear native speakers place the indirect object between the verb and the particle, like this:

    phrasal verbindirect objectdirect object

    🆗 I picked my grandmother up some medicine.

    However, this is usually considered an error (especially in writing) and it can only be done with a few phrasal verbs. it is better to keep the indirect object in a to / for phrase.

    Inseparable phrasal verbs

    As the name states, the parts of an inseparable phrasal verb always stay together. There are two types of inseparable phrasal verbs:

    • Inseparable phrasal verbs without an object
      (e.g. check in, come up, come in, cut back, drop in, drop out, give in, ...)

    • Inseparable phrasal verbs that take an object
      (e.g. get over, ask for, build on, call on, deal with, fall through, ...)

    When a phrasal verb takes an object and it is inseparable, the object must come after the whole phrasal verb, whether it is a noun, a noun phrase, or a pronoun.

      • I am going to ask for help with the project.

      • I am going to ask help for with the project.

      • It took her a long time to get over it.

      • It took her a long time to get it over.

    How to tell if a phrasal verb is separable or inseparable?

    Unfortunately, there is no definite way to tell whether a phrasal verb is separable or not without looking it up in a dictionary. A good dictionary will often indicate if a phrasal verb is separable or not by inserting something / someone between a verb and the particle.

    Luckily, three-word phrasal verbs are ALWAYS inseparable. All components need to stay together.

    • We need to come up with a new plan to win this match.

    • We need to come a new plan up with to win this match.

    • We need to come up a new plan with to win this match.

    Phrasal verbs vs. prepositional verbs

    Phrasal verbs and prepositional verbs both involve a verb that works with a preposition. However, there is a difference. You can think of it this way:

    • A phrasal verb gets its own dictionary entry. The verb and the preposition combine to form a new verb. For example:

      We went through the paperwork.

      Here go through means examine piece-by-piece. This is not go(to move) + through(in the middle of), so it is a phrasal verb!
    • A prepositional verb is a verb that is working with a preposition in a particular sentence, and could work with another preposition in another sentence without changing its essential meaning.

      We went through the forest.

      Here go through literally means to move in the middle of, so it is not a phrasal verb.
    Important

    Adverbs cannot come between the verb and particle of a phrasal verb, but they can come between the verb and the prepositional phrase in a prepositional verb!

    • phrasal verbadverb

      He looked up the word quickly.

      He looked quickly up the word.

    • verbprepositionadverb

      He looked at the watch anxiously.

      He looked anxiously at the watch.

    When to use phrasal verbs in English?

    In English, you can use a phrasal verb in all kinds of speech and writing. Just like any verb, some phrasal verbs are more formal and others are less formal.

    For historical reasons, the formal synonym for a lot of informal English phrasal verbs will be a non-phrasal verb. For example:

    • Informal:

      The researcher found out that…

      Formal:

      The researcher determined that…

    • Informal:

      The study brings up new questions.

      Formal:

      The study raises new questions.

    So, if you see a pair of synonyms, one phrasal one not, it’s a good guess that the non-phrasal verb will be more formal.

    But there are plenty of formal phrasal verbs as well! For example:

    Formal:

    Researchers carried out a survey.

    Formal:

    Staff should adhere to the safety guidelines.

    Summary

    In this post, we’ve explored how to use phrasal verbs in English. Keep in mind that…

    • A phrasal verb is a phrase that consists of a verb and particles, which can be prepositions, adverbs, or a combination of both.

    • A phrasal verb has a unique meaning that is not easy to deduce from the combined meanings of the individual words.

    • Some phrasal verbs are separable, while others are not. When a pronoun is used with a separable phrasal verb, it must be placed between the verb and the particle.

    • All three-word phrasal verbs are not separable.

    Let’s practice using English phrasal verbs! Or, start learning some vocabulary with this list of 150+ common phrasal verbs in English!

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