24th March

Grammar: Phrasal verbs

Phrasal Verbs with Two Particles

Most phrasal verb combinations use one particle, but some use two. For example:

The thieves made off with the loot.
The project ran up against financial problems.
The car ran out of gas.
I’m coming down with a cold.
Lulu comes across as rather self-centered.
The children look up to their teacher.
Julia is going out with Ted.
These two students don’t get along with each other.
Look out for ice on the road.

Phrasal Verbs Can Have Several Meanings

To complicate things further, a given phrasal verb combination can have multiple meanings. For example, to make up has at least five distinct meanings:

The two friends had an argument, but they made up afterward.
I let the cosmetics saleswoman make up my face.
The children made up a story to explain why they were late.
I need to make up the exam I missed.
The housekeeper will make up the room.

And while to look over something is to examine it carefully, to overlook it has nearly the opposite meaning, suggesting carelessness. Aaargh!

Intransitive and Transitive Phrasal Verbs

Once you have learned some phrasal verb combinations, you then face the next hurdle:  where to put the direct object.

Some phrasal verbs are intransitive, meaning they don’t take a direct object at all. Examples include back down, catch on, come back, come over, drop out, get ahead, get away, get well, grow up, look alike, run away, watch out.

Identical twins look alike.
The robbers ran away when they heard police sirens.
Get well soon.

But many others are transitive, meaning they do take a direct object. The direct object can be a noun or a pronoun.

George developed a drinking problem and quickly ran through his money.
Lilia called to ask about the party; please call her back and tell her it’s at 8:00.

Inseparable and Separable Phrasal Verbs

Transitive phrasal verbs are further subdivided into two groups, according to where the direct object is placed: inseparable and separable.

With inseparable phrasal verbs, the direct object can only go after the particle. You can’t put anything in between the noun and the particle; they have to stay together. For example:

Burglars broke into the house. They broke into it.
(Not: They broke it into.)
The bully picked on younger children. The bully picked on them.
(Not: The bully picked them on.)

With separable phrasal verbs, if the direct object is a noun, there is a choice: the object can go after the particle, or it can go in between the verb and the particle. For example:

Clean up this mess! Clean this mess up!
She turned on the light. She turned the light on.

However, if the direct object is a pronoun, it can only go in between the verb and particle:

The students wrote down the assignment. They wrote it down.
(Not: They wrote down it.)
I pick up my daughter from school every day. I pick her up from school every day.
(Not: I pick up her.)