What are phrasal verbs
1. A phrasal verb is
a verb plus a preposition or adverb which
creates a meaning
different from the original verb.
Example:
I ran into my teacher
at the movies last night. run + into =
meet
He ran away when he
was 15. run + away = leave home
2. Some phrasal verbs
are intransitive. An intransitive verb
cannot be followed by
an object.
Example:
He suddenly showed
up. "show up" cannot take an object
3. Some phrasal verbs
are transitive. A transitive verb can be
followed by an
object.
Example:
I made up the
story. "story" is the object of "make up"
4. Some transitive
phrasal verbs are separable. The object is
placed between the
verb and the preposition.
In this Phrasal
Verb Dictionary,
separable phrasal verbs are marked by
placing a * between
the verb and the preposition / adverb.
Example:
I talked my mother
into letting me borrow the car.
She looked the
phone number up.
5. Some transitive
phrasal verbs are inseparable. The object is
placed after the
preposition. In this Phrasal
Verb Dictionary,
inseparable phrasal
verbs are marked by placing a + after the
preposition / adverb.
Example:
I ran into an old
friend yesterday.
They are looking into
the problem.
6. Some transitive
phrasal verbs can take an object in both
places. In this
Phrasal Verb Dictionary, such phrasal verbs are
marked with both *
and + .
Example:
I looked the
number up in the phone book.
I looked up the
number in the phone book.
7. WARNING! Although
many phrasal verbs can take an
object in both
places, you must put the object between the
verb and the
preposition if the object is a pronoun.
Example:
I looked the
number up in the phone book.
I looked up the
number in the phone book.
I looked it up
in the phone book. correct
I looked up it in the phone book.
incorrect
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