What is the Phrasal Verb?
Phrasal verbs are expressions made up of a verb and one or two particles (either an adverb or a preposition). These combinations often have meanings that are different from the individual words that make them up. For example, “look up” doesn’t mean to simply “look” in an upward direction; it can mean “to search for information” (like looking something up in a dictionary).
Key Points:
Verb + Adverb/Preposition: The combination of a verb with an adverb or a preposition forms a phrasal verb.
- Example: “turn on” (to activate), “run into” (to meet unexpectedly).
Meaning: The meaning of a phrasal verb is often idiomatic, so it’s important to know the specific meaning of the combination, which may not be obvious from the meanings of the individual words.
- Example: “Give up” means “to quit” or “stop trying,” not just “to give” and “up.”
Transitive or Intransitive:
- Transitive Phrasal Verbs: These require a direct object.
- Example: “She turned off the lights.” (Here, “lights” is the object.)
- Intransitive Phrasal Verbs: These don’t need a direct object.
- Example: “He woke up late.”
- Transitive Phrasal Verbs: These require a direct object.
Separable and Inseparable:
- Separable: The object can come between the verb and the particle.
- Example: “She picked up the book.”
- “She picked the book up.”
- Inseparable: The object must come after the particle.
- Separable: The object can come between the verb and the particle.
- Example: “He ran into an old friend.”