phrasal verbs

Some verbs are two part verbs (see Clauses, Sentences and Phrases). They consist of a verb and a particle:

grow + up
>> The children are growing up.

Often this gives the verb a new meaning:

take + after
>> She takes after her mother
= She looks like her mother, or She behaves like her mother.
count + on
>> I know I can count on you
= I know I can trust you, or I know I can believe you.

Some transitive two part verbs (see Clauses, Sentences and Phrases) have only one pattern:

N (subject) + V + p + N (object)

[Note: N = noun; V = verb; p = particle]

N (Subject)

Verb

Particle

N (Object)

She
I
My father

takes
can count
comes

after
on
from

her mother
you
Madrid

Some transitive two part verbs (see Clauses, Sentences and Phrases) are phrasal verbs. Phrasal verbs have two different patterns:

• The usual pattern is: N + V + N + p

N (Subject)

Verb

(N) Object

Particle

She
He
We

gave
knocked
will be leaving

the money
the glass
our friends and neighbours

back
over
behind

• But sometimes these verbs have the pattern: N (subject) + V + p + N (object)

N (Subject)

Verb

Particle

N (Object)

She
He
We

gave
knocked
will be leaving

back
over
behind

the money
the glass
our friends and neighbours

When the object is a personal pronoun,these verbs always have the pattern:

N + V +N + p:

>> She gave it back
>> knocked it over
>> We will be leaving them behind

• Phrasal verbs are nearly always made up of a transitive verb and a particle. Common verbs with their most frequent particles are:

bring:

about, along, back, forward, in, off, out, round, up

buy:

out, up

call:

off, up

carry:

off, out

cut:

back, down, off, out, up

give:

away, back, off

hand:

back, down, in, on out, over, round

knock:

down, out, over

leave:

behind, out

let:

down, in, off, out

pass:

down, over, round

point:

out

push:

about, around, over

put:

across, away, down, forward, off, on, out, through, together, up

read:

out

set:

apart, aside, back, down

shut:

away, in, off, out

take:

apart, away, back, down, in, on, up, over

think:

over, through, up

	Created by gaida.kabral over 11 years ago

(GRAMMAR and LANGUAGE STRUCTURES. Links to exercises) Note on Phrasal verbs:theory and practice, created by gaida.kabral on 05/05/2013.

Phrasal verbs:theory and practice