Phrasal verbs

While most verbs are single words, some are phrasal: they contain two words. In phrasal verbs, the first word is a verb and the second word is called a particle. Here are some examples, with the phrasal verbs underlined:

1. She looked up the answer.

2. We will just drop off the files.

3. The professor pointed out the correct answer.

Notice that the meaning of a phrasal verb is often similar to the meaning of a single verb:

4. She looked up the answer.

She researched the answer.

5. We will just drop off the files.

We will just deliver the files.

6. The professor pointed out the correct answer.

The professor identified the correct answer.

Quick tip

If you can substitute a single verb for a verb and the word following it, you probably have a phrasal verb. For example, you can say, She pointed out the truth to us or She showed the truth to us. Point out is a phrasal verb.

We can also still identify phrasal verbs using our to ______ or should _________ Quick tips:

Answers

In many cases, the two parts of a phrasal verb, the verb and its particle, can be separated:

7. She looked the answer up.

8. We will just drop the files off.

9. The professor pointed the correct answer out.

Even when the two parts are separated, it’s still a phrasal, or multi-word, verb. When you can separate the two parts in this way, you know that you’ve got a phrasal verb.

Quick tip

If you can move a particle away from its verb, you have a phrasal verb. For example, since you can say both She looked up the answer and She looked the answer up, look up is a phrasal verb.

Vowel

In some cases, a particle cannot be separated from its verb:

10. She asked for the receptionist.

11. The lawyer objected to the defendant’s statement.

12. He will look into the judge’s decision.

In these cases, you cannot say:

13. *She asked the receptionist

14. *The lawyer for. Objected the defendant’s statement to.

15. *He will look the judge’s decision into.

So the last Quick tip is not useful in these cases; you have to rely on the verb substitution test and the to and should tests.

Answers

To enhance your understanding

Take a look at these groups of sentences:

16. She looked up the answer.                           She looked the answer up.     

     *She looked up it.                                          She looked it up.

17. We will just drop off the children.               We will just drop the children off.

     *We will just drop off them.                          We will just drop them off.

18. He pointed out the other girl.                      He pointed the other girl out.

     *He pointed out her.                                     He pointed her out.

As you can see, in some cases (those with an asterisk), a particle cannot be next to its verb; the two parts must be separated. As a matter of fact, this is true in all of those cases where the direct object of the verb (what the verb is acting upon) is one of the following words: me, you, him, her, it, us, them. You might recognize these words as pronouns.

اخر الاخبار

اخبار العتبة العباسية المقدسة

قسم صناعة الشبابيك يشرع بإدامة شباكين قديمين لمرقد الإمامين العسكريين (عليهما السلام)

فرقة العباس (عليه السلام) تختتم خدماتها المقدمة للزائرين في سامراء

موكب العتبتين المقدستين يحيي ذكرى استشهاد الإمام الهادي (عليه السلام) في سامراء

العتبة العسكرية المقدسة تكرّم وفد العتبة العباسية المقدسة لمشاركته في تقديم الخدمات للزائرين

المزيد

الآخبار الصحية

كنز غذائي على طبقك.. ماذا تفعل السبانخ بجسمك؟

ما لا يتوقعه أحد.. "سر غذائي" في الجبن الدسم

لتحسين الهضم والنوم.. هذا أفضل وقت لتناول العشاء

10 طرق بسيطة وغير مألوفة لحرق المزيد من السعرات يوميا

المزيد

الآخبار التكنلوجية

سابقة بعالم الطيران.. طائرة تقرر الهبوط بنفسها بعد ظرف طارئ

"الإنفلونزا الخارقة" تكتسح دول العالم.. وتثير قلقا كبيرا

مرحلة ما قبل الأعراض.. دواء جديد يستهدف "شرارة" الزهايمر

إزالة ثاني أكسيد الكربون من الغلاف الجوي.. ما دور المحيطات والبحار؟

المزيد

مواضيع ذات صلة

Agreement

Case and agreement

Noun Phrases Conclusion

Noun Phrases

Compound verb phrases

Compound verb phrases

Compound noun phrases

COMPOUND PHRASES

The basic structure of auxiliary phrases

AUXILIARY PHRASES

VERB PHRASES The basic structure of verb phrases

PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES The basic structure of prepositional phrases