Phrasal Verb - Unlocking the Mystery - Introduction 

About the Class

It has become increasingly evident over the last few decades that students of English require a large and dynamic vocabulary if they wish to express themselves effectively. This means they need to acquire and familiarize themselves with some of the more idiomatic aspects of the language including, for instance, multi-word verbs (phrasal verbs), which are a notoriously tricky part of the lexicon. So why do multi-word verbs have such a bad reputation in foreign language learning? Both teachers and students seem perfectly intent on avoiding them. Yet they are probably more common in spoken English than other standard verbs, and new ones are being created all the time. Clearly students need to have a good knowledge of these verbs if they wish to become proficient in English. But how? To answer this question we first need to be very clear what the problem is. In essence, multi-word verbs are difficult to understand because the meaning of the particle (in, on, out etc) is used metaphorically. Yet many multi-word verbs can be traced back to their original concrete meaning. The problem is that the path between the concrete meaning and the abstract meaning is often lost. And if the learner is unable to see the link between concrete and abstract, then the multi-word verb will be very difficult to understand. The result is that even advanced learners of English will understand and use them poorly. This course (this lesson is the introduction to the course) aims to show students the rules that govern multi-word verbs. What governs our choice of particles/prepositions? More specifically, what do the particles/prepositions mean? Unlike other courses that look at the root verb, this course will concentrate on the particle/preposition. If you are able to understand how and why we use certain prepositions, it will become much easier for you to understand multi-word verbs in general, and to invent your own!

Language of instruction: English

Keywords: phrasal verbs, english speaking, prepositional, particles, english, trajector, landmark, verbs, vocabulary, grammar, multi-word verbs