Slide 1 : phrasal verbs
Slide 2 : Why learn Phrasal Verbs? 1. because they are very common in spoken and written English. Why do Phrasal Verbs have a bad reputation? 1. because almost all books concentrate on the first part of the phrasal verb (run up), rather than the second part (run up), yet the meaning is contained in the second part (the particle)! 2. because they offer flexibility to the speaker (you can make your own!) 3. because they make the difference between intermediate and advanced speakers 2. because using the traditional approach for learning phrasal verbs (i.e. one by one), students are asked to learn about 20,000 words without there being any apparent logical connection between them.
Slide 3 : The good news is: 1. They are logical
2. Although there are thousands of phrasal verbs, there are only about 20 commonly used particles. If you know what the PARTICLES mean you will have the key to unlocking the meaning of phrasal verbs.
If you know why certain PARTICLES are used you will easily be able to create your own phrasal verbs
Slide 4 : The difference between Prepositional Verbs and Phrasal Verbs Prepositional verbs
With prepositional verbs, the ‘verb’ and the ‘preposition’ maintain their original meaning
To walk up the hill (walk up = I go from the bottom of the hill to the top)
Phrasal/Particle verbs
With phrasal verbs, the ‘verb’ and ‘preposition/particle’ have a new meaning
I am picking up Japanese (pick up = I learn)
Slide 5 : pick up pick up Concrete / Spatial meaning
Prepositional Verbs Abstract / Non-spatial meaning
Phrasal/Particle Verbs throw out throw out get out of (the house) get out of (the problem)
Slide 6 : This course will seek to give logical and transparent ‘meaning’ to the
particles: out, in, into, up, down, off, away, on, over, back, about,
around, across, through, by, along By learning the meaning of the particles you will unlock the meaning of thousands of phrasal verbs. This course aims to show you how native English speakers subconsciously visualise the world. Typical teacher instructions “Phrasal verbs are idioms. They have no logic.” “Just learn the phrasal verbs one by one.” “You can speak English without using phrasal verbs.” “There is no easy way round the phrasal verb problem.”
Slide 7 : Why do we use language? We use language to give order to the world by creating categories
Different languages categorise in different ways:
animate / inanimate
human / not human
masculine / feminine
small / tall
past / present / future
events heard / events witnessed
etc. Usually, by expressing these things (emotions, social relations, thoughts etc) as
concrete objects. We can say that language is a metaphorical representation of our world But how do we talk about things that we can not see?
Slide 8 : Look at the following metaphors She covered herself with glory. the way one covers oneself with a coat
The country was in the dictator’s grip. as if he held the country in his fist
How did the news leak out? the way a liquid comes out of a hole in a container
He is full of himself. he is thinking only of himself
We were given an icy/warmwelcome. very unfriendly >< friendly
I have hot news on this burning issue. very recent news on an exciting point
His rude behaviour made my blood boil. caused extreme anger, agitation in me In these examples we are giving a concrete image to an abstract reality. In other words,
we are using metaphorical language.
Phrasal verbs also give a concrete image to an abstract reality. They are metaphors.
Slide 9 : Prepositional Verbs (concrete) become Phrasal Verbs (abstract) If the meaning of the verb is known and if the meaning of the particle is spatial, the prepositional verb is generally easy to understand:
Do you know there is petrol leaking out of your car? coming, flowing out
The children ran up the hill. run upwards
Wipe the dirt off your face. remove, take away ski down
Slide 10 : SPATIAL MEANING My friend lives across the street The walk along the river was very pleasant The restaurant is only two minutes away from here Could you give me back the book please? Their house is by the church The ball rolled down the hill We could not go into the castle Two plates fell off the table We are now flying over the north pole
Slide 11 : METAPHORICAL MEANING The problem is when the particles are used metaphorically.
English speakers extend the literal meaning of a ‘spatial’ phrasal verb to describe non-visible things like thoughts, intentions, feelings, attitudes, relations, and social interaction As a result, the non-spatial meaning of verbs such as wipe out, wear off etc is very
difficult to understand for a non native speaker of English. Talks between the USA and the UN have broken down. I have decided to take up the piano
Slide 12 : 1. Spatial phrasal verbs become metaphorical over time In the Middle Ages people used to throw out the rubbish
(they would literally throw it out of the window)
Today we place the rubbish in a plastic bag and then put this
in a rubbish bin. We do not literally throw it out. Yet we still
say to throw out the rubbish. i.e. the meaning has become
metaphorical.
Very often society, people, attitudes, actions, opinions change
so much that we lose the original meaning of the spatial
PV and we are left with only the metaphorical PV. How do phrasal verbs become metaphorical?
Slide 13 : 2. Phrasal verbs with one particle often start with a spatial meaning and then acquire several metaphorical meanings (which are often linked to the spatial meaning). The eagle is picking up the meat
(spatial meaning) The criminal has been picked up by police
(metaphorical meaning) Daniel Tammet can speak 12 languages. He picks them up easily.
(metaphorical meaning) House prices are picking up.
(metaphorical meaning)
Slide 14 : How can we turn abstract concepts into concrete reality? If you want a good understanding of phrasal verbs you need to understand how the
English see the world.
We unconsciously focus on a moving entity and view this against a background
that we see as a container or surface.
Moving entity = trajector
Background = landmark
Slide 15 :
Slide 16 : Most of the meaning of a phrasal verb is in the particle. It doesn’t make sense to learn phrasal verbs starting with the base verb because the logical connections are in the particles.
For example:
cut down = reduce
cut off = sever
cut out = stop all of these verbs use the base verb ‘cut’ but their basic meanings are unrelated because of the use of different prepositions. cut down
pull down
push down
saw down
bulldoze down
kick down
chainsaw down a tree all of these verbs use different base forms but the same
preposition (down). The basic meaning of all these verbs is
exactly the same: the tree goes down from an upright position. It makes much more sense to learn
the meaning of the particles!
Slide 17 : out
Slide 18 : OUT
=
leaving a container
Slide 19 : in
Slide 20 : into
Slide 21 : up
Slide 22 : down
Slide 23 : off
Slide 24 : away
Slide 25 : over
Slide 26 : back
Slide 27 : about
Slide 28 : around
Slide 29 : across
Slide 30 : through
Slide 31 : by
Slide 32 : along