www.jazykovevzdelavanie.sk : © ENY 2009 1 www.jazykovevzdelavanie.sk PHRASAL VERBS Phrasal verbs are sometimes called multi-word verbs.
Phrasal verbs consist of two, sometimes three, words.
The first word is a verb that is followed by:
a) a prepostion look at
b) an adverb turn down
c) both put up with
These prepositions and adverbs are also called particles.
In dictionaries, phrasal verbs are usually marked by PHR V. They are listed in alphabetical order of the particles following them.
www.jazykovevzdelavanie.sk : © ENY 2009 2 www.jazykovevzdelavanie.sk THE MEANING OF PHRASAL VERBS The meaning of a phrasal verb can sometimes be explained with a one-word verb. Phrasal verbs are used in informal spoken English. If a phrasal verb has a one-word equivalent, it is used in more formal style.
phrasal verb sort out = one-word verb solve ILLITERAL PV
They have idiomatic meaning that you need to learn. LITERAL PV
It is easy to guess their meaning because the verb and the particle keep their usual meaning. fall down go away come back pick up lie down give up put out look after break down get on with
www.jazykovevzdelavanie.sk : © ENY 2009 3 www.jazykovevzdelavanie.sk THE GRAMMAR OF PHRASAL VERBS INTRANSITIVE PV
They have no object and are written in dictionaries without sth or sb.
e. g. eat out, get up, wake up, speak up TRANSITIVE PV
They take an object. They can be:
SEPARABLE – object can be either between the verb and particle or after the particle put the shoes on / put on the shoes
In dictionaries, separable verbs are written like this:
tear sth (=something)/sb (=somebody) up, think sth over
When the object is a long phrase, it usually comes after the particle. She tore up all the letters that she received.
When the object is a pronoun, it must always go between the verb and the particle. She read the letter and tore it up.
INSEPARABLE - the two parts of the verb cannot be separated by an object
In dictionaries, inseparable verbs are written like this:
look after sth/sb, take after sb, look for smt Some phrasal verbs can be used in both ways:
I told him to shut up. (intransitive)
Shut her up! She has already said too much. (transitive)