What are phrasal verbs?
Phrasal verbs are phrases that indicate actions. They are generally used in spoken English and informal texts. Examples of such verbs include: turn down, come across and run into.
Phrasal verbs consist of a verb and a preposition or an adverb:
| Verb | Preposition/adverb |
|---|---|
| get | up |
| go | through |
| write | down |
| take | after |
Sometimes phrasal verbs consist of three elements:
| Verb | Preposition / adverb 1 | Preposition / adverb 2 |
|---|---|---|
| look | forward | to |
| put | up | with |
| sit | in | for |
When added to the verb the preposition or adverb may change completely the meaning of the verb. Here are some examples:
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| look for | search/seek | He is looking for his keys |
| look up to | have a great deal of respect for a person | His father is his model. He is the person he looks up to. |
| look forward to | await eagerly/anticipate with pleasure | She is looking forward to visiting Paris. |
| look up | to try to find a piece of information by looking in a book or on a computer: | She didn't understand the word. So she looked it up in her dictionary |
The meaning of phrasal verbs
Sometimes, it is difficult to understand the meaning of phrasal verbs. Before looking them up in a dictionary, it would be helpful to use the context to understand them.
Literal meaning
Some phrasal verbs have a literal meaning. They can be easily understood.
- She opened the door and looked outside.
- She was walking across the street when she heard the sound of an explosion.
Idiomatic meaning
Phrasal verbs can also have a figurative or idiomatic meaning which makes them difficult to understand.
- Can you put me up for tonight?
The phrasal verb 'put up' here does not mean to build (as in putting a fence up). It has, however, an idiomatic/figurative meaning. It means to let someone stay in your house.
Separable or inseparable?
1. Sometimes, the preposition/adverb is placed either after the verb or after the object.
Examples:
- Mary made up a really entertaining story.
- Mary made the story up.
2. If the object is a pronoun, however, the preposition/adverb has to be placed after the pronoun (object).
Examples:
- She made it up.
- Put it down.
- Take it off.
3. Some phrasal verbs are always inseparable.
Example:
- I came across some old photos in a drawer.
NOT
I came some old photos across in a drawer.
Here is an example of how a phrasal verb is formed:
- Put = to place something somewhere.
("He put the plates on the table.")
- Up = to a higher point.
("Look up!")
- With = concerning.
("She is happy with her workplace.")
- Put up with = to tolerate.
("I cannot put up with this behavior any more!")
