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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.
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THE MEANING OF PHRASAL VERBS
LITERAL PV
ILLITERAL PV
It is easy to guess their
meaning because the verb
and the particle keep their
usual meaning.
They have idiomatic meaning
that you need to learn.
The meaning of a phrasal verb can sometimes be explained with a oneword 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
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THE GRAMMAR OF PHRASAL VERBS
TRANSITIVE PV
INTRANSITIVE PV
They take an object. They can be:
They have no object and
are written in dictionaries
without sth or sb.
 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:
e. g. eat out, get up, wake
up, speak up
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)
look after sth/sb, take after sb, look for smt
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