PHRASAL VERBS & IDIOMS

• Examples:
run into, ran away, gang up,
gear up, back up, back off,
see through, see about, send off,
settle down, settle for, show through,
show up, tag along, take on,
talk into, talk out of, talk back,
tone down, touch up, top off,
turn up, etc.
 Types Of Phrasal Verbs:

There are four basic types of phrasal verbs:

1. Verb + particle
2. Verb + particle + object/ verb + object+ particle
3. Verb + particle + object (verb + particle inseparable)
4. Verb + particle + preposition+ object (verb
inseparable from particle and preposition)

1. Verb + particle  e.g. look out! (= be careful);

We set off on our journey (=started)
2. Phrasal verb with an object either after the particle or
between the verb and particle:

2a) Verb + object + particle  e.g. I’ll throw the rubbish away.
Take your shoes off.

2b) Verb + particle + object  e.g. I’ll throw away the rubbish.
Take off your shoes.

• Note: When object is a pronoun, e.g. them, it can only go

before the particle, not after it.
e.g. I’ll throw it away (NOT: I’ll throw away it.)
Take them off (NOT: Take off them.)
3. Phrasal verb with object, but verb and
particle inseparable:

Verb + particle + object

e.g. She takes after her mother.

(Not: She takes her mother after.)

Looking after a baby is hard work.

(NOT: Looking a baby after is hard work.)
4. Phrasal verbs with three parts: verb+
particle+ preposition.
In this case, the verb cannot be separated
from the other parts.

Verb + particle + preposition + object

e.g. I’m looking forward to the weekend.

You go now, I’ll catch up with you later.
Going back on promises is not a good
habit.
 Phrasal verbs can be:

• 1. Intransitive (cannot be followed by an

object)
e.g. He suddenly showed up.
“show up” cannot take an object.

• 2. Transitive (followed by object)

e.g. I made up the story.
"story" is the object of "make up"
 Phrasal Meaning Examples
verbs
Direct
object
intransitive
Phrasal 1.Get up Rise from I don’t like to
bed get up early.
verbs

2. Break down Cease to He was late as

function/ not his car broke
function down.

transitive
Put off Postpone We will have to the
Phrasal put off meeting.
verbs
Turn down refuse They turned my offer.
down
Separable Phrasal Verbs: When phrasal verbs are transitive (that is, they
have a direct object), we can usually separate the two parts. For example, "turn
down" is a separable phrasal verb. We can say: "turn down my offer" or "turn
my offer down"

subj verb object particle object

Transitive ect
phrasal
verbs are They turned down my
separable offer.

They turned my down.

offer
However, if the direct object is a pronoun, we must
separate the phrasal verb and insert the pronoun between
the two parts:

Direct Ali switched on the

object radio.
pronouns
must go
between Ali switched the on.
the two radio
parts of
transitive
phrasal Ali switched it on.
verbs

Ali switched on it.

 Phrasal verbs have a literal and an idiomatic
meaning:

Verb and Adverb (run + around)

• to run around (something) - to run in a circle around

something (literal)

e.g. The dog ran around the fire hydrant.

• to run around (somewhere) - to go to various places

to do something (idiomatic/figurative)

e.g. I spent the day running around town.

Verb and Adverb and Preposition (run +
along/around + with)

to run along with (someone or something) - to run

beside or at the same pace as someone or something
(literal)
• e.g. The dog ran along with the bicycle.

to run around with (someone) - to be friends and do

things with someone or with a group (idiomatic/
figurative)

• e.g. The boy is running around with a bad group of

people.
Phrasal Verbs

Exercises
 1. Identify the placement of verb, particle and
object in the following sentences.

1. I talked my mother into letting me borrow the car.

2. I ran into an old friend yesterday.
3. They are looking into the problem.
4. She looked the phone number up.
5. I looked up the number in the phone book.
6. I looked it up in the phone book.
7. Cheer up!
2. Complete the sentences using the correct form of
phrasal verbs. Use each phrasal verb only once.

break out, break down, get up, switch on,

ring up, turn down

1. I have to speak to Mr. Mason. I’d better________ up.

2. Do you like ______________early in the mornings?
3. Could you _____________________ the light?
4. The lift has _______and isn’t working at the moment.
5. A fire ______in the offices of ABC cinema last night.
6. That music s rather loud. Can you ____________ it?
 3. Replace the underlined words with the correct
form of phrasal verbs.

Come into, run into, come up with, look back on, go into,

1. We’ve examined the problem very carefully.

2. Jane inherited a great deal of money when her
grandmother died.
3. I met an old friend by chance in town yesterday
afternoon.
4. When you remember the past, it’s easy to see the
mistakes you’ve made.
5. We must try to find a solution to the problem.
 Relevant links/ sources:
• http://www.englishpage.com/prepositions/phras
aldictionary.html
• http://www.englishclub.com/ref/Phrasal_Verbs/i
ndex.htm
• http://www.idiomsite.com/
• http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/
• phrasal-verbs/g.html
• Saadat Ali Shah. Exploring the World of
English. Chapters 1-6.
THE END