Carl W. Hart - Phrasal Verbs

What are phrasal verbs? Not everyone agrees on the exact definition, but here is a simplified explanation that will help you as you study Phrasal Verbs.

separable	inseparable
transitive	transitive three-word	intransitive	transitive with optional preposition	transitive three-word	transitive
verb + particle	verb + particle + preposition	verb + particle	verb + particle + optional preposition	verb + particle + preposition	verb + preposition
He put on his shoes. He put his shoes on. He put them on.	He screwed me out of$100.	The students lined up.	She dropped out. She dropped out of school.	I came up with a plan.	She fell for his lies.
These are what most people think of when they think of phrasal verbs, but as you can see, there are other types. A small number of separable verb + particle combinations are permanently separated.	A small number of three-word verbs are separable because they must have two objects.	A preposition is used to make some intransitive phrasal verbs transitive. Then they are like three-word phrasal verbs except that three-word phrasal verbs cannot be used without a prepositionthey have no intransitive meaning.
Most teachers call these phrasal verbs, but some teachers dont agree that verbs that end with prepositions are phrasal verbs. They call them prepositional verbs. In this book, I call them phrasal verbs. This is not something students should worry about. What is much more important is learning what they mean.
Although particles may look like prepositions or adverbs, in phrasal verbs they do not function as prepositions or adverbs, and for that reason, they are called particles. (However, sometimes you will see them called prepositions in other books about phrasal verbs.)
Because many phrasal verbs have more than one meaning, many of the phrasal verbs in this book fall into more than one of the categories described above. Also, as you study this book, you will see that there are some variations and exceptions to what I have explained here. Dont worry about trying to remember all this grammar. Please take my advice: meaning is more important than grammar! As you learn what these phrasal verbs mean by reading the examples and doing the exercises, little by little you will learn the grammar too.

When a verb requires an object, we say the verb is transitive:

I bought a car.

verb object

When a verb does not need an object, we say the verb is intransitive:

His mother died.

verb

Many verbs can be both transitive and intransitive, depending on how they are used:

We ate.

verb

We ate the pizza.

verb object

The verb and particle of some phrasal verbs can be separated by an object. When this is possible, we say that the phrasal verb is separable. When the verb and particle cannot be separated, we say that the phrasal verb is inseparable. Unfortunately, there is no rule that will help you to look at a phrasal verb and always know whether it is separable or inseparable.

When the object of a phrasal verb is a noun, it is (usually) optional whether the object is placed between the verb and the particle or placed after the particle. Both the sentences below are correct:

I took my shoes off.

I took off my shoes.

However, when an object pronoun (me, you, him, her, it, us, or them) is used instead of a noun, the pronoun must be placed between the verb and the particle:

I took them off.

I took off them.

Separating a phrasal verb is usually optional, but a small number of two-word phrasal verbs must always be separated:

He had to do his homework over.

He had to do over his homework.

Also, sometimes a two-word separable phrasal verb must be separated when it has two objects:

She put a blanket on.

She put on a blanket.

She put a blanket on the bed.

She put on a blanket the bed.

And a small number of three-word verbs are separable because they always require two objects:

My friend talked me out of it.

Intransitive phrasal verbs are always inseparable because they cannot have an object:

The airplane took off. (Take off has meanings that are transitive and intransitive.)

Some phrasal verbs are both intransitive and, when a preposition is added, transitive:

The criminals broke out.

The criminals broke out of jail.

Three-word verbs are usually inseparable:

Im looking forward to the party.

Verbs + preposition combinations are always inseparable:

He ran into a tree.

He ran a tree into.

In Phrasal Verbs, separable phrasal verbs have three dots (...) between the verb and the particle. Transitive/intransitive is not shown because this is obvious from the meaning and from the examples.

All of this might seem confusing. Remember, meaning is more important than grammar. Focus on meaning, and the grammar will follow.

1. cheer... upp.v. When people cheer up, they stop being unhappy or depressed and become happier and more cheerful. When you try to cheer people up, you try to make them less unhappy or depressed and more cheerful. When you say cheer up to people, you are encouraging them to be less unhappy or depressed and to be more cheerful.

I was very worried when I heard my mother was sick, but I cheered up later when the doctor said it wasnt serious.

Larry is always in a bad mood. I try to cheer him up, but nothing works.

Hey, cheer up. Everything is going to be OK.

1. figure... outp.v. [the object can be a noun or a noun clause] When you figure out something, such as the answer to a question, the solution to a problem, or why a person is a certain way or acts a certain way, you think about and succeed in understanding it.

Joes so hostile all the time. I cant figure him out.