PREPOSITIONAL VERBS

Position of the object of a prepositional verb

With prepositional verbs (verb + preposition), the position of the object—regardless of whether it’s a noun or pronoun—is not flexible. The object must sit after the preposition:

• We looked after the children.
  looked the children after
• We looked after them.
  looked them after

Phrasal verbs vs. prepositional verbs:

position of the object

How we form phrasal and prepositional verbs

Structure of phrasal verbs
A phrasal verb can be made up of:
a verb + adverb	throw away
a verb + adverb + preposition	put up with

Structure of prepositional verbs
A prepositional verb is made up of:
a verb + preposition	look after, look at, wait for, think about, talk about, complain about

Position of the object of a phrasal verb

With a phrasal verb (verb + adverb), the position of the object (a noun) is flexible, i.e. it can sit either between the verb and the adverb or after the adverb:

• She took her coat off.
  (The object her coat is between the verb and the adverb.)
or

• She took off her coat.
  (The object her coat is after the adverb.)

Be careful

When the object is a pronoun (him, her, us, them, etc.), it must sit between the verb and the adverb:

• She took it off.
  took off it

Position of the object of a prepositional verb

With prepositional verbs (verb + preposition), the position of the object—regardless of whether it’s a noun or pronoun—is not flexible. The object must sit after the preposition:

• We looked after the children.
  looked the children after
• We looked after them.
  looked them after

Summary

Phrasal verbs: the object can sit before or after the particle (but not when the object is a pronoun).
Prepositional verbs: the object always comes directly after the preposition.