Phrasal Verbs

All the truth in the world adds up to one big lie. Bob Dylan * Write a page a day. It will add up * The flattery is nice, but awards don't add up to writing quality songs.

I never set out to be weird. It was always other people who called me weird. Frank Zappa

I don't like the idea of talking down to kids. I think I was talked down to, and you rebel against that.

I don't like being talked down to (by anyone). Nobody does.

I think it's a mistake to miss out on joy just because you have pain * There are many things that I feel I have missed out on * I think you miss out on a lot of stuff when you're so protected and isolated. Jennifer Aniston

My life turned out to be beyond my greatest dreams. Anthony Hopkins * I turned out to be a tough, smart kid.

Phrasal-prepositional verbs

Technique is what you fall back on when you run out of inspiration. Rudolf Nureyev
Well, I was shocked, I can tell you, but I just put it down to my not knowing anything about jewellery, as I told you. 
I was shocked. The medics put it down to my not having had any skin-to-skin contact with the babies coupled with the trauma of the situation.

My father was a GP; my mother was a teacher and amateur actress; the acting influence must have been from her - yes, put it down to my mother.

Phrasal verbs

BRAINY QUOTES

1. PHRASAL VERBS:(verb + adverb) Transitive, separable, divisible, 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. (If the object is a pronoun must sit between the verb and the adverb: Ex: She took it off.

* Good ideas are common - what's uncommon are people who'll work hard enough to bring them about.

2. PHRASAL VERBS (verb+adverb). Intransitive, (not taking direct object)

3. Phrasl verbs (1y2): transitive and intransitive: Make up (invent: transitive) Make up (to reconcile: intransitive)

4. PREPOSITIONAL VERBS: (verb + preposition),  Transitive, inseparable, not divisible; the position of the object—regardless of whether it’s a noun or pronoun—is not flexible. The object must sit after the preposition. Ex:Those shoes don't go with my dress; they don't go with it.

5. Phrasal-prepositional verbs and objects: transitive, inseparable

Make up for

DEFINITION

Phrasal verbs have two parts: a main verb and an adverb particle.

The most common adverb particles used to form phrasal verbs are: around, at, away, down, in, off, on, out, over, round, up: bring in, go around, look up, put away, take off...

Meaning

Phrasal verbs often have meanings which we cannot easily guess from their individual parts. (The meanings are in brackets.)

The book first came out in 1997. (was published)

The plane took off an hour late. (flew into the air)

The lecture went on till 6.30. (continued)

It’s difficult to make out what she’s saying. (hear/understand)

Formality

Phrasal verbs are often, but not always, less formal than a single word with the same meaning.

Compare

phrasal verb	more formal single word
We need to sort the problem out.	We need to solve/resolve the problema

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PHRASAL VERBS

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

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 (incorrect)
• We looked after them.
  looked them after (incorrect)

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.

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Phrasal-prepositional verbs

Phrasal-prepositional verbs have three parts: a verb, a particle (an adverb) and a preposition. The particle and the preposition cannot be separated. Many of these verbs are often used in informal contexts, and their meaning is difficult to guess from their individual parts.

Verb + particle (adverb) + preposition

catch up with	get on with	look out for
come up against	listen out for	look up to
do away with	look down on	put up with
face up to	look forward to	watch out for
get away with

Ken’s just chatting to a friend. He’ll catch up with us in a minute. (reach, join)

Do you get on with your neighbours? (have a good relationship with)

We look forward to meeting you on the 22nd. (anticipate with pleasure)

See also:

• Look forward to

Phrasal-prepositional verbs and objects

The object (underlined below) always comes immediately after the preposition, and not in any other position:

She was a wonderful teacher. We all looked up to her. (respected)

Not: We all looked her up to. or We all looked up her to.

Some phrasal-prepositional verbs also take a direct object after the verb as well as an object of the preposition:

fix … up with	put … down to	put … up to
let … in on	take … out on

(do = direct object; po = object of preposition [both underlined])

She fixed [DO]us up with [PO]a violin teacher. We’re really grateful to her. (fixed us up with = arranged for us)

We just put [DO]the accident down to [PO]bad luck; there’s no other reason. (put down to = think the cause or reason is)

(“Verbs: multi-word verbs” from English Grammar Today © Cambridge University Press.)