PHRASAL VERBS - Speaking and Writing

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Phrasal verbs are commonly used in spoken English. Though they do not look difficult, they can be problematic for learners of English because of their construction and idiomatic meanings. 

Phrasal verbs consist of a verb followed by a preposition. This forms a new verb, one sometimes related to the original verb, but sometimes not. There’s no pattern to the meanings they take, and they often have a number of different meanings. Phrasal verbs are expressions or phrases which consist of a: 





The adverb or preposition that is used to form the phrasal verb is sometimes called
the particle.




Phrasal Verbs and Meanings
When a verb combines with either an adverb or preposition to form the phrasal verb, a new or extended meaning is created. This meaning is sometimes predictable from the meanings of the words that form them, but usually the meanings are unpredictable because they are idiomatic – the meanings cannot be understood from the individual words. For example: 

  

  

Phrasal verbs are commonly followed by prepositions and adverbs such as: in, out, up, off, back, into, on, over, down and others. Compare how the meaning of a verb, for example go, changes with the preposition or adverb. 





Transitive and Intransitive Phrasal Verbs
As with other verbs, phrasal verbs may be transitive (requiring an object) or
intransitive (not requiring an object). For example:




Sometimes it is possible to separate the parts of a transitive phrasal verb




There are some two-part and all three-part phrasal verbs, which cannot be
separated: 



  



Style
Phrasal verbs are characteristic of informal language, and are commonly used in
spoken English. In academic writing, it is important not to use phrasal verbs. Below is
a list of phrasal verbs with possible formal verb choices.


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