Phrasal verbs are usually two-word phrases
consisting of verb + adverb orverb + preposition. Think of them as you would any other English vocabulary.
Study them as you come across them, rather than trying to memorize many at
once. Use the list below as a reference guide when you find an expression that
you don't recognize. The example sentences will help you understand the
meanings. If you think of each phrasal verb as a separate verb with a specific
meaning, you will be able to remember it more easily. Like many other verbs,
phrasal verbs often have more than one meaning.
Note
The structure of a
phrasal verb is:
verb
|
+
|
adverb
|
Phrasal verbs can be:
- transitive (direct
object)
- intransitive (no direct object)
Look at these examples of phrasal
verbs:
phrasal verb
|
meaning
|
example sentence
|
||
|
direct object
|
|||
transitive
|
put off
|
postpone
|
We will have to put off
|
the meeting.
|
turn down
|
refuse
|
They turned down
|
my offer.
|
|
intransitive
|
get up
|
rise from bed
|
I don't like to get up.
|
|
break down
|
cease to function
|
He was late because
his car broke 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 aseparable phrasal verb. We can say: "turn
down my offer" or
"turn my
offer down".
Look at these example sentences:
|
They turned down my offer.
|
|
They turned my offer down.
|
However, if the direct object is a pronoun, we have no
choice. We mustseparate
the phrasal verb and insert the pronoun between the two parts. Look at these
examples with the separable phrasal verb "switch on". Note that the
last one is impossible:
|
John switched on the radio.
|
|
John switched the radio on.
|
|
John switched it on.
|
Source : https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verbs-phrasal-verbs.htm