Multi-word verbs

Multi-word verbs, including phrasal verbs, Prepositional Verbs and Phrasal-prepositional Verbs, are very common, especially in spoken English. A multi-word verb is a verb like "pick up", "turn on" or "get on with". These verbs consist of a basic verb + another word or words. The other word(s) can be prepositions and/or adverbs. The important thing to remember is that a multi-word verb is still a verb. "Get" is a verb. "Get up", is also a verb, a different verb. "Get" and "get up" are two different verbs. They do not have the same meaning. So you should treat each multi-word verb as a separate verb, and learn it like any other verb.
single-word verb multiword verbs prepositional verbs phrasal verbs phrasalprepositional verbs look look after look up look forward to direct your eyes in a certain direction take care of search for and find information in a reference book anticipate with pleasure You must look before you leap. Who is looking after the baby? You can look up my number in the telephone directory. I look forward to meeting you.

Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal verbs are made of: verb + adverb Phrasal verbs can be: intransitive (no direct object) transitive (direct object)
Phrasal verbs intransitive phrasal verbs transitive phrasal verbs get up break down put off turn down meaning rise from bed cease to function postpone refuse examples I don't like to get up. H is car broke down. We will have to put off They turned down the meeting. my offer. direct object

Separable Phrasal Verbs When phrasal verbs are transitive, we can usually separate the two parts. For example, "turn down" is a separable phrasal verb. We can say: "turn down my offer" or "turn my offer down".
Transitive phrasal verbs are separable They They turned turned my offer down down. my offer.

However, if the direct object is a pronoun, we have no choice. We must separate the phrasal verb and insert the pronoun between the two parts. Look at this example with the separable phrasal verb "switch on": Direct object pronouns must go between the two parts of transitive phrasal verbs:
John John John John switched switched switched switched the radio it on on. on. on it. This is not possible. the radio. These are all possible.

Prepositional Verbs
Prepositional verbs are made of verb + preposition Because a preposition always has an object, all prepositional verbs have direct objects. Here are some examples of prepositional verbs:
Prepositional verb believe in look after talk about wait for take care of discuss await meaning have faith in the existence of examples I believe in He is looking after Did you talk about John is waiting for direct object God. the dog. me? Mary.

Prepositional verbs cannot be separated. That means that we cannot put the direct object between the two parts. For example, we must say "look after the baby". We cannot say "look the baby after":
Who is looking after the baby? prepositional verbs are inseparable Who is looking the baby after? This is possible. This is not possible.

Phrasal-prepositional Verbs
Phrasal-prepositional verbs get on with put up with look forward to run out of

Phrasal-prepositional verbs are made of verb + adverb + preposition

meaning have a friendly relationship with tolerate anticipate with pleasure use up, exhaust examples He doesn't get on with I won't put up with I look forward to We have run out of direct object his wife. your attitude. seeing you. eggs.

Because phrasal-prepositional verbs end with a preposition, there is always a direct object. And, like prepositional verbs, phrasal-prepositional verbs cannot be separated. Look at these examples: phrasal-prepositional verbs are inseparable We We ran out of ran out of fuel. it.

Exercises 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Why do we always talk the weather about? My mother switched the radio off this morning. I will look your letter forward to. He was nice, but we turned down him. I believe in ghosts, don't you? We will have to wait the bus for at the corner. Melissa is going to look after the children. I have to put the baby down while I sweep the floor. Why don't you switch the music over while you wait? Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Wrong Wrong Wrong Wrong Wrong Wrong Wrong Wrong Wrong Wrong

10. Can you go to the store before we run milk out of.

Can you match the phrasal verb in the first list to the equivalent word in the second list? 1. Get over an illness, a broken heart 2. Launch into an argument, a discussion 3. Give back some money, a library book 4. Look into a problem, a crime, a decision 5. Get on well with your family, your boss 6. Bring up a son, daughter 7. Put off homework, a decision 8. Put out a cigarette, a fire 9. Talk over a problem, an important decision 10. Take down notes in class, personal information about someone 11. Take off your shoes, clothes 12. Bump into an old friend Look up the following phrasal verbs in the dictionary to find out whether they take an object. If they take an object, show with a tick whether the object comes between the verb and particle, after the particle, or in both places. 1. drop ___ by ___ 2. abide ___ by ___ 3. ask ___ out ___ 4. bear ___ up ___ 5. breeze ___ through ___ 6. consist ___ of ___ 7. fasten ___ up ___ 8. pore ___ over ___ 9. live ___ through ___ 10. take ___ against ___ a) ___ extinguish b) ___ recover from c) ___ begin d) ___ postpone e) ___ discuss f) ___ meet by chance g) ___ write h) ___ return i) ___ investigate j) ___ remove k) ___ raise l) ___ have a good relationship with

Choose the best meaning of the phrasal verb from the words in the box. 1. pick on 2. put away 3. cut back 4. loosen up 5. pour down 6. pop off (a) collect (a) forget (a) stop (a) relax (a) be honest (a) appear (b) recognize (b) send to prison (b) remove (b) untie (b) rain (b) explode (c) criticize (c) substitute (c) reconnect (c) prepare (c) appear (c) leave (d) take (d) criticize (d) reduce spending (d) allow (d) leave (d) forget

Use the correct form of the phrasal verbs in the previous exercise to fill the gaps in the sentences below. 1. It ........................ for most of the summer this year. 2. They ........................... for two years for their part in the crime. 3. Ive got to ........................... now. Ive got a dentist appointment at 3. 4. They always ............................ her because shes the smallest. 5. He was quite nervous at first but soon .......................... 6. Were going to have to .......................... next year with only one salary.