PHRASAL VERBS = verb + adverbial particle and/or preposition

Phrasal verbs: examples:

Slow down - go more slowly

Count on somebody/something - be sure someone will help you

Put up with somebody/something - tolerate somebody or something

INTRANSITIVE VERB TRANSITIVE VERBS

1. INTRANSITIVE VERB + 4. TRANSITIVE VERB +PARTICLE

PARTICLE
Pack something in , put someone off
Slow down, get on, take off

5 . TRANSITIVE VERB +
PREPOSITION
1. INTRANSITIVE VERB +
PREPOSITION Talk someone into something, rush
get off something , count on someone someone into something

6. TRANSITIVE VERB +
2. INTRANSITIVE VERB + PARTICLE + PREPOSITION
PARTICLE + PREPOSITION
Take someone up on something, put
Put up with someone, come up against
something down to something
something

NOTE:

A PARTICLE IS AN ADVERBIAL PARTICLE, IT A TRANSITIVE VERB IS

IS NOT FOLLOWED BY AN OBJECT. FOLLOWED BY A DIRECT OBJECT

A PREPOSITION IS FOLLOWED BY AN
INDIRECT OBJECT.
Examples of PHRASAL VERBS

1. INTRANSITIVE VERB + PARTICLE

Structure:
VERB PARTICLE MEANING

COME ALONG develop/ progress how’s your book coming along?

SLOW DOWN decrease speed The truck slowed down and stopped.
GET ON have a good relationship How do they get on?
HOLD ON wait Hold on a , I’m coming.
SET OFF start a journey She set off early one morning.
TAKE OFF leave the ground Their plane took off at 10:00.

2. INTRANSITIVE VERB + PREPOSITION

Structure:
VERB PREPOSI OBJECT OF MEANING
TION THE
PREPOSITION
Be At Someone Complain He is at his students all the
continually time

Be With Someone Understand Please repeat. I’m not quite

someone’s with you.
arguments
Count On Someone Rely on someone I can always count on my
sister.

Look Into Something Investigate or I will look into the question

research something immediately.

Take After Someone Resemble someone I take after my

grandmother.
 3. INTRANSITIVE VERB + PARTICIPLE+PREPOSITION

Structure:
VERB PARTICLE PREPOSITION OBJECT OF MEANING
PREPOSITION

Come Up Against Someone / Be opposed by We came up

something someone or against too many
problems.
something
Come Up With Something Have an idea or Lieutenant
find a solution. Colombo came up
with a surprising
thought.
Get Down To Something Start serious It’s not hard to do,
work, tackle once you get down
to it.
something
Go In For Something Be interested in He’s going in for
a hobby or a football this term.
sport.
Look Up To Someone Admire and He has always
respect looked up to his
coach.
someone.

Put Up With Someone / Tolerate I’ve put up with

something someone his bad behaviour
long enough.
 4. TRANSITIVE + PARTICIPLE
PARTICULARITY OF THIS FORMAT OF PHRASAL VERB:

1. The position of the DIRECT OBJECT depends on whether it is:

A noun/ A noun phrase or

A pronoun

 When the noun or noun phrase is the direct object it can stand either before or after the
particle. – She put the cat out / she put out the cat.
 When the direct object is a pronoun, (me, you, him, her, it, us, them)it must stand before
the particle. – She put it out.

Structure:
VERB DIRECT PARTICLE MEANING
OBJECT

Pack Something In Finish with or leave She packed her job in/
She packed in her job
something

Ring Someone Up Call someone on the I rang John up / I rang up

phone John

Bring Someone Up Raise someone I brought up 3 children./ I

brought 3 children up.

Call Something Off Cancel something They called the party off /
They called off the party.
*The party was called off.

Let Someone Down Disappoint someone The groom let the bride
down on her wedding day
The groom let down the
bride on her wedding day..
*passive

EXCEPTION 1: Some pattern 4 phrasal verbs do not permit the noun/noun phrase to be flexible
and require it to come before the particle.

Disappoint someone: Get someone down X get down someone

Give someone the wrong idea: Lead someone on X lead on someone

Accompany someone to a departure: See someone off X see off someone

Restrict someone’s freedom /actions: Tie someone down X tie down someone
 EXCEPTION 2: On the contrary, a small number of pattern 4 verbs put the direct object after the
particle:

Stop doing something someone enjoys: She gave up painting X give painting up

Continue a friendship/activity/course: I am keeping up my French X keeping her French up

Begin a hobby, interest, sport,… She has taken up swimming this fall X taken swimming up

5. TRANSITIVE + PREPOSITION (1 DIRECT AND 1 INDIRECT OBJECT)

Structure
Verb Direct Preposition Object of Meaning
object preposition

Talk Someone Into Something Convince someone to do Who talked you into it?
something

Read Something Into Something Understand more than is He didn’t say he wanted to come.
meant/interpret wrongly You’re reading more into his remark
than was said.
Rush Someone Into Something Cause someone to make a The salesman tried to rush us into a
hurried decision decision.

Turn Someone Off Something Cause to lose interest in That bout of food poisoning turned me
something off mushrooms.

6. TRANSITIVE + PARTICLE + PREPOSITION

Structure

VERB DIRECT PARTICLE PREPOSITION OBJECT OF MEANING

OBJECT PREPOSITION

Put Someone Up To Something Persuade someone to Who put the little

do something he boy up to that
doesn’t want to do nasty prank

Take Someone Up On Something Accept an offer or I’ll take you up on

suggestion from that drink.
someone
Put Something Down To Something Give a reason for He put her
rudeness down to
her bad
upbringing.
Make Something Up To Someone Compensate I’ll make it up to
someone for you as soon as I
something can.