Grammar
- Step By Step Grammar 6: Prepositions
A preposition works as a link between other words. It usually indicates some sort of relationship to the object it refers to – whether to do with time or space. Words such as in, on, to, with, under, above etc. are all prepositions. The flower is on...
- To Separate Or Not? (2) - A Little Experiment
As you know, there are many phrasal verbs which can take a direct object, and where that direct object can come between the verb and the particle or after the particle. These are often known as seperable phrasal verbs: He took his hat off He...
- To Separate Or Not? (1) - Get Something Across
I was recently doing some material in class on phrasal verbs. We were using a CAE course book, which told the students they needed to know whether a phrasal verb is transitive or intransitive (does it take an object or not). And if it's transitive,...
- Random Quiz - Phrasal Verbs
Multifunctional quiz based on a 'bank' of about 500 phrasal verbs in example sentences. View by verb, particle or topic. Or just go for a random selection. This is a work in progress, I will be adding more verbs in the near future. ...
- When Is A Phrasal Verb Not A Phrasal Verb?
When it's a 'prepositional verb', apparently. Or - how they moved the goalposts when I wasn't looking. This post started off life as a small peeve in another post, but has now grown into a full-scale rant about how the writers of English...
Grammar
Phrasal verbs that are always separated
There are a few phrasal verbs that take an object where that object must go between the verb and the particle, and not after the particle. The idea of this post is to try and list all of these, or at least as many as I know about.
I've taken the verbs from various sources, but mainly from English Phrasal Verbs in Use, published by Cambridge University Press. There are some verbs where not everybody agrees that they must be separated; these I've marked with ???. For example, English Phrasal Verbs in Use has ask out sb or ask sb out, where some websites have it as only being separated.
Clicking on most verbs will take you to a definition at the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
If you know of any I've missed, please let me know in the comments.
Types of phrasal verb
A quick reminder of the different types of phrasal verb (or multi-word or multi-part verbs, as they are referred to in some books).
| Phrasal verbs (the good old-fashioned system) | Characteristics | Multi-word / Multi-part verbs (the trendy new system) |
| Type 1 phrasal verb | intransitive verb + adverb no object Only two people turned up. | Phrasal verbs |
| Type 2 phrasal verb | transitive separable verb + adverb/preposition takes an object before or after the particle She put away her things / She put her things away | |
| Type 3 phrasal verb | transitive non-separable verb + preposition takes an object after the particle Who is looking after the children? | Prepositional verbs |
| Type 4 phrasal verb | two or more particles verb + adverb + preposition takes an object after the second particle He really lives up to his reputation | Phrasal-prepositional verbs |
A couple of points about Type 2 phrasal verbs - transitive separable
Pronouns - when the object is a pronoun, it must go between the verb and the particle.
- Put on your coat / Put your coat on
- Put it on
Prepositions - when the phrasal verb is followed by a preposition with its own object, the first object usually comes before the particle. The same thing happens with a very few Type 4 verbs.
- I'd better take back that book I borrowed.
- I'm taking that book I borrowed back to the library.
- Help your aunt off with her coat
Particles - the particle acts as an adverb when the object comes before the particle, and as a preposition when the object comes after the particle:
- Could you turn the lights off - verb + object + adverb
- Could you turn off the lights - verb + preposition + object
Type 2 phrasal verbs - to separate or not to separate (when there is an option)
We often prefer to put longer phrases to the end of the sentence, and this seems to be happening with the objects here. To me the first of the following two sentences sounds better than the second.
- I'd better take back that book I borrowed.
- I'd better take that book I borrowed back.
On the other hand, when the object is short, I think it sounds better between the verb and the particle, as in the first of these two options.
- I'd better take that book back.
- I'd better take back that book.
This is only my hunch, and the difference is very small.
Patterns for verbs that are always separated
Phrasal verbs that are always separated follow one of three patterns:
- Type 2 - verb + object + adverb
have sb round - Type 2 - verb + object + preposition + object
put sth to sb - Type 4 - verb + object + adverb + preposition + object
help sb on with sth
Pattern 1 - verb + object + adverb
| ask sb back |
| ask sb round |
| bash sth about |
| bliss sb out |
| bring sb round |
| do sth over (US) |
| get sth over (and done with) |
| get sth through |
| get sb in (to do sth) |
| have sb round |
| have sb on |
| have sth on |
| have sb over |
| keep sth from sb |
| keep sth on |
| keep sth to yourself |
| mess sb about |
| move sth along |
| move sth around |
| pull sb/sth through (sth) |
| ring sb back |
| rub sth in |
| see sb through (sth) |
| send sb away |
| set sb off (doing sth) |
| show sb around |
| shut sb up |
| start sth over (US) |
| talk sb into sth |
| talk sb around |
| tear sb apart |
| tear sb away |
| tell sb/sth apart |
Pattern 2 - verb + object + preposition + object
| leave sb to sth |
| press sb for sth |
| put sth at sth |
| put sb onto sth |
| put sth to sb |
| run sth by sb |
| see sb through sth |
| take sb through sth |
| turn sth to sth |
| walk sb through sth |
Pattern 3 - verb + object + adverb + preposition + object
| help sb off with sth |
| help sb on with sth |
| make it up to sb |
| pass sth off as sth |
| put sb up to sth |
Usually, but not always, separated
| ask sb out ??? |
| let sb down ??? |
| put sb through ??? |
Resources
- English Phrasal Verbs in Use
Related posts
- Random quiz - phrasal verbs
- Random stories - Three part phrasal verbs
- Three-part phrasal verbs - exercise
- Phrasal verbs with give
- Phrasal verbs with go
- Phrasal verbs with take
- Prepositional verbs - story exercise
- Prepositional verbs - lesson
Links
- English Teacher Dot Me
- English Club
- Reverso
- Pearson Longman
- One Stop English - discussion for teachers
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- Step By Step Grammar 6: Prepositions
A preposition works as a link between other words. It usually indicates some sort of relationship to the object it refers to – whether to do with time or space. Words such as in, on, to, with, under, above etc. are all prepositions. The flower is on...
- To Separate Or Not? (2) - A Little Experiment
As you know, there are many phrasal verbs which can take a direct object, and where that direct object can come between the verb and the particle or after the particle. These are often known as seperable phrasal verbs: He took his hat off He...
- To Separate Or Not? (1) - Get Something Across
I was recently doing some material in class on phrasal verbs. We were using a CAE course book, which told the students they needed to know whether a phrasal verb is transitive or intransitive (does it take an object or not). And if it's transitive,...
- Random Quiz - Phrasal Verbs
Multifunctional quiz based on a 'bank' of about 500 phrasal verbs in example sentences. View by verb, particle or topic. Or just go for a random selection. This is a work in progress, I will be adding more verbs in the near future. ...
- When Is A Phrasal Verb Not A Phrasal Verb?
When it's a 'prepositional verb', apparently. Or - how they moved the goalposts when I wasn't looking. This post started off life as a small peeve in another post, but has now grown into a full-scale rant about how the writers of English...