USING VERBS WITH PREPOSITIONS IN ENGLISH PREPOSITIONAL AND PHRASAL VERBS IN ENGLISH

Students of English frequently have difficulty understanding how to use verb+preposition combinations in English. Though the general rules are actually quite simple (like most rules of language), it is sometimes difficult to see the relation between a verb and the preposition that follows it. Two principal but very different situations (or deep structures) exist, and unfortunately they (i.e. their surface structures) can appear to be identical.

Compare the following pairs:

With nouns as objects The car ran over the hedgehog The soldiers ran over the field The editor quickly looked through the new book We looked through the window at the garden. I got off all the dirty marks. I got off the bus at Bristol. With pronoun objects (Passive ) The hedgehog was run over The car ran it over by the car. The soldiers ran over it. Impossible. He It was quickly looked through quickly looked looked it by the editor. through We looked through it into at the Impossible garden. All the dirty marks were got I got them all off off by me. (Improbable, but possible) I got off it at Bristol Impossible

In the examples on the pink lines, the preposition is an integral part of the verb, defining its meaning: these verbs are called phrasal verbs. They are in effect two-word verbs. In the examples on the blue lines, the preposition affects the meaning of the verb, but is not part of the verb; it belongs to the adverb phrase following the verb; verbs that are used in this way are called prepositional verbs. These differences are by no means always easy to understand, particularly in the examples above which show that some verbs can even be either phrasal or prepositional, depending on the circumstances! However, with the vast majority of verbs, there is no choice. The verb is either a phrasal verb or a prepositional verb. Here are some guidelines to help you understand the differences between the two groups, and their usage..

1. Phrasal verbs
Phrasal verbs can be either transitive or intransitive. Phrasal verbs" or "particle verbs" are composed of a verb + a particle (preposition or adverb). Sometimes, there may be two particles. These elements together have a single meaning, and frequently are synonymous with a single word verb, as in the table below. They are usually formed using a transitive* root verb + a particle. This is the most common type of phrasal verb. Examples: break up / shut out / put off / fill up / give up / set up / etc. Others are formed from an intransitive root verb + a particle: Examples: go out / come across / sleep off / lie down / stand out etc. Many English root verbs can combine with particles to create an idiomatic phrasal verb: but the most common ones are: break, make, take, set, put, get. Transitive phrasal verbs are usually separable, meaning that the direct object can - or with pronouns, must - come between the verb and the particle. However adverbs do not usually come between the verb and the particle - though there are exceptions.

Transitive phrasal verbs: examples

Using nouns The referee broke up (=stopped) the fight immediately. or: The referee broke the fight up immediately. The old lady made out (=wrote) the cheque very slowly. or: The old lady made the cheque out very slowly. He took up (=started) golf when he retired. or: He took golf up when he retired. The robbers set off (=started) the alarm as they entered the bank. or: The robbers set the alarm off as they entered the bank. The men managed to put out(=extinguish) the fire by themselves. or: The men managed to put the fire out by themselves The soldiers got up (=erected) their tents in two minutes. or: The soldiers got their tents up in two minutes. I put down (= attribute) your success to hard work or: I put your success down to hard work. Using pronoun objects He broke it up immediately. (Passive ) The fight was immediately broken up by the referee.

She made it out very slowly

The cheque was made out by the old lady very slowly.

He took it up when he improbable retired They set it off as they The alarm was set off as the entered the bank robbers entered the bank.

They managed to put it out by themselves.

The fire was put out by the men, by themselves.

They got them up in two minutes.

The tents were got up in two minutes.

I put it down to hard work.

His success was put down to hard work.

Intransitive phrasal verbs: Since intransitive verbs have no direct object, and cannot be put into the passive, their usage is simple: they are by definition inseparable. However, adverbs can occasionally come between the verb and the particle if the adverb serves to describe the action. In intransitive phrasal verbs, the particle is either narrows the sense of the verb (as in sit down), or else creates an idiomatic meaning which is different from that of the root verb (as inshut up). Here are a few examples of intransitive phrasal verbs: Flight BA04 to New York will take off at 12.33. Several students showed up late Bird flu first broke out in China in 1996 Tomorrow morning, we all have to get up at 5.30. Once the Queen had taken her place, the guests all sat quietly down. The alarm went off just as the bank was shutting.

2. Prepositional verbs
Prepositional verbs are transitive: they require an object. This object is generally stated, but sometimes just implied or inferred. Most prepositional verbs consist or an intransitive root verb + a particle. Some prepositional verbs are formed using a transitive verb and a particle. Often, the particle transforms an intransitive verb into a transitive verb: Examples : look / look at / look for - wait / wait for - come / come through. The particle is not really part of the verb, but an essential link between the verb and its stated or implied object. These verbs are usually inseparable, meaning that the verb and particle generally stand

together. However short adverbs or adverb phrases can come between the verb and the particle in transitive statements, particularly when the object is a noun. If in doubt, do not place the adverb between the verb and the particle. Using nouns Using pronoun objects Passive The climbers went up (=ascended) the mountain very slowly. They went up it very slowly Improbable or The climbers went very slowly up (=ascended) the mountain. They came through (=passed) their exam They came through itvery well Improbable very well. We're depending on You're being We're depending on your support, totally. you totally. depended on. The students were looking intently at (=studying) the They were looking intently at notice board. it, or or The students were looking at the notice They were looking at it intently. board intently.

3. Phrasal-prepositional verbs.
English has a good number of verbs that appear to be formed on the structureverb+particle+particle. In most cases, these are prepositional verbs in which the root verb is actually a phrasal verb. Like simple prepositional verbs, phrasal prepositional verbs are transitive. So in reality, the structure of these verbs is actually phrasal-verb + particle. Once this is understood, usage should not be hard to follow. They behave in the same way as ordinary prepositional verbs.
Using nouns Everyone looked forward to the event. The prisoners broke out of their cells. The airline did away with tickets The builders got on with the work Using pronoun objects Everyone looked forward to it. They broke out of them. The airline did away with them They got on with it. (Passive ) It was looked forward to by everyone. The cells were broken out of. Tickets were done away with. The work was got on with by the builders.

Difference between Prepositional Verbs and Phrasal Verbs

Prepositional Verbs
Prepositional verbs are intransitive verbs that consist of a verb followed by a prepositional phrase. The prepositional phrase functions as a verb phrase complement. A verb phrase complement is a word or phrase that directly follows and completes the meaning of the verb. approve of ask for cope with insist on laugh about listen to Her parents approve of her boyfriend. The patient is asking for pain medication.
He has been coping with his increased workload.

The doctor insisted on several tests. We can now laugh about the accident. The neighbors listen to terrible music. Prepositional verbs are intransitive. They do not take direct objects. A direct object is a words, phrase, or clause that receives the action of a transitive verb. Prepositional verbs are intransitive because English verbs may have either verb phrase complements or direct objects but not both. For example: The puppy ate the treat. (correct direct object) The child confessed to eating the cookies. (correct verb phrase complement) *The tourists looked the paintings and at the sculptures. (incorrect)

The prepositional phrase functioning as the verb phrase complement must directly follow the verb. For example:

The bride objected to the gaudy centerpieces for the reception.

(correct) *The bride objected for the reception to the gaudy centerpieces. (incorrect) She yearned for more adventure in her life. (correct) *She yearned in her life for more adventure. (incorrect)

The meaning of a prepositional verb is literal. For example, the meaning of look at "to direct sight in the direct of" is a literal combination of look "to direct sight" and at "in the direct of."

Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal verbs are intransitive or transitive verbs that consist of a verb followed by one or more prepositions. The preposition functions as a

particle. A particle is a function word that performs a grammatical function but has little lexical meaning. act up (misbehave) butt in (interrupt) drop in on (visit) get in (arrive) mix up (confuse) take after (resemble) My students have been acting up lately.
His coworker always butts in on his private conversations.

We dropped in on our grandparents yesterday.

What time does the train get in? I always mix their names up! She takes after her father.

Phrasal verbs may be either intransitive or transitive depending on the specific verb. Intransitive phrasal verbs do not take direct objects. Transitive phrasal verbs must take direct objects. For example:

The baby just woke up. (intransitive) My little brother ran away from home. (intransitive) Two toddlers threw up today. (intransitive) The construction crew blew up the old building. (transitive) The courts have done away with corporeal punishment.

(transitive) He will pay off his debt. (transitive) The preposition functioning as the particle may or may not directly follow the verb. Nonseparable phrasal verbs require the preposition to directly follow the verb. Optionally separable phrasal verbs allow the preposition to follow either the verb or the direct object. Obligatorily separable phrasal verbs require the preposition to directly follow the direct object. Only transitive phrasal verbs can be optionally or obligatorily separable. For example:

The entertainment finally showed up. (nonseparable) The boss just laid in on our lazy coworker. (nonseparable) The ushers pass out the programs. (optionally separable) The ushers pass the programs out. (optionally separable) The child looked up the information. (optionally separable) The child looked the information up. (optionally separable) The child looked it up. (obligatorily separable) The meaning of a phrasal verb is figurative. For example, the meaning of the phrasal verb throw up "vomit" cannot be determined by combining the meanings of throw "toss" and up "at a higher point." Phrasal verbs often have single-word synonyms as in throw up and vomit.

Prepositional Verb and Phrasal Verb Comparison

Because both prepositional verbs and phrasal verbs are verb-preposition combinations. The following chart compares prepositional verbs with phrasal verbs:

To determine whether a verb is prepositional or phrasal, you must look at the transitivity of the verb, the function of the preposition, and separability of the preposition.
1.

First consider the transitivity of the verb. If the verb is transitive, then the verb-preposition combination is definitely a phrasal verb. 2. If the verb is intransitive, then consider the separability of the preposition. If the preposition is separable, then the verb-preposition combination is definitely a phrasal verb. 3. If the preposition is nonseparable, finally consider the function of the preposition. If the preposition functions as a particle, then the verbpreposition combination is definitely a phrasal verb. 4. If the verb is intransitive, the preposition nonseparable, and the preposition functions as a verb phrase complement, then the verbpreposition combination is definitely a prepositional verb.

Phrasal Verb: Hold on Meaning: Wait - Intransitive - International English Example: Could you HOLD ON for a minute; she'll be free in a moment. Meaning: To hold tightly - Intransitive - International English Example: We HELD ON as the bus started to move.
Hold back hold sth back hold onto Hold up prevent from doing/going hide an emotion hold firmly /hands rob I had to hold my dog back because there was a cat in the park. Jamie held back his tears. Hold onto your hat, it's very windy outside. A man in a black mask held the bank up this morning.

Phrasal Verb: Turn out Meaning: Produce - Separable [optional] - International English Example: The factory TURNS OUT three thousand units a day. Meaning: Produce an unexpected result - Intransitive - International English Example: It looked as if we were going to fail, but it TURNED OUT well in the end. Meaning: Stop a light - Separable [optional] - International English Example: She TURNED OUT the lights and went to bed. Meaning: Attend - Intransitive - International English Example: Thousand TURNED OUT for the demonstration. Phrasal Verb: Turn in Meaning: Go to bed - Intransitive - International English Example: I TURNED IN at half past eleven because I had an early start the next morning. Meaning: Hand in, submit, or give work done for someone - Separable [optional] International Engl Example: She TURNED IN her paper.
turn something down turn something down turn something off turn something on turn something up turn up
decrease the volume/strength

Please turn the TV down. I turned the job down. Turn the TV off and come for dinner. Let's turn some lights on. Can you turn the music up? Our cat finally turned up.

refuse stop the energy flow start the energy, switch on

increase the volume/strength

appear suddenly

Phrasal Verb: Stumble upon Meaning: Find something accidentally - Inseparable - International English Example: I STUMBLED UPON these photos when I was clearing my room up. Phrasal Verb: Stumble across Meaning: Find something accidentally- Inseparable - International English Example: You'll never guess what I STUMBLED ACROSS when I was packing my stuff.
jump out - be highly noticeable leap out, stand out, stick out, jump appear, seem, look - give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect; "She seems to be sleeping"; "This appears to be a very difficult problem"; "This project looks fishy"; "They appeared

like people who had not eaten or slept for a long time"

Phrasal Verb: Come over Meaning: Feel strange- Inseparable - International English Example: I CAME OVER all faint and weak because my sugar level was too low. (British) Meaning: Affect mentally in such a way as to change behaviour (possibly related to 'overcome') - Inseparable - International English Example: I'm sorry about last night - I don't know what CAME OVER me.
come over 1. To change sides, as in a controversy. 2. To pay a casual visit.

come across something come apart come down with something come forward come from somewhere

find unexpectedly separate become sick volunteer for a task or to give evidence originate in

I came across these old photos when I was tidying the closet. The top and bottom come apart if you pull hard enough. My nephew came down with chicken pox this weekend. The woman came forward with her husband's finger prints. The art of origami comes from Asia.

Sand off tr.v. sanded, sanding, sands 1. To sprinkle or cover with or as if with sand. 2. To polish or scrape with sand or sandpaper. put together To construct; create: put together a new bookcase; put together a tax package. put out 1. To extinguish: put out a fire. 2. Nautical To leave, as a port or harbor; depart. 3. To expel: put out a drunk. 4. To publish: put out a weekly newsletter. 5. a. To inconvenience: Did our early arrival put you out? b. To offend or irritate: I was put out by his attention to the television set. 6. To make an effort. 7. Baseball To retire a runner. 8. Vulgar Slang To be sexually active. Used of a woman. put over 1. To postpone; delay. 2. To put across, especially to deceive: tried to put a lie over, but to no avail. put through 1. To bring to a successful end: put the project through on time; put through a number of new laws. 2. To cause to undergo: He put me through a lot of trouble. 3. a. To make a telephone connection for: The operator put me through on the office line. b. To obtain a connection for (a telephone call). Phrasal verbs combined with verb-ing forms forbidden from "You cant prevent me from seeing her" = transitive verb + pronoun (prevent me) + preposition (from) + verb-ing form (seeing) + pronoun (her).