phrasal verbs

Some verbs are two part verbs (see Clauses, Sentences and Phrases). They consist of a verb and a particle:

• grow + up
  >> The children are growing up.

Often this gives the verb a new meaning:

• take + after
  >> She takes after her mother
  = She looks like her mother, or She behaves like her mother.
• count + on
  >> I know I can count on you
  = I know I can trust you, or I know I can believe you.

Some transitive two part verbs (see Clauses, Sentences and Phrases) have only one pattern:

N (subject) + V + p + N (object)

[Note: N = noun; V = verb; p = particle]

Some transitive two part verbs (see Clauses, Sentences and Phrases) are phrasal verbs. Phrasal verbs have two different patterns:

• The usual pattern is: N + V + N + p

 
• But sometimes these verbs have the pattern: N (subject) + V + p + N (object)

When the object is a personal pronoun,these verbs always have the pattern:

N + V +N + p:

• She gave back it
  >> She gave it back
• He knocked over it
   >> knocked it over
• We will be leaving behind them
  >> We will be leaving them behind

• Phrasal verbs are nearly always made up of a transitive verb and a particle. Common verbs with their most frequent particles are:

Exercise