21- ] Grammar American & British .
Prepositions and
Adverbial Particles .
The Difference Between Preposition And Particle.
Many words
can be used as both adverb particles and prepositions. There is some difference
between an adverb particle and a preposition. While the particle is closely
tied to its verb to form idiomatic expressions, the preposition is closely tied
to the noun or pronoun it modifies .
An adverbial particle (plural adverbial particles) is the adverbial
component of a phrasal verb; a word, typically a short one, which functions as
an adverb accompanying and qualifying the verb component of a phrasal verb.
A prepositional particle is a word that looks like a
preposition but is actually part of a verb . Prepositions are most
commonly followed by a noun phrase, a pronoun or the -ing form of a verb.
In modern grammar, a particle is a function word that must be
associated with another word or phrase to impart meaning [ i.e., does not have
its own lexical definition ]. A particle is a word that has a grammatical
function but does not fit into the main parts of speech (i.e. noun, verb,
adverb). The infinitive 'to' in 'to fly' is an example of a particle, although
it can also act as a preposition, e.g. 'I'm going to Spain next week'.
A particle is a word, normally an adverb, added to a verb to form a phrasal
verb: He looked up. The plane took off.6 days ago . a particle.
Adverbials are words that we use to give more information about a verb. They
can be one word (angrily, here) or phrases (at home, in a few hours) and often
say how, where, when or how often something happens or is done, though they can
also have other uses.
What are Prepositions?
A preposition, on the other hand, is used to show movement,
location, or time. It is a word that introduces a prepositional phrase, which
usually ends with an object. Prepositional phrases include expressions such as
through the tunnel, below the sink, and in the morning.
Preposition Examples
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Movement
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Location
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Time
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from
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in
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after/before
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through
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above
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until
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around
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near
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at
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A preposition is a word or group of words used before a noun, pronoun, or noun
phrase to show direction, time, place, location, spatial relationships, or to
introduce an object. Some examples of prepositions are words like
"in," "at," "on," "of," and
"to."
The five types of prepositions are simple, double, compound,
participle, and phrase prepositions .
A preposition is a word or set of words that indicates location (in, near,
beside, on top of) or some other relationship between a noun or pronoun and
other parts of the sentence (about, after, besides, instead of, in accordance
with).
Some examples of common prepositions used in sentences are:
He sat on the chair.
There is some milk in the fridge.
She was hiding under the table.
The cat jumped off the counter.
He drove over the bridge.
She lost her ring at the beach.
The book belongs to Anthony.
They were sitting by the tree.
Adverb particles and prepositions
Adverb particles are small adverbs like above, about, across,
ahead, away, back, in, on, off, under and up. Many of these words can also be
used as prepositions, but there are some exceptions: for example, back and away
(only adverb particles); from and during (only prepositions).
Examples To Show The Difference Between Adverb Particles And Prepositions
When words like on, in, up and down are used as prepositions, they
take objects. When they are used as adverb particles they do not take objects.
He drove down the road. (down – preposition; object – the road)
Please sit down. (down – adverb particle; no object)
He is in the garden. (in – preposition; object – the garden)
May I come in? (in – adverb particle; no object)
Some words can function as a particle or as a preposition depending
on the context. In the following examples,
off is used as a preposition (pattern 2) and as a particle (patterns
1, 3 and 4).
In type 1 (verb + adverb particle), there is no
need for other words for complete meaning
fall off (become detached):
I put a plaster on the cut, but it fell off.
In type 2 (verb + preposition + N), the
preposition always comes before the object.
go off something (come to dislike):
I went off spicy food when I was pregnant.
I went spicy food off when I was pregnant.
I went off it when I was pregnant.
I went it off when I was pregnant.
In type 3 (verb + N + adverb particle), the adverb
particle must follow a pronoun object; it can
precede or follow a noun.
turn something off (remove the power):
I turned my pager off at midnight.
I turned off my pager at midnight.
I turned it off at midnight.
I turned off it at midnight.
In type 4 (verb + adverb particle + preposition +
N), the object follows the preposition.
walk off with something (take without asking):
He’s walked off with my stethoscope again!
He’s walked off with it again!
Use a good dictionary for learners of English to find out
the meaning of verbs you come across and to check which type they are.
Adverbials
When adverbials modify verbs, they express when, where, how, and
why the action takes place. So, they give background information on time,
place, manner, and cause of the event. In the tree structure, we make a
distinction between direct and indirect objects, subject predicates, and object
predicates on the one hand (all referred to as complements) and adverbials on
the other: objects, subject predicates, and object predicates are closer to the
verb than adverbials. Even if in the tree only the phrases have labels, and
their functions are not indicated, you should be able to tell from the tree
which phrase is the object and which is the adverbial in (1):
Prepositional Adverbs
Sometimes, an adverb is also a preposition or a preposition is also
an adverb. Words that can function as prepositional adverbs include: about,
above, across, after, along, around, before, behind, below, between, beyond,
by, down, in, inside, near, on, opposite, out, outside, over, past, round,
since, through, throughout, under, up, within, and without.
Prepositional Adverb Example Sentences
One way to spot a prepositional adverb is to look for
prepositions that do not have corresponding objects. Often, but not always,
these prepositions also serve as adverbs. Reference the following examples to
practice identifying prepositional adverbs.
"We were playing records, Mama, listening to the radio, just
hanging around. Mama, just hanging around," (Waiting for Macarthur 2003).
"Ring-a-ring-a-roses,
A pocket full of posies;
Hush! hush! hush! hush!
We’re all tumbled down," (Greenaway 1881).
"'He called her up,' she said oracularly, 'he called her up,
and asked her to keep you at the telephone, so he could talk to Miss Louise. A
thankless child is sharper than a serpent's tooth'," (Rinehart 1908).
After he finished wiping his shoes, he stepped inside.
In the last quarter of the game, their fans cheered them on.
In the middle of the investigation, an informant came forward with
valuable information.
As they passed by, they saw all kinds of amazing sights through the
window of the train.
The adverbs in these examples are also prepositions because they
modify actions and describe spatial or temporal relations. For example,
"tumbled down" shows how and where the subject tumbled.
Notice that in these examples, prepositional adverbs are not used
to form prepositional phrases. This means that each preposition functioning as
an adverb appears without an object—because of this, it is not only a
preposition but also an adverb.
Pure Prepositions Vs. Prepositional Adverbs
If you are still confused about the difference between prepositions
and prepositional adverbs, don't worry. In his book The Elements of English
Grammar, George Philip Krapp writes, "The difference between the pure
preposition and the prepositional adverb is illustrated by the following two
sentences:
He ran up the stairs.
He ran up a bill."
In the first sentence, a prepositional phrase, "stairs"
is the object of "up." The expression up the stairs is a
prepositional phrase modifying the verb "ran." In the second
sentence, however, "bill" is not the object of "up" and up
a bill is, therefore, not a prepositional phrase modifying the verb
"ran."
Rather, the word "up" is acting as a prepositional adverb
modifying the verb "ran." Together, the two words form the phrasal
verb ran up, an expression whose distinct meaning has nothing to do with the
act of running (Krapp 1970).
Movement, location, and time prepositions
Here is a list of commonly used prepositions: above, across,
against, along, among, around, at, before, behind, below, beneath, beside,
between, by, down, from, in, into, near, of, off, on, to, toward, under, upon,
with and within .
Preposition is word that establishes relation between the subject and the
object in the sentence.
A preposition usually precedes a noun or a pronoun.
Here is a list of commonly used prepositions: above, across,
against, along, among, around, at, before, behind, below, beneath, beside,
between, by, down, from, in, into, near, of, off, on, to, toward, under, upon,
with and within.
Moving further, let’s discuss about how to use prepositions. This
will facilitate understanding on usage of prepositions.
In front of: This is used to denote that something/someone is standing in
front of other person/object.
For instance: The lecturer stands in front of the students.
Behind: It is used to express opposite connotation of In front of. It
means at the back (part) of something/someone.
For instance: The car was parked behind the gate.
Between/Among/Amidst
Often, we get confused while using these words and end up using the
wrong word.
Between is used for two objects or things (or places).
For instance: There are mountains between Chile and Argentina.
Among is used for more than two persons / things.
For instance: The chief guest distributed prizes among the top
performers.
Amid or Amidst is used for more than two persons / things (groups)
For instance: Amid her team members
Across From / Opposite
Across from/opposite is similar to conveying that someone (or a
place) is on the other side of something.
For instance: The girl lives across from a temple.
Next to / Beside
Next to and beside refer to an object or a person that is at the
side of another thing.
For instance: A security personnel stands next to the entrance
gate.
Near / Close to
Near and close to carry same connotation as next to / beside. The
only difference is the distance.
‘Next to’ is used to express a short distance, while ‘near’ is used
to highlight a longer distance.
For instance: The bus stop is near the bank.
On
On is used a preposition of time, place and position.
This means it indicates ‘days of the week’.
‘On’ is used to point out the position of a person or an object.
For instance: The bottle is kept on the table. (Indicates position)
The office will be open on Saturday. (This indicates time.)
Above / Over
Above and over mean position higher than a reference point. In
other words, ‘above’ or ‘over’ mean at a higher position than other object or
person.
For instance: They put an umbrella over the table to avoid heat
from the sun rays.
Over can also mean ‘covering the surface of something’
For instance: The mud is spread all over the floor.
Under / Below
Under and below mean at a lower level w.r.t someone/something.
For instance: The boxes are under the table.
A river flows under a bridge.
Sometimes we use the word underneath instead of under and beneath
instead of below. There is no difference in meaning those they are less common
nowadays.
Of/Off
‘Of’ denotes origin or cause, while ‘off’ denotes separation.
To
After the verbs “Say / suggest / propose / speak / explain / reply
/ complain / talk / listen / write”, ‘to’ should be used if any object is
present.
2. Prepositional verbs
Prepositional verbs
A prepositional verb is when we have a verb + preposition.
The preposition must be followed by an object.
Here are some examples of prepositional verbs.
to agree to something to accept
I don't think he will ever agree to such a plan.
to apologize for something to say you are
sorry for something
I apologize for not replying sooner.
to apply for something to formally ask
someone for something such as a job or permission to do something
Why didn't you apply for a bank loan?
to complain to somebody about something or somebody to say you are annoyed about something
If the service is not satisfactory, you should complain to their
customer service about it.
to conform to something to be in
accordance with something
This signal system doesn't conform to the official safety
standards.
to consist of something to mention all of
the things that something contains
The delegation consists of over 200 people, including interpreters
and journalists.
to hear from somebody when
someone, especially someone you know well, writes to you or telephones you
When was the last time you heard from him?
to insist on something to say that
something must happen or somebody must do something
I insist on speaking to the head of the office.
to refer to something to talk about
somebody or something in a conversation, speech or a piece of writing
Everyone knows who she was referring to in her speech.
Prepositional verbs are transitive: they require
an object. This object is generally stated, but sometimes just implied or
inferred. The direct object MUST come after the particle, not before it.
Most prepositional verbs consist of an intransitive root verb + a
particle (see 4 below).
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.
Example to remember: The fireman came down the
ladder very carefully.
but not: The fireman came the ladder down very
carefully
More examples
With noun objects With
pronoun objects Passive
The climbers went up (=ascended) the mountain very slowly.
or The climbers went very slowly up (=ascended) the mountain. They went up it very slowly Improbable
They came through (=passed) their exam very well. They came through it very wellImprobable
We're depending on your support, totally. We're totally depending on it. Your
support is being depended on. (possible but unlikely)
The students were looking intently at (= studying) the notice
board.
or The students were looking at
the notice board intently. They
were looking intently at it , or
They were looking at it intently.
No preposition
Verbs such as ‘discuss/describe/order/tell/demand’ do not require
any preposition. The verbs directly take an object.
Now, it’s time to check what you have read so far. Try these
questions, which were featured in various competitive exams.
1- ] He quickly glanced ………………………… the book to find what it said
about the Indian economy.
2. ] What is the time ………………………… your watch?
3- ] My father will retire from service ………………………… a year.
4- ] Most of us eat ………………………… a spoon.
5- ] Whom are you talking ………………?
6- ] Don’t look ………………………… on him.
7- ] We are pleased ………………………… your visit.
8- ] She is good ………………………… English.
9- ] There is some dispute ………………………… the property as the owner
died without making a will.
10- ] Do you take pride ………………………… your appearance?
Prepositions
Before Particular Words And Expressions
Prepositions are small words, but they are very important ones. The
biggest problem most ESL students face in learning English is the inability to
use prepositions correctly. Here is a list of some common preposition + noun
combinations which often cause problems. Note that this is not an exhaustive
list. For information about other preposition + noun combinations, see a
good dictionary.
At the cinema; at the theatre; at a party; at university
What is on at the cinema this week?
He met her at a party.
He was my senior at university.
A book by Jane Austen; a painting by Picasso, a concerto by Mozart;
a film by Fassbinder
I have read almost everything by Jane Austen.
It is a film directed by Fassbinder.
By car / bike / bus / train / boat / plane / land / sea / air;
Let’s go by car.
But we say: on the bus; on the train; on the flight; on the ship;
on foot etc.
There is no room on the bus.
She is arriving on the 6:30 train.
In the end = finally, after a long time
In the end, I got a good job.
At the end = at the point where something stops.
There is a library at the end of the street.
The film is a bit weak at the end.
In pen; in pencil; in ink etc.
Write in ink.
In a picture, photo etc.
She looks really pretty in this photo.
In the rain, snow etc.
He walked in the rain.
In a suit, shirt, skirt, hat, coat etc.
Who is that man in the white shirt?
On page (but in line)
There is a mistake in line 6 on page 18.
On the radio; on TV; on the phone
There is an interesting program on TV tonight.
It’s John on the phone and he wants to talk to you.
On time = at the planned time; neither late nor early
In time = before the last moment
The meeting must start on time.
He would have died if they hadn’t taken him to the hospital in
time.
Mistakes with
prepositions
In each of the pairs of sentences given below, one is correct and
the other is wrong. Find out the correct one.
1. a) I am ill since last week. / b) I have been ill since last
week.
2. a) This is my first time to play tennis since a long time. / b)
This is my first game of tennis for a long time.
3. a) This fabric is superior than that fabric in quality. / b)
This fabric is superior to that fabric in quality.
4. a) This is different to that. / b) This is different from that.
5. a) He called me. / b) He called to me.
6. a) He wrote to me. / b) He wrote me.
7. a) Please send the letter to my new address. / b) Please send
the letter on my new address.
8. a) He suggested me this./ b) He suggested this to me.
9. a) He invited me to dinner. / b) He called me in dinner.
10. a) He reached Amsterdam. / b) He reached to Amsterdam.
Answers
1. I have been ill since last week.
2. This is my first game of tennis for a long time.
3. This fabric is superior to that fabric in quality.
4. This is different from that.
5. He called me.
6. He wrote to me.
7. Please send the letter to my new address.
8. He suggested this to me.
9. He invited me to dinner.
10. He reached Amsterdam.
Verbs
With Adverb Particles And Prepositions
There are four main types of these verbs. Many of the
examples here are from the depression case.
Some are straightforward in meaning, others are idiomatic.
Sometimes the same words can have straightforward and idiomatic meanings.
Type 1. verb + adverb particle (often
indicating direction, sometimes idiomatic)
go away My wife went away.
come back She comes back in about two weeks’ time.
go out I haven’t been going out as much.
give up I sometimes think about giving up.
Type 2. verb + preposition + NOUN
think about something So you’ve thought about it ...
act on something ... but not acted on it.
study for something I’m studying for the CPA.
cope with something How have you been coping with all this?
talk about something and talk with/to somebody
I don’t really want to talk about it with my mum.
I’ve never really talked to her about any of that.
Type 3. verb + NOUN + adverb particle
get something up I want to get my energy levels up.
Type 4. verb + adverb particle + preposition + NOUN
go out with somebody I’m going out with someone I met at work.
Verbs
With Adverbial Particles
Amin, studying English in New Zealand, writes:
Many times I have heard sentences like these:
I'll just pop into the supermarket.
You can pop over to this office any time tomorrow.
I understand the meaning, but I am not sure how to use them.
What are the differences between pop into and pop over? And how
about pop out? Can we say pop out somewhere?
I would be most grateful if you could tell me which sentences in
those settings (along with prepositions) are most common.
Roger Woodham replies:
These verbs with adverbial particles or prepositions are extremely
common in informal idiomatic English and are often preferred to a single verb
equivalent.
Compare the following:
I decided to lay on transport for everybody as the train drivers
were on strike.
I decided to provide transport for everybody as the train drivers
were on strike.
Informally, we would be more likely to say and write the first of
these two possibilities, whereas in more formal English we might write the
second of these two:
Alternative transport was laid on for all employees throughout the
train drivers’ strike.
Alternative transport was provided for all employees throughout the
train drivers’ strike.
The problem with phrasal verbs (verb plus preposition or verb plus
adverbial particle) is that the meaning of the two-word (or sometimes
three-word) verb is very different from the meaning of the two parts taken
separately.
Lay on is not the same as lay + on:
I lay on the bed thinking about what to do next. (lay on = was in a
horizontal position on)
Caroline laid on a wonderful spread of food for everyone. (laid on
= provided)
Let’s have a look at how pop is used with either particles or
prepositions:
pop into /pop in /pop out /pop off /pop over /pop round /pop down /pop
up
In all of these examples with pop, Amin, all the prepositions
function as adverbial particles, not as prepositions with objects except for:
He popped into the shop.
They are all similar in meaning with the adverbial particle
indicating direction, except for pop off which has a more distinctive meaning
and is not quite so common.
Compare the following:
My new neighbors across the road had just moved in so I popped over
to see them.
I was passing by, noticed the light was on, so thought I would just
pop in for a chat.
I’m going to pop out to the shops for ten minutes. Don’t answer the
door if anyone calls.
My friend, Dora, lives in the flat above me. So she often pops down
if she needs anything, or I might pop up to see her if I’m feeling lonely.
I hadn’t seen him for years. Then he just popped up one day at the
club we used to belong to.
I may be 85 and I may have to use a stick to get around, but I’ve
no intention of popping off yet.
In the first five examples above, we might define pop + particle as
appearing or disappearing (popping out) briefly and casually. In the sixth
example it means appearing unexpectedly. And in the final example it is a
euphemism for dying.
Of course, we can also use pop in its original literal sense,
meaning to burst open with a short sharpish sound.
He had shaken the champagne bottle and the cork popped out before
he was ready to pour.
When you are learning phrasal verbs, it is safest to assume that
for each one each particle introduces a different meaning and sometimes more
than one meaning!
Let’s compare the following pairs. Are they similar or different in
meaning?
drop off / pop off
drop in/by /pop in
drop out / pop out
drop over / pop over
Could you give me a lift in your car and drop me off at the
station? (= let me get out)
The lecture was so boring that I dropped off half way through. (=
fell into a light sleep)
Drop by any time you’re passing. You don’t need to phone first. (=
pay a casual visit)
He dropped out after a term - he just wasn’t prepared to study. (=
left college early)
I opened the car door carelessly and my purse dropped out. (= fell
out)
I dropped over to see her because I knew she wasn’t feeling well.
(paid a casual call).
Phrasal Verbs
Prepositional adverbs, also called adverbial particles, can further
be used to form phrasal verbs. These are idiomatic expressions consisting of a
verb and a particle—this can be an adverb alone, a preposition, or a
prepositional adverb—that form a single semantic unit. These are common in
everyday English.
A phrasal verb is a type of compound verb. Examples include break
down, pull up, call on, give in, and hold back. Many phrasal verbs are
formed with prepositional adverbs but not all prepositional adverbs form
phrasal verbs.
What makes phrasal verbs unique is the fact that their meaning is
not the sum of their parts, as Grover Hudson points out in Essential
Introductory Linguistics. In this book, Hudson offers the example of
"throw[ing] up", an action that "doesn't involve either throwing
or a direction up." Another example is call off, meaning to cancel. The
meaning of the verb "call" is transformed by the addition of the
prepositional adverb "off", contributing entirely new meaning to the
phrasal verb (Hudson 1999).
A single verb can be made into several different phrasal verbs,
each with their own distinct meaning, simply by adding different prepositions. For
example, the verb "come" can be turned into come up with, meaning to
think of an idea; come in, meaning to enter; come across, meaning to find; and
come forward, meaning to offer information.
Learning phrasal verbs is probably a lifetime’s work and if you
want to do it well, it’s probably worth getting hold of (= obtaining) or
lashing out on (= spending a substantial sum of money on) a dictionary of
current idiomatic English which pays attention to verbs with prepositions and
particles. I emphasize the word ‘current’ as idioms come into and go out of
fashion.
The reward is that if you can use them appropriately in context,
they are distinguishing marks of a native-like command of English.
Are you able to drive a car?
How often were you absent from work or away from college or school
last year?
Have you ever accompanied a singer on a musical instrument?
Have you ever accompanied a boy/girl friend to a pub, disco, night
club or casino?
How well did you do when you first went to school according to your
teachers?
What was your worst habit when you were a baby according to your
parents?
What is your worst habit according to your best friend?
Has anybody ever accused you of something you didn't do?
Has anybody ever accused you of something you did do?
Are you accustomed to taking your shoes off when you go into a
house?
Who do you feel most admiration for, film stars, pop singers,
footballers or teachers?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of being you?
Do you feel equal affection for all the members of your family?
Are you afraid of any insects or animals?
Are you afraid of making mistakes with your English?
Do you agree with your parents' opinions about most subjects? Is
there anybody in your family with whom you disagree strongly?
When you first started school, were you ahead of most of the other
children in reading and writing?
Have your parents made any financial allowance or has your employer
given you any holiday allowance for your visit to England and The English
Language Centre?
Would you make any allowance for someone who was very rude to you
if their mother or father had just died?
When was the last time you were really angry or annoyed with
someone? Why were you so annoyed with them?
Have you ever been anxious about an examination, a visit to the
dentist or hospital treatment?
What is the longest period of time that you have lived apart from
your parents or your partner?
Have you ever apologized for something you did or said?
Which jobs have you applied for before or what kind of work do you
think you will apply for in the future?
Have you ever argued with your best friend about anything? What did
you argue about?
Have you ever done anything which either you or your parents were
ashamed of?
When you telephone home, which member of your family, pet or friend
do you ask after first?
Have you ever asked for the manager in a hotel, shop or restaurant
when the service was very bad?
Have any of your friends ever been astonished at your skills,
abilities and achievements?
Have any of your teachers ever been astonished at your good or bad
performance in any school subjects?
Which of your possessions are you most closely attached to?
Did you ever become closely attached to a family pet when you were
a child? If so, which animal was the pet?
What is your attitude towards smoking in public places?
What is the main attraction of visiting another country?
Do you think you are normally aware of what other people in the
same room are thinking and feeling?
4. Doctor Macdonald likes teaching, but he is also interested in research.
Prepositional and phrasal verbs in English
How to use verbs with prepositions in English, and how to
distinguish between them
Topics : Phrasal
verbs Prepositional verbs Phrasal-prepositional verbs
Students of English frequently have difficulty understanding how to
use verb +preposition combinations in English. And this is not surprising.
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
|
With pronoun objects
|
(Passive - if possible )
|
|
The car ran over the hedgehog
|
The car ran it over
|
The hedgehog was run over by the car.
|
|
The soldiers ran over the field
|
The soldiers ran over it.
|
Impossible.
|
|
The editor quickly looked through
the new book
|
He quickly looked it through
|
It was quickly looked through by the editor.
|
|
We looked through the window at the garden.
|
We looked through it into at the garden.
|
|
Impossible
I got off all the dirty marks. I
got them all off All the dirty
marks were got off by me. (Improbable, but possible)
I got off the bus at Bristol. I
got off it at Bristol Impossible
► The examples on the yellow lines use phrasal verbs (also called
particle verbs) . The preposition is an integral part of the verb, defining its
meaning: these verbs are in effect
two-word verbs.
► The examples on the green lines use prepositional verbs. The preposition affects the meaning of the
verb, but is not part of the verb; it belongs to the adverb phrase following
the verb.
Confused ? 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 or Particle 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 or particle 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.
Example to remember: The
policeman wrote my name down in his book.
or : The policeman wrote
down my name in his book.
However adverbs do not usually come between the verb and the
particle - though there are exceptions.
More transitive phrasal verb
examples
With noun objects With
pronoun objects (Passive )
The referee broke up (=stopped)
the fight immediately.
or: The referee broke the
fight up immediately. He broke it
up immediately. The fight was
immediately broken up by the referee.
The old lady made out (=wrote) the cheque very slowly.
or: The old lady made the
cheque out very slowly. She made it
out very slowly The cheque was made
out by the old lady very slowly.
He took up (=started) golf when he retired.
or: He took golf up when he retired. He took it up when he retired improbable
The robbers set off (=started) the alarm as they entered the bank.
or: The robbers set the alarm off as they entered the bank. They set it off as they entered the bank The alarm was set off as the robbers
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 They
managed to put it out by themselves. The
fire was put out by the men, by themselves.
The soldiers got up (=erected) their tents in two minutes.
or: The soldiers got their
tents up in two minutes. They got
them up in two minutes. The tents
were got up in two minutes.
I put down (= attribute)
your success to hard work
or: I put your success down
to hard work. 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 in shut up). Here are a few
examples of intransitive phrasal verbs:
Examples:
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.
3. Phrasal-prepositional verbs.
English has a good number of
verbs that appear to be formed on the structure
verb +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 Using pronoun
objects (Passive )
Everyone looked forward to the event. Everyone looked forward to it. It
was looked forward to by everyone.
The prisoners broke out of their cells. They broke out of them. The
cells were broken out of.
The airline did away with tickets The
airline did away with them Tickets
were done away with.
The builders got on with the work They
got on with it. The work was got on
with by the builders.
The adverbial particle
is In ‘come back’, ‘break down’ and ‘fall off’, ‘back’, ‘down’ and ‘off’
are all adverbial
particles.(https://en.oxforddictionaries.com), in other words, it is a particle with an
adverbial function. e.g. He came back quickly I picked up some flowers. In these cases,
the structure formed
of a verb
and an adverbial
particle is considered to
be a phrasal
verb. There are
phrasal verbs that
allow interchangeable adverbial
particles, and the result is a change of sentence meaning, as the meaning of
the particle changes. e.g. They always looked up to their parents. They always
look round/away/down. An adverb particle
has a distinct
characteristic when occurs
with a transitive verb, i.e.
it may change
its position. Although
an adverbial particle
forms a special unit
with the verb
and together, they
have an idiomatic
meaning, it may
change its position and stay before
or after a direct object: e.g. I picked up some flowers. I picked some flowers up. He was told
to turn off the light. He was told to turn the light off. This change
of position is not possible
if the object
is a pronoun,
and in this case the particle always occurs after
the pronoun, never before: e.g. They told you to turn it off. and not*They told
you to turn off it .If that phrasal verb is not transitive, the adverbial
particle stays close to it: e.g. My phone broke down unexpectedly. You have no
reason to run away. It is not
always easy to
identify the proper
meaning of a
phrasal verb by combining the meanings of the constituent
elements, since the verb and the particle act as a unit with an idiomatic
meaning. For instance: The plane couldn’t take off because of the bad weather.
(couldn’t fly)We will sort out this inconvenience. (will solve)She was not able
to go on. (to continue)Some of the Phrasal verbs are used in formal speech : e.g.
Hopefully, car prices will even out. compared to the less formal: Hopefully,
car prices will become steady. while some others are used informally: e.g. Is she
eyeing up that dress? compared to the formal: Is she looking with great
interest at that dress? When a verb
combines with an
adverbial particle and
meanwhile requires a preposition, we deal with a
phrasal-prepositional verb. The basic characteristic of such verbs is that
neither the particle, nor the
preposition can be separated .e.g. I am
looking forward to meeting you. (I gladly anticipate our meeting)I would
like to get on
with my sister-in law.( I
would like to
be in good terms, to have a good relationship with
my sister-in –law.)
Phrasal verbs vs. prepositional verbs: position of the object
How we form phrasal and prepositional verbs
Structure of phrasal verbs
A phrasal verb can be made up of:
a verb + adverb throw
away
a verb + adverb + preposition put
up with
Structure of prepositional verbs
A prepositional verb is made up of:
a verb + preposition look
after, look at, wait for, think about, talk about, complain about
Position of the object of a phrasal verb
With a phrasal verb (verb + adverb), the position of the object (a
noun) is flexible, i.e. it can sit either between the verb and the adverb or
after the adverb:
She took her coat off.
(The object her coat is between the verb and the adverb.)
or
She took off her coat.
(The object her coat is after the adverb.)
Be careful!
When the object is a pronoun (him, her, us, them, etc.), it must
sit between the verb and the adverb:
She took it off.
took off it
Position of the object of a prepositional verb
With prepositional verbs (verb + preposition), the position of the
object—regardless of whether it’s a noun or pronoun—is not flexible. The object
must sit after the preposition:
We looked after the children.
looked the children after
We looked after them.
looked them after
Summary
Phrasal verbs: the object can sit before or after the particle (but
not when the object is a pronoun).
Prepositional verbs: the object always comes directly after the
preposition.
How To
Learn Phrasal Verbs More Easily
How often do teachers hear their students complain that phrasal
verbs are too difficult to learn? Very often; and the students do have a good
point – phrasal verbs sometimes have no logic and can be hard to remember.
But learning phrasal verbs is not impossible, and in this article
I’ll give you a few tips on how to make the learning process easier.
Firstly, in case you’ve forgotten, phrasal verbs (sometimes called
multi-word verbs) are verbs with two parts – a verb + preposition or verb +
adverb: look after and wash up are two examples. In some cases, phrasal verbs
have three parts, such as get on with and look forward to.
Two groups of phrasal verbs
Let’s put phrasal verbs into two groups: literal and idiomatic.
Literal phrasal verbs are quite easy to understand, as you can
decipher the meaning from their two parts (verbs like sit down, look around and
fall down shouldn’t cause you problems).
On the other hand, we cannot decipher the meaning of an idiomatic
phrasal verb just by looking at its individual parts: learners need help to
understand the meaning of verbs such as get on with, show up and let down.
Seven tips for making idiomatic phrasal verbs easier to learn:
1. Be careful when checking for meaning in your dictionary –
phrasal verbs often have more than one meaning. Study the context of the
sentence in which you first saw the phrasal verb. From that context you may be
able to tell which definition in the dictionary is the one you need.
2. If possible, ask a native speaker about the meaning of the
phrasal verb.
3. Find out how common the phrasal verb is (again, a native speaker
will be a big help). Focus on learning common phrasal verbs, not ones which are
seldom used.
4. Learn the phrasal verb as part of a sentence or phrase (this
helps you to remember it).
5. Double check that you can use the phrasal verb correctly. You
can do this by inventing your own sentence containing the verb and again asking
a native speaker if it’s correct. By doing this, for instance, you will see if
you are putting the object of the verb in the correct place. Look at these
examples: ‘I invite friends over’ and ‘I invited over friends’ are both correct
because the position of the object is flexible with this verb. However, with
the verb give up, we can say ‘I gave up smoking‘ but not ‘I gave smoking up’.
What is a phrasal verb?
We use the term phrasal verb when a verb is used together with a
particle (up, on, over, out, etc.) to create a new meaning.
Give up, put off, work out and look up are all examples of phrasal
verbs.
There are also some three-word phrasal verbs, which include a
preposition.
Structure of phrasal verbs
A phrasal verb can be made up of:
a verb + adverb throw
away
a verb + adverb + preposition put
up with
Examples of phrasal verbs
Phrasal verbs with put
put down, put in, put off . . .
Phrasal verbs with come
come across, come out with, come round . . .
Phrasal verbs are tough to learn. There are so many of them!
And phrasal verbs can also be confusing – from just one verb we
often have several phrasal verbs, all with different meanings. Take put as an
example – there’s put up, put off, put out . . . and many, many more.
I’ve chosen phrasal verbs with look for this post. But instead of
giving you a long list, I’ll explain four of the most common.
Here they are:
look after / look for / look
out / look up.
1. Look after
meaning: to take care of
We say look after someone or look after something:
He looks after his mother, who is now eighty-five years old.
If you want a beautiful garden, you have to look after it.
2. Look for
meaning: to search, to try to find
We say look for someone or look for something:
I’m looking for my phone. Have you seen it? looking my phone
Jana’s looking for a new boyfriend. looking a new boyfriend
3. Look out
meaning: to be careful, to pay attention
Often used as a warning: look out!
We also say look out for something:
There’s a car coming – look out!
Look out for pickpockets when you’re in Rome – they often target
tourists.
4. Look up
meaning: to check the meaning of a word in a dictionary, to search
for a specific piece of information online
We say look something up, look up something:
I know where Rembrandt was born because I looked it up online. I
looked it online
If you’re not sure how a word is spelled, look it up in the
dictionary.
Gap fill
A-1 ]Fill in the missing particles:
Paola had applied _______ a place on a Psychology Course at a
British University, but she was aware _______ her low level of English and
anxious _______ meeting the language requirements of the course.
Consequently, she decided to do an English Course first. At first
she wanted to study in London. This was her dream. But then she thought about
the expense and disadvantages _______ studying in a noisy, polluted city and
the attractions and advantages _______ learning English in Brighton, a town
which her friends described as London-by-the-sea.
Her first problem was that she didn't have any money, but her
parents agreed _______ her plan and decided to help her. They gave her some
money. This was an allowance _______ her course fees and living expenses. It
was not enough to cover Paula's appetite for discos, pubs, night clubs and
casinos.
Paola's second problem was Alberto, her very jealous boyfriend. She
had often argued _______ him _______ her plan to study at a British University.
On one occasion, Paola became so angry_______ him and Alberto became so annoyed
_______ her that they started to fight on the pavement outside an Italian night
club. In fact, Alberto accused her _______ being unfaithful to him and she
broke his nose. They were both ashamed _______ their behavior for about a week.
Paola had never lived apart _______ her family. Her parents had exercised
some form of control. Alberto apologized _______ his accusations, but he was
still afraid _______ her life-style. She was accustomed _______ dancing with
many friends in expensive night clubs. She had great admiration _______ any
young man who could dance like Michael Jackson and Alberto had two left feet!
At the same time, he felt closely attached _______ her. Since he wasn't able
_______ dance well, he was aware _______ the danger of losing her and was very
anxious _______ what would happen if she was away _______ Italy for as long as
four years. She only had to speak to the doorman at a club to ask _______ one
of her favorite dance partners and Alberto would go crazy! Such was his
affection _______ her!
Although Alberto was a little older than Paola, she was ahead
_______ him in terms of maturity. She finally applied _______ a course at the
ELC as well as her course in Psychology and persuaded Alberto that according
_______ Sigmund Freud, absence made the heart grow fonder.
Finally, Alberto learnt never to trust psychologists. Paola was
absent ________ him for the rest of her life because she fell in love with her
English teacher, who could dance better than Michael Jackson, and never
returned to Italy. Alberto was astonished _______ her change of heart, but
wasn't able _______ do anything about it.
B- ]Fill in the missing particles .
1. Benign tumors are characterized------------- entirely localized growth and are usually
separated
-----------------neighboring
tissue by a surrounding capsule.
2. Diagnostic study cancer begins------------- a thorough history
and physical examination, including inspection and palpation of all accessible
sites, especially the skin, neck, breasts, abdomen, testicles, and
lymph-node-bearing areas.
3. Asthma adults is less
likely to be caused ----------- allergy, and more likely to be associated
------------ respiratory infections and emotional upsets.
4. Doctor Macdonald likes teaching, but he is also interested
------------ research.
Exercise
.
Put on the prepositions or adverbs that have been omitted :
1- ] The man who spoke was standing ------------ me .
2- ] There are others ------------- me who believe that .
3- ] Put the two books side---------side .
4- ] Everyone was listening --------------music .
5- ] He lived here --------------- the years 2010 and 2011 .
6- ] Their plans have completely broken ----------------
7- ] The soldiers came in two -------------- two .
8- ] That book was written ----------Dickens .
9- ] That is a book ----------Russia and the Russian people .
10- ] I ran --------------- the thief but couldn’t catch him .
11- ] He who is not for us is --------------------- us .
12- ] He has written ten books and there is not a single good one
-------------- them .
13- ] The mother divided the apple --------------the two boys .
14- ] Who is looking -----------------you ?
16- ] Jan is very good ----------------English .
17- ] He did that ---------------- my wishes .
17- ] I bought that ---------------------- the butcher’s .
18- ] He put his hands ----------------- his back .
19- ] That ought to cost two pounds or --------------the very most
five pounds .
20- ] I hoped it would be fine but it poured ----------------all
afternoon .
21- ] My shoes are made ----------------- leather ; the box is made
-----------------iron .
22- ] I can’t get this ring -------------------- my finger .
23- ] What country do you come -----------------?
24- ] He put the book -------------- the table and sat
--------------- a chair .
25- ] He walked ---------------------- the room and sat
---------------his desk .
26- ] He has 10,000 men working ---------------- him .
27- ] I shan’t be away long ; I’ll be back ----------------- a year
.
28- ] The ship rocked --------------side to side .
29- ] I don’t like to be ---------------- debt ; that is to be
------------- danger .
30- ] It is cold ---------------- this room now that the fire has
gone ---------------
31- ] You must make the best ------------- it .
32- ] The petrol is all running ---------------; turn the tap
----------------
33- ] There are houses -------------- both sides ------------- the
street .
34- ] I bought a bicycle --------------$ 1oo .
35- ] You must try to look at it ---------------- my point of view
.
36- ]I shouldn’t be --------------such a hurry if I were
-------------- your place .
37- ] A friend --------------- mine went with me to the Tower
----------------London .
38- ] Help me --------
---------- my coat .
39- ] I went there -------------------business ; I have to work
----------------------- my living .
40- ] -------------reply -------------- your letter --------------
the 15th of November , we wish to state that we are -------------- need
------------- a traveler -------------- the London district .I f you will come here
-----------------Friday the 12th ------------ April we can give you our ideas
------------- the subject and it will then depend -------------- you whether you
accept and try to make a success --------it or whether----------------- the
contrary the whole matter must be considered as definitely ----------------
41- ]Someone left a box ---------- the garden and I fell
-------------it ------------- the dark .
42- ] I stood -------------- the corner ------------- the road and
hundreds ----------- cars went------------ .
43- ] Walk -------------- the town ----------- me and then we will
come home and sit ------------by the fire .
44- ] We went ------------ France -----------our way --------------Spain
.
45- ] I have been --------------London ----------the 25th
-------------------July .
46- ] This coat is wet . Hold it ------------- the fire
------------- a few minutes .
47- ] That is the first step -------------getting the matter
cleared------------.
48- ] I can’t use my office ---------business-------------present ;
it is ---------- repair .
49- ] I had never had a lesson ---------------English until I came
------------London .
50- ] That stream never dries -------------even ---------------the
middle-------------summer .
51- ] I did not approve ---------------his action and what he did
was done -----------my contest .
52- ] Come and stay ------------us ------------- a few days
-----------the weekend and bring your wife ------------- you .
53- ] You don’t need to pay ------------the money you borrowed all
--------------once .
54- ] Drake sailed --------------the world ------------the reign
--------Queen Elizabeth I .
55- ] I have been ---------------England ----------six months but
have had lessons only ---------April .
56- ] The motor boat cut -----------the water -------- a terrific
speed .
57- ] I live quite close ------------the bank ; in fact next door
--------------it .
58- ] It was somewhere -------------five o’clock ---------the
afternoon when he called ---------me.
59- ] ----------the circumstances , I will not give you any extra
work .
60- ] You could see --------- a glance there was someone
--------home ; the house was all lit -------
61- ] I like beef -----------done rather than -------------done .
62- ] They walked ----------the new road , then ---------the hill
-------my house .
63- ] Orders ----------the new car -------came ---- ------ a rush .
64- ] He walked ----------his hat ----------the back
------------his head .
65- ] -----------regard ----------that business , I don’t want to
do anything more ---------it , but I’ll keep-----------touch ------------you .
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