Verbs: phrasal

 

A phrasal verb is a combination of a verb with an adverb or a preposition. ‘Wake up’ and ‘get up’ are examples of phrasal verbs.

• I usually wake up at 7 o’clock… but I get up at 8 o’clock!

 

Phrasal Verbs without Objects

 

We don’t use ‘wake up’ and ‘get up’ with an object.

 

These are some other examples of phrasal verbs without objects:

• Come in! The door is open!
• Hold on. I need five more minutes.
• Look out! There’s a car coming!
• Go away! I don’t want to talk to you!
• The train was full so I had to stand up.
• Please sit down and relax.

 

Phrasal Verbs with Objects

 

a) Some phrasal verbs always take an object:

• I put on my jacket.

NOT: I put on.

 

‘My jacket’ is the object. We can also put the object in the middle:

• I put my jacket on.

 

If the object is a pronoun, it always comes in the middle:

• I put it on.

NOT: I put on it.

 

Other common phrasal verbs which follow this pattern:

• I took off my jacket.
• He switched on / turned on the computer.
• He switched off / turned off the computer.

 

b) Other phrasal verbs always take an object but we can’t put it in the middle:

• I looked after his plants.

NOT: I looked after.

NOT: I looked his plants after.

• I looked after them.

NOT: I looked them after.

 

Another common phrasal verb which follows this pattern:

• She takes after her father.
• The police are looking into the crime.

 

c) Some phrasal verbs can be used with or without an object:

• The taxi arrived and I got in. (no object)
• I got in / into the taxi.

 

• The bus arrived and I got on.
• I got on / onto the bus.

 

• I walked to the shop and I went in.
• I went in / into the shop.