The ESL HELP! Desk

Welcome to today's lesson on separable and nonseparable phrasal verbs.  As with all our ESL Help! Desk units, the sentences you see below are contributed by other ESL students in college-level ESL classes.

What's wrong with this sentence?
Problem:   The firemen put out it.

Before you begin the activities, you may want to study the podcast and grammar lesson,
He's Always Talking about Grammar, also in our Library. (This lesson is is open to members only
but membership is free!)

What is a phrasal verb?

 

A phrasal verb is a verb and preposition combination that takes on a unique meaning. Phrasal verbs are also known as multi-word verbs.

A phrasal verb may be either intransitive or transitive.

intransitive:

• Adam had to grow up quickly.

transitive:

• The firement put out the fire.
  

Intransitive Phrasal Verbs

 

Because an intransitive verb cannot take an object, there should be no issue that the [verb + preposition] remain together as a unit.  Thus, intransitive phrasal verbs are inseparable.

• go out          We usually go out with our friends.

• come over    We asked our friends to come over.

• grow up        Adam had to grow up.
  

Transitive Phrasal Verbs

 

Transitive phrasal verbs take an object.  In some cases, the [verb + preposition] combination must remain together as a unit, and in other cases the noun object may come between them and "separate" them.

Next....  Separable Transitive Verbs

 

Please click here to continue with Part 2 of this lesson.

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