ge11-1.3· Unit 1: Vocabulary & Word Formation· ~14 min

Phrasal verbs and prepositions

Common phrasal verbs, dependent prepositions and prepositions of time and place.

A phrasal verb is a verb combined with a particle (a preposition or adverb) that together create a new meaning, for example 'give up' (to stop trying) or 'look after' (to take care of). The particle can completely change the meaning of the base verb, so 'take after' (to resemble) is very different from 'take off'. English also uses dependent prepositions, which are fixed prepositions that follow certain verbs, adjectives and nouns: we say 'depend on', 'good at', 'afraid of', 'interested in' and 'the reason for'. These combinations must be learned as whole chunks because they rarely translate word-for-word from Azerbaijani. Finally, prepositions of time and place follow their own patterns: we use 'at' for a precise time (at 6 o'clock) and a point in space (at the door), 'on' for days and surfaces (on Monday, on the table), and 'in' for longer periods and enclosed spaces (in July, in the room). For example: 'She is very good at maths, but she gave up chess because she could not depend on her memory for the openings.'

Key terms

Phrasal verb — A verb combined with a particle (a preposition or adverb) that together create a new meaning, for example 'give up' (to stop) or 'look after' (to take care of).
Particle — The small word (preposition or adverb) added to a base verb in a phrasal verb; it can completely change the meaning, so 'take after' (to resemble) differs from 'take off'.
Dependent preposition — A fixed preposition that follows a particular verb, adjective or noun, such as 'depend on', 'good at' or 'reason for'; it must be learned as a whole chunk.
Separable phrasal verb — A phrasal verb whose object can come between the verb and the particle, for example 'iron them out' or 'put the meeting off'.
Inseparable phrasal verb — A phrasal verb whose verb and particle stay together, so the object follows the whole verb, for example 'look after the dog' or 'takes after her mother'.
Prepositions of time and place — Prepositions following their own patterns: 'at' for clock times and points (at 5 pm, at the bus stop), 'on' for days and surfaces (on Friday, on the wall), 'in' for months/years and enclosed areas (in 2020, in the kitchen).
Common phrasal verbs in this unit
Phrasal verbMeaningExample
give upto stop trying / to stop doingHe decided to give up smoking because it was bad for his health.
look afterto take care ofCould you look after my dog while I am on holiday?
put offto postponeThe meeting was put off until next week because the director was ill.
take afterto resembleSara really takes after her mother; they have the same eyes.
run out ofto have no more of somethingWe have run out of milk, so I need to go to the shop.
find outto discover informationThe doctors are running tests to find out what is wrong with the patient.
How the particle changes the meaning of the base verb
Phrasal verbMeaningContrast
take afterto resembleDifferent from 'take in' (to understand) and 'take off'.
take into understand / to absorbI was so tired that I could not take in what the lecturer was saying.
bring outto release / to produce something newThe factory will bring out a new line of electric cars.
bring aboutto cause something to happenHis careless remark brought about a serious argument.
break downto stop working (a machine)Different from 'break up' (to end a relationship).
call offto cancelThe organisers had to call off the football match because of the storm.
✎Choosing the right phrasal verb
  1. 1Sentence: Because of the heavy storm, the organisers had to ___ the football match.
  2. 2Test the particles: 'Call out' means to shout, 'call up' means to telephone, 'call in' means to ask for help. None of these fits cancelling an event.
  3. 3Match the meaning: To cancel a planned event we use 'call off'.
  4. 4Answer: The organisers had to call off the football match.
✎Replacing a plain verb with a phrasal verb
  1. 1Sentence: We have no more milk, so I need to go to the shop.
  2. 2Find the meaning: 'To have no more of something' is expressed by the phrasal verb 'run out of'.
  3. 3Rewrite: We have run out of milk, so I need to go to the shop.
  4. 4Check the particle: The full form needs both particles: 'run out of'; 'run into' or 'run over' would change the meaning entirely.
🚫Common mistake

Some phrasal verbs are separable: with 'iron out' you can place the object in the middle, as in 'we can iron them out later'. Keep both particles ('iron ... out'), not 'iron ... over'.

🚫Common mistake

Inseparable phrasal verbs keep the verb and particle together: say 'look after my dog' and 'takes after her mother', never split them.

⚠️Caution

Changing the particle changes the meaning: 'break down' (a car stops working) is not 'break up' (end a relationship); 'bring out' (release something new) is not 'bring about' (cause to happen).

💡Note

Invented particles do not exist: there is no 'find up' or 'find off'; to discover information the only correct form is 'find out'.

Rules

  1. 1A phrasal verb = verb + particle and has a new meaning (give up = stop, look after = take care of, put off = postpone, take after = resemble).
  2. 2Many verbs take a fixed dependent preposition: depend on, listen to, wait for, look for, agree with, succeed in.
  3. 3Many adjectives take a fixed preposition: good at, afraid of, interested in, proud of, keen on, worried about.
  4. 4Some nouns take a fixed preposition: reason for, solution to, increase in, interest in, need for.
  5. 5Time and place: use 'at' for clock times and points (at 5 pm, at the bus stop), 'on' for days/dates and surfaces (on Friday, on the wall), 'in' for months/years and enclosed areas (in 2020, in the kitchen).

Practice

15 easy · 15 medium · 15 hard

10 random questions per test

EasyMediumHardMixed