Multiword Verbs

Gerry Delahunty and James Garvey

English Department
Colorado State University
All rights reserved. Copyright 2000.

English uses combinations of verb and one or more other words to create
expressions that function as single units in several respects. For example, in
Mandy came to, came to functions as a single unit, a complex, multiword verb. It
is composed of the verb come and the particle to. (Particles are words that do not
change their form according to the grammatical context they occur in.)

We can distinguish several types of these multiword verbs:
1. Verb + particle/adverb (a.k.a. phrasal verbs)
a. intransitive, e.g., come to, go away, die out
b. transitive
i. optional separation, e.g., look up X, look X up
ii. obligatory separation, e.g., invite X over, cf. *invite over X
2. Verb + preposition (a.k.a. prepositional verbs or non-separable phrasal verbs)
a. intransitive, e.g., look after
b. transitive, e.g., talk X into Y
3. Verb + particle + particle (or adverb + preposition) (a.k.a. phrasal prepositional
verbs)
e.g., read up on

Verbs in category 1a, the intransitive phrasal verbs, consist of a verb and a particle
or adverb. Often the meaning of the combination can be easily derived from the
meaning of the verb and the particle, for example, go away. The meanings of
other combinations are idiomatic and must be taught and learned as wholes, for
example, come to or give in.

Verbs in category 1b are transitive, so they take a direct object (bolded), as in Alex
looked the number up in the Yellow Pages. These verbs divide into two groups.
With verbs of the first group, the particle may occur before or after the direct
object (the optional separation group), for example, Alex looked the number up,
Alex looked up the number. With verbs of the second group, the particle must
follow the direct object, for example, We invited Fatima over, *We invited over
Fatima. If the object is a pronoun, then the particle must follow the direct object:
He looked it up, *He looked up it.

The particle associated with the verbs in group two is deemed to be a preposition
because it must be followed by an object, so we can say We are looking after our


interests but not We are looking our interests after. (In some published work these
combinations are categorized as inseparable phrasal verbs.) Even when the object
is a pronoun the particle precedes it: We are looking after them but not *We are
looking them after. The NP is regarded as the object of the preposition, rather than
of the verb and preposition, and so the verb is intransitive.

Combinations like look after are different from other sequences of verb and
preposition in that they are analyzable in two ways:

a. [V [
PP
P NP]]

b. [V P [NP]]

Under analysis (a), the preposition is represented just like any other preposition,
namely as the head of a prepositional phrase with a NP object. Under analysis (b),
the preposition is represented as closely associated with the verb. This analysis
represents the intuition of a close semantic tie between verb and preposition.

The verbs of category 2b are transitive and so must be followed by a direct object,
which is then followed by a prepositional phrase, as in We talked Maria in to
coming. It is the idiomaticity of the verb/preposition combination that justifies
calling the verb and preposition a unit here.

The following are lists of multiword verbs, subdivided according to whether they
are separable, obligatorily separable, or non-separable.


Separable

ask out
bring about
bring back
bring on
bring out [reveal]
bring up
call back
call down [scold]
call in
call off
call up
carry out
check off


check out
cheer up
clean up
clean out
cross off
cross out
cut off
cut out
do over
do up
drink up
drop off
eat up
figure out
fill in
fill out
fill up
find out
get back (from)
get down
give back
give out
hand in
hand down
hand out
hand over
hand up
hang up
have on [wear]
hold up
hold down
keep out (of)
kick out (of)
look over
look up
make out [understand]
make up [invent]
name after
name for
pass out [distribute]
pass up [not take]
pay back


pay out
pick out
pick up
point out
put across [explain]
put away
put back
put off
put on
put out [extinguish, place outside]
put up
run down [criticize]
run over [hit by a car]
save up
set up
sit out
take back
take off
take on
take out
take over
take up [begin]
talk over
tear down
tear up
think over
think through
think up
throw away
throw out
try on
try out
turn down
turn in [submit]
turn off
turn on
turn out (lights)
turn over
turn up
wake up (Trans)
wait out
write down


write in
write out
write up


Obligatorily Separable

get X down [swallow]
get X from
put X out [upset]
shut X up
sit X down
sit X up


Non Separable

ask for
become of
break down
break in
break in on
call for
call on
catch on (fashion)
catch up (with)
check in (a hotel)
check into (a hotel)
check out (of)
check up (on)
come across [meet]
come along
come back
come in on
come over
come up [arise]
come to [total, consciousness]
cut in (on)
deal with
drop by [visit]
drop in (on)
drop out (of) [leave]


do without
eat in
eat out
get along (with)
get by
get down to
get behind in
get in [board]
get off
get on
get out (of)
get into
get off [disembark]
get on [board]
get out (of)
get over
get through (with)
get up
glance off
gloss over
go away
go over
goof up (Intrans)
goof off
go through
go with [harmonize]
grow up
hurry up (Intrans)
keep off [stay away]
keep on [continue]
keep up (with)
lie down
listen up
look after
look at
look down on
look for
look forward to
look in (on)
look into
look out (for)
look over


look up [improve]
look up to
pass away [die]
pass out
pick on [annoy]
put up with
run into [meet]
run across
run out (of)
see about
set about
show up [appear]
shuffle along/into
shunt off to
shut up (Intrans)
sit down
sit up (Intrans)
stand down
stand in for
stand out
stand up [rise]
take after
talk back (to)
throw up [vomit]
turn out [happen]
turn up [appear]
wait on
wake up (Intrans)

(Based on Master, Peter Systems in English Grammar. (1996: 471) Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Prentice Hall, Cambridge International Dictionary of English (1995:
278) Cambridge: CUP, Diane Larsen-Freeman (ed.) Grammar Dimensions 2 2
nd
.
Ed. (1997: 338-359) Heinle and Heinle: Pacific Grove.)