Introduction to Language

Teaching
Phrasal Verbs

Felice Cardelia
 Overview
►What are phrasal verbs and how they
are composed? (Verb + Adverb and/or
Preposition)
►Transitive Phrasal Verbs:
▪ Separable phrasal verbs
▪ Inseparable phrasal verbs
►Intransitive Phrasal Verbs
 What are phrasal verbs and how they are composed? (VERB
+ ADVERB and/or PREPOSITION)

► Phrasal verbs are considered as Idiomatic expressions, used with a

particular construction of the English language: (Verb+ Adverb
and/or Preposition).
► Typically, their meaning is not obvious from the meanings of the
individual words themselves.
Examples: Look (verb)
Look for (verb + preposition) = phrasal verb
• Look at those jeans they are cool to wear at Patrick's birthday party.
• I was looking for some jeans to wear to Patrick's birthday party
What are phrasal verbs and how they are composed? (VERB
+ ADVERB and/or PREPOSITION)

► Before we go any further let’s make sure we are all clear on what a
verb, a preposition and an adverb are. The adverb or preposition
is called a particle.
▪ A verb is a word that describes an action (i.e. to swim, to read), or
a state of being (i.e. to live, to understand). Every sentence has to
have a verb.
▪ A preposition is a small word that describes the relationship
between two words. For example, the cat is on the chair or in the
drawer or under the table or inside the bag.
▪ An adverb is a word that describes a verb, an adjective or other
adverbs. (i.e. he sings loudly; very tall; ended too quickly)
 Transitive Phrasal Verbs vs Intransitive
Phrasal Verbs

►The main divisions of the Phrasal Verbs are articulated in

this way: transitive and intransitive.
►A sentence with a transitive phrasal verb has a direct
object. (object: is a word or part of a sentence that is
affected by the verb)
• Examples:
a) You need to fill out this form to register for the course.
b) Check out that website – it’s really great!
 Transitive Phrasal Verbs vs Intransitive
Phrasal Verbs
►Transitive phrasal verbs can be separable or inseparable. If
a phrasal verb is separable, it means you can separate the
two words and put the direct object in the middle. If it is
inseparable, then you can’t do this, which means that the
object will be positioned after the preposition or adverb.

Separable Phrasal Verb Inseparable Phrasal Verb

Example: TURN OFF Example: RUN INTO
• Please turn off the TV • I ran into my ex-boyfriend at the
• Please turn the TV off supermarket, that was an
unpleasant surprise.
 Transitive Phrasal Verbs vs Intransitive
Phrasal Verbs
►NOTE: Word order for Separable Phrasal Verbs:
▪ When the direct object is the specific name of a thing or person,
it can be located after the phrasal verb or in the middle:
Examples: I threw away the old pizza in the bin.
I threw the old pizza away in the bin.
▪ However, when the direct object is a pronoun then it MUST go in
the middle:
Example: I threw it away in the bin.
 Transitive Phrasal Verbs vs Intransitive
Phrasal Verbs

►Intransitive phrasal verbs are easier to use because

there is no direct object to worry about.
Example: I woke up at 10:30 AM.
►The word parts that make up an intransitive phrasal
verb CANNOT be separated.
Example: We broke up two years ago.
 BRIEF SUMMARY
►Transitive phrasal verbs, which do have a direct object:
I took off my hat.
►Separable phrasal verbs, which can have the direct
object or the pronoun in the middle: I took my hat off /
I took it off. If we use a pronoun MUST go in the middle
and not at the end.
►Inseparable phrasal verbs, which must have the direct
object at the end, and not in the middle:
They’re looking after our children.
►Intransitive phrasal verbs, which have no direct object:
I woke up at 6:00.
Reference List

► Harmer, J. (2017). How to teach English. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited.

► E‌ spresso English. (n.d.). Phrasal Verbs in English. [online] Available at:

https://www.espressoenglish.net/phrasal-verbs-in-english/#:~:text=Inseparable
%20Phrasal%20Verbs- [Accessed 10 Jan. 2022].

► L‌ earnEnglish. (2008). Phrasal verbs. [online] Available at:

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/intermediate-to-upper-
intermediate/phrasal-verbs#:~:text=Phrasal%20verbs%20are%20very%20common
[Accessed 10 Jan. 2022].