Phrasal verbs

A phrasal verb is a type of verb that is created when a main verb is combined with either:

an adverb,

take off	give in
blow up	break in

a preposition,

get at (someone)

pick on (weaker children)

or an adverb + preposition,

put up with (insults)

get out of (doing something)

Type A. Verb plus adverb

Some Type A phrasal verbs have no object, i.e. they are intransitive. The sentence makes sense without any further addition to the verb.

Mary went away.
Helen sat down.
The students came back.

Others do require an object, i.e. they are transitive.

We could make out a figure in the distance.
He tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament.
Could you put your clothes away, please?

If the object is a noun, many Type A phrasal verbs will allow the adverb to come either:

before the object,

I picked up Jim on my way home.
He blew out the candle.
She tidied away her things.

or after the object.

I picked Jim up on my way home.
He blew the candle out.
She tidied her things away.

If the object is a pronoun, it must come before the adverb.

I picked him up.
He blew it out.
She tidied them away.

Sometimes you can guess the meaning of these verbs from the meanings of the parts.

to sit down = sit + down
to go away = go + away

Sometimes you have to learn the new meanings, or use a dictionary.

to make up (an answer)	= invent
to turn down (an invitation)	= decline
to work out (a problem)	= solve
to put up (a visitor)	= accommodate

Type B. Verb plus preposition

Type B phrasal verbs always have an object. This is because prepositions always have an object.

He asked for his bill.
He asked for it.
She listened to the doctor.
She listened to her.
They referred to our conversation.
They referred to it.

Sometimes there are two objects – the object of the verb and the object of the preposition.

He asked the waiter for the bill.

Type C. Verb plus adverb and preposition

Type C phrasal verbs are a combination of the two previous kinds of verb. All the parts of a Type C phrasal verb come before the object.

We are looking forward to our holiday/it.
Don’t put up with bad behaviour/it.
You must look out for the warning signs/them.

It is sometimes hard to tell adverbs and prepositions apart, because often the same word can be both a preposition and an adverb, depending on how it is used. For further information about prepositions see Prepositions.

The following are examples of the three types of phrasal verb that are explained on Phrasal verbs.

Type A

Phrasal verbs made from a verb plus an adverb may be intransitive (do not take an object) or transitive (take an object).

some phrasal verbs that do not take an object	some phrasal verbs that do take an object
to break down	to blow something up
to carry on	to break something off
to fall down	to bring a child up
to get about	to bring a subject up
to get up	to catch somebody up
to give up	to clear something up
to go away	to close something down
to go off	to give something up
to go on	to leave something out
to grow up	to make something up
to hold on	to pick someone up

Type B

Phrasal verbs made from a verb plus a preposition are all transitive.

to add to something	to hope for something
to agree with someone	to insist on something
to apply for a job	to laugh at something
to approve of something	to listen to something
to arrive at a place	to look after someone
to ask for something	to look for something
to believe in something	to look into something
to belong to someone	to pay for something
to call on someone	to refer to something
to care for someone	to rely on someone
to come across something	to run into someone
to deal with something	to run over something

Some Type B verbs are doubly transitive, since both the verb and the preposition can have an object.to add insult to injury
to ask a grown-up for help
to check your answers with the teacher
to pay the assistant for your shopping
to refer a customer to the manager

Type C

Phrasal verbs with an adverb plus a preposition all take a prepositional object.

to be fed up with something	to keep away from something
to carry on with something	to look back on something
to catch up with something	to look forward to something
to check up on something	to look out for something
to come up with something	to look up to someone
to cut down on something	to make up for something
to do away with something	to put in for something
to face up to something	to run away with something
to fall back on something	to run out of something
to get on with someone	to run up against something
to get out of something	to stand up for something
to go back on something	to walk out on someone
to go in for something	to watch out for something
to break in on someone	to lead up to something