First, read Part 1 (What is a phrasal verb?)...
See list of exercises on phrasal verbs...
The combination:
verb + preposition (about, up, down, to, after, etc.)
is called a prepositional verb. A preposition is always used with an object. In fact, we can say the object is the object of the preposition.
I'm talking about grammar things.
Walk down this road and the station is on your right.
She's really taken to* Spanish food.
*developed a liking for, to enjoy.
As you can see, the meaning may be intuitive, like in the first two examples, or not intuitive, as in the third example.
The preposition may change the meaning of the base verb but it is separate from it grammatically. It is part of the phrase that follows. So, with prepositional verbs we can often insert an adverb after the verb and before the preposition, for example:
I don't like to talk too seriously about grammar things.
Walk carefully down the road.
She took readily to Italian food.
Phrasal verbs are made up of a:
base verb + adverb particle (up, off, out, down, away, on, back, etc.)
We call it an adverb particle because it may change the meaning of the base verb and is a part of it. The adverb particle doesn't have an object like a prepositional verb does.
She brought up the subject of politics.
The direct object, the subject of politics, is not the object of up but really the object of brought up. More examples:
I'm calling off* the party. Nobody was interested in coming.
They carried out** the plan perfectly.
*cancel
**execute, finish
So, we can't usually insert adverbs between the two parts of a phrasal verb as we can with a prepositional verb.
She gave up* smoking quickly.
*stop
or...
She quickly gave up smoking.
and not...
She gave quickly up smoking.
Exceptions are heard among native speakers but these may sound strange to some ears. The exceptions are when the adverb seems to describe closely the adverb particle. This might happen where the adverb particle has a meaning similar to when it's a preposition, e.g.
He sat slowly down on the chair.
So sit down is, in fact, a phrasal verb but also the adverb particle down is similar in meaning to the preposition down. In other words, when you sit down, you actually move downwards.
Unlike prepositional verbs, phrasal verbs don't always have an object in the sentence:
I got up late this morning.
John and Mary have broken up*.
Our car broke down** on the motorway.
*separate
**stop working
We say these phrasal verbs are intransitive because they have no direct object.
Transitive phrasal verbs do have a direct object:
I threw away* the rubbish in the bins this morning.
The company turned down** my application for the job.
*put something in a waste paper basket
**reject
Usually, transitive phrasal verbs allow the direct object to go between the two parts or after the two parts with no change in meaning:
I paid back* the loan to the bank.
*return money
or...
I paid the loan back to the bank.
This rule is different when the direct object is a pronoun (me, him, her, it, us, them). In these cases, the direct object pronoun must go between the two parts.
Remember to switch it on*.
I paid it back.
*make electrical contact
But not...
Remember to switch on it.
I paid back it.
Prepositional verbs do not allow the object or the object pronoun between the two parts, so we can't say:
Look the baby after
we have to say...
look after* the baby.
*give attention to, to feed, put to bed, etc.
We can't say...
She's taken it to
we have to say...
she's taken to it
What you may have realized here is that a phrasal verb and a prepositional verb may have the same verb + small word combination, but the meanings (and grammar) are different. To use the example from Part 1:
The car ran over* the cat. (The car ran it over) - phrasal verb.
I ran over** my English homework before handing it in. - prepositional verb.
*the car goes over the cat and kills it
**look at something to check it
As mentioned before in part 1, verbs with prepositions or adverb particles are very common in the English language especially in less formal spoken language. In fact, we usually avoid phrasal verbs in more formal speaking or writing. We'll say:
I'll send off the package as soon as I get a bit of free time. (informal spoken comment)
but...
We will dispatch the package in due course. (formal email)
There are a number of compound verbs that have three parts. Usually, this is a phrasal verb plus a preposition.
The criminal broke out* of prison.
I must brush up** on my English.
He ended up*** with a bad cold.
*escape
**revise
***finish with
They look complicated but we should consider the to be just verb + preposition.
I'm cutting down* on fats and carbohydrates.
*reduce
the structure is the same as:
He sat on the chair.
So we can say:
I'm cutting down slowly on fats and carbohydrates (adverb position)
He sat awkwardly on the chair.
Fats are difficult to cut down on (preposition end position)
Chairs are easy to sit on.
For the grammar of phrasal verbs and prepositional verbs, it's useful to be aware of the differences between the two. The grammar of the both types is quite different - usually with reference to the position of other parts of the sentence such as the direct object, pronouns and adverbs.
For learning the meanings of these two or three-word verb combinations, it may not be so important to always try to separate the two types. In the phrasal verb exercises that follow, both phrasal and prepositional verbs are mixed in the same exercise.
Unfortunately, it's not so much the structure of these verbs that make them so difficult to learn but the vast number of them in the English language.
Also, there's the problem of multiple meanings of many phrasal verbs. What about make up with EIGHT different meanings! It's a classic example although many phrasal verbs don't have quite so many different meanings!
But if you're interested, try to learn the eight meanings of the verb make up here...
Go to the first of the phrasal verb exercises...
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