Phrasal Verbs

The combination of a verb and a preposition, a verb and an adverb, or a verb with both an adverb and a preposition, to form a complete unit of meaning is called a phrasal verb. Examples: turn on, get away, fall off Read the following passage. Note the phrasal verbs marked in italics. Get back to your work now and carry on till you complete the task. Do not stop writing once I walk out of this room. I will look into your papers and give them back to you as soon as I am done with them. Please turn the lights off before you leave the classroom. Now look at the structures and the meanings of the phrasal verbs given in the above passage:

1.0Rules for Making Phrasal Verbs

1. No prefix or suffix can be added to particles even though they are integral parts of phrasal verbs. Examples: I looked up the word in the dictionary. But never I look upon the word in the dictionary. (Incorrect)
2. Any required change of form in such verbs can only be made by changing the form of the verb within the phrasal verb. Examples: The past tense form of the phrasal verb take down is took down and past participle is taken down. The particle down remains unchanged in both the forms.
3. The meaning of a phrasal verb can be completely changed by the use of different particles. Examples: Turn the lights off before you go. (turn off deactivate) Turn the table around. (turn around = rotate the table) Turn the radio on. (turn on = activate) You better turn up for today's meeting. (turn up = arrive/come)

2.0Type of Phrasal Verbs

We can classify phrasal verbs in the following way according to their form and functions:

3.0Recall

1. 'Phrasal verb' is the combination of two or three words from different grammatical categories - a verb and a particle, such as an adverb or a preposition - to form a single semantic unit on a lexical or syntactic level.
2. 'Phrasal verbs' that include a preposition are known as prepositional verbs and phrasal verbs that include a particle are also known as particle verbs.
3. We can not add any prefix or suffix to the particles of phrasal verbs.
4. Different particles supply different meanings to the phrasal verbs.
5. There are two types of phrasal verbs:

• Separable
• Inseparable