Phrasal verbs in English

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Some verbs are two part verbs. They consist of a verb and a particle:
  • grow + up
    >> The children are growing up.
Often this gives the verb a new meaning:
  • take + after
    >> She takes after her mother
    = She looks like her mother, or She behaves like her mother.
  • count + on
    >> I know I can count on you
    = I know I can trust you, or I know I can believe you.
Some transitive two part verbs (see Clauses, Sentences and Phrases) have only one pattern:
N (subject) + V + p + N (object)
[Note: N = noun; V = verb; p = particle]
N (Subject) VerbParticle N (Object)
She
I
My father		takes
can count
comes		after
on
from		her mother
you
Madrid

Some transitive two part verbs (see Clauses, Sentences and Phrases) are phrasal verbs. Phrasal verbs have two different patterns:
• The usual pattern is: N + V + N + p

N (Subject)Verb(N) ObjectParticle
She
He
We		gave
knocked
will be leaving		the money
the glass
our friends and neighbours		back
over
behind

• But sometimes these verbs have the pattern: N (subject) + V + p + N (object)

N (Subject)VerbParticleN (Object)
She
He
We		gave
knocked
will be leaving		back
over
behind		the money
the glass
our friends and neighbours

• Phrasal verbs are nearly always made up of a transitive verb and a particle. Common verbs with their most frequent particles are:
bring:about, along, back, forward, in, off, out, round, up
buy:out, up
call:off, up
carry:off, out
cut:back, down, off, out, up
give:away, back, off
hand:back, down, in, on out, over, round
knock:down, out, over
leave:behind, out
let:down, in, off, out
pass:down, over, round
point:out
push:about, around, over
put:across, away, down, forward, off, on, out, through, together, up
read:out
set:apart, aside, back, down
shut:away, in, off, out
take:apart, away, back, down, in, on, up, over
think:over, through, up
  

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