Phrasal Verbs
What a phrasal verb is, how the particle changes the meaning, the separable / inseparable distinction, a base-verb-grouped set of the common ones with plain glosses, and a note on their register for the descriptive paper.
What you will be able to do
- Define a phrasal verb and explain how the particle shifts the meaning.
- Apply the separable / inseparable test for pronoun objects.
- Recall common phrasal verbs grouped by base verb.
- Judge when a phrasal verb is too informal for a formal answer.
What is inside this lesson
- 1What a phrasal verb is
- 2The particle carries the meaning
- 3Separable or inseparable
- 4Common verbs: take, get, carry
- 5Common verbs: come, break, look
- 6Worked example: two items
- 7Register: the descriptive-paper trap
- 8Quick revision
- 9Practice
Get Pro for full access. This is section 1 of 9; the rest of the lesson opens with Pro at onelystop.in/upgrade.
What a phrasal verb is
A phrasal verb is a verb plus a small word - a particle - that together mean something you often cannot get from the two parts alone. Carry + out = perform; put + off = postpone; look + into = investigate.
One base verb takes many particles, each with its own meaning: put off, put up with, put down, put out, put forward. Questions test whether you know the specific combination the sentence needs, so learn the pair as a unit with its plain gloss.
Reading the 9 sections above is free. A free account opens the first 2 topics of every subject in full, along with flashcards and private notes.