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CHAPTER 27.

PHRASAL VERBS
A phrasal verb is an idiom which consists of a verb followed by a preposition, a verb followed by an adverb, or a
verb followed by an adverb, followed by a preposition. The phrasal verbs in the following examples are printed in
bold type.
e.g. I ran into an old friend.
We put off washing the dishes.
They all look up to him.
In these examples, the phrasal verb to run into consists of the verb to run followed by the preposition into, the
phrasal verb to put off consists of the verb to putfollowed by the adverb off, and the phrasal verb to look up
to consists of the verb to look followed by the adverb up, followed by the preposition to.
Many phrasal verbs are used more often in informal English than in formal English. In most cases, the ideas
expressed by such phrasal verbs may also be expressed by other phrases which are more liely to be used in
formal English.
!or instance in the table below, the phrasal verbs used in the preceding examples are listed in the left"hand
column and other phrases with the same meanings are listed in the right"hand column.
Informal Formal
to run into to meet unexpectedly
to put off to postpone
to loo up to to admire
It should be noted that the use of many phrasal verbs varies among the different dialects of English. !or instance,
in order to express the idea of contacting someone by means of the telephone, the expression to ring somon
up is fre#uently used in $ritish English% whereas the expression to !all somon is fre#uently used in American
English.
$ecause of differences in dialect, the forms of the verbs and the meanings given may vary from one dictionary to
another. In addition, some phrasal verbs have more than one meaning. The meanings provided in this chapter
are samples of meanings which are used in &orth American English.
". P#rasal $r%s !onsisting of a $r% follo&' %( a prposition
'ome phrasal verbs consist of a verb followed by a preposition. As has been seen in previous chapters, it is very
common for English verbs to be followed by prepositions. (owever, in the case of a phrasal verb, the verb
followed by the preposition forms an expression with an idiomatic meaning.
!or instance, the phrasal verb to !om a!ross is an idiomatic expression with the meaning to fin'. 'imilarly,
the phrasal verb to fro&n on is an idiomatic expression with the meaning to 'isappro$ of.
e.g. We !am a!ross an old diary while we were cleaning out the attic.
The worers fro&n' on the practice of smoing in the office.
It should be noted that some phrasal verbs consisting of a verb followed by a preposition can be used in the
)assive *oice.
e.g. The practice of smoing in the office &as fro&n' on by the worers.
The children &r look' aftr by their aunt.
In these examples, the phrasal verbs to fro&n on and to look aftr are used in the )assive *oice.
The following are examples of phrasal verbs which consist of a verb followed by a preposition. Each phrasal verb
is followed by its meaning and an example of its use.
Vr%s Follo&' %( Prpositions
a%i' %() adhere to We a%i'' %( the rules.
a!!ount for) explain (e a!!ount' for the discrepancy.
ask for) re#uest They ask' for an extension.
%ank on) depend on We are %anking on good weather tomorrow.
%ar &it#) be patient with )lease %ar &it# the delay.
%or'r on) be near, be next to Their excitement %or'r' on hysteria.
%rak into) enter by force Thieves %rok into the store.
%uil' on) develop from We want to %uil' on our success.
%urst into) suddenly enter (e %urst into the room.
!all for) demand This !alls for an investigation.
!all on) as, order We will !all on you to give a speech.
!om a!ross) find accidentally 'he !am a!ross some old papers.
!om upon) discover We !am upon a small lae.
!onfi' in) share a secret The two friends !onfi'' in each other.
!ount on) depend on We are !ounting on you.
!ut a!ross) use a short route I !ut a!ross the paring lot.
'a&n on) reali+e !inally the truth 'a&n' on him.
'al in) stoc, sell (e 'als in gold and ,ewels.
'al &it#) handle successfully 'he can 'al &it# any situation.
'!i' on) settle on They '!i'' on a course of action.
'ispns &it#) proceed without The chairman 'ispns' &it# formalities.
'ispos of) get rid of If he moves, he will have to 'ispos of his furniture.
'&ll on) emphasi+e (e '&lt on the riss involved.
nlarg on) say more about )lease nlarg on your proposal.
ntr into) begin, commence The brothers ntr' into an agreement.
*pan' on) say more about )lease *pan' on what you said before.
fro&n on) disapprove of Absenteeism is fro&n' on.
gt at) reach The store was so crowded, it was hard to gt at the food.
gt into) become involved with I don-t want to gt into an argument.
gt o$r) recover from (ave you got o$r the flu yet.
gt t#roug#) survive, finish I don-t now how I can gt t#roug# all this wor.
go against) oppose /on-t go against the rules.
go o$r) review I would lie to go o$r the report again.
go t#roug#) examine in detail (ave you gon t#roug# the evidence.
go &it#) loo good with Those shoes don-t go &it# that outfit.
gro& on) become more attractive to I-m sure the idea will gro& on you.
guar' against) tae precautions We must guar' against possible attac.
#ing on) depend on Everything #ings on her decision.
in+uir into) investigate )lease in+uir into the alternatives.
kp to) adhere to The train will kp to the schedule.
laug# at) moc, mae fun of /on-t laug# at me0
laun!# into) start (e laun!#' into an explanation.
laf t#roug#) turn the pages 'he laf' idly t#roug# the boo.
li$ on) survive using What did you li$ on.
look aftr) tae care of I will look aftr the children.
look into) investigate (e will look into the situation.
look t#roug#) examine #uicly We look' t#roug# the maga+ines while we were waiting.
part &it#) give up reluctantly 'he refused to part &it# her neclace.
pi!k on) be unind to $ecause he was the youngest, the other boys pi!k' on him.
pr( on) hunt and eat% disturb 1spreys pr( on fish% the idea pr(s on my mind.
pro$i' for) prepare for We have pro$i'' for any emergency.
rason &it#) try to persuade It is hard to rason &it# an angry person.
r!kon on) calculate on I hadn-t r!kon' on being the center of attention.
ris a%o$) be superior to (e ros a%o$ his circumstances and managed to succeed.
run a!ross) find accidentally They ran a!ross some interesting information.
run into) meet accidentally I ran into my cousin downtown.
run o$r) in,ured by a vehicle 2hildren must be careful not to be run o$r by cars.
s t#roug#) not be deceived by I instantly sa& t#roug# the disguise.
sn' for) as to be sent 3ou will have to sn' for your transcripts.
sttl for) reluctantly accept 'ince there was no ale, we had to sttl for cabbage.
si' &it#) support in a dispute Why did you si' &it# him.
sit t#roug#) sit and endure It was all I could do to sit t#roug# the lecture without falling asleep.
stan' %() support I hope you will stan' %( me.
stan' for) represent What does the abbreviation etc. stan' for.
sti!k to) adhere to We shall sti!k to the original plan.
stum%l a!ross) find accidentally (e stum%l' a!ross an interesting fossil.
sur$i$ on) survive using /uring the winter, we had to sur$i$ on turnips and parsnips.
tak aftr) resemble an ancestor (e taks aftr his grandfather.
tampr &it#) interfere with 'omeone has tampr' &it# the loc.
tou!# on) mention 'he tou!#' on many important sub,ects.
$rg on) approach (is behavior $rgs on rudeness.
&a' t#roug#) slowly peruse We had to &a' t#roug# a pile of documents.
&at!# o$r) guard The shepherd &at!#' o$r the sheep.
'ee Exercise 4.
a. T# position of t# o%,!t of t# prposition
The ob,ect of a preposition usually follows the preposition, whether the ob,ect is a noun or a pronoun. In the
following examples, the ob,ects are underlined.
e.g. We have laun!#' into a new pro,ect.
We have laun!#' into it.
In these examples, the noun pro,!t and the pronoun it are the ob,ects of the preposition into of the phrasal
verb to laun!# into. $oth the noun ob,ect and the pronoun ob,ect follow the preposition.
'ee Exercise 5.
%. T# position of an a'$r% of mannr mo'if(ing t# $r%
If a verb is followed by a preposition, an adverb of manner may be placed between the verb and the preposition.
In the following examples, the adverbs of manner are underlined.
e.g. We rason' patiently &it# the little girl.
I laf' #uicly t#roug# the boo.
In the first example, the adverb of manner patintl( is placed between the verb rason' and the
preposition &it# of the phrasal verb to rason &it#. In the second example, the adverb of manner +ui!kl( is
placed between the verb laf' and the preposition t#roug# of the phrasal verb to laf t#roug#.
'ee Exercise 6.
!. Strss in spokn Englis#
When a verb followed by a preposition occurs at the end of a clause, it is usually the verb which is stressed in
spoen English. In the following examples, the words which are stressed are printed in bold type.
e.g. &o one lies to be laug#' at.
I need someone to !onfi' in.
In the first example, the verb laug#' followed by the preposition at occurs at the end of a clause, and the
verb laug#' is stressed. In the second example, the verb !onfi' followed by the preposition in occurs at the
end of a clause, and the verb !onfi' is stressed.
It should be noted that, when used in a phrasal verb at the end of a clause, the
prepositions aftr, into and o$r are often pronounced with somewhat greater emphasis than the verb. In this
case, both the verb and the preposition are stressed. !or example7
The twins are easy to look aftr.
The building would be difficult to %rak into.
3ou-ll never guess whom I ran into.
I heard that someone was run o$r.
The prepositions a%o$, a!ross and t#roug# are also occasionally emphasi+ed in this way. !or example7
The research papers were difficult to &a' t#roug#.

'. E*prssions in &#i!# t# $r% #as an o%,!t
In the case of some phrasal verbs consisting of a verb followed by a preposition, the verb and the preposition
may each have an ob,ect. In the following examples, the ob,ects are underlined.
e.g. I can mak nothing of the situation.
We talk' my sister into agreeing.
In the first example, the verb mak of the phrasal verb to mak of has the ob,ect not#ing, and the
preposition of has the ob,ect situation. In the second example, the verb talk' of the phrasal verb to talk
into has the ob,ect sistr, and the preposition into has the ob,ect agring.
The following are examples of phrasal verbs consisting of a verb followed by a preposition, where the verb may
have an ob,ect. The ob,ects of the verbs are underlined. Each phrasal verb is followed by its meaning and an
example of its use. The last example illustrates the use of the )assive *oice.
Vr%s follo&' %( -%,!ts follo&' %( Prpositions
'rag into) involve unwillingly /on-t 'rag me into this discussion0
'ra& into) involve gradually We managed to 'ra& her into the conversation.
'rum into) teach by repetition We 'rumm' the safety rules into the children.
frig#tn into) control by fear The little girl frig#tn' her brother into obeying her.
#ol' against) blame for )lease don-t #ol' my mistaes against me.
la( %for) present to We will la( the evidence %for the court.
lt into) allow to share 'hall we lt her into the secret.
mak of) understand 2an you mak anything of this message.
ra' into) find other meanings 3ou are ra'ing too much into her remars.
st against) mae antagonistic 'he lies to st people against one another.
st on) order to attac We will st our dogs on any intruders.
talk into) persuade 2an you talk him into changing his mind.
t#rust upon) force upon We t#rust the responsibility upon the treasurer.
&rit into) add to in writing The terms were &rittn into the lease.

2. P#rasal $r%s !onsisting of a $r% follo&' %( an a'$r%
Many phrasal verbs consist of a verb followed by an adverb. 'ome of these phrasal verbs are intransitive and
some are transitive.
!or instance, the intransitive phrasal verb to s#o& up is formed from the verb to s#o& followed by the
adverb up. In the following example, the phrasal verb does not have an ob,ect.
At ten o-cloc, her brother s#o&' up.
The following are examples of intransitive phrasal verbs which consist of a verb followed by an adverb. Each
phrasal verb is followed by its meaning and an example of its use.
Intransiti$ Vr%s follo&' %( A'$r%s
%lo& o$r) pass I wonder when the trouble will %lo& o$r.
%oil a&a() disappear by boiling If the water %oils a&a(, the stew will burn.
%oil o$r) overflow by boiling The soup %oil' o$r.
%oun! %a!k) recover (e %oun!' %a!k from his previous defeat.
%u!kl 'o&n) wor seriously 3ou may fail your courses if you don-t %u!kl 'o&n to wor.
!at!# on) be widely accepted /o you thin the idea will !at!# on.
!lou' o$r) become overcast Although it !lou'' o$r in the afternoon, the rain held off.
'i 'o&n) become less After a few days, the excitement 'i' 'o&n.
'ou%l up) bend over We were 'ou%l' up with laughter.
'rop in) visit )lease 'rop in any time.
fa' a&a() become less The sound gradually fa'' a&a(.
fall off) become less Attendance at the concerts has falln off.
gt a&a() escape I hooed a fish, but it got a&a(.
gt %() barely succeed 'he studied ,ust hard enough to gt %(.
gi$ in) admit defeat I will never gi$ in0
go on) continue )lease go on. /on-t let me interrupt you.
gro& up) become an adult What do you want to do when you gro& up.
kp on) persist in (e kpt on changing the sub,ect.
l$l off) stop rising )rices finally l$l' off.
log on) contact a computer /o you now how to log on.
log off) brea contact with a computer
system
The system was overloaded, so I had to log off.
mo$ in) tae possession of living #uarters When are you mo$ing in.
mo$ out) give up possession of living
#uarters
(e mo$' out yesterday.
no' off) go to sleep (alf the bus passengers no''' off.
pass out) faint It was so hot, I almost pass' out.
pit!# in) help If everyone pit!#s in, the wor will be done in a few minutes.
pla( along) pretend to agree 8et-s pla( along until we find out what his plans are.
pull in) arrive 9of vehicles: The bus pull' in next to the curb.
pull out) leave 9of vehicles: The train pull' out at ten o-cloc.
st off) leave They st off at six o-cloc in the morning.
sttl 'o&n) become peaceful
After the excitement, the students found it difficult to sttl
'o&n.
sttl in) become used to (ow are you sttling in to your new ,ob.
s#o& up) arrive 'he s#o&' up at noon.
sta( up) not go to bed We sta(' up until midnight.
stp 'o&n) resign (e stpp' 'o&n for health reasons.
stp in) intervene The government had to stp in to save the business.
tak off) leave the ground The plane took off on time.
tou!# 'o&n) land 9of planes: The plane tou!#' 'o&n.
tun in) find a station on the radio We tun' in to listen to the hocey game.
&at!# out) beware .at!# out0 The roads are icy.
&ar off) gradually disappear The feeling of excitement gradually &or off.
'ee Exercise ;.
The transitive phrasal verb to sort out is formed from the verb to sort followed by the adverb out. !or
example7
We sort' out the papers.
In this example, the phrasal verb sort' out has the ob,ect paprs.
The following are examples of transitive phrasal verbs which consist of a verb followed by an adverb. Each
phrasal verb is followed by its meaning and an example of its use.
Transiti$ Vr%s follo&' %( A'$r%s
%a!k up) support I will %a!k up your story.
%ail out) rescue If you run into difficulties, who will %ail you out.
%rak in) mae something new fit for use I %rok in my new hiing boots.
%rat# in) inhale We %rat#' in the fresh air.
%rat# out) exhale I %rat#' out a sigh of relief.
%ring %a!k) return 'he %roug#t %a!k her library boos.
%ring aroun') persuade We gradually %roug#t her aroun' to our point of view.
%ring up) raise Bringing up children is never easy.
%uttr up) flatter We %uttr' him up, hoping that he would agree to our proposal.
!all in) as to assist I thin it is time we !all' in an expert.
!all off) cancel We !all' off the meeting.
!all up) telephone Why don-t you !all him up.
!#r on) cheer, encourage I will be there to !#r you on.
!#op 'o&n) fell They !#opp' 'o&n the dead tree.
!lan up) tidy The mayor ased everyone to help !lan up the city streets.
fn' off) repel The goalie fn'' off every attac.
frrt out) find with difficulty We managed to frrt out the information.
figur out) solve, understand I can-t figur out what happened.
fill in) complete )lease fill in this form.
fill out) complete I fill' out the form.
fill up) mae full We fill' up the glasses with water.
gi$ %a!k) return I ga$ %a!k the bicycle I had borrowed.
gi$ off) send out 'un cabbage gi$s off an unpleasant odor.
#an' 'o&n) give to someone younger The tradition &as #an'' 'o&n from father to son.
#an' in) give to person in authority The students #an'' their assignments in to the teacher.
#an' on) give to another person I am not sorry to #an' the responsibility on to you.
#an' o$r) transfer We had to #an' the evidence o$r to the police.
#ang up) brea a telephone connection After receiving a busy signal, I #ung up the phone.
#ol' %a!k) restrain, delay (e is so enthusiastic, it is hard to #ol' him %a!k.
iron out) remove I am sure we can iron out every difficulty.
kno!k out) mae unconscious $oxers ar often kno!k' out.
lap up) accept eagerly The public lapp' up the story.
la( off) put out of wor The company lai' off seventy worers.
la$ %#in') leave, not bring I accidentally lft my umbrella %#in'.
la$ out) omit Tell me what happened. /on-t la$ anything out0
lt 'o&n) disappoint We will lt him 'o&n if we don-t arrive on time.
li$ 'o&n) live so that past faults are
forgotten
This will be hard to li$ 'o&n0
look up) find 9information: We look' up the word in a dictionary.
mak up) invent 'he lies to mak up stories.
pass up) not tae advantage I couldn-t pass up such an opportunity.
pnsion off) dismiss with a pension (e was pnsion' off at the age of sixty.
p#as in) introduce gradually The new program will be p#as' in over the next six months.
p#as out) cease gradually The practice will gradually be p#as' out.
pi!k up) collect 3ou may pi!k up the papers at the office.
pin 'o&n) get a commitment
When the guest speaer is pinn' 'o&n, we can set a date for the
conference.
pla( 'o&n) de"emphasi+e (e pla(' 'o&n the importance of the news.
point out) draw attention to 'he point' out the advantages of the proposal.
polis# off) finish We polis#' off the rest of the apple pie.
pull 'o&n) demolish Many old buildings are pull' 'o&n to mae way for new ones.
pull off) succeed /o you thin she can pull off her plan.
put a&a() put in proper place It is time to put the toys a&a(.
put %a!k) return to original location )lease put the boo %a!k on the shelf.
put off) postpone We cannot put off the meeting again.
rl off) recite a long list 'he rl' off a long list of names.
rop in) persuade to help We rop' in everyone we could to help with the wor.
ru% out) erase $e sure to ru% out all the pencil mars.
rul out) remove from consideration &one of the possibilities can be rul' out yet.
s!al 'o&n) reduce $ecause of lac of funds, we had to s!al 'o&n our plans.
sll off) dispose of by selling We sol' off all the boos and furniture.
st %a!k) delay This could st %a!k the pro,ect by several years.
s#out 'o&n) stop from speaing by
shouting
The crowd s#out' 'o&n the speaer.
s#rug off) dismiss as unimportant (e attempted to s#rug off the mistae.
singl out) select from others 3ou have been singl' out for special attention.
si/ up) assess I #uicly si/' up the situation.
sort out) organi+e It will tae some time to sort out this mess.
soun' out) tal with to learn the opinion
of
We attempted to soun' him out.
stammr out) stammer They stammr' out their apologies.
sum up) summari+e (e summ' up the discussion in a few well"chosen words.
summon up) gather I attempted to summon up my courage.
tak in) absorb We tried to tak in the new information.
tak out) invite to a restaurant May I tak you out for supper.
tak o$r) assume control They will tak o$r at the beginning of <une.
talk o$r) discuss 8et us talk it o$r before we decide.
tar up) destroy by tearing 'he tor up the letter.
t#ink o$r) consider I need some time to t#ink it o$r.
t#ink up) invent What will they t#ink up next.
tra!k 'o&n) search for and find We finally tra!k' him 'o&n at the boostore.
tra' in) give as part payment Why don-t you tra' in your old vacuum cleaner for a new one.
tr( on) test clothes by putting them on I tri' on the new suit, but it didn-t fit me.
tr( out) test by using Would you lie to tr( out my fountain pen.
turn a&a() refuse admission The event was so popular that many people had to be turn'
a&a(.
turn %a!k) reverse direction Every fall the clocs must be turn' %a!k by one hour.
turn off) deactivate by using a switch I turn' off the radio.
turn on) activate by using a switch )lease turn on the light.
&atr 'o&n) dilute The soup has been &atr' 'o&n.
&ar out) gradually destroy by wearing
or using
My ,acet is &aring out, although it is only a year old.
&rit 'o&n) mae a note I &rot 'o&n the instructions.
&rit off) cancel, regard as They were forced to &rit off several irretrievable debts.
&rit up) compose in writing I used my notes to &rit up the report.
'ee Exercise =.
a. T# position of t# o%,!t of t# $r%
In the case of transitive phrasal verbs consisting of a verb followed by an adverb, if the ob,ect of the verb is a
noun, the ob,ect can usually either follow or precede the adverb. In the following examples, the ob,ects are
underlined.
e.g. I !all' off the meeting.
I !all' the meeting off.
In the first example the ob,ect mting follows the adverb off, while in the second example the
ob,ect mting precedes the adverb off.
(owever, in the case of a few phrasal verbs, a noun ob,ect must usually follow the adverb.
e.g. We attempted to smoot# o$r the disagreement.
In this example, the phrasal verb to smoot# o$r is followed by the noun ob,ect 'isagrmnt. In this case,
the ob,ect 'isagrmnt cannot be placed before the adverb o$r.
The following are examples of transitive phrasal verbs where a noun ob,ect must usually follow the adverb. Each
phrasal verb is accompanied by its meaning and an example of its use. The ob,ects of the verbs are underlined.
Vr%s follo&' %( A'$r%s follo&' %( 0oun -%,!ts
'rum up) raise 'he has 'rumm' up support for the plan.
papr o$r) repair superficially They attempted to papr o$r their differences.
smoot# o$r) improve We tried to smoot# o$r the situation.
In the case of transitive phrasal verbs consisting of a verb followed by an adverb, if the ob,ect of the verb is a
pronoun, the ob,ect must usually precede the adverb. In the following examples, the pronoun ob,ects are
underlined.
e.g. I !all' it off.
We attempted to smoot# it o$r.
In these examples, the pronoun ob,ect it precedes the adverbs off and o$r.
'ee Exercise >.
Most transitive phrasal verbs may be used in the )assive *oice.
e.g. The meeting was !all' off by me.
The disagreement was smoot#' o$r.
In these examples, the phrasal verbs to !all off and to smoot# o$r are used in the )assive *oice.
%. T# position of an a'$r% of mannr mo'if(ing t# $r%
In the case of a phrasal verb consisting of a verb followed by an adverb, the verb and the adverb usually
may not be separated by an adverb of manner. In the following example, the adverb of manner is underlined.
e.g. I hurriedly !all' off the meeting.
In this example, the adverb of manner #urri'l( precedes the phrasal verb !all' off. The
adverb #urri'l( may also be placed at the beginning or the end of the sentence, but may not be placed
between the verb !all' and the adverb off.
!. Strss in spokn Englis#
When a phrasal verb consisting of a verb followed by an adverb occurs at the end of a clause, it is usually the
adverb which is stressed in spoen English. In the following examples, the words which are stressed are printed
in bold type.
e.g. (ow did that come a%out.
)lease drop in whenever you have time.
In the first example, the verb !om followed by the adverb a%out occurs at the end of a clause, and the
adverb a%out is stressed. In the second example, the verb'rop followed by the adverb in occurs at the end of a
clause, and the adverb in is stressed.
'. Ergati$ $r%s
It should be noted that there are a few phrasal verbs consisting of a verb followed by an adverb, which have the
same meaning whether they are used transitively or intransitively. !or example7
The engineer slo&' 'o&n the train.
The train slo&' 'o&n.
In the first example, the phrasal verb to slo& 'o&n is used transitively, with the ob,ect train. In the second
example, the phrasal verb to slo& 'o&n is used intransitively, without naming the originator of the action. In
these two examples, it can be seen that the ob,ect of the transitive verb is the sub,ect of the intransitive verb.
(owever, the general meaning of the two sentences is the same. *erbs which can be used in this way may be
referred to as rgati$ $r%s.
The following are examples of expressions which can function as ergative phrasal verbs. Each ergative phrasal
verb is followed by its meaning and examples of its use.
Ergati$ P#rasal Vr%s
%lar out) mae a loud sound The loudspeaers %lar' out the music.
The music %lar' out.
%lo& up) destroy by an explosion Troops %l& up the bridge.
The bridge %l& up.
%rak up) brea into pieces The icebreaer %rok up the ice.
The ice %rok up.
%urn 'o&n) destroy by fire We %urn' 'o&n the old barn.
The old barn %urn' 'o&n.
!alm 'o&n) become calm I !alm' 'o&n the child.
The child !alm' 'o&n.
'r( out) become dry The sun 'ri' out the earth.
The earth 'ri' out.
gt a!ross) transmit We got our point a!ross to the audience.
1ur point got a!ross to the audience.
li$n up) become lively (e li$n' up the party.
The party li$n' up.
pull t#roug#) recover from, survive The doctor pull' her t#roug# the illness.
'he pull' t#roug# the illness.
roll up) wrap into a cylinder I roll' up the window blind.
The window blind roll' up.
s#ut 'o&n) close, stop woring They s#ut 'o&n the factory.
The factory s#ut 'o&n.
&ak up) stop sleeping I &ok her up.
'he &ok up.
&as# out) remove by washing We &as#' out the dye.
The dye &as#' out.
&ar a&a() gradually remove Water &or a&a( the roc.
The roc &or a&a(.
&ar out) gradually destroy by using I &or out the sweater.
The sweater &or out.

1. 2istinguis#ing %t&n $r%s follo&' %( prpositions an' $r%s follo&' %( a'$r%s
It has been seen that the position of pronoun ob,ects, adverbs of manner and stress in spoen English varies
according to whether a verb is followed by a preposition or by an adverb.
These differences are summari+ed in the following table. The verbs to sit and to turn are used as examples. The
verb to sit is followed by on used as a preposition, whereas the verb to turn is followed by on used as
an adverb.
Vr% follo&' %( Prposition Vr% follo&' %( A'$r%
)ronoun ob,ect is placed )ronoun ob,ect is placed
after the preposition7 before the adverb7
I sat on it. I turned it on.

Adverb of manner may be placed Adverb of manner may not be
between verb and preposition7 placed between verb and adverb7
I sat +uitl( on it. I +uitl( turned it on.

*erb is stressed7 Adverb is stressed7
This is what I sat on. This is what I turned on.
$ecause of the differences summari+ed above, it is important to be able to distinguish between a verb followed
by a preposition, and a verb followed by an adverb.
a. A'$r% p#rass of lo!ation !ompar' &it# p#rasal $r%s follo&' %( o%,!ts
In many cases, it is necessary to distinguish between an ordinary verb followed by an adverb phrase of location,
and a phrasal verb followed by an ob,ect.
e.g. I turned up the street.
I turned up the volume.
In the first example, the verb turn' is followed by the adverb phrase of location up t# strt. In the second
example, the phrasal verb turn' up is followed by the ob,ect $olum. In this example, the phrasal
verb turn' up has the meaning in!ras'.
In the first example, strt is the ob,ect of the preposition up. If the ob,ect is changed to a pronoun, the pronoun
must follow the preposition7
I turned up the street.
I turned up it.
In the second example, $olum is the ob,ect of the phrasal verb turn' up. If the ob,ect is changed to a
pronoun, the pronoun must precede the adverb up.
I turned up the volume.
I turned it up.
In the first example, if the verb is modified by an adverb of manner, the adverb of manner may precede the
adverb phrase of location7
I turned up the street.
I turned #uicly up the street.
In the second example, if the verb is modified by an adverb of manner, the adverb of manner may not be placed
between the two parts of the phrasal verb7
I turned up the volume.
I #uicly turned up the volume.
'ee Exercises ? and @.
%. .or's us' as prpositions or a'$r%s
It is also necessary to be able to distinguish between a phrasal verb consisting of a verb followed by a
preposition, and a phrasal verb consisting of a transitive verb followed by an adverb. In many cases it is possible
to mae the distinction by means of the preposition or adverb following the verb.
!or example, the following words are used in phrasal verbs as prepositions, but are not usually used in phrasal
verbs as adverbs following transitive verbs7
after against
at before
by for
from into
of to
toward with
without
In contrast, the following words are used in phrasal verbs as adverbs following transitive verbs, but are not
usually used in phrasal verbs as prepositions7
along aside
away bac
behind down
forward out
together up
It should be noted that of these words, asi', a&a(, %a!k, for&ar', out and togt#r are usually never used
as prepositions. In contrast, the words along,%#in', 'o&n and up are often used as prepositions, but are not
usually used as prepositions in phrasal verbs.
'ee Exercises A and 4B.
The following words present more difficulty, since they can be used in phrasal verbs both as prepositions and as
adverbs following transitive verbs7
across around or round
in off
on or upon over
through
Thus, it is advisable to study which phrasal verbs use these words as prepositions, and which phrasal verbs use
these words as adverbs. The following table gives examples of phrasal verbs containing each of these words. The
left"hand column gives phrasal verbs consisting of verbs followed by prepositions, while the right"hand column
gives phrasal verbs consisting of transitive verbs followed by adverbs.
.or's us' as Prpositions or A'$r%s
Vr% 3 Prposition Transiti$ Vr% 3 A'$r%
come a!ross get a!ross 9an idea:
cut a!ross put a!ross 9an idea:
run a!ross
stumble a!ross

Vr% 3 Prposition Transiti$ Vr% 3 A'$r%
hang aroun' bring roun'
lounge aroun'
mill aroun'
pass aroun'
rally roun'
show aroun'

Vr% 3 Prposition Transiti$ Vr% 3 A'$r%
confide in brea in
deal in breathe in
,oin in call in
fill in
hand in
phase in
rope in
tae in
trade in

Vr% 3 Prposition Transiti$ Vr% 3 A'$r%
glance off call off
eep off fend off
warn off give off
lay off
pair off
pension off
polish off
pull off
put off
reel off
sell off
shrug off
turn off
write off

Vr% 3 Prposition Transiti$ Vr% 3 A'$r%
ban on cheer on
border on hand on
build on try on
call on turn on
come upon
count on
dawn on
decide on
dwell on
enlarge on
expand on
frown on
grow on
hinge on
live on
pic on
prey on
recon on
survive on
thrust upon
touch on
verge on

Vr% 3 Prposition Transiti$ Vr% 3 A'$r%
get o$r tae o$r
go o$r tal o$r
run o$r thin o$r
watch o$r paper o$r
smooth o$r

Vr% 3 Prposition Transiti$ Vr% 3 A'$r%
brea t#roug# pull t#roug#
get t#roug#
go t#roug#
leaf t#roug#
loo t#roug#
sail t#roug#
scrape t#roug#
see t#roug#
sit t#roug#
wade t#roug#
'ee Exercise 44.

4. P#rasal $r%s !onsisting of a $r% follo&' %( a &or' &#i!# ma( fun!tion it#r as an a'$r% or
as a prposition
'ome phrasal verbs consist of an intransitive verb followed by a word which may function either as an adverb or
as a preposition. !or example7
We pass' %(.
We pass' %( the library.
In the first example, the word %( of the phrasal verb pass' %( functions as an adverb. In the second example,
the word %( of the phrasal verb pass' %( functions as a preposition which has the ob,ect li%rar(.
The following are examples of phrasal verbs which contain words which may function either as adverbs or as
prepositions. Each phrasal verb is followed by its meaning and examples of its use. The ob,ects of the
prepositions are underlined.
Intransiti$ Vr%s follo&' %( &or's &#i!# ma( fun!tion it#r as A'$r%s or Prpositions
%rak t#roug#) appear The sun %rok t#roug#.
The sun %rok t#roug# the clouds.
'o &it#out) survive without We had to 'o &it#out.
We had to 'o &it#out electricity.
glan! off) hit and bounce off The ball glan!' off.
The ball glan!' off the wall.
go &it#out) not have They &nt &it#out.
They &nt &it#out food.
#ang aroun') stay near We #ung aroun'.
We #ung aroun' the movie theater.
,oin in) become involved in I ,oin' in.
I ,oin' in the game.
loung aroun') relax in We loung' aroun'.
We loung' aroun' the living room.
mill aroun') 9of a crowd: move randomly The students mill' aroun'.
The students mill' aroun' the lobby.
pass %() pass I pass' %(.
I pass' %( the house.
rall( roun') gather to give support We ralli' roun'.
We ralli' roun' our class president.
sail t#roug#) succeed easily 'he sail' t#roug#.
'he sail' t#roug# the exam.
s!rap t#roug#) barely succeed They s!rap' t#roug#.
They s!rap' t#roug# the course.
turn off) leave a road We turn' off.
We turn' off the main highway.
a. E*prssions in &#i!# t# $r% #as an o%,!t
There are a few phrasal verbs consisting of a verb followed by a word which may function either as an adverb or
as a preposition, where the verb may have an ob,ect. In the following examples the ob,ects are underlined.
e.g. We pass' the candies aroun'.
We pass' the candies aroun' the class.
In each of these examples, the verb pass' of the phrasal verb to pass aroun' has the ob,ect !an'is. In the
first example, the word aroun' functions as an adverb, while in the second example, the word aroun' functions
as a preposition with the ob,ect !lass.
The following are examples of phrasal verbs consisting of a verb followed by a word which may function either as
an adverb or as a preposition, where the verb may have an ob,ect. Each phrasal verb is followed by its meaning
and examples of its use. The ob,ects of the verbs and prepositions are underlined. The last example illustrates
the use of the )assive *oice.
Vr%s follo&' %( o%,!ts follo&' %( &or's &#i!# ma( fun!tion it#r as A'$r%s or Prpositions
!ross off) put a line through I !ross' his name off.
I !ross' his name off the list.
pass aroun') distribute I pass' the papers aroun'.
I pass' the papers aroun' the class.
s#o& aroun') conduct on a tour We s#o&' the visitors aroun'.
We s#o&' the visitors aroun' the city.
ti' o$r) provide for temporarily This money will ti' me o$r.
This money will ti' me o$r the weeend.
&arn off) warn to leave We were &arn' off.

We were &arn' off the premises.

5. P#rasal $r%s !onsisting of a $r% follo&' %( an a'$r% follo&' %( a prposition
There are several commonly used phrasal verbs which consist of a verb, followed by an adverb, followed by a
preposition. !or example7
I &nt along &it# the idea.
In this example, the phrasal verb &nt along &it# consists of the verb to go, followed by the adverb along,
followed by the preposition &it# which has the ob,ecti'a.
The following table gives examples of phrasal verbs which consist of a verb, followed by an adverb, followed by a
preposition. Each phrasal verb is followed by its meaning and an example of its use.
Vr%s follo&' %( A'$r%s follo&' %( Prpositions
a'' up to) amount to It is hard to see what that a''s up to.
%a!k 'o&n from) withdraw, avoid 'he never %a!ks 'o&n from a challenge.
%a!k out of) not fulfill I wish I could %a!k out of the agreement.
%oil 'o&n to) can be reduced to All his arguments %oil 'o&n to a belief in the supernatural.
%o& out of) withdraw (e %o&' out of the race.
%rus# up on) refresh nowledge of I must %rus# up on my English.
!arr( on &it#) continue with We !arri' on &it# our conversation.
!at!# up to) overtae The boy ran #uicly to !at!# up &it# his friends.
!lan up aftr) tidy for 'he spent half her time !laning up aftr the children.
!om 'o&n to) can be reduced to 3our choices !om 'o&n to these.
!om 'o&n &it#) become ill with 'he !am 'o&n &it# a cold.
!om out in) develop (e !am out in a rash.
!om up against) meet an obstacle They !am up against many difficulties.
!om up &it#) produce 'he !am up &it# a solution to the problem.
!rp up on) approach undetected 1ld age tends to !rp up on one.
!r( out for) urgently re#uire The education system is !r(ing out for improvement.
!ut %a!k on) reduce The government has !ut %a!k on spending.
'o a&a( &it#) abolish We want to 'o a&a( &it# delays.
fa! up to) accept and deal with It is best to fa! up to one-s problems.
fall %a!k on) turn to for help
$ecause of unexpected expenses, we had to fall %a!k on our
savings.
fit in &it#) be suited to 3ou don-t fit in &it# this group.
fool aroun' &it#) not be serious, have as a
hobby
(e lies to fool aroun' &it# computers.
gt a&a( &it#) not be punished (e got a&a( &it# being late for school.
gt 'o&n to) begin dealing seriously with It is time to gt 'o&n to business.
gt in on) manage to participate in I want to gt in on the planning for the new school.
gi$ up on) stop trying I-ve gi$n up on the situation.
go along &it#) agree, not resist I-m willing to go along &it# your idea.
go %a!k on) brea a promise (e never gos %a!k on his word.
go t#roug# &it#) fulfill, carry out
Are you going to go t#roug# &it# your plan to conduct a
survey.
gro& out of) become too big for My son has gro&n out of most of his clothes.
#ol' out for) not compromise We want to #ol' out for better conditions.
kp up &it#) be on the same level as 'he has a hard time kping up &it# her brother.
la' up to) be a preparation for
The first thirty chapters of the boo la' up to the dramatic
conclusion.
li$ up to) maintain a standard 'he has li$' up to her reputation as a great singer.
log on to) contact a computer 'he logg' on to the new system.
look 'o&n on) regard as inferior (e looks 'o&n on his classmates.
look for&ar' to) anticipate I-m looking for&ar' to the holidays.
look out for) watch for Look out for fallen branches.
look up to) admire We look' up to her.
mak up for) compensate for 'he tried to mak up for her past mistaes.
pull out of) leave 9of vehicles: The train pull' out of the station.
pus# on &it#) go ahead, continue I must pus# on &it# my wor.
put up &it#) endure, tolerate $us passengers must often put up &it# crowded conditions.
ra' up on) read about
Whenever I travel, I lie to ra' up on the place I am going to
visit.
ru% off on) ac#uire from someone 'ome of his enthusiasm has ru%%' off on me.
run up against) meet 1ne runs up against many different inds of people.
sn' a&a( for) order by mail We snt a&a( for warm winter boots.
sti!k up for) defend, support Will you sti!k up for me.
sto!k up on) lay in supplies We should sto!k up on bananas.
talk 'o&n to) spea patroni+ingly (e always talks 'o&n to people younger than he is.
&alk a&a( &it#) win easily They &alk' a&a( &it# all the pri+es.
&at!# out for) beware of .at!# out for snaes.
&riggl out of) avoid 'he always tries to &riggl out of her responsibilities.
/ro in on) focus on 8et us /ro in on the heart of the problem.
'ee Exercise 45.
a. E*prssions in &#i!# t# $r% #as an o%,!t
There are a few phrasal verbs consisting of a verb, followed by an adverb, followed by a preposition, where the
verb may have an ob,ect. In the following example, the ob,ects are underlined.
e.g. We pla(' them off against each other.
In this example, the verb pla(' of the phrasal verb to pla( off against has the ob,ect t#m, while the
preposition against has the ob,ect a!# ot#r.
The following are examples of phrasal verbs consisting of a verb, followed by an adverb, followed by a
preposition, where the verb may have an ob,ect. Each phrasal verb is followed by its meaning and an example of
its use. The ob,ects of the phrasal verbs are underlined.
Vr%s follo&' %( -%,!ts follo&' %( A'$r%s follo&' %( Prpositions
gt o$r &it#) undergo,
finish
If I must visit the dentist, I prefer to gt it o$r &it# as soon as possible.
lt in on) allow to share We lt them in on the secret.
pla( off against) encourage
to fight
In the last century, the $ritish weaened their enemies by pla(ing them off
against one another.
put 'o&n to) attribute to We put his bad temper 'o&n to fatigue.
put up to) urge to do wrong 'he put me up to playing a tric on the teacher.
tak out on) vent bad
feelings on
'he took her dissatisfaction with her ,ob out on her neighbors.
tak up on) accept an offer I would lie to tak you up on your offer.
talk out of) dissuade from We tried to talk him out of retiring.

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