PHRASAL VERBS AND
PREPOSITIONAL VERBS
MULTI-WORD VERBS
verbs combined with an adverb or a preposition, or
sometimes both, to give a new meaning, for example put
up with, look after
 predictable, transparent meaning: (wake up, sit down)
 idiomatic meaning: (look after = take care of, put up
with = tolerate)
 their most important characteristic is the order of the
words in a sentence
 if a phrasal or prepositional verb is followed by another
verb, the second verb is in gerund (e.g. She is good at
painting.)

1. phrasal verbs: verb + adverb
(e.g This new hair style is beginning to catch on.)
 2. prepositional verbs: verb + preposition
(e.g. An envelope was waiting for me when I got home.)
 3. phrasal-prepositional verbs: verb + adverb +
preposition
(e.g. We still haven’t come up with a solution to the
problem.)


main difference: the position of the object in the sentence
PHRASAL VERBS
they can be transitive and intransitive
 the position of the object is flexible
 it can be either between the verb and the adverb, or after
the adverb
 e.g. They frightened the deer away / frightened away
the deer when they got too close to them.
 however, if the object is a pronoun, the adverb must be
placed after the object
 e.g. They frightened them away when they got too
close to them.

PREPOSITIONAL VERBS
all prepositional verbs have direct objects
 the object must sit after the preposition
 prepositional verbs cannot be separated
 e.g. He often looks at his photos. / He often looks at
them.

PHRASAL-PREPOSITIONAL VERBS
verb + adverb + preposition
 phrasal-prepositional verbs have direct objects because
they end with a preposition
 they work grammatically the same as other prepositional
verbs
 e.g: This lecture quite lived up to my expectations.

REMINDER

Phrasal verbs: the position of the object is flexible

They frightened the deer away / frightened away the deer when they got
too close to them.

They frightened them away when they got too close to them (pronoun: if
the object is a pronoun, the adverb must be placed after the object)

Prepositional and phrasal-prepositional verbs: the object
must sit after the preposition

He often looks at his photos. / He often looks at them. (pronoun!)

This lecture quite lived up to my expectations.

The play quite lived up to my expectations.

I can’t put up with all this noise!

This cold weather really gets me down.

The escaped prisoner gave herself up.

I waited for her in the corridor.

If you say that, people will just laugh at you.

Don’t worry, you can count on me.

I have to do up my living-room.

Harry is clever but he can’t put his ideas across.

Drop in any time you’re passing.

Our soldiers carried out a successful attack last night.

Can you switch the light off?
SOURCES
https://btk.ppke.hu/karunkrol/intezetek-tanszekek/angolamerikai-intezet/oktatok/balogne-berces-katalin/balogneberces-katalin/kurzusok:
 Lányi Dorottya: phrasal verbs and prepositional verbs
 Emszt Fanni: phrasal verbs
 http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/gram
mar/learnit/learnitv54.shtml
