Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal verbs are mainly used in spoken English and informal texts. (The more formal a conversation or text, the less phrasal verbs are found.)
Phrasal verbs consist of a verb plus a particle . The particle can change the meaning of the verb completely, e.g.:
§ look up – consult a reference book (look a word up in a dictionary)
§ look for – seek (look for her ring)
§ look forward – anticipate with pleasure (look forward to meeting someone)
There are no rules that might explain how phrasal verbs are formed correctly - all you can do is look them up in a good dictionary and study their meanings. In our lists, you will find some frequently used phrasal verbs and their meanings.
Frequently Used Phrasal Verbs with:
§ break, bring, call, carry, come, do, fall, get, go, keep, look, make, put, run, set, take, turn
Position of the Particle
The particle is placed either after the verb or after the object.
Example:
Write down the word. / Write the word down.
If the object is a pronoun, however, the particle has to be placed after the pronoun (object).
Example:
Write it down.
