Page 237 - Advanced English Grammar in Use

T w o - a n d t h r e e - w o r d v e r b s : w o r d o r d e r

Some verbs are commonly used with a particular particle (preposition or adverb). We can
call these two-word verbs:
• She had to let out her dress because she'd put on weight. (= made it larger)
• The company's debts were mounting up. (= increasing)
• Tommy's fallen over again. Can you help him up?
A good dictionary will tell you if a particle is a preposition or adverb and explain the meaning of
two- and three-word verbs.
Some verbs are commonly used with an adverb + preposition. These are three-word verbs:
• Do you think he's really likely to go through with his threat? (= do it)
• They'd sold out of washing powder at the supermarket. (= it had all been sold)
These two- and three-word verbs are sometimes called 'phrasal' and 'prepositional' verbs. It is
often difficult to understand what they mean from the meaning of their separate parts.

Verb + particle + noun phrase
1 With some two-word verbs (verb + preposition), the noun phrase goes after the particle:
• I'm afraid that Simon met with an accident as he was driving home.
• The back door opens onto a small garden.
2 With other two-word verbs (verb + adverb), a noun phrase usually goes after the particle
unless the noun phrase is a pronoun:
I • • She followed out the instructions exactly, (rather than ...followed the instructions out...)
(not ...followed out them...)
She read the instructions and followed them out precisely,
Verb + noun phrase + particle
With a few two-word verbs (verb + adverb), a noun phrase is usually placed or must be placed
before the particle:
I • • She told the children off for stealing her apples, (rather than ...told off the children...)
Don't forget to pull the door to (/tu:/) when you go out. (not ...pull to the door...)
Verb + particle + noun phrase or verb + noun phrase + particle
With some two-word verbs (verb + adverb), a noun phrase can go either before the particle or
after it. Compare:
• Buying the new car has eaten up all my savings, or
• Buying the new car has eaten all my savings up.

However, we use verb + noun phrase + particle when the noun phrase is a pronoun:
• Pam had to get rid of her car, and she sold it off at a very low price, (not ...sold off it...)
• I won't be able to go to the party. You'll have to count me out. (not ...count out me.)
and we prefer verb + particle + noun phrase when the noun phrase is long. Compare:
• She had to clean the kitchen up. (or ...clean up the kitchen.) and
• She had to clean up the mess on the kitchen floor, (rather than ...clean the mess ...up.)

Verb + adverb + preposition + noun phrase
1 With most three-word verbs, the noun phrase goes after the preposition:
• The government is to cut back on spending on the armed forces.
• He really looks up to his older brother.
2 However, a few three-word verbs have the noun phrase immediately after the verb. A second
noun phrase will go after the preposition:
• I helped Lucy on with her coat. (= helped her to put it on)
• She tried to talk me out of the plan. (= persuade me not to do it)

Passives => I Prepositions after verbs (1), (2) and (3)