Page 41 - English Vocabulary in Use (Pre & Intermediate)

[7 Phrasal verbs: grammar and style

Look at Unit 16 on the form and meaning of phrasal verbs before you do this unit.

Grammar: intransitive verbs
Some phrasal verbs are intransitive and do not need a direct object.
The children are growing up. (= getting older and more mature)
The doctor told me to lie down on the bed.
Don’t wait out there. Please come in. (= enter)
I’m going to stay in (= stay at home) this evening.
With these verbs, you cannot put another word between the verb and adverb.

Grammar: transitive verbs

But many phrasal verbs are transitive and do need a direct object. With some of these, you
can put the object between the verb and adverb:
Put on your shoes Y Turn on the TV ¥
Put your shoes on Y Turn the TV on¥
If the object is a pronoun, it must go between verb and adverb.
Put them on Y [NoT Put-enther?] Turn it on Y [NOT Farner it]
Note: A dictionary will show you if you can put a word between the verb and adverb:

use a control to switch (a piece of equipment) on or off or to: 70
increase or reduce what it is producing « Turn off/out the
light; (M} « Who turned the telly on?(M] J asked him to turn
down the heating. (M).« Turn the sound wp ~ I can’t hear
what they're saying. (M] «This programme’s boring = shail I |
turn over (= change’ the station)'to BBC? [I] # This sort af 75
heater turns off (# can be switched off) at the mains. (I) «

Style: formal or informal
Some phrasal verbs can be used equally in written or spoken English. Sometimes this is
because there is no other easy way to express the meaning of the phrasal verb.
I always wake up early, even at weekends.
The car broke down (= went wrong; stopped working) on the motorway.
The plane couldn’t take off because of bad weather.
Thieves broke into (= entered by force and illegally) the house and took money, credit cards
and all my jewellery.

Informal phrasal verbs
But most phrasal verbs are informal and are more common in spoken English. In written
English there is often a more formal word with the same meaning.
We had to make up a story. (= invent/create from our imagination)
I can usually get by on about £200 a week. (= manage)
You can leave out question 7. (= omit, i.e. you don’t need to do question 7)
They’ve got a problem and they asked me to sort it out. (= resolve (it) / find a solution / do
something about it)

38 English Vocabulary in Use (pre-intermediate & intermediate)