Phrasal Verb Word Order: Separable vs. Non-Separable
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Some phrasal verbs let objects sit in the middle, while others force them to stay at the end.
- Separable verbs: Object can go between verb and particle (e.g., 'Turn the light off').
- Inseparable verbs: Object must follow the particle (e.g., 'I ran into him').
- Pronoun rule: If the object is a pronoun (it/him/her), it MUST go in the middle.
Overview
- Please fill in the form. ✓
- Please fill the form in. ✓
- Please fill it in. ✓
- ~~Please fill in it.~~ ✗
- Could you turn down the music that has been playing for three hours? ✓ (more natural)
- She looked after the team superbly. ✓
- ~~She looked the team after.~~ ✗
- He came across an interesting article. ✓
- ~~He came an interesting article across.~~ ✗
- I cannot put up with this noise any longer.
- She is really looking forward to the results.
- We need to catch up with the rest of the team.
Phrasal Verb Placement Patterns
| Type | Structure | Example | Separable? |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Separable
|
Verb + Particle + Object
|
Turn off the light
|
Yes
|
|
Separable
|
Verb + Object + Particle
|
Turn the light off
|
Yes
|
|
Pronoun
|
Verb + Pronoun + Particle
|
Turn it off
|
Yes
|
|
Inseparable
|
Verb + Particle + Object
|
Look after the baby
|
No
|
|
Intransitive
|
Verb + Particle
|
The car broke down
|
N/A
|
Meanings
Phrasal verbs consist of a verb and a particle. Separability determines whether the direct object can split these two components.
Separable Transitive
The object can be placed between the verb and the particle.
“Pick up the book.”
“Pick the book up.”
Inseparable Transitive
The object must follow the particle.
“I ran into an old friend.”
“I ran into her.”
Intransitive
No object is used, so no separation is possible.
“The plane took off.”
“He grew up.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
V + P + O
|
Pick up the box
|
|
Affirmative
|
V + O + P
|
Pick the box up
|
|
Pronoun
|
V + Pronoun + P
|
Pick it up
|
|
Negative
|
Don't + V + P + O
|
Don't pick up the box
|
|
Question
|
Do + S + V + P + O?
|
Do you pick up the box?
|
|
Inseparable
|
V + P + O
|
I ran into him
|
Espectro de formalidad
The meeting has been called off. (Work)
They called off the meeting. (Work)
They called the meeting off. (Work)
Scrapped the meet. (Work)
Phrasal Verb Logic
Separable
- Turn off Apagar
Inseparable
- Look after Cuidar
Ejemplos por nivel
Turn off the TV.
Apaga la tele.
Pick it up.
Recógelo.
Put on your coat.
Ponte el abrigo.
Take off your shoes.
Quítate los zapatos.
Can you turn the music down?
¿Puedes bajar la música?
I ran into my teacher.
Me encontré con mi profesor.
Please fill out this form.
Por favor, rellena este formulario.
I grew up in London.
Crecí en Londres.
She looked after the dog while I was away.
Ella cuidó al perro mientras estaba fuera.
Don't bring that up again.
No vuelvas a sacar ese tema.
I'll look into the matter.
Investigaré el asunto.
He called off the meeting.
Él canceló la reunión.
The company had to lay off several employees.
La empresa tuvo que despedir a varios empleados.
I'm looking forward to the party.
Espero con ansias la fiesta.
She takes after her mother.
Ella se parece a su madre.
We need to sort out these issues.
Necesitamos resolver estos problemas.
The heavy rain held up the traffic for hours.
La fuerte lluvia retrasó el tráfico durante horas.
He managed to talk her into joining the team.
Logró convencerla de unirse al equipo.
They decided to phase out the old system.
Decidieron eliminar gradualmente el sistema antiguo.
I didn't mean to let you down.
No pretendía decepcionarte.
The government is cracking down on tax evasion.
El gobierno está tomando medidas enérgicas contra la evasión fiscal.
She brushed off his criticism with a smile.
Ella ignoró sus críticas con una sonrisa.
The project was bogged down by bureaucracy.
El proyecto se vio estancado por la burocracia.
He passed off the fake watch as a genuine Rolex.
Hizo pasar el reloj falso por un Rolex auténtico.
Fácil de confundir
They look like phrasal verbs but don't separate.
Errores comunes
Pick up it
Pick it up
Look him after
Look after him
Turn off the very heavy and expensive television off
Turn off the very heavy and expensive television
I ran him into
I ran into him
Patrones de oraciones
Can you ___ the ___ ___?
Real World Usage
Pick it up!
Pronoun Rule
Smart Tips
Put it in the middle.
Pronunciación
Stress
In phrasal verbs, the particle usually receives the stress.
Rising
Turn it OFF?
Question
Memorízalo
Mnemotecnia
Pronouns are VIPs; they always get the middle seat.
Asociación visual
Imagine a sandwich. The verb and particle are the bread. The object is the meat. If the object is a 'pronoun' (a small, slippery piece of meat), it MUST be inside the bread.
Rhyme
If it's a noun, move it around; if it's a pronoun, keep it in the middle of town.
Story
I tried to 'pick up' my keys. I could 'pick the keys up' or 'pick up the keys.' But when I saw them on the floor, I just 'picked them up.' I never 'picked up them.'
Word Web
Desafío
Write 5 sentences using phrasal verbs, then rewrite them replacing the object with a pronoun.
Notas culturales
Very high usage of phrasal verbs in daily speech.
Similar usage, but some different phrasal verbs.
Frequent use of shortened phrasal verbs.
Germanic roots where verbs and prefixes were separate.
Inicios de conversación
What is a habit you want to give up?
Temas para diario
Errores comunes
Test Yourself
Turn ___ the light.
Score: /1
Ejercicios de practica
1 exercisesTurn ___ the light.
Score: /1
Preguntas frecuentes (1)
No, only transitive ones.
Scaffolded Practice
1
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Verbos compuestos
Spanish doesn't have phrasal verbs.
Verbes prépositionnels
French doesn't have phrasal verbs.
Trennbare Verben
German prefixes move to the end of the sentence.
Fukugō dōshi
Japanese is agglutinative.
Af'al murakkaba
Arabic is not Germanic.
Dòngbǔ jiégòu
Chinese is analytic.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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