Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Phrasal verbs combine a verb and a particle to create a new, unique meaning that is often different from the original verb.
- The particle changes the verb's meaning: 'Look' (see) vs 'Look after' (care for).
- Some phrasal verbs are separable: 'Turn the light on' or 'Turn on the light'.
- Some are inseparable: You must say 'Look after the baby', never 'Look the baby after'.
Overview
- Separable: object can go in between: Turn the TV on ✅ / Turn on the TV ✅
- Inseparable: object goes after: Look after the children ✅ / Look the children after ❌
Phrasal Verb Structure
| Verb | Particle | Object (Noun) | Object (Pronoun) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Turn
|
on
|
the light
|
it
|
|
Give
|
up
|
the habit
|
it
|
|
Look
|
after
|
the baby
|
him/her
|
|
Pick
|
up
|
the book
|
it
|
|
Take
|
off
|
the coat
|
it
|
|
Put
|
on
|
the shoes
|
them
|
Common Contractions
| Full | Contraction |
|---|---|
|
I am giving up
|
I'm giving up
|
|
He is looking after
|
He's looking after
|
|
They are turning on
|
They're turning on
|
Meanings
A phrasal verb is a combination of a verb and a preposition or adverb (particle) that functions as a single semantic unit.
Literal/Physical
Actions involving physical movement or state changes.
“Please turn on the lamp.”
“I will pick up the pen.”
Idiomatic/Abstract
Actions that have a figurative or non-literal meaning.
“Don't give up on your dreams.”
“She looks after her grandmother.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Verb + Particle + Object
|
Turn on the light.
|
|
Affirmative (Separable)
|
Verb + Object + Particle
|
Turn the light on.
|
|
Pronoun Object
|
Verb + Pronoun + Particle
|
Turn it on.
|
|
Negative
|
Do/Does + not + Verb + Particle
|
Do not turn it on.
|
|
Question
|
Do/Does + Subject + Verb + Particle
|
Do you turn it on?
|
|
Inseparable
|
Verb + Particle + Object
|
Look after the baby.
|
正式程度
The committee declined the proposal. (Business)
The committee turned down the proposal. (Business)
They turned the proposal down. (Business)
They shot it down. (Business)
Phrasal Verb Anatomy
Separable
- Turn on Encender
Inseparable
- Look after Cuidar
按水平分级的例句
Please turn on the light.
Por favor, enciende la luz.
I give up.
Me rindo.
Look after the cat.
Cuida al gato.
Turn off the TV.
Apaga la televisión.
Can you turn it on?
¿Puedes encenderlo?
She looks after her brother.
Ella cuida a su hermano.
Don't give up on your goal.
No te rindas con tu meta.
I need to pick up my keys.
Necesito recoger mis llaves.
He decided to give up smoking.
Decidió dejar de fumar.
Who is going to look after the house?
¿Quién va a cuidar la casa?
Please turn the music down.
Por favor, baja la música.
I'll pick you up at eight.
Te recogeré a las ocho.
The company had to turn down the offer.
La empresa tuvo que rechazar la oferta.
She has been looking after the project for months.
Ella ha estado cuidando el proyecto por meses.
It's hard to give up such a lucrative position.
Es difícil renunciar a un puesto tan lucrativo.
We need to look into this matter further.
Necesitamos investigar este asunto más a fondo.
He refused to give up his principles.
Se negó a renunciar a sus principios.
The staff looked after the guests with great care.
El personal atendió a los invitados con gran cuidado.
The proposal was turned down due to lack of funding.
La propuesta fue rechazada debido a la falta de fondos.
I'm looking into the possibility of moving abroad.
Estoy investigando la posibilidad de mudarme al extranjero.
He wouldn't give up the ghost so easily.
No se daría por vencido tan fácilmente.
She was left to look after the estate alone.
Se quedó sola para cuidar la propiedad.
They turned down the invitation with a polite excuse.
Rechazaron la invitación con una excusa cortés.
One must look into the historical context to understand.
Uno debe investigar el contexto histórico para entender.
容易混淆
Learners confuse the particle in a phrasal verb with a preposition.
Learners try to separate inseparable verbs.
Learners put pronouns at the end.
常见错误
Look after it -> Look it after
Look after it
Turn on the light -> Turn the light on
Both are correct
Give up it
Give it up
Look after the baby -> Look the baby after
Look after the baby
Turn off it
Turn it off
Pick up the phone -> Pick the phone up
Both are correct
Give up smoking -> Give smoking up
Both are correct
Look into the matter -> Look the matter into
Look into the matter
Turn down the offer -> Turn the offer down
Both are correct
Give up on him -> Give him up on
Give up on him
Turn down it
Turn it down
Look after the project -> Look the project after
Look after the project
Give up it
Give it up
Pick up it
Pick it up
句型
I need to ___ the ___.
Can you ___ it ___?
Who is going to ___ ___ the baby?
I decided to ___ ___ smoking.
Real World Usage
Turn it on!
I look after the team.
Check in at the desk.
Pick up the order.
Don't give up!
The study looks into...
Learn in Context
Watch the Pronouns
Use a Dictionary
Listen to Natives
Smart Tips
Check if it's separable or inseparable in your dictionary.
Avoid phrasal verbs in formal essays.
Use phrasal verbs to sound friendly.
Group them by particle (e.g., all 'up' verbs).
发音
Stress
In phrasal verbs, the stress is usually on the particle.
Falling
Turn it ON ↘
Command or statement.
记住它
记忆技巧
Remember 'P-I-S': Pronoun In-between Separable.
视觉联想
Imagine a light switch. When you say 'Turn it on', imagine the word 'it' physically sitting between the switch and the wall.
Rhyme
If the verb is separable, put the pronoun in the middle, that's the rule!
Story
Sarah needed to look after her cat. She decided to give up her bad habits. She turned on the radio to relax.
Word Web
挑战
Write 5 sentences using phrasal verbs and swap the objects for pronouns.
文化笔记
Phrasal verbs are used very frequently in casual conversation and corporate settings.
Similar usage, but some phrasal verbs are more common in the UK.
Often uses phrasal verbs with unique particles.
Phrasal verbs evolved from Old English, where prefixes were attached to verbs to change their meaning.
对话开场白
What is one habit you want to give up?
Who looks after your pets when you travel?
Do you prefer to turn on the lights or keep them off?
Have you ever turned down a job offer?
日记主题
常见错误
Test Yourself
I need to ___ up my room.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Look the baby after.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
Encender la luz.
Answer starts with: Tur...
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
A: Can you ___ the TV? B: Sure.
she / look / after / him
Score: /8
练习题
8 exercisesI need to ___ up my room.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Look the baby after.
up / give / it
Encender la luz.
Give up
A: Can you ___ the TV? B: Sure.
she / look / after / him
Score: /8
常见问题 (8)
A verb combined with a particle to create a new meaning.
No, only some are.
You have to learn them individually.
It's better to use single-word verbs.
It's a common issue; practice the 'pronoun in the middle' rule.
No, it's inseparable.
Yes, but some vary.
Practice in context and use them daily.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Verbos compuestos
Spanish uses single verbs where English uses two words.
Verbes prépositionnels
French prepositions don't change the verb's meaning.
Trennbare Verben
German prefixes are attached to the verb in the infinitive.
Compound verbs
Japanese is agglutinative, English is analytical.
Verb-preposition combinations
Arabic does not have a phrasal verb system.
Verb-complement structures
Chinese complements are not particles.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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