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How Do Phrasal Verbs Function Grammatically

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Vera Miodragovic
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18 views1 page

How Do Phrasal Verbs Function Grammatically

Uploaded by

Vera Miodragovic
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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How do phrasal verbs function grammatically?

There are five types of phrasal verb. These are:


1. intransitive (with no object): You're driving too fast - you ought to
slow down.
2. transitive verbs whose object can come in two positions - after the
verb or after the particle: I think I'll put my jacket on OR I think I'll
put on my jacket. If the object is a pronoun, however, it must come
between the verb and the particle: I think I'll put it on (NOT I think I'll
put on it).
3. transitive verbs whose object must come between the verb and the
particle: Its high-quality designs sets the company apart from its
rivals
4. transitive verbs whose object must come after the particle: The
baby takes after his mother - Why do you put up with the way he
treats you.
5. verbs with two objects - one after the verb, the other after the
particle: They put their success down to good planning.

from the Macmillan English Dictionary - Language Awareness section**


Formality Phrasal verbs are more informal, and are found in informal texts and in spoken language. Many
phrasal verbs have a Latinate equivalent. When students opt for this equivalent, they sound more formal.
Conversely, a student who uses an informal phrasal verb in a formal situation (like a business letter) can
sound out of place or wrong.
How NOT to teach phrasal verbs Often learners will tell you with a shake of their head that they really
need to “do some phrasal verbs”. This area of English is often seen as extremely daunting, difficult and
tedious. Why? Perhaps it’s because the teaching of phrasal verbs has been daunting and difficult for the
TEACHER, and therefore tedious for the LEARNER.
Try to avoid teaching phrasal verbs in the following ways:
 by presenting huge lists (in fact, lists of words the cover a page are unimaginative and daunting
for any item of vocabulary, imagine having to learn all the animals by looking at a page with their
names on it)
 by focussing always and exclusively on the verb (e.g. phrasal verbs with GET). Often this results
in a list (admittedly shorter) of verbs that are unrelated and can be confused.
How to approach, and teach phrasal verbs First of all, stop communicating to students that phrasal verbs
are impossible. This can quickly become a self-fulfilling prophecy. The message should be that phrasal
verbs are just more words, that they are not that difficult to learn, and that students have already (by an
elementary stage) acquired quite a few without realising it (see the first lesson in this series of phrasal
verbs for examples of phrasal verbs that students quickly pick up in the classroom).
This still leaves problems for you, as the teacher. How do you teach phrasal verbs in a fun, motivating
way when so much material out there is dry and difficult to work with? That’s what this section is all about.
We hope it helps!
Monthly activities, lesson plans and exercises
Introducing Phrasal Verbs. Who says phrasal verbs are only for intermediate level students and up? This
lesson is for elementary or false beginners to introduce some common phrasal verbs. It can be used with
higher levels who are suffering from “phrasal verb anxiety” and need to be reminded that it is not that
difficult!

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