Phrasal verbs are mainly used in spoken English and informal texts. (The
more formal a conversation or text, the less phrasal verbs are found.)
Phrasal verbs are
usually two-word phrases consisting of verb + adverb or verb +
preposition. E. g.
* Look up – consult a reference book (look a word up in a dictionary)
* Look for – seek (look for her ring)
* Look forward – anticipate with pleasure (look forward to meeting someone)
There are no rules that might explain how phrasal verbs are formed
correctly - all you can do is look them up in a good dictionary and
study their meanings.
THE DIFFICULTY OF PHRASAL VERBS
Phrasal verbs are one of the most
difficult aspects for learners of the English language. There are three
main reasons for this:
In many cases the meaning of the phrasal
verb cannot be deduced from its elements, i.e., it is being used idiomatically.
For example: a learner who knows that to
tick is to make a checkmark
may have difficulty in understanding the sentence The teacher ticked off the student
for being late, in which the phrasal verb to
tick off means to reprimand or to
express disapproval.
Many phrasal verbs are polysemous; i.e.,
they have more than one meaning. The phrasal verb to put down has the literal meaning of putting
something down on the table or floor. But it also has the idiomatic meanings:
* to make someone feel small, to criticize and humiliate
them
* to kill as in the
sentence I had to have my cat
put down.
* to stop, quash, put an end to as in the sentence The
police put down the riots with unnecessary brutality.
THE IMPORTANCE OF PHRASAL VERBS
Phrasal verbs are very important for
learners because they are so prevalent in everyday spoken and informal written
language. Not only do
learners need to understand the more common phrasal verbs, but they will also
need to use them themselves. If they don't, and use a more formal synonym, they
run the risk of sounding pompous or ridiculous to native speakers. Imagine, for
example, your friend telling you Oh,
do desist from talking! instead
of Oh, do shut up! or Oh,
do belt up! or Oh, do pipe down!
Here you have the link in which you can find the list of separable and inseparable phrasal verbs.
Finally here is the link for the exercises that you must answer. Then when you finish the exercise, you have to post a comment about:
What do you think about the topic in general?
What do you think about the topic in general?
