PHRASAL VERBS

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.

http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/courses/elc/Sample/Advanced/gs/gs_04.htm

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?

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/phrasal-verbs/exercises?09