What are Phrasal Verbs?

What are Phrasal Verbs?

Phrasal verbs are multi-word verbs that consist of a base verb and one or more particles. The combination of the verb and particle(s) creates a unique meaning that is different from the individual meanings of the words. They can indicate direction, intensity, or location, and can also convey idiomatic or metaphorical meanings. They are common in spoken and informal English, and can be challenging for non-native speakers to understand and use correctly. 

Phrasal verbs can be separable or inseparable. In separable phrasal verbs, the base verb and particle(s) can be separated by other words, such as in the sentence "I will look it up later." In inseparable phrasal verbs, the base verb and particle(s) must stay together, such as in the sentence "I am growing out of my clothes."

They are also classified as transitive or intransitive. Transitive phrasal verbs take an object, as in "I picked up the book", while intransitive phrasal verbs do not, as in "I woke up early this morning."

Here are some examples:

• "Turn on" (separable) - activate or power on something, as in "Can you turn on the TV?"
• "Look up" (separable) - search for information, as in "I need to look up the address."
• "Run away" (inseparable) - leave quickly or escape, as in "The child ran away from home."
• "Put off" (separable) - postpone or delay, as in "I put off the meeting until next week."
• "Break down" (inseparable) - stop functioning, as in "My car broke down on the highway."
• "Come across" (separable) - find or discover something by chance, as in "I came across an interesting article while browsing the internet."

As you can see, the meaning of these phrasal verbs is different from the meanings of the individual words that make them up, so it's important to study them in context in order to fully understand their meanings.