Phrasal verbs 1 Intermediate A phrasal verb is a verb + (adverb or preposition). 1 Many have a literal meaning: The dentist pulled out the tooth. Please sit down over there. Put one of the following words into each gap. up down on off away round back out a. Put __________ your hat. It's cold today. b. I don't feel well. I'm going to lie __________ for a minute. c. I fell ___________ the stairs and broke my leg. d. The children stood _____________ when the teacher arrived. e. Don't throw ____________ that bottle. We can use it again. f. I would take _____________ my jacket if I felt hot. g. I'm going to take the dog ____________ for a walk. h. I must remember to take the book _____________ to the library. i. I heard someone running behind me. I turned ____________ and saw a girl in a track suit. 2 Many phrasal verbs have a non-literal meaning. He's looking after our cat while we're on holiday. The plane took off at six o'clock. In the following pairs of sentences, which phrasal verb has a literal meaning, and which has a non-literal meaning? a. I saw 50p on the pavement and I picked it up. I picked up Spanish quite quickly when I was living in Madrid. b. Put ou you cigarette before you go into class. In Britain we always put out the milk bottles for the milkman. c. I looked up the road but I couldn't see him. She looked up the word in a dictionary. d. Kate! Are you downstairs? Could you bring up my bag? She brought up three children on her own. 3 Some phrasal verbs have an object. Turn off the light. Put on your pyjamas. The particle (off, on) can change position, but if the object is a pronoun (him, her, it), it must come before the particle. Turn off the light. Turn the light off. Turn it off. (Not Turn off it.) Put on your pyjamas. Put your pyjamas on. Put them on. (Not Put on them.) The sentences below can be said in three ways; 1 - as they are. 2 - with the particle in a different position. 3 - with a pronoun, not a noun. Practise the three ways. a. I threw away his letter. b. I took the shoes back and complained to the manager. c. Could you look up the phone nember, please? d. Don't forget to switch the lights off. e. Turn the radio down. It's too loud. 4 Some phrasal verbs have an object, but the particle cannot move. She looked after her husband while he was ill. She looked after him. (Not She looked her husband after, or She looked him after.) The sentences below can be said in two ways: a. I'm looking for my handbag. b. Can you look after my cat? c. I'm looking forward to the holiday. d. John doesn't get on with his sister. home |