These are usually two-word phrases consisting of a combination of verb + adverb or verb + preposition. There are hundreds of phrasal verbs in the English language that vary between different English-speaking countries. 

Teachers should encourage students to study phrasal verbs as they come across them rather than trying to memorize them. The following is a short list of some example phrasal verbs and their meanings:

Separable Phrasal Verbs

When some phrasal verbs have a direct object, the two parts of the phrasal verb can be separated.

For example, “break down” is a separable phrasal verb because we can say:

 “break down the story” or “break the story down“

Other common separable phrasal verbs include:

• get up

• turn off

• turn down

• put off

• switch on

Inseparable Phrasal Verbs

Some phrasal verbs can’t be separated from their constituent parts when they take a direct object.

For example, “take care of” is inseparable because we can only say:

“Take care of yourself,” not: “Take yourself care of” or “Take care yourself of”

Other common inseparable phrasal verbs include:

• fall back on

• get off of

• do without

• hear of

• look up to

• run for

• stand for

Phrasal verbs are units of speech composed of two or three different words, typically verb + preposition(s), that are commonly referred to as multi-word verbs. A phrasal verb cannot be separated into its constituent words without losing its meaning. Only by taking the phrase as a whole is meaning conveyed. Phrasal verbs are frequently used in the English language and are subject to some regional variations.

Here are some examples of phrasal verbs:

Transitive and Intransitive Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal verbs can be either transitive or intransitive. A transitive phrasal verb always has an object and an intransitive phrasal verb never has an object.

Transitive phrasal verbs

• are ALWAYS followed by an object (direct and/or indirect)

• can be separable, but not always

For example:

• run across – We often run across beautiful birds by the lake. → (inseparable)

• → We often run beautiful birds across by the lake. X WRONG

• run across = phrasal verb, birds = object

• set up – I set up the tent before it got dark. → (separable)

• → I set the tent up before it got dark. √ CORRECT

• set up = phrasal verb, tent = object

Intransitive phrasal verbs

• are never followed by an object (direct or indirect)

• are always inseparable

For example:

come over – Last night my friends came over. √ CORRECT

came over = phrasal verb, no direct object

Separable & Inseparable Phrasal Verbs

When phrasal verbs have a direct object they are transitive and their constituent words can sometimes be separated by the object.

For example, “turn down” is a separable phrasal verb because we can say:

• “turn down the job offer”

        or

• “turn the job offer down“

On the other hand, inseparable phrasal verbs cannot be separated – the object cannot be placed in the middle of the phrase.

For example, “look up to” is an inseparable phrasal verb because we say:

• “The little girl looks up to her father”

but not

• “The little girl looks to her father up.”

Here are a few examples of separable phrasal verbs:

• Can you switch off the light?

• I hung up the phone before Joe could finish his sentence.

• She put off our date until next week because she’s busy.

Notice how we can separate the phrases and use them in modified phrases:

• Can you switch the light off?

• I hung the phone up before Joe could finish his sentence.

• She put our date off until next week because she’s busy.

Here are a few examples of inseparable phrasal verbs:

• I get confused when I come across unfamiliar vocabulary.

• She disagrees with the decision of the president.

• Do you think you can fill in for me while I’m on vacation?

Notice what happens when we try to separate them:

• I get confused when I come unfamiliar vocabulary across.

• She disagrees the decision with the president.

• Do you think you can fill me in for while I’m on vacation?

The sentences are no longer correct, and the meaning is confused.