Why not take advantage of this quarantine period to study the meaning and use of the complex Phrasal verbs! There is no doubt that they are the headache of every English Language Learner! Phrasal verbs are never simple, never straightforward and never seem to mean what you think they mean! The title of this blog is a case in point. Look after has nothing to do with the verb look (search) as the adverb after changes its meaning to keep safe and well.
So much has been written about Phrasal Verbs and will continue to be written about them as English Language Teachers strive to look for alternative ways to present them meaningfully in the classroom. This blog seeks to give a general overview of their meaning and use to the ESL learner.
Why do they cause such confusion?
Sometimes it seems that the meaning of a phrasal verb is very similar to the base verb and the adverb just emphasises the meaning of the base verb, e.g. stand up, wake up, save up, hurry up, sit down, lie down and send off (e.g. a letter).
But more often the meaning of a phrasal verb is very different from the base verb e.g. go up does not mean the same as go; look after is different from look. An adverb or preposition can therefore change the meaning of a verb a great deal.
How can they be simplified?
The following four points highlight their meaning and use:
- The preposition in a phrasal verb can sometimes be moved to the end of the sentence. Examples: He called his friend up. I’ll have to find it
- They are always made up of a verb and a following particle (words that function as prepositions or adverbs). These particles create a meaning different from the original verb. For example, the meaning of rule out (eliminate) cannot be determined by simply understanding what rule means and combining that meaning with the meaning of out
- Depending on the context, phrasal verbs can have more than one meaning. For example:
- It was so hot that I decided to take off (remove) my jumper
- I always feel an adrenalin rush when the plane takes off (leaves the ground)
- The meaning of a phrasal verb cannot always be predicted from the meanings of its individual elements. For example, the meaning of get over an illness (recover) cannot be determined by simply understanding what get means and combining that meaning with the meaning of over
What to watch out for
Many phrasal verbs have more than one meaning so Learners must be careful when they see a phrasal verb they think they know or look up the meaning in a dictionary. The following examples highlight this point.
My alarm clock didn’t go off (ring) this morning
The bomb could go off (explode) at any minute
The meat will go off (go bad) if you don’t put in the fridge