B. Phrasal verbs: form and meaning

Formation

A phrasal verb is a verb combined with an adverb or preposition, and occasionally with an adverb and preposition.

• The price of petrol may go up (= increase) again next week.


• He fell over (= fell to the ground) when he was running for the bus.


• She's promised to find out (= learn/discover) the name of that new hotel.


• Who is going to look after (= take care of) the children when she goes into hospital?


• If you don't understand the meaning, you can look it up (= find the meaning in a book - in this case a dictionary).

• He doesn't get on with (= have a good relationship with) his parents, (verb + adv + prep)

Meaning

Sometimes the meaning of a phrasal verb is very similar to the base verb, and the adverb just emphasises the meaning of the base verb,

• stand up


• wake up


• save up


• hurry up


• sit down


• lie down


• send off (e.g. a letter).

On other occasions, the adverb adds the idea of completing the action of the verb

• drink up (= finish your drink)


• eat up (= finish eating)


• finish off.

But more often, the meaning of a phrasal verb is very different from the base verb

• go up doesn't mean the same as go


• look after is different from look; and look after is also quite different from look up.
  

An adverb or preposition can therefore change the meaning of a verb a great deal.

Here are some more examples of this type of phrasal verb.

• It took her a long time to get over (= get better / recover from) her illness.


• He told me to carry on (= continue) as far as the traffic lights.


• I persuaded my wife to give up (= stop ) smoking.


• I can't make any sandwiches because we've run out of bread. (= the bread is finished / all used, so we have no bread)


• In the end my next-door neighbour had to come and put out (= extinguish/stop) the fire.

Multiple meaning

Many phrasal verbs have more than one meaning, so you must be careful when you see a phrasal verb you think you know, or look up the meaning in a dictionary.

In the examples marked *, the phrasal verb is much more natural than the explanation in brackets.

• It was hot so I decided to *take off (= remove) my jacket.


• I am always nervous when the plane * takes off (= leaves the ground).


• I don't think I'll get through (= finish) this report before five o'clock. I think she'll get through (= pass) the exam.


• I "picked up the rubbish (= took it from the ground or a low place) and put it in the bin.

• I had to go to the shop to pick up (= collect) my photos.


• My alarm clock didn't go off (= ring) this morning.


• The bomb could go off (= explode) at any minute.


• The fish will *go off (= go bad) if you don't put it in the fridge.