Phrasal Verbs
In modern English there are many words which have a Latin origin. A lot of these are verbs. For many Latin based verbs, there are also English phrasal verbs which mean the same thing.
A phrasal verb is a verb + preposition:
| English | Latin | English Phrasal Verb |
| maintain | manu tenere | keep up |
| tolerate | tolerare | put up with |
| succeed | succedere | come off |
There are many phrasal verbs. They are used in everyday speech and informal writing. Latin based verbs are more scientific and formal.
Phrasal verbs consist of a verb followed by a preposition or adverb:
The meaning of a phrasal verb is very different from the meaning of the two words taken together:
but
The same phrasal verb can also have several very different meanings:
Some phrasal verbs can stand alone or be followed by a direct object:
When a phrasal verb takes a direct object, the two parts of the verb can usually be separated; the adverb or preposition can be put before or after the object:
But if the object is a pronoun, it must break the phrasal verb in two:
Some phrasal verbs consist of three parts but notice that 3 part phrasal verbs CANNOT be split.
See Also
Phrasal Verb Master - freeware phrasal verb testing program
Common Phrasal Verbs - a list of common phrasal verbs your students should know
