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Language in action! Phrasal verbs and their challenges...
a month agoWhile phrasal verbs are very popular with native speakers of English, they can be confusing for many learners because they are usually not as precise as the more accurate words they are replacing. For example, it is not immediately clear that to “look up” to someone means to admire them (rather than to observe someone who is exceptionally tall!). So it’s important to know how to recognize a phrasal verb when it is being used. Here are a few tips:
A. Phrasal verbs usually use simpler, non-abstract verbs:
(look, get, take, try, etc.)
B. They frequently appear in the infinitive form and can often be separated by a pronoun (you, me, it)
I need to pick you up at the airport. [to pick up = collect from somewhere]
She wants to help me out with the dishes.
[to help out = assist with a basic chore]
Could I ask you to look it over? [to look over = revise]
C. Phrasal verbs are sometimes followed by gerund:
I ended up working late yesterday.
[to end up = finally resulting in something]
She got around to calling him back a week later.
[to get around to = finally doing something after a delay]
D. Or a phrasal verb can be in the gerund form itself:
She got around to calling him back a week later. [to call back = to return a phone call]
You should also of course consider the context of the conversation (the topic) and the function of the statement (such as a request, an observation, a question, a joke, etc.).
Remember, too that it’s okay to request clarification of the phrase or to rephrase the statement using an accurate substitute for the phrasal verb, e.g., Anne: “I look up to my mentor.” Bill: “Oh, so you admire her.”
If you want to improve your understanding of phrasal verbs, try this practice activity:
1. Find a list of sentence examples with phrasal verbs (there are many online).
2. Have a friend or classmate read example sentences aloud to you.
3. See if you can identify the phrasal verb in each sentence.
4. Suggest a synonym or short phrase with the same meaning as the example phrasal verb.
By doing this exercise, you'll begin to notice recurring patterns in the use of phrasal verbs and become more comfortable learning and using them yourself.
