using verbs with prepositions

7/28/2019 Using Verbs With Prepositions

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Using verbs with prepositions in English You are here: EFL resources English grammar Verbs Verbs with prepositions

Prepositional verbs and phrasalverbs in English - i.e. verbs

composed of a common verb and a

preposition or particle, can often

cause confusion. On this page you

will find some simple rules to help

you distinguish the different

structures that are possible or

necessary when verbs are combined

with a following preposition.

English Grammar : an introduction

GRAMMAR TOPICS

Verbs

Verbs : the present tenses

Verbs : past tenses

Verbs: expressing the future

Verbs of enabling & permission

Phrasal & prepositional verbs

Irregular verbs

Nouns

Noun phrases

Articles

Adjective order in English

The possessive

Sentences & clausesRelative clauses in English

Conditional clauses in English

Word order in English

Reported questions in English

Miscellaneous

Language and style

Word stress in English

The short story of English

Related pages:Prepositions and adverbs in English

Contact:

by email only, tocontact "at" linguapress "dot" com

More Linguapress resources:

Free EFL reading resources for teachersand students

Prepositional and phrasal verbs in English

Introduction : Phrasal verbs Prepositional verbs Phrasal-prepositional verbs

Students of English frequently have difficulty understanding how to use verb+prepositioncombinations in Englis

And this is not surprising. Though the general rules are actually quite simple (like most rules of language), it is

sometimes difficult to see the relation between a verb and the preposition that follows it. Two principal but very

different situations (or deep structures) exist, and unfortunately they (i.e. their surface structures) can appear to b

identical.

Compare the following pairs:

With nouns as objects With pronoun objects (Passive )

The carran overthe hedgehog The carran it overThe hedgehog was run overby the car.

The soldiers ran over the field The soldiersran over it. Impossible.

The editor quickly looked through thenew book

Hequickly looked looked itthrough

It was quickly looked throughby the editor.

We looked through the window at thegarden.

We lookedthrough it into at the

garden.

Impossible

I got offall the dirty marks. I got themall offAll the dirty marks were gotoff by me. (Improbable, butpossible)

I got off the bus at Bristol. I got off it at Bristol Impossible

In the examples on the pink lines, the preposition is an integral part of the verb, defining its meaning: these

verbs are called phrasal verbs. They are in effect two-word verbs.

In the examples on the blue lines, the preposition affects the meaning of the verb, but isnot part of the verb; it

belongs to the adverb phrase following the verb; verbs that are used in this way are called prepositional verbs.

These differences are by no means always easy to understand, particularly in the examples above which show

that some verbs can even be either phrasal or prepositional, depending on the circumstances! However, with thevast majority of verbs, there is no choice. The verb is either a phrasal verb or a prepositional verb. Here are som

guidelines to help you understand the differences between the two groups, and their usage..

1. Phrasal verbs or Particle verbs

Phrasal verbs can be eithertransitive orintransitive.

Phrasal verbs" or "particle verbs" are composed of a verb + a particle (preposition or adverb). Sometimes, th
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may be two particles.

These elements together have a single meaning, and frequently are synonymous with a single word verb, as

the table below.

They are usually formed using a transitive* root verb + a particle. This is the most common type of phrasal

verb or particle verb.

Examples: break up / shut out / put off / fill up / give up / set up / etc.

Others are formed from an intransitive root verb + a particle:

Examples: go out / come across / sleep off / lie down / stand out etc.

Many English root verbs can combine with particles to create an idiomatic phrasal verb: but the most common on

are: break, make, take, set, put, get.

Transitive phrasal verbs are usually separable, meaning that the direct object can - or with pronouns, must -

come between the verb and the particle.

Howeveradverbs donot usually come between the verb and the particle - though there are exceptions.

Transitive phrasal verbs: examples

Using nounsUsing pronounobjects

(Passive )

The referee broke up(=stopped) thefight immediately.or: The referee broke the fightupimmediately.

He broke itupimmediately.

The fight was immediately brokenup by the referee.

The old lady made out (=wrote) thechequevery slowly.or: The old lady made the chequeout very slowly.

She made it out veryslowly

The cheque was made out by theold lady very slowly.

He took up(=started) golf when heretired.or: He took golf up when he retired.

He took it up when heretired

improbable

The robbers set off(=started) the alarmas they entered the bank.

or: The robbers set the alarm off asthey entered the bank.

They set it off as theyentered the bank

The alarm was set off as therobbers entered the bank.

The men managed to putout(=extinguish)the fire by themselves.or: The men managed to put the fireout by themselves

They managed to putit out by themselves.

The fire was put out by the men,by themselves.

The soldiers got up(=erected) theirtents in two minutes.or: The soldiers got their tents up in twominutes.

They got them up intwo minutes.

The tents were got up in twominutes.

I put down (= attribute) yoursuccess tohard workor: I put your success down to hardwork.

I put it down to hardwork.

His success was put down to hardwork.

Intransitive phrasal verbs:

Since intransitive verbs have no direct object, and cannot be put into the passive, their usage is simple: they are

definition inseparable.

Howeveradverbscan occasionally come between the verb and the particle if the adverb serves to describe the

action.

In intransitive phrasal verbs, the particle is either narrows the sense of the verb (as insit down), or else create

idiomatic meaning which is different from that of the root verb (as inshut up). Here are a few examples of intransit

phrasal verbs:

Flight BA04 to New York will take offat 12.33.

Several students showed up late

Bird flu first broke out in China in 1996


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Tomorrow morning, we all have to get up at 5.30.

Once the Queen had taken her place, the guests all sat quietly down.

The alarm went offjust as the bank was shutting.

b2. Prepositional verbsb

Prepositional verbs are transitive: they require an object. This object is generally stated, but sometimes justimplied or inferred.

Most prepositional verbs consist oran intransitive root verb + a particle.

Some prepositional verbs are formed using a transitive verb and a particle.

Often, the particle transforms an intransitive verb into a transitive verb:

Examples : look/ look at / look for - wait/ wait for - come / come through.

The particle is not really part of the verb, but an essential link between the verb and its stated or implied obje

These verbs are usuallyinseparable, meaning that the verb and particle generally stand together.

Howevershort adverbs or adverb phrasescan come between the verb and the particle in transitive statements

particularly when the object is a noun.

If in doubt, do notplace the adverb between the verb and the particle.


Passive

The climbers went up (=ascended) the

mountain very slowly.orThe climbers went very slowly up(=ascended) the mountain.

They went up it veryslowly

Improbable

They came through (=passed) theirexamvery well.

They came throughitvery well

Improbable

We're depending on your support, totally.We're depending onyou totally.

You're being depended on.

The studentswere lookingintentlyat (=studying) thenotice board.orThe students were looking at the noticeboard intently.

They werelookingintently atit , orThey were looking atitintently.

b3. Phrasal-prepositional verbs.

English has a good number of verbs that appearto be formed on the structureverb+particle+particle.

In most cases, these are prepositional verbs in which the root verb is actually a phrasal verb.

Like simple prepositional verbs, phrasal prepositional verbs are transitive.

So in reality, the structure of these verbs is actually phrasal-verb + particle.

Once this is understood, usage should not be hard to follow. They behave in the same way as ordinary prepositio

verbs.


(Passive )

Everyone looked forward to theevent.

Everyone lookedforward to it.

It was looked forward to by everyone.

The prisoners broke out oftheir cells.They broke out ofthem.

The cells were broken out of.

The airline did away with tickets The airline didaway with them

Tickets were done away with.

The builders got on with the work They got on with it.The work was got on with by thebuilders.

Using verbs with prepositions in English You are here: EFL resources English grammar Verbs
http://linguapress.com/index.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/index.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/verbs.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/verbs.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/index.htmhttp://linguapress.com/index.htm


4/12

Verbs with prepositions

Prepositional verbs and phrasal

verbs in English - i.e. verbs




will find some simple rules to helpyou distinguish the different

structures that are possible or

necessary when verbs are combined



GRAMMAR TOPICS

Verbs


Verbs : past tenses




Irregular verbs

Nouns

Noun phrases

Articles


The possessive

Sentences & clauses

Relative clauses in English




Miscellaneous

Language and style

Word stress in English

The short story of English


Contact:by email only, tocontact "at" linguapress "dot" com


Free EFL reading resources for teachers

and students







identical.









We lookedthrough it into at thegarden.

Impossible








that some verbs can even be either phrasal or prepositional, depending on the circumstances! However, with the

vast majority of verbs, there is no choice. The verb is either a phrasal verb or a prepositional verb. Here are som







the table below.


http://linguapress.com/grammar/grammar.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/grammar.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/present-tense.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/past-tenses.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/future.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/enabling.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/verbs1.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/grammar3.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/article-in-english.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/article-in-english.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/adjective-order.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/possessives.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/relative-clauses.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/conditionals.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/word-order.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/reported-questions.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/styles-of-english.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/word-stress.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/english.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/prepositions-adverbs.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/prepositions-adverbs.htmhttp://linguapress.com/http://linguapress.com/http://linguapress.com/http://linguapress.com/grammar/prepositional-verbs.htm#Phrasalhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/prepositional-verbs.htm#Prepositionalhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/prepositional-verbs.htm#PPVhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/prepositional-verbs.htm#PPVhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/prepositional-verbs.htm#Prepositionalhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/prepositional-verbs.htm#Phrasalhttp://linguapress.com/http://linguapress.com/http://linguapress.com/grammar/prepositions-adverbs.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/english.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/word-stress.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/styles-of-english.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/reported-questions.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/word-order.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/conditionals.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/relative-clauses.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/possessives.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/adjective-order.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/article-in-english.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/grammar3.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/verbs1.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/enabling.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/future.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/past-tenses.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/present-tense.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/grammar.htm


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Transitive phrasal verbs are usually separable, meaning that the direct object can - or with pronouns, must -come between the verb and the particle.




(Passive )




The old lady made out (=wrote) the

chequevery slowly.or: The old lady made the chequeout very slowly.

She made it out veryslowly The cheque was made out by theold lady very slowly.



improbable








The soldiers got up(=erected) theirtents in two minutes.or: The soldiers got their tents up in twominutes.










action.



phrasal verbs:








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Prepositional verbs are transitive: they require an object. This object is generally stated, but sometimes just

implied or inferred.


Some prepositional verbs are formed using a transitive verb and a particle. Often, the particle transforms an intransitive verb into a transitive verb:




Howevershort adverbs or adverb phrasescan come between the verb and the particle in transitive statements

particularly when the object is a noun.



Passive

The climbers went up (=ascended) themountain very slowly.orThe climbers went very slowly up(=ascended) the mountain.


Improbable



Improbable







In most cases, these are prepositional verbs in which the root verb is actually a phrasal verb.Like simple prepositional verbs, phrasal prepositional verbs are transitive.



verbs.


(Passive )






The airline did away with ticketsThe airline didaway with them


The builders got on with the work They got on with it.

The work was got on with by the

builders.

Using verbs with prepositions in English You are here: EFL resources English grammar Verbs Verbs with prepositions

Prepositional verbs and phrasal
http://linguapress.com/index.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/index.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/verbs.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/verbs.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/index.htmhttp://linguapress.com/index.htm


7/12

verbs in English - i.e. verbs




will find some simple rules to help

you distinguish the different

structures that are possible ornecessary when verbs are combined



GRAMMAR TOPICS

Verbs


Verbs : past tenses




Irregular verbs

Nouns

Noun phrases

Articles


The possessive

Sentences & clauses

Relative clauses in English




Miscellaneous

Language and style

Word stress in EnglishThe short story of English


Contact:by email only, tocontact "at" linguapress "dot" com


Free EFL reading resources for teachersand students







identical.









We lookedthrough it into at thegarden.

Impossible








that some verbs can even be either phrasal or prepositional, depending on the circumstances! However, with the

vast majority of verbs, there is no choice. The verb is either a phrasal verb or a prepositional verb. Here are som







the table below.





http://linguapress.com/grammar/grammar.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/grammar.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/present-tense.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/past-tenses.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/future.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/enabling.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/verbs1.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/grammar3.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/article-in-english.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/article-in-english.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/adjective-order.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/possessives.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/relative-clauses.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/conditionals.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/word-order.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/reported-questions.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/styles-of-english.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/word-stress.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/english.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/prepositions-adverbs.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/prepositions-adverbs.htmhttp://linguapress.com/http://linguapress.com/http://linguapress.com/http://linguapress.com/grammar/prepositional-verbs.htm#Phrasalhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/prepositional-verbs.htm#Prepositionalhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/prepositional-verbs.htm#PPVhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/prepositional-verbs.htm#PPVhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/prepositional-verbs.htm#Prepositionalhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/prepositional-verbs.htm#Phrasalhttp://linguapress.com/http://linguapress.com/http://linguapress.com/grammar/prepositions-adverbs.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/english.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/word-stress.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/styles-of-english.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/reported-questions.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/word-order.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/conditionals.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/relative-clauses.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/possessives.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/adjective-order.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/article-in-english.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/grammar3.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/verbs1.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/enabling.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/future.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/past-tenses.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/present-tense.htmhttp://linguapress.com/grammar/grammar.htm


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Transitive phrasal verbs are usually separable, meaning that the direct object can - or with pronouns, must -

come between the verb and the particle.




(Passive )




The old lady made out (=wrote) thechequevery slowly.or: The old lady made the chequeout very slowly.

She made it out veryslowly

The cheque was made out by theold lady very slowly.



improbable








The soldiers got up(=erected) theirtents in two minutes.or: The soldiers got their tents up in two

minutes.










action.



phrasal verbs:








Prepositional verbs are transitive: they require an object. This object is generally stated, but sometimes just


9/12

implied or inferred.


Some prepositional verbs are formed using a transitive verb and a particle.

Often, the particle transforms an intransitive verb into a transitive verb:




Howevershort adverbs or adverb phrasescan come between the verb and the particle in transitive statementsparticularly when the object is a noun.



Passive

The climbers went up (=ascended) themountain very slowly.orThe climbers went very slowly up(=ascended) the mountain.


Improbable



Improbable







In most cases, these are prepositional verbs in which the root verb is actually a phrasal verb.

Like simple prepositional verbs, phrasal prepositional verbs are transitive.



verbs.


(Passive )






The airline did away with ticketsThe airline didaway with them


The builders got on with the work They got on with it.The work was got on with by thebuilders.


10/12

Sentence Structure ChartPositive, Negative and Questions in all 13 English Tenses

ByKenneth Beare, About.com Guide

See More About:

sentence structure english tenses asking questions

visual grammar guideAt timeslearning the various tenses in Englishcan become very confusing. I have often noticed how students will start making mistakes in basic sentence structure

each time they learn a new tense. However, it shouldn't be that difficult, although I understand why it can be di fficult! The good news is th at structure does not change

no matter the tense. The only thing that changes is the verb used. Remember that each tense changes in the auxiliary verb, rather than the main verb. The main verb is

either in its simple form (do - did, play - played, make - made), the present participle (going, playing, watching, eating) or the past participle (had, done, thought, etc.)

The only tenses that do NOT take anauxiliary verbare the present simple and past simple.

The following chart provides the structure for each tense in English. Notice how each e lement (subject, auxiliary verb, main verb, objects) changes, but that the

structure remains the same. Try to follow these structures no matter which tense you use.

Sentence Structure Chart

Positive Sentences

Tense Subject Auxiliary Verb Main Verb Objects

Present Simple I ork in the city.

Present Continuous You are studying ath at the moment.

Past Simple We lew o Germany last month.

Past Continuous They ere atching TV at three o'clock yesterday afternoon.

Future with Will Mary ill elp he students.

Future with Going to You are going to ove o New York.

Future Continuous Anna ill be orking at three o'clock tomorrow.

Present Perfect We ave lived in Seattle for a long time.

Present Perfect Continuous He as been laying golf for two hours.

Past Perfect We ad eaten dinner before he arrived.

Past Perfect Continuous She ad been studying or three hours when he arrived.

Future Perfect I ill have inished he job by tomorrow.

Future Perfect Continuous We ill have been orking or eleven hours by ten o'clock.
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Negative Sentences

Tense Subject Auxiliary Verb + Not Main Verb Objects

Present Simple I don't ork n the city.

Present Continuous They aren't orking on the project at the moment.

Past Simple Mary didn't go on vacation last year.

Past Continuous Jack asn't orking hen I arrived.

Future with Will We on't isit im next week.

Future with Going to You aren't going to lay golf this weekend.

Future Continuous They on't be orking on Saturday afternoon.

Present Perfect Susan asn't isited Puerto Rico yet.

Present Perfect Continuous He asn't been eating dinner for very long.

Past Perfect They adn't spoken o Peter for a long time.

Past Perfect Continuous Joe adn't been studying or a long time when she came home.

Future Perfect Angela on't have inished he project by tomorrow.

Future Perfect Continuous The teacher on't have been eaching or long at ten in the morning.

Questions

Tense (Question

ord)

Auxiliary

Verb

Subject Main Verb (Objects)?

Present Simple here do ou ive ?

Present Continuous What are ou doing ith that?

Past Simple When did e ove o Chicago?

Past Continuous What ere hey doing hen he arrived?

Future with Will How ill she ravel o Seattle?

Future with Going to Where are ou going to stay on vacation?

Future Continuous What time ill e e giving is presentation?

Present Perfect How often ave ou een o France?


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Present Perfect

Continuous

How long as she een playing ennis?

Past Perfect How much ad she completed efore it was due?

Past Perfect Continuous How long ad hey een sleeping hen he woke them up?

Future Perfect How many books ill hey ead y the end of the month.

Future Perfect

Continuous

How long ill Tom ave been

laying

golf by the end of the

day?

Tense Overviews

Tenses Chart

Tenses in English
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using verbs with prepositions

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