- •Contents
- •Identifying what you are talking about: determiners 50
- •3 Making a message 111
- •Indicating possibility 168
- •8 Combining messages 245
- •9 Making texts 272
- •Introduction
- •Note on Examples
- •Guide to the Use of the Grammar
- •Introduction
- •Glossary of grammatical terms
- •Cobuild Grammar Chart
- •Contents of Chapter 1
- •Identifying what you are talking about: determiners 54
- •3 Making a message 115
- •Indicating possibility 172
- •8 Combining messages 250
- •9 Making texts 276
- •Identifying people and things: nouns
- •Things which can be counted: count nouns
- •Things not usually counted: uncount nouns
- •When there is only one of something: singular nouns
- •Referring to more than one thing: plural nouns
- •Referring to groups: collective nouns
- •Referring to people and things by name: proper nouns
- •Nouns which are rarely used alone
- •Sharing the same quality: adjectives as headwords
- •Nouns referring to males or females
- •Referring to activities and processes: '-ing' nouns
- •Specifying more exactly: compound nouns
- •Referring to people and things without naming them: pronouns
- •Referring to people and things: personal pronouns
- •Mentioning possession: possessive pronouns
- •Referring back to the subject: reflexive pronouns
- •Referring to a particular person or thing: demonstrative pronouns
- •Referring to people and things in a general way: indefinite pronouns
- •Showing that two people do the same thing: reciprocal pronouns
- •Joining clauses together: relative pronouns
- •Asking questions: interrogative pronouns
- •Other pronouns
- •Identifying what you are talking about: determiners
- •The specific way: using 'the'
- •The specific way: using 'this', 'that', 'these', and 'those'
- •The specific way: using possessive determiners
- •The general way
- •The general way: using 'a' and 'an'
- •The general way: other determiners
- •Contents of Chapter 2
- •Identifying what you are talking about: determiners 54
- •3 Making a message 120
- •Indicating possibility 176
- •8 Combining messages 254
- •9 Making texts 280
- •Describing things: adjectives
- •Information focusing: adjective structures
- •Identifying qualities: qualitative adjectives
- •Identifying the class that something belongs to: classifying adjectives
- •Identifying colours: colour adjectives
- •Showing strong feelings: emphasizing adjectives
- •Making the reference more precise: postdeterminers
- •Special classes of adjectives
- •Position of adjectives in noun groups
- •Special forms: '-ing' adjectives
- •Special forms: '-ed' adjectives
- •Compound adjectives
- •Comparing things: comparatives
- •Comparing things: superlatives
- •Other ways of comparing things: saying that things are similar
- •Indicating different amounts of a quality: submodifiers
- •Indicating the degree of difference: submodifiers in comparison
- •Modifying using nouns: noun modifiers
- •Indicating possession or association: possessive structures
- •Indicating close connection: apostrophe s ('s)
- •Other structures with apostrophe s ('s)
- •Talking about quantities and amounts
- •Talking about amounts of things: quantifiers
- •Talking about amounts of things: partitives
- •Referring to an exact number of things: numbers
- •Referring to the number of things: cardinal numbers
- •Referring to things in a sequence: ordinal numbers
- •Referring to an exact part of something: fractions
- •Talking about measurements
- •Talking about age
- •Approximate amounts and measurements
- •Expanding the noun group: qualifiers
- •Nouns with prepositional phrases
- •Nouns with adjectives
- •Nouns with non-finite clauses
- •Contents of Chapter 3
- •Identifying what you are talking about: determiners 54
- •3 Making a message 124
- •Indicating possibility 181
- •8 Combining messages 258
- •9 Making texts 284
- •Indicating how many participants are involved: transitivity
- •Talking about events which involve only the subject: intransitive verbs
- •Involving someone or something other than the subject: transitive verbs
- •Verbs where the object refers back to the subject: reflexive verbs
- •Verbs with little meaning: delexical verbs
- •Verbs which can be used in both intransitive and transitive clauses
- •Verbs which can take an object or a prepositional phrase
- •Changing your focus by changing the subject: ergative verbs
- •Verbs which involve people doing the same thing to each other: reciprocal verbs
- •Verbs which can have two objects: ditransitive verbs
- •Extending or changing the meaning of a verb: phrasal verbs
- •Verbs which consist of two words: compound verbs
- •Describing and identifying things: complementation
- •Describing things: adjectives as complements of link verbs
- •Saying that one thing is another thing: noun groups as complements of link verbs
- •Commenting: 'to'-infinitive clauses after complements
- •Describing as well as talking about an action: other verbs with complements
- •Describing the object of a verb: object complements
- •Describing something in other ways: adjuncts instead of complements
- •Indicating what role something has or how it is perceived: the preposition 'as'
- •Talking about closely linked actions: using two verbs together in phase
- •Talking about two actions done by the same person: phase verbs together
- •Talking about two actions done by different people: phase verbs separated by an object
- •Contents of Chapter 4
- •Identifying what you are talking about: determiners 54
- •3 Making a message 124
- •Indicating possibility 185
- •8 Combining messages 262
- •9 Making texts 289
- •Statements, questions, orders, and suggestions
- •Making statements: the declarative mood
- •Asking questions: the interrogative mood
- •'Yes/no'-questions
- •'Wh'-questions
- •Telling someone to do something: the imperative mood
- •Other uses of moods
- •Negation Forming negative statements
- •Forming negative statements: negative affixes
- •Forming negative statements: broad negatives
- •Emphasizing the negative aspect of a statement
- •Using modals
- •The main uses of modals
- •Special features of modals
- •Referring to time
- •Indicating possibility
- •Indicating ability
- •Indicating likelihood
- •Indicating permission
- •Indicating unacceptability
- •Interacting with other people
- •Giving instructions and making requests
- •Making an offer or an invitation
- •Making suggestions
- •Stating an intention
- •Indicating unwillingness or refusal
- •Expressing a wish
- •Indicating importance
- •Introducing what you are going to say
- •Expressions used instead of modals
- •Semi-modals
- •Contents of Chapter 5
- •Identifying what you are talking about: determiners 54
- •3 Making a message 124
- •Indicating possibility 185
- •8 Combining messages 266
- •9 Making texts 293
- •The present
- •The present in general: the simple present
- •Accent on the present: the present continuous
- •Emphasizing time in the present: using adjuncts
- •The past
- •Stating a definite time in the past: the simple past
- •Accent on the past: the past continuous
- •The past in relation to the present: the present perfect
- •Events before a particular time in the past: the past perfect
- •Emphasizing time in the past: using adjuncts
- •The future
- •Indicating the future using 'will'
- •Other ways of indicating the future
- •Adjuncts with future tenses
- •Other uses of tenses
- •Vivid narrative
- •Firm plans for the future
- •Forward planning from a time in the past
- •Timing by adjuncts
- •Emphasizing the unexpected: continuing, stopping, or not happening
- •Time expressions and prepositional phrases Specific times
- •Non-specific times
- •Subordinate time clauses
- •Extended uses of time expressions
- •Frequency and duration
- •Adjuncts of frequency
- •Adjuncts of duration
- •Indicating the whole of a period
- •Indicating the start or end of a period
- •Duration expressions as modifiers
- •Contents of Chapter 6
- •Identifying what you are talking about: determiners 54
- •3 Making a message 124
- •Indicating possibility 185
- •8 Combining messages 271
- •9 Making texts 297
- •Position of adjuncts
- •Giving information about manner: adverbs
- •Adverb forms and meanings related to adjectives
- •Comparative and superlative adverbs
- •Adverbs of manner
- •Adverbs of degree
- •Giving information about place: prepositions
- •Position of prepositional phrases
- •Indicating position
- •Indicating direction
- •Prepositional phrases as qualifiers
- •Other ways of giving information about place
- •Destinations and directions
- •Noun groups referring to place: place names
- •Other uses of prepositional phrases
- •Prepositions used with verbs
- •Prepositional phrases after nouns and adjectives
- •Extended meanings of prepositions
- •Contents of Chapter 7
- •Identifying what you are talking about: determiners 54
- •3 Making a message 124
- •Indicating possibility 185
- •8 Combining messages 275
- •9 Making texts 302
- •Indicating that you are reporting: reporting verbs
- •Reporting someone's actual words: quote structures
- •Reporting in your own words: report structures
- •Reporting statements and thoughts
- •Reporting questions
- •Reporting orders, requests, advice, and intentions
- •Time reference in report structures
- •Making your reference appropriate
- •Using reporting verbs for politeness
- •Avoiding mention of the person speaking or thinking
- •Referring to the speaker and hearer
- •Other ways of indicating what is said
- •Other ways of using reported clauses
- •Contents of Chapter 8
- •Identifying what you are talking about: determiners 54
- •3 Making a message 124
- •Indicating possibility 185
- •8 Combining messages 279
- •9 Making texts 306
- •Adverbial clauses
- •Time clauses
- •Conditional clauses
- •Purpose clauses
- •Reason clauses
- •Result clauses
- •Concessive clauses
- •Place clauses
- •Clauses of manner
- •Relative clauses
- •Using relative pronouns in defining clauses
- •Using relative pronouns in non-defining clauses
- •Using relative pronouns with prepositions
- •Using 'whose'
- •Using other relative pronouns
- •Additional points about non-defining relative clauses
- •Nominal relative clauses
- •Non-finite clauses
- •Using non-defining clauses
- •Using defining clauses
- •Other structures used like non-finite clauses
- •Coordination
- •Linking clauses
- •Linking verbs
- •Linking noun groups
- •Linking adjectives and adverbs
- •Linking other word groups
- •Emphasizing coordinating conjunctions
- •Linking more than two clauses or word groups
- •Contents of Chapter 9
- •Identifying what you are talking about: determiners 54
- •3 Making a message 124
- •Indicating possibility 185
- •8 Combining messages 279
- •9 Making texts 310
- •Referring back
- •Referring back in a specific way
- •Referring back in a general way
- •Substituting for something already mentioned: using 'so' and 'not'
- •Comparing with something already mentioned
- •Referring forward
- •Leaving out words: ellipsis
- •Ellipsis in conversation
- •Contents of Chapter 10
- •Identifying what you are talking about: determiners 54
- •3 Making a message 124
- •Indicating possibility 185
- •8 Combining messages 279
- •9 Making texts 310
- •Focusing on the thing affected: the passive voice
- •Selecting focus: cleft sentences
- •Taking the focus off the subject: using impersonal 'it'
- •Describing a place or situation
- •Talking about the weather and the time
- •Commenting on an action, activity, or experience
- •Commenting on a fact that you are about to mention
- •Introducing something new: 'there' as subject
- •Focusing on clauses or clause elements using adjuncts Commenting on your statement: sentence adjuncts
- •Indicating your attitude to what you are saying
- •Stating your field of reference
- •Showing connections: linking adjuncts
- •Indicating a change in a conversation
- •Emphasizing
- •Indicating the most relevant thing: focusing adverbs
- •Other information structures Putting something first: fronting
- •Introducing your statement: prefacing structures
- •Doing by saying: performative verbs
- •Exclamations
- •Making a statement into a question: question tags
- •Addressing people: vocatives
- •Contents of the Reference Section
- •Identifying what you are talking about: determiners 54
- •3 Making a message 124
- •Indicating possibility 185
- •8 Combining messages 279
- •9 Making texts 310
- •Forming plurals of count nouns
- •Forming comparative and superlative adjectives
- •The spelling and pronunciation of possessives
- •Numbers
- •Cardinal numbers
- •Ordinal numbers
- •Fractions and percentages
- •Verb forms and the formation of verb groups
- •Finite verb groups and the formation of tenses
- •Non-finite verb groups: infinitives and participles
- •Forming adverbs
- •Forming comparative and superlative adverbs
- •Indirect object
- •Inversion
- •Verbal nouns
Extending or changing the meaning of a verb: phrasal verbs
3.84 There is a special group of verbs which consist of two or three words. These are called phrasal verbs. They consist of
• a verb followed by an adverb:
He sat down.
Ralph stood on his head and fell over.
The cold weather set in.
• a verb followed by a preposition:
She looked after her invalid mother.
She sailed through her exams.
The other day I came across a letter from Brunel written in the fast year of his life.
• or a verb followed by an adverb and a preposition.
You may come up against unexpected difficulties.
I look forward to reading it.
Fame has crept up on her almost by accident.
By combining a verb and an adverb or preposition in this way, we can extend the usual meaning of the verb or create a new meaning, different from any that the verb has on its own. You cannot, therefore, always guess the meaning of a phrasal verb from the usual meanings of the verb and the adverb or preposition.
In the case of a few phrasal verbs, the first part is not found independently as a verb. For example, there are phrasal verbs 'sum up', 'tamper with', 'zero in on', but no verbs 'sum', 'tamper', or 'zero'.
Note that phrasal verbs are never written as a single word or with a hyphen.
3.85 Most phrasal verbs consist of two words. These are explained below in paragraphs 3.86 to 3.111. Three-word phrasal verbs are explained in paragraphs 3.112 to 3.114.
3.86 Some phrasal verbs are used in intransitive clauses. Many of these are verb plus adverb combinations.
Rosamund went away for a few days.
The boys were fooling around.
She must have dozed off.
3.87 Here is a list of phrasal verbs which consist of an intransitive verb and an adverb:
|
back away back down back off balance out barge in bear up boil over bounce back bow down bow out branch put break away break out butt in camp out cast about catch on change down change up check up chip in climb down close in cloud over club together come about come along come apart come away come back come down come forward come in come on come out come round come to |
come up cool off creep in crop up cry off cuddle up curl up cut in die away die down die out dine out double back doze off drag on drop back drop by drop out ease up ebb away end up fade away fade out fall apart fall away fall back fall behind fall out fall over fall through fight back fizzle out flare up fool around forge ahead get about get ahead |
get along get by get up give in glaze over go ahead go along go around go away go back go down go on go out go under go up grow up hang back hang together hit out hold on land up lash out let up lie back lie down live in look ahead look back look in loom up make off meet up melt away mount up move off move over nod off |
opt out own up pass away pay up pine away play around pop up press ahead pressed on push ahead push on rear up ride up ring off rise up roll about roll in roll over rot away run away run out rush in seize up sell up set in settle down settle in settle up shop around simmer down sink in sit around sit back sit down slip up speak up splash out |
spring up stand back stand down stand in stand out start out stay in stay on stay up steam up step aside step back step down step in stick around stock up stop by stop off stop over tag along tail away tail off taper off tick over touch down tune in wade in wait about wait up walk out waste away watch out wear off weigh in |
intransitive phrasal verbs with prepositions 3.88 Other phrasal verbs used in intransitive clauses are verb plus preposition combinations.
Ski trips now account for nearly half of all school visits.
I'm just asking for information.
...the arguments that stem from gossip.
Note that the noun groups at the end of the above examples ('nearly half of all school visits', 'information', and 'gossip') are objects of the prepositions and not directly objects of the verbs.
3.89 Here is a list of phrasal verbs which consist of an intransitive verb and a preposition:
|
abide by account for allow for answer for ask after ask for bank on bargain for break into break with brood on bump into burst into call for call on care for come across come between come by come for come from come into come under come upon count on cm across dawn on deal with dispose of |
draw on drink to dwell on eat into embark on enter into expand on fall for fall into fall on feel for flick through frown upon get at get into get over go about go against go for grow on hang onto head for hit on hold with jump at keep to laugh at launch into lay into |
leap at level with lie behind live for live off live with look after look into look to make for meet with part with pick at pick on pitch into plan for plan on play at play on poke at pore over provide for puzzle over rattle through reason with reckon on reckon with reckon without rise above |
romp through run across run into run to sail through see to seize on set about settle for settle on skate over smile on stand for stem from stick at stick by stumble across stumble on take after take against tamper with tangle with trifle with tumble to wade through wait on walk into watch for worry at |
3.90 In the case of some intransitive phrasal verbs, the second word can be a preposition if the second thing involved needs to be mentioned, or can be an adverb if the second thing involved is clear from the context.
I could hang around your office.
We'll have to hang around for a while.
...a dog who had lagged behind the others.
After a white, I see he is deliberately lagging behind.
3.91 Here is a list of intransitive phrasal verbs whose second word can be a preposition or an adverb:
|
ask around bend over break through bustle about come across come after come along come by come down come in come off come on come over come through come up cross over |
crowd around do without fall behind fall down fall off gather around get in get off get on get round go about go along go down go in go round go through |
go up go without hang around join in knock about lag behind lean over lie about look round look through lounge about move about pass by pass over push by push past |
push through rally round run around run down run up scrape through see round shine through show through sit around spill over stand around stop by trip over |
transitive phrasal verbs 3.92 Another group of phrasal verbs are nearly always used in transitive clauses, because the verb takes a direct object.
I left my pack behind and took only a wafer bottle.
Morris tracked Hilary down in the bathroom.
She read the poem out quietly.
3.93 Here is a list of phrasal verbs which consist of a transitive verb and an adverb:
|
add on beat up blot out board up bring about bring along bring back bring down bring forward bring in bring off bring out bring round bring up buy out buy up call off call up carry off carry out cast aside catch out chase up chat up clean out conjure up count out cross off cross out cut back cut down cut off cut up deal out dig up do down do up drag in drag out drag up dream up drink in drive out drum up eat away eat up explain away fight off fin in fill up filter out find out fix up follow up frighten away gather up |
give away give back give off hammer out hand down hand in hand on hand out hand over hand round have on hire out hold down hold up hunt down hush up keep back kick out knock down knock out knock over lap up lay down lay on lay out leave behind leave out let down let in let off let out lift up live down melt down mess up mix up nail down note down order about pack off pass down pass over pass round patch up pay back pay out phase in phase out pick off pick out piece together pin down pin up play back play down plug in |
point out print out pull apart pull down push about push around push over put about put across put around put across put down put forward put off put on put out put through put together put up read out reason out reel off rinse out rip off rip up rope in rope off rub in rub out rule out rush through scale down screen off seal off see off seek out sell off send up set apart set aside set back set down shake off shake up shoot down shrug off shut away shut in shut off shut out size up smooth over snap up soak up sort out sound out |
spell out spin out stamp out step up stick down summon up switch on take apart take away take back take down take in take on take up talk over talk round tear apart tear down tear up tell apart tell off think over think through think up trash out throw away throw off throw on throw out tidy away tie down tie up tip off tip up tire out tone down top up track down trade in try on try out turn down turn on use up warn off wash away weed out weigh out weigh up weigh up win back win over wipe away wipe out wipe up |
Phrasal verbs which consist of a transitive verb and a preposition are explained in paragraphs 3.108 to 3.111.
3.94 A large group of phrasal verbs can be used in intransitive as well as transitive structures.
Often this is because a phrasal verb has more than one meaning. For example, 'break in' is usually intransitive when it is used in the sense of 'get into a place by force'. But 'break in' is transitive when it is used in the sense of 'get someone used to a new situation'.
If the door is locked, I will try to break in.
Brody liked to break in his assistants slowly.
A plane took off.
Gretchen took off her coat.
The engine cut out.
She cut out some coloured photographs from a magazine.
3.95 Here is a list of phrasal verbs which can be used in intransitive as well as transitive clauses, depending on which meaning is being used:
|
add up bail out black out break in call in carry on clear out cut out draw on draw out draw up dress up drop off drop round fight back finish up |
get down get in get out get together give up hang out hold off hold out join up keep away keep down keep in keep off keep on keep out keep up |
kick off knock about knock off lay off leave off look out look up make out make up mess about miss out pass off pass on pay off pick up pull in |
put in roll up run down run off run over set forth set off set out show off show up split up stick out stick up stow away strike out string along |
sum up switch off take off tear off throw up tuck in turn away turn back turn in turn out turn round turn up wind down wind up work out wrap up |
3.96 There are a few phrasal verbs which only have one meaning, out which can be either transitive or intransitive, it is possible to use them intransitively because the object is either obvious or can be guessed particular context.
It won't take me a moment to clear away.
Brody began to clear away the soup bowls.
3.97 Here is a list of phrasal verbs which have only one meaning but which can be used intransitively:
|
answer back breathe in breathe out |
call back clear away clear up |
cover up drink up help out |
open up take over tidy away |
wash up |
ergative phrasal verbs 3.98 Just as with ordinary verbs, some phrasal verbs are ergative verbs; that is, you can use the object of the transitive verb as the subject of the intransitive verb.
The guerrillas blew up the restaurant.
The gasworks blew up.
I won't wake him up just yet.
He woke up in the middle of the night.
See paragraphs 3.60 to 3.68 for information about ergative verbs.
3.99 Here is a list of ergative phrasal verbs:
|
back up block up blow up book in break off break up buck up |
build up burn up check in check out cheer up close down dry up |
get off heat up hurry up line up move on open up peel off |
pull through rub off shut up sign up slow down spread out start off |
thaw out wake up warm up wear down wear out |
3.100 In the case of some ergative phrasal verbs, the second word can be a preposition if the other thing involved needs to be mentioned, or can be an adverb if the other thing involved is clear from the context.
...leaves that had been blown off the trees.
My hat blew off.
3.101 Here is a list of ergative phrasal verbs whose second word can be a preposition or an adverb:
|
blow off chip off get down |
get through get up move down |
move up peel off poke through |
stick in stick on |
object position 3.102 When you are using a phrasal verb in a transitive clause and the object is a short noun group, you usually have a choice as to where you put the object. It can be placed either after the second word of the phrasal verb or after the first word and before the second word.
I filled up a jar with potassium permanganate.
She filled my glass up.
He handed over the box.
Mrs Kaul handed the flowers over to Judy.
3.103 However, when the object consists of a long noun group, it is more likely to come after the second word of the phrasal verb, so the two parts of the phrasal verb are not separated too widely. In this way, attention is focused on the information contained in the noun group, rather than on the second word of the phrasal verb.
The authorities have turned down a request by the Argentine Embassy to examine the wreckage of the plane.
3.104 When the object is a pronoun such as 'me', 'her', or 'it', it usually comes before the second word of the phrasal verb. This is because it is not new information, and so it is not put in a position of prominence at the end of the clause.
I waited until he had filled it up.
George handed it over to one of the tribesmen.
3.105 If the object of a phrasal verb is an abstract noun such as 'hope', 'confidence', or 'support', it usually comes after the second word of the phrasal verb. So, although you can say, 'He built his business up', you usually say, 'We are trying to build up trust with the residents'. Similarly, although you can say 'He put my parents up for the night', you normally say, 'The peasants are putting up a lot of resistance'.
The newspapers whipped up sympathy for them.
They attempted to drum up support from the students.
He didn't hold out much hope for them.
3.106 With a small number of phrasal verbs, the object is always placed between the first and the second words of the verb. For example, you can say 'I can't tell your brothers apart' but not 'I can't tell apart your brothers'.
Captain Dean was still ordering everybody about.
I answered him back and took my chances.
Note that most of these verbs take a human object.
Here is a list of phrasal verbs which always belong in this group when they are used transitively:
|
answer back ask in bash about bind over book in bring found bring to brush off call back carry back catch out |
churn up count in drag down dress down drop round feel out get away hear out help along invite in invite out |
invite over jolly along keep under knock about mess about move about muck about order about play along play through pull about |
pull to push about push around push to run through see through send ahead send away send up shut up sit down |
slap around stand up stare out string along talk round tear apart tell apart tip off truss up turf out |
Some phrasal verbs have more than one transitive sense but belong in this group when they are used with one particular meaning. For example, 'take back' belongs in this group when it means 'remind someone of something' but not when it means 'regain something'.
The scent of the hay took Ash back to long-ago evenings in Devon.
Philip took back his glasses and looked at the smoke.
Here is a list of phrasal verbs which belong in this group when used with a particular meaning:
|
bowl over ring down bring out buoy up cut off do over draw out get back |
get out give up have on hurry up keep up kick around knock out knock up |
nail down pass an pin down pull apart push around put down put out see out |
set up shake up show around show up start off straighten out take back take in |
take off throw about toss about trip up turn on ward off wind up |
prepositional objects 3.107 Remember that when a phrasal verb consists of an intransitive verb followed by a preposition, the noun group always comes after the preposition, even when it is a pronoun.
A number of reasons can account for this change.
They had dealt with the problem intelligently.
If I went away and left you in the flat, would you look after it?
There is a list of phrasal verbs which consist of an intransitive verb and a preposition in paragraph 3.89.
transitive phrasal verbs with prepositions 3.108 Some phrasal verbs consist of a transitive verb and a preposition. They have one noun group after the first word, as the object of the verb, and a second noun group after the second word, as the object of the preposition.
They agreed to let him into their secret.
The farmer threatened to set his dogs on them.
They'll hold that against you when you apply next time.
3.109 Here is a list of phrase verbs which consist of a transitive verb and a preposition:
|
build into build on draw into drum into frighten into |
hold against keep to lay before leave off let into |
lumber with make of put on put onto put through |
read into set against set back set on talk into |
thrust upon write into |
preposition or adverb 3.110 In the case of some transitive phrasal verbs, the second word can be a preposition if the third thing involved needs to be mentioned, or can be an adverb if the third thing involved is clear from the context.
Rudolph showed them around the theatre.
Come on. I'll show you around.
3.111 Here is a list of transitive phrasal verbs whose second word can be a preposition or an adverb:
|
cross off dab on hawk around |
hurl about keep off knock off |
lop off push around scrub off |
show around shut in sink in |
intransitive three-word phrasal verbs 3.112 Most phrasal verbs consist of two words: a verb and a preposition. However, there are a number of phrasal verbs which consist of three words: a verb, an advert, and a preposition.
Most three-word phrasal verbs are intransitive. The preposition at the end is followed by its own object.
His girlfriend walked out on him.
By the 1990's, society will have faced up to the inevitable.
He suddenly burst in on me one morning.
The local people have to put up with a lot of tourists.
Terry Holbrook caught up with me.
3.113 Here is a list of intransitive three-word phrasal verbs:
|
be in for be on to bear down on boil down to break out of brush up on bump up against burst in on call out for catch up with chime in with clamp down on clean up after come across as come down on come down to come down with come in for come on to come out in come out of come out with come up against come up to |
come up with crack down on creep up on crowd in on cry out against cry out for cut back on date back to do away with double back on face up to fall back on fall in with get away with get down to get in on get off with get on to get on with get round to get up to give up on go along with go back on |
go down with go in for go off with go over to go through with grow out of keep in with keep on at keep up with kick out against lead up to live up to look down on look forward to look out for took up to make away with make off with make up to match up to measure up to miss out on monkey about with play along with |
play around with put up with read up on run away with run off with run up against shy away from sit in on snap out of stick out for stick up for suck up to take up with talk down to tie in with walk away from walk away with walk off with walk out on wriggle out of zero in on |
3.114 A few three-word phrasal verbs are transitive. The direct object of the verb comes immediately after the verb. A second noun group is put after the preposition, as normal.
Multinational companies can play individual markets off against each other.
Kroop tried to talk her out of it.
I'll take you up on that generous invitation.
Here is a list of transitive three-word phrasal verbs:
|
do out of frighten out of let in for |
let in on play off against put down as |
put down to put up to take out on |
take up on talk out of |
3.115 It is not possible to have indirect objects with phrasal verbs. The only objects you can have are direct objects of the verb and objects of prepositions.
3.116 There is one way in which a preposition that is part of a phrasal verb behaves differently from an ordinary preposition.
Normally, when the object of a preposition is put at the beginning of a question or a relative clause, it can be preceded by the preposition, especially in formal speech or writing. For example, you can say 'From which student did you get the book?' and 'the document on which he put his signature'.
However, if the preposition is part of a phrasal verb, it cannot be put before its object in such structures. You have to say 'What are you getting at?' not 'At what are you getting?', and 'the difficulties which he ran up against' not 'the difficulties against which he ran up'.
Who were they laughing at?
This was one complication he had not bargained for.
3.117 Most phrasal verbs which contain a transitive verb can be used in the passive. So can a few phrasal verbs which contain an intransitive verb and a preposition. See paragraphs 10.17 to 10.23.