Phrasal Verb

TSIM Kam Wan

Phrasal Verb - Definition

A phrasal verb is a verb plus a preposition
which creates a meaning different from the
original verb.

EXAMPLE:
I ran into my teacher at the movies last night.
NOTE:
You didn't physically run into your teacher,
but you met your teacher unexpectedly.

Transitive or intransitive Phrasal Verbs

A phrasal verb can be transitive or intransitive.
A transitive verb is followed by an object.
EXAMPLE:
I made up the story.

An intransitive verb is not followed by an object.

EXAMPLE:
He suddenly showed up.

Separable or Non-separable
Transitive phrasal verbs
Separable verbs take the object between the verb and
the preposition:
EXAMPLE:
I talked into my mother letting me borrow the car.
Not Correct
I talked my mother into letting me borrow the car.
Correct
Note: "talk into" is separable
Non-separable verbs take the object after the
preposition:
EXAMPLE:
I ran my sister into. Not Correct
I ran into my sister. Correct

Some phrasal verbs can take a preposition in

both places.
EXAMPLE:
I made an excuse up. Correct
I made up an excuse. Correct

Note: "make up" is both separable and nonseperable

Websites
Phrasal Verb Dictionary
Englishpage.com
http://www.englishpage.com/prepositions/phrasaldict
ionary.html
Phrasal Verbs: Exercises and References
http://esl.vcc.ca/eslvoc/ESLWEB/phrasal_verbs.html
http://www.unrestrictedarea.com/

pop off
INFORMAL, OLD-FASHIONED
to die
You're all just waiting till I pop off so you can get your
hands on my money.
(informal) to leave the place where you are and go somewhere,
usually for a short time
She's just popped off to get a sandwich if you want to
wait for her.

(American, informal) to talk a lot in a loud way about

something that makes you angry or upsets you
She's always popping off about her husband's
relatives. [often + about]
Don't keep popping off at me. It's not my fault that he's
not here! [sometimes + at]

pile on sth or pile sth on

INFORMAL
if someone piles on something, especially something
spoken, they give you more and more of it
You've really been piling on the praise tonight,
Roger!
We're approaching the deadline so our manager
has been piling on the pressure.
He was piling on the agony about his childhood. (=
making it seem worse than it really was)
(mainly British & Australian, informal) if you pile on
weight, you become fatter and heavier
I piled on ten pounds over Christmas.
She's really piled on the pounds (= become fatter)
since I last saw her.

go against sth
if something goes against a rule or something you believe
in, it does not obey it or agree with it
It goes against my principles to respect someone
just because they're in a position of authority.
The EU says the decision goes against European
trade rules.
It goes against the grain (= it is not usual) for
Sarah to admit that she's wrong.
go against sth/sb
to do the opposite of what someone has asked or advised
you to do
I went against my father's advice and bought the
house.
I really don't want to go against my boss.

Live through
survive a difficult experience or period
How they lived through ten years of civil war
without being hurt remains a mystery.

Pick on
to tease, bully

Older kids would always pick on me at school

until I grew to be bigger than them.