Multi-word verbs
PREPOSITIONAL VERBS
Verb+ preposition
To go up
• You can guess the meaning
• Inseparable
I went up the hill
I went the hill up
• You can replace the
preposition and it still makes
sense
I went down the hill
PHRASAL VERBS PHRASAL-PREPOSITIONAL VERBS
Verb+ adverb Verb+ adverb+preposition
To find out To look forward to
• You can’t guess the meaning • You can’t guess the meaning
(you have to learn it) (you have to learn it)
• Separable • Inseparable
Optional when the I am looking forward
complement is a noun to hearing from you
I found out the truth
OR Notice that we have to use v-ing
I found the truth out after the preposition
Compulsory when the
complement is a pronoun
I found it out
I found out it
• You can’t replace the particle
because it doesn’t make
sense
I found on the truth
 PRONUNCIATION
We distinguish between one-stress phrasal verbs and two-stress
phrasal verbs

There are a lot of factors to be considered, but in general…

 PREPOSITIONAL VERBS PHRASAL VERBS PHRASAL-PREPOSITIONAL VERBS
Verb+ preposition Verb+ adverb Verb+ adverb+preposition

• Main stress on the verb and • Main stress on the particle • Main stress on the first
no stress on the particle and secondary stress on the particle and secondary stress
(USUALLY) verb on the verb

We never HEARD from them It was freezing cold, so I didn’t I’d always LOOKED UP to her
again want to HANG aROUND

USUALLY, because we can The pronoun between the verb

highlight the particle for and the particle is not usually
emphasis or contrast prominent

I didn’t say I hadn’t HEARD OF Can I CALL you BACK?

him, I said I hadn’t HEARD FROM
him. However, the particle is not
prominent when there is a noun

Can you CALL the DOCtor back?

NOTE
Remember the difference between weak and strong words

Weak words: at, for, from, of, to…

In the middle of a sentence we pronounce them with /Ə/ but when the
particle comes at the end of a sentence…

1. I was just THINKing of /Əv/ you.

2. What on earth were you THINKing of /Ɒv/?