dragn
Joined: 17 Feb 2009
Posts: 450
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 Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 8:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| How can I know whether a phrasal verb is separable or inseparable? |
If a phrasal verb is separable, you can place a noun or a pronoun between the primary verb and the particle (one or two words that follow the primary verb, most of which are ordinarily prepositions). For example:
put off: to delay or postpone something
Ken put off the report until the last minute.
Ken put the report off until the last minute.
In the first version, the phrasal verb is not separated. In the second version, it is. The object (the report) has been placed between the verb and the particle...and the sentence still makes perfect sense and is grammatically correct.
Note that if a pronoun is used (he, she it, etc.), it must go between the verb and the particle of a separable phrasal verb:
Ken put it off until the last minute.
Ken put off it until the last minute. (X)
If a phrasal verb is inseparable, you cannot do this. You cannot place any words between the verb and the particle. The object must follow the phrasal verb. It can be a noun or a pronoun, but it must go after the phrasal verb. Otherwise, the result makes no sense and is grammatically incorrect. For example:
pick on: to tease or to bully
Tommy, don't pick on your little brother!
Tommy, don't pick on him!
Tommy, don't pick him on! (X)
Now the bad news. In most cases, the only way to tell if a phrasal verb is separable or inseparable is to place a noun between the verb and the particle and understand whether of not the result makes sense and is grammatically acceptable. You have to be able to sense this�in other words, you just have to know. I am sorry to inform you that there are no reliable indicators that tell you with 100 percent certainty whether a phrasal verb is separable or inseparable. You basically have to learn them one by one. If you're looking for some kind of shortcut to determine in advance if a phrasal verb that you're not familiar with is separable or inseparable, you are wasting your time. There's no such thing. Just what you wanted to hear, right? 
However, all is not completely lost. Here is one tip:
Three-word verbs are always inseparable. For example:
look down on: to have a low opinion of or a lack of respect for
John looks down on beggars.
John looks beggars down on. (X)
Here's a listing of some common inseparable phrasal verbs:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/630/03
Here's a listing of some common separable phrasal verbs:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/630/02/
Hope this helps.
Greg |
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