Grammar Practice in Context - David Bolton, Noel Goodey 1997

32 Phrasal verbs: I got up and turned off the light

Quick reference

• Phrasal verbs are usually two-word verbs (verb + adverbial particle): go out, put on, give up, etc.

• We can use different particles with the same verb. The meaning changes.

I got up at 7.00 this morning. (= got out of bed)

The police arrested the thief, but he got away (= escaped)

• Most phrasal verbs can take an object. The object can usually go before or after the particle.

I turned on the radio, or / turned the radio on.

• But if the object is a pronoun, the pronoun always goes before the particle.

Here's your coat. Put it on. (not Put on it.)

• ’Long’ objects go after the particle.

Why don’t you throw away the clothes you don’t wear any more.

(not Why don’t you throw the clothes you don’t wear any more away.)

• Some phrasal verbs are three-word verbs (verb + particle + preposition): get on with, run out of, etc. Here, the object must go after the preposition.

/ don't get on with my parents. I don’t get on with them.

1 A girl is describing the first episode of a TV series she has just watched. Replace the words in italics with the correct forms of these phrasal verbs.

pick up (x2)

think over

get out

hand over

comeback

getup

wake up

set off

get away from

run out of

go on

go down

get on with

lie down

go out with

take off

come up to

talk over

Brad, an American teenager, had a bad relationship with (1) ... his parents. He wanted to escape (2) ... from them. He considered it (3) ... for several days before he finally decided to leave (4) ... He said to himself he would never return (5) ... He was having a relationship with (6) ... Donna, a girl who was also unhappy at home. One night he got out of bed (7) ... at 3 a.m. He took his father’s car. He collected his girlfriend (8) ... and they started their journey (9) ... for the Mexican border. They suddenly had no more (10) ... petrol in the middle of Texas. What were they going to do? They discussed it (11) ... for a long time, and finally they started to walk. They continued (12) ... for hours in the hot sun. Brad removed (13) ... his shirt so Donna could put it over her head. They tried to get a lift, but no-one stopped to take them (14) ... The nearest town was 25 miles away and the sun was sinking (15) ... They stretched out on the ground (16) ... by the side of the road and fell asleep. Two hours later a man approached (17) ... them. His voice wakened them (18) ... It was a truck driver. Would he take them to Mexico, or would he let the police have them (19) ... to the police?

2 Doris Griggs has got a very difficult husband. When she wants something, he wants the opposite. Use the word given in capitals at the end of each line to form a phrasal verb that fits in the space in the same line.

3 Helen is 20 but she is still living at home. Her mother is talking to her. Replace the words in italics with a pronoun (it, him, them, etc.) and rewrite the sentence.

1 You watch too much television. Turn the television off.

2 Why are you smoking? You should give up smoking.

3 Why are you wearing that old sweater. Take off that old sweated.

4 You’ve left your clothes all over the floor. Put your clothes away.

5 Your room’s full of old magazines. Why don’t you throw away the old magazines?

6 In fact your room’s in an awful mess. Clear up the mess\

7 You’re so lazy. I can’t put up with your laziness any more.

8 You owe me ₷10. You haven’t paid the ₷10 back yet.

9 What about this job application form? You haven’t filled in this job application form.

10 What about the manager of the new supermarket? He might have a job for you. Why don’t you ring up the manager?

11 You don’t know his telephone number? Well, look up his number in the telephone book!

12 One day you might get a job. I’m really looking forward to the day when you get a job.