ESL Vocabulary: Phrasal Verbs, Common Separable and Inseparable, Look Up, Run Out Of

What It Is

A phrasal verb is a combination of a verb and a preposition or adverb that has a different meaning from the individual words. For example, "look up" means to search for information, but "look up" as a phrasal verb means to admire or respect someone. ESL learners often struggle with phrasal verbs because they can be confusing and have many different meanings.

Key Rules

• Separable phrasal verbs can be separated by an object: "I looked up the answer in the book." (verb + object + preposition)
• Inseparable phrasal verbs cannot be separated by an object: "I looked up at the sky." (verb + preposition)
• Some phrasal verbs are separable in some cases but not others: "I picked up the phone" (separable), but "I picked up the habit" (inseparable)
• Preposition order matters: "I ran out of money" (out of is a preposition phrase), but "I ran out to buy milk" (out to is a preposition phrase)
• Some phrasal verbs have multiple meanings: "turn on" can mean to switch something on or to make someone angry
• Some phrasal verbs have different pronunciations: "turn on" (turn ?n) vs. "turn off" (turn ?f)
• Some phrasal verbs have different stress patterns: "pick up" (pick ?p) vs. "pick up" (pick ?p, stressed on the second syllable)
• Some phrasal verbs have irregular forms: "get on" (get ?n) vs. "get off" (get ?f)
• Some phrasal verbs have different verb forms: "turn on" (turn on) vs. "turn off" (turn off)
• Some phrasal verbs have different preposition forms: "look up" (look up) vs. "look down" (look down)
• Some phrasal verbs have different object forms: "pick up" (pick up) vs. "pick up" (pick up, with a different object)

Common ESL Errors

• Error: "I run out of money." Why it happens: Interference from L1 grammar rules Correction: "I ran out of money." (past tense is used with phrasal verbs)
• Error: "I pick up the book." Why it happens: Overgeneralization of separable phrasal verbs Correction: "I picked up the book." (past tense is used with phrasal verbs)
• Error: "I turn on the light." Why it happens: Lack of understanding of preposition order Correction: "I turned on the light." (past tense is used with phrasal verbs)

Practice Exercises

1. Fill in the blank: "I ______ (run) out of gas on the way home." Answer: ran Reason: Past tense is used with phrasal verbs.
2. Fill in the blank: "I ______ (pick) up my keys yesterday." Answer: picked Reason: Past tense is used with phrasal verbs.
3. Fill in the blank: "I ______ (turn) off the TV before I went to bed." Answer: turned Reason: Past tense is used with phrasal verbs.

Last-Minute Revision

Past tense is used with phrasal verbs: "I ran out of money" vs. "I run out of money"
Preposition order matters: "I ran out of money" vs. "I ran out to buy milk"
Some phrasal verbs have multiple meanings: "turn on" can mean to switch something on or to make someone angry
Some phrasal verbs have different pronunciations: "turn on" (turn ?n) vs. "turn off" (turn ?f)
Some phrasal verbs have different stress patterns: "pick up" (pick ?p) vs. "pick up" (pick ?p, stressed on the second syllable)
Some phrasal verbs have irregular forms: "get on" (get ?n) vs. "get off" (get ?f)
Some phrasal verbs have different verb forms: "turn on" (turn on) vs. "turn off" (turn off)
Some phrasal verbs have different preposition forms: "look up" (look up) vs. "look down" (look down)
Some phrasal verbs have different object forms: "pick up" (pick up) vs. "pick up" (pick up, with a different object)
Separable phrasal verbs can be separated by an object: "I looked up the answer in the book."
Inseparable phrasal verbs cannot be separated by an object: "I looked up at the sky."