WHAT IS A PHRASAL VERB?

A phrasal verb is a verb which consists of more than one word. Most phrasal verbs consist of two words: the first word is a verb, the second word is a preposition or an adverb. Examples of common phrasal verbs are get up, put off, turn on, object to, and apply for. There are also some three-word phrasal verbs, such as look forward to and get away with.

You can sometimes guess the meaning of a phrasal verb from the meaning of the words it contains, for example come in = come + in. More often, the meaning of the phrasal verb is different  often very different  from the meaning of the verb which forms its first part.

For example put off (=”arrange” to do something at a later time) has a very different meaning from put (=”put” something somewhere), and look forward to (=”when” you feel happy because something is going to happen soon) has a very different meaning from look (=”look” at something).

Like single-word verbs, some phrasal verbs are transitive (they must have an object), and some phrasal verbs are intransitive (they do not have an object). For example:

take off [phrasal verb, Transitive] (=”remove” your shirt, coat etc)
She took off her coat and sat down.
get up [phrasal verb, Intransitive] (=”leave” your bed in the morning)
I usually get up very early.

Some phrasal verbs can be transitive or intransitive. For example:
join in [phrasal verb, Intransitive/Transitive] (=”start” taking part in something that other people are already doing, for example a game or song)
We all joined in the game.
I want you all to join in.

WHERE DO YOU PUT THE OBJECT?

With transitive phrasal verbs, you have to decide where to put the object.

If the phrasal verb ends with a preposition, the preposition must come after the verb, and you cannot split up the phrasal verb. For example:

apply for sth (=”ask” to be considered for a job)
I’ve applied for a job at the university.
object to sth (=”say” that you do not agree with something)
Local people are objecting to the plan.

If the phrasal verb ends with an adverb, there are three possibilities.

1. If you choose a noun phrase as the object, you can put it either before or after the adverb. For example:

call off (=”decide” that a meeting, party, strike etc should not happen)

They’ve called off the strike. OR They’ve called the strike off.
turn on (=”make” a light, television, radio etc start working)
Will you turn on the light? OR Will you turn the light on?

2. If you choose a pronoun (him, her, it, them etc) as the object, you have to put it before the adverb. For example:
turn down (=”make” a television, radio etc less loud)
Can you turn it down? NOT Can you turn down it?

3. If the object is a long phrase, you usually put it at the end after the phrasal verb. For example:

They’ve called off the strike that was planned for next week.
Can you turn down the television in the front room?