Introduction to Phrasal Verbs

A phrasal verb is a verb and a particle that together function grammatically and semantically as a single unit. Phrasal verbs are not the same as verbs followed by prepositions.

Examples of phrasal verbs are:

Max looked up Mary's number.
The plane to Paris took off late.
Max came into some money when his uncle died.

Some phrasal verbs have particles that are movable or separable. The particle is moved to the other side of the direct object.

Max looked up Mary's number. => Max looked Mary's number up.

With separable phrasal verbs, the particle must be moved to the other side of the direct object when the direct object is a pronoun.

Max looked it up .
*Max looked up it. (INCORRECT)

Some phrasal verbs have particles that are not movable or are inseparable.

Max came into some money when his uncle died.
*Max came some money into when his uncle died. (INCORRECT)
*Max came it into . (INCORRECT)

Other phrasal verbs do not take objects or are intransitive.The particles in intransitive phrasal verbs are not movable or are inseparable.

The plane to Paris took off late.
*The plane to Paris took late off . (INCORRECT)