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Topic 22 – ‘Multi – word verbs’

DEFINITION AND PRACTICAL RECOGNITION OF A TwO WORD VERB

It consist of a verb followed by a function word that usually can work as a preposition in other contexts.

It is a semantic unit which differs from the sum of the meanings of its parts. If the meaning of a verb – preposition combination can be predicted on the basis of the individual parts (listen to, insist on), it is called a verb-preposition combination, if it isn´t, it is a phrasal verb (look for).

It is a grammatical unit which fulfils normal verb function in English.

Phrasal verbs cannot created freely linking any verb and any preposition. They are petrified lexical units.

DIFFERENCE BETwEEN PHRASAL VERBS AND VERB PREPOSITION COMBINATIONS

Let´s study the following examples:

Ran into the street / an old friend

Looked into the window / looked into the crime

Talk over the fence / talk over the report (discuss)

Turn on the first street / turn on the light

If we ask where: meaningful / not meaningful

If we ask what / whom: meaningful / not meaningful

TYPES OF MULTIwORD VERBS

SEPARABLE

They allow their two parts to be separated by short noun objects, and must be separated by pronoun objectives:

Look up, leave out some questions, pick out the tie myself, call off, call up mary, give up, put on, make up

If the object is too long, separation is avoided: put on the hat that I bought…

INSEPARABLE

Run into, get on, look into,

WITHOUT OBJECTS

Lie down step aside go on run away wake up move over run off

FAMILIES OF TwO WORD VERBS

UP completely

Clean up, add up, dress up, fill up, tie up, drink up, eat up, mix up, wash up

Into pieces

Tear up, cut up, break up

DOwN completely

Push down, pull down, take down

OFF the surface of

Brush off, wash off, wipe off, clear off,

OUT the inside of

Brush out, wash out, wipe out, clear out,

ON continuity, movement forward

Go on, drive on

BACK return

Take back, pay back

THREE WORD VERBS

There are two word verbs which can be followed by nouns only with the addition of another preposition:

Go in for, put up with (tolerate), stand up for (support), look down on (scorn), look forward to (hope), run out to (exhaust), do away with (eliminate).

TwO WORD VERBS WITH MORE THAN ONE MEANING

PASS ON

SEPARABLE transmit

INSEPARABLE make a decision PASS ON THE RESOLUTION

INSEPARABLE WITHOUT AN OBJECT die

VERB + PREPOSITION pass on the highway

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