Prepositional Verbs vs. Phrasal Verbs (Recap
for ESL/EFL Learners)
This article will give an overview of both
prepositional verbs and phrasal verbs, and the differences between the two. We
all know that a preposition is a word that usually comes before a noun or
pronoun that shows “its relationship with another part of the clause”. (Lexico
Dictionaries, English, 2019).
“Preposition, a word that is used before a
noun, a noun phrase, or a pronoun, connecting it to another word” (dictionary.cambridge.org).
For
example:
“Ana Mary Domingues is in the garden” (showing Mary’s
relationship to the garden)
“The bird is sitting on the branch, in the tree.” (Showing the bird’s relationship to the tree)
“She is standing over him.”
“The bird is sitting on the branch, in the tree.” (Showing the bird’s relationship to the tree)
“She is standing over him.”
A preposition usually takes an object
(noun or pronoun). However, you will see that some words which are typically
used as prepositions can act as adverbs. For example:
“I was in the park.”
à Here, the park is the object.
“I was in the park.”
à Here, the park is the object.
“Come
in.”
à Here, “in” has no object.
à Here, “in” has no object.
Phrasal verbs
Phrasal verbs have a verb and an adverb
particle. They usually do not make sense without an object.
“I looked through.”
What did I look through? This requires an
object.
-> “I looked through the window.”
-> “I looked through the window.”
Note: When
words like on, in and up/down are used as prepositions, they take
objects -> They swam in the lake (The lake = object) (In
= preposition). But when these are used as “adverb particles”, they do not take objects.
For example, earlier we have seen “Come
in.” In this instance, “in” is the adverb particle.
With phrasal verbs, the adverb particle
may be placed before or after the object, if the object is not a personal
pronoun (so provided the object is not I, you, he, she, it, we, they, me, him, etc.)
Examples:
“She puts on her coat.”
“She puts her coat on.”
And
“He puts the tent up.”
“He puts up the tent.”
However!
“Here are some sweets, would you hand them out?”
“Here are some sweets, would youhand out them?”
à
This does not work. When the object is a pronoun, you have to separate the verb
and the adverb particle.
Some phrasal verbs are transitive, which means they do not take a direct object. Transitive phrasal verbs cannot be separated. For example, to “run into” someone (to meet somebody unexpectedly).
à “I ran into him.” ß
“I ran him into”
Intransitive phrasal verbs never take on a direct object, which means that they cannot be separated.
“She puts her coat on.”
And
“He puts the tent up.”
“He puts up the tent.”
However!
“Here are some sweets, would you hand them out?”
“Here are some sweets, would you
Some phrasal verbs are transitive, which means they do not take a direct object. Transitive phrasal verbs cannot be separated. For example, to “run into” someone (to meet somebody unexpectedly).
à “I ran into him.” ß
Intransitive phrasal verbs never take on a direct object, which means that they cannot be separated.
Example:
Fall through = when a plan fails, or a planned event does not happen
“Unfortunately our plans fell through.”
Fall through = when a plan fails, or a planned event does not happen
“Unfortunately our plans fell through.”
Notes:
Longer objects typically come after the particle in phrasal verbs:
à He gave up having cake, chocolate, crisps, and ice cream every day ß
He gave having cake, chocolate, crisps and ice cream
every day up
Longer objects typically come after the particle in phrasal verbs:
à He gave up having cake, chocolate, crisps, and ice cream every day ß
What are “prepositional verbs”?
A prepositional verb, simply contains a verb and a preposition, to form an idiomatic expression (an expression where the actual meaning of the words in the phrase together are different from their typical meaning).
Prepositional phrases can be considered as a type of phrasal verb. They take a transitive verb (a verb able to take a direct object). A good way to distinguish a phrasal verb from a prepositional phrase, by putting the prepositional phrase at the beginning of the sentence. (Temple.edu, 2014)
A prepositional verb, simply contains a verb and a preposition, to form an idiomatic expression (an expression where the actual meaning of the words in the phrase together are different from their typical meaning).
Prepositional phrases can be considered as a type of phrasal verb. They take a transitive verb (a verb able to take a direct object). A good way to distinguish a phrasal verb from a prepositional phrase, by putting the prepositional phrase at the beginning of the sentence. (Temple.edu, 2014)
We strolled through the park.
à Through the park we strolled.
This makes sense, so we can identify this as a prepositional verb
She acted out* the scene from the play.
à The scene from the play she acted out.
This does not make sense, as a phrasal verb.
*Act out = perform, however this can also mean to show the events of a previous situation with one’s actions. e.g. “He acted out the conversation they had the previous day.”
The preposition in prepositional verbs is not movable, in comparison to certain cases with phrasal verbs where an adverb particle may go before or after the object.
“We strolled the park through” à this does not work!
à Through the park we strolled.
This makes sense, so we can identify this as a prepositional verb
She acted out* the scene from the play.
à The scene from the play she acted out.
This does not make sense, as a phrasal verb.
*Act out = perform, however this can also mean to show the events of a previous situation with one’s actions. e.g. “He acted out the conversation they had the previous day.”
The preposition in prepositional verbs is not movable, in comparison to certain cases with phrasal verbs where an adverb particle may go before or after the object.
“We strolled the park through” à this does not work!
The preposition “through” must come before
the object, and after the verb.
With both prepositional verbs and phrasal
verbs, the stress is on the preposition.
To conclude, some common usages of prepositional and
phrasal verbs list below.
→ Prepositional verbs:
A. Verb + preposition. B. Prepositional Verbs are with objects in
general. C. Prepositional verbs are always inseparable.
→Phrasal Verbs:
A. Phrasal verbs + particle. B.
Phrasal verbs are either with objects or
without objects. C. Phrasal verbs are either separable or inseparable.
References:
Lexico Dictionaries | English. (2019).
preposition | Definition of preposition in English by Lexico Dictionaries.
https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/preposition.
Nordquist, R. (2018). Prepositional Verbs
in English. ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/prepositional-verb-1691667.
“PREPOSITION | Meaning in the Cambridge
English Dictionary.” Cambridge Dictionary,
dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/preposition.
Swan, M. (2016). Practical English usage.
Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Temple.edu. https://www.temple.edu/class/documents/Prepositionsvs.Prepositionalphraseshandout.pdf.
