Multi-word lexical verbs

• Many multi-word units function like a

single verb: stay together and have a
single meaning.

e.g.

put up with – tolerate
find out - discover

• Such combinations typically have

idiomatic meaning: the meaning of
the whole expression cannot be
predicted from the meanings of its
parts.

Multi-word lexical verbs

•Phrasal verbs
•Prepositional verbs
•Phrasal-prepositional

verbs

Phrasal verbs

• Verb + adverbial particle

– Intransitive: verb + particle

get up, break down, take of

– Transitive: verb + particle + object

carry out the plan, make up a story

• Phrasal verbs allow particle movement:

I switched of the light. I switched the light

of.

• When Od is a pronoun, particle movement

is obligatory:

I switched it of. vs. I switched of it. ***

Prepositional verbs

• Verb + preposition + object

look at sth, wait for sb, talk about sth

• Regular particle movement is not possible:

I looked at the picture



I looked the picture at.

***

• But you can separate verb and prep.:

– With an adverb: I looked closely at the picture.
– In wh-questions

At what did you look?

– In relative clauses

the picture at which I looked

Prepositional verbs

• So, two analyses of such verbs are

possible:

I / looked / at the picture. S + V + A/Od
I / looked at / the picture. S + V + Od

• However, the second one is preferred as

– Passive is possible

The picture was looked at.

– The prep. can also remain with the verb:

What did you look at?
the picture which I looked at

Phrasal-prepositional verbs

• Verb + adverbial particle + preposition +

Od
put up with, look forward to, cut down on

• Passive is possible

This cannot be put up with!

• Both particles usually stay after the verb

What do you put up with?
With what do you put up?***
the things which we put up with
the things with which we put up***

Phrasal-prepositional verbs

• You can insert an adverb between the

two particles, but not between the
particles and the object.

We put up patiently with this.
We put up with patiently this. ***

Free combinations

• Single-word lexical verbs followed by

– Adv: go back, sit down, rush out
– PP : go to school, stay in bed, run in the race

• Each element has its own meaning
• They answer typical adverbial

questions:
I am walking to that place.
 Where are you walking?
What are you walking to?***

• Free combinations

– Verb + adverb: go back
– Verb + PP: go to school

• Multi-word verbs

– phrasal verbs

•Intransitive: shut up, take of
•Transitive: find out, turn of

– prepositional verbs: look at, deal with
– phrasal prepositional verbs:

put up with, cut down on

• VERB + PARTICLE + PARTICLE + NP

Phrasal-prepositional verb: put up with
 Intransitive phrasal verb + PP

adverbial wake up on the doormat

• VERB + PARTICLE

 Free combination (V + Adv) walk out
 Intransitive phrasal verb: blank out

• VERB + PARTICLE + NP.

 Phrasal verb: switch of
 Prepositional verb: look at
 Free combination (verb + PP):

sleep on the sofa

Free combinations Phrasal -
(intr. phrasal verb
prepositional verb
+ PP adverbial)

wake up on the doormat put up with his jokes

• Wh-question
Where did you wake up?
What did you wake up

on?**

• Passive
The doormat cannot be

woken up on. ***

• Wh-question
Where did you put up?

What did you put up

with?

• Passive
His jokes cannot be

put up with.

PHRASAL VERB

He looked up the word.

PREPOSITIONAL VERB

He looked at the picture.

FREE COMBINATION (VERB +

PP)

He looked out of the window.

Free combinations
Prepositional &

Phrasal Verbs

• Wh-question
Where did he look?
What did he look out

of? **

• Passive
The window was looked

out of. ***

• Wh-question
What did he look up?
What did he look at?
At what did he look?

• Passive
The word was looked up.
The picture was looked

at.

Prepositional verbs Phrasal
verbs

• Particle movement
He looked at the

picture.

He looked the picture

at. **

He looked at it.
He looked it at. ***

• Adverb insertion
He looked carefully at

the picture.

• Particle movement
He looked up the word.
He looked the word up.
He looked up it. ***
He looked it up.

• Adverb insertion
He checked carefully up

the word. ***

Phrasal verb, prepositional

verb or free combination?

•work in a bank
•work on a problem
•work out a solution

Phrasal verb, prepositional
verb or free combination?

• I’m looking for my keys.
• She picked up the card.
• They paid in cash.
• Bill called after midnight.
• This book belongs to my brother.
• Sam dealt with the problem.
• She gave up the plan.

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