A-What are phrasal verbs?
Phrasal verbs are verbs that consist of a verb and a particle (a preposition or adverb) or a verb and two particles (an adverb and a preposition, as in get on with or look forward to). They are identified by their grammar , but it is probably best to think of them as individual vocabulary items, to be learnt in phrases or chunks. They oft en – but not always – have a one-word equivalent. For example, you can come across a new phrasal verb or you can encounter it. You can pick up a language or you can acquire it. Come across and pick up sound less literary or formal than encounter or acquire.
B-Why are phrasal verbs important?
Phrasal verbs are extremely common in English. They are found in a wide variety of contexts.
You may have noticed them in songs, for example the Beatles’ I’ll get by with a little help from my friends or Roll over Beethoven, Bob Marley’s Get up, stand up and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Knock me down. You find them in film titles such as The Empire Strikes Back, Spirited Away, Along Came Polly or Cast Away. They are very frequent in newspaper headlines. Here are just a few examples:
Phrasal verbs are common in less formal English, but you will also hear or see and need to use them in more formal contexts. Register is discussed in more detail.
C-Which phrasal verbs does this book deal with? This book is based on information gained from the Cambridge International Corpus (a huge computerised database of present-day English) about phrasal verbs and how they are used in contemporary English. It focuses on phrasal verbs more advanced students need to know – but in general does not deal with the verbs in the lower level English Phrasal Verbs in Use Intermediate. It includes phrasal nouns such as standby or onset and phrasal adjectives such as outgoing or worn out.
D-What can I do to help myself master phrasal verbs? Try to think positively about them! And, now you are at a more advanced level, try not just to understand them but also to use them in your own speaking and writing. Keep an eye open for them whenever you are reading anything in English and make a note of any interesting ones you find. Write them down in a complete phrase or a sentence to fix in your mind how they are used. Be aware that one of the special features of phrasal verbs is that some of them have many diff erent meanings – for example, you can pick something up from the floor, you can pick up a language or bad habits, the weather can pick up, you can pick up a bargain, a radio can pick up a signal, the economy can pick up, you can pick up a story where you left it, you can pick someone up in your car. Sometimes the meanings are clearly related, some being more literal and some more metaphorical. In this book we may not present all the meanings of the verbs that are included. You may find others in English Phrasal Verbs in Use Intermediate and there are still more in the Cambridge Phrasal Verbs Dictionary.
- English Phrasal Verbs in Use Advanced
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