Separable and inseparable phrasal verbs
Know which phrasal verbs can be separated (turn it off) and which can’t (look after her), and where objects go.
In this lesson you will
- Recognise separable and inseparable phrasal verbs
- Place noun and pronoun objects correctly
- Recognise three-part phrasal verbs
Learn
Separable phrasal verbs: the object can go before or after the particle with a noun — turn off the TV / turn the TV off — but a pronoun must go in the middle: turn it* off* (not turn off it). Examples: pick up, put off, turn down, give back, fill in, look up, take off, throw away, try on, work out.
Inseparable phrasal verbs keep verb and particle together: look after the children / look after them; get over an illness; come across an old photo; run into a friend.
Intransitive phrasal verbs have no object: The plane took off. My car broke down. Grow up!
Three-part phrasal verbs are inseparable: look forward to, get on with, run out of, come up with, put up with: I can’t put up with the noise.
| Type | Example |
|---|---|
| separable | Turn the music down. / Turn it down. |
| inseparable | She looks after her nephew. / She looks after him. |
| no object | The car broke down. |
| three-part | We’ve run out of milk. |
Examples
- Can you pick me up at the station?
- I came across some old letters in the attic.
- He’s getting over the flu.
- She came up with a brilliant idea.
Vocabulary
come across
find by chance
get over
recover from
put up with
tolerate
come up with
think of an idea
work out
find the answer; do exercise
Practice
Correct the mistake in this sentence.
Speaking
Tell a story about a difficult week using at least eight phrasal verbs (broke down, ran out of, came up with, put up with, got over…).
Writing
Write a message to a flatmate (60–80 words) with instructions using separable phrasal verbs and pronouns (take it out, turn it off…).
Lesson quiz
Try ___ before you buy it.
Review
Key points
- Separable: noun either side, pronoun in the middle.
- Inseparable: verb + particle together.
- Some have no object; three-part ones stay together.
What you learned
- ✓ I can place objects correctly.
- ✓ I know common inseparable phrasal verbs.
- ✓ I can use three-part phrasal verbs.