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