ENGLISH SKILLS TUTORIAL

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PHRASAL VERBS, NOUNS, ADJECTIVES, ADVERBS

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1WHAT ARE PHRASAL VERBS?

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She decided to give up smoking.

I look forward to your letter.

1WHAT ARE PHRASAL VERBS?

Phrasal verbs are verbs followed by an adverbial particle or

verbs followed by an adverbial particle and a preposition.

They should be learnt as one single unit

(= the meaning of a phrasal verb is not the sum of the meanings of its parts!).

In dictionaries, phrasal verbs are usually listed under the main verb.

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2TYPES OF PHRASAL VERB

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Please switch on the radio. (with a NOUN) Please switch the radio on. (with a NOUN)

Please switch it on. (with a PRONOUN) Please switch on it. (with a PRONOUN)

2TYPES OF PHRASAL VERB

VERB + ADVERBIAL PARTICLE

(TRANSITIVE = followed by a DIRECT OBJECT)

See above how you can use such verbs

regarding word order with nouns and pronouns as DIRECT OBJECTS.

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I woke up (INTRANSITIVE VERB) the moment the alarm went off (INTRANSITIVE VERB).

Please wake me up (TRANSITIVE VERB) at 5 a.m.

2TYPES OF PHRASAL VERB

VERB + ADVERBIAL PARTICLE

(INTRANSITIVE = not followed by a DIRECT OBJECT)

See above the difference between intransitive and transitive verbs as well.

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We came up against problems. (with a NOUN) We came problems up against. (with a NOUN) We came up problems against. (with a NOUN) We came up against them. (with a PRONOUN) We came them up against. (with a PRONOUN) We came up them against. (with a PRONOUN)

2TYPES OF PHRASAL VERB

VERB + ADVERBIAL PARTICLE + PREPOSITION

The word(s) coming after the preposition are prepositional objects

(the verbs are all intransitive).

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3PHRASAL NOUNS

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Right from the outset, do some research before setting up your business. As an IT specialist, please help me with the setup of the software.

Please fill in this questionnaire – we always value our clients’ input. We were obviously overcharged in that restaurant. It was a real rip-off!

3PHRASAL NOUNS

A phrasal noun is a verb + an adverbial particle or an adverbial particle + a verb.

A phrasal noun does not necessarily have a corresponding phrasal verb!

Spelling phrasal nouns as one word or two words separated by a hyphen (`-`) is inconsistent (= no clear rules apply). Check a dictionary when in doubt. American English tends to use no hyphens (= single compound words).

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All passers-by were taken by surprise when the two cars collided head-on. She always frowned on the otherwise amusing goings-on in the club.

The teacher passed round some handouts at the beginning of the class.

She doesn’t cook very often, preferring to eat yesterday’s leftovers. I often wonder what university dropouts will do about their future careers. Due to the large number of break-ins in the area, the police advise caution.

3PHRASAL NOUNS

With very few exceptions, the plurals of phrasal nouns are formed

by adding –s to the particle (not the verb).

A good dictionary will always give you the correct plural form.

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After the breakout (= escape from prison) of the two convicts, the police imposed a curfew.

Many fear that the outbreak (= start of something unpleasant or dangerous,

like a disease, epidemic, fire etc.) of the disease will lead to a pandemic.

3PHRASAL NOUNS

In very rare cases, the same particle and the same verb can form two different phrasal nouns (particle + verb or verb + particle).

The meanings are always different!

In dictionaries, such phrasal nouns appear under the letters the words start with.

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4PHRASAL ADJECTIVES

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The negotiations are still ongoing. If I have a broken-down washing machine; can I recycle it?

Critics predicted that her forthcoming book would be a best-seller. He’s always been an outspoken critic of the education reform.

4PHRASAL ADJECTIVES

A phrasal adjective is a verb + an adverbial particle or an adverbial particle + a verb. It does not necessarily have a corresponding phrasal verb!

Spelling phrasal adjectives as one word or two words separated by a hyphen (`-`) is inconsistent (= no clear rules apply). Check a dictionary when in doubt. American English tends to use no hyphens (= single compound words).

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5PHRASAL ADVERBS

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You must deal with this problem head-on (= ADVERB = in a direct and determined way).

The head-on (= ADJECTIVE) collision of the two vehicles led to one fatality.

5PHRASAL ADVERBS

A phrasal adverb is a verb + an adverbial particle. It does not necessarily have a corresponding phrasal verb!

Such adverbs are very rare!

See how the same words can be used as adjectives as well.

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NOW YOU KNOW MORE ABOUT PHRASAL VERBS, NOUNS, ADJECTIVES,

ADVERBS

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