GUIDE ENGLISH GRAMMAR BOOK

28 PHRASAL VERBS AND PATTERNS WITH PREPOSITIONS PAGE 304
d
e
When the object is a long phrase, the adverb goes before it.
I threw away that rather battered old briefcase.
We woke up just about everyone in the street.
Neil never paid back all that money he borrowed.
The adverb usually goes before other adverbials (e.g. nervously, on time).
Roger stood up nervously. The plane took off on time.
4 Phrasal verb or prepositional verb?
a
The adverb can go before or after the object, but the preposition goes before its
object. Compare the adverb away and the preposition for.
Phrasal verb: Lisa gave away her computer.
Lisa gave her computer away.
Prepositional verb: Lisa paid for the meal.
NOT Lisa paid the meal for.
A pronoun goes before the adverb but after the preposition.
Lisa gave it away.
Lisa paid for it.
NOTE
a The preposition comes at the end in some patterns. • 224(4)
What did Lisa pay for?
b Some phrasal verbs can have as their object a gerund clause, a wh-clause or a that-clause.
I've given up drinking alcohol. I read through what I had written.
Tom found out (that) the story was untrue.
Some prepositional verbs can have as their object a gerund clause or a wh-clause.
Don't you believe in paying your taxes? • 132(2)
The answer you get depends on who you ask. • 262(5)
b
c
Some words are always adverbs, e.g. away, back, out.
Some words are always prepositions, e.g. at, for, from, into, of, with.
Some words can be either an adverb or a preposition, e.g. about, along, down, in,
off, on, over, round, through, up.
With phrasal verbs, the stress usually falls on the adverb, especially when it comes
at the end of a clause.
Lisa gave her computer a'way. What time did you get 'up?
With prepositional verbs, the stress usually falls on the verb.
Lisa 'paid for the meal. It de'pends on the weather.
5 The passive
Many phrasal and prepositional verbs can be passive.
Phrasal: The rest of the food was thrown away.
The alarm has been switched off.
Prepositional: The children are being looked after by a neighbour.
The matter has been dealt with.
We usually stress the adverb (thrown a'way) but not the preposition ('looked after).