Phrasal Verbs

WHAT IS A PHRASAL VERB?

A phrasal verb is a combination of a verb and a preposition, a verb and an adverb, or a verb with both an adverb and a preposition, any of which are part of the syntax of the sentence, and so it is a complete semantic unit. Sentences may contain direct and indirect objects in addition to the phrasal verb. Phrasal verbs are particularly frequent in the English language. A phrasal verb often has a meaning which is different from the original verb. Phrasal verbs are usually used informally in everyday speech as opposed to the more formal Latinate verbs, such as “to get together” rather than “to congregate”, “to put off” rather than “to postpone”, or “to get out” rather than “to exit”.

PHRASAL VERB OR IDIOM?

Let´s start by explaining the difference between Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. According to the Cambridge Dictionary A Phrasal Verb is: a phrase which consists of a verb in combination with a preposition or adverb or both, the meaning of which is different from the meaning of its separate parts. Example:  I made up the story. While an idiom is:  a group of words in a fixed order that have a particular meaning that is different from the meanings of each word understood on its own. Example: ¨Bob said the test was difficult, but I thought it was a piece of cake. You will find more examples of phrasal verbs in this web site: http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/phrasal-verbs-list.htm This article was published by Prof. Laura L. Lasprilla B. Virtual English Tutor CIMM – Sogamoso