Phrasal Verbs with Prepositions Quiz and Flashcards

Study Notes

Phrasal verbs are verbs used with words like in, out, on, off, up, down, away, back, round, through, and about.
They are also called particle verbs, compound verbs, or multi-word verbs.
Examples of phrasal verbs include look out, get on, take off, and run away.

Phrasal verbs are often used with verbs of movement, such as on, off, and out.
Examples include:
- The bus was full, so we couldn’t get on.
- A woman got into the car and drove off.
- Sally is leaving tomorrow and coming back on Saturday.

Sometimes a phrasal verb is followed by a preposition.
Examples include:
- Why did you run away from me?
- You are walking too fast, I can’t keep up with you.
- We looked up at the plane as it flew above us.

When a phrasal verb has an object, the object may have two positions in the sentence.
Examples include:
- I turned on the light vs. I turned the light on.
- Don’t throw away these postcards vs. Don’t throw these postcards away.
If the object is a pronoun (it, me, him, them, etc.), only one position is possible.
Examples include:
- I turned it on.
- Don’t throw them away.

Phrasal verbs with on/off are used for lights and machines.
Examples include:
- Switch the light off.
- Shall I put this CD on?
Phrasal verbs with on/off are also used for events.
Examples include:
- What’s all that noise? What’s going on?
- The open air concert had to be called off because of the weather.
Phrasal verbs with on/off are also used for clothes.
Examples include:
- My hands were cold, so I put my gloves on.
- It was hot, so I took off my jacket.