Multi-word verbs
Types of multi-word verb
There are three main types of multi-word verbs.
Verb + preposition rely on prepositional verb
Verb + adverb particle give away phrasal verb
Verb + adverb particle + preposition comes down to phrasal-prepositional verb
Prepositional verbs.
Phrasal verbs can be transitive (take an object) and intransitive (no object).
The main way of identifying types of multi-word verbs is how we use them with objects.
Look at the following phrases. The object is in bold.
- Young people rely on technology for everything!
- The doctor relied on her team.
Prepositional verbs like ‘rely on’ must have the object after the whole verb.
Prepositional verbs are sometimes called inseparable phrasal verbs.
Phrasal verbs
Look at the following sentences. The object is in bold.
He gave the secret away.
He gave away the secret.
Don’t give me away!
For phrasal verbs, the object can go at the end or in the middle of the verb.
Phrasal verbs are sometimes called separable phrasal verbs.
When the object is a pronoun, it must go in the middle (Don't give me away! NOT: Don't give away me!)
Phrasal-prepositional verbs
Phrasal-prepositional verbs are easy to spot because they have three parts.
However, some of these verbs can take 2 objects. They are ditransitive.
Look at the following examples. Here object 1 is in bold and object 2 is underlined.
- I put this mistake down to lack of experience
- This is a mistake I put down to lack of experience
- I put down this mistake to lack of experience.
When a phrasal-prepositional verb is ditransitive, the word order is quite flexible. When there is only 1 object, the object usually comes after the whole verb.
I can’t put up with this treatment anymore!