PHRASAL VERBS Un phrasal verb es un verbo seguido de una o dos partículas. Esta partícula puede ser una preposición, un adverbio o una combinación de ambos. Un phrasal verb es una unidad con un significado especial distinto de las palabras que lo forman tomadas separadamente. I ran into my teacher at the movies last night. (run into meet) He ran away when he was 15 (run away leave home) Se distinguen dos tipos de phrasal verbs: 1. Transitivos (llevan complemento directo) a Separables. Cuando el complemento es un nombre, acepta las dos posiciones (delante o detrás de la partícula adverbial. We are throwing away our old sofá. Turn on the television, please We are throwing our old sofa away Turn the television on, please Cuando el complemento es un pronombre, éste debe ir necesariamente delante de la partícula We are throwing it away. Turn it off,please b Inseparables. Toman un complemento pero no se puede separar del verbo y su partícula. El complemento tiene que ir detrás de la partícula tanto si es nombre como pronombre. I´m looking for my keys (them) How much did you pay for that dress (it)? He should apply for that job (it) I can´t put up with Mary and John (them) 2. Intransitivos (no llevan complemento)
Son siempre inseparables. Our washingmachine broke down last week. The plane took off two hours later. Sit down and shut up! They didn´t turn up until midnight.
PUT PUT AWAY A To put something in the place where you usually keep it when you are not using it. He put the notebook away and stood up. B To save an amount of money. Try and put away a little each month. PUT BACK A To put something in the place where it was before it was moved. Can you put back the book when you´ve finished with it? B To change the date of an event so that it happens later than planned. We´ve put the trip back till June now. PUT DOWN A To put somebody or something onto a surface, especially the floor. Emma put her bag down and went upstairs. B To criticize somebody. He is always trying to put me down. C To write something on a piece of paper. PUT ON A To cover part of your body with a piece of clothing or jewellery. Dorothy put on her coat and went out. B To organise an event, show, performance, etc. We are putting on a concert to raise money. C To pretend to have a particular feeling or a particular way of speaking or behaving. Stop putting on that funny voice. D Switch on a light, the radio, the record player,etc. PUT OFF A To uncover part of your body with a piece of clothing or jewellery. He put off his coat and prepared dinner. B Switch off a light, the radio, the record player,etc. C To change the date of an event so that it happens later, especially because of a problem. They had to put the wedding off because the bride was ill. PUT OUT A To make something stop burning (extinguish) It took firefighters three hours to put the fire out. B To switch off a light. C Put the rubbish out, put the washing out, etc. PUT UP A To let somebody stay in your house. He put me up for the night when I was in London. B To build something such as a wall, a fence, a house. C To increase the value or price of sth. The banks have decided to put up their interests rates. PUT IN A To spend a particular amount of time doing sth. She has been putting in more hours at the office recently.
B To invest money in a business or an account. They each put in 50,000 euros to start up the business. PUT FORWARD A To suggest sth or offer an idea, opinion, reason, etc. He rejected all the proposals put forward by the committee. PUT THROUGH A To make sb do or experience sth difficult or unpleasant. They had to put through a daily fitness programme. B To connect sb to the person they want to speak to on the telephone. The operator refused to put the call through. PUT UP WITH A To accept sb or sth unpleasant in a patient way (tolerate) I will not put up with your bad behavior any longer! LOOK LOOK AFTER A Take care of sb or sth. It´s hard work looking after children all day. LOOK AROUND A To walk round a room, building, or place and see what is there. Do you want to look around the school? LOOK AT A To direct your eyes towards sb or sth so that you can see them. He turned and looked at her. LOOK BACK A To think about a time or event in the past. Most people look back on their schooldays with fondnesss. LOOK DOWN on sb / sth A To think that you are better or more important than sb else. LOOK FOR A To hope to get sth that you want or need. He was looking for work as a builder. LOOK FORWARD TO A To feel happy and excited about sth that is going to happen. He is looking forward to working with you. LOOK IN A To visit sb for a short time on your way to another place. LOOK INTO A To investigate sth such as a problem or crime. I wrote a letter of complaint, and the airline is looking into the matter. LOOK OVER A To examine sth, usually quicky. B To visit a place in order to examine it. LOOK THROUGH A To read sth quickly, especially to find the information you need. I´ve just looking through your cookery books for inspiration. B To search for sth among a lot of other things. I´ll look through these files to find a copy of my CV. LOOK UP A To try to find a particular piece of information by looking in a book or on a list, or by using a computer.
I had to look up “argument” in a dictionary. B To go and see sb you know when you´re visiting the place where they live. Look me up next time you come to London. LOOK UP TO A To admire and respect sb He´s a role model for other players to look up to. Complete the following sentences with the right preposition. 1. They like talking about the past and looking ……………………on old times. At the moment they are looking…………………….pictures of their wedding. 2. Mr Douglas looks………………………….. Fred because he´s a very rich aristocrat. 3. He´s looking……………………the keys in one of his pockets. 4. Bill is looking…………………………….leaving prison. 5. The police are looking…………………..the death of Mr James. 6. This is a difficult word. I´ll look it……………in the dictionary. 7. Jimmy looks………………….. Ted and tries to be like him. 8. Mr Smith put ………………….. the idea of introducing traffic lights at the crossroads. 9. Look…………………..the house and see if it´s what you want. 10. Martin was very unhappy when he knew that the concert had been put……………… till next month. 11. Steve put…………………the cigarette before going upstairs to bed. 12. Mike puts………………………………. Their nephews´ behavior. 13. Tim wanted to take……………….. painting, so he joined an evening class at the College of Art.