A phrasal verb is a complex verb consisting of a simple verb and an adverb particle. Examples are: make up, turn on, put away, take off, fill up, run over, take in and do up. Note that phrasal verbs are different from prepositional verbs. A prepositional verb consists of a verb and a preposition. Examples are:call on, care for and insist on.
Phrasal verb and prepositional verb: differences
A prepositional verb differs from a phrasal verb in many ways.
1) The particle in a phrasal verb is always stressed, but the preposition in a prepositional verb is not stressed.
2) Phrasal verbs are separable. That is the particle in a phrasal verb can be moved to the end. Prepositional verbs, on the other hand, are inseparable.
They called up the teacher OR They called the teacher up. (The particle up in the phrasal verb call up can be moved to the end.)
I picked John up. OR I picked up John.
He filled the glass up. OR He filled up the glass.
She turned the lights on. OR She turned on the lights.
The preposition in a prepositional verb cannot be moved to the end.
We called on the teacher. (BUT NOT We called the teacher on.)
We called on them. BUT NOT We called them on.
3) You cannot put an adverb between the verb and the particle of a phrasal verb, but you can put an adverb between the verb and the preposition of a prepositional verb.
We called early on the doctor. BUT NOT We called early up the doctor.
The adverb early can come between the verb called and the preposition on in the prepositional verb called on. But it cannot come between called and up.
When to separate a phrasal verb?
A Phrasal verb can remain together when its object is a noun or noun phrase. Note that phrasal verbs must be separated when the object is a pronoun.
We called them up. BUT NOT We called up them. (Here the object of the phrasal verb is a pronoun.)
