Phrasal verbs are a common verb form in English. Phrasal verbs may be either intransitive or transitive. Transitive phrasal verbs are phrasal verbs that must take direct objects. The three types of transitive phrasal verbs are:
- Nonseparable transitive
- Optionally separable transitive
- Obligatorily separable transitive
The following article discusses the three types of transitive phrasal verbs in the English language as well as provides examples to narrate the differences.
Nonseparable Transitive
Of the transitive phrasal verbs, some are nonseparable transitive phrasal verbs. The preposition functioning as a particle must directly follow the verb in nonseparable transitive phrasal verbs. Examples of nonseparable transitive phrasal verbs include:
- come across (discover)
- get in (enter)
- get on (mount)
- keep at (persevere)
- lay in on (criticize)
- run into (encounter)
- settle on (decide)
For example:
- The librarian came across the missing book. (correct)
- *The librarian came the missing book across. (incorrect)
- The manager really laid in on the lazy employee. (correct)
- *The manager really laid the lazy employee in on. (incorrect)
- *The manager really laid in the lazy employee on. (incorrect)
- The painter settled on the large canvas. (correct)
- *The painted settled the large canvas on. (incorrect)
Optionally Separable Transitive
Other transitive phrasal verbs are optionally separable transitive phrasal verbs. The preposition functioning as a particle can follow either the verb or the direct object. Examples of optionally separable transitive phrasal verbs include:
- call off (cancel)
- feel up (grope)
- hand in (submit)
- jack up (raise)
- pass on (transmit)
- rule out (eliminate)
- work out (solve)
For example:
- The boss called off the meeting. (correct)
- The boss called the meeting off. (correct)
- All students must hand in their essays. (correct)
- All students must hand their essays in. (correct)
- The actress ruled out both movies. (correct)
- The actress ruled both movies out. (correct)
Obligatorily Separable Transitive
Of the separable transitive phrasal verbs, others are obligatorily separable transitive phrasal verbs. When the direct object is in the form of a pronoun, the preposition functioning as a particle must follow the pronoun, not the verb. The following are examples of obligatorily separable transitive phrasal verbs in which the direct object is in the form of a pronoun:
- The student looked up the word. (correct)
- The student looked the word up. (correct)
- *The student looked up it. (incorrect)
- The student looked it up. (correct)
- The patron checked out the book. (correct)
- The patron checked the book out. (correct)
- *The patron checked out it. (incorrect)
- The patron checked it out. (correct)
See Also
For more information on the form and origin of phrasal verbs in the English language or the difference between intransitive and transitive phrasal verbs, please see English Phrasal Verbs: The Form, Origin, and Types of Phrasal Verbs in the English Language.
Sources
DeCarrico, Jeanette S. 2000. The Structure of English: Studies in form and function for language teaching. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
Jacobs, Roderick A. 1995. English syntax: A grammar for English language professionals. New York: Oxford University Press.
Kosur, Heather Marie. 2008. With or without a complement: The form and function of prepositions, (1 Mar. 2009.)
Heather Marie Kosur - About Me I earned a BA in English studies with a minor in creative writing from Illinois State University in May 2007 and an MS in ...
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