Phrasal verbs are an essential part of English communication. They consist of a verb and one or more particles (prepositions or adverbs).
What Makes a Phrasal Verb Separable?
A separable phrasal verb allows you to put the object either:
- Between the verb and the particle
- After the particle
For example:
- I turned on the light.
- I turned the light on.
Both sentences are correct, but there’s an important rule to remember:
Important Rule:
If you use a pronoun (me, you, him, her, it, us, them) as the object, you must place it between the verb and the particle.
- Correct: I turned it on.
- Incorrect: turned on it.
Common Separable Phrasal Verbs
Below is a table of commonly used separable phrasal verbs with their meanings and example sentences:
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| bring up | To mention or introduce a subject | She brought up an interesting point during the meeting. |
| call off | To cancel | They called off the event due to bad weather. |
| drop off | To deliver someone/something | I’ll drop you off at the station. |
| figure out | To understand, solve | I can’t figure out this math problem. |
| fill in | To complete (a form) | Please fill in this application form. |
| give away | To donate, distribute | We’re giving away free samples today. |
| hand in | To submit | Don’t forget to hand in your assignment tomorrow. |
| look up | To search for information | I need to look up this word in the dictionary. |
| pick up | To collect someone/something | I’ll pick you up at 8 o’clock. |
| put off | To postpone | Let’s put off the meeting until next week. |
| take apart | To disassemble | He took the computer apart to fix it. |
| throw away | To discard | Don’t throw away those papers; I need them. |
| turn down | To reject or refuse | She turned down their job offer. |
| write down | To make a note of something | Write down my phone number so you don’t forget it. |
Practice with Pronouns
Remember that when using pronouns with separable phrasal verbs, you must place the pronoun between the verb and the particle:
| Phrasal Verb | With Noun | With Pronoun |
|---|---|---|
| turn on | Turn on the TV. | Turn it on. |
| pick up | Pick up your brother. | Pick him up. |
| throw away | Throw away the trash. | Throw it away. |
| write down | Write down the address. | Write it down. |
Separable vs. Inseparable Phrasal Verbs
Not all phrasal verbs are separable. Here’s a quick comparison:
Separable Phrasal Verbs:
- Can have an object between the verb and particle
- Must have pronouns between the verb and particle
- Examples: pick up, turn on, figure out
Inseparable Phrasal Verbs:
- Cannot be separated by an object
- The object always comes after the complete phrasal verb
- Examples: look after, run into, get along with
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using the wrong word order with pronouns:
- Incorrect: ~~Turn on it~~
- Correct: Turn it on
- Confusing separable and inseparable phrasal verbs:
- Incorrect: ~~Look my number up~~ (with “look up” in a dictionary)
- Correct: Look up my number or Look my number up
- Not recognizing three-word phrasal verbs:
- Some phrasal verbs have three parts, and most of these are inseparable
- Example: look forward to, put up with
Real-Life Conversation
Conversation: At the Office
Manager: Did you fill in the report form?
Employee: Yes, I filled it in this morning and handed it in to HR.
Manager: Great. By the way, we’re giving away tickets to the conference. Would you like one?
Employee: Absolutely! Please write me down for a ticket.
Summary
Separable phrasal verbs are an important part of English fluency. Remember these key points:
- With separable phrasal verbs, you can place the object either between the verb and particle or after the particle.
- When using pronouns, you must place them between the verb and particle.
- Not all phrasal verbs are separable – you need to learn which ones can be separated.
- Practice using these verbs in context to become more comfortable with them.