There are four main types of phrasal verbs:
- Phrasal Verbs that take an object and can be separated.
- Phrasal Verbs that take an object but cannot be separated.
- Phrasal Verbs that do not take objects.
- Three Words Phrasal Verbs.
Type 1 - Transitive (can be separated)
- They take an object.
- The object can separate the two parts of the Phrasal Verbs.
- They must be separated if the object is a pronoun (me, you, him, her, it, us, them)
Examples:
Ask someone out : Pedir salir a alguien (en una cita)
Call someone off : Cancelar ("I thought you had a date tonight?" Reply: "We called it off.")
Figure something out : Darse cuenta, enterarse, tener una idea sobre algo (" so .. huh... wanna do this sometime? yeahh We´ll figure something out."
Find something out : Descubrir "
We tried to keep the time of the party a secret, but Samantha found it out." Buscar y encontrar información en un libro o base de datos. We can look her phone number up on the Internet.
Look something up : Buscar y encontrar información en un libro o base de datos. We can look her phone number up on the Internet.
Make someone up : aplicarse maquillaje "My sisters made me up for my graduation party.
Point something/someone out : apuntar con el dedo "
I'll point my boyfriend out when he runs by.
Put something out : Extinguir, poner algo fuera evitando que se queme. He put out his cigarette before getting on the bus.
Put someting off : Posponer, aplazar, dejarlo para otro momento "We are putting off our trip until January because of the hurricane.
See someone off : Despedirse de alguien "We saw our guests off at the door, or They came to the airport to see us off.
Set something up : Instalar, configurar "I will set all of your accounts up. / I will set up all of your accounts.
Tell someone off : Criticar "He arrived late, so I told him off."
Turn something off/on : Apagar/encender"im making a spy game, and i want to make it so that one key that will turn night vision goggles on and off.
Other examples:
They called the whole thing off. Ellos lo cancelaron todo.
They called it off. Lo cancelaron
She figured out the answer. Ella descubrió la respuesta.
She figured the answer out. "
She figured it out. Ella lo descubrió.
They put off going to Spain. Ellos han cancelado la ida a España.
They put it off. Lo cancelaron.
She turned off the heat. Ella apagó la calefacción.
She turned the heat off. "
She turned it off. Ella la apagó.
Other examples:
They called the whole thing off. Ellos lo cancelaron todo.
They called it off. Lo cancelaron
She figured out the answer. Ella descubrió la respuesta.
She figured the answer out. "
She figured it out. Ella lo descubrió.
They put off going to Spain. Ellos han cancelado la ida a España.
They put it off. Lo cancelaron.
She turned off the heat. Ella apagó la calefacción.
She turned the heat off. "
She turned it off. Ella la apagó.
Type 2 – Transitive, NOT separated
- They take an object.
- The two words are never separated.
Cheat on + someone : engañar a alguien (ser infiel) "He cheated on her".
Count on + something/someone: contar con "They count on each other".
Type 3 – Intransitive
- Do not take an object.
- The two words are never separated.
go off : Apagarse " The lights went off when the winner was about to be announced.
grow up : Crecer "He grew up in London
run out : Gastarse, quedarse sin "Their money ran out after a month."
show up : Aparecer o llegar "They showed up at the party".
Show off: Alardear, presumir, querer ser admirado "There's David showing off in his new sports car!"
Type 4 – Three words
- Always have a direct objets.
- The three words are never separated.
fall out with + somebody : Discutir, argumentar con malos términos: She fell out with him.
go out with + somebody : Salir con alguien "Frida went out with Theo."
run out of + something : quedar se sin : They ran out of milk.
get on with + something/someone : convencer, hacer saber, influenciar: Get on with your homework now!
look up to + someone : parecerse "She looks up to her brother"
make up with + someone: hacer las paces "Anita made up with Rosalia."
