Phrasal transitive X intransitive verbs

Hello, Lupa

The difference between transitive and intransitive verbs is that transitive verbs take objects (direct and/or indirect), whereas intransitive verbs will not accept them.

This difference applies also to phrasal verbs (multi-word verbs that consist of a verb plus an adverbial particle).

1. Transitive phrasal verbs:
- They take an pbject.
- The particle may precede or follow the direct object:
"They turned on the lights" or "They turned the lights on"

- However, when the object is a pronoun, the particle cannot precede it:
"They turned them on" is correct. (them = the lights)
"They turned on them" is incorrect.


2. Intransitive phrasal verbs:
- They do not take an object.
- The adverbial particle cannot be separated from the verb:
"Get up at once!"
"The plane took off."

This is a very brief explanation, but I hope it helps.

Miriam

Dear teachers,

How would you analyse this sentence, please?

"He frightened the dog away": Would you considered it as
a) He = Subject; frightened = verb; the dog = direct object; away = adverbial?
OR
b) a) He = Subject; frightened away = verb; the dog = direct object?

THANK YOU

And what about this?

He kicked the door open.
a) He = subject; kicked = verb; the garden gate = direct object; open = adverbial of manner? OR
b) He = subject; kicked open = verb; the garden gate = direct object?

Have nice weekend,

Hela

Good morning Jim,

Some may say that since the meaning of "frighten" doesn't change when we add the adverb "away" so "frighten away" is not a true phrasal verb and the sentence above should be analysed as (a), i.e.,

He = subject; frighten = verb; the dog = direct object; away = adverbial of place.

What would you answer to that? 

My second sentence should be therefore:

He = subject; kicked = verb; the door = direct object; open = object complement ?

Have a nice weekend