Search results for 'tag:Phrasal verbs tag:Verbs' matching tags 'Phrasal verbs' and 'Verbs'

Re: negative infinitive

Teo — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 04:31:26 GMT

look through somebody/something (phrasal verb)
to not notice or pretend not to notice someone you know, even though you see them
http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/look_1
look through sb
to not notice someone that you know, or to pretend that you have not noticed someone, even though you are looking directly at them
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=look.***+0&dict=P

Why use "to not V"? Why not use "not to V"?
What's the difference in meaning or style between the above two structures?

This sentence is taken from an exercise _________ in class a few days ago

Belly — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 02:27:09 GMT

This sentence is taken from an exercise __ in class a few days ago

a) which we went over

c) over which we went

I think both will do but my teacher says you cannot separate a phrasal verb in such situations, but I swear I saw plenty of them

move in + to

Anonymous — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 08:38:50 GMT

Teachers, I know the phrasal verb "move in" means to begin to occupy a residence". The problem is when it is used with the preposition "to",
Here's the example:

With all the tests I went through this past week I feel like I've moved in to the hospital.

I get the idea of the sentence, but I keep thinking it would be also correct if "to" was dropped, like this: I feel like I've moved in the hospital.

I would appreciate any help. Thanks so much!

Re: The verb complement in "John tends to get hungry."

ouyang — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 04:58:39 GMT

Actually, I do classify some infinitive phrases that follow the verbs "seem" and "appear" as subject complements. I'm not totally comfortable with that view, so I like to consider other options.

Also, I'm not fluent in Chinese, but I think that there is an important difference between its verb-verb complements and the verb-verbal phrase complements that begin with "tend" and "dare". Verb-verb complements are like phrasal verbs in that they combine as immediate constituents before they take objects. In phrases like, "tends to be late", "tends to say stupid things", and "dare to be different", I would say that the infinitves combine with their own complements before the infinitive phrase combines with the main verb. If this is true, then I think I need to correct my previous post because these infinitive phrases must be noun phrases functioning as objects.

I would say that the dependent clauses which follow "seem" and "appear" in sentences like, "It seems that he is confused" and "It appears that he fixed the computer" are noun clauses functioning as predicate nouns. The fact that a common noun can't be substituted for predicate nouns which follow these verbs is significant, but it doesn't matter. When verbal phrases follow these verbs, then the type of verb which forms the verbal shouldn't affect the function of the phrase. The verb phrases in the following sentences should have the same pattern, "He seems to be honest.", "He seems to be the owner.", and "He seems to eat a lot." Since these phrases could function as predicate nouns in sentences like, "The important thing is to be honest.", "The best job is to be the owner." and "My advice is to eat a lot.", I would say they are also predicate nouns when they follow "seem" and "appear". Different substitutions might imply that they are predicate adjectives. I wish there was a strong argument for classifying the infinitves which follow "seem" and "appear" as their immediate constituents, but I don't think there is.

... to do something "as" the next part of an activity or period of development

Peaceblinkfriend — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:42:43 GMT

follow (sth) through phrasal verb [M]
to do something as the next part of an activity or period of development
The essay started interestingly, but failed to follow through (its argument).

I wonder what exactly 'as' means in this context. There seem to be so many meanings for the word.

Thank you

PBF

Re: question about hillary's speech

nona the brit — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 09:07:00 GMT

Phew, that's a lot of questions!

1. what does fabric mean? an underlying structure? can we use any other words intead of "fabric"? You could certainly use a different metaphor. In this metaphor though, 'fabric' is the word used. You have pretty much got the meaning - imagine lots of threads being woven together.

2. She is not doing all this for her own benefit but her daughters.

3. Its another metaphor. Imagine sitting in the front row of a theatre or cinema.

4. 'Live the dream' is quite a common idiom.

5. Not up to something = not capable of doing it.

6. You could phrase it either way. She is not personally providing the services, so she wants to get someone else to do it. Or, you could think that as a society as a whole, we are providing the services. Kust depends on your point of view.

7. Yes, but this sounds good as it is.

8. the contestants are so close together you can't predict you will win. Whoever wins will do so by a verysmall margin.

9. When you're knocked down, get right back up. The whole phrase is a metaphor. If you suffer a defeat/disadvantage, you should not give up - just try even harder!

10. No, she is talking about ones who died because of their efforts to end slavery. They didn't see the end of it. They hoped to - that was why they did what they did.

11. grow up - common phrasal verb meaning to grow from a child to an adult.

12. I don't know enough about US election process. It could be a special 'department' name for her staff or she might just be complimenting her staff (I would have assumed the latter).

13. While.

14. Count my/your blessings. A common idiom.

Re: prepositions after verbs

Anonymous — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 20:26:22 GMT

Thank you very much CalifJim. That is what I was interested in. So, when there is no general rule, how can I learn these phrasal verbs? Do I have to learn every combinations of verbs and adverbial particles? Isn't there any simplification? It is quite difficult for me to learn those phrasal verbs.

Re: prepositions after verbs

CalifJim — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 16:11:22 GMT

Anonymous
Is there any general rule for prepositions after verbs?

You are referring, of course, to those adverbial particles that create phrasal verbs. No. There is no general rule. The most common are in, out, on, off, up, down, away, and back. Some of these have more than one core meaning. For example up can suggest wakefulness: I woke up. I am up for the day. But it can also suggest verticality: I stood up. I am up on my feet. Sometimes they modify the preceding verb with a very literal meaning of the particle. (Put the cat out.) More frequently the meaning has to be taken figuratively. (Put the candle out.) Often the phrasal verb is so fixed into an idiom by usage that the original meaning of the components is no clue at all to the meaning of the combination. (I hope I'm not putting you out with this request.)

Re: tide

Taka — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 03:15:08 GMT

CalifJim
Taka
Why not 'It swept me in the tide'?
sweep in is a phrasal verb.Â In the case at hand, "to sweep something into the interior of something else", namely, the lift.Â So "It swept me in the tide" would be "It swept me into the lift the tide"!Â There's no preposition before tide to show how it relates to the rest of the sentence.Â And if you take the verb as the non-phrasal sweep, then you have in as a preposition before tide, but lose the idea of into the lift.
Â
Taka
What does the 'on' imply here?
by means of, supported by, conveyed by.Â See www.m-w.com, the second definition of on.Â One can ride on the tide somewhat like riding on a bus (metaphorically).
Compare:
A cloud of dust blew in on a gust of wind.
A pleasant aroma wafted in on the evening breeze.
CJÂ

A-HA! I thought his habit of following people eventually led him into the flow of the people. But actually, the message here is that he followed the crowd, and then he was led to (swept in) the lift, being in the flow of the people (on the tide).

Did I get it right now?Â

Re: tide

CalifJim — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 22:31:55 GMT

Taka
Why not 'It swept me in the tide'?

sweep in is a phrasal verb. In the case at hand, "to sweep something into the interior of something else", namely, the lift. So "It swept me in the tide" would be "It swept me into the lift the tide"! There's no preposition before tide to show how it relates to the rest of the sentence. And if you take the verb as the non-phrasal sweep, then you have in as a preposition before tide, but lose the idea of into the lift.

Taka
What does the 'on' imply here?

by means of, supported by, conveyed by. See www.m-w.com, the second definition of on. One can ride on the tide somewhat like riding on a bus (metaphorically).

Compare:

A cloud of dust blew in on a gust of wind.

A pleasant aroma wafted in on the evening breeze.