Grammar Detective 4--Working with phrasal verbs.

Phrasal verbs or two word verbs are difficult for people learning English yet native speakers think they are "easy English." First of all, the parts of the word, the verb and the particle, don't always stay together in the sentence. e.g. I told you to pick all those toys up. Second of all the meaning of the verb is not necessarily literal. e.g. if you know the meaning of pick and up, you know the meaning of the phrasal verb in the example sentence. But what about the same verb in the following two sentences: The traffic is picking up.  We tried to pick up some supplies on the way home. Usually there is a more "elegant" verb that could be used in its place. For example, The traffic is picking up/increasing. We tried to pick up/purchase some supplies on the way home.

Many phrasal verbs are aspectual in meaning. This means that if you know the meaning of the verb, the particle simply means do it until the task is completed, or start or continue the task. e.g. Eat the food up. Let's start out at 4 in the morning. Keep on going. Once you know how this category works, it is fairly easy to learn. What are some one word verb substitutions you could use for these phrasal verbs?

A more difficult type of phrasal verb is the figurative or idiomatic phrasal verb. In this case knowing the meaning of the verb and the particle does not tell you the meaning of the two together. Connie and Steve patched things up.  George stuck up the bank. Again, what are some one word verb substitutions you could use? Thankfully literal and aspectual phrasal verbs are most common. However, the idiomatic phrasal verbs are usually based on a metaphorical extension of a literal or aspectual phrasal verb. It isn't hard to think of the metaphor underlying the example verbs above.

Your task:

1. Humor is often based on the alternative readings of phrasal verbs, literal or aspectual versus idiomatic. Find 4 examples of phrasal verbs in comic strips.
2. Make copies of the strips or tear them out of the paper.
3. Mark and number the phrasal verbs. Be careful that you are not mislead by prepositional phrases. Remember that prepositional phrases are most often adverbials answering such questions as where, when, how, or why.
4. Classify them as literal, aspectual, and figurative. For each one is there a one word verb that could be used in its place?
5. Be prepared to discuss in class your findings. Can you think of the underlying metaphor for the figurative phrasal verbs?
6. You will also be handing in your results this time.

Reflect:

Which type of students in your classes do you think would have the most trouble with phrasal verbs--the younger ones  who are learning English on the streets or the older ones who started English before they came to the USA? What kind of reading material would most likely have lots of phrasal verbs? few? How does this work with phrasal verbs change your perception of what kind of reading is "easy" and which kind is "hard" for your students?