Grammar
Inseparable phrasal verbs: keep the phrase together
You want to say that you care for a friend's dog. The natural order is look after the dog. The words look and after stay together before the object.
Use common inseparable phrasal verbs with the object after the complete phrase.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
inseparable phrasal verb /ɪnˈsep.ə.rə.bəl ˈfreɪ.zəl vɜːb/
The short answer
With an inseparable phrasal verb, keep the verb and particle together. Put the object after the full phrase, as in look after the dog and run into my teacher.
Mara looks after her neighbor's cat during the weekend.
Why it works: The cat comes after the complete phrase looks after.
4 more examples
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Jamal looks after his aunt's dog on Saturdays.
Looks after means takes care of. The object follows the complete phrase.
Not this:Jamal
looks his aunt's dog afteron Saturdays. What changes: This order is not standard because look after is inseparable. -
I ran into Leila outside the station yesterday.
Ran into can mean met someone unexpectedly.
Not this:I
ran Leila intooutside the station yesterday. What changes: This order does not express the intended meaning. Keep ran into together before the person. -
It took Eli weeks to get over the flu.
Get over can mean recover from an illness or a difficult experience.
Not this:It took Eli weeks to
get the flu over. What changes: This order is not used when get over means recover from something. -
We came across an old map in the attic.
Came across can mean found something by chance.
Not this:We
came an old map acrossin the attic. What changes: This order is not standard because come across stays together before its object.
Read the full guide
Start by finding the complete phrase in the sentence. If it is inseparable, do not put the object between its two parts. This pattern is useful with both noun objects and pronoun objects.
Find the complete phrase
Read look after as one phrase. Here, look does not mean use your eyes, and after does not simply show time. Together, the words mean take care of.
Mara looks after her neighbor's cat during the weekend.
Look at the cat means use your eyes. Look after the cat means care for it.
Put the object after the phrase
With an inseparable phrase, the object comes after both parts. Say run into a friend or get over the flu. Do not put the object between the verb and the particle.
I ran into Leila outside the station yesterday.
Correct: I ran into Leila. Incorrect: I ran Leila into.
Keep the same order with pronouns
A pronoun does not move into the middle. Say look after it, run into her, get over it, or come across them. The phrase still stays together.
The flu was unpleasant, but Eli got over it.
Which order is natural: look after it or look it after?
Look after it is natural because look after is inseparable.
Compare a separable phrase
Some phrasal verbs use a different pattern. Turn off is separable, so you can say turn off the light or turn the light off. Look after does not allow that change.
Separable: turn the light off. Inseparable: look after the child.
Please turn the light off before you leave.
Use context for the meaning
The complete phrase may have a meaning that is different from its separate words. In a message about illness, get over means recover. In a story about a lost item, come across can mean find by chance.
We came across an old map in the attic.
Did the speakers plan to find the map?
No. Came across tells us that they found it by chance.
Record the pattern with the meaning
When you write down a new phrasal verb, include its meaning, one example, and its word order. A note such as run into, meet unexpectedly, inseparable, helps you use the phrase correctly later.
Get over: recover from something; inseparable; She got over the flu.
Before you go
Remember this
Keep an inseparable phrasal verb together, then add its object. Learn the whole phrase, its meaning, and one example so that the word order becomes familiar.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Inseparable phrasal verbs: keep the phrase together"
What is an inseparable phrasal verb?
It is a multi-word verb whose parts stay together before the object. For example, look after means take care of, so say look after a child. Do not place a child between look and after.
Jamal looks after his aunt's dog on Saturdays.
Where does the object go with look after?
Put the object after the complete phrase: look after the dog, look after my parents, or look after it. The same pattern applies whether the object is a noun or a short pronoun.
Jamal looks his aunt's dog after on Saturdays.
Can I say run someone into when I meet them unexpectedly?
No. When run into means meet unexpectedly, keep it together and put the person after it: run into someone. The object cannot go between run and into in this meaning.
I ran into Leila outside the station yesterday.
How do I use get over with an illness?
Use get over before the illness or problem: get over the flu, get over a cold, or get over it. In this use, get over means recover from something and the phrase stays together.
I ran Leila into outside the station yesterday.
How can I remember whether a phrasal verb is inseparable?
Record the full phrase with one natural sentence and a note about word order. For example, write come across, find by chance, inseparable. Check a learner dictionary when you meet a new phrase.
It took Eli weeks to get over the flu.