Grammar
Verb particles: how small words change meaning
A light can go off, a meeting can be called off, and a friend can turn up unexpectedly. The short word after the verb may point to movement, completion, removal, or a meaning that you need to learn as a whole phrase.
Recognize common verb-particle phrases, infer their meaning from context, and place objects and pronouns in a natural position.
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
Could you turn it off before you leave? /kʊd juː tɜːn ɪt ɒf bɪˈfɔː juː liːv/
The short answer
A verb particle is a short word that works with a verb. It can add a direction or change the whole meaning. Learn common verb-particle phrases as complete units, then check whether the object can move between the verb and particle.
Please turn off the hallway light.
Why it works: Turn off means stop the light or device from operating. The object can also come before off.
4 more examples
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I picked up the parcel after work.
Pick up here means collect something from a place.
Not this:I
picked it upafter work. What changes: A pronoun object goes between picked and up. -
We ran into an old classmate at the station.
Run into can mean meet someone unexpectedly.
Not this:The delivery van
ran intoa fence. What changes: The same words can describe a collision, so the rest of the sentence decides the meaning. -
The plane took off ten minutes late.
For an aircraft, take off means leave the ground.
Not this:Nadia
took offher wet coat by the door. What changes: With clothing as the object, take off means remove it. -
Can you look after my plants this weekend?
Look after means care for someone or something.
Not this:Can you
look the address uponline? What changes: Look up means search for information, and its noun object can come before up.
Read the full guide
Start with the full verb-particle phrase, not the verb alone. Take off can describe an aircraft leaving the ground, while take off a coat means remove it. Next, find the object. Some phrases allow two positions for a noun object, but a pronoun usually goes between the verb and particle.
Read the phrase as a unit
A particle is usually a short word after a verb. Do not decide the meaning from the verb by itself. In put away, away changes put into the idea of storing something. In find out, the phrase means discover. Look for the complete phrase before you translate or choose a synonym.
Mira put the tools away after the repair.
Put away means place the tools in their usual storage place.
In 'I found out the shop was closed,' does find out mean discover or search for?
It means discover. The speaker learned that the shop was closed.
Use context when one phrase has more than one meaning
Many common phrases have several meanings. Pick up can mean lift an object, collect a person, or learn a skill. Take off can describe a plane leaving the ground or a person removing clothing. The noun, subject, and situation usually make one meaning more likely than the others.
The taxi will pick us up outside the museum.
Here, pick up means collect people in a vehicle.
She picked up some Italian while living in Rome.
Here, pick up means learn something gradually and informally.
What does take off mean when the subject is a plane?
It means leave the ground. A plane cannot remove clothing, so the context points to the flight meaning.
Move a noun object when the phrase allows it
Some transitive verb-particle phrases are separable. Their noun object can follow the whole phrase or come between the verb and particle. Both turn off the radio and turn the radio off are natural. This flexibility does not change the basic meaning.
Please write down the reference number.
Reference number follows the particle in this version.
Please write the reference number down.
The same noun object appears before down, which is also possible.
Which two positions are possible with a noun object in turn off the light?
You can say turn off the light or turn the light off.
Put pronouns in the middle of separable phrases
A pronoun such as it, them, or her usually cannot stay after the particle in a separable phrase. Put the pronoun between the verb and the particle: turn it off, pick them up, and write it down. This word order is one of the most useful habits to learn early.
The box is heavy, so leave it outside.
Leave it outside keeps the pronoun before the particle outside.
I cannot hear the podcast, so turn it up.
It comes between turn and up because turn up is separable here.
Choose the natural order: pick up it or pick it up.
Choose pick it up. The pronoun belongs between the verb and the particle.
Keep the object after some phrases
Other phrases do not allow the object to move. Say look after your neighbor, run into a colleague, and deal with the problem. The object stays after the short word. A pronoun follows the same pattern: look after her and run into him. Learn these phrases with an example that includes the object.
Rafi looks after his uncle on Fridays.
His uncle stays after after. Look his uncle after is not the normal order.
I ran into her near the library.
Her follows into. Do not move it before the particle.
Which order is natural: look after them or look them after?
Use look after them. This phrase keeps its object after after.
Build a useful phrase record
When you meet a new phrase, record more than a translation. Write the full phrase, one short example, its meaning in that example, and its object pattern. For example, call off a meeting means cancel it, while call the meeting off is also possible. This record helps you use the phrase in a sentence instead of only recognizing it.
They called off the match because of the rain.
Call off means cancel, and match is a noun object that can move.
They called the match off because of the rain.
The noun object moves before off without changing the meaning.
What should you record with a new verb-particle phrase besides its meaning?
Record a complete example and the object pattern, especially whether a noun or pronoun can move.
Before you go
Remember this
Read the verb and particle together. Use the context to choose the meaning. With a separable phrase, a noun object may have two positions, but put a pronoun between the verb and particle. Learn the word order with each new phrase.
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 "Verb particles: how small words change meaning"
What is a verb particle?
A verb particle is a short word that works with a verb, often up, off, out, or away. Together, the words can describe movement or create a different meaning. In turn off, off helps form the idea of stopping a device or light.
Please turn off the hallway light.
How can I work out the meaning of a verb-particle phrase?
Read the whole phrase and the surrounding sentence. The subject and object often narrow the meaning. Take off with a plane means leave the ground, while take off with a coat means remove it. Use a dictionary entry for the full phrase when context is not enough.
Please turn the hallway light off.
When can I move the object in a verb-particle phrase?
Many separable phrases allow a noun object in either position. You can say turn off the hallway light or turn the hallway light off. This pattern is common with phrases such as turn off, pick up, write down, and call off.
I picked up the parcel after work.
Where does a pronoun go in a separable phrase?
Put a pronoun between the verb and the particle. Say pick it up, turn it off, and write it down. Do not usually put the pronoun after the particle in these separable phrases, even when a longer noun can go there.
I picked it up after work.
Why can the same verb-particle phrase have different meanings?
Some common phrases are used in more than one way. Run into may describe meeting a person unexpectedly or a vehicle hitting something. The nouns and situation tell you which meaning fits, so learn each meaning with a complete example.
We ran into an old classmate at the station.