These questions ask you to choose a phrasal verb with the right meaning and put its object in a grammatical position. You need to decide whether the expression is separable before you place a noun or pronoun.
Choose the meaning, then place the object
Work in two passes. First use the situation to choose the complete phrasal verb; changing the particle usually changes the meaning. Then identify the object. If the expression is separable, a full noun can sit in either of two positions, but a pronoun such as it, us, them or her must separate the verb from its particle. If the expression is inseparable, keep both parts together before any object.
| Pattern | Placement |
|---|---|
| Separable expression with a noun | Both verb + noun + particle and verb + particle + noun are possible. |
| Separable expression with a pronoun | Use verb + pronoun + particle. Do not move the pronoun after the particle. |
| Inseparable expression with any object | Use verb + particle + object and never split the expression. |
For a quick separable example, Maya switched the radio on; with a pronoun, she switched it on. For an inseparable example, we ran into Sam at the market, so Sam follows the intact expression.
| Meaning signal | Phrasal verb and type |
|---|---|
| Collect; stop or start a device | pick up, turn off and switch on are separable. |
| Discard; quit a habit | throw away and give up are separable. |
| Search in a reference; record on paper | look up and write down are separable. |
| Test the fit of clothing; return a phone call | try on and call back are separable. |
| Meet by chance; board public transport; handle a problem | run into, get on and deal with are inseparable. |
Avoid these placement and meaning traps
| Tempting form | How to reject it |
|---|---|
| A pronoun after the particle of a separable expression | That position works for a full noun, which makes it sound plausible. Move a pronoun between the verb and particle. |
| An adverb or time phrase inserted inside a phrasal verb | Keep the verb, object and particle in their permitted order. Put extra details after the complete unit. |
| A familiar particle that reverses or changes the action | Check the intended result before checking placement. Off stops a device, while on starts it; a grammatical sentence can still express the wrong action. |
| A scanning or examining verb when the task is a reference search | Verbs of examining or scanning material mean reviewing it as a whole. Use look up for finding one particular piece of information in a reference. |
| A literal running expression for an accidental meeting | Run after expresses pursuit, run away expresses escape and run over has a different physical meaning. A chance encounter uses the intact expression run into. |
| An investigation or difficult completion when the aim is handling a problem | Look into focuses on investigating and get through focuses on completing or surviving difficulty. Deal with focuses on handling the matter. |
Try it
The broken lamp is beyond repair. Complete with the correct phrasal verb based on throw, using it to refer to the lamp: We should ___ before moving house.
The hiking boots looked sturdy, but I wanted to test their fit. Complete with the correct past-tense form of try, using them to refer to the boots: I ___ before buying them.
The northbound train was waiting at Central Station, and we needed to board it. Complete with the correct phrasal verb based on get, using it to refer to the train: We managed to ___ just before the doors closed.