Phrasal Verbs - Why are they so tricky?

So.. if you have an intermediate or above level of English, the chances are you have come across Phrasal Verbs!

They are used every day by native English speakers to convey a huge range of actions.

The theory behind them is simple: Verb + Preposition.

For example - It's getting warmer so i will take off my coat. The Phrasal Verb here being 'take off'

We know that this means to remove the coat.

But 'take off' can also describe an aeroplane leaving the ground or something becoming very popular. 'The new business has really taken off' - Meaning it's becoming more successful.

Another example is the Phrasal Verb 'Pick up'

I can pick up my pen from the table, I can pick up my children from school and I can pick up something for dinner from the supermarket on the way home.

So how do we decipher what Phrasal Verbs mean if there are over 1000 and have multiple uses??

The answer is in the CONTEXT!

In order to know what a Phrasal Verb means we must look at the context of the whole sentence.

So, in my above examples with 'Pick up' I know that i am lifting the pen off the table, I am collecting my children from school and I am buying something from the supermarket for dinner.

So remember - It's all in the context.. and most Phrasal Verbs will have a non phrasal synonym. This means to speak English well, it isn't always necessary to use phrasal verbs, but it's important to recognise them and to be able to understand their meaning through the context.

I hope this helps with your understanding of what can be one of the trickiest parts of the English language for non natives to learn!

Andrew.

#phrasalverbs #englishlearning