Tipos de Phrasal Verbs

Los Phrasal Verbs son verbos formado por dos (a veces tres) partes: un verbo y uno (o dos) adverbios o preposiciones, llamados particles. Para muchos, entre los que nos incluñimos, es una de las partes más complicadas del aprendizaje de la lengua inglesa.

Algunos de ellos tienen un significado claro; por ejemplo, sit down (sentarse). SIn embargo, hay muchos otros cuyo significado es más difícil de discernir (put up with, tolerar) o cuyo significado no tiene nada que ver que el significado original del verbo (take off, despegar).

Para acabar de complicarlo, existen varios tipos de phrasal verbs:

Intransitivos

No necesitan complento directo, es decir, actuan de forma autónoma. Por ejemplo, back down, retroceder: I won´t back down

Transitivos

Si necesitan complemento directo; pero cuidado, ¿dónde colocas el objeto? Pues bien, hay 5 tipos:

- Con el objeto entre el verbo y la partícula: I´ll put my jacket on
- Con el objeto después de la partícula: I´ll put on my jacket (si, es de los dos tipos)
- Separables, es decir, con el complemento entre el verbo y la partícula: Don´t let me down
- Inseparables, es decir, nunca se deben separar el verbo y la partíicula, y el objeto va después: I´m going to look after you
- Con dos objetos (uno detrás del verbo y otro detrás de la partícula): put (something) down to (something), atribuir algo a alguien

No somos mucho de listas, pero aqui os dejamos una lista de phrasal verbs separables/inseparables. La relación entera de este tipo de verbos es un libro bastante voluminoso, así que quizá lo mejor es empezar por unos pocos (los de más uso) e ir ampliando su uso poco a poco, siempre con mucha atención al contexto en el que se usan.

Phrasal Verb	Separable o Inseparable	Significado
Ask out	Separable	To ask someone to go out on a date.
Bring about, bring on	Separable	To make something happen
Bring up	Separable	1) To raise children 2) To raise a topic
Call back	Separable	Return someone's telephone call
Call in	Separable	Ask someone into an official place or office
Call off	Separable	Cancel
Call on	Inseparable	1) Ask someone to do something 2) Visit
Call up	Separable	Call someone on the telephone
Catch up	Inseparable	To become equal or reach the same level
Check in, check into	Inseparable	Register at a hotel or travel counter
Check out	Inseparable	Leave a hotel
Check out of	Inseparable	Leave a hotel
Cheer up	Separable	Make someone happy
Clean up	Separable	Tidy, make clean
Come across	Inseparable	To find
Cross out	Separable	Eliminate
Cut out	Separable	Remove something or stop doing something annoying
Do over	Separable	Repeat
Drop by	Inseparable	Visit unexpectedly
Drop in	Inseparable	Visit unexpectedly
Drop off	Separable	Leave something somewhere
Drop out	Inseparable	Stop attending a class
Figure out	Separable	Understand
Fill out	Separable	Complete a form
Fill in	Separable	Complete spaces on a form
Get along with	Inseparable	Have a good relationship with
Get back from	1) Inseparable 2) Separable	1) Return from somewhere 2) Receive something originally lent to another person
Get in	Inseparable	Enter
Get off	Inseparable	Leave a bus, train, airplane
Get on	Inseparable	Enter a bus, train, airplane
Get out of	Inseparable	Leave a car
Get over	Inseparable	Recover
Get through	Inseparable	Survive
Get up	Inseparable	Stand up
Give back	Separable	Return
Give up	Separable	Stop trying
Go over	Inseparable	Review
Grow up	Inseparable	Become an adult
Hand in	Separable	Give an assignment or project to a teacher
Hang up	Separable	Replace the telephone in the receiver
Have on	Separable	Wear
Keep out	Separable	Not enter
Keep up with	Inseparable	Stay at the same level
Kick out	Separable	Ask to leave
Look after	Inseparable	Take care of
Look into	Inseparable	Investigate
Look out for	Inseparable	Watch for
Look over	Separable	Review
Look up	Separable	Try to find information
Make up	Separable	Invent
Pass away	Inseparable	Die
Pass out	1) Inseparable 2) Separable	1) Faint 2) Distribute
Pick up	Separable	Lift
Pick out	Separable	Choose
Point out	Separable	Identify
Put away	Separable	Put in the proper place
Put back	Separable	Return
Put off	Separable	Delay
Put on	Separable	Get dressed or dress someone
Put out	Separable	Extinguish
Put up with	Inseparable	Tolerate
Run into	Inseparable	Find or meet
Run across	Inseparable	Find or meet
Run out of	Inseparable	Come to the end of something
Show up	Inseparable	Appear
Show off	Separable	Demonstrate something of envy
Shut off	Separable	Stop something from running
Take after	Inseparable	Be like someone
Take off	Separable	Remove
Take out	Separable	1) Remove 2) Go on a date with someone
Take over	Separable	Take control
Take up	Inseparable	Begin
Tear down	Separable	Demolish or destroy
Tear up	Separable	Rip into pieces
Think over	Separable	Consider, ponder
Throw away	Separable	Discard
Throw out	Separable	Discard
Throw up	Inseparable	Vomit
Try on	Separable	Test
Turn down	Separable	Reduce
Turn in	Separable	Go to bed
Turn off	Separable	Stop a machine
Turn on	Separable	Start a machine
Turn out	Separable	Put out a light
Turn up	Separable	Increase