A phrasal verb is a verb plus a preposition or adverb which creates a meaning different from the original verb.
Example:
I ran into my teacher at the movies last night. (run + into = meet)
He ran away when he was 15. (run + away = leave home)
Some phrasal verbs are intransitive. An intransitive verb cannot be followed by an object.
Example:
He suddenly showed up. "show up" cannot take an object
Some phrasal verbs are transitive. A transitive verb can be followed by an object.
Example:
I made up the story. "story" is the object of "make up"
Some transitive phrasal verbs are separable. The object is placed between the verb and the preposition. In the Phrasal Verb Dictionary, separable phrasal verbs are marked by placing a * between the verb and the preposition / adverb.
Example:
I talked my mother into letting me borrow the car.
She looked the phone number up.
Some transitive phrasal verbs are inseparable. The object is placed after the preposition. In the Phrasal Verb Dictionary, inseparable phrasal verbs are marked by placing a + after the preposition / adverb.
Example:
I ran into an old friend yesterday.
They are looking into the problem.
Some transitive phrasal verbs can take an object in both places. In the Phrasal Verb Dictionary, such phrasal verbs are marked with both * and +
Example:
I looked the number up in the phone book.
I looked up the number in the phone book.
WARNING! Although many phrasal verbs can take an object in both places, you must put the object between the verb and the preposition if the object is a pronoun.
Example:
I looked the number up in the phone book.
I looked up the number in the phone book.
I looked it up in the phone book. correct
I looked up it in the phone book. incorrect
Now have a look at the phrasal verbs that you can make with the verb "come".
1. Sometimes you keep something even though you don't need it at the time but because you think in the future it might 'come in useful'.
• Keep that. It might come in useful one day.
• I don't like learning English but it will come in useful when I get a job.
2. When something is falling, you can say that it is 'coming down'.
• The football match was stopped because the rain was coming down so heavily.
• Don't buy an Ipod yet. The prices will be coming down soon.
3. When a book is published, it 'comes out'.
• The magazine comes out once a month.
• My new book comes out in August.
4.If you 'come on to' a particular topic or idea, you start discussing it.
• Can we come on to the subject of parking?
• Before we come on to that, does anybody have any comments?
5. If you 'come across' something, you find it by accident.
• I came across these old photos when I was cleaning out my cupboard.
• She came across Richard in the middle of Oxford.
6. If a feeling 'comes over you', it affects you, often in an uncharacteristic way.
• I'm sorry for shouting. I don't know what came over me.
• A look of pleasure came over her face.
7. If a problem or situation 'comes up' it happens. (We can also say 'crops up'.)
• A big problem came up at work.
• Something has come up and I can't meet you.
8. If you 'come up with' a plan or idea, you think of it or suggest it.
• Peter came up with a good idea today.
• Can anybody come up with a solution?
9. If somebody 'comes across' as having a particular characteristic, they have given you the impression that they are like this.
• When you first meet Susan, she comes across as a shy person but in fact she is quite self-confident.
• Do you know that you come across as very arrogant?
10. When you are talking about the results of a situation, you can talk about what 'comes of' the situation.
• I'll let you know what comes of the meeting.
• No great harm came from it.
11. If an event or action 'comes off', it is successful or effective.
• I hope this high risk strategy comes off for us.
• I don't think it is going to come off.
12. If an idea 'comes upon' you, it develops without your really being aware of it.
• The idea came upon me when I was out walking the dog.
• I came upon the solution by pure chance.
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