Inseparable phrasal verbs: keep them together

Some English phrasal verbs function as a single unit of meaning. The verb and its particle combine to create an idea that is different from each separate word. For example, look after means take care of, not look with your eyes. Because the two words form one fixed unit, they must stay together in that exact sequence.

When an inseparable phrasal verb takes a noun object, place that noun directly after the particle. Never place the noun between the verb and the particle. You say run into an old friend or get over a cold. Placing the noun in the middle breaks the verb unit and sounds unnatural to English speakers.

Puedes practicar esto de nuevo en 28 Phrasal Verbs With Take y Phrasal verbs with call: Choosing the right particle.

Pronoun objects like him, her, it, and them also stay after the particle. Separable verbs require pronouns in the middle, but inseparable verbs never allow this movement. If you replace the noun in look after the baby with a pronoun, you must say look after him. Saying look him after is incorrect.

Learners often confuse inseparable phrasal verbs with separable verbs. Separable verbs like turn off or put away allow the object in two positions: turn off the computer or turn the computer off. In contrast, inseparable verbs like stick to or run into only allow one pattern: stick to the plan, never stick the plan to.

Changing the particle creates a completely new meaning. Look at means observe with your eyes, look for means try to find, and look after means care for. When you learn an inseparable verb, treat the verb and particle pair as a single vocabulary item rather than translating the preposition on its own.

The most frequent error with inseparable verbs is splitting them when using a pronoun. Because learners practice separable verbs like pick it up or hand it in, they sometimes write run her into or get it over. Remind yourself that inseparable verbs have a lock on their two parts: nothing enters the middle.

In spoken English, native speakers link the final consonant of the particle to a following vowel sound. In the phrase come across an idea, across and an flow together smoothly as across-an. Furthermore, the particle often carries sentence stress, while an unstressed pronoun following it sounds short and light, as in run IN-to her.

When adding a new phrasal verb to your study notes, write three pieces of information together. Record the full phrase, a short definition in plain words, and a complete example sentence showing the object at the end. Note specifically whether the phrase is inseparable so you remember the word order during speaking and writing.