PHRASAL VERBS-2 (REVISION)

Good morning.

Yesterday we began to look at general tips to help you learn Phrasal Verbs more easily. We basically said:

1) Phrasal verbs have a meaning.
2) Learn phrasal verbs by grouping them around a related topic.

Today we are going to look at some other points that will help you to learn phrasal verbs.

3) Use a phrasal verb reference list or dictionary. Many upper-intermediate or advanced level English textbooks include reference lists of phrasal verbs.

A reference list for phrasal verbs is a good way to quickly check the meaning of a phrasal verb. It is not so useful to help you learn them. If you sit down and try to learn a long list of phrasal verbs, you will probably become confused in a very short time because they can look very similar. If you want to really learn these verbs, it is better to use strategies such as those discussed yesterday.

Here is the web address of the Cambridge English Dictionary website:

http://dictionary.cambridge.org

You can use it to look up phrasal verbs on-line. There are also phrasal verb dictionaries and phrasal verb activity books on the market, available from your local English book supplier.

4) Sometimes you can guess the meaning of the phrasal verb. When you begin to know more phrasal verbs, you will see that the verb and the adverbial particle (the "preposition") that make up the phrasal verb can influence the meaning. Sometimes you can determine the meaning of a phrasal verb by looking at the verb or the particle. For example, in some Daily Vitamins in September 2004 we saw that the phrasal verb particle back can mean return in phrasal verbs like: come back, give back, and go back.

Hopefully, you now have somewhere to look up the meaning of those phrasal verbs that you don't know.

If you have any questions about today's Daily Vitamin, please post your comments by clicking on the "Add a Comment" button in the Daily Vitamin section on our website (www.ziggurat.es).

Enjoy the rest of your day.