Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Editura Andrew
2011
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CIP
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To the memory of my beloved parents
who made me into what I am today.
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CONTENTS
Foreword
Chapter 1. Introduction
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Chapter 5. Learners and verb phrases
Final remarks
Bibliography
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Foreword
Generally speaking, little has been written on the problems and strategies of
teaching and learning of foreign language vocabulary. It is probably assumed that
learning of another language vocabulary will be somehow mastered by those
interested in the language on their own. There is also a popular perception that
learning a foreign language is basically mastering its vocabulary. Many learners
see foreign language acquisition as essentially a matter of learning vocabulary,
therefore they devote a great deal of time to memorizing lists of words and rely on
their bilingual dictionary as a basic communicative resource. In popular writing,
the expression word power is used in this sense. Thus, from various points of
view, vocabulary can be seen as a priority area in language teaching/learning.
However, language teaching strategies for teaching vocabulary seem to be a
neglected area which needs the attention of language teachers. Within this general
field, two important but overlapping components in the context of ELT seem to be
idioms and multi-word verbal combinations that demand a lot of concern for the
following reasons:
The possibility of using the same verb with different particles as to produce
several other multi-word verb forms, with new meanings, makes the processes of
information retrieval, recalling the lexical item at will, thus facilitating spelling
and pronunciation, etc, much easier. Therefore it makes perfect sense to form give
in, give up and give away to from the same verb give although it may present
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difficulties to some learners. In using the internet, sign up, sign in, sign on and
sign out are also illustrative.
It is important to change the view which is based on the hypothesis that mastering
of idiomatic expressions and multi-word verbs could be restricted only to the
native speakers learning English formally or enhancing their knowledge of their
first language (English) in order to approximate this competence. The non-native
learners often show a tendency to avoid using vocabulary in an idiomatic way.
Idiomatic expressions and multi-word verbs are some of the most interesting and
yet challenging aspects of the English vocabulary. They are interesting because
they are colorful and lively, and also because they are linguistic curiosities. At the
same time, they are difficult because they have unpredictable meanings or
collocations and grammar, and often have special connotations. They also
demonstrate possibilities of semantic expansion.
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Chapter I
Language is a living thing.
Introduction
Many new words come from the English of special subjects such as computer
sciences, sociology, advertising, politics and economics. Computer technology
has given birth to software diskette high-tech on-line
printout ,computer-literate to format to log on, to mention only a
few. The technology of nuclear power has given us interesting noun compounds
such as meltdown or reactor spent-fuel processing plant. From economics
we have wage-freeze price-freeze or stagflation. The field of advertising
has given us soft-sell and hard-sell (subtle and aggressive sell techniques),
hype (intensive, exaggerate sales promotion/publicity/marketing) and the
corresponding verb to hype.
Words which already exist can take on an additional meaning in a special context.
For example, the field of industrial relations has given new meaning to the verbs
to walk out, to look out, to sit in, to go slow. The noun forms walk-
out, lock-out, sit-in and go slow are used almost exclusively in this
context. The words leak, spill, waste are typically used in the context of
technology of nuclear power, as well as in everyday contexts. In computer jargon,
the verb to hack and the nouns memory, drive and hardware have taken on
new meanings. The word hard as used for example in hard copy has taken
on the specialized meaning readable by the eye, i.e. not only machine-
readable output as on magnetic type.
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Educated usage has become much more flexible and tolerant about what is
considered to be correct or acceptable. Such changes of attitude can be observed
in several parts of grammar, including case, number and tense.
The attitude of users towards style has also become more flexible. Several words
which were considered to be slang in the past have gradually been up-graded in
status and are now often considered informal or colloquial. Much of what was
labelled informal in the past is now considered neutral in style. This is partly due
to the spread in use of taboo words by educated speakers. Several such words give
much less offence than in the past and are widely used in both American and
British productions.
It`s as if the members of some cultures would say Why do you display your own
linguistic cleverness at a time like this? Everybody knows what you`re supposed
to say, and by doing what you`ve just done, you`ve drawn attention to yourself.
Whereas other cultures would say, How thoughtless of you just to recite phrases
that you`ve memorized; at a time like this you, as an individual, should say what`s
on your heart!In short, having lots of ready-made things to depend on can be
thought as a groove, making your conversational life a rut, blocking your
freedom of expression, getting you stuck in routines that don`t fill your special
occasion.
It is important to realize that idioms are not only colloquial expressions, as many
people believe. They appear in formal style and in slang, in poetry, in the
language of Shakespeare and the Bible. What then is an idiom?
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In linguistics, idioms are widely assumed to be figures of speech that contradict
the principle of compositionality the principle that the meaning of a complex
expression is determined by the meanings of its constituent expressions and the
rules used to combine them.
Idioms are, in essence, often colloquial metaphors terms which require some
foundational knowledge, information, experience, to use only within a culture
where parties must have common reference. As cultures are typically localized,
idioms are most often than not useful for communication outside of that local
context. However, some idioms can be more universally used than others, and
they can be easily translated, or their metaphorical meaning can be more easily
deduced.
While many idioms are clearly based in conceptual metaphors such as time as
substance, time as path, love as war or up is more, the idioms themselves
are often not particularly essential, even when the metaphors themselves are. For
example spend time, battle of sexes and back in the day are based in essential
metaphors, but one can communicate perfectly well with or without them.
In forms like profits are up, the metaphor is carried by up itself. The phrase
profits are up is not itself an idiom. Practically anything measurable can be used
in place of profits: crime is up, satisfaction is up, complaints are up etc. Truly
essential idioms involve prepositions, for example out of or turn into.
Idioms may take different forms or structures. An idiom can have a regular
structure, an irregular or even a grammatically incorrect structure. The clarity of
meaning is not dependent on the grammatical correctness.
A few examples will illustrate this:
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3. Form irregular, meaning unclear:
be at large
go great guns
be at daggers drawn
In fact, most idioms belong to the second group, where the form is irregular but
the meaning unclear. However, in this group, some idioms are clearer than others.
For example, the meaning of to give someone the green light can be guessed as
to give someone permission to start. Others are too difficult to guess because
they have no association with the original meaning of the individual words. Such
examples are: to tell someone where to get off, To carry the can, to drop a
brick, to call the shots.
One of the main difficulties for learners is knowing in which situation it is correct
to use an idiom, i.e. the level of style. There are neutral idioms which may be used
in most situations. Informal idioms are used in everyday spoken English and in
personal letters. Learners should be advised to avoid using slang and taboo
expressions until their mastery of language is complete.
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Chapter II
Romanian students generally find great differences between the English they learn
at school and the English they have to understand and use with native speakers. If
only they had been taught a couple hundred essential phrasal verbs, the passage
from school to the real world would have been so much simpler!
Phrasal verbs are a specific kind of verbs. The term derives from phrase which
in traditional linguistic theory refers to the minimum unit of syntax. They differ
from normal verbs in that they are constituted by two or three elements instead of
just one.
The number of common verbs, prepositions and adverbs in English is not very
great. Yet the quantity of actions, states, and events to be communicated in verb
form tends towards the infinite. Phrasal verbs are products of the recycling and
the recombination of finite lexical elements in order to render the language
infinitely wealthy and expressive. The English verb thus combines with
prepositions and adverb particles; there are certain words such as in, off, up
which function either as prepositions or as adverb particles. When such words are
followed by an object, they function as prepositions; where there is no object,
they are adverb particles:
Sometimes this combination is not essential but reinforces the meaning of a verb.
So, for example, the verb drink in Drink your milk! can be reinforced by up
to suggest finish drinking it or drink it all. Drink up your milk! (Or drink your
milk up!)
Idiomatic combinations
The primary meaning of a verb can be completely changed when it combines with
a preposition or particle: a new verb is formed, which may have a totally different
idiomatic meaning, or even several meanings. For example, there are numerous
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combinations with make: make for (a place) go towards, make off run
away, make up invent, and so on.
There is a strong tendency (especially in informal, idiomatic English) to use
phrasal verbs instead of their one- word equivalents. It would be very unusual, for
instance, to say Enter! instead of Come in! in response to a knock at the door.
Similarly, blow up might be preferred to explode, give in to surrender
etc. Moreover, new combinations (or new meanings for existing ones) are
constantly evolving:
Share price bottomed out ( i.e. reached their lowest level) in 1974.
The book took off ( i.e. became successful) as soon as it appeared.
Some grammarians claim that only the figurative, idiomatic or metaphorical usage
of the combination should be called a phrasal verb, and that the literal use, where
both the verb and the preposition are analyzed, and both are found to have a literal
meaning in a phrasal context, should be called verb and particle or verb-
particle constructions.
Other linguistic experts are of the opinion that all verb-particle constructions in
both literal, as well as figurative/idiomatic use should be called phrasal verbs,
whether they have an individual meaning or not. Emphasis in idiomatic phrasal
verbs is put on the analysis to ascertain whether either verb or particle have a
meaning. If neither component has a meaning of its own within the context of the
sentence, it confirms the idiomaticity of the whole and all that needs to be noted is
whether the idiom is valid and recognized as such.
Literal verb-particle constructions are of a much more open type than idiomatic
constructions. Every time a (new) situation is described with a literal verb-particle
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phrase a new form may automatically be created. The phrase to go to alone
will form as many literal verb versions as there are geographical entities globally,
as I to go New York, to go to the U.K. etc. On the other hand, idiomatic
phrases are certainly finite in number.
Many phrasal verbs may, of course, be used either in the idiomatic or literal sense,
such as:
Some idiomatic phrasal verbs have a distinct syntax which would not make sense
if given a literal interpretation:
Originally, all idiomatic phrasal verbs almost certainly started out as a verb and
prepositional particle in literal usage. Just as a picture hangs on the wall, or we
cross over to the other side of the road, so a mother may have taken a last look
at her child going off to school, or may in fact have looked after the child, a
usage whose meaning has changed in that it describes an entirely different activity
in the modern context to look after someone meaning to care for someone.
However, in everyday life an idiomatic phrasal verb too, like any other
grammatical constructs, becomes fixed and authentic enough in time by its being
used frequently
The most phrasal verbs are formed from the shortest and simplest verbs in the
language, e.g.:
Be, break, bring, come, do, fall, find, get, give, go, help, let, make, put, send,
stand, take, tear, throw, turn, which combine with words that often indicate
position or direction such as: along, down, in, off, on, out, over, under, up.
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Not only can a single verb like put combine with a large number of prepositions
or particles to form new verbs (put off, put out, put up with, etc) but even a
single combination can have different meanings:
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Chapter III
Apart from the obvious problem that the use of phrasal verbs is extremely
common and a standard feature of good idiomatic English, interference with
learner`s own language may arise from:
c. Verbs which are followed by different prepositions from the ones used in the
learner`s language, e.g.: believe in, consist of , depend on , laugh at , live in ,
rely on , smell of , taste of :
Everybody laughed at my proposal to ban smoking on trains.
d. Verbs which take a preposition in English, but may not need one in the
learner`s language, e.g.: ask for, listen to, look at , look for , wait for :
You should ask for the bill.
In the examples of this kind, the verbs before the prepositions or particles are
replaceable:
Another way to verify the cohesion of verb and particle is to transform the active
verb in passive. This time, however, if the sentence makes sense, then the original
verb is a phrasal verb:
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The hill was run up by him.
General characteristics:
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This cake consists of a few common ingredients.
Three sub-groups can be identified:
The verbs are used in their normal sense. The problem is to remember which
preposition(s) are associated with them. Sometimes different prepositions are
possible, e.g.:consist of/in where the meaning of the verb remains broadly
unchanged.
Cement consists of sand and lime (i.e. the subject cement is made of).
Happiness consists in having a cheerful outlook. (i.e. consists defines the
subject happiness)
The parts of such verbs cannot be so easily related to their literal meanings.
Relatively few of these verbs can go into the passive, and the preposition can
hardly ever be separated from the verb. (see General characteristics-Type1
above), e.g.: come over=affect, get over=recover, go for=attack, run into=meet
by accident.
I can`t explain why I did it. I don`t know what came over me.
Has Martha got over her illness yet?
Our dog went for the postman this morning
General characteristics:
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b. These verbs are transitive:
c. The particle can be separated from its verb and can go immediately after
the noun or noun-phrase object:
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- after the object:
Even though we may put an object after e.g. away as in the first example above,
away is a particle, not a preposition. A particle is more closely related to the verb
and does not govern the object as a preposition does. It is mobile to the extent
that it can be used before or after the object. If the object is a pronoun, it always
comes before the particle:
She gave them away. She let me / him / her / it / us / them out.
2. Particles that strengthen or extend the effect of the verb e.g. call out, eat
up, stick on, write down.
The verbs in this group retain their literal meaning. In some cases, the particle can
be omitted altogether:
This is a very large category in which the verb + particle have little or no relation
to their literal meanings, e.g. make up can mean invent, as in make up a
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story;take off can mean imitate as in take off the Prime Minister. Verb
combinations, therefore, can have many different meanings, depending on the
particles used. Here are just a few examples of the combinations possible with
bring and drop :
There is also a large category of fixed expressions with nouns. These remain
invariable at all times, e.g. make up your mind (where mind cannot be replaced
by another word); push the boat out( take risks) etc.
Type 3 : verb + particle (intransitive)
General characteristics:
a. The verbs in this category are intransitive, that is they cannot be followed
by an object:
Hazel is out.
We set off early.
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Two sub-groups can be identified:
The verbs in this category often have little or no relation to their literal meanings,
e.g. break down (collapse), die away (become quiet), pull up (stop when driving
a car), turn up (appear unexpectedly).
Mrs. Sims broke down completely when she heard the news.
The bus pulled up sharply at the traffic lights.
The echo died away in the distance.
Harry turned up after the party when everyone had left.
General characteristics:
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Two sub-groups can be identified:
The verbs in this category often have little or no relation to their literal meanings,
e.g. put up with (tolerate), run out of (use up). Unlike the free association
verbs above, there is no choice in the preposition that can be used after the
particle: each verb conveys a single, indivisible meaning:
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Chapter IV
The meanings of phrasal verbs are often difficult to remember, because they seem
to have no connection with the words they consist of. In fact, many phrasal verbs
are metaphorical, and if you understand the metaphors they use, it will be easier
to understand and remember their meanings.
we see that, in each pair, the first phrasal verb has a literal meaning and refers to a
physical action, while the second is metaphorical and describes an action that is
similar in some way to the first. For example, when someone digs up
information, they discover it, and the process seems similar to the way in which
dogs find bones that have been buried in the ground.
Some phrasal verbs only have metaphorical meanings. For example to breeze in
means to enter a place confidently, without seeming to care what other people
think; perhaps the attitude and action remind us of the movement of a breeze ( a
light wind).
When the verb part of a phrasal verb is used in a metaphorical way, this is usually
quite obvious. But the particles may be used metaphorically too. This is less easy
to recognize, but in fact there is often a clear connection between the literal
meanings of the particle and its metaphorical use.
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In English, like many other languages, the basic, literal meanings of adverbs and
prepositions refer to direction, position in space, distance, or extent:
The metaphorical uses of these particles develop from the literal ones:
The field of linguistics has exported a number of big ideas to the world. They
include the evolution of languages as an inspiration to Darwin for the evolution of
species; the analysis of contrasting sounds as an inspiration for structuralism in
literary theory and anthropology; the Whorfian hypothesis that language shapes
thought; and Chomsky`s theory of deep structure and universal grammar. Even by
these standards, George Lakoff`s theory of conceptual metaphor is lollapalooza. If
Lakoff is right, his theory can do everything from overturning millenia of
misguided thinking in the Western intellectual tradition to putting a Democrat in
the White House ( as Steven Pinker metaphorically put it).Is it true that all of us,
not just poets, speak in metaphors, whether we realize it or not? Is it perhaps even
true that we live by metaphors?
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The concepts that govern our thought are not just matters of the intellect. They
also govern our everyday functioning, down to the most mundane details. Our
concepts structure what we perceive, how we get around in the world, and how
we relate to other people. Our conceptual system thus plays a central role in
defining our everyday realities. But our conceptual system is not something we
are normally aware of. In most of the little things we do every day, we simply
think and act more or less automatically along certain lines. Just what these lines
are is by no means obvious. One way to find out is by looking at language. Since
communication is based on the same conceptual system that we use in thinking
and acting, language is an important source of evidence for what the system is
like.
Primarily on the basis of linguistic evidence, it has been found out that most of
our ordinary conceptual system is metaphorical in nature. A very subtle case of
how a metaphorical concept can hide an aspect of our experience can be seen in
what Michael Reddy has called the conduit metaphor. Reddy observes that our
language about language is structured roughly by the following complex
metaphor:
The speaker put ideas (objects) into words (containers) and sends them ( along a
conduit) to the bearer who takes the ideas / objects out of the words / containers.
Reddy documents this with more than a hundred types of expressions in English,
which he estimates to account for at least 70 per cent of the expressions we use
for talking about language. Here are some examples:
In examples like these it is difficult to see that there is anything hidden by the
metaphor or even to see that there is a metaphor here at all. This is so much the
conventional way of thinking about language that it is sometimes hard to imagine
that it might not fit reality. But if we look at what the conduit metaphor entails,
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we can see some of the ways in which it masks aspects of the communication
process.
The meaning is right then in the words which, according to the CONDUIT
metaphor, can correctly be said of any sentence.
On the other hand, metaphorical concepts can be extended beyond the range of
ordinary literal ways of thinking and taking into the range of what is called
figurative, poetic, colorful, or fanciful thought and language. Thus, if ideas are
objects, we can dress them up in fancy clothes, juggle them, line them up nice and
neat, etc. So, when we say that a concept is structured by a metaphor, we mean
that it is partially structured and that it can be extended in some ways but no
others.
ORIENTATIONAL METAPHORS
So far we have examined what we will call structural metaphors, cases where one
concept is metaphorically structured in terms of another. But there is another kind
of metaphorical concept, one that does not structure one concept in terms of
another, but instead organizes a whole system of concepts with respect to one
another. We will call these orientational metaphors since most of them have to
do with spatial orientation: up-down, in-out, front-back, on-off, .
Such metaphorical orientations are not arbitrary. They have a basis in our physical
and cultural experience. Though the polar oppositions up-down, in-out, etc. are
physical in nature, the orientational metaphors based on them vary from culture to
culture. For example, in some cultures, the future is in front of us, whereas in
others, it is back.
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4.3 Sets of metaphors
Some phrasal verbs with up refer to things becoming more exciting, lively, or
interesting, or to people becoming happier. Phrasal verbs with down refer to
things becoming quieter or calmer, or to people becoming more unhappy.
3. Completeness : UP
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4. Ending : AWAY, DOWN, OFF, OUT
When something ends, we can think of it as gradually going farther away until it
completely disappears. In phrasal verbs, away, down, off and out all express
ideas of something gradually ending.
Metaphors relating to time are often based on the idea that time is like a line that
goes from the past to the future, with the past behind us and the future in front of
us.
Phrasal verbs with ahead and forward express ideas of the future, while phrasal
verbs with back and behind express ideas of the past.
Making progress and achieving things is like being on a journey and moving
towards your destination. Phrasal verbs with along describe the kind of progress
that is being made, while phrasal verbs with ahead and behind express ideas of
making good progress or bad progress.
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Phrasal verbs with through describe the process of achieving something or
dealing with work.
We think of problems and difficulties as if they are physical objects that get in our
way. Some phrasal verbs have meanings to do with ignoring problems or
behaving as if they do not exist. The metaphorical idea is that we go around or
over the things that are in our way, or we push them further away.
When one person has power and controls another, we think of the first person as
being in a higher position than the second. Some phrasal verbs with over and up
express ideas of someone being in control, or becoming more powerful than
someone else. Phrasal verbs with down and under express ideas of someone
being forced into a weaker position, or of being controlled or restricted.
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The Emperor ruled over a vast area.
She`s been moved up to a more responsible job.
The police clamped down on drinking in the streets.
The rebellion was swiftly put down.
We had to knuckle under and do what we were told.
Relationships are like physical connections. Some phrasal verbs with together
refer to a close relationship between two people or groups, while the ones with
apart refer to the ending of a relationship.
However, some combinations with up and a verb meaning break refer to the
ending of a relationship.
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Something passed between them.
When one person says something, their words seem to leave them physically.
When they are told something, the message or information seems to enter them.
We think of things that are not yet known, or that other people may not want us to
know, as if they are in a container, or covered, or buried. Phrasal verbs with into
describe the process of trying to find information from someone or something.
I wrote a letter of complaint and the airline promised to look into the matter.
She delved into his past.
You don`t want them nosing into your finances.
Some phrasal verbs with out and up express ideas of revealing secrets or finding
information, as if they are uncovered or brought to the surface.
She tried not to tell them, but in the end she let it out.
I wormed the information out of him.
We dug up some interesting facts.
They raked up some scandal from his university days.
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CHAPTER V
There are two types of evidence that help with understanding the kinds of
problems that learners have when they use phrasal verbs.
These are :
. experimental data, such as translation tests or multiple choice tests in which
learners have to select the most appropriate verb ( phrasal verb or single-word
verb) to fill in a gap or sentence.
. computer learner corpora, which are electronic collections of spoken or written
texts produced by learners ( such as essays or transcribed conversations ).
On the basis of this evidence, we can identify a number of issues that seem to
cause problems for many learners.
1. Avoidance
The evidence suggests that learners who lack phrasal verbs in their mother tongue
tend to avoid using phrasal verbs in English for fear of making mistakes. This
doesn`t mean that they don`t use phrasal verbs at all, but rather that they use
fewer phrasal verbs and more single-word verbs than native speakers of English
performing similar tasks. Moreover, many multiword verbs carry more than one
meaning. Thus, learners who are familiar with the meaning of turn down as in
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He turned down the radio. , have problems interpreting the meaning of
He turned her down. (rejected her)
It has been found that it is best to deal with the meaning of the verb that is salient
in the text. If the meaning of the verb in focus is to reject, then, it is this
meaning that has to be taught, without going into other possible meanings. This
approach seems to be clearer and less confusing for students.
Richards states that Knowing a word means knowing its different meanings
(polysemy). That is certainly our aim in teaching, but we must realize that such
competence requires time.
It is only through reading, exposing learners to texts rich in multi-word verbs that
learners will become lexically competent. The learner must be allowed to be
vague about meaning at first; precision will come later. (Judd, quoted in Carter
and McCarthy).
Many multi-word verbs carry a literal meaning, e.g. sit down, stand up , though
many have a non-literal meaning, e.g. I picked up quite a bit of Spanish on
holiday last year.
If presented through texts, learners can sometimes interpret their meanings quite
accurately, picking up clues from the theme of the text and the co-text, but
isolated or even heard or read at sentence level, that can be very confusing for the
learner.
2. Style deficiency
Learner corpus research has shown that EFL learners tend to be stylistically
deficient, that is, they appear to be largely unaware of the differences between
informal speech and formal writing. Their formal writing sometimes contains
speech-like features, whereas their informal spoken language often sounds rather
formal and bookish. Learners` use of phrasal verbs is no exception to this.
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Consider the following examples from learners` formal essays:
The state in its turn is responsible for its citizens` well-being and must help out
when needed.
.. many people are constantly getting away from tradition, religion and moral
values.
The Swedish well-meaning immigration policy is sometimes stopping people
from getting into the society.
Besides style deficiency, one of the possible reasons why learners tend to use
more phrasal verbs in writing than in speech is that a writing task usually gives
learners more time to plan and encode their messages, and actually consider the
possibility of using a group of verbs that they are generally not very comfortable
or confident about using.
3. Semantic confusion
By far the most common errors made by learners when using phrasal verbs are
semantic errors, reflecting an incomplete understanding of the meaning of the
phrasal verbs.
Learners confuse phrasal verbs and single-word verbs whose meanings are
related:
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Saddam Hussein had the power to shut off (turn off) the heat in millions of
homes.
The meaning of some particles, e.g. up, on, in can also cause problems as
sometimes the particles can share meaning across a large number, but not all,
multi-word verbs. For instance, the particle up is often aid to express the idea of
increase, as in grow up, heat up, hurry up, cheer up, but this idea can not be
applied to the verb split up for example.
Many exercises exist which focus on particles and sensitize learners to the shared
meaning of a group. These have been found to be of value in increasing student`s
confidence in dealing with phrasal verbs, as they feel as though they have a tool
with which to help them unlock the meaning of previously incomprehensible
items.
As long as the teacher highlights the fact that the generalized meaning of the
particle in question is not the same with all multi-word verbs, then these exercises
can be useful in facilitating understanding of multi-word verbs, thus aiding
memory and ultimately production.
Studies have shown that learners lack collocational awareness, that is, they tend
to be unaware of the preferred relationship that exist between some words. Some
words belong together with other words and occur more naturally with these
words rather than with other words with the same meaning.
For example, if you`re using a camera, you do not make a picture, but you take
a picture. You do not say that scientists made an experiment, but they
conducted or carried out an experiment. Let`s consider the following examples
involving phrasal verbs:
Even the majority of teachers also cut down pupils` creativity either in their
lessons or in their exams.
Religion was also a means of calming down eventual revolts and unrests.
..teaching them moral values and preparing to set up their own families.
Native speakers of English would normally talk about stifling creativity, quelling
revolts / unrests, and starting a family.
McCarthy says that collocation is a marriage contract between words, and some
words are more firmly married to each others than others. Thus, to call off, for
example, collocates strongly with match, i.e.
The match was called off due to the rain.
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and it also collocates strongly with engagement, wedding, meeting.
Students often understand the meaning, i.e. cancel, and they attempt to apply it to
other nouns with which it in fact has no relationship.
For example, I called off my English class. sounds strange to L1 speakers, as
generally we can only call off events which have been specifically arranged, or
that are of a unique, one off nature.
Odd one out tasks are also very useful as students are involved in a deeper level
of processing, discussing why certain words don`t combine.
Most of all, though, it is through the language which occurs in the classroom , that
students can really see how the relationship between words matter, provided the
teacher draws attention to this.
Learners sometimes use phrasal verbs that do not actually exist in English, either
because they mix up verbs, they use the wrong verb or particle, or possibly also
because they feel the need to create a new phrasal verb containing a verb and a
particle to cover a gap in the language.
People who decide to marry are usually more responsible and they trust each
other more because they know that in case of problems they do not just split
apart (split up).
6. Syntactic errors
The evidence shows that learners sometimes make syntactic errors involving
transitive phrasal verbs being used intransitively, and vice versa:
39
The state should help parents to grow up better generations.
He or she begins to look for another love, splitting up the relationship.
Compare:
In responding to these problems of form, teachers can either focus on the rules or
adopt a more incidental learning approach. The latter consists of exposing learners
lots of examples, preferably in short contexts which demonstrate their syntactic
behavior. Reading is considered a key means to vocabulary improvement, and
research suggests that just using a language can be a potent way to learn it, even
without explicit focus on linguistic forms.
7. Pronunciation
Research shows that words which are difficult to pronounce are more difficult to
learn. Phrasal verbs are not too problematic for learners in terms of pronunciation,
though misplaced word stress is a common error. Students are frequently reluctant
to give stress to particles. In the sentence
One way of helping learners is by using graphics, such as stress boxes (a small
black square) on the board, and getting them to mark the stress above the words
or syllables in the whole sentence and to practice reading it aloud.
Phrasal verbs with prepositional particles (also called prepositional verbs) are a
particularly frequent source of errors, even at an upper-intermediate and advanced
level. The major source of errors include:
40
1. The influence of the learner`s mother tongue
I would also like to comment (comment on) the second part of the title.
We don`t have enough money to pay (to pay for) a flight.
I am used to using computers or listening (listening to) the radio.
The verb is a prepositional verb in English and in the learner`s mother tongue, but
the prepositional particles differ and are not direct translational equivalents:
The learner is unaware that, although a verb is a prepositional verb in their mother
tongue, it is not a prepositional verb in English:
2. Intralingual confusion
Sometimes an English verb can take more than one prepositional particle (with
different meanings), and the learner confuses the two:
An English verb is not a prepositional verb, but the derived noun is used with a
preposition. For example, you discuss something but you have a discussion
about something; you doubt something but you have doubts about
something; you contact someone but you are in contact with someone:
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Children, in fact, must be trained to discuss about (discuss) violent events as well
as about the happy ones they experience.
We must contact with (contact) people in other countries.
An English verb is used both as a prepositional verb and as a verb that does not
require the use of a preposition. The two forms have different meanings, and
learners sometimes confuse them.
You go to the university, attend to (attend = go to) classes but you don`t learn
anything about real world.
Once, a shop assistant refused to attend (attend to = serve) her.
Some societies don`t approve (approve of = think it is right or suitable) a single
unmarried woman with a child.
An English verb is used as a prepositional verb, but learners fail to realize that the
particle to is a preposition and not the infinitive particle:
She had consented to marry (consented to marrying) him only after he had
conducted a thorough search.
However, last year the Queen finally consented to pay (consented to paying)
taxes and she will open Buckingham Palace to visitors.
So when women prove their skills, men object to appreciate (object to
appreciating) them and give (giving) them their due.
While they wouldn`t object to have (object to having) an ex-burglar work for
them.
3. Style deficiency
Learners sometimes use, in formal writing, prepositional verbs that are not
typically associated with this type of text.
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Chapter VI
Teaching vocabulary
Vocabulary is the knowledge of words and word meanings. As Steven Stahl (2005
) puts it, Vocabulary knowledge is knowledge; the knowledge of a word not only
implies a definition, but also implies how that word fits into the world.
Vocabulary knowledge is not something that can ever be fully mastered; it is
something that expands and deepens over the course of a lifetime.
Our students will be more successful if we match our teaching style to their
learning styles.
Ellis (1985) described a learning style as the more or less consistent way in which
a person perceives, conceptualizes, organizes and recalls information. Our
students` learning styles will be influenced by their genetic make-up, their
previous learning experiences, their culture and the society they live in.
Sue Davidoff and Owen van den Berg (1990) suggest four steps: plan, teach/act,
observe and reflect. Here are some guidelines for each step.
Students learn better and more quickly if the teaching methods used match their
preferred learning styles.
As learning improves, so too does self-esteem. This has a further positive effect
on learning.
Students who have become bored with learning may become interested once
again.
The student-teacher relationship can improve because the student is more
successful and is more interested in learning.
There are many ways of looking at learning styles. Here are some of the
classification systems that researchers have developed.
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McCarthy`s four learning styles
Innovative learners
. look for personal meaning while learning
. draw on their values while learning
. enjoy social interaction
. are cooperative
. want to make the world a better place
Analytical learners
. want to develop intellectually while learning
. draw on facts while learning
. want to know important things and to add to the world`s knowledge
Dynamic learners
. look for hidden possibilities
. judge thins by gut reactions
. synthetise information from different sources
. are enthusiastic and adventurous
Visual use many visuals in the classroom. For example, wall displays posters,
realia, flash cards, etc.
Auditory use audio tapes and videos, storytelling, songs, memorization and
drills. Allow learners to work in small groups regularly.
Kinesthetic use physical activities, competitions, board games, role plays, etc.
Intersperse activities which require students to sit quietly with activities that allow
them to move around and be active
Tactile use board and card games, demonstrations, projects, role plays, etc. Use
while-listening activities and reading activities. For example, ask students to fill
in a table while listening to a talk.
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Field-independent vs. field-dependent
Left-brained dominated:
-give verbal instructions and explanations
-set some closed tasks to which the students can discover the right answer.
Right-brain dominated:
-write instructions as well as giving them verbally
-demonstrate what you would like students to do
-give students clear guide lines for tasks
-set some open-ended tasks for which there is no right answer
-use realia and other things that students can manipulate while learning
Innovative learners:
-use cooperative learning activities and activities in which students must make
value judgements
-ask students to discuss their opinions and beliefs
Analytical learners:
-teach students the facts
Dynamic learners:
-ask students about their feelings
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makes explicit vocabulary teaching necessary. However, teaching idiomatic
phrasal verbs is notoriously difficult if not impossible to teach because of the
complexity of its linguistic, semantic and psycho-cognitive aspects. How can
teachers help learners?
First of all, ways of presenting new vocabulary should be varied. In order to
improve the efficiency of vocabulary learning (memorizing and retrieving lexical
items) students should be encouraged to make use of learning strategies that are
at their disposal, and be taught, either implicitly or explicitly, new strategies for
vocabulary learning.
2. Formal practice
These strategies promote systematic learning and vocabulary practice. The aim is
accurate reproduction and is often connected to the tasks of formal instruction.
Examples of strategies:
- loud repetition
- bilingual dictionary
- testing oneself
- noting new items in class
3. Functional practice
These strategies are based on context as a vocabulary source. They also include
exposure to language, but without making a conscious effort (incidental learning).
They also have a social aspect, i.e. interaction.
Examples of strategies:
- remembering phrasal verbs while watching TV/reading
- using known phrasal verbs in context
- looking for definitions
- listening to songs and trying to understand
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- using phrasal verbs in conversations
- practice with friends
4. Memorizing
Examples of strategies:
- using pictures, illustrations
- associations with L1
But yet, by far the most important vocabulary strategy is to guess unknown
words from context.
When we learned our first language, most of the words were not taught to us, we
picked them up from books, the TV and from conversations. There is not enough
time to teach thousands of words one by one in class, so language learners must
also know how to guess unknown words successfully.
The first thing to do when a learner meets a new phrasal verb is to ignore it. If it is
important it will come again. If they meet the phrasal verb a second time and
communication breaks down, then they should try and guess its meaning. If they
have any idea, they should try to substitute their guess into the sentence to see if
the meaning of the sentence is clear.
Practical activities
Each student gets a letter and has to find about 5 phrasal verbs s/he thinks would
be useful for them. They then report to the class, perhaps as a mingle activity,
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using word cards (on one side they write the letter, on the other side they write
information on the phrasal verb spelling, pronunciation, definition).
This is to get students to write down new words they hear in class. At the
beginning of the semester divide students into groups of about 5 and give each
group a number (e.g.1-6). Give each group about 10 cards on which they write the
number of their group and the new phrasal verbs they hear in class. At the end of
each class they put their cards into the word bag and every 2 weeks you check
whether they still know those phrasal verbs and which group has the most cards,
and the one that knows more words.
The teacher prepares a list of phrasal verbs. Each student gets one phrasal verb
which is prepared especially for him or her. The trick is that each student gets a
phrasal verb whose initial letter is the same as the initial of the student`s first
name, e.g. Laura gets laugh at yourself. Each student must look it up in the
dictionary during the class and after a few minutes report to the class.
E.g. My name is Laura and I think it is important to be able to laugh at yourself.
That means that I am.(definition).For homework students can do the same
using their surname.
Instruction for students: Think of a town or city you know well. Imagine that you
are organizing a sightseeing tour. Think of 5 places you would include in your
tour and write down the order in which the tourists would visit them. Learn your
tour off by heart so that you can picture it in your mind. Whenever you have 5
new phrasal verbs to learn, imagine these are the tourists on your tour and picture
the phrasal verbs in the places on your tour like this.
Tour: Trafalgar Square; Buckingham Palace; Houses of Parliament; Westminster
Abbey; Downing Street. Phrasal verbs to learn: shut oneself up, see out (the Old
Year), fall under, gut it on, screw up (the courage). Imagine Nelson on his
column in Trafalgar Square screwing up the courage to ask the queen out, the
queen shutting herself up in her room to see out the Old Year..
Reading and listening texts are often used in ELT classroom to practice receptive
skills and /or as an introduction to a topic or language point. However, authentic
and near-authentic texts are an excellent source of collocations and other lexical
chunks (phrasal verbs in our case), and it is worth spending a little extra time on a
49
text to draw learners` attention to these. An adult native-speaker has hundreds of
thousands pre-constructed chunks at his disposal. Students need to be trained to
record and learn chunks, rather than individual words, to enhance their fluency
and produce more natural-sounding language.
If learners understand a chunk in context, they may not notice it. For example,
most intermediate students would understand the phrase hold your head up, but
very few at this level will produce it. By drawing learners` attention to chunks, we
can help them use the words they already know more accurately and to express a
wider range of ideas. Exploiting reading and listening texts for lexical chunks:
The following activities can be used after exploiting a text for meaning, for
example, after learners answer comprehension questions or do a matching
exercise based on the text.
Listening
- Give learners the tapescript with some key phrasal verbs blanked out. They
listen again and complete the spaces.
- Listening texts can also be used to provide a model for pronunciation, for
example, the stress of phrasal verbs. Ask learners to identify the stress and drill
the phrases.
- Songs are a useful lexical resource. Before listening, give learners the words of a
song with some phrasal verbs that have either the preposition /particle or the verb
blanked out. Ask them to work in pairs to predict the words missing from each
space.
Reading
- Prepare a table which includes half or part of some of the multi-word verbs in a
text. Learners then scan the text to complete the table with the other part of the
phrasal verbs.
- Short texts can be used to prepare for and practice reading aloud. Pauses
normally come at the end of the phrase, while content words are stressed. If
learners mark pauses and stressed words, this will improve their reading aloud, as
well as helping them to notice chunks.
- Reading activities can also be used for consciousness-rising. After answering
comprehension questions, learners are asked to put the original text away, and are
given a new version with some of the phrases blanked out. Working in pairs, they
have to reconstruct the phrases, before checking with the original.
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Recycling phrasal verbs
Learners are unlikely to remember phrasal verbs after seeing them just once, so it
will be necessary to recycle them in subsequent classes. Most traditional
vocabulary-recycling activities can be adapted for use with multi-word items, but
here are a few ideas:
- Give learners discussion questions including the phrasal verbs. Personalization
can make the language more memorable.
- Pelmanism, i.e. the memory game where learners have to find matching parts of
phrasal verbs from cards placed face- down on the table. They turn over two
cards, and keep them if they go together.
- Prepare a list of phrasal verbs recently seen in the class. Divide the class into
teams of 3-4 students, and give each team a piece of paper. Write a phrasal verb
from the list on the board. The first team to write a correct sentence including that
phrasal verb gets a point. Continue until you have exhausted the list, or until one
team reaches a specified number of points.
- A few minutes before the end of a class, ask learners working individually to
write down all the new phrasal verbs they have seen in that class. They can
compare together, or if there`s enough time, give definitions for their partner to
guess the phrasal verbs. This can also be done at the beginning of a class to
recycle language from the previous class.
It is important to be aware that this kind of development takes time and we won`t
see instant results. However, in the long term, working in this way can not only
increase our students` vocabulary, and the degree of accuracy with which they use
it, but it can also develop their abilities to notice patterns in language and so
become more autonomous learners.
Here is another range of approaches and methods that can be used to help
students:
Categorizing
Focus on lexical verb
Lexical sets
Teaching through texts
One way of using texts in classroom
Categorizing
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separated or not. Students study the rules, and then attempt to match a number of
phrasal verbs (generally not linked thematically), to their appropriate type.
It has been found that occasionally, students, usually analytical learners, have
benefited from such an approach. The terminology can also aid students
resourceful enough to study in their own time, through the use of grammars and
dictionaries.
Generally, however, some found this approach cumbersome. The learner is often
overburdened with terminology, and sheer wealth and complexity of the rules can
put students off using them. Too much classroom time becomes taken up with
grammar terminology, with little left to engage in real language use, such as
reading and speaking. The students spend time learning to use English rather
than using English to learn it. (Howatt)
These exercises are a test of meaning rather than form, but there is usually no
situational coherence. The lack of co-text in exercises such verbs. They lack
communicative purpose, and the students have no hooks with which to connect
the meaning to their own life. One way of making exercises such as these a little
more communicative is to set students the task of constructing sentences about
themselves, using these verbs, in an attempt to make the meaning real for them.
A further point regarding this type of grouping is that it can be very confusing for
students. It is only the particle which changes the meaning, but being confronted
with so many different particles, students easily confuse them, producing
sentences such as:
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Lexical sets
More recently, approaches have tended to group phrasal verbs into lexical sets.
Thus, they may include:
take off
do up
speed up
touch down, etc
Certain phrasal verb books group verbs in this way and have a number of
advantages. The verbs are presented through text, which make their meanings
clearer, and students can also use the co-text to work out the meanings. Such
cognitive engagement may also make the exercise more memorable.
However, again, the potential for confusion is high, when the lexical set contains
words of very similar a meaning. For instance, in a text about relationships,
which contained the verbs go out with, get on with, fall out, split up students
found that words of similar meaning interfered with each other, especially those
which had a similar form ,go out with and get on with.
A more natural approach perhaps, is to teach phrasal verbs as they occur in a text.
Language is used in context and is usually better learnt in context. In authentic
texts the relationship between the verbs is often looser, thereby reducing the
chances of confusion.
A possible approach is to underline in a text all the phrasal verbs which you wish
students to notice. Then, in groups, ask them to try to divine their meanings. The
students will thus be able to use the co-text to help them.
Guessing a new word`s meaning from context is a key vocabulary learning skill
and Nation (1990) identifies it as one of the three principal strategies for handling
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unknown vocabulary. Inferring from context is a difficult task, yet, The deeper
the decisions a task forces upon a learner, the superior the retention and recall
(Nattinger).
The next step is to move from recognition to production. The teacher sets up a
situation, and then asks students to make the phrasal verb their own by producing
a text along similar lines to the original. Thus, if the original text they read was an
advertisement for a gym for example, then ask them to write another
advertisement for a gym, but this time aimed especially at their classmates.
The main problem which arises when teaching authentic text construction is how
to encourage our students to create something orally or in writing on a particular
topic in the form of an authentic text. This is a challenging method and is
associated with higher mental processes which are indispensable while learning
and first of all in the creative sphere. It is them that impose the authentic character
of the texts which are created to present somebody`s views on a particular topic.
To be able to deal with the problem of constructing authentic texts, we should first
discriminate between activities which are intended to assure that students have
learnt what has been required from them so far, and activities whose chief aim is
students` spontaneous work. The former activities are associated with the
syntagmatic presentation of grammar rules and lexical items plus explanations.
The activities are mostly based on guided translations from Romanian into
English. Exercises of this type aim at preparing students to genuine text
construction. The latter activities, however, force students to make use of the
linguistic knowledge students have acquired during explanation period. The
teacher`s role in the process of formulating authentic texts is to minimize the
distance between explanation period and an authentic meaningful text.
Teachers may activate their students to construct various texts in many ways. For
instance, teachers may propose the content of a particular text, that is, they
provide the topic, certain grammatical structures and vocabulary items to be used
in a particular text. These are so-called predictable texts as the teacher knows
exactly what his students intend to say or write. However, these texts are not
included in the sphere of fully authentic texts as they are deprived of spontaneity.
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For instance, teachers may ask their students to write the story of Cinderella
providing them with some helpful phrases like (a predictable text) :
Students are to begin the story Once upon a time. and write it in the Simple
Past tense and end the story with.. and they lived happily ever after. There is
one more condition, namely, there is a list of Phrasal Verbs to be involved in the
composition including:
to make up one`s mind, to dress up, to tidy up, to clean up, to wear out, to get
into something (Workman: Phrasal Verbs and Idioms)
Once upon a time there lived a girl called Cinderella. She had only a father
because her mother died when she was a very little girl. After a short period of
time Cinderella`s father made up his mind. He decided to marry again. He
married a cruel woman with two horrible and ugly daughters. Not very long after
the wedding the stepmother and her two daughters started to treat Cinderella very
badly. The poor girl had to do all the housework. She tidied everything up every
morning and cleaned up every room in the big house. Her clothes wore out very
quickly and were torn and dirty. And so it came, that the stepmother received a
letter from the royal palace which invited everybody to the ball. When the
stepsisters got to know about this, they started to discuss what to wear to the ball.
They couldn`t decide which dress to wear so Cinderella had to help them to
choose. When they dressed up and put on their clothes, they hurried to the ball
not waiting for Cinderella. Unfortunately, the poor girl had nothing to wear,
but
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The method of creating texts is highly associated with the syntagmatic
presentation of grammar as we deal with a few grammar points and their
connections within a given text. The syntagmatic presentation displays the way
the text functions as one whole in a certain situation. It is also associated with
grammar and vocabulary and operates as a starting point to text creation process
in which students have an opportunity to see the collocation between particular
items and can see what kind of function particular items play in the text.
If we aim at teaching a few phrasal verbs to our students, we should present them
in many different real contexts so as to enable them to deduce their exact meaning
and to see whether they are transitive or intransitive, separable or inseparable. All
these items can be noticed by the students if phrasal verbs are presented in
authentic contexts.
Who says phrasal verbs are only for intermediate level students and up? This
lesson is for elementary or false beginners to introduce some common phrasal
verbs. It can be used with higher levels who are suffering from phrasal verb
anxiety and need to be reminded that it is not that difficult.
TPR (Total Physical Response) is a language teaching method which was first
developed by James Asher. With this method students learn the target language by
first listening and responding physically to the spoken requests of the teacher.
Later, students produce the target language in making requests of their fellow
students (giving them commands). This lesson draws partly on this method for its
first stages.
This set of phrasal verbs are presented together in the context of the classroom
and classroom instructions:
PICK UP TURN ON RUB OUT
WRITE DOWN TURN OVER SIT DOWN
PUT AWAY PUT UP COVER UP
PUT DOWN TURN OFF STAND UP
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Stage one
If you are not sure that students will understand the majority of these phrasal
verbs, read the following statements out loud and perform the action. Students
have to order the phrasal verbs in the order they hear them.
If many of the phrasal verbs are familiar to them, copy the following statements
onto individual strips of paper. Give a student one strip of paper and ask him/her
to perform the action (but not read it). All the students mark the corresponding
phrasal verb on their paper. Continue with different students until you have gone
through all the statements.
Statements:
. Stand up and then sit down again.
. Pick up your pen and then put it down.
. Put away your books.
. Rub out the words on the board.
. Pick up your pen and write down some words in your notebook.
. Turn on your mobile phone and then turn it off.
. Turn over your papers and put your hand up.
. Open your book. Cover up page 15 with a piece of paper.
UP and DOWN
Sometimes you can understand the phrasal verb by looking at the particle (the
second word). The particles UP and DOWN often relate to a physically higher or
physically lower position. Stand up, put up (your hand), sit down, pick up and
put down are all examples of this kind of phrasal verb. Try the interactive
exercise to practice phrasal verbs with up and down.
Stage two
Check back the answers with the students. Then repeat the instructions in a
different order but ask individual students to perform them (e.g. Maria, put away
your books. Peter, pick up your pen. Put it down again.) You could add another
one in with your instructions: Hurry up! Make sure you write one on the board
and explain its meaning.
57
When you have practised this sufficiently, ask students to try and complete the
gaps in the following exercise:
Check answers (the sentences are the same as the above statements).
Drill the pronunciation of the sentences, and highlight that the second part of the
phrasal verb often receive more emphasis (sit down, pick up your pen).
Stage three
Ask students to work in pairs and give each other instructions using the phrasal
verbs. Circulate and listen, correcting errors in pronunciation (wrong emphasis).
Stage four
58
If you are doing this as a review for an elementary level class you could point out
the grammar of this group of phrasal verbs. With the exception of sit down and
stand up, all the phrasal verbs in this lesson have the following characteristics:
1. They take an object (rub out the words, turn on the TV)
2. The object can go between the verb and the particle or after the particle (put
your hand up or put up your hand)
3. If you use a pronoun (e.g. it) then it can only go between the verb and the
particle (turn it off not turn off it).
Stand up and sit down are phrasal verbs that don`t take an object and are
therefore never separated.
This lesson takes a two pronged approach to helping students learn phrasal verbs.
It begins with a reading comprehension which can also serve to introduce some
interesting student stories for discussion. The second part of the lesson includes a
brainstorming session for students to create lists of phrasal verbs to share with one
another.
59
thought of us driving down the road in this stolen Postal Truck. Luckily for us, the
postman came running towards us shouting:
What are you kids up to? Of course we all got out of that truck as quickly as we
could and took off down the road.
Outline:
Tell the students a little bit about what you have done that teaching day.
Example: I got up at seven this morning. After I had breakfast, I put together
tonight`s lesson plan and came to school. I got into the bus at X square and got off
at Y square
Ask students which of the verbs you used were phrasal verbs and ask them to
repeat these verbs. At this point, you might want to ask them if they have ever
taken a look under the heading get in a dictionary. Ask them what they have
discovered.
Explain that phrasal verbs are very important in English especially for native
speakers of the language. You can point out that it might not be important for
them to be able to use a lot of phrasal verbs if they use their English with other
non-native speakers. However, it is important that they have a passive knowledge
of phrasal verbs, as they will need to understand more and more phrasal verbs as
they become used to reading, listening and seeing and exploring authentic
materials in English. Obviously, if they are going to use their English with native
speakers, they will really need to buckle down and get used to using and
understanding phrasal verbs.
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Write a list of common verbs that combine with prepositions to make phrasal
verbs. For example:
take
get
make
put
bring
burn
be
carry
Divide students into small groups of 3-4 each, ask students to choose three of the
verbs from the list and then brainstorm to come up with as many phrasal verbs as
they can and then write examples for each.
As a class, ask students to take notes while you write down the phrasal verbs that
each group provides. You should then give a spoken example or two for each of
the phrasal verbs so that students can understand the phrasal verbs from the
context of what you are saying.
Once you have provided the students with examples, ask them to read their own
examples and check to make sure that they have used the phrasal verbs correctly.
Don`t introduce the idea of separable and inseparable phrasal verbs at this point.
The students will already be dealing with almost too much new information. Save
that for a future lesson.
1. I filled it in.
2. I take after him.
3. I get on well with them.
4. I`ve given them up.
5. I`m looking forward to it.
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6. I`ve run out.
7. I looked it up.
8. I went on talking.
9. I grew up there.
10. I got up late.
2. Cross out the noun phrases on the right that cannot be used with the phrasal
verbs on the left.
Example:
Example
Don`t leave your coat on the floor hang it up .
a. Just sit . and relax everything will be all right in a minute.
b. The teacher told the students to put their books and get ready for the test.
c. They asked me to look their flat while they were on holiday.
d. They switched the TV and finally went to bed.
e. This room is real mess clear it immediately!
f. We really haven`t got time to deal that problem right now.
g. Why don`t you throw those old shoes and get some new ones?
6. Rewrite each sentence so that it contains a form of the phrasal verb given :
.
c. The athletics meeting was postponed for a week.
put off
.
d. The doctor told David to stop playing football.
give up
.
e. Could you write all the details on this form?
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fill in
.
f. Jack arrived half-way through the lesson.
turn up
.
g. You can stay with us for a week.
put up
..
h. Helen is doing well in her English class.
get on
7. Rewrite each sentence so that it has a similar meaning and contains the
word given.
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take
.
8. Fill in the following verbs (believe, fill, get, look, put, switch, take, throw,
turn, try) with the correct prepositions (away, down, for, in, off, on, out).
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4. In the dream, my wallet turned a butterfly and flew away. Isn't
that symbolic. I think I'd better stop spending so much money.
5. Before the plane took , the flight attendant told everyone to
fasten their seat belts and extinguish their cigarettes.
6. Don't forget to put your gloves . It is cold outside!
7. The police chased the robber down the street and through the park but
they couldn't catch him. He got by jumping on the back of a
passing truck.
8. Fred told us to keep . He said the dog was very aggressive and
that it might even be rabid.
9. I am looking an apartment near the beach. I would like a
studio or a one bedroom with a view of the ocean.
10. I can't believe how much John takes his father. They look and
act exactly the same.
11. I can mail the letter for you. I go the post office on my way
to work.
12. If you watch your money, stay in hostels, make your own food, and
plan carefully, you can get there on less than $30.00 a day.
13. If you don't understand the word "superstitious," look it in
the dictionary.
14. For legal reasons, our lawyer wants to go the papers
thoroughly before we sign them.
15. Popular protest and extensive media coverage finally helped bring
change in the country's environmental policies.
16. Mr. Octavio checked our names the list one by one as we
entered the room.
17. I can't hear what they are saying on TV. Can you please turn it
?
18. This radio station is based in Chicago, which is 60 miles from here.
That is why the broadcast doesn't come clearly.
19. This is the most intensive language course I have ever taken. I have to
study four hours per night just to keep with the pace of the class.
20. I think the experiment supports my theory, but I need to go
the results a couple of times to make sure that no mistakes were made
while collecting the data.
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10. Use the correct phrasal verb to complete the phrase:
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
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We'll have to ..............some new
employees.
You don't think I believe that ridiculous
story you.........., do you?
I think you need to ..............a new hobby
to help you relax.
When the father saw what had happened he
................and shouted at his son.
I had to ..............her offer of a job. The
salary on offer was just not good enough.
We ..............at six in the morning on our
drive to the coast.
Jacek and Gosia .............last week. They
set off just weren't happy together.
take back We'd better stop soon. Otherwise,
take on we'll ...................of gas.
put up with I want you to ................every bad word
you've said about my brother.
Unfortunately, I had to ..................Bob
go over
because of his poor performance recently.
Exercise 3
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I .....................and past the policeman
doing 120 m.p.h.!
Unfortunately, our school had to ........the
music department because of lack of funds.
for Make sure to ........pick-pockets when you
go to the market.
go out The boy ..................the man and returned
his wallet.
11. Complete each gap with a suitable word: just ONE word in each case.
Each correct answer gets 10 points.
Teacher to students:
Well, there's nothing else for it: you're just going to have
that, I'll just give the test you did last week.
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carry as you've been doing, you should do fine!"
11. Fill in the gaps with one of the phrasal verbs given:
ask Julia out called her back called her up cheer himself up
drop in on figure out get over get over getting along give
up on hung up made up pick her up picked up take her
out turned him down
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12. Tick the correct answer:
2He didn't mind going to the store because he could ________ doing
the dishes.
get out of
get out
get off
get over
3When he _____ from the store, his girlfriend had finished doing
the dishes.
got by
got with
got in
got back
4She told him she couldn't _____ the rest of the housework without
his help.
get through
get over
get on
get off
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get on
get along
get over
get up
13. Choose from the list to complete the sentences. Put the verbs in the
correct form:
crowd around call off keep on account for let out get on
walk out turn out catch up climb down
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2.How did he ___ their bad behavior.
3.He must be about 90. He is really ___.
4.In the end everything ___ OK.
5.Can you ___ all right or should I get a ladder?
6.I am sorry that I am late. I got ___ in traffic.
7.I was so angry that I ___ in protest.
8.The man was ___ of jail early for good behavior.
9.Even though he was tired, he ___ going.
10.After the accident a lot of people ___.
To show your ticket and get your seat at the airport is to ___.
a. check out
b. check off
c. check in
To visit somewhere for a short time when you are going somewhere is to ___.
a. stop off
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b. stop away
c. stop on
To stay somewhere for a length of time when you are on a long journey is to ___.
a. stop by
b. stop over
c. stop on
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b. dream about it
c. work it out
If you say something you have learned quickly and without stopping, you ___.
a. knock down
b. rattle off
c. rabbit on
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b. rub in
c. blurt out
To suddenly stop talking in the middle of a speech because you have forgotten
what to say it to ___.
a. wipe out
b. dry up
c. go over.
If a part of your body gets bigger and rounder because of injury or illness it ___.
a. comes out
b. kicks in
c. swells up
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To be able to eat or drink without vomiting is to ___.
a. keep it down
b. get over it
c. dip into
To ask someone to talk loudly so that you can hear them is the same as to ___ up.
a. talk
b. ask
c. speak
To become happy after being sad or miserable is the same as to ___ up.
a. put
b. look
c. cheer
To put nice clothes on and look smart is the same as to ___ up.
a. stand
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b. lock
c. dress
If a problem suddenly happens, it is the same as a problem has just ___ up.
a. lit
b. beat
c. cropped
To admit you have done something wrong is the same as to ___ up.
a. own
b. dig
c. lighten
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c. do
To try to find some information or thing from the past is the same as to ___ up
something.
a. try
b. hold
c. dig
To redo your lipstick and tidy up your hair and appearance is the same as to ___
up.
a. pull
b. freshen
c. kick
If you hit, punch or kick someone, it's the same as to ___ up someone.
a. pull
b. bottle
c. beat
To finish your drink quickly because you are leaving is the same as to ___ up.
a. keep
b. kick
c. drink
To not share your feeling with anyone is the same as to ___ up your feelings.
a. bottle
b. sum
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c. pile
To not be able to speak or move because of fright or worry is the same as to ___
up.
a. keep
b. freeze
c. hang
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I missed a lot of classes so I have to work hard to ___ up.
a. save
b. catch
c. lock
You should always ___ up any words you don't know in a dictionary.
a. get
b. look
c. cheer
I can't believe he ___ up the bill and paid for our dinner.
a. set
b. put
c. picked
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c. came
FINAL REMARK
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Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear,
but around in awareness
I have been studying languages and teaching English for some years now and I
have found out that learning an expression (proverb, phrase, idiom, famous
saying) is helpful in many ways. Therefore I always introduce my students to
idiomatic expressions, from the very beginning.
Learning such expressions not only introduce students to some cultural aspects of
the language they are learning, but it also makes them feel confident in using and
repeating them when the chance arises, generating respect in those with whom
they come in contact.
This paper has arisen out of a deep and prolonged dissatisfaction which I have felt
with both the past and present status of teaching/learning of idiomatic expressions
and multi-word verbs of English. My main objective was, therefore, to seek
suitable alternatives and different approaches, to provide those engaged in English
language teaching and learning with possible means for pre-empting and solving
the problems and difficulties of teaching and learning idioms and multi-word
verbs of English.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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1. Alexander, L.,G., English Grammar, Longman, 1999
84
17. Vince, Michael, Grammar Practice from Beginners to Advanced,
MacMillan, 2000
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