Open Educational Resources for English Language Teachers
The Most Common Particles of Phrasal Verbs
Seventy-five percent of phrasal verbs in use can be accounted for with just 150 phrasal verbs and their most common meanings (Gardner and Davies, 2007 and Liu, 2011). If you break down these 150 phrasal verbs by particle, you get the table you see below. Teaching these 13 prepositions, also known as particles of phrasal verbs, sounds a whole lot easier than teaching 150 phrasal verbs, yes?
Click on the links below to discover teaching insights for each particle:
OUT means on the other side of where you normally are. If you are "out," you are slow, relaxed; feeling or being revealed or separated from the mainstream.
UP means higher, closer, tighter, tenser. It is an increase on any axis. If you are "up," you are awake, happy and charged. You may even be revealed, changed or completed.
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BACK
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IN
ON
ON: Connection to a surface, power or person. If you are "on," you are feeling connected to a task or to a person, and you are moving, or continuing to move, forward!
OVER
OFF
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AROUND
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There is a great need for free and open resources for ESL teachers all over the world. If you like my materials, feel free to use them, change them, adapt them for your needs. Just reference this website and myself, Serena Gammon, and don't use the materials for commercial purposes. They are meant to be shared freely. Thank you!