Past continuous & Phrasal verbs — O/L English

What must I remember about Past continuous & Phrasal verbs?

• Phrasal verbs combine a base verb with a preposition or adverbial particle, creating idiomatic meanings distinct from the original verb.
• Essential resilience phrasal verbs: 'cope with' (manage successfully), 'give up' (surrender/abandon), 'carry on' (continue), 'put up with' (tolerate), 'look forward to' (anticipate with pleasure).
• Separable phrasal verbs allow the object between verb and particle ('turn the offer down' or 'turn down the offer'); pronoun objects must go between ('turn it down').
• Inseparable phrasal verbs keep verb and particle together: 'look after children', 'come across an old friend', 'run out of resources'.
• Three-part phrasal verbs are always inseparable: 'get on with', 'catch up with', 'look down on', 'put up with'.

Test yourself (1 minute)

1. The 'look forward to' gerund trap

   The phrase 'look forward to' must be followed by a noun or gerund (-ing form), NEVER a base verb (e.g., 'I look forward to meeting you', NOT 'look forward to meet you').

2. Pronoun placement with separable verbs

   Writing 'pick up it' or 'turn off it' is grammatically incorrect; always write 'pick it up' and 'turn it off'.

3. Informal letter writing (Paper 1 Test 8 & Paper 2 Test 14)

   Incorporate resilience phrasal verbs naturally when advising a friend facing academic difficulties.

Practise Past continuous & Phrasal verbs questions today

Source: NIE G.C.E. (O/L) English Language Syllabus (Grade 11, Unit 2)

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Where does Past continuous & Phrasal verbs fit in the syllabus?

Grade 11 · Term 1