1. Overview:
Transitive and intransitive phrasal verbs are important for understanding how different verbs function in sentences. Transitive phrasal verbs need an object to complete their meaning, while intransitive phrasal verbs do not.
2. Cases of Usage:
Case 1: Transitive phrasal verbs need an object to make sense.
List of transitive phrasal verbs: turn down, put off, hand in, give away, look up, take off, try on, fill out.
Example: "She turned down the job offer."
Case 2: Intransitive phrasal verbs do not need an object and can stand alone.
List of intransitive phrasal verbs: get up, come over, go off, show up, run away, stay up, catch on, drop by.
Example: "I got up early this morning."
Case 3: Transitive phrasal verbs can sometimes use a noun or pronoun as an object.
Example: "I looked it up in the dictionary."
Case 4: Some intransitive phrasal verbs can form expressions with prepositions but still do not take an object.
Example: "They showed up at the party."
3. Exceptions or Things to Pay Attention To:
Some phrasal verbs can be both transitive and intransitive depending on the context. For example, "take off" can be transitive when it means to remove something:
Example: "She took off her shoes." (transitive)
But it can be intransitive when referring to an airplane:
Example: "The plane took off at 10 AM." (intransitive)
4. Additional Notes:
Common mistakes include confusing transitive and intransitive forms. Remember, if you can ask "what?" after the verb, it is likely transitive. For instance, "He gave away what?" (the answer is "the book"). If there is no object, it is intransitive.
