today on let them talk I'm answering
question from a viewer to this channel
now recently I posted a video 101 really
useful phrasal verbs and if you haven't
seen it yet
then you should definitely have a look
at that the link is somewhere up here
and in the comments of that video I
received a question from Kier Neil
Mozgov and he said this
good morning Gideon thanks a lot for
another useful lesson everybody knows
how important phrasal verbs are please
make a video dedicated to how to learn
phrasal verbs learning phrasal verbs is
a great challenge share your experience
with us tell us about the most efficient
methods to get it many thanks in advance
good question good question
okay so let's look at that today so
first of all we need to define what a
phrasal verb is okay so frozen verb is a
verb followed by one or more
prepositions or and adverbial particle
but let's just call them prepositions
here and what's specific about phrasal
verbs as opposed to an ordinary verb
with a preposition is that in a phrasal
verb adding the preposition will
completely change the meaning of the
verb to that if it's used on its own so
let's look at an example of that listen
to okay so that's not a phrasal verb is
a verb and preposition so listen to
still has the meaning of listening okay
so I listened to the radio it's not a
phrasal verb let's have a look at an
example of a phrasal verb give that's a
normal verb but if I add the preposition
in we have give in which means to
surrender or admit defeat so for example
there's no way I can win this tennis
game so I give in now it would be
difficult or impossible to understand
and give in from the
give alone okay so it's a phrasal verb
so you have to learn give in as a
separate word to give sometimes you get
a verb and a preposition which can have
more than one meaning okay so let's have
it to that look down he's not a phrasal
verb when I'm looking to something below
me look down okay but when I say he
looked down on people who didn't have
his level of education it's quite a
different meaning it means to consider
someone inferior okay so a phrasal verb
has a completely different meaning to
the verb on its own so you need to be
very careful about that when you are
reading and listening because you can
completely misunderstand the meaning so
if you if you read the King looked down
on his subjects
well actually could mean literally look
down from the top of his castle or a
phrasal verb meaning he considered his
subjects inferior okay so you need the
context is very important let's have a
look at one more example to turn
okay so let's add the preposition down
now turned down has two phrasal verbs
turned down means refused I asked her
out to dinner but she turned me down
okay and turn down can also mean reduce
the sound the music is too loud can you
turn it down now there are thousands of
phrasal verbs that's the bad news but
the good news is they are just
vocabulary every language has vocabulary
your language has lots of vocabulary and
these are just words
will be in two or three parts but they
are just words and once you realize that
then it's a little less intimidating so
big question how do we learn them it's a
good question and different teachers
will take different approaches and at
the end of the day you have to decide
what's best for you so one way of
teaching them and learning them of
course is to bundle all the phrasal
verbs with the same preposition together
okay so and see how the preposition
indicates a similar meaning okay so
let's look at some examples of that of
that
so take the preposition up okay up can
have the meaning to move to a higher
level to increase greater intensity so
for example speak up speak up means
speak more loudly so to a greater
intensity turn up can mean make it a
greater intensity turn up the music go
up okay so prices went up this month
here up means increase okay up can also
mean finished completely so for example
tidy up the room okay so tidy to the end
eat up your food okay so that means eat
it completely finish up okay I have to
finish up my my work okay so finish to
the end okay up could also mean destroy
break completely smash up means yes mash
completely he smashed up the room he
smashed everything break up our
relationship has broken up it's finished
definitively blow up my engine blew up
okay so completely destroyed okay with
other prepositions on/off down in you
you can you can also recognize similar
patterns and the things that they have
in common and many to many teachers
teach phrasal verbs in this way and some
really ex
excellent teachers here on YouTube used
this method to teach phrasal verbs and
you should definitely check out their
videos however for me personally I
prefer a different approach the problem
I have with this grouping method is that
there are too many exceptions too many
irregularities I'll show you what I mean
so now I know that if I see a verb
followed by app it means
add to intensity completely add to a
higher level increase okay yeah all
right but what about cue up what does
that mean cue up it's the same as to cue
isn't it okay and same with wait up and
wait what does the up mean they're not
quite sure okay what sharp all right so
you wash up the dishes
alright wash up completely is that right
yeah so you can wash up your clothes
can't you know you can't you wash your
clothes but you wash up the dishes why I
don't know okay so talk and speak have
similar meanings so so speak at means
increase the volume okay that's because
that cool that fits into the pattern but
what that talk up should have a similar
meaning shouldn't it but it doesn't talk
up means to speak about something in a
favorable way so for example the
companies just launched a new product
and they're trying to talk it up in the
media okay all right look up we look up
in the word look up a word in the
dictionary why the other thing about
this method is at least to sue some
false assumptions so for example plug in
means insert an electoral electrical
device into an electric electricity
supply so logically the opposite of in
is out so it should be plug alright I
plugged out the computer No
the opposite plug-in is to unplug I
unplugged my computer you pick up the
phone right you pick up and the opposite
should be no pick down turn it
well no it's hang up you pick up it then
you hang up that's illogical there might
be a pattern to it I can't see it's it's
so complicated that by the time you've
and if you're reading an article by the
time you finish it you're pulling out
your hair you've taken eight power city
moles and you're still got a headache
and you need some need some
psychotherapy language is not a science
so the method I suggest is to learn
phrasal verbs in a more natural more
organic way you come across a phrasal
verb in the process of your everyday
life when you're listening to someone or
reading or watching a TV show whatever
then make a note of it make a note of it
write it down on a spreadsheet or
whatever whatever suits you check the
meaning in the dictionary write down the
definition and especially make a note if
there is a non phrasal verb equivalent
and this is often the case so you write
down the structure as well okay what
type of phrasal verb is it is it a
transitive phrasal verb that's a verb
that takes a direct object such as
makeup which means to invent or lie he
made up a story
okay that's transitive is it an
intransitive phrasal verb one that is
not followed by a noun for example grow
up children grow up fast okay is it a
separable phrasal verb
these are phrasal verbs that can be
separated so that you can put words
between the verb and preposition for
example throw away
I threw the rubbish away or I threw away
the rubbish it's a separable phrasal
verb the non phrasal verb equivalent by
the way is disposed I die I'm going to
dispose of the rubbish and then there
are inseparable phrasal verbs look into
for example two means to investigate
I'll look into the problem or I'll
investigate the problem would be there
non phrasal verb equivalent next write
an example very important write an
example if you saw the video of 101
phrasal verbs I did I had 101 examples
next again very important use the
phrasal verb in conversation or in
writing okay so you must use it that
helps you helps you remember it so now
let's look an example let's take sign up
so what's the definition it means to put
your name down for something to join
something to register okay
what type of phrasal verb is it it's an
intransitive phrasal verb and it's
inseparable let's have an example I
signed up for the newsletter okay
another example cool off to cool off
which means to cancel it's a transitive
phrasal verb and it's separable okay i
cooled off the meeting or I called the
meeting off can you use cancer in these
examples yes you can it has an
equivalent I canceled the meeting okay
so do the same for all the new fav
phrasal verbs that you come across okay
come across that's another Faisel verb
build up your spreadsheet of phrasal
verbs listen I'm sorry this is not like
a magic solution you're hoping for the
requires little or no work no this does
require
of work and effort but I never said it
would be easy but this is a very
effective method I promise you okay
well that's it thank you for watching I
hope I haven't put you off learning
phrasal verbs and as always stay mellow
more english-language videos coming soon
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