separable phrasal verbs

Many phrasal verbs that take an object can be split. A noun object can go after the whole phrasal verb, or between the verb and the particle. Both mean the same.

Common separable phrasal verbs: turn on/off, put on, take off, pick up, put down, throw away, give back, fill in, write down, try on, wake up, switch off.

Pronouns go in the middle

When the object is a pronoun (it, them, him, her, me, you, us), it must go between the verb and the particle.

Long objects go at the end

When the object is long, it usually goes after the particle.

Not every phrasal verb splits

With some phrasal verbs the object always comes last, even a pronoun: look after, look for, get on, get off, run into. A dictionary shows which kind a phrasal verb is.

Common mistakes

• × Turn off it. → Turn it off.
• × I put on them. → I put them on.
• × Can you pick up me? → Can you pick me up?
• × I'm looking my keys for. → I'm looking for my keys.