Separable Phrasal Verbs: Turn It On, Turn It Off (A2 Grammar)
A phrasal verb is a verb + a particle (on, off, up), like turn on and pick up. The two words together have one meaning.
A verb and a particle
Turn on your computer.
Pick up that bag.
Try it: Woman: The baby wants to see the birds. Man: Okay. I'll ___ her up. Choose what the man says. (put / pick / set) Answer: pick — The baby wants to see the birds, so he will pick her up.
Some can split
Some of these verbs can split. The object can go after the two words or in the middle: turn off the phone or turn the phone off.
Turn off the phone.
Turn the phone off.
Try it: Woman: The pizza is ready. Man: Great. Can you ___ the oven off? Choose what the man says. (look / turn / run) Answer: turn — The pizza is ready, so they stop the oven: turn the oven off.
it and them go in the middle
When the object is it or them, put it in the middle: turn it off, not turn off it.
Turn it off.
Put them on.
Not "Turn off it." — say "Turn it off.". it and them go in the middle.
Try it: Woman: The kids' shoes are all over the floor. Man: Sorry! I'll ___ now. Choose what the man says. (pick up them / put them on / pick them up) Answer: pick them up — The shoes are on the floor, and them goes in the middle: pick them up.
Some never split
Some never split: look for it, run out of it. The object always goes at the end.
Where are my keys? I'm looking for them.
We never run out of coffee.
Try it: Man: There's no milk in the refrigerator. Woman: Really? Did we ___? Choose what the woman says. (run it out of / run out of it / put it on) Answer: run out of it — There is no milk, and run out of never splits: run out of it.
try it on, fill it out
You know two of these already: try it on and fill it out. The it is in the middle there too.
Can I try it on?
Please fill it out.
Try it: Man: What do I do with this form? Woman: You need to ___ and give it to the man at the desk. Choose what the woman says. (fill it out / set it up / fill out it) Answer: fill it out — He writes on the form, and it goes in the middle: fill it out.
Does it split?
turn on, turn off, put on, take off, pick up and set up can split. look for and run out of never split.
Put it on.
Look for it.
Try it: Man: I have a new computer, but I don't know how to start it. Woman: I can ___ for you. Choose what the woman says. (set up it / look for it / set it up) Answer: set it up — She gets the new computer ready, and set up can split: set it up.