One action, two words, two positions
A phrasal verb consists of a verb and a particle: turn off, pick up, take off. Many take an object, the thing being switched off, picked up or removed. They are called separable when the object can stand between the verb and particle.
This rule concerns where to put the object. Neighbouring topics cover what individual phrasal verbs mean and which are most common.
verb + particle + noun ↔ verb + noun + particle
- verb / V —
- A word for an action or state, such as work or be. The pattern determines its form.
- noun —
- A word naming a person, thing or idea: student, book, happiness.
Dad turned off the TV.
Dad turned off the TV.
The particle off comes before the object the TV.
Dad turned the TV off.
Dad turned the TV off.
The meaning is the same: the TV stands between turned and off.
A noun: two positions to choose from
If the object is a noun or short noun phrase, such as the toys, her scarf or the kitchen, it can follow the particle or go between the verb and particle. The meaning stays the same; only the phrase's rhythm changes.
Do not split the noun phrase: your new scarf stays together as one unit. A very long phrase is more naturally placed after the particle than between the verb and particle.
Please pick up the toys.
Please pick up the toys.
The noun phrase the toys follows the particle up.
Please pick the toys up.
Please pick the toys up.
The noun phrase goes in the middle: pick the toys up.
She took her scarf off.
She took her scarf off.
Her scarf forms one unit between took and off.
He cleaned up the kitchen.
He cleaned up the kitchen.
The kitchen follows the particle up.
An ordinary personal pronoun goes in the middle
In a neutral sentence, put a short unstressed personal pronoun such as it, them, me, him, her or us between the verb and particle: turn it off. Other pronoun types and special contrastive stress can behave differently; this lesson practises the ordinary order.
A pronoun usually replaces something already mentioned: first the lamp, then it.
verb + personal pronoun + particle
- verb / V —
- A word for an action or state, such as work or be. The pattern determines its form.
- pronoun —
- A word used instead of naming a person or thing: I, you, she, it, they.
I love this song. Turn it up!
I love this song. Turn it up!
It is a pronoun and stands between turn and up.
These toys are on the floor. Pick them up, please.
These toys are on the floor. Pick them up, please.
Them stands between pick and up.
Which pronouns go in the middle?
These are object forms: me, you, him, her, it, us, them. Do not confuse them with subject forms: I, he, she, we, they. Use wake me up, not wake I up.
Choose the pronoun according to what or whom it replaces: one thing → it, several things → them, yourself → me, yourself with others → us. Them can also refer to one person who uses they; context matters.
Wake me up at seven.
Wake me up at seven.
Me is the object form of I.
They called us back.
They called us back.
Us stands between called and back.
Give them back, please.
Give them back, please.
Them replaces several things.
Not every phrasal verb is separable
Some multi-word verbs keep the second word with its object and cannot be separated: look for, look after. The object always follows for or after, even when it is a pronoun: look for it, look after them.
The pronoun-in-the-middle rule therefore applies to separable verbs. When learning a new phrasal verb, learn whether it separates together with an example containing an object.
He is looking for his glasses.
He is looking for his glasses.
Look for is inseparable: the object follows for.
He is looking for them.
He is looking for them.
The pronoun also follows for.
Who looks after your dog?
Who looks after your dog?
Look after is inseparable.
Word order in different sentence types
The object's position does not depend on the sentence type. In commands, negatives and questions, the verb follows the usual rules, such as didn't, do you and can you, while the object and particle retain their positions.
After did, don't, can and infinitive to, the verb takes the base form: Did you tidy it up?, not Did you tidied it up?
Don't turn off the heating.
Don't turn off the heating.
The noun follows the particle in a negative command.
Don't turn it off.
Don't turn it off.
The pronoun goes in the middle in a negative command.
Did you tidy up the room?
Did you tidy up the room?
Did is followed by the base form tidy.
Did you tidy it up?
Did you tidy it up?
Here it separates tidy and up.
First a noun, then a pronoun
In a narrative, an object is first named with a noun and then replaced by a pronoun. This sounds natural and avoids repeated wording.
This is an easy point to make a mistake: the first sentence with its noun allows two orders, but the second, with an ordinary pronoun, allows only one.
I bought a lamp. I set it up today.
I bought a lamp. I set it up today.
A lamp is a noun phrase; it is a pronoun between set and up.
I found two old maps. I gave them away.
I found two old maps. I gave them away.
Them replaces two old maps.
My phone fell. I picked it up.
My phone fell. I picked it up.
It separates picked and up.
How to decide quickly
Before placing the particle, ask what the object is. For a separable verb, put an ordinary personal pronoun between the verb and particle. A noun can go in either position.
Do not apply this rule to inseparable verbs: look for and look after stay together.
short personal pronoun → verb + it/them + particle; noun → usually two possible orders
- verb / V —
- A word for an action or state, such as work or be. The pattern determines its form.
- noun —
- A word naming a person, thing or idea: student, book, happiness.
- pronoun —
- A word used instead of naming a person or thing: I, you, she, it, they.
Try on the jacket.
Try on the jacket.
With a noun, try the jacket on is also possible.
Try the jacket on.
Try the jacket on.
The noun phrase goes in the middle.
Try it on.
Try it on.
With an ordinary pronoun, use this order only.
Common mistakes
Incorrect:Please turn off it.
Correct:Please turn it off.
It is a pronoun, so it must stand between turn and off.
Incorrect:She picked up them from the floor.
Correct:She picked them up from the floor.
Them is a pronoun: put it between picked and up.
Incorrect:I called back him yesterday.
Correct:I called him back yesterday.
Him is a pronoun, so it stands between called and back.
Incorrect:Switch off them, please.
Correct:Switch them off, please.
The ordinary pronoun them cannot follow off here.
Incorrect:I'm looking it for.
Correct:I'm looking for it.
Look for is inseparable, so the pronoun it follows for.