Three words, one meaning
A three-part phrasal verb consists of a verb followed by two elements: an adverbial particle and then a preposition. Together they express a single meaning that cannot simply be obtained from each word separately: put up with means tolerate, not literally put, upwards and with.
Learn the expression as a vocabulary item together with both following elements. Replacing either of them may change the meaning or produce an error. Counting words alone is not enough to determine the order of every English verb construction: this lesson covers the specific inseparable patterns shown here.
verb + adverbial particle + preposition
- verb / V —
- A word for an action or state, such as work or be. The pattern determines its form.
- preposition —
- A word showing a relationship, such as in, on or from: from Ukraine.
Jon is catching up with his classmates after his illness.
Jon is catching up with his classmates after his illness.
Catch up with is a three-word unit; its object his classmates follows with.
Our class is looking forward to the museum visit.
Our class is looking forward to the museum visit.
Look forward to means anticipate something with pleasure. To is the last element of the expression.
Mum ran out of patience with the old printer.
Mum ran out of patience with the old printer.
Run out of means exhaust the available supply; patience is its object.
The object follows the whole expression
With separable two-word verbs, a noun object can go in the middle: turn the radio off. With look forward to, come up with, keep up with and the other patterns in this lesson, the object follows the final preposition.
In ordinary statements with these meanings, the order is verb, particle, preposition, object. Questions and relative clauses are covered separately below; adverbs can also occupy other positions.
verb + particle + preposition + object
- verb / V —
- A word for an action or state, such as work or be. The pattern determines its form.
- object / O —
- Who or what an action affects: in I read a book, a book is the object.
- preposition —
- A word showing a relationship, such as in, on or from: from Ukraine.
The students came up with several questions for the guest.
The students came up with several questions for the guest.
The object several questions follows the whole expression came up with.
We can't keep up with the changes at work.
We can't keep up with the changes at work.
The changes follows with; it cannot go between keep and up.
Pronoun objects also go at the end
With separable two-word verbs, a pronoun must go in the middle: turn it off. With the three-part verbs here, the opposite pattern applies: a pronoun occupies the same position as a noun, after the whole expression.
Keep the order of the particular inseparable expression when replacing a noun with a pronoun: look forward to the trip → look forward to it. Do not decide the order simply because you see three words.
verb + particle + preposition + it / them / him / her
- verb / V —
- A word for an action or state, such as work or be. The pattern determines its form.
- preposition —
- A word showing a relationship, such as in, on or from: from Ukraine.
I'll look out for the dog, and you can look out for it too.
I'll look out for the dog, and you can look out for it too.
The pronoun it follows the expression look out for.
My brother stood up for me, and I'm grateful to him.
My brother stood up for me, and I'm grateful to him.
Me is the object following for.
Only the first word changes form
Tense, person and verb form are expressed through the first word: runs, ran, running, run. The particles and preposition remain unchanged. An auxiliary forms negatives and questions, while the expression stays together.
After can’t, must and other modal verbs, the first word is in the base form. Infinitival to also introduces the base form: to catch up with. Do not confuse it with the preposition to at the end of look forward to: that to can be followed by an -ing form.
She runs out of energy by the evening.
She runs out of energy by the evening.
The third-person -s is added only to the first word of the expression.
Does your sister get on with her new classmates?
Does your sister get on with her new classmates?
Does forms the question, while get on with stays together.
He wasn't getting along with his boss.
He wasn't getting along with his boss.
The -ing ending applies only to the first word; along and with do not change.
After the final element: a noun, pronoun or -ing form
The last element in these expressions is a preposition. A preposition is followed by a noun, pronoun or -ing form, not by a verb in its base form. Therefore a verb following look forward to or cut down on needs -ing: this to is not an infinitive marker.
It is easy to mistake to for the infinitive marker because they look identical. In this expression, however, to is the final preposition.
She has cut down on sugary drinks.
She has cut down on sugary drinks.
A noun follows on.
We look forward to hearing from the committee.
We look forward to hearing from the committee.
To is followed by hearing, not hear.
He is finally getting round to painting the fence.
He is finally getting round to painting the fence.
Get round to is the expression, followed by painting.
Questions and relative clauses: the preposition stays at the end
In a question with What or Who, the object moves to the beginning, but the expression is not split: the preposition remains at the end. A construction with the preposition at the front, such as To what ...?, sounds very formal and is rarely used in conversation.
The same pattern occurs in relative clauses when the object is represented at the front: the plan we came up with.
What did the team come up with?
What did the team come up with?
The object what is at the beginning; come up with stays together.
The neighbour I get along with has moved away.
The neighbour I get along with has moved away.
The neighbour comes before the relative clause, where it is understood as the object of with. With remains at the end of the expression.
Adverbs within and around the expression
The object is never inserted into these inseparable expressions, but a short adverb may go before them, as in really look up to, or inside some combinations, as in get on well with and get along fine with. This does not make the verb separable: the adverb is not the object, and the object still follows the final preposition.
To avoid errors, use an established adverb position before the verb, and place an adverb inside the expression only when you know that particular pattern.
Mia gets along well with her brother.
Mia gets along well with her brother.
Well goes inside the expression, but the object her brother follows with.
I really look up to my coach.
I really look up to my coach.
The adverb really comes before the expression, and the object follows to.
Scope and use in communication
Separable two-word verbs, such as turn it off, and inseparable two-word verbs, such as look after the children, have their own rules. Here we focus only on verbs followed by two elements; the other types appear just for comparison.
When speaking, connect each expression with a situation: what you have run out of, what you tolerate, what you look forward to or whom you respect. This helps you remember the whole expression together with its meaning.
I can't put up with the heat in this office, so I've come up with a plan to move my desk.
I can't put up with the heat in this office, so I've come up with a plan to move my desk.
There are two different three-word expressions in one sentence, and each has its object after it.
Common mistakes
Incorrect:Ola can't put up the cold with.
Correct:Ola can't put up with the cold.
Put up with is a single three-word expression. The object the cold must follow with, not go inside the expression.
Incorrect:We've run out the tea.
Correct:We've run out of tea.
Run out of has three words; omitting the final preposition of makes this sentence incorrect.
Incorrect:We're looking forward to meet the new team.
Correct:We're looking forward to meeting the new team.
To is the final element of the expression—a preposition—so a following verb needs the -ing form.
Incorrect:She looks her aunt up to.
Correct:She looks up to her aunt.
The object cannot go inside look up to; it follows all three words.
Incorrect:Who are you looking out?
Correct:Who are you looking out for?
In the question, look out for stays together: the final preposition for remains at the end.