Exploring Language

Lesson 1.6 Particles or Phrasal Verbs

downloadable worksheet

 

Particles look just look prepositions, but over time they have shifted to become a part of the verb. The underlined phrases are all verbs that contain particles.

 

          Don’t run down the batteries.

We looked up the answers.

          Turn on the light, please.

          Don’t forget to turn in your homework.

          I’m excited to pick out a present for my friend.

             

We know that these are particles instead of prepositions because of their meaning. And also they have a neat trick that they can move around.

 

          Don’t run the batteries down.

We looked the answers up.

          Turn the light on, please.

          Don’t forget to turn your homework in.

          I’m excited to pick a present out for my friend.

             

Cool, huh? Prepositions can’t do that.

 

            We ran down the street.                                    Yuck!   We ran the street down.

            We looked up the street toward the park.         Yuck!  We looked the street up toward the park.

            We turned onto the freeway.                              Yuck!  We turned the freeway onto.

            We turned into the driveway.                              Yuck!  We turned the driveway into.

 

Figure out if the underlined words are prepositions or are part of the verb (particles). Be prepared to describe how you know.

 

They climbed up the fence.

He shot off his toy rocket.

Bert looked for a banana.

The rabbit hopped through the grass.

Please turn up the radio.

 

key words: prepositions, particles, subject, direct object

 

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.1a Explain the function of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in general and their functions in particular sentences. 

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.1e Form and use prepositional phrases. 

 

Here is this lesson as a pdf.