Intransitive Phrasal Verbs (Phrasal Verbs Blog Series Part 2)

As we mentioned in our last blog about phrasal verbs, it’s no easy task to learn them. There are thousands in use every day and so it can an impossible job. So, let’s start at the easiest ones to use.

Intransitive phrasal verbs don’t need an object and can stand alone.   This means that you can put a full stop after the verb and your sentence will be grammatically correct. Common examples are:

• To pass out – to faint or lose consciousness
• To show off – to boast
• To show up – to arrive
• To fall behind – to go at a slower speed than needed
• To keep up – to go at the required speed
• To come round – to visit someone
• To shut up – to stop talking

Probably the worst thing for most people who are in their houses just now is feeling lonely.  No friends or family are able to come round. For students at university or school, they will also be worried about falling behind with their studies. They will need to find different ways to keep up.

You can find out if a verb is intransitive by looking up a Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary.  After the verb, you will usually see this symbol – [I] or [intr], depending on which dictionary you use.  You should make sure that you add one of the symbols to the verb in your vocabulary notebook.

To read the other posts in the Phrasal Verbs blog series, click on the links below:

• An Introduction to Phrasal Verbs
• Transitive Phrasal Verbs