It has been seen that the position of pronoun objects, adverbs of manner and stress in spoken English varies according to whether a verb is followed by a preposition or by and adverb.
These differences are summarized in the following table. The verbs to sit and to turn are used as examples. The verb to sit is followed by on used as a preposition, whereas the verb to turn is followed by on used as an adverb.
| Verb + Preposition | Verb + adverb |
| Object pronoun is placed after the preposition. Ex: I sat on it. Adverb of manner may be placed between verb and preposition. Ex: I sat quietly on it. | Object pronoun is placed before the adverb. Ex: I turned it on. Adverb of manner may not be placed between verb and adverb. Ex: I quietly turned it on. |
| Verb is stressed: This is what I sat on. | Adverb is stressed: This is what I sat on. |
Because of the summarized above, it is important to be able to distinguish between a verb followed by a preposition, and a verb followed by an adverb.
1) Adverb phrases of location compared with phrasal verbs followed by objects
In many cases, it is necessary to distinguish between an ordinary verb followed by an adverb phrase of location, and a phrasal verb followed by an object.
Example:
- I turned up the street.
- I turned up the volume.
NOTE:
ç In the first example, the verb turned is followed by the adverb phrase of location up the street. In the second example, the phrasal verb turned up is followed by the object volume. In this example, the phrasal verb turned up has the meaning increased.
ç In the first example, street is the object of the preposition up. If the object is changed to a pronoun, the pronoun must follow the preposition.
Example:
- I turned up the street.
- I turned up it.
ç In the second example, volume is the object of the phrasal verb turned up. If the object is changed to a pronoun, the pronoun must precede the adverb up.
Example:
- I turned up the volume.
- I turned it up.
ç In the first example, if the verb is modified by an adverb of manner, the adverb of manner may precede the adverb phrase of location.
Example:
- I turned up the street.
- I turned quickly up the street.
ç In the second example, if the verb is modified by an adverb of manner, the adverb of manner may not be placed between the two parts of the phrasal verb.
Example:
- I turned up the volume.
- I quickly turned up the volume.
2) Words used as prepositions or adverbs
It is also necessary to be able to distinguish between a phrasal verb consisting of a verb followed by a preposition, and a phrasal verb consisting of a transitive verb followed by an adverb. In many cases, it is possible to make the distinction by means of the preposition or adverb following the verb.
ç The following words are used in phrasal verbs as preposition, but are not usually used in phrasal verbs as adverbs following transitive verbs.
| After, at, by, from, of, toward, without, against, before, for, into, to, with… |
ç In contrast, the following words are used in phrasal verbs as adverbs following transitive verbs, but are not usually used in phrasal verbs as prepositions.
| Along, away, behind, forward, together, aside, back, down, out, up… |
ç The following words present more difficulty, since they can be used in phrasal verbs both as prepositions and adverbs following transitive verbs.
| Across, in, on, upon, through, around, round, off, over… |
NOTE: Thus, it is advisable to study which phrasal verbs use these words as prepositions, and which phrasal verbs use these words as adverbs. The following tables give examples of phrasal verbs containing each of these words. The left-hand column gives phrasal verbs consisting of verbs followed by prepositions, while the right-hand column gives phrasal verbs consisting of transitive verbs followed by adverbs.
Words used as prepositions or adverbs
| Verb + Preposition | Transitive Verb + Adverb |
| Come across Cut across Run across Stumble across | Get across ( an idea) Put across (an idea) |
| Hang around Lounge around Mill around Pass around Rally round Show around | Bring round |
| Confide in Deal in Join in | Break in Breathe in Call in Fill in Hand in Phase in Rope in Take in Trade in |
| Glance off Deep off Warn off | Call off Fend off Give off Lay off Pair off Pension off Polish off Pull off Put off Reel off Sell off Shrug off Turn off Write off |
| Bank on Border on Build on Call on Come upon Count on Dawn on Decide on Dwell on Enlarge on Expand on Frown on Grow on Hinge on Live on Pick on Prey on Reckon on Survive on Thrust upon Touch on Verge on | Cheer on Hand on Try on Turn on |
| Get over Go over Run over Watch over | Take over Talk over Think over Paper over Smooth over |
| Break through get through go through leaf through look through sail through scrape through see through sit through wade through | Pull through |
