How to conjugate phrasal verbs When a phrasal verb is used as the main verb of a sentence, you conjugate the verb part and leave the other word or words as they are. Simply use whatever form of the verb you would use if it were alone.
I get up at noon during the summer.
However, this morning I got up at sunrise.
I have gotten up early too many times this month.
Notice how only the word get changes, while the word up remains the same. Also notice how get, an irregular verb, uses its irregular forms to fit whichever tense it needs.
In this way, you can use phrasal verbs in all the verb tenses so that you’re able to communicate anything you want. Conjugation is also important for maintaining verb tense consistency if you’re using phrasal verbs in a list with other verbs.
Types of phrasal verbs
To better understand phrasal verbs, it helps to organize them into two kinds of pairs: transitive and intransitive; separable and inseparable. A phrasal verb can belong to only one type within each pair (and all separable phrasal verbs are transitive).
Transitive phrasal verbs
Transitive phrasal verbs use a direct object, just like normal transitive verbs.
Charlie couldn’t put up with the meowing cats any longer.
Intransitive phrasal verbs
Intransitive phrasal verbs do not use an object.
The regional director was late, so the sales team went ahead without her.
Separable phrasal verbs
With transitive phrasal verbs, you can sometimes put the direct object between the verb and the particle, as in “pick you up,” for example. There are, however, a few rules to follow with separable phrasal verbs, so pay attention to our next section, about word order.
He forgot to shut the lights off before he left.
Inseparable phrasal verbs
Inseparable phrasal verbs cannot be split up; the verb and the particle must staytogether. All intransitive phrasal verbs are inseparable.The wayward son carried on without his father.
Some transitive phrasal verbs are also inseparable.
They went over the contract meticulously before signing it.