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Phrasal Verbs as Idioms

Transitive, Inseparable

Remember that some prepositions cannot be separated because they are required by certain verbs for a specific meaning. If these words were to be separated, it would change the idiomatic meaning of the phrase.

 

For Example:

1. Although Jason has been very ill this year and has missed a lot of school, he does not want to drop out of school.

 

** For this sentence to keep its idiomatic meaning, to quit school, the phrase cannot be separated.

 

The following chart is a brief list of transitive, inseparable phrases and several of their meanings. By no means is this a complete list.

 

Verb
Meaning(s)
back out of to desert, fail to keep a promise, to move out of something backwards
come across find accidentally, to be perceived as a particular type of person by other people
drop out of to resign from or cease being a member of something, to let someone or something fall out of out something
see to arrange, supervise, to tend to or care for someone or something
stand up for support, demand
take after to behave in the same way as someone else, resemble
talk back to answer impolitely
turn into become, to change into someone or something
wait up to slow down and pause for someone or something to catch up, to delay going to bed while waiting for someone or something
watch out for be careful for, to keep looking for someone or something

 

Continue to Phrasal Verbs as Idioms: Intransitive, Never Separable