Phrasal verbs , also known in the U.S.A. as 'two-part words/verbs' and 'three-part words/verbs', consist of a verb combined with a preposition or adverb or both (also referred to as particles), the meaning of which is different from the meaning of its individual words. In other words, they take on a new meaning when followed by a certain preposition or adverb. There are phrasal verbs with one or two particles (see nos 39 and 56). Some are separable, i.e. particles can be separated from the verb so that a noun or pronoun can be inserted, e.g. 'put off an appointment' or 'put an appointment (noun) off' or 'put it (pronoun) off' [to postpone something/to move something to a later date] . Some are inseparable,e.g. 'keep up with (e.g. the inflation)' [maintain the pace of] , not ' keep up the inflation/it with '. Some verbs are intransitive, which means they cannot take a direct object, e.g. ' turn out' [succeed; come; appear, as at a public meeting] or ' pass out' [become unconscious] .
Phrasal verbs are typical for spoken English as opposed to Latinate verbs which are more often used in formal written language: 'to put off' (phrasal verb) / 'to postpone' (Latinate verb) .
