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Flaviana
Hello everybody! This is a technical question. I am looking into phrasal verbs and there is something I cannot totally catch.
Some textbooks of mine explain that when phrasal verbs are followed by a preposition, they cannot be separated. Instead, when they are followed by an adverb, they can be either separated or not. Example:
He keyed the number in
He keyed in the number
So, in the example, "in" is considered an adverb, but it can also be a preposition in English. The same as "after" (to take after). That's the point, it's not easy for me to understand when a particle is an adverb and when it is a preposition.
Quite a crazy question, I know, anyway, could you help me figure this out?
Jan 26, 2023 5:32 PM
Answers · 18
2
"In" is an adverb in both examples because it modifies the movement of "keying". This is easier to see if you use a more obvious adverb, like "quickly":
He keyed the number quickly
He keyed quickly the number.
January 26, 2023
1
Context determines whether a word is a particle or a preposition.
on - particle
Joe put on his coat.
Joe put his coat on.
on - preposition
Joe put his coat on the hook.
January 26, 2023
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Flaviana
Language Skills
English, Italian, Spanish
Learning Language
English, Spanish
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