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English grammar Part of Chapter 5

CEFR A2-B1

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Test yourself (25 questions)

Separable and inseparable phrasal verbs in English: rules

By Michael McGettrickUpdated 12 October 2026

Some phrasal verbs split, and some never do. Turn off the light and turn the light off are both correct. With a pronoun there is one order only: turn it off, never turn off it. New to phrasal verbs? Start with what phrasal verbs are.

the small word (the particle)the objectWhat do the colours mean?
KindA noun objectA pronoun object
separable . .
separable .never Turn off it.
inseparable . .

Quick check

Now use it: three quick questions on the chart above. The full practice is further down.

Pick the right one

0/3

Choose the right sentence. Each one tests the pronoun rule.

  1. The radio is too loud.

  2. Your boots are by the door.

  3. Tom is waiting at the station.

Separable phrasal verbs: two correct orders

the small word (the particle)the objectWhat do the colours mean?

With a separable verb, a noun object can go in the middle or at the end. Both mean the same.

Verb
Middle
Small word
End
empty
.
.
empty
empty
.
.
empty
VerbMeaningExample
.
.
.
, .
.
bin .
.

A long object goes at the end. The middle is hard to follow:

  • . (easy to read)
  • Turn the light in the bathroom off. (correct, but you wait for off)

The pronoun rule: it goes in the middle

the small word (the particle)the objectWhat do the colours mean?

With it, them, him, her, me, us and you, the pronoun must go in the middle. Treat this as a fixed rule.

RightWrong
.Turn off it.
.Pick up her.
.Throw away them.
.Give back it.
.Wake up me.
The light becomes it, and it moves to the middle

Why? English puts what you already know (it) early and new words at the end. A small word like it at the very end sounds wrong to English ears.

Inseparable phrasal verbs: never split

the small word (the particle)the objectWhat do the colours mean?

With an inseparable verb, the object always comes after the small word. That includes pronouns.

RightWrong
Tom.I look Tom after.
.I look them after.
.She looked it for.
.I ran him into.

So the two kinds treat a pronoun in opposite ways: separable verbs must split around it, inseparable verbs never split.

Common inseparable verbs: look after, look for, look into, get on (a bus), get off (a bus), get over, run into, come across, take after, go through.

Three-word verbs (put up with, look forward to, run out of) do not split either: . They have their own page: phrasal-prepositional verbs.

How do you tell which is which?

No reliable rule tells the two kinds apart. What works:

  1. dictionary . Turn sth off (the object in the middle) is separable; look after sb is not.
  2. . Each verb in the 100 phrasal verbs with meanings carries S, I or N.
  3. verb. Turn off, separable. Look after, inseparable. Say it out loud.

Not sure? Put a noun at the end. Turn off the light and look after the children are right for both kinds.

Common mistakes

WrongRightWhy
Turn off it.Turn it off. pronoun .
Pick up her.Pick her up. pronoun .
Look her after.Look after her. .
Put it up with.Put up with it.- verbs .

What to do next

  1. Say three things with it: Turn it off. Put it on. Pick it up.
  2. Learn more verbs: 100 phrasal verbs with meanings.
  3. Practise everything at once: phrasal verbs exercises.

Practise: test yourself

Pick the right one

0/5

Choose the right sentence. Each one tests the pronoun rule.

  1. The radio is too loud.

  2. Your boots are by the door.

  3. Tom is waiting at the station.

  4. The baby is asleep upstairs.

  5. That word is new to me.

Sort into groups

0/8

Can the object go in the middle? Sort each verb.

Tap a word, then the group it belongs in.

Spot the mistake

0/4

Each sentence has one mistake. Tap it.

Put the words in order

0/3

Tap the words to make the sentence.

  1. The light is on. Tell Tom what to do.

    Your sentence is empty.

  2. Say it again with it, not the light.

    Your sentence is empty.

  3. Anna is ill. Who helps her?

    Your sentence is empty.

Matching

0/5

Match each sentence with the rule it shows.

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Frequently asked questions

What are separable phrasal verbs?
Phrasal verbs whose object can sit between the verb and the small word: turn the light off and turn off the light are both correct. Common ones are turn off, put on, pick up, take off, give back and throw away. With a pronoun, the object must go in the middle: turn it off.
Where does the pronoun go with a separable phrasal verb?
In the middle: turn it off, pick her up, throw them away. Turn off it is wrong. Only a strong contrast on the pronoun (pick up HIM, not her) lets it come last, and you never need that.
What are inseparable phrasal verbs?
Phrasal verbs that never split. The object always comes after the small word, even a pronoun: look after the children, look after them. Common ones are look after, look for, get on (a bus), get over, run into, come across and take after.
How do I know if a phrasal verb is separable or inseparable?
There is no reliable rule. A good learner's dictionary marks each one, often by writing turn sth off (separable) or look after sb (inseparable). Learn the mark with the meaning. While you check, a noun at the end is always safe: turn off the light, look after the children.
Can a long object go in the middle of a separable phrasal verb?
It can, but it is hard to follow. Turn the light off is fine. With a long object, put it at the end: turn off the light in the upstairs bathroom.