GRAMÁTICA DE LOS PHRASAL VERBS
Los phrasal verbs tienen unas reglas propias que tienes que saber para usarlos bien.
Primero, lo que siempre tenemos que tener en cuenta es que la partícula es igual que importante que el verbo.
Él está mirando a Susan. = He’s looking at Susan.
Él está buscando a Susan. = He’s looking for Susan.
Entre “look at” y “look for” hay una enorme diferencia, en español incluso se dicen con verbos distintos.
Hay más que se debe saber sobre phrasal verbs.
TRANSITIVOS E INTRANSITIVOS
Los hay transitivos y intransitivos. O sea, que unos aceptan un complemento y otros no.
Por ejemplo:
Quítate la chaqueta = Take off your jacket.
Aquí “take off” es transitivo (el complemento es your jacket)
El avión despega a las 3:30. = The plane takes off at 3:30.
Aquí “take off” es intransitivo. El avión despega, simplemente, y no acepta un complemento.
SEPARABLES E INSEPARABLES
Los hay separables, y los hay no separables. O sea, que algunos no se molestan si separas la partícula del verbo, poniendo el complemento en medio. (Claro que si el phrasal verb es intransitivo, no tiene complemento y no puede separarse para poner el complemento en medio.)
Separables:
I’m putting my jacket on.
He’s taking his shoes off.
They’re trying to work the problem out.
Inseparables:
I’m looking for an apartment.
She’s looking after her sister.
He got rid of his old books.
Cuando usamos un pronombre (me, you, him, her, it, us, them) como complemento de un phrasal verb separable, tenemos que separarlo.
Por ejemplo:
I’m putting on my jacket. = I’m putting it on.
He’s taking off his shoes. = He’s taking them off.
They’re trying to work out the problem. = They’re trying to work it out.
Si usamos un pronombre con un phrasal verb inseparable, obviamente, no separamos.
She’s looking after him.
He got rid of them.
I’m looking for it.
LOS 27 PHRASAL VERBS
GET UP / WAKE UP
to get up = levantarse.
to wake (someone) up = despertarse (no necesariamente lo mismo que levantarse).
Dormirse se dice “go to sleep.”
I always get up at 7 AM. I don’t mind waking up early.
What time do you usually get up?
I went to sleep late last night, so I got up late this morning.
I woke up at six o’clock, but I didn’t get up until almost seven. That’s why I’m late.
I set my alarm to wake me up on time for work.
The shouting in the street was loud enough to wake me up, but I didn’t get up to see what was happening.
You should wake Mary up. It’s almost time for breakfast.
(In a hotel) I ordered a wake-up call for six thirty. That should give us time to get to the airport.
I hope I didn’t wake you up when I arrived. Did I make a lot of noise?
GO OUT
to go out = salir para ir a un evento social. to go out with someone = tener una relación (más o menos) romántica con alguien.
I don’t really feel like going out. Why don’t we stay in and make a pizza?
Is Susan going out with anyone at the moment?
She’s just started going out with a guy she met on holiday.
They’ve been going out since high school.
I usually go out on Saturday nights. Friday nights I stay in.
He went out last night, and came home late, so today he’s very tired.
Let’s go out for a drink! Do you want to have a martini?
LOOK AFTER
to look after someone/something = cuidar a algo o alguien, especialmente un niño, una mascota, o algo que no cuida a si mismo.
He’s looking after my plants while I’m away on holiday.
Could you look after the baby tomorrow night while I’m out?
I don’t mind looking after your dog, but I don’t like looking after cats.
He always gets his sister to look after the kids on Saturdays.
While I was busy
Dick Sand - a Captain at Fifteen