Turn it off, look for it: everyday phrasal verbs

The rule

A phrasal verb is a verb plus a small word, with a new meaning: turn on/off (a machine), look for (try to find), give up (stop trying), find out (learn a fact) and pick up (lift, or collect someone). With turn on/off, give up and pick up, a pronoun goes in the middle: turn it off, never turn off it.

Arabic and French use a single verb (أطفئ, éteindre), so phrasal verbs feel strange, and learners put the pronoun at the end: turn off it. English puts short pronouns like it and them in the middle.

Examples

In a conversation

A: Are you ready? I can pick you up at 7.

B: Great. I'm just looking for my glasses.

A: Don't forget to turn off the oven!

B: Don't worry, I've turned it off.

Practice

Choose the best answer. The answers are at the end of the lesson.

1. The heater is too hot. Can you ___?
   • a) turn off it
   • b) turn it off
   • c) close it
2. I can't find my phone. Can you help me ___ it?
   • a) look for
   • b) look
   • c) search
3. Can you ___ what time the shop closes?
   • a) know
   • b) find
   • c) find out

Tip

Look for never splits: I'm looking for it. With a noun, both orders work: turn off the light or turn the light off.

Answers

1. b) turn it off. The pronoun goes in the middle: turn it off.
2. a) look for. Look for means try to find.
3. c) find out. Find out means get a piece of information.

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