我為甚麼不用「phrasal verb」這個名稱 (4)



(按此看「Phrasal verbs」#1#2#3


今次,我會解釋最後一個我認為「phrasal verbs」的名稱對系統性地學習這些 expressions 沒有幫助的原因。


上次我提到,這名稱沒有告訴我們這些 expression 所需的特定修飾語的結構特徵(例如「check in」的「in」vs.「believe in」的「in」)。而且有些動詞加入特定修飾語後會產生新的意思(例如「hang out」),有些只是靠那特定修飾語來「完成 」它原有意思(例如「believe in X」),這顯現出這名稱的不一致性。


最後一點我想要說明的是,與所有其他動詞一樣,有些「phrasal verbs」會有 direct object(直接賓語),有些則沒有。這也使「phrasal verbs」一詞的定義更為模糊。

「Direct object」是一個直接位於動詞後面去「接受」其動作的名詞或名詞組。


例如:


We checked in.


「check in」這expression有一個單字副詞「in」,它沒有direct object。


We believed in him


「believe in (someone/something)」這expression有一個介詞組修飾語「in X」去完成它的意思,但它沒有direct object。


We handed our homework in.


「hand (something) in」這個expression,意思是「遞交」。它同時需要一個單字副詞「in」,以及一個direct object,去表達意思。這例句中它的 direct object是「my homework」。


從以上例子可見,想要正確地運用這些expressions去表達意思,我們需要清晰地知道(1)該特定修飾語的結構是甚麼,(2)它是否有direct object。


假如我們不清楚「hand in」這個expression,在表達「遞交東西」的意思時需要有direct object 完成「遞交甚麼」的意思,便可能會犯像以下這樣的錯:


We handed in already. ❌


因為沒有加入這expression所需的direct object,導子句子出現結構錯誤。


更複雜的一點是,一個在所謂「phrasal verbs」中有direct object的修飾語,像「hand (something) in」的「in」,可以被移動至該賓語的前面:


We handed our homework   in. ✔︎

We handed in   our homework. ✔︎


在最自然的詞序中,本應是 direct object 跟在動詞後。


不過,因為在所謂「phrasal verbs」中的特定修飾語,可以改變整個動詞組的意思。那個修飾語是關鍵,因此被允許「插隊」到 object 的前面,讓那特別的意思可以「早一些」在句中呈現。


當一個特定修飾語,像這個「in」一樣「插隊」到 object 前,它到底是 preposition 還是單字副詞就更難分辨了,因為兩者都會在後面連接名詞組:


We believed in him

We handed in our homework

「we believed in him」中的「in」是preposition,而「we handed in our homework」中的「in」,則是一個「插隊」到賓語「our homework」前的單字副詞。


那麼我們應如何分辨這兩個「in」?


單看這詞序是不能的。


我們可以嘗試將「in」移動回單字副詞的自然位置,即後面的位置。如果「in」能出現在該位置,我們便知道它是單字副詞。否則,它便是preposition,即一定要在名詞前跟那名詞組成詞組的。


例如:


We handed in our homework. ✔︎ → We handed our homework in. ✔︎


由於這個「in」可以出現在單字副詞的自然位置,即 object 之後,我們知道這 expression 中的「in」是單字副詞,而非preposition。


假如那特定修飾語是一個preposition,我們當然就無法成功移動了:


We looked after the kids. → We looked the kids after. ❌


我們再嘗試一下其他帶有 object 的「phrasal verbs」例子吧:


We looked up the answer in the textbook. ✔︎ → We looked the answer up in the textbook. ✔︎


We worked out a solution together. ✔︎ → We worked a solution out together. ✔︎


由於句子中在 object 前的「up」和「 out」可被移至賓語後,我們會知道它們是單字副詞,而非preposition。


關於這些有 direct object 和單字副詞的「phrasal verbs」,還有一點要注意的是,如果object是一個代名詞,它們便不能「插隊」了。

例如:


We looked up it. ❌ We looked it up. ✔︎

We worked out it. ❌ We worked it out. ✔︎


一般來說,當 direct object 較長時,將副詞放在它前面會更為自然。因為如果賓語太長,便可能讓讀者/聽者花過長時間才察覺到那副詞和它帶出的特別意思。


例如:


We handed in the homework that Ms. Lee assigned to us last week.

(自然)


We handed the homework that Ms. Lee assigned to us last week in.

(~❌ 不自然。因為「in」在一個很長的 object 後才出現)


小練習


以下包含direct object與單字副詞修飾語的所謂「phrasal verb」,都在句子中「插了隊」。嘗試把 object 轉成代名詞,再將副詞放回它原本的位置。


例: He took off his thick jacket. → He took it off. 


  1. We picked up our friends who live in Siu Sai Wan on the way over.

  1. The Board called off the annual meeting at the last minute. 


____________________

(English version)


(#1, #2, and #3 on so-called “phrasal verbs” can be read here.) 


In this post, I want to explain the last reason why I find the term “phrasal verbs” unhelpful if we want to understand how these expressions work systematically.


Previously, I mentioned that the term tells us nothing about the structural characteristics of the specific modifiers needed (e.g. the “in” in “check in” vs. “believe in”), and that it is inconsistent when referring to verbs that gain a new meaning with a specific modifier (e.g. “hang out”) vs. verbs that just need a specific modifier to complete their original meanings (e.g. “believe in”). 


The last thing I want to write about is that some “phrasal verbs” have direct objects while others don’t, just like all other verbs. This makes the term’s “definition” even more vague and unhelpful.


A direct object is a noun or noun phrase that comes directly after a verb to “receive” its action.


For example: 


We checked in.


The expression “check in,” as we saw previously, has a single-word adverb “in.” It has no direct object. 


We believed in him


The expression “believe in (someone/something),” as we saw previously, has a prepositional phrase modifier “in X” -- but it has no direct object.


We handed our homework in.


The expression “hand (something) in,” which means “submit,” has a single-word adverb “in” as well as a direct object. In this example, the direct object is “my homework.”


From these examples, we can see that, in order to use these expressions accurately to express their meanings, we need to have a clear understanding of (1) what the specific modifiers are structurally, and (2) whether there is a direct object.


If we don’t know that the expression “hand in” has to have a direct object in order to express the meaning of “submit something,” we might make a mistake such as:


We handed in already. ❌


This is structurally wrong because it is missing the direct object needed in this expression.


Now, a further point that complicates this picture is that the modifier in a so-called phrasal verb with a direct object, like the “in” in “hand (something) in,” can be moved to the front of the object:


We handed our homework   in. ✔︎

We handed in   our homework. ✔︎


The natural position for a direct object is right after the verb.


However, because the specific modifier in a so-called “phrasal verb” can change the meaning of the verb, the modifier is key -- and it is “allowed” to “cut in line” in front of the object so that the specific meaning can be expressed “sooner” in the sentence. 


When the specific modifier, like “in” here, “cuts in line” in front of the object, it becomes impossible to tell whether the modifier is a preposition or a single-word adverb -- since both would have a noun phrase after it:


We believed in him

We handed in our homework

The “in” in “we believed in him” is a preposition, whereas the “in” in “we handed in our homework” is a single-word adverb that has “cut in line” in front of the object “our homework.”


How can we tell these two “ins” apart then?


We can’t from this word order alone.


What we have to do is to try to “move” the “in” back to the natural place for a single-word adverb. If the “in” can be in that position, we know that it is a single-word adverb. If it cannot, we know that it is a preposition.


For example:


We handed in our homework. ✔︎ → We handed our homework in. ✔︎


Since the “in” can appear in the natural position for single-word adverbs, behind the object, we know that this “in” in this expression is a single-word adverb and not a preposition.


If the specific modifier is a preposition, of course we cannot do this:


We looked after the kids. → We looked the kids after. ❌


Let’s try it with some other examples of “phrasal verbs” with objects: 


We looked up the answer in the textbook. ✔︎ → We looked the answer up in the textbook. ✔︎

We worked out a solution together. ✔︎ → We worked a solution out together. ✔︎


Since the “up” and “out” before the objects in these sentences can be moved back after the objects, we know that they are single-word adverbs and not prepositions.


Another thing to note about these “phrasal verbs” with direct objects and a single-word adverb is that the adverb cannot “cut in line” when the object is a pronoun. For example:


We looked up it. ❌ We looked it up. ✔︎

We worked out it. ❌ We worked it out. ✔︎


In general, it is more natural to bring the adverb in front of the direct object when the object is longer -- the idea is that, when the object is longer, it would “take too long” for the reader/listener to get to the adverb if we leave it at the end, especially since the adverb can change the entire meaning of the verb.


For example: 


We handed in the homework that Ms. Lee assigned to us last week.

(natural)


We handed the homework that Ms. Lee assigned to us last week in.

(~❌ unnatural because the “in” comes after a very long object)




Mini Exercise


The following sentences have so-called “phrasal verbs” with a direct object and a single-word adverb modifier that has “cut in line.” Try to change the object to a pronoun and move the adverb back to its original position.


E.g. He took off his thick jacket. → He took it off. 


  1. We picked up our friends who live in Siu Sai Wan on the way over.

  1. The Board called off the annual meeting at the last minute. 


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