My background: When I was 14 ,I got a C2 level degree in American English. Now I am 22 and I have forgotten so much vocabulary I can't have a conversation in English anymore. I have restarted studying English for quite some time. One of my main weaknesses, even back when I was 14, were phrasal verbs. I just couldn't and still can't find a way to remember what a particular phrasal verb means, there are so many and there isn't any logic behind them when we put a adverb next to the main verb, unless you know what it means it can literally mean anything. So are there tricks to have a good guess of what a phrasal verbal could mean so it will be easier to be memorized?
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1Possible duplicate: english.stackexchange.com/questions/25038/…– psmearsCommented Sep 12, 2023 at 10:20
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1They are defined in dictionaries; I look them up regularly.– HippoSawrUsCommented Sep 12, 2023 at 10:29
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2 Answers
A useful resource for understanding and learning phrasal verbs is the Collins Cobuild Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. As well as an alphabetical list of the most common phrasal verbs, it also has a "Particles Index" in which it lists the various particles with their associated meanings.
So, for example, the particle over is associated with the following meanings: Movement and position, Overflowing and overwhelming feelings, Falling and attacking, Covering and hiding, Considering and communicating, Changing and transferring.
The Considering and communicating section, for example, lists: brood over, chew over, mull over, puzzle over, sweat over, and many more.
This is a difficult topic for non-native speakers, and there are no memorisation "tricks". But you might find the information and exercises at the following link useful in choosing which phrasal verbs to learn and then in actually learning them:
https://www.internationalschooltutors.de/English/activities/vocabulary/special/phrasals.html
Disclaimer: The link above is part of my website for English language learners.
I have found a connection between the verbs be and get when used in phrasal verbs. When using be the action has already been done while when using get the action is yet to have happened for example It is over means that something is done, finished while get over means that I had a problem and still haven't figured it out it bugs me so in a sense it is not over but when someone tells you to get over something he advises you to process it and to let it go.