Quote:
Originally Posted by Humble  Hi, Littlebaby, IMHO these are not phrasal verbs, they are just ordinary verbs that require definite prepositions. Phrasal verbs are those that change their meanings with different prepositions, eg Look back Look down Look for Look after etc Cheers  |
Interestimg point. I was doing phrasal verbs with my class once, and came across a usage of 'look down' which both was and wasn't phrasal.
The passage was about drivers of SUVs (big, noisy, powerful cars) 'looking down on other road users'. At a first reading, I thought this wasn't phrasal; such drivers are in an elevated position, from which they direct their gaze (look) in a downward direction (down). But the writer's view was also that such drivers
look down on (view as somehow inferior) other road users. The writer of the piece was, I think intentionally, using this ambiguity.
Some phrasal verbs can be used in similar ways as this:
He looked after his mother after she developed Alzheimer's.
(phrasal)
He looked after his assailant running away.
(not phrasal)
(I'd guess you could do this with most phrasal verbs, if you were creative enough with contexts
)
b