Introduction

Phrasal verbs are a common feature of everyday English, especially in conversation, emails, and workplace communication. Sometimes they feel challenging because they are not always logical: the meaning can change completely when a verb combines with a particle (a preposition or adverb). In this unit, you will focus on a specific group: inseparable phrasal verbs. These are phrasal verbs where the verb and particle must stay together, which affects word order and sentence structure.

Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives
By the end of this unit, you will be able to: recognize inseparable phrasal verbs, use correct word order with objects, and avoid common mistakes with pronouns and questions.

1) What “inseparable” means

An inseparable phrasal verb is a verb + particle combination that cannot be split by the object. In other words, the object must come after the particle, not between the verb and the particle.

Compare the structure:

Inseparable: verb + particle + object
Example: I looked after my nephew.

Not possible: I looked my nephew after.

Important concept
If a phrasal verb is inseparable, you must place the object after the particle, even if the object is a pronoun: I looked after him (not: I looked him after).

2) Common inseparable phrasal verbs (B1 focus)

Below are frequent inseparable phrasal verbs you will meet in real-life English. Learn them as fixed combinations.

look after = take care of
Example: She looks after her grandmother.

run into = meet by chance
Example: I ran into an old friend at the station.

get over = recover from (an illness, a shock) / stop feeling sad about something
Example: He is getting over the flu.
Example: It took her months to get over the break-up.

come across = find by chance / seem (in a particular way)
Example: I came across a useful article online.
Example: He comes across as confident.

look into = investigate, examine
Example: The manager will look into the complaint.

go through = experience / examine carefully
Example: They went through a difficult period.
Example: Let’s go through the report together.

apply for = request formally (a job, a course, a visa)
Example: She applied for a new position.

depend on = be decided by / rely on
Example: It depends on the weather.

3) Word order with nouns and pronouns

With inseparable phrasal verbs, the object always comes after the particle.

With a noun:
We are looking after the children.

With a pronoun:
We are looking after them.

Warning
Do not place pronouns between the verb and particle with inseparable phrasal verbs: “look them after” and “run him into” are incorrect.

4) Questions and passive voice (what to expect)

In questions, the phrasal verb still stays together, and the object comes after it.

Example: Who are you looking after?
Example: What are they looking into?

Some inseparable phrasal verbs can be used in the passive when the meaning allows it.

Example: The children are looked after by trained staff.
Example: The complaint is being looked into.

Practice

Complete each sentence with the correct inseparable phrasal verb and correct word order. Answers are provided for self-checking.