Most English verbs can be followed by prepositions or adverb particles. Examples are: switch off, turn down, walk down, look at, stare at, sit down etc.
- Please sit down.
- Can you switch off the light?
- Why are you staring at me?
- I saw Alan as I was driving down the street.
- She ran into the room crying.
- John fell off the ladder and broke his arm.
Some verbs and prepositions/particles are always used together. Examples are: look at, stare at, throw at, listen to, switch off etc. These combinations are often called phrasal verbs. Note that the meaning of a phrasal verb is sometimes very different from the meanings of the two parts taken separately.
- The meeting has been put off. (= The meeting has been postponed.) (The meaning of put off is not the same as the meanings of put and off.)
Verbs with prepositions and particles together
A few verbs can be used with both an adverb particle and a preposition. Examples are: put up with, get on with and look out for.
- I can’t put up with her.
When prepositions are used with verbs, they usually go before objects.
- He fell off the ladder. (NOT He fell the ladder off.)
Adverb particles can go before or after noun objects.
- She switched off the heating. OR She switched the heating off.
Note that particles always go after pronoun objects.
- She switched it off. (NOT She switched off it.)