1 adverb particles and prepositions
Words like down, in, up are not always prepositions. Compare:
– I ran down the road. – He’s in his office.
Please sit down. You can go in.
– Something’s climbing up my leg.
She’s not up yet.
In the expressions down the road, in his office and up my leg, the words down, in and up are prepositions: they have objects and my leg). In sit down, go in and She’s not up, the words down, in and up have no objects. They are adverbs, not prepositions.
Small adverbs like these are usually called ‘adverb(ial) particles’. They include above, about, across, ahead, along, (a)round, aside, away, back, before, behind, below, by, down, forward, in, home, near, off, on, out, over, past, through, under, up. Many words of this kind can be used as both adverb particles and prepositions, but there are some exceptions: for example back, away (only adverb particles); from, during (only prepositions).
2 phrasal verbs
Adverb particles often join together with verbs to make two-word verbs, sometimes with completely new meanings (e.g. break down, put off, work out, give up). These are often called ‘phrasal verbs’. For details of their use, see two-part verbs 1: phrasal verbs.
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3 adverb particles with be
Adverb particles are often used, rather like adjectives, as complements of the verb be.
Why are all the lights on? Hello! You’re back!
The match will be over by 4.30.
For inverted word order in sentences beginning with an adverb particle (e.g. Out walked Sarah), see inversion 2: whole verb before subject.
adverb particles
• (e.g. back, off, out) see all and whole
• in two-part verbs see two-part verbs 1: phrasal verbs
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