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Forums Episodes Phrasal verbs (e.g., “fess up”)

Phrasal verbs (e.g., “fess up”)

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12:58PM
Apr-12-08


guizot

Los Angeles

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While phrasal verbs are often, if not mostly, unpredictable regarding the semantic function of the particle (up, down, on, etc.), there are a few patterns. Namely, in the instance Martha mentioned–”cut up a tree“–the particle up often connotes completeness.

Compare:

tear a sheet of paper

vs.

tear up a sheet of paper.

Other phrasal verbs are used to make this distinction: cut up, chop up, clean up, wash up, etc.

Anyone know of others that generally follow patterns?

3:04PM
Apr-12-08


Wordsmith

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What about “shut up”? What on Earth could that mean other than to shut one’s mouth completely?

English doesn’t have a partitive to speak of. So it uses different phrases to express completion.

• “He ate the bread.” = He ate of the bread.
• “He ate up the bread.” = He ate all (of) the bread.

Also, you mentioned “tear a sheet of paper”. Some use that phrase to mean “tear out/off a sheet of (perforated) paper”. So it can be tricky even when you’re saying it correctly. Of course, context is a great dispute resolver.
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