Writing Tip
Use Phrasal Verbs Properly
Difficulty Level: Basic
Recommendation: Put a space between the two parts of a phrasal verb when used as a verb.
What is a phrasal verb? According to dictionary.reference.com, it is:
A combination of verb and one or more adverbial or prepositional particles.
Wikipedia has a list of example phrasal verbs at Wikipedia.
One common mistake is to use a phrasal verb in the form that it takes as a noun or adjective. Phrasal verbs are “open,” meaning that there is a space between the verb and the particle, as in:
The technician set up the oscilloscope.
When used as a phrasal verb, there should be a space between “set” and “up.” However, when you use the noun or adjective form of a phrasal verb, you close or hyphenate the verb and its particle:
Noun: The technician described the test setup in the report.
Adjective: The report included the setup procedure.
The following table includes the proper forms of some common phrasal verbs and their noun/adjective derivatives:
| Phrasal Verb |
Noun/Adjective Form (Closed) |
| back up |
backup |
| start up |
startup |
| set up |
setup |
| shut down |
shutdown |
| log in |
login |
| lay out |
layout |
| break down |
breakdown |
| make up |
makeup |
| pop up |
popup |
|
Noun/Adjective Form (Hyphenated) |
| drop off |
drop-off |
| follow through |
follow-through |
| pull down |
pull-down |
| write off |
write-off |