Structure, Recognition and Whole-Expression Meaning of Phrasal Verbs for SS 1

Class: SS 1
Term: Second Term
Week: 1
Age: 15 years
Duration: 60 minutes
Subject: English Language Studies
Curriculum Theme: Grammatical Accuracy
Focal competence: Using phrasal verbs appropriately in sentences
Key competencies/values: Communication; ICT and Digital Competencies; Digital Competencies; Entrepreneurship; Critical Thinking; Collaboration
Skills:

• explain terminologies relating to entrepreneurship

Previous Lesson: Register and Terminologies relating to entrepreneurship, Register and Entrepreneurship Terminology
Topic: Phrasal Verbs
Subject Matter: meaning of phrasal verbs, verb and particle combinations, recognising phrasal verbs, whole-expression meaning

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils/students should be able to:

Cognitive Domain

• define phrasal verb.
• identify the components (verb and particle) of phrasal verbs.
• distinguish phrasal verbs from literal verb-preposition combinations.
• explain the whole-expression meaning of common phrasal verbs.

Affective Domain

• appreciate the idiomatic nature of phrasal verbs.
• show willingness to use phrasal verbs correctly in communication.

Psychomotor Domain

• formulate sentences using various phrasal verbs.
• participate in matching phrasal verbs with their meanings.

Social Domain

• collaborate with peers to understand and practice phrasal verbs.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

• 2025 New Revised Senior Secondary Education Curriculum (SSEC)
• Relevant State Unified Scheme of Work
• A suitable English Language textbook for SS 1
• The HeadTeacher Scheme of work For The New Revised Senior Secondary Education Curriculum (SSEC)
• Dictionary of idioms
• Standard English dictionary

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

• Whiteboard and markers
• Flashcards with phrasal verbs and their meanings
• Course books
• Online resources (if available)

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is important because phrasal verbs are a common and essential part of everyday English, both in spoken and written forms. Understanding them helps students to comprehend native English speakers and texts more effectively. It also enables them to express themselves more naturally and accurately, improving their overall communication skills.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Students should have a basic understanding of verbs and prepositions, and how they function in simple sentences.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Phrasal Verbs

Meaning of Phrasal Verbs

A phrasal verb is a verb combined with an adverb or a preposition, or sometimes both, to give a new meaning that is often different from the original meaning of the individual words. These combinations act as a single unit.

For example, “look” means to see, but “look up” can mean to search for information or to improve.

Structure of Phrasal Verbs (Verb and Particle Combinations)

Phrasal verbs consist of a main verb and one or two particles. A particle can be an adverb or a preposition.

1. Verb + Adverb: The particle acts as an adverb.

• Example: break down (to stop functioning)
• Example: turn off (to switch off)

• Example: look after (to take care of)
• Example: run into (to meet by chance)

• Example: look forward to (to anticipate with pleasure)
• Example: put up with (to tolerate)

Recognising Phrasal Verbs

Recognising phrasal verbs involves understanding that their meaning is often idiomatic and cannot be guessed from the individual words. It is important to distinguish them from literal verb + preposition combinations.

1. Phrasal Verb (Idiomatic Meaning): The meaning is not literal.

• Example: “She gave up smoking.” (gave up = stopped) – The meaning is not about physically giving something upwards.
• Example: “Please pick up the phone.” (pick up = answer) – Not literally lifting the phone from the ground.

• Example: “He walked up the stairs.” (walked up = moved upwards on the stairs) – The meaning is literal.
• Example: “The cat ran across the road.” (ran across = moved from one side to the other) – The meaning is literal.

To recognise a phrasal verb, consider if the combined words create a new, non-literal meaning.

Whole-Expression Meaning of Phrasal Verbs

Understanding the whole-expression meaning is key to using phrasal verbs correctly. Here are some common phrasal verbs and their meanings:

1. Break down: To stop functioning (for a machine or system).

• Example: “My car broke down on the way to school.”

• Example: “They had to call off the football match due to heavy rain.”

• Example: “I came across an old photo album while cleaning.”

• Example: “Don’t give up on your dreams.”

• Example: “I’m looking for my lost keys.”

• Example: “The meeting was put off until next week.”

• Example: “Please take off your shoes before entering the house.”
• Example: “The plane took off on time.”

• Example: “She turned down the job offer.”
• Example: “Please turn down the music.”

• Example: “We need to work out a solution.”
• Example: “I work out at the gym three times a week.”

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Explanation, Question and Answer, Guided Practice, Pair Work, Group Work, Demonstration

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Activating prior knowledge

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the students and asks them to recall what they know about verbs and prepositions. The teacher then introduces the concept of phrasal verbs by giving a simple example like “look up” and asking students what they think it means compared to “look.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to questions about verbs and prepositions and attempt to guess the meaning of the example phrasal verb.

Learning Point: Introduction to phrasal verbs

Step 2: Meaning of Phrasal Verbs

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Definition

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains the definition of a phrasal verb, emphasising that it’s a combination of a verb and a particle (adverb or preposition) that creates a new, often idiomatic meaning. The teacher provides clear examples like “break down” (to stop functioning) versus “break” (to separate into pieces).

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen attentively, ask questions for clarity, and note down the definition.

Learning Point: Definition of phrasal verbs

Step 3: Structure of Phrasal Verbs

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Elucidation/Examples

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher elaborates on the structure of phrasal verbs, explaining the different combinations: verb + adverb, verb + preposition, and verb + adverb + preposition. The teacher writes examples on the board for each type, such as “turn off,” “look after,” and “look forward to.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils identify the verb and particle(s) in the examples and copy them into their notebooks.

Learning Point: Phrasal verb components

Step 4: Recognising Phrasal Verbs

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Differentiation/Analysis

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides students to recognise phrasal verbs by distinguishing them from literal verb + preposition combinations. The teacher provides pairs of sentences, one with a phrasal verb and one with a literal combination (e.g., “He looked up the word in the dictionary” vs. “He looked up at the sky”), and asks students to explain the difference in meaning.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils analyse the sentences, discuss the differences in meaning, and identify which combinations are phrasal verbs.

Learning Point: Distinguishing phrasal verbs

Step 5: Whole-Expression Meaning Activity (Part 1)

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Interactive Learning/Matching

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher distributes flashcards, with some students receiving cards with phrasal verbs (e.g., “call off,” “give up”) and others receiving cards with their meanings (e.g., “to cancel,” “to stop trying”). The teacher instructs students to find their partners by matching the phrasal verb to its correct meaning.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils move around the classroom, interact with their classmates, and find the student holding the matching card.

Learning Point: Matching phrasal verb meanings

Step 6: Whole-Expression Meaning Activity (Part 2)

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Application/Sentence Construction

Teacher’s Activity: After students have found their partners, the teacher asks each pair to read out their phrasal verb and its meaning. The teacher then challenges some pairs to use their phrasal verb correctly in a sentence.

Pupils’ Activity: Pairs present their matches and construct sentences using their phrasal verbs.

Learning Point: Using phrasal verbs in sentences

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:

1. What is a phrasal verb?
2. Give two examples of phrasal verbs and their meanings.
3. Explain the difference between “look up” as a phrasal verb and “look up” in a literal sense.
4. Formulate a sentence using the phrasal verb “put off.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Assessing phrasal verb understanding

Step 8: Note-Taking

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Writing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils/students to copy the essential Board Summary notes on the meaning, structure, recognition, and whole-expression meaning of phrasal verbs into their notebooks.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils/students copy the notes carefully into their notebooks.

Learning Point: Recording lesson notes

Step 9: Conclusion

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Consolidation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher summarises the key points of the lesson, reiterating the importance of phrasal verbs in English and encouraging students to pay attention to them in their reading and listening. The teacher answers any final questions.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the summary and ask any remaining questions.

Learning Point: Consolidating phrasal verb concepts

Continuous Assessment/Further Study

Type: Homework

Instruction: Complete the following tasks in your English Language notebook.

1. Define a phrasal verb in your own words.
2. Identify the phrasal verbs in the following sentences and state their meanings:
   1. The children ran away from the barking dog.
   2. Please turn on the light. It’s dark.
   3. I need to look into this matter carefully.
   4. They called off the strike yesterday.
3. Use any three of the phrasal verbs listed in the Board Summary to construct original sentences.

Lesson Keywords

• Phrasal verb – A verb combined with an adverb or a preposition, or both, to create a new meaning.
• Particle – The adverb or preposition that combines with a verb to form a phrasal verb.
• Idiomatic meaning – A meaning that cannot be understood from the literal meaning of the individual words.
• Literal meaning – A straightforward meaning where words are used in their usual sense.

Differentiation

For students who grasp the concept quickly, provide more complex phrasal verbs or ask them to create short dialogues using several phrasal verbs. For students who need more support, focus on a smaller set of common phrasal verbs, provide sentence frames for practice, and offer additional one-on-one guidance during activities.

Suggested Lesson Videos

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