Structure and use of phrasal verbs with an object for SS 1

Class: SS 1
Term: Second Term
Week: 4
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; Critical Thinking; Collaboration
Skills:

• construct sentences with phrasal verbs

Previous Lesson: Capital Market Terms Stocks, Shares, Dividends and Brokers
Topic: Phrasal Verbs: Structure And Use Of Phrasal Verbs With An Object
Subject Matter: Structure and use of phrasal verbs with an object

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

• Define phrasal verbs.
• Identify the components of a phrasal verb (verb + particle).
• Differentiate between separable and inseparable phrasal verbs with objects.
• State the rules for placing objects with separable and inseparable phrasal verbs.

Affective Domain

• Appreciate the importance of using phrasal verbs correctly for effective communication.
• Participate actively in classroom exercises involving phrasal verbs.

Psychomotor Domain

• Construct grammatically correct sentences using separable phrasal verbs with objects.
• Construct grammatically correct sentences using inseparable phrasal verbs with objects.

Social Domain

• Collaborate with peers during the phrasal verb card exercise.
• Share constructed sentences with the class.

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
• Standard English dictionary
• O · Dictionary of idioms
• Course books
• Online resources for English grammar
• The HeadTeacher Scheme of work For The New Revised Senior Secondary Education Curriculum (SSEC)

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

• Whiteboard or blackboard
• Markers or chalk
• Prepared cards with phrasal verbs and their meanings
• Standard English dictionary
• Course books

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is important because phrasal verbs are a common and essential part of everyday English, enabling more natural and nuanced communication. Understanding their structure and correct usage with objects helps students improve their grammatical accuracy and fluency. It also prepares them for advanced English comprehension and expression in academic and real-life contexts.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Students should have a basic understanding of verbs, prepositions, adverbs, and sentence structure.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Phrasal Verbs: Structure And Use Of Phrasal Verbs With An Object

What are Phrasal Verbs?

A phrasal verb is a verb combined with a preposition or an adverb (or both), which creates a new meaning distinct from the original verb. The preposition or adverb is often called a particle.

Examples:

1. “Look up” (to search for information)
2. “Give up” (to stop trying)
3. “Take off” (to remove clothing or for an aircraft to depart)

Phrasal Verbs with Objects

Many phrasal verbs take an object. An object is the noun or pronoun that receives the action of the phrasal verb. The placement of this object depends on whether the phrasal verb is separable or inseparable.

Types of Phrasal Verbs with Objects

Separable Phrasal Verbs

Separable phrasal verbs are those where the object can be placed either between the verb and the particle, or after the particle. However, if the object is a pronoun, it must always go between the verb and the particle.

Rules for separable phrasal verbs:

1. If the object is a noun, it can go between the verb and the particle, or after the particle.
2. If the object is a pronoun (e.g., it, them, him, her, us, you), it MUST go between the verb and the particle.

Examples of separable phrasal verbs:

1. Turn on (to switch on)
   • Noun object: “Please turn on the light.” or “Please turn the light on.”
   • Pronoun object: “Please turn it on.” (NOT “turn on it”)
2. Pick up (to collect, to lift)
   • Noun object: “She picked up the book.” or “She picked the book up.”
   • Pronoun object: “She picked it up.” (NOT “pick up it”)
3. Give back (to return)
   • Noun object: “I need to give back the money.” or “I need to give the money back.”
   • Pronoun object: “I need to give it back.” (NOT “give back it”)
4. Call off (to cancel)
   • Noun object: “They called off the meeting.” or “They called the meeting off.”
   • Pronoun object: “They called it off.” (NOT “call off it”)

Inseparable Phrasal Verbs

Inseparable phrasal verbs are those where the object must always come after the particle. The verb and the particle cannot be separated by the object.

Rules for inseparable phrasal verbs:

1. The object (whether a noun or a pronoun) MUST always follow the particle.
2. The verb and particle always stay together.

Examples of inseparable phrasal verbs:

1. Look after (to take care of)
   • Noun object: “She looks after her children.” (NOT “looks her children after”)
   • Pronoun object: “She looks after them.” (NOT “looks them after”)
2. Run into (to meet by chance)
   • Noun object: “I ran into my old friend yesterday.” (NOT “ran my old friend into”)
   • Pronoun object: “I ran into him yesterday.” (NOT “ran him into”)
3. Get over (to recover from)
   • Noun object: “It took him a while to get over the flu.” (NOT “get the flu over”)
   • Pronoun object: “It took him a while to get over it.” (NOT “get it over”)
4. Go through (to experience, to examine carefully)
   • Noun object: “They had to go through many challenges.” (NOT “go many challenges through”)
   • Pronoun object: “They had to go through them.” (NOT “go them through”)

Common Phrasal Verbs with Objects and their Meanings

Here are some more examples:

1. Bring up (separable) – to raise a child, to mention a topic
   • “She brought up her children well.” / “She brought them up well.”
   • “He brought up the issue during the meeting.” / “He brought it up during the meeting.”
2. Call on (inseparable) – to visit, to ask someone to speak
   • “We will call on you tomorrow.”
   • “The teacher called on me to answer.”
3. Fill out (separable) – to complete a form
   • “Please fill out this form.” / “Please fill this form out.”
   • “Please fill it out.”
4. Look for (inseparable) – to search for
   • “I am looking for my keys.”
   • “I am looking for them.”
5. Put off (separable) – to postpone
   • “Don’t put off your homework.” / “Don’t put your homework off.”
   • “Don’t put it off.”
6. Take after (inseparable) – to resemble a parent or relative
   • “She takes after her mother.”
   • “She takes after her.”
7. Work out (separable) – to solve a problem
   • “Can you work out this problem?” / “Can you work this problem out?”
   • “Can you work it out?”

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: Engaging/Activating Prior Knowledge

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the students and asks them if they know any common phrases that combine a verb with another small word, like “stand up” or “sit down.” The teacher then introduces the concept of phrasal verbs as verbs with particles that change their meaning.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to the teacher’s questions and share examples of verb-particle combinations they know.

Learning Point: Introduction to phrasal verbs

Step 2: Explanation of Phrasal Verbs with Objects

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Definition

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher defines phrasal verbs, explaining that they consist of a verb and a particle (preposition or adverb). The teacher further explains that many phrasal verbs take an object and introduces the two main types: separable and inseparable. The teacher writes examples on the board.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen attentively, ask clarifying questions, and copy definitions and initial examples into their notebooks.

Learning Point: Meaning of phrasal verbs

Step 3: Understanding Separable Phrasal Verbs

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Detailed Explanation/Rule-setting

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains separable phrasal verbs in detail, highlighting the rule that a noun object can go between the verb and particle or after the particle, but a pronoun object MUST go between them. The teacher provides clear examples like “turn on the light” / “turn the light on” and “turn it on.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, observe the examples, and practice saying the sentences aloud. They note down the rules and examples.

Learning Point: Separable phrasal verbs

Step 4: Understanding Inseparable Phrasal Verbs

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Detailed Explanation/Rule-setting

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains inseparable phrasal verbs, emphasizing that the object (noun or pronoun) must always follow the particle. The teacher provides examples like “look after her children” and “look after them,” contrasting them with separable verbs.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, compare the rules with separable verbs, and note down the rules and examples for inseparable phrasal verbs.

Learning Point: Inseparable phrasal verbs

Step 5: Phrasal Verb Card Exercise

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice/Collaboration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher distributes the prepared cards (half with phrasal verbs, half with meanings) randomly among students. Students move around to find their matching partner (phrasal verb with its meaning). Once matched, the teacher asks each pair to construct one sentence using their phrasal verb with an object, demonstrating correct placement.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils actively participate in finding their partners, discussing meanings, and collaboratively constructing sentences. They share their sentences with the class.

Learning Point: Applying phrasal verb rules

Step 6: Sentence Construction Practice

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Application/Individual Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher writes a few phrasal verbs on the board (e.g., “put off,” “run into,” “fill out”). For each, the teacher asks students to construct a sentence with an object, paying attention to whether it’s separable or inseparable and the object’s type (noun/pronoun).

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils individually construct sentences and volunteer to share them. The class provides feedback on correctness.

Learning Point: Constructing correct 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. Explain the difference between separable and inseparable phrasal verbs.
3. Give an example of a separable phrasal verb and use it in a sentence with a pronoun object.
4. Give an example of an inseparable phrasal verb and use it in a sentence with a noun object.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Understanding phrasal verb usage

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 structure and use of phrasal verbs with objects into their notebooks.

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

Learning Point: Recording lesson content

Step 9: Conclusion

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Consolidation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher summarises the key points about phrasal verbs, their structure, and the rules for object placement. The teacher encourages students to pay attention to phrasal verbs in their reading and listening to improve their understanding and usage.

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

Learning Point: Phrasal verbs consolidated

Continuous Assessment/Further Study

Type: Homework

Instruction: Complete the following tasks in your English notebook:

1. Define “phrasal verb” in your own words.
2. Identify whether each phrasal verb below is separable or inseparable, and use it correctly in two sentences: one with a noun object and one with a pronoun object (if applicable).
   1. Bring up
   2. Look for
   3. Put on
   4. Get along with
   5. Take off
3. Find three more phrasal verbs with objects from your English textbook or a dictionary. Write their meanings and use each in a sentence.

Lesson Keywords

• Phrasal verb – A verb combined with a preposition or adverb, creating a new meaning.
• Particle – The preposition or adverb part of a phrasal verb.
• Object – The noun or pronoun that receives the action of the phrasal verb.
• Separable phrasal verb – A phrasal verb where the object can go between the verb and particle, or after the particle (pronouns must go between).
• Inseparable phrasal verb – A phrasal verb where the object must always follow the particle.

Differentiation

For students who grasp the concept quickly, encourage them to identify phrasal verbs in short passages or create a dialogue using at least five different phrasal verbs with objects. For students needing more support, provide a list of common phrasal verbs with their meanings and guide them through sentence construction step-by-step, focusing on one type (separable or inseparable) at a time before combining them.

Suggested Lesson Videos

YouTube search for “phrasal verbs with objects SS1 English”