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Olive bee Posted 9 years ago
Grammar

Lexis

What's the difference between 2 sentences: "Would you switch off the light" and "Would you switch the light off".

And in what cases is it more preferable to put Participle 2 after a noun? E.g. a letter written (instead of "a written letter'?

  

Top answer

switch off is a separable phrasal verb. " Whether to put a modifying participle before or after a noun depends on the sentence. It is a well-written letter.

— AlpheccaStars

  • switch off is a separable phrasal verb.
  • " Whether to put a modifying participle before or after a noun depends on the sentence.
  • It is a well-written letter.
  • (pre-position) It is a letter written last week (post-position)
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3 Answers
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switch off is a separable phrasal verb. It is equally correct to say "switch off the TV" or "switch the TV off."


Whether to put a modifying participle before or after a noun depends on the sentence. 

It is a well-written letter. (pre-position)
It is a letter written last week (post-position)
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olive bee"Would you switch off the light" and "Would you switch the light off".

The word order is optional with most phrasal verbs. If you consider both noun objects and pronoun objects, there are four possibilities. Three are correct; one is not correct; thus:

switch the light off
switch off the light
switch it off
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olive beea letter written (instead of "a written letter'?

Usually the adjective-participle goes before the noun when it alone modifies the noun, and it goes after the noun when it is accompanied by more words that go with it.

a written letter
a letter written last week by my cousin Bill.
a written last week by my cousin
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