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Nazanin saryazdi Posted 12 years ago
Grammar
phrasal verbs
When we have:
I can't put you through. (on the phone)
Can we say: Put sb through/ Put through someone? Why is it right or wrong?
I can't put you through. (on the phone)
Can we say: Put sb through/ Put through someone? Why is it right or wrong?
Top answer
Do you mean something like "put through you/me" instead of "put you/me through"? No, that doesn't work. You must insert the pronoun between the verb and the particle.
- Do you mean something like "put through you/me" instead of "put you/me through"?
- No, that doesn't work.
- You must insert the pronoun between the verb and the particle.
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6 Answers
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Do you mean something like "put through you/me" instead of "put you/me through"? No, that doesn't work. You must insert the pronoun between the verb and the particle.
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Just remember that direct object pronouns go between the two parts of (transitive) phrasal verbs:
put me through
call me back
figure it out
let her down
look it up
... and the list goes on.
put me through
call me back
figure it out
let her down
look it up
... and the list goes on.
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But we can say: look up a word in a dictionary. Why not put through someone? I don't know the rule!
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I wouldn't call "put through someone" incorrect, but I find it inferior to "put someone through."
Generally speaking, it is preferable to place indefinite pronouns (such as someone, somebody, something, etc.) between the verb and the particle—at least unless the pronoun itself is defined or described in some way, for example: I don't want to let down someone who
Generally speaking, it is preferable to place indefinite pronouns (such as someone, somebody, something, etc.) between the verb and the particle—at least unless the pronoun itself is defined or described in some way, for example: I don't want to let down someone who
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nazanin saryazdiBut we can say: look up a word in a dictionary. Why not put through someone? I don't know the rule!It's not a rule. It's a property of the specific phrasal verb. The usage of a phrasal verb has to be memorized as part of the verb.
In general, however, it is useful to remember that in most cases you put a pronoun (it, them, him, h
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