Phrasel verb

Phrasal verb.

AnonymousIs the following sentence is meaningful?

AnonymousIs the following sentence is meaningful?

No. Where did you find that sentence?

Hi

You don't want the -ness in the phrase

- When Uncle dies, I'm immediately asking 'Do we know if he left any money?'. Everyone just stares at me. My being self-centred is not called for

That is meaningful: it means that the speaker behaved with only their own concerns at heart and that wasn't right in the situation

Dave

Hi

... but, come to think of it, it is not a phrasal verb. 'My being self-centred' is a noun phrase

Dave

AnonymousMy being self-centredness is not called for.

It doesn't make sense as it stands. The following makes more sense:

Being self-centered is not called for.

called for ~ appropriate; required; needed

to call for is not a phrasal verb. It's a verb (call) and a preposition (for).

CJ

Hi

Couldn't a phrasal verb be the joining of a verb and a preposition in a way that would not make sense if you separated them?

Dave

dave_anonHiCouldn't a phrasal verb be the joining of a verb and a preposition in a way that would not make sense if you separated them?Dave

I'm not sure what you're asking, to tell the truth.

Here's post with the procedure you use to distinguish a phrasal verb from a prepositional verb, if that's what you're interested in.



CJ

Hi

I think I was saying that 'called for' is not just phrasal, it's probably idiomatic. It creates the picture of a king demanding cold meat and getting cheese and biscuits. 'That wasn't called for!' When the phrase is used ordinarily, no one is actually doing any calling - it only works because the verb and preposition go together

I read your previous post and liked it, but I

Hi

I'm not even sure about the drunks and the bus. I'm thinking that, if the preposition is not part of a verb phrase, you must be able to split it in conversation ...

- You went for a walk?
- Yes, along the road

So 'along' is a straightforward preposition

- In what manner were the drunks put?
- Off the bus

I'm really not sure

Dave

Ah, there is a prepositional phrase ...

- What did you call for?
- To see if you were OK
- For what?
- I just wanted to check you weren't angry

That's definitely prepositional but it's not the same as 'Your behaviour wasn't called for'

Dave

First of all, thank you, Five JJ, for correcting my misspellings.

fivejedjonWhere did you find that sentence?

I made that sentence by myself, Sir.

dave_anon... but, come to think of it, it is not a phrasal verb. 'My being self-centred' is a noun phrase

I agree with you Dave. ''My being self-centred...'' is a noun phrase a