Two and three word verbs: word order

Two- and three-word verbs (phrasal verbs and phrasal-prepositional verbs) combine a verb with one or two particles (adverb or preposition). Word order changes depending on whether the verb is separable or inseparable and whether the object is a noun or a pronoun.

• Separable phrasal verbs: verb + particle can be separated by the object (Turn off the light = Turn the light off).
• With pronouns, place the pronoun between the verb and particle (turn it off, not turn off it).
• Inseparable phrasal verbs and three-word verbs keep the object after the particle (look after someone, look into the complaint).
• Three-word verbs (verb + particle + preposition) are usually inseparable and require the full particle + preposition sequence before the object.

Decide whether the verb is separable or not, and consider the object type:

• Separable verbs: noun objects can go before or after the particle; pronouns must go between the verb and particle.
• Inseparable verbs and three-word verbs: the object always follows the complete phrasal sequence (particle or particle+preposition).
• When in doubt, use the safer option: verb + object + particle (with nouns) for separable verbs, or verb + particle + object for inseparable verbs.

Ask: can you place the particle after the object without losing meaning? If yes, it's probably separable.

Watch out for these universal errors when using two- and three-word verbs:

• Separating an inseparable verb: *We look our clients after* is incorrect.
• Placing pronouns after the particle: *turn off it* instead of *turn it off*.
• Treating prepositions as separable particles and moving them: moving the preposition in three-word verbs breaks the structure.
• Confusing particle meaning with preposition meaning — the particle may change the verb's meaning and cannot be rearranged.

If a sentence sounds odd after moving words, it's probably not allowed — double-check the verb type.