Particles: Difference between revisions

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Particles usually have the same form as prepositions
 
Examples: call sth. off, look sth. up
 
Characteristics:
* Particles combine with certain verbs to form non-predictable and mainly idiomatic particle verbs.
* They contrast with prepositions in that they are more flexible:
** 'V Part NP' and 'V NP Part' are both possible (The umpire called off the game., The umpire called the game off)
** For prepositions, only 'V P NP' is possible (The teacher fell off the chair, *The teacher fell the chair off.)
** When the NP is a pronoun, only 'V Pron Part' is possible (The umpire called it off/ *off it.). This ordering is excluded for prepositions (*'V Pron P', *The teacher fell it off.)
 
 
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  [[Complementizers| &larr; Complementizers]]  &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  [[Words| &uarr; Words]]      &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  [[Infinitive_marker_to|The Infinitive marker ''to'' &rarr;]]
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Latest revision as of 12:32, 21 April 2017

Particles usually have the same form as prepositions

Examples: call sth. off, look sth. up

Characteristics:

  • Particles combine with certain verbs to form non-predictable and mainly idiomatic particle verbs.
  • They contrast with prepositions in that they are more flexible:
    • 'V Part NP' and 'V NP Part' are both possible (The umpire called off the game., The umpire called the game off)
    • For prepositions, only 'V P NP' is possible (The teacher fell off the chair, *The teacher fell the chair off.)
    • When the NP is a pronoun, only 'V Pron Part' is possible (The umpire called it off/ *off it.). This ordering is excluded for prepositions (*'V Pron P', *The teacher fell it off.)