Transitive vs Intransitive Phrasal Verbs
B1 · IntermediatePhrasal VerbsTurn off the lights (needs an object) vs. the car broke down (never takes one) — every phrasal verb is either transitive or intransitive.
What you'll learn
- A transitive phrasal verb needs an object to complete its meaning: turn off the lights, pick up the phone
- An intransitive phrasal verb never takes an object at all: the car broke down, she showed up late
- This is a different question from separable vs. inseparable — intransitive phrasal verbs don't have an object to separate in the first place
- Some phrasal verbs exist in both a transitive and an intransitive version with related but distinct meanings: wake up (intransitive: I woke up) vs. wake someone up (transitive)
Does the phrasal verb need an object?
Just like ordinary verbs, phrasal verbs can be transitive (needing an object to complete the sentence) or intransitive (complete without one). This is a separate question from whether the phrasal verb happens to be separable.
Intransitive phrasal verbs never take an object
An intransitive phrasal verb describes something happening to the subject itself, with nothing following it. Trying to add an object to one of these verbs produces an ungrammatical sentence.
The same phrasal verb, two different patterns
Some phrasal verbs can be used both transitively and intransitively, often with a related but slightly different meaning — the transitive version usually means 'cause someone/something to do the intransitive action'.
Real English
Watch out
go off (meaning to make a sudden loud noise) is intransitive — it never takes a direct object.
turn off is transitive here — it needs an object to say what should be turned off.
Real life — Dealing with a problem
"My car broke down again this morning."
"That's the third time this month! Did you turn it off and try restarting it?"
"Yeah, nothing worked. I had to call a mechanic to pick it up."
"Ugh, that's so frustrating. Hopefully he can sort out the problem quickly."
Practice
Exercise 1 · Choose the correct answer
'Break down' (stop working, about a machine) is:
Exercise 2 · Choose the correct word
My car broke ___ on the highway this morning.
Exercise 3 · Choose the correct sentence
Choose the correct sentence with 'turn off' (transitive).
Exercise 4 · Choose the correct word
What time does the meeting usually wrap ___ ?
Exercise 5 · Choose the correct sentence
Which sentence is correct? ('show up' is intransitive, meaning 'arrive')
Exercise 6 · Choose the correct word
Can you turn ___ the TV? I'm trying to sleep.
Exercise 7 · Choose the correct word
The plane finally took ___ after the long delay.
Exercise 8 · Choose the correct sentence
Choose the correct sentence.
Exercise 9 · Complete the sentence
Complete: The negotiations finally broke ___ after months of talks. (ended without success — one word)
Exercise 10 · Complete the sentence
Complete: Please fill ___ this application form. (needs an object — one word)
Exercise 11 · Sort the phrasal verbs into groups
0 / 8 sorted
Quick challenge
Five quick questions to check what stuck.
Question 1 / 5
Score: 0/0
Which sentence is correct? ('turn up' meaning 'arrive', intransitive)
You learned
- A transitive phrasal verb needs an object to complete its meaning: turn off the lights.
- An intransitive phrasal verb never takes an object at all: the car broke down.
- This is a separate question from separable vs. inseparable — intransitive verbs have no object to separate.
- Some phrasal verbs work both ways: wake up (intransitive) vs. wake someone up (transitive).
Related grammar lessons
Particles and Meaning
Discover the recurring shades of meaning behind common phrasal verb particles — up often means 'completely', out often means 'discovering', and on often means 'continuing'.
Phrasal Verb Grammar
Go deeper into how phrasal verbs work grammatically — three-word phrasal-prepositional verbs like put up with and look forward to, and how a phrasal verb's particle differs from an ordinary preposition.
Common Phrasal Verb Groups
Group everyday phrasal verbs by situation — daily routine, phone calls, travel, study and work — and discover why phrasal verbs, not their formal one-word synonyms, are the natural choice in everyday spoken English.
Separable vs Inseparable Phrasal Verbs
Learn the difference between separable phrasal verbs (turn off the light / turn the light off) and inseparable ones (look after the kids, never look the kids after) — and the one rule that's never optional.