Lesson 10 - curs engleză

NOUNS FROM PHRASAL VERBS

LACK, SHORTAGE AND EXCESS

NOUNS FROM PHRASAL VERBS

A. Particle first or second?

1. nouns derived from phrasal verbs or preposition as the first part of the word, sometimes the second. The stress is on the first syllable whichever form the word takes. When the particle comes second, there is often a hyphen before it unless the compound is extremely common. Here are some examples:

overspill underpass intake output outbreak upturn breakdown

breakup phone-in pay-out setback cutoff

2. some phrasal verbs allow both types of noun:

overspill spillover break-out

outbreak offcut cutoff

B. Transitive or intransitive? – nouns can be derived from transitive and intransitive phrasal verbs:

intake outgoings output lock-out bystander

fry-up knockout break-out onlooker input

takeover take-away lift-off income walkout freeze-up backwash print-out

C. Differences between noun and phrasal verb.

1. the noun may not have all the meanings of the corresponding phrasal verb e.g.: there is no noun deriving from the verb work out meaning “calculation” – I tried to work out how much I needed to live on each month – but there is a noun, workout, from the verb work out meaning “exercise”:

He works out most mornings.

He had a gentle workout in the gym.

2. the noun derived from a phrasal verb can have more than one meaning:

He did a hilarious take-off of the boss’s wife. (= impersonation)

Flight LH469 is ready for take-off. (= act of a plane leaving the ground)

3. sometimes there is a difference in meaning or use between the phrasal verb and the noun:

Look out! There’s a bus coming.

The outlook is bleak.

He checked out of his hotel at dawn.

There are thirty-six check-outs in our supermarket.

4. often the verb is less common than the noun, and may have almost disappeared from current use. Here are some example:

feedback backlash outcome,

outcry drawback offspring

5. on the other hand, many common phrasal verbs don’t have a corresponding noun. We use another noun:

Money suddenly started flowing in. There was a sudden influx of money.

Ring me up later. Give me a ring later.

D. Other points.

1. we can use the -ing form of some phrasal verbs to produce a noun. Here are some examples:

setting-up opening-up closing-down

sending-out dressing-down

2. the particle up, usually as a second part, is very popular in recent colloquialisms:

hang-up send-up fry-up

shake-up cover-up wind-up

3. some phrasal verbs have forms that we use as adjectives:

a stand-up comedian a put-up job a get-out clause

giveaway prices throwaway lines

4. there are only a few three-word noun phrases deriving from phrasal verbs:

a put-you-up hand-me-down a pick-me-up

PRACTICE

1. Match the following nouns (1 – 10) with the newspaper headlines (a – j). You may need to make some nouns plural.

1. output a. 2 out of 3 marriage … to do with money

2. outcome b. Another motorway … 20 vehicles involved

3. takeover c. … up by 30% - boom time at car plant

4. lift-off d. ‘It’s a …’ says housewife Maggie as service costs rocket

5. outcry e. Mass … from Californian prisons

6. breakup f. Shuttle … on schedule

7. rip-off g. Public … as ‘lifers’ are released

8. pile-up h. … of negotiations still in doubt

9. break-out i. Government promises … of assemblies in more regions

10. setting-up j. Many … held up by Monopolies Commission