Three-Word Phrasal Verbs and Advanced Patterns
Three-word phrasal verbs represent the most sophisticated level of English verb combinations, creating complex expressions that combine main verbs with adverbs and prepositions to express nuanced ideas about relationships, processes, and experiences that cannot be captured through simpler structures. These advanced patterns demonstrate mastery of English and are essential for natural, native-like communication across all contexts.
Understanding three-word phrasal verbs enables you to express complex emotional states, sophisticated social relationships, and intricate processes using the precise language that characterises advanced English proficiency. These combinations often carry idiomatic meanings that extend far beyond their individual components, making them crucial for understanding native speakers and participating fully in English-speaking environments.
Advanced phrasal verb patterns also include reduced forms, passive constructions, and complex grammatical structures that demonstrate sophisticated understanding of English syntax and semantics. These patterns appear frequently in academic writing, professional communication, and literary contexts, making them indispensable for anyone seeking to achieve truly advanced English competency.
Mastering three-word phrasal verbs and advanced patterns will elevate your English to native-speaker level, enabling you to express the most subtle ideas and emotions with precision whilst demonstrating complete command of the complex grammatical structures that distinguish truly advanced English users from intermediate learners in all professional, academic, and social communication contexts.
Three-Word Phrasal Verb Structure
Formation Pattern
Verb + Adverb + Preposition + Object
Always inseparable - the object must follow the complete three-word unit
Common Patterns:
- put up with - tolerate
"I can't put up with the noise." - look forward to - anticipate
"We look forward to your visit." - run out of - exhaust supply
"We've run out of milk." - get on with - have good relationship
"She gets on with everyone."
Key Rules:
- Never separate: All parts stay together
- Object position: Always after the complete unit
- Pronoun placement: After the three words
- Fixed prepositions: Cannot substitute particles
- Idiomatic meaning: Usually non-literal
- Formal register: Often more sophisticated
Essential Three-Word Combinations
Tolerance and Relationships
Acceptance and Tolerance:
- put up with - tolerate/endure
"I won't put up with rudeness." - make do with - accept as adequate
"We'll make do with what we have." - go along with - agree to/support
"I'll go along with your plan." - stick up for - defend/support
"She always sticks up for her friends."
Social Relationships:
- get on with - have good relationship
"I get on well with my colleagues." - fall out with - have disagreement
"They fell out with each other." - look up to - admire/respect
"Children look up to their teachers." - look down on - consider inferior
"Don't look down on others."
Anticipation and Planning
Future Expectations:
- look forward to - anticipate with pleasure
"I'm looking forward to the holiday." - lead up to - prepare for/precede
"Events leading up to the wedding." - build up to - work towards gradually
"The music builds up to a climax." - catch up with - reach same level
"I need to catch up with my work."
Planning and Preparation:
- get ready for - prepare for
"Get ready for the presentation." - gear up for - prepare intensively
"The team is gearing up for launch." - hold out for - wait for better option
"I'm holding out for a better offer." - watch out for - be alert for
"Watch out for falling rocks."
Resources and Supply Management
Depletion and Shortage:
- run out of - exhaust supply
"We've run out of coffee." - cut back on - reduce amount
"We need to cut back on expenses." - do away with - eliminate completely
"The company did away with overtime." - phase out of - gradually eliminate
"They're phasing out old systems."
Acquisition and Management:
- stock up on - accumulate supplies
"Stock up on food before winter." - keep up with - maintain same pace
"Keep up with the latest trends." - make up for - compensate for
"Make up for lost time." - come up with - produce/think of
"Come up with a solution."
Communication and Expression
Speaking and Discussion:
- speak up for - defend verbally
"Speak up for your rights." - get through to - make contact/communicate
"I can't get through to him." - talk down to - speak condescendingly
"Don't talk down to children." - break in on - interrupt conversation
"Sorry to break in on your discussion."
Information and Understanding:
- find out about - discover information
"Find out about the new policy." - check up on - verify/monitor
"Check up on the progress." - think back to - remember past events
"Think back to your childhood." - go back to - return to previous topic
"Let's go back to the main issue."
Advanced Phrasal Verb Patterns
Reduced and Elliptical Forms
Conversational Reductions:
- Full: "Are you going to put up with this?"
Reduced: "Are you going to put up with it?" - Full: "I can't keep up with the workload."
Reduced: "I can't keep up." - Full: "We've run out of ideas."
Reduced: "We've run out." - Context implied: Object understood from situation
Nominalized Forms:
- break-in (noun) - "There was a break-in."
- run-up (noun) - "The run-up to the election."
- follow-up (noun) - "Send a follow-up email."
- build-up (noun) - "The build-up of tension."
- cut-back (noun) - "Budget cut-backs are necessary."
- Note: Hyphenated when used as nouns/adjectives
Passive Voice with Three-Word Phrasal Verbs
Passive Transformations:
- Active: "People look up to the teacher."
Passive: "The teacher is looked up to." - Active: "We can't put up with the noise."
Passive: "The noise can't be put up with." - Active: "They did away with the rule."
Passive: "The rule was done away with."
Usage Notes:
- Formality: Passive forms often more formal
- Emphasis: Focus on object rather than subject
- Frequency: Less common than active forms
- Natural usage: Some sound awkward in passive
- Alternative: Often better to rephrase actively
- Written style: More common in formal writing
Complex Tense and Modal Constructions
Perfect Tenses:
- Present Perfect: "I've put up with this for years."
- Past Perfect: "She had run out of patience."
- Future Perfect: "We'll have caught up with them."
- Continuous forms: "I've been looking forward to this."
Modal Combinations:
- Necessity: "You must put up with some difficulties."
- Possibility: "We might run out of time."
- Advice: "You should look up to positive role models."
- Past modals: "You should have stuck up for yourself."
Common Mistakes to Avoid
✗ "I look forward for the weekend."
commonMistakes.mistakes.0.note
✗ "commonMistakes.mistakes.0.wrong2"
✓ "I look forward to the weekend."
Three-word phrasal verbs have fixed prepositions - never change them
✗ "I can't put it up with anymore."
commonMistakes.mistakes.1.note
✗ "commonMistakes.mistakes.1.wrong2"
✓ "I can't put up with it anymore."
Never separate three-word phrasal verbs - keep all parts together
✗ "We have run out from coffee."
commonMistakes.mistakes.2.note
✗ "commonMistakes.mistakes.2.wrong2"
✓ "We have run out of coffee."
"Run out of" always uses "of", never "from"
✗ "She gets well on with everyone."
commonMistakes.mistakes.3.note
✗ "commonMistakes.mistakes.3.wrong2"
✓ "She gets on well with everyone."
Adverbs go after the complete phrasal verb unit
✗ "I look up to him very much."
Wait, that's correct!
✗ "I very much look up to him."
✓ "I look up to him very much."
Don't put adverbs inside three-word phrasal verbs
Inseparability Rules for Three-Word Phrasal Verbs
Absolute Rules:
- Never separate: All three parts must stay together
- Object placement: Always after the complete unit
- Pronoun position: After all three words
- No insertions: No words between the parts
- Fixed prepositions: Cannot change particles
- Adverb placement: Before or after entire unit
Correct Examples:
- ✓ "I put up with the noise."
- ✓ "I put up with it."
- ✓ "I can't put up with it."
- ✓ "I often put up with problems."
- ✓ "Put up with this, I cannot." (emphasis)
- ✓ "This cannot be put up with." (passive)
Register and Stylistic Usage
Informal/Conversational:
- put up with (tolerate)
- get on with (have good relationship)
- run out of (exhaust supply)
- keep up with (maintain pace)
- catch up with (meet old friends)
- make do with (manage with less)
Professional/Business:
- come up with (produce solutions)
- follow up on (continue contact)
- catch up with (reach targets)
- cut back on (reduce expenses)
- gear up for (prepare intensively)
- phase out of (eliminate gradually)
Formal/Academic:
- do away with (eliminate formally)
- bring about changes (cause)
- lead up to events (precede)
- build up to conclusion (develop)
- think back to period (reflect)
- look back on era (evaluate past)
Complex Grammar Constructions
Perfect Tenses with Three-Word Phrasal Verbs:
- Present Perfect: "I've been looking forward to this for months."
- Past Perfect: "She had put up with his behaviour for years."
- Future Perfect: "We'll have run out of supplies by then."
- Perfect Continuous: "I've been getting on with my neighbours recently."
Modal Verb Combinations:
- Necessity: "You must put up with some inconvenience."
- Possibility: "We might run out of time if we delay."
- Advice: "You should look up to positive role models."
- Past Modals: "You could have come up with a better solution."
Conditional Constructions:
- First Conditional: "If we run out of money, we'll have to borrow."
- Second Conditional: "If I could put up with the noise, I'd live there."
- Third Conditional: "If I had come up with that idea, I'd be rich."
- Mixed Conditional: "If you had looked up to him, you would understand now."
Stress and Pronunciation Patterns
Stress Patterns:
- Primary stress: Usually on the main verb
- PUT up with: Primary stress on PUT
- LOOK forward to: Primary stress on LOOK
- RUN out of: Primary stress on RUN
- Emphasis: Can shift for contrast
- Linking: Parts flow together smoothly
Connected Speech:
- Weak forms: "to" often pronounced /tÉ™/
- Linking sounds: Words connect smoothly
- Rhythm: Regular stress-timed pattern
- Reduction: Unstressed syllables weaker
- Intonation: Rises and falls with meaning
- Chunking: Grouped as single units
Essential Three-Word Phrasal Verbs Reference
Most Common Three-Word Combinations:
Professional/Academic Context:
Advanced Learning Strategies
Mastery Techniques:
- Chunk learning: Learn as complete units, not individual parts
- Context immersion: Study in realistic communication contexts
- Register awareness: Learn appropriate formality levels
- Pattern recognition: Notice grammatical patterns and restrictions
- Substitution practice: Replace simple verbs with phrasal equivalents
- Error analysis: Study common mistakes and corrections
Advanced Practice Methods:
- Academic writing: Use in formal essays and research papers
- Professional communication: Employ in business correspondence
- Complex tense practice: Use with perfect and modal forms
- Passive construction: Practice formal passive transformations
- Literary analysis: Recognise in sophisticated texts
- Native speaker exposure: Listen for natural usage patterns