Phrasal verbs combined with special verb forms and clauses

Rosemary Courtney also includes special verb forms and clauses in phrasal verb constructions.[2]
Phrasal verbs combined with wh-clauses and that-clauses
Sentences which include verb + particle + object(s) + wh-clauses
“The teacher tried to dictate to his class what is the right thing to do”

= transitive verb + preposition(dictate to) + direct object (his class) + wh-clause (what is the right thing to do).
“My friends called for me when the time came”

= transitive verb + preposition (called for) + pronoun (me) + wh-clause (when the time came).
“Watch out that you don’t hit your head on the low beam”

= intransitive verb + adverb (watch out) + that-clause (that you don’t hit your head on the low beam).
Phrasal verbs combined with verb-ing forms
“You can’t prevent me from seeing her”

= transitive verb + pronoun (prevent me) + preposition (from) + verb-ing form (seeing) + pronoun (her).


Some linguists differentiate between phrasal verbs and prepositional verbs, while others assume them to be part of one and the same construction, as both types are phrasal in nature.