Picked It Up OR Picked Up It?
Separable and Inseparable Phrasal Verbs
Some phrasal verbs separate the verb from the preposition(s) (or particles) while others do not. Phrasal verbs are either separable or inseparable.
Separable Phrasal Verbs
Separable phrasal verbs can either remain together when using an object that is a noun or noun phrase, or separate:
Example:
We took the baseline data report down from our website in order to conceal the error.
They put poverty alleviation work off until the second year.
It is important to remember that separable phrasal verbs MUST be separated when using a pronoun as an object of the phrasal verb.
Example:
Roger made the behavioral objective up after the fact.
Simon looked his IQ measurement up in the reference book and found its location on the bell-shaped curve.
Inseparable Phrasal Verbs
Inseparable phrasal verbs never separate and must remain together whether a noun, noun phrase or pronoun is used.
Example:
We looked forward to reaching our benchmark.
Timothy Good looked forward to writing a press release on the Chicago O'Hare airport sighting.
Usage Tip
When you are not sure whether a phrasal verb is separable or inseparable, ALWAYS use a noun or noun phrase and DO NOT separate. As separable phrasal verbs must separate when using a pronoun, using the noun or noun phrase will help you avoid this problem and will always be correct.