Which sentence uses 'come across' correctly?

I came across an old photo while cleaning the attic

I came across the street to meet you

I came across an old photo while cleaning the attic

The bridge came across the river

Which sentence uses 'come across' correctly?

She comes across as very confident in interviews

He came across the finish line first

Which sentence uses 'come by' correctly?

Good jobs are hard to come by these days

The bus will come by this route

Good jobs are hard to come by these days

I come by the office every morning at 8

Which sentence uses 'come by' correctly?

Can you come by my house later for coffee?

The train came by the station too fast

She comes by the grocery store home

Which sentence uses 'come out' correctly?

The new iPhone will come out next month

I need to come out from the house now

The new iPhone will come out next month

Which sentence uses 'come out' correctly?

The truth finally came out after the investigation

The students came out to the classroom

Separable vs Inseparable Phrasal Verbs: Rules & Examples -

📐 Lesson 1 - Syntax Rules

Separable vs Inseparable Phrasal Verbs

One of the most confusing aspects of phrasal verbs is knowing where to place the object. Can you say "turn off the light" AND "turn the light off"? What about "look after the children" - can you say "look the children after"? The answer depends on whether the phrasal verb is separable or inseparable.

Understanding this distinction is essential for speaking natural English and avoiding common mistakes that instantly mark you as a non-native speaker.

Separable

The object can go between the verb and particle OR after the particle.

Turn off the light ✓
Turn the light off ✓

Inseparable

The object must always come after the particle. You cannot split them!

Look after the baby ✓
Look the baby after ✗

The Golden Rule: Pronouns

Here's the rule that trips up almost every English learner:

The Pronoun Rule

When the object is a PRONOUN (it, them, her, him, us, me), separable phrasal verbs MUST be separated!

✓ Turn it off

✗ Turn off it

This rule has NO exceptions. Native speakers will immediately notice if you put the pronoun in the wrong place. Let's look at more examples:

✓ Correct

I need to pick her up at the airport.

✗ Incorrect

I need to pick up her at the airport.

✓ Correct

Please throw it away.

✗ Incorrect

Please throw away it.

✓ Correct

Can you turn them on?

✗ Incorrect

Can you turn on them?

How to Know if It's Separable or Inseparable?

Unfortunately, there's no magic formula. You need to learn each phrasal verb's behavior. However, here are some helpful patterns:

Helpful Patterns

Generally SEPARABLE: Most phrasal verbs with particles like up, down, on, off, away, out, in, back when they have a direct object.

Generally INSEPARABLE: Most phrasal verbs with prepositions like after, for, into, with, at and three-word phrasal verbs.

Common Separable Phrasal Verbs

turn on/off Turn on the TV / Turn the TV on

pick up Pick up the keys / Pick the keys up

put on/away Put on your coat / Put your coat on

throw away Throw away the trash / Throw the trash away

fill out Fill out the form / Fill the form out

figure out Figure out the answer / Figure the answer out

take off Take off your shoes / Take your shoes off

give back Give back the book / Give the book back

Common Inseparable Phrasal Verbs

look after Look after the children ✓

look for Look for my keys ✓

run into I ran into an old friend ✓

get over Get over your fear ✓

come across I came across this article ✓

go through Go through the document ✓

count on I'm counting on you ✓

deal with Deal with the problem ✓

Common Mistake

Many learners try to separate inseparable phrasal verbs, especially with pronouns. Remember: if it's inseparable, the pronoun stays after the particle too!

✓ I'm looking for it. (NOT: I'm looking it for.)
✓ She ran into him. (NOT: She ran him into.)

Summary Table

Type	With Noun	With Pronoun
Separable	Turn off the light ✓ Turn the light off ✓	Turn it off ✓ Turn off it ✗
Inseparable	Look after the baby ✓ Look the baby after ✗	Look after her ✓ Look her after ✗

Key Takeaways

Remember

1. Separable phrasal verbs allow the object between verb and particle.
2. Inseparable phrasal verbs keep verb and particle together.
3. With PRONOUNS, separable verbs MUST be separated.
4. With PRONOUNS, inseparable verbs stay together (pronoun after particle).

Ready to Practice?

Test your knowledge with interactive exercises on separable vs inseparable phrasal verbs!

Practice Exercises Next Lesson