- Phrasal Verb – Break up.
- Meaning 1 – To end a relationship. If a relationship finishes, it breaks up.
- This phrasal verb is not separable.
- “Jack broke up with me! I’m gobsmacked!”
- Meaning 2 – To close a school or university for the holidays.
- This phrasal verb is not separable.
- “Our school will break up at the end of June. ”
- Meaning 3 – When someone who is talking on a phone breaks up, you can no longer hear them clearly because the signal is weak.
- This phrasal verb is not separable.
- “What did you say? I can’t understand. You are breaking up!”
- Meaning 4 – To separate into smaller pieces.
- This phrasal verb is separable.
- “Break the chocolate up into smaller pieces and share it with your brothers!”
What is a phrasal verb?
A phrasal verb is a verb combined with 1 or 2 small words. These small words are particles. A particle can be a preposition or adverb. The phrasal verb has a different meaning from the verb alone because the particle changes the meaning of the verb.
Some phrasal verbs can be separated. When we change the tense of the phrasal verb we only modify the verb part. The particle remains the same.