Inseparable phrasal verbs

Phrasal verbs are two-word verbs consisting of a verb and a preposition or an adverb participle. There are two kinds of phrasal verbs – separable and non-separable.

In the case of separable phrasal verbs, the particle can go before or after the object. The two-parts of a separable phrasal verb must be separated when the object is a pronoun.

The two parts of an inseparable phrasal verb cannot be separated. They go together even when the object is a personal pronoun. Here is a list of the most common inseparable phrasal verbs.

Call on = visit

He continued to call on us even after moving to another city.

Get over = recover from sickness or disappointment

It is not easy to get over a broken heart.

Go over = review

Students must go over their lessons before the exam.

Go through = use up, consume

He has already gone through all his money.
The world will soon go through its coal reserves.

Look after = take care of

Who will look after your cat when you are gone?

Look into = investigate

The police should look into the possibility of sabotage.

Run across = find by chance

At the college reunion, I ran across several old friends of mine.

Run into = meet

I ran into Peter yesterday.

Wait on = serve

It was sad to see him wait on tables.