Phrasal verbs.Part 1. ABOUT Los phrasal verbs suelen utilizarse ms en el ingls hablado aunque tambin los podemos encontrar en el escrito. Suelen evitarse en situaciones y textos formales, en cuyo caso se recurre a sinnimos, la mayora, y esta es la buena noticia para los hispanohablantes, provenientes del latn. Por ejemplo, en un contexto formal sera preferible utilizar 'tolerate' antes que' put up with' o 'increase' antes que 'go up' o 'enquire' antes que 'ask for'.

Sabemos que la manera ms eficaz de aprenderlos es verlos en contexto, con lo que ms que memorizar verbos sueltos es mejor memorizar frases completas o asociarlos a imgenes o historias o ancdotas que nos resulten significativas; o sencillamente no preocuparse en exceso por ellos, que a fuerza de leerlos y escucharlos en su contexto y utilizando la intuicin ya se irn aprendiendo poco a poco. Aqu y aqu puedes encontrar tips tiles a este respecto. Tambin recomiendo leer Phrasal Verb Fun de Peter Gray.

Lo que nos proponemos para los prximos posts es proporcionar una herramienta de consulta de los phrasal verbs, en la que encontraremos el phrasal verb en contexto y un sinnimo como poco.

Para ello analizaremos las partculas, las cuales en ocasiones cambian totalmente el significado del verbo al que acompaan o tan solo aaden un matiz otras veces.

ABOUT:De entre todos sus posibles significados, los ms utilizados para formar phrasal verbs son dos:1.' In many different directions' o 'around a place, often without a clear purpose or order, all over the place' (US AROUND):

FALL ABOUT (UK informal): ' to laugh without being able to stop'. Partirse/caerse de risa.

We fell about when we heard her reply.

GET ABOUT (US GET AROUND/ROUND): 'Move': My gran is finding it harder to get about these days. 'Travel': Spain last week and Germany this week - he gets about, doesn't he!PUT STH ABOUT/AROUND (Informal):'tell a lot of people something that is not true'. Extender un rumor o cotilleo.I'd like to know who put the rumour around that I'm pregnant.Someone's been putting it about that Dan is leaving.

TURN STH ABOUT/AROUND/ROUND: Revitalise (an unsuccessful business), dar la vuelta, revitalizar (un negocio).

2) 'Almost now' o 'near here':BE ABOUT TO: Be on the point of (doing sth), almost We're about ready to leave. Well, I think that's about it for now (= we have almost finished what we are doing for the present).

BRING STH ABOUT: Produce, cause, provocar, ocasionar, traer (cambio). He brought about his company's collapse by his reckless spending.(=Provoc la ruina de la empresa por su gasto desmedido)

COME ABOUT: Happen, pasar, ocurrir. How did the problem come about in the first place?How did the bill for shutdown pay come about?

Part 2. AFTER After:"Later in time".ASK AFTER SOMEBODY: Preguntar por alguien (su estado de salud)Tell your father I was asking after him: Dile a tu padre que he preguntado por l.CALL AFTER / NAME AFTER:Poner de nombre por (algo o alguien)

John was named after his grandad: Le pusieron John por su abuelo.COME AFTER / GO AFTER: Perseguir, ir detrs de.The police went after him but he got away: Fue perseguido por la polica pero consigui escaparse.My husband came after me for so long that I finally agreed to marry him:Mi marido fue detrs de m tanto tiempo que al final acept casarme con l.

TAKE AFTERSOMEBODY: Parecerse a, salir a (alguien de la familia)He takes after his mother: Ha salido a su madre.

LOOK AFTER: Cuidar, hacerse cargo de.We look after the neighbours' cat while they're away: Cuidamos del gato de los vecinos cuando estn fuera.

Part 3. AWAY Away: "somewhere else, or to or in a different place, position, or situation so that you never see it again".BLOW SB AWAY :1) To surprise or please someone very much: ( Informal). Flipar, molar, alucinar. Synonyms: impress, knock sb out, please. The ending will blow you away: Flipars con el final.2)To kill a person by shooting them: (Informal).Cargarse a alguien, mandarlo al otro barrio. Synonyms: knock sb off,polish sb off, pop sb off, rub sb out, do away with sb.

GET CARRIED AWAY:"to become so excited about something that you do not control what you say or do". Emocionarse o entusiasmarse con algo y llevarlo al extremo, rsele a uno la olla. Synonym: overdo.GIVE SB AWAY:To show someone's secret feelings. Delatar, "decirlo todo". Synonyms: show, express, signify, make noticeable, reveal.She thinks no one knows how much she likes him, but her face when I said he'd be there really gave her away:Cree que nadie sabe que le gusta, pero cuando dije que l estara all, su cara le delat / lo dijo todo..GIVE STH AWAY: 1)To tell people something secret, often without intending to. Escaprsele a uno, desvelar (un secreto). Synonym: let sth slip.The party was meant to be a surprise, but Sharon gave it away:Se supona que la fiesta era una sorpresa pero a Sharon se le escap y lo dijo.

2) To give something to someone without asking for payment. Regalar, donar, obsequiar. Synonyms: grant, present, render.Nobody wants this type of heater any more - I can't even give it away!:Ya nadie quiere esta clase de calentador, no vale ni para regalar.