Verb–Object Split in English: Where Does the Object Go?

The verb–object split in English is a word-order pattern that commonly appears with phrasal verbs. It happens when the object is placed between the verb and its particle.

Compare:

• She turned off the radio.
• She turned the radio off.

Both sentences are correct.

However, when the object is a pronoun, only one word order is possible:

• She turned it off. ✅
• She turned off it. ❌

In this lesson, you will learn where to place noun and pronoun objects, when a verb can be split and how to avoid common word-order mistakes.

For a complete explanation of the different types of phrasal verbs, read our guide to separable and inseparable phrasal verbs.

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What Is a Verb–Object Split?

A verb–object split occurs when the object comes between the verb and its particle.

Look at this sentence:

Pick the parcel up.

• pick – verb
• the parcel – object
• up – particle

The object the parcel separates the verb pick from the particle up.

We can also say:

Pick up the parcel.

Both structures are correct because pick up is a separable phrasal verb.

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Where Can a Noun Object Go?

With a separable phrasal verb, a noun object can usually appear in two positions.

Verb + particle + noun object

• Turn off the light.
• Pick up the parcel.
• Write down the address.
• Call off the meeting.

Verb + noun object + particle

• Turn the light off.
• Pick the parcel up.
• Write the address down.
• Call the meeting off.

The meaning does not change.

Compare:

• She looked up the word.
• She looked the word up.
• He put away his clothes.
• He put his clothes away.
• They brought up an interesting point.
• They brought an interesting point up.

Both forms are grammatically correct.

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Where Does a Pronoun Object Go?

When the object is a pronoun, such as it, him, her, us or them, it must go between the verb and the particle.

Correct structure

Verb + pronoun + particle

• Put it on.
• Turn them off.
• Pick her up.
• Take it out.
• Hand them in.
• Throw it away.

The pronoun cannot come after the particle.

Incorrect structure

• Put on it. ❌
• Turn off them. ❌
• Pick up her. ❌
• Take out it. ❌
• Hand in them. ❌
• Throw away it. ❌

Compare:

• Turn off the television. ✅
• Turn the television off. ✅
• Turn it off. ✅
• Turn off it. ❌

The most important rule is:

With a separable phrasal verb, a pronoun object always goes in the middle.

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Short and Long Noun Objects

Short noun objects can usually go before or after the particle.

• She wrote down the number.
• She wrote the number down.
• They called off the match.
• They called the match off.

However, long or complicated noun phrases usually sound more natural after the particle.

Compare:

• She wrote down the address of the hotel where we would be staying. ✅
• She wrote the address of the hotel where we would be staying down.

The second sentence is technically possible, but it is awkward because the object is too long.

Similarly:

• We called off the meeting arranged for Friday afternoon. ✅
• We called the meeting arranged for Friday afternoon off.

The first sentence is clearer and easier to understand.

A useful guide is:

• short noun objects can go in either position
• long noun objects usually go after the particle
• pronoun objects must go between the verb and particle

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Common Verbs That Allow a Verb–Object Split

Here are some common separable phrasal verbs.

Bring back

Meaning: return something

• Please bring back my book.
• Please bring my book back.
• Please bring it back.

Call off

Meaning: cancel

• They called off the match.
• They called the match off.
• They called it off.

Fill in

Meaning: complete a document

• Fill in the application form.
• Fill the application form in.
• Fill it in.

In American English, fill out is also commonly used.

Look up

Meaning: search for information

• Look up the word in a dictionary.
• Look the word up in a dictionary.
• Look it up in a dictionary.

Pick up

Meaning: collect or lift something

• I’ll pick up the parcel tomorrow.
• I’ll pick the parcel up tomorrow.
• I’ll pick it up tomorrow.

Put away

Meaning: return something to its proper place

• Put away your clothes.
• Put your clothes away.
• Put them away.

Take off

Meaning: remove clothing

• He took off his coat.
• He took his coat off.
• He took it off.

Turn down

Meaning: reduce the volume or refuse an offer

• Could you turn down the music?
• Could you turn the music down?
• Could you turn it down?
• She turned down the job offer.
• She turned the job offer down.
• She turned it down.

Work out

Meaning: solve or calculate something

• We worked out the answer.
• We worked the answer out.
• We worked it out.

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When the Verb Cannot Be Split

Not every multi-word verb allows a verb–object split.

Some phrasal verbs are inseparable, which means that the object must come after the complete verb.

Look after

• She looks after her younger brother. ✅
• She looks after him. ✅
• She looks her younger brother after. ❌

Run into

• I ran into an old friend yesterday. ✅
• I ran into her yesterday. ✅
• I ran an old friend into yesterday. ❌

Get over

• She eventually got over the illness. ✅
• She eventually got over it. ✅
• She got the illness over. ❌

Other common inseparable verbs include:

• come across
• deal with
• go through
• look into
• run into
• take after

Because these verbs cannot be divided, even a pronoun comes after the whole expression:

• look after them
• run into him
• deal with it
• get over it

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Prepositional Verbs Cannot Be Split

A prepositional verb consists of a verb followed by a preposition. The preposition introduces the object and cannot be moved.

Depend on

• It depends on the weather. ✅
• It depends on it. ✅
• It depends the weather on. ❌

Listen to

• She was listening to the radio. ✅
• She was listening to it. ✅
• She was listening the radio to. ❌

Belong to

• This coat belongs to Daniel. ✅
• It belongs to him. ✅
• This coat belongs Daniel to. ❌

Other common prepositional verbs include:

• agree with
• apologise for
• apply for
• believe in
• refer to
• rely on
• wait for

These combinations should be learnt as complete patterns.

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What about Three-Word Phrasal Verbs?

Three-word phrasal verbs are normally inseparable.

Examples include:

• look forward to
• put up with
• get away with
• come up with
• run out of

The object comes after the complete expression.

• I’m looking forward to the holiday.
• I’m looking forward to it.
• She came up with a clever idea.
• She came up with it during the meeting.
• I can’t put up with that noise.
• I can’t put up with it.

We cannot say:

• I’m looking the holiday forward to. ❌
• She came a clever idea up with. ❌
• I can’t put that noise up with. ❌

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Common Verb–Object Split Mistakes

Mistake 1: Putting a pronoun after the particle

• Please turn off it. ❌
• Please turn it off. ✅

Mistake 2: Separating an inseparable verb

• She looks her younger brother after. ❌
• She looks after her younger brother. ✅

Mistake 3: Separating a prepositional verb

• It depends the situation on. ❌
• It depends on the situation. ✅

Mistake 4: Splitting a verb with a very long object

• We called the meeting planned by the regional managers for Monday morning off.

This sentence is difficult to follow.

It is clearer to say:

• We called off the meeting planned by the regional managers for Monday morning.

Mistake 5: Assuming that every phrasal verb is separable

Some phrasal verbs can be divided, while others cannot. There is no single rule that works in every case.

When you learn a new phrasal verb, learn its structure as well as its meaning.

Instead of writing:

turn off – stop a machine

write:

turn something off / turn it off

Instead of writing:

look after – take care of

write:

look after somebody

A learner’s dictionary will usually show whether the object can go between the verb and particle.

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Verb–Object Split in Cambridge Exams

Correct object placement is useful in B2 First and C1 Advanced tasks, particularly in key word transformations.

For example:

They cancelled the meeting.

CALLED

They called off the meeting.

They called the meeting off.

Both answers are possible.

However, if the object is replaced by a pronoun, only one structure is correct:

• The meeting was planned for Friday, but they called it off. ✅
• The meeting was planned for Friday, but they called off it. ❌

Accurate object placement will also make your speaking and writing sound more natural.

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Verb–Object Split in English: Quick Summary

Remember these rules:

• A noun object can usually go before or after the particle.
  • Turn off the light.
  • Turn the light off.
• A pronoun object must go between the verb and particle.
  • Turn it off. ✅
  • Turn off it. ❌
• Long noun objects usually come after the particle.
  • She wrote down the address of the hotel.
• Inseparable phrasal verbs cannot be divided.
  • Look after the children.
  • Look after them.
• Prepositional verbs cannot be divided.
  • Depend on the weather.
  • Depend on it.
• Three-word phrasal verbs are normally inseparable.
  • Put up with the noise.
  • Look forward to the holiday.

The best way to master the verb–object split in English is to learn each phrasal verb together with its word-order pattern.

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Practise the Verb–Object Split in English

Download the worksheet below to practise noun placement, pronoun placement, separable and inseparable verbs, sentence transformations and common error correction.

Download the Verb–Object Split in English Practice Worksheet in PDF here

Related posts:

• Phrasal Verbs Archives 
• Word Order in English 
• Separable and Inseparable Phrasal Verbs 
• Common Phrasal Verbs for B2 First 
• Three-part Phrasal Verbs in English
• B2 First Grammar

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