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Discussion Groups / English Usage / July 2009wrap something up vs wrap up something
Hi all, I am confused about the usgage of the structure " wrap something up" vs " wrap up something". I often hear people say "wrap it up" but " wrap up the work", not "wrap the work up". Am I correct? Thanks, In message <4e60256a-f244-4455-9634-a5b197841a7a@b14g2000yqd.googlegroups.com>, CuocVui <cuocvuitancung@gmail.com> writes >Hi all, > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >I often hear people say "wrap it up" but " wrap up the work", not >"wrap the work up". Am I correct? You have heard correctly. If you are literally wrapping something in (say) paper, you can say (for example) either "I wrap up the presents in paper" or I wrap the presents up in paper". [The first is maybe slightly 'more correct'.] Either way, you can usually leave out the "up", and it means the same thing. The "up" simply provides a little emphasis. However, if it was cold, you might say "Wrap up warm" (put on a warm coat and scarf). Here, you DO need the "up". There is also the colloquial expression "to wrap up", meaning "to finish", "to stop doing", "to finalize" etc - as in your example "Wrap up the work". Here, it is usual to keep the "wrap" and the "up" together (although there might be some exceptions). But if you used "it" to refer to the work, you would say "Wrap it up" (with the "up" at the end.  SignatureIan > I often hear people say "wrap it up" but " wrap up the work", not > "wrap the work up". Am I correct? This works the same way with any verb-adverb compound. When the object is a pronoun, it must come before the adverb. When the object is a noun, it usually goes after the adverb. It's not incorrect to put a noun before the adverb; it's just much less common. ¬R > > I often hear people say "wrap it up" but " wrap up the work", not > > "wrap the work up". Am I correct? [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > ¬R Not verb-adverb, verb-preposition. The special-meaning combination is called a "phrasal verb"; the second element, the preposition, is called the "verb-tail" by Bernstein. One can tell a phrasal verb from a verb followed by a prepositional phrase by seeing if the preposition can be moved in the sentence. > Not verb-adverb, verb-preposition. Nope! This is how the two types of single-object phrasal verbs are distinguished. A transitive verb with an adverb takes a pronoun object directly after the verb: "wrap it up." An intransitive verb with a preposition always takes the object after the preposition, since the preposition needs an object and the verb doesn't: "clamber up it." ¬R >> > I often hear people say "wrap it up" but " wrap up the work", not >> > "wrap the work up". Am I correct? [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >> noun, it usually goes after the adverb. It's not incorrect to put a >> noun before the adverb; it's just much less common. It's very comon in speech to put the adverb last, but when writing, and since there is no tone of voice with writing, people usually take the time to realize it's more clear when the adverb is right after the verb. >> ¬R > >Not verb-adverb, verb-preposition. In "Wrap the package up", "up" is an adverb. Also in "Wrap up the package." Otherwise the prepositional phrase would be "up the package". I've gone up the road and climbed up a ladder, but I've never gone up the package. "Up" is an adverb. Come to think of it. it's an adverb in "up a ladder", also, when it follows climbed. I think. >The special-meaning combination is >called a "phrasal verb"; the second element, the preposition, is >called the "verb-tail" by Bernstein. One can tell a phrasal verb from >a verb followed by a prepositional phrase by seeing if the preposition >can be moved in the sentence. IIUC this, you didn't follow your own rule. SignaturePosters should say where they live, and for which area they are asking questions. I have lived in Western Pa. 10 years Indianapolis 10 years Chicago 6 years Brooklyn, NY 12 years Baltimore 26 years |
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