Syntax

Verb patterns: phrasal verbs such as get on (with)

Certain phrasal verbs, such as get along (with) have two possible patterns:

-singular noun + get along + with + noun

• Lucy gets along with her mother.

-plural noun + get along

• Lucy and her mother get along.

Other verbs that take this pattern (with with):

-break up

• Marilyn Monroe broke up with Arthur Miller after a few years of marriage.
• Famous couples seem to break up often.

-go out

• I went out with him for two years.
• We're going out together.

-get on

• She always gets on with anybody and everybody.
• My boss and I get on.

-make up

• He made up with his wife and now they're happy again.
• He and his wife made up.

-split up

• Marie split up with her husband after six years together.
• They split up.

-fall out

• Paul fell out with his father over money.
• Paul and his father fell out.

Another verb which also takes the pattern, but with from is grow apart.

• When Fran moved to Turkey she grew apart from her friend Sue.
• If they don't see each other regularly, friends often grow apart.