Phrasal prepositional verbs emerge in learner work at the A2 level. However, the range is very limited. A2 level learners often use look forward to as a fixed expression followed by an -ing form or noun phrase, usually at the end of correspondence. Look forward to remains frequent in learner work at the B1, B2 and C1 levels, when its use by learners exceeds the frequency of its use by native speakers.
I’m looking forward to seeing you! (Cambridge English: Key; Turkish)
I look forward to hearing from you. (Skills for Life: Entry 2; Polish)
I am looking forward to our meeting. (Cambridge English: Key; Singhalese)
Once the B1 level is achieved, learners can use a limited range of verbs + particle + preposition + noun or pronoun.
I could catch up with the work I miss after school from 3.00 to 4.00. (Cambridge English: Preliminary; Spanish - Latin American)
They interviewed and filmed pupils and teachers to find out how they get on with each other. (Cambridge English: Preliminary; German)
So you had better go walking or join a club, but don’t forget to keep away from junk food. (Cambridge English: Preliminary; Arabic - Meghreb)
The main improvement in the work of learners at the B2 level can be seen in their use of an increasing range of verbs with the above pattern.
Other people will see you as a knowledgeable person and they will look up to you. (Cambridge English: First; Greek)
You should face up to the problem and tell everybody the truth that you are working too hard. (Cambridge English: First; Polish)
We couldn’t just swim and eat ice cream every day of our summer vacation, so we sat down and came up with the craziest idea ever. (Cambridge English: First; Swedish)
At the C1 level learners are able to use verb + particle + preposition, where the preposition is separated from its complement.
Anyway, let me tell you what ideas I came up with. (Cambridge English: Advanced; Greek)
Sometimes in order to feel confident and to be inspired we need a person to look up to. (Cambridge English: Advanced; Greek)
This you will have to look out for. (Cambridge English: Advanced; Swedish)
C2 level learners can use some prepositional verbs in this pattern: verb + direct object + particle + preposition + object. Frequent examples found in learner work that follow this form include put it down to chance/experience and take it out on someone. However, these are fixed expressions.
It is widely accepted that being a loyal and trusted individual means that the people around us can trust us or let us in on a secret. (Cambridge English: Proficiency; Greek)
You can either put it down to chance or, otherwise, to success based on a good strategy. (Cambridge English: Proficiency; German)
You have no need to take it out on somebody else. (Cambridge English: Proficiency; Portuguese-Brazil)
A key area of improvement in learners’ use of phrasal prepositional verbs is seen in the structures in which they are used. The first pattern used by learners is phrasal prepositional verb verbs + particle + preposition + noun or pronoun at the B1 level; verb + particle + preposition is introduced at the C1 level and verb + direct object + particle + preposition + object appears at C2. Yet, one of the most important areas of development is, of course, the increasing range of phrasal prepositional verbs used by learners as the progress through the CEFR levels.
