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PHRASAL VERBS IN AGATHA CHRISTIE
“THE ABC MURDERS”: A SYNTACTIC
ANALYSIS
Sattar Obaid Habeeb, Asst.Prof.Nadya Khairy Muhammad Said
College of Education Ibn-Rushd for Human Sciences/ University of Baghdad
DOI: 10.37648/ijrssh.v10i03.021
Received: 05
th
June, 2020; Accepted: 28
th
June, 2020; Published: 20
th
July,2020
ABSTRACT
Phrasal verb is one of the most important topics of English language because of the difficulty to understanding their
forms and functions .
The concept of ‘Phrasal Verbs’ refers to a group of verbs which consist of two or moreparts ,the first part is a lexical verb
and the other one is called a particle (adverb or preposition) .It is necessary to say that phrasal verbs are problematic,
the problems of meaning and grammar are represented in how to understand their use correctly . Thus most people who
are interested in the studying of English use single-word verbs would avoid to use phrasal verbs in their speech and
writing.
The present study particularly attempts to shed light on the syntactic characteristics of English phrasal verbs in Agatha
Christie’s novel which is entitled ‘The ABC Murders’(1936). In this study, phrasal verbs are classified into main types
and subtypes according to their syntactic features. It also endeavors to focus on their forms.
The study aims to survey and analyze the syntactic types of phrasal verbs that are employed in Agatha Christie’s ‘The
ABC Murders’(1936).It also aims to examine the similarities and differences between the forms/types of phrasal verbs in
this novel to consider their high / low frequencies.
To achieve the aims of the present study , the adopted model of the analysis is basically Quirk et al(1985) which is
believed to be related to the complexity of phrasal verbs and to the nature of the present study.
With regard to the data analysis, the conclusions of this study obviously show that phrasal verbs are rarely used in the
Christie’s novel under the analysis. Furthermore ,the conclusions have syntactically proved that ‘Transitive’ is the
outstanding type of PVs comparing them to ‘Intransitive’ . ‘Inseparable Transitive’ is also the most dominant in this
novel under analysis .
Keywords: Agatha Christie , Phrasal verbs, Transitivity, Separability .
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1. INTRODUCTION
Multi-word verbs are a group of verbs which consists
of combinations such as : go on , go into ,and get away
with . Since the combinations lexically or syntactically
function as a single word ,they referred to as multi-word
verbs which can be studied under the headings : Phrasal
verbs , Prepositional verbs ,and Phrasal- prepositional
verbs(Quirk et al ,1985:1150).
Phrasal verb as a type of multi-word verbs ,this study
intends to shed light on its importance and how to be
understood, which still problematic for more speakers of
English.
Phrasal verbs are usually considered the source of
worrying as mentioned by Fletcher (2005:1),he
emphasizes that these verbs are problematic not only
for the learners of English but also for the people who
are specialized in English language.
Simply ,it can be said that the problems of
meaning and grammar of phrasal verbs are represented
in how to understand and use them in writing literary
works ..
The present study identifies the phrasal verbs in
terms of syntactic perspectives .The study also tries to
answer the following questions:
1) What are the common syntactic types of
phrasal verbs illustrated in Agatha Christie‟s
literary works, namely („The ABC
Murders‟(1936)?
2) What are the functions of the phrasal verbs
that emerged in Agatha Christie‟s „The ABC
Murders‟(1936) ?
2. DEFINITION OF PHRASAL VERBS
Phrasal verbs are a group of verbs which consist of a
lexical verb and a particle such as ‘go on’ , ‘look at’ ,
‘look for’ , ‘point out’ , etc. Particles are small words
which are known as prepositions , adverbs or
prepositions and adverbs e.g. about ,at , away, back,
down, for ,into, on, of, out, in, over, to , and up .
(McCarthy &O‟Dell,2004:2).
A phrasal verb, as a type of English verbs , consists of
a sequence of a lexical item and one or more particles
e.g. (get up, come in ,look outfor, etc). Subtypes of PVs
may syntactically be distinguished ,for example, the
particles can be divided into adverbial or prepositional
types. The definition of „phrasal‟ varies somewhat
within different descriptions. But the overall syntactic
and semantic agreement of these sequences is readily
noticeable by using substitution and transformational
criteria e.g. :
1- a . She got up at six.
b. She rose at six.
c. What time did she get up? (Crystal ,2008:367).
Phrasal verbs operate more like a phrase than a word.
McArthur (1992:774) notes that these verbs are also
referred to by other terms such verb phrase, compound
verb, discontinuous verb, verb-particle construction, and
verb-adverb combination.
Quirk et al (ibid), mention that these structures
syntactically and lexically function as a single-word
verb ,although they are made up of more than one
word.
2- He disposed of the problem.
Here the sequence (disposed of) behaves as one
word .But the word disposed as an item which has
variable inflections („dispose’ ,’disposing’, ‘disposed’,
etc.) remains morphologically a verb .While the items
that follow the lexical verb such in (get away ,with
dispose of , drink up , etc.) are morphologically
invariable but have two categories which of adverb and
of preposition. So these items can be defined as particles
(ibid).
2.1 Types of Phrasal Verbs
All grammarians including Quirk et al, (1985: 1152)
classify phrasal verbs into two main types :Intransitive
and Transitive phrasal verbs .Intransitive phrasal verbs
are inseparable while transitive phrasal verbs are
subdivided into two subdivisions such as separable and
inseparable
2.1.1 Intransitive Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal verbs which do not require an object are called
Intransitive phrasal verbs as in :
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3- a. The plane has now taken off.
b. They are playing around.
c. Bomb blew up.
Here PVs are composed of a main verb and an
adverbial particles.This type of verbs are usually
considered informal . There are other similar examples
that can be used with particles which are found as
prepositions or prepositional adverbs, as in :
4- One of my papers has gone astray.
5- The news made him reel back. (ibid)
These particles can behave as a predication adjunct i.e.
they cannot be separated from a lexical verb occurs
with:
* The news made him reel distractedly back.
* The bomb blew suddenly up.
Some of PVs are more idiomatic and cohesive than
others. However ,the most clear distinction between
such phrasal verbs and free combinations is that ,the
meaning of PVs cannot be easily predicted from the
meanings of components in isolation e.g. catch on
[(understand), give in (surrender) ,and blow up
(explode).While in free combinations the verb functions
normally as a intransitive verb, and the adverb has a
consistent meaning. For example :
6- The child walked past. (past the object/place)
7- She waded across. (across the river/water/etc.)
The function of adverbs „past and across‟ here likes
to that of a prepositional phrase of direction(ibid).
Regarding to the separability, the intransitive phrasal
verbs cannot be separated but adverbs can be separated
in terms of meaning which can be shown by possible
substitutions: In (wade across) for example, (wade) can
be substituted by (walk, jump, swim, run, fly, etc.); and
the adverb (across) can also be substituted by (over, in,
down, up, through , etc) (ibid) .
Another syntactic signs of cohesion. In free
combinations, modifying adverbs e.g. „right‟ or
„straight‟ can often be placed between the verb and the
adverb particle:
8- a. Go right/straight on.
b. Drink right up.
c. Walk straight in.(ibid)
Alexander (1990 : 157 ) and Redman (1997: 38)
state that intransitive PVs cannot be followed by an
object i.e. the two parts cannot be separable as in:
9- The children are growing up
2.1.2 Transitive Phrasal Verbs
Another type of phrasal verbs which takes an object as
mentioned previously by Quirk et al, (1985: 1153) that
the phrasal verb which requires a direct object is called
a transitive-
phrasal verb, in contrasting with intransitive one .For
example:
10- a. We will set up a new unit.
b. I can't make out what he means.
In most transitive phrasal verbs, the particle can be
placed either before or after the direct object:
11- a. He turned off the light.
b. He turned the light off. (ibid)
The transitive phrasal verbs are also subdivided into a
separable and an inseparable verbs depending of the
direct object:
First, if the direct object is a noun ,in this case, the
particle is allowed to precede or follow the direct object:
12- a. I have taken off my coat.
b. I have taken my coat off.
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Here the phrasal verb take off is separable .Since the
direct object my coat is a noun phrase ,it can precede or
follow the particle off.
Second, within phrasal verbs ,if the direct object is a
personal pronoun ,it must be placed between the lexical
verb and its particle as in :
13- I switched it off. *- I switched off it.(ibid)
While Lester,(2009:156) refers to the second set of
transitive phrasal verbs i.e.„Inseparable phrasal verbs‟
which are sometimes called „Verb Compounds’
consisting of a verb plus a particle which is a
preposition ,in which prepositions cannot move like an
adverb when used in separable compounds, as in :
14 - a. Mary knows about the meeting.
b. John bumped into an old friend today.
c. Mary talked to John.
Lester(ibid) notes even the object is replaced with a
pronoun ,preposition in the phrasal verb cannot move :
15- Mary knows about it. * _She knows it about.
Quirk et al (ibid: 1154) emphasize that transitive phrasal
verbs can generally be turned into passive without
stylistic awkwardness as in :
16 - My aunt brought up Mary. _ Mary was brought
up by my aunt.
2.2 Syntactic Features of Phrasal Verbs
Quirk et al (1972:660) point out that verbs can
generally be divided into two types single-word verbs
as in ( John called the man ) and multi-word verbs,
which are phrasal verbs as in (Jack called up the boy ) ,
prepositional verbs as in(Jack called on the boy ), or
phrasal-prepositional verbs as in (Jack called up with
the boy) .
Quirk et al (1985,1152) divide particles into three
groups: Prepositions ,adverbs ,and prepositional
adverbs. The third group can be either adverbs or
prepositions which are often used with phrasal verbs.
The most obvious difference between the adverbs
and the prepositions is that prepositions require a
prepositional complement, but there is no such
requirement for adverbs.
McCarthy& O‟Dell (2007:6 ) assert that phrasal
verbs are extremely used in English i.e. they can be
found in various contexts as in songs e.g. Bob Marley’s
Get up and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Knock me down.
They are sometimes used in many newspaper headlines
e.g. Cover-up raises fears over bird flu ,or in a tittle of
film such as The Empire Strikes Back.
Phrasal verbs are very important, so the study
attempts to shed light on the syntactic analysis of
English phrasal verbs as following:
2.2.1Forms
In addition to Quirk et al (1985) and Rudzka-Ostyn
(2003) describe PVs by idiomatic multi-word verbs
which consist of a verb combines with an adverb and/or
a preposition. Some of them are called prepositional
verbs since they consist of a verb plus a prepositionThe
possible types and combinations are:
– verb combines with a particle such as : bring
up, look into(a murder), put off, slow down, and
give away think over
– verb combines with preposition such as: look
at, look into (a room), refer to, abstain from,
depend on, and think of.
– verb plus a particle+ a preposition such as : get
down to, face up to, be in for , come up with.
Phrasal verbs consist of two parts : a verb plus an
adverbial particle ,as indicated by (Quirk et al
1985:1150) , as in:
17- The plane took off .
According to Palmer(1987:215),in some
combinations, there is a limited number of particles can
combine freely with verbs ,while others are
collocational combined with limited verbs e.g. look after
,afraid of, etc.
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2.2.2Transitivity
Halliday ( 1994:168) emphasizes that there are three
elements which help the reader to discover the world
view of the writer or the persona in a literary works .The
elements are Process, Transitivity, and Participants .
Regarding to the transitivity feature ,PVs can be
divided into two types : intransitive or transitive :
18- What time does Bob usually get up in the morning?
19- a. He switched off the light.
b. He switched the light off.
The phrasal verb in (18) is an intransitive i.e. with no
object but in (19a ,19b) it is a transitive i.e. it is
followed with a noun as a direct object .
Downing & Locke(2006:60) also agree Quirk et
al(1985) identifying that PVs are divided into two types
( transitives and intransitives ) ,but some of them can be
used both transitively and intransitively, e.g. „blow up’
means (explode), „break down‟ means( reduce to
pieces):
20- The terrorist has blown up the train station.
(transitive)
21- The train station has blown up. (intransitive)
2.2.3 Separability
Quirk et al(1985) and Lester (2009:154) note that
intransitive phrasal verbs are inseparable ,
while the transitive phrasal verbs can be separable or
inseparable. A phrasal verb is separable, it means the
two elements can be separated and putting the direct
object in the middle as in (22a) ,and it may be
inseparable as in(22b):
22- a. He switched the light off.
b. He switched off the light.
Lester(ibid)considers a phrasal verb as an idiomatic
combination whose meaning is generally unpredictable.
Lester(ibid)also emphasizes that ,phrasal verbs can be
subdivided into separable and inseparable according to
their transitivity ,in other words ,if phrasal verbs are
intransitives ,they cannot be separable ; But transitives
are separable as in :
23- The manager called off the meetings. ⁓The
manager called the meeting off..
2.2.4 Position of Particles
Leech (2006) andDowning & Locke(2006) argue that
the particle may precede or follow the object when the
object is a noun ;But when the object is a pronoun and
the particle must be placed after it .
24- He switched it off. *_ He switched off it.
In order to emphasize new information, the object as
a noun is placed after the particle as in (25b) ,whereas
pronouns do not usually represent new information, so
they are used before the particle as in (24)(ibid).
Eastwood (2002:303) asserts this order depends on
what is the point of interest . For example:
25- a. We woke up the neighbours.
b. We woke the neighbours up .
Here the point of interest ,in (25a), is the object „the
neighbours ‟ ,Whereas in (25b) is the action of the
phrasal verb „woke up‟. In other words, when the
particle follows the object ,this order gives extra
emphasize to the adverb, especially which refers to
movement.(ibid)
McArthur (1992:773) argues that English adverbs
have various positions . However, they can be often
appeared together with the particles of phrasal verbs.
Within intransitive phrasal verbs , adverbs may occur in
different positions ,as following :
26- a. I happily ran away.
b. I ran happily away.
c. He ran away happily.
Whereas with transitive phrasal verbs as an adverb
occurs either before the verb or after the particle or
object:
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27- a. He eagerly picked the letter up.
b. He picked up the letter eagerly.
c. He picked the letter up eagerly.
But there is no sentence in most contexts such as :
-*He picked the letter/it eagerly up. (ibid)
While Palmer (1987:223) argues that some
combinations do not allow the particle (an adverb) to
precede the verb ,this can simply be exampled in:
28- Mary cried her eyes out. *_ Mary cried out her
eyes.
2.2.5 Extension
Palmer (1987:224) mentions that the extension
means the use of different lexemes with same syntactic
and semantic relationships .Some phrasal verbs can be
identical with transitive combinations ,but the object can
be understood whether be added or deleted as in :
30- a. They carried on .
b. They carried on the business.
Murphy( 2012:278) indicates that phrasal verbs are
sometimes followed by a preposition and/or an object.
For example:
31- Why did you run away from me? You’re walking
too fast.
32- I can’t keep up with you. Are you looking forward
to your trip?
2.2.6 Passivity
PVs on passivizing e.g. He blew up is fine, but not*he
was blown up by what I said. Rudzka-Ostyn (2003:1)
points out that PVs are used in the passive if there is a
flow of energy from an agent to an object e.g. The bill
was made up in a minute is fine, but not *His mind was
made up in a minute.
Not just a single-word verbs can be passive ,many PVs
can also be passive, for example:
33- The rest of the food was thrown away.
34- The alarm has been switched off. (Eastwood
,2002:304).
Quirk et al (1985:1167) point out that some
combinations such as (be ran down) and (be fed up) are
used only with passive PVs but cannot be with the
active as in:
35- He was fed up with the noise . *- The noise fed
him up.
2.2.7 Complementation
Newson et al (2006:188) emphasize that phrasal
verbs do not function like a verb which
takes a prepositional phrase (PP) complement .Thus,
the two types of verb can be distinguished in some
ways:
36- a. He took off his coat - He took his coat off.
b. He lived in a flat *_He lived a flat in .
37- a. In this flat, he lived for five years .
b. *Off this coat, he took in an instant.
38- a. He lived right near a forest.
b.*He took right off his coat .
39- a. He lived near the mountain and next to a river.
b.*He took off his coat and off his hat.
According to the above ,there is an indication asserts
that the prepositions do not function as the head of the
phrase, but form a unit with verb. For example, the
prepositional phrase (PP) complement of a verb in
(36a) can be moved to the front of the clause, this means
that the particle and its following phrase cannot be
moved as in (36b), showing that it is perhaps not a
constituent. Furthermore, a PP in (38a) can be modified
by an adverb like „right’, but this is not possible for the
particle followed by a PP (38b).
Finally, a preposition phrase complement can be
coordinated with another PP (39a), but it is not possible
to be applied (39 b), indicating that the particle does not
form a PP with the following PP. (ibid :190).
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2.2.8 Syntactic Features of Particles
Some syntactic features of particles have been
determined by McCarthy& O‟Dell (2004:10 ) saying
that particles in some transitive phrasal verbs can be
placed as in following:
a) Some particles must precede the object of
phrasal verbs as in :
40- She is looking for her keys . * -She is looking her
keys for.
b) Some particles must follow the object of phrasal
verbs as in:
41- a. We have a lot of work on .
b. We have on a lot of work .
c) Some particles can precede or follow the object of
phrasal verbs as in :
42- a. The thunder woke up the child.
b. The thunder woke the child up.
Sroka (1972:36) classifies the particles of PVs to three
kinds: Adverbs, Prepositions, and Adverb-Preposition
words.
2.3 Importance of Phrasal Verbs
Regarding to the number of English PVs as stated by
Praninskas (1957:217) that there is no one can account
the number of PVs in English but it is very large. Indeed
the number of them very important for the people who
are specialized in English ,especially with those which
are frequently used whether in written or spoken English
language.
Many Grammarians including McArthur (1992) note
that phrasal verbs are used both literally and
metaphorically. They are often idioms or parts in idioms
such as: to get on like a house on fire, to get away with
murder, to get up to mischief, to get back at someone.
The idiomatic usages of phrasal verbs in everyday
speech makes them so important. In addition, some
phrasal verbs have very ambiguous meanings. Some
phrasal verbs are used in context, but no one can know
their meaning unless looking their meanings up in the
dictionary or in any book on idioms(ibid).
McCarthy& O‟Dell (2007:6 ) point out that phrasal
verbs are extremely used in English , so many
combinations which be recognized as lexical verb plus
an adverbial particle e. g: take back, get up, sit down
,switch on/off, can be found in various contexts ,for
example in songs e.g. the Beatles’ I’ll get by with a little
help from my friends,Roll over Beethoven, or Red Hot
Chili Peppers’ Knock me down.
In addition to McCarthy and O‟Dell (ibid) such as
Gardner and Davis (2007) agree that PVs play a vital
role in linguistics, most students seem to avoid using
them regularly. And several studies have assumed that
PVs are found in informal and spoken English language,
many researchers such as emphasize that PVs are
largely used in written and formal English. Additionally,
Fletcher (ibid) mentions that PVs are also used in
several types written texts including the literary texts .
As an effective tool ,PVs play an important role to
convey the writer‟s messages. Chen (2007: 350)
emphasizes that native speakers use PVs frequently
according to their “characteristics of flexibility,
practicability, adaptability and efficiency”. While non-
native speakers face difficult to acquire them owing to
the permeability (Tu & Thao , 2018:115) .
2.4Synonym of Phrasal Verbs
Palmer(1987:216), McCarthy&O‟Dell (2004:8)
note a phrasal verb can be replaced by a single-word
verb e.g. come in ’enter’ , give in ‘yield’, and look after
‘tend’. Like single- word verbs , some phrasal verbs
have multiple meanings , this case is illustrated by
McCarthy& O'Dell ( 2004 : 14) as in the following
examples :
43- He got on bus . ( he entered the bus )
44- Oh ! I'm trying to get on with my work . ( continue
doing my work )
45- Jim and Ian get on really well . (they like each
other and friendly )
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Here „get on’ has various meanings i.e. there is no
direct connection between its meanings . Most phrasal
verbs have core meanings .
2.5 Three-Words Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal verbs as previously mentioned that they
consist of two part but sometime they can be formed
from three parts as indicated by Hart (2017: 30) when he
says that PVs can be consisted of three words e.g. „feel
up to’ „looking forward to’ , „get over with’, etc. Three-
words phrasal verbs are combinations of a verb, a
particle, and a preposition , respectively. This type of
verbs is always transitive and most of them are
inseparable as in.
46- It’s been a long day, I know, but do you feel up to
playing tennis after dinner?
47- It was nice to meet your father, and I look forward
to seeing him again.
But some three-word phrasal verbs are separable
because they need two objects:
48- Mr. Baker tried to screw his ex-wife out of her
share of the lottery prize.
The PV ‘Get over with’ for example , is formed of three-
word which be always separated, but it is intransitive as
in:
49- Everyone our class must make a presentation .I am
very nervous about it, so I want to go first so I can get it
over with and relax.
While „go along with’ cannot be separated wherever it
occurs:
50- I understand your concern, Tom, but I have to go
along with Linda on this matter.
51- What’s my opinion? I go along with John(ibid) .
McCarthy& O'Dell ( 2004: 16) emphasizes that not
only with formal the three-word verbs can also be used
with informal . Monkey around with, for instance, is
informally used when adjusting or trying to repair
mechanical devices even though no having permission
or skill to do.
52- Jack monkeyed around with his printer , and I
think maybe he fixed it.
53- Lara was monkeying around with her camera, and
now it doesn’t work. (ibid)
An adverb in sentences of three-word phrasal verbs
,is sometimes possible included , but it may be
problematic: First, an adverb is sometimes acceptable to
be placed between the verb and first particle and other
times it does not. Second, an adverb can sometimes be
placed between the two particles and other times it
cannot. This matter is more stylistic than of what is
correct or incorrect as in:.
55- a. Eventually, I grew out of the sweater.
b. He eventually grew out of the sweater.
c. I grew out of the sweater eventually.(ibid)
2.6 Prepositional Verbs
All grammarians describe prepositional verbs as a
combination of a verb plus a preposition .Swan, (1980
:491) defines the term of prepositional verbs as “a large
number of combination of verb + preposition”. Quirk et
al (1985:1155) indicate that prepositional verbs refer to
a type of multi-word verbs which consists of a main
verb combines with a preposition ,and these elements
are syntactically and semantically associated with each
other e.g. „look at’ ,’cope with’ ,’go into’ ,etc. The
preposition within a prepositional verbs must precede its
complement as in :
56Look at this picture.
57- You can cope with the study.
58- You have to go into the problem.
Here in above examples ,the main verbs are followed
by particles which are clearly prepositions precede
complements. However, the second noun phrase ,in
below sentence ,cannot be considered the direct object
of the lexical verbs look at but the complement the
preposition at (ibid):
59- Many people looked at the paintings.
While in other constructions , the second noun phrase
is called prepositional object as in:
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60- Some people examined disdainfully with the
pictures.
Quirk et al(1985:1156) attempt to avoid the ambiguity
using the term „prepositional verbs‟ that can be shown
in the following complementary analyses :
Analysis 1: S V A
She looked after her boy.
Analysis 2: S V O
According to the first analysis ,the verb look is
intransitive ,whereas in another analysis ,the verb „look
after’ ,which means tend, is a transitive takes an
object(ibid).
In prepositional verbs e.g. „look for’ ,’look at’ ,etc The
lexical verb usually keeps a literal use and associated
with fixed a preposition . In some prepositional verbs
such as „go into’ ,the two elements semantically form an
idiomatic combination. Whereas other sequences of a
verb plus a preposition e.g. „live at’ ,are obviously non-
idiomatic or free combinations(ibid).
2.7 Overlapping of Phrasal Verbs and Prepositional
Verbs
Grammarians such as Quirk et al (1985) and
Palmer(1987) point out that prepositional verbs are
paralleled by phrasal verbs because both of them are
formed from two parts . However, they attend to
illustrate how phrasal verbs are contrasted with
prepositional verbs.
According to Quirk et al (ibid:1156) PVs consist of
a lexical verb plus particles which can be an adverb or a
preposition .While a prepositional verb is formed just
from a verb and a preposition as in :
61- The plane has just touched down .(a
phrasal verb)
62- He called on his friends. (a prepositional
verbs)
The preposition of prepositional verbs cannot follow
the phrasal noun in a sentence as in:
63- He called on his friend .*- He called his
friends on.
Whereas a particle can move to a position after the noun
phrase as in:
64- I switched of the light .⁓ I switched the light
off.
Likewise, the case of particles and pronouns is
different ,in other words , the particle of transitive
phrasal verbs must follow the object which is a pronoun;
But with prepositional verbs do not:
65- He called on them .*_ He called them on.
66- I switched it on .*_ I switch on it .(ibid)
According to the ending preposition there is a view
which claims a preposition cannot occur at the end of a
sentence i.e. the sentence cannot end with a preposition
:
67- Did you look the word up ?
Here the particle „up‟ is not a preposition but a
second part of the verb “look up” . Kolln & Funk
(2012:294) refuted this view , noting that a little word
which occurs at the end may be a preposition ,
especially in a question:
68- Who shall we talk to? (i.e., To whom shall
we talk?)
According to the distinguishing between “PVs” and
“Pre Vs”, Dixon (1992:270) also distinguishes between
the verbs which cannot be used without a particle and
those which can occur with or without the particle.
Dixon refers to the verbs that never occur without the
particle a single lexeme. While PVs , on the other hand,
consist of a verb plus a preposition an create a meaning
different from that of the verb alone.
So the differences between phrasal verbs and
prepositional verbs can be shown in table (2.1)below.
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Table (2.1) The difference between PVs and Pre-Vs
(Quirk et al (1985:1167).
Items
Phrasal verbs
Prepositional verbs
1
Phrasal verbs can defined as combinations of a lexical
verb and particles which can be an adverb ,preposition or
both e.g. go on , go away , get over with, etc. As in: Go on,
he knows what you mean .
Prepositional verbs are formed just from a verb and a
preposition e.g. go to, look at. etc. As in:
I go to the school every day.
2
The particle may precede or follow a direct object which is a
noun phrase. As in : „He took off his coat’ or ‘He took his
coat off’
Prepositions have to come before the direct object. As in:
„He called on them‟ .
* „He called them on‟.
3
If the object is a noun phrase ,it can precede or follow the
particle, but in the case of a pronoun ,it must place between a
verb and its particle. As in: ‘I want to find out the fact’ or ‘I
want to find the fact out’
A direct object, whether a personal noun or a noun phrase,
must come after the particle i.e. it comesbetween a verb and
its particle. As in „I looked at the pictures’
4
An adverb ,as adjunct, cannot insert between a verb and its
particle within phrasal verbs.
An adverb can be inserted between a verb and a preposition
in the case of prepositional verbs.
5
A relative pronoun cannot follow the particle of a phrasal
verb at the beginning of relative clause ,as in :’She takes it
off’ ,*’She takes off it’
The preposition of the prepositional verb can precede a
relative pronoun at the beginning of a relative clause ,as in
:‟You can call on him’
6
Phrasal verbs can be idiomatic, semi-idiomatic , or non-
idiomatic combinations i.e. their meanings cannot be easily
inferred from the meaning of their parts.
Prepositional verbs are literal combinations only i.e. the
meaning can be inferred from the individual meaning of
their parts
2.8 Phrasal Verbs and Other Categories
Hart (2017), McCarthy &O‟Dell (2007) ,Palmer (1987)
and others point out that (PVs) do not represent verbs
only, such as „make up‟ ;But they can also be used as a
noun e.g. „makeup‟ or an adjective e.g. „made-up’. This
means in English many nouns and adjectives can be
created basing on phrasal verbs with or without a
hyphen .
2.8.1 Phrasal Verbs and Nouns
Hart (2017:78) points out that many of (PVs) can be
used as nouns , such nouns are written as one word as in
Lay off (v.) ⁓ layoff (n.)or two words separated with a
hyphen e.g. Go ahead (verb) ⁓ go-ahead (n.)
Hart (ibid) asserts ,that there is no a rule to indicate
which a noun must be hyphenated and which should be
written as one word .
McCarthy &O‟Dell (2007:10) emphasizes that phrasal
nounsare alike phrasal verbsin their forming i.e. both of
them consist of a verb and a particle. The particle may
precede or follow the verb e.g. standby ,letdown, onset
,etc. This can be simply exemplified as in:
69- My father is a pilot and he is on standby
over the weekend.
70- Neil can provide technical back-up if you
need it.
According to the plural of nouns which are derived
from PVs , McCarthy &O‟Dell (2004:12) note that
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plurality of these nouns is formed by adding (-s) plural
to the particles not to the verbs such as:
71- Break-in ⁓ break-ins * ⁓ breaks-in.
72- Dropout ⁓ dropouts * ⁓ dropsout.
But there is an exception with a noun „going-on‟ ,in
which( –s plural) is added to the verb not the particle as
in :
73- There is a lot of gossip about the goings-on at the
office party.(ibid)
2.8.2 Phrasal Verbs and Adjectives
Many adjectives are also formed from the
construction of PVs like „a broken-down bus‟( a bus
whose engine has stopped working) ,ongoing problem (a
problem which continues) ,etc .However ,it can be said
that some adjectives are related to English PVs in their
forming (McCarthy &O‟Dell (2007:12) :
74- He has an ongoing problem with the computer
system.(a problemwhich continues)
75- I was wearing old, worn-out shoes.(weak, damaged
through much.use).
Hart(2017:122) mentions that adjectives are
participle i.e. they are derived from(PVs). Some
participle adjectives are written as one word e.g.
„rundown‟ ,or written with/without a hyphen e.g. „make-
up’and „fixed up’. There is a rule followed to show
which a participle adjective has to be hyphened and
which not to be.
Hart(ibid:84) states that nouns which are derived from
(PVs) can combine with an ordinary noun to create
compound nouns such as :
- A noun:backup a compound noun:backup
disk
- A noun:follow-up a compound noun:follow-up
call
The first noun of new compound nouns functions
like an adjective in an ordinary compound nouns as in :
76- Jack: What kind of clothes?
Bob: Dirty clothes. (dirty is adj.)
Jack: What kind of clothes?
Bob: Workout clothes. (workout is n.)
Here the adjective „dirty‟ and the noun „workout‟
have the same function which modifies the noun
„clothes‟.
2.8.3 Phrasal Verbs and Collocation
McCarthy &O‟Dell (2007:10) define collocation as
“the way words combine with one another”. So ,it is
very important to know which words a verb has to use
with.
According to collocation, Palmer (1987:215) notes
that there is a limited number of particles in some
combinations can combine freely with some verbs .On
the other hand, some particles within phrasal verbs are
collocational combined with limited verbs e.g. look after
,afraid of, etc.
Seidl &McMordie( 1988:100) identify that a
particular difficulty which faces most non-native
speakers of English is how the phrasal verbs are used
,and which verbs consisting in a combination with a
particle or a preposition e.g. „give in‟. Some
combinations of verbs and an adverb or a preposition
have fully idiomatic meanings i.e. the meaning of a
combination is completely different from the individual
meanings of the a verb and a particle as in:
77- He decided to pick his job in.
The meanings of „pick‟ and „in‟ do not bear the exact
meaning (leave or abandon)(ibid).
Some combinations of a verb plus a preposition or an
adverb may have more than one idiomatic meaning
depending on the particle which combines with i.e. there
is a collocation(ibid).
McCarthy &O‟Dell (ibid:10) mention that knowledge
of a verb and its collocation will help speakers to speak
and write more precisely. Some collocations with
objects ,for example, denoting people or things as in :
78- a. I would advise you to keep in with the boss/ James
.
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* b.I would advise you to keep in with the exam system.
Some collocations with subjects denoting people or
things as in:
79- a. John has to dashed off .He has a meeting in 30
minutes.
b.*The car dashed off along the motorway(ibid).
Barlow and Burdine (2006:3) state that “each
meaning of a phrasal verb is usually associated with a
set of particular words (collocates) within the sentence”.
This can be more simplified in other word e.g. the word
„complaints‟ is associated with the phrasal verb „deal
with’ i.e. it is a collocate of deal with, as in:
80- He had to deal with a lot of complaints.
3. DATA COLLECTION
One of Agatha Christie‟s novels was adopted as a data
for the syntactic analysis of PVs in this paper. The novel
belongs to the detective genre which is entitled „The
ABC Murders‟(1936). The researchers see that the
analysis will be very bulky if the wholechapters of the
novelare analysed, so some selected chapters from the
novel have been chosen for the analysis .The researchers
attempt to debate the term of Phrasal Verbs through
„more and better‟ impact data by highlighting
experience on combining quantitative and qualitative
analysis which serves the present paper.
From this discussion it can be realized that both
qualitative and quantitative analyses have an effective
contribution for literary studies. Kandilji & Al-Samarrai
(2009 :66) state that the qualitative research is
considered a basic methodology to enrich descriptive
goals, while the quantitative one focuses on an
experiment and discovering cause and result which
based on specific variable measures and numerical data.
3.1 Agatha Christie(1890-1976)
Agatha Christie is a British writer who was born in
Torquay in 1890 . She has many literary works e.g.
novels , plays, short stories ,and poems and other books
which were translated into 45 languages .She is
considered the best-selling author of all time. She wrote
eighty criminal novels so she is considered the best
criminal novelist in the world .Christie did not write
detective novels only, but she wrote six romantic novels
(Cawthorne,2014:5).
Christie wrote more than eighty crime novels thus
she is also considered as the best criminal novelist and
she is called the queen of detective
fiction(Collins,1936:5).
There is an overlapping between the terms "crime
fiction" and "detective fiction" which are usually used
interchangeably. To make a distinction between the two
genres it can be said that crime fiction is considered the
umbrella term for crime in general on one hand , while
the detective fiction is mainly concerned with the
process of detection.( Vurmay,2017 :1128)
According to selling of Christie‟s books, more than
two billions copies of her literary works have been sold,
so she is considered the best-selling novelist for all time
(Kastan, 2006:467).
Christie has created the two enduring characters in
her detective literature „Hercule Poirot‟ and „Miss Jane
Marple‟ (ibid) .
Detective genre which sometimes called a mystery
genre is a special literary genre. This literary genre is
usually associated with the labyrinthine plot, it is also
related with strong logic sense as well as the high
suspenseful situation and setting.(Zhang,2001:146)
The 1920s and 1930s are considered the Christie's
golden age in which she wrote many of her masterworks
including „The ABC Murders’ (1936) (ibid).
Christie is undoubtedly considered the lady of
complexity in plotting but she was distinguished by her
simple style in writing of her literary works which are
characterized by a simple and clear language .In
addition to that, she draws her characters with the finest
touches and she injects her thoughts and feelings into
her works so that readers can read it Easily(ibid)
Coulthard(1985:179) emphasizes that “Linguistic study
remains rare in this area. However,considering the fact
that literature is the art form realized entirelythrough
language, it is reasonable to suggest that a detailed
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analysisof authorial technique and stylistic features can
be more successfullyachieved within a rigorous
linguistic framework”
Gale (2016) points out that Christie uses a first person
account in ‘The ABC Murders’ (1936) which is told by
Captain Hasting who is the best friend of Hercule
Poirot. Hasting is not directly related to the case at all
but he has a captivation with his Poirot‟s personality.
This explains that Hasting is not an objective observer
(ibid).
Christie wrote not only in detective genre but she also
wrote six romantic novels under the pseudonym „Mary
Westmacott‟. She died in 1976 in
Wallingford(Cawthorne ,ibid).
3.2 Summary of the Detective Novel ‘The ABC
Murders’ (1936)
The ABC Murders is one of Agatha Christie‟s
detective novels which has been published in UK in
1936. In this novel, the author gives a genius
presentation of how to confront the intelligence of the
criminal murderous with the intelligence of the
investigator Poirot ,and how Poirot's intelligence
managed to conquer the killer's intelligence according to
the alphabet i.e. that this novel is a true struggle between
crime and justice. The strategies of killing are done
according to the alphabetical order (Kodirova,
2020:187).
Christie creates an enduring character called Hercule
Poirot who received letters signed by A.B.C. Each one
of these letters includes the place and date of the next
murder .The first victim is Allce Ascher who was killed
in her tobacco shop in Andover after Poirot received a
letter signed by ABC directing him to Andover in which
the first murder was killed .About a month after Alice's
murder, ABC sent another letter to Poirot telling him
about the second murder „Betty Barnard‟ who was a
waitress killed in Bixhill. The third victim was a rich
man called Sir Carmichael Clarke who was killed in his
home.
At the end of her novel ,Christie showed that Poirot
explores that the ABC killer is Cust(ibid).
3. 3 The Modal of the Analysis
The present paper adopts Quirk et al.‟s (1985)
classification of PVs as a model of analysis which
systematizes the concept of PVs by classifying them
syntactically into two main categories:
TransitiveandIntransitive. „Intransitive Phrasal Verbs‟
are always Inseparable verbs while „Transitive‟are
classified into two subcategories: Separable and
Inseparable. These types can provide a practical means
for describing and analyzing various types of phrasal
verbs which are used in Agatha Christie‟s “The ABC
Murders”. See figure (3.1).
Figure (3.1)The Syntactic Classification of Phrasal Verbs(Quirk et al,1985:1152) .
4. DATA ANALYSIS
Data analysis is presented in the form of tables. The tables include the syntactic classifications of PVs - „Intransitives‟
and „Transitives‟ ,the intransitives always are „Inseparable‟ while the transitives are subdivided into two types
Phrasal verbs
Transitives
Separabl
e
Inseparab
le
Intransitives
Inseparable
Syntactic
classification of
PVs
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:Inseparable and Separable . Each bold verb in the tables shows the PVs in the original text of Agatha Christie‟s „The
ABC Murders‟ (1936). Page numbers are also included in the tables in order to give accuracy to the analysis .
4.1 The ABC Murders (1936)
The main characters :
Hercule Poirot who is the investigator who received the letters which are signed by A.B.C. murder ,and
who explores the real killer at the end.
Allce Ascher who is the first victim who was killed in her tobacco shop in Andover.
Betty Barnard who is the second victim who was a waitress killed in Bixhill.
Sir Carmichael Clarke who is the third victim who was a rich man that killed in his home.
Alexander Bonaparte Cust who is the ABC killer.
4.1.1 Data Analysis of ‘The ABC Murders’ (1936)
In table(4.1),details of the syntactic descriptions of PVs are mentioned concerning the detective novel „The ABC
Murders‟ (1936) under study .The table comprises some examples selected from the novel that includes PVs besides the
type of these verbs.
To give accuracy to the study, page numbers are also included in the table. The choice of being phrasal verbs are
Transitive/ Intransitive, Separable/ Inseparable has marked by tick symbols in the table below :
Table (4.1)The Syntactic Analysis of Phrasal Verbsin‘The ABC Murders’ (1936)
Items
Example
PVs
Types of PVs
Intransitive
Transitive
Separable
Inseparable
1.
REVlVlT .To bring back the natural tone of the hair.
)P.9(
bring back
-
-
✓
2.
He was coming to London and would call upon
Poirot.(P.150)
call upon
-
-
✓
3.
I could not imagine Ascher inventing and carrying out
such an elaborate scheme. (P.288)
carrying out
-
-
✓
4.
He came slowly across to me.(P.12)
Come across
-
-
✓
5.
The clue of the stockings came into my hands.(P.283)
Come into
-
-
✓
6.
"But then I came up against a definite difficulty. (P.285)
Come up
✓
-
-
7.
The murderer could have done away with them without
incurring any suspicion. (P.280)
do away
✓
-
-
8.
Possibly he dozes off for a minute or two .(P.296)
dozes off
✓
-
-
9.
Everything fell out well. (P.295)
Fall out
✓
-
-
10.
I shall be able to find out who he is.(P.146)
Find out
-
-
✓
11.
"Naturally that I do not know or I should not want to find
out! (P.149)
Find out
-
-
✓
12.
I would not want much wages, but only to find out who
this awful fiend is. (P.150)
Find out
-
-
✓
13.
A.B.C. could not much longer hope to get away with his
Get away
✓
-
-
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crimes.(P. 283)
14.
He must able, as you English say, to get off.
( P.282)
Get off
✓
-
-
15.
When he got up to go, you did the same. (P.295)
Get up
-
-
✓
16.
Here the murderer goes back to his first method.(P.282)
Go back
✓
-
-
17.
He has no need to go into them minutely his experience.
(P.278)
Go into
-
-
✓
18.
As I looked rather bewildered, he went on. (P.147)
Go on
✓
-
-
19.
He went on. (P.287)
Go on
✓
-
-
20.
Fraser's eyes went toward Megan. (P.300)
Go toward
-
-
✓
21.
I learnt something of her character a picture grew up in
my mind. (P.282)
grew up
✓
-
-
23.
I handed it back to him.(P.12)
Hand back
-
✓
-
24.
The A.B.C. terror taken hold on the public mind. (P.294)
Hold on
-
✓
25.
"Do you suspect them of keeping things back, then?"
(P.148)
Keep back
-
✓
-
26.
"You had now to look about for two victims whose
names began with A and B respectively.(P.293)
Look about
-
-
✓
27.
There was something so odd about his tone that I looked
at him in surprise. (P.11)
Look at
-
-
✓
28.
I looked at him curiously.(P.12)
Look at
-
-
✓
29.
My friend looked at me dispassionately. (P.146)
Look at
-
-
✓
30.
He cast a sudden appealing look at the other man.
(P.292)
Look at
-
-
✓
31.
I think, to go and look at the place where the crime was
committed. (P.297)
Look at
-
-
✓
32.
Poirot looked at me in mild surprise. (P.299)
Look at
-
-
✓
33.
She looked at him and her colour deepened. (P.300)
Look at
-
-
✓
34.
The faces that looked at him were blank too. (P.285)
Look at
-
-
✓
35.
He stopped, looking at Poirot inquiringly. (P.285)
Look at
-
-
✓
36.
He loses his nerve, fancies his landlady is looking at him
suspiciously. (P.296)
Look at
-
-
✓
37.
"In Betty Barnard you found just the type of girl you
were looking for. (P.293)
Look for
-
-
✓
38.
You're looking in fine fettle, Poirot. (P.8)
Look in
-
-
✓
39.
Look out for Andover on the 21st of the month.
( P.12)
Look out
✓
-
-
40.
I need hardly say that one of my first actions on reaching
England was to look up my old friend. (P.7)
Look up
-
-
✓
41.
The matter had passed completely out of Miss Grey's
head. (294)
Pass out
-
-
✓
42.
"I will pass over the next stages quickly. (283)
Pass over
-
-
✓
43.
He passes it playfully round her neck.(282)
Pass round
-
-
✓
44.
Your photograph was picked out from half a dozen
others by two people. (P.298)
Pick out
-
-
✓
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45.
He shook his head, and picking up the letter, put it away
again in the desk.(P.13)
Pick up
-
-
✓
46.
He picked up a railway guide and consulted it, then he
returned to the consideration of a typewritten list of
names. (P.15)
Pick up
-
-
✓
47.
He picked up another letter. (P.150)
Pick up
-
-
✓
48.
The attractive free and easy manner nothing easier for
him than to pick up a gift in a café. (P.289)
Pick up
-
-
✓
49.
"I put that in to please you, monami."(P.301)
Put in
-
✓
-
50.
You enjoyed scoring off a foreigner .(P.294)
Score off
-
-
✓
51.
I had various affairs to see to in England that I felt could
only be successful if a personal touch was introduced.
(P.7)
See to
-
-
✓
52.
You sent off the first A.B.C. letter to me. (P.293)
Send off
-
-
✓
53.
I set it down with as much confidence on paper. (P.269)
Set down
-
✓
-
54.
Mr. Cust in the darkened doorway, wiping the knife on
his sleeve and slipping it into his pocket.(P.295)
Slip into
-
✓
-
55.
Donald Fraser sprang up. (P.282)
Spring up
✓
-
-
56.
She takes it off.(P.282)
Take off
-
✓
-
57.
You took her out once or twice, explaining to her.
(P.292)
Take out
-
✓
-
58.
He made a list here one day, ticked off over the headings
A.B.C. (P.289)
Tick off
-
-
✓
59.
The population of Great Britain turned itself into an
army of amateur sleuths.(P.143)
Turn into
-
✓
-
60.
I turned this over in my mind without quite seeing the
point. (P.11)
Turn over
-
✓
-
61.
You were at that time turning over in your mind various
plans for the murder of your brother.(P.290)
Turn over
-
-
✓
62.
"I repeat then that, turning over various schemes in your
mind.(P.291)
Turn over
-
-
✓
63.
I turned my attention to the postmark. (P.12)
Turn to
-
✓
-
64.
"Well," I said presently, smiling, "has this super crime
turned up yet?"(P.11)
Turn up
✓
-
-
65.
Without a word he walked into his bedroom. (P.8)
Walk into
-
-
✓
Total
65
14
10
41
51
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4. 2 Results and Discussions
4.2.1 The Syntax of Phrasal Verbs in ‘The ABC Murders’ (1936)
Table(4.2)The Syntactic Types of Phrasal Verbs in ‘The ABC Murders’ (1936)
No.
PVs
Syntactic Types of PVs
Occurrence
%
Intransitive
Transitive
Separable
Inseparable
1.
Bring +particles
-
-
1
1
1.29
2.
Call +particles
-
-
1
1
1.29
3.
Carry +particles
-
-
1
1
0.64
4.
Come + particles
1
-
2
3
10.96
5.
Do +particles
1
-
-
1
1.29
6.
Doze +particles
1
-
-
1
0.64
7.
Fall +particles
1
-
-
1
2.59
8.
Find +particles
-
-
3
3
3.23
9.
Get + particles
2
-
1
3
7.09
10.
Go +particles
3
-
2
5
10.96
11.
Grow +particles
1
-
-
1
0.64
12.
Hand +particles
-
1
-
1
1.29
13.
Hold +particles
-
-
1
1
0.64
14.
Keep+ particles
-
1
-
1
0.64
15.
Look + particles
1
-
14
15
17.43
16.
Pass + particles
-
-
3
3
2.59
17.
Pick + particles
-
-
5
5
3.23
18.
Put + particles
-
1
-
-
4.52
19.
Score + particles
-
-
1
1
0.64
20.
See + particles
-
-
1
1
0.64
21.
Send + particles
-
-
1
1
1.29
22.
Set + particles
-
1
-
1
0.64
23.
Slip + particles
-
1
-
1
0.64
24.
Spring + particles
1
-
-
1
0.64
25.
Take + particles
-
2
-
2
3.23
26.
Tick+ particles
-
-
1
1
1.93
27.
Turn+ particles
1
3
2
6
28.
Walk+ particles
-
-
1
1
0.64
14(25.81%)
10 (20%)
41(80%)
65
100%
51(83.33%)
According to the above statistical table,it is clear that the most common syntactic PV in „The ABC Murders‟(1936) is
„look +particles‟ which constitutes (15) from (65) which reads(23.07%) . PVs „go/pick/take+ particles‟ have the same
frequency with (5) for each one from the total (65) with a rate of (7.58%) . The PVs (come/find/get/ + particles) reads
(3) with a rate of (4.61%) .The PVs (take + particles) reads (2) with a rate of (3.07%) While the lowest using of PVs in
these selected chapters of the novel mentioned above represented by „bring/call/carry / do/doze /fall/ grow /hand/ hold /
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keep / score /see / send/set /slip/spring /walk + particles‟ . Each one of the lowest syntactic types of PVs in these chapters
reads (1) only from the total (65) with a percentage of (1.53%).
Generally ,the most common syntactic types of PVs in „The ABC Murders‟ under analysis is „Transitive‟ which
shapes (51)from the total (65) and constitutes (78.46 %) .These transitives are also divided into two subtypes :
Inseparable PVs which read(41) from the total (51) with a percentage (80.39%) and Separables which form(10) with
a percentage (19.61% ).While the second and lowest syntactic type of PVs that this table reveals is „Intransitive’ which
reads (14)occurrences from the total (51) with a rate of (21.54%).
Figure(4.1)The Percentage of the Syntactic Types of Phrasal Verbs in ‘The ABC Murders’(1936)
5. CONCLUSIONS
Based on the findings of the study, the following
conclusions can be drawn :
1- Phrasal verbs are very important which are
defined as combinations that consist of a main
verb and a particle . When the prepositions or
the adverbs are added to the main verb to make
PVs , the combinations are used to give a large
number of different meanings .
2- It becomes noticeable from the results of the
study that Phrasal Verbs are rarely used in the
Christie‟s“The ABC Murders”. The total
number of Phrasal Verbs from the main verbs
(793) in “The ABC Murders” is (65) which
constitutes (8,196%) .
3- The most common syntactic type of Phrasal
Verbs in the novel is ‘Transitive’ which forms
(51) from the total (65)with a percentage of
(78.46%). Actually , this indicates that the
writer is widely used Transitivity in her
literary works.
4- ‘Transitivity’as it is widely employed in
Agatha Christie‟s literary works helps the
reader to explore the world view of her and the
character‟s personality and to start building the
sentences which communicate with different
events . Moreover , Transitivity would
facilitate the interpretation of language in action
, in context and would portrayhow the clause
and its parts are potential sources of information
(this can help covertly promote expressive
language in her novels).
5- When it comes to the least common syntactic
type of Phrasal Verbs, the study shows that :
25.81%
20%
80%
Intransitive
Tran-separable
Tran-Inseparable
74.19%
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5.1 . ‘Intransitive’ in „The ABC Murders‟
constitutes (14) ) occurrences with a
percentage of (21.54%). However ,it can
be said that „Intransitive’ is less frequent
than ‘Transitive’ .
5.2 .According to the syntactic subtypes of
Phrasal Verbs , the analysis shows that
the most dominant transitive is
„Inseparable’ which constitutes (41)
instances with a percentage of (80.39%) in
the novel. Whereas ‘Separable’ shapes
(10)occurrences with a rate of (19.61%) .
Actually, all IntransitivePhrasal verbs
are Inseparable .
6- In general, it is clear from the analysis of the
novel that the Transitive is the outstanding
syntactic type of Phrasal Verbs (i.e. transitivity
expressions). This also reflects the fact that
Christie‟s style of writing would reflect
‘Expressiveness’.
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