Исследовательская работа "Фразовые глаголы в сериале Друзья"

The Administration of Moskovsky District of Brest

The Department of Education

State Establishment of Education

“Lyceum №1 named after A. S. Pushkin”

Phrasal verbs in TV series “F.R.I.E.N.D.S” or “F.R.I.E.N.D.Sal” verbs

The research work in English

Written by

Polina Kondratyk

Form X (Group 21 “Ch\B”)

Supervised by

Tobalevich Olga Sergeevna,

the teacher of English

Brest, 2022

Introduction

Are phrasal verbs important? It is important to know and use phrasal verbs in our everyday life communication, because they are very common in English, and because the meaning of a verb often changes significantly when it is used in a phrasal verb.

In our research we wanted to figure out the meaning and classification of phrasal verbs. We also wanted to know how often phrasal verbs are used by native speakers and what phrasal verbs are most widely used.

In order to address this problematics, we’ve divided this research into Introduction, four chapters and Conclusion.

The first chapter defines the phrasal verb as a language unit and an important medium of emotional communication.

The second chapter is dedicated to the classification of phrasal verbs.

The third chapter explain the popularity of one of the most famous TV series F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

In the fourth chapter we point out the most widely used phrasal verbs in the TV series of our research.

In the Conclusion the main findings of our research are pointed out.

The relevance of the work is determined by the constant movement of the phrasal verb, as a lexical layer. The number of verbs and their meanings is constantly growing, they are increasingly used in various fields of human activity, carrying a bright stylistic coloring, always find their place in modern artistic works.

The object of the research is a popular sitcom F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

The subject is the usage of phrasal verbs in everyday communication.

The aim of the research is to study the frequency of using phrasal verbs by the human society of the 21^st century.

The goals of the work are as following:

• to find out what a phrasal verb is;

• to identify the importance of using phrasal verbs in the everyday life of modern community;

• to point out the differences between the main types of phrasal verbs;

• to study the usage of phrasal verbs in popular TV series;

• to create a leaflet of the most widely used phrasal verbs.

The theoretical basis of this study consists of critical articles, former studies, newspaper articles and other internet sites.

The main research methods used in the work are:

• collecting information connected with the topic of the work;

• comparison and generalization;

• analysis of the received data.

Chapter I. What is a Phrasal Verb?

Phrasal verbs are verbs that form a combination (a phrase) with postpositions or prepositions and nouns. Such structures are usually idiomatic in meaning, and should be memorized as such.

The first problem of phrasal verb in English is its defining. There exist various definitions of a phrasal verb in different sources. It this work we use the most popular ones.

Britannica Dictionary definition of PHRASAL VERB:

[count] grammar

 a group of words that functions as a verb and is made up of a verb and a preposition, an adverb, or both.

• “Take off” and “look down on” are phrasal verbs. [6]

a phrase (such as take off or look down on) that combines a verb with a preposition or adverb or both and that functions as a verb whose meaning is different from the combined meanings of the individual words. [8]

The Old English ancestors of modern phrasal verbs were generally inseparable-prefix verbs, although some separable forms did exist. The influences of the Norman Conquest and Old Norse on the English language eroded Old English syntax, and this catalyzed the production of separable adverbial particles and the phrasal verb in Middle English. In Early Modern English, phrasal verbs grew rapidly in dramatic and less formal texts, while new nominal-derivative compounds and rules about pronominal-object placement arose. In Present-Day English, phrasal verbs are identifiable by particle movement (when transitive), stressed particles, incapacity for adverb intervention in the verb phrase, translation, and passivation. Prepositions can be distinguished because they cannot move, they are unstressed, and adverbs can intervene between the verb and the prepositional phrase.[ 3]

According to the Cambridge Dictionary a phrasal verb is a phrase that consists of a verb with a preposition or adverb or both, the meaning of which is different from the meaning of its separate parts. [7]

Thus a phrasal verb combines two or more words to describe a specific action. Phrasal verbs can be difficult to get right, as their meaning usually has nothing to do with the definitions of the component words.

This means that phrasal verbs must be treated as distinct pieces of vocabulary. You have to learn them as a single unit of meaning, just like you would learn any single word.

Chapter II. Classification of Phrasal Verbs

In English grammar, a phrasal verb is basically a phrase that consists of the verb along with a preposition or an adverb. You can see that the phrasal verbs create the meaning that is very different from the meaning of the verbs on its own. They are generally two-words long and also sometimes have three words.

There are basically 4 different types of phrasal verbs:

• Transitive Phrasal Verb

• Intransitive Phrasal Verb

• Separable Phrasal Verb

• Inseparable Phrasal Verb 

Now let’s move ahead to learn about each of the phrasal verbs mentioned above.

A phrasal verb that generally requires an object in the sentence is called a transitive phrasal verb. If in case there in no object then the sentences cannot express the complete meaning or sense of the sentence. For example:

1. Meghan looks after her restaurant all day long.

2. The staff carried on with their work even after the arrival of the manager.

In the case of intransitive phrasal verbs, we can say that they do not require an object in the sentence to make it sound complete. Intransitive phrasal verbs show that without an object, the sentence can make complete sense. For instance, you can observe the sentences given below that do not have any object in them but still, they can express the correct meaning of the sentence.

1. The patient in the hospital passed away yesterday.

2. When will you get up in the morning?

In the case of a separable phrasal verb, you would observe that the phrasal verbs can be separated for using the phrasal verbs in different places in a given sentence. The verbs and prepositions can be separated. So, these phrasal verbs can be used as an in-joined form as well as in the separated form. 

For example:

1. You can switch off the lights.

2. You can switch the lights off.

The non-separable phrasal verbs are those verbs that cannot be separated for using it in different places in the given sentence. These phrasal verbs remain together. For example:

• Sheeja always looks after her children. 

• The patient passed away in the hospital.

[2]

We can also classify phrasal verbs by their meaning. Some phrasal verbs have a literal meaning. They can be easily understood.

• She opened the door and looked outside.

• She was walking across the street when she heard the sound of an explosion.

Phrasal verbs can also have a figurative or idiomatic meaning which makes them difficult to understand.

• Can you put me up for tonight?
  The phrasal verb 'put up' here does not mean to build (as in putting a fence up). It has, however, an idiomatic/figurative meaning. It means to let someone stay in your house.

How do you know if a phrasal verb is transitive or intransitive and separable or inseparable?

Unfortunately, there’s no “rule” for looking at a phrasal verbs and knowing what type it is! The best way is just to study each phrasal verb in context with lots of examples. [5]

Chapter III. TV series F.R.I.EN.D.S and its Popularity

Friends, popular American television sitcom that aired on the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) network from 1994 to 2004. It won six Emmy Awards, including outstanding comedy series, and from its second season until the end of its run maintained a top five or better Nielsen rating, hitting number one in its eighth season.

Friends was created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman and is about a group of six young adults who are either roommates or neighbours in New York City’s Greenwich Village. Much of the show takes place in the friends’ apartments as they visit one another. [1]

The Manhattan-based group of people includes the core group of Phoebe Buffay, Joey Tribbiani, Ross Geller, Rachel Green, Monica Geller, and Chandler Bing. While there are other characters included (primarily more of the Geller family, and some neighbors), these are the ones with which most people find themselves identifying. The basic personality of each character added to the overall identifiability of the show.  If the characters aren’t like you, they are like someone you know.

Phoebe is street-smart, but a bit daffy. She is a masseuse and a musician. Homeless since age 14, she is the twin sister of Ursula Buffay.

Joey, a struggling actor, considers himself a ladies’ man, and is a womanizer. He appreciates food and is very fond of meatball subs.

Ross and Monica put the “rivalry” in “sibling rivalry.” Ross is the older brother and a paleontologist. His three marriages all fail, and he is occasionally in a relationship with Rachel. Monica is a chef, but rarely stays at one location for long, though she ends up as head chef. She tends to be a bit obsessive-compulsive, and was overweight as a child. She marries Chandler in the seventh season.

Rachel is sweet, but a bit self-absorbed. She is a fashion enthusiast who becomes a manager at big-name companies later.

Chandler is soulful, but insecure and sarcastic. He starts off as a statistical analysis executive and quits to become a junior copywriter for an advertising agency. He marries Monica in season seven.

The show depicted a fairly realistic view of the life of young adults. It seems that the general population enjoys watching drama, even when they have to deal with it in their own life. In that vein, the pilot begins with drama, and that continues throughout the ten-year run. Drama mixed with humor helps people to relate, but also helps them to be happy the things are happening to someone else, while being able to laugh about it.

 The show has been nominated for 63 Primetime Emmy awards and was the recipient of many awards. Its ranking has been consistently in the top ten in ratings. The entire run, from 1994 to 2004, was well-liked and its finale had a viewing audience of around 52.5 million Americans. [4]

Chapter IV. Phrasal Verbs in F.R.I.E.N.D.S

One of the reasons we believe Friends is the best TV show to learn English is because it has the perfect concept. It is about a group of six friends that sit around a café and talk about all of life’s ups and downs. So the language used tends to be everyday and practical. You spend a lot of time talking with your friends, too, right?

For our research we took Season 1 of the sitcom Friends. We studied carefully the subtitles of the episodes and pointed out 50 phrasal verbs. Then we found out their meanings and put them into a table. APPENDIX 1

Here is top ten phrasal verbs that were most frequently used in the sitcom:

We also pointed out some phrasal verbs that are rarely met in everyday communication. We can name such phrasal verbs as:

drift apart - if two people drift apart, they gradually become less friendly and their relationship ends;

Eg. “So anyway I just didn't know where to go, and I know that you and I have kinda drifted apart, but you're the only person I knew who lived here in the city.”

get it together - to make a decision or take positive action in your life;

Eg. “Even if I could get it together enough to- to ask a woman out... who am I gonna ask?”

live off – to use someone or something to provide the money or food that you need to live;

Eg. “C'mon, you can't live off your parents your whole life.”

sit through smth – to stay until the end of an event such as a meeting or performance that is very long or boring;

Eg. “I mean it's like the stand-up comedian you have to sit through before Pink Floyd comes out.”

nod off - to begin sleeping, especially not intentionally.

Eg. “It's okay, y'know, you just nodded off again.”

We also sorted the verbs according to the classification and figured out that most of the verbs turned out to be intransitive and inseparable. APPENDIX 2 APPENDIX 3

We can add that phrasal verbs in the sitcom Friends are used both in literal and idiomatic meanings.

And we decided to make up a leaflet on phrasal verbs in the sitcom. APPENDIX 4

Conclusion.

In our research work we have defined the concept of a phrasal verb as an important means of the modern English language. A phrasal verb combines two or more words to describe a specific action. Phrasal verbs can be difficult to get right, as their meaning usually has nothing to do with the definitions of the component words. This means that phrasal verbs must be treated as distinct pieces of vocabulary. You have to learn them as a single unit of meaning, just like you would learn any single word.

We pointed out the differences between the main types phrasal verbs.

And we have conveyed a research in which we examined the script of the first season of the TV series Friends and tried to note down as many phrasal verbs as possible. We pointed out 50 phrasal verbs and put them into a table according to the frequency of usage.

According to the data we may deduce that phrasal verbs are frequently used in everyday communication.

In conclusion we may say that watching TV Shows is one of the most effective ways to improve our English. TV shows are not only entertaining but also give us a better understanding of culture, society and people around the world. And maybe, the best part about watching TV shows in English is that you’re learning real life English–the English that we speak daily. As a result, you will have the chance to acquire a wide range of vocabulary and expressions that can be put to use in daily conversations. 

Bibliography

1. Britannica. Friends. – Link: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Friends – Date of access: 05.10.2022

2. EnglishBix. 4 Types of Phrasal Verbs with Examples. – Link: https://www.englishbix.com/4-types-of-phrasal-verbs-with-examples – Date of access: 30.09.2022

3. George J. M. Lamont. The Historical Rise of the English Phrasal Verb.– Link: https://cpercy.artsci.utoronto.ca/courses/6361lamont.html – Date of access: 15.10.2022

4. Mentalitch. Friends – What Made the TV Show So Popular.– Link: https://mentalitch.com/friends-what-made-the-tv-show-so-popular/ – Date of access: 30.09.2022

5. Shane Bryson. Phrasal Verbs. – Link: https://www.scribbr.com/language-rules/phrasal-verbs/ – Date of access: 05.10.2022

6. The Britannica Dictionary. – Link: https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/phrasal-verb - Date of access: 20.09.2022

7. The Cambridge Dictionary. – Link: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/phrasal-verb - Date of access: 01.10.2022

8. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary. – Link: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phrasal%20verb - Date of access: 05.10.2022