[Grammar] give out VS hand out VS pass out VS put out

[northpath]

Are the following phrasal verbs interchangeable in the sentences?
1. Mary, please give out the drinks.
2. Please help me to hand out these books.
3. The professor passed the textbooks out before class.
4. The girls helped me to put out the cups and plates.

 

[teechar]

No, they are definitely not interchangeable.

 

[jutfrank]

1.,2. and 3. are similar in that they have the meaning of giving something to individual people in a group, but 4. doesn't -- it simply means 'put in place'.

(3. doesn't sound very natural to me, by the way. When I'm feeling too lazy in class to hand out a worksheet to each student myself, I'll often ask the students to "Please pass these around.")