[Grammar] They nosed out the secret.

[Rollercoaster1]

Hello seniors and teachers,
I am wondering if "out" in the sentence is functioning as a preposition! if not, then (politely) why? Grammatically, a preposition should be followed by its object, unless if it's at the end of a sentence.

For example: What do you want it for? ( "for" preposition at the end of the sentence), right?

So, what about;? "They nosed out the secret". ("out" preposition followed by its object).

 

[bhaisahab]

"nose out" is a phrasal verb. There was a secret, they nosed it out.

 

[MikeNewYork]

I would not call "out" in "nose out" a preposition. The prhrasal verb "nose out" acts transitively and "the secret" is the object.

 

[Tdol]

With phrasal verbs, some people call the words prepositions even though they aren't functioning as such, while others use terms like particles, which can be subdivided into adverbial and prepositional particles. With intransitive phrasal verbs, we have words which are commonly thought of as prepositions clearly not behaving as such because they're not connecting anything, but many people still happily call them prepositions, though purists generally don't.

 

[Tarheel]

I don't know about being a purist, but I like the word "particle". For one thing, if somebody says I shouldn't put a preposition at the end of a sentence I can tell them it isn't a preposition; it's a particle.

 

[Rollercoaster1]

With phrasal verbs, some people call the words prepositions even though they aren't functioning as such, while others use terms like particles, which can be subdivided into adverbial and prepositional particles. With intransitive phrasal verbs, we have words which are commonly thought of as prepositions clearly not behaving as such because they're not connecting anything, but many people still happily call them prepositions, though purists generally don't.

Hello,
Would you like to give an example for each, particle, adverbial and prepositional particle, intransitive phrasal verb, (quoting)(we have words which are commonly thought of as prepositions clearly not behaving as such because they're not connecting anything, but many people still happily call them prepositions, though purists generally don't)?
Regards!

 

[emsr2d2]

I don't know about being a purist, but I like the word "particle". For one thing, if somebody says I shouldn't put a preposition at the end of a sentence I can tell them it isn't a preposition; it's a particle.

Surely if someone tells you you shouldn't put a preposition at the end of a sentence, you just tell them they're wrong!

 

[MikeNewYork]

But in this case, it is not a preposition.

 

[Tdol]

Hello,
Would you like to give an example for each, particle, adverbial and prepositional particle, intransitive phrasal verb, (quoting)(we have words which are commonly thought of as prepositions clearly not behaving as such because they're not connecting anything, but many people still happily call them prepositions, though purists generally don't)?
Regards!

Think of the difference between make up in these two sentences:


They had an argument but have made up. (Intransitive- no object)
He made up the story. (Transitive- the story is the object)

 

[Lucy Boylan]

Think of the difference between make up in these two sentences:


They had an argument but have made up. (Intransitive- no object)
He made up the story. (Transitive- the story is the object)

In the first example "made up" means solved their problems, became friends again or forgave each other.
In the second example it means invented or imagined the story.

 

[Tdol]

In the first example "made up" means solved their problems, became friends again or forgave each other.
In the second example it means invented or imagined the story.

You're right, but here we're looking at the difference grammatically between transitive and intransitive phrasal verbs.