Macmillan Phrasal Verbs Plus

Abstract

Reviewed by Yasutake Ishii Seijo University, Tokyo, Japan 1. INTRODUCTION “Phrasal verb” is a term that refers to those units of verbs and particles, i.e. prepositions and adverbs, that have more or less different meanings from those of the verbs alone. Phrasal verbs are extremely significant in the English language. According to Biber et al. (1999: 408-409, 415), more than 2,000 phrasal verbs, items consisting of a verb (and a complement) followed by an adverb in their definition, and over 5,000 prepositional verbs, items consisting of a verb followed by a preposition in their definition, are used in every one million words in fiction and conversations. Macmillan Phrasal Verbs Plus is a specialized dictionary of English phrasal verbs (“PVs”, henceforth) and other structurally similar phrases of verbs and particles. This dictionary is “specially designed to help learners of English deal confidently with phrasal verbs” (page vi). In this review, we will concentrate on three aspects of this dictionary: the coverage of its entry items, the effectiveness and uniqueness of the characteristic features adopted in this dictionary, and a problematic strategy found in the macrostructure of headword PV items. By considering these aspects, we will be able to see whether it is really an effective learning tool for learners.