Phrasal Verbs Machine

The Phrasal Verbs Machine by Cambridge contains two main options. Set to an old timey theme, the first option is “Phrasal Verbs View” and it lets users select verbs and prepositions to create a phrasal verb. To do so, users must turn a gear with their fingers to select each word and then click the “View” button. The app will then show users a short cartoon demonstrating the phrasal verb. If users wish to access more information about the verb, they can tap the “Down Arrow” at the bottom of the screen. Returning to the home screen, users can access the second option by tapping the “Exercise” button. In this option, users are shown a short cartoon and they have to select the phrasal verb that best represents the cartoon and then tap the “OK” button. The app will then tell users if they are or are not correct, and users can advance to the next exercise by tapping the “Arrow” button. From the main menu, users can tap the “Settings” button to select different languages (e.g., English, Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese, German, or Russian) and to turn on/off the sounds and music.

Instructional Ideas

1. Teachers can have students practice making phrasal verbs using this app. After students have had practice, teachers can reinforce their learning by giving students a text and having them underline any verb phrasal in the text.
2. Teachers can have students practice defining phrasal verbs using the “Exercise” option in this app. When ready, teachers can advance student learning by presenting them with a list of phrasal verbs that are not included in this app, and students can be required to draw a picture that represents a phrasal verb and define it. Students can create their drawings using an Artwork Production app.
3. After students gain a familiarity of phrasal verbs using this app, teachers can have a contest to see which students can use the most phrasal verbs correctly in a 150-word piece of writing. Students can compose their writing using an Office app and share it by posting it to a class website. Classmates can then view the different pieces of writing and count the phrasal verbs in them. The students with the most phrasal verbs in the piece of writing wins!