Phrasal Verbs Machine
By Patricia Monticello Kievlan,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Tricky-phrases app helpful for English language learners.
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Phrasal Verbs Machine
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What’s It About?
PHRASAL VERBS MACHINE helps kids learn about the formation of multi-word grammatical constructions called "phrasal verbs." Kids can explore these constructions in general through the instructions section, in detail through a glossary called Phrasal Verbs View, and in short quizzes through the exercises section. Each phrasal verb is explained through a brief animation featuring the Amazing Phraso, the app's main character.
Is It Any Good?
There's a lot to love in Phrasal Verbs Machine. Animations are speedy and fun, and kids are drawn into matching the right phrasal verb to each animated short. There are great options for nonnative English speakers to view the constructions side by side with a translation to another language. Animations can be replayed with a tap, allowing kids to explore each phrase deeply. It's visually helpful to toggle among the prepositions that can connect with each verb, allowing kids to see how a small word can make a big difference in meaning. Phrasal Verbs Machine is a great choice for kids who need some practice in pairing the right verb with the right preposition in these multi-word phrases.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how flipping to a different preposition can make a verb take on a vastly different meaning.
Parents might also sit with kids as they move through the exercise section, helping them talk through what they're seeing in the animation and which phrasal verb is the best choice to describe that animation.
App Details
- Devices: iPad, Android
- Subjects: Language & Reading: letter or word recognition, reading comprehension, vocabulary
- Skills: Thinking & Reasoning: analyzing evidence, deduction, making conclusions, thinking critically
- Pricing structure: Free
- Release date: February 11, 2014
- Category: Education
- Publisher: Cambridge University Press
- Version: 2.0
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 4.3 or later; Android 2.2 and up
- Last updated: July 12, 2020
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