Pragmatic-linguistic Difficulties in the Recognition of Phrasal Verbs by Iraqi EFL University Learners - Advances in Language and Literary Studies

Oct 15, 2026

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The paper examines pragma-linguistic difficulties that Iraqi EFL university learners face in recognizing and interpreting phrasal verbs. Although phrasal verbs are often considered easy for native English speakers, non-native learners struggle to derive meanings from root verbs and related phrasal patterns. The study evaluates interpreting levels and perceived difficulty, tests hypotheses about cultural gaps, and analyzes learner responses from a sample of 100 fourth-year students.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages5

Reading Time13 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Background: prepositions and particles in phrasal verbs

Definitions

Key definitions of phrasal verbs

Article info

Abstract and study aim

Advances in Language and Literary Studies ISSN: 2203-4714 [www.alls.aiac.org.au](www.alls.aiac.org.au) | Pragma-linguistic Difficulties in the Recognition of Phrasal Verbs by Iraqi EFL University Learners
MohanadA. Amret*, SinanA. Yousif
Faculty of Arts, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, Iraq
Corresponding Author: MohanadA. Amret, [E-mail: mndhj_87@yahoo.com](E-mail: mndhj_87@yahoo.com) | | | --- | --- | | ARTICLE INFO | ABSTRACT
The purpose of this paper is to recognize the level of pragma-linguistic difficulties Iraqi EFL | | Article history | | | Received: August 02, 2018 | university learners face when handling phrasal verbs. Despite the fact that phrasal verbs are easy to | | Accepted: October 21, 2018 | understand by native speakers of English, non-native speakers usually encounter some difficulties in | | Published: December 28, 2018 | understanding the meaning of a phrasal verb depending on the meaning of the root verb, or different | | Volume: 9 Issue: 6 | phrasal verbs of the same root. The problem might be attributed to pragma-linguistic knowledge. | | Advance access: November 2018 | However, culture gap could be the reason behind such difficulties. The aim of the study is (1) to evaluate the pragma-linguistic level of interpreting phrasal verbs as understood and used by Iraqi EFL university learners,(2) to check the level of difficulty they experience while recognizing phrasal | | | | | Conflicts of interest: None | verbs, and (3) to find out reasons behind such misinterpretations. It is hypothesized that (1) the | | Funding: None | pragma-linguistic interpretation of phrasal verbs tends to play an important role in understanding the | | | message conveyed by the speaker; (2) cultural gap could be the reason that EFL learners recognize phrasal verbs incorrectly, and (3) mother tongue language might make it difficult for EFL learners to understand phrasal verbs. To verify the aforementioned hypothesis, a test has been constructed and administered to a sample of 100 fourth-year Iraqi EFL university learners, morning classes at the department of English Language and Literature, College of Arts, in Mustansiriyah University, during the academic year 2017 – 2018. The responses ofthe students have been collected and linguistically analyzed according to a model given by Richards and Schmidt (2010) . It has been found that Iraqi students’ lack of cultural norms of the target language makes it difficult for them to understand phrasal verbs. The lack of this knowledge is considered as a factor of confusion and then failure. The influence of the first language culture on the recognition of phrasal verbs may be seen as a negative first language transfer. The reason behind this negative transfer is that the norms and principles of first language are different from the norms and principles of the target language. It has been concluded that Iraqi EFL university learners have difficulties in pragma-linguistic knowledge as far as phrasal verbs are concerned. Iraqi EFL university learners face great difficulties in using phrasal verbs while communicating with other people. While using phrasal verbs, Iraqi EFL university learners have been highly influenced by their mother tongue language. | | Key words:
Phrasal Verbs, Recognition, Particles, Prepositions,
Prepositional Particles, Collocation,
Culture | | INTRODUCTION The relationships of prepositions to the other constituents of a sentence seem to be illogical; i.e., there is uncertainty of the proper use of prepositions. Most of prepositions have no very clearly-defined meaning apart from the phrase or construction they occur in. For instance, the commonest sense attaching to “on” is expressed when one speaks of ‘sitting on a chair’, or ‘placing something on the table ’…etc. But does this have any connection with the use of the same preposition in expressions like ‘on duty’, ‘on fire’? The same argument continues when contrasting ‘in room’, ‘in d

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the study?

To recognize the level of pragma-linguistic difficulties Iraqi EFL university learners face when handling phrasal verbs and to identify reasons behind misinterpretations.

How does the study verify its hypotheses?

A test was constructed and administered to a sample of 100 fourth-year Iraqi EFL university learners, and the responses were collected and linguistically analyzed.

What factors are suggested as causes of learners’ difficulties?

The paper points to lack of cultural norms of the target language, negative first-language transfer, and influence from the mother tongue language.

Oct 15, 2026

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