Please tell me if it is okay to use "shut out you" instead of "shut you out".

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

It is not grammatically correct to say "shut out you" in this case. This is because "shut out" is a phrasal verb, and here, the particle "out" must come after the object, so it should be "shut you out." This is common for many phrasal verbs. When there is an object involved, the particles of some phrasal verbs come after the object of the sentence. However, this is not the case for all phrasal verbs, and some can be structured both ways. There is no real pattern for this; you just have to know which phrasal verbs are which. Here's a few examples of the particle of phrasal verbs coming after the object: Ex: I can't lift you up. Ex: Take your coat off and stay awhile. Ex: I don't know how to turn the oven off.

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