| Adverbial particles are certainly interesting, and widely used in English. Sometimes they are mandatory for a verb; othertimes they are redundant or change the meaning. Sometimes they take no direct object, but if they take it there are 3 places it can be (before, after, or size-dependent): For "sit" we have a wide variety: * plain "sit" - a variety of meanings, most intransitive. Notably means "relax" unlike the other forms. Note that it can be followed by a preposition with the same spelling as the particles below (e.g. "sit down the hall") * "sit down" - physical movement, also used for meetings. When transitive, the DO always goes before the particle. * "sit up" - physical movement (from "slouching" or "lying down"), always intransitive. A following "with" is sometimes analyzed as another particle but could just be a preposition. * "sit in" - protest, temporarily attend. Always(?) intransitive (if followed by an object it is the object of preposition "in", not particle "in"); often followed by an "on", "for", or "with" prepositional phrase (though those are sometimes analyzed as additional particles instead) * "sit off" - not putting full effort in sports. Always transitive, with the DO always after the particle. I'm not familiar with this personally. * "sit out" - not participate. When transitive, the DO goes before the particle if short (by default, no more than determiner + object), but after if long. So, usually "sit the game out" with "sit out the whole game", but it is possible to stretch the definition of "short" slightly. Plus some others that are sometimes analyzed as adverbial particles but can also be analyzed as normal adverbs or prepositions: * "sit around"/"sit about" - idle. Usually intransitive, so can also be analyzed as a normal adverb, but can also be transitive (usually followed by "the house") which would make it a preposition ... Related, I utterly reject the abomination that analyzes words as prepositions when they don't have an object. * "sit back" - relax or recline. Intransitive, so can also be analyzed as a normal adverb. * "sit [idly] by" - refrain from intervening. Intransitive, so can also be analyzed as a normal adverb. * "sit for" - babysit or model for. Transitive. I strongly dispute this analysis since the preposition interpretation provides all the meaning already ... especially given the similarity to "hold office for" which I haven't seen analyzed this way. * "sit on" - delay, restrain, take no action. Transitive and the DO follows, so "on" can also be analyzed as a preposition. * "sit over" - make room (intransitive), be left of and thus play cards after (transitive), burden (transitive) * "sit under" - be right of and thus play cards before (transitive), learn from a religious teacher (transitive) * "sit through" - remain through something unpleasant. Transitive and the DO follows, so maybe "through" is just a preposition. * "sit with" - harmonize, reflect. Transitive and the DO follows, so maybe "with" is just a preposition |