Phrasal verbs: brush up, clean up, scrub up

[Tamara]

Hi

I know that ‘clean the room up’ is correct but ‘brush the room up’ – not.
OK.

But the phrasal verbs brush up, clean up[b] and [b]scrub up are often used in an indirect sense, a bit jokingly.
And there are 'things' to which one verb can be applied whereas the others - can’t.

Could you give some explanation to differ cases of use of ‘brush it up’, ‘clean it up’ and ‘scrub it up’ in (an?) indirect sense?
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[Alan]

Hi,

There is a distinction between a phrasal verb and a prepositional verb. The latter does not allow an object to come between the two parts. 'Brush up' is an example of a prepositional verb.

A
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[Tamara]

Hi Alan,

Do you mean that I can't say 'brush it up'? Or just can't use it when mean 'to polish up?'

[Alan]

Hi,

I'm referring to 'brush up' meaning 'improve'.

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[Yankee]

Hi Tamara

I think you've misunderstood Alan.

Examples of inseparable prepositional verb would be "talk about" or "look after". You cannot insert the object between the two words.

Amy