What's a PHRASAL VERB?

The difference between a normal verb and a phrasal verb

A phrasal verb is a combination of a verb and preposition, a verb and an adverb, or a verb with both an adverb and a preposition.

A phrasal verb has a meaning which is different from the original verb.  You may need to try to guess the meaning from the context, or look it up in the dictionary.

A further way of considering phrasal verbs is whether they are separable or inseparable. In inseparable verbs, the object comes after the particle (adverb/preposition that follows the verb).

Examples:

• She got on the bus.

• On weekdays, my parents look after my son because I have to work.

Separable verbs have several ways of separating verb, particle, and object. Usually, the object comes between the verb and particle.

Examples:

• She looked up the word in her dictionary.

• She looked it up in her dictionary.

However, with some separable verbs, the object can come before or after the particle.

Examples:

• Switch the light off.

• Switch off the light.

• Switch it off.



PHRASAL VERBS WITH "GO"

The combination of verb with a preposition is called a phrasal verb. A phrasal verb can be formed by a combination of a verb and a preposition, a verb and an adverb, or a verb with both an adverb and a preposition. We call the preposition and adverb following the verb as particles.

Go for.
Meanings:

-Attack.
My neighbour's dog went for the postman and bit him.

-Be attracted to.
She tends to go for a man like him.

-Try to get.
The player went for the ball but missed.

-Choose.
When choosing margarine, go for the soft rather than the hard.

-Attempt to gain or attain.
He went for a job as a delivery driver.

Go forth.
Meaning:

-Leave a place.
He went forth and found a wife in another city.

Go for it.
Meanings:

-Be assertive and ready to initiate action.
He was not always succesful, but whatever he tried to do he would always go for it.

-Strive to the utmost to gain or achieve something (frequently said as an exhortation)
It's a good idea, go for it!
We saw a niche in the market that wasn't filled and we went for it.

Taken from Oxford and my other dictionaries.

Note:

There’s usually no way of telling whether they are separable or inseparable. In most cases you have to get a feel for them.