How to Recognize Phrasal Verbs
So how do you know when you’re dealing with a phrasal verb and not just a verb and a preposition? Well, you have to look at the whole sentence. If the two words can be understood literally, it’s a verb and a preposition. If they have to be taken together with a meaning that has little or nothing to do with the meaning of the verb alone, then it’s a phrasal verb. Consider these examples: