What are Phrasal Verbs?

Phrasal verb is the name given to an English verb which is composed of two or three words. One verb is combined with a preposition (like on, in, under) or an adverb (like up, down, away). Sometimes a phrasal verb can have a meaning that is very different to the meaning of at least one of those two or three words separately. Some text books call these verbs multi-word verbs. Phrasal verbs are used more frequently in everyday speech than in formal, official writing or speaking.

Here are some examples:

To Live Up To
It would be hard to live up to her parent's expectations. They are so demanding.
To Ask Out
I can't believe that Joe finally asked me out on a date!
To Fill In For
Miguel filled in for me at the meeting yesterday because I was sick.
To Keep On
He kept on talking after everybody asked him to stop.
To Stand For
SCUBA stands for "self contained underwater breathing apparatus."