What's the difference?
phrasal verb - a phrase which consists of a verb in combination with a preposition or adverb or both, the meaning of which is different from the meaning of its separate parts (e.g. look after; look forward to)
idiom - a group of words in a fixed order that have a particular meaning that is different from the meanings of each word understood on its own (e.g. to have bitten off more than you can chew )
proverb - a short sentence, etc., usually known by many people, stating something commonly experienced or giving advice (e.g. A watched pot never boils ).
Separable Phrasal Verbs
The object may come after the following phrasal verbs or it may separate the two parts:
- You have to do this paint job over.
- You have to do over this paint job.
Inseparable Phrasal Verbs
The lexical part of the verb (the part of the phrasal verb that carries the "verb-meaning") cannot be separated from the prepositions (or other parts) that accompany it:
- Who will look after my estate when I'm gone? …
