IDIOMS

Sure.

An "Idiom" is a phrase that has a meaning different that the literal translation of its words.

For example, in English we have an idiom for when someone dies saying "he kicked the bucket". If you look at the words literally, you would get the idea that he, well kicked a bucket... but what it really means is that he is dead (and there is no bucket kicking in death).

A phrasal verb is a group of words that function together as a verb. Many idioms are also phrasal verbs (as in the example above). When I say "I went to Egypt" the phrase "went to" is a verb... it could be replaced with "visited" etc.

EBrown--

A footnote on "kick the bucket".

Traditionally bankrupt farmers or farmer's daughters who were unlucky in love, went out to the archtypal barn, threw a rope over the rafters and tied a noose, inverted a bucket and climbed up on the bucket to fix the noose around the neck and then kicked the bucket away.

In your example, only 'went' is a verb, EBrown. 'To' is a preposition so this would not qualify as a [so-called] phrasal verb.

I went home.

"Phrasal verbs" are ones wherein the preposition cannot be separated from the verb without a change in meaning. For example,

'go along with' - meaning: agree with others on something or to do something.

A: That's just what we need for the party, a stripper.

B: I'll go along with that. [= I agree with you on that]

For ESLs, it is very difficult to tell the differences between these parts of speech. But learning the difference is NOT important to learning to use the language.

The best way to learn them is just to practice them in as rich a context as possible. You can make up examples for yourself or ask your teacher to do so, and then practice using them.

Thank uuu