When the fire alarm went off, we all _____ the door.

Analyze the question The sentence needs a phrasal verb that means "moved quickly toward" the door when the alarm sounded.

Explain the concept The phrasal verb "make for" means to move toward a place, usually in a hurry.

• The passengers made for the exit.

Compare the other options:

• make at is not standard in this sense. "Make at someone" can mean to attack them, but it doesn't fit here.
• make to is not a standard phrasal verb. "Make to do something" means to appear about to do it, as in "He made to leave."
• make after means to chase someone, as in "The police made after the thief." That doesn't fit, because the people are not chasing the door.
• make for means to head toward a place. This fits.

Solution "When the fire alarm went off, we all made for the door." This means we all rushed toward the door, which is exactly what people do in a fire emergency.

Tip Remember "make for" as "head for." If a question has a place as its object (the door, the exit, the market), "make for" is usually the answer. Also watch for "make off with," which means to steal and run away.