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Phrasal Verbs

Introduction

Phrasal verbs are combinations of a verb + a preposition or adverb that create a meaning different from the individual words. For example: “Look after” means to take care of, not literally “look” + “after”.

This pattern is crucial in competitive exams because many questions test your understanding of how these combinations change meaning depending on context.

Pattern: Phrasal Verbs

Pattern

The key idea is to understand the combined meaning of verb + preposition/adverb, not the literal meaning of each word.

In exams, you are asked either to choose the correct meaning of a phrasal verb or to fill in the correct one in a sentence.

Step-by-Step Example

Question

The teacher asked the students to carry on with their work. (Choose the correct meaning of the phrasal verb.)

Solution

  1. Step 1: Identify the phrasal verb.

    The phrase here is “carry on”.

  2. Step 2: Recall the meaning.

    “Carry on” means to continue doing something.

  3. Step 3: Check the context.

    The teacher wants the students to keep working → “continue with their work” fits perfectly.

  4. Final Answer:

    “Carry on” = Continue

  5. Quick Check:

    Replace the phrase - “The teacher asked the students to continue with their work” → correct ✅

Quick Variations

1. Meaning-based → Choose correct meaning of a given phrasal verb.

2. Fill-in-the-blank → Select the phrasal verb that fits contextually.

3. Substitution-based → Replace a phrase with its correct phrasal verb.

Trick to Always Use

  • Step 1: Focus on the context - literal translation often fails.
  • Step 2: Learn phrasal verbs in groups of similar meaning (e.g., give up, give in, give away).
  • Step 3: Substitute the phrasal verb with a single simple verb to verify meaning.

Summary

Summary

In the Phrasal Verbs pattern:

  • Phrasal verbs change meaning completely from their base verbs.
  • Always read the entire sentence to decide the correct meaning.
  • Check which preposition or adverb follows - it often changes the meaning drastically.

Practice

(1/5)
1. After a long break, she decided to ___ her studies again.
easy
A. take up
B. give up
C. put off
D. call off

Solution

  1. Step 1: Identify the context.

    The sentence shows that she is restarting her studies after a break - a positive action of beginning again.

  2. Step 2: Recall the meaning.

    'Take up' means to begin or start something (a course, hobby, or activity).

  3. Step 3: Eliminate wrong options.

    'Give up' = quit; 'Put off' = postpone; 'Call off' = cancel - none mean 'start again'.

  4. Final Answer:

    Take up → Option A.

  5. Quick Check:

    "She decided to take up her studies again" = she restarted studying ✅
Hint: 'Take up' = begin or resume an activity.
Common Mistakes: Confusing 'take up' with 'give up' or 'put off'.
2. Please ___ the lights before leaving the room.
easy
A. turn up
B. turn off
C. take off
D. put out

Solution

  1. Step 1: Identify the context.

    We need to stop the lights from working before leaving the room - an action to switch them off.

  2. Step 2: Recall the meaning.

    'Turn off' means to switch off or stop something from operating (electrical devices, lights).

  3. Step 3: Eliminate wrong options.

    'Turn up' = increase (volume/brightness), 'Take off' = remove (clothing), 'Put out' = extinguish a fire (less natural for lights).

  4. Final Answer:

    Turn off → Option B.

  5. Quick Check:

    "Turn off the lights" is the common and correct phrase ✅
Hint: Use 'turn off' for electrical devices and lights.
Common Mistakes: Choosing 'turn up' (increase) or 'put out' (used for fires) incorrectly.
3. We had to ___ the meeting due to heavy rain.
easy
A. put up
B. get through
C. call off
D. take over

Solution

  1. Step 1: Identify the context.

    The sentence indicates that the meeting was cancelled because of rain.

  2. Step 2: Recall the meaning.

    'Call off' means to cancel an event or plan.

  3. Step 3: Eliminate wrong options.

    'Put up' = tolerate; 'Get through' = complete; 'Take over' = assume control - none mean 'cancel'.

  4. Final Answer:

    Call off → Option C.

  5. Quick Check:

    "Call off the meeting" = cancel the meeting ✅
Hint: 'Call off' = cancel events or plans.
Common Mistakes: Using 'put off' (postpone) instead of 'call off' (cancel).
4. The teacher told the students to ___ the difficult words in the dictionary.
medium
A. look at
B. look after
C. look into
D. look up

Solution

  1. Step 1: Identify the context.

    The students need to find meanings of words - an action of searching in a reference.

  2. Step 2: Recall the meaning.

    'Look up' means to search for information in a reference source (dictionary, database).

  3. Step 3: Eliminate wrong options.

    'Look at' = see; 'Look after' = take care of; 'Look into' = investigate - none specifically mean 'search in a dictionary'.

  4. Final Answer:

    Look up → Option D.

  5. Quick Check:

    "Look up the word in the dictionary" = search for meaning ✅
Hint: 'Look up' = search for information in a reference source.
Common Mistakes: Confusing 'look up' with 'look at' or 'look into'.
5. He was tired but decided to ___ the task until he finished the project.
medium
A. see through
B. give away
C. put out
D. break off

Solution

  1. Step 1: Identify the context.

    Despite being tired, he continued until completion - the phrasal verb should mean 'complete despite difficulty'.

  2. Step 2: Recall the meaning.

    'See through' (a task) means to continue with and complete something until the end, despite problems.

  3. Step 3: Eliminate wrong options.

    'Give away' = distribute; 'Put out' = extinguish; 'Break off' = stop suddenly - none mean 'continue to completion'.

  4. Final Answer:

    See through → Option A.

  5. Quick Check:

    "See through the task" = finish the task despite difficulty ✅
Hint: 'See through' = carry to completion despite problems.
Common Mistakes: Confusing 'see through' with 'give up' or 'break off'.

Mock Test

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