ELPT - English Language Proficiency Understanding Phrasal Verbs Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Due to unexpected budget cuts, the committee decided to _______ the annual company picnic until next year.
- run into
- put off (Correct answer)
- give up
- look after
Correct answer: put off
The correct phrasal verb is 'put off', which means to postpone or delay an event to a later time. [3, 15, 17, 33, 42] The other options do not fit the context: 'run into' means to encounter unexpectedly [8, 11, 22, 27, 48], 'give up' means to quit or stop trying [5, 19, 31, 41, 46], and 'look after' means to take care of.
Question 2: In the sentence, 'Maria really takes after her grandmother; they have the same sense of humor,' what does the phrasal verb 'takes after' mean?
- To follow someone
- To admire someone greatly
- To resemble an older relative (Correct answer)
- To receive advice from someone
Correct answer: To resemble an older relative
The phrasal verb 'take after' means to resemble an older member of your family in appearance or character. [2, 13, 18, 23, 35] The context shows that Maria shares a characteristic (sense of humor) with her grandmother.
Question 3: Which of the following sentences uses a phrasal verb incorrectly?
- The car might break down on such a long trip.
- Please get along with your new colleagues.
- She needs to come up with a better plan.
- He promised to look up to the word in the dictionary. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: He promised to look up to the word in the dictionary.
The sentence 'He promised to look up to the word in the dictionary' is incorrect. To search for information, the correct phrasal verb is 'look up'. [39] 'Look up to' means to admire and respect someone. [1, 36, 43] The other sentences are correct: 'break down' means to stop functioning [6, 14, 16, 24, 34]; 'get along with' means to have a good relationship [20, 26, 45, 49, 50]; and 'come up with' means to think of an idea. [10, 21, 25, 30, 47]
Question 4: Scenario: A project manager is informing the team that a major event has been canceled. Which sentence is the most appropriate way to state this using a phrasal verb?
- We have decided to go over the client conference.
- We have decided to call off the client conference. (Correct answer)
- We have decided to run into the client conference.
- We have decided to give up the client conference.
Correct answer: We have decided to call off the client conference.
The phrasal verb 'call off' means to cancel an event that was planned. [7, 9, 28, 37, 38] This is the most precise and common phrasal verb for this situation. 'Go over' means to review [4, 12, 29, 40, 44]; 'run into' means to encounter [8, 11, 22, 27, 48]; and 'give up' means to quit, which implies stopping an effort rather than canceling a planned event. [5, 19, 31, 41, 46]
Question 5: After hours of discussion, the team finally managed to come _______ with an innovative solution to the problem.
- up (Correct answer)
- across
- in
- about
Correct answer: up
The correct particle to complete the phrasal verb is 'up'. 'To come up with' means to suggest or think of an idea or plan. [10, 21, 25, 30, 47] The other particles do not form a phrasal verb with 'come' that fits the meaning of the sentence.
Question 6: Scenario: Two colleagues are preparing for a presentation. Alex: 'I've gathered all the data, but I'm not sure if the slides are clear.' Maria: 'Let's go over them together before the meeting.' What is Maria suggesting they do?
- Skip the presentation
- Present the slides as they are
- Review the slides carefully (Correct answer)
- Start the presentation immediately
Correct answer: Review the slides carefully
In this context, the phrasal verb 'go over' means to examine or review something carefully. [4, 12, 29, 40, 44] Maria is suggesting that she and Alex review the slides to ensure they are clear before presenting them.
ELPT - English Language Proficiency Understanding Phrasal Verbs Questions and Answers
Due to unexpected budget cuts, the committee decided to _______ the annual company picnic until next year.