ELPT - English Language Proficiency Understanding Phrasal Verbs Questions and Answers

Question 1

Due to unexpected budget cuts, the committee decided to _______ the annual company picnic until next year.

Accepted Answer

put off

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

To resemble an older relative

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

He promised to look up to the word in the dictionary.

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

We have decided to call off the client conference.

Answer

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.

Accepted Answer

up

Answer

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.

ELPT - English Language Proficiency Test Practice Test

ELPT - English Language Proficiency Test Practice Test

ELPT - English Language Proficiency Understanding Phrasal Verbs Questions and Answers