Phrasal Verbs — Fill in the Gap (B1)

Your task

Fill in the gap in each sentence with the correct word or phrase.

0 / 15 answered

Your score

0 / 150%

Keep practising! Focus on the explanations below.

She decided to learning the piano after several years of lessons.

Correct answer: give up

"Give up" means to stop doing something, especially a habit or activity you have been doing for some time. It is followed by a gerund (verb + -ing). Compare: "give up" (permanent stop) vs "stop" (general).

Could you my cat while I'm away on holiday next week?

Correct answer: look after

"Look after" means to take care of a person, animal, or thing. It is inseparable — the object always follows the full phrasal verb. "Look after" is more common in British English; "take care of" is the American equivalent.

I only that the meeting had been cancelled when I arrived at the office.

Correct answer: found out

"Find out" means to discover or learn a piece of information, often unexpectedly. It is separable when followed by a noun ("find it out"), but is usually followed by a "that" clause or question word.

The flight almost two hours late due to bad weather conditions.

Correct answer: took off

"Take off" means to leave the ground (for a plane or helicopter). It is intransitive in this sense — no object follows. Note the second meaning: to remove clothing ("She took off her coat"), which is separable.

They had to the outdoor concert because of the approaching storm.

Correct answer: call off

"Call off" means to cancel a planned event. It is separable: "call the concert off" and "call off the concert" are both correct. Do not confuse with "call out" (to shout or challenge) or "call up" (to phone someone / recruit).

I'm really seeing my family at the weekend.

Correct answer: looking forward to

"Look forward to" means to feel excited or pleased about something in the future. It is always followed by a noun or a gerund (verb + -ing), never an infinitive: "looking forward to seeing" (correct), "looking forward to see" (wrong).

The printer ink just as I was about to print my assignment.

Correct answer: ran out of

"Run out of" means to use up all of something so that none is left. It is always followed by a noun. The preposition "of" is part of the phrasal verb and cannot be dropped: "ran out ink" is incorrect.

Please don't the topic of money at dinner — it always causes arguments.

Correct answer: bring up

"Bring up" means to introduce a subject into a conversation. It is separable: "bring the topic up" is also correct. Note the second meaning: to raise a child ("She was brought up in Scotland"), which uses the passive in everyday speech.

We can't the decision any longer — we need to act today.

Correct answer: put off

"Put off" means to delay or postpone something to a later time. It is separable: "put the decision off" is also correct. It can also mean to make someone lose interest or enthusiasm: "The smell put me off my food."

He always managed to well with his colleagues, even during stressful periods.

Correct answer: get on

"Get on (with)" means to have a friendly or harmonious relationship with someone. In British English it is usually "get on with"; in American English "get along with" is more common. "Get on" can also mean to make progress: "How are you getting on with the project?"

She her notes carefully before the exam to make sure she hadn't missed anything.

Correct answer: went through

"Go through" means to examine or check something carefully from beginning to end. It is inseparable. It also means to experience a difficult event: "She went through a lot of stress during that period."

The car on the motorway, so they had to call for roadside assistance.

Correct answer: broke down

"Break down" (intransitive) means to stop functioning, used for machines and vehicles. It cannot take a direct object in this sense. The second meaning — to lose emotional control — is also B1: "She broke down when she heard the news."

The new manager a clear system for tracking the team's weekly progress.

Correct answer: set up

"Set up" means to create, organise, or establish something. It is separable: "set the system up" is also correct. Common in business and technology contexts: set up a meeting, set up a company, set up an account.

Despite feeling exhausted, she decided to with her evening run.

Correct answer: carry on

"Carry on" means to continue doing something, especially in spite of difficulty. It is followed by "with + noun" or a gerund: "carry on working". In informal British English it can also describe noisy or excited behaviour: "What a carry-on!"

Could you the radio? I can barely hear the news from the kitchen.

Correct answer: turn up

"Turn up" means to increase the volume, heat, or level of something. It is separable: "turn it up" or "turn up the radio" are both correct. A second common meaning: to arrive, often unexpectedly — "He turned up an hour late without any explanation."

Please answer at least one question first.

Found an error in this exercise? Let us know.