PHRASAL VERBS- EXERCISES FOR PRACTICE

I. Complete the following sentences with phrasal verbs from the list. Use the correct tense or structure: carry out, cut
down, get on, hold up, dip into, make up, bring out, break out, cut off, get over, put out, work out, let down, turn out,
lead to.
1. Now, don’t ____ us ___. We’re counting on you to cook something really special for the party this Saturday.
2. Over eating and lack of exercise can _____ _____ serious health problems in later life.
3. Giving up my job to go and live aboard _____ _____ to be the biggest mistake I’ve ever made.
4. He _____ _____ some story about catching the wrong train to explain his lateness.
5. If you want to lose weight, you should _____ _____ on amount of dairy products you eat.
6. Modern computers are capable of ______ ______ the most complex operations in micro-seconds.
7. It’s no the sort of book you’d want to read from cover but it’s quite interesting to _____ _____ now and then.
8. The start of the concert was _____ _____ by the late arrival of the group.
9. The gas supply was _____ _____ for about four hours as they had to repair some leaking pipes.
10. Toby’s _____ _____ really well at his new job. He’s already been promoted twice.
11. Quick action by the police prevented fighting from _____ _____ between rival groups of fans after the football match.
12. I hear FIAT have _____ _____ a new model but I haven’t seen it yet.
13. She _____ _____ the problem of lack of time by hiring a house-cleaner.
14. Herbie asked them to _____ _____ their cigarettes as he is allergic to smoke.
15. It is said that Isaac Newton _____ _____ the law of gravity after he’d been hit on the head by an apple!
II. Put in these forms: keep up with, face up to, get round to, go out into, look forward to, looks out over, went back on,
put up with, set up, looks up to, cut back on, come in for, make up for, go through with, look down on.
1. The government’s economic policies have ______ a lot of criticism.
2. You’ll have to work very hard today to _______ the time you wasted yesterday.
3. I should _______ my problems and not try to avoid them.
4. Do you think he’s really likely to ______ his threat?
5. It was so stuffy indoors that I had to ______ the fresh air.
6. I’m feeling nervous. I’m not ______ giving my presentation.
7. The government is to ______ spending on the armed forces.
8. He really ______ his older brother.
9. He _______ his promise to tell nobody about this.
10. I meant to do the ironing but I didn’t ______ it.
11. The house is on the top of the cliff and ______ the English Channel.
12. I left the job because I couldn’t ______ my boss a moment longer.
13. We have to________________more schools to meet the demand of the increasing numbers of the children in the area
14. Small boys often ______ little girls and refuse to play with them.
15. It is difficult to____________________the rapid pace of change in big cities..
III. workout the meaning of these phrasal verbs and put them in the right sentences: let in , get off, throw away, stay in,
come back, cross out, pay back, get on , turn up, fall over, take back, go off, lie down, go away , put off
1. I didn’t have a key, but luckily someone was there to _____ me _____.
2. Can’t we go out somewhere? I don’t want to ______ all evening.
3. Could you lend me ten pounds? I’ll ____ you ____ on Friday.
4. The sidewalk is very icy. Be careful you don’t ______ .
5. I was feeling so tired that I had to ______ on the bed for a while.
6. I saw Martin ______ the bus and go straight home.
7. Mark’s gone out, and I don’t know when he is going to ______ .
8. The driver unlocked the coach so that the passengers were able to ______ .
9. I’ll have to ______ these books ______ to the library.
10. Your brother was being a nuisance, so I told him to ______ .
11. Don’t ______ that box. We can use it again.
12. If you make a mistake on the form, just _____ it ______ .
13. I can’t hear the radio. Could you ______ it ______ a little?
14. I was late for school this morning because my alarm clock didn’t ______ .
15. Never _____ until tomorrow what you can do today.
IV. Complete each sentence using a phrasal verb that means the same as the words in brackets.
1. The football match had to be ______ because of the weather. (cancelled)
2. The story Kate told wasn’t true. She ______ . (invented it)
3. A bomb ______ near the station, but no one was injured. (exploded)
4. How long are you going to ______ working? (continue)
5. George finally ______ nearly an hour late. (arrived)
6. We are going to _____ an outing for our group. (arrange)
7. A number of buildings are going to be ______ to make way for the new road. (demolished)
8. We need to make a decision today at the latest. We can’t _____any longer. (delay it)
9. You can hardly ______ on £100 a week. (manage to live)
10. The noise is terrible. I can’t _______ . (tolerate it)
11. For the sake of your health, you ought to ______ alcohol. (stop)
12. Teachers should encourage kids to ______ for themselves. (discover things)
13. I’m afraid the machine has ______ .(stopped working)
14. Our phone has been ______ , so ring me on my mobile. (disconnected)
15. We need to ______ the situation. (fully discuss)
V. Rewrite the sentences, using the correct synonym of the underlined phrasal verbs: appear, cancel, consider, continue,
delay, delete, demolish, discover, discuss, display, erect, examine, execute, occupy, omit, postpone, prepare, reduce,
reject, represent, explode, resemble, return, stop, select, review, calculate, tolerate.
1. You’ll have to cut down your living expenses a little.
2. I must think that matter over carefully before I answer you.
3. That company is going to put up a new building on this corner.
4. The two girls take after their mother very much in appearance.
5. Look each sentence over carefully. Cross out the incorrect words.
6. Mr. Lam’s job seems to take up all of his spare time.
7. They are going to pull that building down.
8. We had to call off the picnic because of the bad weather.
9. We heard the bomb go off five miles away.
10. These books are overdue. When are you going to take them back?
11. When you make up that list for me, don’t leave any names out.
12. We worked out how much of our salaries we would have to save each year.
13. That woman certainly tried hard to show off her abilities.
14. When I was looking through my papers, I came across this picture.
15. I suggest that you talk the matter over with your boss first of all .
16. Did the workers carry out the foreman’s instructions carefully?
17. Is the committee going to turn down his application for admission?
18. Should we go over the lesson now or put it off until later tonigh?
19. How many people do you expect to show up at the meeting tonight?
20. I think this storm will hold up the flights.
21. There are some pens here. Why don’t you pick out one or two?
22. I tried to interrupt the two men, but they went on arguing anyway.
23. Trevor gave up playing football years ago.
24. Those three letters are an abbreviation. They stand for something.
25. I don’t see how you can put up with such bad working conditions.
VI. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first. Use the words in brackets.
1. I’m trying to find my diary. (looking)
2. You’re too young to stop working. (give)
3. This bag is Janet’s. (belongs)
4. The police continued to watch the house. (carried)
5. They talked about the plan. (discussed)
6. I haven’t got any money left. (run)
7. The staff all have great respect for their boss. (look)
8. I wouldn’t tolerate such terrible conditions. (put)
9. They’ll have to postpone the game. (off)
10. I visited some old friends while I was in Manchester.(called)
11. I’m trying to reduce the amount of coffee I drink. (cut)
12. We’re trying to arrange a holiday together. (up)
13. The teacher was dictating so fast, we couldn’t go as fast as her. (keep)
14. I always like to enter quiz competition. (go)
15. We got some money from the insurance company, but nothing could compensate for losing my wedding ring. (make)
16. I found this film quite disappointing. (let)
17. I don’t think Jack’s story about seeing the ghost was true. (made)
18. I’m boring with waiting for her to telephone. (fed)
19. The fire suddenly started in the early hours of the morning. (broke)
20. If you don’t know the number, you can find it in the phone book. (up)