Phrasal Verbs Questions and Answers

Q: He turned a deaf ear to my request.What does the underlined phrasal verb mean?

To turn a deaf ear to something means to ignore it.The idiom pictures someone deliberately not listening, as if deaf on the side the request comes from. So 'He turned a deaf ear to my request' means he heard it and chose to take no notice.'appreciated' is close to the opposite. 'twisted' would mean he distorted the request, and 'returned' that he sent it back; neither involves refusing to listen, which is the whole sense of the phrase.

Q: Even though I had planned to go skiing with my friends, I had to __________ at the last moment because of an injury.Select the most appropriate option to complete the above sentence.

The phrase is back out.To back out is to withdraw from something one had agreed or planned to do. The sentence says the speaker had planned a skiing trip but an injury forced a last-minute withdrawal, and 'even though' signals exactly that reversal of plan.To back up is to support someone or to make a copy of data. 'Back on' does not stand alone as a phrasal verb with this sense; 'go back on' means to break a promise and needs an object. 'Back of' is a noun phrase (the back of something), not a verb.

Q: Choose an appropriate phrasal verb and mark your answer in the response sheet.They were walking too fast, I could not __________ with them.

The phrasal verb is keep up: I could not keep up with them.Keep up with means to move or progress at the same speed as someone else, which matches people walking too fast for the speaker. The phrasal verb also explains the with that follows the blank.The other options are single verbs that do not fit the sentence. Move with them and walk with them do not express failing to match their pace, and follow does not take with. None of them is a phrasal verb, which the question asks for.

Q: 'As the enemy was closing in, we decided to stay away.'The phrase 'close in' means :-

'Close in' means Come nearer.To close in (on someone) is to come nearer and surround or approach, usually in a threatening way: 'As the enemy was closing in, we decided to stay away' means the enemy was moving closer. It is used also of darkness or weather ('night was closing in').'Go away' is the opposite movement. 'Shoot out' and 'win' describe a gun battle and its result, not the approach the phrasal verb expresses.

Q: Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate phrasal verb.The situation is difficult and calls _______ great tact.

The answer is for: 'The situation is difficult and calls for great tact.''Call for' means to require or demand: a difficult situation requires tact.'Call out' means to shout or to challenge someone, 'call up' to telephone or summon for service, and 'call to' to shout to someone; none means to require.

Q: Choose the correct phrasal verb :Karan __________ all information and then gave the note to his wife so that she could put it into a computer file.

The answer is took down: Karan took down all information.To take down information is to write it down or record it. The rest of the sentence confirms the sense: he then gave the note to his wife to enter into a computer file.Took on means accepted a task or employed someone, and took over means assumed control of something. Neither describes making a note, and since took down fits, 'None of these' is wrong.

Q: Replace the underlined common phrases with the right option.Yesterday I called at Mohan's house.

Called at means visited.To call at a place is to make a short visit there: Yesterday I visited Mohan's house. (One calls at a place but calls on a person.)Produced, published and persuaded have nothing to do with going to see someone; they share only the sound of the options, not the meaning.Compare call on a person (I called on my uncle), call off an event (cancel it) and call for something (require it).

Q: Replace the underlined common phrases with the right option.Prices are slowly coming down indeed due to good control by local government.

Coming down means falling.When prices are coming down, they are decreasing: Prices are slowly falling. The reason given, good control by the local government, fits a drop in prices.Rising is the opposite, and winning makes no sense with prices. Since falling fits, "None of these" is wrong.Other phrasal verbs with the same sense are go down and come down; the opposite is go up. Coming down is about the level of prices, not a contest, which is why winning is meaningless here.

Q: Replace the underlined common phrases with the right option.Cut down your expenses otherwise you will be in debt.

Cut down means reduce.To cut down (on) expenses is to spend less: Reduce your expenses otherwise you will be in debt.Increase is the opposite and would lead into debt rather than away from it. Shorten is used for length or time (shorten a dress, a speech), not for amounts of money. Since reduce fits, "None of these" is wrong.The verb is often used with on: cut down on sugar, cut down on smoking. It also has a literal sense, to fell a tree.

Q: Replace the underlined common phrases with the right option.Hard work enabled him to get through the test.

To get through means to succeed.To get through a test or examination is to pass it: Hard work enabled him to succeed in the test. The phrase hard work enabled him points to a good result.To fail is the opposite. To preserve means to keep safe, and to persuade means to convince someone; neither fits a test.Other senses of the phrasal verb include finishing a task (get through the work) and making contact by phone (I could not get through to him).

He turned a deaf ear to my request.

What does the underlined phrasal verb mean?

A.ignored
B.appreciated
C.twisted
D.returned

Exam Year(s)

GATE AG - 2016,

Answer: A

To turn a deaf ear to something means to ignore it.

The idiom pictures someone deliberately not listening, as if deaf on the side the request comes from. So 'He turned a deaf ear to my request' means he heard it and chose to take no notice.

'appreciated' is close to the opposite. 'twisted' would mean he distorted the request, and 'returned' that he sent it back; neither involves refusing to listen, which is the whole sense of the phrase.

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Even though I had planned to go skiing with my friends, I had to __________ at the last moment because of an injury.

Select the most appropriate option to complete the above sentence.

A.back up
B.back of
C.back on
D.back out

Exam Year(s)

GATE Life Sciences - 2025, GATE XE - 2025,

Answer: D

The phrase is back out.

To back out is to withdraw from something one had agreed or planned to do. The sentence says the speaker had planned a skiing trip but an injury forced a last-minute withdrawal, and 'even though' signals exactly that reversal of plan.

To back up is to support someone or to make a copy of data. 'Back on' does not stand alone as a phrasal verb with this sense; 'go back on' means to break a promise and needs an object. 'Back of' is a noun phrase (the back of something), not a verb.

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Choose an appropriate phrasal verb and mark your answer in the response sheet.

They were walking too fast, I could not __________ with them.

A.move
B.keep up
C.walk
D.follow

Exam Year(s)

Kerala PSC KAS - 2025,

Answer: B

The phrasal verb is keep up: I could not keep up with them.

Keep up with means to move or progress at the same speed as someone else, which matches people walking too fast for the speaker. The phrasal verb also explains the with that follows the blank.

The other options are single verbs that do not fit the sentence. Move with them and walk with them do not express failing to match their pace, and follow does not take with. None of them is a phrasal verb, which the question asks for.

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'As the enemy was closing in, we decided to stay away.'

The phrase 'close in' means :-

A.Shoot out
B.Go away
C.Come nearer
D.Win

Exam Year(s)

Rajasthan High Court Civil Judge - 2018, Rajasthan Judicial Service - 2018,

Answer: C

'Close in' means Come nearer.

To close in (on someone) is to come nearer and surround or approach, usually in a threatening way: 'As the enemy was closing in, we decided to stay away' means the enemy was moving closer. It is used also of darkness or weather ('night was closing in').

'Go away' is the opposite movement. 'Shoot out' and 'win' describe a gun battle and its result, not the approach the phrasal verb expresses.

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Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate phrasal verb.

The situation is difficult and calls _______ great tact.

A.out
B.up
C.to
D.for

Exam Year(s)

Rajasthan High Court Civil Judge - 2019, Rajasthan Judicial Service - 2019,

Answer: D

The answer is for: 'The situation is difficult and calls for great tact.'

'Call for' means to require or demand: a difficult situation requires tact.

'Call out' means to shout or to challenge someone, 'call up' to telephone or summon for service, and 'call to' to shout to someone; none means to require.

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Choose the correct phrasal verb :

Karan __________ all information and then gave the note to his wife so that she could put it into a computer file.

A.took on
B.took down
C.took over
D.None of these

Exam Year(s)

Tripura Public Service Commission - 2025,

Answer: B

The answer is took down: Karan took down all information.

To take down information is to write it down or record it. The rest of the sentence confirms the sense: he then gave the note to his wife to enter into a computer file.

Took on means accepted a task or employed someone, and took over means assumed control of something. Neither describes making a note, and since took down fits, 'None of these' is wrong.

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Replace the underlined common phrases with the right option.

Yesterday I called at Mohan's house.

A.produced
B.published
C.persuaded
D.visited

Exam Year(s)

Tripura Public Service Commission - 2019,

Answer: D

Called at means visited.

To call at a place is to make a short visit there: Yesterday I visited Mohan's house. (One calls at a place but calls on a person.)

Produced, published and persuaded have nothing to do with going to see someone; they share only the sound of the options, not the meaning.

Compare call on a person (I called on my uncle), call off an event (cancel it) and call for something (require it).

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Replace the underlined common phrases with the right option.

Prices are slowly coming down indeed due to good control by local government.

A.winning
B.rising
C.falling
D.None of these

Exam Year(s)

Tripura Public Service Commission - 2019,

Answer: C

Coming down means falling.

When prices are coming down, they are decreasing: Prices are slowly falling. The reason given, good control by the local government, fits a drop in prices.

Rising is the opposite, and winning makes no sense with prices. Since falling fits, "None of these" is wrong.

Other phrasal verbs with the same sense are go down and come down; the opposite is go up. Coming down is about the level of prices, not a contest, which is why winning is meaningless here.

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Replace the underlined common phrases with the right option.

Cut down your expenses otherwise you will be in debt.

A.increase
B.shorten
C.reduce
D.None of these

Exam Year(s)

Tripura Public Service Commission - 2019,

Answer: C

Cut down means reduce.

To cut down (on) expenses is to spend less: Reduce your expenses otherwise you will be in debt.

Increase is the opposite and would lead into debt rather than away from it. Shorten is used for length or time (shorten a dress, a speech), not for amounts of money. Since reduce fits, "None of these" is wrong.

The verb is often used with on: cut down on sugar, cut down on smoking. It also has a literal sense, to fell a tree.

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10.

Replace the underlined common phrases with the right option.

Hard work enabled him to get through the test.

A.to fail
B.to preserve
C.to succeed
D.to persuade

Exam Year(s)

Tripura Public Service Commission - 2019,

Answer: C

To get through means to succeed.

To get through a test or examination is to pass it: Hard work enabled him to succeed in the test. The phrase hard work enabled him points to a good result.

To fail is the opposite. To preserve means to keep safe, and to persuade means to convince someone; neither fits a test.

Other senses of the phrasal verb include finishing a task (get through the work) and making contact by phone (I could not get through to him).

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Phrasal Verbs Questions and Answers

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