Phrasal Verbs in Real Life
B1/B2 Practical English · 50 items · 30–40 minutes
Focus: delayed actions, lost progress, unexpected meetings, and final outcomes.
Exercise 1: Progress, Delay and Surprise
Choose the phrasal verb that fits the situation naturally.
1.I have had the form on my desk for weeks, but I still have not ___ filling it in.
2.After being ill for ten days, Noor spent the weekend trying to ___ on the reading.
3.Without regular practice, you can quickly ___ your classmates.
4.On the train home, I ___ my former piano teacher completely by chance.
5.The café looked ordinary from outside, but it ___ to serve excellent food.
6.We missed the last bus and ___ walking home in the rain.
7.The repairs took longer than expected and ___ our move by two weeks.
8.Before buying the headphones, I want to ___ a few online reviews.
9.It took several attempts, but all the extra training finally ___.
10.Instead of postponing it again, I will ___ booking the appointment tonight.
Exercise 2: Decisions and Problem-Solving
Choose the best expression for each stage of a decision or investigation.
1.The support team is ___ why the app deletes some saved settings.
2.After checking the logs, the engineer finally ___ what caused the error.
3.The airline has now ___ the missing-baggage problem and sent the case.
4.We can ___ the flat near the motorway because the traffic is too noisy.
5.There are sixty courses; first, let us ___ the list to five realistic choices.
6.Before signing, she needs to ___ the advantages and disadvantages of both contracts.
7.Can you ___ a cheaper way to send these parcels?
8.I could not ___ to the insurance company, so I sent a message instead.
9.The clinic will ___ the test result next week to see whether the treatment helped.
10.The store plans to ___ the old payment system gradually, not remove it overnight.
Exercise 3: Plans, Time and Commitments
Use the context to distinguish changing a plan, cancelling it, or withdrawing personally.
1.The dentist cannot see me on Tuesday, so we have to ___ the appointment until Thursday.
2.The director is free sooner, so they have ___ the interview to Monday.
3.Because of the storm, the organisers had to ___ the outdoor concert completely.
4.The venue is available and everyone agrees, so we will ___ the workshop as planned.
5.Liam had agreed to drive us, but he ___ the arrangement the evening before.
6.Try to ___ a little money each month for unexpected repairs.
7.The producer decided to ___ the release date after the testing finished early.
8.Rather than ___ the whole trip, they changed the destination.
9.We should not ___ a decision until we have read the full proposal.
10.Even after the first supplier refused, the team decided to ___ searching.
Ask what changes: responsibility can be accepted, transferred, or taken into control; a concern can be introduced, dismissed, or voiced.
Exercise 4: Work, Responsibility and Communication
Select the phrasal verb that describes what the person actually does.
1.When the team leader left, Priya agreed to ___ the extra responsibility.
2.The founder retired and her daughter ___ the family business.
3.Before her leave starts, Rosa will ___ her client files to Marcus.
4.The laboratory ___ a full safety test before reopening.
5.Could you ___ a two-page summary from these meeting notes?
6.Mina ___ the issue of unequal workloads during the meeting.
7.The supervisor ___ the warning and did not investigate it.
8.If the instructions are unsafe, employees should ___ rather than stay silent.
9.He rarely talks about his worries, but he has started to ___ to his brother.
10.After twelve years as chair, Ms Okafor will ___ in June.
Exercise 5: The Project Route
Place each full expression once to complete the project update.
📚 Vocabulary Bank — Drag the words below:
1.First, the manager will [ Drop here ] reported by the delivery company.
2.Because their quote is incomplete, we can [ Drop here ].
3.That should help us [ Drop here ] from eight to three.
4.Before deciding, the directors must [ Drop here ] carefully.
5.Meanwhile, the design team will [ Drop here ].
6.If testing is not complete, we may need to [ Drop here ].
7.However, we can [ Drop here ] so everyone knows the new timetable.
8.Before her holiday, Hana will [ Drop here ] to the new coordinator.
9.Customer services will [ Drop here ] tomorrow.
10.After all that, we may [ Drop here ] anyway.
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Complete every answer first. Your score, corrections, and review material appear only after you submit the whole page.
N
E
R
D
Word Origin
Naturally Eccentric, Remarkably Different
Word Origin
Naturally Eccentric, Remarkably Different
| Word / Phrase | Category | Origin & Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Phrasal verb | grammar | A phrasal verb combines a verb with a short particle such as up, out, or on. The particle often changes the meaning substantially: take on is not simply take. |
| Work out | grammar | Work out can mean find an answer, understand a cause, or develop successfully. The precise meaning comes from the context. |
| Setback | etymology | A setback is literally something that sets you back. It now commonly means a delay or problem that slows progress. |