Rise / Raise / Arise (Confusing Verbs) – English Grammar Exercises for B2
Legal Risk Warning – A corporate lawyer emails the company Director, analyzing loopholes in a draft contract and forecasting invisible liabilities that might emerge from loose clauses.
Choose the most appropriate word to complete each sentence. Pay attention to the grammatical context (transitive vs. intransitive verbs) and the specific meaning of the word in a legal and corporate setting.
1 If any legal disputes ______ from this ambiguous clause, our company will face massive financial penalties.
(a) raise
(b) arise
(c) rise
(d) to arise
2 As your legal counsel, I must ______ a serious concern regarding the confidentiality section of this draft.
(a) arise
(b) rise
(c) raise
(d) raised
3 The partner’s operational costs have ______ significantly, which might heavily affect their ability to deliver on time.
(a) rose
(b) arisen
(c) raised
(d) risen
4 We should be prepared for any legal complications that may ______ during the execution of this contract.
(a) arise
(b) raise
(c) are arise
(d) rise
5 Did the other party ______ any objections to the penalty fee during the negotiation yesterday?
(a) rise
(b) raising
(c) arise
(d) raise
6 The liability limitations are too vague; unforeseen damages could easily ______ from this oversight.
(a) arose
(b) arise
(c) rise
(d) raise
7 Our legal fees have ______ exponentially because of these prolonged, inefficient contract negotiations.
(a) raised
(b) had rise
(c) risen
(d) arisen
8 Should a conflict of interest ______, this contract dictates that mediation must take place in Geneva.
(a) arise
(b) rise
(c) to arise
(d) raise
9 The supplier intentionally ______ the wholesale prices just before drafting the final agreement.
(a) rose
(b) arose
(c) raised
(d) has raise
10 Numerous compliance issues have already ______ from their failure to meet the international safety standards.
(a) arisen
(b) raised
(c) risen
(d) arose
11 We cannot afford to let our financial liabilities ______ any further without adding a strict termination clause.
(a) raise
(b) rise
(c) arise
(d) rising
12 Could you confirm who exactly ______ the issue of intellectual property rights during yesterday’s meeting?
(a) arose
(b) raising
(c) rose
(d) raised
13 If severe consequences ______ from this breach of contract, the current wording leaves us completely unprotected.
(a) rise
(b) will arise
(c) arise
(d) raise
14 I strongly advise against signing this document until the market inflation rate ceases to ______ so unpredictably.
(a) raise
(b) arise
(c) rose
(d) rise
15 It is highly probable that complex litigation will ______ from the poorly defined delivery milestones in Section 4
(a) arise
(b) rise
(c) raise
(d) to arise
16 The opposing counsel has cleverly ______ doubts about our jurisdiction to enforce these terms.
(a) raise
(b) raised
(c) arisen
(d) risen
17 A major discrepancy ______ when we cross-referenced their financial statements with the agreed-upon payment schedule.
(a) arose
(b) raised
(c) rose
(d) was arisen
18 Unless we explicitly define “Force Majeure,” disputes are bound to ______ from any natural disasters delaying production.
(a) arising
(b) rise
(c) raise
(d) arise
19 The board members were shocked by how rapidly our potential compensation payouts had ______ due to this loophole.
(a) raised
(b) arisen
(c) rose
(d) risen
20 To mitigate the legal risks that have ______ from previous partnerships, I strongly recommend revising Article 7 immediately.
(a) arisen
(b) raised
(c) risen
(d) arose
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (b) arise
- Why it is correct: “Disputes arise from” is a standard legal collocation. A dispute is an abstract problem that comes into existence (intransitive).
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “raise” is a common mistake (requires a direct object, e.g., “to raise a dispute,” though less natural). (c) “rise” is a meaning trap (disputes don’t move upwards physically). (d) “to arise” is a structural error (modal ‘will’ must be followed by a base verb, but ‘If’ clauses use the present simple base verb here).
2 (c) raise
- Why it is correct: “Raise a concern” is a transitive collocation. The lawyer actively brings the concern forward (the object).
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “arise” is a meaning trap (concerns can arise on their own, but here the subject “I” is actively bringing it up). (b) “rise” is a common mistake. (d) “raised” is a structural error (must use the base form after the modal ‘must’).
3 (d) risen
- Why it is correct: Operational costs increase numerically on their own (intransitive). After the auxiliary “have,” the V3 form “risen” is required.
- Distractor Analysis: (c) “raised” is a common mistake. (b) “arisen” is a meaning trap (costs don’t “happen,” they increase). (a) “rose” is a structural error (V2 instead of V3).
4 (a) arise
- Why it is correct: Legal complications are abstract situations that happen or occur.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “raise” is a common mistake. (d) “rise” is a meaning trap. (c) “are arise” is a structural error.
5 (d) raise
- Why it is correct: “Raise objections” is a transitive action. The other party is the agent acting upon the object (“objections”).
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “rise” is a common mistake. (c) “arise” is a meaning trap. (b) “raising” is a structural error (the auxiliary ‘Did’ requires a base verb).
6 (b) arise
- Why it is correct: “Damages” (meaning compensation for harm) or harmful situations arise from an oversight. It is an abstract occurrence.
- Distractor Analysis: (d) “raise” is a common mistake. (c) “rise” is a meaning trap. (a) “arose” is a structural error (requires a base verb after ‘could’).
7 (c) risen
- Why it is correct: Legal fees increase numerically on their own. Use “rise” in the V3 form (“risen”) after “have.”
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “raised” is a common mistake. (d) “arisen” is a meaning trap. (b) “had rise” is a structural error.
8 (a) arise
- Why it is correct: A conflict of interest is a situation that happens (intransitive). This is an inverted first conditional (Should + subject + base verb).
- Distractor Analysis: (d) “raise” is a common mistake. (b) “rise” is a meaning trap. (c) “to arise” is a structural error.
9 (c) raised
- Why it is correct: The supplier actively increased the wholesale prices (“prices” is the direct object). This requires the transitive verb “raise” in the past tense.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “rose” is a common mistake (intransitive verbs cannot take an object). (b) “arose” is a meaning trap. (d) “has raise” is a structural error.
10 (a) arisen
- Why it is correct: Compliance issues happen or result from a failure. We use the V3 form of “arise” (“arisen”) for the present perfect tense.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “raised” is a common mistake. (c) “risen” is a meaning trap. (d) “arose” is a structural error (uses V2 instead of V3).
11 (b) rise
- Why it is correct: Financial liabilities increase numerically on their own. “Rise” is the correct intransitive verb.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “raise” is a common mistake. (c) “arise” is a meaning trap. (d) “rising” is a structural error.
12 (d) raised
- Why it is correct: “Raise the issue” is a transitive phrase. Someone actively brought the intellectual property issue to the table.
- Distractor Analysis: (c) “rose” is a common mistake. (a) “arose” is a meaning trap. (b) “raising” is a structural error.
13 (c) arise
- Why it is correct: Consequences “arise from” (result from) a breach of contract. It is an abstract event.
- Distractor Analysis: (d) “raise” is a common mistake. (a) “rise” is a meaning trap. (b) “will arise” is a structural error (First Conditional ‘If’ clauses use present simple).
14 (d) rise
- Why it is correct: The inflation rate increases numerically. We use the intransitive verb “rise.”
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “raise” is a common mistake. (b) “arise” is a meaning trap. (c) “rose” is a structural error (requires the base form after ‘to’).
15 (a) arise
- Why it is correct: Litigation (lawsuits) is an abstract process that happens or results from something (“arise from”).
- Distractor Analysis: (c) “raise” is a common mistake. (b) “rise” is a meaning trap. (d) “to arise” is a structural error (requires a bare infinitive after ‘will’).
16 (b) raised
- Why it is correct: The opposing counsel actively provoked or introduced doubts (“raised doubts” – direct object).
- Distractor Analysis: (d) “risen” is a common mistake. (c) “arisen” is a meaning trap (doubts can “arise” naturally, but here an active agent caused them). (a) “raise” is a structural error (needs V3 after ‘has’).
17 (a) arose
- Why it is correct: A major discrepancy (inconsistency) is an abstract problem that appeared or happened. We use the past tense of “arise” (arose).
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “raised” is a common mistake. (c) “rose” is a meaning trap. (d) “was arisen” is a structural error (intransitive verbs cannot be passive).
18 (d) arise
- Why it is correct: Disputes happen or emerge from a specific source (“arise from natural disasters”).
- Distractor Analysis: (c) “raise” is a common mistake. (b) “rise” is a meaning trap. (a) “arising” is a structural error.
19 (d) risen
- Why it is correct: Compensation payouts (numbers/amounts) increase on their own. Use “rise” in the V3 form (“risen”) after “had.”
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “raised” is a common mistake. (b) “arisen” is a meaning trap. (c) “rose” is a structural error.
20 (a) arisen
- Why it is correct: Legal risks are abstract hazards that emerge or result from past partnerships (“arise from”). We use the V3 form “arisen.”
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “raised” is a common mistake. (c) “risen” is a meaning trap. (d) “arose” is a structural error (needs V3 after ‘have’).
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
To master these three verbs in legal and professional English, focus on their Object Rule and Meaning Rule:
1 ARISE (Arise – Arose – Arisen): “TO EMERGE / TO RESULT FROM”
- Rule: INTRANSITIVE (Never takes a direct object).
- Meaning: Used for abstract events, problems, or situations coming into existence. In legal contexts, it is heavily used with the preposition “from” to indicate the root cause of a liability or dispute.
- Legal Collocations: Disputes arise from, Complications arise, Issues arise, Litigation arises.
- Example: Severe consequences may arise from this breach of contract.
2 RAISE (Raise – Raised – Raised): “TO CAUSE / TO BRING UP”
- Rule: TRANSITIVE (Must take a direct object).
- Meaning: To actively introduce a topic for discussion, to provoke a feeling/doubt, or to intentionally increase a number.
- Legal Collocations: Raise an objection, Raise an issue, Raise doubts, Raise concerns.
- Example: The lawyer raised a serious concern about the clause.
3 RISE (Rise – Rose – Risen): “TO INCREASE NUMERICALLY”
- Rule: INTRANSITIVE (Never takes a direct object).
- Meaning: Used when numbers, rates, or amounts go up on their own without an active agent pushing them.
- Legal Collocations: Legal fees rise, Inflation rates rise, Costs rise, Liabilities rise.
- Example: Our financial liabilities have risen due to this delay.