Rise / Raise / Arise (Confusing Verbs) – English Grammar Exercises for B2
Budgeting against an economic storm – A financial expert advises readers on how to reallocate their family budgets to defend against worsening macroeconomic conditions.
Choose the most appropriate word to complete each sentence. Pay attention to the grammatical context (transitive vs. intransitive verbs, or participle adjectives) and the specific meaning of the word in a financial planning context.
1 To protect your family budget this year, you must realistically prepare for the harsh reality of ______ living costs.
(a) raising
(b) arising
(c) rising
(d) rised
2 If inflation continues to ______ at this aggressive pace, our cash savings will rapidly lose their purchasing power.
(a) raise
(b) rise
(c) arise
(d) to rising
3 Before making any investments, the absolute first step is to ______ an emergency fund covering at least six months of expenses.
(a) rise
(b) arise
(c) raising
(d) raise
4 Whenever an unexpected financial emergency ______, having liquid cash on hand is your greatest defense.
(a) arises
(b) raises
(c) rises
(d) are arise
5 Over the last twelve months, the average price of basic groceries has ______ by almost twenty percent.
(a) raised
(b) arisen
(c) risen
(d) rose
6 Many middle-class families are currently struggling because their landlords have recently ______ the monthly rent.
(a) risen
(b) raised
(c) arisen
(d) rose
7 To survive this economic storm, we must proactively ______ our awareness of hidden monthly subscription fees.
(a) raise
(b) rise
(c) arise
(d) to raising
8 A very common financial mistake is ignoring small debts until massive interest charges finally ______.
(a) raise
(b) rise
(c) arising
(d) arise
9 Considering the ______ cost of electricity, I strongly advise investing in energy-efficient household appliances.
(a) raising
(b) arising
(c) rising
(d) rised
10 By the time they realized the crisis, the family’s monthly deficit had already ______ to an unmanageable level.
(a) risen
(b) raised
(c) arisen
(d) rose
11 How exactly do you plan to handle the situation if unexpected medical bills ______ out of nowhere?
(a) raise
(b) arise
(c) rise
(d) will arise
12 Parents who successfully ______ their children with strong financial literacy tend to weather these economic storms much better.
(a) raise
(b) rise
(c) arise
(d) raising
13 We all watched in shock as global oil prices ______ dramatically overnight, directly impacting our fuel budget.
(a) raised
(b) arose
(c) rose
(d) rised
14 In my latest article, I want to ______ an important point about the necessity of cutting down on dining out.
(a) rise
(b) arise
(c) raised
(d) raise
15 The sheer panic caused by the recent stock market crash has ______ serious doubts about aggressive long-term investments.
(a) raised
(b) risen
(c) arisen
(d) rose
16 Should severe nationwide unemployment ______ from this recession, a solid emergency fund will be your only safety net.
(a) raise
(b) arise
(c) rise
(d) to arise
17 The central bank deliberately ______ interest rates yesterday to combat the escalating inflation.
(a) rose
(b) raised
(c) arose
(d) has raise
18 A deep sense of financial insecurity ______ among the middle class when the new, higher tax brackets were announced.
(a) raised
(b) rose
(c) arose
(d) was arisen
19 It is practically impossible to build wealth when your household debt is ______ much faster than your annual income.
(a) rising
(b) raising
(c) arising
(d) is rise
20 Unforeseen complications are bound to ______ when you attempt to drastically cut your family’s standard of living all at once.
(a) raise
(b) rise
(c) arise
(d) arising
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (c) rising
- Why it is correct: Used as a present participle adjective, “rising” means increasing on its own. “Rising costs” perfectly describes the macroeconomic nature of prices going up.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “raising” is a common mistake (costs don’t actively lift something else up). (b) “arising” is a meaning trap (costs don’t “happen”, they increase). (d) “rised” is a structural error (incorrect verb conjugation).
2 (b) rise
- Why it is correct: Inflation increases numerically on its own (intransitive). After “continues to”, we use the base verb “rise”.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “raise” is a common mistake (requires a direct object). (c) “arise” is a meaning trap (inflation doesn’t “happen”, it goes up). (d) “to rising” is a structural error.
3 (d) raise
- Why it is correct: “To raise a fund” or “to raise money” is a transitive action where you actively collect or build the money (the object).
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “rise” is a common mistake. (b) “arise” is a meaning trap. (c) “raising” is a structural error (needs the base verb after the ‘to’ infinitive).
4 (a) arises
- Why it is correct: A financial emergency is an abstract situation that happens or occurs. We use the intransitive verb “arises” (singular present simple).
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “raises” is a common mistake. (c) “rises” is a meaning trap (emergencies don’t physically move up). (d) “are arise” is a structural error.
5 (c) risen
- Why it is correct: The price naturally increases (intransitive). Following the auxiliary verb “has”, the V3 form “risen” is required.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “raised” is a common mistake. (b) “arisen” is a meaning trap. (d) “rose” is a structural error (using V2 instead of V3).
6 (b) raised
- Why it is correct: The landlords (active agents) increased the rent (direct object). This requires the transitive verb “raise” in its V3 form after “have”.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “risen” is a common mistake (rent can rise on its own, but here the landlords actively changed it). (c) “arisen” is a meaning trap. (d) “rose” is a structural error.
7 (a) raise
- Why it is correct: “Raise awareness” is a fixed transitive collocation meaning to actively increase one’s knowledge about a specific topic.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “rise” is a common mistake. (c) “arise” is a meaning trap. (d) “to raising” is a structural error.
8 (d) arise
- Why it is correct: Interest charges (as a problem or a burden) come into existence or occur. We use the intransitive “arise”.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “raise” is a common mistake. (b) “rise” is a meaning trap. (c) “arising” is a structural error.
9 (c) rising
- Why it is correct: The present participle “rising” acts as an adjective here (“the rising cost”), indicating the cost is actively and continuously going up on its own.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “raising” is a common mistake. (b) “arising” is a meaning trap. (d) “rised” is a structural error.
10 (a) risen
- Why it is correct: The monthly deficit (a number) increases on its own. We use the intransitive “rise” in the V3 form (“risen”) after “had”.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “raised” is a common mistake. (c) “arisen” is a meaning trap. (d) “rose” is a structural error.
11 (b) arise
- Why it is correct: Medical bills (as unexpected problems/situations) occur or happen. “Arise” is the correct intransitive verb.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “raise” is a common mistake. (c) “rise” is a meaning trap. (d) “will arise” is a structural error (First Conditional ‘If’ clauses use present simple).
12 (a) raise
- Why it is correct: “To raise children” is a transitive phrase meaning to nurture or bring them up. “Their children” is the direct object.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “rise” is a common mistake. (c) “arise” is a meaning trap. (d) “raising” is a structural error.
13 (c) rose
- Why it is correct: Global oil prices increased numerically on their own. We use the past tense of the intransitive verb “rise” (rose).
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “raised” is a common mistake. (b) “arose” is a meaning trap. (d) “rised” is a structural error.
14 (d) raise
- Why it is correct: “Raise a point” is a common transitive collocation. The speaker actively brings the point (the object) to the table.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “rise” is a common mistake. (b) “arise” is a meaning trap. (c) “raised” is a structural error.
15 (a) raised
- Why it is correct: The panic (subject) actively provoked or caused doubts (“raised doubts” – direct object).
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “risen” is a common mistake. (c) “arisen” is a meaning trap (doubts can “arise” naturally, but here an active agent caused them). (d) “rose” is a structural error.
16 (b) arise
- Why it is correct: Unemployment (as an abstract societal issue) happens or results from the recession (“arise from”). This is an inverted conditional requiring the base verb.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “raise” is a common mistake. (c) “rise” is a meaning trap. (d) “to arise” is a structural error.
17 (b) raised
- Why it is correct: The central bank (active agent) increased the interest rates (direct object). This requires the transitive verb “raise” in the past tense.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “rose” is a common mistake. (c) “arose” is a meaning trap. (d) “has raise” is a structural error.
18 (c) arose
- Why it is correct: A sense of insecurity is an abstract psychological state that happens or comes into existence. We use the past tense “arose”.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “raised” is a common mistake. (b) “rose” is a meaning trap. (d) “was arisen” is a structural error (intransitive verbs cannot be passive).
19 (a) rising
- Why it is correct: Debt (a numerical amount) increases on its own. We use the present continuous form of the intransitive verb “rise” (“is rising”).
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “raising” is a common mistake. (c) “arising” is a meaning trap. (d) “is rise” is a structural error.
20 (c) arise
- Why it is correct: Unforeseen complications are abstract problems that happen. We use the intransitive “arise” after the phrase “bound to”.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “raise” is a common mistake. (b) “rise” is a meaning trap. (d) “arising” is a structural error.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
To master financial planning vocabulary, remember the Object Rule, the Meaning Rule, and how to use the V-ing Adjective:
1 RISING (Adjective) & RISE (Verb): NATURAL ESCALATION
- Rule: INTRANSITIVE (Never takes an object).
- Meaning: Used when numbers, costs, or inflation escalate on their own. In financial English, we frequently use “Rising” as an adjective to describe the self-escalating nature of the economy.
- Collocations: Rising costs, Rising prices, Inflation rises, Deficits rise.
- Example: We must prepare for the reality of rising living costs.
2 RAISE (Raise – Raised – Raised): TAKING CONTROL
- Rule: TRANSITIVE (Always takes a direct object).
- Meaning: Used when a person or institution actively increases a number, collects money, or brings a topic up for discussion.
- Collocations: Raise interest rates, Raise money/a fund, Raise awareness, Raise rent.
- Example: The bank raised the interest rates.
3 ARISE (Arise – Arose – Arisen): INVISIBLE THREATS
- Rule: INTRANSITIVE (Never takes an object).
- Meaning: Used for abstract problems, emergencies, or complications that happen or emerge naturally, often acting as invisible threats to your budget.
- Collocations: Emergencies arise, Debts arise, Complications arise from poor planning.
- Example: If a financial emergency arises, use your savings.