Phrasal Verbs – English Grammar Exercises for B1
You are writing a food blog post about a famous local restaurant that is incredibly popular but is unfortunately closing down soon. Choose the correct phrasal verb (A, B, C, or D) to complete your review naturally.
1 My friends and I usually cook at home, but last night we decided to ______ to celebrate the weekend.
(A) eat outside
(B) eat out
(C) dine out of
(D) eat off
2 I have been reading so many great reviews about “The Rustic Oven”, so I finally decided to ______.
(A) try out it
(B) test out
(C) try it out
(D) try on it
3 You have to arrive very early because they always ______ their famous truffle pasta by 7 PM.
(A) sell out of
(B) sell out
(C) trade out
(D) sell out it
4 It breaks my heart to announce that this amazing restaurant is going to ______ permanently next month.
(A) shut down
(B) close off
(C) shut down it
(D) close out
5 When we arrived at 6 PM, there were already fifty people ______ outside the door!
(A) lining up
(B) standing up
(C) queuing out
(D) waiting up to
6 We didn’t have a reservation, so we just ______ and hoped they had an empty table.
(A) showed out
(B) turned up
(C) appeared up
(D) walked into
7 The friendly waitress told us to ______ at a small wooden table near the window.
(A) seat down
(B) rest down
(C) sit down
(D) sit out
8 The kitchen is totally visible, so you can watch the talented chef ______ amazing Italian dishes.
(A) whip up
(B) cook up them
(C) make up
(D) whip up it
9 I was so hungry, so I was thrilled when the waiter ______ huge portions of lasagna.
(A) gave out of
(B) dished out
(C) served out them
(D) handed in
10 Many cheap restaurants just ______ frozen food in a microwave, but everything here is completely fresh.
(A) heat up
(B) warm up it
(C) make warm
(D) hot up
11 The owner explained that rent is too high, so they had to ______ their kitchen staff to save money.
(A) cut down
(B) cut away
(C) reduce down
(D) cut down on
12 They even completely ______ meat from the menu to focus entirely on vegan options.
(A) cut away
(B) cut off
(C) cut out
(D) dropped out of
13 The service was a bit slow, but we gladly ______ the delay because the atmosphere was so cozy.
(A) stood up to
(B) put up with
(C) tolerated with
(D) kept up with
14 The spicy tomato sauce was so incredibly delicious that I completely ______ the whole bowl in minutes!
(A) finished off
(B) ended up
(C) completed out
(D) ate out
15 Unfortunately, the dirty restrooms really ______ and ruined the romantic vibe a little bit.
(A) put off me
(B) pushed me away
(C) put me off
(D) turned me off from
16 I had heard this place was the best in town, and I must say, the food really ______ my high expectations.
(A) lived up to
(B) reached up to
(C) caught up with
(D) matched up with
17 One customer started shouting about the wait time, but the manager quickly ______ for being rude.
(A) told off him
(B) told him off
(C) spoke him off
(D) shouted him out
18 Since the restaurant is closing forever, you should definitely ______ for a meal before it’s too late.
(A) jump in
(B) step in to
(C) pop in
(D) enter in
19 I ordered a slice of cheesecake to take home, and the waiter kindly ______ in a beautiful box.
(A) wrapped it up
(B) wrapped up it
(C) packed it out
(D) covered it up
20 If you don’t have time to eat inside, you can always call them to ______ a takeaway order on your way home.
(A) bring up
(B) pick up
(C) take away it
(D) pick up it
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) eat out
Why it is correct: “Eat out” means to eat a meal at a restaurant instead of at home.
Distractor Analysis: – (A) eat outside (Common Mistake: literal translation; this means eating outdoors/in the garden). – (C) dine out of (Structural Error: adding an unnecessary preposition). – (D) eat off (Meaning Trap: “eat off a plate” means using the plate as a surface, not dining at a restaurant).
2 (C) try it out
Why it is correct: “Try out” means to test something to see if you like it. The pronoun “it” (the restaurant) MUST go in the middle.
Distractor Analysis: – (A) try out it (Structural Error: incorrect pronoun placement). – (B) test out (Meaning Trap: used for machines, science, or apps, not restaurants). – (D) try on it (Common Mistake: “try on” is specifically for trying clothes to see if they fit).
3 (A) sell out of
Why it is correct: When “sell out” is followed by the specific item that is gone, you must use the preposition “of”.
Distractor Analysis: – (B) sell out (Structural Error: missing “of” to connect to the object “truffle pasta”). – (C) trade out (Meaning Trap: means to exchange items). – (D) sell out it (Structural Error: invalid grammar).
4 (A) shut down
Why it is correct: “Shut down” (or close down) means to stop operating a business permanently.
Distractor Analysis: – (B) close off (Meaning Trap: means to block access to a street or area). – (C) shut down it (Structural Error: “shut down” is intransitive here, no object is needed). – (D) close out (Common Mistake: means to finalize a sale or log out of a system).
5 (A) lining up
Why it is correct: “Line up” (or queue up) means to stand in a line waiting for something.
Distractor Analysis: – (B) standing up (Common Mistake: just means being on your feet, lacking the “waiting in a row” context). – (C) queuing out (Structural Error: “queue” takes “up”, not “out”). – (D) waiting up to (Meaning Trap: “wait up” means staying awake late for someone to come home).
6 (B) turned up
Why it is correct: “Turn up” means to arrive at a place, often unexpectedly or without planning.
Distractor Analysis: – (A) showed out (Common Mistake: “show out” means to escort someone to the door; you need “show up”). – (C) appeared up (Structural Error: fake phrasal verb). – (D) walked into (Meaning Trap: lacks the nuance of arriving without a reservation).
7 (C) sit down
Why it is correct: “Sit down” is the natural phrasal verb to describe taking a seat at a table.
Distractor Analysis: – (A) seat down (Common Mistake: “seat” is a noun or used as “seat yourself”). – (B) rest down (Structural Error: invalid combination). – (D) sit out (Meaning Trap: means to choose not to participate in an activity).
8 (A) whip up
Why it is correct: “Whip up” means to quickly make or prepare a meal.
Distractor Analysis: – (B) cook up them (Structural Error: incorrect pronoun placement). – (C) make up (Meaning Trap: means to invent a story or apologize). – (D) whip up it (Structural Error: incorrect pronoun placement).
9 (B) dished out
Why it is correct: “Dish out” means to serve or distribute food to people.
Distractor Analysis: – (A) gave out of (Structural Error: invalid preposition combination). – (C) served out them (Structural Error: incorrect pronoun placement). – (D) handed in (Meaning Trap: means to submit homework or a report to a boss).
10 (A) heat up
Why it is correct: “Heat up” (or warm up) means to make cold food hot again.
Distractor Analysis: – (B) warm up it (Structural Error: incorrect pronoun placement). – (C) make warm (Common Mistake: unnatural translation). – (D) hot up (Meaning Trap: used in British English for situations becoming intense or dangerous, not food).
11 (D) cut down on
Why it is correct: “Cut down on” is a 3-part phrasal verb meaning to reduce the amount or number of something (here, the staff).
Distractor Analysis: – (A) cut down (Structural Error: missing “on”). – (B) cut away (Common Mistake: literal physical cutting). – (C) reduce down (Meaning Trap: redundancy).
12 (C) cut out
Why it is correct: “Cut out” means to completely remove or stop consuming something.
Distractor Analysis: – (A) cut away (Common Mistake: literal cutting with a knife). – (B) cut off (Meaning Trap: used for stopping a supply, like electricity, or interrupting someone speaking). – (D) dropped out of (Structural Error: means to quit school/university).
13 (B) put up with
Why it is correct: “Put up with” is an inseparable 3-part phrasal verb meaning to tolerate a difficult or annoying situation.
Distractor Analysis: – (A) stood up to (Meaning Trap: means to bravely confront a bully). – (C) tolerated with (Structural Error: “tolerate” is a regular verb and does not use “with”). – (D) kept up with (Common Mistake: means to move at the same speed as someone).
14 (A) finished off
Why it is correct: “Finish off” means to completely eat or consume the last part of something.
Distractor Analysis: – (B) ended up (Structural Error: must be followed by an -ing verb or prepositional phrase). – (C) completed out (Common Mistake: fake phrasal verb). – (D) ate out (Meaning Trap: means dining at a restaurant, not consuming a specific bowl of food).
15 (C) put me off
Why it is correct: “Put off” means to make someone dislike something or lose their appetite. The pronoun “me” MUST go in the middle.
Distractor Analysis: – (A) put off me (Structural Error: incorrect pronoun placement). – (B) pushed me away (Common Mistake: implies physical pushing or emotional distancing in relationships). – (D) turned me off from (Structural Error: too wordy and unnatural in this exact sentence structure).
16 (A) lived up to
Why it is correct: “Live up to” means to be as good as expected or promised.
Distractor Analysis: – (B) reached up to (Common Mistake: physical reaching). – (C) caught up with (Meaning Trap: means to meet someone to hear their news). – (D) matched up with (Structural Error: unnatural collocation for “expectations”).
17 (B) told him off
Why it is correct: “Tell off” means to speak angrily to someone because they did something wrong. The pronoun “him” must separate the verb and particle.
Distractor Analysis: – (A) told off him (Structural Error: incorrect pronoun placement). – (C) spoke him off (Common Mistake: confusing “speak to” and “tell off”). – (D) shouted him out (Meaning Trap: “shout out” is modern slang for publicly praising someone).
18 (C) pop in
Why it is correct: “Pop in” means to visit a place briefly, often casually or without a strict plan.
Distractor Analysis: – (A) jump in (Meaning Trap: means to suddenly enter a conversation or a swimming pool). – (B) step in to (Structural Error: means to intervene in a conflict). – (D) enter in (Common Mistake: redundancy; “enter” does not need “in”).
19 (A) wrapped it up
Why it is correct: “Wrap up” means to cover or enclose food/gifts in paper or a box. The pronoun “it” MUST go in the middle.
Distractor Analysis: – (B) wrapped up it (Structural Error: incorrect pronoun placement). – (C) packed it out (Common Mistake: fake phrase). – (D) covered it up (Meaning Trap: means to hide a secret or a crime).
20 (B) pick up
Why it is correct: “Pick up” means to collect something (like food or a person).
Distractor Analysis: – (A) bring up (Meaning Trap: means to raise a topic or a child). – (C) take away it (Structural Error: incorrect pronoun placement). – (D) pick up it (Structural Error: incorrect pronoun placement).
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
- Food Blogger Vocabulary: To sound like an authentic food reviewer, upgrade your vocabulary with phrasal verbs!
- Instead of saying “cook quickly,” use whip up.
- Instead of “serve food,” use dish out (especially for generous portions).
- Dining at a restaurant is to eat out, while getting food to eat at home is to pick up an order or get a takeaway.
- When a restaurant has no more of a popular dish left, they sell out of it.
- When a business goes bankrupt or closes permanently, it shuts down or closes down.
- Appetite & Expectations: * If a meal is just as fantastic as the rumors said it would be, it lives up to your expectations.
- If a restaurant is dirty, smells bad, or has terrible service that makes you lose your appetite, it puts you off.
- The Pronoun Rule: This is one of the most frequently tested grammar rules at the B1/B2 level. For separable phrasal verbs like try out, put off, wrap up, and tell off: if the object is a pronoun (it, me, you, him, her, them), it MUST be placed directly between the verb and the particle.
- Correct: Try it out. / Put me off. / Wrap it up.
- Incorrect: Try out it. / Put off me. / Wrap up it.