Phrasal Verbs – English Grammar Exercises for B1
You are texting in your class group chat to finalize the departure time and express your excitement about tomorrow’s trip. Choose the correct phrasal verb (A, B, C, or D) to complete your messages naturally.
1 Hey everyone! Just a reminder that we plan to ______ exactly at 7:00 AM tomorrow, so don’t be late!
(A) start out to
(B) set out of
(C) set off
(D) take off
2 Make sure you ______ all your bags tonight so you are completely ready for tomorrow.
(A) pack up them
(B) close up
(C) package out
(D) pack up
3 Let’s ______ at the main school gate at 6:30 AM to load the luggage onto the bus.
(A) gather up
(B) meet up
(C) see out
(D) meet up to
4 I am so excited to finally ______ from the busy city for a few days!
(A) get away
(B) escape out
(C) get away from
(D) run away
5 Remember to ______ your alarm clocks tonight so nobody oversleeps!
(A) turn on
(B) put up
(C) set up them
(D) set up
6 If you live near the station, the driver agreed to ______ on the way.
(A) pick you up
(B) bring you up
(C) take you up
(D) pick up you
7 I am really ______ the beach party we planned for tomorrow night!
(A) looking ahead to
(B) looking forward to
(C) looking forward
(D) waiting forward to
8 If you oversleep and miss the bus, you will ______ the whole trip.
(A) lose out of
(B) drop out of
(C) miss out on
(D) miss out
9 Please text the group if you are delayed, so you don’t ______ everyone else.
(A) hold up
(B) delay up
(C) hold out
(D) keep up
10 I am definitely ______ a million photos with you guys!
(A) looking forward taking
(B) looking forward to taking
(C) expecting up to take
(D) looking forward to take
11 We will stop at a rest area at 9 AM so we can ______ the bus for a quick snack.
(A) get out of
(B) get off
(C) step out from
(D) go down
12 If anyone forgets their ID card, we cannot ______ to get it.
(A) go backwards
(B) turn behind
(C) return back
(D) turn back
13 I was worried about the rain, but the weather forecast says it will ______ fine.
(A) turn out
(B) result out
(C) come out
(D) turn out that
14 I need to ______ some sleep on the bus because I stayed up late packing.
(A) catch up with
(B) catch up on
(C) take up on
(D) catch up
15 We have a tight schedule, so please ensure you ______ on time tomorrow morning.
(A) show up to
(B) show up
(C) present up
(D) turn in
16 After we arrive at the hotel, we will ______ our heavy luggage before heading to the beach.
(A) drop it off
(B) leave off
(C) drop off
(D) let down
17 The teacher has ______ a really fun schedule for our first evening.
(A) drawn up
(B) put together
(C) set up with
(D) made together
18 I hope my old suitcase doesn’t ______ during the trip!
(A) fall apart
(B) fall down
(C) break down
(D) break apart
19 If you haven’t bought your snacks yet, you should ______ right now.
(A) clear it off
(B) figure it
(C) sort out it
(D) sort it out
20 I can’t wait to ______ all the amazing local food when we get there!
(A) test out
(B) try out it
(C) try on
(D) try out
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (C) set off
Why it is correct: “Set off” is the most natural phrasal verb meaning to begin a journey.
Distractor Analysis: – (A) start out to (Common Mistake: mixing “start” and “set out”). – (B) set out of (Structural Error: adding an unnecessary preposition). – (D) take off (Strong Distractor/Meaning Trap: usually used for airplanes leaving the ground or leaving a place very quickly).
2 (D) pack up
Why it is correct: “Pack up” means to put your things into bags/suitcases because you are leaving.
Distractor Analysis: – (A) pack up them (Structural Error: wrong pronoun placement). – (B) close up (Strong Distractor/Meaning Trap: means to close a shop at the end of the day). – (C) package out (Common Mistake: literal/fake translation).
3 (B) meet up
Why it is correct: “Meet up” means to meet someone in order to do something together.
Distractor Analysis: – (A) gather up (Strong Distractor/Meaning Trap: means to collect scattered things, not people meeting casually). – (C) see out (Common Mistake: means to walk someone to the door when they leave). – (D) meet up to (Structural Error: unnecessary preposition).
4 (A) get away
Why it is correct: “Get away” means to go somewhere to have a holiday and escape daily stress.
Distractor Analysis: – (B) escape out (Common Mistake: redundancy). – (C) get away from (Structural Error: “get away from” requires an object right after it, but the sentence continues with “from the busy city”, so using it would create a double “from”). – (D) run away (Strong Distractor/Meaning Trap: means to flee secretly from home or danger).
5 (D) set up
Why it is correct: “Set up” is used for programming a device, like an alarm or a system.
Distractor Analysis: – (A) turn on (Strong Distractor/Meaning Trap: you turn on a phone, but you “set” an alarm). – (B) put up (Common Mistake: means to build or tolerate). – (C) set up them (Structural Error: wrong pronoun placement).
6 (A) pick you up
Why it is correct: “Pick up” means to collect someone in a vehicle. The pronoun “you” MUST go in the middle.
Distractor Analysis: – (B) bring you up (Strong Distractor/Meaning Trap: means to raise a child or mention a topic). – (C) take you up (Common Mistake: literal translation error). – (D) pick up you (Structural Error: incorrect pronoun placement).
7 (B) looking forward to
Why it is correct: “Look forward to” is the standard 3-part phrasal verb meaning to feel excited about a future event.
Distractor Analysis: – (A) looking ahead to (Strong Distractor/Meaning Trap: means to think about and plan for the future, but lacks the excitement of “look forward to”). – (C) waiting forward to (Common Mistake: mistranslating the feeling of “waiting excitedly”). – (D) looking forward (Structural Error: missing the required preposition “to”).
8 (C) miss out on
Why it is correct: “Miss out on” means to lose an opportunity to do or have something fun.
Distractor Analysis: – (A) lose out of (Structural Error: invalid combination). – (B) drop out of (Strong Distractor/Meaning Trap: means to quit a school or competition). – (D) miss out (Common Mistake: missing the preposition “on” to connect to the object “the whole trip”).
9 (A) hold up
Why it is correct: “Hold up” means to delay someone or something.
Distractor Analysis: – (B) delay up (Structural Error: “delay” is a regular verb that does not take “up”). – (C) hold out (Common Mistake: means to survive or wait for something better). – (D) keep up (Strong Distractor/Meaning Trap: means to maintain speed/pace).
10 (B) looking forward to taking
Why it is correct: “Look forward to” MUST be followed by an -ing verb (gerund) or a noun.
Distractor Analysis: – (A) looking forward taking (Structural Error: missing the preposition “to”). – (C) expecting up to take (Strong Distractor/Meaning Trap: fake phrasal verb). – (D) looking forward to take (Common Mistake: using the base verb “take” instead of the gerund “taking”).
11 (B) get off
Why it is correct: “Get off” is the correct phrasal verb for exiting large public transport like a bus, train, or plane.
Distractor Analysis: – (A) get out of (Strong Distractor/Meaning Trap: used for exiting a car or taxi, not a bus). – (C) step out from (Structural Error: invalid combination). – (D) go down (Common Mistake: literal translation).
12 (D) turn back
Why it is correct: “Turn back” means to return the way you came.
Distractor Analysis: – (A) go backwards (Strong Distractor/Meaning Trap: means to drive the vehicle in reverse gear). – (B) turn behind (Structural Error: invalid phrasal verb). – (C) return back (Common Mistake: redundancy/tautology).
13 (A) turn out
Why it is correct: “Turn out” means to happen in a particular way or to have a particular result.
Distractor Analysis: – (B) result out (Common Mistake: mixing “result in” and “turn out”). – (C) come out (Strong Distractor/Meaning Trap: means to be published or revealed). – (D) turn out that (Structural Error: “that” introduces a clause, but here it is followed by the adjective “fine”).
14 (B) catch up on
Why it is correct: “Catch up on” means to do something you haven’t had time to do recently (like sleeping or reading emails).
Distractor Analysis: – (A) catch up with (Strong Distractor/Meaning Trap: used for meeting a person to hear their news). – (C) take up on (Common Mistake: fake phrase). – (D) catch up (Structural Error: missing “on” to connect to the object “some sleep”).
15 (B) show up
Why it is correct: “Show up” means to arrive at a place where people are expecting you.
Distractor Analysis: – (A) show up to (Structural Error: unnecessary preposition). – (C) present up (Common Mistake: literal translation of being present). – (D) turn in (Strong Distractor/Meaning Trap: means to go to bed or submit an assignment).
16 (C) drop off
Why it is correct: “Drop off” means to leave someone or something at a destination.
Distractor Analysis: – (A) drop it off (Structural Error: the object “our heavy luggage” is already in the sentence; “it” makes it redundant). – (B) leave off (Common Mistake: means to stop doing something). – (D) let down (Strong Distractor/Meaning Trap: means to disappoint someone).
17 (B) put together
Why it is correct: “Put together” means to assemble or organize a plan, list, or schedule.
Distractor Analysis: – (A) drawn up (Strong Distractor/Meaning Trap: used for formal legal documents or contracts, not a fun trip schedule). – (C) set up with (Structural Error: invalid combination). – (D) made together (Common Mistake: literal translation).
18 (A) fall apart
Why it is correct: “Fall apart” means to break into pieces because of being old or badly made.
Distractor Analysis: – (B) fall down (Structural Error: means a person tripping and falling to the ground). – (C) break apart (Common Mistake: literal translation). – (D) break down (Strong Distractor/Meaning Trap: used for vehicles or machines with engines, not a suitcase).
19 (D) sort it out
Why it is correct: “Sort out” means to resolve a problem or organize something. The pronoun “it” MUST go in the middle.
Distractor Analysis: – (A) clear it off (Strong Distractor/Meaning Trap: means to remove things from a surface). – (B) figure it (Common Mistake: missing the particle “out”). – (C) sort out it (Structural Error: wrong pronoun placement).
20 (D) try out
Why it is correct: “Try out” means to test something (like food, an activity, or equipment) to see if you like it.
Distractor Analysis: – (A) test out (Strong Distractor/Meaning Trap: usually used for machines, apps, or scientific theories, not local food). – (B) try out it (Structural Error: redundant pronoun). – (C) try on (Common Mistake: used specifically for putting on clothes to see if they fit).
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
- Travel Phrasal Verbs: To sound natural when planning a trip, use set off (instead of start the journey), get away (to go on a relaxing trip), drop off (to leave luggage/people at a place), and show up (to arrive at the meeting point).
- Look forward to + V-ing: This is one of the most frequently tested structures in B1/B2 exams. The “to” here is a preposition, not an infinitive marker. Therefore, it must be followed by a noun or a gerund (-ing verb).
- Correct: I am looking forward to taking photos.
- Incorrect: I am looking forward to take photos.
- The Pronoun Rule: For separable verbs like pick up or sort out, if the object is a pronoun (me, you, him, her, it, us, them), it MUST be placed directly between the verb and the particle.
- Correct: Pick you up. / Sort it out.
- Incorrect: Pick up you. / Sort out it.
- Get off vs. Get out of: Remember your vehicle types!
- Use get off / get on for public transport where you can stand up and walk (buses, trains, planes, ships).
- Use get out of / get in for small private vehicles where you must sit down (cars, taxis).