Rise / Raise / Arise (Confusing Verbs) – English Grammar Exercises for B2
A ruined weekend plan – Apologizing to a best friend for missing their birthday party due to sudden, unavoidable emergencies.
Choose the most appropriate word to complete each sentence. Pay attention to the grammatical context (transitive vs. intransitive) and the meaning of the sentence.
1 I had my outfit ready, but an unexpected problem ______ at work just as I was leaving.
(a) raised
(b) arose
(c) was arisen
(d) rose
2 My manager suddenly ______ my workload at 5:00 PM, demanding immediate attention.
(a) raised
(b) arose
(c) rised
(d) rose
3 I noticed that my stress levels had ______ significantly as the clock ticked past 6 PM.
(a) raised
(b) arose
(c) risen
(d) had rise
4 I am incredibly sorry I missed your birthday, but a critical emergency has ______.
(a) arisen
(b) raised
(c) rose
(d) risen
5 The client ______ a lot of difficult questions that I was forced to answer right away.
(a) arose
(b) rose
(c) raised
(d) raising
6 I wanted to text you, but a new complication ______ concerning our main server.
(a) arose
(b) raised
(c) arised
(d) rose
7 Whenever such unprecedented challenges ______, the whole technical team has to stay late.
(a) arise
(b) raise
(c) are arise
(d) rise
8 The volume of urgent emails suddenly ______ to an unmanageable level within minutes.
(a) raised
(b) arose
(c) rose
(d) was rose
9 I never meant to ______ your hopes by saying I was on my way.
(a) rise
(b) raise
(c) arise
(d) to raising
10 As the moon ______, I was still sitting in my office staring at the computer screen.
(a) raised
(b) arose
(c) rised
(d) rose
11 A massive argument ______ between the developers about how to fix the system crash.
(a) arose
(b) raised
(c) rose
(d) was arisen
12 To quickly solve the database issue, we had to ______ the server capacity temporarily.
(a) rise
(b) arise
(c) raise
(d) raising
13 Severe financial consequences could ______ if we completely ignored the client’s urgent request.
(a) rise
(b) arise
(c) raise
(d) will arise
14 The continuous system alerts were so loud that I had to ______ my voice to talk to my team.
(a) arose
(b) rose
(c) raised
(d) rised
15 The sudden data leak ______ suspicions that our network had been compromised by hackers.
(a) raised
(b) rose
(c) arose
(d) has raise
16 It is unfortunate how many unforeseen difficulties can ______ from one tiny coding error.
(a) raise
(b) arise
(c) rise
(d) to arise
17 By the time we fixed the bug, the temperature in the server room had ______ dangerously.
(a) raised
(b) arisen
(c) risen
(d) rose
18 A feeling of profound guilt ______ within me as I saw your party photos on Instagram.
(a) raised
(b) arose
(c) rose
(d) was arisen
19 I would never intentionally ______ any objections to our weekend plans, you know I wanted to be there!
(a) rise
(b) raise
(c) arise
(d) raised
20 Hopefully, no further last-minute emergencies will ______ next time we plan to meet.
(a) raise
(b) arise
(c) rise
(d) are arisen
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (b) arose
- Why it is correct: “A problem arose” – A problem is an abstract noun; it “happens or occurs,” requiring the intransitive verb “arise” in the past simple tense (arose).
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “raised” is a common mistake (confusing it with the transitive verb, but there is no object here). (d) “rose” is a strong distractor (incorrect meaning; “rose” is for physical upward movement). (c) “was arisen” is a structural error (intransitive verbs cannot be passive).
2 (a) raised
- Why it is correct: The action of increasing the workload takes a direct object (“my workload”), requiring the transitive verb “raise” (past tense: raised).
- Distractor Analysis: (d) “rose” is a common mistake (intransitive verbs cannot take an object). (b) “arose” is a strong distractor (incorrect meaning). (c) “rised” is a structural error (wrong past tense form).
3 (c) risen
- Why it is correct: Stress levels increase on their own (intransitive). After the past perfect auxiliary “had,” the past participle “risen” is required.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “raised” is a common mistake. (b) “arose” is a strong distractor (stress levels “rise,” they don’t “arise” in this context). (d) “had rise” is a structural error.
4 (a) arisen
- Why it is correct: An emergency is an abstract concept that occurs/happens. We use “arise,” and in the present perfect tense (has + V3), it becomes “arisen.”
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “raised” is a common mistake. (d) “risen” is a strong distractor. (c) “rose” is a structural error (V2 used instead of V3).
5 (c) raised
- Why it is correct: “To raise questions” is a fixed collocation that requires a transitive verb because it has a direct object (“a lot of difficult questions”).
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “arose” is a strong distractor (questions don’t happen on their own here; the client actively asked/raised them). (b) “rose” is a common mistake. (d) “raising” is a structural error.
6 (a) arose
- Why it is correct: A “complication” is an abstract situation that happens. This requires the past tense of “arise” (arose).
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “raised” is a common mistake. (d) “rose” is a strong distractor. (c) “arised” is a structural error.
7 (a) arise
- Why it is correct: “Challenges arise” (challenges happen/occur). It is in the present simple plural form due to the word “whenever.”
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “raise” is a common mistake. (d) “rise” is a strong distractor. (c) “are arise” is a structural error.
8 (c) rose
- Why it is correct: The “volume” increases on its own. We use the past simple of the intransitive verb “rise” (rose).
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “raised” is a common mistake. (b) “arose” is a strong distractor (volume doesn’t “occur,” it increases). (d) “was rose” is a structural error.
9 (b) raise
- Why it is correct: “Raise someone’s hopes” is a transitive collocation that takes a direct object (“your hopes”).
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “rise” is a common mistake. (c) “arise” is a strong distractor. (d) “to raising” is a structural error.
10 (d) rose
- Why it is correct: The moon moves upwards physically. We use the past tense of the intransitive verb “rise” (rose).
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “raised” is a common mistake. (b) “arose” is a strong distractor (the moon is physical, not abstract). (c) “rised” is a structural error.
11 (a) arose
- Why it is correct: An “argument” is an abstract event that happens or occurs. We use “arose.”
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “raised” is a common mistake. (c) “rose” is a strong distractor. (d) “was arisen” is a structural error.
12 (c) raise
- Why it is correct: Increasing the server capacity (“the server capacity” is the direct object) requires the transitive verb “raise.”
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “rise” is a common mistake. (b) “arise” is a strong distractor. (d) “raising” is a structural error.
13 (b) arise
- Why it is correct: Consequences are abstract elements that occur or result from an action.
- Distractor Analysis: (c) “raise” is a common mistake. (a) “rise” is a strong distractor. (d) “will arise” is a structural error (must use the base verb after the modal ‘could’).
14 (c) raised
- Why it is correct: Increasing the volume of one’s voice takes an object (“my voice”), requiring the transitive verb “raise.”
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “rose” is a common mistake. (a) “arose” is a strong distractor. (d) “rised” is a structural error.
15 (a) raised
- Why it is correct: The data leak (subject) provoked or caused suspicions (object). We use the transitive verb “raise” (“raised suspicions”).
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “rose” is a common mistake. (c) “arose” is a strong distractor (suspicions could “arise” if there were no subject causing them, but here there is an active subject). (d) “has raise” is a structural error.
16 (b) arise
- Why it is correct: Difficulties are abstract problems that occur or result from (arise from) a tiny error.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “raise” is a common mistake. (c) “rise” is a strong distractor. (d) “to arise” is a structural error.
17 (c) risen
- Why it is correct: Temperature increases on its own (intransitive “rise”). After “had,” the V3 form “risen” is required.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “raised” is a common mistake. (b) “arisen” is a strong distractor. (d) “rose” is a structural error.
18 (b) arose
- Why it is correct: A feeling of guilt is an abstract psychological state that happens or comes into existence.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “raised” is a common mistake. (c) “rose” is a strong distractor. (d) “was arisen” is a structural error.
19 (b) raise
- Why it is correct: Bringing up objections (“objections” is the object) requires the transitive verb “raise.”
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “rise” is a common mistake. (c) “arise” is a strong distractor. (d) “raised” is a structural error (needs the base form after “would”).
20 (b) arise
- Why it is correct: Last-minute emergencies are abstract situations that happen or occur.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “raise” is a common mistake. (c) “rise” is a strong distractor. (d) “are arisen” is a structural error.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
To clearly distinguish these three confusing verbs, you simply need to remember the Object Rule and the Meaning Rule:
1 RISE (Rise – Rose – Risen)
- Rule: INTRANSITIVE (Never takes a direct object).
- Meaning: To move upwards physically, or to increase in amount/level (performed by the subject itself).
- Example: The sun rises. Prices rose.
2 RAISE (Raise – Raised – Raised)
- Rule: TRANSITIVE (Always takes a direct object).
- Meaning: To physically lift something, to increase something, to collect money, or to bring up an issue/topic.
- Example: He raised his voice. They raised the prices.
3 ARISE (Arise – Arose – Arisen)
- Rule: INTRANSITIVE (Never takes a direct object).
- Meaning: An abstract “upward movement” – meaning to happen, to occur, or to result from. Usually associated with nouns like: problems, complications, emergencies, opportunities. It has an objective tone, implying the situation simply happened rather than being intentionally caused.
- Example: An emergency arose. If the opportunity arises, take it.