CHECK YOUR
ENGLISH VOCABULARY FOR PHRASAL VERBS AND IDIOMS
INFORMAL PHRASAL
VERBS
The phrasal verbs in this exercise have all been
taken from British television and radio programmes (news reports, soap operas,
quizzes, films, chat shows, etc) over a 3-month period. They are all very
informal, and many of them are relatively recent additions to our common
vocabulary.
Look at sentence (a) in each pair, then decide if
sentence (b) provides a correct explanation of the phrasal verb in bold. Write 'Yes' if you
think it does, and 'No' if you think it doesn't.
1
|
(a) The Prime Minister has told his
government to stop faffing
about.
(b) The Prime Minister has told his government
to stop wasting time doing unnecessary and unimportant things.
|
2
|
(a) I had to stump up almost £2000 for repairs to my
car.
(b) I had to borrow almost £2000 for
repairs to my car.
|
3
|
(a) All this talk about the war is
really hacking me
off.
(b) All this talk about the war is getting
me excited.
|
4
|
(a) I don't want to go out with a man
who bottles out at the first sign of
trouble.
(b) I don't want to go out with a man
who starts a fight at the first sign of trouble.
|
5
|
(a) When we heard the news, we freaked out.
(b) When we heard the news, we became
so frightened we couldn't control ourselves.
|
6
|
(a) The government has been accused of sexing up the
facts.
(b) The government has been accused of
making the facts too difficult for people to understand.
|
7
|
(a) She breezed through the final exam.
(b) She failed the final exam.
|
8
|
(a) When the minister was asked about
pensions, he clammed up.
(b) When the minister was asked about
pensions, he started telling lies.
|
9
|
(a) I wish my neighbour would stop banging on all
the time.
(b) I wish my neighbour would stop
making changes to his house all the time.
|
10
|
(a) It's time everyone wised up to the
illegal acts the government is committing.
(b) It's time everyone became aware of
the illegal acts the government is committing.
|
11
|
(a) The President has finally lucked out over world
trade.
(b) The President has finally lost an
argument over world trade.
|
12
|
(a) Lorraine never mucks in with any of
us.
(b) Lorraine never goes out to bars,
clubs, etc, with any of us.
|
13
|
(a) If anyone wants to wimp out, now is
the time.
(b) If anyone wants to decide not to do
something because they're too frightened, now is the time.
|
14
|
(a) Ever since he started his new
company, he's been raking
it in.
(b) Ever since he started his new
company, he's been so busy he can't do anything else.
|
15
|
(a) Television bosses deny that
programmes are being dumbed
down.
(b) Television bosses deny that
television programmes are becoming shorter, with longer commercial breaks.
|
16
|
(a) Why do you always suck up to your boss?
(b) Why are you always so rude to your
boss?
|
17
|
(a) You'll be OK in the exam if you mug up before.
(b) You'll be OK in the exam if you
have a drink before you do it.
|
18
|
(a) If you're going to chuck up, go
outside.
(b) If you're going to be in a bad
mood, go outside.
|
19
|
(a) The air-conditioning has conked out again.
(b) The air-conditioning has stopped
working again.
|
20
|
(a) The Council will prosecute parents
whose children bunk off
school.
(b) The Council will prosecute parents
whose children stay away from school without a good reason.
|
21
|
(a) The latest opinion poll suggests
that in the next election, the current government is going to romp in. (b) The latest
opinion poll suggests that in the next election, the current government is
going to lose.
|
22
|
(a) When we asked him if he had taken
the money, he fessed
up.
(b) When we asked him if he had taken
the money, he denied it.
|
23
|
(a) The public are lapping up the latest news about football's most
famous player.
(b) The public are not interested in
the latest news about football's most famous player.
|
24
|
(a) I really wish that Fiona would lighten up a bit.
(b) I really wish that Fiona would be
more serious about things.
|
25
|
(a) We spent all of Sunday vegging out.
(b) We spent all of Sunday relaxing.
|
26
|
(a) By half past eleven, half of us had
zonked out.
(b) By half past eleven, half of us had
gone home.
|
27
|
(a) I'm gagging for a cup of tea.
(b) I really want a cup of tea.
|
28
|
(a) The rail company flogged off half
its stock to overseas companies.
(b) The rail company let overseas
companies maintain its stock to keep it in good working order.
|
29
|
(a) Please don't monkey around in here.
(b) Please don't lose your temper in
here.
|
30
|
(a) If you goof up again, you'll lose your job.
(b) If you make a big mistake again,
you'll lose your job.
|
31
|
(a) Yolanda has been prattling on for almost
an hour without stopping.
(b) Yolanda has been crying for almost
half an hour without stopping.
|
32
|
(a) You shouldn't mouth off to him like
that.
(b) You shouldn't laugh at his ideas
and opinions like that.
|
33
|
(a) I've had enough of you. Shove off!
(b) I've had enough of you. Be quiet!
|
34
|
(a) Don't ask him for advice on buying
a computer: he'll only geek you out.
(b) Don't ask him for advice on buying
a computer: he'll give you basic and useless information.
|
35
|
(a) She never goes out without blinging up first.
(b) She never goes out without phoning
her friends first.
|
ANSWER KEY
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