phrasal verbs and idioms quiz fce

QUIZNew Year’s Resolution Edition

Category 1

10

20

30

40

50

Category 2

10

20

30

40

50

Category 3

10

20

30

40

50

CATEGORY 1 – PHRASAL VERBSGUESS THE CORRECT PHRASAL VERB

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This year I have decided to give _____ smoking.

10CATEGORY 1GUESS THE CORRECT PHRASAL VERB

a) intob)upc) over

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10

This year I have decided to GIVE UP smoking.

a) intob)up c) over

‘Give up something’ / ‘give up verb+-ing’: ABANDON

- Never give up hope!- I gave up trying to convince you.

CATEGORY 1GUESS THE CORRECT PHRASAL VERB

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20

In 2017 I want to _____ ice hockey.

a) take upb)get overc) break into


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20

In 2017 I want to TAKE UP ice hockey.

a) take upb)get overc) break into

‘take up something’ / ‘take up verb+-ing’: TO START DOING SOMETHING NEW

- The new surgeon will take up his new post in May.- I has taken up jogging because I want to be a sexy beast.


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30

The most important thing to do in 2017 is to ________ the monthly bills.

a) make upb)keep up withc) get through


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30

The most important thing to do in 2017 is to KEEP UP WITH the monthly bills.

a) make upb)keep up withc) get through

‘keep up’ or ‘keep up with something’:TO CONTINUE TO DO SOMETHING OR TO STAY AT THE SAME LEVEL/PROGRESS/SPEED

- Hey, you’re doing great this term! Keep it up!- You’re going too fast! I can’t keep up with you!


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My resolution is to show _____ on time more often.

a) upb)inc) out

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My resolution is to SHOW UP on time more often.

a) upb)inc) out

‘show up’:TO APPEAR / MAKE VISIBLE- I had a date with a guy I met on Tinder but he didn’t show up, so I went home and ate a whole ice cream tub.- The writing didn’t show up very well on yellow paper.

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His coach told him to ________ junk food if he wants to play in the games this year.

a) put downb)cut down onc) get through

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His coach told him to CUT DOWN ON junk food if he wants to play in the games this year.

a) put down [=CRITICIZE]b)cut down onc) get through

‘cut down ’ or ‘cut down ON’:TO REDUCE or START DOING LESS- The doctor advised him to cut down his working hours.- I’m trying to cut down on chocolate because I’m on a diet

CATEGORY 2 - IDIOMSCOMPLETE THE SENTENCE WITH THE CORRECT IDIOM

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You should finish a relationship that ____________.


a) not the end of the world.b)isn’t going anywhere.c) Rome wasn’t built in a day.

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10Category 2

You should finish a relationship that ISN’T GOING ANYWHERE.

a) not the end of the world.b)isn’t going anywherec) Rome wasn’t built in a day.

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20

When you really want to do something, you should…

a) get the ball rollingb)put your heart and soul intoc) not to bite off more than you can chew

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20Category 2

When you really want to do something, you should…

a) get the ball Rolling [=start]b)put your heart and soul intoc) not to bite off more than you can chew

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30Category 2

New Year is a time when we often feel that we should __________ the past and make a fresh start.

a) all or nothingb)take a stock ofc) draw a line under

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30Category 2

New Year is a time when we often feel that we should draw a line under the past and make a fresh start.

a) all or nothingb) take a stock of [=think about what is good or bad about it]c) draw a line under [= finish with it and forget about it]

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40Category 2

Okay, let’s be honest: if you’re ___________, you aren’t likely to go running five times a week.

a) a pain in the neckb)the apple of my eyec) couch potato

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40Category 2

Okay, let’s be honest: if you’re a couch potato, you aren’t likely to go running five times a week.

a) a pain in the neck [= in the ass (heeey, don’t be rude!)]

b)the apple of my eye [=my love]c) a couch potato [=lazy]

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50Category 2

If you’ve decided to do something difficult, you…

a) bite the bulletb)stay the coursec) put your money where your mouth is

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50Category 2

If you’ve decided to do something difficult, you…

a) bite the bulletb)stay the course [=not give up]c) put your money where your mouth is [=pay

money to show you are serious about something]

CATEGORY 3 – PART II EXAMFILL IN THE GAP

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10Category 3

What I like to drink most is wine _____ belongs to others.

Diogenes

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10Category 3

What I like to drink most is wine that belongs to others.

Diogenes

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20Category 3

I never worry about being driven ______ drink; I just worry about being driven home.

W. C. Fields

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20Category 3

I never worry about being driven to drink; I just worry about being driven home.

W. C. Fields

‘To be driven to do something’ means that something causes you to do something. For example, someone can be “driven to insanity” by a loud neighbor: the neighbor causes the person to become “insane.”

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30Category 3

Celebrate what you see more ____.Tom Peters

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30Category 3

Celebrate what you see more of.Tom Peters

‘To see more of something’ is a common expression, but do you see how this construction is switched in the quote so that the word “of” is at the end of the sentence?

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40Category 3

New Year’s Resolution: To tolerate fools more gladly, provided this does not encourage them to take _____ more of my time.

James Agate

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40Category 3

New Year’s Resolution: To tolerate fools more gladly, provided this does not encourage them to take up more of my time.

James AgateThis quote uses the phrasal verb “to take up,” which has MANY definitions. In this case, the definition that is being used is “to use.”- Studying for exams takes up most of my free hours.

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50Category 3

Year’s end is neither an end _____ a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.

Hal Borland

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50Category 3

The word “nor” is not incredibly common in spoken English, but it is used fairly often in written and formal English. Here, it is used as part of the construction “neither . . . nor.” - I like neither chocolate nor vanilla

Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.

Hal Borland

EXTRA: (PHRASAL VERBS)http://a4esl.org/q/h/0101/gp-newyears.html

phrasal verbs and idioms quiz fce

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