How many of the following sentences use the phrasal verbs correctly?I.The researchers carried out the experiment as planned.II.The journal turned down the paper due to methodological flaws.III.The student came across a rare primary source in the archives.IV.The professor called off the lecture owing to illness.

Idioms and Phrases — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Idioms and Phrases, a key topic in the English Language section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

An idiom is a group of words whose meaning differs from the meanings of the individual words. For example, "to beat around the bush" means to avoid the main point, not literally to hit a bush. Phrases and phrasal verbs, such as "put up with" (tolerate) and "call off" (cancel), work the same way. Exam questions ask you to choose the correct meaning of an idiom or phrase, often within a sentence. Unlike most English topics, idioms can't be worked out from grammar rules. You have to know them. The most efficient approach is to learn commonly tested idioms in groups, such as idioms about money, time or effort, and to read them in example sentences. When you're unsure, the sentence context often rules out options that don't fit the situation. Practise the idioms and phrases questions below. Each solution gives the meaning and an example sentence.