Communication and Ideas Phrasal Verb Forms

Study the questions and tasks

Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.

Practice level

B1. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.

Question formats

Single choice

How to approach this practice

Read the complete sentence and notice the subject, verb form, time reference and word order before answering.

1. Question 1 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Yesterday at lunch, Nadia ___ the travel plans.

   1. bring up
   2. brought up
   3. bringing up
   4. brings up
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   brought up

   Brought up is the past simple form of bring up, and yesterday places the action in the past.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   The guide usually ___ a quiet path beside the river.

   1. point out
   2. points out
   3. pointing out
   4. pointed out
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   points out

   Points out takes -s because the guide is a third-person singular subject in the present simple.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   When did you ___ that the library opens at eight?

   1. find out
   2. found out
   3. finding out
   4. finds out
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   find out

   After did, use the base form find out, not found out.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   We were ___ the answer when the teacher came in.

   1. work out
   2. working out
   3. worked out
   4. works out
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   working out

   Were working out uses be plus the -ing form for an action in progress in the past.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   I need to ___ how to fix the printer.

   1. figure out
   2. figuring out
   3. figured out
   4. figures out
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   figure out

   Need to is followed by the base form figure out.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Let’s ___ the options before we decide.

   1. talk over
   2. talking over
   3. talked over
   4. talks over
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   talk over

   Let’s is followed by the base form, so talk over is correct.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Could you ___ because the room is noisy?

   1. speak up
   2. speaks up
   3. spoke up
   4. speaking up
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   speak up

   Could is followed by the base form speak up in this polite request.

8. Question 8 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   ___ the address before you leave.

   1. write down
   2. writes down
   3. writing down
   4. wrote down
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   write down

   Imperatives use the base form write down at the beginning of an instruction.

9. Question 9 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Have you ___ your email address on the form?

   1. fill in
   2. filled in
   3. filling in
   4. fills in
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   filled in

   Have is followed by the past participle filled in in the present perfect.

10. Question 10 · Single choice

    Choose one answer.

    Do not ___ the final step in the instructions.

    1. leave out
    2. left out
    3. leaving out
    4. leaves out
    Check answers and explanations

    Answer

    leave out

    Do not is followed by the base form leave out in a negative imperative.

What to review next

After checking an answer, explain the rule in your own words and write a new sentence using the same pattern. Revisit any rules you could not explain.

A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.