What the question looks like
Mains papers test phrasal verbs (verb + particle, such as call off, look into, phase out) and idioms (a white elephant, bite the bullet) in three ways: give the meaning of the highlighted expression, fill a blank with the right phrasal verb, or replace a word with an equivalent phrasal verb.
Step-by-step approach
- Use the sentence as a clue. Even if you do not know the expression, the context ("after the regulator raised objections, the bank had to ______ the merger") usually points to the meaning.
- Remember that the particle changes the meaning completely. Put off = postpone; put up with = tolerate; put out = extinguish; put across = communicate.
- For idioms, think of the picture and then the figurative meaning. A white elephant was a sacred animal that was costly to keep and could not be put to work: something expensive and useless.
High-yield phrasal verbs (banking and business context)
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| call off | cancel | The bank called off the merger. |
| write off | cancel a debt as unrecoverable | The loan was written off. |
| phase out / phase in | remove gradually / introduce gradually | The old scheme will be phased out. |
| look into | investigate | The committee will look into the complaints. |
| lay off | dismiss workers (usually for lack of work) | The firm laid off staff. |
| iron out | resolve (differences, problems) | They ironed out their differences. |
| bring about | cause to happen | bring about a change |
| put off | postpone | The meeting was put off. |
| put up with | tolerate | put up with power cuts |
| carry on | continue | carry on the work |
High-yield idioms
- A blessing in disguise: something that seems bad at first but turns out to be good.
- Bite the bullet: face a painful or difficult situation bravely.
- Turn a blind eye to: deliberately ignore.
- A white elephant: a costly possession that is useless or too expensive to maintain.
- Make both ends meet: manage to live on one's income.
- Out of the woods: out of danger or difficulty.
- Bear the brunt: suffer the worst part of something.
- A drop in the ocean: a very small amount compared with what is needed.
Worked example
"Many small businesses had to ______ staff during the pandemic." Options: lay off, lay down, lay out, lay up, lay by. Lay off means to dismiss workers because there is no work; the others mean surrender or establish (lay down), spend or arrange (lay out), store or be confined (lay up), and save (lay by). The answer is lay off.
Time target: 15-25 seconds. Learn phrasal verbs in groups by their main verb (put, call, look, take, give) so you remember how the particle changes the meaning.