WASSCE English Language · Paper 1 style

Phrasal verbs

One sample question with the full working. 4 more in the app, with instant feedback and repair sessions for the traps below.

Choose the option nearest in meaning: She will look after the baby.

Asearch for
Badmire
Ctake care of
Dvisit

Show the answer and working

Answer: C

Look after = care for.

Trap A Misreads phrasal verbs: Phrasal verbs are idiomatic: 'put up with' = tolerate, 'call off' = cancel, 'turn down' = reject, 'look into' = investigate. Learn them as single vocabulary items.

Trap B Picks a near neighbour of the right form: Name the exact category the stem needs (third conditional; /əʊ/; 'call off' = cancel; clause of concession) and check each option against that name, not against how close it looks.

Trap D Picks a meaning that fits the context but not the words: Test the option by substitution: does it mean the same as the underlined words, not just make sense in the story?

Traps in Phrasal verbs

Misreads phrasal verbs
Phrasal verbs are idiomatic: 'put up with' = tolerate, 'call off' = cancel, 'turn down' = reject, 'look into' = investigate. Learn them as single vocabulary items.
Picks a near neighbour of the right form
Name the exact category the stem needs (third conditional; /əʊ/; 'call off' = cancel; clause of concession) and check each option against that name, not against how close it looks.
Picks a meaning that fits the context but not the words
Test the option by substitution: does it mean the same as the underlined words, not just make sense in the story?
Picks the opposite meaning
Paraphrase the expression in your own words first, then look for the option with the same direction of meaning.

Practise Phrasal verbs (4 questions)Send to your class on WhatsApp