Phrasal verbs / Idioms

Question 1

To come about

Answer 1

To happen, or start to happen.

e.g. How did the problem come about in the first place?
How did it come about that the police were involved?
She was late, but I am not sure how it came about this time

Question 2

To come up with something

Answer 2

To suggest or think of an idea / to manage to find or produce something that is needed, usually money

e.g. She’s come up with some amazing scheme to double her income.

Question 3

To run something by someone

Answer 3

to tell someone about something so that that person can give their opinion about it

e.g. Would you run your idea by me one more time?

Question 4

To shop around

Answer 4

to compare the prices and quality of different things before deciding which one to buy

e.g. You can get good rates if you shop around on the internet.
shop around for sth It pays to shop around for the best deal.

Question 5

Dive in / into something

Answer 5

to start doing something suddenly and energetically, often without stopping to think

e.g. When I start a new project, I like to dive right in and see how it works

Question 6

Hold off

Answer 6

to not do something immediately

e.g. They’ve decided to hold off on buying a car until they’re both working.
Let’s hold off making a decision until next week

Question 7

To get rid of something or someone

Answer 7

Let’s hold off making a decision until next week

e.g. I can’t wait to get rid of that ugly old couch.

Question 8

To pull up something

Answer 8

to get information to show on a computer screen

e.g. Click on a square to pull up an overview of the site with name, description, location, and domain.

Question 9

To opt out of

Answer 9

to choose not to be part of an activity, arrangement, etc.

e.g. New employees are automatically enrolled in the union, unless they opt out.

Question 10

To scale back

Answer 10

to reduce something in size, amount, or production

e.g. Sid will have to scale back his plans
The Company decided to scale back the matress business line

Question 11

To sign off on

Answer 11

to formally approve or agree to something

e.g. The CEO personally signs off on every senior promotion

Question 12

To take something on board

Answer 12

to understand or accept an idea or a piece of information

e.g. Banks need to take on board the views of their customers

Question 13

To look after something

Answer 13

to take care of or be in charge of something

e.g. One person looks after the stores’ brand image and another looks after the advertising
I am currently looking after two projects.

Question 14

To put something together

Answer 14

to prepare a piece of work by organizing several ideas and suggestions

e.g. The management are putting together a proposal to rescue the company.
It takes about three weeks to put the magazine together

Question 15

To check in with

Answer 15

To review if you are doing something well

e.g. I do check ins with my superior every month.

Question 16

To turn around

Answer 16

to change a plan, business, or system that is unsuccessful and make it successful

e.g. He was hired by the government to help turn around the failing high-street bank

Question 17

The movers and shakers

Answer 17

People with a lot of power and influence.

e.g. It’s a play that’s attracted the attention of the Broadway movers and shakers.
The report was sent out to a list of corporate movers and shakers on a weekly basis.

Question 18

To call the shots

Answer 18

to be in the position of being able to make the decisions that will influence a situation.

e.g. You’re the boss here – you get to call the shots

Question 19

On the face of it

Answer 19

You’re the boss here – you get to call the shots.

e.g. On the face of it, it seems like a bargain, but I bet there are hidden costs.
The story seems simple on the face of it, but it’s really pretty complicated

Question 20

Miss the mark

Answer 20

to fail to achieve the result that was intended.

e.g. Her speech missed the mark and failed to generate the public support she had been hoping for

Question 21

To jump the gun

Answer 21

to do something too soon, especially without thinking carefully about it.

e.g. They’ve only just met - isn’t it jumping the gun to be talking about marriage already?

Question 22

Cutting edge

Answer 22

the most modern stage of development in a particular type of work or activity.

e.g. a company at the cutting edge of mobile communications technology

Question 23

Blue-sky thinking

Answer 23

ways of thinking about a subject or dealing with a problem that are new and original but may not always be practical.

e.g. What we need at the moment is specialist knowledge and implementation rather than blue-sky thinking.

Question 24

Level playing field

Answer 24

a situation that is fair because everyone has the same chance of succeeding.

e.g. The regulations will create a level playing field for food manufacturers in the EU