Vocabulary Phrasal Verbs Keep Up | Stick To | Take Back | Cut Out

Exercise 1

Vocabulary

keep up

Phrasal Verb

kip ʌp

to continue to do something at the same level

It's difficult to keep up the pace in a marathon.

My boss told me to keep up my good work.

Keep up the good work and let me know how things turn out.

stick to

Phrasal Verb

stɪk tu

to continue to do or use one particular thing, with no intention of changing it to something else

We're going to stick to our original schedule.

It's important that we stick to the original plan.

take back

Phrasal Verb

teɪk bæk

to return something back to a shop, because it is not working or it is not suitable

If the sweater doesn't fit, you can take it back.

cut out

Phrasal Verb

kət aʊt

to remove some parts from a piece of writing, a speech, a movie, etc.

We need to cut out some scenes from the movie. Some of them are just not good enough.

go with

Phrasal Verb

goʊ wɪð

to choose something; to accept someone's plan or idea

The board decided to go with Mark's idea.

I think you should go with beige for the living room walls.

Exercise 2

Dialogue Practice

Read the dialogue aloud with your teacher.

Sarah is doing her homework.
Sarah	Mom, the calculator that you bought this morning is not working.
Mom	Really? Let me see. Hmm, you're right. I'll have to take it back. Oh, by the way, I've just finished checking your essay. There are just a few things I think you should fix.
Sarah	I don’t understand. I thought I did a great job with that essay.
Mom	Well, you would have, if you had stuck to one topic. You are talking about too many things, so it looks a bit chaotic.
Sarah	I thought I could write about anything that would make the main topic more convincing.
Mom	You just need to organize your thoughts, that's all. You should go with one subject only, and add a few supporting arguments. This essay is really well-written, but you need to cut out some parts which are not directly related to the topic. Do you understand what I'm saying?
Sarah	I understand, but I don’t know... Maybe I’m just not good at writing essays.
Mom	Don’t say that. You're very talented, but practice makes it perfect. So just keep it up!

Exercise 3

Article

Read the passage aloud with your teacher.

Sarah's Little Ups and Downs

Sarah was doing her homework, when she realized that the calculator her mom had bought was not working. She told mom that she needed to take it back to the shop. Her mom used this chance to give Sarah feedback on her essay. She said that Sarah discussed too many topics at once. Sarah was advised to cut out the insignificant parts, go with one subject only, and stick to it. Sarah lost her motivation for a moment, but soon realized that she needed to keep up practicing if she wanted to improve.

Exercise 4

Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the blanks with the correct phrasal verbs to complete the dialogue.

Lauren is supposed to deliver a speech at an important event at the university. Nathan is helping her prepare.
Lauren	So which dress do you think I should choose?
Nathan	I think you should (1) the blue one. And you should probably (2) the yellow one. It doesn't fit you, it's too large.
Lauren	Yeah, I guess you're right. Blue one it is, then. Okay, now what about my speech? Have you read it? What do you think?
Nathan	Yes, I love it. I think it's really good, but it might be a bit too long. So I marked one part that I think you should (3). It's not that relevant and I think you should just (4) the main topic.
Lauren	Good thinking. Thank you, Nathan!
Nathan	No problem!
Lauren	Now, I just need to learn the speech. I don't think I can do that, I can't remember anything! I'll just embarrass myself in front of everyone.
Nathan	Oh, come on, of course you won't! You've been practicing for a week and you're doing a great job so far. Just (5) and everything will be okay. You have plenty of time left.