Q1.
Fill in the blanks with suitable phrases given in the box to make a meaningful paragraph.
stand upright, all over, look after, stepped out, went away, came across, about to
One winter morning, as I ......................... of my home, I saw that the snow was ......................... the place. While walking uphill towards my shop, I ......................... a small puppy. Its leg was injured and it was ......................... collapse. Being in pain it was unable to ......................... . So, I decided to take it home and ......................... it. With good care, all its pain ......................... .
Answer
A phrase is a small group of words that work together as one word. Came across, for example, is two words but it means one thing — found by chance.
Here is the completed paragraph, with the answers in bold.
One winter morning, as I stepped out of my home, I saw that the snow was all over the place. While walking uphill towards my shop, I came across a small puppy. Its leg was injured and it was about to collapse. Being in pain it was unable to stand upright. So, I decided to take it home and look after it. With good care, all its pain went away.
Now the meaning of each phrase, and why it fits:
| Blank | Phrase | What it means, and why it fits |
|---|---|---|
| 1. as I ___ of my home | stepped out | Stepped out = went outside. You step out of a house, so the little word of after the blank is your clue. |
| 2. the snow was ___ the place | all over | All over = everywhere, on every side. Snow does not sit in one corner; it covers the whole place. |
| 3. I ___ a small puppy | came across | Came across = found something by chance, without looking for it. He was going to his shop, not hunting for a puppy. |
| 4. it was ___ collapse | about to | About to = going to do something in the very next moment. Collapse means to fall down suddenly. |
| 5. unable to ___ | stand upright | Stand upright = stand straight up on its legs. Its leg was injured, so it could not. |
| 6. take it home and ___ it | look after | Look after = take care of somebody. Notice it does not mean “look behind”. |
| 7. all its pain ___ | went away | Went away = left, disappeared. With good care the pain finally left the puppy. |
Check it yourself: There are seven phrases in the box and seven blanks in the paragraph. Each phrase is used exactly once. If you have a phrase left over at the end, one of your blanks is wrong.
Why phrases are worth learning: You cannot work out what came across means by adding came and across together. The phrase carries a meaning of its own. English is full of these, so learn them whole — like single words.
Use them yourself: I stepped out to buy milk. Mud was all over my shoes. I came across an old photo in a book. The bus is about to leave. Stand upright for the National Anthem. Please look after my bag. The headache went away after I drank water.