Break | Phrasal Verbs Exercises

Eleven "break" phrasal verbs are defined with example sentences, then practiced through image matching, a fill-in-the-blank story, a separability multiple-choice grammar exercise, and open conversation questions, all with a matching answer key.

Year groups: Not year specific
File type: PDF
Preparation: Print ready

Updated Apr 09, 2022

Subject: ESL, Language Development, English
Topic: Language Arts, ESL
Resource types: Worksheets, Worksheets & Printables
Preparation: Print ready

From the author

About this resource

The Break | Phrasal Verbs Exercises: A Perfect Tool for Language Arts Learning

Designed specifically for educators in need of effective Language Arts materials, The Break | Phrasal Verbs Exercises is a comprehensive resource. Its primary objective is to reinforce the understanding and usage of the complex phrasal verb: break through a range of meticulously designed exercises.

Exercises & Audience Reach

A complete set of four different exercises, covering activities such as engaging conversation topics to challenging multiple-choice questions.
These exercises cater to an inclusive audience making them ideal for public school teachers and homeschoolers alike who are keen on strengthening their ESL instructions.

Inclusive Package & Usage Flexibility

The package consists of two engaging PDFs featuring ten ready-to-print pages that can be instantly utilized as:

Holistic lesson layout for classrooms (whole groups or focus groups).
Homework assignments promoting continuous at-home learning.

An answer key has also been incorporated into the material, enabling easy correction and evaluation procedures by either educators or parents.

Digital Accessibility

A separate PDF with Google Apps accessibility is another beneficial aspect provided, opening up possibilities for interactive online sessions when required.

In conclusion,"The Break | Phrasal Verbs Exercises", serves as a versatile ESL resource that effectively facilitates teaching phrasal verbs across various learning environments.

In the classroom

Teaching tips & learning objectives

Learning objectives

Define and correctly use 11 distinct 'break' phrasal verbs, including multiple meanings for verbs like 'break down' and 'break into.'
Select the correct 'break' phrasal verb form to complete a narrative based on context.
Classify a phrasal verb's grammatical separability (transitive/separable by choice or obligation, transitive/inseparable, or intransitive) from an example sentence.
Use 'break' phrasal verbs in original spoken or written sentences, including personal conversation responses.

Teaching tips

Cover the two definitions pages before the exercises, since several 'break' phrasal verbs (e.g., 'break down,' 'break into') carry multiple unrelated meanings that students need to distinguish during the fill-in-blank story.
Introduce the transitive/separable grammar explanation before its multiple-choice exercise, since the exercise directly tests the separability categories just defined.
Use the conversation-topics exercise as a speaking follow-up after the written exercises are checked against the answer key, to move from recognition to spontaneous production.

Skills covered

Phrasal verb definition and meaning discrimination — students learn 11 'break' phrasal verbs, several with multiple distinct meanings depending on context.
Contextual gap-filling — students select the correct phrasal verb form to complete a multi-sentence narrative.
Separability classification — students identify whether a phrasal verb in a sentence is transitive/separable, transitive/inseparable, or intransitive.
Conversational production — students form original spoken responses to ten personal questions using 'break' phrasal verbs.

Good to know

Questions teachers ask about this resource

How does the multiple-choice exercise test separability rather than just meaning?

After a grammar explanation of the three separability categories, students read a sentence using a 'break' phrasal verb (e.g., 'I need a new car. I am tired of this one always breaking down.') and select whether it is transitive/separable by choice or obligation, transitive/inseparable, or intransitive, rather than identifying the verb's meaning.

What range of meanings does the fill-in-blank story require students to distinguish?

The story uses ten different 'break' phrasal verb forms across one narrative, requiring students to track meanings ranging from a car failing and a negotiation ending to breaking into a sweat and forcing open a locked door, all drawn from the same word bank.