English has several phrasal verbs with set. Can you use them correctly? Take a moment to do this exercise.
1The children were ............... going to the movies, but the rain spoiled their plans.
Wrong!
"Set on" means determined to do something.
2The girl didn't take even five minutes to ............... the train set.
Wrong!
"Set up" means to put something together or prepare it for use.
3What sets him ............... from his colleagues is his commitment to his work.
Wrong!
"Apart" completes the phrasal verb "set apart", which means to make someone different from others.
4She set ............... the novel and started doing her homework.
Wrong!
"Aside" completes "set aside", which means to put something to one side for later.
5She has faced many ............... in life.
Wrong!
"Setbacks" are problems or delays that make progress more difficult.
6He set the stereo ............... on the table.
Wrong!
"Down" completes "set down", which means to put something on a surface.
7Winter has ............... already.
Wrong!
"Set in" means to begin and continue, especially for weather or an unpleasant situation.
8Three months after he quit the job, remorse ............... deeply.
Wrong!
"Set in" means that a feeling or condition begins and becomes noticeable.
9We set ............... on our voyage in the morning.
Wrong!
"Off" completes "set off", which means to begin a journey.
10The decision to build a dam in the ecologically sensitive region set ............... a wave of protests.
Wrong!
"Off" completes "set off", which means to cause something to happen suddenly.
11The merchant set ............... on his journey in the morning.
Select 2 answers.
Wrong!
"Off" and "out" both complete the sentence to mean that the merchant started his journey.
12They set ............... the tent in a couple of minutes.
Wrong!
"Up" completes "set up", which means to put something such as a tent in position for use.
Answers
- The children were set on going to the movies, but the rain spoiled their plans.
- The girl didn’t take even five minutes to set up the train set.
- What sets him apart from his colleagues is his commitment to his work.
- She set aside the novel and started doing her homework.
- She has faced many setbacks in life.
- He set the stereo down on the table.
- Winter has set in already.
- Three months after he quit the job, remorse set in deeply.
- We set off on our voyage in the morning.
- The decision to build a dam in the ecologically sensitive region set off a wave of protests.
- The merchant set off / out on his journey in the morning.
- They set up the tent in a couple of minutes.