Question

What does the phrase "drop in" mean in this context?
I might drop in for some coffee next week.
A) throw something
B) drop something
C) come in (without an appointment)
D) quickly grab

Answer 1

Hint: A phrase is any category of words in everyday speech that sometimes has a special idiomatic meaning; it is synonymous with expression and phraseme in this context. A phrase is a group of words that functions as a constituent in the syntax of a sentence, a single unit within a grammatical hierarchy, in linguistic analysis.

Complete answer:
‘Drop in’ means to visit or go to a location for a short period of time, usually suddenly.
Option A) throw something: Throwing something means a propelling force or a propulsive movement that allows something to move quickly through space. So, it doesn’t have the same meaning as the phrase “drop in”. Hence, this option is incorrect.

Option B) drop something: When you drop something, you are unintentionally allowing it to fall. My spectacles were broken when I dropped them. So, it doesn’t have the same meaning as the phrase “drop in”.
Hence, this option is incorrect.

Option C) come in (without an appointment): ‘Drop in’ means to visit or go to a location for a short period of time, usually suddenly. When you're in the neighbourhood of an old friend and plan to ring her doorbell and say hello, that's an example of a drop in. The quoted phrase means 'to come unannounced'.
Hence, this option is correct.

Option D) quickly grab: Quickly grab means to take or seize something suddenly. Fetch, Clutch, Grasp are another word for it. But it doesn’t have the same meaning as the phrase “drop in”.Hence, this option is incorrect.

Therefore, Option ‘C’ i.e, come in (without an appointment) is the correct answer. Because it means “drop in” phrase.

Note: Within a clause, a phrase is one or more words that form a grammatical unit. In English, there are five major forms of phrases, as seen below.
- A noun phrase may be a single noun or a set of words centred on a single noun.
- A main verb and its auxiliary verbs make up a verb sentence (including modals),
- A single adjective or a group of words formed around a single adjective may make up an adjective term.
- A single adverb or a group of words formed around a single adverb may make up an adverb expression.
- Within a clause, a phrase is one or more words that form a grammatical unit.