Question

Fill in the blank using a meaningful phrase:
Everybody rushed out when the fire alarm _____ because of some technical fault.
A) went about
B) went out
C) went up
D) went off

Answer 1

Hint: Many phrasal verbs in English are idiomatic in the sense that the meaning of the verb and particle is different from the base verb. A phrasal verb can be split by its direct object, that is, if it has a direct object. They are usually used like verbs, to indicate actions.

Complete answer:
A phrase is any group of words, often carrying a special idiomatic meaning. The meaning of a phrase is often not obvious from the meaning of the individual words in it. Now let us analyze the given options.

Option A) went about: The phrasal verb ‘went about’ means to begin or carry on with an activity or change to an opposite tack. Here, when ‘went about’ is used along with the words ‘fire alarm’, it means the fire alarm started working as it usually does. Thus, the above option is incorrect.

Option B) went out: The phrasal verb ‘went out’ means to go on a date with someone or to leave someone’s home or collapse or buckle. Here, when ‘went out’ is used along with the words ‘fire alarm’, it means the fire alarm stopped working. Thus, the above option is incorrect.

Option C) went up: The phrasal verb ‘went up’ means to move higher, rise or increase. Here, when ‘went up’ is used along with the words ‘fire alarm’, it means fire alarm increased. Thus, the above option is incorrect.

Option D) went off: The phrasal verb ‘went off’ means to burst forth or break out suddenly or noisily. Here, when ‘went off’ is used along with the words ‘fire alarm’, it means the fire alarm started making a noise. Thus, the above option is correct.

Therefore the correct answer is option ‘D’.

Note: Inseparable phrasal verbs always should be utilized together. There is no rule for how to recognize separable or inseparable phrasal verbs, but to take note of that separate phrasal verbs are never intransitive. The separate parts of separable phrasal verbs can be displaced and set in various parts of the sentence. They may likewise be utilized together too. Separable phrasal verbs are consistently transitive although, not all transitive phrasal verbs are not always separate.