Question

Fill in the blank using a meaningful phrase:
Don’t believe Hridya. He is in the habit of ______ stories of his success.
a. making for
b. making out
c. making up
d. making with

Answer 1

Hint: Try to understand which prepositions the verb ‘making’ is usually followed by. There is a specific meaning that is required to complete this sentence. This means that we need to understand the exact context of the sentence.

Complete answer: Prepositions are words that are used to show positions, locations, direction, and time. They are usually placed in front of nouns and gerunds. Example - In the sentence ‘There is a book on the table’, the word ‘on’ describes the location of the book. So, it is definitely a preposition. There are many verb + preposition combinations in the English language, which are easy to learn, like ‘get up’. Prepositions indicate the different relationships between other words in a sentence. They can be very important parts of a sentence, as they can give you important insight into the meaning of the sentence.
For example, in the sentence ‘We had a picnic at the park’, we understand where the picnic took place. It clearly conveys that the picnic did not take place at any other location. This is an example of a preposition of location. There are many more types of prepositions.
The given sentence is essentially telling us that Hridya is a liar. This means that we need to find the preposition that completes the phrase ‘making ____’. This phrase should mean ‘fabricate stories’, as he is being called someone who lies often.

Now, we know what we are looking for. Let’s look at the given options:
a. making for - The phrase ‘make for’ refers to ‘move or head towards a place', so this does not have the meaning we want. It does not complete the given sentence. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
b. making out - The phrase ‘make out’ refers to ‘see, hear, or understand someone or something', so this does not have the meaning we want. It does not complete the given sentence. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
c. making up - The phrase ‘make up’ refers to ‘invent a story or plan’, so this has the meaning that we want. It completes the given sentence. This is the required answer. So, (c) is the correct option.
d. making with - The phrase ‘make with’ refers to ‘proceed to use or supply', so this does not have the meaning we want. It does not complete the given sentence. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.

Note: Phrasal verbs can be transitive or intransitive. Transitive phrasal verbs can be separable or inseparable. If a phrasal verb is separable, it means you can separate the two words and put the direct object in the middle. If it is inseparable, then you can’t do this.
(i)Separable Phrasal Verb Example: TURN OFF
eg: Please turn off the TV.
      Please turn the TV off.
(ii)Inseparable Phrasal Verb Example: LOOK AFTER
eg: I’ll look after your dog while you’re on vacation.