Question

Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word-
I’m not surprised that Tom and Julie have ____. They were never really suited.
a) broke down
b) broken off
c) broken up
d) broken away

Answer 1

Hint: ‘Break up’ is a phrasal verb that is used to indicate the end of a relationship or romance. We use the past participle or the 3rd form of a verb to modify or describe pronouns and nouns.

Complete answer:
 In most cases, the past participle or the 3rd form of a verb is similar to the simple past tense form of a verb.
Example- (1) She danced last night. (2) She had danced last night. In both (1) and (2), ‘danced’ is the past tense form of the verb.
But we also form distinct past participles forms with the help of irregular verbs.
Example- ‘Broke’ is the simple past tense form of ‘break’, whereas ‘broken’ is the past participle form of ‘break’.
In the given question: X states that he is not surprised that Tom and Julie have broken up because they never really suited. Here, we can see the use of the perfect form ‘have’. Hence, we will use the past participle form of the verb ‘break up’.
Now, let’s examine the given options-
Option a- ‘broke down’ is a term that is used to suggest the going wrong or giving out of a machine. Example- Our car broke down last night. ‘Brokedown’ doesn’t match the sentence. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
Option b- ‘broken off’ is a term that is used to describe something that has snapped off or come off. Example- The pipe has broken off just beneath the yard. ‘Broken off’ doesn’t match the sentence. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
Option c- ‘broken up’ is used to define the end of a romance or a relationship. Example- My sister and her fiancé have broken up just before their wedding. ‘Broken up’ matches the sentence. Hence, it is the correct option.
Option d- ‘broken away’ refers to running away or escaping. Example- The prisoners have broken away from the cell. ‘Broken away’ doesn’t match the sentence. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
So, the correct answer is “Option c”.

Note:
 The past participle form of the verb is generally used with perfect forms of the verb (have, has, or had). Keep in mind, past participles are formed with the help of regular and irregular verbs.