Question

Find the meaning of the phrasal verb "Make up for".
a. Compensate
b. Decorate
c. Make someone quiet
d. Fill up

Answer 1

Hint: A phrasal verb is a combination of words from different grammatical categories that act as a verb together.

Complete answer:
A phrasal verb is usually formed by combining a preposition, adverb or any other element with a verb. It is idiomatic in nature, that is, it has a figurative and a nonliteral meaning. Let us understand the context in which it is used through a sentence.
For example: She decided to make up for the lost time, by putting in extra hours.

Let us now analyse the given options to find out the correct answer.
> Compensate means to form a balance against something undesirable. It is a verb.
For example: He compensated for his mistakes by correcting them.
We observe that it is contextually similar to ‘make up for’. Hence, we can say that option ‘a’ is the correct answer.

> Decorate means to adorn or embellish something to make it more attractive. It is a verb.
For example: They decorated their house on the occasion of Diwali.
We observe that it is not contextually similar to ‘make up for’. Hence, we can say that option ‘b’ is not the correct answer.

> Make someone quiet, means to silence someone. It is a phrasal verb.
For example: The class monitor was asked to make the class quiet.
We observe that it is not contextually similar to ‘make up for’. Hence, we can say that option ‘c’ is not the correct answer.

> Fill up, means to make something full or complete. It is a phrasal verb.
For example: The students were told to fill up the feedback form.
We observe that it is not contextually similar to ‘make up for’. Hence, we can say that option ‘c’ is not the correct answer.

Thus, we can conclude that option ‘a’ is the correct answer.

Note: One may confuse between make up and make up for. Make up is also a phrasal verb which means to reconcile after a quarrel.