A 1) Do I need to have any specific qualifications? — Нужно ли иметь какую-либо специальную квалификацию?
В Well, you 2) must be an experienced dolphin trainer. — Ну, вы должны быть опытным тренером дельфинов.
A And what would I 3) have to do in the job? — Что мне делать в работе?
В You 4) are supposed to use the Navy training programme. — Вы должны использовать учебную программу ВМФ.
A Oh, so is that why 5) I should be discreet, then? — О, так вот почему я должен быть осторожным?
В Yes, you’re not 6) allowed to tell anyone about your work. And you 7) mustn’t talk to journalists. — Да, вам не разрешают никому рассказывать о вашей работе. И вы не должны разговаривать с журналистами.
A I see. So is the work dangerous? – Понятно. Так ли опасна работа?
В It can be, yes. But for the dolphins more than the trainers. — Может быть, да. Но для дельфинов больше, чем для тренеров.
A Oh! I see. I suppose it’s 9) bound to be a challenging job at times. — О! Понимаю. Полагаю, это время от времени будет сложной задачей.
В It 10) might be, yes. 11) Could you come for an interview? — Возможно, да. Не могли бы вы прийти на собеседование?
Would you like to do this job? Why?/Why not? — Хотели бы вы выполнять эту работу? Почему, почему нет?
Mind the trap! – Избегайте ловушки!
To describe the completion of a specific action in the past, we use be able to, NOT could, in affirmative sentences. In negative sentences both be able to and could are possible. — Чтобы описать завершение конкретного действия в прошлом, мы используем be able to, НЕ could, в утвердительных предложениях. В отрицательных предложениях возможны оба варианта.
He wasn’t able to/couldn’t fly very far, but he was able to get back on foot. — Он не мог летать очень далеко, но он смог вернуться пешком.
Each sentence given below has an underlined part. Replace that underlined part with a word that expresses the same idea and rewrite the sentence.
1. Even after the teacher entered the classroom, the boys went on playing.
2. He is in debt because of his habit of spending money wastefully.
3. The celebrations went on for a whole month.
4. His uncle is a famous designer of buildings.
5. The drunkard abused people without discrimination.
6. He spent most of his life abroad as one sent out of his country.
7. The country is passing through a critical phase.
8. Bacon’s essays are full of terse, witty, pointed statements.
9. If you lose your good name, it is not easy to get it back.
10. There was no famine in our country during the last twenty years.
11. The Mona Lisa is the best among the works of Leonardo da Vinci.
12. My friend had the special right or advantage of visiting England as the official guest of the Queen.
Answers
1. Even after the teacher entered the classroom, the boys continued playing.
2. He is in debt because of his extravagance.
3. The celebrations lasted / continued for a whole month.
4. His uncle is a famous architect.
5. The drunkard abused people indiscriminately.
6. He spent most of his life abroad as an exile.
7. The country is passing through a crisis.
8. Bacon’s essays are full of epigrams.
9. If you lose your reputation, it is not easy to get it back.
10. There was no famine in our country during the last two decades.
11. The Mona Lisa is the masterpiece of Leonardo da Vinci.
12. My friend had the privilege of visiting England as the official guest of the Queen.
What is One Word Substitution? Word Substitution simply means using a specific word to replace a wordy phrase or sentence and making it shorter, more concise and clearer to understand. This way, the word becomes identical to the sentence thus providing the same meaning as the wordy sentence. The best way to master this concept is to learn their meanings by putting them in a particular sentence or visualising them through an interesting story. One-word substitution questions frequently occur in many competitive exams such as SBI PO, UPSC, CAPF, CDS, RRB, SSC etc. Read this blog to find 100+ one-word substitutions with examples as well as practice questions and quizzes for competitive exams.
This Blog Includes:
- What is One Word Substitution in the English Language?
- How to Solve One-Word Substitution?
- Why Do We Need One-Word Substitutions?
- Categories of One Word Substitution
- 100+ One Word Substitutions with Examples
- Study-Related One-Word Substitution with Examples
- One-Word Substitution For Government/Systems
- One Word Substitution For Venue Or Spot
- One-Word Substitutes For Profession/Research
- Group/Collection-related One Word Substitution
- Person/People-related One Word Substitution
- Profession-related One Word Substitution
- Terms-related One Word Substitution
- Killing-related One Word Substitution
- Top 40 One-Word Substitutions Asked in Competitive Exams
- One-Word Substitution Sample Questions
- [BONUS] One Word Substitution Quiz
- FAQs
What is One Word Substitution in the English Language?
One-word substitution is the use of one word in place of a wordy phrase in order to make the sentence structure clearer and avoid lengthy sentences. The meaning, with the replacement of the phrase, remains identical while the sentence becomes shorter.
How to Solve One-Word Substitution?
Before checking on the examples for one word substitutions, let’s see how to solve them. These can be solved by identifying its ‘root word’ or core meaning and then identifying the prefix and suffix. Many words like Anthropology come from the root word anthrōpos which means humans (Here ‘Anthro’ is the prefix and ‘ology’ is the suffix). Hence anthropology means the study of humanity. To gain mastery in understanding root words, you should be familiar with the etymology and linguistics of the words.
Did you know? ‘ology‘ is the most common suffix in science which means “a branch of knowledge“. (Example: Psychology, Biology).
Another common suffix is “cracy” which comes from the Greek word “kratia” which means “rule or government“. (Example: Autocracy, Democracy)
Why Do We Need One-Word Substitutions?
One-word substitutions are important as they make communication in the English language much more concise, lucid, and easy. People can remember words and communicate bigger meanings through simple words. For example, saying “She is someone who puts forth an idea which she herself doesn’t believe” is much harder as compared to just saying “She is a Hypocrite”. One-word substitutions make our sentences more precise and reduce complexity. These substitutions also help us to classify words based on the suffixes which makes it easy to categorize them and put similar words together.
Categories of One Word Substitution
There are different categories of One Word Substitution:
- Study-related
- Terms-related
- Group/Collection
- Government/Political Systems-related
- People/Person
- Profession/Occupation
- Science/Research
- Killing/Death-related
- Sound/Event/Spots
100+ One Word Substitutions with Examples
Here is the complete list of 100+ One Word Substitutions for competitive exams:
Study-related | One Word Substitution | Examples |
Study of Stars | Astronomy | I love this book on Astronomy. |
The study of statistics is known as | Demography | The demography of the whole town’s population has been mapped. |
The study of ancient writing and scriptures | Palaeography | These three university professors have been immersed in the research and study of Paleography for over a decade. |
The study of rocks and soil | Geology | My Geology homework is not going to be completed by the final submission date. |
The ancient search for a universal panacea, and of the philosopher’s stone. The medieval version of the study of Chemistry | Alchemy | The magician wanted to learn Alchemy to master some ancient spells. |
The study of the evolution of mankind | Anthropology | Anthropological research helps us trace our civilization. |
The study of the Human Mind | Psychology | I am really interested in studying Psychology and how the mind works. |
The practice of writing dictionaries | Lexicography | She works in the Lexicography department of the publishing house. |
The study of plants | Botany | Her interest in plants motivated her to pursue this course in Botany. |
The study of rocks and soils | Geology | Do I need to study Geology before going rock climbing? |
The study of languages | Philology | How many languages does Philology cover? |
One-Word Substitution For Government/Systems
One Word Substitutes | Government/System |
A state of disorder due to the absence or non-recognition of authority or other controlling systems | Anarchy |
A form of government in which power is held by the nobility | Aristocracy |
A system of government by one person with absolute power | Autocracy |
A self-governing country or region | Autonomy |
A system of government in which most of the important decisions are taken by state officials rather than by elected representatives | Bureaucracy |
A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives | Democracy |
A state, society, or group governed by old people | Gerontocracy |
A state or country run by the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous citizens | Kakistocracy |
Government by new or inexperienced hands | Neocracy |
Government by the populace | Ochlocracy |
A small group of people having control of a country or organization | Oligarchy |
Government by the wealthy | Plutocracy |
Government not connected with religious or spiritual matters | Secular |
A form of government with a monarch at the head | Monarchy |
A political system based on the government of men by God | Thearchy |
One Word Substitution For Venue Or Spot
List of One-Word Substitutions | Venue/Spot |
A collection of historical documents or records providing information about a place, institution, or group of people | Archives |
A large cage, building, or enclosure to keep birds | Aviary |
A building where animals are butchered | Abattoir |
A place where bees are kept; a collection of beehives | Apiary |
A building containing tanks of live fish of different species | Aquarium |
A place or scene of activity, debate, or conflict | Arena |
A collection of weapons and military equipment | Arsenal |
An institution for the care of people who are mentally ill | Asylum |
A hole or tunnel dug by a small animal, especially a rabbit, as a dwelling | Burrow |
A collection of items of the same type stored in a hidden or inaccessible place | Cache |
A public room or building where gambling games are played | Casino |
A large burial ground, especially one not in a churchyard | Cemetery |
A room in a public building where outdoor clothes or luggage may be left | Cloakroom |
A place where a dead person’s body is cremated | Crematorium |
A Christian community of nuns living together under monastic vows | Convent |
The nursery where babies and young children are cared for during the working day | Creche |
A stoppered glass container into which wine or spirit is decanted | Decanter |
A large bedroom for a number of people in a school or institution | Dormitory |
The nest of a squirrel, typically in the form of a mass of twigs in a tree | Drey |
A room or building equipped for gymnastics, games, and another physical exercise | Gymnasium |
A storehouse for threshed grain | Granary |
A large building with an extensive floor area, typically for housing aircraft | Hangar |
A box or cage, typically with a wire mesh front, for keeping rabbits or other small domesticated animals | Hutch |
A place in a large institution for the care of those who are ill | Infirmary |
A small shelter for a dog | Kennel |
A place where wild animals live | Lair |
A place where coins, medals, or tokens are made | Mint |
A collection of wild animals kept in captivity for exhibition | Menagerie |
A building or buildings occupied by a community of monks living under religious vows | Monastery |
A place where bodies are kept for identification | Morgue |
A piece of enclosed land planted with fruit trees | Orchard |
A large natural or artificial lake used as a source of water supply | Reservoir |
A small kitchen or room at the back of a house used for washing dishes and other dirty household work | Scullery |
A close-fitting cover for the blade of a knife or sword | Sheath |
A room or building for sick children in a boarding school | Sanatorium |
A place where animal hides are tanned | Tannery |
A large, tall cupboard in which clothes may be hung or stored | Wardrobe |
One-Word Substitutes For Profession/Research
One Word Substitution | Profession/Research |
The medieval forerunner of chemistry | Alchemy |
A person who presents a radio/television programme | Anchor |
One who studies the evolution of mankind | Anthropologist |
A person who is trained to travel in a spacecraft | Astronaut |
The scientific study of the physiology, structure, genetics, ecology, distribution, classification and economic importance of plants | Botany |
A person who draws or produces maps | Cartographer |
A person who writes beautiful writing | Calligrapher |
A person who composes the sequence of steps and moves for a performance of dance | Choreographer |
A person employed to drive a private or hired car | Chauffeur |
A person who introduces the performers or contestants in a variety show | Compere |
A keeper or custodian of a museum or other collection | Curator |
The branch of biology concerned with cyclical physiological phenomena | Chronobiology |
A secret or disguised way of writing | Cypher |
The study of statistics | Demography |
The use of the fingers and hands to communicate and convey ideas | Dactylology |
A person who sells and arranges cut flowers | Florist |
A line of descent traced continuously from an ancestor | Genealogy |
The therapeutic use of sunlight | Heliotherapy |
The art or practise of garden cultivation and management | Horticulture |
One who supervises in the examination hall | Invigilator |
The theory or philosophy of law | Jurisprudence |
A person who compiles dictionaries | Lexicographer |
The scientific study of the structure and diseases of teeth | Odontology |
One who presents a radio programme | Radio Jockey |
The art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing | Rhetoric |
The branch of science concerned with the origin, structure and composition of rocks | Petrology |
One who studies the elections and trends in voting | Psephologist |
An artist who makes sculptures. | Sculptor |
The scientific study of the behaviour, structure, physiology, classification and distribution of animals | Zoology |
Group/Collection | One Word Substitution | Examples |
A group of sheep | Flock | I saw a shepherd down the hill with a flock of sheep. |
A family of young animals | Brood | Mr Styles like spending hours bathing the brood of horses in the stable. |
A number of people travelling together in a big van or jeep | Caravan | A caravan of hippies just passed by. |
A series of stars | Constellation | This constellation looks like a burger! |
A large group of people | Horde | A horde of college students was gathered around the voting booth. |
A temporary police force | Posse | Jake went to arrest the criminal with his posse. |
A group of cattle or sheep | Herd | Keep your herd of cows in the backyard. |
A number of fish swimming together | Shoal | I saw a shoal of mackerel on that side of the river. |
A group of worshippers | Congregation | The congregation will happen at St. Mary’s Church at 4pm tomorrow. |
Must Read: 50 Common Difficult Idioms with Examples
Person/People | One Word Substitution | Examples |
The one who loves mankind | Philanthropist | He became a renowned philanthropist after joining Buddhism. |
The one who looks at the brighter side of everything | Optimist | Louis has always been the biggest optimistic person I know. |
The one who looks at the negative/dark side of everything. | Pessimist | I am always on the edge of becoming a total pessimist. |
The one who does not believe in God. | Atheist | I am neither an Atheist nor a religious person. |
The one who eats human flesh | Cannibal | The police caught these cannibals from the jungle. |
Someone who regards the world as their country | Cosmopolitan | Globalisation will give rise to more cosmopolitans. |
The one who loves good food and knows a lot about it | Gourmet | I could have been a Gourmet if I liked spicy food! |
Someone who lives in solitude | Recluse | I want to become a recluse after I retire. |
Someone who speaks more than one language | Polyglot | I took up Turkish to become a Polyglot. |
A person who boasts of one’s achievements | Egotist | She saw him as a thoughtless egotist. |
People who can vote in an election: | Electorate | Last year’s electorate comprised of many first-time voters. |
A person who loves himself the most | Narcissist | John is a narcissist and will never love anyone else but himself. |
A person who draws maps | Cartographer | A cartographer can help you find the right way through a complex forest land through his mastery of maps. |
A person who abandons his religion | Apostate | Watching his daughter die of cancer made Steve become an apostate. |
A person was appointed to settle a dispute between two parties | Arbitrator | In their final judgement, the jury presented that it is necessary for the parties to have an arbitrator to reach mutual consent. |
The one who knows everything | Omniscient | He is such a know-it-all but he is not an omniscient. |
The one who is all powerful | Omnipotent | We often stereotype a superhero as an Omnipotent but it’s important to have some flaws to make them human. |
The one who is present everything | Omnipresent | Technology has become synonymous with omnipresent nowadays. |
Someone who is eighty years old. | Octogenarian | My grandpa is an octogenarian. |
The one who settles in another country. | Immigrant | It isn’t easy being an immigrant in the USA. |
Someone who cares about mankind. | Humanitarian | She is known for her humanitarian efforts. |
Person/People | One Word Substitution | Examples |
Someone trained to travel and operate a spacecraft. | Astronaut | Kalpana Chawla is one of the greatest women astronauts. |
The one who makes maps or charts | Cartographer | We need a cartographer to decode these cryptic maps. |
Someone who sells or grows flowers or studies or writes about flowers. | Florist | Harry is my favorite florist and I like how he gives unique facts about what every flower symbolises. |
Someone with a beautiful handwriting | Calligrapher | I started as a calligrapher and then became a tattoo artist. |
The supervising person during an examination | Invigilator | The invigilator is too lazy to even check the students in the back. |
Someone who presents or hosts a radio show | Radio Jockey | A radio jockey needs to have brilliant communication skills. |
Someone who choreographs dances attuning certain sequences of steps and movements along music | Choreographer | Can you find me a wedding choreographer? |
Someone who is the custodian or the keeper of a museum | Curator | I like being a curator as I get to meet artists from different parts of the world. |
A person who doesn’t like humankind devoids himself of human society | Misanthrope | Grinch wasn’t the mean-spirited misanthrope most of us took him to be. |
A person who collects coins as a hobby | Numismatist | As a Numismatist, I have a huge collection of currencies from almost all the countries around the world. |
Someone employed to drive a hired car | Chauffeur | The chauffeur will come by 4 pm to the venue. |
Someone who walks by foot. | Pedestrian | This side of the road is for Pedestrians. |
Someone who is reserved and shy. | Introvert | I like being an introvert and I am happy with a small social circle. |
Also Read: 50 Difficult Phrases with Meanings!
Terms | One Word Substitutions | Example |
Indefinite period of time | Aeon | Those days became boring, aeon and too long to pass. |
Appreciation of beauty, by a set of principles. | Aesthetics | I found this website quite appealing especially because of its aesthetics |
Spartan snowstorms with uncontrollable winds | Blizzard | On our way back to the hotel, we got caught in a blizzard. |
An eccentric manner of living | Bohemian | She felt embarrassed when her friends made fun of her bohemian clothing. |
Huge fire for celebration | Bonfire | The campers spent their night by the bonfire. |
Dwarfed varieties of trees and shrubs in pots | Bonsai | Her room was filled with bonsai plants. |
The remote regions of a country which are far away from the rivers | Hinterland | Her cottage was situated in a hinterland deprived of any beautiful scenery. |
Complex situation or a mix-up | Imbroglio | The romantic imbroglio happened when he met my landlords assuming they were my parents. |
Make someone feel young | Rejuvenate | This exfoliating scrub can completely rejuvenate your skin. |
Not showing enough care and attention | Remiss | I realised that she was totally remiss in finishing her daily tasks. |
A shelter for a Dog | Kennel | Our new pup spent all his day hiding inside the kennel. |
Where wild animals live | Lair | I found a hidden lair in the forest but was too afraid to go inside it. |
A place where coins are made | Mint | This industrial facility is actually a mint which manufactures coins. |
Ordinary and Dull | Mundane | I am bored with the mundane life of the quarantined days. |
Published after someone’s death | Posthumous | Mr Smith’s posthumous works brought him an immense number of accolades. |
The profession of teaching or the approach or style of teaching | Pedagogy | It was his unique approach to pedagogy that made him every student’s favourite. |
The symbols of royalty | Regalia | The queen was adorned in full regalia. |
A political system solely based on the government of men by God | Thearchy | The village was ruled by the system of thearchy. |
A person promises to tell the truth in court | Oath | I couldn’t disrespect the oath and thus revealed everything. |
Beginning to exist and evolve | Nascent | Biotechnology bloomed from a nascent sector to a booming industry. |
Ethically good behaviour one has | Virtue | Patience is seen as the virtue of a man. |
Humour that describes the weaknesses | Satire | Ghasiram Kotwal is an incredibly written satire on the political scenario of Maharashtra in the early 20th century. |
Changing the direction of one’s path suddenly | Veer | He veered the car in the other direction as the deer came in the way. |
Enjoy something for an extended time | Savour | Don’t forget to savour this delectable wine! |
Someone who is wrongly blamed for things that others have done | Scapegoat | They used him as a scapegoat to accuse him of the whole conspiracy |
Space where animal hides are tanned | Tannery | The leather for this coat has been skinned in the tannery. |
Determined to achieve something | Tenacious | She was tenacious enough to chase after her dream of becoming a film actor. |
The sound of Parrots | Screech | I woke up to the screeching of birds by the window. |
Using a word or name that is inappropriate | Misnomer | It’s quite a misnomer to call it a victory since he scored the lowest marks in the test. |
A government that has a monarch as the head | Monarchy | With a king ruling the country, the Monarchy is different from a democracy. |
The sound of Camels | Grunt | In the vastness of the desert, the only sound you can hear is the constant grunting of camels from far away. |
Events manifested by festivities | Fiesta | Last night’s party was a total fiesta. |
The ranting of a person | Whine | Aakriti is always whining about the weather. |
People who are extremely poor | Destitute | Ajay grew up in a destitute existence. |
Absolute freedom to act as one wishes | Carte blanche | Her mother gave her carte blanche to follow the career path she wants to. |
A person who is unsure about God’s existence | Agnostic | Though he was raised in a conservative Hindu family, he remained agnostic most of his life. |
Extreme physical or mental sufferings | Agony | He fell to the ground in agony. |
Japanese form of self-defense with the usage of locks holds | Aikido | He has mastered Aikido and his next goal is to learn Kung fu. |
A soldier who fights for the sake of money | Mercenary | You are a mercenary and you kill people with any guns! |
An accolade or honour bestowed in recognition for an achievement: | Laurel | She enjoyed the laurels of her acting achievements. |
A person who behaves without moral principles | Immoral | Lying is completely immoral even if it is done for a good purpose. |
Charging a politician with a serious crime | Impeach | Trump was impeached recently but it didn’t really affect his position as the president. |
Government instructions that limit trade in some way | Embargo | With the danger of virus hovering over the whole world, an embargo on international trade was mutually decided upon. |
Believer of fate | Fatalist | I am fatalist for I believe that our destiny has already been written. |
Loves being social and enjoys the company of others | Gregarious | Gurleen is a gregarious girl and we often call her the social butterfly of our class! |
Trees grow without underbrush. | Grove | This garden is filled with beautiful groves that amazingly complemented the tall trees |
An office with high salary but no work | Sinecure | After listening to the perks that Seema has at her office, Vishal assumes as if she works at a Sinecure. |
A person who betrays and descents and organisation or country | Renegade | It is currently flashing in the news that a renegade policeman shot three innocent people. |
One who is much concerned about details and accuracy | Fastidious | Virat is fastidious about his hair. He makes sure that he visits the salon at regular intervals. |
A place for storage of arms and ammunition | Arsenal | The officer informed the soldier about his new posting in Arsenal. |
One who is expelled from a religious community | Excommunicate | His misconduct at the previous religious gathering led to his ex-communication. |
A person who eats too much | Glutton | As soon as the guests left, Riya didn’t miss a chance to call our cousin glutton. |
Something which can be copied | Immitable | As the captain’s approach for the finale was imitable, he is still called a legend. |
Killing-related | One Word Substitution | Examples |
When someone kills their own father | Patricide | Jean was arrested for patricide. |
The act of killing a king | Regicide | The monarchy fell with the regicide. |
The killing of a person by another | Homicide | He went to jail on the charge of homicide. |
The killing of one’s child | Filicide | The police filed a report about filicide that happened in the C block. |
Top 40 One-Word Substitutions Asked in Competitive Exams
One-Word Substitution Sample Questions
Now that you have understood the concept of one-word substitution, let us sample some sample questions so that you develop a strong command over it!
Q1. An individual who is unable to express or interact easily
A) Extrovert
B) Introvert
C) Ambivert
D) None of the Above
Q2. A stream of water moving very fast
A) Current
B) Tide
C) Torrent
D) Storms
Q3. Shikha spends a lot of money on clothes. Her cousins call her a:
A) Frugal
B) Economical
C) Miser
D) Spendthrift
Q4. Asmita works really hard for the upliftment of poor children. She even donates half of her salary to NGOs. She is:
A) Philanthropist
B) Selfish
C) Tightfisted
D) None of the Above
Q5. It is impossible to see through it.
A) Translucent
B) Fragile
C) Opaque
D) Transparent
Q6. Aman is really scared of thunderstorms. He suffers:
A) Acrophobia
B) Ophidiophobia
C) Nephophobia
D) Astraphobia
Q7. She caught the robbers
A) Courageously
B) Frightened
C) Cowardly
D) None of the above
Q8. Lalit has a good knowledge of Music. His father calls him:
A) Incompetent
B) Amateur
C) Maestro
D) Beginner
Q9. After attending a career counseling session, he understood that his ____ was cooking:
A) Niche
B) Supplant
C) Replacement
D) None of the above
Q10. You can’t park your truck here. It is:
A) Lawful
B) Allowed
C) Unauthorized
D) None of the Above
Answers:
- B
- C
- D
- A
- C
- D
- A
- C
- A
- C
[BONUS] One Word Substitution Quiz
One Word Substitution Quiz
FAQs
Q1. How to learn one-word substitutes?
Ans. Techniques for One-Word Substitution:
1. Comprehend the whole meaning of a sentence or a group of words.
2. Look for terms that have a comparable meaning to the sentence and use them instead.
3. Discover the replacement words for the statement and keep the word in your memory for later usage.
4. Improving your vocabulary (synonyms and antonyms)
Q2. What is one-word substitution also known as?
Ans. One-word substitutions are also referred to as “Verbatim.” One-word substitution is a technique that substitutes a word for a context without altering the meaning of the original context.
Q3. What is a one-word substitution in English Class 7?
Ans. Single words used to represent a person, an item, a place, etc. instead of a set of words are known as one-word substitutions. Words that sound the same but have diverse meanings are referred to as homophones.
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Published on
April 23, 2015
by
Shane Bryson.
Revised on
October 24, 2022.
The following is a list of commonly deployed phrasal verbs that find one use or another in academic texts. These (and others) can be acceptably used in academic texts. Along with these examples, however, are a number of one-word substitutions to illustrate that in each case the phrasal verb can be easily replaced.
Table of contents
- Separable
- Inseparable
As you look through the substitutions, be aware that phrasal verbs (like other verbs) often have more than one definition and more than one context of proper use.
This flexibility means that although these substitutions work for the examples given, and although the examples are common uses of phrasal verbs, a suggested replacement will not cover every possible use of its phrasal verb.
Separable
Note: If it uses a pronoun, the separable phrasal verb must be separated (e.g. “He added up the number” but “He added it up”).
Phrasal verbs | Example uses | Definitions and Replacements |
---|---|---|
Add up | James added up the number of affirmative responses. | calculate |
Buy out | The large company bought out the smaller. | purchase (someone’s assets) |
Buy up | The business’s assets were bought up in the auction. | purchase (all of something) |
Call off | The order was to call off the strike immediately. | cancel |
Carry on | The meeting will carry on in your absence. | continue |
Carry out | Sam carried out the research because Jimmy couldn’t find the time. | execute |
Cut out | Because the subsection was not directly relevant to the rest of the paper, Randal had to cut it out. | excise |
Find out | The purpose of the literature review is find out what has been said on the topic. | discover |
Get (it) over with (must be split) | Isa and the other participants were happy to get the laborious questionnaire over with. | complete |
Get across | Lars’s paper has too many grammatical mistakes, meaning he couldn’t get his message across. | communicate |
Give up | The outnumbered forces would not give up. | surrender |
Hold up | When deadlines approach, a student cannot let anything hold up the completion of an assignment. | delay |
Leave out | The witness left out a number of important details. | omit |
Make up | We asked participants to make up a scenario in which they would be content. | fabricate |
Make out | In the darkness he could not make out the size of the camp. | see |
Pass up | We could not pass up this opportunity to collaborate. | forgo |
Pass on | The common flu can be passed on through saliva. | transmit |
Pass out | Our research assistants passed out four-hundred surveys to a random sample of shoppers. | distribute |
Pick up | This study picks Dekker’s research up where he left it. | resume |
Point out | Hendriks (2010) points out that such a study might be useful. | explain |
Set up | The equipment’s sensitivity meant we had to set it up with utmost care. | arrange |
Turn down | Regretfully, the board must turn down a number of applicants every year. | reject |
Use up | The campers were thirsty after they used up the last of the water. | exhaust |
Inseparable
Phrasal verbs | Example uses | Definitions and Replacements |
---|---|---|
Back out of | Several subjects backed out of their treatment. | abandon |
Bear on | Foucault’s writings still bear on contemporary thought about prison. | influence |
Catch up with | It will take some time for our newer coal mines to catch up with our older ones. | equal |
Call on | I call on the work of other contemporary thinkers. | utilize |
Call for | The act of aggression called for immediate response. | necessitate |
Count on | The question is, should a citizen be able to count on its government to preserve free access to clean water? | rely on |
Cut down on | Practiced writers cut down on unnecessary adverbs and adjectives. | reduce |
Come up with | Hannah had to come up with a way to isolate the variable. | invent |
Fall apart | The board of directors fell apart. | disintegrate |
Get away | Several of them sought to get away from the cold winter night. | escape |
Get along with | They commonly exaggerated the degree to which the indigenous tribes would not get along with one another. | be friendly with |
Give in | After a long pause for thought, he gave in to the demands. | yield |
Go on | Bakker went on to win a prestigious award. | continue |
Hold on to | Sven tried everything, but could not hold on to his youth. | keep |
Hold out | Bram would hold out until morning when the supplies arrived. | wait |
Hold out on | Napoleon would not tolerate his generals holding out on him. | hide (something) |
Look into | We have a hypothesis, but we must look into other possible explanations for the phenomenon. | research |
Look out for | Among 50 respondents who regularly walk home from work in the middle of the night, 45 indicated looking out for criminals. | safeguard against |
Make sure of | To print the name of interviewee, an author must make sure of the interviewee’s consent. | ensure |
Pick up on | The data show various relationships that we had not picked up on. | notice |
Put up with | The country will put up with a certain number of economic sanctions. | tolerate |
See to | The custodian would see to the security of the building. | arrange |
Take after | This new state takes after its regional neighbours. | resemble |
Touch on | At the beginning of his speech, Finn found it necessary to touch on the circumstances of the event. | mention |
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(2022, October 24). List of 47 Phrasal Verbs and Their One-Word Substitutions. Scribbr.
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