EXERCISE: AVOIDING TWO-WORD VERBS

Rewrite the following sentences, replacing the informal two-word verb with a more formal equivalent.

1. Several subjects backed out of their treatment.

2. Do not take on a project that you know you have no interest in.
3. He didn’t turn up at the designated meeting place.
4. The sensitivity of the equipment meant that we had to set it up with utmost care.
5. The custodian would see to the security of the building.
6. If you want to help out your mom, start by running her errands for her.
7. James added up the number of affirmative responses.
8. The order was to call off the strike immediately.
9. He brought about his company’s collapse by his reckless spending.
10. He wanted to clear up some misconceptions.
11. Lara’s paper has too many grammatical mistakes, meaning she couldn’t get her message across.
12. Isa and the other participants were happy to get the laborious questionnaire over with.
13. The meeting will carry on in your absence.
14. Bakker went on to win a prestigious award.
15. The press reflected the living culture of the people; it could influence opinion and reinforce existing attitudes but it did
not come up with new forms of entertainment.
16. She finally settled on a partner for the project.
17. We may need to take apart the institutions that we have created to improve them.
18. When deadlines approach, a student cannot let anything hold up the completion of an assignment.
19. You did not let her down because she knows you did your best.
20. The purpose of the literature review is find out what has been said on the topic.
21. The board of directors fell apart.
22. Our research assistants passed out four-hundred surveys to a random sample of shoppers.
23. Dieters often feel that they should totally get rid of high-fat and high-sugar foods.
24. It will take some time for our newer coal mines to catch up with our older ones.
25. Several of them sought to get away from the cold winter night.
26. To print the name of an interviewee, an author must make sure of the interviewee’s consent.
27. A primary education system was set up throughout Ireland as early as 1831.
28. Thus, he should have looked into how the patient coped previously.
29. Because the subsection was not directly relevant to the rest of the paper, Randal had to cut it out.
30. Sam carried out the research because Jimmy couldn’t find the time.
31. The campers were thirsty after they used up the last of the water.
32. Hendriks (2010) points out that such a study might be useful.
33. We asked the participants to make up a scenario in which they would be content
34. He was let go after he was caught trying to steal money from the vault.
35. We could not pass up this opportunity to collaborate.
36. Napoleon would not tolerate his generals holding out on him.
37. Foucault’s writings still bear on contemporary thought about prison.
38. Hannah had to come up with a way to isolate the variable.
39. Sven tried everything, but he could not hold on to his youth.
40. At the beginning of his speech, Finn found it necessary to touch on the circumstances of the event.
41. The act of aggression called for immediate response.
42. The data shows various relationships that we had not picked up on.
43. The witness left out a number of important details.
44. The large company bought out the smaller one.
45. The company’s assets were bought up in the auction.
46. Steve Jobs dropped out of college.
47. They finally made up after years of bickering over social media.
48. Practiced writers cut down on unnecessary adjectives and adverbs.
49. Regretfully, the board must turn down a number of applicants every year.
50. We have a hypothesis, but we must look into other possible explanations for the phenomenon.
51. This new state takes after its regional neighbors.
52. This study picks Dekker’s research up where he left it.
53. She went to the store to try to give back the broken vase.
54. She plans to go back to her hometown in December.
55. We need to go over the details of the report.
56. In the darkness, he could not make out the size of the camp.
57. Turn in your paper by the end of the day.
58. The outnumbered forces would not give up.
59. The students are trying to put together the data they have gathered.
60. The country will put up with a certain number of economic sanctions.
61. The common flu can be passed on through saliva.
62. The question is, should a citizen be able to count on its government to preserve free access to clean water?
63. I call on the work of other contemporary thinkers.
64. After a long pause for thought, he gave in to the demands.
65. Bram would hold out until morning when the supplies arrived.