Fill in the blank with an appropriate phrasal verb.
The elder child takes ______ his father. They look like siblings.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
Correct Answer
after
Explanation
Core Meaning: The sentence states that the oldest child strongly resembles his father in physical appearance, to the extent that they look more like brothers than parent and child. To solve this quickly for an exam, identify the specific contextual clue in the sentence, which is "They look like siblings." This phrase explicitly refers to a strong visual or behavioral resemblance. The idiomatic phrasal verb "take after" specifically means to resemble an older relative in appearance or character. Looking at the other options, "take up" means to begin a hobby or occupy space, "take in" means to deceive or understand, and "take before" is not a standard phrasal verb, making "after" the only correct choice.
Key Points
Core Definition: Selecting the correct phrasal verb requires matching the idiomatic definition of a verb-preposition combination with the descriptive context clues provided in the sentence.
Grammatical Role: Completing a transitive phrasal verb string where the prepositional particle establishes a relation of resemblance between the subject and the object.