Fill in the blank with the correct phrasal verb.
He could not ______ his habitual irregularity at work and was ultimately suspended.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
Correct Answer
get away with
Explanation
The question asks to find the correct phrasal verb to complete the sentence. To solve this quickly for an exam, look at the logical relationship between the employee's bad habit ("habitual irregularity") and the final consequence ("was ultimately suspended").
Let's analyze the meaning of each phrasal verb option:
Get away with means to escape blame, punishment, or negative consequences for an incorrect or illegal action. In the context of the sentence, he repeatedly skipped or was late to work, but he could not escape punishment for it forever, leading to his suspension. This fits the blank perfectly.
Get on with means to continue doing something, or to have a friendly relationship with someone.
Get on means to board a vehicle (like a bus or train) or to make progress in a situation.
Get off means to physically leave a vehicle, or to escape a major punishment with a very light penalty or no penalty at all (e.g., he got off with a warning). However, "get off" requires a different prepositional structure and does not fit the phrase "could not get off his habitual irregularity."
Plugging the correct choice into the sentence yields: "He could not get away with his habitual irregularity at work and was ultimately suspended." This makes Option 2 the correct choice.
Key Points
The phrasal verb "get away with" is universally tied to the concept of evading the negative consequences of breaking a rule or law.
Identifying the correct phrasal verb requires looking at the sentence's outcome; the word "suspended" tells you that the individual was trying to avoid a penalty but failed to do so.