Replace the underlined word with the most appropriate phrasal verb:
With only thirty minutes on stage, the drama club had to trim the script, dropping two songs and the long court scene.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → pare down
A phrasal verb is a verb joined with a small word such as up, out or together. The two words together have a new meaning.
Trim means to make something smaller or shorter by cutting parts off. Its closest meaning is pare down. Example: The barber trimmed my hair before the school photo.
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) drag out | to make something last longer than needed | The meeting was dragged out by long speeches. |
| (2) pare down (answer) | to cut something down to only the parts that are really needed (same as trim) | Mummy pared down the guest list to thirty for the small function. |
| (3) play down | to make something seem less important than it is | The coach played down the team’s loss in the practice match. |
| (4) round off | to finish something in a pleasant or fitting way | We rounded off the trip with ice cream at the beach. |