 to reduce = cut down Task 1 – Choose the correct option.

 to prune a plant
1) I don't cut ___ the whole meat before eating.
 to reduce = cut back
a) in b) up c) off d) out
 to chop down, to deforest
 to shorten 2) Sarah had to cut her article about corruption ___ to 800
words.
 to interrupt
 to interrupt a dancing couple in a) off b) in c) down d) up
order to dance with one of them
3) Tim always cuts ___ on the meeting.
 to start working
 to go in front of others who are a) out b) up c) back d) in
waiting 4) Anne is cutting stars ___ of this piece of paper.
 to break up, to interrupt a) off b) down c) in d) out
 to disconnect
 to amputate 5) My father cuts ___ the trees and rose bushes in spring.
That's why they are so beautiful.
 to make sg by cutting
 to delete (a part of a message) or to a) back b) off c) down d) out
remove (e.g. a newspaper article) 6) George's leg was cut ___ after the accident.
 to cross out
a) out b) off c) in d) back
 to cut to pieces
7) A lumberjack cut ___ a pine tree in my garden. It was too
 to mutilate
old and high.
a) in b) back c) down d) up
Task 2 - Fill in the sentences with the correct
form of one of the phrasal verbs with 'cut'. 8) Mum is cutting ___ my birthday cake.
e.g.: Why are you always cutting in our a) off b) out c) up d) in
conversation?
9) Sarah's writing an article about corruption. She has to cut
about 200 words ___ of it.
1) I won't have a cup of coffee, thank you. I'm
trying to ___________________. a) up b) out c) in d) down
2) Sam and Amy were on the phone yesterday 10) A woman cut ___ me while I was waiting at the post
afternoon when they were office.
___________________ in the middle of their
a) back b) up c) out d) in
conversation.
3) David is fond of football. He generally
__________ his favourite players' picture ____ Task 3 – Rewrite the words in italics with
the correct phrasal verb.
of the newspaper.
4) The local government orders to e.g.: Why are you always interrupting our
_______________ the requirements of the conversation? - cutting in
entrance exams in each high school.
5) Sam ___________________ Mary in the prom 1) The censor crosses out the politically inconvenient parts.
last week. ___________________
2) His foot had to be amputated because he had diabetes.
6) Dad always ___________________ the
___________________
firewood in the garden.
3) On the exam the composition must be 120-150 words. Sue's
7) Mr Smith smokes 30 cigarettes a day. The composition is too long. She has to reduce it to 150 words.
doctor told him to ___________________ on ___________________
his smoking. 4) The bomb mutilated the bomber's body. ________________
8) When the electricity went out, the emergency 5) Grandpa prunes the plants in spring. ___________________
generator ___________________ and we could 6) My uncle called me back but in the middle of our conversation
get on our work. we were disconnected. ___________________
9) The victim was badly ___________________ 7) Mum sliced the vegetables. ___________________
8) All the trees are being deforested. ___________________
by the murderer.
9) In the end the engine started working. _________________
10) The child has __________ some flowers
10) The company is going to reduce it's costs. ______________
_____ of coloured paper.

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  to reduce = cut down Task 1 – Choose the correct option.
 to prune a plant
1) I don't cut ___ the whole meat before eating.
 to reduce = cut back
a) in b) up c) off d) out
 to chop down, to deforest
 to shorten 2) Sarah had to cut her article about corruption ___ to 800
words.
 to interrupt
 to interrupt a dancing couple in a) off b) in c) down d) up
order to dance with one of them
3) Tim always cuts ___ on the meeting.
 to start working
 to go in front of others who are a) out b) up c) back d) in
waiting 4) Anne is cutting stars ___ of this piece of paper.
 to break up, to interrupt a) off b) down c) in d) out
 to disconnect
 to amputate 5) My father cuts ___ the trees and rose bushes in spring.
That's why they are so beautiful.
 to make sg by cutting
 to delete (a part of a message) or to a) back b) off c) down d) out
remove (e.g. a newspaper article) 6) George's leg was cut ___ after the accident.
 to cross out
a) out b) off c) in d) back
 to cut to pieces
7) A lumberjack cut ___ a pine tree in my garden. It was too
 to mutilate
old and high.
a) in b) back c) down d) up
Task 2 - Fill in the sentences with the correct
form of one of the phrasal verbs with 'cut'. 8) Mum is cutting ___ my birthday cake.
e.g.: Why are you always cutting in our a) off b) out c) up d) in
conversation?
9) Sarah's writing an article about corruption. She has to cut
about 200 words ___ of it.
1) I won't have a cup of coffee, thank you. I'm
trying to ___________________. a) up b) out c) in d) down
2) Sam and Amy were on the phone yesterday 10) A woman cut ___ me while I was waiting at the post
afternoon when they were office.
___________________ in the middle of their
a) back b) up c) out d) in
conversation.
3) David is fond of football. He generally
Task 3 – Rewrite the words in italics with
__________ his favourite players' picture ____
the correct phrasal verb.
of the newspaper.
4) The local government orders to e.g.: Why are you always interrupting our
_______________ the requirements of the conversation? - cutting in
entrance exams in each high school.
1) The censor crosses out the politically inconvenient parts.
5) Sam ___________________ Mary in the prom
___________________
last week.
2) His foot had to be amputated because he had diabetes.
6) Dad always ___________________ the ___________________
firewood in the garden. 3) On the exam the composition must be 120-150 words. Sue's
7) Mr Smith smokes 30 cigarettes a day. The composition is too long. She has to reduce it to 150 words.
doctor told him to ___________________ on ___________________
his smoking. 4) The bomb mutilated the bomber's body. ________________
8) When the electricity went out, the emergency 5) Grandpa prunes the plants in spring. ___________________
6) My uncle called me back but in the middle of our conversation
generator ___________________ and we could
we were disconnected. ___________________
get on our work.
7) Mum sliced the vegetables. ___________________
9) The victim was badly ___________________
8) All the trees are being deforested. ___________________
by the murderer. 9) In the end the engine started working. _________________
10) The child has __________ some flowers 10) The company is going to reduce it's costs. ______________
_____ of coloured paper.

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 SOLUTION
Task 1
1) B
2) C
3) D
4) D
5) A
6) B
7) C
8) C
9) B
10) D

Task 2
1) I won't have a cup of coffee, thank you. I'm trying to cut down.
2) Sam and Amy were on the phone yesterday afternoon when they were cut off in the middle of their conversation.
3) David is fond of football. He generally cuts his favourite players' picture out of the newspaper.
4) The local government orders to cut back / down the requirements of the entrance exams in each high school.
5) Sam cut in Mary in the prom last week.
6) Dad always cuts up the firewood in the garden.
7) Mr Smith smokes 30 cigarettes a day. The doctor told him to cut down on his smoking.
8) When the electricity went out, the emergency generator cut in and we could get on our work.
9) The victim was badly cut up by the murderer.
10) The child has cut some flowers out of coloured paper.

Task 3
1) The censor cuts out the politically inconvenient parts.
2) His foot had to be cut off because he had diabetes.
3) On the exam the composition must be 120-150 words. Sue's composition is too long. She has to cut it down to 150
words.
4) The bomb cut up the bomber's body.
5) Grandpa cuts back the plants in spring.
6) My uncle called me back but in the middle of our conversation we were cut off.
7) Mum cut up the vegetables.
8) All the trees are being cut down.
9) In the end the engine cut in.
10) The company is going to cut down / back it's costs.

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