Sentence Improvement and Phrasal Verbs

The question asks us to improve the underlined part "give away so easily" in the sentence: "Try harder, don’t give away so easily." We need to choose the option that makes the sentence grammatically correct and contextually appropriate.

Analyzing the Original Sentence and Phrasal Verb 'Give Away'

The sentence advises someone to make more effort and not stop trying without difficulty. The phrasal verb used is "give away". Let's understand its common meanings:

• To reveal a secret or information that was meant to be hidden. Example: He accidentally gave away the surprise party details.
• To distribute something for free. Example: The store was giving away free samples.

In the context of the sentence "Try harder, don’t give away so easily," neither of these meanings fits. The sentence is clearly about not surrendering or stopping the effort easily.

Examining the Options for Sentence Improvement

Let's look at the phrasal verbs provided in the options:

1. Give back: This means to return something to its owner. Example: Please give back the book you borrowed. This does not fit the context.
2. Give up: This means to stop trying, surrender, or abandon hope. Example: Don’t give up on your dreams. This meaning perfectly aligns with the advice to "Try harder" and not stop easily.
3. Give out: This phrasal verb has several meanings, including to distribute, to announce, to emit, or for equipment/parts to stop working. Example: The battery gave out after an hour. None of these meanings fit the context of not stopping easily during an effort.
4. No improvement required: As analyzed, "give away" does not fit the context of the sentence, so improvement is required.

Selecting the Correct Phrasal Verb

Based on the analysis, the sentence requires a phrasal verb that means 'to stop trying' or 'to surrender'. The phrasal verb that carries this meaning among the options is "give up".

Replacing "give away so easily" with "give up so easily" results in the sentence: "Try harder, don’t give up so easily." This sentence is grammatically correct and conveys the intended meaning of encouraging perseverance and discouraging easy surrender.

Therefore, the option that improves the underlined part is "give up".

Conclusion on Sentence Improvement

The original sentence used the incorrect phrasal verb "give away". The phrasal verb "give up" correctly conveys the idea of not surrendering or stopping easily. Thus, replacing "give away so easily" with "give up so easily" improves the sentence.

Revision Table: Phrasal Verbs

Additional Information: Understanding Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal verbs are combinations of a verb and an adverb or a preposition, or sometimes both. The meaning of a phrasal verb is often different from the meanings of the individual words. They are very common in English, especially in informal contexts.

Understanding phrasal verbs is important for improving fluency and comprehension. The meaning can sometimes be deduced from the context, but often they need to be learned. Phrasal verbs can be transitive (requiring an object) or intransitive (not requiring an object).

• Some phrasal verbs are separable (the object can go between the verb and the particle), while others are inseparable (the object must come after the particle). For example, "give back the book" or "give the book back" are both correct, making "give back" separable. However, "give up smoking" is correct, but you cannot say "give smoking up" easily in this sense, although with a pronoun it can be separated (e.g., "give it up"). "Give up" meaning surrender is usually inseparable when referring to a person or fight ("Don't give up!").
• The context of a sentence is crucial for determining the correct meaning and usage of a phrasal verb.
• Learning phrasal verbs involves understanding their various meanings and how they are used in sentences.