(i) There was a steep rise __________ onion prices. (ii) Air pollution is responsible for the spread __________ bronchitis. (iii) He was __________ pressure to complete the work. (iv) Joan jumped __________ the river to rescue the child. (v) His teacher is very pleased __________ him. (vi) Ali took __________ his cap and wiped his face. (vii) The old woman could not get __________ the shock. (viii) He should not get __________ with such rudeness.

(i) in (ii) of (iii) under (iv) into (v) with (vi) off (vii) over (viii) away

HOW THE 4 MARKS ARE AWARDED: half a mark per blank.

Blank by blank: (i) a rise IN prices — fixed. A rise or fall IN something; a rise OF a specific amount ("a rise of ten rupees"). (ii) the spread OF — fixed; the noun takes "of". (iii) UNDER pressure — fixed idiom. Compare: under control, under arrest, under observation. (iv) jumped INTO the river — movement from outside to inside. "In" would describe position; the verb requires motion. (v) pleased WITH — fixed, and worth distinguishing: pleased WITH a person, pleased AT or BY an event, pleased ABOUT a result. The object here is a person, so WITH. (vi) took OFF his cap — the phrasal verb for removing an article of clothing. (vii) get OVER the shock — to recover from something. Compare: get over an illness, get over a disappointment. (viii) get AWAY WITH — to escape punishment for something. Note that the sentence already supplies "with", so the blank takes the particle that completes the phrasal verb.

FIVE OF THESE ARE PHRASAL VERBS OR FIXED IDIOMS and cannot be reasoned out — they must be learnt as whole units. Note how much the "get" family alone carries: get over, get away with, get through, get on with, get at.