In the sentence "She angrily broke up the letter", which option best replaces the phrasal verb so that the sentence correctly expresses tearing the letter into pieces?

Introduction / Context:
This sentence improvement question tests your understanding of common phrasal verbs in English. The sentence She angrily broke up the letter is grammatically awkward because broke up is not the standard phrasal verb used when you destroy a letter by ripping it into pieces. You need to choose the option that gives a natural and idiomatic way to express this action.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Original sentence: She angrily broke up the letter.
• The intended meaning is that she destroyed the letter by tearing it into small pieces.
• Option A: tore up.
• Option B: break in.
• Option C: teared up.
• Option D: No improvement.

Concept / Approach:
The correct phrasal verb for destroying a piece of paper by ripping it into pieces is tear up. In the past tense, this becomes tore up. We say She tore up the letter when we want to describe this action. Break up is used for ending a relationship or causing something to separate in a more general sense, not specifically for ripping paper. Break in is used for entering a building illegally or interrupting. The form teared up is incorrect for this meaning. Therefore, tore up is the best improvement.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the intended action: out of anger, she destroyed the letter by ripping it.Step 2: Recall that the idiomatic expression in English is to tear up a letter.Step 3: Convert tear up to the correct past tense form, which is tore up, matching the past tense in She angrily.Step 4: Test option A in the sentence: She angrily tore up the letter. This sounds natural and conveys the exact intended meaning.Step 5: Examine the other options and see that none of them produce a standard or correct expression for destroying a letter.

Verification / Alternative check:
Compare similar examples. You might say He tore up the contract when he discovered the cheating. In both cases, tore up expresses ripping paper into pieces. The sentence He broke up the contract is not idiomatic. Similarly, He teared up the contract is incorrect, because the correct past of tear in this sense is tore, not teared. These examples confirm that tore up is the accepted form for this kind of action.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Break in is a completely different phrasal verb, usually meaning to enter a building by force or to interrupt someone speaking. It does not relate to ripping paper. Teared up is wrong because teared is not the usual past form of tear in this meaning; the correct form is tore. In addition, tear up can also mean to become emotional and start to have tears in one eyes, but that meaning does not fit the context of a letter either. No improvement cannot be chosen because broke up the letter is not standard English.

Common Pitfalls:
Many learners struggle with irregular verbs like tear, whose past tense is tore and past participle is torn. They may form incorrect past forms such as teared. Phrasal verbs add another layer of difficulty because you must remember both the main verb form and the correct particle. A good strategy is to study common phrasal verbs in context, noting sentences like tear up a letter, throw away a ticket, or burn down a house to strengthen your usage instincts.

Final Answer:
The correct and idiomatic phrasing is She angrily tore up the letter, so the best replacement for broke up is tore up, and option A is correct.