Improve the bracketed part of the sentence by choosing the most appropriate option: “She (has fallen out with) the boy she was supposed to marry.”

Introduction:
This question tests your knowledge of phrasal verbs and correct tense usage in English. The sentence describes a change in a relationship: the woman has had a quarrel or disagreement with the boy she was supposed to marry. The phrase fall out with someone is a standard phrasal verb that means to have a serious disagreement and stop being friendly. You must decide whether the given bracketed phrase is correct or needs improvement.

Given Data / Assumptions:

- Original sentence: She has fallen out with the boy she was supposed to marry. - Bracketed part: has fallen out with. - The options change either the tense or the preposition or the full phrasal verb. - The context implies a relatively recent and still relevant break in the relationship.

Concept / Approach:
The phrasal verb fall out with means to quarrel and no longer be on good terms with someone. The present perfect tense has fallen out is used to describe an action that happened in the past but has a connection to the present situation. Since the relationship is likely still affected, present perfect is appropriate. The preposition with is required after fall out when we mention the person with whom the disagreement occurred. Therefore, the bracketed phrase is already correct, and no improvement is needed.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the phrasal verb in the sentence: fall out with someone. Step 2: Confirm its meaning: to argue with someone and stop being friendly. Step 3: Check the tense: has fallen is present perfect, which fits a recent event with present relevance. Step 4: Examine option A, fell out with, which changes the tense to simple past and loses the sense of present relevance. Step 5: Option B, has fallen out of, is incorrect because fall out of means physically fall from inside something, not quarrel. Step 6: Option C, has fallen in with, means to join a group or association, which is the opposite of a break in relations. Step 7: Therefore, option D, no improvement, is the correct choice.

Verification / Alternative check:
Replace the phrasal verb with a simple verb to confirm meaning: She has quarrelled with the boy she was supposed to marry. This matches the idea conveyed by has fallen out with. If we chose fell out with, the sentence would refer to a finished event without clear present relevance. If we chose has fallen in with, it would mean that she has joined the boy or his group, which contradicts the idea of a breakup.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A changes the tense in a way that slightly weakens the link to the current situation. Option B creates a completely different meaning related to motion out of a physical container. Option C expresses almost the opposite meaning of the original sentence. Hence, these options do not improve the sentence and would misrepresent the intended meaning.

Common Pitfalls:
Many learners are tempted to change tenses whenever they see has in a sentence, thinking that simple past is always safer. Others confuse similar sounding phrasal verbs like fall out with and fall in with. A good habit is to learn phrasal verbs with their fixed prepositions and meanings together, and to pay attention to tense only after the meaning is correctly identified.

Final Answer:
no improvement is correct because the phrase has fallen out with is already idiomatic and appropriate.