In the following sentence, an idiom is highlighted. Choose the most suitable meaning of the phrasal verb "looked over" as used in the sentence. Sentence: The teacher looked over my homework and found it very well put together.

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: examined or checked

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This question focuses on the phrasal verb "look over" in an academic context. The sentence mentions a teacher, homework and a judgement that the work was well put together. You must choose the meaning that fits this situation and matches common classroom usage of the phrase.



Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Phrasal verb: "looked over".
  • Subject: the teacher.
  • Object: my homework.
  • Outcome: the teacher found it very well put together.
  • Option A: examined or checked.
  • Option B: ignored.
  • Option C: suspected.
  • Option D: belittled.


Concept / Approach:
To "look over" something means to examine it, usually fairly quickly, in order to check its quality, correctness or content. Teachers commonly look over homework, essays or test papers. The phrasal verb does not mean to ignore, to suspect or to insult. Therefore, the meaning that best fits here is "examined or checked".



Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Consider the context: a teacher and homework. The natural teacher action is to review or check the work.Step 2: Remember that "look over" is a standard phrasal verb meaning to examine something, often quickly.Step 3: Examine option A, "examined or checked". This directly matches the sense of reviewing homework.Step 4: Examine option B, "ignored". If the teacher had ignored the homework, they would not have formed any opinion about whether it was well put together.Step 5: Examine options C and D. "Suspected" means to doubt or distrust, and "belittled" means to make someone or something seem unimportant. Neither describes what the teacher does in the sentence.


Verification / Alternative check:
Substitute each option into a paraphrased sentence. "The teacher examined my homework and found it very well put together" is correct and natural. "The teacher ignored my homework and found it very well put together" is contradictory. "Suspected my homework" or "belittled my homework" do not fit with the positive evaluation mentioned. This confirms that "examined or checked" is the correct meaning.



Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Ignoring something is the opposite of examining it, so option B conflicts with the idea that the teacher formed a positive judgement. Option C suggests doubt, which would not be expressed by "found it very well put together". Option D introduces an insult or negative attitude, again clashing with the positive evaluation.



Common Pitfalls:
Phrasal verbs with "look" can be confusing because they have multiple meanings: "look after", "look into", "look up to" and so on. The key is to learn common collocations: "look over homework" almost always means to check it. Reading more examples helps fix these patterns in memory.



Final Answer:
Here, "looked over" means examined or checked, so option A is correct.


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