Sentence improvement – choose the correct phrasal verb and pronoun placement for dictionary consultation: replace 'look for them in the dictionary' with the more idiomatic 'to look them up in the dictionary' while keeping agreement with the plural noun 'words'.
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Ato look it up
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Bto look them up
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Cto look at them
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DNo improvement
Answer
Correct Answer: to look them up
Explanation
Given sentence'Whenever my students come across new words, I ask them to look for them in the dictionary.'
Concept/ApproachFor consulting a reference source like a dictionary, the standard phrasal verb is look up. With pronouns, particle placement prefers 'look them up' (not 'look up them'). Also, the pronoun must match the plural antecedent 'words'.
Step-by-step correction1) Replace 'look for … in the dictionary' with the precise phrasal verb: 'look … up'.2) Keep plurality: 'them' refers to 'new words'.3) Final: '… I ask them to look them up in the dictionary.'
Why other options are incorrect'to look it up' → pronoun number mismatch ('words' is plural).'to look at them' → means 'to view', not 'to check meaning'.'No improvement' → retains a wordier, less idiomatic phrasing.
Final Answerto look them up