Fill in the blank with the right phrasal verb: The investigation was _____ after new evidence emerged.

Correct — C. The blank follows was, so it needs a phrasal verb that works in the passive, with 'the investigation' as the thing acted on.

The clause 'after new evidence emerged' gives the reason: evidence is what prompts an authority to deal with a case. Take up means to begin to consider or deal with a matter.

'The investigation was taken up after new evidence emerged' → option (c).

Why the others are wrong

• (a)
  called off — Called off means cancelled. The sentence gives new evidence as the trigger, which points to the inquiry being pursued, so cancelling it reverses the logic.
• (b)
  picked up — Picked up comes closest. As 'resumed' it means starting again after an interruption, and the sentence mentions no halt. Its other senses, lifted or collected, do not suit an investigation.
• (d)
  revived up — Revived up is not an established phrasal verb. Revive works on its own ('the case was revived'), and adding up makes the phrase unidiomatic.

A phrasal verb is a verb plus a particle whose meaning is more than the sum of its parts. Take up, call off and pick up each have several senses, so the sentence decides which one is live.

Here two clues work together: the passive 'was ___' and the cause 'after new evidence emerged'. New evidence prompts action on a case, and the phrasal verb for beginning to deal with a matter is take up.

Key facts

• Take up a matter means to begin to consider or deal with it: the committee took up the proposal.
• Call off means to cancel: the strike was called off.
• Pick up can mean to resume after an interruption: pick up where you left off.
• A transitive phrasal verb can be made passive with the particle kept: the case was taken up.

Common traps

• Picking picked up because new evidence suggests a restart, when the sentence never says the inquiry had stopped
• Accepting revived up because revive suits a reopened case, without checking that the phrase exists

No directly related past PYQ was found.