IPMAT Indore 2024 · Verbal Ability · Question 17

The phrasal verb. To fall through means to fail to happen; to collapse before completion. It is the standard verb for plans or arrangements that do not come off.

Why it fits. Heavy rain cancels a picnic — the plans did not merely slow down, they collapsed entirely.

Why the others fail:

(a) dropped out — to withdraw from something (a course, a race). It needs a person as subject; plans cannot drop out.

(b) dropped off — to decline gradually (sales dropped off) or to fall asleep. Rain cancels a picnic abruptly, not gradually.

(d) fell behind — to lag in schedule or progress. Falling behind implies the activity continues, just late; the picnic did not happen at all.

Answer: Option 3

Shortcut. Check the subject first. “Plans” is inanimate, which rules out (a) immediately — drop out requires a human agent.

Then distinguish by abruptness: drop off and fall behind both describe gradual change, while the trigger here (“started raining heavily”) is sudden and total. Only fall through carries that all-or-nothing sense.

Learn the collocation: plans, deals, sales and negotiations fall through. It is one of the most frequently tested phrasal verbs in the paper.