Raise vs Rise: Choose by What Moves
This drill trains you to decide whether a subject moves or increases an object, or whether the subject itself goes up.
The subject itself goes up = rise
Choose raise
Use raise when the verb has a direct object: raise prices, raise salaries, raise standards, raise awareness, or raise an issue.
Choose rise
Use rise when the subject itself increases: prices rise, sales rise, costs rise, or attendance rises.
How to find the anchor
Check what comes directly after the blank. A stated object usually signals raise. If no object follows, look before the blank for the subject whose number, level, amount, or rate goes up.
The company plans to ___ its service fees in April.
Answer: raiseits service fees is the direct object. The company causes the fees to increase.
Fuel costs are expected to ___ next quarter.
Answer: riseFuel costs is the subject. The costs themselves go up, and no direct object follows.
The answer choices are raise and rise. Tap the controlling anchor before choosing.
What your result reveals
Your score shows whether you identified what moves before choosing. Use the Review to check whether the sentence contained a direct object, or whether the subject itself increased.
If raise caused problems
Check for a direct object after the blank. Someone or something must raise prices, standards, awareness, funds, questions, concerns, or another stated object.
If rise caused problems
Check the subject before the blank. Prices, costs, sales, demand, attendance, temperatures, rates, or levels rise by themselves in the sentence.
If false anchors or timing caused problems
You may be choosing from the general idea of “going up” instead of checking whether the verb has a direct object.
Use the Review in this order: check the correct answer, identify the subject and any direct object, read why the anchor controls the choice, then compare the full sentence with the rejected verb.