Directions: Choose the word for the given options that could fit in the blank…

Concept

A phrasal verb pairs a base verb with a particle, and the particle determines the meaning — often quite different from the verb's literal sense. "Come" combined with different particles (over, back, across, along, off) forms distinct idiomatic verbs, each suited to a different context.

Application

The sentence describes paint gradually separating from a wall surface. Among the "come + particle" verbs, "come off" specifically means to become detached or to peel away from a surface it was attached to. This is exactly the action described for the paint, so "come off" completes the sentence correctly: "The paint is starting to come off the wall in the kitchen."

Contrast with the other options

• come over — means to visit a place/person, or for a feeling or mood to overtake someone; it does not describe a coating separating from a surface.

• come back — means to return to a place after leaving; it refers to reappearance, not to material detaching.

• come across — means to encounter something by chance, or to create a particular impression on others; it does not denote peeling or detachment.

• come along — means to accompany someone, or for a task to make progress; it does not describe material separating from a surface.

Only "come off" carries the detachment sense the sentence needs, which is why it is the correct completion.