A good way to test and practice a student's knowledge of verb phrases is a worksheet. Write a number of sentences, appropriate to the language level of the student, and ask her to underline the verb phrase in each sentence. Alternatively, for students already fairly comfortable with the topic, leave a blank in place of the verb phrase, provide the infinitive of the verb or verbs in question and ask the student to create her own sentences.
As homework, or even as a test during class, have the student write a story on any topic that seems relevant to the course. Provide the student with a list of verbs, adverbs and nouns that must appear in verb phrases in the story and also stipulate that more than one tense must be used. This way, the teacher can evaluate how comfortable the student is with the verb phrase in a variety of situations and tenses.
Create a mind map with your class on the board. Start with the verb phrase --- for instance, "she ate" --- and put it in a giant circle in the center of the board. Ask the students for ideas to complete the sentence: "She ate ... ." Write each one on the board in smaller circles radiating out from the central one. The activity can be reversed and you can start the game with the direct object --- for example, "the cake" --- and each smaller circle would be a subject/verb construction to complete the sentence: "She made the cake." Students can also complete this activity in small groups to practice using verb phrases.
Have a discussion on any topic which is appropriate to the course and the language level of the students. Write some key verbs that the student should use in the answers to your questions, and try to direct the conversation so the student is forced to use a number of different tenses. Note down any errors the student makes but don't interrupt the flow of conversation. Once the discussion is finished go back over any verb phrase mistakes the student may have made. To ensure clarity try to keep the corrections only to the verb phrase topic, rather than pronunciation or other grammar mistakes.