Exercise 2:

Un-English expressions

Exercise 62:
Correct the following sentences, giving the correct idiom:

1. Few people will admit that they have wrong.
2. Every day I put my watch with the school clock.
3. Will, there be a game today afternoon?
4. He brought a good example.
5. Slowly, slowly, don’t make a noise.
6. The teacher didn’t put us a new lesson.
7. Come down from the bicycle.
8. When do you make your bath?
9. I have much work, I need an hour to finish it.
10. Many young people drink cigarettes.

Misuse of the infinitive

Exercise 63:
Put a suitable gerund in the following:

1. Do this without ____  any mistakes.
2. We don’t enjoy ____ .
3. He succeeded in ____ the door.
4. I can’t prevent you from ____ .
5. It’s no use ____ about everything.
6. She stopped ____ in class.
7. I was busy ____ ready for dinner.
8. It’s worth ____ well.
9. I’m thinking of ____ to London next year.
10. It’s no use ____ over spilt milk.

Exercise 64:
Make sentences of your own, using a gerund after each of the following:

1. Avoid
2. Instead of
3. Stop
4. Finish
5. Tired
6. Prevent
7. Interested
8. Worth
9. Insist
10. Can’t help

The infinitive without to

 

Exercise 65:
Make sentences of your own, using an infinitive after each of the following verbs:

1. Can
2. Could
3. May
4. Might
5. Must
6. Let
7. Make
8. See
9. Hear
10. feel

Wrong position of adverbs

Exercise 66:
Rewrite the following sentences, placing the adverbs or adverbial phrases in the right position:

1. I can speak very well English.
2. I like very much music.
3. A beginner can’t speak correctly English.
4. The teacher explained very well the problem.
5. Michael recorded with his video camera the concert.
6. He put into his pocket the money.
7. He likes very much tea.
8. She learnt by heart the poem.
9. I received from my aunt a nice present.
10. He shut quickly the book.

Exercise 67:
Correct the following sentences, giving reasons for your corrections:

1. I always am on time.
2. It rains seldom in the desert.
3. We went yesterday there.
4. I’m not enough tall.
5. He begged the teacher to not punish him.
6. I could have not arrived sooner.
7. She will have not finished her work by tomorrow.
8. I prefer usually coffee to tea.
9. They are leaving for London this evening at seven o’clock.
10. Peter yesterday did not come to school.

Adverbs often confused

Exercise 68:
Give the correct adverb, very or too, in these sentences:

1. It’s ____ cold today.
2. He’s ____ old to work.
3. I can’t drink that coffee, it’s ____ strong.
4. Sugar is ____ sweet.
5. These trainers are ____ small for me.
6. The Eiffel Tower is ____ high.
7. Concorde flies ____ fast.
8. My little brother is ____young to go to school.
9. I felt ____tired to study.
10. He’s ____rich, he’s a millionaire.

Exercise 69:
Give the correct adverb, very or much, in these sentences:

1. I’m ____ sorry that you can’t come.
2. I was ____ pleased to meet him.
3. She was ____frightened of failing in English.
4. It was a ____amusing game.
5. I feel ____tired.
6. He plays better ____than his brother.
7. Her essay is ____ worse than yours.
8. It’s a ____ interesting book.
9. I was ____interested to hear what Becky said.
10. We’re ____ surprised at the news.

Exercise 70:
Give the correct adverb, very much or too much, in these sentences:

1. I like oranges ____.
2. Thank you ____.
3. I can’t study here, there’s  ____ noise.
4. Tk. 100 is ____ for that book.
5. He ate ____ and felt sick.
6. I was ____ awake when the baby started crying.
7. She talks ____ she’s a chatterbox.
8. I’m ____ obliged to you.
9. She was ____ interested in the subject.
10. She helped us ____.

Exercise 71:
Give the correct adverb, hard or hardly, in these sentences:

1. The country was hit very ____by the drought.
2. I ____know how to thank you for your kindness.
3. He’s ____ recovered from his illness.
4. If you work ____perhaps you’ll succeed.
5. Think ____before you came to a decision.

Exercise 72:
Make five sentences of your own, using the word ago

Using the wrong preposition

Exercise 73:
Fill in the blanks with suitable prepositions:

1. I wasn’t pleased ____her.
2. Cats are afraid ____ dogs.
3. Look ____ this new book.
4. We’re proud ____our country.
5. He feels ashamed ____ his low marks.
6. We arrived ____ the station late.
7. She’s very different ____her sister.
8. Are you satisfied ____your bicycle?
9. I’m not accustomed ____life in a hotel.
10. Many people complain ____their low wages.

Exercise 74:
Rewrite the following sentences, using the correct prepositions:

1. He was accused for lying.
2. I’m surprised from the news.
3. I’m interested for football.
4. Water is composed from oxygen and hydrogen.
5. Are you sure for his honesty.
6. She’s very good in English.
7. When is he leaving to England?
8. That depends entirely from you.
9. She was dressed with a yellow dress.
10. He did his best to comply to the requirements.

Exercise 75:
Write sentences, using the following words with suitable prepositions:

Aim, boast, insist, marry, deprive, die, different, fail, repent, succeed, good, interested, afraid, used, look, satisfied, pleased, ashamed, depend, prefer.

Exercise 76:
Make sentences of your own, showing clearly the difference between the following:

1. Arrive at/ arrive in
2. Angry with/ angry at
3. Pleased with/ pleased at
4. Look at/ look for
5. Write with/ write in
6. Divide in/ divide into
7. Die of/ die from
8. Disappointed in/ disappointed of
9. Sit at/ sit on
10. Tired of/ tired with

Prepositions often confused

Exercise 77:
Use to or at in these sentences:

1. He goes ____ the supermarket every morning.
2. Anne stood ____ the window.
3. Simon is ____ school.
4. I met him ____ the airport.
5. I’ m going ____a party tonight.
6. I enjoyed myself ____ the party.
7. The tourist stayed ____ the Palace Hotel?
8. After his illness, he returned ____work.
9. I saw Lucy ____ the cinema.
10. Please wait for me ____ the gate.

Exercise 78:
Use in or at in these sentences:

1. There are skyscrapers ____ New York.
2. I live ____ a small village.
3. I spent my childhood ____Greece.
4. My friend was born ____ Ceylon.
5. He studied ____ oxford.
6. She lives ____ Luxor ____ Egypt.
7. It’s more expensive living ____ London than ____ Brighton.
8. He lives ____Paris.
9. Diamonds are found ____ Kimberley____ South Africa.
10. He lives here ____Hong Kong.

Exercise 79:
Use in or into in these sentences:

1. The fish swim ____the river.
2. The man jumped ____the pool.
3. They were standing ____ the room.
4. We’re ____ the classroom now.
5. There’s a bird ____the cage.
6. We walked ____the next room.
7. The children are playing ____ the field.
8. He poured the water ____ the jug.
9. She drived ____ the sea.
10. The river flows ____ the sea.

Exercise 80:
Use at, in or on in these sentences:

1. He was born ____ 1978.
2. ____ winter the weather is cold.
3. ____ Christmas Day I received a lot of presences.
4. We reached Cairo ____nine o’clock.
5. The train arrived ____ night.
6. There’s a holiday ____the 11th of December.
7. People return from work ____ five o’clock.
8. ____ July the weather is warm.
9. ____the afternoon I went for a walk.
10. The train will arrive ____ Tuesday ____ eleven o’clock ____ the morning.

Exercise 81:
Use between or among in these sentences:

1. The work was shared all ____ of them.
2. He divided the money ____ his three children.
3. He did ____ the trees.
4. The President walked ____the two lines of soldiers.
5. ____ all those children, he didn’t have a single friend.
6. There was a fight ____ the two gangs.
7. The ball passed ____the goal posts.
8. We are ____friends.
9. His subject was ‘Life ____ the Eskimos.’
10. The cake was divided ____the two girls.

Exercise 82:
In the following sentences, choose the correct preposition in brackets:

1. He’s been ill (from, since) last Friday.
2. You’ve sold your car (at, for) a good price.
3. I sold my bicycle (at, for) seven thousands tk.
4. I expect to return (after, in) a week.
5. I can wait (to, tilt) next Tuesday.
6. We draw lines (by, with) a ruler.
7. She’s been absent (since, for) a month.
8. They spoke (for, about) the weather.
9. He worked (with, by) candle light.
10. You can send the parcel (with, by) post.

Exercise 83:
Write sentences of your own to show clearly the difference between the following pairs of prepositions:

1. Between/among
2. To/till
3. In/into
4. To/at
5. For/at (piece)
6. With/by
7. For/since
8. For/about
9. In/within
10. At/in

Omission of prepositions

Exercise 84:
Supply the prepositions omitted in the following:

1. Somebody is knocking the door.
2. I’m searching my lost book.
3. He said me, ‘I won’t come.’
4. She explained the difficult words him.
5. She never listens her mother.
6. I replied his letter at once.
7. Would you like me to send it you?
8. I’m too busy, I can’t wait you.
9. I asked his phone number.
10. She pointed the ship in the distance.

Exercise 85:
Make sentences of your own, using suitable prepositions after the following:

1. Ask
2. Explain
3. Knock
4. Listen
5. Remind
6. Say
7. Search
8. Speak
9. Wait
10. Wish

Unnecessary prepositions

Exercise 86:
Use each of the following in a separate sentence:

1. Answer
2. Attack
3. Approach
4. Enter
5. Resemble
6. Tell
7. Behind
8. Inside
9. Outside.
10. Around.

Exercise 87:
Fill in the blanks with the prepositions where necessary:

1. Let’s play outside ____ the house.
2. She’ssearching ____ her walkman.
3. I waited ____him outside the cinema.
4. We entered ____ a long discussion.
5. I taught my dog to obey ____me.
6. He entered ____the house by the back door.
7. Twins resemble ____each other.
8. The poor always wish ____riches.
9. I told ____him the truth.
10. I promised to write ____my mother

Miscellaneous examples

Exercise 88:
Correct the following sentences, giving reasons for your corrections:

1. The book is neither green or red.
2. He can’t speak English and French.
3. It costs two, three tk.
4. She not only spoke loudly, but also clear.
5. He ate and the three oranges.
6. I counted one hundred seven people.
7. She wants to learn and French.
8. He said that, ‘You’ll be sorry for it.’
9. I don’t know if I’ll be able to go.
10. From now and on I will work hard.

Confusion of parts of speech

Exercise 89:
Fill each blank with the correct word: as or like.

1. Act ____ a gentleman!
2. He does ____ he pleases.
3. She behaved ____ a baby.
4. She looks ____ her mother.
5. Do ____ he does.
6. Play the game ____ she does.
7. He dances ____ Fred Astaire.
8. You walk ____she does.
9. He acted just ____the rest.
10. He speaks ____ an Englishman.

Exercise 90:
Fill each blank with the correct word: no or not

1. I have ____ time to play.
2. She has ____a good memory.
3. He had ____ reason to be angry.
4. There is ____ enough furniture in this room.
5. Your plan is ____ different from mine.
6. I had ____ patience with him.
7. There were ____fewer than a thousand people.
8. There is ____furniture in this room.
9. She has ____enough money.
10. I want ____more, thank you.

Exercise 91:
Fill in the blanks with the correct word: died or dead.

1. Her grandfather is ____.
2. She ____ of old age.
3. The ____ leaves fell from the trees.
4. Her aunt is ____ she ____ many years age.
5. The soldier ____for his country.
6. The ____ horse is lying in the field.
7. They ____ a cruel death.
8. The flowers have ____.
9. The soldier ____from his wounds.
10. Dinosaurs out millions of ____ years ago.

Exercise 92:
Fill each blank with the correct word: it’s or its.

1. The bird has broken ____ wing.
2. I fear ____going to rain.
3. ____ almost nine o’clock.
4. I think ____yours.
5. The tree will soon lose ____leaves.
6. ____time to go home.
7. Every river has ____ source.
8. ____ a long time until Christmas.
9. An animal will often die for ____young.
10. ____ too late to go now.

Exercise 93:
Fill each blank with the correct word: good or well.

1. Mary did her work ____.
2. She speaks ____ English.
3. I did ____in the exam.
4. She looks ____ today.
5. It’s ____ to be with friends.
6. He did ____ work.
7. She didn’t see ____.
8. He has done ____ in his training?
9. I’m quite ____.
10. She speaks very ____.

Exercise 94:
Fill each blank with the correct word: past or passed.

1. The ____ month was wet.
2. He ____his exam.
3. The ball ____ between the goal-posts.
4. The bullet whistled ____ my ear.
5. Several months have ____since he left.
6. Forget the ____.
7. The plane flew ____.
8. It’s half ____eight.
9. She ____the salt to the guest.
10. The door was open when I walked ____.

Exercise 95:
Rewrite these sentences, choosing the correct word in brackets:

1. This thing (is, does) not worth more than five tk.
2. (After, then) he shut the door and went to bed.
3. He (is, does) not able to speak English correctly.
4. Don’t be (fool, foolish).
5. He’s a (fool, foolish).
6. Flowers smell (sweet, sweetly).she’s so proud that she doesn’t (and, even) greet her friends.
7. The mother (weighed, weighted) her baby.
8. I want to learn (and) other languages (too).
9. Is it (truth, true)?

General exercise

The numbers in the brackets refer to the sections n which the mistakes are explained.
Correct whatever is wrong in the following:

1. Why you are studying the English? (362, 306)
2. John reads good, isn’t it? (577, 164)
3. Why you not say the truth? (362, 206)
4. Will I go at the post-office? (396, 379)
5. How to make this problem, sir? (132, 399)
6. Is she more better than me? (340, 153, 137)
7. I’ve written him last week. (114, 241)
8. I past my time too well to the hotel. (584, 455, 379)
9. Let me to try to do this and me. (326, 581)
10. I have never seen a so good film. (374, 556, 263)
11. He’s not ate nothing these two days. (112, 167)
12. When I sleep I take out my shoes. (437, 446)
13. He didn’t obeyed to their advices. (104, 292, 514)
14. She’s going each morning to the school. (121, 468, 315)
15. He works in the office since five years. (117, 392)
16. How you are going with your piano lessons? (362, 218)
17. Can you to come for dinner today evening? (321, 219)
18. My brother he’s found in the first class. (332, 438)
19. It does not worth to say lies about it. (573, 97, 398)
20. I made all which I could for helping him. (399, 145, 165)
21. It’s two years now since she left from England. (118, 291)
22. Please return back to shut the light. (342, 208)
23. Avoid to make these sort of mistakes. (86, 545)
24. Myself and my sister will not be present. (141, 378)
25. He got down from his bicycle and spoke me. (193, 236)
26. He travelled with the train from the Alexandria. (13, 301)
27. She wouldn’t take fewer than hundred tk. (477, 250)
28. The two first pages of my book has been lost. (373, 554)
29. The knife was laying on the table where I lay it. (400)
30. That punishment will learn him to do not do it again. (427, 359)
31. You neither work at school or at your house. (181, 372, 489)
32. I can’t understand because he don’t speak clear. (243, 578)
33. The man which you saw him yesterday is very rich. (144, 336)
34. She said that she’s never not gone at London. (107, 167, 379)
35. I think to go to home for to spend the holidays. (83, 351, 345)
36. The office is open on the morning at Saturday. (383)
37. It’s two years since I began to study the English. (117, 306)
38. She told that she was at Englad before three years. (398, 381, 458)
39. He was angry at me because I said him he has wrong. (6, 398, 107, 187)
40. When I went to home I found that the money was disappeared. (351, 160)
41. He said to me that he is not satisfied from his teacher. (398, 107, 59)
42. She told that she can’t remember nothing about it. (398, 107, 167)
43. I and he intend to leave to England after two weeks. (378, 44, 394)
44. I am knowing the answer but cannot say it in the English. (120, 306)
45. I rang two times, but I could not make no one to hear. (168, 167, 327)
46. They bought a new house when the baby was born which it cost all their savings. (370, 336)
47. When he will return back, I shall say him everything. (126, 342, 398)
48. I am much pleased to inform you that I have reached to this station yesterday. (456, 114, 294)
49. The British Isles are consisted from England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. (301, 19)
50. The English is not only difficult to write it, but also to speak it. (306, 372, 338