Nouns

1. Advice is/are like kissing: it/they costs/costs nothing and is/are a pleasant thing to do.
2. As the construction works was/were halted in 1996, some stages of this standard procedure were not
concluded satisfactory.
3. Athletics is/are in the blood in the North East.
4. Cattle was/were driven out of Texas well before the Civil War.
5. Chess is/are a classic two person board game.
6. Her knowledge of English grammar is/are very extensive.
7. Her politics has/have become more liberal over the past few years.
8. If the contents of the box is/are fragile, make a separate label that says "FRAGILE," and stick it near
the first label.
9. It is likely that her phonetics is/are affected by some other language, perhaps English.
10. It looks like the hair is/are attached with a hatpin in the last photo.
11. It's just that the basics was/were either so beneath the board's attention that it/they didn't seem to
matter.
12. Measles was/were described as long ago as the ninth century.
13. Money is/are tight at the moment.
14. Nuclear arms is/are paradoxically seen as an insurance against its/their own use.
15. Once clean, the clothes was/were wrung out.
16. Police suspects/suspect a local gang.
17. Statistics shows/show that far more people are able to ride a bicycle than can drive a car.
18. The cash is/are a real stimulus to economic activity.
19. The rich and famous is/are not the only one/ones who goes/go through infidelity scandals.
20. Women film directors in Hollywood is/are a rare species.

Open the brackets using the verb in a suitable form (singular or plural, present or past).

1. Cases of measles (be) described as early as the seventh century. 1.

2. Cash (be) taken during a burglary of the apartment. 2.
3. Her long wavy hair (be) tied back with a bow. 3.
4. Here (be) some of the basics you will need to know. 4.
5. His knowledge of ancient civilizations (be) unrivalled. 5.
6. I assume her politics (be) fairly conservative. 6.
7. Most of the gallery's contents (be) damaged in the fire. 7.
8. Several police (be) injured during the rioting. 8.
9. Statistics (show) that 50% of new businesses fail in their first year. 9.
10. There (be) lots of advice in the book on baby care. 10.
11. What sort of clothes (be) he wearing? 11.
12. You have to work long hours and the money (be) terrible! 12.

Disjunctive Questions
1. He has never travelled abroad,
2. He has lunch at home,
3. Don’t be late,
4. She can hardly hear,
5. There are a lot of people on the beach,
6. I’m having lunch with Mr. Ford today,
7. You’ll be at home tonight,
8. My brother went to London last year,
9. Somebody is calling you,
10. Let’s go shopping,
11. Switch on the lights,
12. The weather is nasty today,
13. You haven’t got a pet,
14. Something has to be done,
15. There isn’t any coffee in the pot,
16. Nobody speaks Chinese here,
Insert a preposition/an adverb where necessary.

1. … the police, his attackers beat him with a blunt instrument. 1.

2. A crowd of boys throwing snowballs … each other. 2.
3. A lot of emotional problems can be traced … to childhood. 3.
4. Can you finish the job … two weeks? 4.
5. He always used to fool … in class. 5.
6. I haven't played rugby … I left university. 6.
7. I mentioned the subject … our discussions at her Washington office. 7.
8. I'm usually out … Friday evenings. 8.
9. Please hand in your keys at reception … your departure from the hotel. 9.
10. She had promised to be back … five o'clock. 10.
11. The ticket is valid … March. 11.
12. They were suddenly plunged into darkness as the train went … a tunnel. 12.
13. We had been talking … a good half hour. 13.
14. We met … the early afternoon. 14.
15. We spent three hours waiting in the rain … you! 15.
16. We'll have to swim … the river. 16.
17. We're hoping to open the factory some time … next year. 17.
18. You can get information … local services by calling this number. 18.
19. You can meet the actors … . 19.
20. We'll see you … Christmas. 20.

Adverbs and Adjectives

1. I remarked that it was better to approach Ken (1) direct/directly and not through his secretary. His secretary laughed out
(2) loud/loudly at my remark. I think really she was (3) deep/deeply offended by what I'd said.
2. Old Mr Elkins is still going (4) strong/strongly although he's over ninety. He says he'd like to reach a hundred, but
admits he may be aiming a bit (5) high/ highly. However, there's a (6) wide/widely held belief in the village that he'll get
there.
3. Georgina was about to say something but stopped (7) short /shortly, and her eyes opened (8) wide/widely with
amazement. Somewhere in the house a horse had neighed (9) loud/loudly.
4. 'He told me to turn (10) sharp/sharply left just past the station.'
'If he told you that he told you (11) wrong/wrongly. But you got here in the end even though you were (12) wrong/wrongly
directed.'
5. (13) Faint /Faintly in the distance we heard the noise of thunder. Then the radio went (14) faint/faintly and we could (15)
hard/hardly hear the news. We shut all the windows (16) tight/tightly and waited for the storm.
6. Marilyn's leaving (17) short/shortly for the United States on a business trip. As she (18) right /rightly says, there's
nothing like personal contact for promoting one's products. Her suitcase is so (19) tight/tightly packed with samples
there's not even room for a toothbrush. She refuses to take two suitcases because she wants to travel (20) light/lightly.
7. Ken was driving along at about eighty miles an hour when a stone went (21) clean /cleanly through the windscreen and
hit him in the face. Afterwards he talked (22) light /lightly of the affair, but he was lucky to escape with his life.
8. There's a lot more to Willie than one would think: still waters run (23) deep/ deeply, as they say. I've been following his
career (24) close/closely, and think high/highly of his ability as an architect. But he's inclined to work too hard/hardly, and
the doctor has recently advised him to go (27) slow/slowly.
9. When I took my driving test, the examiner said I had done everything (28) right/rightly except reversing, when I had
turned too (29) sharp/sharply and mounted the pavement. He (30) strong/ strongly recommended me to practise in a
smaller car than the one I'd been using.
10. Denis thinks up the most ludicrous schemes, which all fall (31) flat /flatly. Helen's parents are (32) flat /flatly opposed
to any idea of her marrying him. They say he was (33) direct /directly involved in the recent financial scandal at the Town
Hall.
11. The struggles my parents had in the early years of their marriage brought them (34) closer /more closely together.
Things often went (35) bad/badly for them in those days, but look at them now! Things turned out (36) right /rightly in the
end.

Open the brackets using a suitable degree of the adjective.

1. Do you think you could make a bit (little) noise? 1.

2. Fortunately we are (well-off) than we used to be. 2.
3. I must have a rest I can’t read any (far). 3.
4. I thought the second hotel we stayed in was no (friendly). 4.
5. It will take you only five minutes to get to the (near) café. 5.
6. My brother is two years (old) than me. 6.
7. The (much) you water this plant, the (fast) it will grow. 7.
8. The train takes just as (long) as the bus. 8.
9. These exercises seem to be getting (hard) and (hard). 9.
10. What's the (late) news about the situation in India? 10.

Pronouns

Complete the sentences with (a) few (of), (a) little (of), the few, or the little.

1. After the plane crashed in the desert, the survivors divided …………………. water they had left between
them.
2. Jim, Bill, Sue and Gill were just …………………. those who came to say goodbye.
3. I saw him first …………………. after midnight.
4. Unfortunately, much of the early history of Zimbabwe is still unknown. For example, we know
…………………. about the early patterns of settlement.
5. Because it was cheap, and we didn't have much money, …………………. us used to go to the cinema every
Saturday morning.
6. It will take …………………. time, but I'm sure you'll learn the rules of cricket eventually.
7. Stephen and …………………. his friends were waiting for us in the park.
8. The play was poorly attended, but …………………. people who came had a very good evening.
9. Many questions were asked, but …………………. were answered.
10. The soldiers seemed to have …………………. idea who they were fighting against or why.

Complete these sentences with some or any.

1. She's going on holiday with ……… friends in August.

2. I'm sure he doesn't have ……… evidence for his accusations.
3. There was never ……… question that she would return home.
4. Wasn't there ……… problem about your tax last year? I remember you telling me about it.
5. It is reported that there has been ……… improvement in the President's condition.
6. There is seldom ……… world news in the "The Daily Star".
7. I hope there wasn't ……… damage to your car.
8. Joan's mother scarcely ever let her have ……… friends round.
9. 'I'm going on holiday next week.' 'But haven't you got ……… important work to finish?'
10. There can hardly be ……… doubt that he is the best tennis player in the world.

Use There or It.

1. … is time for a break now. 1.

2. … is no bread left. 2.
3. … is snowy today. 3.
4. … is too late. 4.
5. … is a good film on at the cinema. 5.
6. … is very kind of you. 6.
7. … is so much to do today. 7.
8. … is someone at the door. 8.
9. … is my arm! Let it go! 9.
10. … a mistake in your dictation. 10.