1. Exercise 1
Complete the passage below with appropriate articles.
One day, David took his father‟s long spear, axe and fishing pole. “I am going to catch
fish for dinner,” he thought. He cut a hole in (1) ______ ice with (2) ______ axe. Then, he sat
down to fish.
He was so busy fishing that he did not notice (3) ______ polar bear lurking close by.
(4) ______ bear plodded closer to him until it was close enough to grab him. Suddenly, he heard
(5) ______ loud shout. He looked up and saw his father waving (6) ______ oar at (7) ______
bear. (8) ______ bear panicked and ran away quickly.
“You nearly became its dinner!” his father exclaimed. David thanked his father and
showed him (9) ______ fish he had caught. He had kept them in (10) ______ orange-coloured
pail. “No wonder the bear was attracted to you!” his father said.
Exercise 2
Underline the correct determiners.
1 He is successful in business although he has had very ( little / few ) years of schooling.
2 He spends ( most / much ) of his time watching television.
3 Would you like to have ( a few / a little) strawberries with your ice cream?
4 Every morning, I do ( some / a few ) exercise before I go to school.
5 Business has been slow and he has not been able to sell off ( much / most ) of his goods.
6 I have ( a lot of / much ) homework, so I cannot go out and play football this evening.
7 There weren‟t ( many / plenty of ) students in the field because of the haze.
8 I normally take ( much / a little ) sugar with my coffee or tea.
9 The restaurant has ( few / a little ) tables and so many customers have to be turned away.
10 He does not speak ( many / much ) English because he comes from Thailand.
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2. Exercise 3
Complete the following sentences with the past continuous form of the words in brackets.
1 The teacher was angry because Hannah ____________________ (not pay) attention to her
lesson.
2 Asmah ____________________ (cook) when the lightning struck her refrigerator.
3 The students ____________________ (do) the experiment while the teacher
____________________ (explain) the process.
4 My sisters ____________________ (give) the dog a bath while Mother _________________
(water) the plants.
5 The snake charmer ____________________ (blow) his flute to make the snake dance.
6 The girl, sitting in the corner, ____________________ (smile) to herself.
7 Everyone in the audience ____________________ (enjoy) the show when suddenly one of
tigers ran out of the tent.
8 While I ____________________ (drive) out of the parking lot, my mobile phone rang.
9 She ____________________ (play) outside even though it ____________________ ( rain).
10 I could not attend the concert because I ____________________ (not wear) the proper attire.
Exercise 4
Match the statements in Column A with suitable Question Tags in Column B.
Column A Column B
1 We are going to have a barbecue, does he?
2 She will be an efficient secretary, wasn‟t it?
3 Daniel is studying medicine in college, aren‟t we?
4 You are not leaving me here alone, wasn‟t she?
5 It was an interesting show, isn‟t he?
6 He does not keep exotic snakes as pets, aren‟t they?
7 Marie Curie was a famous scientist, won‟t she?
8 All the facts in this article are correct, are you?
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3. Exercise 5
Complete the sentences in the comparative form using an appropriate phrase from the list below.
The first has been done for you.
tiring journey diligent worker exciting game healthy diet
good idea happy life spacious office
small box expensive car interesting storyline
1 We should avoid fast food and follow a healthier diet in order to cope with today‟s hectic
lifestyle.
2 When he was promoted as manager of the bank, he was given a ____________________.
3 Travelling by bus makes for a ____________________ than travelling by train.
4 She could have a ____________________ if she were not so pessimistic about everything.
5 I‟m sure my suggestion will not be accepted. Please come up with a
____________________.
6 As she is not so strong let her carry the ____________________.
7 Hannah bought a bigger and ____________________ when she struck the first prize in the
lottery draw.
8 Yesterday, Alvin played a ____________________ than today.
9 Between the two boys, Hussein is the ____________________ and is willing to work
overtime.
10 This book has a ____________________ than the one I read last week.
SUCCESS IS NOT FINAL
FAILURE IS NOT FATAL
IT IS THE COURAGE
TO CONTINUE THAT COUNTS
Exercise 6
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4. Complete the following sentences with an appropriate verb.
whispered smiled sang pleaded slept
shouted bowed cheered listened spoke
1 He _____________ tunefully as he walked down the street.
2 She _____________ angrily at the salesman for giving her wrong information.
3 The singer _____________ humbly to the audience.
4 Susie _____________ broadly when her teacher congratulated her.
5 He _____________ softly as he did not want to wake up the baby.
6 The man _____________ pitifully to the judge for a lenient sentence.
7 They _____________ joyfully when they won the competition.
8 The audience _____________ attentively to the speaker.
9 My brother _____________ eloquently during the debate.
10 Maniam _____________ soundly in spite of the noise around him.
EXCELLENCE IS A HABIT,
NOT AN ACT,
IT TAKES PRACTICE AND PRESEVERANCE
Exercise 7
Complete the sentences with the prepositions and adverbs in brackets.
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5. 1 I worked part time __________ the holidays __________ three months. (for, during, since)
2 I will come to your house __________ five o‟clock and we can do the work together
__________ dinner time. (at, in, until)
3 The programme is __________ every day __________ nine o‟clock. (at, for, on)
4 Maria visited her parent‟s house five years __________ and she has not been back
__________ then.
(ago, during, since)
5 I lived in that neighbourhood __________ six years, from 1999 to 2004 and many new
houses have been constructed __________ that time. (for, during, from, since)
6 I should have handed in my report a week __________. My teacher gave me a deadline and
said I must hand it in __________ three o‟clock this afternoon. (by, ago, since )
7 My birthday party will start __________ 9 o‟clock __________ Saturday. (in, on, at)
8 Fifty-five years __________, Malaysia became independent and __________ then we
celebrate our National Day __________ 31st of August. (since, ago, at, on)
9 My sister bought a new car __________ 2001 and used it __________ three years only. (for,
at, in)
10 Anne Frank‟s diary was written __________ World War II and it has been published in many
languages __________ then. (in, during, since)
Exercise 8
Choose the most appropriate adverb for the following sentences.
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6. 1 The last participant answered the questions ______ and was awarded first placing.
A correctly B attentively C faintly
2 The boy fought ______ against the big bullies until the teacher intervened.
A badly B bravely C sportingly
3 He crept ______ up the stairs when he returned at midnight.
A suddenly B distinctly C stealthily
4 The lady listened ______ as the doctor explained the whole treatment to her.
A anxiously B rudely C weakly
5 We waited ______ for the bus although it was half an hour late.
A sadly B clumsily C patiently
6 The maid folded the clothes and kept them ______ in the cupboard.
A deeply B neatly C lightly
7 The invigilator explained ______ the procedure the students have to follow for the Science
practical exam.
A suddenly B clearly C rudely
8 The terrified driver mumbled ______ when the police questioned him about the accident.
A smartly B willingly C inaudibly
9 When the rain poured down unexpectedly, we ran ______ to the hall.
A quickly B bitterly C foolishly
10 The scene was painted ______ although it was his first effort.
A beautifully B uniquely C sadly
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7. Exercise 9
Complete the following sentences with the passive form of the verbs in brackets.
1 I have collected all the permission slips that are __________________ (need) for the trip.
2 If you hadn‟t been so late, you would not have __________________ (punish) by the
teacher.
3 Last night, the manager of the outlet was __________________ (stab) by two robbers.
4 The food on the table had __________________ (eat) by the dog.
5 She was __________________ (give) a ticking off by the principal for being rude.
6 The actor from Hong Kong was __________________ (offer) an acting role in Hollywood
last month.
7 My examination slip has __________________ (collect) by my parents.
8 The piece of land has __________________ (donate) to the orphanage.
9 The concert for the teachers had __________________ (plan) since January.
10 The book was __________________ (write) by Jeff Hefner.
Exercise 10
Fill in the blanks in the following sentences with the correct form of the verb ‘to be’.
1 Can I _________ of any help to the students?
2 _________ you ever _________ to Australia?
3 I did not agree _________ the organiser of the camping trip.
4 His parents treat him and his sister as if they _________ still children.
5 Most people like _________ healthy and wealthy
6 It _________ time you _________ in bed.
7 Where _________ you _________ all these months?
8 Have you tried _________ on your own for at least a year?
9 When the results _________ announced, we wished we _________ more diligent during the
term.
10 It _________ useless to think of what might _________ if we _________ helped her.
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8. Exercise 11
Fill in the blanks with the correct word or phrase in the following sentences.
skip wade through refer to from cover to cover
flip through browse skim look up
1 Most of the time I go into the bookshop and ____________________. Sometimes, I come
across interesting books.
2 I have a tendency to ____________________ certain parts of a story, especially the
uninteresting parts.
3 My father is an avid reader and he insists that we ____________________ every book that
we have.
4 If you do not know his phone number, ____________________ it ____________________
in the directory.
5 Before I buy a magazine, I will ____________________ it to see whether there are
interesting articles.
6 To ____________________ a page is to read it quickly taking in only the gist of the text.
7 I had to ____________________ four books to get the facts for my thesis on the Industrial
Revolution.
8 You do not have to use the encyclopaedia so often. You only need to ___________________
it for further information.
YOU ARE BRAVER THAN YOU BELIEVE,
STRONGER THAN YOU SEEM,
AND SMARTER THAN YOU THINK.
(WINNIE THE POOH)
Exercise 12
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9. Change the following sentences into the passive voice.
1 My parents gave each one of us a good education.
_________________________________________________________________________
2 The students painted the mural beautifully.
_________________________________________________________________________
3 Someone will meet you at the lobby.
_________________________________________________________________________
4 The police have detained the thief who broke into your house.
_________________________________________________________________________
5 Joyce took over your duties while you were away.
_________________________________________________________________________
6 Someone took my shoes by mistake. I cannot find them.
_________________________________________________________________________
7 The predawn fire destroyed many houses.
_________________________________________________________________________
8 They are going to hand in their handicraft tomorrow.
_________________________________________________________________________
9 We showed our passports to the guard at the station.
_________________________________________________________________________
10 The people voiced their concern over the high road accidents.
_________________________________________________________________________
Exercise 13
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10. Change the following direct questions to indirect questions by completing the second sentence.
1 “Where is your bag, Maniam?”
He asked Maniam
_____________________________________________________________
2 “What do you want to buy?”
The salesman asked ___________________________________________________
3 “Do you know who our form teacher is?”
She asked me
________________________________________________________________
4 “Can you describe this to me again?”
He wanted her
________________________________________________________________
5 “Where have you been all this time?”
Father asked me
_______________________________________________________________
6 “Is this the best you can do?”
The teacher asked Linda
________________________________________________________
7 “Why are there so many people in the bank?”
I wondered
___________________________________________________________________
8 “When is the trial examination?”
Jack wanted to know
___________________________________________________________
9 “Is he going to town with me?”
She wondered if
_______________________________________________________________
10 “Have you seen my wallet?”
Mother asked
_________________________________________________________________
Exercise 14
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11. Fill in the blanks with a suitable noun formed from the word in brackets.
1 There was loud ______________ (applaud) when the guest of honour made his
______________(appear) on stage.
2 The yearly National Day ______________ (celebrate) is a ______________ (remember) of
our ______________ (independent) from British rule.
3 We have made the ______________ (arrange) for you to meet the head of this
______________ (organise).
4 She did not do well because of her ______________ (nervous) and lack of ______________
(concentrate).
5 Please follow the correct ______________ (instruct) so that the ______________ (register)
can be carried out smoothly.
6 The Worker of the Year award was given to Johan for his ______________ (capable) and
______________ (efficient).
7 It is everyone‟s ______________ (responsible) to take ______________ (act) against crime.
8 She offered her ______________ (assist) to guide the visually-impaired to the
______________(enclose) that was specially set up for them to touch the animals.
9 Teenagers feel that parents tend to curb their ______________ (free) but I feel that this
subject is open to ______________ (discuss).
10 There will an inquiry into the ______________ (disrupt) of the lesson because of the
______________(grave) of the incident.
THE MAN WHO REMOVES A MOUNTAIN
BEGINS BY CARRYING AWAY SMALL STONES.
Exercise 15
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12. Replace the underlined words with an appropriate idiomatic expression from the list provided.
a bolt from the blue at a snail‟s pace
rule with an iron hand Don‟t beat about the bush
by the skin of our teeth a thorn in the flesh
under her own steam threw caution to the wind
the fat is in the fire bury the hatchet
1 The last few participants of the Big Walk walked very
slowly for the last two kilometers because they were
extremely tired.
2 The teacher insisted, “Go straight to the point. Tell me the
truth about the incident.”
3 The man makes all the decisions showing that he controls
his family very strictly.
4 The news that his parents had decided to separate was an
unexpected happening.
5 Jane and Diana decided to forget past quarrels and become
friends again.
6 When she was told about her sickness she started taking
risks by joining high-flying activities.
7 My neighbour‟s dog is a constant annoyance as he barks at
us every time he sees us.
8 The visually impaired student who worked independently
and without anybody‟s help managed to do well in the
examination.
9 When the car skidded, father managed to control the car
and so we escaped a fatal accident by a small margin.
10 As I have told him the truth and the harm has been done,
let‟s wait and see what the principal decides.
Exercise 16
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13. Replace the word ‘walked’ in the following sentences with a more appropriate word. The first
has been done for you.
1 The new student who comes from a rich family walked around with her strutted
nose in the air.
2 At the passing out parade, the soldiers saluted as they walked past the
grandstand.
3 We walked across the room slowly and quietly for fear of waking the baby.
4 Puan Hannah walks in the park every evening to enjoy the fresh air.
5 The headmaster walked with an authoritative air along the school corridors.
6 The lady walked all around town looking at the Christmas decorations in
the shops.
7 She walked into the room with an easy pace without a care in the world.
8 The clumsy man walked into the shop like a bear and banged into the
display of canned drinks.
OUR GREATEST GLORY
CONSISTS NOT IN NEVER FALLING,
BUT IN RISING EVERY TIME WE FALL.
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14. Exercise 17
Complete the sentences below with an appropriate idiom from the list provided.
dog in the manger rolling in money
fits and starts my cup of tea
in the nick of time word for word
in hot soup sink or swim
apple of his eye stand on ceremony
1 Since you do not need the book, you should not hold on to it. Let me use it. Don‟t be a
_____________________.
2 I am very sure my father will buy this IPod for me although it is expensive. After all, I am the
_____________________.
3 He did not do well in the examination because he did not study regularly or consistently. He
studied _____________________.
4 Henry‟s software for graphic design is selling so well that he is _____________________.
He has even expanded his business.
5 I know that he will take revenge on me, but whatever happens and _____________________
I‟m going to report to the teacher about his bullying.
6 The firemen came _____________________; otherwise I would have lost my whole family
to the fire.
7 Watching a game of football on TV on Sunday morning is not _____________________. I
would rather play the game in the park.
8 Sara is a good listener and will relate whatever she hears _____________________ to you.
9 She welcomed us most cordially and told us not to _____________________ but to make
ourselves at home.
10 When your parents know that you skipped your tuition class, you will be
_____________________.
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15. Exercise 18
Underline the correct answers.
It was Monday and the usual school assembly was in progress. The principal (1) (was giving /
gave ) a speech about the coming Teachers‟ Day celebrations. We (2) ( listened / were listening )
attentively when Sarah (3) ( touched / was touching ) me on my shoulders. At that time, the
principal (4) (was saying /said) that this year‟s slogan will be „My Teacher My Friend‟. While I
was deep in thought, Sarah (5) (continued / was continuing ) whispering to me insistently. She
(6) ( was saying / said ) something about a cockroach on my bag when all of a sudden, she (7) (
screamed / was screaming ) hysterically. It turned out that the cockroach (8) ( flew / was flying )
towards her.
Exercise 19
Fill in the blanks with a word from the list below to complete the word collocations.
brand thin dead pitch crystal
rock fast stone broad dirt
1 I was __________ tired after the cross country run this morning.
2 The new shopping centre is having a sale. The prices are __________ cheap
3 He cannot hear what you are saying because he is __________ deaf.
4 This is not a second hand car. It is __________ new.
5 She went to bed and was __________ asleep within five minutes.
6 The water around the island is __________ clear and we saw corals and fishes.
7 We have not seen him for months. He seemed to have disappeared into __________ air.
8 The snatch thieves took my bag in __________ daylight.
9 The prices of those goods are being reduced quite rapidly and they will hit __________
bottom soon.
10 When we went into the cave, we could not see anything because it was __________ black.
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16. Exercise 20
Punctuate these sentences correctly.
1 the principal has invited chief inspector hamid to give a talk on road safety he will be here at
8.30 am
___________________________________________________________________________
2 linda explained to her mother the party is to celebrate our success in the debate I need to be
there as I was the best speaker
___________________________________________________________________________
3 the park ranger took out his shot gun then he shouted loudly get out of the water a crocodile
is swimming towards you
__________________________________________________________________________
4 the education system has undergone a change science and mathematics are taught in english
nowadays
__________________________________________________________________________
5 ive to rush off now my mother expects me to prepare dinner tonight she has to work overtime
___________________________________________________________________________
6 our principal puan hamidah expects us to win this tournament so put your best foot forward
___________________________________________________________________________
7 having completed his work mark went to the shopping mall he bought a dozen cans of drinks
a packet of burgers cucumbers and tomatoes for the tomorrows picnic
__________________________________________________________________________
8 the boy screamed mum the flood water is rising look the shoes slippers and books are
floating in the water
___________________________________________________________________________
ENJOY LIFE!
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