First of all, I just want to say that I feel that this is one of those grammar points that is often neglected in the classroom.
However, if you want to speak good English, you need to know the future continuous tense (or future progressive). This tense appears regularly in English. Therefore, it’s worth investing a wee bit of your time to learning how and when to use it.
Thankfully it’s pretty simple to construct – you don’t have to worry about conjugating it for each person. You are using ‘will be’ or ‘won’t be’ whether it’s first person singular, third person plural or whatever.
Subject + WILL+ BE +verb-ING
Positive: I will be having lunch outside. / I‘ll be having lunch outside.
Negative: You will not be having lunch outside. / You won’t be having…
Question: Will you be having lunch outside?
Scroll down to the bottom for a top study tip!
Grammar Explanation
1. We use the future continuous to express an action in progress at a certain time in the future. It is very often used with phrases like ‘this time tomorrow’ or ‘this time next week’
However, the actual time isn’t always expressed but it is implied.
This time tomorrow we’ll be flying to Japan.
I hope your operation goes well. I’ll be thinking of you.
2. Another use of the future continuous is to talk about things we believe could be happening now.
Don’t phone her right now. She’ll be having lunch.
“Where’s Josh?” – “I think I saw him in the conference room. He’ll be getting his presentation ready.”
3. It is also used as a more polite or indirect way to ask about plans.
Will you be joining us for dinner tomorrow?
(At a hotel) How will you be paying, sir?
Let’s practice, shall we?
Exercise
Add the correct form of the future continuous and scroll down for the answers.
1. Have a great birthday. I’m sorry we can’t be there but we __________ of you. (think)
2. This time tomorrow George __________ his driving test.(take)
3. You can have the computer this afternoon if you like. I __________ it. (not / use)
4. The team’s plane _________ in Barcelona right about now. (land)
5. “What __________ this time next year, Lizzy?” (you / do)
– “I hope I __________ and __________ in Canada.” (live; work)
6. I wouldn’t ring Sean right now. He __________ poker and you know how he hates to be interrupted. (play)
7. Karen has just called me. She __________ us for lunch tomorrow as she has to go to Milan. (not / join)
8. __________ your parents when you’re in Istanbul? (you / visit)
ANSWERS
1. ‘ll be thinking
2. will be taking
3. won’t be using
4. will be landing
5. will you be doing / ‘ll be living and working (there’s no need to repeat “I’ll be”)
6. ‘ll be playing
7. won’t be joining
8. will you be visiting
Study Tip
I don’t recommend trying to memorise ‘formulas’ for tense structures, for instance – Subject + WILL + BE + verb-ING.
Instead I prefer to memorise a useful short simple sentence which uses a structure, like the examples above. Then all you have to do is make little changes, such as the final verb in the case of the future continuous.
In my experience as a language learner, the brain finds it much easier to remember an example sentence than the formula. This works especially well with tricky structures like the conditionals. ………………………………………………………………………
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Pangolins are shy and quirky-looking creatures. They are unique in that they are the only mammals with scales.
These scales are made of keratin, the same substance found in hair, fingernails, and a) __________. Thanks to their appearance, behaviour, and diet, pangolins are sometimes known as scaly anteaters.
Yet, despite their appearance, pangolins are actually more closely related to carnivores such as dogs and b) __________. It’s strange when you consider that pangolins don’t have teeth!
There are eight different kinds of pangolin, including the black-bellied pangolin and the Sunda pangolin. Four species are c) __________ to Asia and four to Africa.
Depending on their species, they are found in a wide variety of habitats from tropical d) __________ to savannah or desert. Most live on the ground but some are tree-dwelling.
These solitary, and generally nocturnal creatures have a long slender snout and a e) __________ long tongue. Fully stretched, it’s about forty centimetres long! The tongue is narrow and sticky, perfect for slurping up insects from tunnels and hard-to-reach places.
Their strong f) __________ allow them to rip into ant and termite mounds or to tear g) __________ off trees.
Since they don’t have teeth, pangolins h) __________ insects whole. They ingest stones and they also have spines inside their stomach which help to break down their food.
Pangolins play a vital ecological i) __________ in that they help to keep down ant and termite populations. This is why they are known as guardians of the forest. It is estimated that, thanks to their j) __________ appetite, pangolins can polish off seven million insects a year!
To protect them while they are foraging, pangolins have strong muscles which help to seal shut their nostrils and ears so that the ants and termites can’t bite them.
When threatened pangolins behave like armadillos and hedgehogs – they roll up into a tight ball. Their hard scales act like a suit of armour, protecting their head and soft belly. This is in fact how pangolins got their name – ‘pengguling’ in Malay means ‘something that rolls up’.
This defensive ball can k) __________ predators as formidable as lions, but unfortunately, it’s this very posture that makes them so easily caught by humans who can just pick them up.
Pangolins don’t have big broods. African pangolins usually give birth to just one pup, whilst Asian pangolins only have one to three l) __________. When they are born the pangopups have soft scales which soon harden. The mothers will curl around their young to protect them while they are sleeping or if they sense danger.
Not so fun facts
Tragically, these gentle and fascinating creatures face immense threats to their survival such as poaching and habitat loss.
They are regarded as the most trafficked mammal in the world, due to a high demand for their meat and scales.
In some areas of Asia, pangolin meat is regarded as a delicacy and pangolin scales are used in traditional medicine, despite the fact that, as with rhino horn, there is no scientific evidence of health benefits.
All eight species are listed as threatened with extinction, two are critically endangered.
Answers
Exercise A
1 d) 2 h) 3 g) 4 e) 5 b) 6 c) 7 a) 8 f)
Exercise B
a) horns b) bears c) native d) forest e) phenomenally f) claws g) bark h) swallow i) role j) insatiable k) deter l) offspring
If you’d like a printable version of Precious Pangolins, see link at the top.
Find out more about pangolins and why we should care about their fate
Answers 1. are you using 2. tastes 3. take; ‘m driving 4. ‘s waiting 5. prefer 6. is coming 7. do you do 8. are you doing; ‘m trying 9. are you cooking; smells 10. doesn’t rain 11. stays 12. ‘m staying 13. ‘s sleeping 14. does…know 15. ‘m taking
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😻 SHARING is CARING 😻 An easy and cost-free thing you can do to support me and my ad-free website, is to spread the word about my quizzes and Recipes For English. Just one retweet, even if you think you have few followers, can go a LONG way. Thank you!
Can you complete all these words which start with the letters CR-? Each line represents a letter. Scroll down for the answers and more quizzes!
1. The veggie burger was delicious and the chips were lovely and cr_s_ _.
2. Why are you looking so happy? What have you done? You look like the cat that got the cr_ _ _.
3. The Sumatran rhino, the peacock tarantula and the great hammerhead shark are just a few of our cr_t_ _ _ _ _ _ endangered species.
4. Sam has to go to Tokyo next month for his job so he’s just started a cr_ _h course in Japanese.
5. There was very little legroom on the plane – it was very cr_ _p _d.
6. Don’t do business with that man – he’s a cr_ _ _. (colloquial for criminal)
7. The garden shed is often full of cr_ _ _y-cr_ _ _ _ _ _ like spiders, woodlice and silverfish.
8. At the concert the security guard asked for the journalist’s cr_d_ _ _ _ _ _ _ (= ID) and checked her bag before letting her through to the backstage area.
9. It wasn’t a surprise when the government gave the contract to one of the president’s cr_n_ _ _.
10. (On the phone) What’s the matter? You sound awful. Your voice is very cr_ _k_. (think of a frog 😉 )
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Complete these well-known English idioms with a number or ordinal number from the list. Scroll down for the answers.
first, four, nine, second, seven, six, ten, two
1. “What are you doing on all __________s?” – “I dropped an earring and it’s gone under the sofa. Help me look for it, will you.”
2. We were going to spend the weekend in Madrid but they say the weather is going to be awful so we’re having __________ thoughts.
3. Look at all those people dressed to the __________s. They must be going to a wedding.
4. Fans were knocked for __________ when the actor suddenly announced his retirement.
5. Ryan can’t live at his parents’ for ever. He needs to learn to stand on his own __________ feet.
6. If you get to the gym before 8am, you’ll find a parking space nine times out of __________.
7. Thanks to the internet, people can shop twenty-four-__________.
8. We always have a staff meeting __________ thing on Monday mornings.
What idioms are there related to numbers in your native language and what do they mean? Tell me in the comments or you can send me a tweet.
Click on the link at the top to download the printable version.
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ANSWERS: 1. four 2. second 3. nine 4. six 5. two 6. ten 7. seven 8. first
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Which of these sentences are grammatically incorrect? Correct the mistakes.There may be more than one mistake in a sentence. Scroll down for the answers.
1. I don’t know the people which live next door.
2. Do you want that I phone you later?
3. I’ve no idea why it happened.
4. You can’t wear that jacket at the interview. It’s not enough smart.
5. I can’t remember what she said!
6. Do you know Gordon? He’s a good friend of us.
7. We enjoyed our walk on the beach in spite the cold.
Reflexive pronouns – On my/your own vs. by myself / yourself, etc Exercise 1
Reflexive vs Reciprocal pronouns (myself, yourself, etc / each other) Exercise 1
ANSWERS
1. I don’t know the people WHO live next door. (or: THAT)
2. Do you WANT ME TO PHONE you later?
3. ✅
4. You can’t wear that jacket at the interview. It’s not SMART ENOUGH.
5. ✅
6. Do you know Gordon? He’s a good friend of OURS.
7. We enjoyed our walk on the beach IN SPITE OF the cold.
Remember, dear English learner – it is okay to make mistakes. Mistakes are an essential part of the language-learning process, but we need to learn from them!
Sloths have been around for over sixty million years, and until ten thousand years ago there was also even a giant sloth. These super-sized sloths called Megatherium could grow to the size of an elephant and a) __________ up to four tonnes!
Today sloths are found in the b) __________ forests of Central and South America. There are six species, two species are two-toed, and four are three-toed. Curiously though, it’s the number of claws on the forelimbs that is different, as all the species have three ‘toes’ on their back legs. So perhaps we should call them two-fingered and three-fingered sloths!
Sloths are named for their extreme slowness. The pygmy three-toed sloth is in fact the slowest c) _________ in the world, moving at a speed of only 0.24 km/h.
Contrary to popular d) __________, however, sloths aren’t lazy. Their slow-paced lifestyle is a vital part of their survival kit as it helps them conserve valuable energy. Another bonus of moving so slowly is that it helps them avoid e) __________ by formidable predators such as jaguars and harpy eagles who hunt using sight.
Not only are sloths slowcoaches, but their digestion is also very slow – it can take weeks to digest just one leaf!
You may have noticed that sloths often seem to have green fur. This green f) __________ comes from algae. It turns out that a sloth’s shaggy coat is quite the ecosystem – providing a home not only to algae, but also to fungi, g) __________, and other insects. In return, the green colour lends the sloths camouflage, helping them blend into the canopy. Sloths may also h) __________ by snacking on the algae or other inhabitants in their fur.
Thanks to their anatomical design, sloths are adept at hanging upside down. Organs such as the liver, stomach and bowel are attached to their rib cage which prevents them from squashing the animal’s i) __________ and impeding breathing. Their strong j) __________ claws allow them to latch onto branches securely and even to sleep suspended from the trees.
Another design attribute allows three-toed sloths to k) __________ their heads 270 degrees like owls, which may come in handy for keeping an eye out for predators.
Sloths are very cumbersome on the ground as they have little power in their hind legs. However, they are actually pretty strong swimmers and can even hold their breath underwater for forty minutes!
Sloths may be slow but they are three times as strong as humans. They can lift their whole body upwards using just one arm!
Sloths only come down from trees in order to poop, which they do about once a week. They are extremely l) __________ to predators when they are on the ground and so will even give birth up in the trees!
B) Idioms with SLOW
Complete the idioms with one of the words in brackets.
1. The government was criticised for being slow off the __________ in buying vaccines. They should have acted faster. (line, mark, step)
2. Maybe I’m slow on the __________take but I found the plot of the film really confusing at times. Didn’t you? (off, on, up)
3. The book was slow __________ at first but then it started to get a lot more interesting. (go, going, gone)
4. Come on, slow__________, hurry up and have your breakfast or you’re going to be late for school. (bus, car, coach)
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This only takes a millisecond and boosts my visibility on social media, meaning more people can find my content.
Or even better, tell them to follow me and to visit my website! 😺 And…..in addition to @EnglishSmarts I have two other accounts on Twitter, which is a great platform for practising writing English. Come and say hello!
@150phrasalverbs: – learn and review 150 really common multi-word verbs
SUPPORT ME and my website – it doesn’t cost a thing!
If you enjoy my quizzes, I would love it if you could Like and Retweet and Share with your friends, family and colleagues.
This only takes a millisecond and boosts my visibility on social media, meaning more people can find my content.
Or even better, tell them to follow me and to visit my website! 😺 And…..in addition to @EnglishSmarts I have two other accounts on Twitter, which is a great platform for practising writing English. Come and say hello!
@150phrasalverbs: – learn and review 150 really common multi-word verbs
2. Hey! Someone has been using my computer, __________?
3. We seldom eat out nowadays, __________?
4. I’m such a fool, __________?
5. Everyone likes Italian food, __________?
6. Don’t watch too much TV, __________?
7. Nobody was expecting her to win, __________?
8. This is ridiculous, __________?
9. There’s no point carrying on, __________?
10. He barely speaks English, __________?
11. That was a stupid thing to do, __________?
12. Clean this mess up right now, __________?
13. You’ve never liked her boyfriend, __________?
14. Hi! Lovely day, __________?
Answers
1. isn’t it 2. haven’t they 3. do we 4. aren’t I 5. don’t they 6. will you 7. were they 8. isn’t it 9. is there 10. does he 11. wasn’t it 12. will you 13. have you 14. isn’t it
✨ A fast way to find gaps in your English vocabulary is to do word formation exercises like this one.
✨ If you want to have a strong vocabulary read like mad! (= read a lot)
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Scroll down for the answers.
Use the word in capitals to form a new word which fits the gap.
1. _______ are working hard to find a cure. SCIENCE
2. It’s _______ whether John will play in tomorrow’s match. DOUBT
3. The film was really _______ so I turned off the television. BORE
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Key Word Transformation Exercises put your vocabulary AND your grammar to the test! Have you tried them?
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SPEAKING PRACTICE
These EFL conversation questions are for both English teachers and students. They can be used in class, or with a study buddy, or with somebody you do a language exchange with.
Tips for learners
In those in-between times when you can’t find somebody to practise with I recommending trying to write down your answers, or even talking out loud to yourself!
Ensure you make notes of useful words and phrases that you either couldn’t remember or didn’t know when you were trying to explain something. This will really help you to move forward with your English.
I also highly recommend going through the questions a second or third time at a later date with somebody else, as a way of revision, and you are sure to notice that you are able to explain things faster and more effectively.
Where possible, expand on your answers, give more details.
If you’re asking the questions, remember to use follow-up questions too. If the conversation goes off on a tangent that’s totally fine – as long as you’re practising, you’re learning! 😊
SPEAKING PRACTICE
Answer these hypothetical questions AND give reasons for your answers.
The more effort you make, the stronger your English skills will be.
1. If you could sing a duet with anyone in the world, who would you choose?
2. If you had your own restaurant, what would you call it, what kind of food would you serve and what location would you choose?
3. If someone gave you a hundred dollars right now, how would you spend it?
4. If you could have the best seats at any sporting event, which event would you choose?
5. If someone gave you a magic pill and told you that by taking it you would become instantly fluent in a language, which language would you choose, and why?
6. If you could see any animal in the wild, which animal would you choose?
7. If you could travel back in time which period of history would you like to visit?
8. If you could go and live in any country for a year, which country would you choose?
9. If you could have dinner with three famous people from the present or the past, who would you choose and what would you ask them?
10. If you could be president of your country, what three changes would you make?
11. If you had a band, what kind of music would you play, and what would it be called?
12. If you were stranded on a deserted island for a month, who would you like to be with you?
13. If you had one day to show me your town or city, which places would we visit and where would we go for lunch?
14. If you could turn back time, which occasion in your past would you relive?
15. If you could design and build your dream house or apartment, what would it look like and where would you build it?
16. If it were possible and your safety were guaranteed, which trip would you make – a day in space, a day in Antartica or a day deep-sea diving in a submarine?
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1. to be caught with your HAND in the cookie jar (to be caught stealing or doing something else dishonest) 2. to have egg on your FACE (look foolish because of something you did or said) 3. to wait on someone hand and FOOT (to tend to someone’s every need. Often used ironically) 4. to rack your BRAIN (to try very hard to remember something or to come up with an idea)
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What is the missing word? The same word fits all 3 gaps. Scroll down for the answer 😊👇🏼
🐝💚 If you enjoy my vocabulary quizzes I would be so grateful if you could share them on social media and with other English learners.
Despite my efforts, I am struggling to get my English content and my website seen these days with all the competition out there. By sharing them other students or teachers can find my free resources.
Moreover, it helps keep me motivated to creating more resources for you! Sharing is caring! 💚🐝
Each giraffe has a unique a) ____________ of spots just like humans have distinct fingerprints.
The second part of their scientific name ‘giraffa camelopardalis’ originated from their b) ____________ to a camel crossed with a leopard.
Just the neck of a giraffe is taller than most humans at about 2m. In order for the blood to be pumped all the way up to the c) ____________ , the giraffe has very high blood pressure, double that of humans.
Giraffes can comfortably walk at 15km/h and when they run they can reach speeds of up to 55km/h.
Giraffes have a rather curious way of walking: both legs on one side of the body move forward together and then the legs on the other side. This is a d) ____________ shared by cats and camels.
Since they are such large animals giraffes need a lot of fuel so they spend most of the day eating. They eat around 30kg of food a day – acacia leaves, e) ____________, fruits and flowers.
Like cows they are ruminants – their stomach has four compartments. They chew their food, f) ____________ it and then they regurgitate it (= bring the food back up into the mouth) to chew it again.
Giraffes produce a sticky g) ____________ which helps protect them from any thorns they might swallow when eating.
Despite their size, giraffes only need to drink water every few days which is fortunate as drinking from a watering hole is quite tricky because they have to h) ____________ out their front legs so that they can reach down to the water. Giraffes are also able to get water from the vegetation they eat.
Not only do giraffes have extremely long necks and legs but they also have a seriously long tongue – around 50cm. Their tongue is prehensile which means it is able to dexterously i) ____________ leaves and buds and pull them off.
Giraffes get by on very little sleep, just a couple of hours a day. They tend to sleep standing up as lying down makes them very vulnerable to j) ____________. They take short naps, sometimes lasting only 5 minutes!
Giraffes have a gestation period of about 15 months and they give birth standing up. The k) ____________ are already around 1.8m tall and are able to stand within an hour of being born!
Not known for being aggressive creatures they can defend themselves, however, with an extremely powerful kick which can be l) ____________.
B) Idioms with NECK
Underline the correct word to complete the expression.
Sorry, I can’t meet you for a coffee, I’m down / up to my neck in housework as we have guests coming to stay tonight.
I need to buy a better pillow. It’s too high and I have a crack / crick in my neck every morning.
Can you pick your toys up off the floor please! I’m going to break / stick my neck one of these days.
I’m going to be in your neck of thehoods / woods this weekend. Do you fancy meeting up for lunch?
I’m not going to the party if Jeff is going to be there. That guy is a pain / sore in the neck.
Answers
A) a) pattern b) resemblance c) brain d) trait e) twigs f) swallow g) saliva h) spread i) grasp j) predators k) calves l) lethal
B) 1) up to my neck (with a huge amount) 2) a crick in my neck (a stiff or painful neck) 3) break my neck (=hurt myself badly) 4) in your neck of the woods (in your area, where you live/work) 5) a pain in the neck (= really annoying)
What is the missing word? The same word fits all 3 gaps. Scroll down for the answer 😊👇🏼
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Despite my efforts, I am struggling to get my English content and my website seen these days with all the competition out there. By sharing them other students or teachers can find my free resources.
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Bees are fascinating creatures and hugely important pollinators. Next time you nibble on an almond or bite into an apple, you might want to say a quiet thank you to these industrious little marvels of nature. Bees are one of nature’s finest examples of teamwork.
There are around 20,000 a) ____________ of bee in the world but only eight are honey bees.
The queen bee’s sole job is to b) ____________ and c) ____________ eggs. She can produce as many as 1,500 to 2,000 eggs a day.
The worker bees are female and make up most of the colony. They have many d) ____________, such as keeping the hive clean, feeding the young and the queen, e) ____________ pollen and nectar from flowering plants, and they help to make honey.
Worker bees have another duty: to guard the hive or colony from f) ____________ like wasps, bears or g) ____________. They position themselves at the entrance, a bit like bouncers!
The drones are the male bees – their life is a little more leisurely – they have one h) ____________ role and that is to breed with a queen.
Only the female bees, the workers and the queen, are armed with a stinger.
When the hive gets too hot, the worker bees bring water and they’ll use their wings as i) ____________ to cool things down.
Once a bee has finished foraging (=collecting food) it takes a direct route back to the colony, hence the expression ‘to make a beeline’.
In her lifetime a honey bee will only make about a twelfth of a j) ____________ of honey.
It’s k) ____________ that just to make half a kilo of honey, bees have to visit around two million flowers, totalling about 90,000 air miles!
Now, go look online and find another interesting piece of trivia about bees and share it with your fellow students or a friend or study buddy (or you can tell me on my EnglishSmarts Twitter).
Oh no! These idioms have got mixed up! Can you BEE a dear 😜, and put the words in italics in the right place?
1. As soon as we asked for volunteers to help clean up after the party, everyone made a buzz for the door.
2. Alice has a bee in her beeline about cars driving too fast down her street. She keeps phoning the council about it but she says they haven’t done a thing about it.
3. That guy at the bar was really annoying me. I told him to beeswax off.
4. “Sam says you kissed someone at the party. Who was it? Come on, tell me!” – “No, it’s none of your bonnet.”
Photo by Andy Holmes at Unsplash.com
ANSWERS
A)
a) species b) mate c) lay d) duties e) gathering f) intruders g) raccoons h) key i) fans j) teaspoon k) estimated
B)
1. As soon as we asked for volunteers to help clean up after the party, everyone made a beeline (=went directly) for the door.
2. Alice has a bee in her bonnet (= she’s obsessed) about cars driving too fast down her street. She keeps phoning the council about it but she says they haven’t done a thing about it.
3. That guy at the bar was really annoying me. I told him to buzz off (= go away (impolite))
4. “Sam says you kissed someone at the party. Who was it? Come on, tell me!” – “No, it’s none of your beeswax.” (= it’s none of your business, it’s not your concern (impolite))
💚💜💛 If you enjoy my vocabulary quizzes I would be so grateful if you could share them on social media and with other English learners.
Despite my efforts, I am struggling to get my English content seen these days with all the competition out there. By sharing them other students or teachers can find my free resources.
Moreover, it helps keep me motivated to creating more resources for you! Sharing is caring! 💚💜💛
Complete the second sentence so that the meaning is very similar to the first, using the key word in bold. Use between two and five words, including the key word. Contractions (I’m, can’t, etc, count as two words)
1. I’m not in the mood to cook tonight. FEEL
I _______________________ tonight.
2. They say the hotel is haunted. BELIEVED
The hotel _____________________ haunted.
3. “Where are you going?” he asked her. ASKED
He ________________________ going.
4. Naomi has a good relationship with her in-laws. ALONG
Naomi ________________________ her in-laws.
5. Lexie started learning Portuguese six months ago. FOR
Lexie ________________________ six months.
6. Can you fetch the children from school today? PICK
Can you _____________________ the children from school today?
7. We moved to Valencia a year ago today. TIME
We moved to Valencia _______________________ year.
8. A nurse won the lottery. WHO
It __________________________ won the lottery.
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Answers
1. I’m not in the mood to cook tonight. FEEL
I don’t feel like cooking tonight.
2. They say the hotel is haunted. BELIEVED
The hotel is believed to be haunted.
3. “Where are you going?” he asked her. ASKED
He asked her where she was going.
4. Naomi has a good relationship with her in-laws. ALONG
Naomi gets along (well) with her in-laws.
5. Lexie started learning Portuguese six months ago. FOR
Lexie has been learning Portuguese for six months.
6. Can you fetch the children from school today? PICK
There are lots more free resources here on my website for learning or teaching English, so please have a look around! My content is aimed at a B1 / B2 level of English.
Fill in the gaps. All the words begin with the letters MA– and an extra letter has also been given.
1. Jack lives in Los Angeles ma_ _ _ y. (= mostly)
2. Cats and humans are ma_ _ _ l _, whereas snakes and crocodiles are reptiles.
3. Wearing a seatbelt is ma_ d _ _ _ _ _. It’s the law.
4. Thank you so much for all your help. I don’t know how I would have ma_ _ g _ _ without you.
5. It’s ma_ _ _ l _ _ _ _ what technology can do these days. (=amazing)
B.Idioms: Parts of the body
Choose the correct word to complete the idiom.
1. When you do an online class, make sure you have everything you need at _____ (= nearby) so you don’t have to get up. (chest, finger, hand)
2. I’m sorry I bit your _____ off earlier. I was a bit stressed about my job interview. (hand, head, heart)
3. Julian decided to set up his own business because he was tired of working his _____ to the bone for someone else for so little pay. (fingers, shoulders, teeth)
4. We caught the train by the _____ of our teeth. If we’d arrived a minute later we would have missed it. (hair, gum, skin)
C. Practical English
Choose the right response.
1. “I can’t make the party on Friday night. I have to work the whole weekend.” – “__________”
a) Oh, poor you!
b) Oh, what pity!
2. “Somebody’s just rung the doorbell. Can you answer it?” – “__________”
a) Yes, I go.
b) Yes, I’ll go.
3. “There you go. I’ve fixed your computer.” – “__________”
It can really help your pronunciation if you know the phonetic symbols and the sounds they represent. You don’t need to worry about learning to write them just to recognise them. Do my quickie Improve Your Accent exercises and you’ll pick them up in no time, plus you’ll improve your pronunciation and your listening skills too.
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Approximate level: A2, B1 English learners Complete the sentences with a question tag.
The weather’s gorgeous, ___?
You’ve met my brother, _____?
He didn’t say anything, ___?
It’s too expensive, _____?
She’ll help you, _____?
They were interested in buying the house, _____?
He doesn’t listen, _____?
He’s already gone to work, _____?
She doesn’t have a car, _____?
We can talk about this later, _____?
We have to go now, _____?
The kittens are so cute, _____?
She couldn’t come to the party, _____?
Your birthday’s next week, _____?
We weren’t surprised, _____?
She’s never been to Rio before, _____?
He looked very annoyed, _____?
We can’t park here, _____?
It’s going to rain later, _____?
You’ll stay for dinner, _____?
I’m not late, _____?
Answers
1. isn’t it 2. haven’t you 3. did he 4. isn’t it 5. won’t she 6. weren’t they 7. does he 8. hasn’t he 9. does she 10. can’t we 11. don’t we 12. aren’t they 13. could she 14. isn’t it 15. were we 16. has she 17. didn’t he 18. can we 19. isn’t it 20. won’t you 21. am I
Which of these sentences are grammatically incorrect? Correct the mistakes.
Shall we go for a walk later?
The exam was so difficult that anybody passed.
I must to go to the doctor yesterday.
I suggest to go early.
We arrived at the airport at nine.
He was so much tired he fell asleep straightaway.
I used to eat too many sweets.
Answers
1. 2. The exam was so difficult that nobody passed. 3. I had to go to the doctor yesterday. 4. I suggest going early. (or: I suggest you/we go early, etc) 5. 6. He was so tired he fell asleep straightaway. 7.
Use the structure Verb + Object + Infinitive to complete the sentences so that the meaning is similar to the first sentence.
I hope the bank will lend me a thousand pounds. I want the bank to lend me a thousand pounds. *
We were surprised that Manchester United lost the match. We didn’t expect Manchester United to lose the match. * 1. We would be very happy if you came on holiday with us. We would love _____________________
2. Kevin said that we could ride his horse. Kevin allowed _____________________
3. I was surprised that the bill was so expensive. I didn’t expect _____________________
4. She said that I should remember to lock the door. She reminded _____________________
5. Jennifer hopes her boss will give her a payrise. Jennifer wants ______________________
6. George said to them “Don’t worry”. George told _____________________
7. Dad said I must not go on my boyfriend’s motorbike. Dad forbade _______________________
8. Shirley gave him singing lessons. Shirley taught _____________________
9. We would be so happy if she wrote more books. We would love _____________________
10. They believe he will win the election. They are expecting ____________________
11. Our teacher said that we should read more. Our teacher encouraged ___________________
12. She said that they could use her printer. She allowed ______________________
Answers 1. you to come on holiday with us. 2. us to ride his horse. 3. the bill to be so expensive 4. me to lock the door. 5. her boss to give her a payrise. 6. them not to worry. 7. me to go on my boyfriend’s motorbike. 8. Sally taught him to sing. 9. her to write more books. 10. him to win the election. 11. us to read more. 12. them to use her printer.
Fill the gaps with the relative pronouns who, which, where or whose
1. We’re so grateful to the man _______ helped us.
2. They are going to spend the summer in Malaga _______ they have an apartment. 3. Drew Barrymore, _______ godfather is Steven Spielberg, comes from a famous family of actors. 4. I’m not a fan of the music _______ they play on this radio station.
5. This is the photograph _______ won first prize.
6. The band, _______ album is at the top of the charts, is starting a world tour next month.
7. Where are the biscuits _______ I bought this morning? Don’t tell me you’ve eaten them already!
8. I don’t know anyone _______ doesn’t like chocolate.
9. The hospital _______ I was born has been demolished.
10. The pangolin, _______ is the world’s most trafficked mammal, may eat up to seventy million insects a year!
Bonus Question!
Which of the above sentences would still be grammatically correct if you omitted the relative pronoun?
Answers
1. who 2. where 3. whose 4. which 5. which 6. whose 7. which 8. who 9. where 10. which
Answer to the bonus question
You can omit the relative pronoun in 4. and 7.
Relative pronouns can be omitted IF they refer to the object of the verb and not the subject.
4. I’m not a fan of the music they play on this radio station. 7. Where are the biscuits I bought this morning? Don’t tell me you’ve eaten them already!
They (subject) play the music (object) I (subject) bought the biscuits (object)
My advice: If you feel more comfortable NOT omitting the relative pronoun that is perfectly fine! Both ways are okay. What’s more, as you become more and more confident with your English skills you may start to know instinctively when you can leave out the relative pronoun.
Would you like to practise some more grammar topics?
