Grammar Exercises

Quick Verb Training (1): Passive


My “Quick Verb Trainings” which I also post on social media are a mini version of my Verb Trainings (Verb Drills).

These quizzes are a fast way for students and teachers to check where knowledge gaps are.

For longer exercises go to the links below.



Quick Verb Training (1)

Change these sentences to the passive (no need to add ‘by’)

eg. They sent emails → Emails were sent.

1. They’ve found your wallet.

2. They didn’t invite us to the party.

3. They are building a new hospital

Scroll down for the answers 😉




Here are longer Verb Training Exercises (Verb Drills):

Verb Training (1) – Present Perfect

Verb Training (2) – Mixed Tenses

Verb Training (3) – Past Simple

Verb Training (4) – Present Continuous

Verb Training (5) – Past Simple Questions

Verb Training (6) – Mixed Tenses

Verb Training (7) – Advanced Irregular Verbs


ANSWERS:

1. Your wallet has been found.
2. We weren’t invited to the party.
3. A new hospital is being built

Would you like some more practice on the Passive voice?

Passive (1)

Passive (2)




Future Tenses, Grammar Exercises

The Future Continuous: Explanation and Exercise

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)


  1. ANSWERS
  2. 1.  ‘ll be thinking
  3. 2.  will be taking
  4. 3.  won’t be using
  5. 4.  will be landing
  6. 5.  will you be doing / ‘ll be living and working (there’s no need to repeat “I’ll be”)
  7. 6.  ‘ll be playing
  8. 7. won’t be joining
  9. 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.
    ………………………………………………………………………
  10. There are heaps more free resources here on my website for learning or teaching English, so please have a look around! My content is mostly aimed at a B1 / B2 level of English.
  11. And if you would be so kind, tell a friend or colleague who is also learning English to check it out. It would be a huge help in growing this website. I would really appreciate it. My content is mostly aimed at a B1 / B2 level of English.
  12. More Grammar Exercises
  13.  

Animals, Vocabulary Worksheets

PRECIOUS PANGOLINS – Nature Vocabulary Worksheet

A pangolin walks across flat stony ground

A) Before you start reading, match these words with their definitions.

1. quirkya) to search for food
2. scalesb) a group of babies born at the same time to the same mother
3. snoutc) to tear something
4. to seald) a little strange
5. broode) to close tightly
6. to ripf) to hunt illegally
7. to forageg) the long protruding nose of some animals, eg. pigs, bears and most dogs
8. to poachh) small thin plates covering fish and reptiles’ bodies

PRECIOUS PANGOLINS

B) Fill the gaps with these words:

bark, bears, claws, deter, forest, horns, insatiable, native, offspring, phenomenally, role, swallow

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.

Pangolin rolled into a tight ball. Stony ground.




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

A Pangolin’s Tale

National Geographic


More nature worksheets for self-study or the classroom:

Giraffes
Sharks
Sloths
Bees

Do you want to learn about nature while improving your listening skills?

Check out the list I compiled of my favourite podcast episodes on Animals, Nature and Conversation

Grammar Exercises

Present Simple or Continuous ? (1)

Complete the sentences using the present simple or the present continuous form of the verb in brackets. Use the short form where possible.

  1.  Can I borrow those scissors or ______________ them at the moment? (you / use)
  2.  The milk ______________ a bit funny. I think it’s off. (taste)
  3.  I usually ______________ the train to work but this week I ______________ .  (take) ; (drive)
  4.  Hurry up! Everybody ______________  for you. (wait)
  5.  I ______________ milk chocolate to dark chocolate. What about you? (prefer)
  6.  Look! The bus ______________ . (come)
  7.  “What ______________ ?” (you/do)
    – “I’m an engineer.”
  8.  “What ______________?” (you/do)
    – “I ______________ to fix your computer.” (try)
  9.  “What ______________ ? (you/cook) It ______________ delicious!” (smell)
  10.  It ______________ here very often. (not / rain)
  11.  Gabriella always ______________ at the Four Seasons Hotel when she visits the city.  (stay)
  12.  I ______________ at my sister’s place until I find a flat.  (stay)
  13.  Turn the music down. The baby ______________ (sleep)
  14.  ______________ Rachel ______________ we’ve arrived?  (know)
  15.  I ______________ the dog for a walk soon. Do you want to come? (take)  



    Full List of Grammar Exercises


    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
Vocabulary Quiz

Vocabulary Quiz: Happy Endings (4)

Words starting with PL-

Can you complete all these words which start with the letters PL-? Each line represents a letter.

Scroll down for the answers.


1. Prunes are dried pl_ _ _ .

2. “Do we need to buy more wine for the party?” – “No, we’ve got pl_ _ _ y.”

3. That man looks so familiar but I just can’t pl_ _ _ him. (= remember where I have seen him before)

4. “Thanks for having us over for dinner, Pablo.” — “The pl_ _s_ _ _ was all mine.”

5. The government has pl_ _g_ _ (= promised) to do more to help low-income families.

6. Oliver bought a pl_ _ of land and built his own house.

7.  Molière was a famous French pl_yw_ _ _ _t.

8. He pl_ _d_ _ guilty to the charges.

9. Sam and Katy are just friends. Their relationship is purely pl_ _ _n_c.

10. The campaign aims to raise awareness about the pl_ _h_ (= very difficult situation) of refugees.


There are lots more vocabulary exercises and other resources here on my website for learning or teaching English, so please have a look around!


Full list of vocabulary exercises
Full list of grammar exercises




Answers:


1. plums 2. plenty 3. place 4. pleasure 5. pledged 6. plot 7. playwright 8. pleaded 9. platonic 10. plight

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150phrasalverbs – to learn and review 150 must-know English phrasal verbs



vocabulary exercises

Quick Vocabulary Quiz (50)

 

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Full list of 45+ Quick Vocabulary Quizzes

Key Word Transformation (1)
Key Word Transformation (2)
Key Word Transformation (3)

CONVERSATION QUESTIONS for practising speaking and writing

ALL grammar exercises

👉🏼Answer: TIP

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Conversation Questions to Practise Speaking or Writing

30+ Conversation Questions: CHRISTMAS and NEW YEAR

The main focus is a Christmas tree with ornaments, one of which is a cute wooden Santa Claus with very long spindly legs. The tree is in a family's living room.

Photo by Bruno Martins on Unsplash

CHRISTMAS

Where do you usually spend Christmas?

Who do you normally spend Christmas with?

How do you usually spend Christmas Day?

What do you eat and drink at Christmas? 

What special traditions does your family have?

How do you decorate your house at Christmas?

What are your favourite things about Christmas?

What’s your favourite Christmas music?

Do you have a favourite Christmas film?

Do you usually exchange gifts with your family and friends?

Do you ever send Christmas cards?

Do you go to church at Christmas? Do you have a favourite Christmas carol or song?

Does it normally snow where you live at Christmas?

Are there Christmas markets where you live and do you enjoy visiting them?

Have you ever celebrated Christmas at the beach or in an unusual location?

What’s your favourite Christmas memory from your childhood?

Is Christmas really just for children?

Do you feel sad when Christmas is over?

What do you dislike about Christmas?

How has the celebration of Christmas changed since you were a child?

How do you feel about the commercial side of Christmas?

An old-fashioned copper pot with a delicious-looking Christmas punch. There are slices of orange floating on the top.

(Photo by Hannah Pemberton on Unsplash)


NEW YEAR

Does your culture celebrate New Year on a different day from January 1st? If so, what important traditions are there?

How do you usually celebrate New Year?

Have you ever been to a very memorable New Year party?

Do you eat anything special at New Year?

Do you ever make New Year’s resolutions? 

Did you achieve the things you wanted to achieve for this year?

What would you like to do differently next year?

If you weren’t afraid, what is something you would absolutely love to do next year?

Which place would you like to visit next year?

What’s the best book you read this year?

What’s the best film or TV show you saw this year?

What’s the nicest thing that happened to you this year?

What’s something you did this year that you are very proud of?


Test your Vocabulary!

Happy Endings Quiz (1)
Happy Endings Quiz (2)
Happy Endings Quiz (3)

Quiz Your English (1)
Quiz Your English (2)
Quiz Your English (3)
Quiz Your English (4)
Quiz Your English (5)

vocabulary exercises

Quick Vocabulary Quiz (47)

Vocabulary Quiz 47

The same word fits all 3 gaps.

1. The pipe has sp___g a leak

2.  It'll be worth doing in the long ___.

3. Twitter is p___ing staff to cut costs.

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Scroll down for the answer 😊👇🏼

Full list of 40+ Quick Vocabulary Quizzes

Key Word Transformation (1)
Key Word Transformation (2)
Key Word Transformation (3)

CONVERSATION QUESTIONS for practising speaking and writing

ALL grammar exercises

👉🏼Answer to Quiz 47: RUN

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vocabulary exercises

Vocabulary Quiz: Happy Endings (3)

Words starting with CR-

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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Happy Endings Quiz (1)

Happy Endings Quiz (2)


Answers: 1. crispy 2. cream 3. critically 4. crash 5. cramped 6. crook 7. creepy crawlies 8. credentials 9. cronies 10. croaky


Idioms, vocabulary exercises

I Love Idioms! (4): Numbers


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

MORE IDIOMS EXERCISES

Animals

Parts of the Body

Clothes

Idioms with Think

Idioms with Make (1)

Idioms with Make (2)

phrasal verb exercises

Vocabulary Exercise: Phrasal Verbs with UP

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English Level: B2 / C1

Exercise 1

Complete the sentences using one of these phrasal verbs in the correct form.

bottle up, budge up, chase up, curl up, fog up

1. The two cats were __________ together on the sofa.

2. I want to sit down. __________ !

3. There are quite a few invoices that haven’t been paid yet. I need you to __________ them __________ for me.

4. It’s not a good idea to __________ your feelings. Try talking to close friends or using a journal to express how you feel.

5. On very cold days your glasses and car windscreen can __________ .

Exercise 2

Complete the sentences using one of these phrasal verbs in the correct form.

loosen up, muster up, pull up, scoop up, set up

1. A car has just __________ outside. I think it’s your aunt.

2. Can you phone the client and see if you can __________ a meeting for Monday morning?

3. José is a bit scared of horses but he finally __________ the courage to go horse riding.

4. Once the kids had gone to bed Sonia quickly __________ the toys they’d left on the floor.

5. Stanley is so serious sometimes. I wish he would __________ a bit.


Answers

Exercise 1.

1. curled up 2. budge up (informal) 3. chase up 4. bottle up 5. fog up

Exercise 2.

1. pulled up 2. set up 3. mustered up 4. scooped up 5. loosen up

Nature Vocabulary and Idioms Worksheets

Beautiful Bees

Fascinating Sharks

Gentle Giraffes

Splendid Sloths

Speaking Skills: Conversation Questions

Animals and Nature

Books and Reading

Films and Cinema

Football / Soccer

The Weather

Food, Cooking and Eating Out

Social Media

vocabulary exercises

Quick Vocabulary Quiz (43)

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Scroll down for the answers 😊👇🏼

Full list of Quick Vocabulary Quizzes

Key Word Transformation (1)
Key Word Transformation (2)
Key Word Transformation (3)

CONVERSATION QUESTIONS for practising speaking and writing

Adjectives ending in -ed and -ing  Exercise 1 Exercise 2

Adjectives vs Adverbs  Exercise 1

Adjectives + Prepositions  Exercise 1Exercise 2

Adjectives + Prepositions – Exercise 3: In and Out of Love

Articles, Definite and Indefinite Exercise 1

Conditionals, First and Second Exercise 1

Conditionals, Third  Exercise 1 Exercise 2

Few, a few, little, a little  Exercise 1

ALL grammar exercises


ANSWERS: 1. knuckle 2. heart 3. head





Grammar Exercises

Spot the Grammar Mistakes! (48)

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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.


More Find the Grammar Mistakes exercises

Here are just some of the free Grammar Exercises you will find here on Recipes for English.

Present simple or present continuous? Exercise 1

Present perfect continuous Exercise 1

Present perfect simple vs present perfect continuous Exercise 1

Question Tags, Basic  Exercise 1

Question Tags, Advanced  Exercise 1 Exercise 2

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!

Practice makes progress! 💪

𝑭𝑶𝑳𝑳𝑶𝑾 𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒏 📌 𝑷𝑰𝑵𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑬𝑺𝑻!

Animals, Vocabulary Worksheets

Splendid Sloths – Vocabulary and ‘Slow’ Idioms Worksheet

Sloth climbing tree

Javier Mazzeo, @Unsplash


A) FUN FACTS

Fill the gaps with the following words:

belief, benefit, detection, hooked, lungs, mammal, moths, swivel, tinge, tropical, vulnerable, weigh     

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)

20+ Awesome Nature and Conservation Podcast Episodes

MORE Nature Vocabulary and Idioms Worksheets

Beautiful Bees

Fascinating Sharks

Gentle Giraffes

Speaking Skills: Conversation Questions

Animals and Nature

Books and Reading

Films and Cinema

Football / Soccer

The Weather

Food, Cooking and Eating Out






vocabulary exercises

EnglishSmarts CT Quiz 707


What’s the missing word? (The same word fits all the gaps). Answers by DM *only* to @EnglishSmarts on Twitter.

If I’m not following you, ask me for a follow first please. 😉

🔹 to be invisible to the naked _____

🔹 to clap ______s on someone/something

🔹 out of the corner of your _____

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GRAMMAR Exercises

VOCABULARY Exercises

IDIOMS Exercises

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If you enjoy my quizzes, I would love it if you could Like and Retweet and Share with your friends, family and colleagues.

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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

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vocabulary exercises

EnglishSmarts CT Quiz 706



What’s the missing word? (The same word fits all the gaps). Answers by DM *only* to @EnglishSmarts on Twitter.

If I’m not following you, ask me for a follow first please. 😉


🔹 to _____ the boards

🔹 to _____ water

🔹 to _____ lightly

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GRAMMAR Exercises

VOCABULARY Exercises

IDIOMS Exercises

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

@DazzleEnglish: – for advanced vocabulary

You can also follow me on Instagram!

https://www.instagram.com/suzanne_englishsmarts/


Vocabulary Quiz

CT Vocabulary Quiz 701



What’s the missing word? (The same word fits all the gaps). Answers by DM *only* to @EnglishSmarts on Twitter.

If I’m not following you, ask me for a follow first please. 😉

🔹 give up the _____

🔹 a _____writer

🔹 not stand a _____ of a chance


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GRAMMAR Exercises

VOCABULARY Exercises

IDIOMS Exercises

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

@DazzleEnglish: – for advanced vocabulary

You can also follow me on Instagram!

https://www.instagram.com/suzanne_englishsmarts/

Grammar Exercises

Grammar Exercise: Advanced Question Tags (2)

Level: Upper Intermediate (B2) , Advanced (C1)


Add suitable question tags.

  1. 1. Phew! That’s a relief, __________?

    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, __________?


  1. 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


    Advanced Question Tags (1)

Have something done  Exercise 1

Indirect Questions  Exercise 1

Linking words (despite, however, etc) Exercise 1  Exercise 2

Verbs + Prepositions Exercise 1 Exercise 2

Exercises on Idioms


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vocabulary exercises

Word Formation Exercise (2)


✨ 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)

✨ I did this for German and Spanish and my vocabulary skyrocketed! 🚀 Send me a DM on Twitter @englishsmarts telling me what book you’re reading in English at the moment or to ask me for book recommendations.

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


Follow me on TWITTER for lots of vocabulary and grammar quizzes and more!


Key Word Transformation Exercises put your vocabulary AND your grammar to the test! Have you tried them?

Key Word Transformation (1)
Key Word Transformation (2)
Key Word Transformation (3)

QUIZ YOUR ENGLISH! Vocabulary Worksheets (handy for extra homework)

Worksheet 1
Worksheet 2
Worksheet 3
Worksheet 4
Worksheet 5

Grow your English  with lots more FREE VOCABULARY exercises!

Answers

1. Scientists 2. doubtful 3. boring


Speaking Skills

Conversation Questions for learning English: Conditionals (Second)


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(Photo FUTC, Unsplash)

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?


(Photo: Tavis Beck, Unsplash)


More Conversation Topics

Past Simple and Present Perfect

Books and Reading

Films and Cinema

Football / Soccer

The Weather

Food, Cooking and Eating Out

Animals and Nature

Social Media


150 must-know phrasal verbs with examples


Learn English with me on Twitter, a super platform for improving your vocabulary and writing skills and also for meeting other language learners and teachers. Come and say hi!




vocabulary exercises

Quick Vocabulary Quiz (40)

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Complete the idioms with a part of the body

Scroll down for the answers and meanings! 😊👇🏼


😻 Hey there! If you enjoy my vocabulary quizzes I would be SO grateful if you could share them on social media and with other English learners, or tell others to come and visit my website.

Full list of Quick Vocabulary Quizzes

Key Word Transformation (1)
Key Word Transformation (2)
Key Word Transformation (3)

CONVERSATION QUESTIONS for practising speaking and writing

Adjectives ending in -ed and -ing  Exercise 1 Exercise 2

Adjectives vs Adverbs  Exercise 1

Adjectives + Prepositions  Exercise 1Exercise 2

Adjectives + Prepositions – Exercise 3: In and Out of Love

Articles, Definite and Indefinite Exercise 1

Conditionals, First and Second Exercise 1

Conditionals, Third  Exercise 1 Exercise 2

Few, a few, little, a little  Exercise 1

ALL grammar exercises



Answers:

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)





vocabulary exercises

Quick Vocabulary Quiz (38)

Which is the odd one out and why?

Scroll down for the answer! 😊👇🏼

😻 Hey there! If you enjoy my vocabulary quizzes I would be SO grateful if you could share them on social media and with other English learners, or tell others to come and visit my website.

Despite my best 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! 💚🐝

Full list of Quick Vocabulary Quizzes

Key Word Transformation (1)
Key Word Transformation (2)
Key Word Transformation (3)

QUIZ YOUR ENGLISH! Vocabulary Worksheets (handy for extra homework)

Worksheet 1
Worksheet 2
Worksheet 3
Worksheet 4
Worksheet 5


Answer: gallop (the fastest pace of a horse). The others are associated with babies.





vocabulary exercises

Quick Vocabulary Quiz (36)

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! 💚🐝

Full list of Quick Vocabulary Quizzes

Key Word Transformation (1)
Key Word Transformation (2)
Key Word Transformation (3)

QUIZ YOUR ENGLISH! Vocabulary Worksheets (handy for extra homework)

Worksheet 1
Worksheet 2
Worksheet 3
Worksheet 4
Worksheet 5


Answer: RAN





Animals, Vocabulary Worksheets

Nature Vocabulary and Idioms Worksheet – Gentle Giraffes

A) FUN FACTS

Fill the gaps with the following words:

brain   calves   grasp   lethal   pattern   predators   resemblance   saliva   spread   swallow trait   twigs

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.

  1. 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.
  2. I need to buy a better pillow. It’s too high and I have a crack / crick in my neck every morning.
  3. Can you pick your toys up off the floor please! I’m going to break / stick  my neck one of these days.
  4. I’m going to be in your neck of the hoods / woods this weekend. Do you fancy meeting up for lunch?
  5. 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)

Books and Reading

Films and Cinema

Football / Soccer

The Weather

Food, Cooking and Eating Out

vocabulary exercises

Quick Vocabulary Quiz (35)

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! 💚🐝

More Quick Vocabulary Quizzes

Key Word Transformation (1)
Key Word Transformation (2)
Key Word Transformation (3)

QUIZ YOUR ENGLISH! Vocabulary Worksheets (handy for extra homework)

Worksheet 1
Worksheet 2
Worksheet 3
Worksheet 4
Worksheet 5


Answer: BET





Vocabulary Worksheets

Nature Vocabulary Worksheet – Beautiful Bees

BEAUTIFUL BEES

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.

Photo by Dustin Humes at Unsplash

A) FUN FACTS

Fill the gaps with the following words:

estimated, key, fans, species, gathering, mate, teaspoon, raccoons, duties, intruders, lay

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).

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

B) BEE IDIOMS

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))


I love Idioms (1) – Body Parts
I love Idioms (2) – Animals


Idioms with Make (1)
Idioms with Make (2)
Idioms with Keep

vocabulary exercises

Quick Vocabulary Quiz (31)

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 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! 💚💜💛

More Quick Vocabulary Quizzes

Key Word Transformation (1)
Key Word Transformation (2)
Key Word Transformation (3)

QUIZ YOUR ENGLISH! Vocabulary Worksheets (handy for extra homework)

Worksheet 1
Worksheet 2
Worksheet 3
Worksheet 4
Worksheet 5


Answer: SEA OTTER. All the other animals have spines. 🦔






Grammar Exercises

Grammar Exercise: Verb Patterns (4): Verb + Gerund or Infinitive?


 😻 NEW! Online Group CONVERSATION CLASSES 

GRAMMAR EXERCISE

Add the gerund or infinitive form of the verb in brackets.

  1. I really enjoyed ________ (meet) your parents.
  2. Did you manage ________ (get) an appointment?
  3. I’m so pleased that you’ve given up ________ (smoke).
  4. I don’t feel like ________ (go out) tonight.
  5. We’re hoping ________ (go) to Italy this year.
  6. We decided ________ (eat) in the garden.
  7. He suggested ________ (ask) an expert.
  8. Please can you stop ________ (shout)!
  9. I would prefer ________ (sit) over there.
  10. I meant ________ (buy) a newspaper but I forgot.
  11. For some reason the dog kept ________ (look at) the tree.
  12. I miss ________ (live) in London sometimes.
  13. We’re really looking forward to ________ (go) home.
  14. He pretended not ________ (hear) me.
  15. Do you mind ________ (wait) outside?
  16. We promised ________ (get) there early.
  17. What do you fancy ________ (do) tonight?
  18. I asked Steve ________ (join) us for dinner.
  19. Jeff spent the day ________ (work) on his new website.
  20. I’d really like ________ (see) you again.
  21. They used ________ (live) in New York so they know it pretty well.

    Scroll down for the answers! 🙂

    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .



  1. I really enjoyed MEETING your parents.
  2. Did you manage TO GET an appointment?
  3. I’m so pleased that you’ve given up SMOKING. (smoke)
  4. I don’t feel like GOING OUT tonight.
  5. We’re hoping TO GO to Italy this year.
  6. We decided TO EAT in the garden.
  7. He suggested ASKING an expert.
  8. Please can you stop SHOUTING!
  9. I would prefer TO SIT (sit) over there.
  10. I meant TO BUY a newspaper but I forgot.
  11. For some reason the dog kept LOOKING AT the tree.
  12. I miss LIVING in London sometimes.
  13. We’re really looking forward to GOING home.
  14. He pretended not TO HEAR me.
  15. Do you mind WAITING outside?
  16. We promised TO GET there early.
  17. What do you fancy DOING tonight?
  18. I asked Steve TO JOIN us for dinner.
  19. Jeff spent the day WORKING on his new website.
  20. I’d really like TO SEE you again.
  21. They used TO LIVE in New York so they know it pretty well.

Here are just some of the free Grammar Exercises you will find here on Recipes for English.

Present simple or present continuous? Exercise 1

Present perfect continuous Exercise 1

Present perfect simple vs present perfect continuous Exercise 1

Question Tags, Basic  Exercise 1

Question Tags, Advanced  Exercise 1 Exercise 2

Reflexive pronouns – On my/your own vs. by myself / yourself, etc  Exercise 1

Reflexive vs Reciprocal pronouns  (myself, yourself, etc / each other) Exercise 1

vocabulary exercises

Phrasal Verbs with ‘Out’

Add a suitable phrasal verb in the correct form.

blow out, carry out, let out, pass out, run out, throw out, try out, turn out

1.  It was so hot in the office that I thought I was going to ______ _____.

2. Do you want to come with me and _____ _____ that new Zumba class?

3. If you aren’t going to wear these clothes any more you should _____ them _____. I can take them to the charity shop for you.

4.  There are no more chocolate biscuits; we’ve _____ ______.

5.  The dogs want to go out into the garden. Shall I _____ them _____?

6.  The museum was closed for a few days while they ________  _______ repairs on the roof.

7.  I had dreaded going to the party but it _____ ______ to be a lot of fun.

8. Everyone clapped and cheered as the birthday girl _______   _______  the candles on her birthday cake.

Scroll down for the answers 😎
.

.

.

.

.

.

Answers
1. pass out
2. try out
3. throw out
4. run out
5. let out
6. carried out
7. turned out
8. blew out

QUIZ YOUR ENGLISH! – VOCABULARY WORKSHEETS

test your English

Key Word Transformation Exercise (3)

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.

.

.

.

.

.


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

     Can you pick up the children from school today?

7. We moved to Valencia a year ago today. TIME

     We moved to Valencia this time last year.

8.  A nurse won the lottery. WHO

     It was a nurse who won the lottery.

Key Word Transformation Exercises

Exercise 1
Exercise 2

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.

Full list of vocabulary exercises
Full list of grammar exercises



Vocabulary Quiz

EnglishSmarts CT Quiz 698

What’s the missing word? (The same word fits all the gaps). Answers by DM *only* to @EnglishSmarts on Twitter.

If I’m not following you, ask me for a follow first please. 😉

🔹 a ray of _____

🔹 to pin your _____s on something

🔹 where there’s life there’s _____

NEW!

Keyword Transformation (1)
Keyword Transformation (2)


Quiz Your English! (1)
Quiz Your English! (2)
Quiz Your English! (3)
Quiz Your English! (4)

SUPPORT ME – 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:

@150phrasalverbs: – learn and review 150 really common multi-word verbs

@DazzleEnglish: – for advanced vocabulary

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vocabulary exercises

Quiz Your English! (2)

A.  General Vocabulary

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.” – “__________”

a)  “Thanks so much! I owe you one. 

b)  Thanks a thousand! You’re the best.”



Answers

A.  1. mainly  2. mammals  3. mandatory 4. managed 5 marvellous
B.  1. hand 2. head 3. fingers  4. skin
C.  1. a)  2. b) 3 a)

Quiz Your English! (1)

vocabulary exercises

Quiz Your English! (1) – Vocabulary and Idioms Worksheet


A.  General Vocabulary

Fill in the gaps. All the words begin with the letters AN and an extra letter has also been given.

1. Amy and Leonard are celebrating their 50th wedding an_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ y  this Saturday.

2. Cinzia isn’t an_ t _ _ _ _ like her sister. She is far more outgoing.

3.  John isn’t playing basketball at the moment as he has sprained his an_ l _.

4.  The money was donated by someone who wishes to remain an_ n _ _ _ _ s.

5.  Deer, moose and caribou have an_ l _ _ _ .

B.  Idioms 

Choose the correct verb to complete the idioms.

1.  “I’m not usually one to _____ my own trumpet but I think I’m a pretty good cook,” said Julia. (blow, push, turn)

2.  You’re a bit tense about the meeting tomorrow. Why don’t you go for a run and _____ off some steam? (break, go, let)

3. The children are _____ under my feet. Do you mind taking them to the park so that I can get on with making lunch? (getting, going, running)

4.  We _____ the house upside down trying to find Ben’s football shoes but we couldn’t find them anywhere.  (lifted, ran, turned)


C.  Practical English

Choose the correct response.

1.  “Shall I carry that for you?”  – “No, don’t worry. _______________”

a)  I can do.  b) I can manage.

2.  “Can you lend me your pen?” – “_______________.”

a)  Yes, here you are.  b)  Yes, here you have it.

3.  “Do you know how to do this?” – “_______________.”

a)  Sorry, I have no idea.  b)  Sorry, I don’t have idea.




Answers

A. 1. anniversary 2. anything 3. ankle 4. anonymous 5. antlers.
B. 1. blow 2. let 3. getting 4. turned
C. 1. b) 2. a) 3. a)

Quiz Your English! (2) 😻 New! 😻

Nature

Have fun with English: Animal Trivia Quiz

Copy of IG - Vocabulary Quiz - Idioms (Animals)-4

It’s time to put your animal expertise to the test, my dear English students! The answers are at the bottom of the page.

1.  The fastest creature in the animal kingdom is a bird, the ________.

(a)  common swift

(b)  frigate bird

(c)  great horned owl

(d)  peregrine falcon

2.  A baby kangaroo is known as a ________.

(a)  jill

(b)  jim

(c)  joey

(d)  jonny

Joey - cropped

3. Which snake isn’t native to the British Isles?

(a)  adder

(b)  grass

(c)  rattlesnake 

(d)  smooth

4.  Which mythical creature is Scotland’s national animal?

(a)  unicorn

(b)  griffin

(c)  phoenix

(d)  dragon

Facebook Cheetah

5.  Which of the big cats can’t roar?

(a)  jaguar 

(b)  cheetah

(c)  leopard

(d) tiger

6.  Which of these isn’t a species of shark?

(a)  bottlenose

(b)  cookiecutter

(c)  goblin

(d)  leopard

Meerkat - animal quiz

7.  Which of these animals spends most of its life in a tree?

(a) otter

(b)  walrus

(c)  sloth

(d) meerkat

8.  Which of these won’t you find in a honey bee colony?

a) a slacker

b) a worker

(c) a queen

(d) a drone

Bee on flower

Answers

1.  (d) peregrine falcon (they can dive at over 320km/h!)

2.  (c) joey  (click here for 5 Amazing Kangaroo Joey Facts)

3.  (c) rattlesnake (native to the Americas)

4.  (a) unicorn (click here for 10 Magical Facts about Unicorns)

5.  (b) cheetah (it can purr though!)

6.  (a) bottlenose (it’s a dolphin species)

7.  (c) sloth  (they are much safer up in the trees!)

8.  (a) slacker  (a slacker is an informal word for a person who is lazy and doesn’t do all the work they should)

FOLLOW ME on Twitter for my vocabulary quizzes and more!! Twitter is the best social media platform for practising English or any foreign language. 

English Speaking Skills: Conversation Questions

Nature and Animals

Social Media

Food, cooking and eating out

Football

Pronunciation

Improve Your Accent! (26) – Tennis

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.

Can you decipher these 10 tennis-related words?

Screen Shot 2018-07-05 at 09.48.38

Answers

Spelling Quiz

Spot the Spelling Mistakes (1)

Check the words in bold. Are they spelt correctly? If not, correct the spelling.

NEW! Nature Vocabulary Worksheet: Beautiful Bees 🐝

  1. He’s writting a letter.
  2. They’re looking for accomodation near the university.
  3. Don’t you believe me?
  4. The meeting is tomorow.
  5. They went to the party separately.
  6. The exam is in February.
  7. The goverment needs to act quickly.
  8. Your appearence is important in an interview.
  9. It was begginning to rain.
  10. I have four nieces and nefews.









Answers

  1. writing
  2. accommodation
  3. ✅
  4. tomorrow
  5. ✅
  6. ✅
  7. government
  8. appearance
  9. beginning
  10. ✅  nephews

Spot the Spelling Mistakes (2)

Spot the Spelling Mistakes (3)

Verb Training 1: Present Perfect Simple (Positive) B1 / B2
Verb Training 2: Different Tenses (Elementary/Pre-Intermediate)
Verb Training 3: Past Simple (Elementary/Pre-Intermediate)
Verb Training 4: Present Continuous
Verb Training 5: Past Simple Questions
Verb Training 6: Mixed Tenses

KEY WORD TRANSFORMATION EXERCISES

Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3

phrasal verb exercises, Vocabulary

Phrasal Verbs (5): Come

Add a suitable phrasal verb in the correct form. There is one extra verb.  

come across     come down with     come off     come over    come to
come up     come up with    

1.  We need to __________ a cheaper solution to the problem.

2.  Last night some friends __________ to our place and we had pizza and watched a movie.

3.  I was shocked when I saw that our hotel bill had __________ almost five hundred pounds.

4.  I’m going to have to cancel our meeting. I’m afraid something urgent has __________.

5.  The four of us were planning a trip to Australia but in the end it didn’t __________ .

6.  As I was looking through an old diary of mine, I __________ some of photos of my grandmother that I’d completely forgotten about.












Answers

1.  come up with
2.  came over
3.  come to
4.  come up
5.  come off
6.  came across

More phrasal verb exercises


NATURE VOCABULARY WORKSHEET PRINTABLES

Improve your English vocabulary and reading skills while learning about nature!

These printable PDF worksheets can be used for self-study or in the ESL/EFL classroom.

Each worksheet contains a fun facts gap fill and an idioms exercise.

Beautiful Bees

Gentle Giraffes

Fascinating Sharks

Splendid Sloths

Grammar Exercises

Conditionals (3): The Third Conditional

Put the sentences into the third conditional. Scroll down to the bottom for the answers.

eg. If I had known it was her birthday, I would have bought her something.

Exercise 1

1. If you _______________ (not / bring)  your phone to class, the teacher _______________ (not / confiscate) it.

2. If Jake _______________ (invite) me to his birthday party, I _______________ (invite) him to mine.

3. I _______________ (not / be) late for the meeting if I _______________ (not / spill) coffee all over my laptop.

4. If you _______________ (not / remind) me about the parents’ meeting I’m sure I _______________ (forget).

5. You _______________ (catch) the bus if you _______________ (run) a little faster.

6. If we _______________ (have) more time in San Francisco, we _______________ (do) some sightseeing.

7. If Valentina _______________ (study) a bit for her history exam, she _______________ (get) a higher mark.

8. I _______________ something to eat (have), if I _______________ (be) hungry.

Exercise 2

1. If you _______________ (smile) for the photo, you _______________ (look) much nicer.

2. I _______________ (not / notice) my dress was torn if you _______________ (not / tell) me.

3. If Elsa  _______________ (not / send) me a text message, I _______________ (not / know) the meeting had been called off.

4. I _______________ (be) thrilled  if I _______________ (win) the bet. I _______________ (buy) a new games console with the money.

5. Don’t be mad! I swear I _______________ (call) you if my battery _______________ (not / run out).

6. If you _______________ (keep) your voice down, the teacher _______________ (not / hear) you.

7. What _______________ (you / do) if it _______________ (rain)? _______________ (you / cancel) the barbecue?


More grammar exercises

Conditionals, First and Second Exercise 1

Conditionals, Third  Exercise 1 Exercise 2

Few, a few, little, a little  Exercise 1

For, since, ago  Exercise 1

Future Continuous Exercise 1

Full List of Grammar Exercises

Answers

Exercise 1

  1. hadn’t brought / wouldn’t have confiscated
  2. had invited / would have invited
  3. wouldn’t have been / hadn’t spilled/spilt
  4. hadn’t reminded / would have forgotten
  5. would have caught / had run
  6. had had / would have done
  7. had studied / would have got
  8. would have had / had been

Exercise 2

  1. had smiled / would have looked
  2. wouldn’t have noticed / hadn’t told
  3. hadn’t sent / wouldn’t have known
  4. would have been / had won / would have bought
  5. would have called / hadn’t run
  6. had kept / wouldn’t have heard
  7. would you have done / had rained / would you have cancelled

 

Grammar Exercises

Adjectives + Prepositions (1)

Complete the sentences with these prepositions:

for,  in,  of,  on,  to,  with

  1. Natalie is very keen _____ ballet.
  2. Jennifer is fond _____ gardening.
  3. San Sebastian is world-famous _____ its cuisine.
  4. Mike is afraid _____ heights.
  5. He’s interested _____ buying our car.
  6. Who’s Nicole Kidman married _____?
  7. Liam is used _____ speaking French with his grandparents.
  8. I’m not surprised John is late, it’s so typical _____ him.
  9. Congratulations _____ passing your driving test. I’m so proud _____ you!
  10. The doctors are very pleased _____ Kevin’s progress.
  11. At the summer camp James is responsible _____ a group of eight children.
  12. It was very nice _____ Sonia to drive me to the airport.
  13. Daniel was quite rude _____ the bartender.
  14. Henry was a bit disappointed _____ his exam results.
  15. Looking at a smartphone all day can’t be good _____ your eyesight.















    Answers

    1. on
    2. of
    3. for
    4. of
    5. in
    6. to
    7. to
    8. of
    9. on; of
    10. with
    11. for
    12. of
    13. to
    14. with
    15. for



VOCABULARY WORKSHEETS

Quiz Your English! (1)

Quiz Your English! (2)

Quiz Your English! (3)

Quiz Your English! (4)

There are lots more resources here for studying and teaching English as a foreign language so why don’t you take a look around! Click on the Menu at the top of the screen.

Grammar Exercises

English Grammar Exercise: Basic Question Tags (1)

Approximate level: A2, B1 English learners

Complete the sentences with a question tag.

  1. The weather’s gorgeous, ___?
  2. You’ve met my brother, _____?
  3. He didn’t say anything, ___?
  4. It’s too expensive, _____?
  5. She’ll help you, _____?
  6. They were interested in buying the house, _____?
  7. He doesn’t listen, _____?
  8. He’s already gone to work, _____?
  9. She doesn’t have a car, _____?
  10. We can talk about this later, _____?
  11. We have to go now, _____?
  12. The kittens are so cute, _____?
  13. She couldn’t come to the party, _____?
  14. Your birthday’s next week, _____?
  15. We weren’t surprised, _____?
  16. She’s never been to Rio before, _____?
  17. He looked very annoyed, _____?
  18. We can’t park here, _____?
  19. It’s going to rain later, _____?
  20. You’ll stay for dinner, _____?
  21. 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

Advanced Question Tags (1)

Full list of English grammar exercises

vocabulary exercises

Idioms with Take (1)

Choose the correct alternative in brackets.  

1. “I just can’t get the lid of this jar. It seems to be stuck.” – “Here, let me take a _____ at it.” (stab, stand, steal)

2. “Do you want to join us for a coffee?” – “Sorry, I’ll have to take a _____ check.  Maybe tomorrow?”  (moon, rain, sun)

3. I think Enrique has taken a _____ to Megan. He can’t take his eyes off her.  (fancy, heart, like)

4. “Come to the cinema with us. It’ll take your _____ off your problems for a while.” (brain, head, mind)

5. Richard exaggerates quite a bit so I’d take what he says with a _____ of salt, if I were you. (pinch, spoon, taste)

6. In the end Michael decided to take the _____ and move to Australia. (biscuit, plunge, sky)

7. Are you peckish? There’s chocolate cake, doughnuts, banana nut muffins… Take your _____. (choosing, election, pick)


Answers

1. stab

2. rain

3. fancy

4. mind

5. pinch

6. plunge

7. pick


Would you like to do some more English Idioms Exercises?

Test your English vocabulary with these one-page PDF worksheets.

They can be used for self-study, for homework, for fast finishers, etc.

Quiz Your English (1)
Quiz Your English (2)
Quiz Your English (3)
Quiz Your English (4)

Test your English grammar (50+ exercises)

Grammar Exercises

Spot the Grammar Mistakes (10)

Spot the Mistakes Cover New

Which of these sentences are grammatically incorrect? Correct the mistakes.

  1. Shall we go for a walk later?
  2. The exam was so difficult that anybody passed.
  3. I must to go to the doctor yesterday.
  4. I suggest to go early.
  5. We arrived at the airport at nine.
  6. He was so much tired he fell asleep straightaway.
  7. 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. ✅

More Spot the Grammar Mistakes exercises

Exercise 11

Exercise 12

Exercise 13

Exercise 14

Exercise 15

Grammar Exercises

Spot the Grammar Mistakes (1)


Spot the Mistakes, Exercises 1-3 Printable PDF


😻 NEW! Online Group CONVERSATION CLASSES 


SPOT THE MISTAKES (1)

Which of these sentences are grammatically incorrect? Correct the mistakes.

1. Catherine doesn’t really like living on her own.

2. I think is true.

3.  Gary’s married to a nurse.

4. They found the book boring.

5. She left without say goodbye.

6. I’m not used to drink such strong coffee.

7. Can you tell me where is it?














FOLLOW ME on Twitter for my vocabulary quizzes and more!! 

N E W !!! Conversation Questions: FRIENDS and FAMILY

Answers

  1. I think it’s true
  2. She left without saying goodbye.
  3. I’m not used to drinking such strong coffee.
  4. Can you tell me where it is?

More Spot the Mistakes exercises

NATURE WORKSHEETS (Fun facts and idioms)

Beautiful Bees
Gentle Giraffes
Fascinating Sharks

Splendid Sloths

NEW! Key Word Transformation (First Certificate practice)

Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3

QUIZ YOUR ENGLISH – Free Vocabulary Worksheets:

Grammar Exercises

Verb Patterns (5): Verb + Object + Infinitive

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.


Verb Patterns (1): Gerund or Infinitive? 
Verb Patterns (2): Gerund or Infinitive? (Special cases: Forget / Remember / Stop / Need)
Verb Patterns (3): Gerund or Infinitive?
Verb Patterns (4): Gerund or Infinitive?

VERB DRILLS

Do you know your basic verb structures well and your irregular verb conjugations? If not, here are some drills to help you.

Verb Training 1: Present Perfect Simple (Positive) B1 / B2

Verb Training 2: Different Tenses (Elementary/Pre-Intermediate)

Verb Training 3: Past Simple (Elementary/Pre-Intermediate)

Verb Training 4: Present Continuous

Verb Training 5: Past Simple Questions

Verb Training 6: Mixed Tenses

Verb Training 7: Advanced Irregular Verbs


Grammar Exercises

Grammar Exercise: Relative Pronouns (1)


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?

Here’s the full list