PREPOSITIONS

LOCATIVE: at, in, on

Examples: notice how the meaning changes according to the preposition used.
at school// in the school (more precise = inside the school building); in the classroom
at the station// in the station (more precise = inside the station building);
sitting at a desk// on the desk (= on top)// in the desk (= in one of the drawers);
in my hand (= I'm holding something)// on my hand (= on the back of my hand);
my hat is on my head, but my brains are in my head;
on the earth (= on the surface of the earth); in the earth (= underground);
on the sun (= on the surface of the sun)// in the sun (= 'al sol')// in the shade (= 'a la sombra');
on the beach// in the beach (= buried in the sand);
on the sea (= floating)// in the sea (= underwater)// at sea (sailing);
in England, in Europe;
on the moon; on an island;
on a chair; on a settee/sofa// in an armchair;
on page five// in the picture;
at work (= working)// out of work (unemployed);
on the farm// in the farmhouse,
at a party (NOT in);
at the bus-stop//on the platform.
TEMPORAL: at, on, in
Examples:
at 5 o'clock, at the moment, at Christmas, at Easter, at night, at midday, at lunch time, at dinner.
on Monday, on Tuesday afternoon, on Christmas Day, on Christmas morning, on New Year's
Eve, on Boxing Day;
in March, in spring, in the morning/afternoon/evening (but at night), in 1994.
no preposition:
Examples: tomorrow, tomorrow morning/afternoon/evening/night; today, tonight; this morning/
afternoon/evening; yesterday, yesterday morning/afternoon/evening; last night.
PREPOSITIONS WITH CERTAIN COMMON VERBS
Examples:
Speak/talk to (also with), look at/for/after, listen to,
wait for, think of, think about, ask (for), depend on, pay for.
Get to, arrive at (points, meeting places)/in (towns and cities).
We got TO the airport at nine o'clock.
We arrived AT the airport at nine o'clock.
We got TO Barcelona quite early.
We arrived IN Barcelona quite early.

30

PREPOSITIONS OF POSITION AND MOVEMENT (other examples)

POSITION: the most common prepositions are:
at, in, on, next to, beside, by, near, close to, far from, inside/ outside, behind/ in front of, before,
between, among, opposite/ in front of, above/ below, under/ over.
MOVEMENT: the most common prepositions are:
into/out of; along/across; under/over; up/down; to/from towards/away from; past; (a)round;
through; as far as.
59)

POSITION: at, on, in. Insert the correct preposition:

1)
My grandparents live __ a farm __ the country __ England.
2)
I used to live __ London, but now I live __ Offham, a small village __ Kent.
3)
Who was __ the party last night?
4)
Wait for me __ the bus-stop.
5)
Don't put your fingers __ your mouth.
6)
The clock __ the wall is five minutes fast.
7)
Who is the tallest boy __ the class?
8)
Is there life __ Mars or Jupiter?
9)
There is some writing paper __ that drawer over there, and some more __ top of my
desk __ the study.
10)
The mugger was frightening because he had a broken bottle __ his hand.
60)

Insert an appropriate preposition of MOVEMENT.

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

The expedition is climbing __ the mountain.

Go __ the end of the street and then turn left.
He went __ the house to investigate the burglary.
Can you go __ the road and fetch me some tobacco.
He drove the car __ the tunnel.
She walked __ him without even a smile.
When they heard the noise, they rushed __ __ the house.
She went __ __ home to see the world.
The plane flew __ the city before landing.
She looked straight __ his eyes and smiled.

61)

Insert an appropriate preposition of POSITION.

1)
2)

Barcelona is __ Tarragona and Girona.

He wants to live __ the office.

31

3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

They have bought the flat __ us.

America is __ the Atlantic from Spain.
__ the picture on the wall there was a safe.
Santa Coloma isn't __ __ Barcelona.
__ the drawer he found some old photos.
My house stands __ the church, on the other side of the river.
She's the girl standing __ my brother.
Don't push in! I was __ you in the queue.

62)

TIME: at, on, in. Insert the correct preposition:

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
home.
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

__ 5 o'clock __ the evening we came home.

I don't like driving at night. I can't see well __ the dark.
It is usually very cold __ Christmas __ England.
__ Christmas Day the children open all their presents.
__ Saturday we normally go out and do the shopping, but __ Sunday we tend to stay at

63)

VERB + PREPOSITION. Insert the correct preposition:

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

Don't look __ the blackboard. Listen __ me.

If you want a kitten, you must promise to look __ it.
I can't find my purse. Well, look __ it.
Everybody depends __ others.
If I'm late, don't wait __ me.
He has no right to be here; I refuse to talk __ him.
I'm thirsty; let's ask __ a bottle of mineral water.
We arrived __ the airport at nine and got __ the centre
of the city just before ten.
You get __ the bus at Hyde Park and get __ it at Charing Cross Station.
If you arrive __ Edinburgh before me, get __ a taxi and go __ the hotel.

64)

PREPOSITIONS: MIXED EXAMPLES. Insert the correct preposition:

e.g. What's on __ the cinema this week? (at)

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)

I'm paying __ this round.

We went __ Vic __ Saturday morning to see the market.
My friend Avril is going to stay __ us __ a few days.
Take your hands __ __ your pockets!
There is a river running __ the bridge.
__ the end of the novel the protagonist dies.
What's __ that bottle? I don't know. Look __ the label

__ the moment I haven't got much to do, but I shall need your help __ the weekend.
__ July it is too hot to stay in Barcelona.
I started work __ the fifth of May 1952.
Life was hard __ those days.
What will the world be like __ five years' time?

32

__ it.

8)
Are you __ the phone? Not __ the moment. They say there's a long waiting list, so it
could be some time.
9)
He's exhausted; he's just walked all the way __ the hill.
10)
Arthur and Mary are lying __ the beach __ Miami __ the brilliant sunshine.
11)
Take that bottle __ the shelf and put it __ the table.
12)
Don't write __ the cover of your text book; write __ your exercise-book.
13)
It all depends __ what you mean.
14)
James is sitting __ an armchair __ the fire.
15)
When the traffic lights turned green, the children walked __ the road.
IDENTIFYING OR DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES
NOTES:
Relative pronouns in defining relative clauses (oraciones de relativo especificativas)
For people we use WHO/THAT:
The boy who/that plays the guitar in the group is one of my best friends.
The artist (who/that) we met yesterday lives in Sitges.
For animals and things we use WHICH/THAT:
The castle which/that overlooks the town is nine hundred years old.
The old house (which/that) we visited on holiday is one of the loveliest in that part of the
country.
Relative pronouns with prepositions
In defining relative clauses in informal or neutral English, we usually omit the relative
pronoun accompanied by the preposition and put the preposition after the verb.
The book at which you are looking belonged to your aunt. (formal style)
The book you are looking at belonged to your aunt. (informal or neutral style)

GENERAL NOTES:
1)
Except for "whose" (below), "where" and "what" (= "that which"), the relative
pronoun is usually omitted when it is not the subject of the verb (i.e. it is the object or
is accompanied by a preposition).
2)
NO COMMA precedes or follows the relative clause.
WHOSE

33

Whose In Spanish "cuyo"(etc); in Catalan "del qual" (etc) is used for people, animals and
things:
The teacher whose house was burgled lives in Vilafranca.
The house whose windows are broken has been empty for ages.
However, in expressions like the second example, we often use a construction based on the
preposition with:
The house with the broken windows has been empty for years.
65)

Add relative pronouns where necessary in the following sentences:

e.g. Was the first man __ walked on the moon a Russian or an American? (who/that)

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

The book __ I was reading yesterday was a detective story.

Where is the wine __ you bought this morning?
The police are looking for a man __ escaped from Dartmoor.
The kind of books __ you read are so boring.
She is the kindest person __ I know.
Is there a shop __ sells shampoo near here?
Is this all the money __ you have?
The woman __ I love doesn't love me.
The cow __ is grazing in that field belongs to Farmer Jones.
The company __ made the record has gone bankrupt.

66)
Join each pair of sentences by using an appropriate relative pronoun. If the relative is
optional, place it in brackets:
e.g. The girl is called Pauline. You kissed her.
(The girl (who/that) you kissed is called Pauline)
1)
attack.
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

The man is a reporter from the local newspaper. He interviewed the victim of the

67)

Relative pronouns with prepositions.

The food is quite fresh. We are eating it.

The film has won an Oscar. We saw it last week.
The lecture was boring. They attended it on Friday.
The pocket calculator won't work. You gave it to me.
The goods have not been delivered. You ordered them.
The dance was a great success. They held it on Saturday evening.
The book has a page missing. You bought it.
The man is still on the dole. He was sacked two months ago.
The girl works at a travel agent's. She is wearing a pink dress.

34

Join each pair of sentences as in the example:

e.g. The hut stands in a wood. The tramp lives in it.
(The hut (that/ which) the tramp lives in stands in a wood)
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

The pub is in the village. We all go to it.

The cooker is a gas one. Your mother cooks on it.
The post-office is on the corner of Bridge Street. I collect my letters from it.
The match was a draw. We went to it.
The carpet is new. You are standing on it.
The cup is cracked. You are drinking out of it.
The road is very slippery. We are driving along it.
The park is the nicest in London. We are walking through it.
The snow is very soft. My children are playing with it.
The lake was freezing cold. The dog fell into it.

68)

Join the following sentences by using WHOSE, as in the example:

e.g. The man is at the police-station. His car has been stolen.
(The man whose car has been stolen is at the police- station)

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

The old house was sold last week. Its door is hanging off.
That's the woman. Her husband died last week.
The man can't pay his fare. His wallet was stolen.
That's the lawyer. His son has been given a grant to study abroad.
That's the shopkeeper. His wife is having an operation next week.

69)

Form sentences by joining the given words:

e.g. This is the computer/ tell you about/ the other day.
(This is the computer (which/ that) I told you about the other day)

1)
This is the tree / car / crash into / yesterday.
2)
These are the children / Mary /look after / every Friday evening.
3)
The music / you listen to / now / is too loud.
4)
The book / you give me/ really interesting.
5)
The watch /I look for / have / a brown leather strap.
SOME/ANY/NO + COMPOUNDS
70)

Put in SOME, ANY or NO to complete the meaning of the following sentences:

e.g. I'm sorry, I can't pay for your drinks. I have __ money. (no)
NOTE: With -ONE/ BODY, -THING, -WHERE, they form compounds (e.g.
someone/somebody, anything, no-where).
1)
2)
3)
4)

I have __ lemonade but I can give you some cold milk.

Have you __ money on you? No, but I have .. at home.
Do __ of these people speak English? Yes, __ of them do.
Is there __body in? Yes, there's always __one in.

35

5)
6)
call.
7)
8)
9)
10)

I can't find the can-opener __where. Well, it must be __where around. Try the kitchen.
There's __ body on the phone for you. That's funny; I wasn't expecting __ body to

71)

Use ANY, NO, NONE or NO-ONE/NOBODY in the following sentences:

e.g. __ problems so far? No, __ at all. (Any / none)

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

How many mistakes did you make in your last dictation? __ .

__ man is an island (John Donne, 1571-1631).
There is __ reason to believe that __body stole your purse.
__ chips with your meat, sir? No thanks, __ chips.
__ of the children in that class seem to know __thing.
It was so cold that there was __body in the park at all.
There's __ here called Hodgkinson.
I had to do it alone. I had __ help at all.
__one can see that she's in love with you. It's obvious.
All the other children got some sweets, but I got __ .

72)

Use NO instead of NOT ANY in the following sentences:

e.g. I HAVEN'T GOT ANY MATCHES = I HAVE NO MATCHES.

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

We don't eat any meat on Fridays.

I haven't any time to see you.
I don't want any more trouble from you.
Isn't there any more salad in the fridge?
We haven't any money left.

I find it hard to see without my glasses. By the way, I must get __ new ones soon.
The guests drank __ of the beer, but they didn't touch __ of the wine at all.
Have you got __thing to eat? I'm starving.
I'm short of cash tonight. Have you got __ money on you?

COMPOUNDS OF EVERY
73)
Insert the appropriate compound of EVERY (everyone/everybody, everything,
everywhere) in the following sentences.
1)
She's an expert: she knows __ there is to know on the subject.
2)
Not __ agreed with him, but __ voted for him in the end.
3)
I give you __ you want but you still say you don't love me.
4)
We seem to meet our students __ !
5)
Try to do __ as best as you can in life. Try to be polite and kind to __ but don't be
fooled by false friends or "victims" with their sob stories. Finally, dress nicely and
neatly __ .

36

COMPOUNDS OF SOME/ ANY/ NO/ EVERY + ELSE

74)
Complete the following sentences using a compound of SOME, ANY, NO,
EVERY with ELSE:
e.g. This place is too expensive. Let's go __ (somewhere else)
Her father did not know but __ did. (everybody else)
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

Did Tom tell Marion about his problem? No, but I think he told __ .
Have you washed up? No, but I've done __ you told me to.
We went to Sardinia last summer, but next summer we're going __
Apart from Peter, __ remembered my birthday.
I'd rather not have fish for lunch. I'd like __ .
Mr Sutton phoned this morning. Oh? Did __ phone?
Haven't you brought your book with you? __ has.
I can't help you. You must ask __ .
I don't like coffee. Is there __ to drink?
Catalan is spoken in Catalonia. Is it spoken __?

QUANTIFIERS
A LOT OF/ MUCH/ MANY
75)

Use A LOT OF, MUCH or MANY as required:

e.g. Don't spend __ time on it; you are wasting your time! (much)
(Don't use "much" or "many" in affirmative sentences in spoken texts)

1)
I don't remember __ about my childhood. However, I remember that I used to cry __ .
2)
The children don't know __ about mathematics.
3)
We haven't got very __ friends in this town.
4)
I don't usually carry __ money on me these days.
5)
My uncle drinks __ , but he doesn't smoke __ .
6)
Do you remember how __ coal we ordered?
7)
__ time is wasted in this factory.
8)
They haven't done __ research on biology at our university, but __ research is being
done on medicine.
9)
__ years ago people believed that the earth was flat.
10)
__ people claim to have seen a UFO.
A LITTLE/ A FEW // LITTLE/ FEW
76)
Put in (A) LITTLE or (A) FEW as required. (Omitting the indefinite article "a"
makes the expression restrictive in meaning):
e.g. There are __ books lying on the floor. (a few)

37

__ people study Mandarin or other Chinese languages. (few)

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

__ salad for me, please. I don't particularly like it.

__ patience and __ words of advice help more than medicine, sometimes.
__ pass all their degree exams at first attempt.
Try to learn __ English every day.
Will you give me __ money to buy __ sweets?

ONE/ ONES
77)

Put in either ONE or ONES in place of the underlined countable nouns:

e.g. Two red pens, three black pens and one blue pen, please. (ones/ one)

1)
Look at the elephant! Isn't it a big elephant!
2)
These are excellent apples. May I have another small apple, please? Of course. Have a
large apple. There are some riper apples in the kitchen, if you want.
3)
I'll take one small white loaf and a large brown loaf.
4)
This train is the longest train I've ever been on.
5)
Those are nice photos. Give me the photos of the two of us together, and you keep the
rest.

BOTH/ NEITHER __ NOR

78)

Transform the sentences as in the example:

e.g. Both Peter and Geoff are out this evening.
(Neither Peter nor Geoff are in this evening)

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

Both Tina and Tony are short.

Both Herbert and his brother are generous.
Both Martin and Hugh dislike liver.
Both the British and the Japanese drive on the left.
Both Mary and her husband detest modern dancing.

79)

Join the sentences in two ways, as in the example:

e.g. We don't speak Spanish. We don't speak French.
(We don't speak either Spanish or French.
We speak neither Spanish nor French)

38

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

Jack doesn't speak kindly. He doesn't speak politely.

Our dog isn't fierce. He isn't disobedient.
Marjorie doesn't feel lonely. She doesn't feel unhappy.
I don't dance. I don't sing.
Our headmaster doesn't speak quietly. He doesn't speak clearly.

SO/NEITHER/NOR in answers
80)

Write a suitable reply to each of the following affirmative/negative statements.

Look at the following examples:
Peggy works in a hospital. So does Joan. (= Joan works in a hospital, too.)
They didn't like the film. Neither/Nor did I. (= I didn't like the film, either.)

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
13)
14)
15)
16)
17)
18)
19)
20)

Jane is very happy. (John)

Barcelona hasn't got enough parks. (Madrid)
Ian thinks your jokes are very funny. (I)
They're spending too much money. (you)
They don't smoke. (Jim's father)
They enjoyed themselves very much. (we)
Leo will try. (Susan)
I wouldn't like to live alone. (they)
I didn't wash my face this morning. (I)
I've already been there. (Alec)
I would like to go. (George)
She isn't feeling very well. (her boyfriend)
I can dance the can-can. (Brigitte)
They don't have to do it. (she)
My students can't understand you. (mine)
They had to leave very early. (everyone else)
She didn't have time to go last week. (Arthur)
I must do my homework. (Fiona)
They shouldn't work so hard. (you)
We have bought a new car. (Alice)

QUESTION TAGS
(Spanish verdad? Catalan oi?).
Positive statement, negative tag
She's here, isn't she?
You like tea, don't you?
They went home, didn't they?
You had lunch, didn't you?

Negative statement, positive tag

She isn't here, is she?
You don't like tea, do you?
They didn't go home, did they?
We didn't have time to eat, did we?

Exception: I'm late, aren't I?

39

81)

Add the necessary question tags to the following sentences:

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

He is early this morning, __ ?

We must go now, __ ?
You can swim very well, __ ?
I was very quick, __ ?
They always work hard, __ ?
He'll like it, __ ?
He hadn't met you before, __ ?
It won't hurt me, __ ?
He wouldn't tell the truth, __ ?
I shouldn't go, __ ?

82)

Put in the correct question tags:

Police constable: You're John Alfred Smithers, __?
Smithers: Yes, I am.
PC: You're 36, __?
S: Yes, that's right. It was my birthday yesterday.
PC: You sell cars, __?
S: Yes, I do. And other things.
PC: You live in Ealing, __?
S:Yes, I do. I've lived here all my life.
PC: You went to Ascot races yesterday, __?
S: That's right.
PC: You weren't alone, __?
S: No, I wasn't. I was with Isadora Bell.
PC: But you're married, __, Smithers?
S: Yes, but I haven't seen my wife for three years.
PC: I see. Now you left your flat at one o'clock, __?
S: Yes, about one o'clock.
PC: You were in your Porsche, __?
S: Yes, I was.
PC: You didn't stop for petrol, __?
S: No.
PC: You had lunch in an Indian restaurant, __?
S: Oh no, we didn't. We had lunch in a pub.
PC: You don't remember the name of the pub, __?
S: No, I'm afraid I don't.
PC: You had chicken and chips, __?
S: No, no. We had beer and sandwiches outside.
PC: You arrived in time for the first race, and stayed until the last race, __?
S: Yes!
PC: You were very lucky, __?
S: Yes, I was.
PC: You won 10,000 pounds, __?

40

S: No, I can't remember exactly how much.

PC: There was 10,000 pounds in your flat, __?
S: Was there?
PC: You don't know where Miss Bell is now, __?
S: No, I'm not her husband, __?
PC: But you left her in Central London because she wanted to buy some clothes.
S: Yes.
PC: It's very interesting, __, Mr Smithers? You've got a very fast car, __?
S: What do you mean?
PC: The last race at Ascot began late and it didn't finish until twenty-five past five, so
you drove from Ascot to Central London and back to Ealing in thirty-five minutes,
in
the rush hour. That's impossible, __, Mr Smithers!
SO / SUCH
83)

Put SO or SUCH in the following sentences:

e.g. The evidence was __ strong that the judge found the accused guilty. (so)
I had __ an awful time at that party last night! (such)
NOTE: Use SO before much/many + noun and little/few + noun

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
13)
14)
left
15)

You've made __ many mistakes you'll have to re-type the letter.

It was __ nice to see you again.
She had __ a bad headache that she went straight to bed.
She speaks __ quietly that it's hard to hear what she says.
I'm __ hungry I could eat a horse.
The exercise was __ difficult that I had to leave it.
She sings __ beautifully that I'm sure she'll be a success.
The room was __ crowded I couldn't sit down.
It was __ a crowded room that I couldn't sit down.
There is __ much rubbish on the beach that we hate going there.
It was __ an interesting book that I couldn't put it down.
The book was __ interesting that I couldn't put it down.
There were __ many interesting things to do, but we had __ little time to do them in.
There was __ much noise, __ much traffic, __ few parks and __ little fresh air that I
the city as soon as I could.
Why do you smoke __ many cigarettes?

84)

Rewrite the following using SUCH (A/AN).

e.g. It's the dirtiest room I've ever seen = I've never seen such a dirty room.

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

It's the most beautiful picture I've ever seen.

They're the ugliest ornaments you've ever bought.
It's the strangest animal I've ever seen.
It's the untidiest classroom I've ever walked into.
It's the most delicious cake I've ever eaten.

41

CLAUSES OF RESULT
85)

Complete the following as in the example.

e.g. It was such a frightening film that __
(__I couldn't sleep that night at all)

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

The bus was so full that __

My aunt is so fat that __
My brother drives so fast that __
I am so short of money that __
This Coca-Cola is so cold that __

TOO/ TOO MUCH/ TOO MANY

86)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Look at the examples and try to work out the rules yourself before doing the exercise.
Examples:
I'm __ tired to go on. (too)
You eat your lunch __ quickly; you'll get indigestion. (too)
There's __ noise in this room. (too much)
Don't give me __ carrots and peas. (too many)
My landlady is a nuisance; she talks __ . (too much)

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

Exercise:
You did your essay __ quickly.
You're __ weak to lift those heavy boxes.
There are __ students in some of these classes.
This tea is __ sweet; there's __ sugar in it.
Don't phone me __ often; I'm never in.
What is the difference between very and too?

TOO __ = NOT __ ENOUGH

87)
Rewrite the following sentences using either NOT __ ENOUGH or TOO __ to
express the same idea.
e.g. This pullover is not big enough for me.
(This pullover is too small for me)
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)

Your car is not big enough for the whole family.

You're too small to reach that shelf.
The water is not warm enough to swim in.
That article is too long to read in an hour.
This exercise is not simple enough for a first-year English student to do.
That car is too expensive for us to buy.

42

7)
8)
9)
10)

The sky is not clear enough for us to see the stars.

The village is too far away to reach on foot.
You're not old enough to watch horror films.
Your cat is too slow to be a good hunter.

LIKE / AS
88)
Use either LIKE or AS in the following sentences, as required BUT first study the
examples carefully:
e.g. A) Do as I say. ("as" + clause)
Do it like this. ("like" + noun/ pronoun)
e.g. B) He works as a referee (real job)
He can climb like a monkey (comparison)
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

Now __ I was saying: we went into the room and arrested the murderer.
I worked __ a waiter during the summer holidays.
I have a car __ John's.
I can't understand why he reacted __ that.
"You shouldn't go out with him. I'm speaking __ a friend."
He's got a job __ a racing driver.
That job in the summer was terrible. We had to work __ slaves.
He drives really fast. He drives __ a lunatic.
__ my father, I have black hair.
__ was expected, the workers went the strike.

STILL/ YET / ALREADY

89)

Use STILL, YET or ALREADY in the following sentences.

e.g. Have you finished? Not __; I haven't even started __ . (yet/yet)
Don't ask me again. I've __ told you about five times.
(already)
Are you __ here? I thought you had left ages ago. (still)

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

Have you done your homework __, John? No, I'm __ doing the first exercise.
Have you done yours, Peter? Yes, I've __ done it.
Have you sent the cards, Dick? No, I'm __ writing them.
It's only eleven o'clock and Jennifer has __ done the
washing.
Has Mary had a bath __? No, she is __ in bed.
Can Norman play the drums __? No, he's __ learning.
It's five to nine and Max has __ arrived at the library.
Don't worry about the dishes. I've __ done them.
Are you __ married? Everybody else seems to have got divorced!
Go and make your bed this minute! I've __ done it.

PAIRS OF ADJECTIVES ENDING IN -ING / -ED

43

90)
Complete the unfinished words in these sentences either with -ED or with -ING,
according to the meaning of the sentence.
e.g. The show was very entertain__. (entertaining)
1)
I found the lecture very bor___. I'm not surprised. You are always bor___ when you
go to lectures.
2)
It is surpris___ how many people cannot swim.
3)
We showed them our holiday slides. They said nothing but I think they found them
quite interest___.
4)
The children are very excit___ about Christmas.
5)
That massage they gave me at the sauna was really relax___. I've never felt quite so
relax___ before.
6)
That's a very tir___ job: no wonder you look so exhaust___.
7)
He kept us entertain___ with excit___ stories about Africa.
8)
I find penguins the most fascinat___ animals in the zoo.
9)
Please stop yawning. Am I really so bor___?
10)
I'm very interest___ in coins and stamps.
CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD
91)
Choose the correct word in each case and, in the case of the verbs, write them also in
the appropriate tense according to the meaning of the sentence.
A)

VERBS

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
13)
14)
15)
16)
17)
18)
19)
20)

Could I __ your pen for a minute? (BORROW/LEND)

Could you __ me your camera to take on holiday? (BORROW/LEND)
Let's go to the wood and __ some flowers. (CATCH/TAKE/PICK)
Here's the ball. See if you can __ it. (CATCH/TAKE)
It's yours now. You can __ it wherever you like. (CATCH/TAKE)
The plane was __ by terrorists. (HIJACK/KIDNAP)
The men __ the girl and demanded a big ransom. (HIJACK/KIDNAP)
Have you __ yourself? (HURT/DAMAGE)
My little brother __ the side of his car while parking . (HURT/DAMAGE)
My parents won't __ me go out tonight. (LET/LEAVE)
My parents __ for Australia a week ago. (LET/LEAVE)
Hurry up, or you'll __ the bus. (LOSE/MISS)
I always __ Spain and my friends when I'm abroad on holiday. (MISS/LOSE)
He fired but __ the target. (LOSE/MISS)
She __ a lot of money when she sold that house. (LOSE/LEAVE)
Have you __ this pen? I found it under your chair. (LOSE/LEAVE)
How much time did you __ on your homework? (PASS/SPEND)
Time __ very slowly when you are not here. (PASS/SPEND)
I'm an anglophile. I've never __ much time abroad. (SPEND/PASS)
Don't __ time or money. (SPEND/WASTE/LOSE)

44

21)
Tomorrow I'm just going to __ at home. (REST/STAY)
22)
My mother needs to __ a little because she's been working too hard. (REST/STAY)
23)
__ me to buy the paper on the way home. (REMEMBER/REMIND)
24)
I can __ my grandmother well, although she's been dead for years.
(REMIND/REMEMBER)
25)
__ to buy the milk at the shops! (REMEMBER/REMIND)
26)
My little sister __ playing games with me when she was only three and I can __ her
bursting into tears whenever she lost. (REMIND/REMEMBER)
27)

-Sorry, I __ my homework at home!

-Are you sure you didn't __ to do it? (FORGET/LEAVE)
28)
My students often __ their textbooks under their chairs after class. I wonder how they
study? (LEAVE/FORGET)
29)
Please, Sir! I'd like to __ class early today because I've got to see the dentist.
(LEAVE/DEPART)
30)
The coach __ at five o'clock sharp. Don't be late! (DEPART/GO OUT)
B)

NOUNS

31)
I'm not going to that pub again. There was a __ there last night.
(FIGHT/DISCUSSION)
32)
__ of this topic will begin at 10.00. (DISCUSSI0N/ARGUMENT)
33)
He wasn't a very good student, so he didn't finish his __ (CAREER/ DEGREE)
34)
Although he was bad at studying. He made a successful __ as a musician. (CAREER/
DEGREE)
35)
Everybody knows the __ of Adam and Eve. (HISTORY/STORY)
36)
A good __ of Catalonia was written by Ferran Soldevila. (STORY/HISTORY)
37)
Have a __ of wine! (CUP/GLASS)
38)
I'd prefer a __ of tea, if you don't mind. (CUP/GLASS)
39)
In my study I have a __ , a chair and some bookshelves for my books.
(TABLE/DESK)
40)
We always serve lunch on the dining room __ . (DESK/TABLE)
41)
I love visiting __ in Barcelona. (MONUMENT/HISTORICAL BUILDING)
42)
In Plaa Catalunya there is a __ in memory of Francesc Maci.
(MONUMENT/HISTORICAL BUILDING)
43)
Let's spend the afternoon seeing the __ of London. (SIGHTS/SITES)
44)
The __ of the Battle of Hastings is now open to the public. (SIGHT/SITE)
45)
I've got a pale __, like my mother. But in __ I'm athletic and, like most Scotsmen, I've
got a strong __ . (CONSTITUTION/COMPLEXION/BUILD)
C)

PREPOSITIONS

46)
The Banco de Bilbao is __ the Corte Ingls in Plaa Catalunya. (IN FRONT
OF/OPPOSITE)
47)
The big man sitting __ me in the cinema spoilt my view of the film. (IN FRONT
OF/OPPOSITE)

45

48)
The woman pushed in and stood __ me in the queue (IN FRONT OF/OPPOSITE)
49)
Look at that beautiful mountain __ us! (AHEAD OF/OPPOSITE)
50)
Hello. I haven't seen you __ ages. (FOR/DURING)
51)
We are going to Menorca __ a fortnight. (DURING/FOR)
52)
__ the class, the teacher explained a lot of grammatical and vocabulary problems.
(DURING/FOR)
53)
I keep my type writer __ my desk. (ON/IN)
54)
Helen found an old love letter __ the drawer of her dressing table. (ON/IN/INTO)
55)
The students came __ the classroom. (IN/INTO)
D)

ADJECTIVES, PAST PARTICIPLES AND ADVERBS

56)
Do you live __ or with somebody else? (ALONE/LONELY)
57)
It is quite common for a person to feel __ in a crowd. (ALONE/LONELY)
58)
Mrs Jones is __ . (DEAD/DIED)
59)
Really? I didn't know she had __ . (DEAD/DIED)
60)
I feel that I __ know you. (HARD/HARDLY)
61)
Don't go out. It's raining very __ . (HARD/HARDLY)
62)
Have you heard Michael Jackson's __ record? (LAST/LATEST)
63)
That was the __ time he saw her. (LAST/LATEST)
64)
In his __ condition, he'll be lucky to survive the operation. (PRESENT/ACTUAL)
65)
In __ fact she quite likes you. (PRESENT/ACTUAL)
66)
__ , English isn't as difficult as you think. (ACTUALLY/PRESENTLY)
67)
She'll be coming __ . Please be patient. (ACTUALLY/PRESENTLY)
68)
__, I'm in my second year of English. (ACTUALLY/AT PRESENT)
69)
He's always been a __ listener. People often tell him their troubles.
(SYMPATHETIC/FRIENDLY)
70)
If you get to know her, she's quite __ . But she's distant at first.
(SYMPATHETIC/FRIENDLY)
71)
Be __ ! You can't expect to pass your exams without revising properly.
(SENSITIVE/SENSIBLE)
72)
She's such a __ person. You have to be so careful with what you say to her!
(SENSITIVE/SENSIBLE)
73)
__ __ , don't be late for the wedding. [ABOVE ALL (adverb)/OVERCOAT(noun)]
74)
Even in summer, people in England sometimes have to wear an __ . [ABOVE ALL
(adverb)/OVERCOAT (noun)]
75)
NOTE: You __ a story, the truth or a lie, the time or the difference between two
people or things. But you __ a difficulty, a problem or a solution to it.
(EXPLAIN/TELL)
What is the difference between "actually" and "actualmente"?

46

COMPOSITIONS
Foreword
When you write in English, there are some differences in expression you should bear in mind.
English people:
a)
write shorter sentences (normally using only one subordinate clause)
b)

use fewer words to express their ideas

c)

write shorter paragraphs

d)
"personalise" their language (i.e. avoid abstract nouns and expressions, and
impersonal phrases).
Punctuation is also different. Spanish uses more commas than English. English uses semicolons (;) and colons (:) more often than Spanish.
Look at this:
Ella era alta y guapa, tena unos treinta aos, de complexin esbelta y fina, era como una
estatua de belleza clsica.
She was tall and beautiful. In age she was about thirty years old; slim and delicate in build:
she was like a statue of classical beauty.
Try to remember the above when you write in English!
GUIDANCE ON WRITING DIFFERENT TYPES OF COMPOSITIONS
1) Daily routine
Write an essay of about 150 words using the following:
a)

Connectors of sequence
First of all/Then/Next/After that/ Finally

b)

Verbs (and objects)

47

Wake up/ get up/ have a shower/ have a wash/ make breakfast/ brush my teeth/ pack
my lunch/ put on my coat/ pick up my umbrella/ open the door/ kiss my partner goodbye/ catch the bus to work/ arrive at work/ work/ finish work/ come back home.
c)

Temporal expressions
In the morning/afternoon/evening, at night, at (+ time)

48

2) Letters (neutral style)

a) Letter asking for information
Here is the letter-heading:
The Director,
Britannia Language School
31, Green Street
Southampton (Hants)
United Kingdom

Balmes, 321, 4-1

Girona
Spain
24th March 1999

Dear Sir,
-----------------------------------------------------(Now put the rest of the letter in correct order, and divide it into paragraphs).
a- interested in a one-month course starting in July or
b- teachers native ones?
c- on arrival. Can I pay in pesetas?
d- Concerning accommodation, I would prefer to stay
e- Please inform me as to the price of the courses and the
f- I am writing to ask you for information about your
g- with an English family. Can you arrange this?
h- number of students in the classes. Are all your
i- Finally, do you organise excursions to nearby
j- August for a third-year student of English.
k- send me a brochure about your courses.
l- summer intensive courses in General English. I am
m- As to payment, is this by bank transfer or
n- historic towns and cities? I hope so. Please
-----------------------------------------------------I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully,
(signed) R. Fernndez
RAFAELA FERNANDEZ RODRIGUEZ

49

NOTICE:
1)
If you begin "Dear Sir" (man) or "Dear Madam" (woman) or "Dear Sirs"
(company, institution), you end with "Yours faithfully," But if you begin with a
name (Dear Mr Brown/ Mrs Brown/ Ms Brown/ Miss Brown), you must end
"Yours sincerely,"
2)
left)

You must write the name and address of the addressee at the top of the letter (on the

3)
Don't forget your address (top right); and the date (underneath) as follows: 24th
September 1998/ September 24, 1998
4)
Use connectors to give a logical sequence to your letter, paragraph by paragraph (e.g.
First of all/Firstly, ... .)
5)
"I am writing to you to (+ verb infinitive)... ." is a standard beginning. (NOT "I write
to you to...").
b) Job application letter (neutral style)
Lay-out of letter-heading as in 2(a) above (Letter asking for information)
Now write a letter of about 150 words covering the following:
- the job advertisement reference and the job you are applying for
- your name, age, marital status and nationality
- your diplomas and other academic or professional
qualifications
- your relevant experience
- your present job and reason(s) for wanting to change it
- your particular suitability for the job advertised
Divide the letter into appropriate paragraphs.
End the letter as in 2(a) above I look forward to hearing from you (etc.).
Here are some words and expressions that are suitable for your letter:
advertisement/ job/ apply for
degree/ certificate/ diploma/ course/ studies
company/ office/ department/ section
work under/ be in charge of/ run
promotion/ salary increase/ job satisfaction/ motivation
available for interview/ telephone number/ message
(c) Letter asking for advice (problem letter) (more personal style, approaching informal
register)
Read the following letter and then

50

a) write an answer giving the advice asked for. Pay attention to arguing your points logically
and take into account the writer's comments and questions.
b) write a similar letter about a problem and give it to a classmate to answer.
Model letter
Dear Joan,
I used to work for a small provincial company but, feeling more ambitious, I moved to
London and joined a major international firm.
However, I did not enjoy the change as much as I had expected. The friendly working
atmosphere I was used to did not exist in the London company. There was more office
politics. People became nervous and irritable under stress and, to top it all, the hours were
longer. Why? Because we were expected to work overtime. Recently, I met my old boss at a
party in my hometown and I told her about my experience. She was sympathetic and even
offered me my old job back.
What shall I do? Should I go back to my old job? Or should I stick it out, hoping things will
improve?
Please advise me.
Yours sincerely,
(signed) Angela Black (Ms)
Advice structures:
You should/ You ought to/ You'd better (not)/ If I were you, I'd ... / It's a good idea to/ It's best
to/ The best thing to do is to
Suggestion structures:
How about .....?
What about .....?
You could .....
Why don't you .....?
3. Letters (informal style)
(a) Letter to a good friend and (b) member of the family
(i) Here are two letters from friends. Reconstruct them from the numbered fragments. As you
do so, pay attention to (1) the style of language and (2) the conventional expressions

51

(including "holiday" expressions) used. Make notes. What can you say about these two
features?
Fragments 1-10
1.

Roses (Girona)
7/7/98

Dear Harry,
This is my first letter to you from my holiday on the Costa Brava.
Angie and I are having a wonderful time here. We've been walking along the coast,
2. to Calella de Palafrugell, which is another little fishing port just to the south. It only takes
40 minutes to do the walk and it's well worth it. You can smell the hot resin from the pine
trees, see the huge cactus that grow around here with their thick grey-green skins, feel
3. looking out to sea and watching the fishing boats come in after the day's catch. The boats
are all sizes and colours, just like the houses here, although -as with the houses- white
predominates. It's been so hot! You won't believe it but we actually decided to spend a day off
the beach. We just couldn't take so much sun! So we
4.

Llafranch
31/7/98

Dear Liz,
Sorry I haven't written for so long but I've been doing so many things I just haven't had the
chance to put pen to paper.
I got your postcard
5. having a lot of fun together. They're local guys and some girls. Most of them are Catalan
and they've been showing me around. They have little mopeds and I've been riding on the
back of a moped to some really wicked* places. You don't know what you are missing!
Must stop now. One of the girls is knocking on my room door. Tonight we're going to a
lovely
*extremely exciting or good
6. went to see the Dali museum in Figueres. It was incredible.
Well, I must stop now. It's time to have a drink with our new Catalan friends. They've been
introducing us to all the local dishes and the best
7. seafood restaurant perched on a top of a hill next to an old lighthouse. We'll be able to see
the sunset from there. Honestly, Liz, this is the place for me!
Love and kisses to Mum and Dad and give our little dog Ronnie a hug from me.
Love,

52

Jacky
8. places to eat them.
Don't work too hard! See you soon.
Remember me to the boys. Angie sends her love.
Bye for now.
Bob
P.S. Pity about England in the World Cup, eh!
9. the sea-breeze in your hair and listen to the wash of the waves on the rocks not far below.
It's really a romantic place.
I've been meeting a lot of the local people and now I've made a group of friends. We're
10. from Venice and I must say I'm sorry you were disappointed with the place. You should
have come here. Llafranch is a lovely seaside village on the Costa Brava. It's not too big and
there's a fantastic walk, with marvellous views over the bay and out to sea, from Llafranch
(ii) Compare your notes with the answers in the key.
(iii) Now write an answer to one of the above reconstructed letters.
Here are some more expressions, taken from informal letters, to help you. Include some of
them.
(a) At the start
Dear (Frances), (Bob),
My dear (Bert),
Dearest (Andy), (Jacky),
-This is my first letter from ...
-Just to drop you a few line from...
-I'm writing this from (my hotel room overlooking the bay)...
-Thanks for your (postcard/letter). Sorry to take so much time to answer/ I haven't written
before but I've been enjoying myself too much to write back at once.
(b)In the middle
-Anyway, as I was saying we (took the bus to ...
-Believe it or not, we've had (pouring rain for the last week)
-This is the life for me, you know.
-Lovely weather, isn't it?
-Pity I forgot my address book.
-Pity about the food/ room/ people.
-How odd! I just can't understand it.

53

-I'm furious. It's enough to make you write to the papers!

-What about you? How are things?
(c) At the end
-Must stop now. It's getting late. /I have to post this./ We're off to the beach.
-Well, that's all I have time for now.
-Time to finish. See you soon.
-Best wishes/ Regards.
-Remember me to (the children /your wife/your husband).
-Give my love (to your mother).
-Bye for now.
-Love and best wishes.
-Love and kisses.
____________________________________
P.S. Send me your new telephone number.
4. Describing people, places and things
a) Improving your writing
When you write, don't just think of it as a chore, but consider also the reader! Avoid
words whose effect is weakened by overuse.
Think of alternative, more expressive words to replace the following adjectives and
verbs.
i) Adjectives e.g. The weather was bad.
Say instead: The weather was poor.
big/small; nice, good/bad; beautiful/ugly; happy/sad; wonderful, fantastic,
marvellous/horrible, terrible; best/worst; interesting/boring; exciting
ii) Verbs e.g. arrive at = reach
Do, make; come, go; arrive at, get to; go up, go down; go into, come out of; see, look
at;
Now write a short paragraph on one or more of the following, avoiding the use of the
words and expressions in (i) and (ii) above:
a) Your best friend
b) Your favourite city or town, or your hometown
c) Your best (or worst) holiday.
b) Describing people.
Write a description of a friend of yours. Possible beginnings:
I have a friend called ... (I have a friend whose name is ...).
I have known him/her for ... years. We first met ... .

54

Try and incorporate some of the following words into your composition:
tall - short
fat/plump - slim, thin
strong - weak
dark (-haired) - fair (-haired)/blonde
hard-working - lazy
boring - interesting
serious/studious - comical/amusing/good company
(NOTE: He is fun = You have a good time with him)
good-tempered - bad-tempered/moody/temperamental
helpful - uncooperative/awkward/stubborn
healthy - sickly/ suffers from ill health
understanding - unsympathetic
self-confident - shy
punctual/reliable - unreliable (espaol: informal)
good-looking/handsome/attractive - ugly/plain
Use the following words to modify the above:
very, quite/fairly/rather, a little/a bit/a little bit
sometimes/at times, never, not always very
He/She tends to be ...
5. Changes
(i) Consider these questions:
How has your life changed since you were a child?
Have you moved house or flat? How has your family changed?
How has your district, town or city changed?
Are you now a better (or worse) person? Better-mannered, better educated? More mature?
And what has stayed the same?
ii) Now list some of these changes under headings such as: Myself/ My family/ My home/
My hometown/ My schooling/ People in general.
iii) Discuss the changes with a partner in class. Have the changes been for better or worse?
Use some of these expressions:
a) Contrast and concession
However,... /On the one hand, ... On the other hand, ... / But ... /Although... /Even though ...
b) Addition
Also, ... /Besides, ... /In addition, ... /Moreover, ...
c) Listing (in same paragraph)
Firstly, ... / Secondly, ... / Thirdly, ... /(etc)/Last of all, ... (Lastly, ...) (Finally, ...)

55

d) Sequence (in same paragraph)

First, ... / Next, ... / Then, ... / After that, ... /Finally,...
iv) Now, together, write approx. 150 words about what has changed in the life of one of you
(use the third person when you write) and compare the changes with the previous
circumstances.
Use comparative, superlative and equality expressions, together with modifiers:
a) comparative
even
far
a lot/ much
a bit/ a little
b) superlative
absolutely
really

more crowded
dirtier

than

wonderful
marvellous
the best

c) equality
as exciting/ boring/ quickly as
Start now!
6. Giving an opinion - reviewing a book or a film
i) First, think of a book or a film you particularly enjoyed.
ii) Now try to summarize its plot (the action) in about 100 words (you can use the present
tense in this case).
iii) Next, write down a list of what you really liked about the book or film under headings
such as:
a) Character portrayal
b) Descriptions of scenery and/ or atmosphere (the setting)
c) Realism/Suspense
iv) Finally, write an appraisal of the book/ film (150 - 200 words). Divide your essay into
paragraphs, which should cover the following (in the same order):
a) Facts about the book (Author, when and where published? Copies sold? Paperback
edition? Made into a film?)
0r film (Based on? Directed by? Produced by? Made when and where? Starring?) (about 1
paragraph)

56

b) The setting and the story (Introduce the time, place and characters. Briefly tell the story
(present tense) (about 2 paragraphs)
c) Outstanding features (Pick out episodes and other details from the book or film, saying
why you particularly liked them. (1 to 2 paragraphs)
d) Final impression (Give your definitive view on the quality of the book/ film (1 paragraph)
The following expressions will help you in this task:
"(X) tells the story of ..."
"is based on a real experience/real life"
"The film stars (Y) in the title role"
"The hero/heroine is played by (Y)"
"The lead part in the film is played by (Y)"
"(Y's) performance in the star role was outstanding/impressive"
"In my opinion"/"In my view"/"From my viewpoint"/"Personally, I think"
"The descriptions are so convincing that..."
"It is a gripping story"
"The story is set in (place) in (year, period)"
"As the story progresses, we see ..."
"The turning-point is when..."
"The relationship between (A) and (B) leads to..."
"In the end/Finally,..."
"It is not until the end that we learn ...."
"I was especially impressed by ..."

7. Discursive: advantages and disadvantages

a) Read this:
Living in a town or in the country
, (1) the main advantage of living in a town is the proximity of services, work and
entertainment. In the extreme case, you may live, work and even spend part of your social life
in the same street.
, (2) in the country life is necessarily more demanding and varied. Farmers have to
travel from home to their fields. If you are ill, the nearest doctor may be in the next village,
necessitating an urgent journey of several miles. You are more dependent on or exposed to
changes in the weather.
, (3) there may be no form of entertainment beyond a local
cinema which opens once a week.
, (4) many people believe country life is just too

57

much trouble to be worthwhile.

(5) why is it that nowadays there is
move out from the towns and cities to live in the country?

(6) a

The answer cannot be only in the increase in property prices. Life in the country is healthier
and less risky than in a town.
, (7) the food is fresher and better in quality, cheaper
and more readily available.
(8) entertainment in the way of films may be less
varied, people are closer and friendlier than in a town or city.
, (9)life in the country is not as bad as some make it out to be.

(10) why not try

it?
b) Use of connectors
i) Now in the spaces above put in the appropriate expression from those below:
To begin with/ To sum up/ What's more/ Last but not least/ So/ As a result / Nevertheless/ On
the other hand/ Although/ So
ii) Next, find synonyms among the above expressions for the following:
Even though/ Moreover/ To conclude/ First of all/ Finally/ Besides/ In conclusion/ However/
In contrast/ Therefore/ In addition.
iii) Finally, what do "Despite..." and "in spite of..." mean? Use them in a phrase each to
demonstrate their meaning.
iv) Write a discursive composition (150 to 200 words) on one of the following topics,
remembering to order your thoughts in paragraphs (one idea per paragraph).
Plan your composition paragraph by paragraph on the following lines:
i)
Introduction of the topic with a reference to the title
ii)
Describe the advantages
iii)
Describe (and contrast) the disadvantages
iv)
Reasoned conclusion, expressing a clear preference and referring explicitly to the
composition title.
TOPICS:
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of one of the following:
a) Living in Britain or Spain.
b) Going to university or getting a job, when you finish secondary school.
c) Being a woman or a man.
d) Having a pet.
e) Studying abroad.

VOCABULARY EXERCISES (SET TOPICS)

58

FOREWORD
These exercises consist of a variety of oral and written tasks for the student to perform both
inside and outside class. Solutions are provided in the KEY for almost all the exercises.
Many of the exercises can serve as an introduction to longer writing tasks, which can be set
by the teacher as class homework.
Finally, most of these vocabulary exercises form amusing games. Students should enjoy them
and back this work up with reading suitably adapted English books and contact with Englishspeaking people outside class.
EXERCISES
1. Personal identification

i) List the parts of the body from top to bottom. List the facial features in detail.
ii) What is the difference between (a) "complexion" (English) and "complexin" (Spanish)
and (b) "complexion" and "skin" in English?
iii) Think of ways to describe (a) hair and (b) complexion
iv) Description can be concisely expressed. Look at the example and do the exercise.
Example: A girl with big eyes
(A big-eyed girl)
NOTE: Colour/ Size/ Shape are the typical concepts expressed in this way.
Express:
a) A girl with green eyes
b) An athlete with long legs
c) A man with a round face
d) A woman with pale skin
e) A child with curly hair.
v) a) What are the opposites of the following characteristics?
good-natured/ well-mannered/ polite/ calm/ cheerful/ honest/ intelligent/ hardworking/ generous/ tidy.
b) What are the meanings of (i) "easy-going" and "highly strung" (ii) bossy?
c) Give the negatives (using one of the prefixes un-, in-, im-, ir- or dis-) of the following
adjectives:
intelligent/ regular/ similar/ patient/ happy/ reverent/ reasonable/ courteous/ convenient/
comfortable/ important/ correct/ employed/ friendly/ expensive.
vi) Think of a famous living person. Tell your partner his/her nationality. Now describe
him/her physically and as to personality. Can your partner guess who it is?

59

vii) Describe yourself/ your family/ people in class.

viii) (a) Who is the nicest person you know? Why?
(b) And the worst? Why?
2. Home, house and housework

i) Together with your partner list (a) the types of places people live in (b) the typical rooms
of a house and (c) the furniture, fixtures and fittings most usually found in those rooms.
ii) Now describe to your partner your favourite room at home.
iii) What do you like and dislike about your classroom? Discuss with your partner.
iv) Think of some of the typical tasks people have to perform when doing the housework.
Which ones do you do? Who does what in your home? Which are your favourite jobs at
home? And the worst ones?
v) Match the corresponding halves:
a) I sweep
i) the carpet.
b) Dad does
ii) the wine glasses.
c) My sister dusts
iii) and dry the dishes.
d) My brother washes
iv) his own bed.
e) We all wash
v) the furniture.
f) Mum hoovers
vi) the floor.
g) Our cleaner does
vii) Dad's car.
h) Dad polishes
viii) the washing and cleans the
windows.
i) I sometimes empty
ix) the shopping in the week.
j) My brother never makes x) the rubbish bin.
vi) Match the corresponding halves:
a) Who prunes
1) the gardening.
b) Nobody likes cutting
2) the new bulbs before winter.
c) Once, I dug up
3) the garden frequently.
d) I love doing
4) the rose bushes?
e) We must plant
5) the hedge.
f) My sister hates
6) the lawn.
g) We pick
7) a red rose for my girl.
h) My father often mows
8) digging the garden.
i) I picked
9) an old shoe in the garden.
j) In summer, we have to
10) the apples on the trees

60

water

in October.

3. Free time.
i) What hobbies and activities are associated with which ages (small children, schoolchildren,
teenagers, young adults, middle-aged people, old people).Discuss your ideas with your
partner.
ii) What expressions can be formed with "go" and what is the rule?
iii) Think of expressions that use "do" or "make" and try to discern some rules (many are
totally idiomatic!)
iv) Describe to your partner your typical current hobbies and other free-time activities,
including when and where you do them and how often. And what about when you were
younger (at school)? What would you like to do in the future?
v) With your partner, list - from maximum positive to maximum negative - all the expressions
of preference you can remember.
vi) Now describe and compare the typical free-time activities of your family -in the week, at
the weekend, in the holidays. How do you feel about them?

4. Travel.
i) What countries make up Europe? What are their nationalities and the national
languages? Discuss with your partner.
ii) What are the advantages of travel and study within the European Community? Which
major country in Europe is not a member?
iii) Which country do you like (a) most and (b) least? Why? Consider the people, climate,
food and cost of living, industries, services and the environment in general.
iv) Which city is this?
It's in the north-east of Catalonia, on the banks of a big river. It has a smaller population than
Barcelona and is about 100 kms to the north of it. It's a provincial capital.
v) Now revise the meanings of the following expressions of location or direction:
north/ east/south/west//north-east/north-west/south-east/south-west
in the (north) of.../ in the (middle, centre) of...

61

on the (coast, shores, bank) of...

on the motorway /road to...
(100 kms) to the (south) of...
It's between (X) and (Y) /It's (100 kms) away from (X).
vi) With your partner, list expressions describing (a) climate and (b) economic activity or
use of land.
vii) Now, as a guessing game, describe (a) a city and (b) a country (location, population,
types of industry, environment...).
5. Sports and health

i) What games can you play and what clothes and equipment are necessary for them?Tell
your partner.
ii) Which games (a) did you play at school (b) do you play now and (c) would you like to
play in the future?
iii) What sports or games are specially associated with (a) Catalonia (b) parts of Spain or (c)
Britain.
Try to describe the sport or game to your partner.
iv) Who is your favourite sports person? Describe a typical period in his/her life.
v) Revise the parts of the body.
What symptoms, illnesses and injuries are associated with them?
What are the remedies?
Who can look after you and where?
vi) See your doctor (your partner) and get treatment or a prescription for your injury or
sickness.
(Telephone to make an appointment/ arrive/ give your name to the nurse/ wait in the waiting
room/ see the doctor/ describe the problem/ get treatment or a prescription/ ask if you have to
come back/ say good-bye.
vii) What does a dentist do? List, with your partner, the things done at a dentist's surgery.
vii) Visit your dentist (as in (vi) above).
6. Food

i) Do you ever eat out? Where? Why? Who with? Tell your partner.

62

ii) With your partner list the main vocabulary of food (meat, fish, poultry, vegetables, fruit,
spices, drinks...). Don't forget the different ways to prepare food!
iii) Describe your favourite dish. Can you write the recipe? Try!
iv) Now prepare a menu for your restaurant (family restaurant or "exclusive" restaurant).
Example:
"The Seventh Heaven"
First course: Prawn Cocktail
Second Course: Sole meunire and boiled potatoes.
Dessert: Sherry Trifle.
You can add prices (in English currency).
Don't forget the Wine List!
The expressions Starters/ Main course/ Sweet are more homely and, perhaps, more
appropriate to family restaurants.
What is "home cooking"?
v) With two other students practise the restaurant activity (one of you is the Waiter/Waitress).
(Arrive at the restaurant/ ask for a table for two/ be shown to your table/ ask for the menu/
ask about certain dishes/ order your meal/ from the Wine List, choose a wine/ ask for other
dishes/ ask for the bill/ pay the bill/ leave a tip/ leave the restaurant.).

7. Language and language teaching.

i) What languages do people in Europe speak? Where? Discuss with your partner.
ii) Which of these languages can you speak a little/ well/ fluently? When did you learn or
start to learn each of them?
iii) Why are you studying English?
iv) How long have you been studying it?
v) What are the advantages and disadvantages of English compared with Catalan or
Spanish? List and discuss them in detail with your partner.
[Practise these expressions: -Contrast and concession: "On the one hand,... but on the
other,..."/ "... .However, ..."/ "Although..., ..."/ "... As a result, ..." / "Despite (the fact that)..."//
Addition: "Moreover... " / "Also,..." / "In addition, ..." / Sequence: "Firstly, ..." /
"Secondly, ..." / "Thirdly, ..." / "Finally, ..." // (Ask your teacher for more expressions).

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vi) Have you ever been to England or an English-speaking country? What was it like? What
problems did you have when trying to communicate?
vii) If you could study another language, which one would you choose? Why?
viii) What problems do you face in your English studies -in class or outside- and how do you
think they could be solved?
ix) How would you teach English to your classmates?
x) (a) What do you like most of all about your present English classes?
(b) And least of all? Why?
(c) What would you remove from the course programme? Why?
(d) What would you add to the classes? Why?
xi) When do you expect to visit an English-speaking country? Which one? Why?
8. Transport in cities or towns, especially in Barcelona or your hometown.
i) What are "singledeckers" and "doubledeckers"?Where can you find them?
ii) Have you ever ridden on a doubledecker bus? Describe the experience to your partner.
iii) What is the Underground also called in London? Why do you think the name is logical
and appropriate?
iv) (a) With your partner list the various means of transport, dividing them into public and
private.
(b) Now compare the various means, deciding which is
-the quickest
-the slowest
-the safest
-the most dangerous
-the most expensive
-the cheapest
-the oldest
-the most modern
-the most romantic
-the most comfortable
-the least comfortable
-the dirtiest or most polluting
-the cleanest in your city or town?
v) Which is your favourite form of transport? Why?
vi) What improvements would you recommend to the transport system in your city or town?

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vii) Would you rather buy a petrol-driven car than a diesel car? Why?
viii) What future forms of transport can you imagine?
ix) With your partner, list the basic parts of a car, with associated expressions.
9. Family.

i) Physically describe to your partner the various members of your family. (He/she can make
notes)
ii) Now show your partner a photo of your family. Can your partner recognize each of the
persons you have just described?
iii) Tell your partner something about each of the members- personality, interests, job or
profession, studies... Then check if he/she remembers!
iv) (a) Who do you like most in your family? Who is your best friend? Why?
(b) And the least? Why?
v) Compare yourself with the rest of your family. Who do you look like most of all? And who
are you most like in character?
10. School and university education
Compare and discuss with your partner your answers to the following questions:
i) What are the teaching institutions and the associated ages of pupils or students? e.g.
nursery school- children under 5 (toddlers).
ii) What do you do at nursery school?
iii) What subjects do you study at (a) primary school and
(b) secondary school
iv) What is (a) your best and
(b) your worst memory of your school days? Why?
v) Who was your favourite teacher?
-your best teacher?
-your worst teacher? Why (in all cases)?

65

vi) What qualifications have you now got and where and when did you get them? (e.g.
diploma in typing from secretarial college at the age of 15)
vii) What qualification do you hope to obtain now at university?
-in which subject?
-from what Faculty?
viii) (a) What year of study are you in?
(b) How many more years do you have to study for your degree (or other qualification)?
ix) What skills do you possess? (e.g. driving)
x) (a) What are your ambitions for the future?
(b) Would you like to study elsewhere? If so, where and why?
xi) Discuss the advantages of studying English in the context of studying abroad (e.g. with
the Erasmus programme).
xii) (a) What problems need urgently to be solved in your Faculty, School or Department?
(b) How would you solve them?
xiii) Match the corresponding halves:
i)The alarm clock rings:
ii) He doesn't like
iii)He puts on
iv) He won't put on
v)He did
vi)He kisses
vii)He gets on
viii)Finally, he takes his books

a) his school shirt, trousers and tie.

b) out of his satchel and sits at his desk.
c) John wakes and gets up.
d) his bike and arrives in time for School Assembly.
e) his school blazer until after breakfast.
f) wearing a school cap but
it's part of the school uniform.
g) his little sister good-bye.
h) the homework.

xiv) Match the corresponding halves:

i)She's studying
ii)I failed pure maths
iii)We're doing
iv)I'm in the first
v)He's writing up
vi)She's doing a doctorate

a) year of my maths degree.

b) so we haven't got a
degree yet.
c) in Theology.
d) for a degree in physics.
e) but passed applied maths.
f) in German with First Class Honours.

66

vii)He graduated
viii)We're undergraduates,

g) research into the causes of deafness.

h) his thesis on sexism among teachers.

11. Work
i) Associate the equipment with the worker or professional:
1.A trowel
2.A truncheon
3.A pocket calculator
4.Binoculars
5.A thermometer and stethoscope
6.A hose
7.A desk
8.An apron and a house coat
9.A dictionary
10.A red pen

(i)Translator
(ii)Office worker
(iii)Teacher
(iv)Gardener;Fireman
(v)Accountant
(vi)Policewoman or -man
(vii)Bricklayer
(viii)Doctor
(ix)Ship captain
(x)Housewife or househusband

ii) Select one of the people above- or choose another job- and describe a typical day to your
partner. He/she must guess the job.
iii) Job interview
a) Make up an advertisement on paper. (See the KEY for an example).
b) Give it to your partner
c) He/she phones you to make an appointment for an interview
d) Your partner (the job applicant) arrives and you conduct
the interview. For vocabulary, see Compositions exercise 2(b) (Job application letter)
(page 50)
e) With your partner, write up a typical dialogue at a job interview.
12. Hometown.
i) Give your partner some clues as to the identity of your home town or home quarter,
leaving its geographical location till last. Describe to him/ her :
- the people (size of population and characteristics)
- the industry and any traditional products.
- the climate
- other points of interest or reasons for fame.
- its geographical location.

67

ii) Compare your home towns with each other and, finally, with Barcelona (or other districts
in BCN).
iii) What improvements would you make in your home town or quarter? Discuss with your
partner.
iv) Were you born where you live now?
Tell your partner about your place of birth, and your childhood there.
v) (a) Imagine your partner is an English tourist. Recommend to him/her the best places to
visit in your town or quarter, where to stay and what to do at night.
(b) Give him/her the directions to a good hotel and any other places he/she wants to visit.
(Your partner will ask questions beginning "Can you tell me...?" or "How do I get
to...?").
vi) Draw two identical maps (photocopy one, if necessary) of a city, a desert island or a
stretch of countryside.
- On one, mark with "X" the place where you have buried your treasure, leaving some
landmarks to guide people there.
- Now imagine you are held prisoner and your partner must find the treasure to pay your
ransom. Give him/her directions to the treasure. (Make sure he/she comes back to ransom
you!).
13. Radio, Television and Newspapers

i) Match the two halves:

a)I enjoy listening
b)If I don't like the T.V.
programme
c)The sound is bad,
d)I hate commercials
e)I'm fond of
f)I can't stand people
g)I quite like most

1) I turn up the volume.

2) who watch "Telecinco" or "Antena 3".

3) on TV
4) to the radio
5)watching sport on TV
6)I switch over
7)if you don't tune in
on the station properly
h)If I can't hear the speaker, 8)Catalan radio stations
ii) Describe to your partner your favourite TV commercial but make some changes. Can
he/she spot the differences?

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iii) Discuss the various newspapers and magazines on sale locally - Which do you prefer and
why?
- Which ones are the most serious or the most sensationalist?
iv) (a) In a group of 5, start a newspaper, give it a title and put together the articles for its
front page.
(b) Send your front page around the class for reading and correction.
v) With your partner, prepare a radio or TV news bulletin and read it to the class. Remember
to prepare headlines first. Use the Present Perfect Simple for the headlines (without
finished time adverbials) and the Past Simple for the text describing the episode. The
class can vote the best news bulletin (e.g. the most imaginative one!).
vi) With two partners, prepare and perform a TV commertial. (Again, the class votes the best
performance!)
vii) On TV or on the radio, what is
-a talk show?
-a quiz show?
-a comercial?
-a soap opera?
-a documentary?
-a serial?
viii) Which (a) TV channel (b) radio station (c) TV programme (d) radio programme (e) TV
personality (f) radio personality is, in your opinion:
-the most interesting?
-the most boring?
-the most useful to viewers/listeners?
-the most useless to society?
-the most educational?
-the most sexist?
-the most popular?
-the most unpopular?
Why (in all cases)?
What are the broadcasting times? What frequencies does the radio station broadcast on?
ix) What are your habits with regard to watching/TV or listening to the radio?
-When do you watch TV/ listen to the radio?
-Who with?
-Who decides on the TV channel or radio station and the programme? Why?
-Have you ever switched off instead of watching or listening to "rubbish"? Which
programme was it?
-Do you try to encourage your friends to watch or listen to specific programmes? Which
programmes? Why?

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x) With your partner find an idea for a new programme (TV or radio). Write out the
programme plan together. Tell the rest of the class. (The class votes the best programme).
xi) Describe to your partner (a) a TV programme (b) a radio programme. Your partner
guesses which programme it is.
14. Differences between your country (e.g. Catalonia) and Britain.

i) With two more students (if possible, from different places on the Peninsula), consider the
characteristics of Britain. Establish the characteristics of:
- its climate
- its people
- its economy
- its environment
- its government.
ii) Now ,in turn, compare Britain with your part of the world (e.g. Catalonia, The Basque
Country, Galicia or Andalusia).
(Remember how to express comparative and superlative forms!).
iii) Decide which of the places compared you like best and why! Tell others in the class.
iv) Match the corresponding halves:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
i)
j)

Catalans are
The weather in Britain
The Basque Country
The damp British climate
Britons are
Galicia and Britain have
Spain is famous
The British Isles
The dry Spanish climate
Catalans,Basques,Galicians
and Andalusians are

1)shy and reserved.

2)constitute most of the United Kingdom.
3)Celtic origins.
4)very different from other peoples on the Peninsula.
5)is very mountainous.
6)hard-working and patriotic.
7)is bad for the lungs.
8)for its sunshine.
9)is wet, cool and very changeable.
10)is good for the health

v) What would you like to improve in your part of the world and/or import from Britain?
Why?
vi) (a) Describe and discuss any visits you have made to Britain. Express the good and the
bad experiences.
(b) Recommend to your partner places in Britain to visit, giving reasons why.
15. Clothes, money and shopping

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Clothes
i) Sort the following items of clothing into (a) male, (b) female and (c) both
skirt /pullover/ hat/ trousers/ underpants/ scarf/ panties/ tie/ stockings/ jacket/ shorts/pyjamas/
dungarees/ trainers/ overalls/ blouse/ bra/ belt/ suit/ boots/ tee-shirt/ knickers/ cap/ tights/
waistcoat/ beret/ high-heeled shoes/ socks/ gloves/ coat/ nightdress/shoes/swimsuit/ bikini/
bathing costume/ bathing shorts/ swimming trunks/ monokini.
ii) Accessories.
Make a list, using the same three headings.
iii) (a) What is the difference between the verbs: "wear" and "carry"?
(b) Apply them to the following items, as appropriate:
glasses/ wallet/ bracelet/ hat/ umbrella/ briefcase/ trousers/ ear-rings/ ring/ purse.
(c) Can you discern a rule?
iv) What are the problems with using the verb "have (got) on" instead of its synonym
"wear" ?
v) What clothes and colours are now in fashion for men and women? Discuss with your
partner.
vi) Imagine male and female fashion for the year 2000. With your partner, produce some
designs and written descriptions.
vii) What clothes do you associate with:
(a) babies (b) children (c) teenagers (d) young adults (e) middle-aged people
(f) old people?
Compare your ideas with your partner's.
viii) What clothes do members of your family wear? Which are your favourite clothes?
Discuss with your partner.
ix) Match these clothes with the jobs or professions:
a)overalls
b)lab coat
c)uniform
d)suit
e)white coat

1)armed-forces; police;fire brigade

2)lab technician
3)office worker
4)hospital staff; psychiatric staff
5)mechanic

Money
i) What coins and notes are used in Britain's currency (which is a decimal system)?

71

ii) Compare prices in your country and Britain (or another country). The exchange rate is
about 235 pesetas to one pound sterling (December 1998).
- How much does a beer cost in Britain? A cup of coffee? A ticket to go to the
cinema?
- Are food and drink cheaper in Spain?
- Is the cost of living higher or lower in Spain (or Catalonia) than in Britain?
iii) Pretend your partner is a foreign tourist. Explain Spanish currency to him/her. (Your
partner should ask suitable questions).
Shopping
i) Where do you buy these items? Match them with the appropriate shop.
a)
A screwdriver
1) Newsagent's
b)
A bar of chocolate
2) Florist's
c)
A film
3) Photographer's
d)
Alcoholic drinks
4) Off-licence
e)
A newspaper
5) Shoe shop
f)
Soap;medicine;baby food
6) Chemist's
g)
Vegetables, fruit
7) Ironmonger's
h)
Flowers
8) Grocer's
i)
Flour,sugar,tins of food,
9) Sweet shop
non-alcoholic drinks
j)
Shoes
10)Greengrocer's
ii) Who does the shopping in your home? Where and when? Discuss your answers with your
partner.
iii) Discuss with your partner the best shops for bargains in clothes, food, electronic goods
and other items as in (i) above.
iv) Do the sales in your local department store really offer bargains? Discuss what happens at
these times.
v) Do you enjoy going shopping? In your family, who is the best at shopping for bargains?
vi) "It is dangerous for men to enter a shop where sales are on". Is this just a sexist view or
can you find a basis of truth in this? How do (some!) women behave inside such a shop?
vii) Are women better than men at shopping (apart from other things in life)? Why?
vii) What was the best "bargain" you ever bought? Discuss with your partner.
IRREGULAR VERBS

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1. No particular pattern
be
do
have

was/were
did
had

been
done
had

cost
cut
hit
hurt
let
put
set
shut

cost
cut
hit
hurt
let
put
set
shut

fed
found
got
hung
held
led
lit
met
read /red/
shone
shot
sat
slid
stuck
won

fed
found
got
hung
held
led
lit
met
read /red/
shone
shot
sat
slid
stuck
won

became
began
came
drank
rang
ran
sang
sank
swam

become
begun
come
drunk
rung
run
sung
sunk
swum

2. No change
cost
cut
hit
hurt
let
put
set
shut
3. One vowel change
feed
find
get
hang
hold
lead
light
meet
read
shine
shoot
sit
slide
stick
win
4. Two vowel changes
become
begin
come
drink
ring
run
sing
sink
swim

73

5. Change to -UGHT
bring
buy
catch
fight
teach
think

brought
bought
caught
fought
taught
thought

brought
bought
caught
fought
taught
thought

6. Consonant change - no vowel change

bend
build
burn
learn
lend
make
send
show
spend
smell

bent
built
burnt
learnt
lent
made
sent
showed
spent
smelt

bent
built
burnt(OR burned)
learnt (OR learned)
lent
made
sent
shown
spent
smelt (OR smelled)

7. Consonant change + vowel change

dream
feel
hear
keep
lean
leave
lose
mean
say
sell
sleep
stand
strike
tell
understand

dreamt /e/
felt
heard
kept
leant /e/
left
lost
meant /e/
said /sed/
sold
slept
stood
struck
told
understood

dreamt /e/
felt
heard
kept
leant /e/
left
lost
meant /e/
said /sed/
sold
slept
stood
struck
told
understood

8. One vowel change and participle ending in -n or -en

bite
break
choose

bit
broke
chose

bitten
broken
chosen

74

forget
freeze
hide
lie
speak
steal
tear
wake
wear

forgot
froze
hid
lay
spoke
stole
tore
woke
wore

forgotten
frozen
hidden
lain
spoken
stolen
torn
woken
worn

9. Two vowel changes and participle ending in -n or -en

blow
draw
drive
eat
fall
fly
give
know
ride
rise
see
shake
take
write

blew
drew
drove
ate /et/
fell
flew
gave
knew
rode
rose
saw
shook
took
wrote

blown
drawn
driven
eaten
fallen
flown
given
known
ridden
risen
seen
shaken
taken
written

laid
paid

laid
paid

NOTE ALSO these verbs:

lay
pay

These verbs are irregular in their spelling, as we would expect the forms *layed and *payed.
Cf. delay-ed, obey-ed, play-ed, pray-ed, stay-ed.
VERBS. Regular Past Tenses: Pronunciation
NOTES:
1) Use /-t/ after / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
2) Use /-d/ after / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
including dipthongs
3) Use /-id/ after /t/ and /d/.

and all vowels

EXAMPLES:
1)
/-t/: walked, looked, talked, hoped, fetched, smashed, sniffed, hitched, fixed, classed,
marked, noticed, placed, guessed, scratched, picked, missed, laughed, coughed, reached.

75

2)
/-d/: climbed /klaimd/, begged, grabbed, recognized, realized, listened, installed,
remembered, stayed, amazed, played, proved, bored, disappeared, happened, blamed,
planned, managed, killed, enjoyed, opened, borrowed, called, cleaned, seemed, lived,
improved.
3)
/-id/: pointed, trusted, decided, hunted, distracted, wanted, defended, mended,
suspended, suggested, needed, waited, hated, painted, fitted, invited, excited, counted, started,
lasted, padded, added, afforded.
Note also the pronunciation of -ied /-id/ and -ered -/
1)
-ied: carried, married, hurried, buried, varied, studied, bullied.
2)
-ered: remembered, murdered, mattered, hammered, buttered, muttered, murmured,
shattered.
The rules for the pronunciation of -(e)s on the plural of nouns and the third person singular
present tense of verbs are similar:
1) Use /-iz/ after sibilants
2) Use /-s/ after all other unvoiced consonants:
3) Use /-z/ after all vowels, including diphthongs and after all other voiced
consonants:

PHONETIC SYMBOLS FOR THE TRANSCRIPTION OF ENGLISH

VOWELS
/i: /
/w/
/e /
/ /
/ /

/ /
/ /
water.
/ /
/ /
shoe, canoe,

even, see, sea, field, seize, machine; key, quay, people.

ship, symbol, become, horses, ticket, village,
private, varieties, carried, minute, women,
pretty, lettuce, England, busy.
bed, head, breath; any, many, Thames /temz /, ate /et /.
man, that, and, Paris, cab, Spanish; plait.
are, garden, half, staff, class, after, fast,
can't, bath; moustache, drama, tomato, vase; aunt,
draught, clerk, example, heart, father, memoir
/
/, barge.
lot, wash, quality, Australia; gone, because,
knowledge, Gloucester, yacht.
small, forty, lawn, author, course, coarse, board, swarm, bought; broad,
full, look, foot, good; could, wolf, woman, Worcester.
too, to, two, who, move, blue, June, route, feud, new, suit; beauty /
manoeuvre.

76

/,

/ /
/ /
/ / (1)

much, sun, son, some, London, country; does, blood, flood.

fern, Thursday, third, myrtle, worth, heard,
journey; colonel, connoisseur.
under, father, address, possible, tomato,
suppose, Saturday, furniture, author, dangerous, famous, cupboard, Oxford,

occasion.

(1) Note the use of schwa in weak forms like the, at, to, of, for, from, as, than, but, and, them.

DIPHTHONGS
/ /
/ /
/
/
/
/
/

/
/
/
/
/

/ /

play, waiter, weigh, great, baby, plate, bass; gauge.

only, Poland, road, know, though; brooch, sew,
bureau.
try, side, ice, pie, tried, cries, height; buy, eye, choir.
cow, count, hour, MacLeod.
employ, boil, voice, noise.
deer, dear, hear, here, weird, pierce, idea.
chair, there, their, care, prayer; scarce,
aeroplane.
moor, poor, secure.
CONSONANTS

/
/
/
/
/

/
/
/
/
/

/ /
/ /
/
/
/
/
/
/

/
/
/
/
/
/

/ /
/ /
/ /

pay, people, help; shepherd, hiccough, hiccup.

baby, husband, club.
tooth, better, sit, liked; Thames, thyme.
do, Friday, sad.
kick, cat, back, queen; chemist, character,
Christmas.
gold, bag, girl, dog, egg.
fine, safe, photo, physics, nephew, laugh;
lieutenant /
/.
voice, never, save, of, nephew.
thank, nothing, author, method, bath, twentieth.
that, then, weather, with, bathe.
sit, thinks, mass, missing, place, cigarette.
zoo, dizzy, fizzy, has, comes, knives, noise, resist.
sheep, fish, Persia, ancient, ocean, conscious,
nation; moustache, machine, chandelier, chaperon.
leisure, measure, occasion, usual, seizure;
rouge, garage (some speakers).
cheap, Richard, each, catch, fetch, furniture,
question.
judge, age, religion, garage, bridge; soldier,
Greenwich, sandwich.

77

/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/

/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/

his, happy, behind, who, whole.

make, ham, hammer, autumn, climb, comb.
near, send, dinner, can, pneumatic, pneumonia.
thing, English, singer, ink.
room, around, very, current, far away.
little, miller, while, full, greatly.
walk, will, when, away.
yet, yacht, year, you, young.

1. Where a second phonetic symbol is given, this is the one which is used in all modern dictionaries and manuals of
English Phonetics and Phonology.

Classification of English consonants according to voice:

Unvoiced consonants: /
/
Voiced consonants: /

EXAMINATIONS
LEVEL 2 DICTATIONS
1. One of the best language schools I know/ is the one just down the road/ from where I live. /
It used to have a big sign outside/ but nowadays/ they have taken it down/ and replaced it
with a painted notice/ over the door./ Its prices were modest/ and its teachers were
hardworking./ Somehow, students there/ always got good results./ They went back to their
countries/ speaking much better English/ than when they first came.

2. Getting around Barcelona in a rush hour/ is a real problem./ I bought a car six years ago,/
but I still try to avoid/ the city centre at busy times./ It is incredible/ how bad-tempered
people get,/ if they have to wait/ for a few moments in their cars./ Drivers sound their horns/
or shout or even scream./ I just do not know why/ they get so excited. /It is much better/ to
take things easy/ and drive in the country.

3. When she first arrived at university,/ she was really terrified./ She was among,/ so they
said,/ the best scholars in the country./ And now she had to try/ to be better than all the rest!/
For the first few weeks,/ she made friends/ and got used to/ the idea of living away from
home./ And suddenly she realised/ there was nothing to worry about./ Everybody there was
just/ trying to have a good time/ and do well in their studies.

78

4. My first job was with a bank./ But it was not as boring as / you may think./ I worked in
reception / driving people's cars to the car park/ and then bringing them back,/ when they had
finished with their business./ I met a lot of interesting people/ in that job/ and I shall always
remember the handicapped man/ who offered to find me/ a permanent job in the bank./ He
thought more about/ other people's troubles than his own.

5. He was born in England/ and his hometown was a place/ between London and the coast./
You would not recognise the name./ He spent the first/ ten years of his life there./ It was a
delightful little town,/ full of character and tradition./ The shops which lined the streets/ were
small and interesting./ There was not a single/ supermarket to be seen./ And the people there/
had time to stop and talk,/ something we do not seem to have nowadays.

6. The news on the radio/ and on the television recently/ has been so bad/ that I have stopped
listening to it./ Nothing but problems everywhere./ I switch on the radio/ and somebody
somewhere has had an accident./ I turn on the television/ and on the screen/ there are scenes
of the latest battle/ in some conflict or other./ It just does not make sense to me/ that people
should only report bad news./ Why cannot programmes/ begin with happier events,/ before
turning to such disagreeable things?

7. Spain has a better climate than Britain./ That's what they say./ But some parts of south-west
Britain/ are sunnier than you think./ You can lie on the beach/ and get a tan,/ as if you were on
the Continent./ But for me,/ I prefer Spain./ The sun there shines longer/ and the weather is
better/ than anywhere in Britain./ A sunny day there/ is not a matter of surprise/ or a topic of
conversation/ for days to come!

8. In my free time,/ I used to do a lot of things,/ especially play ball games./ The best thing to
do,/ if you have some spare time,/ is to get outside in the fresh air/ and be active!/ That is
what I think./ The trouble is nobody seems/ to have much free time nowadays./ That includes
me,/ so I cannot follow my own advice./ Still, it is better to try/ and make good use of one's
time./ Perhaps I will go jogging/ one of these days!

79

LISTENING COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

You are going to hear a short talk about THE BRITISH EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM. Answer
the questions below. You will hear the talk twice.
Marks
1. How long is the period of compulsory education in Britain?
(1)

2. What percentage of children attend state schools?

(1)

3. What problem is there with respect to the education of very young children?
(1)

4. What happens at the age of 11?

(1)

5. What is the teacher's opinion of the new examinations at 7, 11 and 14?

(1)

6. Name TWO possibilities that young people have after GCSE examinations.

(2)

7. Why are A-level examinations important?

(2)

8. Is the system identical in Scotland?

(1)

Total: 10 marks

OPEN DIALOGUES

80

Open Dialogue 1
Part 1: Read the following dialogue. Complete the speakers' sentences in the gaps provided.
Helen Dickinson and Terence Moore are lecturers attending an international conference. They
meet at lunch on the first day.
H.D.: Hello, Terence!________________________________?
T.M.: I arrived yesterday evening, but I was too tired to go out.
______________________________________?
H.D.: I've only been here for two days, but the Conference seems
to be very well organized.______________________?
T.M.:In the University area. I have a room with a bath in the university dorms. Are you also
staying there ?
H.D.: No, I'm not. I couldn't find a place there. I'm sharing a
flat with an old friend of mine. ___________________
________________________?
T.M.: No, I haven't. It seems a fascinating city.
___________________________________?
H.D.: Well, I have only been to the old part of the city.
T.M.:______________________________________?
H.D.: It's incredible. It's full of historical buildings.
T.M.: What are you doing tomorrow?
H.D.: I don't know. What do you suggest?
T.M.:_____________________________?
H.D.: Tomorrow morning? I'm ________________ because I'll be giving my lecture on Welsh
literature.
______________________________?
T.M.: That sounds fine to me______________________ at 8:00 p.m. in my hall of residence.

81

H.D.: All right. See you then.

T.M.: See you tomorrow.
(Total: 10 Marks)

Open Dialogue 2
Read the following dialogue. Complete the speakers' sentences in the gaps provided.
Alan and Brenda meet at Barcelona airport. Brenda has just arrived from London.

82

A. Hello, Brenda. Good to see you. Did you have a good flight?
B. Well, not too bad - but as you can see the plane was 40 minutes late.
______________________________________________________________________?
A. For about 45 minutes, I suppose. _________________________to catch the 9 o'clock flight?
B. Well, I woke up at 5,30 and got up five minutes later.
A. You must be tired. _____________________________________before we go to the office?
B. A cup of coffee? Yes, please.
A. O.K. Let's go. ___________________________________________________________?
B. Just one case and this bag.
A. O.K. _____________________________________ in my new car before we have that
coffee.
B. A new car? _____________________________________________________________?
A. I've had it for three weeks now.
(LATER IN THE BAR)
A. You know Barcelona quite well, don't you? _____________________________________
______________________________________________________________________?
B. I think I've been here six or seven times. ________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________?
A. Since your last visit? Well, a new shopping centre has opened. Perhaps we could visit it.
______________________________________________________________________?
B. On Tuesday afternoon. My flight leaves at 4 p.m. __________________________________
______________________________________________________________________?
A. Well, it's very big, with about 150 shops, including a branch of Marks and Spencer!
(Total:10 marks)

CLOZES
Cloze 1
Put one appropriate word in the gaps provided. (Contractions like didn't count as one word).

83

During the Second World War __________(1) was difficult to travel ________(2) plane,
because the seats ________(3) needed for important government ________(4) military people.
Mr. Brown worked for the government ________(5) the war. He was a civilian, and he was
________(6) very secret work, ________(7) nobody knew how important he ________(8)
except a very few people. One day he ________(9) to fly to Edinburgh _______(10) give a
lecture to a ________(11) VIPs there, but an important army officer came to the airport
________(12) the last moment, and Mr. Brown's ________(13) was given to him. Mr. Brown
________(14) not fly to the city to give his lecture.
________(15) the important army officer

________(16) in the city, he went ________(17)

the special lecture. Unfortunately, the lecture was cancelled ________(18) the seat he had taken
________(19) the plane had originally been ________(20) Mr. Brown, the man who was
supposed to give the lecture.
(Total: 10 marks)

Cloze 2
Put one appropriate word in the gaps provided. (Contractions like didn't count as one word).
Dearest John,
Thank you very much __________ (1) your lovely letter.
I __________ (2) like to come and visit you and there is nothing I __________ (3) to do more.
You know I love you, __________ (4) you? I dream of you, I think of you day in, day out.

84

__________ (5) my parents won't __________ (6) me come and see you. They say I am much
___________ (7) young. There are ___________ (8) many differences between Spain and
England!
If I ___________ (9) live at home, there would be __________ (10) problem. Isn't life
complicated? Well, I have to respect my parents' views, ___________ (11) I live with them. I
hope you will be __________(12) to understand.
You said you expected to come over ___________ (13) Christmas. You know you are
__________ (14) welcome here and my family like you, even if they __________ (15) never
visited England and know very __________ (16) about your country's customs and traditions.
You ___________ (17) write more often. You only write __________ (18) a week. That's not
enough. I need your letters. I miss you.
I'm looking forward so much to ___________ (19) you again.
__________ (20) and kisses,
Marta.
(Total: 10 marks)

READING COMPREHENSION TESTS

READING COMPREHENSION 1
Love Me, Love My Donkey
Matt Jarvis stood on top of a high hill in the west of Scotland and looked out across the sea. The
sun was setting and the sea was blood red. All round him were the wild, dark mountains of the
Highlands. There was not a house to be seen, except far below him the big house of Kiltan
where his uncle lived.
In the east he could see the silky waters of a large lake. A river dropped from the lake to the sea,
cutting its way between two great walls of rock. A fisherman, standing deep in the water was

85

fighting with a great silver fish that he had just caught. There was not a lovelier view in
Scotland.
But Matt Jarvis was not thinking of the view. He had not come to Kiltan to enjoy its beauties. He
had come because his uncle, Alec Macdonald, was rich and very old. He had come because he
hoped and expected that soon, very soon, he Matt Jarvis, would become the owner of Kiltan. Of
course, Matt did not intend to live in Kiltan when his uncle died. He intended to sell the place
and never go near it again.
Matt was Londoner. He loved bright lights and good food and drink. He hated the wild, empty
mountains of the Highlands. He hated the rain which never seemed to stop. And he hated the
black stone walls of the great empty house. Most of the rooms remained locked. Matt believed
that they were full of valuable chairs and tables and pictures. But he had never been allowed to
enter them.
Matt disliked the Highlanders. He regarded them as foreigners, though he met very few of them.
The nearest town was twenty miles away. Uncle Alec lived alone with two servants, a man and
his wife, and nobody ever visited him except the doctor. The doctor came to Kiltan twice a
week. He was a big red-haired Highlander who always said what he thought.
'You'e very interested in your uncle's health, Jarvis,' he said one day. 'You're waiting for him to
die, aren't you?'
'You've no right to talk like that!' cried Matt angrily.
The doctor looked him straight in the eyes.
'This is the fifth summer that you've spent at Kiltan,' he said. 'You don't like the Highlands, or
the Highlanders, that's quite clear. Tell me, what are you going to do with Kiltan when it
belongs to you?'
'I never consider my uncle's death,' replied Matt. His face was red. 'I come here each year to
make the last years of his life as pleasent as possible.'
'Well then, you may have to wait a long time,' said the doctor. 'Your uncle is eighty-five, but
he has great will-power. He'll probably go on living until he's a hundred.'
The doctor smiled when he saw the look on Matt's face.
'You're surprised!' he said. 'But you've forgotten Janie. Your uncle will try not to die before
Janie dies. And Janie, I am told, is young and in excellent health.'
Janie was a donkey, a little donkey that had once belonged to Ann, Uncle Alec's sister. Alec and
Ann Macdonald had lived together at Kiltan ever since their mother had died. They loved
animals. They kept horses and dogs. They used to ride together across the mountains. They used
to shoot and fish together. They had very few friends, because they did not need them. They
were friends, because they did not need them. They were perfectly happy.
Answer the following questions about the text.
1. Why had Matt come to Kiltan?

2. What did Matt want to do with Kiltan house?

86

3. Why didn't Matt like the Highlands?

4. What prediction did the doctor make about Alec's life?

5. What did Alec and his sister do while they were living at Kiltan together?

6. Why isn't Alec going to die very soon?

_______________________________
7. What does "them" refer to in line 28?
What do these words mean? (Give a definition, synonym, or translation)
8. "had just caught":
9. "you've no right":
10. Complete this sentence with a word (or words) from the text:
"This house _____________ to us. We bought it last summer."
(10 marks)
READING COMPREHENSION 2
Read the texts and answer the questions:
Weapons collection slowed by soccer
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador - A programme which exchanges weapons for consumer goods
in the Central American country of El Salvador had a formidable enemy last Sunday: soccer. An
official with the private Patriotic Movement against Crime (MPCD) said collection of weapons
over the weekend was going slowly because many people were staying home to watch the Gold
Cup international soccer tournament and matches in the local league. The purpose of the MPCD
arms collections is to pacify El Salvador, which suffered a 12-year civil war in which 75,000
died before the government and leftist guerrillas made peace in 1992. In 11 previous collections,
costing just over $1 million in total, Salvadorans handed in some 5,500 guns, grenades, mines
and missiles as well as explosives, detonators and at least 88,000 rounds of ammunition.

87

Yeltsin struggles to enter palace

ROME - Russian President Boris Yeltsin's state visit to Italy started badly when his black
limousine had problems driving into President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro's Quirinale palace. While an
embarrassed Scalfaro watched , Yeltsin's chauffeur had to manoeuvre back and forth to drive the
long limousine into an area which was designed for horsedrawn carriages. Yeltsin was already
nearly 10 minutes late for the first appointment of his three-day visit. It took several minutes
more for the limousine and the presidential motorcade of more than 20 cars to drive through the
narrow road which leads to the palace. A smiling Yeltsin finally got out of the car to hear the
Russian and Italian anthems before walking into the palace to talk to Scalfaro. The Quirinale, a
large palace on one of the seven hills of Rome, was designed as a summer residence for the
popes.
Extreme weather holds up supplies of blood
WASHINGTON - Extreme weather in the United States has had a drastic effect on supplies of
blood, which has made some doctors in southern California postpone operations, America's
Blood Centres said on Friday. Almost half the organization's 70 members made a call for
additional blood donations to cover the shortage. Blood supplies are usually low in January
because people with colds and influenza cannot donate. But this year torrential rains in southern
states and ice storms in New England have prevented blood donors from leaving their houses.
Millions of people were without electricity in upstate New York, Vermont, Maine and New
Hampshire and in the Canadian province of Quebec on Friday, and heavy rain had caused up to
10 deaths in Alabama and Tennesse since Wednesday. America's Blood Centres is a national
network, which collects about half the U.S. blood supply.
Questions
Weapons collection slowed by soccer
1. What does "weapons" mean? Give a synonym, explanation or translation.
2. What happened to the weapons collection programme last Sunday?
3.Is this the first time the MPCD has collected arms? How do you know?
4.Why are the MPCD arms collections necessary?
Yeltsin struggles to enter palace
1. What problem did Yeltsin have at the Quirinale palace?

88

2. What did Yeltsin go to the Quirinale palace for?

3. What does the word his refer to?
Extreme weather holds up supplies of blood
1. Mention one of the effects of this year's blood shortage.
2. Why is there normally less blood in the winter?
3. What has made things worse this winter?

COMPOSITIONS
Write a composition of between 150 and 200 words on one of the following subjects.
1.Informal letter
i) Write a letter to an English friend you met here earlier and invite him/her to visit you in Spain
this summer. Suggest places you could see and things you could do together. Give your friend
advice about what clothes and how much money to bring.
ii) An English friend of yours works in a job-finding agency and has offered to help you find
work this summer for about three months. Write and tell him/her about the kind of jobs you are
looking for. Give information about your relevant work experience and ask about such things as
the salary, hours of work and possible food and accommodation.
iii) An English university friend of yours is undecided about what to do in the next year of his or
her degree course: study abroad (on an Erasmus course or similar) at a European university for
three, six or even the whole nine months of the academic year; or stay on at the same university
with his or her group of friends. Write and give advice.

89

iv) Your friend has a problem. He or she wants to learn a foreign language but is not sure about
the best way to do so. Write to him/her giving advice about the best learning methods, not
forgetting to include your own experience.
2.Discursive
i) What are the advantages and disadvantages of going to university to study for a degree?
ii) What are the advantages and disadvantages of being famous?
iii) What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in a city?
iv) What are the advantages and disadvantages of living away from home in your own flat or
house?
3.Narrative
i) You have just come home from a very exciting trip to a strange country. What happened?
ii) You have had a terrible day at the shops. What happened?
iii) Your English penfriend has just left after spending a week at your home. There were good
and bad experiences and some comical (and even disastrous) misunderstandings! What
happened?
iv) When you were a child, you had a frightening experience in a place that you thought was
haunted by ghosts. You still remember the experience. What happened?

90

ENGLISH READER QUESTIONNAIRE

FIRST QUESTIONNAIRE
Name:
1. Book title:
Author:

Class:
Level:

Date:

Publisher:

2. Literary genre:
3. Number of pages:

Number of chapters:

4. Give the name of the main character and describe him/her briefly (50 words)

5. Summarize the plot (100 words).

6. Why did you choose to read this book?

91

Has the book matched your expectations?

If not, why not?
7. List ten verbs, ten nouns, ten adjectives and ten other words which constitute, for you, the
most important/ interesting new vocabulary you have acquired from reading the book.
Verbs:
Nouns:
Adjectives:
Other words:
8. Would you end the story differently?
If so, how?

ENGLISH READER QUESTIONNAIRE

SECOND QUESTIONNAIRE
Name:

Class:

1. Book title:
Author:

Level:

2. Literary genre:

Date of publication:

Publisher:

3. Describe your favourite episode (70 words).

4. Summarize the action (100 words).

92

Date:

5. What change would you make to improve this story?

6. Write down the opening lines of the story.

7. Write down the lines that constitute the turning point in the story.

8. Write down the concluding lines of the story.

9. On a range of 1 (terrible) to 10 (excellent), how would you rate the usefulness of reading this
particular book in improving your knowledge of English?

ENGLISH READER QUESTIONNAIRE

THIRD QUESTIONNAIRE
Name:
1. Book title:
Author:

Class:

Date:

Level:
Publisher:
Number of pages:

2. Summarize the plot (100 words).

3. Pick a paragraph from the story, photocopy it and attach it here. Say what you particularly
like about it - use of adjectives, realism, perspective, psychological insight (inter alia). Indicate
specific words and phrases.
4. What are the story's best points?

5. And what are its worst points?

93

6. Describe, physically, the character that interested you most in the story (50 words).

7. Which chapter (or incident) is the most important in the story and why?

8. How many new words (approximately) have you learnt from reading this book?
9. List the words which are crucial in the basic story.

94

ENGLISH READER QUESTIONNAIRE

FOURTH QUESTIONNAIRE
Name:
1. Book title:
Author:

Class:
Level:

Date:

Publisher:

2. Summarize the plot (100 words).

3. Briefly describe the most exciting episode (50 words).

4. Compare this book with the previous three read and state your preferences, with reasons why.
1. Title:
Why?

Author:

Genre:

2. Title:
Why?

Author:

Genre:

3. Title:
Why?

Author:

Genre:

4. Title:
Why?

Author:

Genre:

5. Describe what you have been doing to make the most, for your English studies, out of reading
the above four books.

95

96