Prepositions
1. Most people agree that kindergarten contributes ______ the child's mental development.
2. Your voice is similar _____ hers and I sometimes can't recognise who I am talking to.
1. to
2. to
Erin and Brooke are planning to set off in the afternoon. I hope the weather conditions ______ (improve) by then.
improve / have improved
The dog ran to the fence. It began to bark.
Running to the fence, the dog began to bark.
Navin is as clever as Reena. (Use the comparative degree.)
Navin is not cleverer than Reena.
1. Although she has no experience _____ writing, she decided to be a writer when she learned that writers earn a lot of money.
2. A successful government should do its best to maintain the welfare ____ its citizens.
1. in
2. of
1. I noticed that those two men _______ (stare) at us ever since we came here.
2. Don't worry. We _______ (cover) most of the distance by noon.
1. have been staring
2. will have covered
1. Joshua biked to school. Elizabeth went in a car.
2. The circus clown juggled china plates. He also rode a blue bicycle.
1. Joshua biked to school while Elizabeth went in a car.
2. Besides juggling china plates, the circus clown rode a blue bicycle.
1. If I had a chance, I could have succeeded.
(Begin: Had I...)
2. I do not mind big cities but I prefer small towns.
(Begin: I prefer...)
1. Had I been given a chance, I could have succeeded.
2. I prefer small towns to big cities.
1. She's capable _____ any crime, so the police are always after her.
2. I have complete faith ____ him; he'll never let us down.
3. I went _______ the edge of the lake to find a fishing spot.
1. of
2. in
3. around
1. Sarah ______ (climb) Mount Everest, ______ (sail) around the world, and _____ (go) on safari in Kenya. She is such an adventurous person.
2. Ben _______ (try) to open his own restaurant for the last few years. He _______ (just finish) the painting, but he _____ (not do) the decorating yet.
1. has climbed, sailed, gone
2. has been trying, has just finished, has not done
1. Monday is a school holiday. The class will take the test on Tuesday.
2. The blue chair is too big. The brown chair is too small.
3. Washington, D.C. is popular with tourists. I haven’t been there.
1. Since Monday is a school holiday, the class will take the test on Tuesday.
2. The blue chair is too big while the brown chair is too small.
3. I haven't been to Washington, D.C., which is popular with tourists. / Although Washington, D.C. is popular with tourists, I haven't been there.
1. Nothing much has changed in our school. (Begin: Everything...)
2. These carpets are the same as the ones we bought last year. (Begin: There is...)
3. He never admitted that he had stolen the ruby. (Begin: At no time...)
1. Everything in our school has remained the same.
2. There is no difference between these carpets and the ones we bought last year.
3. At no time did he admit that he had stolen the ruby.
1. I am not surprised that he has joined the Parliament, as he has always been keen ______ politics.
2. My son is mad _____ science and technology. I guess he'll become an engineer.
3. Someone tapped my shoulder, so I looked _______ me.
4. John looked _______ the lake at the houses on the other side.
1. on
2. about
3. behind
4. across
"Where could the horse (1) _________ (go)?" he wondered. He (2) _________ (lock) the door to the stable securely and the key (3) ________ (be) on a chain that he wore around his neck. John was scared that his father would blame him. Moreover, his father (4) _________ (be) in the best mood lately, owing to his business losses.
1. have gone
2. had locked
3. was
4. had not been
1. I lost all my money. I went home.
2. I did not know what to do. I called the police.
3. Many people were invited to the party. Most of them did not turn up.
4. He was sitting at a table. The table was covered with papers.
1. Having lost all my money, I went home. / I went home because I had lost all my money.
2. Not knowing what to do, I called the police. / I called the police because I did not know what to do.
3. Although many people were invited to the party, most of them did not turn up.
4. He was sitting at a table which was covered with papers.
1. "Do not drive rashly in the city," he said to her. (Begin: He warned...)
2. It was a very narrow escape. (Change to exclamatory)
3. As soon as her song was over, I knew that she had won the competition. (Begin: No sooner...)
4. The teacher scolded him for coming late. (Begin: He...)
1. He warned her not to drive rashly in the city.
2. What a narrow escape it was!
3. No sooner was her song over than I knew that she had won the competition. / No sooner did her song get over than I knew that she had won the competition.
1. In the competitive business world, one has to be perfect ____ communicating with customers.
2. Everyone hopes to get a job with prospects ____ promotion, but not many people manage to do so.
3. I walked ______ the creepy house on the street.
4. I had to walk out ________ the most exciting part of the movie.
5. Since I am tall, I can see _______ many people in the audience.
1. at
2. of
3. past
4. during
5. over
Correct the paragraph below:
A bank teller in Italy was jilted by his girlfriend and decide the only thing left to do was kill himself. He stolen a car with the idea of crashing it, but the car broken down. He steal another one, but it was too slow, and he barely dent a fender when he crashed the car into a tree. The police arrive and charge the man with auto theft. While being questioned, he stab himself in the chest with a dagger. Quick action by the police officers saved the man's life. On the way to his cell, he jumped out through a third-story window. A snowdrift broken his fall. A judge suspends the man's sentence, saying, "I'm sure fate still has something in store for you."
A bank teller in Italy was jilted by his girlfriend and decided the only thing left to do was kill himself. He stole a car with the idea of crashing it, but the car broke down. He stole another one, but it was too slow, and he barely dented a fender when he crashed the car into a tree. The police arrived and charged the man with auto theft. While being questioned, he stabbed himself in the chest with a dagger. Quick action by the police officers saved the man's life. On the way to his cell, he jumped out through a third-story window. A snowdrift broke his fall. A judge suspended the man's sentence, saying, "I'm sure fate still has something in store for you."
1. Who is that girl? She is dancing with your brother.
2. She ran out of the room. She was screaming.
3. God made small things. God made great things.
4. She is not honest. She is not hardworking.
5. He walked out of the room very angrily. He slammed the door hard.
1. Who is that girl who is dancing with your brother?
2. She ran out of the room screaming.
3. God made small as well as great things.
4. She is neither honest nor hardworking.
5. Walking out of the room very angrily, he slammed the door hard.
1. It was so hot that the PE period could not be held. (Begin: It was too...)
2. The decision of the Principal surprised us. (Begin: We...)
3. "May I have a glass of water?" he said. (Begin: He asked if...)
4. Few people read classics these days. (Begin: Hardly...)
5. She said, "Alas! He is dead." (Change to indirect speech.)
1. It was too hot for the PE period to be held.
2. We were surprised by the decision of the Principal.
3. He asked if he could have a glass of water.
4. Hardly anyone reads classics these days.
5. She cried out with sorrow / exclaimed sorrowfully that he was dead.