Word formation
Add the correct suffix to form a noun, verb, or adjective:
"The __ (RELY) of the new system impressed everyone."
"Her speech was very __ (PERSUADE)."
"They need to __ (WIDE) the road to reduce traffic."
Reliability, persuasive, widen
"A meal that’s a mix between breakfast and lunch is called a ______ ."
brunch
Which word doesn't belong with the others?
A) downsize
B) streamline
C) augment
D) restructure
Augment
Exercise 1: Meaning Matching
Match each idiom to its correct meaning:
Read between the lines
Burn the midnight oil
Throw in the towel
Sit on the fence
A) To work late into the night
B) To understand hidden meaning
C) To avoid making a decision
D) To give up
1B 2A 3D 4C
Choose the correct article (a, an, the, 0) for these common C1 nouns:
"She has __ PhD in neuroscience."
"We visited __ Vatican during our trip to Rome."
"He plays __ piano beautifully."
"I need __ hour to finish this report."
a, 2) the, 3) the, 4) an
Match the phrasal verbs to their meanings:
make up for
do away with
make out
do up
A) To abolish something
B) To decorate or fasten
C) To compensate
D) To understand or pretend
1-C, 2-A, 3-D, 4-B
Convert these direct questions into reported speech:
"Where do you live?" → She asked me ______.
"Did you finish the report?" → He wondered ______.
"Will they attend the meeting?" → They inquired ______.
...where I lived
...if/whether I had finished the report
...if/whether they would attend the meeting
Replace if with a suitable alternative in these conditionals:
"If it rains, we’ll cancel the picnic."
"If you need help, call me."
"Tell me if you feel unwell."
→ In case of rain, we’ll cancel the picnic.
→ Should you need help, call me.
→ Tell me in case you feel unwell.
Complete the sentences with the correct prepositional phrase (in the region of / on the grounds of / on the verge of / in lieu of)
The project cost was __________ $2 million, making it our most expensive undertaking yet.
She was __________ tears after hearing the devastating news.
The employee was dismissed __________ misconduct.
They accepted store credit __________ a cash refund.
in the region of, 2) on the verge of, 3) on the grounds of, 4) in lieu of
Add a prefix to make the word negative:
"His answer was __ (LOGICAL) and confusing."
"The contract is __ (BIND) after signing."
"She’s __ (CONTENT) with her job and plans to quit."
Illogical, binding, discontent
"A device that tests alcohol levels (especially if you get pulled over) by having the subject blow into it is called a ______ ."
breathalyser
Which adjective doesn't fit?
A) meticulous
B) conscientious
C) slapdash
D) punctilious
Slapdash
Exercise 2: Fill in the Blank
Complete the sentences with the correct idiom:
(hit the nail on the head, let the cat out of the bag, cost an arm and a leg, go back to the drawing board)
"When Jake accidentally told everyone about the surprise party, he really ______."
"Her analysis of the problem was perfect—she really ______."
"This designer watch ______, but I bought it anyway."
"After the failed experiment, the scientists had to ______."
1) let the cat out of the bag, 2) hit the nail on the head, 3) cost an arm and a leg, 4) go back to the drawing board
Fill in the blanks with articles (some are zero):
"They traveled by __ train to __ Alps."
"She’s in __ hospital with __ broken leg."
"He’s __ CEO of __ multinational company."
0, the, 2) 0, a, 3) the, a
Complete the sentences with:
(make up, do without, make off, do over, make for)
"The thieves ___ with the jewels before the police arrived."
"After the argument, they decided to ___ and stay friends."
"The cozy lighting ___ a very romantic atmosphere."
"I had to ___ my report because of too many errors."
made off, 2) make up, 3) made for, 4) do over
Correct the errors in these reported questions:
"She asked me where did I work."
"He wondered did I like the film."
"They asked when my flight leaves." (reporting past conversation)
→ ...where I worked
→ ...if/whether I liked the film
→ ...left (if reporting past conversation)
Rewrite these using formal if-alternatives:
"If the project fails, we lose funding."
"If he arrives late, start without him."
"If I were you, I’d apologize."
→ Were the project to fail, we would lose funding.
→ Should he arrive late, start without him.
→ Were I you, I’d apologize.
Complete the sentences with the correct phrasal verb (in the right tense):
She decided to __________ the competition despite her nerves.
The fireworks __________ at midnight, startling everyone. (went off)
They __________ the risky investment despite warnings.
(go in for)
(went off)
(went over)
(went back on)
(went through with)
Convert the verb into a noun describing a person or concept:
"She __ (THEORY) about economic trends."
"His __ (ANALYSE) revealed critical errors."
"The __ (GOVERN) imposed new taxes."
"
theorises → theorist (person) / theory (concept)
analysis - analyst (person)
government - governor (person)
"A mix of education and entertainment, like a fun science show for kids, is called ______ ."
edutainment
Which verb is different?
A) to imply
B) to insinuate
C) to assert
D) to hint
to assert
Exercise 3: Odd One Out
Which idiom doesn’t fit the theme of difficulty/challenge?
A) Bite the bullet
B) Go the extra mile
C) Piece of cake
D) Uphill battle
C
Correct the article errors in these sentences:
"The happiness is more important than a money."
"I love the literature, especially the modern poetry."
"She has a deep knowledge of the history."
"Happiness is more important than money." (0 article for abstract nouns)
"I love literature, especially modern poetry." (general categories)
"She has a deep knowledge of history." (uncountable nouns)
Correct the phrasal verb mistakes:
"She did up her exam after failing."
"We’ll have to make without caffeine."
"He made away a story to explain his lateness."
(→ did over)
(→ do without)
(→ made up)
Rewrite these as embedded questions:
"What time does the train arrive?" Could you...
"Why did she resign?" I'd like...
→ Could you tell me what time the train arrives?
→ I’d like to know why she resigned.
Complete the sentences without if:
"______ any problems arise, contact support."
"______ you’d listened, you’d understand."
"______ fire, break the glass."
→ In the event of any problems arising, contact support.
→ Had you listened, you’d understand.
→ In case of fire, break the glass.
"This C1-level process turns 'predict' into 'unpredictable' using both a prefix and suffix, and can also create compound adjectives like 'three-year.' Name the linguistic skill needed to master such transformations."
Word formation (or derivation)
Create a compound adjective from the phrase:
"A project that lasts three years → a __ project."
"A decision made in haste → a __ decision."
"A problem that cannot be solved → an __ problem."
→ three-year
→ hasty (or hastily-made)
→ unsolvable
"Media content that mixes news and entertainment, like celebrity gossip shows, is called ______ ."
infotainment
Which word doesn't match?
A) encrypt
B) hack
C) firewall
D) quill
Quill
Exercise 4: Contextual Usage
Choose the best idiom to complete the dialogue:
"I’ve been ______ trying to finish this project, but I keep getting interrupted."
A) beating around the bush
B) pulling my hair out
C) raining cats and dogs
D) jumping on the bandwagon
B
Choose the correct articles in this paragraph:
"Last summer, I attended __ (1) conference on __ (2) artificial intelligence in __ (3) Netherlands. It was __ (4) eye-opening experience. Speakers discussed __ (5) future of __ (6) work in __ (7) tech industry."
a, 2) 0, 3) the, 4) an, 5) the, 6) 0, 7) the
4. Nuanced Meanings
Choose the correct option to show subtle differences:
"The team ___ (made up for/did up for) lost time by working late."
"She ___ (made over/did over) the old dress beautifully."
"Let’s ___ (make out/do out) the details before signing."
1) made up for, 2) did over, 3) make out
Report these questions, preserving their original function:
(Rhetorical) "Who knows the answer?"
(Request) "Can you help me?"
→ She asked who knew the answer.
→ He suggested that we postpone it.
→ She asked if I could help her.
Focus: In case (precaution) vs. provided/providing (strict conditions).
Choose the correct alternative to change the meaning:
"Call me if you need advice." (general offer)
"If she studies, she’ll pass." (neutral) →
Call me in case you need advice. (precautionary)
Provided (that) she studies, she’ll pass. (added emphasis on the condition)
This formal alternative to 'if'-clauses uses inverted word order (e.g., 'Were you ready' instead of 'If you were ready') and appears in hypothetical or polite contexts. It shares its name with a verb mood also used in demands like 'I insist he be here.'
the subjunctive mood
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the root word:
"The __ (PREDICT) of the storm led to chaos. It was __ (FORESEE), yet officials seemed __ (PREPARE)."
"Her __ (COMMIT) to work was __ (ADMIRE), but her __ (FLEX) annoyed colleagues."
→ prediction, foreseeable, unprepared
→ commitment, admirable, inflexibility
"The term for the UK's exit from the European Union is ______"
Brexit
Which noun doesn't belong?
A) hypothesis
B) methodology
C) conundrum
D) paradigm
Conundrum
Exercise 5: Rewrite the Sentence
Replace the underlined phrase with an idiom:
"After years of rivalry, the two companies finally decided to collaborate."
→ "After years of rivalry, the two companies finally decided to ______."
(bury the hatchet, spill the beans, cry over spilt milk, bend over backwards)
bury the hatchet
Explain why the articles change meaning:
"She’s in prison." vs. "She’s in the prison."
"He’s at university." vs. "He’s at the university."
"They have a dinner at 8 p.m." vs. "They have dinner at 8 p.m."
In prison = incarcerated; in the prison = visiting/building.
At university = studying; at the university = physical location.
A dinner = formal event; dinner = daily meal.
Replace the underlined phrases with phrasal verbs (make* or do):*
"After the scandal, the CEO compensated (1) by donating to charity. The company abolished (2) its outdated policies. She pretended (3) to be cheerful, though stressed."
made up for, 2) did away with, 3) made out
Combine the direct questions into one reported paragraph:
Interviewer: "What inspired your research? How long did it take? Would you recommend this field?"
The interviewer asked what had inspired my research, how long it had taken, and if/whether I would recommend the field.
Rewrite this paragraph, replacing all ifs with alternatives:
Original: "If the deadline is missed, the client may leave. If we hire more staff, we can avoid this. If the budget allows, I’ll approve it."
Should the deadline be missed, the client may leave. Provided we hire more staff, we can avoid this. Assuming the budget allows, I’ll approve it.
"In causative structures, this verb pairs with past participles to show arrangement ('___ your hair cut'), while its counterpart implies persuasion ('___ someone to help'). Both can form passive constructions ('___ arrested'), but one often suggests unexpected results. In idioms, they differ in phrases like '___ rid of' vs. '___ a hard time.'
Name these two versatile verbs."
"Get" and "Have".