English as Second Language

Articles - Exercise

2011-11-10T07:15:00.000-08:00

Fill in the blanks with suitable articles:

1. She returned after -------- hour.

2. There is -------- Institution for ------ blind in this city.

3. -------Sun rises in the East.

4. I am working in --------- University.

5. He is -------MLA.

6. I like to watch ----------- Football.

7. I am fond of -------Music.

Answers:

1. an

2. an, the

3. The

4. a

5. an

6. No article is needed.

7. No article is needed.

Confusing pairs

2011-11-08T02:33:00.000-08:00

Fill in the blanks using right words from the pairs given in brackets:

1. It was --------- cold yesterday.

(Very/ much)

2. Reading gives us pleasure ----------- information.

(Beside/besides)

3. He gives us good ---------------

(Council/counsel)

4. Arun as well as his sister --------- absent.

(Is/ are)

5. She is ------------ old to walk.

(Too /very)

6. We had pleasant ------------ last week.

(Weather/ whether)

7. The ------------- selected for the building is a good one.

(Site/sight)

Answers:

1. very

2. besides

3. counsel

4. is

5. too

6. weather

7. site

Proverbs

2011-11-05T03:26:00.000-07:00

Fill in the blanks with suitable words:

1. Barking dogs -------------- bite.

(Seldom, never, always)

2. Rome was not built in a ----------

(Year, month, day)

3. A stitch in time saves ------------

(Eight, nine, a lot)

4. God helps those who ------------ themselves.

((Help, serve, love)

5. Prevention is better than ------------

(Medicine, treatment, cure)

6. Look before you ----------

(Jump, leap, walk)

7. Where there is a will, -----------a way.

(There is, that is, it is)

Answers:

1. seldom

2. day

3. nine

4. help

5. cure

6. leap

7. there is

Prepositions - Exercise

2011-11-02T06:47:00.000-07:00

Fill in the blanks with suitable prepositions:

1. Gandhiji was born …………… October 2, 1869.

2. I am very much busy …………. my child.

3. Usually I go to my school …………. Car.

4. These ornaments are made ………… Platinum.

5. I want to know all ………….. you.

6. Charity begins ………… home.

7. This is a gift …………. God.

Answers:

1. on

2. with

3. by

4. of

5. about

6. at

7. from

Question Tags

2011-10-30T06:34:00.000-07:00

Add question tags to the following statements:
1. Kiran likes reading ……………..?
2. Let’s wait for the best result-----------?
3. Stop writing…………..?
4. Get out of the class…………..?
5. None of the boys played well…………..?
6. Arundathi Roy won the Booker Prize………………?
7. I am very busy now……………?

Answers:
1. doesn’t he?
2. shall we?
3. will you (or won’t you)?
4. will you (or won’t you)?
5. did they?
6. didn’t she?
7. aren’t I?

Tenses - Exercise

2011-10-27T06:13:00.000-07:00

Use the correct tense forms of the verbs in brackets and fill in the gaps:

1. He -------- (go) to that Pilgrim place every year.

2. Water ---------- (boil) at 100 degree Celsius.

3. Mu child usually -------- (go) to school by bus.

4. I ------- (watch) the movie now.

5. We ------- (go) to Mumbai last year.

6. This book -------- (contain) the biography of a film star.

7. Now I ---------- (think) of resigning the job.

Answers:

1. goes

2. boils

3. go

4. I am watching

5. went

6. contains

7. I am thinking

Conjunctions

2011-10-25T08:30:00.000-07:00

Fill in the blanks using suitable conjunctions:

1. This is a small -------- very interesting story.

2. Manu and Anu help -----------

3. ----------- a child, I lived in Dubai.

4. Make hay ------------- the sun shines.

5. We will visit Paris -------- Rome during our next vacation.

6. The members in that family quarreled -----------

7. Let us wait here ------- the rain stops.

Answers:

1. but

2. each other

3. As

4. while

5. and

6. one another

7. until

Grammar Exercise

2011-10-22T06:12:00.000-07:00

Complete each sentence with the appropriate form of the word given in brackets:

1. Seismograph is used to measure the --------- (intense) of earth quake shocks.

2. He behaved ------------- (stranger).

3. The child did not ------------ (response) to my questions.

4. She completed the job to the entire -------- (satisfy) of her mother.

5. He ---------- (permission) her to go outside yesterday.

6. Thomas Alva Edison made many important --------- (discover).

7. Please read the novel -------- (continuous).

Answers:

1. Intensity

2. Strangely

3. Respond

4. Satisfaction

5. Permitted

6. Discoveries

7. Continuously

Confusing Pairs

2011-10-18T07:49:00.000-07:00

Fill in the blanks with appropriate word or phrase:

1. --------------knowledge is a dangerous thing.

(A little / little)

2. -----------children are innocent.

(A little / little)

3. -----------children are interested in reading.

(A few / few)

4. He has -------- buildings of his own.

(Much / many)

5. Sony and Manu are brothers, but the -------- is shorter.

(Later / latter)

6. Raju is ------------ than usual in the class.

(Later / latter)

7. Leap years falls in --------- fourth year.

(Each / every)

Answers:

1. A little

2. Little

3. Few

4. Many

5. Latter

6. Later

7. Every

Conjunctions - Exercise

2011-10-11T06:25:00.001-07:00

Fill in the blanks using suitable conjunctions:
1. Though he worked hard -------- he failed.
2. I regard my mother ---------- my best friend.
3. ------------I was suffering from fever I couldn’t attend the class.
4. My sister is not ---------- intelligent ----------- my brother.
5. He is ---------- tall -------- his father.
6. Do your duty ------------ you live.
7. He was treated -------- a guest.

Answers:
1. yet
2. as
3. As
4. so ------ as
5. as------- as
6. as long as
7. as

Prepositions - Exercise

2011-10-11T06:25:00.000-07:00

Fill in the blanks using correct prepositions:

1. The teacher is angry ---------- him.
2. What are you looking -----------?
3. This is the man I spoke ----------
4. We arrived -------- USA.
5. She works -------- the laboratary.
6. The boys went -------- the hall.
7. He worked ------------ eight.

Answers:
1. with
2. for
3. to
4. in
5. in
6. into
7. till

Subject Verb Agreement

2011-10-08T23:55:00.000-07:00

1. Ten rupees ----------(is/are) a low price to pay.

2. My sister or my brother ---------- doing that job very well.

3. Neither Sony nor the others ----------- so fluent in English.

4. Everyone ---------- capable of doing that job.

5. Neither of them ------------ suitable for that job.

6. Two years --------- the minimum duration of a PG course.

7. One third of the bottle --------- filled with water.

Answers:

1. is

2. is

3. are

4. is

5. is

6. is

7. is

Tense - Exercise

2011-10-06T06:32:00.000-07:00

Use the correct tense forms of the verbs in brackets and fill in the gaps:

1. She -------- (go) to church regularly.

2. Rani ------- (drink) a cup of milk every morning.

3. I usually ------ (read)Library books.

4. I -------- (read)a novel now.

5. He ---------- (prepare) for competitive exams for three years.

6. When I came into my house,my son ------- (play) with his toys.

7. I ---------- (go) to my home next month.

8. Sita -------- (eat) Apples every day.

9. He ------------- (stand) on the bench.

10. He ---------- (write) for two years.

Answers:

1. goes

2. drinks

3. read

4. am reading

5. has been preparing

6. was playing

7. will go

8. eats

9. is standing

10. has been writing

Adverbs

2011-10-02T02:17:00.000-07:00

Underline the adverbs in the following sentences:

1. She sings well.
2. The coffee is very hot.
3. Kiran is an extremely good dancer.
4. It is too hot today.
5. She speaks all foreign languages fluently.
6. The child is now happy.
7. The boy reads his lessons very carefully.
8. I visit my friend daily.
9. I will return immediately.
10. I hardly recognized my old friend.

Answers:
1. Well
2. Very
3. Extremely
4. Too
5. Fluently
6. Now
7. Carefully
8. Daily
9. Immediately
10. Hardly

Idiomatic expressions with nerve

2011-09-29T08:34:00.000-07:00

To suffer from nerves (to get easily excited or upset)

Are you suffering from nerves? You must learn to control yourself.

To get on someone’s nerves (= to annoy / worry him)

The noises from downstairs were getting on my nerves.

I am not going to invite Jack again. He is constantly getting on my nerves.

To keep one’s nerve (to be calm and brave)

It takes courage to keep one’s nerve when everything seems to be going wrong.

He’s got a nerve. (= He is cheeky.)

He has got enough nerve to drive a racing car.

Lose one’s nerve (= become nervous)

It is quite natural for job seekers to lose their nerve during an interview.

Articles - Exercise

2011-09-28T06:32:00.000-07:00

Fill in the blanks with suitable articles:

1. ----------Man is mortal.

2. I am ---------- University student.

3. She goes to temple in ------------ mornings.

4. Kiran is -------- best student in the class.

5. ------------ Camel is the ship of the desert.

6. It is --------- book that won the Booker prize.

7. Harishchandra was ---------- honest person.

8. I am fond of ---------- Music.

9. I met ----- one legged man ----- year ago.

10. Gold is ------------ precious metal.

Answers:

1. No article needed.

2. a

3. the

4. the

5. the

6. the

7. an

8. No article needed.

9. a, a

10. a

Prepositions - Exercises

2011-09-25T06:40:00.000-07:00

Fill in the blanks using correct prepositions:
1. I am studying ---------- Calicut University.

2. The child jumped ------ the wall.

3. We shall be ready ------- a few minutes.

4. I cannot think --------- her place.

5. The theif was arrested ----------- the police.

6. Children --------- four years ------ age do not play with small particles.

7. The programme began --------- a prayer song.

8. Hope ------------- the best but be prepared --------- the worst.

9. They do not believe ----------- God.

10. You should apply -------- that post.
Answers:
1. at
2. over
3. in
4. of
5. by
6. under, of
7. with
8. for, for
9. in
10. for

Prepositions - Exercises

2011-09-15T07:27:00.000-07:00

Fill in the blanks with appropriate prepositions:

1. I shall be there -------- 2 pm ---- Monday.

2. He is the doctor that I was referring ----------?

3. There is an opportunity for a graduate --------- Banking.

4. My sister has lived in Mumbai ----------- ten years.

5. She spent much of the money ------- cosmetics.

6. The traffic has been bad -------- the last 4 years.

7. I have been in Chennai ---------- Friday.

8. The boy was standing -------- the door.

9. I prefer coffee ------- tea.

10. Manu is good ------ solving difficult problems in Mathematics.

Answers:

1. at, on

2. to

3. in

4. for

5. on

6. for

7. since

8. at

9. to

10. at

Tenses Worksheet

2011-09-08T08:41:00.000-07:00

Fill in the blanks with appropriate tense forms.

1. Heat ------------------------ bodies.

a) Expand
b) Expands
c) Is expanding

2. A good singer -------------------------- three hours a day.

a) Is practicing
b) Practices
c) Has practiced

3. The child ------------------------ from viral fever since last week.

a) Has been suffering
b) Is suffering
c) Suffers

4. He ------------------------ that novel since October.

a) Has written
b) Has been writing
c) Wrote

5. If you ------------------------- hard, you would pass.

a) Work
b) Worked
c) Will work

6. By this time next year, he -------------------------- the construction of his house.

a) Will complete
b) Will have completed
c) Would complete

7. Whenever he is in London, my father ----------------------------- with my uncle.

a) Stays
b) Is staying
c) Has stayed

Answers

1. Expands
2. Practices
3. Has been suffering
4. Has been writing
5. Worked
6. Will have completed
7. Stays

Position of the relative pronoun

2011-09-07T08:40:00.000-07:00

To avoid confusion, a relative pronoun must be placed as nearly as possible to its antecedent.

Study the pair of sentences given below. Note how their meanings change according to the change in the position of the relative pronoun.

Compare:

The boy who won the first prize is the son of my cousin, James.
The boy is the son of my cousin James who won the first prize.

Here the first sentence means that it was the boy who won the first prize. The second sentence, on the other hand, suggests that it was James who won the first prize.

Phrasal Verbs

2011-09-07T07:01:00.000-07:00

Replace the words in italics in the following sentences with right phrases:
1. When water was poured on his face, he soon regains consciousness.
(a). came about
(b). came round
(c). came across

2. The doctor said that my father will overcome very soon.
(a). get back
(b). get over
(c). get along

3. The box will occupy very little of its space.
(a). take up
(b). take in
(c). take back

4. I am trying to reduce the monthly expenditure.
(a). cut down
(b). cut up
(c). cut in

5. Please tolerate with him.
(a). put off
(b). put on
(c). put up with

6. This institute was established in the year 1983.
(a). set down
(b). set up
(c). set in

7. The government rejected all the demands.
(a). turned up
(b). turned round
(c). turned down

8. I cannot manage that function properly.
(a). give up
(b). get along
(c). get around

9. The Principal distributed the prizes at the annual day celebrations.
(a). gave away
(b). gave up
(c). get back

10. Some persons can easily be cheated by others.
(a). take up
(b). take in
(c). take back

Answers:
1. (b). came round
2. (b). get over
3. (a). take up
4. (a). cut down
5. (c). put up with
6. (b). set up
7. (c). turned down
8. (b). get along
9. (a). gave away
10. (b). take in

Confusing pairs

2011-09-03T07:38:00.000-07:00

Fill in the blanks with appropriate word or phrase:
1. She is ---------- of her success.
(a). confident
(b). confidant
(c). confessor

2. I don’t want any ----------- explanation.
(a). farther
(b). further
(c). farthest

3. Is there ---------- in the class.
(a). anyone
(b). no one
(c). some one

4. The doctor -------- patients not to smoke.
(a). advised
(b). advices
(c). told

5. Of the two paintings the ----------- is more attractive.
(a). later
(b). latest
(c). latter

6. We must have --------- to good habits.
(a). access
(b). axis
(c). excess

7. ----------- playing football, he plays cricket.
(a). Beside
(b). Besides
(c). Till

8. ---------- knowledge is a dangerous thing.
(a). A little
(b). Little
(c). The little

9. He is my ------------ brother.
(a). elder
(b). older
(c). senior

10. Sun ---------- in the east.
(a). races
(b). raises
(c). rises

Answers:
1. (a). confident
2. (b). further
3. (a). any one
4. (a). advised
5. (c). latter
6. (a). access
7. (b). besides
8. (a). A little
9. (a). elder
10. (c). rises

Comparison of adjectives- Exercise

2011-08-30T06:45:00.000-07:00

Pick the correct words in the brackets:

1. Mandarin is the ------- widely spoken language inthe world.
(a). much
(b). more
(c). most

2. The fox is the --------- of all other animals.
(a). clever
(b). cleverer
(c). cleverest

3. Nithya is one of the -------- girls in the college.
(a). beautiful
(b). more beautiful
(c). most beautiful

4. Very few girls in the college are so -------- as Nithya.
(a). beautiful
(b). more beautiful
(c). most beautiful

5. Nithya is a -------- girl.
(a). beautiful
(b). more beautiful
(c). most beautiful

6. Nithya is ------------ than most other girls in the college.
(a). beautiful
(b). more beautiful
(c). most beautiful

7. Stamp collection is an ---------- hobby.
(a). interesting
(b). more interesting
(c). most interesting

8. Saudi Arabia is the ------------- country in Petroleum products.
(a). rich
(b). richer
(c). richest

9. No other country is so ---------- in petroleum products as Saudi Arabia.
(a). rich
(b). richer
(c). richest

10. Saudi Arabia is ----------- in petroleum products than any other country.
(a). rich
(b). richer
(c). richest

Answers:
1. (c). most
2. (c). cleverest
3. (c). most beautiful
4. (a). beautiful
5. (a). beautiful
6. (b). more beautiful
7. (a). interesting
8. (c). richest
9. (a). rich
10. (b). richer

Tense forms

2011-08-19T07:24:00.000-07:00

Use the correct tense of the words in brackets and fill in the gaps:

1. The earth ------ (move) round the sun.

2. He ------- (learn) to drive.

3. He advised me ------- (join) the Air force.

4. English ----------- (speak) all over the world.

5. He -------- (write) the story yesterday.

6. I -------- (play) Badminton every day.

7. I ---------- (go) to buy a new house this week.

8. I --------- (play) in the evening.

9. He ---------- (live) in Mumbai five years ago.

10. The train ------------- (arrive) soon.

Answers:

1. moves

2. is learning

3. to join

4. is spoken

5. wrote

6. play

7. am going

8. shall be playing

9. lived

10. will be arriving

Four ways to join clauses

2011-08-18T06:59:00.000-07:00

Study the following pairs of sentences.

I won the prize. Everybody congratulated me.

This pair of sentence can be joined in four different ways.

I won the prize; everybody congratulated me. (Using a semicolon)
I won the prize and everybody congratulated me. (Using a coordinating conjunction)
When I won the prize, everybody congratulated me. (Note the use of the comma.)
Everybody congratulated me when I won the prize.

Exercise
Join the following pair of sentences using the models given above.

He opened the window. The cat jumped out.
He opened the window; the cat jumped out.
He opened the window and the cat jumped out.
When he opened the window, the cat jumped out.
The cat jumped out when he opened the window.