ADVANCED LANGUAGE POINTS: REVISION EXERCISES

SECTION A - TENSES

Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tenses.

1. The old clock __________________ (stop) in 1970 and __________________ (not work)
since.
2. You look so pale. Whats the matter? __________________ (you see) a ghost?
3. Where did you get that black eye? __________________ (you fight)?
4. They __________________ (move) to the country last year so that their children
__________________ (grow up) away from the city traffic.
5. When he __________________ (arrive) at the station yesterday he __________________
(realise) he __________________ (forget) his briefcase.
6. Im sorry, I __________________ (not quite catch) that. When __________________ (you
say) the train __________________ (leave)?

SECTION B- THE FUTURE

Choose an appropriate verb form to express future time in the following sentences.

1. The train __________________ (leave) at 4.00 p.m., so be at the station at ten to.
2. This time next week, I __________________ (lie) on a beach in the Canary Islands.
3. 1989-1991 __________________ (be remembered) as years of sweeping political changes
in Eastern Europe.
4. By the time this century __________________ (end) we __________________ (probably
destroy) most of the tropical rainforests.
5. You look tired. Sit down and I __________________ (make) you a cup of tea.
6. Look at that child leaning over the river bank. He __________________ (fall) in.

SECTION C- PASSIVE

Rewrite the following sentences beginning with the words given. The meaning must
remain the same.

1. People say he opened a Swiss bank account to escape from the tax authorities in his own
country.
He....

2. Everyone believes he is living in the USA.

It...

3. People do not know if the real criminals have been brought to justice.
Whether...

4. The windows were too dirty to see through.

The windows needed.....

5. Give me some idea of what we need to do.

Can you say what wants ....

6. Its a very delicate situation; we should handle it carefully.

The situation requires....
SECTION D - CONDITIONALS

The same.

1. As you didnt explain the situation to me, I put my foot in it.

Had....

2. If the President is defeated, there will have to be a new election.

Should....

3. Were you to explain the situation to him, Im sure he would understand.

If...

4. It rained, and so the picnic was not the success we had expected.
But for....

5. We couldnt have bought the house without help from the bank.
If it...

6. Assuming there are no problems, the shuttle will blast off on Thursday.
Unless...

SECTION E - WISHES

Complete the following dialogue.

Tom: If only your boss ___________________ (not invite) us! I ___________________ (like)
to stay in and watch the film on TV. I wish we ___________________!
Sheila: Oh, Tom, I wish you ___________________ (stop) complaining! It wont be as bad as
all that.
Tom: Couldnt we give an excuse, Sheila?
Sheila: No, Id rather we ___________________ (go). Its time we ___________________
(stop) making excuses every time we receive an invitation.

SECTION F- INVERSION

Make complete sentences from the following, adding extra words and changing the verb
forms as necessary, but without changing the position in the sentence of the words in bold
type.

1. Never / I see / such brilliant acting.

2. Not only / John play / piano / he also be/ good photographer.

3. Hardly / we leave / building / it catch fire.

4. Not until ten years later / they find out / truth.

5. Only under exceptional circumstances / prisoners be / allowed to work.

6. Not even after / I explain it three times / he understand what I / mean.

SECTION G REPORTED SPEECH

Rewrite the following sentences using the verb in bold type, but without changing the
meaning.
e.g. Go to bed now, she said. (tell)
She told him to go to bed.

1. I didnt say that. Its not true at all! he cried. (deny)

2. You really should take up jogging, it does you the world of good, she assured me. (urge)

3. I have to say that this has not been commercially a good year, said the manager. (admit)

4. Dont forget to ring the lawyer, he said to Sue. (remind)

5. After I had listened to the salesman telling me what a wonderful car it was, I decided to buy
it. (persuade)

6. The opposition leader attributed the economic problems to the governments failure to solve
them. (blame)

SECTION H MODAL VERBS

The following sentences each contain an error in the use of modal verbs. Can you correct
them?

1. We neednt to buy so much food for the party there arent many people coming.

2. Last summer, we lost our passports in France and must go immediately to the British
Consulate.

3. You dont have to touch electrical appliances with wet hands; its dangerous.

4. The door was almost impossible to move, but after a long struggle I could open it.

5. We neednt have called the doctor; my wife was feeling better, so we didnt telephone him.

6. Yesterday I was afraid it may rain.

SECTION I VERB PATTERNS

Put the verbs in brackets in the gerund or infinitive, as appropriate.

1. I would hate you (misunderstand) me.

2. He vaguely remembers (be hit) from behind.
3. The doctor advised him (not get up).
4. By going into the burning house, he risked (be killed).
5. You could try (take) more exercise, and see if that makes your knee more flexible.
6. The author deeply regretted (cause) offence to anyone.
7. I absolutely dread (go) to the dentist.
8. I dont mind you (come) late, but how can you expect me (believe) those fantastic excuses?
9. He tried (open) the lock with a piece of wire, but couldnt. His wife suggested (phone) the
police.
10. On my way home I saw an interesting shop window, so I stopped (look) at it.
SECTION J RELATIVE CLAUSES

Some of the following sentences are correct, but others contain an error in the use of
relative clauses. Can you identify the incorrect ones and rewrite them so they are correct?
Remember the punctuation!

1. I bought a new bike which I badly needed.

2. Ronald Reagan, who started life as an actor, became President of the USA in 1981.

3. She lived in a village in that nothing exciting seemed to happen.

4. I cant remember what I was going to say.

5. He is going to work in Manchester where the headquarters of his firm are.

6. I met a man yesterday whom couldnt speak any English.

7. The girl, that you saw yesterday, is a painter.

8. I asked my father who is a lawyer for some legal advice.

9. I wonder whose this beautiful pen is.

10. Martin Luther King, whose dream has not yet come true has had his life story made into a
musical.

11. That is the dog I saw it in the street last week.

12. Midnight is the hour when strange things happen.

SECTION K - ARTICLES

Complete the following using a, the or no article.

In (1) _______ early part of the 20th century, (2) _______ most people in Britain went to (3)
_______ church regularly. (5) _______ religion was (6) _______ important part in peoples
lives. It was normal to see (7) _______ whole families, wearing their best clothes, on (8)
_______ way to (9) _______ local church. Going to church was (10) _______ main activity on
(11) _______ Sundays. Everything else was closed there were no shops open, no sport taking
place and certainly no places of public entertainment operating. (12) _______ entertainment
that existed took place at (13) _______ home. Families would read (14) _______ books, or one
member would play (15) _______ piano and (16) _______ others would sing. However, since
(17) _______ 1950s, there has been (18) _______ steady decline in (19) _______ importance of
(20) _______ religion. This can be attributed to (21) _______ number of different factors, but
perhaps (22) _______ television is (23) _______ most significant one.