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exercises
Here are some English vocabulary and idioms exercises with answers.
Food shopping
Have a look at the page Shopping vocabulary for useful phrases to use in shops.
Often we buy food in packaging, such as bags or packets. But there are also other
types of packaging.
1. Decide which of the packaging material in the list below should be used for the
food items.
bag of
bar of
bottle of
box of
can of
carton of
cone of
hamper
jar of
leg of
magnum of
packet of
tin of
tub of
wheel of
Food items
biscuits
champagne
cheese
chocolate
chocolates
cocoa powder
coke
Christmas ......
fresh orange juice
ice cream
lamb
pasta sauce
peanuts
roasted chestnuts
wine
2. Where would you find the following items of food? Match them to the sections in a
supermarket.
Food items
cake
caviar
cream
ice-cream
French bread
scallops
squid
game pie
oven chips
pate
Sections in a supermarket
bakery
chilled cabinets
delicatessen / deli counter
fish
frozen
Which of the following labels on packaging mean you get a bargain? (And which
mean you need to consume the food quickly?)
Reduced to clear.
Three for the price of two.
Buy one, get one free.
Best before (date)
Answers
bag of peanuts
bar of chocolate
bottle of wine
box of chocolates
can of coke
carton of fresh orange juice
cone of roasted chestnuts
Christmas hamper
jar of pasta sauce
leg of lamb
magnum of champagne
packet of biscuits
tin of cocoa powder
tub of ice cream
wheel of cheese
Bargain:
Three for the price of two.
Buy one, get one free.
Eat quickly:
Reduced to clear.
Best before (date)
Food adjectives
Take a look at our page on describing food in English, then try the quiz below.
1. Extra exercise
Can you add the missing word to make common food partnerships?
apple
bread
cheese
chutney
horseradish
ketchup
mint
Answers
Describing people
One of our most popular pages on the site is words that describe behaviour.
Of course, there are lots and lots of words and phrases to learn that describe
people's character and behaviour, and no list can be 100% complete. So here are
twelve more adjectives for you.
Read the definitions and decide which one to use in the gaps in the following
sentences.
antsy = nervous about something / on edge
bubbly = extrovert, upbeat (like champagne!)
dutiful = doing what's expected of you
flirty / flirtatious = trying to attract other people to make them like you
gullible = believing what people tell you
helpless = unable to do anything for yourself
insensitive = not thinking about other people's feelings
lively = full of energy
mercurial = changing your mood often
narrow-minded = not accepting new or different ideas
petty = only caring about small things
rash = doing something without thinking about the consequences
1. She was being really -------- at the party. I think her boyfriend felt a bit jealous.
2. I'd describe Carla as --------. She always seems happy and optimistic about things.
3. He's a -------- child and his mother is forever running around after him.
4. You shouldn't be so --------. Not everything that people say is true, you know.
5. He's getting even more -------- in his old age. He refuses to even think that he
could learn anything from the internet.
6. It would be a bit -------- to give up your job without having another one to go to.
7. I think she's being -------- by not allowing her children to play with Sue and Tom.
Just because she doesn't like their mother that's no excuse for being unkind to her
own children.
8. I feel sorry for her. She's a very -------- daughter taking care of her parents like
that, but she never seems to go out with her friends or have any fun.
9. It was a bit -------- of you to talk about Peter's new girlfriend in front of her. She's
still in love with him.
10. Jack's great company, but he's a bit -------- at times. Up one minute, down the
next.
11. I'm feeling a bit -------- at the moment. I should get my exam results back any
day.
12. Stop being so --------! It's really easy to learn how to cook simple food you know!
Answers
1. She was being really flirty / flirtatious at the party. I think her boyfriend felt a bit
jealous.
2. I'd describe Carla as bubbly. She always seems happy and optimistic about
things.
3. He's a lively child and his mother is forever running around after him.
4. You shouldn't be so gullible. Not everything that people say is true, you know.
5. He's getting even more narrow-minded in his old age. He refuses to even think
that he could learn anything from the internet.
6. It would be a bit rash to give up your job without having another one to go to.
7. I think she's being petty by not allowing her children to play with Sue and Tom.
Just because she doesn't like their mother that's no excuse for being unkind to her
own children.
8. I feel sorry for her. She's a very dutiful daughter taking care of her parents like
that, but she never seems to go out with her friends or have any fun.
9. It was a bit insensitive of you to talk about Peter's new girlfriend in front of her.
She's still in love with him.
10. Jack's great company, but he's a bit mercurial at times. Up one minute, down
the next.
11. I'm feeling a bit antsy at the moment. I should get my exam results back any
day.
12. Stop being so helpless! It's really easy to learn how to cook simple food you
know!
Colour expressions
Our new page on colour vocabulary has lots of words that describe colour. Here
are some more expressions:
colour-blind = when you can't tell the difference between certain colours, such as
green or red
see things in black and white = only consider things to be one extreme or another
1. You look a bit ---------. Perhaps you're going down with a cold.
4. Don't let all that negative publicity -----------------. In fact, he's a very able politician.
5. The hotel has a very striking ------------ with gold and green featuring throughout.
6. She tends to ------------------ which makes it hard for her to understand the
subtleties of what anyone says.
10. She tends to favour ------------ such as pink and light green.
Answers
1. You look a bit off colour. Perhaps you're going down with a cold.
2. Let's add some red cushions to the room for a splash of colour.
3. When the two brothers argued, there was a lot of colourful language.
4. Don't let all that negative publicity colour your judgement. In fact, he's a very
able politician.
5. The hotel has a very striking colour scheme with gold and green featuring
throughout.
6. She tends to see things in black and white which makes it hard for her to
understand the subtleties of what anyone says.
7. As soon as I saw the contract in black and white I realised I had the job
8. The fish restaurants next to the harbour add local colour.
9. Their team colours are blue shorts and white shirts.
10. She tends to favour pastels such as pink and light green.
go + activity
Examples: go swimming, go fishing
Exercise 1
Fill in the blanks with the correct verb.
Exercise 2
Decide whether these activities should follow 'play', 'go' or 'do'. (Note: some activities
can follow both 'go' and 'do'.)
clubbing
pilates
cricket
badminton
darts
rock climbing
volleyball
rollerblading
horse riding
sailing
scuba diving
martial arts
jogging
video games
hiking
Answers
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
play
cricket
badminton
darts
volleyball
video games
go
clubbing
rollerblading
horse riding
sailing
jogging
hiking
rock climbing
do
pilates
martial arts
Exercise 1
1. You can't -------- me with punishment - I'm too old for that now!
Exercise 2
8. It's irresponsible to take a boat out in rough seas and you also -------- other
people's lives.
Answers
1. You can't threaten me with punishment – I'm too old for that now!
2. I'll need to shorten this skirt – it's too long.
3. Soften the butter, then add the sugar.
4. Don't frighten the children with ghost stories!
5. We'll need to strengthen this wall with concrete.
6. I just want to freshen up after the long journey.
7. Can you sharpen my pencil for me? It's blunt.
8. A song on the radio can really brighten up your day.
Exercise 2
Exercise 2
Answers
generous / tight-fisted
"I've never met anyone as tight-fisted as him."
you can put money aside for a rainy day / money burns a hole in your pocket
"It's a good idea to put something aside for a rainy day." (for a time that you might
need it)
"Money seems to burn a hole in his pocket."
Exercise 2
Weather vocabulary
English people talk about the weather a lot, and we have lots of different words in
English to describe the heat. For example, we make a distinction between hot
weather which is dry and hot weather which is humid.
Exercise 1
Look at these words and decide if they describe hot and dry weather, or hot and
humid weather:
Match the words in list A with the words in list B to form word partnerships to do with
weather. For example, stormy (A) and weather (B) forms "stormy weather".
List A
stormy
bright
early morning
fine
freezing
howling
low
rough
scattered
slight
sunny
List B
weather
breeze
cloud
drizzle
fog
gale
mist
seas
showers
spells
sunshine
Answers
stormy weather = when there are thunderstorms, heavy rain and lightning: "There's
going to be stormy weather tonight. You should stay at home."
bright sunshine = when there is a lot of sun: "The bright sunshine drew people to the
beach."
early morning mist = a fine cloud coming from a river in the early morning: "The early
morning mist cleared away by 10 am."
fine drizzle = a slight, soft rain: "Fine drizzle will persist for most of the morning."
freezing fog = dense, icy cloud at ground level: "Be careful on the roads – freezing
fog is expected."
howling gale = a very strong wind that makes a noise: "The howling gale forced
them to stay inside."
low cloud = cloud that is low in the sky: "Flying conditions were made worse by low
cloud."
rough sea = high waves in the sea: "Swimmers were warned to be careful in the
rough sea."
slight breeze = a little wind:"The slight breeze felt refreshing in the heat."
sunny spells = periods of sunshine: "There have been a few sunny spells today, but
otherwise the weather has been a little dull."
Types of holiday
Do you know words for different types of holiday in English?
Read these definitions, then choose the right one to fill the blanks in the exercise.
(Answers next week)
Holiday definitions
bank holiday = a type of public holiday in the UK when banks and businesses close
for the day. All bank holidays in the UK are on Mondays. You might also hear the
phrase "bank holiday weekend".
cruise = a journey on a luxurious ship.
city break = a short holiday where you visit a city (often in a different country) for a
few days or for a weekend.
day trip = a day's holiday - often to the seaside. A person who goes on a day trip is
called a "day tripper".
Exercise
Fill in the blanks with a type of holiday from the list above.
1. I like going on --------, because I don't have to worry about booking hotels or
flights.
2. Next weekend is a -------- bank holiday weekend. We've got three days to do
something interesting.
3. When we were in Paris, we decided to pay for a --------. It was worth it, as we got
to see all the sights.
4. They've taken Friday and Monday off work, so they've got a --------.
Answers
1. I like going on package holidays, because I don't have to worry about booking
hotels or flights.
2. Next weekend is a bank holiday weekend. We've got three days to do something
interesting.
3. When we were in Paris, we decided to pay for a sightseeing tour. It was worth it,
as we got to see all the sights.
4. They've taken Friday and Monday off work, so they've got a long weekend.
6. In the UK, Christmas Day and Boxing Day are public holidays.
Holiday illnesses
If you're going away on holiday, it's a good idea to take a first-aid kit, with essentials
such as plasters (or band-aid) to put on cuts, mosquito repellent (to stop
mosquitoes from biting you) and a disinfectant that you can put on cuts or grazes.
We have lots of English vocabulary for medical problems on this page, but here are
some more useful words to describe holiday illnesses.
sunburn (noun and verb): "She got sunburnt staying out in the sun all day without
wearing any suncream."
dehydration (dehydrate is the verb): "Drink some water or you'll get dehydrated."
sting (noun and verb) = poisonous bite from an insect: "He's allergic to wasp
stings."
bite (noun and verb): "I was bitten by mosquitoes last night."
upset stomach (noun): "I'm not used to the water here, and it's given me an upset
stomach."
Exercise
Fill the gaps with the right word.
2. She got -------- by a bee, which is why her finger is all swollen.
3. My arm is really red and painful, but I think it's just a case of --------.
4. There are lots of mosquitoes in the early evening - make sure you bring some
-------.
5. If you're going to spend time on the beach, make sure you use --------.
Answers.
2. She got stung by a bee, which is why her finger is all swollen.
3. My arm is really red and painful, but I think it's just a case of sunburn.
4. There are lots of mosquitoes in the early evening – make sure you bring
some repellent.
5. If you're going to spend time on the beach, make sure you use suncream.
The coastline
cliffs = rocky hills / mountains that drop down to the beach or sea
dunes = sandy hills behind the beach. OFten a particular type of grass grows on the
dunes.
bay / cove / inlet = where the sea comes inland in small - often semi-circular - areas
of water
Water
sea is UK English, while ocean in American English
current / undertow = where the water's energy can pull you in one direction. This can
be dangerous if you're not a strong swimmer
high tide / low tide = when the tide comes in (leaving less beach) or when the tide
goes out (leaving more beach)
Sea creatures
crabs = small animals with four legs that have a shell and are edible
jellyfish = a white-coloured sac with strings coming down from it. These strings can
sting you.
Exercise
Hi all
The -------- is really interesting - rugged cliffs but sandy -------- in places. We've been
exploring some of the smugglers' -------- famous in this part of Cornwall. The
smugglers would bring the ships in from the sea, then steal all the cargo.
At --------- we often go walking along the shore to see what the tide has brought in.
Haven't found anything interesting yet.
The sea is generally quite rough, with huge --------. We've been told it's quite
dangerous to swim, and we felt a strong -------- yesterday even at knee-height.
Not been stung by any -------- yet, though just a matter of time probably!
Love to all
Susie xx
Answers
Hi all
The coastline is really interesting – rugged cliffs but sandy dunes in places. We've
been exploring some of the smugglers' coves famous in this part of Cornwall. The
smugglers would bring the ships in from the sea, then steal all the cargo.
At low tide we often go walking along the shore to see what the tide has brought in.
Haven't found anything interesting yet.
The sea is generally quite rough, with huge breakers. We've been told it's quite
dangerous to swim, and we felt a strong current yesterday even at knee-height.
Not been stung by any jellyfish yet, though just a matter of time probably!
Love to all
Susie xx
play up = not work or behave properly: "The children keep playing up. I wish they'd
behave."
play around = experiment: "We're playing around with a couple of new ideas."
play by ear = not plan something: "What are you going to tell him? I don't know - I'll
just play it by ear.
play to the gallery = say or do something to gain popularity: "Talking about giving us
all a pay rise - he's just playing to the gallery."
a play on words = a pun / joke relying on words: "The book title is a play on words."
play by the rules = do something fairly / according to regulations: "That's not fair! You
need to play by the rules."
a play-thing = not treat something seriously: "She's just a play-thing for him. You
should warn her."
a playboy = a man who has lots of girl-friends: "He's got a reputation as a bit of a
play-boy."
play for time = use delaying tactics: "We're playing for time until we get a better
deal."
Exercise
1. Why haven't they replied to our offer yet? I think they're just --------
3. If you want to join our team, you'll have to learn to --------. We can't just do what
we please here.
4. She's not acting as if he's a serious boyfriend. He's just a -------- to her.
5. I haven't planned what I'm going to say at the meeting. I'll --------
Answers
1. Why haven't they replied to our offer yet? I think they're just playing for time.
3. If you want to join our team, you'll have to learn to play by the rules. We can't
just do what we please here.
4. She's not acting as if he's a serious boyfriend. He's just a plaything to her.
5. I haven't planned what I'm going to say at the meeting. I'll play it by ear.
1. Types of sport
Which of the following are racket sports, and which are team sports?
badminton
relay
squash
synchronised swimming
tennis
water polo
2. Which of these sports is played with a net, and which with a bat?
baseball
cricket
hockey
tennis
badminton
discus
football
javelin
shotput
squash
tennis
Answers
1. Types of sport
2. Which of these sports is played with a net, and which with a bat?
Noun: athletics
Person: athlete
Adjective: athletic
Noun: sports
Person: sportsman / sportswoman
Adjective: sporty
Noun: performance
Person: performer
Verb: to perform
Noun: competition
Person: competitor
Adjective: competitive
Verb: to compete
Noun: championship
Person: champion
Noun: gymnastics
Person: gymnast
Adjective: gymnastic
Noun: ambition
Adjective: ambitious
Noun: win
Person: winner
Verb: to win
Noun: loss
Person: loser
Verb: to lose
Exercise
Use the root words given in parentheses to fill the gap.
Example
He's a -------- (competition) Answer: competitor
1. The shotput is a sport of ------ (strength) and ------- (agile)
2. To run a marathon you need to be ------- (fitness)
3. Successful gymnasts tend to be highly ------ (muscle)
4. You'll need hours of training to be a winning ------- (athletic)
5. He gave the best ------- (perform) of his life.
6. She's always been ------ (compete) - even when she was a child.
7. In the Olympics, the --- (win) gets a gold medal, the runner-up gets silver, while
third place gets bronze.
Answers
Olympic vocabulary
Match a word in List A with a word from List B to make an Olympic partnership.
(None of the partnerships are actually about the sports or athletes.)
List A
closing
flag
national
Olympic
Olympic
opening
organising
security
ticket
torch
victory
List B
bearer
ceremony
ceremony
ceremony
checks
committee
flag
flame
holder
relay
stadium
Answers
closing ceremony
flag bearer
national flag
Olympic flame
Olympic stadium
opening ceremony
organising committee
security checks
ticket holder
torch relay
victory ceremony
bring / take
(you bring something from another place to here; but you take something from here
to another place)
lend / borrow
(you lend something to another person; but you borrow something from a person)
effect / affect
(the effect - noun - is the result of something; while something affects - verb -
something)
economic / economical
(something which is economic relates to the economy; while economical means it's
cheap)
watch / look at
(you watch something that is moving or is interesting; while you look at something
stationary)
check / control
(you check something for mistakes, or to ensure it's working properly; you control
something through having authority)
attend / assist
(you attend an event by being there; but you assist a person if you help them)
remember / remind
(you remember to do something / or having done something; but you remind
someone else not to forget something)
stay / be
(you stay at a hotel for the night, but you like to be with friends)
lose / loose
(you lose something when you can no longer find it; but something which is loose is
not tight)
3. High petrol prices will ----- the economic recovery. (effect / affect)
5. I think we're lost. Let me ------- the map (watch / look at)
9. At the weekend I often go to my parents' house. I like ------ with my family. (stay /
be)
10. If you ------ my phone, you'll be in trouble! (lose / loose)
Answers
3. High petrol prices will affect the economic recovery. (effect / affect)
economical)
5. I think we're lost. Let me look at the map. (watch / look at)
9. At the weekend I often go to my parents' house. I like being with my family. (stay /
be)
Learning phrases
It's often easier to learn phrases in their entirety than it is to learn individual words.
For example:
Black and white
Dos and don'ts
Kiss and tell
Odds and ends
P's and Q's
Pros and cons
Here are some more common three-word phrases. Combine the beginning of the
phrases in List A with the ends in List B.
List A
back and
be-all and
come and
dead and
duck and
give and
live and
on and
round and
spick and
spit and
this and
to and
toss and
ups and
List B
about
buried
dive
downs
end-all
forth
fro
go
let live
on
sawdust
span
take
that
turn
Answers
In this exercise, put the phrasal verbs and idioms into the gaps in the conversation.
(Don't forget to change tense where necessary.)
Conversation 1
- I hear the packing factory are going to -------- ten new people. That would be great
for a summer job. What do you think?
- I'm not sure. I don't think it would be a very interesting job.
- Well, the experience might be good. It would help you -------- There aren't many
other companies offering work around here. All the factories ---------- and they've
already ---------- more than a hundred people. Anyway, I know someone who works
in the accounts department. Maybe I could -------- for you?
Conversation 2
Answers
Conversation 1
- I hear the packing factory are going to take on ten new people. That would be
great for a summer job. What do you think?
- I'm not sure. I don't think it would be a very interesting job.
- Well, the experience might be good. It would help you get your foot in the door.
There aren't many other companies offering work around here. All the factories are
closing down and they've already laid off more than a hundred people. Anyway, I
know someone who works in the accounts department. Maybe I could put in a good
word for you?
Conversation 2
- What's up Anna?
- I've just had a huge argument with Antony.
- Really? You two usually see eye to eye on most things.
- Well this time it was different. We were arguing about his ex-girlfriend. I said some
terrible things and I don't think we'll ever make up now.
- You need to go and talk to him calmly, and put the record straight. Say you didn't
mean what you said – it just came out in the heat of the moment.
Missing words
all
floor
lose
streak
top
Idioms
Answers
Christmas idioms
Some of the following English idioms are more closely related to Christmas than the
others. However, for each of the three idioms in every group, the same word is
missing.
Related to food
What are you talking about? Have you been at the -------- nog already?
You shouldn't -------- him on so much. One of these days he's going to get into
serious trouble.
Don't ask her out - you'll just end up with -------- on your face.
Answers
1. feet
2. turkey
3. pudding
4. egg
5. gift
Remember: when you use a strong (or "extreme") adjective like terrified, or
enormous, you can't also use "very". Use an adverb like "absolutely" instead.
What other synonyms for very do you know? Let me know in the comments below.