Language Practice

Intermediate

Vocabulary    Intermediate 01 Trends

Noun suffixes
A suffix is a set of letters added at the end of a word to form a new word. The original
word can be a noun, a verb or an adjective. The suffix often changes the class of the
original word to a different part of speech.
secure (adjective) ➞ security (noun)
achieve (verb) ➞ achievement (noun)
connect (verb) ➞ connection (noun)
Notice how the spelling can change, depending on the suffix used.
communicat e ➞ communication
ab le ➞ ability
Sometimes, the word class stays the same, but the meaning is different.
She is my best friend. (noun)
We have a close friendship. (noun)
Some common suffixes are -ment, -ity, -ion, and -ship.

The suffix -ment

We can create noun suffixes by adding -ment to certain verbs.

verb + -ment = noun

govern ➞ government
His job is to govern the state. She works for the government.
achieve ➞ achievement
I want to achieve my goals. That was a fantastic achievement!
develop ➞ development
You can develop your skills in this course. There are many opportunities for
development.
employ ➞ employment
They’re going to employ six new people. He hopes to find employment soon.
improve ➞ improvement
I want to improve my writing skills. I have noticed an improvement in her paintings.

The suffix -ion

We can create noun suffixes by adding -ion to certain verbs.

verb + -ion = noun

communicate ➞ communication
She communicates best in person. Good communication is very important.
connect ➞ connection
You can connect the pieces together. They have a connection to this town.
inform ➞ information
They informed me that the bank was closed. The office provides information.
imagine ➞ imagination
I imagine the discussion will be interesting. The child has a wonderful imagination.
locate ➞ location
Use the map to locate the restaurant. This is a great location for a bike ride.

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Vocabulary    Intermediate 01 Trends (continued)

The suffix -ity
We can create noun suffixes by adding -ity to certain adjectives.

adjective + -ity = noun

able ➞ ability
The pilot is able to fly the plane. She has the ability to learn quickly.
secure ➞ security
The bank is a secure place to keep money. It takes a while to get through
airport security.
possible ➞ possibility
It is possible for us to travel next year. There is a possibility that she will
get the job.
electric ➞ electricity
Electric cars are becoming more popular. Solar power is one way of
creating electricity.

The suffix -ship

We can create noun suffixes by adding -ship to certain nouns.

noun + -ship = noun

friend ➞ friendship
She is my best friend. They have a very special friendship.
relation ➞ relationship
David is a close relation of mine. We have a good relationship.
member ➞ membership
She is a member of the basketball team. Gym membership can be expensive.
champion ➞ championship
He is a chess champion. My favourite team won the football championship.
 Language Practice
Intermediate

Vocabulary    Intermediate 01 What a story

Adjectives
Adjectives like good, bad, hot, cold, tasty, tired and interesting can often be
made stronger by putting adverbs like very, extremely, really and incredibly
before the adjective.
The room was very cold.
The film we saw last night was really bad.
At the end of the day, I was extremely tired.
The food at the restaurant was incredibly tasty.
Extremely and incredibly are stronger than very and really.
Classroom 1 was very cold.
Classroom 2 was incredibly cold.
Classroom 2 was colder than classroom 1.
Instead of using adverbs, we can change some adjectives to make them
stronger.
The room was incredibly cold. = The room was freezing.
The film we saw last night was really bad. = The film we saw last night was terrible.
At the end of the day, I was extremely tired. = At the end of the day I was exhausted.
The food at the restaurant was incredibly tasty. = The food at the restaurant was delicious.
Other strong adjectives include:
Very good: excellent
Very hot: boiling
Very hungry: starving
Very small: tiny
Very big: enormous
Very angry: furious
Very interesting: fascinating
Very frightening: terrifying
Very funny: hilarious
We can make strong adjectives even stronger by putting the adverb absolutely before them.
It was absolutely boiling in the theatre.
She was absolutely furious when I told her what had happened.
I had an absolutely terrifying experience last summer.
With strong adjectives, we can’t use very.
The film was very terrifying.
 Language Practice
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Vocabulary    Intermediate 02 Spending power

Money
Making money
When we work, we earn or make money.
I earn £18,000 a year.
I made over $3,000 last month.
The money we earn for working is called a wage or a salary. A wage is money we earn for a day or a week, or for
doing a temporary job. A salary is money we earn for a month or a year.
My weekly wage is less than £300.
The average salary in my country is £26,000 a year.
Our employer pays us at the end of each day, each week or each month. We get paid.
I’m sorry, but I can’t pay you this week.
I usually get paid at the end of the month.
Some people earn a lot of money. They are rich or wealthy.
My sister has a good job in the city. She’s really wealthy.
Other people earn very little money. They are poor.
I’m so poor that sometimes I have to go without food.

Spending money
When we earn money, we usually spend some or most of it.
I spend most of my money on things like rent, bills and food.
We can pay money for something or we can spend money
on something.
I paid £30 for a new shirt, and I spent £150 on a new camera.
If we have enough money for something, we say that we can afford it.
Can you afford a new computer at the moment?
Something that people can afford is affordable.
The restaurant does great food at affordable prices.

Shopping
When we buy food and other things for the house, we do the shopping. When we spend money on other things like
clothes, we go shopping.
I went into town, did the shopping, then went for a coffee.
I’ve just been paid. Let’s go shopping!
These days, many people shop on-line using a computer.
I prefer to shop on-line because prices are usually cheaper.
When we pay for something in a shop, we can use cash (notes and coins) or a card. Some shops accept cheques.
I always try to pay with cash when I go shopping.
I can’t find my card anywhere.
I’m sorry, but we can’t accept cheques.

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Vocabulary    Intermediate 02 Spending power (continued)

The best time to go shopping is during the sales, when a lot of prices are reduced.
I got this £300 camera for £100 in the sales.
Sometimes, when you go shopping, you can ask for a discount (if, for example, the thing you are buying is slightly
damaged). The shop might reduce the price for you.
Can I get a discount if I pay with cash?
When a shop or a service provider like a gas company tells us that they want money from us, they give or send us a
bill. When we want a note from a shop or company to say we have paid them, we ask for a receipt.
Have you seen this gas bill we’ve just received?!
Don’t forget to ask for a receipt when you pay for the petrol.

Banking
If we don’t spend money, we save it. The best place to save money is in a savings account at a bank. The best place to
keep money that you need to spend is in a current account.
My salary usually goes directly into a current account at the bank. If I have any money left at the end of the month, I
save it. I have a savings account for this.
Bank can be a verb or a noun.
Who do you bank with?
I’m going to bank the money you gave me.
These days, on-line or Internet banking is very popular. People can use their computers at home to manage their bank
accounts.
The advantage of on-line banking is that you don’t need to go to the bank.
When we don’t have enough money for something, we borrow it from the bank. Then bank lends the money to us.
When we return the money, we pay it back.
I told the bank I needed to borrow €5,000 from them for a new car.
The bank refused to lend me the money.
I promised to pay it back by the end of the year.
The bank refused to borrow me £50 until the weekend.

Vocabulary    Intermediate 02 Our planet under threat
Human activity is believed to
have a major negative impact on
our planet’s environment.
Climate change will have other
effects. For example, rainfall in
wet areas will increase, while
in dry areas it will decrease.
Temperatures will rise in many
places and violent hurricanes will
become more common.
Large areas of rainforest and
other areas of natural land
are destroyed every day. This
deforestation means that many
animals are losing their natural
homes. As a result, many species
of wildlife are in danger of
becoming extinct.
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Language Practice
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Burning fossil fuels like petrol
and coal for energy releases
greenhouse gases into the air.
This causes something called
the greenhouse effect. The result
is climate change and global
warming.
The pollution caused by burning
fossil fuels makes the air in our
towns and cities dangerous to
breathe. It also causes acid rain.
It is not just land animals that
are in danger of extinction.
There are many endangered
species in our rivers, seas and
oceans as well.
As our planet warms up, the
ice in polar regions will melt
more quickly. As sea levels rise
as a result, many low areas will
be in danger of flooding.
Rubbish and other waste from
homes, factories and farms
ends up in the countryside, and
in rivers, seas and oceans. Many
rivers are now very polluted. In
some cases, water pollution can
cause serious diseases.
We should recycle the things
we use at home, like glass,
paper and plastic. We can also
buy things that are made from
recycled materials.

Vocabulary    Intermediate 02 Our planet under threat (continued)
When we travel, we should use
public transport more instead
of driving everywhere in our
own vehicles.
As the world’s population
increases, environmental
problems will become much worse.
However, we can all do
something to help the
environment, even if it is
quite small.
Language Practice
Intermediate
Energy sources like solar power Finally, we should join or
and wind power are cheap and support groups that work for the
environmentally-friendly, so conservation of our environment
we should try to make more use and our wildlife.
of these.
Buying food that is locally
produced means that our food
wouldn’t have to travel so far, and
so would reduce the food’s carbon
footprint – the environmental
impact that transporting it has.
And if possible we should try to eat
organic food which has a much
smaller impact on the environment.

Vocabulary    Intermediate 03 Entertainment
That video game is very
violent – there’s too much
fighting and killing in it.
violent (adjective) —
involving or caused by
physical force that is
intended to hurt or kill
somebody
It’s a pretty silly book, but
that makes it very funny to
read.
silly (adjective) — not
practical or serious
It’s an awful book and it got
terrible reviews.
awful (adjective) — very bad
or unpleasant
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Language Practice
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The scenery in the game is
absolutely breathtaking –
it’s so beautiful.
breathtaking (adjective) —
very exciting or impressive
(usually in a pleasant way)
It’s a brand-new monthly
magazine all about nature.
brand-new (adjective) —
completely new
It’s an amusing programme
and it made me laugh.
amusing (adjective) — funny
and enjoyable
It’s about an old-fashioned
English gentleman who
works in a bookshop.
old-fashioned (adjective) —
believing in old or traditional
ways; having traditional ideas
That video game is so dull –
the challenges and graphics
aren’t interesting at all.
dull (adjective) — not
interesting or exciting
I found the TV series very
disappointing after reading
the book. It wasn’t nearly as
good.
disappointing (adjective) —
not as good, successful, etc.
as you had hoped; making
you feel disappointed

Vocabulary    Intermediate 03 Entertainment (continued)
The ending of the story was
very surprising. I didn’t
expect it at all.
surprising (adjective) —
causing surprise
Language Practice
Intermediate
It’s a thrilling game – I can
hardly stop playing it!
thrilling (adjective) —
extremely exciting
The performances by the two
main characters in that TV
drama were so impressive
that I almost cried at the end.
impressive (adjective) —
very good, showing great
skill and inspiring admiration
 Language Practice
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Vocabulary    Intermediate 03 Looking for clues

Crime is a big problem in many places. There are many types of criminals. Here are some of them.
• A robber is a thief who steals things from banks and shops. They rob these buildings. They commit robbery. Some
robbers use guns and other weapons: armed robbers can be very dangerous.
• A burglar is a thief who steals things from people’s houses. They break in to houses and burgle them. They commit
burglary.
• Shoplifters steal things from shops while pretending to be customers. Shoplifting can cost shops a lot of money.
• Pirates are thieves who operate at sea and steal things from boats and ships. They commit piracy. Piracy is also the
crime of making illegal copies of books, music, films, computer programmes, etc., and selling them.
Not all criminals are thieves.
• Murderers kill people illegally. They murder them. They commit the crime of murder.
• Vandals damage property. For example, they break windows and paint graffiti on walls. They vandalise things. They
commit vandalism.
• Arsonists set fire to buildings. They commit arson.
• Hijackers take control of aeroplanes, usually for political reasons. They hijack the plane and tell the pilot where to
go. Airports and airlines take hijacking very seriously.
• Smugglers take things illegally from one country to another. They smuggle things like guns and diamonds across
borders. In recent years, people smuggling has become a problem, as people from poor countries try to start a new
life in richer countries.
• Forgers make illegal copies of things like passports, money
and paintings. They forge them. The crime is called forgery
and an illegal copy of something is called a forgery.
When a crime is committed, the police usually try to solve the
crime and catch the criminals.
Police detectives visit the scene of the crime and look for clues
like fingerprints. They may also collect DNA from hair and blood,
which they can use to identify criminals. They also talk to the
witnesses who saw the crime take place, and victims who
were affected by the crime. When the police think they know
who the criminal is, they arrest them. They take their suspect
to the police station and interview them. The suspect usually
has a lawyer with them. The lawyer tells the suspect what to
say or not to say. If the police think they have the evidence they
need, they charge the suspect with the crime.
The suspect goes to court for a trial. For serious crimes, a
group of ordinary people called a jury decide if the suspect
is guilty (they committed the crime) or innocent (they didn’t
commit the crime). If they are guilty, the person in charge of the
court – the judge – decides how to punish them. For example,
the judge might sentence them to time in prison or order them
to pay a fine. Community service is a common punishment in
many countries: the criminal must do unpaid work in his or her
community to make it a better place (for example, by helping
elderly people with their day‑to‑day needs or by cleaning graffiti
off walls).

Vocabulary    Intermediate 04 Make yourself at home
For sale
Luxury two-bedroom flat on the
twelfth floor of a modern tower
block. Balcony with views over
the city. Price: €280,000
For sale
Large detached family house
on popular estate in peaceful
suburbs. Large entrance hall,
five bedrooms, three reception
rooms, two bathrooms, large
modern kitchen, double garage
and large driveway with parking
for several cars. Price: £750,000
For sale
Three bedroom semi-detached
house. Recently decorated.
Excellent condition inside and out.
Front and back gardens, garage,
large porch, gas central heating.
Price: £320,000
Language Practice
Intermediate
For sale
Small country cottage in need
of some repair to roof and
chimney. Large garden with
lawn and flowerbeds. Price:
£140,000
For sale
Ruined mansion with large
gardens which need work. Price:
$950,000
For sale
Large barn. With some work,
this would make a beautiful
family home. Situated on 4
hectares of land in beautiful
country setting. Price: €500,000
To let
Large bungalow in quiet
residential area. Three bedrooms,
large kitchen, separate living
and dining rooms, garden with
terrace. Unfurnished. Rent:
$1,200 / month
To let (from the end of October)
Two-bedroomed terraced
house on busy street near city
centre and close to station. Fully
furnished. Small gardens front
and back. Rent: £800 / month
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Vocabulary    Intermediate 04 City life

People who enjoy city life say that there is so much Unfortunately, city life also has its disadvantages.
to do. During the day you can go shopping in indoor Cities can be crowded, noisy and stressful places.
shopping centres or at outdoor retail parks which are Crowds of people on the pavements in the city centre
becoming more common outside the city centre. In the make it difficult to get anywhere quickly. The air is full
evening you can take advantage of the varied nightlife: of the sound of road traffic, air traffic, building work,
having a big choice of restaurants, bars, cafés and road works and, in industrial cities, the sound of heavy
nightclubs is one of the big attractions of living in a city. industry. Air pollution can make the air unpleasant to
breathe, and some cities are so polluted that people
Weekends can be really lively, when people come into
become very ill.
the centre from the suburbs around the city to take
advantage of everything the city has to offer. And of
course, there are cultural attractions like museums,
art galleries, cinemas and theatres. There are also
sports centres, swimming pools, parks, libraries and
educational facilities. Above all, city life is convenient:
you have everything you need in one place.

Traffic causes lots of problems in cities apart from Problems are not limited to noise and traffic. Many cities
noise and pollution. Most major cities suffer from terrible have high unemployment, with lots of unemployed
congestion, especially during the morning and evening people desperately looking for work. In cities where
rush hours, when there are long, slow-moving traffic poverty and homelessness are common, you often see
jams on the roads as commuters try to get into or out homeless people trying to keep warm on the streets.
of the city for work. Nobody likes commuting. Crossing Crime affects everyone. Meanwhile, as the population
the road can be very dangerous for pedestrians, even grows and cities get bigger, they begin to take over the
at pedestrian crossings. countryside. Protected areas of countryside around our
cities (known as green belts) are supposed to stop this,
Cities try to encourage people to use public transport
but they are not always successful.
while they’re in the city, but people who travel around
by bus, train or tram, often complain that it’s much
quicker to get about on foot. Some cities have
introduced bus lanes, but in some places these only
make a very small difference. Cycling is becoming a
more popular option, but cyclists say the roads are too
dangerous in many places and accidents are common
(even on special cycle lanes, which drivers often
ignore). The problem becomes worse when drivers and
cyclists ignore traffic lights, one-way streets and
pedestrian zones.
 Language Practice
Intermediate

Vocabulary    Intermediate 05 Life skills

Traditional life skills

sew on a button mend clothes put up a shelf read a map

change a tyre change a plug look after babies and type

young children

Modern life skills

use a sat nav look something check in online book tickets online
up online / google
something

upload photos download music communicate by social install a computer

media / go on Facebook program

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Vocabulary    Intermediate 05 Life skills (continued)

update your Twitter deal with a problem work in a team express (or give) your
profile / update (e.g. at work) opinion
your Facebook
status

Adjectives
Kids these days
Public speaking is hard. I aren’t very active. They My watch isn’t very reliable.
know from personal experience sit around all day looking at Sometimes it goes too slowly and
– I’ve done it! screens! other times it goes too fast!

personal – about one particular active – always busy and able to do a reliable – that you can trust or rely on
person, e.g. yourself lot of things

This old map

Thank you for doing that for me. It gives us very valuable Do we really need to leave now?
was really helpful of you! information about the area. Is it absolutely essential?
We mustn’t lose it.

helpful – wanting to help you or be valuable – very useful essential – completely necessary and
useful to you you must have or do it

The traditional way
of checking your spelling
is to look in the dictionary.
That’s how people did it for
centuries!
Practical people are good at This is really confusing! I don’t
mending things and dealing with understand it at all!
problems.

traditional – following older methods practical – connected with doing or confusing – difficult to understand;
and ideas rather than modern ones making things, not just with ideas not clear

Look, it’s very simple – you just

press this button. You see?
It’s easy!

simple – easy to do or understand;

not complicated

Vocabulary    Intermediate 05 The silver screen
Everybody likes watching films.
And everyone has their favourite
kind of film.
Dramas are popular with people
who enjoy serious films about
people and relationships.
Musicals, with lots of singing
and dancing, are becoming
popular again.
Those who like to watch films
about real people and real
events enjoy documentaries.
Language Practice
Intermediate
Some people like action films,
with their fights, exciting car
chases and dangerous criminals.
Everybody likes a good laugh,
so comedies, and especially
romantic comedies, are always
very popular.
Westerns used to be very
popular in the 1950s and 1960s,
but not many are made now.
Others like animated films,
or animations. Using computer
technology (CGI) to create
moving pictures is becoming
more and more popular.
People who like being frightened
by monsters and ghosts enjoy
horror films.
People who like films about
space travel to distant planets
or about life in the future enjoy
science fiction films.
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Vocabulary    Intermediate 05 The silver screen (continued)

A lot of people are involved in making a film. These include the screenwriter who
writes the script, actors, directors, producers, composers (who provide the
musical soundtrack to films), editors (who prepare the film before it is shown),
camera operators, lighting engineers and technical engineers (who often create
special effects and sound effects for the films).
Film companies need a lot of money to pay for the people who make the film and
also to pay for the things that are used in a film: the cameras and other recording
equipment, the costumes that the actors will wear, the props that they will use and
of course the scenery.
Some films are made in a studio and some are made outside in suitable locations,
but most films use a combination of both: some scenes in the film are made in a
studio and some are filmed outside.
Some films are very successful. Many actors have become famous stars as a result
of appearing in them. These films make a lot of money in the box office at the
cinema. Very successful films, or blockbusters, cost a lot to make, but also make a
lot of money at the cinema.
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Vocabulary    Intermediate 06 If at first you don’t succeed …

Phrasal verbs
A phrasal verb is a verb followed by one or two prepositions or adverbs.
had eaten  had put  had read  had fed  had been  had known
give away  pick up  come up with  look forward to

The most common verbs that we use in phrasal verbs are:

come   cut   get   give   go   look   make   pick   put   run set   take   turn   work

In phrasal verbs, the prepositions or adverbs after a verb are called particles. The most common particles are:
about   along   around   at   away   back   by   down   forward   from   in   off   on   out over   round  
through   to   up   with

Most phrasal verbs use one particle. For example:

come round   cut off   get down   give up   go on   look after   make up   put off   set up   take up   turn down

But some phrasal verbs use two particles. For example:

come up with   cut down on   get away from   get back to   give up on   look back on   look forward to  
look out for   make up for   put up with

Often, when we add a particle or particles to a verb to make a phrasal verb, the original meaning of the verb changes.
The phrasal verb has its own special meaning.
For example:
I gave away all my old books to charity. (= the original meaning of the verb give stays the same)
He said he was telling the truth, but his face gave him away. = (the original meaning of the verb give changes)
Some phrasal verbs can have more than one meaning. For example, come up:
The sun is coming up. (= the sun is rising)
My parents are coming up to see me next week. (= my parents are coming from the south of the country to
the north)
Your name came up in the meeting yesterday. (= your name was mentioned in the meeting)
A few problems have come up. (= a problem has appeared)
A new job has come up in the sales department. (= there is a new job in the sales department)

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Vocabulary    Intermediate 06
If at first you don’t succeed … (continued)
Phrasal verbs often use objects. The position of the object in a phrasal verb usually depends on (a) the type of object,
and (b) the type of phrasal verb. Look at this table.
Type of object Two-word phrasal verbs Three-word phrasal verbs

The object can come

between the verb and the The object can only come
particle: after the phrasal verb:
He picked the children She came up with the idea
A noun up from school. first.
The object can come after NOT
the phrasal verb. She came the idea
He picked up the up with first.
children from school.
The object can only come
between the verb and the
The object can only come
particle.
A pronoun (for after the phrasal verb.
He picked them up
example, him, it, She came up with it first.
from school.
them) NOT
NOT
She came it up with first.
He picked up them
from school.

However, not all phrasal verbs follow these rules. For example, look after.
I asked her to look after my cat while I was on holiday.
I asked her to look my cat after while I was on holiday.
Phrasal verbs are like other vocabulary items. We have to learn each one individually,
and also learn how they work with other words.
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Vocabulary    Intermediate 06 Living together

Families and relationships
The people who are closest to me are the members of my immediate
family (including my parents, my brother, my sister and my
grandparents). My father is actually my stepfather (my real father died
when I was very young). We’re a close family and we all get on really
well, although occasionally we fall out. However, after we’ve disagreed
or argued, we always make up. We never stay angry with one another
for long.
I’m quite close to other members of my family, including my uncles,
aunts and cousins. I also have a few distant relatives, who I usually
only meet at important family events like weddings.
My sister Olivia is married. I get on well with her husband, my
brother‑in‑law, and I adore their children – my niece Elizabeth and my
nephew Harry. My brother Tom is also married, but he’s separated
from his wife, my sister-in-law. They’re going to get divorced.
I don’t live with my family. I have a flat on the other side of town which
I share with two other people. My flatmates are nice, but they’re
very untidy.
I have several close friends. I’ve known a lot of them since we were
schoolmates. In fact, I’ve known my best friend Mike since our very
first day at school when we were five. Mike was engaged to another
friend of mine, Janet: they were going to get married next year, but last month they split up. Mike was really upset.
I spend a lot of time with Aminah. People think we’re boyfriend and girlfriend. So are we going out together? Aha,
you shouldn’t ask questions like that!
Who are the other people in my life? Well, there are my next-door neighbours, Mr and Mrs Kapoor. They’re
wonderful people to live next door to. We don’t have much in common, but they’re kind and friendly. I also have
several acquaintances. Most of them are people that my company does business with. We don’t see one another a
lot, but we occasionally meet for dinner or a game of golf.
I like my colleagues at work. They’re a great group of people, especially my boss Mrs Carter. I really look up to her.
She’s the kind of person you can always turn to for help.