LEC/Seminar/Trușcan S.

/ 2021-2022

THE VERB GROUP – EXERCISES

SUBJECT: Passive Form

A) Fill in the PASSIVE in the appropriate tense:
1. (TV / invent / Baird) …….. TV was invented by Baird.
2. (Pyramids / build / Egyptians) …………………………………………………………………………………………………….
3. (milk / produce / cows) ………………………………………………………………………………...………………………….
4. (coffee / grow / in Brazil) …………………………………………………………………………………………………………
5. (chopsticks / use / in China) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….
6. (plants / water / every day) ………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
7. (the thief / arrest / policeman / yesterday) ………………………………………………………………………………………...
8. (the injured man / take to a hospital / now) ………………………………………………….……………………………………
9. (the car / repair / tomorrow) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….
10. (the letter / send / last week) …………………………………………………

B) Turn from ACTIVE into PASSIVE: 1. The gardener has planted some trees. …. Some trees have been planted by the
gardener..
2. Doctor Brown will give you some advice. ………………………………………………………………………………………..
3. A famous designer will redecorate the hotel. …………………………………………………………………………………… .
4. Steven Spielberg directed “E.T.” ………………………………………………………………………………………………….
5. Someone has broken the crystal vase. …………………………………………………………………………………………….
6. His parents have brought him up to be polite. ………………………………………………………………………………….....
7. Fleming discovered penicillin. ……………………………………………………………………………………………..……..
8. They will advertise the product on television. ……………………………………………………………………………….……
9. Someone is remaking that film. ………………………………………………………………………………………………..….
10. Picasso painted that picture. …………………………………………………………………………………………………...…

C) Read each sentence. Then make two new sentences in the PASSIVE:
1. People say Tom Cruise is the richest movie star.
a) It is said that Tom Cruise is the richest movie star.
b) Tom Cruise is said to be the richest movie star.
2. Everybody thinks that Hakan is a good football player.
a) It …………
b) Hakan …………
3. They say that his books are still popular.
a) It …………
b) His books …………
4. They report that at least 10.000 dolphins are caught in the nets of tuna fishers every year.
a) It …………
b) At least 10.000 dolphins …………
5. They estimate that 1500 square kilometres of rainforests is cut every year.
a) It …………
b) 1500 square kilometres of rainforests …………
6. We knew that pencil lead is made from graphite, clay, water and wax.
a) It …………
b) Pencil lead …………
7. They reported that the railway line was buried under tons of rock and earth.
a) It …………
b) The railway …………
8. People don’t think that inflation will go down.
a) It …………
b) Inflation …………
9. People expect that the third bridge will be built over the Bosphorus Strait.
a) It …………
b) The third bridge …………
10. People believe that he is living abroad.
a) It …………
b) He …………

SUBJECT: Reported Speech

A) Change the following sentences from DIRECT to INDIRECT SPEECH:
1. He said, “I will be here at noon.” He said that he would be here at noon.
2. Mary said, “The train will probably arrive on time.” …………
3. He said, “I have to finish this report by five o’clock.” …………
4. The doctor said, “Mr. Smith will improve quickly.” …………
1
LEC/Seminar/Trușcan S. / 2021-2022

5. William said to me, “I am leaving in the morning.” …………

6. The teacher said, “Everyone has to write a composition.” …………
7. John said, “I saw that movie on Wednesday.” …………
8. Helen said, “I have read that book.” …………
9. Mary said to John, “I cannot go to the movie with you.” …………
10. John said, “I have finished studying my lesson.” …………
11. Mary remarked, “John speaks English well.” …………
12. William said to me, “I will not see Mr. Jones until Tuesday.” …………
13. Mr. Smith said, “I will refuse their offer.” …………
14. John said, “I certainly hope it won’t rain tomorrow.” …………
15. Henry said, “I can meet them later.” …………
16. The boy said, “I am only eight years old.” …………
17. She said to me, “The lights have gone out.” …………
18. The man said, “The telephone is out of order.” …………
19. He said, “I will never speak to her again.” …………
20. I said to the clerk clearly, “I have already paid that bill.” …………

B) Turn the following dialogue into REPORTED SPEECH:

Sally: Have you applied for the job?
Diane: Yes, I had an interview yesterday.
Sally: How did it go?
Diane: Fine, but I’m wondering if I want the job because I will have to move to Manchester.
Sally: What will you do then?
Diane: If they offer me the job, I can’t accept it.

Sally asked Diane if she had applied for the job. Diane told her ……………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…..
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… .

C) Change into INDIRECT SPEECH: You can use AND, BUT, BECAUSE, ADD to join the sentences.
1. Brenda said to Jimmy, “Please, turn off the TV. The film is boring.”
2. “Wash your face and say GOOD MORNING to everybody.” says his mother.
3. “Do your homework again. There are a lot of mistakes.” says the teacher to Kate.
4. “Don’t waste your time! Finish studying.” says Mrs. Dawson to Barbara.
5. “Brush your teeth. They look very dirty.” Her mother says to her.
6. “Look out! There is a truck coming.” Kevin said to his daughter.
7. Janet told David, “This book looks boring. Give me another, please.”
8. Mrs. Abbot told Jack, “Your hair is very long. Go and have a hair cut.”
9. Mrs. Denman says to her son, “It is very hot. Don’t play in the sun.”
10. Mr. Newman said to Nicky, “Don’t make a lot of noise. I want to listen to the news.”
11. “Don’t turn it up. I have a headache.” says the mother.
12. Sue told Andy, “Don’t shout! I’m not a deaf.”
13. Terry said to Ashley, “Don’t speak German. Speak English. They can’t understand you.”
14. “Please, be quiet! The baby is sleeping.” says Mrs. Newton to the children.
15. “Will you please move aside? I can’t watch television.” says John.
16. Mark said, “I want to buy a new car. Ours is very old and spends a lot of petrol.”
17. Tom said to Carol, “Can I borrow your dictionary. Mine is at home.”
18. “Your hands are very dirty. Go to the bathroom and wash them.” says her mother.
19. Sandy said to Danny, “Does your mother work? I see her on the bus every day.”
20. Tom told Jane, “I’m bored. Can we go to the cinema?”
21. Sam said to Kate, “I’m broke. Can you lend me some money?”
22. Mother said to her son, “Your friends are playing in the garden. Don’t you want to play with them?”
23. Jim says to his son, “When will you go? You are very late for school.”
24. “What have you cooked? I feel very hungry.” Tony said to his mother.
25. “Why don’t you wash your car? It looks very dirty.” Mrs. Dawson said to John.

SUBJECT: Adjectives and adverbs

A) Supply the proper form, ADJECTIVE or ADVERB: 1. He always does his homework ……………………………………..
(careful). 2. He is a very ……………………………… (careful) student. 3. Come …………………………… (quick). We need
your help. 4. You should drive more …………………………… (slow) along this road. 5. The old man walks very
………………………….. (slow). 6. Helen is a very ……………………………. (slow) student. 7. Her brother, on the other
2
LEC/Seminar/Trușcan S. / 2021-2022

hand, learns …………………………… (rapid). 8. Mr. Gonzales has a ………………………………. (permanent) visa. 9. He
hopes to remain in this country ………………………….. (permanent). 10. This is an …………………………… (easy)
exercise. 11. I can do all of these exercises ……………………… (easy). 12. Helen works very ………………………… (hard)
in her new job. 13. You walk very ………………………… (fast). 14. They are both ………………………. (serious) students.
15. They both study English very ……………………………… (serious). 16. I agree with you …………………………….
(complete) in that matter. 17. This apple is very ………………………. (soft). 18. She always speaks ……………………….
(soft) to the child. 19. Helen is a …………………………….. (beautiful) girl. 20. Her sister plays the violin
…………………………… (beautiful).

B) Complete the sentences. Use adjectives formed by adding –ING or –ED to the words in brackets. 1. I find it quite
……………………….. to talk in front of a group of people. (embarrass) 2. I think reading newspapers is
…………………………. . (depress) 3. I’m ……………………….. in all kinds of sport. (interest) 4. I find walking in the
countryside very ………………………….. . (relax) 5. I think learning a language is very ………………………. . (interest) 6. I
get ………………………… when people smoke in restaurants. (annoy) 7. I don’t normally get ……………………….. when I
watch horror films. (frighten) 8. I don’t get ………………………. very easily. (embarrass)

SUBJECT: Used to / Would / Be used to

A) Complete the sentences using USED TO or BE USED TO: 1. I ……………………………… (live) in Finland, but now I live
in France. 2. He ……………………………….. (sit) in the back of the classroom, but now he prefers to sit in the front row. 3.
When I was a child, I ………………………………… (play) games with my friends in a big field near my house after school
every day. 4. It’s hard for my children to stay inside on a cold, rainy day. They ……………………….. (play) outside in the big
field near our house. They play there almost every day. 5. People ………………………………………… (believe) that the
world was flat. 6. Trains ………………………………….. (be) the main means of cross-continental travel. Today, most people
take airplanes for long-distance travel. 7. Ms. Stanton’s job requires her to travel extensively throughout the world. She
…………... …………………………… (travel) by plane. 8. You and I are from different cultures. You
……………………………………… (have) fish for breakfast. I ……………………………………………. (have) cheese and
bread for breakfast. 9. What ……………………………………. (do) on summer days when you were a child? 10. Bill lives
alone. He doesn’t mind this. Because he ………………….. ……………………… (live) alone. 11. Tom
………………………………. (drink) a lot of coffee. Now he prefers tea. 12. I have to work hard. This is not a problem for me.
I have always worked hard. So I ……………………………………… (work) hard. 13. Some friends of yours have just moved
into a flat on a busy street. It is very noisy. They will ……………………………………………. noise. 14. When we were
children, we ………………………………….. (swim) every day. 15. I haven’t been to the cinema for ages now. We
………………………………… (go) a lot. 16. Dennis gave up smoking two years ago. He ………………………………………
(smoke).

SUBJECT: Causatives
A) Complete the sentences with the words in parentheses: 1. The doctor made the patient …….. stay …….. in bed. (stay) 2. Mrs.
Crane had her house ……… painted ……….. . (paint) 3. The teacher had the class …………………………. a 2000-word
research paper. (write) 4. I made my son …………………………. the windows before he could go outside to play. (wash) 5.
Don got some kids in the neighbourhood …………………………… out his garage. (clean) 6. I went to the bank to have a check
……………………………….. . (cash) 7. Tom had a bad headache yesterday, so he got his twin brother Tim
………………………. to class for him. The teacher didn’t know the difference. (go) 8. When Scott went shopping, he found a
jacket he really liked. After he had the sleeves …………………………, it fit him perfectly. (shorten) 9. My boss made me
………………………. my report because he wasn’t satisfied with it. (redo) 10. Alice stopped at the service station to have the
tank …………………………. . (fill) 11. I got Mary ………………………. me some money so I could go to a movie last night.
(lend) 12. Mr. Fields went to a doctor to have the wart on his nose ……………………… . (remove) 13. Peeling onions always
makes me ………………………… . (cry) 14. Tom Sawyer was supposed to paint the fence, but he didn’t want to do it. He was
a very clever boy. Somehow he got his friends ……………………….. it for him. (do) 15. We had a professional photographer
………………………… pictures of everyone who participated in our wedding. (take) 16. I spilled some tomato sauce on my
suit coat. Now I need to get my suit ………………… . (clean)

SUBJECT: Gerund or Infinitive

A) Use the GERUND or INFINITIVE forms of the verbs: 1. He gave up ………………………….. (gamble). 2. He told me
…………… (try) ………………………….. (come) early. 3. I advised him …………………. (ask) the bus conductor
……………………… (tell) him where ……………………….. (get) off. 4. We are looking forward to ………………………..
(read) your new book. 5. I don’t enjoy ………………………….. (go) to the dentist. 6. A: Did you remember
……………………………. (give) him the money? B: No, I didn’t. I still have it in my pocket; but I’ll ……………………….
(see) him tonight and I promise ……………………………… (not / forget) this time. 7. I saw the plane ……………………….
(crash) in to the hill and …………………………. (burst) into flames. 8. He is said ………………… (be) the best surgeon in the
country. 9. We don’t want anybody ………………. (know) we are here. 10. A: Why didn’t you pay the bill for him? B: I offered
…………………. (pay), but he refused. 11. He was accused of ………………………….. (steal) the valuable vase. 12. I don’t
feel like ……………………….. (work); what about ………………………. (go) to a disco instead? 13. Imagine
…………………. (live) with someone who never stops ………………….. (talk). 14. A: Do the boys tidy their own rooms? B:
They are supposed ………………………… (tidy), but they don’t always. 15. I hope the children won’t go near the water. I
warned them …………………… (not / go) near it. 16. Try to avoid ……………………………….. (make) him angry. 17.
Would you mind ………………………….. (write) your name and address on the back of the cheque? 18. After
3
LEC/Seminar/Trușcan S. / 2021-2022

……………………… (read) this article, will you give up ……………….. (smoke)? 19. I suggest …………………………..
(hold) another meeting next week. 20. I have no intention of ……………………. (go) to that film; I couldn’t bear ……………..
(see) my favorite actress in such a dreadful part. 21. Try ……………………. (forget) it; it’s not worth ……………………
(worry) about. 22. I advise you ……………………… (start) ……………………. (look) for a flat at once. 23. He hates
…………………….. (answer) the phone, and very often just lets it …………… (ring). 24. It is usually easier
………………………. (learn) a subject by …………………….. (read) books than by ……………………………. (listen) to
lectures. 25. Don’t forget …………………….. (lock) the door before …………………… (go) to bed. 26. I arranged
………………………… (meet) them here. 27. He tried ……………………… (explain) but she refused ………………………
(listen). 28. I regret ……………………. (inform) you that your application has been refused. 29. Your windows need
……………………… (clean); would you like me ………………… (do) them for you? 30. I can’t help ……………………
(sneeze); I caught a cold yesterday from ………………. (sit) in a draught. 31. I absolutely remember ………………………….
(pay) him. I gave him $20. 32. You’ll never regret …………………….. (do) a kind action. 33. A: Did you remember
……………………… (lock) the door? B: No, I didn’t. I’d better …………………… (go) and ………………. (do) it now. 34.
I’m very sorry for ……………………. (be) late; it was good of you …………………. (wait) for me. 35. You don’t need
……………………. (ask) his permission every time you want …………………….. (leave) the room. 36. I except him
………………………… (apologize) to me. 37. We got tired of ………………………… (wait) for the weather
………………… (clear) and finally decided …………………….. (set) out in the rain. 38. I can hear the bell
……………………… (ring), but nobody seem to be coming …………………… (open) the door. 39. There are people who
can’t help …………………….. (laugh) when they see someone ……………………… (slip) on a banana skin. 40. They don’t
allow ……………………….. (smoke) here.

B) Supply an appropriate form GERUND or INFINITIVE of the verbs in parentheses: 1. Mary reminded me
……………………… (be / not) late for the meeting. 2. We went for a walk after we finished ………………………. (clean) up
the kitchen. 3. When do you expect …………………….. (leave) on your trip? 4. The baby started ………………………. (talk)
when she was about eighteen months old. 5. I’m getting tired. I need ……………………….. (take) a break. 6. I’ve decided
……………………… (stay) here over vacation and ……………………. (paint) my room. 7. Sometimes students avoid
……………………….. (look) at the teacher if they don’t want ………………………… (answer) a question. 8. The travel agent
advised us ………………………………… (not / wait) until August. 9. We’re going out for dinner. Would you like
………………………… (join) us? 10. Mrs. Allen promised ……………………………. (come) tomorrow. 11. My boss expects
me ………………………….. (complete) this work as soon as possible. 12. Even though I asked the people in front of me at the
movie ……………………. (be) quiet, they kept ……………………….. (talk). 13. Joan and David were considering
……………………….. (get) married in June, but they finally decided ………………………… (wait) until August. 14. He
doesn’t mind …………………………. (be) alone. 15. The teacher seems …………………….. (be) in a good mood today. 16.
Mrs. Jackson warned her young son …………………………………….. (not / touch) the hot stove. 17. Jack advised me
………………………….. (rent) a new apartment. 18. His teacher encourages him ………………………………. (study) harder.
19. Lucy pretended …………………………… (know) the answer to my question. 20. Could you please stop
………………………………. (make) so much noise? 21. He doesn’t let anyone …………………………… (smoke) in his
office.

SUBJECT: Prepositions
A) Put in the correct prepositions AT / ON / IN: 1. Columbus discovered America …………… 1492. 2. You can see the stars
…………… night, if the sky is clear. 3. Tom isn’t here …………. the moment. He’ll be back …………. five minutes. 4. The
course begins ……….. 7 January and ends ………… 10 March. 5. Tom’s grandmother died ……….. 1977 ……….. the age of
79. 6. The price of electricity is going up …………. October. 7. Ann works hard during the week, so she likes to relax
…………. weekends. 8. I can’t be at home ………… the morning. Can you phone me ………. the afternoon instead? 9. Jack’s
brother is an engineer but he’s out of work ……….. the moment. 10. …………. Sunday afternoons I usually go for a walk in the
country. 11. Tom doesn’t see his parents very often these days- usually only ……….. Christmas and sometimes …………. the
summer for a few days. 12. The telephone and the doorbell rang …………. the same time. 13. I walk up a lot of stairs every day.
My flat is …………. the third floor and there is no lift. 14. We went to the theatre last night. We had seats ………… the front
row. 15. It can be dangerous when children play football ………….. the street. 16. I can’t find Tom ………… in this
photograph. 17. Do you take sugar ………….. your coffee? 18. You can find the sports results ………….. back page of the
newspaper. 19. Sue and Dave got married …………… Manchester four years ago. 20. Paris is ………….. the river Seine. 21.
Mr. Boyle’s office is …………. the first floor. When you come out of the lift, it’s the third floor ………….. your left. 22. Turn
left …………. the traffic lights. 23. In most countries people drive …………. the right. 24. Last year we had a lovely skiing
holiday …………… the Swiss Alps. 25. She spends all day sitting …………. the window and watching what is happening
outside.