4

VOCABULARY

Collocations and fixed expressions 1

1 Complete each sentence with a word from the box. Each word is used THREE
times.

do make have take give

1 ....LtflVe.....a nice day!

2 At the weekend I like to relax and ju s t................... nothing.
3 Can I ................... a chat with you sometime about Anna?
4 Hello? Is that the doctor’s surgery? I’d like t o ................... an appointment.
5 I’l l ................... you my answer by the end of the week.
6 I can’t talk to you now. Could y o u .................. me a call later this afternoon?
7 If you have a headache you c a n ................... an aspirin.
8 Sometimes it’s difficult t o ................... any progress with English.
9 Sorry, I can’t come out tonight, I have t o ................... my homework.
10 That was a lovely meal. I’l l ................... the dishes in a moment.
11 We always................... a lot of fun when we go out together.
12 We can’t wait any longer. We have t o ................... action.
13 Would you like me t o ................... you a lift to the station?
14 You can catch a taxi o r ..................the bus.
15 You should dress well for your interview t o ................... £ i good impression.

Match each group of adjectives (1-10) with a noun (a-j).

1 an ambitious/a clever/a three-point a sofa
2 a sudden/a violent/a loud b sister
3 a powerful/a notebook/a desktop c control
4 a comfortable/a three-seater/a leather d plan
5 a neat/a suspicious/a software e computer
6 complete/total/quality f improvement
7 a considerable/a dramatic/a short-term g rent
8 a serious/a deadly/an infectious h explosion
9 an elder/a much-loved/an unmarried i disease
10 monthly/affordable/unpaid j package

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 VOCABULARY 4 COLLOCATIONS AND FIXED EXPRESSIONS 1

3 Complete each sentence with a verb from list A and a noun from list B.

A appear clear control fight protect rent return take

B behaviour call flat minute court r lriM
S J t V .l I I space survival

1 You should use suntan lotion when you go to the beach to ........your
..............
2 I need t o ......................... a .......................... on my desk for my new computer.
3 Smith, the accused man, is due t o ......................... i n .......................... next month.
4 I left a message on her answering machine but she didn’t ......................... my

5 We can’t afford to buy a house so we’re going to .............. a ........................

6 Small shops now have t o ......................... for .... ........because of the
popularity of large supermarkets .
7 Could you give me a hand? It will only............. a ...........................
8 I wish more parents w ould......................... the ............. of their naughty
children!

4 In each sentence one of the adverbs in italics does NOT make a common
collocation with the verb in bold. Cross out the wrong collocation.
1 ‘I’m back,’ she said especially/simply/calmly.
2 I particularly/strongly/properly dislike restaurants where the waiters are rude.
3 The government acted firmly/completely/immediately against the threat of terrorism.
4 She spoke briefly/greatly/warmly about her grandmother.
5 He went to the police and confessed his crime openly/really/voluntarily.
6 The price of oil rose highly/sharply/dramatically last month.
7 The sun was shining brightly/directly/perfectly onto the old town square.
8 Ronaldo was deliberately/largely/suddenly pushed in the penalty area.
9 He held the rope and pulled deeply/hard/gently.
10 He always spends his money strongly/carefully/wisely.

5 Cross out the words in italics which can't complete the sentences.
1 Anna is making/sitting/taking the First Certificate examination in June.
2 The students had to give in/hand in/take in their work before they left the room.
3 You’ve done/made/performed a mistake somewhere in this paragraph.
4 Harry was awarded/was given/was presented a prize at the end of his first year.
5 Maria’s teachers told her to concentrate/make an effort/try more on her work.
6 Mr Smith instructed/learned/taught me everything I know about biology.
7 Could you argue/discuss/explain to us exactly what you mean?
8 Leave enough time to check your work for errors/misunderstandings/faults.
9 I think I’ve kept out/left out/missed out the full stop at the end of the sentence.
10 When Bill had flu he was absent!apart!away from school for a week. 217
INTERMEDIATE LANGUAGE PRACTICE

6 Complete each sentence with one noun from list A and one noun from list B.

A hank rubbish bargain bread sea service space stomach

student shop
B assistant account ache knife bin floor loan station
price shuttle

1 I can’t spend much money this weekend. M y................................. Wet................ is

in the red.
2 Only forty euros for a top-name sports shoe! That’s a real...........................

3 They say that in the future we’ll be able to go to the moon for our holidays by

4 There’s a lot of volcanic activity on th e ........................................................that we

don’t normally see.
5 You can pay for your university course by applying for a ...........................

6 You can’t cut thin slices from the loaf unless you use a ...........................

7 I think I’m going to go home. I’ve got a .........................................................

8 A ....................................................... told me the kitchen department was on the
ground floor.
9 It was a long drive so we stopped at a .......................................................to get some
petrol.
10 Don’t drop that paper on the pavement. Put it in th e ...........................

7 Complete each sentence with a verb phrase from the box.

afford to designed to forget to hard to hope to likely to

slow to teach me how to try not to willing to

1 Don’t break it. I can’t .......................... f t p ................................ buy a new one.

2 The weather is changing. It’s getting much colder and we’r e .............................have
snow tomorrow.
3 I’d love some more chocolate cake. It’s .............................................................. resist.
4 What do you................................................................................ gain by your actions?
5 It’s the first time I’ve tried ice-skating. Please...................................................laugh!
6 Can y o u ................................................................................ play chess as well as you?
7 The government w as...........................................................react to the threat of war.
8 Don’t ....................................................................... buy some milk on the way home.
9 These exercises a re ............................................... strengthen your stomach muscles.
10 The owners are n o t...........................sell us the house unless we offer more money.
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VOCABULARY

Collocations and fixed expressions 2

1 Complete the expression based on the word time in each sentence, using a word
from the box.

high in up lose on pass spare tell time take

1 Come on John! It’s ............... h i f l h .....................time you started doing some work!
2 What do you most enjoy doing in y o u r..............................................................time?
3 I don’t go sailing often, but I enjoy doing it from time t o ...........................................
4 When I have to wait at the airport, I do a crossword t o ..............................the time.
5 When Carol was given her first watch, she learned t o .................................the time.
6 Sally is never late. She’s always.................................................... time for her lessons.
7 Thank goodness the doctor hurried. She saved Jim’s life ju s t............................ time.
8 Hurry up. We’ve no time t o .....................................The train leaves in five minutes!
9 There’s no hurry to finish. You c a n .............................................................your time.
10 ‘Time’s ................................ ! This is the end of the test so stop writing now, please.’

2 Complete the sentences with the most suitable verb from the box.

burst caught got had lost made paid spent told took

1 Peter’s father................... vw,aAt............................. lots of money by selling old cars.

2 Sophie............................................. a party last week and most of her friends came.
3 I ........................................ some very good photos of our dog with my new camera.
4 Dave...................................................... a lot of money on rebuilding his motorbike.
5 The ending of the film was so sad that many people.................................into tears.
6 According to the story, George Washington always...................................the truth.
7 Kelly....................................into trouble at school for playing a joke on her teacher.
8 You didn’t understand because y o u ........................ no attention to the instructions.
9 Jane had flu last week, and I ....................................... ,............................. it from her.
10 W e................................................our way completely and had to ask for directions.

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INTERMEDIATE LANGUAGE PRACTICE

3 Complete each sentence with a word from the box.

alone breath difference leaf mad mess secret temper

1 I made a complete.............. ........................... Qf one exam, and had to take it again.

2 When I swim underwater I can hold m y ......................................... for two minutes.
3 Peter told the boy to leave his little brother.................................................................
4 Can you tell th e .........................................................between butter and margarine?
5 The loud music from the house next door drove M ary..............................................
6 Helen was angry with Jack, but tried not to lose h e r...................................................
7 I’ll tell you, but only because I know that you can keep a ...........................................
8 Bob wanted to change his ways and turn over a new .................................................

4 The words in italics are in the wrong sentences. Find the correct sentence for
each one.
1 Now that my summer holidays have begun I feel as free as houses.............................
2 Without my glasses I’m as blind as a pig. .......................
3 After our search, suddenly David turned up as large as rain! .......................
4 As cool as a bat, the robber asked for all the money in the bank! .......................
5 Our dog eats too much, and is getting as fat as a picture. .......................
6 Little Sarah looked as pretty as a cucumber in her new dress. .......................
7 Take this medicine, and in a few days you’ll be as right as life. .......................
8 Don’t be frightened of being on this plane. It’s as safe as a bird. .......................

5 Complete the expressions in italics in each sentence with a word from the box.

down life round soul sound then time wide

1 It’s extremely important. In fact, it’s a matter o f ............... Jrkf5?..................and death.

2 Ann is great fun, and is always the life a n d ............................................. of the party.
3 The police have been searching/ar a n d .................................... for the stolen jewels.
4 We were completely lost, and drove round a n d ......................................... for hours.
5 I’ve told y o u ..................................................... and again not to write tests in pencil!
6 The two missing explorers have been found safe a n d .................................................
7 That man has been walking up a n d ...................................outside the house all day.
8 I don’t see Paul very often, but I visit him now a n d ....................................................

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