.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 

Students

1 Can he give a good explanation for his extraordinary behaviour?

2 He mended the tyre of his bicycle and then filled it with air.

3 They were having a violent quarrel but stopped suddenly when I came in.

4 The meeting was cancelled because of the flu epidemic.

5 If you refuse to perform my orders you’ll be dismissed.

6 I don’t think you can overtake them; they left two hours ago.

7 Sherlock Holmes was often able to solve a mystery without leaving his rooms in Baker Stret.

8 I found a twenty-pound note by chance in the street. What should I do with it?

9 If my scheme had succeeded, I should have made a profit of a thousand pounds.

10 He recovered consciousness when the doctor had applied artificial respiration.

11 The road safety campaign had succeeded in reducing road deaths by 10 per cent.

12 Three thousand students are candidates for the examination every year but very few pass.

13 He tried to alight from the bus while it was still moving and was badly hurt.

14 My sister promised to sing at the concert and though she doesn’t want to now, she can’t free herself from the obligation.

15 They announced the names of the winning horses on the radio.

16 If cigarettes get any dearer, I shall have to abandon the habit of smoking.

17 Prices always increase; they never become less.

18 The police investigated the case very thoroughly but finally said there was no suspicion of foul play.

19 He started his journey in a great hurry.

20 He needs more exercise; he should start playing tennis.

21 It is difficult to train children well.

22 The train was delayed by fog and arrived late.

23 I waited for her for ages but she didn’t come.

24 She is good at languages. She learnt Spanish without effort, in a few months.

25 It is your responsibility to make a success of your own life. (It is you etc.)

26 Anyone who was offered a chance like that would accept it with enthusiasm.

27 Don’t walk on the grass.

28 He dictated so quickly that his poor secretary couldn’t go as fast as he did. (couldn’t him)

29 I hit him so hard that he fell unconscious.

30 If I don’t punish you this time, will you promise never to do it again?

31 She was very upset over her failure but now she is recovering from it.

32 You mustn't omit the difficult sentences; do them all.

33 She kept asking me all the difficult words instead of searching for them in a dictionary.

34 I took the children to the zoo today to compensate for the party they missed yesterday.

35 Students of English often confuse the words ‘lie’ and ‘lay’.

36 He swore to revenge himself on me for the wrong I had done him.

Exercise 14 Substituting phrasal verbs for other expressions. Replace the words or phrases in bold type by phrasal verbs. Some of the sentences may sound awkward as they stand.

1 If you don’t allow me to enter I’ll break down the door.

2 He regarded her for a moment and then said, ‘She is too tall.’

3 The line was so bad when I telephoned him that I couldn’t understand what he said.

4 Will you take care of the garden while I am in hospital?

5 I don’t believe a word of his excuse; I’m sure he invented it.

6 He’s had the best doctors available but he won’t recover unless he has the will to live.

7 Be careful! The tree’s going to fall!

8 Never postpone till tomorrow what you can do today.

9 I regard him as the greatest living novelist.

10 He dressed himself in uniform for the occasion.

11 He keeps hearing strange footsteps in the house, so he has hired a private detective to investigate the matter.

12 She was sitting opposite me in the bus but she pretended not to see me.

13 Whenever you are in Paris, do go and visit my sister.

14 Why was she looking so annoyed?

15 The Albert Hall was erected in memory of Queen Victoria’s husband.

16 I can’t offer hospitality to you all because my flat is too small.

17 Suppose you telephone the station and ask them.

18 He disparages his own garden but he likes other people to praise it.

19 She is in poor health after working for three years without a break.

20 The village is so small that we are always meeting our friends accidentally.

21 It is the first time that he has encountered any opposition.

22 Peter’s leaving. Why don’t you apply for his job?

23 There is something wrong with the television set; we’d better summon an electrician.

24 A man who has always led an open-air life would find it difficult to be contented in an office job.

25 I am feeling rather tired today because I stayed out of bed later than usual last night.

26 You are not allowed to offer yourself for election to Parliament if you are under eighteen, a lunatic, or a bankrupt.

27 He lost his reputation and all his money but he had good friends and they continued to support and help him.

28 The father was thoroughly dishonest and the son resembles him. He has already been in the courts for stealing.

29 He started playing golf as he thought it would help him socially.

30 I used to believe his tall stories; now he rarely succeeds in deceiving me.

31 It is silly to abandon a good job like yours, just because you don’t like the coffee in the canteen.

32 They rejected her application because they preferred a man for the job.

33 The factory normally makes clocks and watches but during the last war it produced precision instruments for aeroplanes.

34 The chairman brought his speech to an end by thanking the staff for their hard work.

35 Take a pencil and paper and calculate how long it will take us to reach London from here.

36 He undertook evening work to make some extra money but at the end of the year he was completely exhausted, and had to abandon it.

Exercise 15 Combinations with off and on. Put in the appropriate verb.

1 The fireworks ... off with such a noise that we were nearly deafened.

2 The trade talks which had begun between the two countries were ... off when the fishery dispute began.

3 He ... off on his journey.

4 I can’t hear you. Do . . . off that vacuum cleaner.

5 The astronaut found the experience of weightlessness strange at first but the feeling ... off after a time.

6 The candidate ... on everyone in his constituency and asked them to vote for him in the impending by-election.

7 Well-off people used to have servants to ... on them.

8 If we can’t decide on a play we all want to see we’d better ... off the theatre party tomorrow.

9 Don’t be . . . off by her odd appearance; she is really very nice.

10 I said to the shop assistant, ‘I like this coat; could I... it on?’

11 You won’t... on very fast with your work if you try to watch television at the same time.

12 Those chalk marks will easily ... off your jacket if you brush it.

13 Almost all workers like to . . . off (leave work) at six. It’s hard to get anyone to stay on after that.

14 I was practising the bagpipes but I had to . . . off because my mother complained about the noise.

15 I think you have enough to do as it is. Don’t... on any more work.

16 They won’t be able to have their letters ... on when they are away as they will be on safari.

17 Many of our men are off sick just now. We have been ... on with a skeleton staff.

18 It’s really your turn to wash up, Mary, but we’ll. . . you off this time. You look very tired.

19 When I played in his team he kept shouting advice at me, and this ... me off.

20 I heard two men planning to break into a house. What should I do? You should ... on the information to the police.

21 I don’t see why we should do all the work while he just... on {watches) and does nothing.

22 Someone is following us!

Never mind; ... on walking and pay no attention.

23 Now that we have lost all the money, it’s no use ... on me and saying that it’s all my fault.

24 The policeman told the crowd standing round the scene of the accident to ... on because they were blocking the road.

25 I don’t want to ... on the light in case I waken her.

26 My house was damaged by floods so I had to . . . off the guests I had invited for the following week-end.

27 She doesn’t usually wear a hat; she only . . . one on when she goes to a wedding.

28 . . . on. It could do you good to come out for a change.

29 The wedding was planned for the 16th but the bride fell ill so it had to be . . . off.

30 My train leaves at eight tomorrow morning. Will you come and . . . me off?

31 The Scout... on his bicycle and hurried away to get help.

32 He doesn’t... on with his family. That’s why he doesn’t live at home.

33 That new factory is doing very well; the manager has just... on fifty new workers.

34 The plane ... off at seven and climbed rapidly into the stormy sky.

35 He . . . off his jacket and hung it up.

36 He flew his plane under the bridges of the Thames. Why did he do that?

I suppose he was just. . . off. (attracting attention to/displaying his skill)

Students

Exercise 16 Mixed combinations used in a connected passage. Fill the spaces in the following passage by inserting suitable combinations.

During Bill’s last term at school, Mr White offered him a job in a hardware shop. ‘It would be in the tool section,’ he said, ‘helping old Mr Hammer, and if you ¹ …..(made good progress) you could ².............. (become responsible for) the section when Mr Hammer retires.’ Mr White expected Bill to ³................. at the offer (accept it eagerly) and was rather ⁴ …........(surprised and disappointed) when the boy looked doubtful. ‘You needn’t⁵.. . ... your mind (decide) at once,’ he said. ‘Mr Hammer can ^6. …..........(continue/manage) without an assistant for another fortnight. But⁷.... it. . . (consider it) and let me know. Your school ⁸.................. (closes for the holidays) this Friday, doesn’t it?’ Bill nodded. ‘Well, if you decide to accept the job, ⁹................. (call at the shop) next weekend. I’ll show you round and we’ll¹⁰. .. you . . . (arrange this matter) with an insurance card.’ Bill’s father urged him to accept. ‘If you ⁿ. . . it. . . ...(refuse it) you’ll just be on the dole,’ he said. ‘It’s no use ^12. ….....(loitering) at home waiting for something better to ¹³.................. (appear). Very few employers are ¹⁴................ (engaging) more men at present and a lot of places are ¹⁵............... (shuttingpermanently).’ So BiH took the job and soon ¹⁶............. in his new environment (became used to it). He ¹⁷.............. (learnt) to work quickly and when Mr Hammer retired and ¹⁸ ….........(transferred) the tool section to him, he felt very proud of himself. Unfortunately, after two years Mr White was transferred to a bigger branch and a new manager, Mr Black, was appointed. He and Bill didn’t¹⁹................ one another at all (neither liked the other). He began, tactlessly enough, by ²⁰. . . Bill. . . and . . . (examining) and saying, ‘I don’t²¹............... (like) the way you dress. If you want to ²².............. (continue) working here you must smarten up.²³............... (get dressed in) a tie and ²⁴ ….......(remove) those rings. I don’t approve of young men wearing rings.’ ‘Some of our customers wear them,’ Bill²⁵.................. (remarked). ‘Don’t²⁶..….. me …. .. (reply impudently)!’ snapped Mr Black. Soon afterwards, Bill and the manager²⁷.................... (quarrelled) again. ‘You spend too much time talking to customers,’ Mr Black complained. ‘But they like a chat,’ said another assistant, trying to ²⁸......................... (defend) Bill. ‘People who want silent service go to supermarkets.’ ‘You²⁹ …........of this (remain outside) snarled Mr Black. ‘If business doesn’t³⁰................ (improve) you may both be ³¹............ (seeking) other jobs.’ ‘He ³². ... . customers . . . (repels them) by his bad manner,’ muttered Bill to his friends. ‘But if profits ³³ ….........(decrease) he’ll ³⁴..................... (state falsely) that it’s all our fault. Anyway I’m sick of being ³⁵ …...........(given too many orders) and I’m not going to ³⁶......... it (endure it).' Fortunately, before rebellion ³⁷ …......(started) in the tool department, Mr Black, who had ³⁸ …............for (applied for) a more important post, was told that he had got it. He became overnight a much happier man and tried to ³⁹...................... (compensate for) his previous harshness by being very polite to everyone, even Bill. The staff weren’t⁴⁰............... (deceived) by his sudden affability, but it made a nice change.