Study Guide: English 11 Prelims

Practice these exercises to help you review for the coming prelims. Submit your answers to me so that I can check.

Test 1. These words are found in the book in the Effective Word Choice. Write down alternative words that could be used in replacement of these words. These words are not recommended to be used in the English language. Make sure the words that you use express much clearer and more concrete ideas. You can make use of the net to find the meaning that you need or you can just make use of stored knowledge. When you find meanings, you can use define: WORD slang.

SLANG

• train wreck – I was a train wreck after the incident.
• lay a guilt trip – My mom always lay a guilt trip on me as if I’m the only person capable of evil deeds.
• dissed – I dissed my toys for a new set of computer games.
• flipped out – My mom flipped out when she found out I have a girl friend.
• total (verb: slang) – After they were done smashing the car with their hammers, the car looked way, way totaled.
• ripped off – If you don’t stop teasing me, I’m gonna rip off your head.
• stuff somebody’s face – The dinner was heavenly so we could not help but stuff our faces.
• get off my case – You don’t pay my bills, so get off my case!
• gross somebody out – The show where they eat live insects grosses me out.

CLICHES

• all work and no play
• a a lose for words
• better late than never
• drop in the bucket
• easier said than done
• had a hard time of it
• in the nick of time
• in this day and age
• it dawned on me
• it goe without saying
• last but not least
• make ends meet
• needless to say
• on top of the world
• sad but true
• saw the light
• short and sweet
• sigh of relief
• singing the blues
• taking a big chance
• time and time again
• too close for comfort
• too little, too late
• took a turn for the worse
• under the weather
• where he (or she) is coming from
• word to the wise
• work like a dog

PRETENTIOUS WORDS

• component
• delineate
• facilitate
• finalize
• initiate
• manifest
• subsequent to
• to endeavor
• transmit

WORDINESS

• a large number of
• a period of a week
• arrive at an agreement
• at an earlier point in time
• at the present time
• big in size
• due to the fact that
• during the time that
• five in number
• for the reason that
• good benefit
• in every instance
• in my opinion
• in the event that
• in the near future
• in this day and age
• is able to
• large in size
• plan ahead for the future
• postponed until later
• red in color
• return back

Test 2. Write down the correct form of the verb in their present simple form.

1. to have: The cracked windshield, in addition to the torn upholstery and rusted body, __________ made Ruth’s old car difficult to sell.
2. to be: This week’s National Inquisitor claims that there __________ photographs of the Loch Ness Monster eating Elvis.
3. to work: At Tito’s Taco Palace __________ friends who will stuff double meat into our burritos for free.
4. to crawl: On the tables in the library __________ the many germs that have escaped in the hot breath of hardworking students.
5. to be: None of this breakfast that Lilly Mae cooked __________ fit to eat.
6. to taste: None of these chocolate-broccoli muffins __________ good, either.
7. to have: The whole red ant colony, including the queen and all of her drones, __________ swarmed over Tommy’s feet, stinging his ankles.
8. to make: Fifteen gallons of chocolate milk __________ Herbert the elephant a happy pachyderm.
9. to hope: Everyone on the roller coaster, including Martha and Angie, __________ that the hot dogs, onion rings, funnel cake, and cotton candy will stay down during the twisting ride to come.
10. to bother: Neither Fred’s ratty clothes nor his sullen attitude __________ Esmeralda, who lets Fred pick up the check every time they dine out.
11. to hug: That pair of jeans __________ the curves of Hannah’s body as nicely as tinfoil on a baked potato.
    to annoy: Neither the coughing muffler nor the squeaky brakes __________ Ruth as much as the broken radio in her old car.
12. to get: Florida alligators usually __________ severe indigestion after eating poodles.
13. to cling: Every cat hair, candy wrapper, and loose thread __________ to the super-charged polyester pants that Theodora loves to wear.
14. to know: Any one of Ms. Orsini’s students __________ the rules that govern subject-verb agreement.
15. to take: The shine on my hardwood floors __________ abuse from the ragged toenails of Floyd, my dog.
16. to have: Neither of those students __________ a clue about the rules governing subject-verb agreement. Pity them both during the quiz.
17. to make: Patience and compassion, in addition to a wallet bulging with money, __________ everyone want Jordan as a friend.
18. to require: Statistics __________ so much homework that Michelle’s poor fingers have permanent indentations from the calculator pads.
19. to come: The committee ___________ from all parts of the city, so we usually have to start late because so many members get stuck in traffic.
20. to believe: The committee ___________ that waiting until everyone arrives is more important than starting on time.
21. to be: When Dad is angry, there __________ fire flickering in his eyes as well as smoke escaping from his ears.
22. to brighten: When Matthew is having a bad day, old episodes of The X-Files always __________ his mood.
23. to hit: Each of those opera singers regularly ___________ notes high enough to break glass and rupture eardrums.
24. to be: Either the fried oyster sandwich or shrimp pizza __________ the best choice for lunch at Crusty’s Seafood Restaurant.

Test 3. Write down the past form of these verbs

fit flee fling fly forbid forget forgive forgo freeze get give go grind grow hang have hear hide hit hold hurt keep kneel knit know lay lead shoot

lie (down) light lose make mean meet pay prove put quit read ride ring rise run saw say see seek sell send set sew shake shave shear shine leap

sing sink sit slay sleep slide sneak speak speed spend spill spin spit split spread spring stand steal stick sting stink strew strike strive swear sweep swim swing

shut teach tear tell think thrive throw undergo understand upset wake wear weave weep win wind withdraw wring write let lend shrink leave show take

Test 4. Commonly confused Words: Identify the differences in meaning of the following set of words in each number.

A. Same Sounding Words

1. all ready, already
2. brake, break
3. coarse, course
4. hear, here
5. hole, whole
6. its, it’s
7. knew, new
8. know, no
9. pair, pear
10. passed, past
11. peace, piece
12. plain, plane
13. principal, principle
14. right, write
15. than, then
16. their, there, they’re
17. threw, through
18. to, too, two
19. wear, where
20. weather, whether
21. whose, who’s
22. your, you’re

B. Closely related meanings and/or use

1. a, an
2. accept, except
3. advice, advise
4. affect, effect
5. among, between
6. beside, besides
7. can, may
8. clothes, cloth
9. desert, dessert
10. does, dose
11. fewer, less
12. former, latter
13. learn, teach
14. loose, lose
15. quiet, quite
16. though, thought

C. Incorrect Words: Find the correct form of these words.

1. being that
2. can’t hardly
3. couldn’t hardly
4. could of
5. must of
6. should of
7. would of
8. irregardless

Filipinisms, Idiomatic Expressions and Trite Expressions

Filipinisms

This term refers to the wrong way Filipinos use the English language. Usually, Filipinisms result from the literal translation of words from the native tongue to English, with the famous example patayin mo ang ilaw to kill the lights, or it could be that the use resulted to replacing the correct word or words with similar sounding/spelling words. Here are some examples of these words. Try correcting them if you can.

Fetch	CR	Bottomless	Ref/freezer
Rubber shoes	Next, next week

Trite Expressions or Clichés

These terms refer to words or word groups that have become stale because of frequent use or overuse. These expressions used to have a striking effect when they were first used because of the strong descriptions or amusing likeness of the words used to the thing or idea that they are referring. However, it is also because of this striking effect that these words were used over and over again, thus eventually they lost their striking meaning.

Clichés are either used to compare a noun with another word (noun, adjective or adverb words/phrase) or they could just be common phrases or words used to start an idea.

bury the hatchet	at loose ends	on speaking terms	fair and square
at death’s door	after all is said and done	at death’s door	add insult to injury
at loose ends	bite off more than you can chew	blushing bride	break the ice
calm before the storm	busy as a bee	viselike grip	easier said than done
each and every	green with envy	in this day and age	quick as a flash
make a long story short	to the bitter end	last but not least	irony of fate

Idiomatic Expressions

This term refers to words or group of words that convey a totally different meaning from their literal meaning. Usually, when translated to their respective literal meanings, they usually do not make any sense at all. However, with their idiomatic meaning, they can actually make your sentence much more vibrant.

Back To Square One	Ball and chain	Beat a dead horse	Between the Devil and the deep blue sea
Bushed	Caught With Your Pants Down	Can’t see your nose in front of your face	Crash
Don’t look a Gift Horse in the Mouth	Flea Market	Get out of hand	Hit the hay
In your face	Junk Mail	Kick the bucket	Let sleeping dogs lie
Mum’s the word	New kid on the block	Over the hill:	Prick up your ears
Rub someone up the wrong way	Spinning a yarn	Tie the knot	Under the weather

Activity: Formal and Informal Langauge, Colloquialism, Slang an Vulgar Language

Exercise: Identify which of these groups of words/sentences are informal.

• We, Chinese, do tings our way.
• Chinese people tend to do thing sin a certain way.
• We can do many things.
• Many things can be done/
• Let us consider…
• It is important to consider…
• We face a huge danger of being cheated.
• There is a serious risk of fraud.
• Students have their own style of learning.
• Students learn in different ways.
• You may ask.
• One may ask.
• The device is intended to facilitate their work a bit.
• The resources available were stuff like tape, paper and balloons.
• You can see the ball to be kind of the corner.
• Wear this to soften the bump with the ground.
• It took me pretty much time to make this.
• To our big surprise, she arrived.

Learning English and Teaching English

English is the global language in the open world and if you intend to survive in the global arena, you should be able to communicate with anybody. This is where the difficulties of some people come in, especially those who find English as a foreign language.

This blog will help you with your grammar problems. From grammar lessons, videos, exercises, application and even online English lessons, you can all get them here. Do not hesitate to post your problems and questions in the comments area. And, if you intend to intensify your studying, you can always email me at learnenglishfastnow@gmail.com to know how I can help you.

About the author:

Riu has been teaching ESL and EFL since 2005 and has been helping students to be able to use the English language effectively. With this experience, she has come up with her own techniques and approaches that makes the learning of English much easier, faster and more effective.