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

General and Specific Words, Abstract and Concrete, Denotation and Conotation and Figures of Speech

Our understanding of words plays a big role in how we use them. It could most likely help us choose which words are appropriate to use with them (singular, plural, pronoun usage, among others). Thus, it is a must to know the basic categories that words may fall under in order for us to know how to use them properly.

General and Specific Words

General Words are words that name a group or a category of a set of things, people, idea, and the likes. These terms are usually used when you want to discuss an idea as a whole. Examples of general words include: furniture, money, equipment, seasoning and shoes.

Specific Words are words that, through the use of modifiers, name a specific idea, thing, person and the likes. These kinds of words are used when you want to limit your discussion to a particular idea. Examples of these words would include rocking chair, dollar, gym equipment, pepper and high-heeled shoes. The degree on how you can be specific on certain terms usually varies. Like, for example, gym equipment. Although it is already specified on what kind of equipment it is, you can still be more specific and make use of a term that names a certain kind of gym equipment.

Concrete and Abstract Words

Concrete words are words that are tangible. Although it may seem easy to point out what things are tangible and what are not, some people would still find it difficult and confusing. You just have to limit concrete words to words that refer to nouns that can be perceived by the senses. Those that can touch, smell, see, hear, taste, and feel by your senses.

Abstract words on the other hand and in opposition to concrete words, are words that can’t be perceived by the senses. Words that you can’t touch, smell, hear, taste and feel by your sense.

Denotation and Connotation

Denotation is the literal meaning of a word. It is the definition that one could get from dictionaries. Thus, for example, when we say poor, its denotation could be “a state of having little or no money.”

Connotation is the association that a word has in reference to other ideas. Poor, with its connotative meaning, could be used to refer to people who do not do excel in their field. If you notice, connotations are also derived from the denotative meaning of words.

Figures of Speech

• Simile – making use of another word to describe something using “like” and “as”
• Metaphor – direct comparison between two ideas
• Personification – describing inanimate objects and animals using actions and descriptions used for people
• Irony  – a clash between appearance and reality, between seems and is, or between ought and is
  • verbal irony – saying something, contrary to what it means
  • dramatic irony – saying or doing something while unaware of its ironic contrast to the whole truth
  • situational irony – events turn to the opposite of what is expected and what should be
• Hyperbole – a way of overstating things
• Understatement – a way of understating things
• Paradox – when a sentence contains contradictory elements in it but after careful consideration would turn out to be logically true
• Pun – making use of two similar sounding words in sentences. Both sentences are still correct yet would have different meanings.

Formal and informal language, Colloquialism, Slang and Vulgar Language

Informal Language includes:

• Personal Form – instead of using the 1st person, we use the following:
  • Passive form
  • Impersonal It
  • Impersonal One
  • Personifying the study itself
• Contractions
• Vague Language
• Colorful Language

Identifying COLLOQUIALISM, SLANG and VULGAR language.

Colloquialism is the use of casual, ordinary, familiar or informal conversation instead of formal speech and writing. This is a relaxed form of speech that is used on occasion by any speaker in a specific region but is not limited there because it might spread through usual communication or migration of a speaker to another area. However, colloquial terms are distinct from place to place.

Examples:

Y’all, gonna, wanna, ain’t nothing, soda, tonic, pop, biweekly, “what’s going on?”, kid, kinickers, etc.

Slang is the use of very informal words and expressions which are not considered as standard in one’s language or dialect. You will know if a word or a group of words is slang if it has any two of these attributes: (a) it lowers formal language through misuse of a word by giving it another meaning; (b) group specific; (c) considered taboo in terms of formal standards of using the language; and, (d) displaces a common and widely accepted term. Reasons why slang is used range from replacing a difficult term, secrecy from other groups of people and among others.

Examples:

breadz, dropping the kids off the pool, groovy, radical, smokin’, etc.

Vulgarisms, though commonly understood to be profanities, is actually a kind of language that is colloquialism of a low or unrefined character and substitutes a coarse word where the context might lead the reader to expect a more refined expression.

Examples:

objets d’art, home, among others

4 categories of vulgar language

• Representation of ominous concepts
• Terms related to the sex organs of human beings
• Terms related to sexual intercourse
• Terms related to body fluids

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.