English Grammar Practice: Conditionals and Vocabulary

Sentence Transformations with Conditionals

Transform the following sentences using a maximum of five words.

1. You might be hot so take plenty of water with you. CASE
   Take plenty of water with you in case you are hot (no contractions allowed).
2. I regret not going abroad at an earlier age. WISH
   I wish I had gone abroad at an earlier age.
3. Workers are permitted to have a cigarette during the break. MAY
   Workers may have a cigarette during the break.
4. Do as I tell you and you’ll be safe. LONG
   You’ll be safe as long as you do as I tell you.
5. If you don’t pass the short exams you’ll have to repeat them. UNLESS
   Unless you pass the short exams, you’ll have to repeat them.
6. I didn’t remember the password, so I couldn’t access. HAD
   If I had remembered the password, I would have been able to access.
7. That noise you’re making is bothering me. WOULD
   I wish you would stop making that noise.

Vocabulary: Education and Learning

Choose one of the words from the box below to fill in the gaps:

1. Charles has a good knowledge of the subject.
2. I find listening comprehension tests rather difficult.
3. At the age of eleven I went to secondary school.
4. Mary has a degree in civil engineering.
5. Please pay attention to what the teacher says.
6. The teacher at university gave a lecture and the class took notes.
7. Sue didn’t know the answer, so she made a guess.
8. This is a good composition, but you have made a lot of errors.
9. Jack has done very well this term.

Use of English: My Home Town

Fill in the gaps with just one word.

I was born in one of (1) THE most interesting cities in Malaysia. It has a rich, colourful history and many parts of the city have not changed at (2) ALL during the last five centuries. However, nowadays, it is (3) NO longer the trade centre that it once (4) WAS. It’s difficult to imagine that at one time its harbour (5) USED to be visited by over 2,000 ships a week, and that the huge warehouses along the quayside would have (6) BEEN full of spices and silks, jewels and tea.

The old city centre is small, which (7) MAKES it very easy to explore (8) ON foot. A river neatly divides the town, (9) NOT only physically but in spirit too. On one side, you find many grand houses, but on crossing the river, you find yourself in ancient Chinatown, where you really (10) TAKE a step back into the past.

It’s great fun to wander through the colourful, noisy backstreets. As (11) WELL as having shops that sell a wide range of clothes and shoes, some of these streets are also famous (12) FOR high-quality antiques. Unfortunately, most of the bargains disappeared many years ago. However, (13) IF you look around carefully, you can still come across an interesting souvenir.