Trios 3

I used The Free Dictionary at thefreedictionary.com .

Ex. Fill in the gaps with one word. The same word in the same form is needed in each of the three sentences.

1. You've made some progress but there's still ___ for improvement.
My London flat was so small there was no ___ to swing a cat.
The computers are assembled in a clean ___.

2. Don't give me this ___ look. It's not my fault Jane didn't arrive.
I gave up my job at a corporation: it was stressful, the competition was ___ and the salary wasn't high anyway.
The neighbour's ___ dog once killed a wild pigeon. [not: angry, bad]

3. Octopodes do not have an ___ shell.
The castle had an inner wall and an ___ wall.
Johnnie watched an old science fiction movie about evil robots from ___ space.

4. I don't have time for this, I have bigger ___ to fry.
Oliver drinks like a ___. Last night he was so drunk we had to call a taxi to take him home.
On my first day in the new department I felt like a ___ out of water.

5. Their Tinder date was a disaster: he kept telling rude jokes and she decided to ___ on him earlier and go home.
If you ___ someone out from gaol (jail), you pay to get them released earlier.
You have to ___ out the boat or it will sink.

6. If I buy ten lottery tickets, perhaps I'll strike it ___ this time.
Don't worry about failing the second driving test. Third time ___.
Grandma thanks her ___ stars that all her grandchildren went to university and found good jobs.

7. I hate conflicts and I never enter the ___.
My cheap jacket began to ___ around the edges after a month.
Tempers will ___ if aunt and uncle start discussing abortion laws again.

8. The passenger was caught with a ___ of drugs under his clothes.

Don't try to repair your laptop on your own or you'll ___ it and maybe start a fire too.

If he thinks he'll make tons of money by importing cheap Chinese games consoles, he's one ___ short of a load. 


KEY
1. room, 2. fierce, 3. outer, 4. fish, 5. bail, 6. lucky, 7.fray, 8. brick

Trios 2

 Ex. Fill in the gaps with one word. The same word in the same form is needed in each of the three sentences.

1. It was with a ___ heart that I brought my friend the bad news.

Jane's Norwegian boyfriend is a great fan of ___ metal.

For this dessert you will need 300 ml of ___ or double cream. There's no low-fat option in this recipe.

2. People who vote for different parties in different elections are ___ voters.

Autumn leaves were ___ on the surface of the lake.

Dozens of hot air balloons were ___ in the blue summer sky.

3. Tiny Tim was known for the high ___ of his singing voice.

Right before the start of the football match a man in a dog costume ran onto the ___ and was caught by two security guards.

The night in the jungle was ___ black, with no city lights to be seen for dozens of miles.

4. "Revenge is a dish best ___ cold."

Are you being ___, Madam? Shall I bring you a menu?

Our uncle ___ in the navy for 15 years.

5. Jason was ___ between staying in his hometown and moving to San Francisco.

The old hotel building was damaged in a fire and had to be ___ down.

If I'd known Mr Grumpy was coming, I'd have ___ off immediately.

6. I had a quick ___, ate my breakfast in a hurry and left for work.

Fran's grandparents always ___ her with gifts on her birthday.

Pauline's baby ___ was a success even though she got three identical teddy bears.

7. There are 100 employees on the ___ at the factory.

When Trudy quit the job, someone in the department had to take care of the ___ of account.

Children these days don't realise that in the past you had to keep phone ___ or directories at home in order to call anyone.

KEY

1. heavy, 2. floating, 3. pitch, 4. served, 5. torn, 6. shower, 7. books

Trios 1

In this series of exercises, inspired by a use of English task in Cambridge CPE examinations in the 2000's, you will need the same word to fill in the gaps in three sentences. The trick is that the word in question is usually used in different ways: it has multiple meanings, it is used in metaphorical expressions, phrasal verbs and idioms, it is converted from a noun to a verb or adjective etc. The word should be used in the same form in all three sentences: if the verb do is the answer, the sentences should not require does, doing, done, did etc.

Ex. Fill in the gaps with one word. The same word in the same form is needed in each of the three sentences.

1. When the man promised I'd earn millions by selling cryptocurrencies, it was a ___ light to me. 
It's Chris's stag night. Let's go out and paint the town ___. 
The thief left a false clue; it was a ___ herring.

2. You didn't study for your test and you got 10% of the score. Now you have to ___ the music.

Both the ___ and the hands of the clock were painted black; it was useless, you couldn't see a thing.

Gemma trusts people and takes their opinions at ___ value.

3. The company's meetings were so long and boring nobody wanted to ___ them.

Get off your high ___, Al: being a manager doesn't mean you never make mistakes.

Our teenage son spent all his money on a special gaming ___ instead of saving.

4. I took swimming lessons as a child but I still won't swim to the ___ end of the pool.

We're between the devil and the ___ blue sea: we can sell the house cheaply or spend far too much on getting it repaired.

The celebrity expressed her ___ apology following the scandal she had caused last week.

5. The smoke alarm went ___ for no reason, but we still had to leave the building.

The milk was left on the counter for three days and it went ___.

Don't just sit there, get ___ the couch and help me.

6. I'll have a double hamburger and large ___ fries.

Don't listen to him, he's a #*%@, pardon my ___.

They have a ___ window in the living room and can access the garden from there or the front lawn.

7. I'm feeling off ___ today. I had a bad headache all night.

100% on your exam? Oh, ___ me impressed!

Attending English lessons at school may be easy, but studying for a degree in English Language and Literature is a horse of another ___.

8. Don't ___ the dog without asking the owner first. It could bite you.

Developing organic plastic made from seaweed was a ___ of genius.

The vampire appeared at the ___ of midnight.

KEY

1. red, 2. face, 3. chair, 4. deep, 5. off, 6. French (in the first and third sentence some native speakers spell it "french"), 7. colour, 8. stroke

Vocabulary: Striking and protesting

Much as I avoid getting involved in political discussions, in today's post I would like to express my support for teachers on strike in Poland. I hope that the government will realise that education matters and that there can be no education without reasonable curricula, respect and financial stability for teachers.

Ex. Choose one correct option to fill in the gaps.

1. Unless the minister agrees to change the law, there will be ___.
   A. industry action   B. industrial action   C. a working event   D. a protesting action

2. Many teachers in Poland belong to the ZNP, Poland's largest ___ for teachers.
   A. guildhall   B. workers' society   C. trade union   D. professional team

3. Desperate times ___ desperate measures.
   A. call for   B. bring about   C. put out   D. take in

4. Thousands of people ___ the streets yesterday to protest the new labour law.
   A. ambled on   B. went off   C. took to   D. went about

5. Several hundred teachers and students took part in a ___: they left their classrooms at noon.
   A. walkaway   B. go-out   C. outing   D. walkout

6. The employees are dissatisfied with the management, who often drive ___.
   A. a hard bargain   B. by hook or by crook   C. to and fro   D. high and mighty

7. The privatisation of the steel industry reminds many people of 1980's ___ and the strikes that resulted from it.
   A. Reaganism   B. Bushism   C. Majorism   D. Thatcherism

8. When the unions suggested another meeting with the minister, she refused ___.
   A. make or break   B. point-blank   C. as tough as nails   D. all-around

9. People who refuse to strike and continue to work are called ___.
   A. black ravens   B. black sheep   C. blacklegs   D. blackbirds

10. This policy of ___ will get you nowhere: if you don't strike now, they'll just want more and more.
   A. appeasement   B. appraisal   C. apprehension   D. appointment


KEY 1B, 1C, 3A, 4C, 5D, 6A, 7D, 8B, 9C, 10A

Green: idioms and collocations

Since spring is coming, here are some idioms and collocations containing the word green in different meanings. The examples used below were found in The Free Dictionary at https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com

Ex. Paraphrase the following sentences using the words in capital letters so that the meaning changes as little as possible. You should also use the word green.

1. Jack was promoted very quickly even though he's very inexperienced. GRASS
..................................................................................................................
2. After I got out of the roller coaster I was pale and sick. GILLS
..................................................................................................................
3. We can't start the project till the boss tells us we can. LIGHT
..................................................................................................................
4. Kate was very jealous when her friend showed her photos from Hawaii. ENVY
..................................................................................................................
5. Grandpa is very good at gardening. FINGERS
..................................................................................................................
6. The team needs good luck in order to win the next match. RUB
..................................................................................................................
7. If you criticise Lord Kensington for his fox hunting, he'll be enraged. WIGS
..................................................................................................................
8. Where ever did you get so dirty, Johnny? GOD'S
..................................................................................................................
9. Friends should have some privacy between them. [proverb] HEDGE
..................................................................................................................
10. The repair was very costly. [US English] FOLDING
..................................................................................................................


KEY
1. Jack was promoted very quickly even though he's (as) green as grass.
2. After I got out of the roller coaster I was green about/around the gills.
3. We can't start the project till the boss gives us the green light.
4. Kate was green with envy when her friend showed her photos from Hawaii.
5. Grandpa has green fingers. (also: a green thumb)
6. The team needs the rub of the green in order to win the next match.
7. ... hunting, there will be wigs on the green. (a reference to duels in the days when aristocrats wore wigs)
8. Where on God's green earth did you get so dirty, Johnny?
9. A hedge between keeps friendship green.
10. The repair cost a lot of green folding. (US dollars)

Reduplication-based idioms 3

The words used below can be found in Wiktionary at https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Category:English_reduplications

Ex. I Unscramble the letters of the following idioms, collocations or slang words. How are they pronounced?
a. yoko-kopsoy   b. yintt-itgrty   c. gygip wyggi   d. ttperi-pttaer   e. gurger burgeg   f. eh idas ehs dias   g. ylsli Bylil   h. opipssll   i. eetny-eenyw   j. arew nad arte

Ex. II Fill in the gaps in the following sentences using the phrases from Exercise I.

1. The haunted house at the funfair was ............................ .
2. The student claimed Dr Jones had treated her unfairly, and Dr Jones claimed she hadn't come to his examination. ............................ - you can't really tell who was right.
3. Do you want to sleep with the blue bunny or with the pink ...............................?
4. I like it when a lecturer explains the ............................ instead of making a long introduction to the topic. In this way I know when to take notes.
5. On our holiday in Scotland we spent all days listening to the ............................. of rain on the windows instead of sunbathing.
6. Let's not invite Jane's boyfriend. He's a nasty ........................... who swears, drinks beer and talks about his rugby team all the time.
7. The writer's first essays were described as .......................... . That did not discourage him, however.
8. The machine isn't broken. Just push the red button, you .......................... .
9. The tourist took out a .......................... smartphone out of her pocket and started taking pictures. At first I thought that wasn't even a real phone.
10. Every car is subject to fair ................................. no matter how carefully you drive.
 

KEY
I. a. ooky-spooky, b. nitty-gritty, c. piggy wiggy, d. pitter-patter, e. rugger bugger, f. he said she said, g. silly Billy, h. slipslop, i. teeny weeny, j. wear and tear
a. /'uːki-ˈspuːki/, b. /ˈnɪti-ˈgrɪti/, c. /ˈpɪgi wɪgi/, d. /ˈpɪtə-ˈpætə/,e. /ˈrʌgə ˈbʌgə/, f. /hi sed ʃi sed/, g. /ˈsɪli ˈbɪli/, h. /ˈslɪpslɒp/, i. /'tiːni 'wːni/, j. /weər_ənd teə/ (linking /r/)
II. 1a, 2f 3c, 4b, 5d, 6e, 7h, 8g, 9i, 10j

Idioms and collocations

Ex. Fill in the gaps with one correct option each. 

1. I think everyone has a/an ___-day sometimes.

     A. off   B. out  C. away   D. outside   E. colour

2. The rain has ___ in and the weather is really depressing.

     A. caught   B. fixed   C. set   D. got   E. arrived

3. I have to go to bed. I’m not a night ___, you know.

     A. Mark   B. owl   C. vampire   D. bat   E. ghost

4. When Pete first went to the gym, he was as thin as a ___.

     A. stick insect   B. finger   C. piece of paper   D. spider   E. rake

5. You won’t get on with Pam if you bear a/an ___ against her.

     A. grudge   B. curse   C. spell   D. offence   E. misgiving

6. Are you sure the puppy is ___?

     A. house-trained   B. home-trained   C. potty-trained   D. house-exercised   E. home-taught

7. The police are searching ___ for the criminal.

     A. dawn and dusk   B. high and dry  C. left and right   D. to and fro   E. high and low

8. Many Poles consider the Palace of Culture and Science ___ and want it demolished.

     A. uglifying   B. an eyesore   C. all the rage   D. browned off   E. red tape

9. The Kardashians ___ a loud party last night.

     A. sprang   B. tore   C. set   D. threw   E. cast

10. I hope you’ll pass the exam with ___ colours.

     A. bright   B. light   C. shining   D. pretty   E. flying

11. I have no idea what the man means. It's all ___ to me.

     A. Welsh   B. Chinese   C. French   D. Latin   E. Greek 

12. It's utter nonsense. You're full of ___, you know.

     A. prunes   B. pears   C. apples   D. oranges   E. lemons

13. Johnny may be strong, but he's not smart. In fact he's as thick as ___.

     A. a mule   B. a grey donkey   C. a broken branch   D. two short planks   E. a boot

14. Two and two make four. It's as plain as ___.

     A. the moon in the sky  B. the sea   C. the nose on your face   D. a peacock   E. the world

15. Jane's getting married this Saturday. It's a ___ letter day for all of us.

     A. red   B. gold   C. silver   D. blue   E. white

KEY

1A, 2C, 3B, 4E, 5A, 6A, 7E, 8B, 9D, 10E, 11E, 12A, 13D, 14C, 15A

Multiple choice: Love and relationships

Happy Valentine's Day! Make sure to sit down with your significant other and learn some English together. ;)

Choose the correct option to fill in the gaps.

1. Do you believe in love at first ___?
     A. blink   B. sight   C. peek   D. glance
2. Sheila was head over ___ in love with her new boss.
     A. shoes   B. boots   C. heels   D. socks
3. The king became ___ with the queen's lady-in-waiting, but he did not want a scandal.
     A. infatuated   B. inebriated   C. insatiable   D. inclement
4. After getting engaged, John and Mary decided to call the ___ well before the wedding.
     A. banns   B. shots   C. bells   D. songs
5. These days you can't find a good shoemaker for love ___.
     A. or friendship   B. or hate   C. nor laughter   D. nor money
6. You need to accept me the way I am: love me, ___.
     A. don't hate me   B. love my dog   C. or leave me   D. let me go
7. Jason and Julia met at a party, hit ___ and soon felt like they'd known each other for years.
     A. about   B. two birds with one stone   C. it off   D. the nail on the head
8. When you get married, where are you planning to go for your ___?
     A. candy month   B. love trip   C. honey month   D. honeymoon
9. Sadly, their relationship was soon at ___ and they didn't know whether they should live together.
     A. a crossroads   B. odds and ends   C. sharp bends   D. bits and bobs
10. This is Marjorie, my ___ wife.
     A. legally married   B. lawful wedded   C. high and low   D. in-law
11. 'Have we met before?' is the worst ___ line I've ever heard.
     A. get-on   B. set-about   C. pick-up   D. turn-around
12. The groom considered himself a poet and decided to write his own wedding ___.
     A. claims   B. terms   C. vows   D. declarations
13. Before his wedding Hugh asked his childhood friend to be his ___.
     A. good man   B. protector   C. usher   D. groomsmaid
14. Kate hates it when Aunt Trudy asks her if she's found her Prince ___.
     A. Charming   B. Enchanting   C. Loving   D. Handsome
15. Don't you think Mr Darcy is an ___ bachelor?
     A. eligible   B. illegible   C. intelligible   D. indelible
16. Paula always shows her husband a lot of love and ___.
     A. affliction   B. affection   C. affirmation   D. affiliation
17. When you pretend to be someone else online to find a date, it's called ___.
     A. trouting   B. salmoning   C. catfishing   D. herring
18. Some people get on like ___ while others need some time to realise they're falling in love.
     A. wild horses   B. candles in the wind   C. hot cakes   D. a house on fire

1B, 2C, 3A, 4A, 5D, 6B, 7C, 8D, 9A, 10B, 11C, 12C, 13C, 14A, 15A, 16B, 17C, 18D