English Language Skills: Grammar & Vocabulary Drills

Posted on Jun 19, 2025 in English

Vocabulary Practice: Complete the Sentences

Complete the sentences with a suitable word or expression.

  1. The bus was very crowded. There weren’t enough seats for all the passengers.
  2. This watch is waterproof, so I can go swimming with it.
  3. I am staying overnight, so I’ve packed my toothbrush.
  4. She is an international celebrity, known worldwide.
  5. We can’t afford to stay in a hotel, so we will stay at a youth hostel.
  6. Why are you taking so much luggage? You have four suitcases!
  7. I hope our flight hasn’t been delayed. It’s annoying to have to hang around at the airport.
  8. We will get around the city by using public transport.

Word Formation: Prefixes for Vocabulary

Add a prefix to each of the words below. Then complete the sentences with the words you have created.

  1. Bob is a very independent child. He does everything for himself.
  2. Can you unlock the door? The key seems to be stuck.
  3. At first, I didn’t understand the article. I had to reread it a few times before I understood it.
  4. When I overeat, I get a stomach ache.
  5. If you misbehave, you will be punished.
  6. It is illegal to drive without a license.
  7. That’s irrelevant! What you’re saying has nothing to do with the problem.

Personalized Sentences: Bolded Expressions

Complete the sentences so that they are true for you. Pay attention to the words or expressions in bold.

  1. I would love to trade clothes with my best friend because she’s got great outfits.
  2. It wasn’t a very satisfying evening because it rained.
  3. I ate a lot because I was starving.
  4. I felt angry. I find it so annoying.

Grammar Practice: Correct Verb Forms

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets.

  1. I haven’t seen (not see) John for months, but I am going to meet (meet) him tomorrow.
  2. She wasn’t invited (invite). Jack must have forgotten (must forget) to invite her.
  3. You don’t have to (not have to) worry about the mess. By the evening, the kids will have cleaned (clean) it up.
  4. He had taken (take) some extra maths lessons, and asked me if I wanted (want) him to teach me.
  5. Yesterday, my purse was stolen (steal) while I was shopping (shop).
  6. I’m sorry, but I don’t have any money to lend you. If I had (have) some money, I would lend (lend) it to you.

Passage Completion: Verb Tenses in Context

Complete the passage with the correct form of the verbs in brackets.

For years, travelers 1have understood (understand) that a country’s food is a wonderful way to get to know its culture. Yet it is only in recent years that tour operators 2have begun (begin) to offer culinary package trips.

When Kimberley Raymond, a tour operator from Denmark, 3was asked (ask) to plan a group trip to India, she 4decided (decide) that food had to play a central role in the trip. The participants on her trip 5were taken (take) to see cooking demonstrations and ate traditional Indian meals that 6had been prepared (prepare) by top Indian chefs.

Raymond 7believes (believe) that much of the success of the trip was the result of these culinary experiences. “If the travelers 8hadn’t gone (not go) into actual Indian kitchens and watched, they 9would never have gone (go) home with such a full understanding of Indian culture,” she said.

Sentence Transformation Examples

These sentences have been rewritten without changing their original meaning, often using a specific word or grammatical structure.

  1. Original: “Is Tim coming to the party?” asked Mary.

    Rewritten: Mary asked whether Tim was coming to the party.

  2. Rewritten: I have finished the book that Dave lent me.

  3. Rewritten: He may have overslept.

  4. Rewritten: I had my house painted.

  5. Rewritten: These delicious sandwiches were prepared by Mum.