GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY PRACTICE
STANDARD UNIT 1

Grammar

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

1 We ______(see) the film yesterday.

2 What time you ______(get up) this morning?

3 He ______(not read) that book yet but he’s going to read it soon.

4 I ______(not hear) of Peter Clark. Who is he?

5 She ______(live) here since July.

6 Jack ______(arrive) at half past three.

7 A hundred years ago, people ______(live) in houses without heating or running water.

8 I ______(just / make) some biscuits. Would you like to try one?

2 Match the sentence halves.

__ 1 I’ve played tennis a last weekend.

__ 2 I went swimming b twice this weekend.

__ 3 He’s been watching TV c all afternoon.

__ 4 He’s phoned Cathy d twice today.

3 Circle the correct alternatives.

1 I’ve known/been knowing Paula for ages.

2 Are you ready yet? We have waiting/been waiting for you for ages!

3 Tim has told/been telling that joke at least three times.

4 How long have you read/been reading that book for?


4 Write the best options to complete the sentences.

1 When I got there, Peter ______.

a had already arrived b had been already arriving

c has already arrived

2 We ______for long when Jill walked in.

a didn’t wait b hadn’t waited c hadn’t been waiting

3 Joe ______the office as soon as the meeting ended.

a had left b left c had been leaving

4 Jack’s ears were cold because he ______his hat.

a forgot b has forgotten c had forgotten

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

1 Thomas ______(stay) at our house three times before. This is his fourth visit.

2 When we arrived, Bill ______(already / leave). It was disappointing not to see him.

3 The police suspected Tim, but he ______(work) in the office on the morning that the murder took place.

4 How long ______the children ______(watch) TV? It’s time they did something else.

5 I ______(visit) Paris twice in my life.

6 We ______(sunbathe) on this beach all morning. It’s wonderful.


6 Write sentences using the prompts to make a dialogue.

1 When / you first meet / Samantha?

______

2 I / meet / her / in 2008.

______

3 How long / she / work / as a journalist / before then?

______

4 She / already / work / as a journalist / for two years / when I / meet / her.

______

5 you / be / in touch / lately?

______

6 We / meet / last month / for a coffee.

______

7 Translate the sentences into your own language.

1 Rebecca hadn’t been to a zoo before.

______

2 We’ve been working here all afternoon.

______

3 I haven’t had my lunch yet.

______

4 Jim had been waiting for ages when we finally got there.

______

5 How long have you been studying English?

______


Vocabulary

1 Complete the lists with the words in the box.

breaking news current affairs newsreader
tabloid channel hop journalist

1 newspaper broadsheet ______

2 presenter chat show host ______

3 news documentary ______

4 editor reporter ______

5 news bulletin news flash ______

6 browse surf ______

2 Complete the sentences with words from Ex 1.

1 My cousin is a ______. She writes for one of the local newspapers in my city.

2 It’s true, I heard it on a really interesting ______about the food industry.

3 If you want to be up to date with major world events, you should watch ______programmes.

4 My brother spends a lot of time ______the internet, looking for interesting websites.

5 Being a ______is a difficult job because you have to read complicated news items in front of the TV cameras.

6 Serious newspapers are often called ______.


3 Match the words to make collocations.

__ 1 news a correspondent

__ 2 breaking b flash

__ 3 press c alerts

__ 4 chat d news

__ 5 foreign e conference

__ 6 text f show

4 Complete the sentences with the collocations in Ex 3.

1 The president held a ______to tell journalists about the fight against crime.

2 Most TV and newspaper websites deliver the latest ______and information on top stories.

3 News about an attack on the White House is just coming in from our ______in Washington.

4 I saw an interview with Brad Pitt on a ______.

5 A ______on the radio reported the terrible train crash that happened a few hours ago.

6 I love ______. I can receive information and news updates wherever I am.

5 Complete the definitions with the words in the box.

newsreader presenter editor journalist chat show host producer

1 The person who decides what stories go in a newspaper is called an ______.

2 The person who is in front of the camera on a TV news programme and tells you the day’s news is the ______.

3 Someone who writes articles in a newspaper is a ______.

4 Someone who interviews celebrities on a TV programme is a ______.

5 The person who is in charge of commissioning and planning a TV programme is the ______.

6 Someone who introduces documentaries, reality TV programmes and other TV programmes is a ______.

6 Read the sentences. Then choose the sentences that mean the same.

__ 1 He stopped working and looked at the time.
a He looked at the time after he had stopped working.
b He looked at the time and then stopped working.

__ 2 We didn’t stop to have lunch until we had finished.
a We had lunch before we finished.
b We had lunch after we finished.

__ 3 She remembered to buy the milk.
a She remembered and then she bought the milk.
b She remembered after she had bought the milk.

__ 4 He remembered seeing her there.
a He remembered and then saw her there.
b He remembered that he had seen her there.

__ 5 She regretted telling him the bad news.
a She told him the bad news and then she felt sorry.
b She felt sorry before she told him the bad news.

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

1 I hope you remembered ______(lock) the door when you left.

2 Sheila saw her friend, so she stopped ______(talk) to her.

3 My gran can remember ______(live) here when it was still a village.

4 He regretted ______(waste) his time instead of studying.

Text Initiative TRB2 © Macmillan Publishers Limited, 2015