Vocabulary Fixed Phrases Practice

Vocabulary:
Prepositional phrases
● Complete sentences a-i with the following prepositional phrases. (Use each phrase once
only.)
in the region of on the verge of
on behalf of to some extent
on the brink of on the grounds (of)/(that)
in vain in conjunction with
with the exception of
a) The judge closed the club ........... there was too much noise being made.
b) The speech to the assembly was made……………….the Prime Minister who, unfortunately,
couldn’t attend.
c) I think you, ........................................, bear some responsibility for making her leave home.
d) Tom was................... downloading the file when he realised it might have a virus attached.
e) The journalist reported that the city was ………… a crisis.
g) Tom looked ........... for the photos he had put away in the attic.
h) The book was released ........... a TV special and a DVD.
i) Everyone here,................ Agnes and Liam, has tickets for the trip.
@Phrase spot:
e.g. I didn’t intend to be thumbing lifts.
lf you ‘thumb a lift’, you signal with your thumb for a vehicle to stop and give you a free lift.
Many nouns for parts of the body have related verbs that are used in phrases or idioms.
Match the verbs 1-6 with a-f to form phrases or idioms.
Which verb can be used twice?
1 elbow a) the burden

2 face b) the bill
3 foot c) the idea
4 shoulder d) the line
5 stomach e) the music
6 toe f) people aside
Use the phrases to complete these sentences, changing the verb form where necessary.
a It is part of a manager’s job to ................ of complaints made by guests.

b Don't worry about paying for your hotel – I’m happy to ………. .
c On his return to Canada, he finally................ and told his wife about his debts.
d At the resort, I always................ on company policy, even if I disagreed with it.
e Jenny couldn’t really................ of moving to a big city, so she turned the job down.
f The woman ………. in the queue so she could get on the plane first.
@Phrase spot:
e.g. Pairs of words like ‘life and death’ used like this are fixed – you cannot say death and life.
Using a dictionary to help you, decide whether these pairs are in the right order and explain how
you would use these phrases.
give and take black and white

again and time thick and thin
high and dry go and touch
fortune and fame blood and flesh
first and foremost soul and life
Complete the sentences below with the correct phrase.
a) Jenny promised to live with Nigel through …………… .

b) When Joe was 18 he left home to find …………………. .
c) It was........................................ whether we would get to the airport in time.
d) ...................... , we need to solve the budget problem and then we can move on to other
issues.
e) ........................, we see this pattern of behaviour repeating itself.
f) There needs to be a bit of …………………….. in every relationship.
g) My brother James is the........................................ of any family party.
h) My aunt treats her relatives really badly, considering they are her own …………………
i) When the company closed down I was left ……………............ without a job.
j) How could you not understand? Look at this letter ‒ it’s all there in ………………. .
Natural forecasters
Reports of unusual animal behaviour prior (0) ......TO..... the occurrence of earthquakes
have been recorded in literature dating as (1)................back as 1784. However, to (2) ................,
there has been very little in-depth scientific research into the phenomenon. However,
(3) ................ that a geophysical tool has not been designed which gives advance warning of an
impending earthquake, observations of animal behaviour might (4) ................ out to be a useful
tool. Animals and birds could act as geosensors. It is well known that the Earth’s electromagnetic
field is used by birds and fish as an aid to navigation and migration. Sharks (5) ………..use of
low or high frequency electro-receptors to detect objects and to communicate. Perhaps it is time
to (6) ................this sensitivity to good use? Animals may have the means to understand the
signal that says ‘leave this place’ or ‘fly-away now’ or (7) ................ is necessary to survive the
coming catastrophe. It comes (8) ................ no surprise, therefore, that animals have the potential
to act as accurate geosensors, to detect earthquakes before they occur.
Grammar:
Review of conditional clauses
Check the following sentence. Is it correct?
● If someone treats these two things equally, he can easily succeed in both, unless
he does not succumb to the temptation of laziness.
Note: There are other forms of the conditional besides the four basic patterns. Look at the
following examples and discuss how they are formed and what they express.
Example: But for my father's help, I wouldn’t have been able to complete my course.
‘But for’ is used in third conditional sentences and has the meaning of ‘If it hadn’t been for’.
a) Should you happen to see Lucy, tell her to ring me.

b) If you would sit down, I’m sure Mr Peterson will see you soon.
c) I’ll diet if you will.
d) You can borrow the money from me as long as you pay me back.
e) Had I known about the weather conditions, I wouldn’t have ventured out.
f) Provided that you tell the truth, nothing will happen to you.
g) You could be a lot thinner now, if you hadn’t given up your diet so easily.
h) Were the Prime Minister to announce lower tax increases, the country would be delighted.
i) You can’t come unless you have an invitation.
Note: If isn’t the only conjunction used in conditional sentences. Complete the sentences using
the following conjunctions.
given that on condition that
but for /without even if
provided that / as long as suppose/supposing
unless
a) …….............lightning tends to strike the nearest high point, you would do well not to
stand under a tall tree during a thunderstorm.
b) ………............you learn to drive better, I won’t be getting in your car again.
c) ......................you use a sun screen, you shouldn’t get burnt.
d) ................................ the support of my boss, I wouldn’t have been promoted.
e) …………...........you do say you love me, I'm not marrying you.
f) I’ll give you a lift to school …………….you wash the car for me at the weekend.
g) ……………............. there was an air traffic controllers’ strike, what would you do?
● Rewrite each sentence, beginning with the words in italics, without changing the
meaning.
Example: I didn’t drown because my instructor knew how to help me.
Had my instructor not known how to help me, I would have drowned.
a) Could you tell her my address if, by any chance, you see her.
Should ………………………………………………………………. .
b) As people were dependent on farming for their livelihood, it’s not surprising that they
used animal behaviour to predict the weather.
Given that ……………………………………………………………… .
c) You can borrow my bike but you must take care of it.
Provided that …………………………………………………………… .
d) Kindly have a seat as I’m sure Mr Johnson won’t be long.
If ………………………………………………………………………… .
e) My advice to you is to get another job.
If ………………………………………………………………………… .
f) I’m not earning much money because I didn’t work hard enough to pass my diploma.
If ………………………………………………………………………… .
g) I wouldn’t have been able to afford to go to university except that my grandmother left
me some money.
But for …………………………………………………………………… .
h) Climatic changes may, in due course, render weather lore obsolete.
Were ……………………………………………………………………… .

Vocabulary Fixed Phrases Practice

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Vocabulary:

e.g. I didn’t intend to be thumbing lifts.

Which verb can be used twice?

1 elbow a) the burden

a It is part of a manager’s job to ................ of complaints made by guests.

give and take black and white

Complete the sentences below with the correct phrase.

a) Jenny promised to live with Nigel through …………… .

a) Should you happen to see Lucy, tell her to ring me.

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