Word Formation (Parts of Speech)
Book 2
Introduction to the Word~Max Drills for Skills Series
An understanding of word formation (parts of speech) is one of the most important skills for
students. It tests the students ability to use the different forms of English words. In order to
complete the exercises accurately, a good knowledge of the functions and usage of the
different parts of speech is very important. The best way to improve skill is to practice.
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Instructions for parents:
1. Print off the handy hints sheets and the blank exercises.
2. Check the answers against the answer key.
3. Refer back to the handy hints sheets to understand why errors have been made.
Strategies for tackling word formation exercises.
1. When you learn a new word, learn all forms of it and the usage.
Word
Part of speech
Usage example
sense
verb
I sense that you are angry.
sense
noun
Humans have five senses.
sensory
adjective
Animals have very well-developed
sensory skills.
sensitive
adjective
Polly has sensitive skin.
sensitively
adverb
The social worker listened sensitively to
the student’s problems.
sensation
noun
David lost all sensation in his leg after
the accident.
sensationalise
verb
The media often sensationalises news
to make it sound more interesting.
sensational
adjective
The book was sensational.
sensationally
adverb
A man sensationally avoided the death
penalty by being proven innocent at the
last moment.
sensor
noun
Infrared doors which have sensors that
detect movement and open
automatically.
Word Formation (Parts of Speech)
Book 2
2. Always read the whole sentence containing the blank from the capital letter to the full
stop.
3. Look for clues in the sentence that show which part of speech is needed.
4. Check spelling.
5. Check agreement for nouns and verbs.
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Parts of Speech - Word Formation Handy Hints
Verbs
Function:
Examples:
Clues:
Grammar reminders:
Describe actions, link ideas
is/am/are, jumped, ate, assured, angered
A noun before or after the blank. No verb in the sentence.
What tense do you need?
Check the subject verb agreement (The food are > is delicious).
Nouns
Function:
Examples:
Clues:
Grammar reminders:
Name people, places, things, animals, abstract ideas
John, post office, happiness, movement
the words a, an, the before, a verb after the blank
Do you need the plural form?
Adjectives
Function:
Tell us more about nouns
Examples:
angry, surprised, stolen, moving
Clues:
a noun after the blank or a noun and a linking verb (be) before
the noun.
Grammar reminders:
Do you need the ‘ed’ form or the ‘ing’ form?
E.g. The situation was worried > worrying.
Word Formation (Parts of Speech)
Book 2
Adverbs
Function:
Tell us more about verbs or adjectives (where, when, how)
Examples:
legendarily, appropriately, very, noisily, happily, yesterday, there
Clues:
an adjective after the blank, a verb before the blank
Grammar reminders:
Have you spelt the word correctly?
Function:
Examples:
Clues:
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Prepositions
Link verbs, nouns and adjectives with nouns, show position,
phrasal verbs
in, on, under, like, regarding, despite
part of a phrasal verb, a noun after the blank
Grammar reminders:
Think about whether there is movement (e.g in vs. into)
Conjunctions/Connectives
Function:
Examples:
Clues:
Grammar reminders:
Link ideas, clauses and sentences
and, but, because, therefore
two verbs in a sentence, the blank is the first word of the
sentence, punctuation (look for commas), sense
Make sure the sentence makes sense.
Pronouns
Function:
Examples:
Used in place of nouns or noun phrases
he, she, they, him, her, this, that, these, which, who
Clues:
Repeated ideas, relative clauses
Grammar reminders:
Do you need the subject form (he) or the object form (him)?
Word Formation (Parts of Speech)
Book 2
Exercise 1
Complete the blanks with the correct form of the word in brackets.
Global Warming
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What exactly is the _________________________ (define) of global warming? From a
scientist’s _________________________ (stand), it relates to human
_________________________ (act), including the burning of fossil fuels, which result
in the _________________________ (emit) of gases, often known as greenhouse
gases into the earth’s _________________________ (atmosphere) layer.
Although many are not aware, heat is _________________________ (essentially) to
the _________________________ (survive) of all life forms. Without such heat, there
would be no _________________________ (exist) of life.
What the greenhouse gases do is create a blanket that prevents this heat from
getting to the Earth. It may seem _________________________ (iron) as global
warming results in a temperature _________________________ (raise) on the Earth
but the effects are negative.
Using different models in their _________________________ (method), scientists
have predicted temperature increases over the next 100 years. There is a great
deal of _________________________ (vary) in these estimates though and this has
called _________________________ (accurate) into question.
In fact, some areas of the world are actually experiencing
_________________________ (plunge) in temperature. Some
_________________________ (theory) believe that all these changes are just part of
the natural cycle of life or are attributable to higher powers.
One thing is for certain and can be _________________________ (science)
measured - that’s the rise in the quantity of carbon dioxide in the air in recent
years. Having said that, many million years ago there was even more carbon
dioxide in the air and at that time human activity was very different and unlikely to
have _________________________ (contribute) to it. As a result, global warming
remains a _________________________ (controversy) topic.
Word Formation (Parts of Speech)
Book 2
Exercise 2
Complete the blanks with the correct form of the word in brackets.
Celebrities - debate speech
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Good morning ladies and gentlemen, _________________________ (honour) adjudicators
and worthy opponents. The motion under debate is: Celebrities command higher salaries
than they deserve. As the captain of the team for the _________________________
(opposite), we firmly oppose this motion and believe that they deserve the
_________________________ (remunerate) they receive.
In terms of background, celebrities can be _________________________ (definition) as
people who receive a lot of public attention, mainly in the entertainment business, ranging
from actors and actresses to singers, dancers and other performing artists.
_________________________ (doubt) these prominent stars get salaries amounting to
billions of dollars. This money comes from the sales of their products,
_________________________ (advert) revenue, concert ticket sales and movie roles.
According to data on the Internet on 2013 earnings, acclaimed singer and song-writer,
Adele, made 32 million US dollars and local singer, Eason Chan, made 11.3 million US
dollars mainly from concert tickets. Although these are _________________________(deny)
high salaries, we stand firm that the artists deserve them.
The first argument is that climbing to _________________________ (star) is no easy task.
For every successful celebrity, there are millions that fall by the wayside. Behind each,
there is usually a story fraught with difficulty. Many of them and their parents spend a
fortune on vocal lessons and coaches. The salaries they earn nowadays could be seen
as deserved payback for these costs and the effort put into training.
Moving on to the second argument, many people are unaware of the hard work in being a
celebrity. The hours are _________________________ (exhaust). As well as slogging from
morning to night and performing on stage, there are constant media interviews and
charity events. Additionally, being in the public eye all the time, the paparazzi is always in
_________________________ (pursue).
To summarize these arguments, celebrities deserves their handsome salaries on the
ground of the effort they put in both before rising to celebrity status and once working in
the spotlight.
Word Formation (Parts of Speech)
Book 2
Exercise 3
Complete the following text using the correct form of the root words in brackets.
Bullying or just rudeness?
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It is important for me to begin this article by stating __________________ (doubt),
that many of the stories of bullying that are shared with me are horrifying and some
are __________________ (speak) cruel. However, I want to be honest and share that
some of the stories are not as bad as they initially appear.
Clearly, there is a fine line between bullying and rudeness and there is a
__________________ (necessary) to analyse the two.
Rude = Inadvertently saying or doing something that could be __________________
(hurt) for someone else.
A case in point is a close __________________ (acquaint) of mine who often looks
my curly hair up and down before inquiring sweetly, “Did you know they have hair
__________________ (straight) treatments nowadays!”
For kids, __________________ (rude) might look more like jumping the line,
bragging or even throwing a crushed up pile of leaves in someone's face. But if we
ask ourselves if such behaviour constitutes bullying, when looked at in context,
they tend to be spontaneous, and have their __________________ (base) in
thoughtlessness rather than wilfully being vindictive.
Mean = __________________ (will) saying or doing something to hurt someone.
The main __________________ (distinct) between "rude" and "mean" is therefore
rooted in intention; with rudeness usually __________________ (intent), and mean
behavior designed to hurt on purpose.
When identifying bullying, therefore, the first step is to examine what
__________________ (motivation) the behaviour.
Word Formation (Parts of Speech)
Book 2
Exercise 4
Complete the following text using the correct form of the root words in brackets.
Cantonese?
According to a recent news article, many Hong Kong people find the fact that
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Cantonese may be under threat __________________ (worry). This is especially so
since 97% of the local population __________________ (speak) this language.
Added to this is the fact that the Education Bureau stated on its website last month
that Cantonese was not an official language of Hong Kong and that hit home with a
lot of locals and prompted some into taking __________________ (act). Officials
responded quickly with an __________________ (apologise) but it did not qualm
everyone’s fears.
Many locals have expressed feelings that the __________________ (lose) of
Cantonese would be a great shame as it is the mother tongue for many here and is
a key element of our local culture. There is also some concern over the fact that
since 1997, the __________________ (accelerate) use of Putonghua is thrusting
Cantonese into the backseat. There are less than 60 million Cantonese speakers
worldwide in __________________ (compare) to a staggering billion Putonghua
speakers. This adds fuel to the fire.
What sets Cantonese apart and could also contribute to the threat is the fact that
there is no official version of __________________ (write) Cantonese. It is basically
only a spoken language.
Although some schools are making their best efforts to ensure the
__________________ (preserve) of the language, we may have to face up to the
fact that its __________________ (survive) is under threat and it may eventually be
relegated to the status of a dialect. This would be a great shame for the heritage of
Hong Kong.
Word Formation (Parts of Speech)
Book 2
Exercise 5
Complete the following text using the correct form of the root words in brackets.
Compete or co-operate?
Hong Kong students who go overseas to pursue __________________ (study) often
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have issues with __________________ (adjust) according to a local expert who has
been teaching in the territory for years. A __________________ (form) student of
hers shared his __________________ (experience) of moving to a boarding school
overseas. It turned out that the main issue was teamwork.
This is a problem for many local students. The importance of __________________
(compete) is drilled into them from such a young age that learning about
__________________ (co-operate) just does not factor into the equation. This
emphasis on standing out in order to be __________________ (success) is a
mindset that is very much part of the local educational scene. By contrast, many
countries overseas put the stress on the concept of __________________
(individual) and reward teamwork.
In fact, if any students consider their future, they will see that teamwork is hugely
__________________ (advantage) in the working world. Most companies who hire
new graduates look for not only __________________ (leader) abilities but also the
ability to work as part of a team. As the old saying __________________ (go):
“There’s no “I” in TEAM.”
__________________ (thank), local parents are beginning to understand the
importance of not comparing students and realise that ranking students can be
detrimental and counter-productive. Changing practices that have been instilled in
the education sector for so long is going to be an uphill, but not
__________________ (achieve) climb. It can be done!
Word Formation (Parts of Speech)
Book 2
Exercise 6
Complete the following text using the correct form of the root words in brackets.
How did it feel to be a teen 100 years ago?
How do teens __________________ (difference) today from their counterparts
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nearly 100 years ago? __________________ (surprise), as expected, if you compare
teens that grew up in the 1920s, you will find some major __________________
(vary) especially in the areas of education, __________________ (equal),
technology and entertainment trends.
Education did not take on such an important role as it does in today’s
__________________ (social). Many teens in those days left school before the age
of 14 in order to enter the workforce. Additionally, many teens were not given the
opportunity to study at university. In fact, only the __________________ (minor) were
able to earn degrees. As well as money being short in many families at that time,
gender stereotyping was a reason for this.
This leads to the next point - differences in how genders were __________________
(view). Females had less chance to pursue tertiary studies. Their
__________________ (state) was lower and they were seen as inferior to males.
Girls were expected to go to work in factories or get married and be stay-at-home
mums. Few females at that time were able to enter career fields like
__________________ (medical) or law.
Technology and entertainment go hand in hand and today’s world is very different
for teens than it was back in the 1920’s. There were no smartphone devices in
those days and words such as ‘apps’ were not even in __________________
(exist). Some families didn’t even own telephones or televisions in their homes.
The world today is very different for teens. Sometimes, __________________
(reflect) on the past can make teens more grateful for what they have today.
Word Formation (Parts of Speech)
Book 2
Exercise 7
Complete the following text using the correct form of the root words in brackets.
Tiger Expectations
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How many students have buckled or come close to it __________________ (try) to
live up to parents’ expectations? I think that most of them would answer with a
resounding, “YES!” The term ‘Tiger Mums’ has been recently coined and gained
lots of __________________ (attend).
__________________ (academic), tiger mums expect students to rank No. 1.
In sports, tiger mums expect students to win medals and trophies.
For musical talent, tiger mums expect students to master both the piano and the
violin.
In fact, high expectations are like “N +1”. The ever changing __________________
(vary), “N”, added to “one”. “N” represents what students can achieve, and the
extra “+1” is what __________________ (demand) parents impose over and above
this.
Amy Chua’s famous book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, captures the idea
behind these high expectations __________________ (perfect). Take a quote from
the book: “Every day that you don't practice is a day you're getting worse.”
What this all bottles down to is constantly being pushed. __________________
(regret), there are some tiger mums who go to such extremes that it leads to
__________________ (fail) instead of success.
But are high expectations really that bad? Is there method in this madness?
Sometimes they drive students to strive. It’s easy to take the easy way but a little
push can go a long way when it comes to __________________ (motivate) students
and preventing __________________ (lazy) which is built into our natures.
This is food for __________________ (think) because one day, most teens will
themselves become parents. Whether or not they will become tiger parents
remains to be seen.
Word Formation (Parts of Speech)
Book 2
Exercise 8
Complete the following text using the correct form of the root words in brackets.
Tips for English Literature Essays
A good English literature essay will present a series of __________________
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(logical) ordered points, each substantiated with close textual reference and
quotations, each clearly linked to the essay question or topic. The end of the
essay should have a __________________ (conclude). However, there is a big
difference between a good essay and an excellent one.
An excellent essay will present a clear argument. Instead of just discussing points
of __________________ (relevant), an excellent essay will present a clear case right
from the start. It will start with the key __________________ (concept) idea that
study of the text(s) has generated and then ‘prove’ this with discussion of textual
__________________ (evident).
Indeed, __________________ (similar) between presenting a legal argument and
writing a literature essay can be seen. Every point involves giving examples from
the text and clear __________________ (analyse). This requires careful
__________________ (critic) thinking about the relationships between ideas.
Another aspect that is highly important is structure. The introduction should have a
clear thesis statement, showing what the main idea is and giving a taste of the
points in __________________ (supportive) of it. Each paragraph should then be
formed to ensure there is cohesion of ideas.
Finally, a conclusion should be a __________________ (sum) of the main points and
serve to pull everything together with a final __________________ (state). The
reader should be very clear of the writer’s stance.
Word Formation (Parts of Speech)
Book 2
Exercise 9
Fill in the blanks with the most suitable form of the words given in brackets.
What Happened to Good Music?
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Last weekend I experienced one of the most ____________________ (disappoint)
feelings that I have ever felt. As I walked into my local HMV store and examined
the charts, I decided that the music ____________________ (industrial) may as well
be pronounced ____________________ (death). There is no other way of putting it
____________________ (subtle) - the music industry should be put down,
murdered, ended once and for all. The little hope I had left for my love of music
was smashed to pieces as I laid eyes upon the new ‘Psy’ album.
Not only was this visual stimuli enough to tip me over the edge, but totally
____________________ (amaze), I couldn’t believe that HMV was blasting
‘Gangnam Style’ through the shop’s sound system. It’s very difficult to describe the
sound of Psy’s ‘Gangnam Style’ to someone who has never heard it – But then
again, it’s also very difficult to describe the ____________________ (terror) pain of
Chinese water torture to someone who has never experienced it.
How a K-pop single found its way to England, I have no idea. But that’s not the
____________________ (extensive) of the damage – ‘Gangnam style’ has reached
out to the global music industry. Search it yourself on Youtube and you’ll find
parodies of the little man in his funny suit from every country. It further puzzles me
that a song sung entirely in Korean managed to top the UK charts. Somehow our
music culture has welcomed with open arms a completely alien piece of music. I
dread the day of K-pop domination of the global charts but sadly I can
____________________ (vision) it happening soon.
In all ____________________ (serious), Psy’s ‘Gangnam Style’ is an undeniable ear
worm, but what happened to the good old days of the white album?
I have come to accept the fact that our music culture has been plagued and for
this, I have a simple ____________________ (solve): bring back the good old music
days.
Word Formation (Parts of Speech)
Book 2
Exercise 10
Fill in the blanks with the most suitable form of the words given in brackets.
Amazing Electric Car
The Tesla Model S is by far and away “the safest ____________________
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(commerce) car ever built”. Not only did it achieve five-star ____________________
(rate) in every category of the US road-safety test, it also managed to break the
“roof crush” testing ____________________ (equip). What is the main reason it’s so
safe? Because it’s an electric car, so its front trunk – the “frunk” – provides a huge
crumple zone.
Right-hand drive versions are only arriving in the UK next year, but left-hand ones
are available now, said Auto Express.
They’re ____________________ (price), but you get a lot for your money. The boot
can fit two rear-____________________ (face) child seats, and the air
____________________ (suspense) makes for a comfortable ride. It also has
“startling pace”. Its “scorching” acceleration in a silent electric car “has to be
experienced to be ____________________ (belief)”.
It’s also a “handsome” beast, said Matt Saunders in Autocar: the cabin is a lesson
in “avant garde 21st century product design”. Best of all, though, is its range. The
Model S can do an ____________________ (astonish) 300 miles between charges –
its 85kw battery has“more than four times as much capacity as a Nissan Leaf”.
Tesla is setting up a network of “superchargers” – which deliver a 50% charge in
just 30 minutes – on Britain’s roads next year. When that happens it could mark the
____________________ (history) point at which electric cars become a
____________________ (genuine) viable option.
Word Formation (Parts of Speech)
Book 2
Exercise 1 - answers
Complete the blanks with the correct form of the word in brackets.
Global Warming
What exactly is the definition (define) of global warming? From a scientist’s
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standpoint (stand), it relates to human acts (act), including the burning of fossil
fuels, which result in the emission (emit) of gases, often known as greenhouse
gases into the earth’s atmospheric (atmosphere) layer.
Although many are not aware, heat is essential (essentially) to the survival
(survive) of all life forms. Without such heat, there would be no existence (exist) of
life.
What the greenhouse gases do is create a blanket that prevents this heat from
getting to the Earth. It may seem ironic (iron) as global warming results in a
temperature rise (raise) on the Earth but the effects are negative.
Using different models in their methodology (method), scientists have predicted
temperature increases over the next 100 years. There is a great deal of variety
(vary) in these estimates though and this has called accuracy (accurate) into
question.
In fact, some areas of the world are actually experiencing plunges (plunge) in
temperature. Some theorists (theory) believe that all these changes are just part
of the natural cycle of life or are attributable to higher powers.
One thing is for certain and can be scientifically (science) measured - that’s the
rise in the quantity of carbon dioxide in the air in recent years. Having said that,
many million years ago there was even more carbon dioxide in the air and at that
time human activity was very different and unlikely to have contributed
(contribute) to it. As a result, global warming remains a controversial
(controversy) topic.
Word Formation (Parts of Speech)
Book 2
Exercise 2 - answers
Complete the blanks with the correct form of the word in brackets.
Celebrities - debate speech
Good morning ladies and gentlemen, honoured/honourable (honour) adjudicators and
worthy opponents. The motion under debate is: Celebrities command higher salaries than
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they deserve. As the captain of the team for the opposition (opposite), we firmly oppose
this motion and believe that they deserve the renumeration (remunerate) they receive.
In terms of background, celebrities can be defined (definition) as people who receive a
lot of public attention, mainly in the entertainment business, ranging from actors and
actresses to singers, dancers and other performing artists. Undoubtedly (doubt) these
prominent stars get salaries amounting to billions of dollars. This money comes from the
sales of their products, advertising (advert) revenue, concert ticket sales and movie
roles. According to data on the Internet on 2013 earnings, acclaimed singer and songwriter, Adele, made 32 million US dollars and local singer, Eason Chan, made 11.3 million
US dollars mainly from concert tickets. Although these are undeniably (deny) high
salaries, we stand firm that the artists deserve them.
The first argument is that climbing to stardom (star) is no easy task. For every successful
celebrity, there are millions that fall by the wayside. Behind each, there is usually a story
fraught with difficulty. Many of them and their parents spend a fortune on vocal lessons
and coaches. The salaries they earn nowadays could be seen as deserved payback for
these costs and the effort put into training.
Moving on to the second argument, many people are unaware of the hard work in being a
celebrity. The hours are exhausting (exhaust). As well as slogging from morning to night
and performing on stage, there are constant media interviews and charity events.
Additionally, being in the public eye all the time, the paparazzi is always in pursuit
(pursue).
To summarize these arguments, celebrities deserves their handsome salaries on the
ground of the effort they put in both before rising to celebrity status and once working in
the spotlight.
Word Formation (Parts of Speech)
Book 2
Exercise 3 - answers
Complete the following text using the correct form of the root words in brackets.
Bullying or just rudeness?
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It is important for me to begin this article by stating undoubtedly (doubt), that
many of the stories of bullying that are shared with me are horrifying and some are
unspeakably (speak) cruel. However, I want to be honest and share that some of
the stories are not as bad as they initially appear.
Clearly, there is a fine line between bullying and rudeness and there is a necessity
(necessary) to analyse the two.
Rude = Inadvertently saying or doing something that could be hurtful (hurt) for
someone else.
A case in point is a close acquaintance (acquaint) of mine who often looks my
curly hair up and down before inquiring sweetly, “Did you know they have hair
straightening (straight) treatments nowadays!”
For kids, rudeness (rude) might look more like jumping the line, bragging or even
throwing a crushed up pile of leaves in someone's face. But if we ask ourselves if
such behaviour constitutes bullying, when looked at in context, they tend to be
spontaneous, and have their basis (base) in thoughtlessness rather than wilfully
being vindictive.
Mean = wilfully (will) saying or doing something to hurt someone.
The main distinction (distinct) between "rude" and "mean" is therefore rooted in
intention; with rudeness usually unintentional (intent), and mean behaviour
designed to hurt on purpose.
When identifying bullying, therefore, the first step is to examine what motivates
(motivation) the behaviour.
Word Formation (Parts of Speech)
Book 2
Exercise 4 - answers
Complete the following text using the correct form of the root words in brackets.
Cantonese?
According to a recent news article, many Hong Kong people find the fact that
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Cantonese may be under threat worrying/worrisome (worry). This is especially so
since 97% of the local population speaks (speak) this language. Added to this is
the fact that the Education Bureau stated on its website last month that Cantonese
was not an official language of Hong Kong and that hit home with a lot of locals
and prompted some into taking action (act). Officials responded quickly with an
apology (apologise) but it did not qualm everyone’s fears.
Many locals have expressed feelings that the loss (lose) of Cantonese would be a
great shame as it is the mother tongue for many here and is a key element of our
local culture. There is also some concern over the fact that since 1997, the
accelerating (accelerate) use of Putonghua is thrusting Cantonese into the
backseat. There are less than 60 million Cantonese speakers worldwide in
comparison (compare) to a staggering billion Putonghua speakers. This adds fuel
to the fire.
What sets Cantonese apart and could also contribute to the threat is the fact that
there is no official version of written (write) Cantonese. It is basically only a spoken
language.
Although some schools are making their best efforts to ensure the preservation
(preserve) of the language, we may have to face up to the fact that its survival
(survive) is under threat and it may eventually be relegated to the status of a
dialect. This would be a great shame for the heritage of Hong Kong.
Word Formation (Parts of Speech)
Book 2
Exercise 5 - answers
Complete the following text using the correct form of the root words in brackets.
Compete or co-operate?
Hong Kong students who go overseas to pursue studies (study) often have issues
co
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gh
t
with adjustment (adjust) according to a local expert who has been teaching in the
territory for years. A former (form) student of hers shared his experience
(experience) of moving to a boarding school overseas. It turned out that the main
issue was teamwork.
This is a problem for many local students. The importance of competitiveness/
competition (compete) is drilled into them from such a young age that learning
about co-operation (co-operate) just does not factor into the equation. This
emphasis on standing out in order to be successful (success) is a mindset that is
very much part of the local educational scene. By contrast, many countries
overseas put the stress on the concept of individualism (individual) and reward
teamwork.
In fact, if any students consider their future, they will see that teamwork is hugely
advantageous (advantage) in the working world. Most companies who hire new
graduates look for not only leadership (leader) abilities but also the ability to work
as part of a team. As the old saying goes (go): “There’s no “I” in TEAM.”
Thankfully (thank), local parents are beginning to understand the importance of
not comparing students and realise that ranking students can be detrimental and
counter-productive. Changing practices that have been instilled in the education
sector for so long is going to be an uphill, but not unachievable (achieve) climb. It
can be done!
Word Formation (Parts of Speech)
Book 2
Exercise 6 - answers
Complete the following text using the correct form of the root words in brackets.
How did it feel to be a teen 100 years ago?
How do teens differ (difference) today from their counterparts nearly 100 years
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ago? Unsurprisingly (surprise), as expected, if you compare teens that grew up
in the 1920s, you will find some major variations/variances (vary) especially in the
areas of education, equality (equal), technology and entertainment trends.
Education did not take on such an important role as it does in today’s society
(social). Many teens in those days left school before the age of 14 in order to enter
the workforce. Additionally, many teens were not given the opportunity to study at
university. In fact, only the minority (minor) were able to earn degrees. As well as
money being short in many families at that time, gender stereotyping was a reason
for this.
This leads to the next point - differences in how genders were viewed (view).
Females had less chance to pursue tertiary studies. Their status (state) was lower
and they were seen as inferior to males. Girls were expected to go to work in
factories or get married and be stay-at-home mums. Few females at that time were
able to enter career fields like medicine (medical) or law.
Technology and entertainment go hand in hand and today’s world is very different
for teens than it was back in the 1920’s. There were no smartphone devices in
those days and words such as ‘apps’ were not even in existence (exist). Some
families didn’t even own telephones or televisions in their homes.
The world today is very different for teens. Sometimes, reflection (reflect) on the
past can make teens more grateful for what they have today.
Word Formation (Parts of Speech)
Book 2
Exercise 7 - answers
Complete the following text using the correct form of the root words in brackets.
Tiger Expectations
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How many students have buckled or come close to it trying (try) to live up to
parents’ expectations? I think that most of them would answer with a resounding,
“YES!” The term ‘Tiger Mums’ has been recently coined and gained lots of
attention (attend).
Academically (academic), tiger mums expect students to rank No. 1.
In sports, tiger mums expect students to win medals and trophies.
For musical talent, tiger mums expect students to master both the piano and the
violin.
In fact, high expectations are like “N +1”. The ever changing variable (vary), “N”,
added to “one”. “N” represents what students can achieve, and the extra “+1” is
what demanding (demand) parents impose over and above this.
Amy Chua’s famous book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, captures the idea
behind these high expectations perfectly (perfect). Take a quote from the book:
“Every day that you don't practice is a day you're getting worse.”
What this all bottles down to is constantly being pushed. Regrettably (regret),
there are some tiger mums who go to such extremes that it leads to failure (fail)
instead of success.
But are high expectations really that bad? Is there method in this madness?
Sometimes they drive students to strive. It’s easy to take the easy way but a little
push can go a long way when it comes to motivating (motivate) students and
preventing laziness (lazy) which is built into our natures.
This is food for thought (think) because one day, most teens will themselves
become parents. Whether or not they will become tiger parents remains to be
seen.
Word Formation (Parts of Speech)
Book 2
Exercise 8 - answers
Complete the following text using the correct form of the root words in brackets.
Tips for English Literature Essays
A good English literature essay will present a series of logically (logical) ordered
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points, each substantiated with close textual reference and quotations, each
clearly linked to the essay question or topic. The end of the essay should have a
conclusion (conclude). However, there is a big difference between a good essay
and an excellent one.
An excellent essay will present a clear argument. Instead of just discussing points
of relevance (relevant), an excellent essay will present a clear case right from the
start. It will start with the key conceptual (concept) idea that study of the text(s)
has generated and then ‘prove’ this with discussion of textual evidence (evident).
Indeed, similarities (similar) between presenting a legal argument and writing a
literature essay can be seen. Every point involves giving examples from the text
and clear analysis (analyse). This requires careful critical (critic) thinking about
the relationships between ideas.
Another aspect that is highly important is structure. The introduction should have a
clear thesis statement, showing what the main idea is and giving a taste of the
points in support (supportive) of it. Each paragraph should then be formed to
ensure there is cohesion of ideas.
Finally, a conclusion should be a summary (sum) of the main points and serve to
pull everything together with a final statement (state). The reader should be very
clear of the writer’s stance.
Word Formation (Parts of Speech)
Book 2
Exercise 9 - answers
Fill in the blanks with the most suitable form of the words given in brackets.
What Happened to Good Music?
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Last weekend I experienced one of the most disappointing (disappoint) feelings
that I have ever felt. As I walked into my local HMV store and examined the charts,
I decided that the music industry (industrial) may as well be pronounced dead
(death). There is no other way of putting it subtly (subtle) - the music industry
should be put down, murdered, ended once and for all. The little hope I had left for
my love of music was smashed to pieces as I laid eyes upon the new ‘Psy’ album.
Not only was this visual stimuli enough to tip me over the edge, but totally amazed
(amaze), I could not believe that HMV was blasting ‘Gangnam Style’ through the
shop’s sound system. It’s very difficult to describe the sound of Psy’s ‘Gangnam
Style’ to someone who has never heard it – But then again, it’s also very difficult to
describe the terrorising/terrorizing/terrible (terror) pain of Chinese water torture
to someone who has never experienced it.
How a K-pop single found its way to England, I have no idea. But that’s not the
extent (extensive) of the damage – ‘Gangnam style’ has reached out to the global
music industry. Search it yourself on Youtube and you’ll find parodies of the little
man in his funny suit from every country. It further puzzles me that a song sung
entirely in Korean managed to top the UK charts. Somehow our music culture has
welcomed with open arms a completely alien piece of music. I dread the day of Kpop domination of the global charts but sadly I can envision (vision) it happening
soon.
In all seriousness (serious), Psy’s ‘Gangnam Style’ is an undeniable ear worm, but
what happened to the good old days of the white album?
I have come to accept the fact that our music culture has been plagued and for
this, I have a simple solution (solve): bring back the good old music days.
Word Formation (Parts of Speech)
Book 2
Exercise 10 - answers
Fill in the blanks with the most suitable form of the words given in brackets.
Amazing Electric Car
The Tesla Model S is by far and away “the safest commercial (commerce) car
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ever built”. Not only did it achieve five-star rating (rate) in every category of the US
road-safety test, it also managed to break the “roof crush” testing equipment
(equip). What is the main reason it’s so safe? Because it’s an electric car, so its
front trunk – the “frunk” – provides a huge crumple zone.
Right-hand drive versions are only arriving in the UK next year, but left-hand ones
are available now, said Auto Express.
They’re pricey (price), but you get a lot for your money. The boot can fit two rearfacing (face) child seats, and the air suspension (suspense) makes for a
comfortable ride. It also has “startling pace”. Its “scorching” acceleration in a silent
electric car “has to be experienced to be believed (belief)”.
It’s also a “handsome” beast, said Matt Saunders in Autocar: the cabin is a lesson
in “avant garde 21st century product design”. Best of all, though, is its range. The
Model S can do an astonishing (astonish) 300 miles between charges – its 85kw
battery has“more than four times as much capacity as a Nissan Leaf”.
Tesla is setting up a network of “superchargers” – which deliver a 50% charge in
just 30 minutes – on Britain’s roads next year. When that happens it could mark the
historical (history) point at which electric cars become a genuinely (genuine)
viable option.
Copyright Notice
© 2017 Wendy J Hall
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