English Grammar and Vocabulary Exercises: Phrasal Verbs, Modals, Reported Speech and Art Reading Comprehension

Exercise 1: Phrasal Verbs

Complete the sentences with a suitable word. (5 x 1 = 5 points)

1. I sang my heart out at a karaoke club.
2. It's hard to fit in at a new school.
3. Why did the band decide to break up?
4. We had to sit through a boring concert.
5. That old film came out in 1995.

Exercise 2: Rewriting Sentences

Complete the second sentence. Do not change the words in brackets. (5 x 1 = 5 points)

1. When Billie Eilish was only 15, she became a star. (time)
Billie Eilish hit the big time when she was only 15.

2. There are always a lot of celebrities at the Oscars. (star)
The Oscars are a star-studded event.

3. That film was full of suspense from beginning to end! (seat)
I was on the edge of my seat for the entire film!

4. I was amazed by the magician's tricks. (were)
The magician's tricks were out of this world.

5. By the time we arrived, there were no tickets left. (out)
The tickets had been sold out by the time we arrived.

Exercise 3: Prepositions and Collocations

Complete the sentences with one word in each gap. (5 x 1 = 5 points)

1. Sorry, but we aren't taking on any new workers.
2. I think I'll go into journalism at university.
3. By and large, I think the new shop is quite successful.
4. There's lots of room for advancement in this company.
5. We were wined and dined by our business partners.

Exercise 4: Vocabulary

Word bank: hired, rewarding, co-workers, room for advancement, resigned, taking on, roughly, step up, now or never

Exercise 5: Vocabulary

Word bank: employee, vacancy, manager, living, rewarding, membership

Exercise 6: Grammar

Rewrite or complete the sentences using the modal verbs provided:

They weren't able to leave early.
Nick didn't need to buy our tickets.
They had better get the injured man to hospital.
They shouldn't have told Ethan about the party.
Sarah has to take the expenses into account.

Exercise 7: Modal Verbs in Context

B: I don't know. He couldn't have been (be) suitable.
B: Me, too. I couldn't wait (wait) to see what would happen!
B: I don't know, but he's got a gun. They mustn't try (try) to frighten him.
B: Yes, she couldn't have sung (sing) any better!
B: Yes! We should have chosen (choose) something else.

Exercise 8: Reported Speech

The assistant promised that she would finish those reports by the following week.
My parents recommended that I leave bright and early the following day.
His friend advised him not to mention his police record at the interview.
The employee told me that he had been feeling terrible the day before.
My partner wanted to know when I was leaving that night.

Exercise 9: Verb Forms

Matthew recommended joining.
You shouldn't have.
Janet had been running.
Employees can't.
The boy denied opening.
We wanted to own.
I could have asked for help.
The results have been cleaned.
Lance announced that he was staying.
I wish you lived.

Exercise 10: Passive Voice and Structures

Guernica was painted by Picasso to depict the horrors of war.
Many artists worry about people misunderstanding their work.
Works from different countries were part of the exhibition.
Culture and society have always been influenced by art.
Some artists find it difficult to address social issues in their work.

Exercise 11: Verb Tenses and Modals

think / have thought / thought / was thinking
have to / should / might / must
book / are booking / will book / had booked
can / have to / must / could
are able to / have to / will / should

Reading Comprehension

What do artists often express through their work during difficult times?
Artists often show feelings like being sad, angry, or hopeful when things are hard. They use art to say how they feel.

Who are some artists mentioned in the text that used their art to address social issues?
The text talks about Pablo Picasso, who painted Guernica to show how bad war is, and Maya Dahir, who makes sculptures to help people think about climate change.

What was the message of the painting Live or Like?
The painting says that real friendships are more important than online ones. It also shows that young people use social media too much.

How does the text suggest that art both reflects and shapes society?
Art shows what is happening in society, like its values and problems. It also helps change things by making people think and feel through painting, music, or books.

True or False

The sculpture exhibition by Maya Dahir was immediately accepted by everyone without criticism.
This statement is FALSE. "Initially, some critics argued that she was exaggerating the problem."

Vocabulary Matching

non-combatants, ordinary people: civilians
a means or method to achieve a purpose: tool
significant, relevant (knowledge that something exists): meaningful awareness