Exercises

Exercise 1. Completion Questions

Select the word that best completes each sentence.
1. The elevator in my sister’s apartment moves so (slowly, slow) we can make
whoopee, conceive a child, and give birth before reaching her floor. And her apartment is on
the first floor.
2. China has (most, more) English speakers than the United States.
3. The (longer, longest) town name in the world has 167 letters.
4. I’ve learned that you shouldn’t compare yourself to the (better, best) others can do.
5. I’ve learned that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something
(total, totally) different.
6. Every day (most, more) money is printed for Monopoly than for the U.S. Treasury.
7. My friend Fred is not the (brightest, brighter) light on the Ferris wheel.
8. If everything seems to be going (good, well), you have obviously overlooked
something.
9. The grass is always (more greener, greener) when you leave the sprinkler on.
10. The (longer, longest) recorded flight of a chicken is 13 seconds.
11. The average person is about a quarter of an inch (tall, taller, tallest) in the
morning.
12. The Neanderthal’s brain was (big, bigger, biggest) than yours is.
13. Your right lung takes in (more, most) air than your left lung does.
14. Women’s hearts beat (fast, faster, fastest) than men’s hearts.
15. There are (more, most) plastic flamingos in America than real ones.
16. Each day is 0.00000002 seconds (long, longer, longest) than the one before
because the Earth is gradually slowing down.
17. The total weight of all insects on Earth is 12 times (more great, greater, greatest,
most greatest) than the weight of all the people on Earth.
18. There are more than three million lakes in Alaska. The (large, larger, largest),
Lake Iliamna, is the size of Connecticut.
19. When North America was first settled, beavers there grew (bigger, biggest) than
bears.
20. The (bright, brighter, brightest) star in the sky, Sirius, gives out 26 times as much
light as the Sun.
21. The (older, oldest) national flag still in existence, that of Denmark, dates back to
the thirteenth century.
22. The ashes of the metal magnesium are (more heavier, heavier) than magnesium
itself.
23. Murphy’s Oil Soap is the chemical (more, most) commonly used to clean
elephants.
24. If things get any (worse, worst), I’ll have to ask you to stop helping me.
25. How much (deep, deeper, deepest) would the ocean be if sponges didn’t grow in
it?
26. Nothing in the known universe travels (more fast, more faster, faster) than a bad
check.
27. Did you hear about my new boyfriend? He’s not the (sharper, sharpest) tool in the
shed.
28. Good advice: Love (deep, deeply) and (most passionate, passionately). You
might get hurt, but it’s the only way to live life completely.
29. Talk (slow, slowly) but think (quick, quickly).
 30. Doctor: “You’re coughing (easier, easiest) today.” Patient: “No wonder. I
practiced all night.”

Exercise 2. Multiple-Choice Questions

Choose the best answer to each question.
1. Adjectives are modifiers that describe a
(a) Noun or verb
(b) Pronoun or adverb
(c) Noun or pronoun
(d) Verb or preposition
2. Adverbs are modifiers that describe all the following words except
(a) Verbs
(b) Pronouns
(c) Adjectives
(d) Adverbs
3. Which is the best revision of the following sentence? Nick’s feet are bigger than
Charles’.
(a) Nick’s feet are bigger than Charles’ feet.
(b) Nick’s feet are more bigger than Charles” ’ feet.
(c) Nick’s feet are biggest than Charles’ feet.
(d) Nick’s feet are big than Charles’.
4. Each of the following is a degree of comparison except
(a) Positive
(b) Comparative
(c) Superlative
(d) Negative
5. What is the comparative form of popular?
(a) Popularest
(b) Popular
(c) Most popular
(d) More popular
6. The comparative and superlatives forms of ill are
(a) Worse, most worse
(b) Worster, worstest
(c) worse, worst
(d) More ill, most ill
7. The comparative and superlatives forms of many and much are
(a) Double comparisons
(b) Many, more
(c) Regular
(d) Identical
8. Which is the best revision of the following sentence?
My brother’s CD collection is larger than my son’s.
(a) My brother’s CD collection is larger than my son’s CD collection.
(b) My brother’s CD collection is large than my son’s CD.
(c) My brother’s CD collection is largest than my son’s CD.
(d) My brother’s CD collection is more larger than my son’s CD collection.
9. Which is the best revision of the following sentence?
In my opinion, collard greens is most delicious than broccoli.
(a) In my opinion, collard greens is delicious than broccoli.
 (b) In my opinion, collard greens is deliciouser than broccoli.
(c) In my opinion, collard greens is more delicious than broccoli.
(d) In my opinion, collard greens is deliciously than broccoli.
10. All the following are negative words except
(a) Scarcely
(b) Hardly
(c) Did
(d) n’t
11. Which is the best revision of the following sentence?
Which of the twins writes gooder?
(a) Which of the twins writes best?
(b) Which of the twins writes better?
(c) Which of the twins writes good?
(d) Which of the twins writes more better?
12. Which of the following words best completes the sentence?
Mr. Big is willing to cooperate than his attitude suggests.
(a) Less
(b) Least
(c) Leastest
(d) Lesser
13. Which is the best revision of the following sentence?
Two can live most cheaply than one.
(a) Two can live cheaply than one.
(b) Two can live moster cheaply than one.
(c) Two can live more cheaply than one.
(d) Two can live mostest cheaply than one.
14. When you are comparing a member of a group with the rest of the group, make
sure
that your sentence contains the words
(a) Than or if
(b) Good or worse
(c) More or better
(d) Other or else
15. Which of the following sentences is not correct?
(a) Nico could not see in the gloomy night.
(b) Nico could not hardly see in the gloomy night.
(c) Nico could barely see in the gloomy night.
(d) Nico had difficult seeing clearly in the gloomy night.

Exercise 3. Choose the correct word:

1. He (correct, correctly) defined the terms. The answer sounded (correctly, correct).
2. She (quickly, quick) adjusted the fees. She adapted (quick, quickly) to any
situation.
3. He measured the floor (exact, exactly). They proved to be (perfectly, perfect)
(exact, exactly) measurements.
4. The stillness of the tomb was (awfully, awful). The tomb was (awfully, awful) still.
5. It was a (dangerously, dangerous) lake to swim in. The man was (dangerous,
dangerously) drunk. The gas smelled (dangerously, dangerous).
6. She performed (magnificent, magnificently). It was a (magnificent, magnificently)
beautiful performance.
 7. Her voice sounds (beautifully, beautiful). She sang the song (exact, exactly) as it
was written. We heard it (perfectly, perfect).
8. He was a very (sensibly, sensible) person. He acted very (sensible, sensibly).
9. Mike wrote too (slow, slowly) on the exam. He always writes (slow, slowly).
10. Talk (softly, soft) or don't talk at all. The music played (softly, soft).
11. Andrea knows the material very (good, well). She always treats us (good, well).
12. You must send payments (regular, regularly). We deal on a (strictly, strict) cash
basis.
13. The mechanic's tools were (well, good). The foreman said that his work was
(good, well) done.
14. She worked (careful, carefully) with the sick child. She was a very (careful,
carefully) worker.
15. He did not pass the course as (easy, easily) as he thought he would.
16. I find this novel very (interesting, interestingly). It was (interesting,
interestingly) written.

Exercise 4. Fill in the correct form of the adjective or adverb.

A. Once upon a time there were three little pigs who wanted to see the world. When
they left home, their mum gave them some advice: Whatever you do, do it the best (good)
you can. So the three pigs wandered through the world and were the happiest (happy) pigs
you've ever seen. They were playing funny (funny) games all summer long, but then came
autumn and each pig wanted to build a house. The first pig was not only the smallest (small)
but also the laziest (lazy) of the pigs. He quickly (quick) built a house out of straw. The
second pig made his house out of wood which was a bit more difficult (difficult) than
building a straw house. The third pig followed his mum's advice and built a strong house out
of bricks, which was the more difficult (difficult) house to build. The pig worked very
hard/hardly (hard), but finally got his house ready before winter. During the cold winter
months, the three little pigs lived extremely (extreme) (good) in their houses.They regularly
(regular) visited one another and had the most wonderful (wonderful) time of their lives.

B. One night, however, a wolf came to the place where the three little pigs lived. It
was the most horrible/-bly (horrible) wolf in the whole wide world. Being terribly (terrible)
hungry, he went straight to the straw house. "Let me in, little pig," the wolf shouted out
angrily(angry), "or I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house down!" The pig didn't let
him in, but as the house was made out of straw, the wolf blew it down easily (easy). The little
pig ran to his brother's house as fast (fast) as he could. But the wolf followed him to the
wooden house. "Open up, little pigs," he shouted even more angrily (angry). Then he huffed
and puffed and it didn't take him much longer (long) to blow the house down. The two pigs
nervously (nervous) ran to their brother who lived in the brick house. The wolf followed
them grimly(grim). "Open the door," he shouted fiercely (furious). As the pigs didn't open,
the wolf huffed and puffed heavily (heavy). But the stone house didn't fall down. From all
the huffing and puffing the wolf became even hungrier (hungry). With his last power he
slowly (slow) climbed up the house to get in through the chimney. The pigs saw this and
hastily (hasty) lit a fire.
When the wolf climbed down the chimney, he fell into the fire which was
awfully(awful) hot. He burnt his bum badly (bad) and ran away. From that day on, the pigs
had no more trouble with the wolf and they lived happily (happy) ever after.
 Exercise 5. For each of the following sentences, add the negative expression
shown in brackets at the beginning of the sentence, and make any other changes that
are necessary.
1. We had entered the room when the telephone rang. (scarcely) Scarcely had we
entered the room when the telephone rang
2. I have seen a more beautiful ballet than that one. (never) Never have I seen a more
beautiful ballet than that one.
3. We realized that a dangerous stretch of road lay ahead of us. (little) Little did we
realize that a dangerous stretch of road lay ahead of us
3. I have worked as hard as I could. (never before) Never before have I worked as hard as
I could.
5. A writer can express his exact feelings in words. (rarely) Rarely can a writer express
his exact feelings in words
6. We perceive everything that is around us. (hardly ever) Hardly ever do we perceive
everything that is around us.
7. One can find a more striking example of erosion than the Grand Canyon. (nowhere)
Nowhere can one find a more striking example of erosion than the Grand Canyon
8. They guessed what was about to happen. (little) Little did they guess what was about to
happen.
9. I am entirely satisfied with my situation. (seldom) Seldom am I entirely satisfied with
my situation.
10. One comprehends a complex situation immediately. (rarely) Rarely does one
comprehend a complex situation immediately.
11. I had reached home when I remembered the message. (hardly)
12. Seldom did we have the opportunity to do whatever we wanted.

Exercise 6. The following sentences are incorrect because each contains a double
negative. Each sentence can be corrected by omitting or altering one of the negative
expressions. Write two corrected versions for each sentence. For example:
We have not got no sugar. We have got no sugar. or We have not got any sugar.

1. He does not need no advice. He needs no advice. He does not need any advice.
2. We never go nowhere interesting. We go nowhere interesting. We never go
anywhere interesting
3. I did not get none of the answers right. I got none of the answers right. I did not get
any of the answers right
4. She does not know nothing. She knows nothing. She does not know anything.
5. We had not met neither of the boys before. We had met neither of the boys
before. We had not met either of the boys before.
6. They did not do no harm. They did no harm. They did not do any harm.
7. He never speaks to nobody. He speaks to nobody. He never speaks to anybody
8. You do not have no reason to behave like that. You have no reason to behave like
that. You do not have any reason to behave like that.
9. I do not know nothing about it. I know nothing about it. I do not know anything
about it.
10. I do not have no time for such things. I have no time for such things. I do not have
any time for such things.
 Exercise 7. Formulate the main rules for using adjectives and adverbs correctly
in English.

Exercise 8. Compare the rules for using adjectives and adverbs correctly in
English and in your mother tongue.