Unit 4

Consonant Clusters Exercise

A. Read the following words out loud, identify the consonant cluster in each
word, and write down the phonemic transcription of the consonant cluster.

1. sift - Consonant cluster: /ft/ (eff-tee)

2. fifth - Consonant cluster: /fθ/ (eff-th)
3. pump - Consonant cluster: /mp/ (emm-pee)
4. private - Consonant cluster: /vt/ (vee-tee)
5. shred - Consonant cluster: /d/ (voiced alveolar plosive) - There's no true
consonant cluster in "shred" as the "d" is followed by a vowel.
6. splash - Consonant cluster: /ʃpl/ (sh-pl)
7. afraid - Consonant cluster: /fr/ (eff-r)
8. attempt - Consonant cluster: /mpt/ (emm-pee-tee)
Additional Notes:
 The phonemic transcription uses symbols between slashes (/) to represent the
individual sounds in a word.
 The symbol /θ/ (th) represents the voiceless dental fricative sound, as in "think."
 The symbol /ʃ/ (sh) represents the voiceless postalveolar fricative sound, as in
"ship."

B. Write down three words where these consonant clusters occur in the initial
position. Do not repeat any words already provided as examples in the lesson.

1. /pr/-pray, print, proud

2. /br/-brave, break, bring
3. /fr/-fresh, friend, frog
4. /kw/-quick, quack, quit
5. /tw/-twist, two, twenty
6. /skr/-scrape, scrub, scroll
 C. Write down three words where these consonant clusters occur in the final
position. Do not repeat any words already provided as examples in the lesson.
1. /lk/-milk, silk, talk
2. /mp/-jump, dump, stump
3. /nt∫/-bench, branch, punch
4. /it/-felt, melt, built
5. /nd/-hand, mind, sand
6. /ks/-books, rocks, foxes

D. Read the following words out loud. In each case, (a) write down the phonemic
transcription of the consonant cluster sound of the highlighted letters, and (b) write down
two more words that have the same consonant cluster sound. Avoid repeating words
from this section's les and earlier answers.
(a)
1. spleen /spl/ - e.g., splash, split
2. told /ld/ - e.g., old, fold.
3. games /mz/ - e.g., looms, times
4. swallow /sw/ - e.g., swim, swift
5. flat /fl/ - e.g., flame, flow
6. desk /sk/ - e.g., risk, task
7. slide /sl/ - e.g., slip, slant
8. squeal /skw/ - e.g., square, squash
9. left /ft/ - e.g., soft, craft
10. twice /tw/ - e.g., twin, twist
11. plaster /pl/ - e.g., place, planet
12. cute /kj/ - This is a single consonant, not a cluster (though it is often pronounced as /k/
followed by a /j/ sound).

(b) here are two more words that have the same consonant cluster sound /s/ (ess)
as "spleen":
1. stop
2. space
 Idioms Exercises

A. Learn the meanings of the following idioms and use them in sentences of
your own.

1. cost an arm and a leg: Extremely expensive.

 Sentence: The repairs on my car will cost an arm and a leg, so I'll have to put off that
vacation.
2. judge a book by its cover: Make assumptions about someone based on
appearance.
 Sentence: Don't judge a book by its cover! That quiet girl in the corner might be the
most talented artist in school.
3. add insult to injury: Make a bad situation even worse.
 Sentence: She lost her job, and then her car broke down. It just added insult to
injury.
4. hit the nail on the head: Perfectly identify or explain a problem.
 Sentence: You hit the nail on the head! My constant headaches were because of
dehydration, not stress.
5. feel under the weather: Not feeling well, slightly sick.
 Sentence: I woke up feeling under the weather, so I called in sick to work and stayed
home to rest.
6. bite off more than one can chew: Take on more than you can handle.
 Sentence: I bit off more than I could chew by signing up for three extra classes this
semester.
7. get one's act together: Organize oneself and become more focused.
 Sentence: She needs to get her act together if she wants to pass her exams.
8. go the extra mile: Put in extra effort to do something well.
 Sentence: My boss always goes the extra mile for her clients, which is why they all
love her.
9. touch-and-go: Uncertain, likely to change quickly.
 Sentence: The outcome of the game is still touch-and-go, it could go either way.
10. be worlds apart: Completely different, incompatible.
 Sentence: Our taste in music is worlds apart, but we still get along great.
11. up in arms: Angry and protesting.
 Sentence: Fans were up in arms when they announced the cancellation of the
concert.
12. on cloud nine: Extremely happy and excited.
 Sentence: I felt like I was on cloud nine after winning the competition.
13. leave out in the cold: Exclude or ignore someone.
 Sentence: Don't leave him out in the cold, introduce him to the rest of the group.
14. break new ground: Do something innovative or original.
 Sentence: The scientist's research broke new ground in the field of renewable
energy.
15. blow hot and cold: Be indecisive or change your mind frequently.
 Sentence: Stop blowing hot and cold! Tell me if you're coming to the party or not.
16. on the ball: Alert, aware, and competent.
 Sentence: My teammate was on the ball during the game and made some great
saves.
17. bite the bullet: Accept an unpleasant situation.
 Sentence: I had to bite the bullet and tell my boss I made a mistake.
18. a blessing in disguise: Something that seems bad at first but turns out to be good.
 Sentence: Losing my job turned out to be a blessing in disguise, it gave me the
opportunity to pursue a different career path.
19. hit the sack: Go to bed.
 Sentence: I'm exhausted, I'm going to hit the sack early tonight.
20. play things by ear: Improvise and adapt as the situation unfolds.
 Sentence: We don't have a set plan, we'll just have to play things by ear and see
how the day goes.

B. Use the idioms you have learnt in this lesson to compete the following
sentence.
1. We sold the entire stock, but were unable to break even
2 I venture to guess that we will not be able to win the tournament.
3. It is up to the boss to call the shots.
4. She was at the scene of the accident so she was able to give a blow-by-blow
description to the police.
5. The sky seemed to be clear when out of the blue it poured!
C. Look up the meanings of the idioms given in the box below, and then use
them appropriately to complete the sentences that follow.
1. The suspect clammed up when the police asked her where she was at the time of
the crime.
2 Krish is quite straightforward. You can trust him to call a spade a spade.
3. Hold your horses! I'm almost done using the computer.
4. Savitri is bold and proactive when faced with a challenge, she always takes the
bull by the horns
5. We thought he had forgotten about it, but he was simply biding his time.
6. Komal and her sister never see eye to eye on anything.
7. I had to cut corners because I wasn't given enough time or money to complete
the project properly.
8. He neglected his studies and must now face the music.
9. I need new shoes, but the ones I want will break the bank.
10. The government's new schemes ahead of elections cut no ice with the voters.
11. Due to its poor finances, the company's plans for expansion took a back seat.
12. It takes me a long time to trust someone well enough to pour my heart out to
them.

Degrees of Comparison
A. Fill in the blanks in the following sentences with the correct form of the
adjectives in brackets.
1. What kind of food do you like the least? (little)
2. Mother is a better singer than I am. (good)
3. Rahul is a kind boy. (kind)
4. This task is more urgent than all others. (urgent)
5. He thinks his car is as fast as yours. (fast)
6. The man was more noble/nobler than his father. (noble)
7. Savita is the most childish of all my friends. (childish)
8. His house is farther from the college than hers. (far)
9. It is safer/more safe to stay out in the open than indoors when there is an
earthquake. (safe)
10. Of all the boxes in the van, the black steel one is the heaviest. (heavy)
B. Rewrite the following sentences using the words in brackets in place of the
words in italics. Make sure that the meaning of your re-written sentence
remains the same as that of the original sentence given to you. See the
example below for reference.

1. Mount Everest is higher than any other mountain in the world.

2. Suman is the quickest in the group.
3. Nagpur is not as close to my village as Pune is.
4. Mona's sister is taller than Mona.
5. Prabhakar is the most talented player in the team.
6. No other house is as far as Asha's from the city. /Asha's house is far from the city.
7. Nitin's watch is the least expensive of all.
8. Sudha is closer to her father than any of his other children.
9. No other state in the country is as large as Maharashtra.
10. Kamala has the fewest chocolates of all her friends.

C. Fill in the blanks with the comparative and superlative forms of the
adjectives given in the brackets.
1. My bungalow is larger than hers. My bungalow is the largest in my colony.
2. I am the fastest runner in my school. But my sister can run faster than me.
3. Not only is her handwriting better now, it is in fact the best in her class.
4. This task is more important to me. It is the most important task I'll do this week.
5. I thought the green ones would cost the least, but the red ones cost less.

D. Transform the following sentences by changing the degree of the adjective

in each sentence to the one suggested in brackets alongside the sentence.
See the example below for reference.
1. Words do not speak as loud as actions. (positive)
2. Latha is taller than Lalitha. (comparative)
3. Divyasri is the most brilliant student in the class. (superlative)
4. Arun is not as old as Akhil. (positive)
5. Hindi is one of the most widely spoken languages in India. (superlative)
6. Silver is not as expensive as gold. (positive)
Speaking- Just a minute prepare from text book
(analyze question and answer accordingly)

Writing – Memo Writing prepare from text book

(analyze question and answer accordingly)

Unit 5
Plural Endings Exercise
Identify whether the plural endings of the following words are pronounced as,
/ɪz/, |s| or /z/. Transcribe the plural forms of each word using phonemic
symbols.

Word Plural Pronunciation Phonemic Transcription

month months /z/ /mʌnθs/

dream dreams /z/ /drimz/

guava guavas /Iz/ /ˈgwaːvəz/

grudge grudges /z/ /grʌdʒɪz/

mosquito mosquitoes /oz/ /məˈskiːtoz/

scarf scarves /vz/ /skɑːrvz/

marsh marshes /z/ /mɑːrʃɪz/

kite kites /s/ /kaɪts/

thumb thumbs /z/ /θʌmz/

sudoku sudokus /z/ /səˈdoːkuz/

 layoff layoffs /z/ /ˈleɪɔfˌz/

award awards /z/ /əˈwɔːrdz/

question questions /ʃənz/ /ˈkwestʃənz/

clock clocks /s/ /klɑːks/

bell bells /z/ /belz/

surprise surprises /z/ /səˈpraɪzɪz/

egg eggs /z/ /ɛgz/

tape tapes /s/ /teɪps/

rainbow rainbows /z/ /ˈreɪnˌboʊz/

abacus abacuses /ɪz/ /ˈæbəkəsəz/

buggy buggies /iz/ /ˈbʌgiz/

thing things /z/ /θɪŋz/

minister ministers /z/ /ˈmɪnɪstərz/

collage collages /ɪz/ /ˈkɒlɑːʒɪz/

Phrasal Verbs

A. Fill in the blanks with correct phrasal verbs chosen from the options in brackets.

1. The boy felt let down when none of his friends went to watch him play.
2. She had no appetite and picked at the food on her plate.
3. The children get on very well with each other.
4. Nishi is going through a bad time in office.
5. He has come up with a wonderful idea for the picnic.
6. The people carried on bravely during the famine.

B. Rewrite the sentences using phrasal verbs that include the words in brackets.

1. Ajay felt he was cut off from his home and family and unable to contact them.
2. I want to brighten up the room by using colours.
3. The audience was bored because the programme dragged on for too long.
4. She was unable to put up with his behavior any longer.
5. You mustn't give up going to the guitar class because you find it difficult.
6. Cross out all the rough work in your answer sheets.

C. Find the meanings of the following phrasal verbs from a dictionary and use themin
sentence of your own.

Meaning Sentence

back out: To withdraw from an I had to back out of the camping trip due to a
agreement or commitment. sudden work emergency.

carry out: To complete a task or The police will carry out a thorough investigation
order. into the robbery.

come across: To find something While cleaning the attic, I came across some old
unexpectedly. photographs from my childhood.

cut down: To reduce the amount

I'm trying to cut down on sugar in my diet.
or size of something.

do away with: To eliminate or The company is considering doing away with the
abolish something. dress code policy.

eat into: To gradually use up

Traveling expenses are eating into my savings.
something, often time or money.

find out: To learn or discover I'm trying to find out what caused the power
something. outage.
get away with: To avoid
He shouldn't get away with speeding all the time.
punishment for something wrong.

get into: To enter a place or

He's working hard to get into medical school.
institution (university, trouble).

get through: To finish dealing with I finally got through the long line at the grocery
something difficult. store.

give away: To offer something for We're giving away some old clothes at the charity
free. event.

keep off: To prevent someone or The fence keeps off the wild animals from
something from approaching. entering the garden.

let off: To allow someone to leave

The judge let him off with a warning this time.
or avoid punishment.

long for: To desire something very

She longs for a vacation on a tropical beach.
much.

look after: To take care of My grandparents looked after me when I was a

someone or something. child.

look into: To investigate something

The police are looking into the suspicious activity.
further.

make up: To invent a story or

He made up an excuse to avoid going to work.
excuse.

put on: To organize or host an

We're putting on a play for the school fundraiser.
event.

put up with: To tolerate or endure I can't put up with his constant negativity
something unpleasant. anymore.
 run out of: To have no more of
We ran out of milk, so I need to go to the store.
something.

The driver accidentally ran over a cat. (Note: Be

run over: To collide with a vehicle
mindful of the context when using this phrase due
or person.
to its serious nature.)

see off: To say goodbye to We went to the airport to see her off on her trip to
someone who is leaving. Europe.

set out: To begin a journey or task. We set out early in the morning for our hike.

set up: To establish or arrange They're setting up a lemonade stand in their front
something. yard.

show up: To arrive at a place or

Don't be late, make sure you show up on time!
event.

speak for: To represent or be a He spoke for the entire team when he voiced his
voice for someone or something. concerns.

stand by: To support someone or

something, especially during a My friends always stand by me, no matter what.
difficult time.

take over: To assume control of The new manager took over the department last
something. week.

Reported Speech

1. Hasan informed them that he was returning to Nagpur next Saturday.

2. Dr Singh assured them that if he saw Jai, he would certainly bring him there.
3. Helen's friend complimented her writing, saying she wrote very well.
4. Chinnu reported that Kurien had built a house in his village last year.
5. Everyone would praise them, saying they had done a great job.
6. The officer announced that some of the animals had been saved.
7. The teacher stated that Hitler became the chancellor of Germany in 1933.
8. The director proposed having a farewell dinner for their chairperson.
9. Sunita warned me that my letter wouldn't reach her as she was leaving the city that
day.
10. The nurse inquired about the patient's condition, asking if the pain had become worse.
11. Kala revealed to me that she was my cousin's colleague.
12. He asked you the price of the tray.
13. The boy invited his friends, asking if they were walking with him to the beach.
14. Anju questioned Neil about which shirt he had sent to the laundry.
15. Everyone would ask her how it felt to be home.
16. The coach inquired about the athlete's practice habits, asking if he practiced regularly.
17. The guest complained that the room was stuffy.
18. Tony requested an extension from his teacher, asking for another day to complete his
work.
19. The principal instructed the student to take the certificates he had left there two days
ago.
20. The general ordered the soldiers to take up positions to defend their camp against the
enemy.
21. The pilot pleaded for the safety of civilians, saying the elderly, women, and children
should be allowed to go unharmed.
22. The managing director inquired about Mr Gupta's travel plans, asking if he would be going
to Sri Lanka next month for the international conference on herbal medicine in
Colombo.
23. Shruti expressed her delight to her mother, saying what a pleasant surprise it was and
how she'd been longing to see her.
24. Uncle instructed Sharan to leave the car at the service station as Uma would pick it up
tomorrow evening.
25. Minu welcomed them, inviting them to sit down and asking if they wanted to speak to her
about something.

Speaking- Directions prepare from text book

(analyze question and answer accordingly)

Writing – Precis Writing prepare from text book

(analyze question and answer accordingly)
 Unit 6
Past Tense Endings
Identify whether the past tense endings of the following words are pronounced
as /ɪd/, /t/ or /d/. Transcribe the past tense forms of each word using phonemic
symbols.

1. search (past tense: searched /sɜːrtʃt/) - /t/ sound

2. borrow (past tense: borrowed /ˈbɒroʊd/) - /d/ sound
3. fill (past tense: filled /fɪld/) - /d/ sound
4. score (past tense: scored /skɔːrd/) - /d/ sound
5. pass (past tense: passed /past/) - /t/ sound
6. fund (past tense: funded /fʌndɪd/) - /ɪd/ sound
7. pick (past tense: picked /pɪkt/) - /t/ sound
8. lie (past tense: lied /laɪd/) - /d/ sound
9. dash (past tense: dashed /dæʃt/) - /t/ sound
10. guide (past tense: guided /ˈgaɪdɪd/) - /ɪd/ sound
11. skid (past tense: skidded /ˈskɪdɪd/) - /ɪd/ sound
12. weigh (past tense: weighed /weɪd/) - /d/ sound
13. hint (past tense: hinted /ˈhɪntɪd/) - /ɪd/ sound
14. pour (past tense: poured /pɔːrd/) - /d/ sound
15. undo (past tense: undid /ʌnˈdɪd/) - /ɪd/ sound
16. praise (past tense: praised /preɪzd/) - /d/ sound

Vocabulary
Technical Vocabulary for everyday conversations
For each of the words, find at least two meanings: one usage related to
science and technology, and another, more general one. Use the words in
sentences of your own that demonstrate the multiple meanings of the word.

1. Alien
o Science & Technology: An extra-terrestrial being or something originating outside of
Earth.
 Sentence: Scientists continue to search for alien life forms in distant galaxies.
o General: Unfamiliar, strange, or foreign.
 Sentence: The new flavours in the ice cream shop were a bit alien to my taste buds.
2. Buffer
o Science & Technology: A temporary storage area for data that helps manage the
flow of information between devices.
 Sentence: A larger RAM buffer can improve the performance of your computer.
o General: Something that acts as a barrier or cushion.
 Sentence: The helmet served as a buffer against the impact of the fall.
3. Calculus
o Science & Technology: A branch of mathematics focused on limits, rates of change,
and integration.
 Sentence: Understanding calculus is essential for many fields of engineering and
physics.
o General: A method of systematic calculation or reasoning.
 Sentence: The chess player carefully calculated his next move.
4. Chip
o Science & Technology: A small, flat piece of semiconductor material containing
integrated circuits.
 Sentence: Modern computers rely on complex microchips to function.
o General: A small, thin piece of something.
 Sentence: I dipped a chip into the salsa for a taste.
5. Culture
o Science & Technology: In cell culture, isolated cells are grown in a controlled
environment for research purposes.
 Sentence: Scientists can use cell culture to study the behavior of diseases.
o General: The customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular
nation or people.
 Sentence: Indian culture is rich in tradition and diversity.
6. Cycle
o Science & Technology: A series of operations that are continually repeated.
 Sentence: The machine went through a wash cycle to clean the dishes.
o General: A series of events that are regularly repeated in a certain order.
 The water cycle describes the continuous movement of water on, above and below
the surface of the Earth.
7. Digest
o Science & Technology: In computing, to break down data into a smaller, more
manageable form.
 Sentence: The software is designed to digest large amounts of information and
generate reports.
o General: To break down food into a form that the body can absorb.
 Our digestive system helps us extract nutrients from the food we eat.
8. Matter
o Science & Technology: Anything that has mass and occupies space.
 Sentence: All matter is made up of tiny particles called atoms.
o General: A subject that is being dealt with or discussed.
 The matter at hand was the upcoming deadline for the project.
9. Mesh
o Science & Technology: A network of interconnected elements, often used in
computer graphics or wireless communication.
 Sentence: A virtual mesh can be used to create realistic 3D models.
o General: A material with an open weave, like a net or screen.
 The fisherman cast his net, hoping to catch some fish in the mesh.
10. Model
o Science & Technology: A computer simulation or representation of a system or
process.
 Scientists use climate models to predict future weather patterns.
o General: A person who poses for an artist, sculptor, or photographer.
 The fashion model strutted down the runway in a stunning gown.

11. Mole
o Science & Technology: In chemistry, a unit used to measure the amount of a
substance.
 Sentence: Chemists need to measure the exact number of moles of each ingredient
for a successful reaction.
o General: A small, burrowing mammal with soft fur.
 The tiny mole scurried through the garden, leaving tunnels in its wake.
12. Nuclear
o Science & Technology: Relating to the nucleus of an atom, which contains protons
and neutrons.
 Nuclear power plants use fission reactions to generate electricity.
o General: Central or most important part of something.
 The family gathered around the nuclear table for a holiday dinner.
13. Plane
o Science & Technology: In geometry, a flat surface that extends infinitely in all
directions.
 A plane can be defined by two intersecting lines.
o General: An airplane, a fixed-wing aircraft for passenger or cargo transport.
 We boarded the plane for our trip to Europe.
14. Pop-up
o Science & Technology: A window that appears on a computer screen unexpectedly,
often used for advertising.
 Be careful not to click on suspicious pop-up ads.
o General: To appear or come into existence suddenly.
 A bakery with pop-up locations sells delicious treats throughout the city.
15. Scale
o Science & Technology: A graduated instrument used for measuring weight or size.
 The scientist used a scale to weigh the chemicals for the experiment.
o General: A system of relative size, proportion, or importance.
 The project seemed large in scale, but we broke it down into smaller tasks.
16. Solution
o Science & Technology: A homogeneous mixture formed by dissolving a solid, liquid,
or gas in another liquid.
 Sugar dissolves in water to form a solution.
o General: The answer to a problem or difficulty.
 The team brainstormed to find a solution for the technical issue.
17. Space
o Science & Technology: The vast emptiness that surrounds Earth and other celestial
bodies.
 The space program continues to explore the universe beyond our planet.
o General: An amount of room or area available.
 The apartment building offered spacious living areas.
18. Tag
o Science & Technology: In computer science, metadata attached to a file or data
element for identification.
 Adding tags to photos helps organize them in a digital library.
o General: A small label or piece of material attached to something for identification.
 The gift came with a beautiful gift tag.
19. Vitriol
o Science & Technology: A white, crystalline sulfate mineral used in the production of
sulfuric acid.
 Vitriol is a corrosive substance used in some industrial processes.
o General: Harsh, bitter, or abusive criticism.
 The online critic spewed vitriol at the new movie.
20. Volume
o Science & Technology: The amount of space occupied by a 3D object.
 The volume of a sphere can be calculated using a specific formula.
o General: The loudness or intensity of sound.
 Please turn down the volume of the music, it's too loud.

Voice

A. Rewrite the following sentences in passive form using the words in

brackets. Use the by +...I phrase only if you think it is really necessary.
For example: We are shortlisting candidates for the interview. (being)
Candidates for the interview are being shortlisted.
Answers:
1. Sarala was praised for her good work by the chairman.
2. She is said to be an excellent pilot by the people.
3. The story will always be remembered by the child.
4. The lost documents must be found immediately.
5. When is the motorcycle being bought?
6. Can the tuition fees be paid tomorrow?
7. An honest person is trusted by everyone.
8. Amina is known.

B. Do as directed in the brackets at the end of each sentence below.

example: The office will be giving us a housing loan. (Begin the sentence with 'we.)
We will be given a housing loan by the office.
Answers:
1. Peacock Books is publishing a book on naturopathy.
2. She will be asked a few questions by the doctor.
3. We feel that no one is prepared to work hard.
4. The switch can be repaired by the electrician.
5. Someone has stolen my phone.
6. No one has fed the cats today.
7. A man was seen by the audience walking up to the stage.
8. A dog was chasing Zaid.

Speaking- Picture Description prepare from text book

(analyze question and answer accordingly)

Writing – Information Transfer prepare from text book

(analyze question and answer accordingly)