Grammar Exercise 1: This exercise teaches you how to use the tenses in the

English language.
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(2) I __________ (try) to finish the project by the end of the week.
(3) At the end of this month, we __________ (finish) the job.

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(4) When my Grandpa was alive, he always __________ (tell) the most interesting
stories.

Here are the basic active verb tenses:

(5) We __________ (just arrive) when she announced that she was getting engaged.

Present Simple - Active Voice: I work.

(6) He __________ (buy) a boat last week for $3000.

Past Simple - Active Voice: I worked.

(7) I __________ (pass) the exam next week if I study hard.

Future - Active Voice: I will work.

(8) Mary __________ (run) 3 miles every afternoon in order to keep fit.

Present Perfect - Active Voice: I have worked.

(9) I __________ (never eat) such a delicious meal in all my life!

Past Perfect - Active Voice: I had worked.

(10) Her parents __________ (disapprove) of her decision, but she did it anyway.

Future Perfect - Active Voice: I will have worked.

Answers

If you are studying English, you already know that there are many other verb forms
and tenses, such as the continuous form and the passive voice.

(1) met

We will look at the other verb forms in our other exercises on this website.

(2) will try

Exercise 1
Instructions: Study the basic verb forms provided above.
Then attempt the exercise that follows.

(3) will have finished

(4) told
(5) had just arrived
(6) bought

You will notice that we have included both regular and irregular verbs in this
exercise.

(7) will pass

The answers are provided at the end of the page.

(8) runs

(1) We __________ (meet) at the entrance of the mall before going shopping
yesterday.

(9) have never eaten

(10) disapproved

wear
Exercise 2

Grammar Exercise 2
Grammar Exercise 2 gives you more practice with irregular verbs.

Now complete the exercise that follows by placing one of the verbs from the list
above into the gap of each sentence.

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You need to use the past simple tense for each sentence.

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(1) They __________ a great deal of money refurbishing that old house.

Remember that regular verbs take the -ed suffix when forming the past simple
tense.

(2) The accountant __________ the profit and loss for his client in accordance with
accepted accounting principles.

However, irregular verbs forms do not take the -ed suffix, but rather are formed
with a vowel change or with a non -ed suffix form.

Look at the verbs in the list below. Identify them as regular or irregular.
allow
calculate

(3) The mother and her child __________ themselves badly in a car accident.
(4) They __________ the support of the management of the company, which made
their business plan successful.
(5) She __________ him after he apologized, although she probably shouldn't have.

catch

(6) I __________ a good salary when I worked in London, but it was very expensive
to live there.

feel

(7) He __________ a new suit and tie to his son's wedding.

forgive

(8) The player __________ the basketball and went on to score the point that won the
game.

earn
injure

(9) Her parents __________ her to travel around the world alone, even though she
was only 17 years old.

spend

(10) I __________ just awful yesterday because I was suffering from a bad cold.

obtain

Answers

(1) spent (irregular)

Then decide whether each verb in the list is a regular verb or an irregular verb.

(2) calculated (regular)

avoid

(3) injured (regular)

(4) obtained (regular)

become
drink
fight

(5) forgave (irregular)

(6) earned (regular)

freeze
introduce

(7) wore (irregular)

lighten

(8) caught (irregular)

mean

(9) allowed (irregular)

swim

(10) felt (irregular)

tumble

Exercise 3

After you have studied the preceding list, place the verbs into the sentences that
follow.
Grammar Exercise 3
Grammar Exercise 3 - We continue looking at regular and irregular verbs in this
exercise.
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As on the previous page, have a look at the list of verbs below.
You may already know some of the verbs in the list, while others may be new to
you.

Remember that you need to use the past simple form.

(1) The professor __________ annoyed and angry after he learned that some of the
students had cheated on the exam.
(2) My uncle __________ me to the man that I later married.
(3) He __________ all the wine, so there was none left when the guests arrived at the
party.
(4) She __________ her hair last week. She is much more blonde now.

(5) I can't believe that he __________ to do something as mean and spiteful as that!
Surely, his actions must have been unintentional.
(6) The two business partners __________ over every single decision, until they
finally decided to dissolve their company.

Grammar Exercise 4

(7) He __________ the entire length of the pool ten times yesterday.

Grammar Exercise 4 - This is the last of our exercises on regular and irregular
verbs.

(8) The child __________ down the stairs, but was not hurt in the accident.

We move on to transitive and intransitive verbs in the next exercise.

(9) I __________ the person I didn't want to talk to by hiding behind the newspaper I
was reading at the time.

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(10) The water in the lake __________ due to the low temperatures last night.

Look at the verbs that follow and indicate whether they are regular or irregular.

Answers

Then change the verbs to the past tense and put them in the sentences below.

(1) became (irregular)

The answers are given after the exercise.

(2) introduced (regular)

bend

(3) drank (irregular)

borrow

(4) lightened (regular)

communicate

(5) meant (irregular)

damage

(6) fought (irregular)

knock

(7) swam (irregular)

pay

(8) tumbled (regular)

permit

(9) avoided (regular)

stand

(10) froze (irregular)

teach

wake

(5) borrowed (regular)

Exercise 4

(6) paid (irregular)

(1) She __________ on the door to her friend's house before going inside.

(7) taught (irregular)

(2) I __________ up so late today. In fact, I didn't get out of bed until 10:30 am.

(8) bent (irregular)

(3) They __________ with me via email since the telephone was out of order.

(9) permitted (regular)

(4) My mother __________ her favourite plate when she dropped in onto the kitchen
floor.

(10) stood (irregular)

(5) He __________ a book from me, but he hasn't returned it to me yet.

(6) He __________ $400 for that old broken-down car, and then he really regretted it.

Grammar Exercise 5

(7) My parents __________ me always to tell the truth, so it is impossible for me to

tell a lie.

Grammar Exercise 5 helps you determine whether verbs are transitive or

intransitive.

(8) He __________ the piece of wire by twisting it with his hands.

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(9) They __________ the disabled person to enter the building at the special entrance.

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(10) I __________ at the bus stop for 35 minutes waiting for a bus to come.

Transitive verbs must take a grammatical object. In other words, transitive verbs
convey an action from one person or thing to another.

Answers

Transitive verb: He loved his wife and children so much.

(1) knocked (regular)

The action of loving is conveyed to the man's wife and children, so the verb is
transitive.

(2) woke (irregular)

(3) communicated (regular)

Intransitive verbs do not take an object. The grammatical subject of the sentence
performs an action which is not conveyed to another person or thing.
I stayed inside yesterday because the weather was so inclement.

(4) damaged (regular)

The grammatical subject of the sentence is "I." The verb is "stayed," which is
intransitive because the action is not conveyed to another person or thing.

Please notice that the word "yesterday" functions as an adverbial in the previous
sentence.
Look at the following examples. Which one is transitive and which one is
intransitive?
Sentence 1: He hit the other car because he wasn't paying attention to the traffic.
Sentence 2: I slept all day long because I was exhausted from so working hard the
previous day.
The verb in sentence 1 ("hit") is transitive. The other car receives the action of being
hit.
The verb in sentence 2 ("slept") is intransitive. The phrase "all day long" is an
adverbial phrase, not a grammatical object.

(7) The referee blew the whistle for the penalty.

(8) She picked her favourite flowers from the garden.
(9) My family took a trip to Disneyland two years ago.
(10) I eat far too much sometimes.
Answers

(1) The verb is went. It is intransitive.

(2) The verb is shut down. It is a transitive phrasal verb.
(3) The verb is sent. It is transitive. The grammatical object is letters.
(4) The verb is complain. It is intransitive and is usually used with the preposition
"about."
(5) The verb is ate. It is transitive. The grammatical object is my breakfast.

Exercise 5

Now study the sentences below and determine whether they contain transitive or
intransitive verbs.
(1) Our team went to the league championship last year.
(2) She shut down the computer on her way out of the office.
(3) They sent letters to all of their customers about the new product.
(4) Some students complain about the amount of homework on the course.
(5) I ate my breakfast in such a hurry this morning.
(6) I watched the DVD from the library last night.

(6) The verb is watched. It is transitive. The grammatical object is the DVD.
(7) The verb is blew. It is transitive. The grammatical object is the whistle.
(8) The verb is picked. It is transitive. The grammatical object is her favourite
flowers.
(9) The verb is took. It is transitive. The grammatical object is a trip.
(10) The verb is eat. It is intransitive in this case since it is describing a habit.

Grammar Exercise 6

Complete the sentences below by placing the correct form of the verb in each gap.

Grammar Exercise 6 helps you with subject and verb agreement.

(1) Many of my friends __________ (disagree / disagrees) with me on this topic.

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Subject-verb agreement can become quite difficult if there are prepositional
phrases or adverbials after the grammatical subject of a sentence.

(2) Fifteen pounds __________ (is / are) the price of that jacket.
(3) Two hundred kilometres __________ (seem / seems) a long way to drive just for a
party.

Be sure to ignore the nouns in the prepositional phrases, and make the main verb
agree in number to the grammatical subject of the sentence.

(4) One-half of the students in the class __________ (has / have) good marks on the
test.

The verb form you use will depend on whether your grammatical subject is singular
or plural.

(5) Several members on staff in the company __________ (need / needs) a higher
salary.

Here is an example of a sentence containing a singular grammatical subject:

(6) Neither the bread nor the cheese __________ (is / are) fresh enough to eat.

The girl in my class on arts and crafts is very good at drawing.

(7) Two chairs by the table in the dining room __________ (is / are) broken.

The grammatical subject of this sentence is "girl", not "class", "arts" or "crafts".

(8) Many politicians in public office __________ (has / have) concerns about
protecting the details of their private lives.

The phrases "in my class" and "on arts and crafts" are prepositional phrases that
identify the class and its subject matter.

(9) Either my aunt or my uncle usually __________ (help / helps) my parents.

Here is an example of a sentence containing a plural grammatical subject:

(10) The price of that pair of gloves __________ (was / were) five euros.

Many voters in the county in the north of England refuse to vote for the new
candidate.

Answers

The grammatical subject of the previous sentence is "voters", which is a plural noun.
The other nouns are in prepositional phrases that describe the location of the voting
constituency.
Exercise 6

(1) disagree - The subject of the sentence is many.

(2) is - The subject of the sentence is the price.
(3) seems - The subject of the sentence is a long way.
(4) have - The subject of the sentence is one-half.

(5) need - The subject of the sentence is several members.

The phrases "in your position" or "in your situation" have a higher level of formality
than "in your shoes", which is considered quite informal.

(6) is - The subject of the sentence is neither.

(7) are - The subject of the sentence is two chairs.

The use of "were" with the first-person pronoun "I" in this way is known as the
subjunctive.

(8) have - The subject of the sentence is many politicians.

Here are some examples:

(9) helps - The subject of the sentence is either.

If I were in your shoes, I would speak to the professor about the problem.

(10) was - The subject of the sentence is the price.

If I were in your position, I would speak to the professor about the problem.
If I were in your situation, I would speak to the professor about the problem.
You can also put the word "were" first in the sentence.

Grammar Exercise 7
Grammar Exercise 7 is a review of certain phrases that can be used to give
advice in English.
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The following phrases can be used in conversational English in order to give
advice:
"if I were you"
"if I were in your shoes"
"if I were in your position"

Here are some additional examples, showing how to construct the sentence by
beginning with "Were":
Were I you, I would speak to the professor about the problem.
Were I in your position, I would speak to the professor about the problem.
Were I in your situation, I would speak to the professor about the problem.
Exercise 7

Make grammatically correct sentences out of the words below. Note that the words
are not in the correct order.
You should look at the examples above as you attempt the exercise.

"if I were in your situation"

(1) were / I / boss / you / I / mention / it / my / would / to / if

In other words, the word "you" can be replaced by the phrases "in your shoes", "in
your position" or "in your situation".

(2) I / study / would / I / in / position / your / more / were

(3) I / go / you / diet / I / would / on / were / a

"it's about time"

(4) I / calm / your / were / I / would / if / in / down / shoes

Note that these phrases are used in in colloquial English. They are very seldom used
in formal academic writing.

(5) I / speak / situation / in / were / would / if / in / I / to / him / your

Answers

Example: It's time you told your parents that you failed your exams.
In the preceding sentence, the main verb is "tell".

(1) If I were you, I would mention it to my boss.

The verb form needs to be the past simple tense (told).
(2) Were I in your position, I would study more.
Exercise 8

(3) Were I you, I would go on a diet.

(4) If I were in your shoes, I would calm down.
(5) If I were in your situation, I would speak to him.

Complete the exercise below by placing one of the words provided in the sentences
that follow.
You will have to change the tense of the verbs in order to arrive at the correct
answers.
finish / start / eat / pay / speak / stop / realise / be / get / go

Grammar Exercise 8
Grammar Exercise 8 shows you how to use other phrases to give advice in
conversational English.

(1) It's about time you __________ less. You are getting fat!
(2) It's high time you __________ more respectful to your parents.
(3) It's high time we __________ back to our house.

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In addition to the phrases we have seen in exercise 7, the following phrases can
also be used to give advice:

(4) It's about time you __________ to exercise.

(5) It's time you __________ to your mother about your boyfriend.
(6) It's high time you __________ more exercise.

"it's high time"

(7) It's time you __________ a visit to the dentist.

"it's time"

(8) It's about time we __________ that we won't be able to finish the job by the
deadline.
(9) It's about time you __________ getting so angry about small things.
(10) It's time you __________ writing your thesis.
Answers

(1) ate
(2) were
(3) went
(4) started
(5) spoke
(6) got
(7) paid
(8) realised

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You will have to write two writing tasks as part of the IELTS exam.
The first writing task involves having to interpret data that is represented in a
chart, graph or table.

For task 1, you will need to write about the most significant aspects of the data.
The use of passive voice is very common in the data analysis writing task.
However, you shouldn't write all of your sentences in the passive voice.
You should write some sentences in the simple past active voice as well.
This will create a variety of high-level sentence constructions in your task 1 essay.
Here are some examples:
Active: First, the teacher gave the students a sheet of paper containing written
instructions.
Passive: First, the students were given a sheet of paper containing written instructions
(by the teacher).

(9) stopped
(10) finished

Note that the phrase containing the agent ("by the teacher") is not really necessary in
this situation because we know from common sense that it is the teacher's job to do
this task.
Exercise 9

Grammar Exercise 9
Grammar Exercise 9 helps you to revise the passive verb forms.

Transform the active voice sentences below into the passive voice.
The first few words of the passive sentence are provided to guide you.

1 (Active): Then the teacher explained the instructions provided on the handout.

5 (Passive): Finally, the students were provided feedback (by the teacher).

1 (Passive): Then the instructions . . .

2 (Active): During the explanation of the instructions, the teacher permitted the
students to ask questions.
2 (Passive): During the explanation of the instructions, the students . . .
3 (Active): When the students had finished asking questions, the teacher put them into
groups in order to carry out the task.
3 (Passive): When the students had finished asking questions, they . . .
4 (Active): During this time, the teacher observed the students' interactions.

Grammar Exercise 10
Grammar Exercise 10 helps you revise the following demonstrative pronouns:
those, them, this and that.
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The main demonstrative pronouns can be explained as follows:
Those (nominative case - plural)

4 (Passive): During this time, the students' interactions . . .

Them (accusative case - plural)

5 (Active): Finally, the teacher provided feedback to the students.

5 (Passive): Finally, the students . . .
Answers

1 (Passive): Then the instructions provided on the handout were explained (by the
teacher).
2 (Passive): During the explanation of the instructions, the students were permitted to
ask questions (by the teacher).
3 (Passive): When the students had finished asking questions, they were put into
groups (by the teacher) in order to carry out the task.
4 (Passive): During this time, the students' interactions were observed (by the
teacher).

This (nominative case - used when speaking about the present situation)
That (accusative case - used when speaking about a past or distant situation)
Exercise 10

Put the correct demonstrative pronoun into the sentences below.

Please refer to the examples above to guide you as you work through the exercise.
(1) __________ cakes appear to be so luscious.
(2) I gave so many gifts to __________ when they had their party.
(3) __________ result wasn't what she had hoped.
(4) __________ essay has been cut and pasted from a website.

(5) __________ holiday has really been an adventure!

(6) __________ was a catastrophe that might have been easily averted.
(7) Low-income people need help. We should give __________ support when they
need it.
(8) __________ people need support frequently.
(9) __________ shoes look shabby now.
(10) __________ jacket is my favourite one.
Answers

(1) Those
(2) them
(3) That
(4) This
(5) This
(6) That
(7) them
(8) Those
(9) Those
(10) This

The time limit for the reading test is 60 minutes.

Remember to write your answers on the answer sheet for the reading test during the
60 minute time limit. Extra time is not granted to do this.
Please look at the section below for a sample reading test and answers.
We hope you will find this reading sample useful. Please have a look at our other
IELTS materials.
Free IELTS Reading Passage

IELTS Reading
This page provides a sample IELTS Reading Test.
Although this sample is for the Academic Module, you can also use it for the
General Training Module.
Also visit our other links in the main menu for IELTS writing, speaking and
listening.
There are three reading passages on the actual IELTS reading test.
Each text will be 700 to 800 words in length on the reading test.

Following each passage, you will see multiple choice questions, as well as tasks that
are represented in a table or chart format.
The reading test has 40 total questions.
Different genres, such as newpapers, magazines and academic textbooks, will be
represented in the texts on the reading test.
A controversial subject will be discussed in at least one of the reading passages.

A) Nowadays adventurers, fieldwork assistants, volunteers and travellers are

replacing tourists. However, the word 'tourist' will never completed vanish. There
might still be those who quietly travel to foreign lands for nothing other than their
own enjoyment, but it will be a clandestine and frowned upon activity. No one will
want to admit to being one of those people.
B) Bali and Burma have decided to prohibit tourists from entering certain areas of
their countries. New territories are being added to the list of places we cannot explore.
Tourism Concern, an international tourist organisation, lists China, Botswana, Belize,
Zanzibar, East Africa, Peru and Thailand as having areas that have been adversely
affected by tourism. They believe that tourists destroy the environment and local
cultures. They also assert that although tourists bring with them their money, they
must be stopped at any price.
C) The prohibitions may seem ironic since 40 years ago, tourism was being
encouraged as unquestionably good. With the arrival of package holidays and charter
flights, tourism could at last be enjoyed by the majority of the population. The United
Nations declared 1967 the International Year of the Tourist, and by the 1980s, tourism
was the most profitable and fastest-growing industry in the world. By the end of the
twentieth century, 20 million families a year went abroad on holiday.
D) Today there are more than 700 million tourists each year. The World Tourism
Organisation (WTO) forecasts that, by 2050, there will be 1.56 billion tourists

travelling at any one time. These statistics reveal that the challenge to stop more than
a billion tourists from going where they want to go is immense. In fact, this task may
be so large that it might be impossible.
Question 29 to 33:
Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D.
29) What is the best title for this passage?
A. Tourism and the Environment
B. Adventurers, Tourists and Travellers
C. The Changing Face of Tourism
D. Tourism: Its Advantages and Disadvantages

A. Tourism and the Environment

B. Adventurers, Tourists and Travellers
C. The Changing Face of Tourism
D. Tourism: Its Advantages and Disadvantages
Complete the questions below.
1967 - United Nations 30) __________ tourism.
Most people could finally 31) __________ package holidays.
1980 - Tourism industry experiences high 32) __________
Today 33) __________ of 700 million tourists each year.

Complete the questions below.

2050 - The WTO's 34) __________ states that there will be 1.56 billion tourists
at any time.

1967 - United Nations 30) __________ tourism.

Reading Answers

Most people could finally 31) __________ package holidays.

1980 - Tourism industry experiences high 32) __________
Today 33) __________ of 700 million tourists each year.
2050 - The WTO's 34) __________ states that there will be 1.56 billion tourists
at any time.

Reading Answers Page

The reading answers are provided in the next section of this page.
We repeat the questions again here for ease of reference.
Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D.
29) What is the best title for this passage?

29) C
30) supports
31) afford
32) profits / profitability / growth
33) excess
34) prediction / forecast / estimate