Exercises

97.1 Complete the sentences for each situation. Use the word given + the ending ~ing or ~ed.

1. The film wasn't as good as we had expected. (disappoint-)

a. The film was _disappointing._

b. We were _disappointed_ with the film.

2. Diana teaches young children. It's a very hard job but she enjoys it. (exhaust-)

a. She enjoys her job but it's often ---.

b. At the end of a day's work, she is often ---.

3. It's been raining all day. I hate this weather. (depress-)

a. This weather is ---.

b. This weather makes me ---.

c. It's silly to get --- because of the weather.

4. Clare is going to the United States next month. She has never been there before. (excit-)

a. It will be an --- experience for her.

b. Going to new places is always ---.

c. She is really --- about going to the United States.

97.2 Choose the correct word.

1. I was _disappointing/disappointed_ with the film. I had expected it to be better.

2. Are you _interesting/interested_ in football?

3. The football match was quite _exciting/excited_ I enjoyed it.

4. It's sometimes _embarrassing/embarrassed_ when you have to ask people for money.

5. Do you easily get _embarrassing/embarrassed? _

6. I had never expected to get the job. I was really _amazing/amazed_ when I was offered it.

7. She has really learnt very fast. She has made _astonishing/astonished_ progress.

8. 1 didn't find the situation funny. I was not _amusing/amused._

9. It was a really _terrifying/terrified_ experience. Afterwards everybody was very _shocking/shocked._

10 Why do you always look so _boring/bored? _ Is your life really so _boring/bored? _

11. He's one of the most _boring/bored_ people I've ever met. He never stops talking and he never says anything _interesting/interested._

97.3 Complete the sentences using one of the words in the box.

amusing/amused confusing/confused exhausting/exhausted annoying/annoyed disgusting/disgusted interesting/interested boring/bored exciting/excited surprising/surprised

1. He works very hard. It's not _surprising_ that he's always tired.

2. I've got nothing to do. I'm ---.

3. The teacher's explanation was ---. Most of the students didn't understand it.

4. The kitchen hadn't been cleaned for ages. It was really ---.

5. I seldom visit art galleries. I'm not particularly --- in art.

6. There's no need to get --- just because I'm a few minutes late.

7. The lecture was ---. I fell asleep.

8. I asked Emily if she wanted to come out with us but she wasn't ---.

9. I've been working very hard all day and now I'm ---.

10. I'm starting a new job next week. I'm quite --- about it.

11. Tom is very good at telling funny stories. He can be very ---.

12. Liz is a very --- person. She knows a lot, she's travelled a lot and she's done lots of different things.

UNIT 98 Adjectives: word order (a nice new house), Adjectives after verbs (You look tired)

A. Sometimes we use two or more adjectives together:

* My brother lives in a nice new house.

* In the kitchen there was 'a beautiful large round wooden table.

Adjectives like new/large/round/wooden are fact adjectives. They give us factual information about age, size, colour etc.

Adjectives like nice/beautiful are opinion adjectives. They tell us what somebody thinks of something or somebody.

Opinion adjectives usually go before fact adjectives.

a nice(opinion) long(fact) summer holiday

an interesting(opinion) young(fact) man

an delicious(opinion) hot(fact) vegetable soup

a beautiful(opinion) large round wooden(fact) table

B. Sometimes we use two or more fact adjectives. Very often (but not always) we put fact adjectives in this order:

1. how big? -> 2. how old? -> 3. what color? -> 4. where from? -> 5. what is it made of? -> NOUN

a tall young man (1 -> 2)

a large wooden table (1 -> 5)

big blue eyes (1 -> 3)

an old Russian song (2 -> 4)

a small black plastic bag (1 -> 3 -> 5)

an old white cotton shirt (2 -> 3 -> 5)

Adjectives of size and length (big/small/tall/short/long etc.) usually go before adjectives of shape and width (round/fat/thin/slim/wide etc.): a large round table a tall thin girl a long narrow street

When there are two colour adjectives, we use and:

a black and white dress

a red, white and green flag

but a long black dress (not 'a long and black dress')

C. We say 'the first two days', 'the next few weeks', 'the last ten minutes' etc.:

* I didn't enjoy the first two days of the course. (not 'the two first days')

* They'll be away for the next few weeks. (not 'the few next weeks')

D. We use adjectives after be/get/become/seem:

* Be careful!

* I'm tired and I'm getting hungry.

* As the film went on, it became more and more boring.

* Your friend seems very nice.

We also use adjectives to say how somebody/something looks, feels, sounds, tastes or smells:

* You look tired./I feel tired./She sounds tired.

* The dinner smells good.

* This tea tastes a bit strange.

But to say how somebody does something you must use an adverb (see Units 99-100):

* Drive carefully! (not 'Drive careful')

* Susan plays the piano very well. (not 'plays...very good')