Guide: Dictionary skills and more:

1- Read the following dictionary entry and write the information in the correct box
ONE OF THE MOST COMMON WORDS - DEFINITIONS - WORD ORDER/PATTERN - EXAMPLES -
SYNONYMS/ANTONYMS - NOT SO COMMON - CATEGORY - PRONUNCIATION - FORMAL/INFORMAL

Collocation /
Special use

CATEGORIES AND WORD FORMATION

1- What categories are these words? Write verb, noun, adjective, etc. in the table. Note that some of them may
belong to more than one word class. Then, check in the dictionary.
EXPENSIVE FLAT
LIKE AT
HARD BECAUSE
BOOK THE
 2- Complete the table by writing in the noun form of these verbs. Then use the dictionary to check your answers.
e.g. verb: correct / noun: correction
PERMIT: DEPART: SLEEP:
EXPLAIN: ENJOY: AGREE:
ARRIVE: SIGN:

3- What are the noun forms of these adjectives? Check your answers in the dictionary.
e.g. adjective: simple / noun:simplicity
ELECTRIC: WEAK: DIFFERENT :
THICK: TENSE:
REAL: DIFFICULT :

VERBS AND PATTERNS

1- Look up the verb “leave”. What information can you find?
2- Look up the following verbs and give examples of their use:
A)advise B)want C) promise D) try E) make
3- Write the past forms of these verbs. Then check your answers in the dictionary.
BLEND BURST DEAL
BLEED UNDERSTAND FALL

PHRASAL VERBS:
1- Read the definitions and complete the phrasal verbs by writing one of the particles given below. Then check your
answers in the dictionary. IN - OFF- OVER - DOWN - UP - AFTER
1. take _______ – look or behave like an older relative 4. take _______ – start doing something regularly as a
habit, job or interest
2. take _______ – take control of something 5. take _______ – to remove something, especially a
piece of clothing
3. take _______ – write down information or a statement 6. take _______ – to understand and remember
something that you hear or read

PREPOSITIONS
1- Fill in the gaps using prepositions. Then check your answers in the dictionary.
1. Colby died as a result _______ a heart attack. 2.He is very good ____ sports.
3.When we took control __________ the company, it was 4. He politely made no reference _______ my untidy
losing money. appearance.
5.We are close __________ signing an agreement after 6. Looking at it _______ a scientific point of view, the
today’s meeting. discovery is extremely important.
7. The techniques used differ _______ company to 8. The town of Gouda is famous _______ its cheese.
company.
9.Far _______ seeming glad to see him, Rose looked 10.We were involved _______ the negotiations up until
almost angry. the last minute.

BRITISH AMERICAN ENGLISH

1- Use the dictionary to find the British or American equivalents of the words in the table.
mobile phone tap lift
garbage can cashpoint Candy

COLLOCATIONS
1- Fill the gaps in the sentences using these nouns. Then check your answers in the dictionary by looking up the verbs
and finding the nouns they collocate with.
LEGISLATION – DAMAGE - RESPONSIBILITIES - RESULTS - DOUBTS - IMPRESSION - INFECTION - AMOUNT - CONTRIBUTIONS

A. ____________ have been raised about the company’s right to use this land.
B. The storm caused widespread ____________.
C. I really wanted to create a good ____________ at the start of the interview.
D. Other options will be considered if the talks fail to produce ____________.
E. They intend to introduce ____________ to prevent human cloning.
F. We have transferred all of our administrative ____________ to our central office.
G. Regular cleaning may help prevent ____________.
H. The new systems should significantly reduce the ____________ of paper we use.
I. Community police have made a very positive ____________ to crime prevention.
2- Go to the site http://www.ozdic.com/collocation-dictionary/(a collocation dictionary online) and find the verbs that
collocate with the following nouns:
a) Internet: _______________________________________________________________________________
b) Lesson: __________________________________________________________________________________
c) Exam: ___________________________________________________________________________________
d) Exhibition: ________________________________________________________________________________
e) Difficulties: ________________________________________________________________________________

MISTAKES
Read the following composition and correct the mistakesrelated to (follow this order):
a) Verb sequence b) Verb forms c)Patterns d)Categories e)Prepositions
“Are you sure it`s safe?” Josh asked tohis friend Marty, who was just about to step ______ the little
rope bridge. Josh looked down ____ the river far beneath them and swallowed hardly.
Unfortunately, it was the only way to reach the other side, so he knew ____ had to get across before
it began to got dark.
“Look, it`s as safe as houses,” said Marty confidently as he put his foot onto the bridge. Once Marty
was safe on the other side, Josh began to cross. The little bridge creak under his weight, making he
even more nervous than he already is. He was almost half way across the bridge when suddenly
one of the ropes snap.
Josh screamed as the bridge fell to one side, leaving him hanging over the fast-flowing river far
below his feet. Terrified, he clung____ the other rope. “Keep calm! Hold on!” Marty calls to him. Josh
looked across to where his friend stood. Slowly, hand over hand, Josh moved carefully along the
rope until he was close enough for Marty tograb tohim.
Safely on the other side, Josh lay panting on the ground. He felt exhaust, but he was glad for be
alive. Marty asked him if he felt he could go on. “Yes, I`m okay,” he replied bravely. “We`d better go.
___ will be dark soon.” They both set off, leaving the bridge and the terrifying incident behind they.

BUILDING VOCABULARY:
1- Follow the link: http://www.saberingles.com.ar/ways/ and find ways at least five distinctive ways of:
a)laughingb) walking c) speaking d) looking
Write the definitions.
2- A) Put these verbs in the correct place
GAZE – DASH – GIGGLE – HISS – MURMUR – PEER – STROLL - WANDER – YELL – SIGH – CHUCKLE – MUTTER – PEEP – MOAN
– SHRIEK – GRIN – WHISPER – EXCLAIM - RUSH
Walk ---> Look --->
Say --->Laugh --->
 B) Use the verbs in A and complete:
Walk:
a) We ____________ lazily along the waterfront, enjoying the warm sunshine as we watched the fishermen
mending their nets.
b) At the sound of the doorbell she __________ eagerly to the front door, excited to be meeting him again
after so many years.
Say:
a) “Stupid old fool!” he _____________ angrily to himself, pushing rudely past the elderly man limping down
the steps.
b) “Oh, well,” Jill _____________ “perhaps it doesn’t really matter – but I wish you`d asked me first before
telling everyone about it.”
c) “Don’t look round now, but I`m sure that man sitting behind us is the prisoner I was reading about in the
paper,” I ____________ nervously to John.
d) “Help!” Karen ___________ hysterically. “Somebody help me!”
Look:
a) The couple ____________ lovingly into each other`s eyes, completely unaware of the people hurrying past.
b) Kevin ___________ through the widescreen, hardly able to see where he was going in the pouring rain.
Laugh:
a) David ___________ cheerfully as he waved to the crowed, accepting their applause for the magnificent race
he had run.
b) Sally and Lynne ___________ with embarrassment when the two boys crossed the room and asked them to
dance.

3- Use the following verbs and complete the extracts:

WONDERED – THREATENED – PROMISED – ADMITTED – SCREAMED – REMINDED
a) “Who sent me these beautiful flowers?” Anne _____________ as she opened the small card attached to the
bouquet.
b) “Of course I`ll help you paint the cabin,” Carl _____________ his sister when she called.
c) “Now, don’t forget to pick up the tickets from the travel agents,” Susan ____________ Bob.
d) “Run, Terry! Run faster!” Tom ____________ as the lion leapt over the rock.
e) “If you tell anybody what happened, I`ll come after you,” the man ___________ Dave and Ben before he
drove away.
f) “Yes, I took the disc but I had no choice!” Mr Perry ___________ to Rachel when she saw it on his desk.

4- Follow the link: http://www.thesaurus.com/and find synonyms/antonyms for the following words:
THRILLED – ANXIOUS – MISERABLE – FRIGHTENED - ANNOYED

5- Replace the underlined phrases for specific words.

a) Annaclosed the door very violently behind her andran very quickly to his house
b) “Here he comes!” said Carla, looking anxiously through the sunlit blinds. “And he`s got a parcel!” The
postman smiled as he walked up the path.
c) “The plane is going to crash,” said Steve. Everyone in the air traffic control room looked at him. Steve ran
back to his monitor and put on his headset. “Why on earth don`t you answer?” he said. “I`m afraid there`s
nothing we can do to help them now,” he said.

COMPOSITION:
Choose one of the lines from “Building vocabulary” and write a short narrative.