Grammar Exercise - Unless, Providing, Provided That, And As Long As

Grammar Exercise - Unless, Providing, Provided That, And As Long As 

The expressions providing, provided that and as long as have very similar meanings and are usually interchangeable. They are used before saying the conditions that make something else happen or be true. Unless is similar to if not.

Test your understanding of these expressions with this grammar exercise.

1. We can win the championship, .......................... we avoid bad injuries.

providing

Unless

2. I will leave now, .............................. there is anything left to do now.

unless

as long as

3. We can hold the party in the garden ............................. it doesn't rain.

provided

unless

4. The public will be admitted to the galleries, ........................... they make a donation.

unless

providing

5. You can keep the puppy ................................... you promise to take care of it.

as long as

provided that

6. You can take my car ............................... you drive carefully.

as long as

provided that

Either could be used here

7. I can't help you ............................ you tell me what is wrong.

unless

providing

8. I can help you ............................... you tell me what is wrong.

unless

provided that

9. He wouldn't eat anything .................................. he cooked it himself.

providing

unless

10. You can take this seat, ............................... no one has reserved it.

unless

providing

as long as

11. My parents don't care who I marry .......................... I am happy.

as long as

unless

12. You can go out now .............................. you finish your homework first.

providing

provided that

as long as

All of these

Answers

1. We can win the championship, providing we avoid bad injuries.
2. I will leave now, unless there is anything left to do now.
3. We can hold the party in the garden provided that it doesn’t rain.
4. The public will be admitted to the galleries, providing they make a donation.
5. You can keep the puppy as long as you promise to take care of it.
6. You can take my car as long as you drive carefully.
7. I can’t help you unless you tell me what is wrong.
8. I can help you as long as you tell me what is wrong.
9. He wouldn’t eat anything unless he cooked it himself.
10. You can take this seat, providing / provided that / as long as no one has reserved it.
11. My parents don’t care who I marry as long as I am happy.
12. You can go out now providing / provided that / as long as you finish your homework first.

Spelling Exercise

Spelling Exercise

There are some words which can cause confusion in meaning if we are not careful about their spelling because they can be confused for another word which is very similar in spelling.

Here are some commonly confused verbs

die / dying / died

dye / dyeing / dyed

hop / hopping / hopped

hope / hoping / hoped

mop / mopping / mopped

mope / moping / moped

scrap / scraping / scraped

lie (recline) / lying / laid  or lain

lie (tell a lie) / lying / lied

Complete the following sentences.

1. The rabbit .......................... across the field.

hopped

hoped

2. I was ........................... that you could lend me a pound.

hoping

hopping

3. She ........................ the skirt to match her blouse.

died

dyed

4. The poor woman is ...........................

dying

dyeing

5. The rough surface of the floor made ........................ difficult.

mopping

moping

6. I slipped and .......................... an elbow.

scrapped

scraped

7. The witness .......................... to the jury.

lied

laid

8. The king ............................ now in his final resting place.

lays

lies

9. I .......................... down on the couch yesterday.

lie

lay

10. Please .................................. the plate down now.

lie

lay

lain

11. The tiles were .......................... in a geometric pattern.

lied

laid

12. It is a mistake to .............................. too much emphasis on grades.

lie

lay

Answers

1. The rabbit hopped across the field.
2. I was hoping that you could lend me a pound.
3. She dyed the skirt to match her blouse.
4. The poor woman is dying.
5. The rough surface of the floor made mopping difficult.
6. I slipped and scraped an elbow.
7. The witness lied to the jury.
8. The king lies now in his final resting place.
9. I lay down on the couch yesterday.
10. Please lay the plate down now.
11. The tiles were laid in a geometric pattern.
12. It is a mistake to lay too much emphasis on grades.

Grammar Exercise Too, Enough and So…That

Grammar Exercise - Too, Enough and So…That

The adverbs too and enough are used to indicate excess or sufficiency.

In these sentence structures, enough is always placed after the adjective it qualifies while too is placed before the adjective. Enough and too are followed by infinitive phrases (to + verb). Sometimes they are also followed by a phrase beginning with for.

Fill in the blanks with an appropriate word or phrase.

1. She wasn't .......................... to be discouraged by some of her teachers.

too weak

weak enough

Either could be used here

2. She soon grew ......................... to manage without a hearing aid.

so deaf

too deaf

deaf enough

3. The task was ............................ for any teenager fresh from a Scottish farm.

enough daunting

daunting enough

Either could be used here

4. Rahul was .......................... busy that he could not talk to me.

too

so

enough

All of the above

5. The car is ........................... to seat six people.

too large

so large

large enough

6. He walked ............................ fast that I could not catch up with him.

too

so

enough

7. She is ............................ to buy a car.

enough rich

rich enough

too rich

8. He was ......................... proud to apologize.

too

so

enough

9. None of the mangoes is .............................. to be eaten.

ripe enough

enough ripe

so ripe

10. She has ............................. many students in her class that she cannot give them individual attention.

too

so

very

11. He is ................................ to solve the problem.

enough intelligent

intelligent enough

too intelligent

12. The light was not .............................. for one to see things clearly.

enough bright

bright enough

too bright

very bright

Answers

1. She wasn’t weak enough / too weak to be discouraged by some of her teachers.
2. She soon grew too deaf to manage without a hearing aid.
3. The task was daunting enough for any teenager fresh from a Scottish farm.
4. Rahul was so busy that he could not talk to me.
5. The car is large enough to seat six people.
6. He walked so fast that I could not catch up with him.
7. She is rich enough to buy a car.
8. He was too proud to apologize.
9. None of the mangoes is ripe enough to be eaten.
10. She has so many students in her class that she cannot give them individual attention.
11. He is intelligent enough to solve the problem.
12. The light was not bright enough for one to see things clearly.

Grammar Exercise - Either or Neither

Grammar Exercise - Either or Neither

We use either before the first of two alternatives specified. It means one or the other of two people or things. Neither means ‘not one nor the other of two’.

Can you use either and neither correctly? Test your understanding with this grammar exercise.

Fill in the blanks.

1. I don't like ....................... of my science teachers.

either

neither

Either could be used here

2. You don't like him, do you? I don't ...........................

either

neither

Either could be used here

3. Peter isn't here today. Martha isn't ..........................

either

neither

4. I like ........................... of them.

either

neither

5. I am ............................ a conservative nor a liberal.

either

neither

6. He didn't remember and ........................... did I.

either

neither

7. ........................... of them invited me so I didn't go.

Either

Neither

8. ........................... of them seemed interested in the offer.

Neither

Either

9. Mary didn't turn up and ......................... did Ruth.

either

neither

10. John didn't pass the test, and Peter didn't .............................

either

neither

11. He ......................... smiled, spoke, nor looked at me.

either

neither

12. Alice can't dance and ..............................

Stella can't either

neither can Stella

Either could be used here

Answers

1. I don’t like either of my science teachers.
2. You don’t like him, do you? I don’t either.
3. Peter isn’t here today. Martha isn’t either.
4. I like neither of them.
5. I am neither a conservative nor a liberal.
6. He didn’t remember and neither did I.
7. Neither of them invited me so I didn’t go.
8. Neither of them seemed interested in the offer.
9. Mary didn’t turn up and neither did Ruth.
10. John didn’t pass the test, and Peter didn’t either.
11. He neither smiled, spoke, nor looked at me.
12. Alice can’t dance and neither can Stella / Stella can’t either.

Grammar Exercise - Past Simple or Present Perfect Tense

Past Simple or Present Perfect Tense Exercise

Both the simple past and the present perfect are used to talk about finished actions and situations. However, there is an important difference between them. The present perfect tense cannot be used with expressions referring to the past.

Can you use simple past and present perfect tenses correctly? Test your understanding with this grammar exercise.

1. I ................................ here when I was a child.

lived

have lived

2. I .................................. her since last year.

didn't see

haven't seen

3. She ................................... unhappy since she left school.

was

has been

4. 'Where is John?' 'He ........................ here ten minutes ago.'

was

has been

5. They ................................... the contract last week.

signed

have signed

6. She ............................... ill for a long time.

was

has been

7. Somebody ............................ their umbrella in the lobby.

left

has left

8. ................................ a ghost?

Did you ever see

Have you ever seen

9. I can't get into my house because I .................................. my keys.

lost

have lost

10. I .................................. six letters since morning.

wrote

have written

11. Sophia .................................... absent since Monday.

was

has been

12. You can't see him now because he ............................. home.

went

has gone

Answers

1. I lived here when I was a child.
2. I haven’t seen her since last year.
3. She has been unhappy since she left school.
4. ‘Where is John?’ ‘He was here ten minutes ago.’
5. They signed the contract last week.
6. She has been ill for a long time.
7. Somebody has left their umbrella in the lobby.
8. Have you ever seen a ghost?
9. I can’t get into my house because I have lost my keys.
10. I have written six letters since morning.
11. Sophia has been absent since Monday.
12. You can’t see him now because he has gone home.

Grammar Exercise –“If” or “Unless”

Grammar Exercise –“If” or “Unless”

We use ‘if’ to express a condition – something that must happen first so that something else can happen. Unless has a similar meaning to if not.

Complete the following sentences using unless or if.

1. You will lose your driving license, ....................... you get caught drinking and driving.

if

unless

2. ......................... you don't diet, you will not lose weight.

If

Unless

3. I will take the job ........................ the pay is too low.

if

unless

4. .......................... you don't quit smoking, you will fall ill.

If

Unless

5. I won't be able to launch my business ........................ I get the loan.

if

unless

6. .......................... you don't leave my place, I will call the police.

If

Unless

7. ........................... she is late, we will go without her.

If

Unless

8. You will look nicer ........................... you don't wear too much make-up.

if

unless

9. ......................... he gets caught he will be imprisoned.

If

Unless

10. .................................... he mends his ways, he will land himself in serious trouble.

Unless

If

11. Let's go for a walk - .......................... you are too tired.

unless

if

12. ........................... she helps, we are going to be in real trouble.

Unless

If

Answers

1. You will lose your driving license, if you get caught drinking and driving.
2. If you don’t diet, you will not lose weight.
3. I will take the job unless the pay is too low.
4. If you don’t quit smoking, you will fall ill.
5. I won’t be able to launch my business unless I get the loan.
6. If you don’t leave my place, I will call the police.
7. If she is late, we will go without her.
8. You will look nicer if you don’t wear too much make-up.
9. If he gets caught he will be imprisoned.
10. Unless he mends his ways, he will land himself in serious trouble.
11. Let’s go for a walk – unless you are too tired.
12. Unless she helps, we are going to be in real trouble.