BI GRAMMAR

I think it will rain tomorrow. Do you think it will rain tomorrow?
I saw Tom at the football game. Did you see Tom at the football game?
Miss Lee sang a song. Did Miss Lee sing a song?
The computer needs to be repaired. Does the computer need to be repaired?

QUESTION TAGS

 Sometimes people finish what they are saying with a short question.
 Why do they do this?

Because they want to know if the person they are speaking to agrees with them.
 This short question is called a question tag. Look at the following sentence.

The weather is lovely today, isn’t it?

 The main part of the sentence is positive, but the question tag is negative.
 You expect the answer to a negative question tag to be yes. For example:

“The weather is lovely today, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is.”

 Use a helping verb and the subject of the sentence to make the question tag.
 Notice that the subject has been replaced by a pronoun in the example

sentences.
 The pronoun in the question tag refers to the subject printed in color.

Tom is older than you, isn’t he?
Sally has got a dog, hasn’t she?
Anna and I can go by train, can’t we?
Peter and David should leave now, shouldn’t they?

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 If the main part of the sentence has I am in it, use aren’t I in the question tag.
I’m your best friend, aren’t I?
I’m taller than Sumiko, aren’t I?
 If the main part of the sentence is negative, the question tag is positive.
 You expect the answer to a positive question tag to be no.
These questions aren’t very difficult, are they?
You haven’t read this book, have you?
Peter isn’t as tall as I am, is he?
She isn’t eight yet, is she?
There aren’t many clouds in the sky, are there?
There isn’t much wind today, is there?
There weren’t any emails for me, were there?

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14. DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH

DIRECT SPEECH

 The exact words that someone says are called direct speech.
 Quotation marks are used to set off direct speech.

Mom said, “Where are my keys?”
“This ice cream is delicious,” said Tom.
“Have you boys washed your hands?” asked dad.
“Please get out of the car,” the police officer ordered.
“What a beautiful dress!” said Sally.

INDIRECT SPEECH

 You can report what someone says without using their exact words.
 To do this, use a verb like say, ask or tell, followed by that.
 This is called indirect speech.
 There are several differences between a sentence with direct speech and a

sentence with indirect speech.

 You don’t use quotation marks with indirect speech.
 You change the tense of the verb.
 You change the pronouns and determiners.

 Here are some examples. The pronouns and determiners that change are printed
in color.

 Remember that the past tense of can is could and the past tense of will is would.

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DIRECT SPEECH INDIRECT SPEECH
Maggie said, “I feel ill.” Maggie said that she felt ill.
Sumiko said, “It’s time to leave.” Sumiko said that it was time to leave.
“I can’t find my book,” said Alice. Alice said that she couldn’t find her book.
“John is hitting me,” said Peter. Peter said that John was hitting him.
Dad said, “I haven’t had my Dad said that he hadn’t had his
breakfast yet.” breakfast yet.
“My car won’t start,” said Mom. Mom said that her car wouldn’t start.

 In indirect speech people often leave out the conjunction that.

Maggie said that she felt ill.
Sumiko said that it was time to leave.

 When you are using indirect speech to report a statement that is still true now,
you don’t change the tense of the verb.

DIRECT SPEECH INDIRECT SPEECH
John said, “My mom doesn’t like John said that his mom doesn’t like
fish.” fish.

“I live in a house by the sea,” said Anna said that she lives in a house

Anna. by the sea.

Dad said, “Paris is a beautiful city.” Dad said Paris is a beautiful city.

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INDIRECT COMMANDS

 Use verbs like order, tell and warn to report orders and instructions. The
construction to + verb or not to + verb may also be used.

DIRECT SPEECH INDIRECT SPEECH
The teacher said, “Stop running in The teacher ordered us to stop
the corridor!” running in the corridor.
“Put your books away, children,” Mr. Park told the children to put their
books away.
said Mr. Park. Dad asked David to help him by
Dad said to David, “Please help washing the dishes.
me by washing the dishes.” Jack begged Maggie not to tell
Jack said to Maggie, “Please don’t anyone his secret.
tell anyone my secret!” Miss Lee warned Alan not to be late
Miss Lee said to Alan, “Don’t be again the next day.
late again tomorrow.”

INDIRECT QUESTIONS
 The verb ask is usually used to report questions.

DIRECT SPEECH INDIRECT SPEECH
Sally said, “Where is my Sally asked where her backpack
backpack?” was.
Peter said, “Have you finished your Peter asked if I had finished my
homkework?” homework.

 To report a question, put the subject before the verb or helping verb.
 Remember that the subject comes after the helping verb when you ask a

question.
 Here are some examples. The verbs are printed in color.

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ASKING A QUESTION REPORTING A QUESTION
“Where are they going?” I asked where they were going.

“Can Jack ride his bike?” I asked if Jack could ride his bike.

“Did Miss Lee sing a song?” I asked whether Miss Lee sang a song.

“Has she finished her I asked if she had finished her
homework?” homework.

 To report a question-word question, use the same question word in direct
speech.

DIRECT SPEECH INDIRECT SPEECH
Mom said, “Where are your shoes?” Mom asked where my shoes were.

Suresh said, “Who has taken my pen ?” Suresh asked who had taken her pen.

“What time does the show start?” asked Sue. Sue asked what time the show started.

Peter said, “Why did you leave before the endPeter asked why I left before the end of

of the movie?” the movie.

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15. SYNONYMS

Synonyms are words which have similar meanings.
The meaning of these words need not be exactly the same.
Most words can have one or more synonyms.

LIST OF SYNONYMS

Abroad - Overseas
Accord - Agreement
Admit - Confess
Agree - Consent
Alike - Same
Allow - Permit
Amount - Quantity
Angry - Mad
Answer - Response
Ask - Inquire
Attire - Dress
Away - Absent
Awful - Terrible
Baby - Infant
Beautiful - Pretty
Becoming - Fitting
Beg - Implore
Begin - Commence
Belly - Stomach
Big - Large
Bizarre - Weird
Blank - Empty
Brave - Bold
Broad - Wide
Bucket - Pail
Busy - Active
Calamity - Disaster

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Candy - Sweets
Center - Middle
Change - Transform
Chiefly - Mainly
Choosy - Picky
Close - Shut
Collect - Gather
Complete - Total
Confine - Restrict
Confuse - Mixed Up
Considerate - Thoughtful
Contrary - Opposite
Correct - Right
Cunning - Clever
Dash - Sprint
Daybreak - Dawn
Dedicated - Committed
Deliberate - Planned
Delicate - Fragile
Destiny - Fate
Disclose - Reveal
Discount - Reduction
Disgrace - Shame
Eager - Keen
Elevate - Raise
Enormous - Huge
Enquire - Investigate
Evaluate - Assess
Evil - Bad
Exactly - Precisely
Except - Apart From
Exit - Leave
Extra - Additional
Fair - Unbiased

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False - Untrue
Famous - Renowned
Fantastic - Great
Fast - Quick
Finish - Complete
Formerly - Previously
Fortunate - Lucky
Fun -Entertaining
Function -Operate
Funny - Amusing
Garbage - Trash
Get - Receive
Glad - Happy
Glitter - Sparkle
Good - Fine
Grab - Seize
Grumble - Grouse
Hall - Corridor
Handsome - Good Looking
Happily - Fortunately
Hard - Difficult
Hazard - Danger
Help - Assist
Hint - Tip
Huge - Enormous
Hurt - Injure
Hurry - Rush
Ignore - Snub
Ill - Sick
Imitate - Mimic
Immediate - Instantly
Impact - Affect
Impartial - Neutral
Important - Significant

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Inconsiderate - Thoughtless
Infamous - Notorious
Infect - Contaminate
Informal - Casual
Innocent - Harmless
Inspect - Examine
Instructions - Directions
Insufficient - Inadequate
Intellectual - Mental
Intelligent - Smart
Intend - Mean
Inventory - Stock
Invoice - Bill
Jealous - Envious
Job - Work
Joy - Delight
Kid - Child
Kind - Benevolent
Learn - Memorize
Lethal - Deadly
Listen - Hear
Little - Small
Lots - Many
Loving - Fond
Loyal - Faithful
Lucid - Clear
Mad - Crazy
Make - Build
Maintain - Preserve
Maybe - Perhaps
Meeting - Assembly
Mild -Gentle
Misery - Distress
Modern - Contemporary

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Movie - Film
Native - Local
Necessary -Essential
Near - Close
New - Recent
Nice - Pleasant
Noon - Midday
Notify - Inform
Numerous - Many
Odd - Strange
Old - Mature
Ornament - Decoration
Outgoing - Friendly
Overlook - Miss
Oversee - Supervise
Part - Section
Particular - Specific
Perception - Insight
Perfect - Flawless
Possibility - Opportunity
Praise - Compliment
Provide - Supply
Quake - Tremble
Quite - Fairly
Raise - Lift
Real - Genuine
Receive - Get
Regret - Remorse
Reliable - Dependable
Remark - Comment
Renew - Resume
Respond - Reply
Rest - Relax
Rich - Wealthy

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Rock - Stone
Rude - Impolite
Sad - Unhappy
Safe - Secure
Scared - Afraid
See - Look
Select - Choose
Significant - Meaningful
Sincere - Honest
Sleepy -Drowsy
Slim - Sender
Steady - Firm
Stop - Cease
Suggest - Propose
Sure - Certain
Symbolize - Represent
Talk - Speak
Temper - Mood
Temporary - Transitory
Think - Ponder
Tiny - Small
Transform - Convert
Trustworthy -Reliable
Try - Attempt
Uncommon - Unusual
Uncooked - Raw
Under - Below
Unfortunate - Unlucky
Use - Utilize
Usually - Generally
Vague - Indistinct
Vanquish - Conquer
Vary - Differ
Vast - Huge

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Want - Desire
Weak - Feeble
Withstand - Resist
Yell - Shout

16. ANTONYMS

Antonyms are words which have almost opposite meanings.
Most words can have one or more antonyms.

LIST OF ANTONYMS

Above – Below
Absent – Present
Achieve – Fail
Add – Subtract
Afraid – Confident
After – Before
Amateur – Professional
Ancient – Modern
Argue – Agree
Arrive – Depart
Arrogant – Humble
Ascend – Descend
Attack – Defend
Awake – Asleep
Bad – Good
Beautiful – Ugly

Before - After
Better – Worse
Big – Little
Birth – Death
Black – White
Blunt – Sharp

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Bold – Timid
Brave – Cowardly
Brief – Long
Bright – Dull
Busy – Idle
Buy – Sell
Cautious – Careless
Cheap – Expensive
Clean – Dirty
Close – Open
Cold – Hot
Complex – Simple
Compliment – Insult
Cool – Warm
Crazy – Sane
Crooked – Straight
Cruel – Kind

Dark - Light

Day - Night
Deep – Shallow
Decrease – Increase

Demand - Supply
Destroy – Create
Divide – Unite

Down - Up
Drunk – Sober
East – West
Easy – Difficult
End – Begin
Even – Odd
Evening – Morning
Expand – Contract
Fail – Pass
False – True

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Fat – Skinny
Fiction – Fact
Float - Sink
Follow – Lead
Foolish - Wise
Forgive – Blame
Freeze - Boil
Full – Empty
Generous – Stingy
Gentle – Rough
Giant - Dwarf
Give – Receive
Gloomy – Cheerful
Grief – Joy
Guilty - Innocent
Happy – Sad
Hard – Soft
Heaven – Hell
Heavy – Light
High – Low
Hire - Fire
Huge – Tiny
Hungry - Full
Idle – Active
In – Out
Include - Exclude
Individual – Group
Innocent – Guilty
Inside – Outside
Joy – Sadness
Kind – Cruel
Knowledge – Ignorance
Last – First
Laugh – Cry

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Less – More
Lie – Truth
Like – Dislike
Likely – Unlikely
Liquid – Solid
Lonely – Crowded
Long – Short
Loose – Tight
Lost – Found
Love – Hate
Major – Minor
Man – Woman
Marvelous – Terrible
Mature – Immature

Maximum - Minimum
Mix – Separate
Moist – Dry
More – Less
Most – Least
Move – Stay
Near – Far
Never – Always
New – Old
Noisey – Quiet
None – All
North – South
Nothing – Something
Now – Then
Obvious – Hidden
Odd – Even
Often – Seldom
Old – Young
On – Off

Optimist - Pessimist

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Ordinary – Extraordinary
Over – Under
Pain – Pleasure
Panic – Calm
Partial – Complete
Passive – Active

Peace - War
Permanent – Unstable
Play – Work
Plentiful – Sparse
Polite – Rude
Poor – Rich
Positive – Negative
Powerful – Weak
Praise – Criticism
Pride – Modesty
Private – Public
Problem – Solution
Profit – Loss
Quality – Inferiority
Quick – Slow
Raise – Lower
Random – Specific
Rare – Common
Raw – Cooked
Regret – Rejoice
Remember – Forget
Right – Wrong
Rigid – Flexible
Rise – Sink
Rough – Smooth
Rude – Polite
Same – Different
Segregate – Integrate

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Seldom – Often
Sell – Buy
Send – Receive
Shame – Honor
Short – Long
Show – Hide

Simple - Complicated
Single – Married
Sour – Sweet
Spend – Earn
Start – Stop
Started – Finished
Stay – Leave
Stiff – Flexible
Stop – Go
Strength – Weakness

Strong - Weak
Student – Teacher
Sturdy – Weak

Sunny - Cloudy
Superb – Inferior
Tame – Wild
Teach – Learn
Temporary – Permanent
Thin – Wide
Tidy – Messy
Timid – Bold
Together – Apart

Top - Bottom
Toward – Away
Tragic – Comic

Transparent - Opaque
Triumph – Defeat
True – False

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Union – Separation
Unique – Common
Upset – Stabilize
Urge – Deter
Vacant – Occupied
Vague – Definite
Vertical – Horizontal
Victory - Defeat
Villain – Hero
Visible - Invisible
Wax - Wane
Wealth – Poverty
Well - Sick
Wet – Dry
White – Black
Wild – Tame
Win – Lose
With – Without
Worthy – Worthless
Young - Old

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17. TRANSITIONAL PHRASES

 Transitional words and phrases keep the reader “on track.”
 They keep the reader understand the relationship between one idea or statement

and subsequent ones.

 Adding ideas: for example (e.g.) for instance
besides in addition in fact
furthermore likewise moreover
indeed similarly that is (i.e.)
once more
then, too

 As expected:

as a matter of fact for that matter it follows that
naturally obviously of course
surely to be sure

 Cause and effect:

accordingly and so and that’s why
as a consequence as a result as might be expected
consequently for this reason hence
since then therefore
thus

 Contrast:

at the same time conversely despite
however in spite of nevertheless
none the less not with standing still
not at all on the contrary on the other hand
unlike yet

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 Concession:

although but of course certainly
doubtless granted that of course
though to be sure to doubt that
whereas

 Degrees of certainty:

anyhow anyway certainly doubtless
in all likelihood in all probability in any case indeed
perhaps possibly probably surely

 Qualification:

especially frequently if in case
in general in particular in as much lest
occasionally particularly provided that specifically
unless

 Repetition:

as noted as noted earlier as we have seen
besides in any case in fact
in other words indeed to put it another way
to repeat

 Summary:

all in all finally in a word in brief
in conclusion in summation
on the whole in short in summary to make a long story short
to sum it up
therefore to conclude

to summarize

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18. PHRASAL VERBS

 Phrasal verbs are combinations of words that perform the function of a verb.
 These combinations necessarily include a verb and either an adverb or a

preposition (or both).
 They form one complete semantic unit because the words that comprise a phrasal

verb together describe one action.

Phrasal Verb Meaning Example Sentences

To ask the same I have not seen him here but I will ask

ask around question from around.

many people I am not sure if there are vacancies, but I

will ask around the office.

add up To She explained why the work was not
something to ready, but her story does not add up.
The clues we found at the house and the
equal/corroborate museum must add up to something.
a fact

I want to ask her out but she is dating

ask someone out To invite someone someone.

on a date I wish I could muster the courage to ask

her out.

blow something up To exaggerate The girls in school always blow gossip up
to huge proportions.
My mother blows my achievements up in
front of guests.

back someone up To support The captain will not back him up just
because he is his son.
You may be wrong but I will back you up
because you are my brother.

blow up To explode The army is going to blow up that building
with a bomb.

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Our calculations were wrong and the
rocket blew up just after liftoff.

To stop The old train is certain to break down if it is

functioning not maintained properly.

break down (usually for He was driving recklessly and the old car

vehicle, machine, broke down.

etc.)

break something To divide They broke the students down into groups
down subdivide and of four.

The detective said they were still breaking
the information down to make sense of it.

The newspaper reported a break-in at the

break into To enter forcibly/ bank.
something
interrupt Last night, two thieves broke into the

house next door.

break up To end A break up can lead to emotional trauma.
relationship a

After being together for five years they
have decided to break up.

break out To escape The Taliban helped 500 inmates escape of
the Afghan jail.
Ten inmates broke out of prison in the
southern town yesterday.

break out To spread There was a world panic when SARS
broke out in China in 2002.
The news about the adulterous affair will
break out in tomorrow’s newspaper.

To upset someone The boss manages to bring down my

bring someone or to make mood every day.
down
someone unhappy His pessimistic comments bring down the

whole group.

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bring someone up raise a child I was brought up in a conservative Hindu
family.
After being abandoned by his parents in
Ghana he was brought up by an Italian
couple.

bring up My sister walks out of the room when I
To initiate a

bring up the subject of sports.
conversation on a

I will bring up the issue of cleanliness in
subject

the meeting today.

We called around but we could not find the

call around To phone different spare part we needed.

places/people I have not seen him today but I will call

around and inquire.

Please me back when you get this
To return a phone message.
call someone back
call I could not answer your call earlier but I

will call back shortly.

call something off To abandon The referee has decided to call off the
cancel or game due to bad weather.

They have decided to call off the wedding
due to financial troubles.

call someone up To The boss wants you to call up the client
someone phone now.

She will call you up later to discuss the
issue.

calm down It is going to be okay, please calm down.
relax after being

The crew asked us to calm down during
angry

turbulence.

catch up To get to the same You will have to walk faster if you want to
point as someone catch up with Maya.

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else/ or to work You have studied a lot more and I need to

hard in order to catch up.

equal with

someone

check in When you arrive at the airport, you have to
To reach and

check in at the airline desk.
register at a hotel

At a hotel, check-in is normally required in
or airport

order to obtain a room key.

check out To leave a hotel You will have to return the room when you
check out of the hotel.
Please ensure that you are in possession
of all your belongings before checking-out
of the hotel.

cheer up Used as an
She cheered up when she heard that the

expression to ask
result was positive.

someone to be
Cheer up, it is your birthday!

happy

chip in If everybody chips in, we can get a bottle
of the most expensive wine.
To contribute/help
I do not have enough money for a pizza so
all of you need to chip in as well.

clean something They need to clean up the platform
To tidy a place because it is really dirty.
You must clean up the room before the
up president arrives.

I came across these books when I was

come across find unexpectedly tidying the cupboard.

something While reading this book I came across

new information regarding dinosaurs.

come apart To separate/ fall The flimsy decorations came apart halfway

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down/ break down through the celebrations.
The group of friends came apart once they
went to different colleges.

come down with Her son came down with the flu last
To become sick weekend.
My throat is sore; I think I am coming
something down with a cold.

The hospital is anxious for more donors to

come forward To support/ to take come forward.

an initiative Who will come forward and take the

responsibility?

come from To originate in He resides in Brazil although he comes
from Spain.
somewhere Most of the stench comes from the open
drain behind the house.

Can I count on you to complete this essay

count on someone/ To rely on a by tonight?

something person or thing I could not complete the task so I am

counting on you to do it.

cros Kindly cross out your old telephone
out ssomething To draw a line number and write the new one.

through something That word is wrong and you need to cross
it out as soon as possible.

cut back My financial advisor has asked me to cut
something To use or
on back on unnecessary expenditure.
consume less of

We need to cut back on driving since the
something

price of petrol is at an all-time high.

cut into To interrupt in He cut into the argument with a point of his
between own.
something
or He asked if could cut in on the dance

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someone between Tim and me.

The butter is frozen. Cut off a small blob

To cut something and let it rest outside so that it melts

cut something off with something faster.

sharp He cut off a small piece from the large slab

of cheese using a knife.

To stop providing/ The cable company cut off our connection

cut something off to break all because we did not pay our bill.

relations with After he was convicted, his family decided

someone to cut him off.

cut something out She looked over the article and cut the
To remove pieces

introduction out and rewrote it.
or part of

She cut a piece out of the chunk of cheese
something

and placed it on the counter.

You sang the wrong words this time; we

To do something will have to do it over.

do something over again My homework assignment was

unacceptable, so my teacher asked me to

do it over.

do away It is time to do away with all these old files.
something with To dispose of or

My mother asked me to do away with all
discard something

the unusable toys.

dress up The party is at a fancy restaurant so we
To be dressed in a

need to dress up appropriately.
fancier or better I was asked to dress up for the mayor’s
way than normal

party.

He dropped back to fifth position because

drop back To move back in a he fell off his motorcycle.

position The coach asked the attacking players to

drop back.

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drop in/by/over I thought I’d drop in and say hi.
To come without

I was surprised when she dropped in
an appointment

unannounced at midnight.

To take someone/ Can you drop me off at the bus stop?

drop someone/ something I will drop him off at the train station before

something off somewhere and reaching the venue.

leave them/it there

He dropped out of the chess club because

drop out To quit a class, it was too difficult for him.

school, etc. She dropped out of college but managed

to set up her own company.

To eat outside of I eat out almost five days a week.

eat out home, usually in a I do not feel like cooking today so let’s eat

restaurant out?

end up If you do not work, you will end up on the
To do/to

streets.
eventually

He studied history at college but ended up
reach/to decide

working at a bank.

fall apart To break This wall will fall apart if we do not use
pieces into cement.

The house of cards stood for a minute but
then fell apart.

To fall on the If he does not walk carefully on the ledge,

fall down ground/ to fall off he will fall down.

from somewhere He was walking carelessly and thus, fell

to the ground down.

fall out To separate The veteran cricketer has fallen out of
favour.
The coach and the player had a fall out
and the latter decided to quit.

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She needs to figure out what the problem

figure something To study/ is.
out
understand We need to figure out the route before

commencing the trek.

fill something in To Fill in the blank spaces and submit the
information write
form, etc.
sheet.
in a

You must fill in the form in order to obtain
a ticket.

fill something up To fill something I want you to fill up the tank with diesel.

completely She fill up the entire glass with wine.

find out To How do I find out where he lives?
search/discover I need you to find out whether he is lying
or not.

get something He is a good orator and has no problem
To communicate getting his message across.
He could not get across the message.
across/over

get along/on One must get along with their colleagues.
To like each other It is about time you buried the hatchet and

got along with each other

get away They are planning a romantic get away for
To go on a

their anniversary.
vacation or a

We have not travelled in a while so we are
leave

planning a getaway this summer.

do something He will not get away with an abusive

get away with without being remark like that.
something
noticed or You cannot steal cars in broad daylight

punished and expect to get away with it.

get back To return She did not get back home until 5 o’clock.
The boss needs you to get back from the

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Bahamas and complete the report.

get My brother got back at me for eating his
atsomeone piece of cake.
back To retaliate/to take
After being humiliated in public, she
a revenge
decided to get back at her with ruthless
intent.

To step The train was full so we could not get on.
get on something onto

something To reach the chandelier, you must get on
the stool.

The stock market is slowly getting over the

get over To recession.
something
recover/overcome You need to get over the fact that he stole

your bicycle.

get together To meet Do you want to get together this Saturday?
Let’s get together at the mall on Thursday.

get up Please get up, this seat is reserved for
To stand/get out of ladies.
bed You’re not allowed to sit here, so, kindly

get up.

To reveal/give The ice cream company is giving away

give something something for free scoops tomorrow.
away
free/donate Before dying, he had pledged to give away

half his money to charity.

give something You must give the bone back to the dog.
back To return You have her mobile phone and need it
give it back to her.

give in The dictator finally gave in to the mounting
To unwillingly stop pro-democracy protests.
fighting or arguing After arguing for over two hours, I decided

to give in to her demands.

PREPARED BY : MISS CHEETALAKCHUMY

give up To stop trying This exam is really difficult and I think I am
going to give up.
Never give up, never surrender!

To The big dog is going to go after the cat.
go after someone follow

someone The police decided to go after the criminal
after he had robbed a bank.”

My father always encouraged me to go

go after something To try to achieve after my goals.

something She is really working hard going after the

top prize.

go against Does he really want to go against the
policies of the company?
someone or To oppose You cannot go against the coach and
expect to remain with the team.
something

go ahead The General wants us to go ahead with
To proceed/start/ the plan.
initiate something The centre has asked the states to go

ahead with FDI in the retail sector.

This place is very dangerous; I suggest

go back To return to a you go back home.
go out
place He needs us to go back to the office and
collect his belongings.”

Let’s go out for dinner tonight to celebrate
To leave home to

your promotion!
go out for an

I will go out in the evening to watch the
occasion, etc.

play.

Tim has wanted to go out with Mary for a

go out with To date someone long time now.
someone
She is going out with two boys at the same

time.

PREPARED BY : MISS CHEETALAKCHUMY

It’s great that Hari has moved next door; I
To pay a visit to

can just go over to his place whenever I’m
go over something someone/somethi

bored!
ng nearby

She is going over to his place later tonight.

go over To check Here are your insurance papers, please go
review over them carefully so that you know all
or
the details.
We need to go over this brochure and
select a location for the meeting.

grow apart To end We used to be great friends, but after
friendship a college we began to grow apart.

We were good friends but grew apart after
graduating from college.

grow up To become It is always hard for parents when their
adult an children grow up.

The puppy was tiny when they found it but
it grew up to be a huge dog.

grow out I will buy a new pair of trousers if and
something To get too big for
of when I grow out of this pair.
something, usually

I have gained weight and grown out of the
a piece of clothing

pants I purchased last summer.

grow into To grow Initially he had some trouble at the new
something enough to fit office, but things went smoothly after he
big
grew into his role.
She has become taller and grown into the
dress.

hand When I was a child, I was handed down
down something To give something my brother’s clothes.

used to someone
Please hand down your old books to

else
underprivileged children.

PREPARED BY : MISS CHEETALAKCHUMY

hand The party members were spreading their
out something To distribute to a propaganda by handing out fliers.

group of people The boss is going to hand out a list of
responsibilities to everybody today.

The thieves asked us to hand over all our

hand something To give (usually belongings.
over
unwillingly) The landlord requested us to hand over

the keys to the apartment.

When my friend was diagnosed with

hang in To stay strong and cancer, all I could say to him was, “Don’t

positive lose hope. Hang in there.”

Don’t lose heart, hang in there!

hang on Hang on, let me get ready and then we
To wait for a short

can leave.
time

Hang on, I’m coming too!

hang out My friends and I generally hang out at
To spend time

malls.
relaxing or chilling Let’s hang out at the bar after work
out

tonight.

hang up When I get angry with someone on the
To end a phone phone, I simply hang up.
call I did not wish to talk to him anymore so I

decided to hang up the phone.

If you have a complaint, don’t hold back;

hold someone/ To prevent you cannot fix the problem if you do not
something back doing/going from

voice it.
You must hold him back from committing

such a dangerous stunt.

hold something To hide an He was a great athlete, but he was held
back emotion/to be back from succeeding by his parents, who

PREPARED BY : MISS CHEETALAKCHUMY

stopped by wanted him to study instead.
something or He held back his tears even though he
someone
was distraught.

hold on She asked the taxi driver to hold on while
To wait for a short she located her wallet.
time He has asked you to hold on to his book

until he returns.

keep on doing He asked them to keep on working while
continue doing he looked around.
The musicians kept on playing even
something though it was raining.

keep something To not tell/not Why do you keep secrets from me?

from someone do/to keep a You have a wonderful voice so you must

secret not keep from singing.

To stop someone The insects must be kept out at all costs.
keep someone/

or something from The gate has been installed to keep out
something out

entering at a place stray dogs.

To continue at the Keep up the good work!

keep something up same rate Keep up this speed for the rest of the

journey and we will reach on time.

You can rely on her; she will never let you

let someone down To disappoint down.

someone You have let me down with this

disappointing performance.

letsomeone in Please lock the door and do not let
To permit to enter anybody in.

Yes, he is a guest so please let him in.

look after Nurses are supposed to look after
someone/ To take care of patients.
something I need you to look after my dog while I’m

PREPARED BY : MISS CHEETALAKCHUMY

away.

To belittle She always looks down on her staff and

look down on someone/ to treats them badly.
someone
consider someone A lot of people look down on them

inferior to oneself because they are poor.

look for someone/ Do you want to look for the pen we lost
To try to find yesterday?
Let us look for the ball in the garage.
something

look forward Are you looking forward to tonight’s
something To be excited
to football match?
about some future

I am really looking forward to the
plan, etc.

weekend!

look into We are going to look into the price of cars.
something To investigate They need to look into the matter carefully
in order to avoid a lawsuit.
look out To be careful
Don’t forget to look out for mosquitoes in
the swamp.
Look out for speeding buses on the
highway.

look out The guide told them to look out for
someone/ for
something
To be extra careful pickpockets in the marketplace.

or vigilant Look out for hurricane alerts on the island

at this time of the year.

look Give the document a look over for errors.
over something

To check/examine The teacher wants the student to look over
his answers once again.

look up I look up to my sister because she is a
someone To respect
to wonderful human being.
someone

I look up to my coach because he was a
immensely

great sportsman.

PREPARED BY : MISS CHEETALAKCHUMY

make something To lie When asked why I hadn’t done my
up something homework, I made up a story about having
about done it but forgotten that that day was the
day of submission.
You must stop making up stories because
we know you are lying.

He returned my money very late, but tried

make up To forgive each to make up for it by treating me to lunch.

other He is taking her out to dinner to make up

for being at work on their anniversary.

To She was so nervous she almost went on
make someone up apply stage without any make up.

cosmetics That actor uses a lot of make up before
shooting a scene.

mix something up To get confused We got through most of the show without
any mix ups, but right at the end the lead
actor forgot one of his lines.
The experienced striker pounced on a
defensive mix-up to fire home into an
open goal.

pass away To die I took two weeks off work because my
grandfather passed away.
Our dog had been ill for a few months and
passed away last night.

pass out It was so hot in the examination hall that
one of the students passed out for a
To lose
couple of minutes.
consciousness
He walking in the sun and passed out due
to the heat.

pay someone back To return the There should be no money issues

PREPARED BY : MISS CHEETALAKCHUMY

owed money between friends, so when I lend money to
my friends I tell them they can pay back
whenever it is convenient for them.
You can borrow money now but you must
pay back within a week.

pay for something It is my policy to pay for everything when I
To be punished for

am out on a date.
doing something

The police swore that the terrorist would
bad

pay for destroying the building.

pick something out To choose I always let my mother pick out my
clothes, because she has excellent taste.
The concierge at the hotel helped us pick
out a nice restaurant.

I tried to give the tourists directions orally,

To point or but they couldn’t understand me, so I

Point someone/ indicate using your pointed out the turning they were

something out finger supposed to take.

I have asked the professor to point out all

the mistakes in my assignment.

put something off To postpone I was very tired that day, so I put off the
meeting till after the weekend.
The boss has asked us to put off our lunch
plan to a later hour.

put something We had to put together the presentation in
To assemble 2 days.
The different parts have been provided in
together order to put together this mountain bike.

put up with To bear or tolerate My roommate told me to move out, saying,
someone/
something something or “I can’t put up with your irresponsible ways

someone anymore!”

PREPARED BY : MISS CHEETALAKCHUMY

The company is not going to put up with
inappropriate behaviour at the workplace.

put something on I did not need to put on the t-shirt to know
To wear a

it was too big for me.
dress/accessories

Pick out a dress, put it on, and decide
on your body

whether you like it or not.

I ran into an old friend from college the

run into someone/ To meet someone other day.

something unexpectedly It was a pleasant surprise when I ran into

him at the mall the other day.

To drive a vehicle Your toy is broken because I ran over it

run over someone/ over a person or with my car.

something thing The truck accidently ran over a cat on the

highway.

To leave The bride had run away with someone

run away unexpectedly/ to else on the wedding day.

escape The children made a plan to run away

from home to join the circus.”

run out They ran out of sandwiches at the cafe.
To have nothing

She couldn’t make tea as they had run out
left of something

of milk.

send something I sent back the steak because it raw.
back To return This product is not what we had ordered
and we are going to send it back.

set something up To They want to set up a lemonade stall at
arrange/organize the fair.
The government needs to set up a
commission for the riot victims.

set someone up To trick/trap The hunter set the lion up for the trap but it

someone or escaped.

PREPARED BY : MISS CHEETALAKCHUMY

something The people at the bank were part of a set
up by the police to catch the criminal.

To act boastfully He wants to show off his house by

show off when people illuminating it.

watch Most people simply love to show off their

wealth in front of their friends.

sleep over Jack is planning a sleepover at his place
To stay

on his birthday.
somewhere out of The first sleepover at a friend’s place can
home, for the night

be a big deal for some children.

You may want the lawyers to sort the
To organise/ to issue out.
sort something out
resolve a situation We need to sort out these cards and

arrange them according to size.

You will not lose weight if you do not stick

stick to something To continue doing to the diet.

something Most people do not stick to the same job

for a long period.

switch something Could you switch the light off please?
To turn off Please switch off the television before
going to bed.
off

switch something He turned the machine on again and it
To turn on stopped making a noise.
Grandmother wants you to switch on the
on radio for her.

take something To I need to take my money back from him.
back something return He can keep my bag for now but I’m going

to take it back tomorrow.”

take off To start flying I feel that the most thrilling part of any
plane journey is when it takes off.

PREPARED BY : MISS CHEETALAKCHUMY

The plane finally took off after taxiing for
twenty minutes.

I was about to take off my clothes when I
To remove realised there was someone else in the
take something off something (usually room.
items of clothing) I want you to take this off the list and

include that instead.

take something out To remove from a She took out some money from the safe.

place Please take out the garbage after dinner.

take someone out My girlfriend was very depressed because
To take someone

she had lost her job so I took her out for
out with yourself

dinner.
and also to pay for

On the last day of college the professor
them

took the students out for lunch.

tear something up My boss simply tears up the articles he
To rip something doesn’t like.
into pieces

The cat tore up the newspaper.

think back To recall Whenever I think back to my school days,
remember or tears of nostalgia come to my eyes.

Think back to the time when we were at
the beach.

think something You must think this job offer over before
over To consider taking a decision.
This is my proposal, think it over, and let
me know.

throw To trash I like that bag, please do not throw it away.
away something

something or to These dirty clothes need to be thrown

dispose of away.

turn something To decrease the I want to turn down the volume.

down volume The old man has asked me to turn down

PREPARED BY : MISS CHEETALAKCHUMY

the volume.

turn something He asked her to marry him but she turned
To refuse him down.
He turned down the offer from ABC
down Corporation.

turn something off To switch off He turned off the lights before going to
bed.
Please turn off the fans when you leave.

turn something on To switch on She forgot to turn on the charger so her
cell stayed off.
He asked her to turn on the coffee
machine.

try something out To test Do you want to try out this new shampoo?
Most people refrain from trying out a new
cuisine.

use something up I get very tense when my friends come
To use something

over because they use up all my supplies.
entirely or to finish

I cannot print this page because all the ink
all

in the printer has been used up.

wake up To stop sleeping I generally wake up at about 7 in the
morning.
You need to wake up early in the morning
for karate practice.

warm up It is a good idea to warm up before
To prepare the engaging in strenuous physical activity.
body for exercise It is essential to warm up a little before

swimming.

wear off To diminish in The difference between superior and
quality because of inferior products is that the latter wear out

PREPARED BY : MISS CHEETALAKCHUMY

frequent use much more quickly.
The sole of this old shoe has worn out.

work out To exercise My lifestyle has gotten so sedentary since
work out I joined the office that I have signed up for
daily work outs at the gym.
Only a few people take gym memberships
to actually work out.

I really hope that things work out for you.
To be successful

This job will work out only if I can get my
with something

own office.

PREPARED BY : MISS CHEETALAKCHUMY

19. PREFIXES

 Prefixes are placed before the words to modify their meanings; like suffixes, they
are groups of letters that rarely serve a purpose unless attached to a word.

 Here is a list of commonly used prefixes to give you an idea of how to identify
them.

PREFIX MEANING EXAMPLES

-a On/in/out/from Away, aboard, arise, alight

-al all Alone, already

-be by Below, before

-by Be/on the side Bypass, byword

-for through forget, forgive

-fore before Forecast, foresee

-gain against Gainsay

-in in Inside, income

-mis wrong Mislead, mistake

-over Above/beyond overflow, overcharge

-out out Outside, outcome

-to this Today, tonight

-un Not/to reverse an action Unkind, untie

-under below Underground, undersell

-with Against/back Withdraw, withhold

-wel In good condition Welcome, welfare

PREPARED BY : MISS CHEETALAKCHUMY

20. SUFFIXES

 Suffixes are placed after words to modify their meanings; like prefixes, they are
groups of letters that rarely serve a purpose unless attached to a word.

 Here is a list of some of them to give you an idea of how to identify suffixes.

SUFFIX MEANING EXAMPLES
portable, legible
-able/-ible capable of cardiac, Nordic
privacy, legitimacy
-ac/-ic like/related to

-acy state/quality of being

-acious/- full of gracious, malicious
icious

-al related to logical, philosophical

-ance/-ence state/quality of being maintenance, permanence

-dom state/quality of being freedom, kingdom

-eer/-er/-or person who mountaineer, writer,
counsellor

-escent becoming, to be adolescent, fluorescent
-esque like/reminiscent of
picturesque, Kafkaesque

-fy to make magnify, electrify

-iferous containing, yielding vociferous, carboniferous

-ise make, become civilise, terrorise
-ish having qualities of
hellish, fiendish

-ism doctrine, belief, practice favouritism, communism

-ist person who chemist, florist

PREPARED BY : MISS CHEETALAKCHUMY

-ity state/quality of being ingenuity, oddity

-less without brainless, endless

-ment state/quality of being, result enjoyment, embankment,

of action, process abridgement

-ness state of being thinness, loneliness

-oid like celluloid, ovoid

-ose full of adipose, verbose

-osis condition hypnosis, psychosis

-ous full of illustrious, nauseous

-ship position held friendship, membership

-sion/-tion state/quality of being torsion, transition

-tude state/quality of being fortitude, certitude

-y characterised by funny, greedy

PREPARED BY : MISS CHEETALAKCHUMY

21. IDIOMS

an A for effort - the recognition that someone has tried hard to do

something `even though he or she may not be successful

above average - better or higher than average

as easy as ABC - very easy

back to basics - an approach in education that uses traditional ideas or

methods that have been successful in the past

below average - worse or lower than average

bookworm - someone who reads a lot

brainstorm (something) - to try to develop an idea or think of new ideas

call the roll - to call the names of students on a roll and expect them

to answer if they are there

catch up to - to move fast or work hard to reach someone or

something that is ahead of you

copycat` - someone who copies the work of another

count noses - to count the number of people

cover a lot of ground - to complete a lot of material in a class or course

crack a book - to open a book to study (usually used in the negative)

crank out a paper - to write a paper or essay in a mechanical way

cut class - to not go to class

draw a blank - to get no response from someone when you ask him or

her a question

drop out of school - to stop attending school

eager beaver - someone who works very hard and is very enthusiastic

fill in the blanks - to supply the missing words or information on a test or

other exercise

flunk out - to fail a course, to fail and then leave school

get credit for (a course) - to receive official recognition

Give it a shot - Try

Speak your mind - Say what you really feel

A piece of cake - Very easy

Slipped my mind - I forgot

Cross your fingers - For good luck

PREPARED BY : MISS CHEETALAKCHUMY

Be in hot water - Be in trouble

It cost an arm and a leg - It was expensive

It’s in the bag - It’s a certainty

Get cold feet - Be nervous

A rip off - Too expensive

Get a kick out of - Enjoy

Read between the lines - Find the hidden meaning

Have mixed feelings - Unsure how you feel
Draw a blank - Can’t remember

Have a change of heart - Changed your mind

Be second to none - Be the best

Get your act together - Behave properly

Play it by ear - Improvise

Have second thoughts - Have doubts

A basket case - A crazy person

Have a shot at - Have a chance

Be in the same boat - Be in the same situation

Out of the blue - With no warning

A grey area - Something unclear

Give someone the cold shoulder - Ignore someone

I’m all ears - You have my undivided attention

See eye to eye - Agree

Call it a day - Time to quit

The icing on the cake - Something additional that turns good into great
Fish out of water - Being somewhere you don’t belong

Kettle of fish - Something is completely different

Get off your high horse - Quit thinking you are better than others

Hold your horses - Wait a minute

Horse of a different color - Something that is different

Let the cat out of the bag - Tell a secret

Curiosity killed the cat - Asking may get you in trouble
Cat got your tongue? - Why aren’t you talking?

Raining cats and dogs - It is raining very hard

PREPARED BY : MISS CHEETALAKCHUMY

You can't teach an old dog new tricks - It’s harder for older people to learn new

things

Hot dog - A person doing athletic stunts that are dangerous

Doggy bag - A bag to take home leftovers from a restaurant

A little birdie told me - Someone told me a secret

Bee in her bonnet - She is upset
Goose is cooked - Now you’re in trouble

For the birds - Something that is not worth anything

Birdbrain - Someone who is not very smart

But a bug in his ear - Make a suggestion

A bull in a china shop - someone who is very clumsy

Pig out - To eat a lot

Wolf in sheep’s clothing - A person who pretends to be nice but is not

Cry crocodile tears - To pretend to be upset

Make a mountain out of a molehill - Make something that is not important into

a big deal

PREPARED BY : MISS CHEETALAKCHUMY

22. PROVERBS

This is a list of some of the most important and well-known English proverbs. Below
each one, there's a simple explanation. Note that some of the meanings of these
phrases have shifted over the years, so a proverb might have originally had a
different meaning than the one explained.

1. "Two wrongs don't make a right."
When someone has done something bad to you, trying to get revenge will only make
things worse.

2. "The pen is mightier than the sword."
Trying to convince people with ideas and words is more effective than trying to force
people to do what you want.

3. "When in Rome, do as the Romans."
Act the way that the people around you are acting. This phrase might come in handy
when you're traveling abroad notice that people do things differently than you're used
to.

4. "The squeaky wheel gets the grease."
You can get better service if you complain about something. If you wait patiently, no
one's going to help you.

5. "When the going gets tough, the tough get going."
Strong people don't give up when they come across challenges. They just work
harder.

6. "No man is an island."
You can't live completely independently. Everyone needs help from other people.

7. "Fortune favors the bold."
People who bravely go after what they want are more successful than people who try
to live safely.
PREPARED BY : MISS CHEETALAKCHUMY

8. "People who live in glass houses should not throw stones."
Don't criticize other people if you're not perfect yourself.

9. "Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst."
This seems pretty clear.

10. "Better late than never."
This one's clear, too.

11. "Birds of a feather flock together."
People like to spend time with others who are similar to them.

12. "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer."
If you have an enemy, pretend to be friends with them instead of openly fighting with
them. That way you can watch them carefully and figure out what they're planning.

13. "A picture is worth a thousand words."
Pictures convey emotions and messages better than written or spoken explanations.

14. "There's no such thing as a free lunch."
Things that are offered for free always have a hidden cost.

15. "There's no place like home."
Your own home is the most comfortable place to be.

16. "Discretion is the greater part of valor."
Sometimes it's important to know when to give up and run away, instead of always
acting brave and maybe getting hurt.

17. "The early bird catches the worm."
You should wake up and start work early if you want to succeed.

18. "Never look a gift horse in the mouth."
PREPARED BY : MISS CHEETALAKCHUMY