Back to the page of links for Students in Canton Geneva . . .
All the exercises on this page were created using authoring software created by Martin Holmes of the University of Victoria English Language Centre in Canada. Martin Holmes is from Manchester, England, and after having taught English in Japan, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia, now lives in Victoria, Canada, and works at the University of Victoria, where he is heavily involved in developing on-line teaching and learning systems. Any comments (either positive or negative) about these particular exercises should be addressed to me ; any compliments about the software can safely be sent directly to Martin Holmes .
Students having problems with any of the exercises are advised to consult their teacher for further help -  neither this nor any other program can provide a substitute for a real, live human teacher !
By the way. . . these exercises are provided for you free of charge. If anyone has asked you for money to access this page, please inform me at once, by clicking on my name: Lilliam Hurst

English Exercises for Beginner / Elementary level
	Does / Is / Has	A little dialog. You have to write the words " does ", " is " or "has".
	Frequency Adverbs	An easy crossword with frequency adverbs. The definitions are in French!
	Frequency mix 1	An easy mixed sentence with a frequency adverb (often)!  Find the correct word order...
	Frequency mix 2	An easy mixed sentence with a frequency adverb (rarely)!  Find the correct word order...
	Frequency mix 3	An easy mixed sentence with a frequency adverb (sometimes)!  Find the correct word order...
	Frequency mix 4	An easy mixed sentence with a frequency adverb (never)!  Find the correct word order...
	Frequency mix 5	An easy mixed sentence with a frequency adverb (usually)!  Find the correct word order...
	Frequency mix 6	An easy mixed sentence with a frequency adverb (frequently)!  Find the correct word order...
	Crossword 1	A little crossword for you.  Only six words to find!
	Crossword 2	Another little crossword, with six more words.
	Crossword 3	A crossword with PAST tenses.  You must use the simple past tense of the verbs
	Adjectives - Opposites	You have TWO lists - put the opposite adjectives together!
	The House	An easy text with a multiple choice comprehension section.  Be sure you do this exercise BEFORE the next one on this list!
	Mr Smith's House	(OPEN questions) Do this exercise AFTER you do the one about The House!
	Button and Snowball	This is another easy text about a dog called Button and a cat called Snowball. You can answer multiple choice questions about the text.
	Button and Snowball	Here is the same easy text about a dog called Button and a cat called Snowball. In this exercise, you have to write the correct verb into the blanks.
	Cats and Dogs	Here is an easy exercise. You have to match two parts. Half the question is in one part and half the question is in the other part.
		There will be more exercises here - just as soon as I find the time to write them. . .!

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English Exercises for Elementary / Lower-Intermediate level
	Vocabulary Crossword	Try this vocabulary crossword, for words in Headway Pre-Intermediate, Units 1 and 2
	A long Drive	Fill in the blanks about a drive in Belize, Central America
	A Weather Report	This is a weather report from the North of England. Depressing!
	Paris - Dakar:	This is a "longish" text with blanks about the Paris-Dakar rally.
	Thomas Cook	Here is a fairly long text with blanks about Thomas Cook, the first man to organize Package Tours.
		There will be more exercises here - just as soon as I find the time to write them. . .!

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English Exercises for Lower-Intermediate / Intermediate level
	Exploration !	A short cloze text about exploration. Why do people want to explore ?
	Phonetic recognition
	Phonetic 1	Here is a short exercise to help you recognize phonetic symbols! All the words are taken from Unit 1 vocabulary of Headway Intermediate.
	Grammar
	Make & Do (1)	These two verbs' first meaning is CONSTRUCT and ACT, but they have taken on other, more idiomatic meanings. You will need to learn the expressions as you go along.
	Make & Do (2)	This second exercise is more difficult than the first one. Once again, you will need to learn these expressions as you go along.
	Irregular Verbs
	Irregular verbs 1	Match the PAST PARTICIPLE with the other two forms! [This exercise has 35 items!]
	Irregular verbs 2	Once again, match the PAST PARTICIPLE with the other two forms [This exercise only has 8 items]
	Irregular verbs 3	In this exercise you will need to write in the SIMPLE PAST form and the PAST PARTICIPLE, to make sure you know them.
	Irregular verbs 4	Here again, as in exercise 3, you have to write in the SIMPLE PAST form and the PAST PARTICIPLE.
	Headway Intermediate Vocabulary
	Vocabulary for Unit 1	Here is the vocabulary for Unit 1. I have not used the words that are similar to French words. The definitions are given in French for this unit.
		There will be more exercises here just as soon as I have the time to write them!

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English Exercises for Intermediate / Upper Intermediate level
	Introduction to modals	A short introduction to MODALS. Look at this before you do the exercises following!
	Modals 1	Type in the correct form of could , should, must, might and can't in the past tense in the spaces provided.
	Modals 2	Type in the correct form of could, would or might to complete the sentences.
	Reported Speech 1	Fill in the blanks with the correct tenses, according to the rules of Indirect Speech.
	Reported Speech 2	Complete the second sentence, making sure that the information is the same as that in the first sentence.
	Passive 1	An easy exercise in the passive - all you have to do is create a passive form for a variety of verbs - using the tense suggested.
	Passive 2	A more advanced exercise using the passive. You will have to take certain specified words and make them the subject of the sentence. Look carefully at the instructions before you start the exercise and - type carefully!
	Passive 3	One more exercise using the passive. For some of the sentences there is more than one passive to form. Look at the instructions carefully, and watch your typing!
	Passive 4	One last exercise (for the time being !) on the passive. Please watch your typing, and watch out for punctuation.
	Time Clauses 1	Complete this exercise on Time Clauses / Time Conjunctions [Write the correct time clause in the blank]
	Time Clauses 2	Complete this exercise on Time Clauses / Time Conjunctions [Write the verb in the correct tense]
	Relative Pronouns 1	You need to tick "yes" or "no" according to whether you think the relative pronoun can be left out or not.
	Relative Pronouns 2	Decide whether you need to use "who" - "whom" - "which" - "what" - or "0 = nothing".
	Relative Clauses 3	In this exercise you have to chose one of three options: "who" - "which" - "that"!
	Relative clauses 4	Fill in the blanks in this story about the man who eats paper!
	Conditional - exercise 1	A multiple-choice activity using contrasts between the First and Second Conditionals (the important point to remember is the difference between what exists in reality - 1, and what you can only see in your mind - 2)
	Conditional - exercise 2	More contrasts between the First and Second Conditionals. This time you have to fill in the blanks
	Conditional - exercise 3	Another, slightly more difficult activity, letting you contrast the Second and Third Conditionals. Fill in the blanks, once again.
	Conditional - exercise 4	In this activity you will have to produce complete sentences using the various conditionals. Be sure to follow the instructions carefully!
	Gerund / Infinitive	This first exercise will help you to use the gerund in sentences.
	More Gerund / Infinitive	This second exercise will let you practise using either the gerund or the infinitive.
	Yet more: Gerund / Infinitive	This third (and slightly more difficult) exercise will allow you to practise more uses of the gerund and / or infinitive.
	Clean-Sweep Ignatius (by Jeffrey Archer)	A crossword for you to do, with words from this short story.
	Text-sequencing Clean-Sweep Ignatius (by Jeffrey Archer)	You will see different small sections of the summary of this short story (Thank you, David Pardo!). Put the sentences into the correct order. You will need to think carefully about things such as "word order"!
	Text-reconstruction Clean-Sweep Ignatius (by Jeffrey Archer)	Using the same summary (adapted from David Pardo's summary - Thank you, David!), this time reconstruct the text. Type in one word and see how many times it appears in the text.
	The Landlady (Roald Dahl)	A crossword for you to do, with words from this short story.
	A Shadow (R.K. Narayan)	A crossword for you to do, with words from the semantic field of this short story.
	The Glass Menagerie (a Text reconstruction) Scene 1	In this activity, you will be asked to " guess" the words in a text. The text is a summary of the scene indicated on the left, so it helps if you have a copy of the play with you, even though you cannot just copy the words.
	The Glass Menagerie (a Text reconstruction) Scene 2	In this activity, you will be asked to " guess" the words in a text. The text is a summary of the scene indicated on the left, so it helps if you have a copy of the play with you, even though you cannot just copy the words.
	The Glass Menagerie (a Text reconstruction) Scene 3	In this activity, you will be asked to " guess" the words in a text. The text is a summary of the scene indicated on the left, so it helps if you have a copy of the play with you, even though you cannot just copy the words.
	The Glass Menagerie (a Text reconstruction) Scene 4	In this activity, you will be asked to " guess" the words in a text. The text is a summary of the scene indicated on the left, so it helps if you have a copy of the play with you, even though you cannot just copy the words.
	The Glass Menagerie (a Text reconstruction) Scene 5	In this activity, you will be asked to " guess" the words in a text. The text is a summary of the scene indicated on the left, so it helps if you have a copy of the play with you, even though you cannot just copy the words.
	The Glass Menagerie (a Text reconstruction) Scene 6	In this activity, you will be asked to " guess" the words in a text. The text is a summary of the scene indicated on the left, so it helps if you have a copy of the play with you, even though you cannot just copy the words.
	The Glass Menagerie (a Text reconstruction) Scene 7	In this activity, you will be asked to " guess" the words in a text. The text is a summary of the scene indicated on the left, so it helps if you have a copy of the play with you, even though you cannot just copy the words.
	The Glass Menagerie (a Text reconstruction) Conclusion	In this activity, you will be asked to " guess" the words in a text. The text is a summary of the scene indicated on the left, so it helps if you have a copy of the play with you, even though you cannot just copy the words.
	The Pearl - Crossword # 1	Here is a crossword with words from chapter 2. Be sure to have your copy of the book with you when you do this crossword!
	Animal Farm (1)	A matching exercise to make sure you know the historical allusions in the allegory of Animal Farm .
	Animal Farm (2)	A short-answer activity with questions about the historical characters who are represented in the novel AnimalFarm .
	Animal Farm (3)	A matching activity to make sure you can see what created event - in Animal Farm - corresponds to a real event in history.
	Animal Farm (Vocabulary)	In this exercise you will be able to practise the use of vocabulary that you need to explain elements in the book AnimalFarm .
	Who said this? Animal Farm (chpts 1 -3)	A matching activity. Match the quotation with the character who said the words.  Chapters 1 - 3
	Who said this?  Animal Farm (chpts 4 -6)	A matching activity. Match the quotation with the character who said the words.  Chapters 4 - 6
	Who said this? Animal Farm (chpts 7 -10)	A matching activity. Match the quotation with the character who said the words.  Chapters  7 - 10
	Literary Terms	Here is an exercise with the Literary Terms you are supposed to be able to use during your oral exams!
	Using Prefixes to make Antonyms	We can use prefixes to give words the opposite meanings and make antonyms. This crossword will give you practice with prefixes.
	More Prefixes and Antonyms	In this crossword, you can practise with some of the same words - and others - making antonyms with prefixes!
	First 50 Phrasal Verbs Test-like activity - Series One	This activity (with break- call- do - get- give ) will allow you to practise the same type of answers you will have to give during the test. There are two sentences, one with the synonyms for the Phrasal Verbs, and one with a blank, for you to write in the correct Phrasal Verbs from our list.
	First 50 Phrasal Verbs Test-like activity - Series Two	This activity ( with go- look- make - put- take ) will allow you to practise the same type of answers you will have to give during the test. There are two sentences, one with the synonyms for the Phrasal Verbs, and one with a blank, for you to write in the correct Phrasal Verbs from our list.
	From 1st 50 Phrasal Verbs  [break, call, do & get ]	Here you have a multiple choice exercise with the first four of the "First Fifty Phrasal Verbs" by Independent Software in Lucerne, Switzerland.
	From 1st 50 Phrasal Verbs [give, go & look]	Another multiple choice exercise with the next three verbs from the "First Fifty Phrasal Verbs" by Independent Software in Lucerne, Switzerland.
	From 1st 50 Phrasal Verbs [make, put and take]	This is the last multiple choice exercise with the last three verbs from the "First Fifty Phrasal Verbs" by Independent Software in Lucerne.
	Phrasal Verbs	A crossword - you need to find a verb to replace a Phrasal Verb.  For more information on the Phrasal Verb, click here .
	Another crossword for Phrasal Verbs	Here is a crossword with some of the verbs from the First Fifty Phrasal Verbs. You will see the verb-particle combination, and you have to find the longer English synonym.
	The Venus Fly Trap	This is a text about two women and one carnivorous plant. There is a glossary included.
	The Blue Room	This is a text (with multiple-choice comprehension questions) about two cousins in a video arcade, on a cold, windy day.
	The Himalayan Village	Here you have a fairly difficult text to read (about a woman who tries to improve conditions in a Himalayan village), along with a summary in which you have to fill in the blanks. There is a glossary included.
	The Corpse	A rather gruesome (horrible) story about one couple's honeymoon in Las Vegas. There is a glossary included.
		there will soon be more exercises here - just as soon as I find the time to write them!

Vocabulary

Grammar

Literature Friel - Lessing -  Morrison -  Rhys - Shakespeare - Vonnegut

Rhetorical terms

Reading

English Exercises for Upper-Intermediate / Advanced level
	Pairs of words (1)	Certain words have a certain attraction for each other, and are often used in partnership. Find the pairs that go together in this exercise. . .
	Pairs of words (2)	Certain words have a certain attraction for each other, and are often used in partnership. Find the pairs that go together in this exercise. . .
	SAT Revision
	Adjectives 1	The six exercises shown on the left partially cover the SAT (Scholastic Achievement Test) vocabulary section in the Language portion of the exam. The exercises are simple  MATCHING activities; you have to find the definition for the words shown from a list   of  30 definitions. Each exercise covers 30 adjectives.  More to come. . .
	Adjectives 2
	Adjectives 3
	Adjectives 4
	Adjectives 5
	Adjectives 6
	Grammar
	Verbs and Prepositions (1)	An exercise for you to make sure you know which prepositions go with certain verbs.
	Verbs and Prepositions (2)	There were rather a lot of prepositions to learn, so here is another exercise, much like the previous one.
	Adjectives and Prepositions (1)	There was also a list for adjectives and prepositions - you can test yourself here.
	Adjectives and Prepositions (2)	Here are a few more from that same list. Revise, or learn them here.
	Article 1 (easy)	This is the first of a series of exercises on the ARTICLE. Choose A - AN - THE - SOME and 0 (ZERO)
	Article 2 ( easy)	This is the second of a series of exercises on the ARTICLE. Choose A - AN - THE - SOME and 0 (ZERO)
	Article 3 (intermediate)	This is the third of a series of exercises on the ARTICLE. Choose A - AN - THE - SOME and 0 (ZERO)
	Conjunctions  1 [Contrast]	A short exercise using the link-word (contrasting conjuction) - although
	Conjunctions  2 [Contrast]	Another short exercise using more contrasting link-words  [but - while /whilst / whereas - (al)though - however - even though ].
	Conjunctions 3 [Contrast]	Even more contrasting link-words  [yet - still - nevertheless - nonetheless - all the same - whatever - however]
	Toni Morrison
	Characters in The Bluest Eye (ex. 1)	This is a drag-and-drop matching exercise on The Bluest Eye, with some of the main characters and their descriptions.
	Characters in The Bluest Eye (ex. 2)	Here is another drag-and-drop matching exercise on The Bluest Eye, this time with some of the secondary characters.
	Doris Lessing
	The Fifth Child	A crossword with the names of the characters in the novel The Fifth Child (by Doris Lessing)
	Brian Friel
	Web-safari Brian Friel's Life and Work [HTML version]	Here is a "paper-web-quest" for you to fill in - on Brian Friel, the playwright who wrote Philadelphia, Here I Come , Translations,   Dancing at Lughnasa , and many other titles. You will first of all need to download a MicroSoft Word document called Friel.doc , with the questions you need to answer. Be sure to fill in your name in the header! [To do that, just click twice where your name should go, and fill it in, then save your file on your desktop.]. The HTML version that you also find here is not as easy to work with as the paper version!
	Jean Rhys
	Web-safari  Jean Rhys' Life and Work [HTML version]	Here is a "paper-web-quest" for you to fill in - on Jean Rhys, the author of The Wide Sargasso Sea , and the collection of short stories called Tigers Are Better Looking , among other titles. You will first of all need to download a MicroSoft Word document called Rhys.doc , with the questions for you to answer. Be sure to fill in your name in the header! [To do that, just click twice where your name should go, and fill it in, then save the document on your desktop! ] You will need to read certain pages carefully to find the answers to the questions.
	Jean Rhys - Biography (part I)	Here is part ONE of a short biography of Jean Rhys. You have to put the sections of the text into the correct order, by clicking on the letter corresponding to the section of the text you want  to place. Good luck!
	Jean Rhys - Biography (part II)	This is part TWO of a short biography of Jean Rhys. You have to put the sections of the text into the correct order, by clicking on the letter corresponding to the section of the text you want  to place. Good luck!
	Jean Rhys - Biography (part III)	Finally, here is part THREE of a short biography of Jean Rhys. You have to put the sections of the text into the correct order, by clicking on the letter corresponding to the section of the text you want  to place. Good luck!
	Shakespeare
	Juliet (Act III, Scene 2)	This is a cloze (fill-in-the-blanks) activity with the monologue which some of you have chosen to learn. It is Juliet waiting for Romeo to come and spend their wedding night with her.
	Juliet's speech (Part 1) Act III, Scene 2)	This time you have a matching exercise with the first part of the speech quoted above.  Please do this one before you do part 2!
	Juliet's speech (Part 2) Act III, Scene 2)	And here you have the second part of the speech started in the exercise above
	Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
	The Lie	Here is a crossword with words taken from this short story by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., from the collection Welcome to the Monkey House.
	Rhetorical &  Literary Terms
	Figures and Tropes	Here is an exercise to help you remember the Figures and Tropes that I asked you to learn. Don't forget that these are applicable to the study of (almost) any literature in (almost) any language!
	Literary Terms	Here is another exercise, but this time for the Literary Terms you are supposed to be able to use during your oral exams!
	Both of the following	use the same text, but in a different way. Be sure to do them in the same order.
	The Chink	A reading comprehension text about a young Japanese-American's experiences during World War II. Please do this exercise FIRST !
	The Chink	A LONG (and fairly difficult) cloze (fill-in-the-blank) exercise about the experiences of a young man of Japanese extraction during World War Two.
	Clark Junior High School	This text tells you about the sad situation in a school in a black neighbourhood in St. Louis, Missouri. Read the text and answer the questions.
		There will be more exercises here - just as soon as I find the time to write them. . .!

 

Page created: 13.01.98  - Using: Netscape Composer 4.03
Last edited on: 30.12.2008   - Using Nvu
This web page was written by Lilliam Hurst
Teacher of English and Literature at Collège Claparede
CALL Facilitator at the CPTIC  - previously known as Centre EAO, CIP [Centre Informatique Pédagogique] , currently known as SEM [Service Ecoles et Média]