Confusing words in english

Achieve, Manage and Reach Exercise
achieve - this is similar to 'gaining'
manage - this is about 'being able to'
reach

- this is about 'getting somewhere difficult'

Fill the gaps with achieve, manage and reach in the correct form.
1 Did you .................................... to finish painting the gates?
2 A: What did you hope to .................................... by being rude to her.
B: A bit of respect, hopefully.
3 When the building caught fire, they .................................... to get everyone out, thank
God.
4 Professor Boring has .................................... the height of his profession.
5 It's no good. I can't .................................... . Can you bring me the ladder, please?
6 You've been at university for 3 years now and yet you have ....................................
absolutely nothing.
7 We .................................... a great deal considering how little time we had.
8 Did you .................................... to connect the speakers OK?
9 Help me, please. I can't .................................... on my own.
10 We .................................... everything we set out to do.
11 It took her 2 weeks to .................................... a decision about the future of her marriage
to Frank. It's divorce.
12 The secret is to .................................... your time well.

B Now write some examples of your own.
1 ...........................................................................................................................
2 ...........................................................................................................................
3 ...........................................................................................................................
4 ...........................................................................................................................

www.autoenglish.org

Written by Bob Wilson ©Robert Clifford McNair Wilson 2010


Answers
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

Did you manage to finish painting the gates?
A: What did you hope to achieve by being rude to her.
B: A bit of respect, hopefully.
When the building caught fire, they managed to get everyone out, thank God.
Professor Boring has reached the height of his profession.
It's no good. I can't reach. Can you bring me the ladder, please?
You've been at university for 3 years now and yet you have achieved absolutely nothing.
We achieved a great deal considering how little time we had.
Did you manage to connect the speakers OK?
Help me, please. I can't manage on my own.
We achieved everything we set out to do.

It took her 2 weeks to reach a decision about the future of her marriage to Frank. It's divorce.
The secret is to manage your time well.

www.autoenglish.org

Written by Bob Wilson ©Robert Clifford McNair Wilson 2010


Alone, Lonely and Only Exercise 
— alone is a physical state for humans – I need to be alone sometimes
— lonely  is an emotion ­ I phone some friends if I’m feeling lonely
— on its own  is for things ­ I often eat cheese on its own
— only  means ‘exclusively’ ­ She only eats organic food

A Fill the gaps with alone, lonely and only. 
1  My laptop shuts down on its own. 
2  I think if I lived in the country, I'd get ................................... . 
3  Bob needs to be .................................... at least two hours a day in order to be happy. 
4  Travelling .................................... has its pros and cons. 
5  Leave me .................................... ! Can't you see I'm working? 
6  Whenever I feel .................................... , I phone up a friend. 
7  I .................................... ever buy meat from the butcher's and never from supermarkets. 
8  My cats will .................................... eat the most expensive food on the market. 
9  Although Mrs Parkhurst lives alone, she says she never gets .................................... . 
10  It's funny how easy it is to feel .................................... in such a crowded city like London. 
11  The .................................... reason I put up with Juan is because he's my wife's brother. 
12  The Prancing Pony was the .................................... pub in the entire village. 
13  Never walk down that street .................................... at night. 
14  That old man lives .................................... in an enormous house. 
15  My dog stops me from feeling .................................... . 

16  She needs to have people around her the whole time. She hates being 
.................................... . 
17  Oh no! There's ....................................  one chocolate biscuit left. 
18  I drink coffee on its own. No sugar and no milk. 
19  He always drinks red wine with a meal and never on its own. 

B Now make up some examples of your own. 
1  ................................................................................................................ 
2  ................................................................................................................

www.autoenglish.org 

Written by Bob Wilson ©Robert Clifford McNair Wilson 2008 


Answers 
1 

My laptop shuts down on its own. 

2 

I think if I lived in the country, I'd get lonely. 

3 

Bob needs to be alone at least two hours a day in order to be happy. 

4 

Travelling alone has its pros and cons. 

5 

Leave me alone! Can't you see I'm working? 

6 

Whenever I feel lonely, I phone up a friend. 

7 

I only ever buy meat from the butcher's and never from supermarkets. 

8 

My cats will only eat the most expensive food on the market. 

9 

Although Mrs Parkhurst lives alone, she says she never gets lonely. 

10 

It's funny how easy it is to feel lonely in such a crowded city like London. 

11 

The only reason I put up with Juan is because he's my wife's brother. 

12 

The Prancing Pony was the only pub in the entire village. 

13 

Never walk down that street alone at night. 

14 

That old man lives alone in an enormous house. 

15 

My dog stops me from feeling lonely. 

16 

She needs to have people around her the whole time. She hates being alone. 

17 

Oh no! There's only one chocolate biscuit left. 

18 

I drink coffee on its own. No sugar and no milk. 

19 

He always drinks red wine with a meal and never on its own.

www.autoenglish.org 

Written by Bob Wilson ©Robert Clifford McNair Wilson 2008 


Another, Other and Others Exercise 
— Do you have another question? – singular and general 
— Do you have any other questions? ­ plural 
— I prefer the other one – singular and specific 
— My boss and your boss really hate one another – a shared condition 
— We need to think of one other possible solution – an alternative 
— I like one or two of his songs but the others are awful – the rest 

A Fill the gaps with another, other and others. 
1  If he is a good person or not, is ............................... matter. 
2  Dogs and their owners tend to be very similar to one ............................... . 
3  There’s only one ............................... way we can do this. 
4  Germany will need to have ............................... election soon. 
5  Some of them have strong religious ideas and the  ............................... have undemocratic political views. 
6  ............................... encouraging change is that solar panels are getting much better. 
7  ............................... people might think you’re crazy if you wear that hat in public. 
8  That evil corporation manipulates the price of milk and ............................... types of food too. 
9  Their action might provoke retaliation by ............................... governments. 
10  Their cakes are so good that I went back the next day and bought ............................... one. 
11  We spent the weekend doing a bit of this, that and the ............................... . 
12  His dogs are too friendly. I pushed one down and then the ............................... one jumped up on me. 
13  I’ve still got a headache. I need ............................... aspirin. 
14  Some veggie restaurants are awful but ............................... are fantastic. Try Tastaolletes in Valencia. Their 

salads are truly awesome. 
15  We stopped for a coffee and then we stopped again at 7 for ............................... one. 
16  The ............................... day I ran into an old friend in the market. 
17  We spend a good deal of money on maintenance and one thing and ............................... . 
18  Proposals for economic union are just ............................... phase of the journey toward a united South 
America. 
19  If you say ............................... word about it, I’ll go ballistic on you. 
20  Her cats are all very different from one ............................... . 
B Now make up some examples of your own. 
1  ...................................................................................................................... 
2  ...................................................................................................................... 
3  ......................................................................................................................

www.autoenglish.org 

Written by Bob Wilson ©Robert Clifford McNair Wilson 2008 


Answers 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 

12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 

If he is a good person or not, is another matter. 
Dogs and their owners tend to be very similar to one another. 
There’s only one other way we can do this. 
Germany will need to have another election soon. 
Some of them had strong religious ideas and other bigots had undemocratic political views. 
Another encouraging change is that solar panels are getting much better. 
Other people might think you’re crazy if you wear that hat in public. 
That evil corporation manipulates the price of milk and other types of food too. 
Their action might provoke retaliation by other governments. 
Their cakes are so good that I went back the next day and bought another one. 
We spent the weekend doing a bit of this, that and the other. 
His dogs are too friendly. I pushed one down and then the other one jumped up. 
I’ve still got a headache. I need another aspirin. 
Some veggie restaurants are awful but others are fantastic. Try Tastaolletes in Valencia. Their salads are truly 
awesome. 
We stopped for a coffee and then we stopped again at 7 for another one. 
The other day I ran into an old friend in the market. 
We spend a good deal of money on maintenance and one thing and another. 
Proposals for economic union are just another phase of the journey. 
If you say another word about it, I’ll go ballistic on you. 

Her cats are all very different from one another .

www.autoenglish.org 

Written by Bob Wilson ©Robert Clifford McNair Wilson 2008 


Ban, Forbid, Not allow and Prohibit Exercise 

— Parking has been banned in this street ­ for authorities like governments and schools 
— Cars have been banned from parking 
— You are not allowed to park in this street 
— It is prohibited to park in this street ­ used with “It” 
— The Jews are forbidden to eat camels and prawns ­ for religious things 

A Fill the gaps with banned, forbidden, not allowed and prohibited. 
1  The film ‘Last Tango in Paris’ was .................................. in Spain until 1976. 
2  Beckham has been .................................. from the next match because he got a red card. 
3  Excuse me, miss, but you’re .................................. to smoke in here. 
4  When we were kids, we were .................................. to watch TV during the week. 
5  Andy was .................................. from that pub for being nuisance to other customers. 
6  Darren was .................................. from driving for a year for speeding. Prat! 
7  Our dog is .................................. on the sofa. Is yours? 
8  It is .................................. to swim in this part of the beach. 
9  Smoking has been .................................. in that restaurant. 
10  You are .................................. to smoke anywhere inside the airport. 
11  Jehovah’s Witnesses are .................................. to give each other Christmas presents. 
12  Dwarves are .................................. to enter synagogues. 
13  The European Union has .................................. red tuna fishing in the Mediterranean. 
14  You are .................................. to switch on your mob in this theatre. 

15  MP3 players have been .................................. from our school. 
16  It is .................................. to park your car in the city centre. 
17  Turtle soup has been .................................. from restaurants, thank goodness. 
18  Chewing gum has been .................................. in Singapore. 
19  Trucks are .................................. on the roads in France on Sundays. 
20  Trucks are .................................. from driving on the road in France on Sundays. 

B Now make up some examples of your own. 
1  ................................................................................................................................... 
2  ................................................................................................................................... 
3  ................................................................................................................................... 
4  ...................................................................................................................................

www.autoenglish.org 

Written by Bob Wilson ©Robert Clifford McNair Wilson 2009 


Answers 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 

12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 

The film ‘Last Tango in Paris’ was banned in Spain until 1976. 
Beckham has been banned from the next match because he got a red card. 
Excuse me, miss, but you’re not allowed to smoke in here. 
When we were kids, we weren’t allowed to watch TV during the week. 
Andy got banned from that pub for being nuisance to other customers. 
Darren was banned from driving for a year for speeding. Prat! 
Our dog is not allowed on the sofa. Is yours? 
It is prohibited to swim in this part of the beach. 
Smoking has been banned in that restaurant. 
You are not allowed to smoke anywhere inside the airport. 
Jehovah’s Witnesses are forbidden to give each other Christmas presents. 
Dwarves are forbidden to enter synagogues. 
The European Union has banned red tuna fishing in the Mediterranean. 
You are not allowed to switch on your mob in this theatre. 
MP3 players have been banned from our school. 
It is prohibited to park your car in the city centre. 
Turtle soup has been banned from restaurants, thank goodness. 
Chewing gum has been banned in Singapore. 
Trucks are not allowed on the roads in France on Sundays. 
Trucks are banned from driving on the road in France on Sundays

www.autoenglish.org 

Written by Bob Wilson ©Robert Clifford McNair Wilson 2009 


Beat, Earn and Win Exercise 
— You beat your opponent Valencia FC beat Real Madrid on Saturday
— You win the game

Valencia FC won the match

— You earn your wages

It’s rude to ask someone how much they earn

A Fill the gaps with beat, earn and win in the correct form. 
1  It's none of your business how much I .................................. . 
2  Samantha's just bought a red convertible. She must have .................................. the lottery. 
3  When I .................................. Jonathan at table tennis, he got very angry. 
4  No one I know has ever .................................. her at pool. She's a great player. 
5  A: Who .................................. the match last Saturday? Valencia or Real Madrid? 
B: Valencia, of course. 
6  Zaragoza .................................. Arsenal every time they meet. 
7  Jim was .................................. big money before he went off to teach in Thailand. 
8  I love my job but I need to .................................. more money. 
9  England won The World Cup in 1966. They .................................. Germany. 
10  Spain .................................. Australia in The Davis Cup. 
11  He .................................. me in the first round but I won in the end. 
12  I dare you to .................................. me at tiddlywinks. 

13  You deserve a holiday. You've really .................................. it. 
14  Teachers in London don't .................................. enough money to buy a house. 

B Now make up some examples of your own. 
1  ................................................................................................................. 
2  ................................................................................................................. 
3  ................................................................................................................. 
4  .................................................................................................................

www.autoenglish.org 

Written by Bob Wilson ©Robert Clifford McNair Wilson 2008 


Answers 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 

It's none of your business how much I earn. 
Samantha's just bought a red convertible. She must have won the lottery. 
When I beat Jonathan at table tennis, he got very angry. 
No one I know has ever beaten her at pool. She's a great player. 
A: Who won? Valencia or Real Madrid? 
B: Valencia, of course. 
Zaragossa beat Arsenal every time they meet. 
Jim was earning big money before he went off to teach in Thailand. 
I love my job but I need to earn more money. 
England won The World Cup in 1966. They beat Germany. 
Spain beat Australia in The Davis Cup. 
He beat me in the first round but I won in the end. 
I dare you to beat me at tiddlywinks. 
You deserve a holiday. You've really earned it. 
Teachers in London don't earn enough to buy a house.

www.autoenglish.org 

Written by Bob Wilson ©Robert Clifford McNair Wilson 2008 


Be and Get Exercise 
— She was angry  ­  a state 
— She got angry  ­  a change of state 

Fill the gaps with forms of be and get. Use one word only. 
1  She ................................ angry about it for ages. 
2  I could see he was ................................ angrier and angrier with the salesman. 
3  I´ll never ................................ used to getting up early. 
4  At first she found city life difficult but she ................................ used to it now. 

5  ................................ you married? 
6  They ................................ married for 40 years. They both died last year. 
7  Where did they ................................ married? 
8  I ................................ really fed up with attention­seeking politicians at the moment. 
9  When she kept asking me the same question again and again, I ................................ really fed up. 
10  Lucas has watched Lord of the Rings at least a dozen times. He never ................................ fed up with it. 
11  No more champagne, thanks or I´ll ................................ drunk. 
12  A: ................................ you drunk or just stupid? 
B: Both. 
13  After he ate that disgusting hamburger, he ................................ sick all over the table. 
14  Can I sit in the front? I ................................ car sick in the back. 
15  The weather´s ................................ worse and worse. 
16  ................................ well soon. 
17  She ................................ far better at tennis than me. 
18  The reason she beats you at chess is because she................................ better than you. 
19  As long as you keep practising, you’re bound to ................................ better. 
20  It’s easy to ................................ lost in the old part of town. 
21  Can you help me? I................................ lost.

www.autoenglish.org 

Written by Bob Wilson ©Robert Clifford McNair Wilson 2007 


Answers 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 

6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 

She was angry about it for ages. 
I could see he was getting angrier and angrier with the salesman. 
I´ll never get used to getting up early. 
At first she found city life difficult but she is used to it now. 
Are you married? 
They were married for 40 years. 
Where did they get married? 
I am really fed up with attention­seeking politicians at the moment. 
When she kept asking me the same question again and again, I got really fed up. 
Lucas has watched Lord of the Rings at least a dozen times. He never gets fed up with it. 
No more champagne, thanks or I´ll get drunk. 
A: Are you drunk or just stupid? 
B: Both 

After he ate that disgusting hamburger, he was sick all over the table. 
Can I sit in the front? I get car sick in the back. 
The weather´s getting worse and worse. 
Get well soon. 
She is far better at tennis than me. 
The reason she beats you at chess is because she’s better than you. 
As long as you keep practising, you’re bound to get better. 
It’s easy to get lost in the old part of town. 
Can you help me? I’m lost.

www.autoenglish.org 

Written by Bob Wilson ©Robert Clifford McNair Wilson 2007 


Believe and Think Exercise 
— believe I believe him ­ a process often about accepting as true 
— think

I’m thinking about buying one ­ a process often involving decision 

A Fill the gaps with believe and think. 
1  I don't .............................. a word of what she told me about Clare. 
2  A: Sam was upset about it. 
B: Yes, I can .............................. that. 
3  Leave me alone. I'm trying to ............................... 
4  Do you .............................. in Leprechauns? 
5  Do you really expect me to .............................. that? 
6  After the Holocaust, many people could no longer .............................. in god. 
7  I need time to .............................. this problem through. 

8  Why don't you .............................. before you open your mouth? 
9  Often, whether or not you .............................. in ghosts depends on your cultural background. 
10  I just couldn't .............................. my eyes. 
11  Look how white my sheets are. Can you .............................. the difference? 
12  What do you .............................. of this hotel, darling? 
13  Why do you .............................. in 'an eye for an eye'? That way the whole world would end up blind. 
14  So just .............................. about it and let me know in the morning, okay? 
15  I still .............................. of him as a little boy. 
16  I .............................. I'll take a nap now. 
17  I .............................. she was just showing off. 

B Now write down some examples of your own. 
1  ....................................................................................................................................... 
2  ....................................................................................................................................... 
3  ....................................................................................................................................... 
4  .......................................................................................................................................

www.autoenglish.org 

Written by Bob Wilson ©Robert Clifford McNair Wilson 2009 


Answers 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 

8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 

I don't believe a word of what she told me about Clare. 
A:  Sam was upset about it. 
B:  Yes, I can believe that. 
Leave me alone. I'm trying to think. 
Do you believe in Leprechauns? 
Do you really expect me to believe that? 
After the Holocaust, many people could no longer believe in god. 
I need time to think this problem through. 
Why don't you think before you open your mouth. 
Often, whether or not you believe in ghosts depends on your cultural background. 
I just couldn't believe my eyes. 
Look how white my sheets are. Can you believe the difference? 
What do you think of this hotel, darling? 
Why do you believe in 'an eye for an eye'? That way the whole world would end up blind. 
So just think about it and let me know in the morning, okay? 
I still think of him as a little boy. 
I think I'll take a nap now. 
I think she was just showing off.

www.autoenglish.org 

Written by Bob Wilson ©Robert Clifford McNair Wilson 2009 


Borrow and Lend Exercise 

Could I borrow a fiver*, please?  =  Could you lend me a fiver, please? 
fiver*  = five pounds 

A Fill the gaps with borrow or lend in the correct form. 
1  Can I ............................ your mobile for a minute, please? 
2  Don't ............................ him the money. He should ask the bank, not you. 
3  She never gave me back the 100 Euros she ............................ off me. 
4  Sometimes Dad ............................ me his car for the weekend. 
5  Could I ............................ your calculator, please? 
6  Could you ............................ me your calculator, please? 
7  You wouldn't ............................ me a 1000 Baht, would you? 
8  Jason asked me if he could ............................ my camara but I said no. 
9  Has someone ............................ my stapler without asking? 
10  Mum offered to ............................ us some money toward a new car. 
11  Mr Micawber was always ............................ money off people. 
12  After I got caught in the rain, Clare ............................ me some dry clothes. 
13  She ............................ my Elvis cds and never returned them. 
14  Do you remember I ............................ you 50 Euro last month? When can I have it back? 
15  I only ............................ book and films to very special friends. Otherwise, you never get them back. 

B Now write a few examples of your own. 
1  ......................................................................................................................................... 
2  ......................................................................................................................................... 

3  ......................................................................................................................................... 
4  .........................................................................................................................................

www.autoenglish.org 

Written by Bob Wilson ©Robert Clifford McNair Wilson 2009 


Answers 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 

Can I borrow your mobile for a minute, please? 
Don't lend him the money. He should ask the bank, not you. 
She never gave me back the 100 Euros she borrowed off me. 
Sometimes Dad lends me his car for the weekend. 
Could I borrow your calculator, please? 

Could you lend me your calculator, please? 
You wouldn't lend me a 1000 Baht, would you? 
Jason asked me if he could borrow my camara but I said no. 
Has someone borrowed my stapler without asking? 
Mum offered to lend us some money toward a new car. 
Mr Micawber was always borrowing money off people. 
After I got caught in the rain, Clare lent me some dry clothes. 
She borrowed my Elvis cds and never returned them. 
Do you remember I lent you 50 Euro last month? When can I have it back? 
I only lend book and films to very special friends.

www.autoenglish.org 

Written by Bob Wilson ©Robert Clifford McNair Wilson 2009 


Care, Matter and Mind Exercise
I don't care

- you often say this with anger

It doesn't matter - you often say this with kindness
I don't mind

-

A Fill the gaps with I don't care, it doesn't matter and I don't mind.
1 .................................... about Peter's financial difficulties. It's his problem.
2 Ann: My computer's broken.
Bart: We can get it fixed. .................................... .

3 Stan: What shall I make for dinner?
Anne: .................................... , as long as it's quick and you don't make a mess in the
kitchen.
4 Barry: Would you like to come up for a coffee?
Sally: Sorry. I must be getting back.
Barry: Oh well. .................................... . Another time, maybe.
5 Max: Go on. You have a night out with your friends. .................................... staying in with
the baby.
Ann: Oh thanks, darling. I really need a night out.
6 Forget him. .................................... . They are plenty more fish in the sea, and much nicer
ones than smelly Simon.
7 I'll wear a bright yellow top with a pink skirt if I want to. .................................... what
people might think of me.
8 Listen! .................................... about your boyfriend problems. Can we talk about
something else for a change?
9 .................................... if she's oversensitive. She needs to learn how to take a joke, for
pity's sake!
10 .................................... washing up. You have a rest.
B Fill the gaps with care, matter and mind. You may need to use a good dictionary
1 She hasn't a ...................... in the world.
2 It says on the box,"Handle with ......................."
3 The police arrived in a ...................... of minutes.
4 No ...................... how much money he earns, he'll never be satisfied.
5 Phew! That's a load off my .......................
6 Bear in ...................... that you'll need to bring warm clothes.
7 I'm going out with my friends tomorrow no ...................... what.
8 I have half a ...................... to tell him exactly what I think of him.
9 I wish you'd hurry up and make up your .......................
10 Condoleeza's got a long face. What's the ...................... with her?
11 Stop fussing! I'm perfectly alright. Nothing's the ......................, OK?

12 Monica doesn't ...................... a fig what Juan thinks.

www.autoenglish.org

Written by Bob Wilson ©Robert Clifford McNair Wilson 2010


Answers
A
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
B
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

11
12

I don't care about Peter's financial difficulties. It's his problem.
A: My computer's broken.
B: We can get it fixed. It doesn't matter.
Stan: What shall I make for dinner?
Anne: I don't mind, as long as it's quick and you don't make a mess in the kitchen.
Barry: Would you like to come up for a coffee?
Sally: Sorry. I must be getting back.
Barry: Oh well. It doesn't matter. Another time, maybe.
Max: Go on. You have a night out with your friends. I don't mind staying in with the baby.
Ann: Oh thanks, darling. I really need a night out.
Forget him. It really doesn't matter. They are plenty more fish in the sea, and much nicer ones than smelly Simon.
I'll wears a bright yellow top with a pink skirt if I want to. I don't care what people might think of me.
Listen! I don't care about your boyfriend problems. Can we talk about something else for a change?
I don't care if she's oversensitive. She needs to learn how to take a joke, for pity's sake!
I don't mind washing up. You have a rest.
She hasn't a care in the world.
It says on the box,"Handle with care."
The police arrived in a matter of minutes.
No matter how much money he earns, he'll never be satisfied.
Phew! That's a load off my mind.
Bear in mind that you'll need to bring warm clothes.
I'm going out with my friends tomorrow no matter what.
I have half a mind to tell him exactly what I think of him.
I wish you'd hurry up and make up your mind.
Condoleeza's got a long face. What's the matter with her?
Stop fussing! I'm perfectly alright. Nothing's the matter, OK?
Monica doesn't care a fig what Juan thinks.

www.autoenglish.org

Written by Bob Wilson ©Robert Clifford McNair Wilson 2010


Catch, Have and Take Lexical Phrases

A Fill the gaps with the correct forms of catch, have and take.
1 I ..................... an aspirin last night because I had a headache.
2 We stopped at a roadside café to ..................... a coffee.
3 I saw a green dress in a shop window that really ..................... my attention. I’m going to buy it for you.
4 I ..................... a bus to get home yesterday afternoon.
5 I normally ..................... a coffee after lunch.
6 To get to the beach, you need to ..................... the No. 19 bus.
7 Last Saturday, I ..................... a bus into town to do some shopping.
8 Wrap up warm or you’ll ..................... cold.
9 What time do you ..................... dinner?
10 ..................... plenty of warm clothes if you’re going to Reykjavik.
11 I’ve got a lot of paperwork to ..................... up on.
12 Don’t put candles near the curtains. They might ..................... fire.
13 Sarah’s ..................... her Spanish exam next week. I’m sure she’s going to do well.
14 I get annoyed when my students don’t ..................... notes in class.
15 Everyone ..................... a good time at the party last weekend.
16 Excuse me. Would you mind ..................... a photo of my girlfriend and me?
17 You look a bit scruffy. When was the last time you ..................... a haircut?
18 Although I don’t really agree with you, I ..................... your point.
19 ..................... a nice weekend!
20 He wasn’t serious. He was ..................... the mickey.
21 ..................... your time. There’s absolutely no hurry.

B Check your answers on the next page and place the words in bold in the correct column, starting from the top.
Catch

Have

Take

catch your ........................

have a ........................

take an ........................

catch a ........................

have ........................

take ........................

catch (a) ........................

have a ........................

take a ........................

catch ........................

have a ........................

take your ........................

www.autoenglish.org

Written by Bob Wilson ©Robert Clifford McNair Wilson 2010


Answers
A
1 I took an aspirin because I had a headache.
2 We stopped at a roadside café to have a coffee.
3 I saw a green dress in a shop window that really caught my attention. I’m going to buy it for
you.
4 I caught a bus to get home yesterday afternoon.
5 I normally have a coffee after lunch.
6 To get to the beach, you need to catch the No. 19 bus.
7 Last Saturday, I caught a bus into town to do some shopping.
8 Wrap up warm or you’ll catch cold.
9 What time do you have dinner?
10 Take plenty of warm clothes if you’re going to Reykjavik.
11 I’ve got a lot of paperwork to catch up on.
12 Don’t put candles near the curtains. They might catch fire.
13 Sarah’s taking her Spanish exam next week. I’m sure she’s going to do well.
14 I get annoyed when my students don’t take notes in class.
15 Everyone had a good time at the party last weekend.
16 Excuse me. Would you mind taking a photo of my girlfriend and me?
17 You look a bit scruffy. When was the last time you had a haircut?
18 Although I don’t really agree with you, I take your point.
19 Have a nice weekend!
20 He wasn’t serious. He was taking the mickey.

21 Take your time. There’s absolutely no hurry.

B
Catch
catch your attention
catch a bus
catch a cold
catch fire

www.autoenglish.org

Have
have a coffee
have dinner
have a good time
have a haircut

Take
take an exam
take notes
take a photo
take your time

Written by Bob Wilson ©Robert Clifford McNair Wilson 2010


Catch, Have and Take Lexical Phrases 

A  Fill the gaps with the correct forms of catch, have and take. 
1  I ..................... an aspirin last night because I had a headache. 

2  We stopped at a roadside café to ..................... a coffee. 
3  I saw a green dress in a shop window that really ..................... my attention. I’m going to buy it for you. 
4  I ..................... a bus to get home yesterday afternoon. 
5  I normally ..................... a coffee after lunch. 
6  To get to the beach, you need to ..................... the No. 19 bus. 
7  Last Saturday, I ..................... a bus into town to do some shopping. 
8  Wrap up warm or you’ll ..................... cold. 
9  What time do you ..................... dinner? 
10  ..................... plenty of warm clothes if you’re going to Reykjavik. 
11  I’ve got a lot of paperwork to ..................... up on. 
12  Don’t put candles near the curtains. They might ..................... fire. 
13  Sarah’s ..................... her Spanish exam next week. I’m sure she’s going to do well. 
14  I get annoyed when my students don’t ..................... notes in class. 
15  Everyone ..................... a good time at the party last weekend. 
16  Excuse me. Would you mind ..................... a photo of my girlfriend and me? 
17  You look a bit scruffy. When was the last time you ..................... a haircut? 
18  Although I don’t really agree with you, I ..................... your point. 
19  ..................... a nice weekend! 
20  He wasn’t serious. He was ..................... the mickey. 
21  ..................... your time. There’s absolutely no hurry. 

B  Check your answers on the next page and place the words in bold in the correct column, starting from the top. 
Catch 

Have 

Take 

catch your ........................ 

have a ........................ 

take an ........................ 

catch a ........................ 

have ........................ 

take ........................ 

catch (a) ........................ 

have a ........................ 

take a ........................ 

catch ........................ 

have a ........................ 

take your ........................

www.autoenglish.org 

Written by Bob Wilson ©Robert Clifford McNair Wilson 2007 


Answers 
A 
1 

2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 

I took an aspirin because I had a headache. 
We stopped at a roadside café to have a coffee. 
I saw a green dress in a shop window that really caught my attention. I’m going to buy it for you. 
I caught a bus to get home yesterday afternoon. 
I normally have a coffee after lunch. 
To get to the beach, you need to catch the No. 19 bus. 
Last Saturday, I caught a bus into town to do some shopping. 
Wrap up warm or you’ll catch cold. 
What time do you have dinner? 

Take plenty of warm clothes if you’re going to Reykjavik. 
I’ve got a lot of paperwork to catch up on. 
Don’t put candles near the curtains. They might catch fire. 
Sarah’s taking her Spanish exam next week. I’m sure she’s going to do well. 
I get annoyed when my students don’t take notes in class. 
Everyone had a good time at the party last weekend. 
Excuse me. Would you mind taking a photo of my girlfriend and me? 
You look a bit scruffy. When was the last time you had a haircut? 
Although I don’t really agree with you, I take your point. 
Have a nice weekend! 
He wasn’t serious. He was taking the mickey. 
Take your time. There’s absolutely no hurry. 

B
Catch 
catch your attention 
catch a bus 
catch a cold 
catch fire 

www.autoenglish.org 

Have 
have a coffee 
have dinner 
have a good time 
have a haircut 

Take 
take an exam 

take notes 
take a photo 
take your time

Written by Bob Wilson ©Robert Clifford McNair Wilson 2007 


Come and Go Exercise
come - moving closer
go

- moving away

A Fill the gaps with come or go.
1 Everybody's going to the bowling alley, including me. Why don't you .................
too?
2 I'd love to ................. to Budapest one day.
3 Hi Sarah. This is Clare. I'm at Lizzy's party. Why don't you ................. ?
4 There's a good film on at The Apollo. Why don't we ................. ?
5 Let's ................. to the park and fly kites.
6 I loved Paris. I want to ................. back there one day.
7 Darling, please don't go. I love you. ................. back!
8 ................. and see Lord of The Rings. I recommend it.
9 You've been a great guest. ................. again whenever you want.
10 Hi Tom. This is Tony. Why don't you ................. round and we can watch a DVD.

B Try these. Use each verb once only.
be

come

are back come on

coming round get away

going home

get

go out

get home

1 What time did you ............................ last night? I didn't hear you come in.
2 Mum, can I ............................ with Charles and Sophie tonight?
3 ............................ here a minute. There's something I want to show you,
Sugar.
4 ............................ out! I want to be alone.
5 Make sure you ............................ home in time for lunch.
6 Jimmy is ............................ later to play video games.
7 I'm stressed. I need to ............................ for a while.
8 What's the time? I've got to ............................ back home by twelve.
9 I'm ............................ now. I've had enough of this rubbish disco.
10 ............................ ! We're going to be late.

www.autoenglish.org

Written by Bob Wilson ©Robert Clifford McNair Wilson 2010

Answers
A
1

Everybody's going to the bowling alley, including me. Why don't you come too?

2

I'd love to go to Budapest one day.

3

Hi Sarah. This is Clare. I'm at Lizzy's party. Why don't you come?

4

There's a good film on at The Apollo. Why don't we go?

5

Let's go to the park and fly kites.

6

I loved Paris. I want to go back there one day.

7

Darling, please don't go. I love you. Come back!

8

Go and see Lord of The Rings. I recommend it.

9

You've been a great guest. Come again whenever you want.

10

Hi Tom. This is Tony. Why don't you come round and we can watch a DVD.

B
1

What time did you get home last night? I didn't hear you come in.

2

Mum, can I go out with Charles and Sophie tonight?

3

Come here a minute. There's something I want to show you,
Sugar.

4

Get out! I want to be alone.

5

Make sure you're back home in time for lunch.

6

Jimmy is coming round later to play video games.

7

I'm stressed. I need to get away for a while.

8

What's the time? I've got to be back home by twelve.

9

I'm going home now. I've had enough of this rubbish disco.

10

Come on! We're going to be late.

www.autoenglish.org

Written by Bob Wilson ©Robert Clifford McNair Wilson 2010


Commonly Confused Words Exercise

Get your dictionary out
Choose one of the words in brackets to fill the gap.
1 Do you ......................... payment by credit card? (accept / except)
2 Everybody turned up at Fiona's party ......................... her exboyfriend. (accept / except)
3 What ......................... did the high altitude have on you? (affect / effect)
4 Did the high altitude ......................... you when you were in Quito? (affect / effect)
5 She gave me some excellent ......................... about my girlfriend. (advice / advise)
6 I ......................... you not to get involved in Sandra and Mike's problems. (advice / advise)
7 We need to find something to ......................... the curtains. (complement / compliment)
8 She got annoyed with me because I didn't ......................... her on her new hair style.
(complement / compliment)
9 Don't tell anyone about my promotion. I want to be as ......................... about it as possible.
(discreet / discrete)
10 Catalan and Valencian are not ......................... languages. (discreet / discrete)
11 The weather forecast says that rain is ......................... . (eminent / imminent)
12 Professor Pachorro is very ......................... among brain surgeons. (eminent / imminent)
13 I wanted to see the ......................... about Manet in the Prado gallery in Madrid.
(exhibition / expedition)
14 A recent Spanish ......................... to the Antarctic has been collecting data about global
warming. (exhibition / expedition)
15 The South Downs, a range of hills running across Sussex, are not very ......................... .
(high / tall)
16 Tom Cruise is not ......................... . He's short. (high / tall)
17 This is an ......................... device for opening bottles. (ingenious / ingenuous)
18 Your argument is ......................... . Just tell me why you are in favour of a military solution.
(irrelevant / irreverent)
19 If you want to be a champion, you have to ......................... everyday. (practice / practise)
20 Learning to dance the salsa is a question of going to classes and lots of ......................... .
(practice / practise)

www.autoenglish.org

Written by Bob Wilson ©Robert Clifford McNair Wilson 2010