eng8-u1-use-of-english· UNIT 1. FREE TIME FUN· ~24 min

Unit 1 Use of English: Words, patterns, and forms

Combine meaning, prepositions, word formation, and Present Perfect choices.

Use of English asks you to make several language decisions together. First, select a word whose meaning and usual partners fit the sentence: follow instructions, improve a performance, discover a planet, hunt animals, or scream. For odd-one-out tasks, state the shared category before choosing the exception. Fixed prepositions form learnable patterns, including keen on, dive into, afraid of, take part in, listen to, love for, and look forward to. Word endings show whether a gap needs a person, thing, adjective, or plural noun. Finally, time expressions and sentence purpose determine the grammar: since introduces a starting point, for introduces a duration, already fits a completed affirmative result, and a Present Perfect question begins with have or has.

Key terms

collocation — words that commonly occur together, such as follow instructions or take part in
semantic category — a meaning group shared by words, such as jewellery or marine mammals
word formation — changing a base word into the form required by a sentence, such as photograph to photographer
starting point — the time an action or state began; it follows since
duration — the length of time an action or state continues; it follows for
Decision guide
DecisionQuestion to askExample
Meaning and collocationWhich word fits the idea and its partners?follow instructions
CategoryWhat meaning do most items share?bracelet, ring, necklace → jewellery
PrepositionWhich fixed pattern is required?look forward to seeing
Word formDoes the gap need a person, noun, or adjective?hire a photographer
Tense markerIs this a starting point, duration, or completed result?since 2020; for years; already decided
✎Solve a mixed gap
  1. 1Read the whole sentence: The family decided to hire a ___ for the party.
  2. 2Identify the role: The gap names a person whom the family can hire.
  3. 3Form the word: Photograph changes to the person noun photographer.
💡Name the category

Before choosing an odd item, say what the other items share. This prevents an arbitrary choice.

🚫Starting point or duration?

Use since with when something began and for with how long it has continued.

⚠️Check form and meaning

After choosing a word form, reread the whole sentence to confirm that both its grammar and meaning fit.

Rules

  1. 1Check both meaning and collocation: follow instructions, improve a performance, discover a planet, hunt animals.
  2. 2For an odd-one-out, name the shared semantic category and choose the one item outside it.
  3. 3Learn complete preposition patterns: keen on, dive into, afraid of, to my surprise, take part in, listen to, love for, look forward to.
  4. 4Use person nouns for people: lecturer, adventurer, photographer. Use adjectives before nouns or after be: scary, exciting, professional.
  5. 5Use relaxing for something that causes calm and relaxed for the person who feels calm.
  6. 6Use since + starting point and for + duration with the Present Perfect.
  7. 7Use already in an affirmative completed-result sentence; use yet mainly in questions and negatives about an expected event.
  8. 8A Present Perfect question uses Have/Has + subject + past participle.

Practice

10 easy · 10 medium · 10 hard

Up to 10 random questions per test

EasyMediumHardMixed