Fill in the blanks with an appropriate word or phrase. This grammar exercise is aimed at intermediate level learners.
1. I am not used to …………….. alone.
Be used to can be followed by nouns or ing forms. It cannot be followed by infinitives.
2. It took me quite some time to ……………… living in a big city.
3. I ……………… very hard last month.
We do not use ‘used to’ to simply say what happened at a past time. That idea is expressed using the simple past.
4. A minibus can hold ……………….. fifteen people.
We use until to talk about time. To talk about quantity and distance, we use up to.
5. Can you repair my camera if I leave it ……………… Friday?
We use until to talk about a situation that will continue up to a certain moment. By is used to say that an action will happen at or before a future moment.
6. Can I stay with you ……………. Monday?
We use until to talk about a situation that will continue up to a certain moment. By is used to say that an action will happen at or before a future moment. Up to is used to indicate distance and quantity.
7. You have to leave …………….. Tuesday midday at the latest.
By is used to say that an action will happen at or before a future moment.
8. The nearest restaurant is about half a kilometer …………….. the road.
In this case both up and down can be used to mean ‘along’ with no difference of meaning.
9. One cannot help ……………….. his courage.
'Cannot help but + infinitive' can be used with the meaning of ‘can’t help…ing’
10. ……………… I become a billionaire, I will always lead a simple life.
Even if refers to the future. Even though refers to the past. Even cannot be used as a conjunction.
11. The man ………………. she married was an old friend of mine.
12. I have been working …………….. morning and I am getting tired.
Since is normal with perfect and perfect continuous tenses.
Answers
1. I am not used to living alone.
2. It took me quite some time to get used to living in a big city.
3. I worked very hard last month.
4. A minibus can hold up to fifteen people.
5. Can you repair my camera if I leave it until Friday?
6. Can I stay with you until Monday?
7. You have to leave by Tuesday midday at the latest.
8. The nearest restaurant is about half a kilometer up/down the road.
9. One cannot help admiring / but admire his courage.
10. Even if I become a billionaire, I will always lead a simple life.
11. The man that / whom she married was an old friend of mine.
12. I have been working since morning and I am getting tired.
