Author: Ivana Krsmanović

English Literature PhD, professor of applied studies, Technical College Čačak, Serbia
English 1

Tenses practice – TWO LETTERS

by Ivana Krsmanović | (updated on: )

Dear Michael,

I __________ (just, arrive) to the beautiful French capital, Paris. My first impressions ____________ (be) great! Everything _________ (be) so big and shiny.

I ____________ (walk) from the airport to the hotel last night and I __________ (see) some nice places that I would like to visit tomorrow morning. People _________ (say) that you ____________ (can, not) see Paris in seven days, but I will give my best to see as much as possible.

I ___________ (not, buy) any souvenirs at the airport last night, because they __________ (be) very expensive. I will have enough time to buy some on my way back.

Right now, I ______________ (think) of where to go tonight. Last night I _____________ (think) that the best thing would be to see the center of Paris, but now I ____________ (not, think) that it’s a good idea. I ____________ (not, have) any traveler’s guide with me, but I hope I _____________ (find) one tomorrow and look for some must-see things in it.

See you soon,

Love – Robin

Dear Donna,

Thanks for your letter. I (be) _______________ really busy recently studying for my exams. The materials the teachers (give) _____________ us last semester is so difficult to cover! But I hope I (manage) __________________ somehow!

Well, my dear friend, there (not, be) ______________ much new to tell! I (just manage) __________________ to persuade my parents to let me spend a year in England learning the language. It (be) _____________ such wonderful news for me! I (apply) _________________ for the courses in several cities but I (not, know) _______________ exactly where I (go) ________________ this summer.

 I must admit that now I (start) ________________ to get a bit worried. Now that it (be) ____________ definite that I (come) ______________ to England I’ve started to wonder how I (adapt) _______________ to living there. How easy (you think) ____________________ it is for someone from Serbia to get used to living in your country? What kind of problems (you believe) ___________________ I might have? I’d really appreciate your advice.

Anyway, I have to finish now because my little brother (wait) _______________ for me to pick him up from school. I hope your family (be) ____________ safe and sound.

Give my regards to your parents.

Write soon! Kisses, Sonja

TWO-LETTERS-Grammar-practiceDownload
TWO-LETTERS-Grammar-practice-KEYDownload
English 1

Future Tenses (all future tenses practice)

by Ivana Krsmanović | (updated on: )

Mixed future tenses.

  1. We __________ (spend) next summer holidays in the south of Spain.
  2. Ted ___________ (meet) his boss tomorrow at lunch.
  3. In the future ___________ (there/not/be) petrol engines.
  4. On Friday at 7 p.m. I ___________ (jog) with my sister in the park.
  5. I usually leave for work at 9 o’clock so tomorrow at 9.15 I ___________ (leave) the house.
  6. Marta came to Britain nearly four years ago. Next July it ___________ (be) exactly four years. In July she ___________ (be) in Britain for exactly four years.
  7. The bags look heavy. I ___________ (help) you carry them.
  8. Look at the black clouds in the sky. It ___________ (rain).
  9. I expect they ___________ (arrive) soon.
  10. I ___________ (not/work) tomorrow evening so we can go to the theatre.
  11. Have you done the shopping yet? No? When ___________ (you/do) it?
  12. Don’t worry, Sheila ___________ (not/tell) anyone your secret.
  13. We are late. The concert __________ (start) by the time we arrive to the theatre.
  14. ___________ (Peter/still/do) the same job in five years? What do you think?
  15. ___________ (you/be) quiet, please? Your dad is taking a nap.
  16. Next year I ___________ (teach) for fifteen years.
  17. A: We’ve run out of sugar. B: No problem. I ___________ (buy) some on my way back home.
  18. This time next week we ___________ (lie) on the beach and we __________ (sunbathe).
  19. Next year my parents ___________ (be) married for forty years.
  20. I’ve got a headache. I ___________ (take) an aspirin.
  21. What ___________ (you/do) this weekend? Are you free?
  22. Next Thursday they ___________ (operate) my arm.
  23. My old bike has broken down. Tomorrow I ___________ (look for) a new one.
  24. In the 22nd century children ___________ (not/go) to school, they ___________ (learn) at home by Internet.
  25. ___________ (you/do) shopping today? Can you buy me some bread?

KEY

  1. We will spend next summer holidays in the south of Spain.
  2. Ted is meeting (is going to meet) his boss tomorrow at lunch.
  3. In the future there won’t be petrol engines.
  4. On Friday at 7 p.m. I will be jogging with my sister in the park.
  5. I usually leave for work at 9 o’clock so tomorrow at 9.15 I will have left the house.
  6. Marta came to Britain nearly four years ago. Next July it will be (will have been) exactly four years. In July she will have been in Britain for exactly four years.
  7. The bags look heavy. I will help you carry them.
  8. Look at the black clouds in the sky. It is going to rain.
  9. I expect they will arive soon.
  10. I won’t be working tomorrow evening so we can go to the theatre.
  11. Have you done the shopping yet? No? When are you going to do it?
  12. Don’t worry, Sheila won’t tell anyone your secret.
  13. We are late. The concert will have started by the time we arrive to the theatre.
  14. Will Peter be doing the same job in five years? What do you think?
  15. Will you be quiet, please? Your dad is taking a nap.
  16. Next year I will have been teaching for fifteen years.
  17. A: We’ve run out of sugar. B: No problem. I will buy some on my way back home.
  18. This time next week we will be lying on the beach and we will be sunbathing.
  19. Next year my parents will have been married for forty years.
  20. I’ve got a headache. I’ll take an aspirin.
  21. What are you doing this weekend? Are you free?
  22. Next Thursday they are operating my arm.
  23. My old bike has broken down. Tomorrow I will be looking a new one.
  24. In the 22nd century children won’t go to school, they will learn at home by Internet.
  25. Will you do the shopping today? Can you buy me some bread?
English 2

MERE COINCIDENCE OR SOMETHING DEEPER?

by Ivana Krsmanović | (updated on: )

Surprising presidential coincidences between Lincoln and Kennedy have been circulating in the press and on social networks for decades. Are the mentioned things true or just coincidence? Decide for yourself…

A.Lincoln and J.F. Kennedy

I Fill in the blanks using the correct form of the word in brackets:

Life

  • Both presidents had 7 letters in their last name.
  • Both were over 6′ _______ (FOOT) tall.
  • Both men studied _______ (LAWFUL).
  • Both served in the military. Lincoln was a scout captain in the Black Hawk War, and Kennedy served as a navy lieutenant in World War II.
  • Both had no _______ (FRIGHTEN) of their mortality and disdained bodyguards.
  • Both Lincoln and Kennedy were _________ (FAME) for their wit and for telling hilarious stories and anecdotes.

Death

  • Both presidents were shot in the head, on a Friday.
  • Both were seated beside their _______ (WIFE) when shot. Neither Mrs. Lincoln nor Mrs. Kennedy was ______ (INJURY).
  • One more ________ (SIMILAR): days before the murder happened Lincoln told his wife and friends about a dream he’d had of being shot by an assassin. Hours before the murder happened Kennedy told his wife and friends it would be _______ (EASILY) for an assassin to shoot him from a crowd.
  • Lincoln was shot in a theatre named Ford. Kennedy was shot in a car made by Ford. Kennedy was shot in a car named Lincoln.
  • Andrew Johnson, who killed Lincoln, was born in 1808. Lyndon Johnson, the Keneddy’s _________ (MURDER) was born in 1908.

Fill in the blanks with the right preposition, where necessary.

Family and Friends

  • Both presidents were named _______ their grandfathers.
  • Both were born ______ second children.
  • Both married while _______ their thirties. Lincoln married ________ 33 and Kennedy married at 36.
  • Both married dark-haired, twenty-four-year-old women.
  • Both wives died around the age ________ 64. Mary Todd Lincoln died _____ 1882 at age 63 years and 215 days, and Jackie Kennedy died in 1994 at age 64 years 295 days.
  • Each couple had four children two ________ whom died before becoming a teen.
  • Each couple lost a son while in the White House. Willie Lincoln died at age 12 in 1862, and Kennedy’s son Patrick died two days _______ his birth in 1963.

Politics

  • Lincoln’s secretary was named Kennedy.
    Kennedy’s secretary was named Lincoln.
  • Lincoln gave freedom _______ the black people and legalized equality. Kennedy enforced equality _______ the black.
  • Both presidents were elected _______ the House of Representatives in ’46.
  • Both were elected to the presidency _______ ’60.
  • Both Lincoln and Kennedy were loved _______ the common people and hated ________ the establishment.

III Look at the Lincoln’s and Kennedy’s quotes. Make the opposite of the words in italics to complete the quotes.

Abraham Lincoln
“A friend is one who has the same __________ as you have.”   “As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a ________. This expresses my idea of democracy. “

“I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was _________.”  		J.F.Kennedy
“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or ________ are certain to miss the future.”
“It is an unfortunate fact that we can secure peace only by preparing for _______.”   “The greater our knowledge increases the more our __________ unfolds.”

 
Linkon-vs.-Kennedy-WorksheetDownload
Business

Jobs – Present Simple Practice (speaking + vocabulary)

by Ivana Krsmanović | (updated on: )

What’s the job? Read about different job positions. What do you do? What’s your position like?

Architect Technician

  • Works for a construction company.
  • Designs buildings, produces plans, specifications, and drawings.
  • Negotiates with builders and inspects construction work.

Field Service Engineer

  • Works for an office equipment manufacturer.
  • Visits customers’ sites and repairs and maintains
  • Spends a lot of time driving from place to place.

Software Engineer

  • Works for a bank.
  • Writes, tests, and debugs code.
  • Updates security features and troubleshoots.
  • Is responsible for a project team.

Help Desk Technician

  • Provides technical support.
  • Solves customers’ problems over the phone.
  • Works night shifts.

Warehouse Manager

  • Works for a paper company.
  • Receives shipments and checks quantities.
  • Keep records of
  • Manages a database.
  • Works for a credit card company.

Quality Controller

  • Works for a pharmaceutical company.
  • Collects and examines product
  • Analyses data and writes reports.

2 Look at the underlined words in the job descriptions in the exercise 1. Find the word which means:

  • bargains, reaches agreement by discussion
  • parts of the working day
  • puts in the latest information
  • stocks of goods and materials
  • goods that are transported
  • finds and corrects faults and problems
  • keeps in good working order
  • specimens, small quantities of a product that shows what the rest is like
  • looks at something closely to make sure it’s OK
  • examines something carefully to understand it and explain it.

3 In your opinion, on which of these positions people…:

1 are the most and the least busy?
2 use computers the most?
3 work the longest hours?
4 don’t need to wear special clothing?
5 sometimes work outside?
6 meet lots of different people?
7 need the most qualifications?
8 make the most money?
9 have the best and the worst jobs? why?

4 Speaking practice. Work with a partner. Take turns to describe the jobs of people you know, for example, your boss, your husband/wife, your brother etc.

Example
   A What does your wife do?
   B She’s a laboratory technician. She works at a chemical company. She tests and analyses samples. She…