Exercise 1: Word forms (noun, adjective, verb, and adverb)

There are many words that have noun, verb, adjective, and adverb forms.

• • noun: beauty
• • verb: beautify
• • adjective: beautiful
• • adverb: beautifully

Read the following definitions of globalisation. Complete the gaps with the correct form of the words in brackets. The first one has been done for you. Globalisation is:

• 1. the process of international {{{integration}}}

(integrate)

•  arising from the interchange of world views, products, ideas and other {{{aspects}}}

(aspect)

 of culture.

• 2. the act or process of {{{globalizing}}}

(global)

• :  the state of being globalised; especially  the {{{development}}}

(develop)

•  of an increasingly {{{integrated}}}

(integrate)

 global economy marked especially by free trade, free flow of capital, and the tapping of cheaper foreign labor markets.

• 3. the tendency of investment funds and businesses to move beyond domestic and {{{national}}}

(nation)

•  markets to other markets around the globe, thereby {{{increasing}}}

(increase)

 the interconnectedness of different markets.

• 4. the advantages and disadvantages of globalisation have been heavily {{{scrutinized}}}

(scrutiny)

•  and debated in recent years. Critics of globalisation say that it {{{weakens}}}

(weak)

•  national sovereignty and allows rich nations to ship domestic jobs overseas where labor is much cheaper. Until about a decade ago, the effects of globalisation on the distribution of {{{wealth}}}

(wealth)

 and jobs were largely benign.

• 5. a worldwide process which has resulted in increased {{{concentration}}}

(concentrate)

•  of trade and a {{{liberation}}}

(liberal)

 of wealth in the hands of a fewer people.

• 6. a complex series of technological, {{{economical}}}

(economy)

• , social, cultural and political changes which have led to an increase in communication and {{{understanding}}}

(understand)

•  between a large {{{majority}}}

(major)

 of nations on the planet.

Exercise 2: Comparisons

Most one-syllable adjectives and two-syllable adjectives ending in -y make a comparative form ending in -er/ -ier and a superlative in -est/ -iest. Some two-syllable adjectives (e.g. clever, gentle) can use either this form or more. Otherwise adjectives with two or more syllables use more/ most.

We can use intensifiers to qualify comparative adjectives. These include far, considerably, a great deal, a lot, much (large amount), a little, a bit, slightly (small amount).

Use the words in parentheses to complete the sentences. Use much, a lot, slightly, far, a little + a comparative form. Use than where necessary.

Example: She was taken to the hospital. Her illness was far more serious than we thought. (far/ serious)

• 1. This bag is {{{slightly heavier than}}}

(slightly/ heavy)

 the other one.

• 2. This bag is too small. I need something {{{much bigger}}}

(much/ big)

.

• 3. I thought he was younger than me, but in fact he’s {{{slightly older}}}

(slightly/ old)

.

• 4. The town is {{{a lot more crowded}}}

(a lot/ crowded)

 these days because of the new shopping malls.

• 5. Jane is struggling with her grades. She is {{{far less intelligent than}}}

(far/ intelligent)

 the other kids in the class.

• 6. I enjoyed our visit to the art gallery. It was {{{far more interesting than}}}

(far/ interesting)

 I expected.

• 7. It was sweltering hot yesterday. Today it’s {{{a little cooler}}}

(a little/ cool)

.

• 8. It’s {{{a lot easier}}}

(a lot/ easy)

 to learn a foreign language in a country where it is spoken.

Exercise 3: Inversion

In formal and literary language in particular, we us negative adverbials at the beginning of a clause. The subject and the first auxiliary are inverted, and do is used with a simple tense verb after time adverbials: never (before), rarely, seldom, barely, hardly, when/ before, no sooner… than. Only can be combined with when, after, then and later. A past tense clause can follow the adverbial, giving more details about the event, but the verb in this case is not the verb that is converted; e.g., Only after I took my first bite of the food did I realise that it was too spicy.

Rewrite the sentences with a similar meaning beginning with a word/ phrase from below.

Example: Children should never be allowed to leave home without adult supervision. > Under no circumstances should children be allowed into the room without adult supervision.

hardly / had / not only / only if / little / under no circumstances / at no time