English Practice: Grammar, Vocabulary, and Comprehension

Posted on Feb 1, 2025 in Police Sciences and Public Security

English Grammar and Vocabulary Exercises

A. Verb Tenses

  • It’s the first time I’ve gotten all the answers.
  • A. I’ve got C. I’ve been getting
  • B. I’d got D. I’d been getting
  • The exam had already started when Jimmy finally found the right room.
  • A. has already started C. had already started
  • B. already started D. already starts
  • You’ve been doing that crossword for over an hour and you still haven’t finished it!
  • A. You’ve done C. You’ve been doing
  • B. You’d done D. You’d been doing
  • When they let us go in, we had been standing outside the exam room for over half an hour.
  • A. have stood C. have been standing
  • B. had been standing D. are standing
  • Clare hasn’t finished her homework yet.
  • A. already C. just
  • B. yet D. ever
  • Have you ever been on a school trip?
  • A. yet C. before
  • B. for D. ever
  • Lizzie has been having dance classes since she was four years old.
  • A. for C. since
  • B. from D. when
  • Had you been learning French for several years before you took your first exam?
  • A. for C. since
  • B. from D. when

B. Modal Verbs

Circle the correct word or phrase.

  1. “Smoking isn’t allowed in the airport.”
    You mustn’t / don’t have to smoke in the airport.
  2. “It’s not necessary to come to the train station to meet me.”
    You have to / don’t have to meet her at the train station.
  3. “We were forced to wait for over two hours in the rain!”
    They had to / didn’t need to wait for over two hours in the rain.
  4. “The instructions tell you to write in pencil.”
    You must / needn’t write in pencil.
  5. “You can contact us by either phone or e-mail.”
    You mustn’t / don’t need to phone them.
  6. “It’s not necessary to book a hotel; you can stay in our spare room.”
    You mustn’t / don’t have to stay in a hotel.

D. Choose the Correct Answer

  1. I couldn’t hear the program so I turned the TV up.
    A. hear C. hearing
    B. heard D. to hear
  2. My brother could write when he was just three years old.
    A. can C. might
    B. could D. should
  3. All compositions must be handed in to me by Friday at the latest.
    A. must C. have
    B. need D. ought
  4. That can’t be my mobile – mine is silver and that one is black.
    A. mustn’t C. wouldn’t
    B. shouldn’t D. can’t
  5. I sent the letter yesterday, so it should get there tomorrow.
    A. can C. should
    B. need D. ought

E. Conditionals

  • Next time, just ask if you need to borrow my notes.
  • If you’re finding your course difficult, tell your teacher.
  • I got good marks on my coursework, so I’ll definitely pass if I do terribly bad on the exam.
  • A. What would you do If someone invited you to a restaurant and then asked you to split the bill?
    B. Well, I might be upset if it was my birthday or something.
    C. I wouldn’t mind. In my country we always do that.
  • I don’t know what we would have done if our visas hadn’t arrived in time.
  • If they hadn’t escaped from their own country they might have been arrested.

F. Reported Speech

  1. I asked her when she would finish making her model.
    A will she B she will C would she D she would
  2. Don said he had an art lesson that night.
    A that B the C this D those
  3. My mum told me to move my paints.
    A that I move B me to move C to move to me D to move me
  4. Tom apologized for getting ink on my picture.
    A for getting B that he got C to get D for he gets
  5. Gary promised to help me paint the outside of the house.
    A helping B to help C that he helps D for helping

G. Rewrite the Sentences

  1. ‘I want to learn how to paint?,’ Janet said. Said
    Janet said that she wanted to learn how to paint.
  2. ‘We’re building a house outside town,’ said Mrs. Turner. They
    Mrs. Turner said that they were building a house outside town.
  3. ‘We’re working on our website tomorrow,’ Keith said. day
    Keith said they were working on their website the next day.
  4. ‘We have to paint a picture for art class’, John said. They
    John said that they had to paint a picture for art class.
  5. ‘Can I see your drawing?’ I asked Amy. If
    I asked Amy if I could see her drawing.

H. Past Simple and Past Passive

  • He was arrested at 3.00 a.m. whilst coming out of a nightclub. (arrest)
  • The police searched him and found 10g of cannabis in his pocket. (search/find)
  • He was taken to the police station and was held in custody for eight hours. (take/ hold)
  • Finally, he was interviewed by two detectives and was questioned about the events of the evening. (interview/ question)
  • The police charged him with the possession of an illegal substance with intent to supply. (charge)
  • In court, he was found guilty as charged, and the judge sentenced him to three months in prison. (find/ sentence)

Reading

Vocabulary

  • Misprint – typing error
  • Ingrained – implanted
  • Background checks – investigation of someone’s past
  • Prospective – future
  • ID tagging – identification number
  • A shot in the dark – speculation

Questions:

  1. The figure that illustrates that gun control is an important problem is:
    a. 0.7
    b. 12.5
    c. 152.2
  2. The consequence of having a violent past is:
    a. the idea that individuals and their families may be the victims of that violence.
    b. that people are afraid of a ban on guns
    c. it doesn’t say
  3. The phrase ‘barely imaginable’ in the text means:
    a. very likely
    b. very unlikely
    c. uncertain
  4. The reason why different options for reducing gun deaths have not worked is:
    a. the gun and ammunition registration system failed.
    b. the laws to implement background checks were not approved.
    c. it doesn’t say.
  5. ID tags on guns:
    a. is not pure imagination and might happen in the near future.
    b. would not put an end to gun deaths but would ban guns completely.
    c. would put an end to gun deaths sooner than we think.

Crime and Punishment

imprisoned trial commit decision break persecuted witnesses accused jury charged sentenced suspect prosecuted justice

  • You deserve to be punished if you break the law.
  • The murderer was sentenced to life imprisonment.
  • Several witnesses saw the thieves running away from the store.
  • The accused will be prosecuted by the criminal justice system.
  • The jury couldn’t come to a unanimous decision.
  • The suspect was charged with burglary.

B. Choose the Correct Word Pattern

The police arrested a man and accused him 1. of vandalism, although he denied 2. doing it. Later on in court the judge also charged him 3. with assault, and when asked if he pleaded guilty or innocent he refused 4. to answer. He did claim 5. to be a victim of a conspiracy by a witness, who had threatened him 6. with lying to the police if he didn’t give him money.

C. Complete the Sentences

stubble brushes moles tweezers a crew-cut freckles saliva vacuum device swabs fibers weapon a goatee

a. To collect trace evidence the police might use 1. tweezers or a 2. vacuum device.
b. 3. Swabs are used to collect fluids.
c. Combs are used to collect carpet 4. fibers.
d. 5. Brushes are tools to collect fingerprints
e. A style of haircut often worn by the military is 6. a crew-cut.
f. 7. Stubble means the person hasn’t shaved for a few days.
g. Spots on the skin of your face are 8. freckles.

D. Complete the Conversations

1 A: Have you ever had a bad accident?
B: No. I think I’ve been quite lucky. The worst thing was when I was about 12 and I fell down stairs at school. I had an X-ray but everything was fine. What about you?
A: Oh. I’m an accident waiting to happen.
B: What makes you say that!
A: Well, on holiday last month, I ended up with sunburn after just an hour on the beach. Then I was walking back to the hotel and a dog went mad and bit me. Then the taxi that was taking me to hospital crashed into a bus and I had to walk the last kilometer!

2 A: Hi, I haven’t seen you for ages. How are things?
B: Not great, actually. I was off sick last week. A bee stung me on my cheek when I was at a barbecue and half my face swelled up. Then I got food poisoning after eating some undercooked meat.
A: You poor thing.
B:You haven’t heard the whole story. I ended up in hospital after I slipped on some water on the kitchen floor and banged my head. Everyone thought I fainted after the shock of the sting, but it was just an accident.
A: What a nightmare! I hope you’re OK now.

3 A: Kim was telling me that Nick has had an accident.
B: Yes, he burned his hand while he was trying to put out a fire.
A: Oh, no! What happened?
B: A candle fell off the shelf on to the carpet and set it on fire. And then he tripped over the lamp cable when he was rushing to get some water.
A: How scary! Is he OK?
B: Yes, I think so. He bruised his Knee when he fell, but it’s nothing too serious. His hand is getting better and there’s no real damage to the house.

Listening

Report 1

  • Time of accident: 18.35
  • Place of accident: Exit 71 of Highway 25 northbound to Daytona
  • Injuries: No injuries
  • Number of vehicles involved: 1
  • Number of witnesses: No witnesses
  • Description of vehicle(s): Black Porsche 911
  • License plate(s): BCJ704

Report 2

  • Time of accident: 19 40
  • Place of accident: Ocala Interstate 2 miles south of the service station
  • Injuries:
    Driver 1: not stated
    Driver 2: Bad injuries
  • Number of vehicles involved: 2
  • Number of witnesses: 2
  • Description of vehicle(s): Silver Honda, Red Ford Mondeo
  • License plate(s): MFR886, PSN820