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Unpredictable Verbs 1 Bookmark and Share

Grammar - information and contents

This exercise practises verbs which are formed from nouns but whose meaning can not be accurately predicted from the meaning of the noun. Read the sentences and look at the underlined verbs/verb phrases. Then choose one of the nouns used as verbs from the list which has the same meaning in the context of the sentence and write it in at the end.

cake, crack, date, fashion, fire, floor, picture, shadow, snap, stomach

1. The archaeologists found a number of human figurines formed out of clay. ____________________ 

2. The noise from the party in the downstairs flat went on for so long that I couldn't sleep. I finally lost my temper, went downstairs and shouted at them to stop. ____________________ 

3. The only person in our class that I really can't stand is Ron. If he's around I usually go somewhere else. ____________________ 

4. When the company found out that Carl had been stealing money from one of their accounts they dismissed him immediately. ____________________ 

5. I bought an old cottage last week. It's in a very bad state and the garden is completely overgrown, but it wasn't difficult to imagine it after it's been renovated. ____________________ 

6. Josie finished with her boyfriend last week after she found out that he was cheating on her. She doesn't want to go out with him any more. ____________________ 

7. It rained so much that when the game was over the players were covered in mud from head to toe and were barely recognisable. ____________________ 

8. When I was in the pub last night, I saw a big guy annoying this small guy who was having a quiet drink. To my surprise, the small guy got up and knocked him down with one punch. ____________________ 

9. When I started my new job I had to closely follow one of my colleagues to learn what I had to do. ____________________ 

10. The police worked on the murder case for two years before they found the crucial evidence which helped them to solve it. ____________________



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