English Vocabulary Exercises

English vocabulary exercises for advanced level English learners to learn how to use words in context.

English Vocabulary Exercises 1

Choose the most suitable word to fill in each blank.

• He ………….. up and down the hospital corridor, awaiting news of his wife’s condition.
  (1) loitered   (2) sauntered   (3) paced   (4) strolled
• Do you ……….… to the Straits Times?
  (1) happen   (2) supply   (3) subscribe   (4) substitute
• Accidents ……….…. frequently along that stretch of winding road.
  (1) happen   (2) occur   (3) develop   (4) befall
• The elderly woman ………….. of a heart attack and had to be taken to the hospital in an ambulance
  (1) dropped   (2) fell   (3) collapsed   (4) befall
• The exchange student from Germany ………. herself very well to our customs and habits.
  (1) adopted   (2) adapted   (3) accommodated   (4) transforms
• The landlady ………. us to use her telephone and watch her television.
  (1) prohibited   (2) inhibited   (3) forbade   (4) disallowed
• She was asked to ………. That passage from Mandarin to English.
  (1) convert   (2) transform   (3) translate   (4) transfer
• Follow the ………. carefully.
  (1) Information   (2) instructions   (3) tuition   (4) teaching
• They are no longer on speaking terms because she ………. His confidence.
  (1) exposed   (2) destroyed   (3) revealed   (4) betrayed
• Xufang tried to ………… her mother by phone but was unsuccessful.
  (1) connect   (2) communicate   (3) contact   (4) consult
• I ………. my voice when I realized that my roommate was already asleep.
  (1) Lessened   (2) softened   (3) lowered   (4) decreased
• Betty finds it rather difficult to ………… her temper.
  (1) Conduct   (2) control   (3) command   (4) dominate

English Vocabulary Exercises 2

Choose one word to replace the underlined words in each sentence below. Write the number of the answer in the brackets.

• By the time we found her, she looked so as if dead that we thought that she had already died.
  (1) unconscious   (2) inanimate   (3) lifeless   (4) deadly ( )
• As we watched the mystery movie, we were filled with a state of uncertain expectation.
  (1) Adventure   (2) excitement   (3) uncertainty   (4) suspense ( )
• The room was so without sound that you could hear a pin drop.
  (1) still   (2) silent   (3) placid   (4) serene
• I was made known for the first time to him by a mutual friend.
  (1) Presented   (2) revealed   (3) introduced   (4) conducted
• When he reached home, he discovered that the house had been broken into and stolen from.
  (1) thieved   (2) stripped   (3) desecrated   (4) burgled
• Among the people who came out alive of the plane crash was a six-year-old child.
  (1) Casualties   (2) survivors   (3) remainders   (4) passengers
• Mrs Li gave permission to allow us to use the telephone.
  (1) warranted   (2) consented   (3) permitted   (4) relented
• She opened and closed her eyes stupidly when he asked her a question.
  (1) winked   (2) twinkled   (3) fluttered   (4) blinked
• Lately, Kevin seems to be very inattentive to present matters and unable to do his work well.
  (1) Engrossed   (2) absorbed   (3) occupied   (4) preoccupied
• We go to night classes twice a week.
  (1) accompany   (2) attend   (3) contend   (4) escort
• I did not look up at anyone as I got out of the drain I had fallen into as I was feeling ashamed and socially unaccepted.
  (1) confused   (2) agitated   (3) embarrassed   (4) muddled
• At the beginning, they had planned to go on a picnic but they changed their minds when it started to rain.
  (1) Initially   (2) Originally   (3) Primarily   (4) Firstly

English Vocabulary Exercises 3

Underline the correct word in the brackets to complete each sentence.

• He suffered great (humility, humiliation) when he was reprimanded in front of his classmates.
• She suffers from a speech (impediment, obstacle, obstruction)
• If you are (industrial, industrious), you will be successful.
• The moon (immerged, emerged) from behind the clouds.
• He likes to wear (lose, loose) baggy pants.
• Charles Dickens was (notorious, noted, notable) for the books he wrote.
• He comes from a (respectable, respectful) family.
• She (spoke, talked, said) that she would come.
• Zhijian is taller (than, then) Yuanxing.
• His treatment of animals was (unhuman, inhuman).
• He was (grateful, gratified) for our help.
• His handwriting is (eligible, illegible).

Answer Scheme

English Vocabulary Exercises 1

• (3)
• (3)
• (1)
• (3)
• (2)
• (3)
• (3)
• (2)
• (4)
• (3)
• (3)
• (2)

English Vocabulary Exercises 2

• (3)
• (4)
• (2)
• (3)
• (4)
• (2)
• (3)
• (4)
• (4)
• (2)
• (3)
• (1)

English Vocabulary Exercises 3

• Humiliation
• Impediment
• Industrious
• Emerged
• Loose
• Notable
• Respectable
• Said
• Than
• Inhuman
• grateful