English Advanced Grammar Exercises – Informal and spoken English

A. Rewrite the sentences, using more formal English.

1   Wanna go to the café?

      ………………………………………

2   There’s not enough people here.

      ………………………………………

3   D’you reckon they heard us?

      ………………………………………

4   Dunno if Kelly can go, cos she’s busy.

      ………………………………………

5   I would’ve gone if I’d known it was so important.

      ………………………………………

6   Who’s gonna pay for it?

      ………………………………………

7   Ruth wants to talk to you. Dunno what she wants.

      ………………………………………

8   D’you do anything nice last weekend?

      ………………………………………

9   You’re not gonna like this.

      ………………………………………

10   It’ll be the first time he’s seen it.

        ………………………………………

B. Replace get (or phrases with get) in these sentences with a more formal / neutral word.

1   If you need any more information, please get in touch with us.

2   How did that window get broken?

3   How long does it take you to get home?

4   Your hair’s much too long. When are you going to get it cut?

5   Please stop talking and get on with your work.

6   I posted the card two weeks ago but she only got it this morning.

7   We were trying to find our way home but we got lost.

8   Do you know where I can get real mayonnaise?

9   I couldn’t get anything done because my computer was broken.

10   You’re getting really good at tennis. Have you been practising?

C. Complete this online conversation. Put one of the words from box 1 in spaces 1-7 and one of the abbreviations from box 2 in spaces a-g.

A:   I hear you’ve passed all your exams. Well done. If you get any cleverer, you’ll need some new friends!

B:   (a) ……………. . You know you’ll always be my best friend! (b) ……………., did I tell you? I’ve (1) ……………. talk to this guy from the uni tomorrow. It’s an interview for the student mag. I’m really nervous.

A:   Nervous? Why?

B:   (2) ……………. . Maybe it’s (3) ……………. he’s some kind of important guy and I’m just a first-year student or (4) ……………. .

A:   You shouldn’t be nervous. (c) ……………., he’s probably really happy that you’re (5) ……………. interview him. He’s probably more nervous than you are! I would be!!!

B:   Yeah, maybe.

A:   (d) ……………., you could interview me if you like. You know I did a student exchange a couple of years ago.

B:   Yeah … I forgot. Brilliant. D’you (6) ……………. meet for a coffee one day this week? I’ll pay.

A:   Yeah, sounds cool. (e) …………….! Anyway, (7) ……………. go. I’m late. (f) ……………. .

B:   (g) ……………. .

D. Change the underlined words to make the sentences more informal.

1   She thinks she’s so fashionable, but she’s not.

2   Can you help me look after the children this weekend?

3   A:   I’m trying to find out what’s on television tonight but there’s nothing in the newspaper.

     B:   Maybe you’ll find some information on the Internet.

4   It’s rather late, so perhaps I’d better go soon.

5   I very much regret that I didn’t manage to have a conversation with that man.

6   A:   Have you got any cleaning chemicals for getting jewellery very clean?

     B:   Well, I’ve got a lot of odds and ends in the kitchen. See if you can find some.

7   We were just having a little fun when this woman came up to us and she said. ‘What’s going on?!?’

8   A:   I’ve got a few tickets for the concert. Do you want them?

     B:   Yes. That’d be wonderful.

E. Complete this email with punctuation: dashes –, dots …, question marks ???, exclamation marks!!! And mixtures ?!?.

Hi Julia.

It was great talking to you last week 1…… really useful and interesting.

I’ve managed to write up my notes from the interview (attached). Sorry it’s a bit long 2……  you had so much to say and I wanted to include everything. Well, not everything (I didn’t include the stuff about your bad grades 3……). Not sure what my editor will say 4…… he told me to write 500 words max 5…… BTW, I feel a bit stupid asking, but what’s your surname 6……  I know you wrote it down for me, but 7……

One last thing 8……  you mentioned that the exchange programme cost about £6,000 … but who pays 9…… It’s not the poor student, is it 10…… Anyway, could you have a quick look at the interview and let me know if it’s OK?

Cheers,

Maggie

F. Find an informal email you have written in your language. Try to translate it into informal English in your notebook.

G. Circle the correct option.

1   I found ………… really good stuff on the Internet.

      a a couple of     b loads of     c bit of

2   I’m ………… looking forward to having a chat later.

      a really     b very     c pretty

3   I told him to calm down and he’s …………, ‘Me? Calm down!?!’

      a I mean     b like     c you know

4   A: Here U R.   B: …………!

      a YW     b JK     c TX

5   Jess can’t come out with us tonight ………… she’s got lots of work to do.

      a like     b well     c cos