COMMON ADJECTIVES: GOOD AND BAD THINGS (55) ENGLISH VOCABULARY FOR ELEMENTARY

ENGLISH VOCABULARY FOR ELEMENTARY

COMMON ADJECTIVES:

GOOD AND BAD THINGS (55)

A	GOOD ADJECTIVES A: That’s a nice jacket. B: Thank you. It’s a great film. We all loved it. A: It’s a lovely day today! /ˈlʌvli/ B: Yes, it is. A: Do you want to go to London on Saturday? B: That’s an excellent idea! [very good]
B	BAD ADJECTIVES The weather this summer was very bad. Other words that mean very bad are dreadful, horrible, terrible: ·         The food in that café was horrible. Nobody liked it. ·         What’s that dreadful smell? ·         I had a terrible day at work today. ·         The traffic’s terrible at 5 o’clock on Fridays.
C	EXPRESSIONS A: The train arrives at 7 o’clock; dinner is at 8 o’clock. B: Excellent! / Great! / Wonderful! / Lovely! / Perfect! Note: We often say not bad when we are speaking. A: I get $500 a week in my job. B: That’s not bad! (= good!) We use these adjectives with how: A: I have to get up at 5.30 tomorrow. B: Oh, how awful! /how horrible! A: I’ve got a great new job in New York! B: How nice! / How wonderful! / How lovely! COMMON MISTAKES How awful!/ how horrible! [NOT How bad!]

Exercises

56.1	Complete the sentences. 1 My hair’s ____awful_____. I must go to the hairdresser’s. 2 The weather’s _______________. I don’t want to go out. 3 The traffic is _______________ in the city centre. Take the train. 4 That’s a(n) _______________ idea! Let’s do it! 5 How _______________! Three exams on the same day! 6 What a _______________ house! The sea is only 100 metres away! 7 My timetable’s not _______________. I’m free on Wednesdays and Fridays. 8 We have a _______________ view of the mountains from our hotel room.
56.2	What can you say? Someone says to you … 1 Do you like my new skirt? Yes, it’s lovely! 2 I have to get up at 4.30 tomorrow morning. ____________________________________ 3 Do you want to go out for dinner tonight? ____________________________________ 4 (in your town) Excuse me. Is there a good restaurant in this town? ____________________________________ 5 What do you think of your English lessons? ____________________________________ 6 Is it OK if I come to your house at 6.30 tomorrow evening? ____________________________________
56.3	Match the words on the left with an expression from the right. 1 Blue sky, sun 25° a Wonderful news 2 Five stars (*****) b Awful weather 3 I don’t want to walk. Let’s take a taxi. c Lovely weather 4 90 out of 100 in an exam d A very good idea 5 (in summer) Grey sky, wind, rain, 4° e An excellent hotel
56.4	Put these words into the good or bad column. Use a dictionary. dreadful   brilliant    marvellous    nasty      fine good bad dreadful
56.5	Now think of two nouns to go with each of the adjectives in 56.4. Use a dictionary to help you. dreadful __weather/film______ brilliant ________________ marvellous ________________ nasty ________________ fine ________________

ANSWER KEY

56.1	Possible answers
	2	very bad / terrible / awful / dreadful
	3	terrible / awful / dreadful
	4	excellent / great / wonderful
	5	awful / horrible
	6	wonderful / lovely
	7	bad
	8	wonderful / lovely

56.2	Possible answers
	2	Oh, how awful!
	3	That’s a lovely idea! / Yes, great!
	4	Yes, there’s the Ritz. It’s an excellent restaurant.
	5	They’re wonderful!
	6	Yes, that’s perfect!

56.3	2	e
	3	d
	4	a
	5	b

56.4

56.5	Possible answers: brilliant idea / scientist                            nasty surprise / smell marvellous weather / food                        fine weather / day