Key to English Edge

Page 7

Some hints.

It is a sunflower. Its peculiarity is that it turns as the sun moves. It is generally yellow, copper, red, brown, orange and bi-coloured. Oil is pressed out of its seeds. The oil obtained is used in cooking.
It is an attaché case or a briefcase. Usually it is rectangular. Important papers, files and documents are specially carried in it. It is generally used by businessmen, diplomats and secretaries. It is lightweight when empty and not very heavy to carry, even with papers in it. It locks using a personal number combination.
We call it a keychain. One would keep it in one’s purse or pocket. There are keys dangling from the circle. Yes, at times it can be easily lost in a crowd. It can be misplaced at home among other things or slip out of one’s pocket while sitting or taking out a handkerchief. The new device is fitted in the keychain and it emits sound when you whistle. This will make it easy to find.
It is a truck. It is used for transporting goods etc. It is also called a lorry or a carrier. They come in light, medium or heavy sizes. It is useful for companies in the goods transporting business. It runs on diesel. We would call him a truck driver, a trucker, a truckie or a teamster. It can have up to 18 wheels. A company that transports goods or people from one place to another is called a carrier.
The animal in the picture is called a camel. It is pulling a cart. It can be used effectively in a desert or sandy places. It is called the ship of the desert. It drinks 200 litres of water in three minutes and stores it in the fatty tissue in its hump to use as a source of nourishment. Its feet are large leathery pads with two toes that keep it from sinking in the sand. The raised part of its body is called a hump.
It is called a burger. One would like to have it when hungry–morning, afternoon or night. Yes, it is easily made. It is not very costly. Yes, I would love to eat it. It consists of some vegetables, cheese, a patties and sauce in between the two pieces of a bun. Yes, one can have it on the go or even while sitting at a desk busy working.
It is a crab. It has five pairs of legs. It lives on land and in water. It moves sideways. It can grab your finger with its claws and bite you. Yes, one can eat it as crab curry. The top covering is its shell. It is classified as a decaped crustacean scientifically. The zodiac birth sign of Cancer is depicted by it for people born between 21st of June and 23rd of July.
It is called a sofa set. You set it against the wall of a room in your house usually the sitting room or hall. It can seat any number between 1 and 20 depending on the size. They come in small, medium and large sizes. The covering is called upholstery. Depending on our choice they can be affordable or expensive. It is made of wood, foam and leather. The parts are a frame, arms, back, legs and cushions.
It is a bed. You would usually find it in a bedroom. Generally, it is used for sleeping on or resting. They come in single, double, king or queen sizes. The covering is a bed-sheet. The vertical board at the end is called a headboard. There are pillows near the end of the bed.
It’s a sprayer. We use it to spray water or cleaning liquid. We usually fill it with water or other liquids. The contents actually come out in spray form. Generally, it is made of plastic. It is useful in many ways. We use it daily while cleaning. We use it for various purposes mainly for cleaning windows, table tops, kitchen platforms, etc.
It’s a bench. It is generally seen in open parks, in gardens and on footpaths. Generally it is used for sitting. It is generally made of wood, metal or concrete. It is set in a mould. Yes, you can lie on it. Yes, it generally is portable unless fixed at public places.
It is a music system. The different pieces are 1) a record player, 2) a cd player and 3) speakers. It works on electricity. It is used to play music or songs. Whether it is expensive or not depends on the quality. It can be disturbing when played very loudly, especially at night.
It is a watering can. It is generally made of metal or plastic. It is used to water plants. Generally, we would fill it with water. It can be carried by hand by holding the handle. Yes, it has many holes to serve its purpose.
It is called a teapot. We see it more at home or places serving tea. The top is a lid. The thin front part is called a spout. It is usually made of metal, bone china, porcelain. It can hold tea, coffee, milk etc. The back part is its handle.
It’s called bread in general. It is sold in loaves. The whole is called a loaf of bread. The cut pieces are called bread slices. Generally, we eat it with butter, jam, tea. We can make sandwiches with the cut pieces. The phrase that comes to mind while looking at the sliced bread is – be the best thing since sliced bread.
It is a holder. It can hold items like toothbrush, toothpaste or other things for personal hygiene. It is usually made of plastic. We find it mostly in kitchens, bathrooms, offices and on dressing tables.
It is called a swivel chair. It is used to sit on. Yes, you can easily turn around in it. We would find it in offices mostly. You would use it with a table.
It is called a stapler. It is used to join loose papers into a bunch. It is part plastic and part metal. It’s filled with stapler pins. They would be seen in offices as well as homes. A stationers’ shop would sell it. The back part is used to unstaple pins.
It is a bathtub. To take a bath in. It is called a home tub or just tub, or a spa tub. They come in sizes of 5ft X 2.5ft, 3.75ft X 2.5ft, 6ft X 3.5ft. It is useful in that it gives a more relaxing bath. It is made of thermofoam, acrylic, porcelain, enamelled steel, fibreglass, reinforced polyester. You fill it with cold or hot water. It is used to take a long relaxing bath, sometimes to bathe a pet also. The amount of room it occupies depends on the size of the tub, but it usually fits into a bathroom. You fill it by plugging the hole and filling it with water. You empty it by unplugging the plug and letting the water flow out.
It is called an electric drill. It works on electricity. It can make round holes. It is used more by a carpenter or an electrician. It is held against an object that we want to make a hole in and by turning the power on and holding it, we can drill a hole. The part attached to it is called a drill bit. The black button is called the switch to turn it on or off. It is made of metal and plastic. It is classified as an electric hand tool.

Page 10

[D] 1. name: What’s your name? May I know your name, please? Who are you? 2. age: What’s your age? How old are you? May I know your age, please? 3. address: What’s your address? Where do you live? Where is your house? Where is your residence? 4. date of birth: What’s your date of birth? May I know your date of birth? When were you born? 5. hometown: What’s your hometown? What’s your native place? What’s your birth place? Where were you born? 6. family: How many members are there in your family? Who are they? What do they do? 7. hobbies: What are your hobbies? What are your spare time activities? How do you pass your free time? 8. job / business: What do you do? What are you? What’s your occupation / profession? Are you a businessman? 9. workplace: Where is your office? Where do you work? Where is your workplace? How far is your office from here? 10. father: Who is your father? What’s your father’s name? What is your father? What does your father do? 11. mother: Who is your mother? What’s your mother’s name? What is your mother? What does your mother do? 12. siblings (brothers / sisters): How many brothers and sisters have you? Have you got any brothers or sisters? What do they do? 13. get up: When do you get up? What time do you get up? Do you get up early in the morning? 14. go to bed: When do you go to bed? What time do you go to bed? 15. television: Do you watch television? When do you watch television? What do you watch on television? What’s your favourite show / serial? How many hours do you watch TV? 16. foreign visit: Have you ever been to / visited any foreign country? 17. lunch / dinner: When do you take lunch / dinner? What time do you take lunch / dinner? What do you take for lunch / dinner? Are you a vegetarian? 18. height: How tall are you? What’s your height? 19. weight: What’s your weight? How much do you weigh? 20. reading: Do you like reading? Are you interested in reading? What do you generally read? Who is your favourite author? Have you ever read any novel / ghost story? 21. library: Are you a member of any library? When do you go to a library? How often do you visit a library? 22. travelling: Do you like travelling? How do you like to travel? What mode of travel do you prefer? 23. soap: What soap do you use? What’s your favourite soap? 24. shampoo: What shampoo do you use? How often do you shampoo your hair? 25. gifts: Do you have many gifts? Who gave them to you? When do you get gifts? Do you like to get or give gifts? When was the last time you got a lovely gift? When did you last give a gift? 26. role model: Who is your role model? Why is this person your role model? What qualities have you imbibed from him / her? 27. environment: What does it mean by the word “environment”? How is it where you live? What should we do to protect the environment? What measures should the government take to save the environment? What do you do to help the environment? 28. swimming: Do you like swimming? Can you swim? Are you good at swimming? How often do you swim? 29. news: Do you watch or listen to news? What news channel / s do you watch? How often do you watch them? What other forms are there to get news? 30. food: What type of food do you like? Do you like fast food? How often do you eat in a restaurant? Do you like home-made food? 31. neighbour: How are your neighbours? What do they do? Do you have a close relationship with your neighbours? 32. music: Do you like music? What type / kind / sort of music do you like? Who is your favourite music director? Do you play any musical instrument? 33. movies: Do you like to watch movies? How often do you go to the cinema? What type of movies do you like? What’s your favourite movie? 34. cricket: Do you play cricket? Where do you play cricket? How often do you play cricket? Who is your favourite cricketer? 35. God: Do you believe in God? Have you faith in God? Do you pray to any god or goddess? 36. fashion: What is fashion for you? Are you fashionable? What were some earlier fashions? Is it only for clothes? 37. vehicle: What type of vehicle do you like / use? Do you like to drive? Do you drive a four-wheeler? How often do you drive? Are you good at driving? 38. subject: What’s your favourite subject? Why do you like it most? When did you develop a liking for it? 39. animals: What is your favourite animal? Do you have a pet animal? How do you treat animals, generally? 40. friends: How many friends have you? Who is your best friend? Why is s/he your best friend? 41. drawing: Do you like drawing? Are you good at drawing? What did you draw last? 42. festivals: What’s your favourite festival? Do you celebrate Diwali / Christmas / Eid / Pateti / etc.? How do you celebrate festivals? Do you celebrate festivals with your friends / family? 43. exercise: What exercise do you do? Why do you exercise? How often do you exercise in a week? How long do you exercise at a time? 44. cooking: Do you like cooking? What can you cook best? Are you good at cooking? 45. money: Are you an earning member of your family? Do you save money? How much do you usually spend every day? 46. Sundays: How do you pass your Sundays? What do you do on Sundays? What are your activities on Sundays? 47. nature: How is your nature? Are you short-tempered? OR Do you like natural beauty? Do you like mountains, rivers, forests etc.? 48. sports: Do you play / do any sport? What’s your favourite sport? Who is your favourite sports-person? 49. English: Do you like English? Can you speak English? Are you good at English? Can you understand English? Where do you use English? 50. colours: What is your favourite colour? What are the colours of the rainbow? Do you know how to mix colours to produce a particular colour or shade? 51. activities: What type of activities do you participate in? Do you take part in cultural activities? 52. science: Do you like science? Are you good at science? What’s your favourite topic in science? Have you ever performed any experiment? 53. teachers: Who is your favourite teacher? Do you respect your teachers? 54. relatives: Where are your relatives? Are they good? Do they support you? Do you have a close relationship with your relatives? 55. shopping: Where do you shop, generally? How often do you go shopping? What do you buy regularly? 56. superstitions: Do you believe in superstitions? What superstitions are common in your family, village, city, community etc.? What colour- / number- / animal-based superstitions do you know? 57. computers: Do you know how to operate computers? Do you like to work on computers? Can you write programmes on computers? What software do / can you use? 58. mobiles: What make is your mobile? What type of mobile phone do you have? What’s your favourite phone? What are the features of your mobile? 59. religion: What religion do you follow? What’s your understanding of religion? Are you religious? 60. crime: Why do people commit a crime? Who catches / punishes criminals? How is a criminal caught / punished? 61. politics: Do you vote? Are you interested in politics? What party do you support? Do you take active part in politics? 62. parties: Do you attend parties? Do you enjoy parties? Do you give parties? When was the last time you attended a party? 63. childhood: How was your childhood? Did you have a happy childhood? What are some of your childhood memories? 64. season: What’s your favourite season? Why is it your favourite season? What’s the difference between “season” and “weather”? 65. addiction: What is addiction? Are you addicted to anything? What are some things one may be addicted to? 66. education: What’s your education? Where were you educated? Is education essential? Have you played educational games? 67. industry: What industry is popular in your area / city? How does it help people? What problems does it cause for people, if any? Does it cause pollution? 68. dreams: Do you dream dreams? How often do you dream? What are your recurrent dreams? How does one turn dreams into reality? Do you have any recurring nightmare/s? 69. holidays: Where do you go on holidays? How do you spend your holidays? When do you have holidays? 70. the Internet: Do you use the Internet? Who is your service provider? How does the Internet help you? 71. transport: What are the different modes of transport? How do you travel? What mode of transport is common where you live? 72. technology: What is meant by technology? How does it help you? What are some recent technological advances? Is technology essential? 73. dance: Do you dance? Where do you dance? Do you enjoy dancing? What type of dance is popular in your city / region / country? 74. your city: What do you like about your city? Do you like your city? What’s your favourite place in your city? 75. your country: What do you like about your country? What places have you visited in your country? What do you know about your country?

Page 11

muscular
obedient
visionary
resourceful
jealous
grumpy
taciturn
charming
amiable
introvert
gracious
shrewd
persistent
dynamic
extrovert
shy
outspoken
saintly
patriotic
prudent
unpredictable
naughty
touchy
happy-go-lucky
optimist

Page 12

[B]

arrogant, audacious, authoritarian, argumentative.
bizarre, boyish, battling, baritone, barmy
calm, confident, capricious, cagy, canny
daring, dauntless, dashing, daredevil
extrovert, eccentric, ecstatic, edgy, educated
friendly, famous, fair, fanatical, faithful, frantic
gallant, genteel, genial, glum, girlish, glowing
healthy, happy, hardened, hard working
impulsive, imperfect, introvert, inactive, innocent
joyful, jealous, jerk, jerky, jolly, jovial, jocund
kind, knightly, keen, killer, kind-hearted, kingly
loving, lanky, lackadaisical, lacklustre, lamentable, lenient, languid, lax
motivating, mild, modest, meek, mad, mature, mean
negative, no-nonsense, nerd
outgoing, obedient, obsessive, optimistic, open, obliging, opinionated, offensive
perfectionist, peaceful, proud, practical, polite
queenlike, quixotic, quarrelsome
responsible, radical, rude, rich, rustic, realistic, rueful
stressed, serene, self-centred, snobby
truthful, tolerant, terrific, tranquil, talented
understanding, uptight, unagitated
vain, vogue, vivacious, valiant, versatile, vigilant, vile
wise, wild, whimsical, watchful
xenophobic
young, yellow, yielding, youthful
zealous, zestful, zealot

Page 17

[B]

I am at home today because it’s a holiday.
Though the movie is a hit, the theatres are not full.
In spite of the difficulties, I enjoy climbing.
She can dance and sing.
I shouted loudly but he didn’t hear me.
Although she is beautiful, she did not win the beauty contest.
You can start eating now otherwise the food will get cold.
You should leave now for it is late.
He likes neither tea nor coffee.
We stopped shopping after we had spent all the money.
If you start early, you will get there early.
Even though I have a car, I don’t use it much.
Don’t move till I tell you.

Page 18

Take your medicine before you go out.
You will fail unless you work hard.
Upon returning I found everything as it was before I left home.
They married despite their differences.
I know the place where she works.
While I was waiting for a bus, I met an old friend.
She was cooking when I arrived home.
He didn’t come since he wasn’t invited.

[C]

He was ill therefore he didn’t go to his office.
She took part in the competition but she didn’t win.
When he came, I was writing a letter.
Do your work as your teacher instructs.
Drive carefully otherwise you will meet with an accident.

Page 19

Neither he nor his sister can speak English.
Either she or her assistant will come.
They couldn’t beat their rival team though they played well.
I know a shop where latest books are available.
I know a teacher who knows many languages.
I know why he is absent from class today.
I know whose purse this is.

Page 21

wakes up
is cooking
has been reading
have seen
Have, been
goes
is studying
has been working
has, left
prays
listens
have been preparing
loves
has seen
has been writing
is taking
has been working
plays

Page 23

came
had been working
had waited/ had been waiting
fell off, broke
had, left
baked
was sleeping
were arguing, were sleeping
had called
was ironing
wrote
had jogged
scolded
was painting
left
cooked
had been reading
had washed

Page 25

will call
will, have gone
will be watching / will watch
willl be
will have travelled/ will have been travelling
will pay
will be flying
wil have been teaching
will, have left
will have retired
will be getting
will have been reading
will have been playing
will water
will come
will have gone
will be cooking
will get

Page 28

have, renovated
get it done
have it recorded
have your servants clean
got it fixed
make them cry
has a servant cook
get them replaced
have them washed
have it repaired
get my sister to bake
get it trimmed
have it repainted
makes us practise

Page 32

set 1

must
might
may
should
Can
needn’t

Page 33

Would
could
ought to
can’t

Set 2

should
might
needn’t
must
couldn’t
would
needn’t
must
must
can’t

Page 43

… I will tell him.
… you want.
… I would fly.
… you miss the bus?
… you could go back in time? / … you saw a ghost?
… you had won a large sum of money?
… they had a few more balls to play.
… you wouldn’t get a replacement.
… they couldn’t have performed well.
… you won a free air ticket.
… I would have fallen in the hole.
… I would certainly tell you.

Page 49

The picture is of a stout man with afro hair. He has a pot belly, thin legs a long moustache, round eyes and a round face.
The picture is of a European lady, wearing a soft Victorian fascinator. She has shoulder-length hair, thick eyelashes, and thin eyebrows.
The picture is of a teenaged girl. She has dishevelled / unkempt / untidy long hair which is blowing in the wind. She has a long face, dark complexion and white teeth. She is wearing a sleeveless dress.
The picture is of a young boy with spiky hair, small eyes, and a wide smile. He is wearing a T-shirt and shorts. He is playing with a yo-yo.
The picture is of a lady with long, wavy, layered hair. She has a broad smile, thick lips, a square jaw, large eyes and thin eyebrows.
The picture is of a child who has almost no hair. He is jumping with joy with raised arms. He has a round face and small eyes.
The picture is of a neatly-dressed child, with thick black short / cropped hair. He has chubby cheeks, round eyes. He is wearing a pair of shorts.
The picture is of a middle-aged person, with receding hair, thin lips, a sparse beard and a goatee. He is dressed in a coat and a tie. He is bespectacled.

Page 53

Set 1

eat out.
broken down
cut down on
dropped out of
get by
brought up
call off

Set 2

made up
left out
give away
kept on
looks down on
look over
got rid of

Set 3

pointed out
passed out
threw away
run out of
put on
showing off
turned down

Page 62

Set 1

sensible
bored
native
candid
condemned
generous
whisper

Page 63

Set 2

genuine
repulsive
wild
war
loss
private
complex

Set 3

wet
proud
learned
feeble
tight
scarce
found

Set 4

fragile
prohibited
appear
gloomy
extingush
slavery
accepted

Page 65

[C]

strike
pay
make
cast
achieve
give
find
learn
tell
give
make
throw
declare
make
make
apply
make
do
get
do

Page 66

do
have
make
make/hinder
be/get
bestow
do
do
save/spend
cause

Page 67

Set 1

flagrant
bizarre
foregone
confirmed
crushing
grave
feeble
vicious

Set 2

ancient
powerful
moot
prolific
mellifluous
strict
narrow
resounding

Page 68

Set 3

dormant
voracious
estranged
bitterly
dogged
abject
boundless
tall

Set 4

illicit
croaky
heavy
desolate
ulterior
sheer
blatant
revolutionary

Page 69

Set 5

gloomy
melodious
petty
parched
family
flammable
mean
sobering

Set 6

baffling
dishevelled
rough
unwritten
tenacious
innovative
roaring
vested

Page 75

Set 1

Set 2

Set 3

Page 76

Set 4

Set 5

Set 6

Page 77

… than never
… a silver lining
… kicking
… a small pond
… off a log
… by crook
… as a bat
… than sorry
… or high water
… and a leg
… in the sand
… nine
… into place
… that feeds you
… start to ring

Page 78

… down the hatches
… square one
… of down
… best behaviour
… sliced bread
… come home
… no action
… worth two in the bush
… weakest link
… crack a nut
… the nines
… of its own
… ball game
… of none
… saves nine
… a sigh of relief

Page 79

… in the book
… down memory lane
… the nose
… sore eyes
… the wind
… of a doubt
… than his bite
… better judgement
… the sun shines
… rag to a bull
… before the horse
… don’t fix it
… crumbles
… bed-post

Key to English Edge

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