Self-study Material First Certificate Gold Units 1 - 3

First Certificate Gold Units 1-3 ANSWER KEY

1) QUESTION PRACTICE 10- We refused to pay the electrician because his work
Re-order the following words to make correct was (satisfy) unsatisfactory
questions. 3) ADVERBS OF INDEFINITE FREQUENCY
1) like member your do which you of family think you A. Put these adverbs in order from “most often” to
look most ? “least often”. Use numbers from 1 to 8.
Which member of your family do you think you like
the most? sometimes __5__
2) at you what the do time closes know shop ?
Do you know at what time the shop closes? almost always __2__
3) have just come from where you ? seldom __(6) / 7__
Where have you just come from?
4) you that bought disgusting jumper who ? often __4__
Who brought you that disgusting jumper? never __8__
5) long of string how is a piece ?
How long is a piece of string? usually __3__
6) which restaurant do fast-food you like least ? always __1__
Which fast food restaurant do you like least?
7) self-destruct who the pressed button ? occasionally __6 / (7)__
Who pressed the self-destruct button? B. Which adverbs of indefinite frequency can you
8) you mind me homework giving extra please would? use instead of the ones below?
Would you mind giving me extra homework
please? 1. normally: __usually_________

2) PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES __often_________

___________
Read the sentences and fill in the gaps with the
words given, adding a prefix or a suffix. 2. frequently: ___________
3. hardly ever: __occasionally_________
1- Tom is very disappointed (appoint) with the results
__seldom_________
of his exam, but I am not surprised that he failed.
___________
2- His behaviour was really (kind) unkind I don’t know
4. not ….ever: __never_________
why he behaved so badly.
C. Error identification and correction: Is the
3- During the earthquake, people were (help) helpless position of the adverbs correct? If not, put them in
against the violent forces of nature. their right position.

4- Susan remained calm, showing a (mature) maturity
way beyond her age.
5- The builders made careful (measure)
measurements after the earthquake.
6- It was very (polite) impolite of you not to thank
them.
7- The presidents (popular) popularity has declined
considerably.
8- Her comments seemed (relevant) irrelivant to the
issue, nobody understood why she was talking.
9- I think it was a (sense) sensible offer, why don’t we
accept it?
1. She sometimes doesn’t sometimes go to school.
2. We often used to go on holiday in winter.
3. He is always glad to meet us. 
4. They seldom go seldom to the theatre.
5. You’re always not always on time.
6. Never say never again! 
7. She normally drives normally this way.
8. We generally study at the library. 
9. Doesn’t he occasionally arrive occasionally late?
10. They usually eat fish on Fridays usually.

ITU English Prep Program October 2000

Self-study Material First Certificate Gold Units 1 - 3

Answer key 4. Those exercises were too difficult. I believe he ought

4) COMPARISONS
A. The following sentence is not a good one as it
stands. The idea " He is less stupid than I thought he
was.” is better expressed by either “ He is not as
stupid as I thought he was.” or “ He is cleverer than I
thought he was.”. Reword the following sentences in
the way suggested.
1. The ocean was rougher than she had hoped.
(rough)
2. The stream was shallower near the ford. (shallow)
3. It is safer to tease a tiger than scorn a woman. (safe)
4. Christopher is much older than he looks. (old)
5. He was more humble than his brother. (humble)
6. The play is duller than the film. (dull)
7. Robert Redford is much more handsome than
Liam Neeson. (handsome)
8. She was more co-operative than her sisters.
(co-operative)
9. He’s more naïve / simple than he makes himself
to make them simpler / more simple
5. Scientists claimed that air pollution was the
most likely cause of death among bats.
6. She felt much more relaxed once the exams were
over.
7. It has been the hottest day in Stratford-upon-Avon
for 26 years.
8. His last speech was strong and confident, and some
people considered him to have been the most forceful
figure in Dutch politics.
9. Throughout the match, Florentina looked the
likely / most likely winners.
10. The first exam is quite easy and he has begun to
feel more confident about his results.
C. Form the comparative and superlative of these
adjectives.
1. tiny tinier the tiniest
2. handsome more handsome the most handsome

out to be. (naïve, simple) 3. lively livelier the liveliest

more lively the most lively
10. He’d be worse off if he were married.
4. dry drier the driest
(badly off) 5. pleasant more pleasant the most pleasant
11. Your cigarettes were worse than mine. (bad) 6. simple simpler the simplest
12. The brook is deeper than she expects. (deep) more simple the most simple
7. mellow mellower the mellowest
13. David is much duller than his cousin. (dull)
more mellow the most mellow
14. Her husband was much more extravagant than 8. good better the best
yours. (extravagant) 9. bad worse the worst
B. Complete the sentences with an appropriate 10. far farther the farthest
comparative or superlative adjective. Use an 11. sad more sad the saddest
–er / - est or more / most form. Indicate where both sadder
forms are possible.
12. heavy heavier the heaviest
confident hot wide common 13. grey greyer the greyest
simple alike relaxed 14. late later the latest
complex forceful likely 15. quiet quieter the quietist
1. Another, even more complex , computer has to be 16. polite more polite the politest
17. clever cleverer the cleverest
designed to control the environment of the station.
more clever the most clever
2. Now that they have both had their hair cut, the twin 18. big bigger the biggest
sisters look even more alike than usual. 19. fat fatter the fattest
3. Their old van was a little wider than their new one, 20. ill more ill the most ill
but still fitted easily into the garage.

ITU English Prep Program October 2000

Self-study Material First Certificate Gold Units 1 - 3
Answer key
D. Make up sentences using these four patterns:
A=B  A is as adj as B.
A>B  A is more adj than B. (or ________er than)
AXB  A is not as / so adj as B.
A<B  A is less adj than B.
These are examples – there are many possibilities!
1. Italian > easy French
Italian is easier than French.
2. Portuguese > difficult Spanish
Portuguese is more difficult than Spanish.
3. Turkish X easy French
Turkish isn’t as easy as French.
4. Happiness > important money
Happiness is more important than money.
5. A change = good rest
A change is as good as a rest.
6. Sparrows > common falcons
Sparrows are more common than falcons.
7. She = welcome flowers in April
She is as welcome as the flowers in spring.
8. Documentaries < interesting they used to be
Documentaries aren’t as interesting as they used to be.
9. Thirst > bad famine
Thirst is worse than famine.
10. Half a slice > good no slice at all
Half a slice is better than no slice at all.
11. People X good they used to be
People aren’t as good as they used to be.
12. Running > healthy drinking alcohol
Running is more healthy than drinking alcohol.
13. Cigarettes < harmful cigars
Cigarettes aren’t as harmful as cigars.
14. Milou > far away Avare (the dog and the cat)
Milou is father away than Avare.
15. Maslak > distant Cihangir
Maslak is more distant than Cihangir.
16. Ulus < distant Beyoğlu
Ulus isn’t as distant as Beyoğlu.
17. He > ill he was two days ago
He’s more ill than he was two days ago.
18. The cities > noisy the villages
The cities are noisier than the villages.
ITU English Prep Program October 2000
E. Put the adjectives in brackets into the form
which best suits the meaning of the sentence.
1. This was (incredible) story she has ever heard!
the most incredible
2. It’s not always (bright) students who do well in tests.
the brightest
3. Vakko T-shirts are harder-wearing, but Mudo
T-shirts are much (comfortable).
more comfortable
4. Which is (deep), Lake Van or the Dead Sea?
the deepest / deeper
5. He is much (self-confident) than he used to be.
more self-confident
6. (tall) man who works for Arçelik is a volleyball player.
the tallest
7. I like both of them, but I think Bunny is (easy) to talk
to.
easier
8. Most people are (well off) than their parents were.
better off
9. He had a lot to be thankful for – (sad) thing of all was
that he did not realize it.
the saddest
10. She wants to rent a car – (powerful) one at the
rental company.
the most powerful
11. They look a lot (well) than they did last time he saw
them.
better
12. There was nothing (irritating) than locking himself
out of his own house.
more irritating
13. Both ways lead to the town centre, but the right-
hand one is probably a bit (short) and (direct).
shorter and more direct
14. As he gets (old), he notices that the policemen
seem to be getting (young)!
older / younger
15. Nothing could be (fine) than to be in Birmingham.
finer
16. “Is Cambridge (old) university in Britain?”
“No, Oxford is about 50 years (old).”
oldest / older
17. If he were (tidy) and (well-organised) than he is, he
would not keep losing things.
tidier and better organised
18. The girls in their school are much (beautiful) and a
lot (good) at handball than the girls in other schools in
the city.
more beautiful and a lot better