Handout 2

MAKING PURCHASES
A Decide whether the words and phrases have a positive (+) or a negative (-) meaning.

be foolish be practical have appeal have potential

look ridiculous make financial sense not be worth the money regret a/the purchase

Positive (+) Negative (-)

B  Circle  the word that has the opposite meaning in each group of words.
1 convince ≠ assure persuade discourage
2 purchase ≠ buy sell obtain
3 sensible ≠ silly down-to-earth practical
4 discourage ≠ dissuade encourage deter
5 wise ≠ educated smart foolish
6 practical ≠ impractical useful sensible
7 look ridiculous ≠ look silly look foolish look good

C  Circle  the correct word or phrase to complete each sentence.

1 With more practice, I think Linda has appeal / potential to be a great writer.
2 It makes financial sense / isn’t worth the money to put some money aside each month for savings.
3 I really regret / encourage buying this phone now that the new model has just come out.
4 Stacey loved the book so much that she regretted / urged her friends to read it.
5 Donny’s rainboots were a bit dull-looking but very ridiculous / practical and they kept his feet dry.
6 My parents always encouraged / regretted me to study hard and get good grades.
7 Mark tried unsuccessfully to obtain / convince his parents to raise his allowance.
8 The refrigerator was old and leaking, and so they wanted to purchase / sell a new one.
9 Lisa liked the watch, but at $1,200, she didn’t think it was worth the money / practical.
10 Spending your entire paycheck on candy is extremely practical / foolish.