Detailed adjectives, verbs and adverbs sentences

Exercise 1 

From each set of words in brackets choose the one word or phrase which most effectively conveys

he heat of the scene being pictured:

Beneath the glaring sun the land was brown. Blades of grass, shrivelled by the fierce rays, clung to the

crumbling, scorched soil. Even to move was an effort. The slightest motion was enough to cause a
sweat, but even perspiration was forced away almost instantly by the merciless heat.

Exercise 2 

Some words have been left out in the following sentences. From each group in brackets, choose

the word or phrase that most effectively suggests the idea of noise.

1 Thunder boomed off the mountains. The weeping of the wind as it blasted through the narrow valleys

was almost drowned out by the drumming of huge raindrops on the rocky ground.

2 The clatter of broken glass woke him. He listened intently and heard the slight screech of a hinge as a

door slowly opened. There was the faintest scrape of a shoe on the wooden floor of the hall.

3. She was startled at first by the harsh squawk of a sea gull. The distant clatter of the sea and the howl of the gentle breeze through the palms lulled her.

Exercise 3 

From each set of words in brackets choose the one word or phrase which most effectively conveys

the scene being pictured:

Bright lights radiate merrily through the evening darkness. The steady flickering of the larger lights
was reinforced by the sparkle of an array of grinning smaller ones chasing each other in a lively,

never-ending race. The hum of conversation, the crack of glasses, and the whiff of steaming food all
drifted enticingly across the still night air.

Exercise 4 

Here is a short descriptive passage. From each group in brackets, choose the word or phrase that

most effectively fills each gap. Bear in mind the impression the writer is trying to give.
The face, in the brief instant when the lightning flashed was like some hideous carving. The forehead
was topped with a tangle of hair which gleamed in the light. The lower part of the face was masked
by a/an untidy cluster of wiry beard. The eyes, deep-set under thick brows, glittered evilly as they caught the light. Mark’s heart thrashed in fear at the sight. Lightning flickered again.