Use of English

Always read the whole sentence to decide if you need a positive or a negative word to fill each gap. For example, do you need the positive or the negative form of the word in this sentence?

…………………… we arrived late and missed the first ten minutes of the film. (Fortunate)

Now try these! Remember the form of the word might change, too.

In the 19th century in Britain, young children often worked in …………………… conditions. (Healthy)

The children often worked for employers who were …………………… and would pay them very little for 18 hours a day. (Honest)

We should be more …………………… with our lives today, but are we? (Satisfied)

It’s not …………………… to hear people complaining about how terrible their lives are. (Common)

But really, they don’t know how …………………… they are! (Luck)

This exercise was based on a task from First Certificate Use of English by Judy Copage - part of the Longman Exams Skills series.