English Vocabulary Exercises | Personality

Click here to download this printable exercise in PDF. Answers are at the bottom of the page.

Complete the following sentences with a noun formed from the adjectives in parentheses:

1. Thousands would have died in last year’s famine in Ethiopia, if it wasn’t for the of ordinary people. (generous)
2. They’ve always shown me great (kind)
3. The theatre’s sent me tickets for the wrong day again. I can’t believe their (careless)
4. Considering how ill I’ve been, I thought my boss would show a bit more (sympathetic)
5. She handled the situation very well. She showed great ( sensitive)
6. You’ve been such a great help. I’d like to buy you dinner as an expression of my (grateful)
7. I do wish those children would show a little more sometimes. (patient)
8. He just told me to shut up and walked off. I’ve never known such (rude)
9. You don’t like him because of his accent? You could show a bit more sometimes. (tolerant)
10. I think one day we might doubt the of this decision. (wise)

---

ANSWERS

1. generosity
2. kindness
3. carelessness
4. sympathy
5. sensitivity
6. gratitude
7. patience
8. rudeness
9. tolerance
10. wisdom

English Vocabulary Exercises | Personality

Click here to download this printable exercise in PDF. Answers are at the bottom of the page.

Exercise 12

Complete the dialogues with the following words:

fussy | pushy | selfish | pessimistic | intolerant | optimistic

1. I know I’m going to get this job – the interview went so well.
> I think you’re being a bit —fussypushyselfishpessimisticintolerantoptimistic. Hundreds of people have applied for it.

2. I’m trying to persuade Liz to give up her job and come and live with me in Scotland.
> Aren’t you being a bit —fussypushyselfishpessimisticintolerantoptimistic? You know how important her career is.

3. l’ve looked at fifteen flats and I haven’t seen one l really like.
> Don‘t you think you’re being a bit —fussypushyselfishpessimisticintolerantoptimistic? You’ll never find one that’s perfect.

4. Why haven’t they phoned me back? I know I’m not going to get this job.
> Aren’t you being a bit —fussypushyselfishpessimisticintolerantoptimistic? You only had the interview yesterday.

5. Do you think Ann will come on holiday with me?
> Slow down! You’ve only just met her! Aren’t you being a bit —fussypushyselfishpessimisticintolerantoptimistic?

6. I hope Bob doesn’t become manager. I don’t like his accent.
> Don’t you think you’re being a bit —fussypushyselfishpessimisticintolerantoptimistic? You can’t dislike him just because of the way he speaks!

---

ANSWERS

1. optimistic
2. selfish
3. fussy
4. pessimistic
5. pushy
6. intolerant

English Vocabulary Exercises | Personality

Click here to download this printable exercise in PDF. Answers are at the bottom of the page.

Exercise 11

Complete the dialogues with the following sentences:

very kind | very tactful |  a bit clumsy | very rude

1. I invited Sue and Gerry for dinner. They turned up an hour and a half late and didn’t even apologise!
> Really, that was —very kindvery tactfula bit clumsyvery rude of them, wasn’t it?

2. Sarah spilt coffee all over the carpet. It made a terrible mess.
> Oh dear. That was —very kindvery tactfula bit clumsyvery rude of her, wasn’t it?

3. Mary knew how busy I was, so she offered to collect the kids from school for me.
> That was —very kindvery tactfula bit clumsyvery rude of her.

4. Sue said she had a headache, but she knew that Chris, her first husband, was going to be at the party.
> That was —very kindvery tactfula bit clumsyvery rude of her. It would have been very embarrassing if she’d turned up.

---

ANSWERS

1. very rude
2. a bit clumsy
3. very kind
4. very tactful

English Vocabulary Exercises | Personality

Click here to download this printable exercise in PDF. Answers are at the bottom of the page.

Exercise 10

Match the beginning and end of sentences:

1. It was a bit cheeky of you —to finish this crossword so quickly.not to tell them they’d given you too much change.to go to India on your own.to ask the teacher how old she is.to pay for all the drinks.
2. It’s very brave of you —to finish this crossword so quickly.not to tell them they’d given you too much change.to go to India on your own.to ask the teacher how old she is.to pay for all the drinks.
3. It was very generous of you —to finish this crossword so quickly.not to tell them they’d given you too much change.to go to India on your own.to ask the teacher how old she is.to pay for all the drinks.
4. It was very clever of you —to finish this crossword so quickly.not to tell them they’d given you too much change.to go to India on your own.to ask the teacher how old she is.to pay for all the drinks.
5. It was a bit dishonest of you —to finish this crossword so quickly.not to tell them they’d given you too much change.to go to India on your own.to ask the teacher how old she is.to pay for all the drinks.

a. to finish this crossword so quickly.

b. not to tell them they’d given you too much change.

c. to go to India on your own.

d. to ask the teacher how old she is.

e. to pay for all the drinks.

---

ANSWERS

1. It was a bit cheeky of you to ask the teacher how old she is.
2. It’s very brave of you to go to India on your own.
3. It was very generous of you to pay for all the drinks.
4. It was very clever of you to finish this crossword so quickly.
5. It was a bit dishonest of you not to tell them they’d given you too much change.

English Vocabulary Exercises | Personality

Click here to download this printable exercise in PDF. Answers are at the bottom of the page.

Exercise 9

Use these pairs of adjectives in the following sentences:

• wise / sensible
• careless / silly
• horrible / nasty
• strange / funny

1. I locked my keys in the house this morning.
>That was a very —wise / sensiblecareless / sillyhorrible / nastystrange / funny thing to do.

2. I gave my neighbours’ little boy some money for his holidays and his parents took it from him!
> Really? What a —wise / sensiblecareless / sillyhorrible / nastystrange / funny thing to do.

3. I’m thinking of getting myself a private pension.
>Good idea.That’s a very —wise / sensiblecareless / sillyhorrible / nastystrange / funny thing to do.

4. They’ve been married for 25 years and then one day she just walked out and never came back.
> Really? What a —wise / sensiblecareless / sillyhorrible / nastystrange / funny thing to do!

---

ANSWERS

1. careless / silly
2. horrible / nasty
3. wise / sensible
4. strange / funny

English Vocabulary Exercises | Personality

Click here to download this printable exercise in PDF. Answers are at the bottom of the page.

Exercise 8

Transform words into their opposites by adding either: un, dis, in, or im

1. —undisiminreliable
2. —undisiminhonest
3. —undisiminsensitive
4. —undisiminpleasant
5. —undisiminloyal
6. —undisimintolerant
7. —undisiminpatient
8. —undisiminmature
9. —undisiminfriendly
10. —undisimindecisive
11. —undisiminambitious
12. —undisiminselfish

---

ANSWERS

1. unreliable
2. dishonest
3. insensitive
4. unpleasant
5. disloyal
6. intolerant
7. impatient
8. immature
9. unfriendly
10. indecisive
11. unambitious
12. unselfish

English Vocabulary Exercises | Personality

Click here to download this printable exercise in PDF. Answers are at the bottom of the page.

Exercise 7

Here are 8 types of personalities, use them in the following sentences:

a gossip | a big-head | an extrovert | a laugh | a couch potato | a snob | a coward | a liar

1. You shouldn’t believe a word Justin says. He’s a terrible —a gossipa big-headan extroverta laugha couch potatoa snoba cowarda liar.

2. Maria’s a terrible —a gossipa big-headan extroverta laugha couch potatoa snoba cowarda liar. She’s always talking about everybody else in the office.

3. Roberto’s quite an —a gossipa big-headan extroverta laugha couch potatoa snoba cowarda liar, isn’t he? He’s got hundreds of friends!

4. Martin’s such a —a gossipa big-headan extroverta laugha couch potatoa snoba cowarda liar. He never stops telling people how wonderful he is.

5. You can’t keep running away from your responsibilities. You’re such a —a gossipa big-headan extroverta laugha couch potatoa snoba cowarda liar.

6. Just because Dave didn’t go to university doesn’t mean he’s any less intelligent than you. Don’t be such a —a gossipa big-headan extroverta laugha couch potatoa snoba cowarda liar.

7. Emma’s husband’s such a —a gossipa big-headan extroverta laugha couch potatoa snoba cowarda liar. He just sits around all day watching TV.

8. Billy knows hundreds of jokes. He’s such a —a gossipa big-headan extroverta laugha couch potatoa snoba cowarda liar!

---

ANSWERS

1. liar
2. gossip
3. extrovert
4. big-head
5. coward
6. snob
7. couch potato
8. laugh

English Vocabulary Exercises | Personality

Click here to download this printable exercise in PDF. Answers are at the bottom of the page.

Exercise 6

Complete the dialogue with the following adjectives:

bossy | sensitive | fussy | nosey

1. How much do you earn in your new job?
> That’s a bit —bossysensitivefussynosey of you!

2. You can do the washing up while I’m out.
> You can be so —bossysensitivefussynosey at times!

3. Jenny’s really upset about what you said.
> She’s too —bossysensitivefussynosey.

4. I can’t eat these vegetables. They’ve been cooked in oil.
> Oh,don’t be so —bossysensitivefussynosey.

---

ANSWERS

1. nosey
2. bossy
3. sensitive
4. fussy

English Vocabulary Exercises | Personality

Click here to download this printable exercise in PDF. Answers are at the bottom of the page.

Exercise 5

Complete with the following words:

moody | amusing | stubborn | arrogant | selfish | silly

1.Lucy never thinks about anyone but herself.
> Yes, she can be a bit —moodyamusingstubbornarrogantselfishsilly sometimes.

2.Oh, Laura‘s impossible. One minute life is wonderful and the next minute she’s in her room crying.

> Yes, she can he a bit —moodyamusingstubbornarrogantselfishsilly, can’t she?

3. I really don’t like Bob. He seems to think that he’s more important than anybody else.

> He certainly can be very —moodyamusingstubbornarrogantselfishsilly.

4. Martin’s such good fun. He’s got a great sense of humour.
> Yes, he can he very —moodyamusingstubbornarrogantselfishsilly at times.

5. I wish Joe would stop playing practical jokes all the time. It gets very tiring.
> Yes, he can be really —moodyamusingstubbornarrogantselfishsilly at times. I wish he’d grow up and behave like an adult.

6. I told Emma that she shouldn’t leave university but she never listens to me.
> No, she really can be very —moodyamusingstubbornarrogantselfishsilly when she wants, can’t she?

---

ANSWERS

1. selfish
2. moody
3. arrogant
4. amusing
5. silly
6. stubborn

English Vocabulary Exercises | Personality

Click here to download this printable exercise in PDF. Answers are at the bottom of the page.

Exercise 4

Find the opposite adjectives:

1. generous ≠ —shymiserabletensemeanlazy

2. hard-working ≠ —shymiserabletensemeanlazy

3. outgoing ≠ —shymiserabletensemeanlazy

4. easy-going ≠ —shymiserabletensemeanlazy

5. cheerful ≠ —shymiserabletensemeanlazy

---

ANSWERS

1. generous ≠ mean
2. hard-working ≠ lazy
3. outgoing ≠ shy
4. easy-going ≠ tense
5. cheerful ≠ miserable