Matrix Intermediate
UNIT 2
describing personality
1Complete the sentences with the words in the box.
proud - friendly - lazy - PATIENT - cheerful - jealous
1‘Rob has been very ______recently.’
‘Well, he’s got a new girlfriend.’
2Tim never helps with the housework.
He’s so ______!
3Zoe was ______of Linda. She was much prettier than Zoe, and more intelligent, too.
4Karen rarely gets angry with people. She’s
usually ______and understanding.
5Pam is very ______. I’m sure you’ll like her when you meet her.
6The teacher felt very ______when all her students passed the exam.
____ / 6
2Choose the correct alternative.
1Karen is so bossy / shy. She’s always telling me what to do!
2Ian started university a year early. He’s
really stupid / clever.
3My grandparents are very mean / generous. They give me some money whenever I see them.
4You should write a novel. You’re so imaginative / boring.
5‘When I invited Clare to the party, she went bright red!’
‘She must be very confident / shy.’
6When Mark ignored his mother, she told him off for being rude / well-behaved.
____ / 6
3Read the descriptions. Match the people and job adverts.
1Paul is hard-working and quite bossy. He’d like a job with responsibility.
2Tina is practical and reliable. She prefers to work outside and is quite fit.
3Rob is friendly and cheerful. He likes working with children.
4 Phil is patient and sympathetic. He’s a very good listener.
5Sue is outgoing and likes organising events. She enjoys meeting people.
Wanted …
aDog minder for walks and general animal care. Tel. 05 467 543.
bPart-time tour guide. Write to: Sunny Travel, 63 Boat Street, Oxford.
cAssistant manager at All Sports sportswear shop. Need to work long hours. Tel. 0987 6547.
dFather Christmas at Selfridges Department Store. December period only. Contact: Amanda Smith at Selfridges, Oxford Street, London.
eVolunteers for Student Helpline. Interested? Please contact us on 0978 564 785.
____ / 5
3Write the opposites to the following adjectives.
1warm and friendly______
2kind______
3nice______
4pleasant______
5generous______
6optimistic______
7cheerful______
8sensitive______
9honest______
10relaxed and______
easy-going
____ / 11
4Complete the sentences with the suitable adjectives from the exercise 3
1Jane is very ______at the moment becaue of her exam, but she’s usually quite ______and ______about most things.
2I think the weather influences me a lot: when it’s sunny I feel more ______and ______but when it is cold and raining I get very ______.
3He seemed a bit ______at first, but now I’ve got to know him I rialise, he is very warm and ______.
4The shop assistant told me that the dress I tried on looked better on people younger than me. I thought that was very ______of her, but at least she was being ______, I suppose.
____ / 10
5Write the opposites to the following adjectives.
1hard-working______
2punctual______
3reliable______
4clever______
5bright______
6flexible______
7ambitious______
8shy______
9reserved______
10strong______
____ / 10
6What prefix forms the opposite of each of these words?
1kind______
2flexible______
3friendly______
4honest______
5reliable______
6sensitive______
7ambitious______
8pleasant______
9considerate______
10sociable______
11imaginative______
12practical______
13efficient______
14 polite______
15organised______
16tactful______
____ / 16
7Use one of the adjectives to describe the person of these descriptions.
1He never bought me a drink all the time we were together. He is very ______.
2I have to tell her what to do every minute of the working day. She wouldn’t even open a window without someone’s permission. She has no sense of ______.
3He often promises to do things but half the time he forgets. He is ______.
4She’s always here on time. She is ______.
5I don’t think he’s done any work since he’s been here. He is awfully ______.
6She finds it difficult to meet people and talk to strangers. She’s quite ______.
7He could work in any of the departments, and it doesn’t matter to him if he’s on his own or part of a team. He is pretty ______.
8One of the great things about her is that she is so aware of what other people think or feel. She’s especially ______.
9Bob, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. He is alwais making people angry or upset because he just doesn’t consider their feelings. He is particularly ______.
10The other thing about Bob is that he is really ______. He wants to get the supervisor’s job and then become boss for the whole department.
____ / 10
8Some important qualitis are expressed through nouns.
One of her great qualities is that she uses her initiative.
That boy has got no common sense. His sister, on the other hand, is very sensible (=has lots of common sense).
What nouns can be formed from these adjectives? Use the dictionary to help you.
1punctual______
2confident______
3sensitive______
4optimistic______
5generous______
6strong______
7reliable______
8ambitious______
9flexible______
10lazy______
11stupid______
12shy______
____ / 12
9Whrite the synonyms.
1amusing______
2artistic______
3considerate______
4friendly______
5gentle______
6hard-working______
7honest______
8lively______
9open-minded______
10perceptive______
11practical______
12sensitive______
13sociable______
14symphatetic______
15thoughtful______
16wise ______
17effucient______
18energetic______
19creative______
20generous______
21good-natured______
22helpful______
23imaginative______
24loyal ______
25organised______
26polite______
27sensible______
28rational______
29spontaneous______
30tactful______
31unselfish______
32witty ______
____ / 32
Choose three adjectives or nouns from this exercises wich describe you.
Is there one quality you do not have but would like to have?
What, in your opinion, is the worst quality described in these exercises.
Use at least three adjectives to describe 5 people in your classroom.
Matrix Intermediate
UNIT 2
describing personality
1Complete the sentences with the words in the box.
proud - friendly - lazy - PATIENT - cheerful - jealous
1‘Rob has been very PATIENTrecently.’
‘Well, he’s got a new girlfriend.’
2Tim never helps with the housework.
He’s so lazy!
3Zoe was jealous of Linda. She was much prettier than Zoe, and more intelligent, too.
4Karen rarely gets angry with people. She’s
usually friendly and understanding.
5Pam is very cheerful. I’m sure you’ll like her when you meet her.
6The teacher felt very proud when all her students passed the exam.
____ / 6
2Choose the correct alternative.
1Karen is so bossy / shy. She’s always telling me what to do!
2Ian started university a year early. He’s
really stupid / clever.
3My grandparents are very mean / generous. They give me some money whenever I see them.
4You should write a novel. You’re so imaginative / boring.
5‘When I invited Clare to the party, she went bright red!’
‘She must be very confident / shy.’
6When Mark ignored his mother, she told him off for being rude / well-behaved.
____ / 6
3Read the descriptions. Match the people and job adverts.
1Paul is hard-working and quite bossy. He’d like a job with responsibility. (c)
2Tina is practical and reliable. She prefers to work outside and is quite fit. (a)
3Rob is friendly and cheerful. He likes working with children.(d)
4 Phil is patient and sympathetic. He’s a very good listener.(e)
5Sue is outgoing and likes organising events. She enjoys meeting people.(b)
Wanted …
aDog minder for walks and general animal care. Tel. 05 467 543.
bPart-time tour guide. Write to: Sunny Travel, 63 Boat Street, Oxford.
cAssistant manager at All Sports sportswear shop. Need to work long hours. Tel. 0987 6547.
dFather Christmas at Selfridges Department Store. December period only. Contact: Amanda Smith at Selfridges, Oxford Street, London.
eVolunteers for Student Helpline. Interested? Please contact us on 0978 564 785.
____ / 5
3Write the opposites to the following adjectives.
1warm and friendlycold and unfriendly
2kindUNKIND
3nicehorrible
4pleasantunpleasant
5generousmean
6optimisticpessimistic
7cheerfulmiserable
8sensitiveinsensitive
9honestdishonest
10relaxed andtense
easy-going
____ / 11
4Complete the sentences with the suitable adjectives from the exercise 3
1Jane is very tense at the moment becaue of her exam, but she’s usually quite relaxed and easy-going about most things.
2I think the weather influences me a lot: when it’s sunny I feel more cheerful and optimistic but when it is cold and raining I get very miserable.
3He seemed a bit unfriendly at first, but now I’ve got to know him I rialise, he is very warm and kind.
4The shop assistant told me that the dress I tried on looked better on people younger than me. I thought that was very insensitive of her, but at least she was being honest, I suppose.
____ / 10
5Write the opposites to the following adjectives.
1hard-workingLAZY
2punctualLATE
3reliableunreliable
4cleverstupid
5brightthick
6flexibleinflexible
7ambitiousunambitious
8shySELF-CONFIDENT
9reservedOUT-GOING
10strongweak
____ / 10
6What prefix forms the opposite of each of these words?
1kindunkind
2flexibleinflexible
3friendlyUNfriendly
4honestDIShonest
5reliableUNreliable
6sensitiveinsensitive
7ambitiousUNambitious
8pleasantUNpleasant
9considerateinconsiderate
10sociableUNsociable
11imaginativeunimaginative
12practicalimpractical
13efficientinefficient
14 politeimpolite
15organiseddisorganised
16tactfultactless
____ / 16
7Use one of the words to describe the person of these descriptions.
5He never bought me a drink all the time we were together. He is very mean.
6I have to tell her what to do every minute of the working day. She wouldn’t even open a window without someone’s permission. She has no sense ofINITIATIVE.
7He often promises to do things but half the time he forgets. He is quiteUNreliable.
8She’s always here on time. She is always punctual.
5I don’t think he’s done any work since he’s been here. He is awfully LAZY.
6She finds it difficult to meet people and talk to strangers. She’s quite SHY.
7He could work in any of the departments, and it doesn’t matter to him if he’s on his own or part of a team. He is pretty flexible.
8One of the great things about her is that she is so aware of what other people think or feel. She’s especially SENSITIVE.
9Bob, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. He is alwais making people angry or upset because he just doesn’t consider their feelings. He is particularly INconsiderate.
10The other thing about Bob is that he is really Ambitious. He wants to get the supervisor’s job and then become boss for the whole department.
____ / 10
8Some important qualitis are expressed through nouns.
One of her great qualities is that she uses her initiative.
That boy has got no common sense. His sister, on the other hand, is very sensible (=has lots of common sense).
What nouns can be formed from these adjectives? Use the dictionary to help you.
13punctualpunctuality
14confidentconfidence
15sensitivesensitivity
16optimisticoptimism
17generousgenerosity
18strongstrenght
19reliablereliability
20ambitiousambition
21flexibleflexibility
22lazylaziness
23stupidstupidity
24shyshyness
____ / 12
9Whrite the synonyms.
33amusinghumorous, witty
34artisticcreative,imaginative,inventive
35consideratethougtful, selfless
36friendlykind
37gentlekind
38hard-workingdiligent
39honestsincere
40livelyvivacious
41open-mindedflexible, tolerant
42perceptivesensitive
43practicalrealistic
44sensitiveunderstanding
45sociableout-going
46symphateticsensible, tactful
47thoughtfulconsiderate, selfless
48wise clever, intelligent
49efficientwell-organized
50energeticlively
51creativeimaginative, artistic
52generousbig-hearted, open-handed
53good-naturedcheerful, pleasant
54helpfulsupportive
55imaginativecreative, inventive
56loyal reliable
57organisedefficent
58politewell-behaved
59sensibleunderstanding
60rationalrealistic
61spontaneousimpulsive
62tactfulsensitive, polite
63unselfishgenerous, selfless
64witty amusing, humorous
____ / 32
Choose three adjectives or nouns from this exercises wich describe you.
Is there one quality you do not have but would like to have?
What, in your opinion, is the worst quality described in these exercises.
Use at least three adjectives to describe 5 people in your classroom.