English Vocabulary Exercises for B2 – Life events

1. Match the ages (a-g) with the stages of life (1-7).

a   100+

b   60+

c   13-19

d   40-60

e   1-3

f   0-1

g   18+

2. Complete the sentences with the adjectives and prepositions below. You can use the prepositions more than once.

addicted      aware      curious      good      happy      obsessed      sensitive      shocked

about      at      by      of      to      with

1   Harry is …………………………. ………… money and he’s always thinking of ways of making it.

2   We weren’t …………………………. ………… the hotel, and nor were we pleased with the way the tour company handled the problem.

3   Don’t say anything negative about her work because she’s very …………………………. ………… criticism.

4   Children are …………………………. ………… everything around them and want to know how things work.

5   My grandparents would be offended by the language used on TV and …………………………. ………… the violence in films.

6   I’m not very …………………………. ………… maths and always get low marks in the exams.

7   She says she isn’t …………………………. ………… chocolate, but I always see her eating it!

8   I didn’t realise there was a problem, and I wasn’t …………………………. ………… the risks.

3. Put the words below in the correct columns to form different life events.

a business      a family      divorced      engaged      home      married      school (x2)

4. Choose the correct prepositions to complete the sentences.

1   My grandmother passed over / through / away at the age of 88.

2   Dan’s parents split up / off / in when he was still a toddler.

3   Rachel was brought on / at / up by her aunt and uncle.

4   We grew up / over / on in a small village, and I loved living in the countryside.

5   Many people get married and settle around / down / up in their thirties.

6   My sister fell to / on / in love with a fellow student at university, and they became engaged a year later.

5. Replace the underlined words and phrases with the correct form of the words and phrases below.

emigrate      inherit      learn to drive      retire      settle down      split up

1   My dad is looking forward to finishing work next year and having more time for his hobbies. …………………………………….

2   When my grandad passed away, my mum got his house and some money. …………………………………….

3   My sister is having driving lessons. …………………………………….

4   My uncle and aunt separated last year after being married for fifteen years. …………………………………….

5   I don’t want to get married and have a family until I’ve had a chance to see the world. …………………………………….

6   My older brother moved to another country last year to look for work. …………………………………….

6. Complete the sequences of events with the phrases below.

buy a house or flat      get divorced      get married

go to university      grow up      pass away

1   retire, become a grandparent, …………………………………….

2   fall in love, get engaged, …………………………………….

3   start school, leave school, …………………………………….

4   get married, split up, …………………………………….

5   be born, be brought up, …………………………………….

6   leave home, move house, …………………………………….

7 Complete the text with the correct form of the words below.

be      buy      career      fall      get      job      leave      married

settle      split       start      study

Not everybody does things in the same order. My uncle 1…………………………… school at sixteen and got his first 2…………………………… a month later. Then he 3…………………………… a business and 4…………………………… engaged, and he got 5…………………………… at seventeen! When he was 25, he 6…………………………… up with his wife, sold his business and went back to school. Then he decided to 7…………………………… for a degree in medicine. At university, he 8…………………………… in love with another student, and my cousin 9…………………………… born a year after they left university. My uncle and aunt now work as doctors, and they have 10…………………………… a house and 11…………………………… down near us. That’s what I call changing your 12…………………………… – and your life!