PART ONE:  VOCABULARY

MOVIE REVIEW: AVATAR

Read this movie review – without using your dictionary – and see if you can match the underlined words with their synonyms that follow the review:

Synopsis: Avatar is the story of an ex-Marine who finds himself thrust into hostilities on an alien planet filled with exotic life forms. As an Avatar, a human mind in an alien body, he finds himself torn… “Avatar is the story of an ex-Marine who finds himself thrust into hostilities on an alien planet filled with exotic life forms. As an Avatar, a human mind in an alien body, he finds himself torn between two worlds, in a desperate fight for his own survival and that of the indigenous people. More than ten years in the making, Avatar marks Cameron’s return to feature directing since helming 1997’s Titanic, the highest grossing film of all time and winner of eleven Oscars® including Best Picture. WETA Digital, renowned for its work in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and King Kong, will incorporate new intuitive CGI technologies to transform the environments and characters into photorealistic 3D imagery that will transport the audience into the alien world rich with imaginative vistas, creatures and characters. –© 20th Century Fox.”

  1. leading or directing____________
  2. famous________________
  3. making money______________
  4. view or landscape_______________
  5. native___________________
  6. unusual__________________
  7. summary_________________
  1. war or fight _______________
  1. unable to decide_____________

10.  pushed or forced_______________

Director: James Cameron
Screenwriter: James Cameron
Producer: James Cameron, Jon Landau
Studio: 20th Century Fox

PART TWO:  GRAMMAR

Some, any, no and ever are special in that they happily pair up with other words.  Remember that words using some are affirmative, no- words are negative and words using any are negative and/or interrogative.

somewhere/anywhere/nowhere

He lives somewhere in San Diego; I don’t know exactly where.

Did you go anywhere on your vacation?

No, we went nowhere.

something/anything/nothing

I want to get something to eat; is there a good restaurant near here?

He didn’t want anything to drink.

She got nothing for her birthday.  She’d said she didn’t want anything.

someone/ anyone/ no one (or none)

Maria said she’d met someone interesting at the party last night.

I didn’t see anybody interesting there myself.

No one I know liked that movie.

somebody/anybody/ nobody

Somebody telephoned for you.

Did you see anybody in the kitchen?

Nobody from the office went to the Superbowl; it was too expensive.

-Ever words have the same meaning as any- but they attach to the ends of their companion words:

whatever = anything

Please order whatever you like.

however  = in any way

You can finish the story however you prefer.

whoever (or whomever) = any person

I’m giving the ticket to whomever arrives first.

whenever = any time

You can leave whenever you like.

wherever = any place

Wherever she goes, she enjoys herself.

no+ever = never = at no time

My brother has never gone to Florida.

EXERCISE A:  Please use a some-,any- or no- word in these sentences

  1. I left a sandwich on the counter and now it’s gone.  I guess ________________ ate it.
  2. Last weekend we didn’t go ________________; I’m tired of staying home all the time.
  3. Is there ________________interesting on TV tonight?
  4. Our trip was very boring;  _______________happened.

EXERCISE B:  Please use an –ever word to complete these sentences:

  1. I’ll get you ____________you want for your birthday.
  2. Of course they’ll be mad if you’re always late!  You can’t just arrive ______________you like.
  3. _________________wins American Idol immediately becomes famous.
  4. _____________you go, you should always carry your passport.

ANSWERS:

Vocabulary:  1.  helming    2. hostilities    3. renowned   4.torn between two worlds   5. grossing    6. vistas    7. indigenous    8. exotic    9.  synopsis    10. thrust

Grammar, Exercise A:   1. someone/somebody    2. anywhere    3. anything    4. nothing

Grammar, Exercise B:   1., whatever    2. whenever    3. whoever    4. Wherever