Phrasal verbs with take exercise

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Phrasal verbs with take exercise

October 3, 2013

Each sentence given below contains an incomplete phrasal verb Complete the expression by supplying a suitable preposition or adverb particle Choose your answer from the options given

in the brackets

1 She takes ……… her grandmother (after / off / in)

2 They assaulted the watchmen and took many precious paintings ……… (down / away / back)

3 These shoes don’t fit I am going to take them ……… to the store (back / away / off)

4 Don’t take him ……… an idiot (for / in / off)

5 The dress was loose for me so I took it to the tailor and got it taken ……… (in / off / down)

6 Please take your shoes ……… before entering the temple (down / off / away)

7 How are you going to meet the deadlines if you take ……… too many

projects? (on / in / over)

8 If you love Susie why don’t you take her ……… on a date? (out / up / off)

9 He took ……… farming after retirement (up / in / on)

10 We will take this issue ……… when we meet next week (up / on / over)

Answers

1 She takes after her grandmother (= She resembles her grandmother.)

2 They assaulted the watchmen and took many precious paintings away (To take something

away is to seize it by force.)

3 These shoes don’t fit I am going to take them back to the store.

4 Don’t take him for an idiot (To take somebody for an idiot is to assume that he/she is an

idiot.)

5 The dress was loose for me so I took it to the tailor and got it taken in (To take a dress in is to

make it smaller when sewing.)

6 Please take your shoes off before entering the temple.

7 How are you going to meet the deadlines if you take on too many projects? (To take on is to

accept responsibilities/work etc.)

8 If you love Susie why don’t you take her out on a date?

9 He took up farming after retirement (To take up is to begin as a hobby.)

10 We will take this issue up when we meet next week.(To take up an issue is to discuss it.)

Conditional sentences: grammar exercise

October 2, 2013

1 If you had taken the necessary precautions, none of this ………

a) would happen

b) would have happened

4 Had I realized what you intended, I ……… my permission.

a) would not give

b) would not have given

c) will not give

d) had not given

5 If it ……… for your help, I don’t know what I would have done.

a) wasn’t

b) hadn’t been

c) weren’t

d) hasn’t been

6 Were she my daughter, I ……… her to go out in that mini-frock.

a) wouldn’t have allowed

b) would not allow

c) will not allow

d) hadn’t allowed

Answers

1 If you had taken the necessary precautions, none of this would have happened (In a type 3 conditional sentence, we use a past perfect tense in the if-clause and would have + past

participle in the result clause.)

2 If I were you, I would get that mole examined (In a type 2 conditional sentence, we use a past simple tense in the if-clause and would + infinitive in the result clause.)

3 If I won a lottery, I would spend all my time traveling (When we use would + infinitive in the

main clause, the verb in the if-clause should be in the past simple tense.)

4 Had I realized what you intended, I would not have given my permission (‘Had I realized’

means the same as ‘If I had realized’ If I had realized what you intended, I wouldn’t have given

my permission.)

5 If it hadn’t been for your help, I don’t know what I would have done (We use a past perfect tense in the if-clause when would have + past participle is used in the main clause.)

6 Were she my daughter, I would not allow her to go out in that mini-frock (In a type 2

conditional sentence we use a past simple tense in the if-clause and would + infinitive in the

main clause The clause ‘were she my daughter’ is actually a shortened form of the clause ‘if she were my daughter’.)

Active and passive voice worksheet

1 A song is sung by him (Active verb – sings; passive verb – is sung)

2 The spider was killed by the boy (Active verb – killed; passive verb – was killed)

3 Let him be helped (Imperative sentences in the passive voice begin with let.)

4 Maize is sown in the rainy season (Active verb – sow; passive verb – is/are sown)

5 Is a letter being written by you? (Active verb – is/are writing; passive verb – is/are being

written)

6 A canal was being dug by the workers (Active verb – was/were digging; passive verb –

was/were being dug)

7 The job will be finished (by me) by the end of this week (Active verb – will finish; passive

verb –will be finished)

8 Has your job been finished by you? (Active verb – has/have finished; passive verb – has/have

been finished)

9 He has been informed of his mother’s death (Active verb – has/have informed; passive verb

– has/have been informed)

10 All the necessary precautions were taken by them (Active verb – took; passive verb –

was/were taken)

If or unless?

September 28, 2013

Hints

Unless has a similar meaning to if not Study the examples given below.

Unless she works hard she will not pass.

If she does not work hard, she will not pass.

Complete the following sentences using if or unless.

1 I will take the job ……… the pay is too low

2 She will not buy the house ……… you lower the price

3 They will not come ……… you invite them

4 You will not lose that belly fat ……… you do not exercise

5 Let’s go for a walk – ……… you are too tired

6 ……… you stop smoking, you will get cancer

7 I wouldn’t be able to do it, ……… she didn’t help me

8 She will be very upset ……… I don’t wish her on her birthday

9 ……… you give me the keys, I will kill you

10 ……… you don’t leave this place at once, I will call the police

Answers

1 I will take the job unless the pay is too low.

2 She will not buy the house unless you lower the price.

3 They will not come unless you invite them.

4 You will not lose that belly fat if you do not exercise.

5 Let’s go for a walk – unless you are too tired.

6 Unless you stop smoking, you will get cancer.

7 I wouldn’t be able to do it, if she didn’t help me.

8 She will be very upset if I don’t wish her on her birthday.

9 Unless you give me the keys, I will kill you.

10 If you don’t leave this place at once, I will call the police.

Much, many, a lot of, lots of etc

September 27, 2013

We can use numbers with countable nouns For example, we can say two girls and six eggs.

Many and much

Sometimes it is not possible or necessary to give an exact number like this Then we use a

quantifier like many

• There were many children in the park (We don’t know the exact number of children.)

• There are many mangoes on the tree.

• She has many friends.

We cannot use numbers with uncountable nouns For example, we can’t say two water or three

honey.

However, we can give an idea of amount or quantity by using the word much with uncountable nouns Note that much is mainly used in questions and negative sentences.

• How much money do you have?

• There isn’t much food left.

• There isn’t much space in this room.

Some

Some can be used with countable and uncountable nouns.

• I have bought some eggs (Here we use some with the countable noun eggs.)

• There is some water in the bottle (Here we use some with the uncountable noun water.) Some is mainly used in affirmative sentences In negative sentences, we use any.

• Is there any water in the bottle?

A lot of / lots of

A lot of / lots of can also be used with both countable and uncountable nouns Note that there is

hardly any difference between a lot of and lots of A lot of and lots of are mainly used in

affirmative sentences In questions and negatives we express the same idea using much and

many.

• I have watched lots of English films.

• I haven’t watched many English films (More natural than ‘I haven’t watched lots of

September 26, 2013

Rewrite the following sentences beginning them with the given words:

1 He worked hard, but he couldn’t pass the test.

1 In spite of working hard, he couldn’t pass the test.

2 Although it was late, we decided to go out.

3 Despite being rich, she is not happy.

4 In spite of having a bad teacher, she passed her test.

5 Although she lives next door, we rarely see each other.

6 In spite of facing many setbacks, he didn’t lose hope.

7 In spite of being a foreigner, she speaks English remarkably well.

8 Although she earns a good salary, she finds it difficult to make both ends meet.

9 In spite of living close to her office, she is always late for work.

10 In spite of working three jobs in a day, she makes it a point to spend quality time with her

Fill in the blanks with suitable adverbs from the box Write the kind of adverb against each sentence The same adverb can be used more than once

1 I ……… go to bed at 10 o’clock (………)

2 I have ……… been to the USA (………)

3 I have been to Australia just ……… (………)

4 I ……… take a bath before I go to bed (………)

5 My grandparents live in Kerala I visit them ………

(………)

6 My friends are ……… non-smokers (………)

7 I was ……… impressed with her performance (………)

8 I ……… go for a walk in the park (………)

9 I watch English films ……… (………)

10 They ……… go out (………)

Answers 1 I usually go to bed at 10 o’clock (adverb of frequency) 2 I have never been to the USA (frequency adverb) 3 I have been to Australia just once (frequency) 4 I always take a bath before I go to bed (frequency) 5 My grandparents live in Kerala I visit them often (frequency) 6 My friends are mostly non-smokers (focusing adverb) 7 I was very impressed with her performance (degree adverb) 8 I sometimes go for a walk in the park (frequency adverb) 9 I watch English films occasionally (frequency adverb) 10 They rarely go out (frequency adverb) Exercise 2 Complete the following with suitable adverbs Choose from the given box Almost Very There Ever So Sometimes Clearly Perhaps Seldom Certainly 1 I have ……… finished 2 He is ……… clever 3 There is ……… something wrong 4 ……… I think I should take a long break 5 ……… her train is late 6 He is ……… late for work 7 She is ……… the right person for the job 8 Have you ……… wanted to run away? 9 You can see lots of flowers ………

10 They are ……… beautiful

1 I have almost finished.

2 He is very clever.

3 There is clearly something wrong.

4 I sometimes think I should take a long break.

5 Perhaps her train is late.

6 He is seldom late for work.

7 She is certainly the right person for the job.

8 Have you ever wanted to run away?

9 You can see lots of flowers there.

10 They are very beautiful.

Have had and had had

September 22, 2013

Have is one of those auxiliary verbs that can also be used as an ordinary (main) verb When have is used as an auxiliary verb, it helps us to form the perfect and perfect continuous tenses.

Study the examples given below

• I have finished the report.

Here the auxiliary verb have forms the present perfect tense with the past participle finished.

• I have been working on that report.

Here the auxiliary have helps in the formation of the present perfect continuous tense.

Have can also be used as a main verb In this case it is followed by an object As a main verb,

have is used to talk about our possessions, relations, experiences etc

• I have a sister

• She has a car

• He has a nice job

• I have breakfast at 8.30

• I have a shower before I go to bed

• I have a nap in the afternoon

When have is used as an ordinary verb, it has past and past participle forms.

• I usually have bread and butter for breakfast, but yesterday I had pasta.

• I had a heavy breakfast in the morning, now I don’t feel like eating anything.

The present perfect form of have is have had

• ‘Have you had your breakfast?’ ‘I have had a cup of coffee, but I haven’t had anything to

eat yet.’

• I haven’t had any rest since morning.

The past perfect form of have is had had (had + past participle form of have).

The past perfect tense is used when we are talking about the past and want to refer back to an

earlier past time

• She felt marvelous after she had had a good night’s sleep.

• They dismissed him before he had had a chance to apologize.

Transformation of degrees of comparison

September 20, 2013

We can express the same idea using different degrees of comparison Study the sentences given below

John is as tall as Mike.

Tall is an adjective in the positive degree Here we are comparing the height of two people with a

positive adjective If John and Mike are of the same height, Mike is not taller than John.

See how the same idea is expressed using both positive and comparative adjectives

John is as tall as Mike = Mike is not taller than John.

Another example is given below

• Very few countries in the world are as large as China (Positive)

• China is larger than most other countries in the world (Comparative)

• China is one of the largest countries in the world (Superlative)

• No other man was as strong as Hercules (Positive)

• Hercules was stronger than any other man (Comparative)

• Hercules was the strongest man in the world (Superlative)

• No other boy in the class is as intelligent as James (Positive)

• James is more intelligent than any other boy in the class (Comparative)

• James is the most intelligent boy in the class (Superlative)

• Very few Indian saints were as popular as Vivekananda (Positive)

• Vivekananda was more popular than most other Indian saints (Comparative)

• Vivekananda was one of the most popular Indian saints (Superlative)

• Maria is not as intelligent as Sonia (Positive)

• Sonia is more intelligent than Maria (Comparative)

When a comparison is made between two individuals we do not normally use the superlative

Alice is the prettier of the two sisters (More natural than ‘Alice is the prettiest of the two

sisters.’)

Verbs – mood and tense

September 19, 2013

Read the following sentences

Alice likes English movies

When are you going to Chicago?

Shut that door

If I were you, I would not let him go

You notice that sentence 1 merely states a fact Sentence 2 asks question Sentence 3 is a

command Sentence 4 makes a supposition – an impossible supposition at that, because I can never be you.

Thus we find that verbs can be used in different ways – to state facts, to give commands, to ask

questions and so on The manner in which a verb is used is called its mood.

There are three moods in English – Indicative, Imperative and Subjunctive.

Indicative mood

Read the sentences given below

The sun rises in the east

My sister lives in Paris

She works for an insurance company

Bernard Shaw was a great writer

As you can see, these are all simple statements of fact

Now look at these sentences

What are you doing there?

When does the train leave for Manchester?

What is the price of this radio?

As you can see, these are all plain questions

When a verb is used to state a fact or to ask a question, it is said to be in the indicative mood.

Imperative mood

A sentence which contains a command, a piece of advice or a request is said to be in the

imperative mood Sentences beginning with let are also in the imperative mood.

Examples are given below

Shut the door (Order)

Keep quiet (Order)

Please take this file with you (Request)

Let him go

Note that the subject is not usually mentioned when the sentence is in the imperative mood

Subjunctive mood

The subjunctive mood is not very common in modern English It is a kind of present simple

tense It doesn’t take the marker –s in the third person singular.

It is important that every child get an opportunity to learn.

Showing possibility using should

September 18, 2013

We can use should to say that something is probable because it is logical or normal.

I am stronger than him, so I should be able to beat him (It is a logical possibility.)

She has been working on that project for well over two weeks She should be able to finish in

time

If the sky is clear, you should be able to see Mount Everest from Tiger Hill.

Aparna should be here before 7.30 – she left office at 6 o’clock.

‘I am spending the weekend with my parents.’ ‘That should be nice.’

He has worked hard He should be able to pass the test.

Should have + past participle

This structure is used to talk about past events that did not happen

I should have finished that report yesterday (It was necessary for me to finish that report

yesterday, but I couldn’t.)

You should have asked my permission before using my computer (= It was necessary for you to

ask my permission, but you didn’t do that.)

Should have + past participle is also used to talk about past events which may or may not have

happened

9 am Alice should have left for office (We don’t know whether this particular event took place,

but it is a possibility.)

Should not have + past participle

The structure should not have + past participle is used to talk about unwanted things that

happened

You shouldn’t have shouted at her It really upset her.

Should not have + past participle is also used to talk about negative possibilities

It is only 4.30 She shouldn’t have left her office now.

Phrasal verbs exercise

2 My dad said that he was going to see ……… sending me abroad for higher studies

3 I am going to the airport to see ……… my sister

4 I will see ……… it that she does not get the promotion

5 Few girls manage to see their studies ……… after they get married and have

children

6 I don’t think that he took the money Somebody set him ………

7 He likes to show ……… his cars and gadgets

8 Should someone shut him ……….?

Answers

1 I have promised to take my kids on a vacation, but I don’t know if I will be able to save up

enough money

2 My dad said that he was going to see about sending me abroad for higher studies.

3 I am going to the airport to see off my sister.

4 I will see to it that she does not get the promotion.

5 Few girls manage to see their studies through after they get married and have children.

6 I don’t think that he took the money Somebody set him up.

7 He likes to show off his cars and gadgets.

8 Should someone shut him up?

Explanations

To save up is to accumulate money.

To see about something is to consider it.

To see off somebody is to bid them goodbye at the beginning of their trip.

To see to something is to make sure that it happens.

To see through something is to finish it.

To set somebody up is to incriminate them falsely.

To show off something is to show it to everybody with a lot of pride.

To shut somebody up is to make them quiet.

Infinitives after auxiliaries

September 16, 2013

The infinitive is always used without to after the auxiliaries can, could, may, might, must, will,

would, shall, should, do, does and did.

• She can swim (NOT She can to swim.) (NOT She can swimming.)

• He must obey me (NOT He must to obey me.) (NOT He must obeying me.)

• She should understand (NOT She should to understand.) (NOT She should

understanding.)

The modal auxiliary ought is an exception to this rule It is followed by an infinitive with to.

• She ought to behave (NOT She ought behave.) (NOT She ought behaving.)

The primary auxiliaries be (is, am, are, was and were) and have (has, have and had) can be followed by an infinitive with to.

• She is to retire next year (NOT She is retire next year.)

• He has to pay the fine (NOT He has pay the fine.)

The modal auxiliaries need and dare can be followed by an infinitive with or without to The

grammar is different

In questions and negatives need is usually followed by an infinitive without to In affirmative sentences, need is usually followed by an infinitive with to

• Need I wait any longer?

• Need I consult a specialist?

• You need not wait any longer.

• You need not consult a specialist.

• You need to wait for an hour or two (More natural than ‘You need wait for an hour or

two.’)

• You need to consult a specialist.

When need is followed by an infinitive with to, we make questions and negatives with do.

• You need to sign these papers.

• Do I need to sign these papers? OR Need I sign these papers? (NOT Need I to sign these

papers?)

• You don’t need to sign these papers OR You need not sign these papers (NOT You

need not to sign these papers.)

Phrasal verbs beginning with put

September 15, 2013

The word put is used in a large number of phrasal verbs.

Put across

To put something across is to make it understood

He failed to put his message across (= He failed to convey his idea.)

People working in sales and marketing should be able to put themselves across well.

Put aside

To put something aside is to set it aside

He was feeling sleepy, so he put his books aside and went to bed.

Put away

a) To put something away is to keep them in their proper place

You must put away those toys when you have finished playing with them.

b) To put something away is to save them for later use

She makes it a point to put away a few dollars each week.

c To put something away is to discard it

It is high time you put away those false notions.

d Put away can also mean eat or drink a large quantity of food or beverages

If he is really hungry he needs just two minutes to put away a full meal.

e) To put somebody away is to send them to jail

They put him away for killing his neighbor.

f) To put an animal away is to subject them to mercy killing

The dog was so badly wounded that the doctor had to put him away.

Put down

a) To put something down is to write it down

b) To put somebody down is to suppress them

The government called the military to put down the rebellion.

c) To put something down to something else is to attribute the former to the latter

He put the mistakes down to carelessness.

c) To put somebody down is to regard or categorize them as

He was put down as a chronic nuisance.

d) To put somebody down is to belittle them

I hate men who put their wives down in front of visitors.

Absolute phrase

September 14, 2013

When a participle and the noun that comes before it together forms an independent phrase, the

structure is often called an absolute phrase.

Examples of absolute phrases are given below

Weather permitting we shall meet in the evening.

Here the phrase ‘weather permitting’ is an example of an absolute phrase

God willing we shall meet again.

Here the phrase ‘God willing’ is an example of an absolute phrase

More examples of absolute phrases are given below.

The weather being fine, we went out for a picnic.

The sun having risen, we set out on our journey.

Absolute phrases are used to combine two clauses that have different subjects

Study the examples given below

The visitors left We went to bed

Here the two sentences have different subjects Still, we can combine them using a participle

The visitors having left, we went to bed.

Another example is given below

It was a stormy day We stayed inside the house

It being a stormy day, we stayed inside the house.

We can change an absolute phrase into a subordinate adverb clause of time, condition, cause or concession

Weather permitting can be changed into ‘If weather permits…’

If weather permits, we shall meet in the meeting.

If God wills, we shall meet again.

As the weather was fine, we went out for a picnic.

After the sun had risen, we set out on our journey.

After the visitors had left, we went to bed.

An overview of participles

September 12, 2013

This lesson provides a detailed overview of participles Participles are non-finite verbs used as adjectives Participles usually end in –ing or –ed Since participles are formed from verbs, they

express action or a state of being

When used as adjectives, participles modify nouns or pronouns They also help in the formation

of continuous and perfect tense forms

There are two types of participles: present participles and past participles Present participles always end in –ing Past participles most often end in –ed Other possible endings are: -en (e.g

written, broken), -d (e.g sold, paid), -t (e.g dealt, met, sent), -n (e.g seen, spun) or –ne (e.g gone, done)

• It is no fun nursing a broken heart.

• I like to listen to the noise of falling rain.

• Deserted by his family, he killed himself.

• Stricken with grief, she threw herself on the body.

• Crying, she walked out of the room.

• Smiling, she hugged the child.

Here the noun phrase ‘his coat’ acts as the object of the participle taking.

The participial phrase ‘taking his coat’ acts as an adjective modifying the noun James.

• The man saw the girl lighting a lamp

Here the participial phrase ‘lighting a lamp’ modifies the noun girl

• Children interested in reading acquire knowledge faster.

Here the participial phrase ‘interested in reading’ functions as an adjective modifying the noun children

Position

In order to avoid confusion, a participial phrase must be placed as close to the noun as possible.

• Sitting on a branch, the monkey gibbered.

Here the participial phrase ‘sitting on a branch’ modifies the noun gibbered

Another example is given below

• Walking down the street, I saw a strange sight.

Here the participial phrase ‘walking down the street’ modifies the pronoun I

Difference between conjunctions, relative

pronouns and relative adverbs

September 10, 2013

Conjunctions, relative pronouns and relative adverbs can be used to connect two clauses The

grammar is different Prepositions do not connect two clauses They merely show the

relationship between a noun/pronoun and another word in the sentence

Relative pronouns

Relative pronouns are different from conjunctions Relative pronouns are important connecting

devices They not only connect two clauses but also act as the subject or object of the verb in the relative clause This is the main difference between conjunctions and relative pronouns

Conjunctions merely connect two clauses They do not serve any other purpose

Study the sentences given below

This is the letter My mother sent me this letter

We can connect these two clauses

This is the letter that my mother sent me.

Here the relative pronoun that replaces the phrase this letter and acts as the object of the verb

sent It is easy to decide whether a relative pronoun is the subject or the object When it is the

object it will be immediately followed by another noun which acts as the subject In this case, the relative pronoun ‘that’ is followed by the noun ‘my mother’ which acts as the subject

Another example is given below

This is the boy He won the first prize

This is the boy who won the first prize.

Here the relative pronoun who replaces the pronoun he It acts as the subject of the relative

clause

Relative adverb

The relative adverb not only modifies a verb, but also joins the two clauses in a sentence Note

that a relative adverb does not act as the subject or object in the relative clause It merely

replaces an adverb

This is the house John lives here

This is the house where John lives.

Here the relative adverb where replaces the place adverb here.

Another example is given below

I first met Susie on that day I will never forget that day

I will never forget the day when I first met Susie.

Most and most of: grammar exercise

September 8, 2013

We use most before a noun without a determiner We use most of before a pronoun and a noun with a determiner (e.g articles, demonstratives and possessives) Most of is also used before

personal or geographical names

Complete the following sentences.

1 ……… cheese is made from milk

a) most

b) most of

c) either could be used here

2 ……… England was under water

a) most

b) most of

c) either could be used here

3 ……… people like movies

a) most

b) most of

c) either could be used here

4 ……… people in Switzerland can speak French

a) most

b) most of

c) either could be used here

5 She has eaten ……… that cake

a) most

b) most of

c) either could be used here

6 She wasn’t as intelligent as her sisters, but she was ……… beautiful

a) most

b) most of

c) either could be used here

8 ……… us were impressed with the plan

a) most

b) most of

c) either could be used here

9 Which country produces the ……… milk?

a) most

b) most of

c) either could be used here

10 ……… them were uneducated

a) most

b) most of

c) either could be used here

Answers

1 Most cheese is made from milk.

2 Most of England was under water.

3 Most people like movies.

4 Most people in Switzerland can speak French.

5 She has eaten most of that cake.

6 She wasn’t as intelligent as her sisters, but she was the most beautiful.

7 Most of my friends are non-smokers.

8 Most of us were impressed with the plan.

9 Which country produces the most milk?

10 Most of them were uneducated.

Have and have got: differences

September 7, 2013

Have and have got are usually possible with little or no difference of meaning Both forms can

be used to express ideas such as possession and relationships For example, the two sentences given below express the same idea

I have a sister = I have got a sister

Got forms of have are informal, and are most common in the present Do is not used in

questions and negatives with got.

I have got a car (Informal)

I have a car (More formal)

Have you got a car? / Do you have a car? (NOT Do you have got a car?)

Have got cannot be used to talk about actions Only have is possible in this case.

I usually have dinner at 8 o’clock (NOT I usually have got dinner at 8 o’clock.)

Note that have and have not are only used in the present simple In the past tense, only had is used Had not is not possible.

I had a strange experience yesterday (NOT I had got a strange experience yesterday.)

Got forms of have are not normally used to indicate repetition and habit.

I have a meeting on Monday OR I have got a meeting on Monday.

I often have meetings on Mondays (BUT NOT I often have got meetings on Mondays.)

Note that have is a state verb It is not normally used in the continuous form.

She has a sister (NOT She is having a sister.)

However, having is used in a few fixed expressions Examples are: having dinner, having a bath

to introduce noun clauses.

Read the examples given below

That he is a diligent boy is known to everybody

Can you identify the subject?

What is known to everybody?

The answer to this question is the subject of the sentence

- that he is a diligent boy

Since this clause serves as the subject of the verb ‘is known’, it is considered as a noun clause.Note that when the subject is a noun clause we are more likely to write the sentence with a

preparatory it.

That he is a diligent boy is known to everybody à It is known to everybody that he is a diligent

boy

Another example is given below

Picasso was a great artist Nobody can challenge this fact

What cannot be challenged? The fact that Picasso was a great artist

Replace the question word with the that-clause and we will get the following complex sentence:

The fact that Picasso was a great artist cannot be challenged.

More examples of noun clauses are given below

He is an honest boy Everybody knows it

Everybody knows that he is an honest boy.

Here the noun clause ‘that he is an honest boy’ is the object of the verb knows

Why he is late? Ask him

Ask him why he is late.

Here the noun clause ‘why he is late’ is the direct object of the verb ask

Noun clauses are important devices because they help us to combine two or more simple

sentences into a single complex sentence

Simple present or present continuous?

September 3, 2013

The simple present and the present continuous tenses can both be used to talk about the future

The simple present tense is used to talk about events which are part of a timetable It is also used with a future meaning in subordinate clauses

The present continuous tense is used to talk about pre-planned future events In other cases, we are more likely to use a simple future tense

Complete the following sentences using an appropriate verb form

1 The summer term ……… on April 18th

a) is the train arriving

b) does the train arrive

4 I will pay you back when I ……… a job

9 ‘What ……… there?’ ‘I ……… a cake.’

a) do you do; make

b) are you doing; am making

10 I ……… Lucia on Tuesday

a) see

b) am seeing

Answers

1 The summer term starts on April 18th.

2 My plane leaves at 3.30.

3 When does the train arrive in Bangkok?

4 I will pay you back when I get a job.

5 I am going to the US next week.

6 She is looking for a new job.

7 Granny’s train arrives at 5.30.

8 I will tell you if I know her name.

9 ‘What are you doing there?’ ‘I am making a cake.’

10 I am seeing Lucia on Tuesday.

Past simple or present perfect tense?

September 2, 2013

Complete the following sentences using an appropriate past simple or present perfect verb form.

1 When ……… from work?

a) did she returned

b) did she return

c) has she returned

d) has she return

2 ……… to the US?

a) Have you ever been

b) Did you ever go

c) Did you ever been

d) Were you ever been

3 She is the most beautiful woman ………

a) I had ever seen

b) I have ever seen

c) I have ever saw

d) I ever seen

4 That is the best movie ………

a) I have ever watched

b) I had ever watched

c) I did watch

d) I have ever watch

5 That is the most difficult problem ………

a) I have ever had to deal with

b) I never dealt with

c) I had to deal with

d) I am dealt with

6 When ……… I was working in the garden

a) you phoned

b) you have phoned

c) you had phoned

d) you were phoning

7 I ……… with children before, so I know what to expect in my new job.a) worked

c) had given you

10 There ……… a plane crash near Bristol last night

1 When did she return from work?

2 Have you ever been to the US?

3 She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.

4 This is the best movie I have ever watched.

5 This is the most difficult problem I have ever had to deal with.

6 When you phoned I was working in the garden.

7 I have worked with children before so I know what to expect in my new job.

8 I spent all my childhood in France.

9 Who gave you that necklace?

10 There was a plane crash near Bristol last night.

Reduced adverb clauses – Part I

August 30, 2013

An adverb clause can be shortened to an adverb phrase This can be particularly helpful when

you want to express your ideas in a more concise manner Before you reduce an adverb clause into an adverbial phrase, make sure that the adverb clause (subordinate clause) and the main clause have the same subject

Study the examples given below

I slept for ten hours I felt marvelous.

The two sentences given above express a cause and effect relationship and hence can be

combined into one using the conjunction as / since.

As I had slept for ten hours, I felt marvelous

Both clauses have the same subject and hence we can reduce the adverb clause into a phrase

Having slept for ten hours, I felt marvelous.

Another example is given below

He worked hard He passed the test

Because he worked hard, he passed the test

This can be reduced to:

Having worked hard, he passed the test.

There are many different kinds of adverb clauses and it is not possible to reduce all of them

Generally speaking, the adverb clauses of time, cause and contrast can be reduced.

Reduced Adverb Clauses of Time

After he did military service, he became a monk

The sentence given above can be reduced to:

After doing military service, he became a monk.

He wrote his first book after he recovered from a major illness

This can be reduced to:

He wrote his first book after recovering from a major illness.

He feeds the cats before he goes to work

Can be reduced to

He feeds the cats before going to work.

Reduced Adverb Clauses of Cause

Because she was late, she didn’t get tickets for the show

This can be reduced to:

Being late, she didn’t get tickets for the show.

Because I worked fast, I finished early

This can be reduced to:

Having worked fast, I finished early.

Because I was feeling a bit tired, I didn’t go to work

This can be reduced to:

Feeling a bit tired, I didn’t go to work.

Reduced adverb clauses – Part II

August 31, 2013

Reduced Adverb Clauses of Contrast

An adverb clause of contrast can be reduced to an adverbial phrase expressing the same idea.

Though she was beautiful, she wasn’t very popular.

This can be reduced to:

Despite being beautiful, she wasn’t very popular OR In spite of being beautiful, she wasn’t

very popular

Though she was rich, she was not happy

This can be reduced to:

Despite being rich, she was not happy.

Here is how to reduce an adverb clause

Reducing Adverb Clauses of Time

Adverb clauses of time are usually introduced by the conjunctions before, after, since, when

etc In order to reduce an adverb clause of time introduced by one of these conjunctions, you

have to keep the time word, remove the subject and then change the verb into and –ing form or a

noun

Read the examples given below

After he finished the work, he took some rest

This can be reduced to:

After finishing the work, he took some rest.

Note that we retained the time word, removed the subject and changed the verb into an –ing

form.

Another example is given below

Don’t forget to signal when you are turning left

This can be reduced to:

Don’t forget to signal when turning left.

You can’t go home before you finish the work

This can be reduced to

You can’t go home before finishing the work.

As

The conjunction as can be used to talk about two actions or situations that go on at the same time

Read the example given below

As I was walking down the street, I saw Peter driving a Lamborghini

This can be reduced to

Walking down the street, I saw Peter driving a Lamborghini

While reducing an as-clause into a phrase, we usually remove ‘as’ and the subject + be.

Enough: grammar exercise

August 29, 2013

The word enough can be used as an adjective and as an adverb When it is used as an adverb, it modifies an adjective or another adverb Note that enough goes after the adjective/adverb it modifies This can cause confusion because when enough is used as an adjective, it goes before the noun it modifies.

Do you know how to use enough correctly? Test your knowledge with this grammar exercise

1 I didn’t run ……… to catch the bus

1 I didn’t run fast enough to catch the bus.

2 She is old enough to know better.

3 We have bought enough milk.

4 She was prudent enough to lock the car.

5 He was stupid enough to trust her.

6 Is it warm enough for you?

7 Have we got enough money for buying the tickets?

8 Many tablet computers are small enough to fit in your pocket.

9 We haven’t got enough chairs.

10 We haven’t got enough blue paint.

The relative pronouns which, whose and

what

August 28, 2013

The relative pronoun which is used to refer to objects and animals It cannot be used to refer to people Which has the same form for the nominative (subject) and the accusative (object) case.

Which has no possessive form But if we really need to express that idea, we can use a structure

with of which In a less formal style, we can express the same idea using whose + noun.

Note that whose can refer back to people or things It can replace the pronouns its, their, hers and his.

He has a beautiful sister I have forgotten her name

He has a beautiful sister whose name I have forgotten.

The structure with which is not possible here because it cannot refer back to people

It was a meeting I did not comprehend its importance

It was a meeting whose importance I did not comprehend.

OR

It was a meeting the importance of which I did not understand.

The umbrella the handle of which is broken was bought only last week.

OR

The umbrella whose handle was broken was bought only last week.

What

What has the same form in the nominative and in the accusative cases and is used only in the

singular What means ‘that which’ or ‘the things which’

What cannot be cured must be endured (= That which cannot be cured must be endured.)

I have got what I wanted (= I have got the things which I wanted.)

Note that clauses beginning with what act as the subject or object of the verb in the main clause

For example, in the sentence given above, the clause ‘what I wanted’ is the object of the verb

got.

Adjective phrase

August 27, 2013

A word group that has an adjective as its head is called an adjective phrase Note that the

adjective in this phrase may be accompanied by other words such as determiners, modifiers etc.Adjective phrases can go before a noun (attributive position) They can also go after a linking

verb like be (predicative position).

• He was wearing a dark brown suit (Here the adjective phrase ‘a dark brown’ modifies

the noun suit.)

• The fish tasted awfully funny (Here the adjective phrase ‘awfully funny’ says something about the fish It goes after the copular or linking verb tasted

A copular verb does not take an object and it cannot be modified by an adverb The word or phrase that follows a copular verb typically says something about the subject of the sentence.

• The fish tasted awful (NOT The fish tasted awfully.)

Here the adjective awful says something about the fish It doesn’t modify the verb tasted.

Note that the adjective in an adjective phrase may be modified by an adverb When it is modified

by an adverb, the adverb goes before the adjective The adjective may also be modified by other determiners like articles, possessives and demonstratives

Consider the phrase ‘my cute little daughter’

Here the adjective phrase ‘my cute little’ consists of a possessive (my) and two adjectives (cute and little)

Sometimes the idea expressed by an adjective can also be expressed using a noun phrase

Consider the examples given below

• Brutus is an honorable man (Here the adjective honorable modifies the noun man.)

The same idea can be expressed using the phrase: a man of honor

• Brutus is a man of honor

Another example is given below

• Churchill was an eminent man (Here the adjective eminent modifies the noun man.)

• Churchill was a man of eminence (Here the noun phrase ‘a man of eminence’ means the

same as the phrase ‘an eminent man’.)

Copular or linking verbs

August 26, 2013

We have already learned that intransitive verbs do not take objects

Examples are: sleep, sit, rest, weep, laugh, cry etc.

She is weeping

The child sleeps

The boy was laughing

There is yet another variety of verbs which do not normally take objects These are called

copular verbs or linking verbs While intransitive verbs make complete sense on their own, copular verbs require a word or phrase to make their meaning complete

Consider the example given below

She is…

As you can see this sentence does not make complete sense To make it complete we need to supply a word or a phrase The word or phrase thus added at the end of a sentence to make its meaning complete is called a complement And the verb which joins a subject with its

complement is called a copular or linking verb.

When this word/phrase refers to the subject, it is called a subject complement When it refers to

the object, it is called an object complement The linking verb is also called a verb of

incomplete predication.

The most common copular verbs are: act, be, become, feel, appear, grow, taste, sound etc.

Copular verbs do not normally take an object But sometimes these verbs may be used

transitively

Examples are given below.

She acted well (Copular use)

She acted her part well (Transitive use)

I am feeling unwell (Copular use)

The doctor felt the patient’s pulse (Transitive use)

The proposal sounds interesting (Copular verb)

The general sounded the bugle (Transitive verb)

The boy has grown taller (Copular verb)

The farmers grow vegetables (Transitive verb)

State verbs and action verbs

August 25, 2013

There are mainly two types of verbs: action verbs and state verbs.

Action verbs refer to an action Examples are: write, work, break, kick, cook, take etc State verbs or stative verbs refer to a state The most common state verbs are be and have They are both primary auxiliaries The other primary auxiliary – do – is an action verb.

Other common verbs referring to states are: know, believe, like, love, hate, remember, suppose,

understand, want, wish etc.

There is an important difference between action verbs and state verbs Action verbs can have

both simple and continuous forms State verbs, on the other hand, do not normally have

continuous forms This is probably because continuous forms are mainly used to talk about temporary situations States, on the other hand, tend to be permanent or long lasting

Examples are given below

• Honesty is the best policy

• My sister is an architect

• I have a sister

These are permanent situations that are unlikely to change in a long time

More examples are given below

• I know your hometown (NOT I am knowing your home town.)

• She likes her grandmother (NOT She is liking her grandmother.)

Your knowledge of something is permanent You either know something or you don’t

However, some verbs can have an action meaning as well as a state meaning An example is the

verb think.

When think means ‘have an opinion’ it is not normally used in the continuous form.

• What do you think of her new boyfriend? (= What is your opinion about her new

boyfriend?) (NOT What are you thinking of her new boyfriend?)

Think can have a continuous form when it is used with other meanings.

• What are you thinking about?

• I am thinking about starting a business.

That instead of when and where

August 24, 2013

After common nouns referring to time, we often replace when with that In some cases, the

relative pronoun/adverb is dropped

You may come any time when you are free OR You may come any time that you are free.

I will never forget the day when I first met Jane OR I will never forget the day that I first

met Jane.

In a very informal style, the relative pronoun can be dropped

I will never forget the day I first met Jane

You may come any time you are free

The same thing happens with where after somewhere, anywhere, everywhere, nowhere and

place.

I need a place where I can spend the night OR I need a place that I can spend the night.

Note that that is not possible in this case after other words.

For example, we can’t say: We need a room that we can spend the night (Only where is possible

in this case.)

The prepositional phrase ‘in which’ can be replaced by that after way.

I don’t like the way in which she treats her servants OR I don’t like the way that she treats her

servants OR I don’t like the way she treats her servants

In the same way, why can be replaced by that after reason.

Do you know the reason why she is angry with me? OR Do you know the reason that she is

angry with me?

Reduced relative clauses

August 24, 2013

A relative clause is a type of subordinate clause introduced by a relative pronoun.

• What is the name of that boy who just walked in?

Here the clause ‘who just walked in’ is an example of a relative clause It modifies the noun boy

Relative clauses are also called adjective clauses

Relative clauses are sometimes shortened

How to reduce a relative clause?

A participle can often be used instead of a relative pronoun and full verb

Read the sentence given below

The girl who sits next to Peter is my neighbor’s daughter.

Now when we shorten the relative clause ‘who sits next to Peter’, we get:

The girl sitting next to Peter is my neighbor’s daughter.

Another example is given below

Who is the girl who is sitting next to your brother?

Now when we reduce the relative clause, we get:

Who is the girl sitting next to your brother?

More examples are given below

A girl who works at a pub has won a lottery.

A girl working at a pub has won a lottery.

The lady who lives next door throws numerous parties.

The lady living next door throws numerous parties.

Yesterday I read a book which was written by Hemingway.

Yesterday I read a book written by Hemingway.

Most people who were invited to the party didn’t turn up.

Most people invited to the party didn’t turn up.

Anyone who enters the garden without permission will be punished.

Anyone entering the garden without permission will be punished.

Reduced structures can also be used with the adjectives available and possible.

Please book all the tickets available (= Please book all the tickets that are available.)Common prepositional phrases

August 23, 2013

Prepositional phrases begin with a preposition Here is a list of some common prepositional

phrases Note that this is not a comprehensive list

By car / bus / train / boat / plane / land / sea / air

Identify the prepositional phrases in the sentences given below

1 The cat was sleeping under the warm blanket

2 The old man sat under a tree

3 She accused me of poisoning her dog

4 I don’t agree with their sales policy

5 Do you believe in life after death?

6 I belong to a local athletics club

7 Peter walked along the busy highway

A prepositional phrase is a group of words that begins with a preposition Examples are: at a

loss, in the corner, by the way and on the roof A prepositional phrase may end with a noun,

pronoun, gerund or clause which acts as the object of the preposition

For example, in the prepositional phrase at home, the noun home acts as the object of the preposition at In the phrase from Rahul, the noun Rahul acts as the object of the preposition

from

The noun which acts as the object of the preposition may be modified by an adjective or another determiner Consider the prepositional phrase given below

From your dearest son

Here the object son is modified by the adjective dearest and the possessive determiner your.

Function of a prepositional phrase

Although a prepositional phrase begins with a preposition, it does not serve the same purpose as

a preposition

Prepositional phrases usually function as adjectives or adverbs

When a prepositional phrase is used as an adjective, it answers the question ‘Which one?’

The students in my class ask numerous questions

Which students? The ones in my class

The letter from Maya confessed that she had lied about her affair with Ravi

Which letter? The one from Maya

The apples on the tree are ripe

Which apples? The ones on the tree

When used as an adverb, the prepositional phrase answers questions such as ‘How?’, ‘When?’

or ‘Where?’

The children were playing in the garden

Where were the children playing? In the garden

His father died in 1995

When did his father die? In 1995

She put the books on the table

Where did she put the books? On the table

He fought with all his might

How did he fight? With all his might

The students learned the poem by heart

How did they learn the poem? By heart

Note that a prepositional phrase cannot function as the subject of a sentence

Prepositions before that-clauses

August 22, 2013

Prepositions cannot normally be followed by conjunctions Of course, this is possible in a few

cases, but prepositions are normally dropped before that-clauses This usually happens after

words referring to saying, writing, thinking etc

Compare:

• I knew about his illness (Here the preposition about is followed by a noun.)

• I knew that he was ill (NOT I knew about that he was ill.)

• I heard about his problems

• I heard that he was facing some problems

• I had no idea of his state of mind

• I had no idea that he was depressed

• I was not aware of his presence in the room (Here the preposition of is followed by the noun his presence.)

• I was not aware that he was present in the room (NOT I was not aware of that he …)

In cases where the preposition cannot be dropped before that, we add the phrase ‘the fact’.

• I managed to arrive in time for the meeting in spite of the fact that the train was late.

• (NOT I managed to arrive in time for the meeting in spite of that …) (NOT I managed to arrive in time in spite that …)

• She paid no attention to the fact that I had the necessary qualifications (NOT She paid

no attention that I had the necessary qualifications.)

• They went out despite the fact that it was raining (NOT They went out despite that it

1 Sorry I didn’t turn up – I ……… forgot (clean / cleanly)

2 At least ten children were ……… injured in the accident (deadly / fatally)

3 The comedy show was ……… amusing (high / highly)

4 The protestors demanded that the culprits should be ……… punished (justly / just)

5 I haven’t been to the theater much ……… (late / lately)

6 Isn’t she dressed ………? (pretty / prettily)

7 I will be there at six o’clock ……… (sharp / sharply)

8 Their door was ……… open but nobody was inside (wide / widely)

9 I ……… believed that she loved me (wrong / wrongly)

10 I hate arriving ……… (late / lately)

Answers

1 Sorry I didn’t turn up – I clean forgot (Clean can mean ‘completely’ before forget.)

2 At least ten children were fatally injured in the accident.

3 The comedy show was highly amusing.

4 The protestors demanded that the culprits should be justly punished.

5 I haven’t been to the theater much lately (Lately means recently.)

6 Isn’t she dressed prettily?

7 I will be there at six o’clock sharp (As an adverb sharp means ‘punctually’.)

8 Their door was wide open but nobody was inside.

9 I wrongly believed that she loved me.

10 I hate arriving late.

Prepositions before question words

August 22, 2013

Prepositions are dropped before common question words This usually happens after

common verbs like tell, ask, depend, sure, idea and look This is especially common in indirect

questions

• Tell me about your plans (Here we use the preposition about before the noun ‘your

plans’.)

• Tell me what you intend to do (More natural than ‘Tell me about what you intend to

do’.) (Here the preposition is dropped before the question word what.)

• I asked her about her relationship status.

• I asked her whether she was in a relationship (NOT I asked her about whether she was

in a relationship.)

• She may win the prize – it depends on her performance

• She may win the prize – it depends (on) how well she performs.

• Look at this

• Look (at) what I have brought for you.

The prepositions cannot normally be left out after other verbs

• I am worried about her health

• I am worried about how she is going to cope (NOT I am worried how she is going to

Note that we cannot put if after a preposition We use whether instead.

• I am worried about whether she is happy (NOT I am worried about if she is happy.)Adverbs with two forms

August 22, 2013

Some adjectives and adverbs have the same form In some cases, the adverb may have two forms, one like the adjective and the other with –ly Complete the following sentences using the appropriate form of the adverb

1 Sorry I didn’t turn up – I ……… forgot (clean / cleanly)

2 At least ten children were ……… injured in the accident (deadly / fatally)

3 The comedy show was ……… amusing (high / highly)

4 The protestors demanded that the culprits should be ……… punished (justly / just)

5 I haven’t been to the theater much ……… (late / lately)

6 Isn’t she dressed ………? (pretty / prettily)

7 I will be there at six o’clock ……… (sharp / sharply)

8 Their door was ……… open but nobody was inside (wide / widely)

9 I ……… believed that she loved me (wrong / wrongly)

10 I hate arriving ……… (late / lately)

Answers

1 Sorry I didn’t turn up – I clean forgot (Clean can mean ‘completely’ before forget.)

2 At least ten children were fatally injured in the accident.

3 The comedy show was highly amusing.

4 The protestors demanded that the culprits should be justly punished.

5 I haven’t been to the theater much lately (Lately means recently.)

6 Isn’t she dressed prettily?

7 I will be there at six o’clock sharp (As an adverb sharp means ‘punctually’.)

8 Their door was wide open but nobody was inside.

9 I wrongly believed that she loved me.

10 I hate arriving late.

Prepositions before question words

August 22, 2013

Prepositions are dropped before common question words This usually happens after

common verbs like tell, ask, depend, sure, idea and look This is especially common in indirect

questions

• Tell me about your plans (Here we use the preposition about before the noun ‘your

plans’.)

• Tell me what you intend to do (More natural than ‘Tell me about what you intend to

do’.) (Here the preposition is dropped before the question word what.)

• I asked her about her relationship status.

• I asked her whether she was in a relationship (NOT I asked her about whether she was

in a relationship.)

• She may win the prize – it depends on her performance

• She may win the prize – it depends (on) how well she performs.

• Look at this

• Look (at) what I have brought for you.

The prepositions cannot normally be left out after other verbs

• I am worried about her health

• I am worried about how she is going to cope (NOT I am worried how she is going to

• Your chances of getting a good job can vary according to whether you live in a city or

in a village

Note that we cannot put if after a preposition We use whether instead.

• I am worried about whether she is happy (NOT I am worried about if she is happy.)Active and passive voice exercise

August 21, 2013

Complete the following sentences using appropriate active or passive verb forms Choose your answers from the given options

1 The problem ……… to the children (explained / was explained)

2 Those pyramids ……… around 400 AD (built / were built)

3 All the trouble ……… by your mother (has caused / was caused)

4 The visitors ……… (were shown / have shown) a collection of old manuscripts

5 I ……… him ten thousand pounds last year (lend / lent / was lent)

6 She ……… of spiders (frightened / is frightened)

7 That picture ……… by my grandmother (painted / was painted)

8 I ……… by his attitude (shocked / have shocked / was shocked)

9 Excuse the mess The house ……… (is painting / is being painted / has painted)

10 I knew why I ……… (had chosen / had been chosen)

Answers

1 The problem was explained to the children.

2 Those pyramids were built around 400 AD.

3 All the trouble was caused by your mother.

4 The visitors were shown a collection of old manuscripts.

5 I lent him ten thousand pounds last year.

6 She is frightened of spiders.

7 That picture was painted by my grandmother.

8 I was shocked by his attitude.

9 Excuse the mess The house is being painted.

10 I knew why I had been chosen.

Simple present / Present continuous:

Grammar exercise

August 21, 2013

The simple present tense is used to talk about your daily activities and routines The present

continuous tense is used to talk about things that are happening at the moment of speaking The

continuous tense is also used to talk about pre-planned future events

Complete the following sentences using the simple present or present continuous tense form of the verb given in the brackets

1 Every morning, my dad (go)……… for a walk in the park

2 I (visit) ……… some old friends this week

3 Don’t make a noise The baby (sleep) ……….

4 The kettle (boil) ……… Shall I make tea?

5 I (like) ……… this wine very much

6 Don’t forget to take your umbrella It (rain)………

7 She doesn’t like to be disturbed if she (work) ………

8 My brother (work) ……… in Paris at the moment

9 He (visit) ……… his grandparents about twice a year

10 I (not believe) ……… what he says

Answers

1 Every morning, my father goes for a walk in the park.

2 I am visiting some old friends this week.

3 Don’t make a noise The baby is sleeping.

4 The kettle is boiling Shall I make tea?

5 I like this wine very much.

6 Don’t forget to take your umbrella It is raining.

7 She doesn’t like to be disturbed if she is working.

8 My brother is working in Paris at the moment.

9 He visits his grandparents about twice a year.

10 I don’t believe what he says.

Subject and object question

August 20, 2013

In the simple present and simple past tense, we make questions and negatives with do, does and did But there are some exceptions to this rule.

In subject questions where we want to find information about the subject, we do not use the

auxiliary verb do/does/did.

In object questions where we want to find information about the object, we use the auxiliary verb

do/does/did.

Study the sentence given below

• John broke a window

This sentence has a subject (John), a verb (broke) and an object (window)

Now when we make questions to find this information, there are two possibilities

If we want to make a question where the answer is ‘window’, the question would be: What did John break? John broke a window

Now if we want to make a question where the answer is ‘John’, the question would be ‘Who broke the window?’ ‘John broke the window.’

When we make a question where the answer is the object, we use the auxiliary do/did In subject questions, the auxiliary do is not used.

More examples are given below

Jack likes ice-cream (Subject – Jack, verb – likes, object – ice-cream)

Subject question

Who likes ice-cream? Jack likes ice-cream (NOT Who does like ice-cream?)

Object question

What does Jack like? Jack likes ice-cream (NOT What Jack likes?)

My sister writes short stories

Subject question

Who writes short stories? My sister writes short stories

Object question

What does my sister write? My sister writes short stories

Mary keeps a pig in the yard

Subject question

Who keeps a pig in the yard? Mary

Object question

What does Mary keep in the yard? A pig

No sooner … than, Hardly…when

August 20, 2013

If the second event occurs immediately after the first, we can express that idea using the structure

no sooner … than.

Note that in this structure no sooner introduces the event that occurred first.

• No sooner had I arrived at the station than the train came (= I came first and the train

arrived right after me.)

• No sooner had we heard the noise than we rushed to the spot.

• No sooner had she finished one project than she started working on the next.

• No sooner had I closed my eyes than I fell asleep.

Note that did is also possible in this structure.

• No sooner did I arrive at the station than the train came.

• No sooner did we hear the noise than we rushed to the spot.

Notes

When we begin a sentence with a negative word, we put the auxiliary verb before the subject

• No sooner had she read the letter than she started crying (NOT No sooner she read the

letter than she started crying.)

Note that when and before are not possible in this structure.

Hardly and scarcely

It is possible to express the same idea using hardly/scarcely…when.

• Hardly had I reached the station when the train came.

• Scarcely had I reached the station when the train arrived.

As soon as

This structure is also used with the same meaning

• As soon as I arrived at the station, the train came.

• As soon as she finished one project, she started working on the next.

So, such, very, too: grammar exercise

August 19, 2013

Complete the following sentences.

1 It was ……… hot that we didn’t go out

c) either could be used here

4 The milk was ……… good that we couldn’t stop drinking it.a) so

c) either could be used here

6 She is looking ……… older

a) so

b) so much

c) either could be used here

7 It was ……… warm when we were in Vienna

a) very

b) so

c) either could be used here

8 He spoke ……… fast that nobody could understand

a) so

b) very

c) too

Answers

1 It was so hot that we didn’t go out.

2 She is too old to work.

3 The tea was too / very hot (Too can be used to talk about a negative extreme Very is also

possible here.)

4 The milk was so good that we couldn’t stop drinking it.

5 It is such terrible weather.

6 She is looking so much older (Before a comparative form we use so much, not so.)

7 It was very warm when we were in Vienna (To simply give information, we use very.)

8 He spoke so fast that nobody could understand.

9 Would you be so kind as to tell me the time?

10 He is a very intelligent child.

Adjectives or present participles

August 19, 2013

Present participles are verb forms ending in –ing Examples are: crying, learning, singing,

interesting etc Some –ing forms can also be used as adjectives.

State whether the –ing forms used in the following sentences are adjectives or present

participles

1 Interesting though it was, we didn’t enjoy the concert much

a) Interesting is an adjective

b) Interesting is a present participle

2 It was raining when I got home

a) Raining is an adjective

b) Raining is a present participle

3 I love the noise of falling rain

a) Falling is an adjective

b) Falling is a present participle

4 It is a pressing problem

a) Pressing is an adjective

b) Pressing is a present participle

5 She was writing a letter

a) Writing is an adjective

b) Writing is a present participle

6 The lecture was very interesting

a) Interesting is an adjective

b) Interesting is a present participle

7 She is an interesting writer

a) Interesting is an adjective.

b) Interesting is a present participle

8 The woodcutter was felling trees

a) Felling is an adjective

b) Felling is a present participle

9 The news was exciting

a) Exciting is an adjective

b) Exciting is a present participle

10 I was working on that report when she called

a) Working is an adjective

b) Working is a present participle

Answers

1 Interesting is an adjective It modifies the noun concert

2 Raining is a present participle It forms the continuous verb with be

3 Falling is an adjective It modifies the noun rain

4 Pressing is an adjective It modifies the noun problem

5 Writing is a present participle It forms the continuous verb form with be

6 Interesting is an adjective It modifies the noun lecture

7 Interesting is an adjective It modifies the noun writer

8 Felling is a present participle It forms the past continuous verb form with be

9 Exciting is an adjective

10 Working is a present participle It forms the past continuous verb form with be

Verbs: Some common mistakes

August 18, 2013

The verb write can take two objects Sometimes this causes problems.

• Incorrect: He wrote me

• Correct: He wrote to me

Notes

We write something (He wrote a letter.)

We write something to someone (He wrote a letter to his mother.) (NOT He wrote a letter his mother.)

We write someone something (He wrote his mother a letter.) (NOT He wrote to his mother a letter.)

We write to someone (He wrote to me.) (NOT He wrote me.)

Explain

The verb explain can be followed by two objects – a direct object and an indirect object.

Note that we explain something to someone (NOT We explain someone something.)

• Incorrect: I shall explain them this

• Correct: I shall explain this to them