GRAMMAR: CHAPTER 9 MODALS AND PHRASES OF REQUEST, PERMISSION, DESIRE, AND PREFERENCE A - MODALS AND PHRASES OF REQUEST • MAKING REQUESTS: + Use CAN, COULD, WILL, and WOULD to make requests. CAN and WILL are less formal than COULD and WOULD. We usually use CAN and WILL in informal conversations with friends and family. We use COULD and WOULD to make polite requests in formal situations when we speak to strangers or to people in authority. Less formal More formal To a friend: Can you tell me the time? To a stranger: Could you tell me the time? Mother to Child: Will you be quiet? To a Boss: Would you look at my report? + Add PLEASE to a request to make it more polite. Can you tell me the time, please? Would you please look over my report? • AGREEING TO and REFUSING REQUESTS: + Use WILL and CAN to agree to requests. Do not use WOULD or COULD. We generally use CAN’T to refuse a request. WON’T is used for strong refusals, and sounds impolite. Agreeing to a Request Refusing a request A: Will you help me for a minute? A: Can you help me decorate for the party? B: Yes, I will. B: Sorry. I can’t right now. A: Could you spell your name for me? A: Holly, will you clean up this room? B: Yes, I can. It’s C-L-A-R-K-E. B: No, I won’t. + We often use expressions such as OK, SURE, or CERTAINLY when agreeing to a request. A: Will you help me for a minute? B: OK. A: Could you spell your name for me? B: SURE. It’s C-L-A-R-K-E. + We often say I’M SORRY and give a reason in order to make our refusal more polite. A: Can you help me decorate for the party? B: I’m sorry, but I can’t right now. I have a doctor’s appointment. B - MODALS OF PREMISSION: • ASKING FOR PREMISSION: + Use CAN, COULD, and MAY to ask for premission. CAN and COULD are less formal than MAY. We usually use MAY in formal situations when we speak to strangers or to people in authority. You can use PLEASE to make your request more polite. Less formal Child to Parent: Can I go outside and play now? Friend to Friend: Could I borrow your pen for a minute? More formal Business Call: A: May I speak to Ms. Jones, please? B: Certainly. May I ask who’s calling? + MAY is used in announcements and signs or other printed materials. Announcement: Flight 26 has arrived. Passengers may proceed to Gate 2B for boarding. Sign: Visitors may not park in numbered spaces. • GIVING AND REFUSING PERMISSION: + Use MAY/MAY NOT or CAN/CAN’T to give or refuse permission. Don’t use COULD. Giving Permission A: Could I hand in my homework tomorrow? B: Yes, you may. Just put it on my desk. Refusing Permission A: Could I hand in my homework tomorrow? B: No, you can’t. It’s due today. + Instead of answering with CAN or MAY, we often use expressions such as SURE, GO AHEAD, or CERTAINLY when giving permission. A: Can I use the computer now? B: Sure. I’m finished with it. (Go right ahead) + We often say I’M SORRY and give a reason in order to make our refusal more polite. A: Could I hand in my homework tomorrow? B: I’m sorry, but you can’t. It’s due today. C – WOULD LIKE, WOULD PREFER, WOULD RATHER: • STATING DESIRES AND MAKING REQUESTS with WOULD LIKE + WOULD LIKE (= want) is often used to talk about desires. I’d like to go to China next year. (I want to go to China next year.) + WOULD LIKE is more polite than WANT in making requests. Add PLEASE to make the request even more polite. I’d like the check, please. * I want the check. (not polite) • MAKING OFFERS with WOULD LIKE + Use WOULD LIKE in a question to make a polite offer. A: Would you like some coffee? B: Yes, please. With milk and sugar. + Be careful not to confuse WOULD LIKE and LIKE. Would like (to make an Offer) LIKE (to ask about LIKES and DISLIKES) A: Would you like some tea? A: Do you like coffee? B: Yes, please. B: Yes, I do. I drink it every morning. • ACCEPTING AND REFUSING OFFERS with THANK YOU Use THANK YOU to accept and refuse offers. We often give a reason to make our refusal more polite. Accepting an Offer Refusing an Offer A: Would you like a seat? A: Would you like a seat? B: Yes, thank you. B: No, thanks. I’m getting off at the next stop. • STATING PREFERENCES with WOULD LIKE, WOULD PREFER, WOULD RATHER + Use WOULD LIKE, WOULD PREFER, WOULD RATHER to ask about state preferences. LIKE to A: Would you PREFER to walk home or take a bus? RATHER B: I’d like to walk. C: I’d rather take the bus. It’s too far to walk. + Use WOULD RATHER with THAN to compare two actions. I’d rather walk than take the bus. I’d rather play basketball than play football. GRAMMAR: CHAPTER 10 MODALS OF ADVICE, NECESSITY, and PROHIBITION MODALS AND PHRASAL MODALS OF ADVICE Weak and Strong advice: + Use COULD, MIGHT, SHOULD (NOT), OUGHT TO, HAD BETTER (NOT), HAVE TO, HAVE GOT TO, MUST to give advice, suggestions, and warnings. Weak could, might You could buy her flowers. should (not), ought to You should ask her what she wants. had better (not) You’d better buy something before it’s too late. Strong have to, have got to, must You have to buy her that new book. Suggestions with COULD, MIGHT: + Both COULD, MIGHT are used to make casual suggestions, especially when there is more than one choice. Ex: If you want to get to know him, you might invite him for coffee after class, or you could call him. Advice with SHOULD, OUGHT TO: + Use SHOULD (NOT), OUGHT TO to give advice. SHOULD (NOT) is more common than OUGHT TO. Ex: You should get married in June, when the weather is warm. You ought to look for a new job. + Use SHOULD (NOT), OUGHT TO to express a personal opinion about something. Ex: People shouldn’t drive when they’re tired. The President ought to do more for the environment. + Use words such as I THINK, MAYBE, PERHAPS to soften your advice or opinion. Ex: I think the President ought to do more for the environment. Maybe you should get married in June. Warning with HAD BETTER: + HAD BETTER (NOT) is stronger than SHOULD, OUGHT TO. It’s used to give advice with a warning about possible bad consequences. Use words such as I THINK, MAYBE, PERHAPS to soften the meaning. Ex: You’d better study for the test. If you don’t, you’ll fail. You’d better not to make so many personal phone calls at work, or you’ll lose your job. Strong Advice with HAVE TO, HAVE GOT TO, MUST: + HAVE TO, HAVE GOT TO, MUST are used to give strong advice and suggest that the situation is serious or urgent. Ex: Your cough sounds terrible. You have to/have got to/must see a doctor immediately. + HAVE TO, HAVE GOT TO, MUST are also used to show that the speaker has a strong opinion about something, even though the situation is not serious. Ex: You have to/have got to/must try that new restaurant. I ate there yesterday and the food is great! MODALS OF NECESSITY and PROHIBITION: Necessity: + SHOULD, OUGHT TO, HAVE TO, HAVE GOT TO, MUST express necessity. MUST expresses the STRONGEST necessity and is used in formal or more serious situations. We often use SHOULD, OUGHT TO, HAVE TO, HAVE GOT TO in conversation to avoid sounding too formal. Ex: Students should study their notes before the exam. I have to hurry. I’m going to be late! We’ve got to send out the invitations today. The party is next week. + Use MUST to express rules, laws, and requirements, especially in written documents. Ex: Bicyclists must obey all traffic lights in the city. All couples must apply for a marriage license in person. + SHOULD, HAVE (GOT) TO are used instead of MUST to talk about rules and laws in less formal English. Ex: The manual says that bicyclists should obey all traffic lights in the city. I found out that we have to apply for a marriage license in person. Lack of Necessity vs. Prohibition: + DON’T/DOESN’T HAVE TO means that something is not necessary – there is a choice of whether to do it or not. MUST NOT means that something is prohibited (not allowed). There is no choice involved. Don’t/Doesn’t HAVE TO (Not necessary) Your children don’t have to take these vitamins. If they eat a healthy diet, they’ll be fine. Must not (Prohibited) Your children must not take these vitamins. They are for adults only. GRAMMAR: CHAPTER 11 ADDITIONS WITH CONJUNTIONS EXPRESSING SIMILARITIES : + TOO and SO are used to express similarities and combine two affirmative sentences. For example: 1. Our neighbors have a swimming pool, and we do too. Our neighbors have a swimming pool, and so do we. 2. Miguel is worried about the test, and Sara is too. Miguel is worrried about the test, and so is Sara. 3. I liked the concert, and she did too. I liked the concert, and so did she. 4. I can ice skate, and he can too. I can ice skate, and so can he. + EITHER and NEITHER are used to express similarities and combine two negative sentences. For example: 1. Bob isn’t angry, and Amy isn’t either. ( Bob isn’t angry, and neither is Amy.) 2. He wasn’t running, and they weren’t either. ( He wasn’t running, and neither were they.) 3. We haven’t eaten dinner yet, and he hasn’t either. ( We haven’t eaten yet, and neither has he.) 4. I couldn’t go, and you couldn’t either. ( I couldn’t go, and neither could go.) EXPRESSING DIFFERENCES : Use additions with BUT to combine an affirmative and a negative sentence. For example: 1. I can ice skate, but she can’t. 2. Their class has a computer, but our class doesn’t. 3. I thought the test was really hard, but he didn’t. GRAMMAR: CHAPTER 12 NOUNS AND QUANTITY EXPRESSIONS COUNT NOUNS can be counted. They have both singular and plural forms. A, AN, THE, A NUMBER (one, two…) can come before count nouns. The plural of a count noun is usually formed by adding –S or –ES or have irregular plural forms. NONCOUNT NOUNS cannot be counted. They do not have plural forms. THE or NO ARTICLES can come before noncount nouns, not A, AN, A NUMBER (one, two…). * Some common noncount nouns: + Whole groups made up of similar items: baggage, clothing, furniture, equipment, food, fruit, hardware, luggage, mail, makeup, money/cash/change, traffic… + FLUIDS: water, coffee, tea, milk, oil, soup, gasoline… + SOLIDS: ice, butter, cheese, gold, iron, glass, paper, wood, cotton… + GASES: air, oxygen, smoke, smog… + PARTICLES: rice, chalk, corn, dust, flour, grass, hair, pepper, salt, sand… + ABSTRACTIONS: beauty, courage, education, enjoyment, fun, happiness, health, help, honesty, importance, peace, truth… + LANGUAGES: Chinese, English, Vietnamese… + FIELDS OF STUDY: chemistry, engineering, history, literature, psychology… + RECREATION: baseball, soccer, tennis, chess… + GENERAL ACTIVITIES: driving, studying, swimming, travelling, walking… + NATURAL PHENOMENA: weather, fog, heat, lightning, rain, thunder… GENERAL QUANTITY EXPRESSIONS A - GENERAL QUANTITY EXPRESSIONS WITH COUNT NOUNS: many, several, a few, few B – GENERAL QUANTITY EXPRESSIONS WITH NONCOUNT NOUNS: a great deal of, much, a little, little C – GENERAL QUANTITY EXPRESSIONS WITH COUNT NOUNS AND NONCOUNT NOUNS: a lot of = lots of, plenty of, some, any, no MANY vs. MUCH : Use MANY in affirmative, negative statements and questions. Use MUCH in negative statements and questions. MUCH is not usually used alone in affirmative statements. Use A LOT OF instead. For example: 1. I have many friends. / I don’t have many friends./ Do you have many friends? 2. We don’t get much rain here. / Do you get much rain here? / We get a lot of rain here. A FEW/FEW vs A LITTLE/ LITTLE: + A FEW and A LITTLE give a positive idea; they indicate that something exists, is present. + FEW and LITTLE give a negative idea; they indicate that something is largely absent. Expressing NONE: Use NO, NOT ANY to express NONE. NO is used in affirmative statements, but it has a negative meaning. NOT ANY is used to form a negative statement. For example: 1. There is no sugar in this dessert. ( There isn’t any sugar in this dessert.) 3. There are no eggs in this recipe. ( There aren’t any eggs in this recipe.) Emphasizing Amounts: + Use TOO and SO before MANY/MUCH to emphasize a larger amount. TOO usually has a negative meaning. For example: 1. There are so many choices on this menu. Isn’t it wonderful? 2. There are too many choices on this menu. I can’t decide what to eat. 3. She’s made so much money this year. She’s happy about it. 4. She’s made too much money this year. She’ll have to pay a lot in taxes. + Use ONLY before A FEW or A LITTLE to emphasize an even smaller amount. Use QUITE with A FEW (not A LITTLE) to emphasize a larger amount. For example: 1. Only a few houses are available. (There are a small number of houses.) 2. Quite a few houses are available. (There are a large number of houses.) 3. Would you like some milk in your coffee? Only a little, please. SPECIFIC QUANTITY EXPRESSIONS Expressing specific amounts : + Specific quantity expressions can be used with plural count nouns or noncount nouns. Plural Count nouns: a box of matches, a cup of raisins Nouncount nouns: a box of cereal, a cup of sugar. + Specific quantity expressions make noncount nouns countable. One bowl of milk six ounces of beef two cans of soup four gallons of gas + The expression a piece of can be used with a number of noncount nouns to express a specific amount. A piece of cake/bread/furniture/clothing/advice/news… + Some different types of specific quantity expressions. Containers: a carton of eggs/milk a jar of mayonnaise a bag of potato chips A can of soda a box of cereal Portions: A slice of bread a piece of candy/cake a bowl of soup A glass of milk a cup of coffee Groups: A bunch of bananas a dozen eggs a herd of cattle a flock of birds A school of fish Measurements: A quart (1.14 liters) /gallon (4.54 litres) of juice an inch/foot/yard of cloth a cup/teaspoon/tablespoon of salt an ounce (28.35 gram) /pound of butter Shapes: A grain of rice/sand(hạt gạo/cát) a pile/stack of leaves (một đống, chồng) a drop of water a stick of butter . OUGHT TO, HAVE TO, HAVE GOT TO in conversation to avoid sounding too formal. Ex: Students should study their notes before the exam. I have to hurry. I’m going to be late! We’ve got to send. You’d better not to make so many personal phone calls at work, or you’ll lose your job. Strong Advice with HAVE TO, HAVE GOT TO, MUST: + HAVE TO, HAVE GOT TO, MUST are used to give strong advice. or urgent. Ex: Your cough sounds terrible. You have to/ have got to/ must see a doctor immediately. + HAVE TO, HAVE GOT TO, MUST are also used to show that the speaker has a strong opinion about