FOR
1
Contents
INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................4
QUESTIONNAIRE FOR PREREQUISITES ...................................................................6
UNIT ONE.THE NOUN ...................................................................................................7
I.1. Introduction ..................................................................................................... 7
I.2. Competences ................................................................................................... 7
I.3. Noun classes ................................................................................................... 7
I.4. Number ........................................................................................................... 8
I.5. Gender .......................................................................................................... 12
I.6. Case .............................................................................................................. 12
I.7. Exercises ...................................................................................................... 13
I.8. End of unit test ............................................................................................. 15
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V.7. Exercises ..................................................................................................... 42
V.8. End of unit test ........................................................................................... 44
BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................................................................................... 52
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Introduction
The Practical Course in English Grammar attempts at revising and
consolidating grammar points at intermediate level, also providing opportunities for
students to practice grammar structures and assess themselves. To this end, each unit
includes a theoretical part which synthesizes essential information from outstanding
works in English morphology, followed by a wide range of exercises. The exercises are
designed so as for students to be able to solve them both individually and in pairs, during
the tutorials. The course also comprises regular tests, placed at the end of each unit,
which give students the possibility to check their knowledge. The grammatical
information provided in the course can be used for reference when needed or worked
through systematically.
Course objectives
Resources
Apart from the printed material, the course also requires the use of
monolingual and bilingual dictionaries. Areas from the course which might
be found problematic can be further studied using the bibliography provided
by the tutor.
Course structure
The course is structured in 6 units, each of them including objectives, a
theoretical part with examples, followed by exercises and an end of unit test.
Preliminary requirements
Being designed at intermediate level, the course requires students to have
knowledge of English at pre-intermediate level.
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Assessment
At the end of the semester, each student will receive a grade which will
consider the results of a written test meant to assess the students’ acquired
knowledge (70% of the final grade), the students’ activity during the tutorials
(20% of the final grade) and the students’ homework (10% of the final
grade).
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QUESTIONNAIRE FOR PREREQUISITES
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UNIT ONE. THE NOUN
Content
I.1. Introduction ..................................................................................................... 7
I.2. Competences ................................................................................................... 7
I.3. Noun classes ................................................................................................... 7
I.4. Number ........................................................................................................... 8
I.5. Gender .......................................................................................................... 12
I.6. Case .............................................................................................................. 12
I.7. Exercises ...................................................................................................... 13
I.8. End of unit test ............................................................................................. 15
I.1. Introduction
This unit introduces essential elements regarding the category of
noun in English.
I.2. Competences
On completion of UNIT ONE, students will be able to specify the
noun classes in English and form the plural and possessive case of English
nouns correctly.
There are cases when uncountable nouns can also be used as countable, but this involves
a change in meaning:
EXAMPLE
I admired her beauty. vs. She was a real beauty.
He likes wine. The wines he produces are well appreciated by everyone.
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In the case of uncountable nouns, we use partitives in order to denote a part of
the whole. The most frequently used partitive expression is a piece of (advice/ news/
information etc.). Other general partitives are: a bit of and an item of. There are also
typical partitives, such as:
EXAMPLE
a grain of truth
a bar of chocolate/soap/gold
a loaf of bread
a bunch of flowers/keys
a speck of dust/dirt
a herd of cattle
a sheet of paper/ice
I.4. Number
I.4.1.Variable Nouns
A. Regular plurals
-the plural suffix is written “-s” after nouns
boy – boys
Exceptions:
1. after nouns ending in –s, -z, -x, -ch, -sh, the plural ending is -es:
EXAMPLE
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box - boxes, bush –bushes, watch - watches
EXAMPLE
3. nouns ending in -y preceded by a consonant change the y into i and adds -es:
EXAMPLE
sky-skies, cry – cries, bunny - bunnies
BUT y is kept after a vowel: day-days, ray-rays
EXAMPLE
fez-fezzes, quiz-quizzes
EXAMPLE
in the 1980’s, write two b’s
6. nouns ending in –f can make the plural in –fs or –ves, or, sometimes, both:
EXAMPLE
beliefs, cliffs, proofs, roofs / knives, leaves, halves, calves, shelves, thieves/
handkerchieves/fs, scarves/fs
B. Irregular plurals
a. a group of seven nouns:
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EXAMPLE
man-men woman-women
foot-feet tooth-teeth
goose-geese louse-lice
mouse-mice
EXAMPLE
brother-brethren
child-children
ox-oxen (in Am E also oxes)
c. zero plural (nouns which have the same form in the singular and in the plural):
EXAMPLE
sheep, deer
nationality names, nouns ending in “-ese”: one/five Chinese
dozen, hundred, thousand, million, billion when preceded by another quantitative
word
two hundred people, many thousand times, several million inhabitants
but the plural form is used when they are followed by “of”
hundreds of people, thousands of spectators
nouns with equivocal number, which can be treated both as singular and plural:
means, series, species
d. foreign plurals
EXAMPLE
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e. compound nouns which consist of more than one word:
EXAMPLE
Note the special case of the collective nouns: committee, family, team, army.
When used in the singular, the nonpersonal collectivity of the group is stressed, when
used in the plural, the personal individuality within the group is stressed.
1. tools, instruments and clothes made of two equal parts joined together:
scissors, jeans, pants, pyjamas, shorts, braces, trousers
2. nouns that end in -s and in a given sense only occur in the plural and take a plural
verb
damages, contents, customs, minutes, wages, spirits, compasses, premises
3. nouns that have no plural marking but are used as plurals:
people , police, cattle, clergy, youth
4. personal adjectival heads:
the rich, the poor, the wounded, the unemployed, the needy
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I.5. The Gender
Note: male student/female student, Tom cat, Pussy/ Cathy cat, he/she lion, boy/girlfriend
1. apostrophe s ('s)
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3. of+noun
1. lower animals
The name of the cat
2. inanimate possessors
3. when the noun is followed by a phrase or a sentence:
I took the advice of the man I met on the train.
EXERCISES
I.7.1. Underline the noun in each sentence and write “C” or “U” to show whether
the noun is being used as a countable or as an uncountable:
1. This is an excellent painting.
2. I don’t like milk.
3. How many photos did he take?
4. Add a little more oil.
5. His drawings really interest me.
6. Hope keeps me going.
7. He hasn’t a hope.
8. How much flour did you buy?
9. Where are my two new shirts?
10. We’ve got plenty of coal.
11. Add more onion.
12. Would you like some fish?
13. I eat two eggs every day.
14. Too much cake isn’t good for you.
15. They’ve built a new motorway.
16. Would you like an ice-cream?
17. I need two clean glasses.
18. Don’t throw stones.
19. A lot of paper is wasted.
20. We bought a new iron yesterday.
A. B.
1. I’d like some ice. a. a wisp of
2. Have you got any chocolate? b. a cube of
3. Can I have some bread, please? c. a splash of
4. We need some paper. d. a box of
5. Buy me some soap, please. e. a sip of
6. Buy me some milk, please. f. a tube of
7. We need some jam. g. a drop of
8. Have you got any matches? h. a bar of
9. I’ve made some tea. i. a slice of
10. Buy some toothpaste. j. a pinch of
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11. Add a little water. k. a sheet of
12. Add a little salt. l. a jar of
13. I’ve drunk a little tea. m. a bar of
14. Add a little soda. n. a bottle of
15. I can see a little smoke. o. a pot of
I.7.3. Fill in the gaps with the appropriate partitive (a piece of, a pair of, a bar of, a
loaf of, a game of, a bottle of, a cup of, a packet of, a box of, a bit of):
1. ……football 6. ……news
2. ….biscuits 7. …..bread
3. ….milk 8. ……plastic
4. …..chalk 9. ……chocolate
5. ….coffee 10. ……jeans
I.7.4. Give the nouns which describe people who do things or who come from
places. Use the endings: -an, -ant, -ar, -er, -ian, -ist, -or.
1. He acts very well. He’s a fine ….
2. Don’t beg. You’re a …..
3. I can’t play the piano. I’m not a ….
4. She drives very well. She’s a good …..
5. I’m from Berlin. I’m a ……
6. She’s from Athens. She’s an ….
7. Manuel assists me. He’s my …..
8. She always tells lies. She’s a ….
9. He’s from Texas. He’s a ….
10. Anna is studying history. She’s a fine …..
I.7.5. Give the nouns derived from verbs, adjectives or other nouns. Use the
endings: -age, -hood, -ation, -ion, -ful, -ence, -ency, -ness, -al, -(er)y, -ment, -aty, -
ism, -ity, -ing.
1. I decided this. It was my ….
2. Don’t be so anxious. Control your ……
3. Anna’s a socialist. She believes in ….
4. We all want to be happy. We all seek ….
5. We all agree. We’re all in …..
6. Who discovered this? Who made this ….
7. We’ll all arrive in time. We’ll be met on ….
8. I was a child then. That was in my ….
9. She is absent. Can you explain her ….
10. I’ll post this. What’s the …
11. Try again. Have another….
12. Be more efficient. Improve your ….
13. Don’t be so curious. Control your ….
14. Address this envelope. I’ll give you the …..
15. I refused their offer. My ….is final.
16. I warned you. I gave you enough…..
17. Put the food in your mouth. Take one ….
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18. Can you explain it? Is there an …
19. They tried him. I was at the …
20. Don’t argue. I don’t want an ….
I.8.2. Underline the correct form of the verb. Sometimes both forms are possible:
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3. The hostilities in the province was/were worrying.
4. Rubbish is/are accumulating outside the entrance to the stop.
5. The management was/were considering implementing the new strategy.
6. Athletics was/were well represented in the magazine’s sports section.
7. The audience was/were applauding loudly.
8. Good advice was/were hard to give in such a situation.
9. Work is/are underway to complete the new motorway.
10. The articles of furniture he bought were/was very expensive.
11. The government was/were debating the new bill for three days
12. A meeting is a waste of time if the minutes is/are lost.
13. The woods is/are home to hundreds of plant species.
14. Is/Are the designer spectacles really worth getting? I could just buy these,
instead.
15. A crowd of hangers-on was/were pursuing the Princess.
16. The stairs is/are due to be replaced by a lift.
17. The premises was/were declared unsafe after the earthquake.
18. Argument is/are widespread on the global warming issue.
19. Your theory is sound but your calculations is/are wrong.
20. The information were/was passed on to another department.
1. a piece of …………….
2. a packet of……………
3. a bar of ……………….
4. a glass of ……………..
5. a cup of ………………
6. a bottle of ……………
7. a slice of ……………..
8. a barrel of ……………
9. a game of ……………
10. a jar of ……………….
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UNIT TWO. THE ARTICLE
Content
II.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................. 17
II.2. Competences ............................................................................................................ 17
II.3. The indefinite article ............................................................................................... 17
II.4. The definite article ................................................................................................... 18
II.5. Exercises ................................................................................................................. 20
II.6. End of unit test ........................................................................................................ 22
II.1. Introduction
This unit introduces essential elements regarding the definite and indefinite
article in English.
II.2. Competences
On completion of UNIT TWO, students will be able to differentiate
between the definite and indefinite article and use them appropriately in given
contexts.
EXAMPLE
an is used :
o before words beginning with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u): an apple, an engineer, an
island
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words beginning with a mute h: an hour
o individual letters spoken with a vowel sound: an MBA
the boy the girl the waiter the engineer the queen
EXAMPLE
1. when the object or group of objects is unique or considered to be unique
the earth the sun
2. before a noun which has become definite, when mentioned a second time in the
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context
I’ve bought an interesting book. The book is written by T.S. Eliot.
3. before a noun made definite by the addition of a phrase or clause
the girl standing in front of me
the bread I bought yesterday
4. before superlatives and ordinal numerals
the first the best the most interesting
5. before a singular noun denominating an animal/ thing to refer to the whole class
The tiger is endangered in this region.
However, man, used to represent the human race, has no article
Man has to take care of nature.
6. before adjectives to refer to an entire class
the rich the needy
7. before names of seas, rivers, chains of mountains, plural names of countries, deserts,
regions:
the Atlantic the United States
the Thames the Sahara
the Carpathians the Black Sea
1. before abstract nouns except when they are used in a particular sense:
Children love innocence.
2. after a noun in the possessive case, or a possessive adjective:
the boy's uncle( = the uncle of the boy)
3. before names of games: He likes football.
4. before parts of the body and articles of clothing
Raise your right hand. He took off his coat.
5. before plural nouns to refer to the entire category
Lions are dangerous animals
6. before church, hospital, prison, school when these places are visited for their primary
purpose. We go:
to bed to sleep to hospital as patients
to church to pray to prison as prisoners
When these places are visited or used for other reasons the is necessary:
I went to the church to see the stained glass.
He goes to the prison sometimes to give lectures.
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EXERCISES
EXAMPLE
0. The window alcove measures exactly a meter across.
1. When you go to ………. Athens, don’t forget to visit ………. Acropolis and
………. Ancient Agora.
2. ………. famous actress wanted to be married in ………. British castle.
3. My new BMW motor cycle can reach speeds of over 300 kilometres ……….
hour.
4. The community managed to raise quite ………. large sum of money for the
building of the new school.
5. Many people are attracted by ………. unknown and ………. unexplained in
………. nature.
6. During ………. Napoleonic Wars, the army tried to defeat ………. Russia.
7. This government doesn’t care about ………. jobless.
8. ………. Indian Ocean lies between ………. West coast of Australia and
………. country from which it was named: ………. India.
9. Did you know that ………. gold was discovered in ………. Australia in
………. 1850s?
10. Nick always wanted to have ………. pony as ………. child.
11. Hikers in ………. Loch Ness reported seeing ………. large moving mass at
………. dawn.
12. I’ve got two tickets at ………. dawn.
13. Timothy had to go to ………. hospital to have ………. x-ray.
14. Nancy’s got ………. migraine; she really should go ………. home.
15. ………. reigning monarch stayed at ………. plush five-star hotel in ……….
city centre.
16. Let’s meet outside ………. Palace of Congresses.
17. ………. director will chair ………. meeting tomorrow so everybody should
come prepared.
18. Patrick is in ………. hardware shop buying ………. paint.
19. My mother cleaned the house from ………. top to ………. bottom.
20. They are ………. husband and ………. wife.
21. This is one of … five Great Lakes in … North America.
22. Andrew and Alice went to … school yesterday; after the classes, they studied
in … library before returning home.
23. … Queen Elisabeth II is the monarch of … Great Britain.
24. This was a gift of … friendship from France to … United Kingdom.
25. David learned to play … violin when he was at … university.
26. I need … time to think about … offer you made me.
27. What’s the use of receiving … information from … person who is not to be
trusted?
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28. They were in … hurry because they were having … lunch in an hour.
29. … brave as he was, he decided to swim across … Danube.
30. She went to … church to see what could be done for its restoration.
II.5.2. In the following sentences the is missing in one or more cases. Write in the
where necessary.
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EXAMPLE
II.6.1. In the following old person’s recollections, articles are missing. Put in a / an
and the as appropriate.
I remember in dim and distant past my children being obsessed by man called
Bob Dylan. I have no idea he’s still alive, but impact he had in sixties and seventies was
incredible. I remember one song called ‘Blowing in Wind’; my son – he’s in his fifties
now – sang it all day and all night, month in month out, for several years. And it was so
silly: ‘How many times must man look up before he can see sky?’ I mean, question like
that can’t be taken seriously, can it? And ‘How many times must white dove fly before it
sleeps in sand?’ And then answer to profound questions: ‘Answer, my friend, is blowing
in wind’. Generation after mine didn’t know what life was all about, did they? We did,
of course. ‘Very thought of you’, ‘Just way you look tonight’. ‘Night they invented
champagne’. They were real songs. But what came next? ‘How many years can
mountain exist before it is washed to sea?’ And there was whole generation singing
along to song. Funny world we live in, I say it’s funny world we live in.
II.6.2. Tick the answer that best fits the meaning of each sentence.
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6. Can’t you think of anything else? You’ve got food on the / your brain.
7. Have you ever considered taking up a / the musical instrument?
8. What on earth is a / the CD_ROM?
9. I used to play a / the trumpet when I was younger.
10. Frank White invented a / the jet engine.
II.6.3. Correct the errors linked to articles in this extract from a composition:
Every day there is news of another war breaking out somewhere in world.
Clauswitz claimed that the war is a continuation of the government by other means, but
is it necessary? First World War is often used, especially by pacifists, as an example of
an unjustifiable war: the European powers allied themselves with each other and for five
years killed each other in appalling conditions. What makes the society indulge in such
extraordinary behaviour? Is it simply in nature of man to fight? Under any circumstances
can the violence ever be justified?
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UNIT THREE. THE ADJECTIVE
Content
III.1. Introduction ................................................................................................... 24
III.2. Competences ................................................................................................. 24
III.3. Definition, form and position ....................................................................... 24
III.4. Spelling.......................................................................................................... 25
III.5. Degrees of comparison ................................................................................. 26
III.6. Exercises ....................................................................................................... 29
III.7. End of unit test .............................................................................................. 30
III.1. Introduction
This unit introduces essential elements regarding the category of
adjective in English.
III.2. Competences
On completion of UNIT THREE, students will be able to make up
adjectives from given words, form the degrees of comparison both for
regular and irregular adjectives and use adjectives both attributively and
predicatively.
EXAMPLE
beautiful girl
interesting story
o after link verbs such as be, seem, appear, become, feel, look, taste, sound,
smell, get, etc. (predicative position).
awake, asleep, aware, glad, afraid, alive, sure, alone, alike, content, etc.
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Most adjectives are formed by affixation, namely by adding a suffix or o prefix to either
an adjective or a word from a different class. Some of the most common prefixes and
suffixes used in English are the following:
Prefixes:
a-: akin, alike, alive, alone, asleep
over- : overconfident, overcritical, overdue, overpopulated, overcast
bi- : biennial, bilingual, bigamous
contra- : contradictory, contrary
inter- : interchangeable, international
trans- : transatlantic, transient, transitive, translucent
ultra- : ultraconventional, ultramarine, ultramundane, ultrasonic, ultravilet
un- : uncut, unhappy, unintelligent, untrue, unwise
Suffixes:
-ed : celebrated, tired, wretched
-en : golden, leaden, wooden, woolen
-ern : eastern, northern, southern, western
-ful : beautiful, careful, cheerful, grateful, peaceful, thankful
-ing : amusing, exciting, loving
-ward : backward, homeward, inward, onward
-ish : whitish, foolish, babyish
-ly : daily, homely, elderly, manly
-able : agreeable, remarkable, drinkable
-ant : defiant, distant
-ent : dependant, diligent, innocent, permanent
-ous : courageous, glorious, joyous, precious
-less : ceaseless, careless, hopeless
III.4. Spelling
2. Silent “-e”
silent -e is dropped before a suffix that starts with a vowel
love- lovable, scare- scared, fame- famous
Exceptions: gluey, bluey
silent -e is not dropped before a suffix that starts with a consonant
awesome, careless, entirely, hopeful, lovely
silent -e preceded by the consonants “C’, “d”, “g” is not dropped before a
suffix starting with “a’ or ”o”.
peaceable, manageable, advantageous, courageous, gorgeous,
outrageous
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3. Final “-y”
final -y turns into -i before the suffixes: -able, -ant, -ful, -less, -ous.
pity- pitiable, beauty- beautiful, fury- furious
final -y is not dropped when preceded by a vowel
enjoyable, playful, joyless
final -y always turns into -i before the suffix -ly
day- daily, body- bodily
final -y is never dropped before the suffixes “-ish” and “-like”
grey- greyish, country- countrylike
1. a. Comparative of Equality
as…as, or so...as in the negative
Drive as fast as you can.
My grandfather doesn’t get about so easily as he used to.
b. Comparative of Inferiority
c. Comparative of Superiority
EXAMPLE
old older
tall taller
fat fatter
happy happier
B. long adjectives
MORE + adj.
EXAMPLE
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1. Superlative
A. short adjectives and two-syllable adjectives ending in -y.
The + adj. + -est
EXAMPLE
B. long adjectives
The + MOST + adj.
EXAMPLE
There are certain adjectives in English that form the comparative and the superlative
irregularly. These are the following:
27
near nearer nearest/next
elder and eldest are often used instead of older and oldest before words such as:
brother, sister, son, daughter, grandson, granddaughter ( usually members of the
same family )
in British English both “farther” and “further” are used to refer to distance with no
difference of meaning. “Further” is also used figuratively.
“few” is used with plural nouns; “little” is used with singular uncountable nouns
without articles, few and little usually have a negative meaning. They often suggest
‘not as much/many as one would like’, or ‘not as much/many as expected’, or a
similar idea.
a few and a little usually have a positive meaning which is closer to some. They
often suggest ideas like ‘better than nothing’ or ‘more than expected’.
“lesser” is used in a few expressions (in a rather formal style ) to mean “not so
great” or “not so much”
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EXERCISES
III.6.1. Use one of the following prefixes: dis-, il-, im-, in-, ir-, un- with each of the
following words:
III.6.2. Choose from among the negative prefixes un-, in-, dis-, de-, non-, il-,
according to the example:
EXAMPLE
welcome – unwelcome
III.6.3. Use the following suffixes to form adjectives from the following nouns: –
able, -ate, -ful, -ish, - ive, -less, -like, -ly, -y, -ed, -ous.
EXAMPLE
love - lovely
1. secret 6. shame
2. family 7. death
3. affection 8. care
4. honour 9. home
5. lady 10. friend
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11. respect 16. danger
12. fashion 17. harm
13. education 18. attraction
14. learning 19. price
15. music 20. taste
III.6.4. Provide the right form of the adjectives in bold letters to fill in the gaps:
1. This is a nice cat. It's much …………………. than my friend's cat.
2. Here is Emily. She's six years old. Her brother is nine, so he
is……………………. .
3. This is a difficult exercise. But the exercise with an asterisk (*) is
the…………. exercise on the worksheet.
4. He has an interesting hobby, but my sister has the…………… hobby in the
world.
5. In the last holidays I read a good book, but father gave me an
even…………… one last weekend.
6. School is boring, but homework is…………………….. than school.
7. Skateboarding is a dangerous hobby. Bungee jumping is…………………
than skateboarding.
8. This magazine is cheap, but that one is………………… .
9. We live in a small house, but my grandparents' house is
even……………….. than ours.
10. Have you visited the old castle? It was the…………………… castle we
visited during our holidays.
III.7.1. Fill in the sentences with the correct form of the word in brackets, using
prefixes or suffixes:
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4. His behaviour was always (courtesy).
5. Tommy was particularly (mischief).
6. I like the privacy of a (fence) garden.
7. It was a (moment) occasion.
8. You look rather (occupy). Are you worried about anything?
9. You do have some good ideas but your work is very (organise).
10. When Paul had been made up for the play he was (recognise).
11. We had a marvellous holiday and our trip to Paris was (forget).
12. The result was very strange! In fact it was (belief).
13. The pain became (endure) so we had to call the ambulance.
14. The judge told him it was (respond) to drink and drive.
15. Living conditions in some poor African countries are very (health).
III.7.3. What is the opposite of the following words? Use the negative prefixes un-/
in-/ im-/ dis-. If there is another word that has approximately the same meaning,
write it too.
III.7.4. Provide the right form of the adjectives in bold letters to fill in the gaps:
31
1. Yesterday John told me a funny joke. This joke was the…………………..
joke I've ever heard.
2. My father is heavy. My uncle is much……………………. than my father.
3. The test in Geography was easy, but the test in Biology
was……………………..
4. Florida is sunny. Do you know the…………………… place in the USA?
5. Stan is a successful sportsman, but his sister is…………………… than
Stan.
6. My mother has a soft voice, but my teacher's voice is………………. than
my mother's.
7. Amy has a beautiful baby, but my daughter has the………………….. baby
on earth.
8. I live in a large family, but my grandfather lived in a …………………..
family.
9. We have only little time for this exercise, but in the examination we'll have
even………….. time.
10. Lucy is clever, but Carol is………………….. than Lucy.
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UNIT FOUR. VERB: PRESENT TENSES
Content
IV.1. Introduction ........................................................................................................... 33
IV.2. Competences ......................................................................................................... 33
IV.3. Present Simple ...................................................................................................... 33
IV.4. Present Continuous ................................................................................................ 34
IV.5. Present Perfect Simple .......................................................................................... 34
IV.6. Present Perfect Continuous .................................................................................. 35
IV.7. Exercises ............................................................................................................... 36
IV.8. End of unit test ..................................................................................................... 38
IV.1. Introduction
This unit introduces essential elements regarding Present Tenses in
English.
IV.2. Competences
On completion of UNIT FOUR, students will be able to differentiate
between the four present tenses of the Indicative Mood and use them appropriately
in given contexts.
1. DEFINITION:
Is used to describe:
- general truths and states which are regarded as permanent;
- explanations, demonstrations.
2. FORM:
POSITIVE: V1, BUT V1 +s for the 3rd person singular;
INTERROGATIVE: DO+V1
33
NEGATIVE: DON’T+V1
EXAMPLE
POSITIVE: The student writes formulas every day.
INTERROGATIVE: Does the student write any formulas every day?
NEGATIVE: No, the student doesn’t write any formulas.
1. DEFINITION:
Is used to:
represent an action, viewed in progress (continuous) at the very time of
speech (present);
represent an action viewed in progress (continuous) at the time of speech
(present), even if not literally at the very moment of speaking;
express a definite arrangement in the near future (immediate plans);
express a non-habitual action;
express a reproach.
2. FORM
POSITIVE: SUB. + BE + V1-ing
INTERROGATIVE: BE + SUB + V1-ing
NEGATIVE: SUB. + BE + NOT + V1-ing
EXAMPLE
1. DEFINITION:
Is used to:
34
express a completed action (perfect) still having an effect or result in
the moment of speaking (present);
represent activities completed in the immediate past, often associated
either with “just” or no time reference at all;
express activities completed in a period up till the moment of speech,
without being exact about the time;
represent a completed action in an uncompleted time interval.
2. FORM
POSITIVE: SUB + HAVE/ HAS + V3
INTERROGATIVE: HAVE/ HAS + SUB. + V3
NEGATIVE: SUB + HAVE/ HAS + NOT + V3
EXAMPLE
POSITIVE: The student has already written the formula.
INTERROGATIVE: Has the student already written the formula?
NEGATIVE: No, the student hasn’t written the formula yet.
1. DEFINITION:
Is used to:
express an activity partly completed (perfect) but still in progress
(continuous) at the moment of speaking (present);
express an activity begun in the past which has only just finished and
is relevant to the current situation;
describe a repeated activity, in which case a nuance of reproach,
irritation, wonder can be present.
2. FORM
POSITIVE: SUB + HAVE/ HAS + BEEN+ V1-ing
INTERROGATIVE: HAVE/ HAS + SUB + BEEN+ V1-ing
NEGATIVE: SUB + HAVE/ HAS + BEEN+ V1-ing
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EXAMPLE
POSITIVE: The student has been writing for an hour.
INTERROGATIVE: Has the student been writing for an hour?
NEGATIVE: No, the student hasn’t been writing for an hour.
EXERCISES
IV.7.1. Fill in the gaps with the correct form of the verbs in brackets:
36
IV.7.2. Choose the correct form to fill in the blanks:
37
End of UNIT TEST
38
UNIT FIVE. THE VERB: PAST TENSES
Content
V.1. Introduction................................................................................................. 39
V.2. Competences ............................................................................................... 39
V.3. Past Simple ................................................................................................ 39
V.4. Past Continuous .......................................................................................... 40
V.5. Past Perfect Simple ..................................................................................... 40
V.6. Past Perfect Continuous .............................................................................. 41
V.7. Exercises .................................................................................................... 42
V.8. End of unit test ........................................................................................... 44
V.1. Introduction
This unit introduces essential elements regarding Past Tenses in
English.
V.2. Competences
On completion of UNIT FIVE, students will be able to differentiate
between the four past tenses of the Indicative Mood and use them
appropriately in given contexts.
1. DEFINITION:
Is used to:
represent simple actions completed at a definite time in the past;
represent a series of actions in a sequence, often as part of a narrative;
describe habitual, repeated actions in the past, and with verbs of permanent
characteristic.
3. FORM
POSITIVE: SUB + V2
INTERROGATIVE: SUB + DID + V1
NEGATIVE: SUB + DIDN’T + V1
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- yesterday, last week, last month, last year, last century;
- ten years ago, before, on August 24th 1954;
- when ….past action;
EXAMPLE
POSITIVE: The student wrote that formula ten minutes ago.
INTERROGATIVE: Did the student write that formula ten minutes ago.
NEGATIVE: No, the student didn’t write that formula ten minutes ago.
1. DEFINITION:
Is used to:
represent an action viewed in progress (continuous) before the moment of
speaking at some point in the past (past);
describe a past repeated action causing annoyance;
2. FORM
POSITIVE: SUB + WAS/WERE + V1-ing
INTERROGATIVE: WAS/WERE + SUB + V1-ing
NEGATIVE: SUB + WAS/WERE + NOT SUB + WAS/WERE + V1-ing
EXAMPLE
POSITIVE: The student was writing the formula at this time yesterday.
INTERROGATIVE: Was the student writing the formula at this time
yesterday?
NEGATIVE: No, the student wasn’t writing the formula at this time
yesterday.
1. DEFINITION:
Is used to:
represent an action completed (perfect) before another action or moment in
the past (past);
denote an action that began before another moment in the past and continued
up to that time.
2. FORM
40
POSITIVE: SUB + HAD + V3
INTERROGATIVE: HAD + SUB + V3
NEGATIVE: SUB + HAD + NOT + V3
EXAMPLE
POSITIVE: The student had written the formula before he took the test.
INTERROGATIVE: Had the student written the formula before he took the
test?
NEGATIVE: No, the student hadn’t written the formula before he took the
test.
1. DEFINITION:
Is used to represent a mostly completed action (perfect) that is still viewed in progress
(continuous) at a definite point in the past (past).
2. FORM
POSIVE: SUB + HAD + BEEN + V1-ing
INTERROGATIVE: HAD + SUB + BEEN + V1-ing
NEGATIVE: SUB + HAD + NOT + BEEN + V1-ing
EXAMPLE
POSITIVE: The student had been writing for ten minutes, when the test was
over.
INTERROGATIVE: Had the student been writing for ten minutes, when the
test was over?
NEGATIVE: No the student hadn’t been writing for ten minutes, when the
test was over.
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EXERCISES
V.7.1. Fill in the gaps with the right form of the verbs in brackets:
1. Lord Manners was a rich and famous banker. When he (1. die), he (2.
give) a magnificent funeral which (3. attend) by hundreds of famous
people. The funeral was going to (4. hold) in Westminster Abbey. Many
ordinary people (5.stand) in the street to watch the procession. The
wonderful black and gold carriage (6. draw) by six black horses. Lord
Manners’s relatives (7. follow) in silence. “He (8. give) a royal funeral!”
said one of the people present. Among the crowd there were two beggars.
They (9. watch) the procession with amazement for some time when one
of them turned to the other and (10. whisper) in admiration: “Now, that’s
what I call really living!”
2. I …1.(to fall asleep) while I was working because it took me a long time to
realize that the telephone…2.(to ring). When I answered it, my girlfriend
said: “You…3.(to forget) that we …4.(to go) to the cinema tonight? I
…5.(to wait) here for half an hour. If you…6.(to come) soon, we’ll miss
the film”. I suddenly remembered that Sally…7.(to give) tickets for the
first performance of a new film. “By the time I get there, the film…8.(to
begin). Let’s go out to dinner instead.”
3. Last week I …1.(to invite) my brother to dinner. When he…2.(to arrive), I
still…3.(to work) in the kitchen, for I quite…4.(not finish) ..5.(to prepare)
the salad. He told me he ….6.(to come) as soon as he …7.(to finish)his
work at the office. I told him…8.(make) himself at home, …9.(to add) that
I …12.(be) ready for him. The dinner …15.(to cook). My brother …16.(to
say) that he …17.(to go) ….18.(to send) his girlfriend to me for cooking
lessons. I enjoy…19.(work) in the kitchen, if somebody else …20. (to do)
the washing up.
42
V.7.3. Choose the correct form to fill in the blanks:
1. When she asked me I … a few days to think about it.
a. explain her I’d like; b. told her I’d like; c. told her I liked.
2. Last year, Mary asked me what she … buy me for Christmas.
a. could; b. was able to; c. can.
3. They did not know at that time that she … music so much.
a. liked; b. likes; c. was
liking.
4. Jane said she would lend me the book after she … it.
a. finishes; b. had finished; c. will finish.
5. If she … , she wouldn’t have been lying in bed now.
a. would have listened; b. listened; c. had
listened.
6. He … to bed a few minutes ago.
a. goed; b. went; c. has gone.
7. They did not know if they … in time or not.
a. will arrive; b. would arrive; c. arrive.
8. He asked me … to stay.
a. how long was I going; b. how long I was going; c.
how long time I was going.
9. America Online said yesterday that its customers ... $ 1.2bn in purchases
between November 27 and December 26.
a. were spending b. had spent c. have
been spending
10. The shop assistant informed me that I ... to your office if I wanted a refund.
a. have to write b. had to write c. would have
written
11. Every Monday she ... into my shop and buy her weekly order, which never
changed.
a. comes b. used to come c. was used
to come
12. There seemed to be a mistake but nobody realized where ....
a. had it come from b. it came from c. from it
came
13. Thomas tried to find out what other places ... visited.
a. have I b. had I c. I had
14. What ....... interested in?
a. he said he was b. did he say he was c. did he
say was he
V.7.4. Put the verbs in brackets into Past Simple or Past Continuous:
1. He (lie)…………….on the road when they found him.
2. Someone stole my cigarettes when I (not look)……………….
3. She was a beautiful woman. She always (attract) ………………a lot of
men.
4. I turned the radio off. Nobody (listen)…………………to it.
5. Mr. Brown (have)……………..a shower when I knocked on his door.
6. How much (it cost)………………to fly to Paris?
43
7. (you close)…………………….the door when you left?
8. (they get)…………………..our presents?
9. 'When (she start)…………..learning English?' 'Five years ago’.
10. I left the cinema before the film ended. I (not enjoy)……………….it.
11. (you go) …………………to the restaurant yesterday evening?
12. I got up at 7 and then I (have) …………………a big breakfast.
13. I (see)……………………..you walking in the park this morning.
14. She (wear)……………………..her new jacket when I saw her.
15. (you see)…………………….Jane last night?
16. Who (you wait)…………………..for when I arrived?
17. What (happen) …………………..after that?
18. When I was young I (want)………………….to be a pilot.
19. I waved at him, but he (look not) ……………….
20. She (sit) ……………………….on the chair and watching TV.
V.7.5. Fill in the gaps with the correct form of the verbs in brackets:
1. I ………………… (see) my first baseball game when I
………………… (live) in New York.
2. How many pints of beer ………………… (he/drink) before he
………………… (leave) the pub?
3. It ………………… (rain) so we ………………… (decide) to stay at
home all afternoon.
4. By the time I ………………… (leave) university I …………………
(be) to France fifteen times.
5. What ………………… (you/do) at the time the murder was committed?
6. When we ………………… (get) home we saw that someone
………………… (break) in to steal the DVD recorder.
7. He ………………… (send/passive) to prison four times before he
………………… (decide) that it would be better to go straight.
8. I didn't realise I ………………… (lose) my credit cards until I
………………… (try) to pay for dinner at the restaurant.
9. I ………………… (write) an email to my sister when she
………………… (ring) me.
10. She was so upset by the news that she ………………… (drop) her tea
and ………………… (start) crying.
V.8.1. Put the verbs in brackets into Past Simple or Past Perfect:
1. When she (hear) …………….the noise she turned to see what it was.
2. When I saw her I knew we (never meet) …………….before.
3. When I looked at the lorry I could see that somebody (drive)
…………….in.
44
4. The movie (start already)………………….when we arrived at the
cinema.
5. The doctor examined her leg and (find)………………that she had
broken it.
6. I was hungry because I (not eat)……………….since breakfast.
7. I was frightened because the police (come)………………..for my sister.
8. I was feeling very thirsty because I (drink) ……………….too much
alcohol.
9. I told him twice that I (not know)…………………..him.
10. I told him I didn't know who (steal) …………………his pen.
11. I paid for the window because my son (break) ……………….
12. I felt really stupid because I (make)………………..a lot of mistakes.
13. I couldn't get in because I (lose) …………………my keys.
14. I (write)……………………a long letter to my mother yesterday.
15. He told me he (never see)………………….anything like that.
16. He told me he (never be)………………….to Australia before.
17. He started to read the newspaper he (buy)………………….an hour
earlier.
18. He (spend) ……………………three years in Tahiti when he was a child.
19. Before he came to Warsaw he (live) …………………..in Prague.
20. After she (finish) ……………………breakfast she left the house.
V.8.2. Change the verbs in the following sentence into past tense.
1. Yesterday, I go to the restaurant with a client.
2. We drive around the parking lot for 20 minutes in order to find a parking
space.
3. When we arrive at the restaurant, the place is full.
4. The waitress asks us if we have reservations.
5. I say, "No, my secretary forgets to make them."
6. The waitress tells us to come back in two hours.
7. My client and I slowly walk back to the car.
8. Then we see a small grocery store.
9. We stop in the grocery store and buy some sandwiches.
10. That is better than waiting for two hours.
45
UNIT SIX. THE VERB. WAYS OF EXPRESSING FUTURE
TIME
Content
VI.1. Introduction ............................................................................................... 46
VI.2. Competences ............................................................................................. 46
VI.3. Future Simple ............................................................................................ 46
VI.4. Future Continuous ..................................................................................... 47
VI.5. Future Perfect Simple ............................................................................... 47
VI.6. Future Perfect Continuous ......................................................................... 48
VI.7. Exercises ................................................................................................... 49
VI.8. End of unit test ......................................................................................... 50
VI.1. Introduction
This unit introduces essential elements regarding ways of
expressing future time in English.
VI.2. Competences
On completion of UNIT SIX, students will be able to differentiate
between the different ways of expressing Future Time and use them
appropriately in given contexts.
1. DEFINITION:
It is used to denote actions which will take place in the future. The performance of the
future action may be caused by objective circumstances, by a mixture of the former
and a personal element, or it may depend on a condition;
2. FORM
POSITIVE: SUB + WILL/SHALL + V1
INTERROGATIVE: WILL/SHALL + SUB + V1
NEGATIVE: SUB + WILL/SHALL + NOT + V1
46
- next week, next month, next year, next century;
- in 2055; in two years; after a few days; the following day;
- when….future action;
EXAMPLE
POSITIVE: The student will write the formula in ten minutes.
INTERROGATIVE: Will the student write the formula in ten minutes?
NEGATIVE: No, the student won’t write the formula in ten minutes.
1. DEFINITION:
It is used to represent an action viewed in progress at one particular time in the future.
2. FORM
POSITIVE: SUB + WILL/SHALL + BE + V1-ing
INTERROGATIVE: WILL/SHALL + SUB + BE + V1-ing
NEGATIVE: SUB + WILL/SHALL + NOT + BE + V1-ing
EXAMPLE
POSITIVE: The student will be writing a formula during the next two
minutes.
INTERROGATIVE: Will the student be writing a formula during the next
two minutes?
NEGATIVE: No, the student won’t be writing the formula during the next
two minutes.
1. DEFINITION:
It is used to represent a completed action (perfect0 at some point in the future (future);
2. FORM
POSITIVE: SUB + WILL/SHALL + HAVE + V3
INTERROGATIVE: WILL/SHALL + SUB + HAVE + V3
NEGATIVE: SUB + WILL/SHALL + NOT + HAVE + V3
]
3. ADVERBS: (of definite point or period in the future and of interval of time)
47
- tomorrow; at this time tomorrow;
- next week, next month, next year, next century;
- in 2055; in two years; after a few days; the following day;
- when….future action;
- for…; since…; by…; already.
EXAMPLE
POSITIVE: By 10 o’clock the student will have already written that formula.
INTERROGATIVE: Will the student have already written that formula by 10
o’clock?
NEGATIVE: No, the student won’t have written that formula yet by 10
o’clock.
1. DEFINITION:
It is used to represent a partly completed action (perfect) still viewed in progress
(continuous) at some point in the future (future).
2. FORM
POSITIVE: SUB + WILL/SHALL + HAVE + BEEN + V1-ing
INTERROGATIVE: WILL/SHALL + SUB +HAVE + BEEN + V1-ing
NEGATIVE: SUB + WILL/SHALL + NOT + HAVE + BEEN + V1-ing
3. ADVERBS: (of definite point or period in the future and of interval of time)
- tomorrow; at this time tomorrow;
- next week, next month, next year, next century;
- in 2055; in two years; after a few days; the following day;
- when….future action;
- for…; since…; by…; already.
EXAMPLE
POSITIVE: By 10 o’clock the student will have been writing that formula for
ten minutes.
INTERROGATIVE: Will the student have been writing that formula for ten
minutes by 10 o’clock?
NEGATIVE: No, the student won’t have been writing that formula for ten
minutes for ten minutes by 10 o’clock.
EXERCISES
48
VI.7.1. Choose the correct form to fill in the blanks:
49
15. I (be)…………………thirty next month.
16. I'm sorry I must leave today. No problem. I (take) ……………….you to
the station.
17. I still don't have a present for Lucy. I think I (buy) ……………her a bag.
18. She (have) …………………….a baby in five months.
19. Hold on! I (help)…………………….you with these heavy bags.
20. I have a special plan for the weekend. I (learn) ……………..how to
make a cake.
50
9. Jim has got a plan for Friday. He (play)…………………tennis with
friends.
10. 'Have you phoned Jim?' 'No, I forgot. I (phone) ……………………him
later.
11. Peter (meet)……………………….his friends this evening.
12. What time (Bill and Jerry come)…………………….tonight?
13. What time (you leave)……………………tomorrow afternoon?
14. I (work)………………………tomorrow so I can't go anywhere.
15. The French president (visit)…………………Britain next week.
16. (you do) ……………………..anything tonight?
17. I (get) ……………………….married next Saturday.
18. Have you heard? She (go)………………………to have a baby next
week.
19. It must be very heavy. I (carry)………………………..it for you.
20. I (do)………………………my exams next week.
VI.8.2. Choose the correct option to complete the sentence. There may be more
than one possibility.
51
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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