English for Geographers

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A remote area in northern Spain/shake/by an earthquake last night. Several villages/totally destroy/and many people/leave/homeless. The total extent of the damage/still not known/but luckily few casualties/report as people/warn/of the danger earlier and many villages/evacuate. Victims of the earthquake now/offer/shelter in local churches/where food and drink/provide.

4. Rewrite the following text in the passive:

After 20 years of civil war, the Lebanese government is rebuilding Beirut. They will construct new offices and hotels. The authorities must also expand Beirut airport. Luckily, bombing did not destroy archaeological sites. By the year 2010, building companies will have completed most of the work.

Lebanon’s new look will attract many tourists in the future. A few groups have already visited this Middle Eastern paradise.

5.Translate into English:

1.Їй пообіцяли нову ляльку на день народження.

2.Вам дадуть інструкції до вашого від'їзду.

3.Мені показали палац, в якому жив король.

4.Учням ще не показували цей новий фільм.

5.У неї запитали її адресу в готелі.

6.Нам порекомендували нового лікаря.

7.Вам запропонували роботу, про яку я вам говорив?

8.Доктору Брауну відмовили видати візу.

9.Ці діти дуже ввічливі.

10.Подивіться, що мені дали!

6.Complete the following passage with appropriate passive forms of the verbs in brackets:

A new campaign ……… (launch) earlier this year by the UK government which aims to reduce the amount of domestic waste. Households

……… (encourage) to recycle certain waste products and to sort and prepare others for collection at specific sites. From there they ……… (take) to special waste treatment plants where special machinery will process them for reuse as recycled material. In Britain today, when the contents of the average household dustbin ……… (analyse), we find that, in terms of weight, 35 % of the total ……… (compose) of paper and cardboard, 22 % of kitchen waste,

12% of plastics with glass, dust and ashes each representing a further 10 %. There are in fact only a few items of domestic waste that cannot

……… (recycle). One common example is disposable nappies which, as their

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name suggests, ……… (design) to be thrown away after use. However, a lot of progress could ……… (make) to reduce the amount of kitchen waste most of which can ……… (transform) into a useful garden fertiliser. Indeed, if more people chose to do this then the weight of the average dustbin ………

(reduce) quite significantly.

Unit 8

Non – Finites: The Infinitive/ Gerund/ Participles

The Infinitive

Form:

The infinitive is the root form of the verb. There two kinds of infinitive:

a)the to – Infinitive e.g. to stay, to go, to have, to spend

b)the bare infinitive which is the root form of the verb without to e.g. stay, go, have, spend

*Passive Present Continuous and Perfect Continuous Infinitives are rarely used.

Forms of the Infinitive Corresponding to Verb Tenses

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Uses:

The to – infinitive is used: 1. To express purpose:

He went to buy some bread.

I went to the florist’s to buy some flowers. You should take a few days off to recover.

2.After certain verbs (advise, agree, appear, decide, expect, hope, manage, offer, plan, promise, refuse, seem, want etc):

I hope to meet him again.

He refused to answer my question. He agreed to meet us tonight.

3.After certain adjectives (be + adjective) (angry, annoyed, glad, happy, nice, pleased, sorry etc):

I’m glad to see you here. Jack will be glad to see you. It is nice to be back home.

I was sorry to hear about your accident.

4.After I would like/ would love/ would prefer to express specific preference:

I would like to stay here.

I would like the girls to stay here.

I’d love to see you tonight.

I’d love to visit India.

5. After certain nouns:

It’s such a pleasure to be with you.

6.After too/enough constructions: He’s too old to drive.

She’s clever enough to understand it.

It’s too cold to go outside. Joe isn’t old enough to vote.

It’s too early to leave the party.

He’s rich enough to afford a Porsche. There’s enough food to go round.

7.With: it + be + adjective (+ of + noun/pronoun):

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It was unkind of her to say that.

8. After some verbs such as know, learn, remember, ask, want to know etc. when there is a question word (who, what, which, where, when, how etc.) after them:

I don’t know what to do.

I don’t know how to answer this question.

NOTE!

Why is not followed by an infinitive, but by a subject + verb:

Nobody knew why he was angry.

I didn’t know why he was crying.

9.After be + the first/second etc., next/ last/best etc.:

She was the first to congratulate him.

10.In the expression: for + noun/pronoun + to –infinitive: For John to lend you his car was very unusual.

11.In the expressions such as: to tell the truth, to begin with, to be honest etc.:

To be honest, I didn’t know how to react.

NOTE!

If two infinitives are joined by “and” or “or”, the “to” of the second infinitive can be omitted:

I’d prefer to go to a disco and dance or talk to my friends.

The bare infinitive is used:

1.After most modal verbs (can, could, may, must etc.): We must leave soon.

He can go if he wants to.

2.After had better/would rather/would sooner:

You’d better go to bed.

3. After make/let/see/hear/feel + object in the active. Let me go or I’ll make you regret it.

She made the baby eat all the soup.

Her parents let her stay out till midnight.

Gerund

Forms of the Gerund:

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Uses:

1. As a noun:

Smoking is harmful. Walking is a good form of exercise.

2.After certain verbs (admit, anticipate, appreciate, avoid, confess, consider, continue, delay, deny, discuss, enjoy, escape, excuse, fancy, forgive, go (physical activities), imagine, involve, keep (= continue), look forward to, mention, mind, miss, object to, postpone, practice, prevent, quit, recall, recollect, regret, report, resent, resist, risk, save, spend, stand, suggest, tolerate, understand, waste etc):

I don’t mind helping you with the dishes. Tony avoided answering my question.

I object to being told what to do with my life. They have postponed moving house till next week.

3.After: dislike, enjoy, hate, like, love, prefer to express general preference:

I like swimming. I love going to discos. Helen likes watching old films on TV.

NOTE!

like + to-infinitive = it’s a good idea

I like to help people. He likes to watch the birds.

4. After the verbs start, begin, stop, finish:

He started doing his homework at 5 o’clock.

He started writing his composition an hour ago.

5.After: I’m busy, it’s no use, it’s (no) good, it’s (not) worth, what’s the use of, be/get used to, get accustomed to, can’t help, there’s no point (in), can’t stand, have difficulty (in), in addition to, as well as, have trouble, have a hard/difficult time:

It’s worth seeing that film. Father is busy repairing the car.

There’s no point in arguing. What’s the use of crying?

6.After prepositions:

He left without taking his coat. I’m tired of going to work by bus every morning.

He became rich by working hard and without borrowing from anyone.

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7. After: hear, listen to, notice, see, sound, watch to express an incomplete action, an action in progress or a long action.

I saw her crossing the street. (I saw her while she was crossing the street.)

I saw him throwing rubbish out of the window. (I saw part of the action. I didn’t wait until he had finished. Perhaps he threw more rubbish.)

NOTE!

hear, listen to, notice, see, sound, watch + infinitive without “to” express a complete action, something that one saw or herd from beginning to end.

I saw her cross the street. (I saw her when she had crossed the street.)

Participles

Forms:

The participles are:

a)present participles (staying, leaving, running, etc.)

b)past participles (stayed, left, written etc.)

c)perfect participles (having left, having written etc.)

Uses:

1. As adjectives:

Present participles (verb + ing) describe what somebody or something is

(they answer the question “What kind?”).

It was a boring lecture. (What kind of lecture? Boring.)

It’s a very tiring job. (What kind of job? Tiring.)

It was an embarrassing situation. (What kind of situation? Embarrassing.)

Past participles (verb + ed) describe how someone feels (they answer the question “How do you feel?”).

They were bored by the lecture. (How did they feel during the lecture? Bored.)

He’s very tired. (How does he feel? Tired.)

He was embarrassed. (How did he feel? Embarrassed.)

We were bored by the film. (How did we feel during the film? Bored.)

2. To express time:

After doing/having done her homework, she watched TV.

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Having done her homework, she watched TV. (= After she had done her homework, she watched TV.)

He broke his arm (while) playing hockey. (= He broke his arm while he was playing hockey.)

We met John while shopping. (= We met John while we were shopping).

3. To express reason:

Being late, Adam took a taxi. (= Because he was late, Adam took a taxi.)

Having spent all her money, Pam asked for a loan. (= Because she had spent all her money, Pam asked for a loan.)

Feeling shy, Laura didn’t talk to Ben. (= Because she was shy, Laura didn’t talk to Ben.)

4. Instead of relative pronoun and full verb:

The man standing at the door is my boss. (= The man who is standing at the door is my boss.)

The information presented in the article was invaluable. (= The information which was presented in the article was invaluable.)

The woman waving at me is my aunt. (= The woman who is waving at me is my aunt.)

5.Instead of the past simple in narratives when we describe actions happening immediately one after the other:

Seeing the shadow, he screamed. (= He saw the shadow and he screamed.)

Hearing the news, she fainted. (= She heard the news and she fainted.)

6.To avoid repeating the past continuous in the same sentence:

She was climbing up a ladder carrying a bucket. (= She was climbing up a ladder and she was carrying a bucket.)

Practice

1. Write what each word is followed by: F.I. (full to-inf.), B.I. (bare inf.) or –ing form:

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2.Fill in the correct tense form of the infinitive:

1.We’d better not bother her – she seems …..…. (study).

2.The accused denied ……… (do) anything wrong.

3.Paul pretended ……… (win) a lot of money but in fact he had won nothing at all.

4.She must ……… (work) outdoors when we rang. She didn’t answer the phone.

5.Jane hoped ……… (give) the prise, but someone else won it.

6.He seemed ……… (swim). He was all wet.

7.I should ……… (give) him some money before I went out, but

I forgot.

8.She says she would love ……… (come) to dinner with us tonight.

9.He must …..…. (practice) that piece for hours – he plays it very well

now.

10.The athlete seemed ……… (be) out of breath – he must ………

(run) for hours.

11.Peter claims ……… (choose) as the best-dressed man of the year.

12.They could ……... (prepare) a meal for us last night instead of making us go out to eat.

13.John must ……… (be) very busy these days – I never see him.

14.The house looks so clean now. She must ……… (clean) all day.

15.Jan should ……… (give) us her new address before she left.

16.The two men appeared ……… (try) to break into the building when the police arrived.

17.You should ……… (study) now instead of watching TV.

3.Fill in the -ing form or the infinitive in the appropriate tense form:

Tom: Do you think Mary would like 1) ……… (go) to the theatre with me tonight?

Jo: I don’t think so. She seems 2) ……… (study) very hard at the moment.

Tom: That’s a shame! I would have liked 3) ……… (go) out with her. Jo: I wouldn’t mind 4) ……… (come) with you.

Tom: OK. But I think you should 5) ……… (talk) to Mary. The last time I saw her she claimed 6) ……… (work) till 2 o’clock every morning for the past month. It’s not good for her, you know.

Jo: I know. I must 7) ……… (talk) to her about it. But you know how she hates 8) ……… (tell) what to do.

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4.Complete the conversation using the infinitive or the –ing form:

A:Good morning, madam. Can I 1) ……… (help) you?

W: Yes. I’d like 2) ……… (book) a holiday please.

A:Certainly. I must 3) ………. (ask) you a few questions. Now… where would you like 4) ……… (go)? How long are you going 5) ………

(stay)? Would you prefer 6) ……… (have) a relaxing beach holiday or

7)……… (go) sightseeing? Which countries are you interested in 8) ………

(visit)? What means of transport do you prefer?

W:Well, young man. I don’t know where 9) ……… (go) or how long

10)……… (stay). I hate 11) ……… (go) to the beach and I don’t enjoy sightseeing. I don’t want 12) ……… (visit) any foreign countries because foreign food makes me 13) ……… (feel) ill. As for means of transport, I’m too frightened 14) ……… (fly) in an aeroplane. I hate 15) ……… (go) on boats, I don’t like 16) ……… (travel) by train and 17) ……… (travel) on a coach makes me 18) ……… (feel) sick.

A:Well madam, I don’t know what 19) ……… (suggest). I don’t want

20)……… (appear) rude, but I really think you should 21) ……… (stay) at home!!!

5. Put the verbs in brackets into the –ing form or the infinitive without “to”:

Last night I heard car brakes 1) ……… (screech) and people 2) ………

(shout) in the street. When I looked out of the window I saw a crowd of about twenty people 3) ……… (stand) around a young boy 4) ……… (lie) in the street. Next, I saw the driver of the car 5) ……… (approach) the crowd and

6) ……… (kneel down) by the boy, he was 7) ……… (look) very anxious. 8) ……… (watch) the drama from my window, I began 9) ……… (consider) the boy’s family. Then a few minutes later, I saw a young woman 10) ………

(run) towards the scene and 11) ……… (push) her way through the crowd. Soon, I heard an ambulance siren 12) ……… (scream) in the distance, 13) ……… (get) closer and closer. Then I saw the ambulance stop in front of my house. I watched the ambulance men 14) ……… (get out) and 15) ………

(run) to the injured boy. Minutes later I saw them 16) ………. (run back) to their ambulance with the boy on a stretcher followed by his mother.

6.Cross out the unnecessary word:

1.He went to the florist’s for to buy a bouquet of flowers.

2.Emily is not so talented enough to enter the competition.

3.I don’t go for camping very often.

4.Mrs Keaton made her daughter to stay at home during the holidays.

5.I hope that to hear from you soon

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6.We saw Helen to get into her car and dive away at top speed.

7.Fill in the infinitive with or without “to”, or the –ing form:

1.Charlie goes ……… (swim) every morning in summer.

2.Thompson admitted ……… (murder) his wife.

3.He left England ……… (live) in another country.

4.I think you’d better ……… (go) home.

5.It was kind of you ……… (lend) me your jacket.

6.He ran all the way home without ……… (stop).

7.The teacher made him ……… (write) the composition again.

8.What’s the use of ……… (cry)?

9.Remember ……… (go) to the bank. You’ve got to pay the bills.

10.I don’t remember ……… (see) this film before.

11.When he had written his first book he went on ……… (write) seven more.

12.She went on ……… (talk) even after her friend had fallen asleep.

13.I regret ……… (leave) school at the age of 16.

14.I regret ……… (tell) you that you have failed the test.

15.He means ……… (build) a boat and travel round the world.

16.Doing well on this course means ……… (study) very hard.

17.I’ve been trying ……… (start) this car for hours.

18.Why don’t you try ……… (put) some petrol in the tank?

19.I don’t want to drive a car; I’m afraid of ……… (have) an accident.

20.He’s afraid ……… (walk) alone at night.

21.She forgot ……… (invite) her best friend to the party.

22.I’ll never forget ……… (see) snow for the first time.

23.On the way home he stopped ……… (buy) some chocolate.

24.The baby didn’t stop ……… (cry) all night.

25.These windows are dirty. They need ……… (wash).

26.I want ……… (speak) to Sally, please.

27.She’s really sorry for ……… (shout) at you last night.

28.I’m sorry ……… (tell) you your car has been stolen.

29.He’s got enough patience ……… (be) a teacher.

8.Fill in the correct participle:

Paul: You must be very 1) ……… (excite). Paris is a 2) ………

(fascinate) city. There are so many 3) ……… (interest) things to do. You won’t be 4) ……… (bore).

Jane: Well, I’m a bit 5) ……… (worry) because I can’t speak French very well.

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