Practice and Improve Your Grammar part 1

Each and every, either and neither

Each and every

We use each and every before singular countable nouns. We use each when we're talking about two or more people or things separately (1). We use every when we're talking about three or more people or things together (2).

1Each day is better than the last. • He came in with a cup in each hand. (NOT ... in every hand)

2Every window was broken. • The Browns go to Benidorm every year. (NOT ... every years)

We use each of (not every of) before determiners with plural nouns (3) and plural pronouns (4). We can put each (not every) in different positions (5).

3Each of her toenails was a different colour. (NOT Each her toenails ...)

4Each of you must work alone. • Give a pen to each of them. (NOT...

every (of) them)

5We each got one piece. • We were each given one piece. • We were given one piece each.

We use every (not each) when we want to emphasize 'as many/much as possible' (6), when we talk about something happening at regular intervals (7) and after almost and nearly (8).

6He had every opportunity to complete the work. • We wish you every success in your new job.

7There's a bus every ten minutes. • Take two tablets every four hours. (NOT... each four hours)

8His team lost almost every game. • We run nearly every day. (NOT We run nearly each day)

61

Either and neither

We use either before singular nouns (9) and either of before determiners plus plural nouns or pronouns (10) to talk about 'one or the other' of two people or things.

9Either parent can sign the form. • Left or right? ~ You can go either way. (NOT... either ways)

10Either of the parents can sign. • Coke or Pepsi? ~ I'd be happy with either of them, thanks.

We use neither/neither of instead of either/either of when we mean 'not one and not the other' of two people or things. We use singular verbs after subjects beginning with neither of in formal situations (11). Plural verbs are sometimes used in informal situations (12).

11Neither parent has signed it. • Neither of the boxes was big enough. • Neither of us likes coffee.

12I'm sorry, but neither of my kids are up yet. ~ So, do neither of them want to go with us?

Exercise 26. Using a dictionary if necessary, complete the sentences

1Behind the nun came four young white-faced boys, dressed in grey uniforms, walking in pairs, ….. holding hands.

2Simon Weston and Joe Barnes were actually ….. who had been adopted by different families when they were born and ….. of them knew about the other until they were almost forty years old.

62

3The ….. was between a boat trip or a bus tour round the island and ….. would have been fine with me, but Shirley wasn't feeling well and didn't want to leave the hotel.

4Jim and Tracy are a young ….. who have been together for about three years, but ….. of them wants to get married.

5Next year you'll have to send £400 in ….. payments, which is £100 ….. three months.

6In a mixed ….. match in tennis, ….. team consists of a man and a

woman.

Exercise 27. Complete these sentences with all, both, half or whole.

1I've seen James drink a ….. bottle of m ilk by himself.

2….. visitors must first report to the main office.

3The ….. western ….. of the country has been devastated by a civil war.

4If you're ambivalent about something, you have ….. good and bad feelings about it.

5We made a huge pot of soup for everyone and they ate it ….., the ….. thing.

Exercise 28. Complete these sentences with all, both, either or neither.

1He was given two opportunities to get it right, but ….. answer was

correct.

2There are no parking restrictions here, so you can park on ….. side of the street.

3A her carrying things up ….. those stairs, ….. my knees felt sore.

4Because ….. of them have driving licences, nobody will let Rоd or Steve borrow a van to move ….. their stuff.

5After passing the farm, you'11 соmс to a fork in the path and you can

go in ….. direction because they ….. lead down to the river.

63

Exercise 29. Complete these sentences with each, either or every, plus of where necessary.

1The girl had a different tattoo design on ….. her fingers.

2It's an agreement among friends or family that you'll spend no more than £10 ….. on Christmas presents.

3Mr Curtis used to come by nearly ….. Friday and in the summer he would bring ….. us a flower from his garden.

4Cecilia was given ….. chance to complete l he first and second assignments, but she didn't do ….. them.

Exercise 30. Using a dictionary if necessary, add these words to the descriptions. Correct the six mistakes in the descriptions.

complete double dual entire semi-annual total

1….. meetings take place twice every years.

2….. vision is a medical condition in which you see two of all.

3People with ….. nationality are citizens of two countries and can live and work in both them legally.

4When something is ….., it has every parts or details included, with nothing missing.

5The ….. amount is the final number of people or things when they have been counted all.

6We use ….. to emphasize that the whole something is involved.

64

Many, much and a lot (of), more and most

Many, much and a lot (of)

When we talk about large numbers and amounts in a vague way, we can use many before plural nouns (1), much before uncountable nouns (2) and a lot of before both types of nouns (3).

1Many people believe in life after death. • There are many ways to improve your health.

2How much money did you bring? • Please hurry, because there isn't much time left.

3I used to smoke a lot of cigarettes when I studied. I drank a lot of coffee too. (NOT a lot coffee)

We usually use many/much in formal situations and a lot of or lots of in informal situations. When we talk about a large number or amount in a specific way, we use many of before determiners plus plural nouns or plural pronouns (4) and much of before determiners plus uncountable nouns or singular pronouns

(5). We can use much of (not many of) with singular countable nouns or proper nouns for places when we mean 'a large part of' (6).

4Many of their customers have complained. Many of them have started going to other shops.

5How much of your time is devoted to research? ~ Not much of it, I'm

afraid.

6Cats spend much of the day asleep. • It will be a dry sunny day over much of Britain.

We can use many and much without nouns (7).

7People still use butter in cooking, but many say they don't use as much as before.

65

We can also use a lot (not a lot of) without a noun in informal situations:

We don't need a lot.

We usually use many and much in questions and negatives (8). We can use them in positive statements after as, so and too (9). We can also use the phrases a good/great deal (of) instead of much (of), and a large number (of) instead of many (of), in positive statements, usually in formal situations (10).

8How many do you want? • How much do they cost? • There aren't many left. • I don't have much cash.

9Take as much time as you need. • I have so much work to do! • You bought too many things.

10It requires a great deal of money and a large number of dedicated people to run a school.

We can use many (not much) after determiners (11) or before a/an (12) in formal situations.

11I'm just one of her many admirers. • He explained the many rules and regulations they had.

12He had spent many an uncomfortable night in cheap hotel rooms with thin walls.

We can use much (not many) as an adverb after negative verbs or before comparatives.

13I didn't sleep much last night because I was so worried. • I'm feeling much better now.

We can use a lot as an adverb after positive and negative verbs: The area had changed a lot.

More and most

We use more and most instead of much/many in comparisons. We use more for 'a larger number or amount' (14) and most for 'the largest number or amount' (15).

66

14 More children are being educated at home. They are spending more time with their parents.

15 Most American teenagers say they have most fun when they are shopping 'at the mall'.

We also use more and most before adjectives/adverbs: more quickly, the most expensive.

We can use more of and most of before determiners (16), pronouns (17) and proper nouns (18).

16 I've already eaten more of the cake than I should. • Most of those bananas were rotten.

17 I really liked it, but I can't eat any more of it. • I had to throw most of them away.

18 I hope to see more of Spain during my next trip. • Most of Venice is under water.

We can use other quantifiers before more (not most) with the meaning 'additional'.

19 I don't need much more time, just two more hours. • Is there any more tea? • There's no more.

Exercise 31. Rewrite these sentences, adding many and much. Make any other necessary changes.

Example: There wasn't food left, but we weren't very hungry so we didn't need.

There wasn't much food left, but we weren't very hungry so we didn't need much.

1 There hasn't been discussion of the new road, but older village residents are against it. …..

67

2Did you ask how these postcards cost? How them are you going to buy? …..

3I'll be later today because I have so different places to go to and there's so traffic in town. …..

4I asked my classmates if they did homework and said they didn't do unless there was a test. …..

Exercise 32. Add many, many of, much or much of to these sentences from an article on British pubs.

1Pubs are important in the social life of ….. British people.

2….. village pubs are very old and are the centre of village life.

3For ….. the year they rely on local customers.

4In the summer they get ….. their customers from nearby towns or cities.

5….. old pubs are quite small and don't have ….. room inside.

6In recent years, ….. them have added garden areas, with tables outside.

Exercise 33. Choose an ending (a-f) for each beginning (1-6) and add more, more of, most or most of.

68

Exercise 34. Complete this weather forecast with many (×2), more (×3) and much (×2).

There's not (l) ….. sunshine in the forecast for this weekend and (2) ….. areas will see (3) ….. rain than usual for this time of the year. Saturday will start with some bright spells and scattered showers, (4) ….. of them heavy, giving way to (5) ….. persistent rain later in the afternoon. Southwest winds will bring

(6) ….. unsettled weather and rain to (7) ….. of England and Wales on Sunday.

Exercise 35. Complete these definitions with the following words and a lot, many, more or much.

abundance assortment complexity deficit

1 ….. : а collection of ….. different things or different types of the same

thing

2….. : the difference between how ….. you have and a higher amount you need.

3….. : consisting of ….. of different parts or processes that are all connected.

4….. : existing in large quantities and ….. than enough.

69

Exercise 36. Choose the best answer (a-d) for each question (1-4) and add a lot, many, more or much.

Exercise 37. Complete each paragraph with one set of words (not necessarily in this order).

a great deal of / a large number of / many many / more of/ much many of / much / much of

A According to a recent survey, students don't have as (1) ….. free time as they used to and (2) ….. them are taking part-time jobs, despite the (3) ….. well-known problems that result from having a job while trying to study.

В As part of the survey, (4) ….. students who identified themselves as 'studying full-time' were asked if they ever used the library in the evenings and

(5) ….. said they couldn't really do (6) ….. studying in the evening because they had part-time jobs.

С (7) ….. those interviewed .said that so (8) ….. their time in the late afternoon or evening was taken up with work, that they didn't have a chance to read or think very (9) ….. in the evening.

Exercise 38. Complete these sentences with two of the following words in each space.

many (×4) much (×4) more (×2) not (×2) how of so too

70