- •1. The english verb
- •1.1. The present simple (indefinite) and the present continuous (progressive) tense-forms
- •1. An action happening now. This may mean 'at the actual
- •1. Choose between the Present Simple (Indefinite) and Present Continuous (Progressive) tense-forms.
- •2. Choose the appropriate adverbial of time.
- •3. Open the brackets using the Present Simple or the Present Continuous tense-forms.
- •1.2. The past simple (indefinite)
- •2. A succession of single past actions.
- •3. Habitual past actions or states.
- •1. Choose between the Past Simple and Past Continuous (Progressive) tense-forms.
- •2. Choose the suitable adverb.
- •3. Open the brackets putting the verbs in the Past Simple or the Past Continuous tense-forms.
- •1.3. The present perfect and the past simple (indefinite) tense-forms
- •1. Choose between the Present Perfect and the Past Simple tense-forms.
- •2. Choose the appropriate adverbial of time.
- •3. Open the brackets using the Present Perfect or the Past Simple tense-forms.
- •1.4. The present perfect continuous
- •2. Open the brackets using the Present Perfect
- •3. All these sentences contain errors. Correct them.
- •1.5. The past perfect and the past
- •1. Choose the appropriate tense-forms: Past Perfect Simple/Past Perfect Continuous and Past Simple/Past Continuous.
- •3. Open the brackets using the appropriate tense-form.
- •4. Correct errors where necessary.
- •1.6. Ways of expressing future actions in english
- •1. A predicted future action, a happening which is inevitable and out of anybody's control.
- •2. An action which the speaker regards as possible, probable or likely to happen in future (near or remote).
- •1. An action which will be going on at a definite moment
- •2. An action which will be going on during a certain period of time in the future.
- •1. Open the brackets using an appropriate Future tense where necessary.
- •1.7. Miscellaneous practice on the use of the various tense-forms in the active voice
- •1. Present Simple/Present Continuous
- •2. Present Simple/Present Continuous
- •3. Present Simple/Past Simple/Future Simple/Present Continuous/Present Perfect
- •4. Present Simple/Past Simple/Future Simple/
- •5. Present Simple/Past Simple/Present Perfect/
- •7. Present Simple/Past Simple/Future Simple/
- •8. Present Simple/Past Simple/Present Continuous/
- •9. Present Simple/Past Simple/Present Continuous/
- •10. Present Simple/Past Simple/Present
- •77. Present Simple/Past Simple/Present
- •72. Past Simple/Past Continuous/Past Perfect
- •13. Past Simple/Past Continuous/Past Perfect The Australian Salute
- •14. Past Simple/Past Continuous/Past Perfect/Past Perfect Continuous
- •15. Past Simple/Past Continuous/Past Perfect
- •16. Present Simple/Past Simple/Future Simple/
- •17. Past Simple/Present Continuous/Present Perfect/Past Perfect/Past Perfect Continuous
- •1.8. The use of tenses in the passive voice
- •I. Open the brackets using the appropriate passive forms.
- •1.9. Miscellaneous practice on the use of the various tense-forms in the active/passive voice
- •9. Case notes of a nurse
- •2. Nodal verbs
- •2.1. Can, could, be able
- •2.1.1. Study the following notes and examples.
- •2.1.2. Insert can (can't), could (couldn't) or the appropriate form of to be able to.
- •2.2. Can, could, may, would
- •2.2.1. Study the following notes and examples.
- •2.2.2. Turn instructions into polite requests.
- •2.2.3. Complete the situation asking people to do something, asking for permission to do something or offering something.
- •2.3. Must, have to, to be to
- •2.3.1. Study the following notes and examples.
- •2.3.2. Complete the sentences with the modal verbs must have to or to be to in the correct form.
- •2.4. Mustn't and needn't
- •2.4.1. Study the following examples.
- •2.4.2. Complete the sentences with mustn't or needn't.
- •2.5. Must and may
- •2.5.1. Study the following examples.
- •2.5.2. Complete the situations with must or may.
- •2.6. Should and ought
- •2.6.1. Study the following notes and examples.
- •2.6.2. Complete the situation giving your opinion about something or advising people to do or not to do something.
- •2.7. Miscellaneous practice
- •3. The article in english
- •3.1. Basic rules
- •1) With the indefinite article
- •2) With the definite article
- •3) With the zero article
- •4. Pronouns
- •4.1. Personal, possessive and reciprocal pronouns
- •4.1.1. Study the forms and the use of personal, possessive and reciprocal pronouns.
- •4.1.2. Choose the correct pronoun.
- •4.1.3. Complete using personal, possessive and reciprocal pronouns.
- •4.2. Indefinite pronouns some/any/no 4.2.1. Study the use of the pronouns some, any, no.
- •4.2.2. Complete the following sentences with some/any/no.
- •4.3.1. Study the examples illustrating the use
- •4.3.2. Complete the following sentences with someone (somebody), anyone (anybody), something, anything, nobody (no one), nothing, somewhere, anywhere, nowhere.
- •4.4. Indefinite pronouns much, many, a lot of
- •4.4.1. Study the use of the pronouns much, many, a lot of.
- •4.4.2. Complete the sentences with much, many, a lot of.
- •4.5. Indefinite pronouns little, few, a little, a few
- •4.5.1. Study the use of the pronouns little, few, a little, a few.
- •4.5.2. Complete the sentences with little, few, a little, a few.
- •4.6. Indefinite pronouns both, either, neither, none
- •4.6.1. Study the following examples showing the use of the pronouns both, either, neither, none, either ... Or, neither ... Nor.
- •4.6.2. Complete the following sentences with the suitable pronouns.
- •4.7. Indefinite pronouns (the) other, (the) others, another
- •4.7.1. Study the following examples showing the use
- •4.7.2. Complete the following sentences with the pronouns other, others, the other, the others, another.
- •4.8. Pronouns each/every
- •4.8.1. Study the following examples.
- •4.8.2. Choose the correct pronoun.
- •4.9. Pronouns all/whole
- •4.9.1. Study the following examples.
- •4.9.2. Complete the sentences with the appropriate pronoun. Insert the where necessary.
- •4.10. Defining (relative) pronouns who(m)/ whose/which/that
- •4.10.1. Study the examples.
- •4.10.2. Complete the sentences with the appropriate pronoun.
- •4.11. Mixed practice
- •5.2. Degrees of comparison of adjectives 5.2.1. Study the following examples.
- •5.2.2. Use the correct form of the adjectives in brackets.
- •5.2.3. Study the comparative and superlative forms of the following adjectives.
- •5.2.4. Use the correct form of the adjectives in brackets.
- •5.2.5. A. Complete using comparatives of the adjectives in brackets; add than when necessary.
- •5.3. Degrees of comparison of adverbs 5.3.1. Study the following examples.
- •Irregular Comparisons
- •5.3.2. Use the correct form of the adverbs in brackets.
- •5.3.3. Use the correct form of the adjectives and adverbs
- •In brackets. Add the or a, where necessary.
- •6. Prepositions
- •6.1. Prepositions of time
- •6.1.1. Study the following examples.
- •6.1.2. Complete the following sentences.
- •6.2. Prepositions of place
- •6.2.1. Study the following examples.
- •6.2.2. Complete the sentences with the correct prepositions.
- •6.3. Prepositions of direction and movement
- •6.3.1. Study the following examples.
- •6.3.2. Complete the sentences.
- •6.4. Prepositions with the meaning of possession, reference and identification
- •6.4.1. Study the following examples.
- •6.4.2. Complete the following sentences.
- •6.5. Prepositions with nouns as adverbial modifiers
- •6.5.1. Study the use of prepositions with adverbial modifiers after verbs.
- •6.6. Prepositions before a noun used as an object
- •6.6.1. Study the use of prepositions with an object after the following verbs.
- •6.6.2. Complete the following sentences with the correct prepositions.
- •6.7. Prepositions with an object after verbal phrases (units)
- •6.7.1. Study the use of prepositions in these verbal phrases.
- •6.7.2. Complete the following sentences with the correct prepositions.
- •6.8. Phrasal verbs
- •6.8.1. Study the use of the following phrasal verbs.
- •6.8.2. Complete the following sentences with the correct prepositions and postpositions.
- •6. 9. 2. Insert the correct prepositions where necessary.
- •7. Word formation
- •7.1. Study the typical suffixes which form nouns from verbs.
- •7.1.1. Make nouns from the following verbs. Check your variants with the dictionary.
- •7.1.2. Complete the sentences using nouns formed from the verbs in brackets.
- •7 2. Study the typical suffixes which form nouns from adjectives
- •7.3. Study the typical suffixes which form adjectives from nouns and verbs
- •7.3.1. Make adjectives from the following nouns and verbs.
- •7.3.2. Complete the sentences using adjectives formed from the nouns and verbs in brackets.
- •7.4. Study the negative prefixes which are used with different parts of speech
- •7.4.1. Change the meaning of the following words from positive into negative by using one of the above prefixes.
- •8. Word order
- •8.1. Typical schemes and examples of word order in different types of questions
- •8.2. Statements with direct and indirect objects
- •8.2.1. Put the words in the right order to make up a sentence.
- •8.3. Position of adverbial modifiers of place and time in a sentence
- •8.3.1. Put the words in the right order to make up a sentence.
- •3.4. Word order in statements containing adverbs
- •8.4.1. Put the words in the right order to make up a sentence.
- •8.5. The order of adjectives before a noun
- •8.5.1. Put the words in the right order to make up a sentence.
- •8.5.2. Put the adjectives in the correct order.
- •9. Text connectors
- •9.1. Time connectors
- •9.1.1. Study the following examples.
- •9.1.2. Choose the correct time connector.
- •9.1.3. Combine the following sentences to show time relationships between the ideas. Make the necessary changes.
- •9.2. Text connectors denoting contrast
- •9.2.1. Study the following examples.
- •9.2.2. Complete the sentences with one of the connectors denoting contrast.
- •9.2.3. Combine the following sentences to show the relationship of contrast. Make the necessary changes.
- •9.3. Text connectors denoting reason and result (cause and effect) because/ as/ so/ as a result/ therefore/ that's why/ since
- •9.3.1. Study the following examples.
- •9.3.2. Choose the correct connector.
- •9.3.3. Combine the following sentences to show the relationship of reason and result.
- •9.3.4. Choose the correct variant.
- •10. Word choice
- •10.1. Words easily confused
- •10.2. Choose the right word
- •1. Classified tests
- •I. Use the correct tense-forms of the verbs in brackets.
- •VII. Choose the appropriate word.
- •I. Use the correct tense-forms of the verbs in brackets.
- •II. Choose the right article.
- •V. Put the words in the right order to make up a sentence.
- •VI. Choose the right variant.
- •VII. Choose the appropriate word.
- •I. Use the correct tense-forms of the verbs in brackets.
- •II. Choose the right article.
- •I. Use the correct tense-forms of the verbs in brackets.
- •II. Use the right article.
- •III. Choose the suitable preposition or postposition.
- •VI. Choose the right variant
- •VII. Choose the appropriate word.
- •I. Use the correct tense-forms of the verbs in brackets
- •II. Use the right article.
- •III. Choose the suitable preposition.
- •IV. Choose the suitable pronoun.
- •VI. Choose the right variant.
- •VII. Choose the appropriate word.
- •I. Use the correct tense-forms of the verbs in brackets
- •II. Use the right article.
- •III. Choose the suitable preposition or postposition.
- •IV. Choose the suitable pronoun.
- •V. Put the words in the right order to make up a sentence.
- •VI. Choose the best response.
- •VII. Choose the appropriate word.
- •I. Use the correct tense-forms of the verbs in bracket
- •II. Choose the right article.
- •I. Use the correct tense-forms of the verbs in brackets
- •II. Use the right article.
- •III. Choose the suitable preposition.
- •I. Use the correct tense-forms of the verbs in brackets
- •II. Choose the right article.
- •III. Choose the suitable preposition.
- •V. Put the words in the right order to make up a sentence.
- •VI. Choose the best response.
- •VII. Choose the appropriate word.
- •I. Use the correct tense-forms of the verbs in brackets.
- •II. Use the right article.
- •III. Choose the suitable preposition.
- •I. Use the correct tense-forms of the verbs in brackets.
- •II. Use the right article.
- •III. Choose the suitable preposition or postposition.
- •I. Use the correct tense-forms of the verbs in brackets.
- •VII. Choose the appropriate word.
- •I. Use the correct tense-forms of the verbs in brackets.
- •II. Use the right article.
- •III. Choose the suitable preposition or postposition.
- •IV. Choose the suitable pronoun.
- •V. Put the words in the right order to make up a sentence.
- •VI. Choose the right response.
- •VII. Choose the appropriate word.
- •I. Use the correct tense-forms of the verbs in brackets.
- •II. Use the right article.
- •III. Choose the suitable preposition.
- •IV. Choose the suitable pronoun.
- •I. Use the correct tense-forms of the verbs in brackets.
- •II. Use the right article.
- •III. Choose the suitable preposition.
- •IV. Choose the suitable pronoun.
- •I Use the correct tense-forms of the verbs in brackets.
- •II. Use the right article.
- •VIII. Choose the appropriate word.
- •I. Use the correct tense-forms of the verbs in brackets.
- •II. Use the right article.
- •III. Choose the suitable preposition or postposition.
- •IV. Choose the suitable pronoun.
- •V. Put the words in the right order.
- •VI. Choose the right response.
- •VII. Choose the appropriate word.
- •II. Use the right article.
- •III. Choose the suitable preposition.
- •IV. Choose the suitable pronoun.
- •V. Put the words in the right order to make up a sentence.
- •VI. Choose the right response.
- •I Use the correct tense-forms of the verbs in brackets.
- •II. Use the right article.
- •III. Choose the suitable preposition or postposition.
- •IV. Choose the suitable pronoun.
- •V. Put the words in the right order to make up a sentence.
- •VI. Choose the right response.
- •VII. Choose the appropriate word.
- •I. Use the correct tense-forms of the verbs in brackets.
- •II. Choose the right article.
- •III. Choose the suitable preposition or postposition.
- •IV. Choose the suitable pronoun.
- •V. Put the words in the right order to make up a sentence.
- •VI. Choose the right response.
- •VII. Choose the appropriate word.
- •III. Fill in a suitable preposition or postposition.
- •IV. Put the words in the right order to make up a sentence.
- •V. Translate the Russian fragment into English.
- •VI. Complete the sentences using the appropriate derivatives of the words in capitals.
- •VII. Spot the errors and correct them.
- •VIII. Supply an appropriate stimulus-utterance.
- •I. Use the correct tense-form of the verbs in brackets.
- •III. Fill in a suitable preposition or postposition.
- •IV. Put the words in the right order to make up a sentence.
- •V. Translate the Russian fragment into English.
- •VI. Complete the sentences using the appropriate derivatives of the words in capitals.
- •VII. Spot the errors and correct them.
- •I. Use the correct tense-form of the verbs in brackets.
- •II. Use the right article.
- •III Fill in a suitable preposition or postposition.
- •IV. Put the words in the right order to make up a sentence.
- •V. Translate the Russian fragment into English.
- •II. Use the right article.
- •III. Fill in a suitable preposition or postposition.
- •IV. Put the words in the right order to make up a sentence.
- •V. Translate the Russian fragment into English.
- •Il.Use the right article.
- •III. Fill in a suitable preposition or adverb.
- •IV. Put the words in the right order to make up a sentence.
- •V. Translate the Russian fragment into English.
- •VI. Complete the sentences using the appropriate
- •VIII- Supply an appropriate stimulus-utterance.
- •I. Use the correct tense-form of the verbs in brackets.
- •II. Use the right article.
- •III. Fill in the suitable preposition or postposition.
- •IV. Put the words in the right order to make up a sentence.
- •V. Translate the Russian fragment into English.
- •VI. Complete the sentences using the appropriate derivatives of the words in capitals.
- •VIII- Supply an appropriate stimulus-utterance.
- •1. Use the correct tense-forms of the verbs in brackets.
- •II. Use the right article.
- •III. Fill in a suitable preposition or postposition.
- •IV. Put the words in the right order to make up a sentence.
- •V. Translate the Russian fragments into English.
- •VII. Spot the errors and correct them.
- •VIII. Supply an appropriate stimulus-utterance.
- •1. Use the correct tense-forms of the verbs in brackets.
- •II. Use the right article.
- •IV. Put the words in the right order to make up a sentence.
- •V. Translate the Russian fragments into English.
- •VI. Complete the sentences using the appropriate derivatives of the words in capitals.
- •VII. Spot the errors and correct them.
- •VIII. Supply an appropriate stimulus-utterance.
- •I. Use the correct tense-forms of the verbs in brackets.
- •II. Use the right article.
- •III. Fill in a suitable preposition.
- •IV. Put the words in the right order to make up a sentence.
- •V. Translate the Russian fragments into English.
- •VI. Complete the sentences using the appropriate derivatives of the words in capitals.
- •VII. Spot the errors and correct them.
- •VIII. Supply an appropriate stimulus-utterance.
- •I. Use the correct tense-forms of the verbs in brackets.
- •II. Use the right article.
- •III. Fill in the suitable preposition or postposition.
- •IV. Put the words in the right order to make up a sentence.
- •V. Translate the Russian fragments into English.
- •VI. Complete the sentence using the appropriate derivatives of the words in capitals.
- •Vll. Spot the errors and correct them.
- •VIII. Supply an appropriate stimulus-utterance.
- •2. Integrated tests
3. The article in english
3.1. Basic rules
The article is a part of speech which is used before the noun and has the function of a noun determiner. A similar function is performed by possessive, demonstrative and indefinite pronouns. However, only one determiner can be used in English, i.e. either an article or a pronoun precedes the noun. As far as the use of article is concerned there are three possibilities in English: the indefinite article (a/an), the definite article (the) and the absence of article, or the so-called гего article.
My brother works in a large garage in Brighton.
Mary has always wanted to be a scientist.
Cars and buses are a major source of pollution in
cities.
Did you enjoy the party you went to on Saturday?
You ought not to waste money on smoking.
The choice of the article depends, first of all, on the type and the form of the noun: countable/uncountable, singular/ plural (see the table below).
Table 14*
type of nouns |
a/an |
the |
no article (zero article) |
countable singular |
a map |
the map |
— |
countable plural |
- |
the maps |
maps |
uncountable |
|
|
|
(nouns of material, |
— |
the water |
water |
abstract nouns) |
|
the music |
music |
* The table is taken from: Michael Swan. «Practical English Usage», Moscow. 1984. p. 66.
A. The Indefinite Article
The original meaning of a/an - one - explains why it is used only with countable nouns in the singular.
Here's a hundred pounds.
Don’t me the plate as an ashtray.
The main function of the indefinite article is generally defined as classifying, i.e. referring a person, an animal, an object or a thing to a class of similar objects, things, etc.
This is a journal and that is a magazine.
A lawyer is a person who helps people with legal problems.
The classifying function is closely connected with the meaning of indefiniteness (any representative of a class, not a particular one) and novelty (this person, object, etc., is introduced in the context for the first time).
Last Sunday we found a small puppy in the park and brought it home.
I saw a pretty girl of about 20 in the corner of the room. Her face was unusually pale.
Somebody threw a large snowball at me as I was walking along the road.
As is seen from the given examples, a noun with the indefinite article often has one or more descriptive attributes preceding or sometimes following it. It must be pointed out that the 'zero article' also has the meaning of indefiniteness and novelty, so whenever the situation requires the use of 'о/ал', but the type or the form of the noun (uncountable, countable plural) does not permit it, the zero article is used.
This car doesn Y use petrol, it's battery-powered. Intelligence is something you are born with, not something you learn.
The typical uses of the indefinite and the zero articles are demonstrated by the following sentence-patterns:
1. a predicative noun
|
Mr younger sister is a first-year student. Is it tea or coffee, waiter? They are experienced engineers. |
2. a noun-object not mentioned in the context (after 'have', 'have got', 'see', 'buy', 'eat', etc.)
|
I've got an envelope, but I haven 't got a stamp. We went to the market to buy tomatoes and cucumbers. I never eat garlic. Are you interested in science? |
3. a singular or plural noun after 'there is (are) '
|
There is a bedroom to the right. There are apples and pears in the basket. Wliile there is life - there is hope. |
4. exclamatory sentences beginning with 'what'
|
What a lovely day! What juicy oranges! What tender meat! |
5. after 'such ' as an intensifying adjective |
He is such a wise man! You shouldn 't say such words! |
B. The Definite Article
The article 'the'derives from the Old English demonstrative pronoun 'se' (that), which accounts for deflniteness as its basic meaning: both the speaker and the hearer know what is being talked about.
The definiteness of the thing, object, etc. arises from a) an earlier mention of the noun in the context.
Sue and Frank have got two children: a girl and a boy. The girl is a student and the boy is still at school.
A man came up to a policeman and asked him a question. The policeman didn 't understand the question and so he asked the man to repeat it.
I've recently bought new jeans. The jeans cost me a pretty penny.
I found cheese and yogurt in the fridge. The cheese was absolutely stale.
b) the presence of a specifying (particularizing) modifier
(a prepositional phrase, an attributive clause, etc).
Who was the woman you were talking to just now? The house beyond the church was for sale.
c) the uniqueness of the object or group of objects denoted by the noun: the sun, the moon, the earth, the world, the horizon, the equator; the Queen (of this country), the kitchen (of this house), the children (belonging to a particular family), etc.
Shut the door! (there is only one open)
I had some trouble with the car. (I own one car only)
The definite article is not restricted in its usage: it can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns.
Wow, the sand is really hot! (an uncountable nounof material)
The film wasn 't good but we liked the music, (an uncountable abstract noun)
Come and look at the horses! (a countable noun, plural)
The definite article can also precede a proper noun. It is used, in particular, with nouns denoting the name of the whole family (the Browns) or geographical names such as waterways (the Indian Ocean, the Volga, the Naroch, but Lake Naroch), mountain ranges (the Alps, the Urals, but Everest), and the name of cardinal points (the South, the North}. It must be remembered, however, that no article is used with the names of the continents (Asia, Europe), countries (Russia. Belarus, France), mountain peaks and towns.* There are a great number of set expressions and phrases in English in which the use of the indefinite, definite or zero article does not depend on the context. Memorizing some of them will help the learner to cope with the difficulties of using the article. Below is a list of such phrases.