- •The abc of modern english grammar: a key to successful communication
- •Unit 1. The verb to be
- •1.1. Complete the sentences using a suitable form of the verb to be. Give all possible answers.
- •1.2. Render the sentences into English.
- •2.1. Rewrite the sentences, using there is or there are.
- •2.2. Rewrite the sentences, using there was or there were.
- •2.3. Make these sentences into questions. Begin each question with the words given.
- •2.4. Fill in the gaps with it or there.
- •2.5. Complete the sentences using there is or it is. Use inversion where necessary.
- •2.6. Rewrite these sentences to begin with “there” as an impersonal subject.
- •2.7. Make ten sentences from this table.
- •2.8. Rewrite each sentence, ending as shown, so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, and so that it contains it or there.
- •2.9. The word “it” has been left out of these sentences. The number in brackets tells you how many times it should occur. Show where it should be.
- •2.10. Rewrite these sentences with “it” and a “to”-infinitive clause.
- •Unit 3. Questions
- •3.1. Expand the “What about…?” phrases to make “yes/no”-questions.
- •3.2. Complete the “yes/no”-questions using the endings given.
- •3.3. Use the “wh”-words below to complete the questions which follow.
- •3.4. Rearrange the parts of the sentences to make questions with “wh”-words as subject.
- •3.5. Expand the “What about…?” phrases to make questions with “wh”-words as object.
- •3.6. Do these questions starting and finishing with the words given.
- •3.7. Write questions to which the words in bold are the answers.
- •3.8. Write a who or what question for each answer.
- •3.9. Write a question to each answer.
- •3.10. Match the questions and answers.
- •3.11. Complete the table by writing questions and answers.
- •3.12. Here are some of the things people say at parties. Match the statements with the question tags.
- •3.13. Add the question tags.
- •3.14. Mark and Jenny went into the travel agent’s to book a holiday. These are some of the questions that were asked. Add the question tags.
- •3.15. Mark and Jenny were showing some family photographs to a friend. Here are some of the questions that were asked. Complete the questions by adding the question tags.
- •3.16. Complete these questions with the appropriate question tags.
- •3.17. Use question tags to complete these sentences.
- •3.18. Add question tags to these statements to make them into questions asking someone to confirm what you are saying, or to agree with you.
- •3.19. Add suitable question tags.
- •3.20. Add a question tag to each sentence.
- •3.21. Write a short answer for each question, beginning as shown.
- •3.22. Rewrite these requests using question tags.
- •3.23. In pairs, look at this conversation. Where do you think the conversation is happening? Read it out between you, adding a question tag in each gap.
- •3.24. Read out these sentences, adding a question tag. Decide whether you want it to be: 1) a real question, with a rising intonation, or 2) a request for confirmation, with a falling intonation.
- •In pairs, choose some of the questions and write short dialogues, e.G.
- •3.25. Make a new sentence with a tag question which has the same meaning as the first sentence, beginning as shown. Make any necessary changes.
- •In groups of three, take it in turns to say a statement to the student on your left to reply to with a short question. Do not use the statements given above.
- •3.31. Questionnaires
- •3.32. Yes/no game
- •3.33. Questions for answers
- •3.34. Questions for questions
- •3.35. In pairs, write short conversations (5 – 6 remarks for each student) for one of the following situations.
- •3.36. Render the following into English.
- •Unit 4. Possession
- •4.1. Choose the correct word or phrase in each sentence.
- •4.2. Complete these sentences by adding a possessive.
- •4.3. Complete these sentences by adding a possessive with “own”.
- •4.4. Complete the sentences by adding an apostrophe or an apostrophe s (’s) to the word or word combination in brackets.
- •4.5. Find the errors in these sentences. Rewrite each sentence.
- •4.6. Put an apostrophe where necessary.
- •4.7. Put apostrophes where necessary. There should be twenty. Decide whether each ’s is a) an abbreviation of is, b) an abbreviation of has, c) an abbreviation of us, or d) a possessive ’s.
- •4.8. Look at these sentences and transform them, using a possessive pronoun instead of the possessive adjective, e.G. It’s my book. – The book is mine.
- •4.9. Rewrite these sentences using “a … of” instead of “one of”.
- •4.10. Rewrite the replies to these questions.
- •4.11. For each question, complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first, using no more than three words.
- •4.12. In pairs, discuss what you know about each other, e.G. Carmen’s hair is curly. Donald’s job is very rewarding.
- •4.14. Give the English for the following sentences.
- •Unit 5. Pronouns
- •5.1. Choose the correct word in each sentence.
- •5.2. Complete the following sentences with “they”, “them” or “their”.
- •5.3. In small groups, take turns to say as many sentences as you can using these words, as quickly as possible, e.G. He wants us to listen.
- •5.4. Add personal pronouns to complete the story.
- •5.5. Use the correct reflexive pronouns to complete the following sentences.
- •5.6. Complete each sentence so that it includes a suitable form of one of the verbs from the box, and a reflexive pronoun.
- •5.7. Choose a personal pronoun or a reflexive pronoun to complete these sentences correctly.
- •5.8. Use these pairs of words and a reflexive pronoun in sentences, e.G. Matches/burn – He burnt himself while he was playing with matches.
- •5.9. Change the phrases “on one’s own” to “by oneself”.
- •5.10. Come up with answers to the following questions.
- •5.11. Supply the English for the underlying sentences.
- •Unit 6. Making comparisons
- •6.1. Write down the comparative and superlative forms of the adjectives below.
- •6.2. Correct the spelling of these words where necessary.
- •6.3. Complete these sentences using the comparative of the adjectives in brackets and “than”.
- •6.4. Form the comparative of the adjectives in these phrases and use the phrases in the sentences below.
- •6.5. Make sentences with a comparative form and “than”, using the words given.
- •6.6. Complete these sentences using the comparative and the superlative of the adjectives given.
- •6.7. Complete the following sentences using superlative adjectives in front of the nouns.
- •6.8. Put one suitable word in each space, beginning with the letter given. The number of letters in the word is suggested.
- •6.9. Choose the correct word or phrase in each sentence.
- •6.10. Complete each sentence with a comparative or superlative form of the word in bold. Include any other necessary words.
- •6.11. Choose the correct answer.
- •6.12. Change not as … as into less … than.
- •6.13. Supply as … as, not as … as, less. More than one answer may be possible.
- •6.14. Choose the correct answer.
- •6.15. Rewrite the sentences using the words in bold.
- •6.16. Put one suitable word in each space.
- •6.17. Put one suitable word in each space.
- •6.18. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence.
- •6.19. For each question, complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first, using no more than three words.
- •6.26. The sooner the better
- •In pairs, write two more beginnings and pass them on to another pair to complete.
- •6.27. The same of different?
- •6.29. Opinions
- •In pairs, think of five questions with superlatives about a country you know well. Give the questions to another pair to answer.
- •6.32. Give an English equivalent for the sentences.
- •Recommended learning resources Reference and grammar books
- •Dictionaries
- •Internet resources
1.1. Complete the sentences using a suitable form of the verb to be. Give all possible answers.
1. What … his name?
2. A: Where … you from? – B: I … from Sydney.
3. … you here on holiday or on business?
4. … it your first visit to this country?
5. A: … the bag yours? – B: No, it … not.
6. Here we …!
7. A: … Peter and Paul British? – B: Yes, they … from London.
8. Manuel … a Spaniard.
9. My address … 19, Bond Street, London.
10. Her hair … very beautiful.
11. … I right?
12. The United States … a powerful country.
13. Many British people … lucky to live in their own house.
14. What … your plans for the day?
15. The English … very nice to tourists.
16. A: … you sure you don’t mind? – B: Yes, I … .
17. Who … that girl over there?
18. The Alps … in Europe, not in Asia.
19. English … difficult to learn.
20. Cambridge Station … a small station.
21. I … in the infirmary now.
22. I … sure the twins … twenty.
23. You … not here but I don’t feel lonely.
24. I … sorry I’ve made this mistake.
25. I can’t help you, I … busy now.
1.2. Render the sentences into English.
1. Джеймс врач. Его профессия очень сложная и ответственная.
2. Её зовут Дженни. Она из Канады. Ей 23 года. Она студентка 4 курса.
3. Вы из провинции или из столицы? – Я из столицы. Это мой родной город.
4. Не понимаю, почему она боится собак.
5. Китайский язык очень трудный.
6. Эта поездка очень продолжительная. Дети уже устали.
7. Мы свободны. Теперь мы можем сходить куда-нибудь.
8. Это её первая роль в театре? – Да, но она не профессиональная актриса.
9. Вы не правы. Столица Китая – Пекин, а не Шанхай.
10. Он дома. Но долго говорить он не может, он болен.
11. Я сожалею, что опоздал. Я был занят нашей вечерней презентацией.
12. Мы были в помещении не одни, поэтому я был так сдержан, когда говорил с тобой.
13. Она не была уверена, что права.
14. Он находился в больнице. Сейчас он уже на работе.
15. Я был на улице, поэтому не слышал твоего звонка.
16. Мы уже в университете. А ещё 20 минут назад стояли в ужасной пробке!
17. Пол был очень хорошим специалистом. Жаль, что он теперь на пенсии.
18. Мистер Дженкинсон физик. Он не был хорошим студентом, а заинтересовался наукой, когда был в армии.
19. Мы всегда к вашим услугам.
20. Её рассказы очень интересные.
21. Наш дом находится за городом. Отсюда – 20 минут на автомобиле.
22. Разве они индусы? – Нет, но я не знаю, кто они по национальности. Я был уверен, что они из Индии, но они из другой страны.
23. Ты был на работе, когда я тебе позвонил? – Нет, я был уже не на работе, я ехал домой.
24. Как назывался этот фильм? – «Завтра – слишком поздно».
25. Это Ваш телефон? – Да, а он был на письменном столе?
Unit 2. There + to be. Impersonal subjects
REFERENCE
A Оборот there + to be
Оборот “there + to be” используется при упоминании предмета впервые или для обозначения наличия либо отсутствия чего-либо или кого-либо. |
Для обозначения подобных ситуаций в настоящем используются формы there is / there are, в прошлом – there was / there were. There is и there was – формы, употребляемые в том случае, если последующее существительное стоит в единственном числе, there are и there were – во множественном:
There is a message for you.
There are twenty-two people in the hall.
Was there any interesting quiz on TV last night?
There were three questions in my exam card.
Со словосочетаниями a lot of, a couple of, a number of, обозначающими некоторое множество предметов, употребляется глагол во множественном числе:
There are a couple of questions I would like to ask him.
При перечислении выбор глагольной формы зависит от числа первого существительного:
There is a gift shop, two cafeterias and five telephone boxes round the corner.
There were five glasses, five teacups and a bottle on the table.
При переводе на русский язык первой переводится часть предложения, содержащая обстоятельственное слово или оборот, т. е. зачастую перевод на русский язык будет начинаться с конца английского предложения:
There were some new pictures on the wall. – На стене было несколько новых картин.
Глагол to be на русский язык часто переводится глаголом, лексически соответствующим описываемой ситуации:
There is a new carpet on the floor. – На полу лежит новый ковер.
There was a large chandelier in the living-room. – В гостиной висела большая люстра.
Если русское предложение начинается с обстоятельственного слова или оборота, то оно переводится на английский язык с помощью оборота there + to be:
На столе лежали три черных ноутбука. – There were three black laptops on the desk.
Если же русское предложение начинается с группы подлежащего, то при переводе на английский язык также используется прямой порядок слов, т. е. перевод начнется тоже с группы подлежащего:
Три черных ноутбука лежали на столе. – Three black laptops were on the desk.
Оборот there + to be не может использоваться с именем собственным:
There
is James in the garden.
James is in the garden.
B Impersonal subject it
Безличный оборот it + to be используется в следующих случаях:
♦ для указания на предмет впервые:
It is a sophisticated device.
♦ для описания погодных условий:
It was windy outside.
♦ при указании на расстояние:
It is a ten-minute drive from here.
♦ для обозначения температуры:
It was 44°C yesterday.
♦ для обозначения времени:
It is five past six already.
♦ в безличных оборотах с прилагательным или существительным:
It is great to be here.
It was necessary to take precautions.
It is a thrill to go on a safari ride on your own.
♦ в обороте it is said that:
It is said that nothing matters more than to be at the right place at the right time.
С Impersonal constructions with the verbs to seem, to appear
It seems / appears that + a subordinate clause There seem(s) / appear(s) to be …
It seemed / appeared that + a subordinate clause There seemed / appeared to be … |
It seems that we are short of fuel. – Кажется, у нас мало топлива.
It appears that they are losing again. – По всей видимости, они снова проигрывают.
There seems to be a problem. – Видимо, есть одна проблема.
There appear to be some tricky questions in the test. – Как видно, в тесте есть несколько каверзных вопросов.
It seemed that we were short of fuel. – Казалось, у нас было мало топлива.
It appeared that they were losing again. – По всей видимости, они снова проигрывали.
There seemed to be a problem. – Видимо, была одна проблема.
There appeared to be some tricky questions in the test. – Создавалось впечатление, что в тесте есть несколько каверзных вопросов.
PRACTICE