Special problems you need to know

1. Such and so

‘Such situations are not very common’.

Such is used before a noun (with or without an adjective). Such comes before a/an. So is used before an adjective alone. Remember that so but not such is used before much, many, few, little.

Exercise 1. Insert ‘such’. ‘such a’, or ‘so’ in the following sentences

1. It is …terrible weather.

2. It was … nice story.

3. It was … loud noise.

4. I’ve never seen … heavy traffic.

5. It was .. late that we couldn’t call on them.

6. His new song was … success.

7. I’m surprised that he’s got … patience.

8. That was … difficult homework.

9. I’ve never seen .. much fruit.

10. The fun was … that we could not help laughing.

11. I’m .. happy that I have .. many friends.

12. She is .. smart.

13. The following is a suggested list of … differences.

2. preposition + relative pronoun

’Civil cases have only to be proved ‘on the balance of probabilities’, a lower standard in which the judge decides …’

In a formal style the preposition can be put before the relative pronoun.

Exercise 2. Complete the following sentences with a suitable preposition

1. She met a man … whom she had been friendly years before.

2. It was the house … which he had told them.

3. She needs other children … whom to play.

4. It is a boring place ... which to live.

5. This difference in the standard .. which a case has to be proved means that even though a defendant in a criminal case has been acquitted, a civil case based on the same facts against that defendant can still be successful.

3. such as

‘This is usually done by an award of money in compensation…, though the court can make other orders such as an injunction to prevent similar actions in the future, …’

Remember that such as means for example.

Exercise 3. Choose the incorrect word or phrase and correct it.

1. Jobs at fast-food restaurants for such as McDonald’s are often filled by students.

2. Taking care of pets as such dogs and cats can teach children lessons in responsibility.

3. Magazines such Time, Newsweek, and U.S. News and World Report provide the reader with a pictorial report of the week’s events.

4. A defendant may be found guilty of a driving offence, so going through a traffic light or driving without due care and attention; this is a criminal case. Anyone who was injured or had property damaged as a result of the incident could bring a civil action to claim compensation.

5. Some countries, as the United States of America, have a written constitution.

4. be + likely + infinitive

‘… a lower standard in which the judge decides who is most likely to be right’

Likely means the same as probable.

Exercise 4. Read the following sentences, notice carefully the words in bold, and translate the sentences into Russian.

a. There were studies in the 1980s that suggested that black defendants were more likely to be sent to prison than their white counterparts.

b. They reported that women were far less likely than men to receive a custodial sentence for virtually all indictable offences except for drug offences.

c. They also reported that women were less likely to receive prison sentences, irrespective of the number of previous convictions

d. Regardless of whether women offenders as a whole receive harsher treatment, there is support for the view that women who are single or divorced, or who have children in care are more likely to receive a custodial sentence than women who have a stable family life.

e. The law of a country will usually reflect the moral values accepted by the majority of the country, but the law is unlikely to be exactly the same as the common religious moral code

5. Causative HAVE (have + object +past participle)

“Anyone who was injured or had property damaged as a result of the incident could bring a civil action to claim compensation.”

Remember that HAVE can be used as a causative. In a causative a person does not perform an action directly. Tom had a tooth filled.

But have + object + past participle may have a different meaning. For example:

“In this way the law upholds the rights of people not to be assaulted or to have their possessions stolen (all their possessions were stolen) or whatever else the particular crime involves.” With this meaning have + object + done is used to say that something (which is not nice) happens to somebody or their belongings.

Exercise 5. Choose the incorrect word or phrase and correct it.

1. Have you had your temperature taking yet?

2. We are going to have our car fix before we go to Toronto.

3. Like humans, zoo animals must have a dentist to be filled their teeth.

4. Most presidential candidates have their names print on the ballot in the New Hampshire primary election.

5. How did he have his credit card stealing?

6. John had his arm break in an accident.