Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Curs Engleza IDD
Curs Engleza IDD
CONTENTS
Unit 1____________________________________________________________________ 7
Reading________________________________________________________________ 7
Ways with words_________________________________________________________ 8
Grammar Reference_____________________________________________________ 11
Present Simple_____________________________________________________________11
Present Continuous__________________________________________________________13
Verbs which do not take the Continuous Aspect in English____________________________14
Controlled Practice______________________________________________________ 15
Unit 2___________________________________________________________________ 23
Reading_______________________________________________________________ 23
Ways with Words________________________________________________________ 24
Grammar Reference 1____________________________________________________ 30
Past Simple________________________________________________________________30
Past Continuous____________________________________________________________32
Past Simple and Past Continuous_______________________________________________34
Controlled Practice 1_____________________________________________________ 34
Grammar reference 2____________________________________________________ 46
The Ordinal Numeral_________________________________________________________46
The Fractional Numeral_______________________________________________________47
The Multiplicative Numeral____________________________________________________47
Controlled Practice 2_____________________________________________________ 47
Unit 3___________________________________________________________________ 49
Reading_______________________________________________________________ 49
Ways with Words________________________________________________________ 50
Grammar Reference 1____________________________________________________ 56
Present Perfect Simple_______________________________________________________56
Present Perfect Simple and Past Simple__________________________________________58
Controlled Practice 1_____________________________________________________ 59
Grammar Reference 2____________________________________________________ 65
Present Perfect Continuous____________________________________________________65
Controlled Practice 2_____________________________________________________ 67
Progress Test 1___________________________________________________________75
Unit 4___________________________________________________________________ 81
Reading_______________________________________________________________ 81
Ways with Words________________________________________________________ 82
Grammar Reference_____________________________________________________ 87
Indefinite Pronouns__________________________________________________________87
The Personal Pronoun_______________________________________________________89
4 English Practical Course
Controlled Practice______________________________________________________ 89
Unit 5___________________________________________________________________ 93
Reading_______________________________________________________________ 93
Ways with Words________________________________________________________ 94
Past Perfect Simple__________________________________________________________97
Past Perfect Continuous______________________________________________________98
Controlled Practice 1_____________________________________________________ 99
Grammar Reference 2___________________________________________________ 102
The Imperative____________________________________________________________102
Controlled Practice 2____________________________________________________ 103
Unit 6__________________________________________________________________ 105
Reading______________________________________________________________ 105
Ways with Words_______________________________________________________ 106
Grammar Reference____________________________________________________ 107
Future Simple_____________________________________________________________107
Future Continuous__________________________________________________________109
Be Going to Future_________________________________________________________109
Future Simple or Be Going to?________________________________________________111
Other Ways of Referring to the Future__________________________________________111
Future Perfect_____________________________________________________________112
Future Perfect Progressive___________________________________________________112
Other future references______________________________________________________112
Controlled Practice:_____________________________________________________ 113
Unit 7__________________________________________________________________ 117
Reading______________________________________________________________ 117
Ways with Words_______________________________________________________ 118
Grammar Reference____________________________________________________ 119
The Passive Voice__________________________________________________________119
Further Points on the Passive Voice____________________________________________121
Causative Forms___________________________________________________________122
Controlled Practice_____________________________________________________ 123
Progress Test 2__________________________________________________________141
Unit 8__________________________________________________________________ 147
Reading______________________________________________________________ 147
Ways with Words_______________________________________________________ 148
Grammar Reference 1___________________________________________________ 149
The Conjunction___________________________________________________________149
Coordinating Conjunctions___________________________________________________149
Subordinating Conjunctions___________________________________________________150
Controlled Practice 1____________________________________________________ 150
Grammar Reference 2___________________________________________________ 153
English Practical Course 5
Number of nouns___________________________________________________________153
Controlled Practice 2____________________________________________________ 156
Unit 9__________________________________________________________________ 159
Reading______________________________________________________________ 159
Ways with Words_______________________________________________________ 160
Grammar Reference____________________________________________________ 162
The Noun________________________________________________________________162
Gender__________________________________________________________________163
Countable/uncountable nouns_________________________________________________164
Nouns which may be uncountable or countable___________________________________164
The Genitive/Possessive Case________________________________________________165
Controlled Practice_____________________________________________________ 168
Unit 10_________________________________________________________________ 181
Reading______________________________________________________________ 181
Ways with Words_______________________________________________________ 182
Grammar Reference____________________________________________________ 184
Prepositions_______________________________________________________________184
Prepositions in Phrasal Verbs_________________________________________________185
Place of Prepositions in the Sentence___________________________________________185
Prepositions of Time________________________________________________________186
Problematic Prepositions of Movement and Place_________________________________186
Controlled Practice_____________________________________________________ 190
Progress Test 3__________________________________________________________203
Unit 11_________________________________________________________________ 207
Reading______________________________________________________________ 207
Ways with Words_______________________________________________________ 208
Grammar Reference____________________________________________________ 209
Position of adjectives________________________________________________________209
The Order of Adjectives in a Series_____________________________________________209
Capitalising proper adjectives_________________________________________________210
Collective adjectives________________________________________________________211
Adjectival opposites_________________________________________________________211
Comparative and Superlative Adjectives_________________________________________212
Comparative Sentences_____________________________________________________215
Controlled Practice_____________________________________________________ 216
UNIT 12________________________________________________________________ 233
Reading______________________________________________________________ 233
Grammar Reference____________________________________________________ 234
The Article________________________________________________________________234
The Indefinite Article________________________________________________________234
The Definite Article_________________________________________________________235
Zero Article_______________________________________________________________238
6 English Practical Course
Unit 1
In this unit you will learn:
Present Simple
Present Continuous
Verbs which do not take a continuous aspect
Reading
Read the following fragment on advertising. Pay attention to the use of
tenses. Underline the verbs which are in present tense simple and present
continuous:
Advertising is capitalism’s soft sell. An anonymous mass of people called
consumers have each to be
persuaded to need whatever a
product can give them, to buy it
and to keep on buying. It is really
interesting to notice that girls growing up, and women housewives worried
about fulfilling and achieving their roles, are the foremost consumers. They
see in advertising imagery reflections of society’s attitudes and ideals often
taken to extremes. They do not realise that this is in fact a fake image. They
may not be persuaded to buy products, but they absorb the images. They do
not learn their roles from this source, but it is a strong reinforcer.
Advertising sets out to make people identify with characters in
advertisements, with their situation and needs, to make them jealous of the
person they would become if they bought the product. On the one side, they
believe that if they buy Diavolo they will look like Antonio Banderas, if they
buy BU, they will be a second Eva Herzigova, and so on. They do not
8 English Practical Course
realize the difference between fancy and reality. On the other side,
advertising also captures girls’ fluttering images of themselves. This is why
they become that anonymous mass of people which we called consumers in
the beginning.
c. Add a letter at the beginning of the tree and you have another word for
backbone.
III. Try again. Start with an.
a. Add a letter at the end and you have a very little animal that lives in a hill.
b. Add a letter at the beginning of the little animal and you have the
opposite of can.
c. Add a letter at the beginning of the opposite of can and you have a word
that means not enough.
IV. Find the words described below:
a. A word that sounds like meat but means getting together.
b. Another word for too that ends with -so.
c. A word that rhymes with hair but means right and just.
d. Another word for sufficient that rhymes with tough.
e. A word with two meanings: it may mean portion and it may also mean to
leave.
4. Read the sentence: They do not realise that this is in fact a fake image
again. Have you ever encountered the word organise spelled as organize?
This is not a mistake. It’s just the difference between British English and
American English. There are several differences in spelling words between
British English and American English.
Here are some of them:
British English American English
theatre theater
centre center
neighbour neighbor
colour color
travelling traveling
organise organize
analyse analyze
5. Classified advertisements
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You are touring Britain on holiday with friends. Someone you meet
recommends a weekly newspaper which contains advertisements for holiday
accommodation.
Yet opening the newspaper, you find it full of small advertisements
containing abbreviations. Can you decipher them?
Bourbemouth – Warm welcome awaits you at Pinewood Guest House. Ctly.
sit. H. & c. Tv. in bdrms. Access at all time. B. & b. £31.50/£42 p.w.
Reduced rates for chldn. 197
Holdenhurst Rd. Phone 292684
[1977-08S
Bourbemouth – Linga-Longa Hotel. Westbourne. Spac. hotel, residential lic.
Games rm. Large car park and gdns. Excel. food. B & b., e.m. Special
Spring terms from £45 plus V.A.T. Phone 761001
Torquay. – Quiet det. Bungalow for 7/8. Top class accom. 2 w.c.’s, bathrm.
and shower, lounge, dining rm., big. kit., sunny gdn. Phone (06267)4590,
after 6 p.m.
[x21-0H
Grammar Reference
Present Simple
It is used to express:
English Practical Course 11
Present Continuous
It is used to express:
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an activity happening now or around now (in this case the action
extends over a slightly longer period of time, including the moment
of speaking)
They are playing in their bedroom now.
I am filling in a cloze test now.
I’m writing an essay on Victorianism this week.
a temporary, limited action/ behaviour (+an adverbial indicating
present time):
I live in Romania, but I’m living in England these six months.
One’s immediate plans for the near future:
I’m meeting you at 10 o’clock tomorrow.
a repeated action or habit which annoys the speaker
You are always calling me at midnight.
Form
Present Continuous is formed with the present tense of the auxiliary verb be
followed by the present participle of the main verb (verb+ -ing).
Affirmative and negative
I am (‘m) working.
am not (‘m)
not
You are (‘re)
We are not
They (aren‘t)
He is (‘s)
She is not (isn’t)
It
Interrogative
What am I doing?
are you
we
14 English Practical Course
they
is he
she
it
Short answer
Are you coming?
Yes, I am. No, I’m not.
Is she watching TV?
Yes, she is. No, she isn’t.
Controlled Practice
1. Put the verbs in brackets into the Present Simple or Present Continuous:
a. He usually (drink) coffee but today he (drink) tea.
b. The Rotring (belong) to Mary.
c. He (come) to see me tonight; we (go) on a trip to Sinaia next week and
we (want) to make plans for it.
d. I (live) in Ploiesti, but this week, as I (attend) a course in Bucharest, I
(stay) with my uncle in Calea Floreasca.
e. This course (contain) 14 chapters.
f. Maria (come) from Spain this week;
g. She (speak) French, English and Italian.
h. What you (do) here? I (look) for my glasses.
i. Where you (live)? I (live) in Scotland.
j. This week we (study) the Middle Ages in the English Culture and
Civilisation.
k. This bottle (hold) boric acid. Don’t touch it!
l. Ann (resemble) her mother more and more.
m. It (rain) now. It often (rain) in summer.
n. Pardon me, sir, but I (think) you (stand) on my feet.
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2. Decide which is the most appropriate form of the verb in the following
sentences:
a. I’m thinking/ I think of you.
b. She smells/ is smelling gas.;
c. Mother is tasting/ tastes the soup to see if it needs more salt.;
d. We have/ are having dinner now.;
e. Could you call him back in twenty minutes as he has/ is having a bath
right now.
f. What’s wrong with you? Why are you looking/ do you look at me like
this?
g. The film is extremely long and boring. It lasts/ is lasting four hours.
h. I think/ am thinking that something is wrong with the radiator in this
room. It gets/ is getting colder and colder.
i. What exactly does your job involve/ is your job involving?
3. Complete this postcard using the correct form of the verbs on the right:
Greetings from Scotland! John and I …..... our spend
summer in Edinburgh, at
Edinburgh University, where we …….. a good have
time and at the same time we …….. things about learn
Scottish and Irish writers. People…….. here come
every summer to learn more about contemporary
English Practical Course 17
literature.
I …….. a paper on Samuel Beckett this week write
and John …….. a short story written by Angela read
Carter. We …….. up at half past eight every get
morning
and …….. courses from ten to half past twelve. have
We …….. at one, yet today, as we ….. a eat, visit
literature museum, we …… earlier. finish
So it’s hard work. But I …….. it here. We …..... like, have
a post-office in front of the Centre, so I …. here stop
in order to mail your postcard.
Love, Kate
4. Rewrite each sentence so that it contains the word in capitals and so that
the meaning stays the same:
a. The cost of the bus ticket is part of the transport fee.
INCLUDES
b. What is the weight of that bag you have as hand luggage?
MUCH
c. John has the bad habit of eavesdropping to other people’s conversation.
ALWAYS
d. Sunset is at 9.30 tonight.
THE SUN
e. What is inside this book?
CONTAIN
f. I’m positive that you have no idea what the answer is.
BET
g. She works hard, so she doesn’t have too much spare time.
MEANS
h. The war in Irak is over.
COMES
18 English Practical Course
i. The number of people who own houses on the outskirts of the city is
increasing.
BUYING
j. They are decorating my room now.
HAVING
6. Put the verbs in brackets into the simple present or the present continuous
tense.
a. You cannot see Mary now: she (see) her boyfriend.
b. They won’t go out as it (snow) and they (not have) warm clothes.
c. Hardly anyone (wear) tight pants nowadays.
d. George can’t watch his favourite TV program now because his father
(watch) a movie.
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7. Ask questions about the underlined parts of the following sentences.
a. The two friends are listening to a rock concert.
b. The milkman comes to our house twice a week.
c. The children are playing at hide-and-seek.
d. I usually read two books a week when I have time.
e. Our guests are talking to us in Russian.
f. It takes five hours to reach the top of the mountain.
g. She is wearing a strange, yellow dress.
h. My father usually comes home from work by car.
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Unit 2
In this unit you will learn:
Past Simple
Past Continuous
The Ordinal Numeral
The Multiplicative
The Fractional Numeral
Reading
Read the following text about English as a world language. Pay attention to
the use of the past tense. Underline the verbs which are in the past tense:
Today, when English is one of the
major languages in the world, it
doesn’t require too much effort of our
imagination to realize that this is a
relatively recent thing - that in
Shakespeare’s time, for example, only
a few million people spoke English,
and this was not thought to be very
important by the other nations of Europe, and it was unknown to the rest of
the world.
English has become a world language because of its establishment as a
mother tongue outside England, in all the continents of the world. People
started to import English in the seventeenth century, with the first
settlements in North America. Above all, it is the great growth of population
in the United States, assisted by massive immigration in the nineteenth and
English Practical Course 23
twentieth century, that has given the English language its present status in
the world. As I could read in an article, one person in seven of the world’s
entire population speaks English nowadays and most of them are quite
fluent in it. Incredibly enough, due to the extension of computerised systems
and softs which are mostly in English, 75% of the world’s mail and 60% of
the world’s telephone calls are in English. Again incredible, yet true is the
fact that 200 million people speak English and every year there are twenty
million beginners. International literary or scientific publications are
generally printed in English and other languages such as German, Spanish
or French, yet again English is the predominant language. So, the quicker
you learn it, the more opportunities you may have to read interesting
materials connected to your field.
confident energetic
determined well-organised
independent patient
courageous enthusiastic
serious charming
handsome steady
ambitious intelligent
4. What do you think a good language learner can do? Choose beginnings
from A and suitable endings from B. There are many possible answers:
A good language learner:
A B
borrows books without a teacher.
writes things down in every way possible.
guesses words without being told to.
tries to study in real situations.
tries to learn every day possible.
practises speaking from films, TV and records.
5. What do you say to someone who does the things in column A. Choose
from the phrases in column B:
A B
answers the phone? “Get well soon!”
knocks on the door? “Cheers!”
says you are late? ”Excuse me!”
is in danger? “Don’t mention it!”
gets married? “Well done!”
passes an exam? “Congratulations!
drinks with you? “Sorry!”
is in your way? “Bless you!”
says “Good morning!’ “Thanks.”
says “How do you do!” “Look out!”
thanks you? “How do you do!”
is ill? “Hello?”
sneezes? “Sleep well!”
says “Good night.” “Good morning.”
says “Make yourself at home.” “Come in!”
says “Have a good weekend.” “Thanks. Same to you.”
6. Read and translate the following poems on the English language and
pronunciation:
A. Some words have different meanings
And yet they’re spelled the same.
A cricket is an insect,
To play it – it’s a game.
26 English Practical Course
as such = ca atare;
as well = deopotrivã, de asemenea;
as well as = cât şi, tot aşa ca;
as when = ca atunci când, ca în cazul în care;
as yet/ so far/ up to now. up to the present = pânã în prezent;
such as = astfel ca, ca de exemplu.
Now practise these expressions in sentences of your own.
Grammar Reference 1
Past Simple
It is used to express:
a finished action in the past (it is often used with past time
expressions: last year/ month/ week/, five years/ two days/ four
weeks ago, yesterday, yesterday morning/ evening, in 1985, etc):
They discovered this machine in the late eighteenth century.
The English literature teacher gave us a copy of Sir Gawain and the Green
Knight yesterday.
The industrialisation in England led to the change of people’s mentalities.
habitual, repeated actions in the past (with verbs denoting a
permanent characteristic) or completed states:
She always wore red.
I met him every day on my way to the office.
In those years, I didn’t like reading.
a series of actions which follow one another in a story (narrative
past)
Tom came into the room. He took off his shirt, put on a T-shirt and sat down
in the armchair. Suddenly he remembered something. He stood up and went
out of the room.
30 English Practical Course
Form
The form of the Past Tense Simple is the same for all persons.
Affirmative
The positive of regular verbs ends in -ed.
There are many common irregular verbs. In order to create this tense you
need the second form of the verb (see the list on page 299)
I arrived yesterday.
You went to Sinaia
We
They
He/She
Negative
-the negative of the Past Tense Simple is formed with the auxiliary did+not
(didn’t).
I did not (didn’t) arrive yesterday.
You did not (didn’t) go to Sinaia
We
They
He/She
Interrogative
-the question in the Past Tense Simple is formed with the auxiliary did.
When did I arrive?
Where did you go?
we
they
he
she
Short answer
Did you go to work yesterday?
Yes, I did. No, I didn’t.
English Practical Course 31
Past Continuous
It is used to express:
an action in progress at some time in the past
What were you doing at 10 o’clock yesterday?
I was lecturing my students on linguistics.
When she arrived, they were waiting for her in the corridor.
A past activity happening over a period of time
I was reading from 4 to 6.30 yesterday.
-refers to:
background descriptions in narrative
I entered the room and looked around. My sister was playing with her dolls,
Father was reading some news in the newspaper, of course, and little John
was trying to draw something on my favourite poster.
changing states:
The car was getting worse all the time. One of the headlights was
continually falling off, and the engine was making a huge noise.
repeated actions (with a frequency adverb, it means criticism and is
similar to the use of present continuous when expressing annoyance)
When she came to me, she was always looking through my diary.
Note that past continuous is not used to describe general habitual actions,
without the sense of criticism mentioned above. Past simple is used for this
meaning.
When I lived in Paris, I crossed the bridge over Seine all the time.
Form
was/ were (past tense of to be)+ verb+-ing (present participle)
Affirmative and negative
32 English Practical Course
I was working.
He was not (wasn’t)
She
You were
We were not
They (weren’t)
Interrogative
What was I doing?
he
she
were you
we
they
Short answer
Were you working at this time yesterday?
Yes, I was. No, I wasn’t.
Was she studying when you entered the room?
Yes, she was. No, she wasn’t.
Controlled Practice 1
1. Decide which is the correct verb form:
a. I saw/was seeing a very good programme on TV last night.
b. While I was learning/ learnt for my French exam, somebody was
knocking/ knocked at the door.
c. How did you cut/ were you cutting your finger? While I was fixing/ fixed
the wire, I was dropping/ dropped the knife.
d. I was listening/ listened to the news on the radio when the phone was
starting/ started to ring.
e. An American jet pilot was taking off/ took off from Washington, but the
jet’s engines went/ were going wrong.
f. We made / were making about 50 text analyses last year.
g. Latin played/ was playing an essential part in the development of
languages such as Romanian, Spanish, Italian, or French.
h. Our crew included/ was including a linguist, a writer and an English
interpreter.
i. When the house was decorated, the entire family moved/ was moving in.
j. The first important breakthrough was replacing/ replaced radios with
television sets in the 50’s.
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5. Translate into English using the simple and continuous past tense
whenever necessary:
a. Mă uitam la televizor când a sosit poştaşul.
b. În timp ce Diana asculta un concert la radio, cineva a bătut la uşă.
c. Anul trecut pe vremea asta eram la Predeal; acolo îmi petreceam vacanţa
de iarnă şi schiam în fiecare zi.
d. Cum s-a întâmplat exact accidentul? Mergeam de la Bucureşti la Ploieşti
şi tata tocmai ne povestea despre accidentul unor prieteni de-ai lui când
deodată în faţa maşinii a sărit un câine.
e. Încercau să găsească drumul către centru când au dat peste un tânăr care
s-a oferit să îi însoţească şi care i-a condus la obiectivele turistice cele mai
importante ale oraşului.
f. Dan se gândi că trebuia să se apuce de lucru, era cu mult în urmă, dar
tocmai în momentul când lua această hotărâre veni un prieten şi-l invită la
un meci de fotbal.
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6. Fill in the gaps with suitable verbs in the Simple Past or Past Continuous:
a. She (…) the voice that (…) louder than the others as that of her father.
b. They (…) dinner when the girl next door (…) and (…) for a loaf of bread.
c. While the old lady (…) those scrambled eggs, she suddenly (…) they (…)
off.
d. He not (…) the explosion because at that moment he (…).
e. What she (…) last night between 10 o’clock and 4?
f. I (…) when I (…) the road.
g. I (…) my bag when I (…) the plane.
h. My sister (…) wet while she (…) in the rain.
i. Whenever the politician (…) his mouth to speak the crowd (…) insults.
j. While the maid (…) the room a skeleton (…) out of the cupboard.
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colour and blurred every outline of the urban landscape. You could hardly
see the face of the clock at the top of the University’s tower, and the very
chimes sounded muffled and despondent. The atmosphere chilled the bones
and congested the lungs. Some people attributed the characteristic adenoidal
whine of the local dialect to the winter climate, which gave everybody
runny noses and blocked sinuses for months open like fish gasping for air.
At this time of the year it was certainly hard to understand why human
beings had ever settled and multiplied in such a cold, damp, grey place.
Only work seemed to provide an answer. No other reason would make
anyone come here, or having come, stay. All the more grim, therefore, was
the fate of the unemployed of Rummidge and environments, condemned to
be idle in a place where there was nothing much to do, except work.
(David Lodge, Nice Work)
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B. Quayle knew then that here was a brick wall. It had all happened too
quickly. He should have expected this. He should have got Helen out long
ago. But it was not hopeless even if he did not know that she was all right.
He didn’t know whether or not she had been sent back with the other
women. He was not sure of anything anymore. He was not certain about
what he was to do… Perhaps H.Q. has some information. They may have
telephone communication with the sector down the coast.
“Where is H.Q?” he asked the Australian.
“Down the coast. It’s cut off, too.”, the Australian said.
“Jesus Christ.”
“That’s right, too.”, the Australian said. “Your wife’s probably all right.”
“Yes. Maybe.” Quayle did not feel himself completely conscious.
“We’ll probably clear it up tomorrow.”
“Yes.”
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C. An old man with steel-rimmed spectacles and very dusty clothes sat by
the side of the road. There was a bridge across the river and cars, trucks and
men, women and children were crossing it. But the old man sat there
without moving. He was too tired to go any farther.
“Where do you come from?” I asked him.
“From San-Carlos,” he said and smiled. “I was taking care of the animals”,
he explained.
“Oh,” I said, not quite understanding.
“Yes,” he said. “I stayed, you see, taking care of the animals. I was the last
one to leave the town of San-Carlos. I had to leave them.”
“What animals were they?” I asked.
“There were two goats and a cat and then there were four pairs of pigeons.”
“And you have no family?” I asked watching the far end of the bridge.
“No,” he said, “only the animals I stated. I am seventy-six years old. I have
come twelve kilometres now and I think I can go no further.”
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Grammar reference 2
Controlled Practice 2
1. Read the following numerals:
3 2/4; 5.879; 2 9/7; 11x; 43/42.
g. Cât faci de la facultate până la cămin? Căminul este lângă facultate, aşa
că nu fac mai mult de cinci minute.
h. „A douăsprezecea noapte” este o comedie scrisă de Shakespeare.
i. Câţi cenţi are un dolar?
j. Deschideţi cartea la pagina 43 şi faceţi exerciţiul unu.
k. Toate lunile au treizeci sau treizeci şi una de zile cu excepţia lunii
februarie care are douăzeci şi opt de zile.
l. Camera are 5 metri în lungime şi 4 şi jumătate în lăţime.
m. O pătrime din avere îi aparţine lui Smith.
n. Cât ai obţinut? 0,78.
o. Mă duc la bunica aproximativ de trei ori pe săptămână.
p. El a scris o lucrare de trei ori mai bună decât a ta.
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Unit 3
In this unit you will learn:
Present Perfect Simple
Present Perfect Continuous
Differences between the Present Perfect and thePast Tense
Reading
1. Read the following dialogues. Pay attention to the use of homographs.
Dialogue 1: The Race
Jim has just come in last in a road race. He feels that the race was unfair, so
he goes to talk to one of the judges about it.
Jim: I would like to contest the outcome of this contest. I would have won,
but my shoelace was undone, and I had to bow down to fix it. That is why I
did not get to start at the same time as the other runners.
Judge: I do not think that you can use that as an excuse. At the close of the
race, you were not even close to the winning runner.
Jim: But the race was not fair. All of the other runners deserted me at the
starting line. Can't we do it again?
Judge: I cannot discuss this with you any longer. If you will excuse me, I am
late to meet some friends for a camping trip in the desert. Case closed!
Dialogue 2: The Singer
Charlie and Margaret are a married couple who own a video store. They
are discussing the latest news they have received from their daughter, Joan.
Margaret: Joan has told me this morning that she wants a career in the
music business. She is packing to go to Nashville to record her first record
right now.
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Charlie: What? She is going to subject the world to her singing voice? She
is tone deaf!
Margaret: Don't let her hear you say that. It will bring her to tears. We will
have to find a gentle way to separate her from the idea. We need to put our
heads together to find a solution.
Charlie: Maybe we could show her that she could be of more use here. She
could work at the store.
Margaret: That's a great idea. I know she would like that. We could use
another sales clerk. On a separate subject, what should I do with Joan 's
train tickets to Nashville?
Charlie: If she decides to stay, you can tear them up. It says on them that
they are non-refundable.
Margaret: OK. I will check with Joan first.
Practise these dialogues.
2. In the second dialogue, the wife tells her husband: We need to put our
heads together to find a solution. To put somebody’s heads together is an
idiom. It means to discuss a difficult problem together.
Let’s learn some idioms containing the word head.
from head to foot/toe – over your whole body
have a good/fine head of hair – to have a lot of hair on your head
do something in your head – calculate something in your mind
go over your head – to be too difficult for you to understand
a clear/cool head – the ability to think clearly or calmly in a difficult or
dangerous situation
need your head examined – be crazy
use your head – to think about something sensibly
keep your head above water – to manage to continue to live on your income
or keep your business working in spite of money problems
be hanging your head against a brick wall – to keep trying to do something
which seems impossible
have a head for figures/facts/ business – to be good at doing calculations,
remembering facts
head over heels in love – loving somebody very much
heads with roll – used to say that some people will be punished severely for
something that has happened
Now practise these idioms in sentences of your own.
3. Let’s learn more idioms containing words which refer to parts of the
body:
Foot
on foot – if you go somewhere on foot, you walk there
get/jump/ rise to your feet etc –to stand up after you have been sitting
be on your feet – to be standing for a long time without having time to sit
down; to stand up; to feel better again after being ill and in bed
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be rushed off your feet/ be run off your feet – to be very busy
put your foot in it - to say something without thinking carefully, so that you
embarrass or upset someone
have two left feet – to be very clumsy
get off on the wrong foot – to start a relationship badly, usually by having an
argument
have/keep both feet on the ground – to think in a sensible and practical way
and not have ideas or aims that will be impossible to achieve
have one foot in the grave – to be very old or very ill
leave feet first – to die before you leave a place or job
feet of clay –someone that you admire who has feet of clay has faults that
you did not realize they had
Hair
get in somebody’s hair – to annoy someone, especially by always being near
them
keep your hair on – (spoken) to tell someone to keep calm and not get
annoyed
let your hair down – (informal) to enjoy yourself and start to relax,
especially after working very hard
make somebody’s hair stand on end – to make someone very frightened
not turn a hair – to remain completely calm when something bad or
surprising suddenly happens
not harm/ touch a hair of somebody’s head – no to harm somebody in any
way
Hand
take somebody by the hand – hold somebody’s hand in order to take them
somewhere
hand in hand - holding each other’s hand, especially to show love
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right-handed/ left-handed – using the right hand for most actions rather than
the left, or the left hand rather than the right
right/left hander – a player who uses mainly the right hand or mainly the
left hand
not do a hand’s turn - to do no work at all
a dab hand – someone who is very good at doing something good with your
hands – skillful at making things
turn your hand to - to start doing something new or practising a new skill
keep your hand in – to keep practising something so you do not lose your
skill
a firm hand – strict control of someone
get out of hand – to become impossible to control
take something/somebody in hand – to bring someone or something under
control
in hand – being dealt with
have a hand in - to influence or to be involved in something
in good/safe/capable hands – being dealt with or looked after by someone
who can be trusted
off your hands – if something or somebody is off your hands, you are not
responsible for them anymore
at hand –near in time or space
on hand – close by and ready when needed
first hand/ at first hand – by direct personal experience
at second/third/fourth hand – passed from the first person who actually saw
or heard something to a second, third, or fourth person
by hand – delivered from one person to another, and sent through the post
go hand in hand – to be closely connected
get your hands on to obtain something– to catch somebody you are angry
with
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with your nose in the air – behaving as if you are more important than other
people and not talking to them
on the nose – exactly
keep your nose to the grindstone – to work very hard, without stopping to
rest
Grammar Reference 1
I’ve known you for five years/ since 1996. (Since means from a definite
point in the past till now, and for expresses a duration).
How long have you worked as a translator?
How long has it taken the English language to be used by so many people?
Form
have/has +verb (past participle)
The past participle of regular verbs ends in -ed. There are many common
irregular verbs (see the list on page 299).
Affirmative and negative
I have (‘ve) worked in a petroleum factory.
We have not (haven’t)
You
They
He has (‘s)
She has not (hasn’t)
Interrogative
Have I been to the United Kingdom?
we
you
they
Has he
she
Short answer
Have you ever been to France?
Yes, I have. No, I haven’t.
Has she ever worked as a petroleum engineer?
Yes, she has. No, she hasn’t.
Controlled Practice 1
1. Complete this conversation by putting the verbs in brackets into the
present perfect or simple past:
Maria: Hello, Dan.
Dan: Hello. I (not hear) from you for a long time.
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Maria: I (see) you in town two or three weeks ago, but you (not see) me. I
(be) on a tram.
Dan: Well, how are you? I remember that you were learning for your
English Phonetics test. …. you (pass) it yet?
Maria: Yes, I have. I (pass) in December. I (not pass) my Lexicology exam
yet. But what about you, Dan? Anything exciting (happen) to you lately?
Dan: No, not really. My brother is still out of work.
Maria: He (graduate) from school in autumn?
Dan: Yes. He (not do) very well in his exams and he (not find) a job yet.
Maria: Are you still working at Scott’s?
Dan: Yes. They just (give) me a pay rise.
Maria: Well, that’s one piece of good news.
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f. I don’t know why but I have the feeling that something (to happen).
g. She (to begin) reading at 8 this morning and (to go) on reading until 11
o’clock when she (to stop) and (to have) something to eat. She (to read)
about nine hours today, and (to translate) more than 25 pages.
h. When I (to buy) my car I (to ask) the company to confirm my insurance
by telephone. The company (to tell) me to wait for the response, but I (to
wait) a month now and the confirmation still (not come).
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2. ___________________ in Pakistan?
a) Did you ever worked
b) Have you ever worked
c) Had you ever worked
d) Didn't you work
b) I didn't hear
c) I used to hear
d) I've ever heard
4. Fill in with a suitable verb either in the Past Tense or Present Perfect:
a. You (…) all your life in this luxurious mansion?
b. When I (…) school I (…) my hair and (…) it short ever since.
c. My sister (…) several poems. She just (…) her second ode.
d. For your information I (…) home at 8 in the morning and (…) just before
noon.
e. John cannot send the letter since he (…) it. He (…) writing it at 5 and it’s
8 already.
f. As a child, I (…) catch a cold every month. Now I (...) a cold for more
than two years.
g. It (…) very hot this summer, I wonder when it’s going to get colder.
h. The movie (…) at 12 and (…) for two hours. Everybody enjoyed it.
i. What are we going to do? We (…) the train and the next one leaves in the
morning.
j. You (…) her an e-mail yet? Yes, I (…) it when you (…) at school.
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c. Vecinul meu a scris şi câteva poveşti de adormit copiii; evident, le-a scris
când era foarte tânăr.
d. Am băut şi am dansat până acum, că de mâncat – am mâncat dimineaţă.
e. Nu am văzut în viaţa mea atâta suferinţă cât am văzut azi la acest azil de
bătrâni.
f. S-a purtat foarte frumos cu mine de când i-am spus că îi vând lui maşina
mea.
g. Cumnatul meu a spart ieri casa fostului său director; după aceea s-a făcut
nevăzut şi de atunci poliţia îl caută fără încetare.
h. Tocmai am aflat vestea conform căreia preşedintele acelei ţări a căzut
victimă unui atac terorist.
i. Vi se pare curios că tocmai şi-a luat lucrurile şi a plecat, după ce l-aţi
înjurat că nu a avut bani să plătească chiria?
j. Sigur, domnule, John şi-a plătit datoria. Şi-a plătit-o încă de când a luat
salariul.
Grammar Reference 2
that have been done: They have created/ have been creating new products
for several years./ They have created 2000 new products so far.
There may be little contrast when some state verbs are used.
How long have you lived here?
How long have you been living here?
Some verbs (especially sit, lie, stay and wait) prefer the continuous form.
There may be a contrast between completion and incompletion, especially if
the number of items completed is mentioned.
Completed: emphasis on achievement
I’ve washed four skirts this morning.
Incomplete, or recently completed: emphasis on duration.
I’ve been washing my skirts this morning.
a repeated activity, in which case a nuance of reproach, irritation,
etc. can be present.
I’ve been calling you for the past twenty minutes. Why don’t you answer the
phone?
Form
It consists of the present perfect of the auxiliary be and the present participle
of the main verb (verb+-ing).
Affirmative and negative
I have been working.
You have not been (haven’t been)
We
They
He has been
She has not been (hasn’t been)
Interrogative
What have I been doing?
have you
have we
64 English Practical Course
have they
has he
has she
Controlled Practice 2
1. Translate the following sentences into English. Use present perfect simple
or present perfect continuous:
a. Te caut de o orã. Pe unde ai umblat?
b. De atunci n-am mai primit nici o veste de la el.
c. Câte cuvinte ai căutat în dicţionar pânã acum?
d. Locuim în România de trei ani.
e. N-am mai vãzut-o de când a terminat facultatea.
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2. Supply the simple present perfect or the continuous present perfect of the
verbs in brackets:
a. I’m tired. I (work) hard all day.
b. Up to now I (visit) twenty countries.
c. I saw her in August, but (not see) her ever since.
d. How long you (learn) Chinese?
e. You’re out of breath. You (run)?
f. She (not write) the essay on Renaissance yet.
g. What she (do) all afternoon?
h. They already (speak) to me about that experiment.; i. Your eyes are red.
You (cry).
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4. Rewrite each sentence, beginning as shown, so that the meaning stays the
same:
a. It’s a long time since I last saw such a good movie.
I haven’t seen ………………………………………..
b. We haven’t seen each other for ages.
It’s ages ………………………………………………
c. I bought my car in 1992 and I’m still driving it.
I’ve been ………………………………………………
d. I haven’t been to Barcelona before.
It’s the first …………………………………………….
e. There is definite improvement in your spelling recently.
Lately your spelling …………………………………….
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f. No wonder you are overweight. You ate chocolates in the morning, you
have eaten chocolates in the afternoon and you are still eating chocolates
now and it’s 5 pm.
No wonder you are overweight. You …………………….
g. I don’t know where my glasses are.
I have …………………………………………………….
h. I don’t have the textbook with me. It is at home.
I have …………………………………………………….
i. The last time I spoke to Jane was in 2001.
I haven’t …………………………………………………..
j. Eating this spicy Indian food is totally new to me.
I haven’t ……………………………………………………
5. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense: present perfect simple or
continuous:
a. Peter: You (telephone) for ages. You not nearly (finish)? Jack: I (not get)
through yet. I (try) to get our Paris office but the line (be) engaged all
morning.
b. Ann (fail) her driving test three times because she's so bad at reversing.
But she (practise) reversing for the last week and I think she (get) a bit
better at it.
c. Tom: I often (wonder) why Bill left the country so suddenly. Peter:
Actually, I just (find) out.
d. He (play) the bagpipes since six o'clock this morning. He only just (stop).
e. Why you (not bring) me the letters for signature? You (not type) them
yet?
f. Tom (looking up absent-mindedly as Mary comes in): You (sunbathe)?
Mary (crossly): Don't be ridiculous! It (rain) all day!
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g. A pair of robins (build) a nest in the porch since last week. I (watch) them
from my window since they began.
h. The police (not find) the murderer yet, but the dead man's brother (be) in
the station all day. The police say that he (help) them with their enquiries.
i. They (pull) down most of the houses in this street, but they (not touch) the
old shop at the corner yet.
j. Tom is convinced that there is gold in these hills but we (search) for six
months and (not see) any sign of it.
k. I (wait) for the prices of the houses to come down before buying a house,
but I think I (wait) too long and the prices are beginning to go up again.
l. Peter (be) a junior clerk for three years. Lately he (look) for a better post
but so far he (not find) anything.
m. I (do) housework all morning and I (not finish) yet. I (do) mine already. I
always start at 6 a.m.
n. I just (pick) ten pounds of strawberries! I (grow) strawberries for years
but I never (have) such a good crop before.
o. What you (do) with the corkscrew? The point is broken off. I'm afraid I
(use) it to make holes in this tin.
p. She just (sell) two of her own paintings. She's lucky. I (paint) for five
years and I (not sell) a single picture yet.
q. They are throwing crockery at each other in the next flat. This (happen)
before? Well, they (have) a good many rows but this is the fifth time they
(throw) crockery.
r. What you (do) with my typewriter? I can't find it anywhere. Tom just (go)
off with it. He says he'll bring it back when he (finish).
s. He (work) for Crow Brothers for forty years and never once (be) late. The
firm just (present) him with a gold watch as a sign of their appreciation.
t. We (mend) sheets all morning but we only (do) three, and now the sewing
machine (break) down so we'll be even slower with the next one.
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h. I (stand) in this queue for ages. It (not move) at all in the last five
minutes. I think the man in the ticket office just (shut) his window and (go)
out for lunch.
i. The Town Council (consider) my application for permission to build a
garage for three months. They just (give) my neighbour permission to build
one, so I hope they (decide) to let me have one too.
j. You look exhausted! Yes, I (play) tennis and I (not play) for years, so I'm
not used to it.
k. They began widening this road three weeks ago; but the workmen (be) on
strike for the last fortnight so they (not get) very far with it.
l. That man (stand) at the bus stop for the last half hour. Shall I tell him that
the last bus already (go)?
m. I wonder if anything (happen) to Tom. I (wait) an hour now. He often
(keep) me waiting but he never (be) quite so late as this.
n. Mrs Brown (live) next door for quite a long time now but she never (say)
more than 'Good morning' to me.
o. I just (remember) that I (not pay) the rent yet, I am surprised that the
landlord (not ring) me up to remind me. It is the first time you (be) late with
the rent in 25 years. He probably thinks that you (pay) and he (lose) the
cheque.
p. Shop assistant: Could you give me some proof of your identity, madam?
Customer: But I (shop) here for fifteen years! Shop assistant: I know,
madam, but apparently the company (lose) a lot of money lately through
dud cheques and they (make) new regulations which we (be told) to apply to
all customers no matter how long we (know) them.
q. What you (do)? I (look) for you for ages. I (build) a barbecue grid in the
garden.
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Progress Test 1
1. Put the verbs between brackets in the right tense:
In the past thirty years many social changes ……………… (take)
place in Britain. The greatest of these ………..probably………….(be) in the
economic and domestic lives of women. Almost all theoretical sex
discrimination in political and legal rights has been removed.
The changes …………(be) significant, but, because tradition and prejudice
can still …………..(handicap) women in their working careers and personal
lives, major legislation to help promote equality of opportunity and pay
………(appear) during the 70s.
Since 1951 the proportion of married women who work ……..
(grow) from just over a fifth to a half. Compared with their counterparts
elsewhere in the European Community, British women comprise a relatively
high proportion of the work-force, about two-fifths, but on average they
…………(work) fewer hours, about 31 a week. There is still a significant
difference between women’s average earnings and men’s, but the equal pay
legislation which ………(come) into force at the end of 1975 seems to have
helped to narrow the gap between women’s and men’s basic rates. During
the 1970s women’s wages ……….(rise) proportionately more than men’s
but …………..(remain) relatively low because women ……….(tend) to
work in lowly-paid sectors of the economy, they often …….(work) in
predominantly female work-forces, and they work less overtime than men.
As more and more women joined the work-force in the 1960s and early
1970s there ……(be) an increase in the collective incomes of women as a
whole and a major change in the economic role of large numbers of
housewives. Families …… (come) to rely on married women’s earnings as
an essential part of their income rather than as “pocket money”, or as a
English Practical Course 73
means of buying ”extras”. At the same time social roles within the family
……. (be) more likely to be shared, exchanged or altered.
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2. Rewrite each sentence, beginning as shown, so that the meaning stays the
same:
a. I’ve had to wait all morning.
I have been …………………..
b. I didn’t have any idea of my next move.
I didn’t know …………………
c. The last time I was to Paris was in 1998.
I haven’t ……………………….
d. Go to the registration desk immediately on arrival.
As ……………………………….
e. Mary and John’s wedding is next weekend.
Mary and John will ………………
f. I intended to tell you about it earlier, but I simply forgot.
I was ……………………………..
g. I wasn’t very keen on tennis in those days.
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A. you are waiting for; B. you wait for; C. you will wait for.
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Key:
1. have taken; have been; have been; handicap; appeared; has grown; work;
came; rose; remained; tend; work; was; came; were
2. a. I have been waiting all morning.
b. I didn’t know what I would do next.
c. I haven’t been to Paris since 1998.
d. As you arrive, go to the registration desk.
e. Mary and John will get married next weekend.
f. I was going to tell you about it earlier.
g. I didn’t use to play tennis in those days.
h. Whom does the car belong to?
i. Once your brother has got over his illness, his work will get better.
3. a. A; b. A; c. C; d. C; e. B; f. A; g. B.; h. A; i. A
4. a. I don’t know the tenses well.
b. I have been trying to call you all day. Where have you been?
c. They have been married for ten years.
d. She was such a kind woman that everybody loved her.
e. Look here! You’ve torn your T-shirt.
f. We spent New Year’s Eve in the countryside last year.
g. Nobody is allowed to go home until we have finished the project.
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Score:
1. 1 point + 0,60 points each x15 =10 points
2. 1 point + 1 point each x9 = 10 points
3. 1 point + 1 point each x9 = 10 points
4. 1 point + 0,60 points each x15 =10 points
Divided by 4 = 10 points
78 English Practical Course
Unit 4
In this unit you will learn:
Indefinite Pronouns
Personal Pronouns
Reading
1. Read the following dialogues. Pay attention to the use of homophones.
Dialogue 1: The Portrait
In honour of John and Mary's wedding anniversary, Fred agrees to pose for
his wife, who wants to paint his portrait.
John: It feels like I have been sitting here for hours. When can I take a
peek?
Mary: Sit still. I don't want you to see the painting until the whole thing is
done. I am still working on your face. It is coming out great! I think I am at
my artistic peak.
John: Are we still going to that inn in Vermont this weekend to celebrate our
anniversary?
Mary: Certainly! I bought a pair of tickets for a dinner show there on
Saturday night.
John: That sounds nice.
Mary: What are you doing with that pear?
John: I am going to pare it, and then I am going to eat it.
Mary: Well, put it down. I don't want it in the picture.
John: Can't you just leave a hole where the pear is and fill it in later? I am
hungry.
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Mary: Okay, we'll take a break. Oh, no! Where is my wedding ring? I hope
it didn't go down the drain when I was wringing out those rags!
John: No, it's on the table. You took it off to paint.
Mary: Oh, good. I would hate to have lost that right before our anniversary!
Dialogue 2: The Carnival
Tammy and Bruce are spending the afternoon at a carnival.
Tammy: I am so glad we came today. I am having so much fun! This is ideal
weather for a carnival.
Bruce: I agree. Where do you want to go next?
Tammy: Look! That guy over there will guess your weight. The sign says he
can even guess what size you wear.
Bruce: There's no wait to see him, either. Let's go to his booth.
Carnival worker: Hey, you two! Do you want me to guess your weight?
Whether you are fat or thin, I can guess just by looking at you.
Tammy: Okay. Guess.
Carnival worker: You weigh one hundred and thirty-seven pounds, and he
weighs one-seventy.
Bruce: That's correct! Hey, look! There are Stan and Judy. They're good
sports. Let's see if he can guess their weights, too!
Tammy: I'll go get them.
Practice these dialogues.
In (prep.) means "the opposite of 'out.'" An inn (n.) is "a small hotel."
PAIR, PARE, and PEAR:
A pair (n.) means "two matched or corresponding things." To pare (v.)
means " to peel." A pear (n.) is "a fruit."
PEEK and PEAK:
Peek (v.) means "to sneak a quick look at something." A peak (n.) is "a
summit or climax."
RING and WRING:
A ring (n.) is "a circular object with a hole in the middle." Ring (v.) means
"to strike something for the purpose of creating a sound, such as a bell." To
wring (v.) means "to twist something."
THEIR, THERE, and THEY'RE:
Their (pron.) is "the possessive form of ''they. " There (adv.) means "at a
certain place." They're is "a contraction of ''they are. "
TO, TOO, and TWO:
To (prep.) is "the opposite of ''from. " Too (adv.) means "also." Two (n.) is "a
cardinal number."
WAIT and WEIGHT:
To wait (v.) means "to pause or linger." Weight (n.) is "the measurement of
heaviness."
WEAR and WHERE:
Wear (v.) means "to have an item of clothing or an object on one's body."
Where (adv.) refers to "the location of something."
WEATHER and WHETHER:
Weather (n.) refers to "the climate conditions." Whether (conj.) is used "to
introduce two or more alternatives."
Now practise these homographs in sentences of your own. Can you add
other homophones to the ones listed above?
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2. A lot of jokes are made with homonyms and homophones, because there
is a play on words. Read the following children’s jokes.
A Panda bear goes to a restaurant, he orders Coke and salad and wants to
leave. The waiter asks him to pay. They have an argument and they decide
to look up the word restaurant. The definition of the word restaurant is: a
place where you eat, you drink, you have a good time and you pay money
when you leave. The Panda bear insists on checking the word Panda bear.
The definition is: a Panda bear is a very nice black and white bear who eats
vegetables and leaves.
What colour would you paint the sun and the wind?
The sun rose and the wind blue.
3. In the first dialogue, the wife tells her husband not to be hurried, as she
still needs to work on his portrait. She says: I am still working on your face.
Let’s learn some idioms containing the word face.
Face
pale- faced/ round- faced etc – having a face that has a particular shape or
colour
serious-faced/ grim-faced etc – showing a particular expression on your face
face to face – if two people are face to face, they are very close and in front
of each other
put a brave face (on) – to make an effort to behave in a happy cheerful way
when you are upset or disappointed
Now practise these idioms in sentences of your own.
3. Let’s learn more idioms containing words which refer to parts of the
body:
Arm
arm in arm – if you walk arm in arm with somebody, you are walking next
to them with your arm in theirs
welcome somebody/something with open arms – to show that you are happy
to see somebody or eager to accept an idea, plan, etc.
give your right arm – to be willing to do anything to get or do something
at arm’s length – if you hold something at arm’s length, you hold it away
from your body
as long as your arm – (informal) a list or written document that is as long as
your arm
Ear
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Grammar Reference
Indefinite Pronouns
some/any; much/many, a lot of/ lots of, few (a few)/ little (a little)
1. Countable nouns are used with some+ a plural noun in affirmative
sentences, and any+ a plural noun in negative and interrogative sentences:
I’ve got some tools.
Are there any books of Physics in the house?
We don’t need any apples for this pie.
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Uncountable nouns are used with some in affirmative sentences and any in
interrogative and negative sentences, but only with a singular noun:
There is some chocolate in this cake.
Is there any water in this well?
We haven’t got any butter in the house.
3. Both countable and uncountable nouns are used with a lot of and lots of:
We’ve got a lot of uniforms.
There are lots of books in this library.
There’s a lot of mineral water in my fridge.
He’s got a lot of money.
4. Countable nouns are used with few/ a few, while uncountable nouns are
used with little/ a little:
I’ve got a few problems at the moment.
We only need a little money to buy this.
Controlled Practice
1. Fill in the personal pronoun in the accusative or dative (required by
prepositions):
a. The old man asked (he) what the time was.
b. Will you give (I) permission to go home earlier?
c. Listen to (she).
d. Will you let (they) to come to your anniversary?
e. I’ll call for (they) when I think they forgot our little misunderstanding.
f. The doctor! Send for (he) at once.
g. Please, look for it while I am away.
h. He takes much interest in (you).
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b. ….. is knocking at the door. There must be the cleaning woman you sent
for.
c. Ask …... if they have come back from Italy.
d. ….. came an hour ago and left this parcel for Mary.
e. I have never seen ….. like him.
f. We haven’t heard of …. who didn’t pass the English exam.
g. ….. can tell you how mistaken you are.
h. ….. has to open the door for him!
i. She was talking and …… was listening to what she was saying.
j. During a good performance of the actors ….. speaks.
k. I’m sorry. My knowledge in this field is very poor. Ask ….. from the
French department.
l. Can …… help me with this?
m. ….. should know these rules. They are not difficult at all.
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3. Fill in the indefinite pronouns: much, many, little, a little, few, a few:
a. …… were there but listened to what she had to say.
b. Do you have any questions? Just ……
c. He didn’t give me too …… trouble, just ……..
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Unit 5
In this unit you will learn:
Past Perfect Simple
Past Perfect Continuous
The Imperative
Reading
Read the following fragment from Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe.
Underline the verbs which are used in Past Perfect:
All this while the storm increased, and the sea, which I had never been upon
before, went very high, though nothing like what I have seen many times
since; no, nor like what I saw a few days after. But it was enough to affect
me then, who was but a young sailor, and had never known anything of the
matter. I expected that every wave would have swallowed us up, and that
every time the ship fell down, as I thought, in the trough or hollow of the
sea, we should never rise more; and in this agony of mind I made many
vows of resolutions, that if it would please God here to spare my life this one
voyage, if ever I got once my foot upon dry land again, I would go directly
home to my father, and never set it into a ship again while I lived; that I
would take his advice, and never run myself into such miseries as these any
more. Now I saw plainly the goodness of his observations about the middle
station of life, how easy, how comfortably he had lived all his days.
And never had I been exposed to tempests at sea, or troubles on shore; and I
resolved that I would, like a true repenting prodigal, go home to my father.
These wise and sober thoughts continued all the while the storm continued,
and indeed some time after; but the next day the wind was abated and the
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sea calmer, and I began to be a little inured to it. However, I was very grave
for all that day, being also a little sea-sick still; but towards night the
weather cleared up, the wind was quite over, and a charming fine evening
followed; the sun went down perfectly clear, and rose so the next morning;
and having little or no wind, and a smooth sea, the sun shining upon it, the
sight was, as I thought, the most delightful that ever I saw.
I had slept well in the night, and was now no more sea-sick but very
cheerful, looking with wonder upon the sea that was so wrought and terrible
the day before, and could be so calm and so pleasant in so little time after.
And now lest my good resolutions should continue, my companion, who had
indeed enticed me away, comes to me: “Well, Bob,” says he, clapping me on
the shoulder, “how do you do after it? I warrant you were frighted, wa’n’t
you, last night, when it blew but a capful of wind?” “A capful, d’you call
it?” said I; It was a terrible storm." “A storm, you fool you,” replied he;
“do you call that a storm? Why, it was nothing at all; give us but a good
ship and sea-room, and we think nothing at all; give us but a good ship and
sea-room, and we think nothing of such a squall of wind as that; but you’re
but a fresh-water sailor, Bob. Come, let us make a bowl of punch, and we’ll
forget all that; d’ye see what charming weather ‘tis now?”
2. Read this sentence again: Come, let us make a bowl of punch, and we’ll
forget all that; d’ye see what charming weather ‘tis now?” In this sentence
to make means to produce. Among other meanings of the verb to make, we
may mention: to create, to construct, to establish, to cause to do or be; to
bring about or produce; to perform (an action); to serve as or become; to
amount to; to earn. Try to make up sentences in which to express each of
its meanings. Let’s learn some expressions in which the verb to make
occurs.
to make an attempt = a face o încercare;
to make the best of = a trage cât mai mult profit de pe urma, a profita la
maximum de;
to make believe = a face sã creadã;
to make do = a se descurca cu o soluţie alternativă inferioară;
to make it clear = a clarifica;
to make it possible = a face posibil;
to make for = a contribui;
to make out = a înţelege, a demonstra, a redacta;
to make over = a transfera, a ceda;
to make ready = a fi gata, a (se) pregãti;
to make a stand = a se opune;
to make sure of = a se asigura de;
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to make short work of/ sth = a scurta, a face ceva repede, a termina, a
finaliza;
to make tight = a ermetiza, a etanşeiza, a închide etanş;
to make up one’s mind = a se hotãrî;
to make up for one’s losses = a-şi recupera pierderile;
to make up for lost time = a recâştiga timpul pierdut;
to make as if/ though = a pãrea ca şi cum, a pretinde ca şi cum, a face ca şi
cum;
to make use of = a întrebuinţa;
to make way for/ to make room for = a face loc pentru.
Now practise these expressions in sentences of your own.
3. Even if to do and to make are generally translated in the same way, there
are several expressions in which you cannot use the verb to make. Generally
speaking make is used with the meaning of create or produce and do with
the meaning of carry out an action, but there are lots of exceptions:
e.g. to do an experiment
to do one’s best
to do a course
to do the donkey work
to do sbd. a good turn/ a favour
to do sth. with your eyes closed
to do harm
to do the shopping
to do wonders
to do the washing-up
to have sth. to do with
Now practise these expressions in sentences of your own.
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Short answer
Had you read the novel before we saw the film?
Yes, I had. No, I hadn’t.
Had he spoken English before he started the Engineering English course?
Yes, he had. No, he hadn’t.
Note that certain adverbs and adverb phrases (e.g. hardly, scarcely, no
sooner, not only) are followed by inversion of subject and auxiliary verb
when they are used at the beginning of the sentence. They can also be used
in other parts of the sentence without inversion.
Hardly had I entered the room when the phone started to ring. (emphatic,
rhetorical construction) / I had hardly entered the room when the phone
started to ring. (ordinary, conversational English)
In contexts containing hardly/ scarcely/ barely, the connector between the
two clauses is when:
Hardly/ Scarcely/ Barely had they got out of the house when it started to
rain.
In contexts containing no sooner, the connector between the two clauses is
than:
No sooner had the band begun to play when the electricity was cut off.
Controlled Practice 1
1. Decide the order in which these things happened. Then write two
sentences using after and the past perfect.
Example:
The bank clerk gave it to me./ She looked at my cheque./ She counted out
the money.
After the bank clerk had looked at my cheque, she counted the money.
After she had counted the money, she gave it to me.
a. The tourists got out of the coach./ They got back in the coach./ They took
photos.
b. The prisoner ran across the yard./ He jumped out of the window./ He
climbed over the wall.
c. The reporter wrote a report on the accident./ She interviewed the people
there./ She went to the scene of the accident.
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d. The mechanic put a new tyre on./ He put the wheel back on./ He took the
wheel off the car.
e. The shop-assistant asked me which my size was./ She wrapped it./ She
showed it to me.
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3. Use the simple past, or the simple/ continuous past perfect form of the
verbs in brackets to complete the sentences below:
a. Yesterday afternoon Joan (go) to school and (hand in) the paper she
(write).
b. As soon as they (have) lunch they (leave) the restaurant.
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5. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense and aspect (Past Perfect
Simple or Continuous) :
a. She told me his name after he (leave).
b. She didn’t even say “thank you” after all I (do) for her.
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Grammar Reference 2
The Imperative
It is a mood which expresses an order, a command, a wish, a greeting, a
piece of advice, a threat, a request, or an instruction:
Come here!
Leave me alone!
Watch your step!
Form
-the imperative has forms only for the second person singular and plural.
Affirmative Negative
Get ready! Don’t get ready!
Start working! Don’t start working!
For the first and second person together, use let's (let us):
Let's open the door.
Let's not open the door. (Negative command)
Only a few groups of words may precede the imperative verb:
adverbs of frequency:
Always open the door slowly.
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Controlled Practice 2
1. Translate the following into English:
a. Serveşte-te şi serveşte-i şi pe ceilalţi!
b. Vino, te rog, la noi sã ne ajuţi sã rezolvãm o problemã de chimie
organicã.
c. Îi dai un deget şi îţi ia toatã mâna!
d. Scrie tu proiectul la calculator, pentru cã dupã aceea trebuie sã folosesc şi
eu computerul pentru a formata niste dischete.
e. Luaţi loc, vã rog, doamnã!
f. Nu pleca, pentru că nu am terminat ce am de spus! Haide cu mine să-ţi
arăt ce ai putut să faci!
g. Nu te apropia de firele acelea pentru că sunt sub tensiune.
h. Nu încerca să mă faci să mă răzgândesc, pentru că o să-ţi pară rău.
i. Du-te şi vezi dacă au terminat cursul.
j. Grăbeşte-te, mai ai doar cinci minute!
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Unit 6
In this unit you will learn:
Future Simple
Future Continuous
Be going to Future
Other Ways of Expressing Future
Reading
Read the following fragment from Alice’s Adventures in the Wonderland by
Louis Carroll. Underline the future tenses of the verbs:
Luckily for Alice, the little magic bottle had now had its full effect, and she
grew no larger: still it was very uncomfortable, and, as there seemed to be
no sort of chance of her ever getting out of the room again, no wonder she
felt unhappy.
“It was much pleasanter at home,” thought poor Alice, “when one wasn’t
always growing larger and smaller, and being ordered about by mice and
rabbits. I almost wish I hadn’t gone down that rabbit-hole- and yet- and yet-
it’s rather curious, you know, this sort of life! I do wonder what can have
happened to me! When I used to read fairy tales, I fancied that kind of thing
never happened, and now here I am in the middle of one! There ought to be
a book written about me, that there ought! And when I grow up, I’ll write
one- but I’m grown up now,” she added in a sorrowful tone: “at least
there’s no room to grow up any more here.”
“But then,” thought Alice, “shall I never get any older than I am now?
That’ll be a comfort, one way- never to be an old woman- but then- always
to have lessons to learn! Oh, I shouldn’t like that!” “Oh, you foolish Alice”
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she answered herself. “How can you learn lessons in here? Why, there’s
hardly room for you, and no room at all for any lesson-books!” And so she
went on, taking first one side and then the other, and making quite a
conversation of it altogether; but after a few minutes she heard a voice
outside, and stopped to listen.
Grammar Reference
Future Simple
It is used to express:
actions to be performed in the future.
I shall be thirty next year.
When will you graduate from university?
She will work for our company if we give her a good salary.
Note that:
Will is normally known as the predictive future, and describes known facts,
or what we suppose is true.
I’ll be late at school this morning.
The company will make a profit next year.
This can also take the form of an assumption:
That’ll be John coming so early at the party.
This means that I suppose that it is John.
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Note: No, I won’t is not common because it is impolite, it may mean I don’t
want to help you. That is why a polite answer would be: I’m afraid I can’t.
Future Continuous
describes an event which will be happening at a future point
Come round in the morning. I’ll be working on my project.
refers to events which are going to happen anyway, rather than
events which we choose to make happen:
I won’t bother to look for you in advance, because I’ll be calling into the
office anyway to see if you are there.
refers to fixed arrangements and plans
The singers will be performing live in Washington Square this month.
Be Going to Future
It is used
to express a future decision, intention, or plan made before the
moment of speaking
We’re going to move to Bucharest.
How long are they going to stay here?
She isn’t going to attend this Grammar course.
Note:
The Present Continuous can be used in a similar way for a plan or
arrangement, particularly with the verbs go and come.
She’s coming on Monday.
I’m going home.
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Future Perfect
has both simple and continuous forms, and refers to time which we
look back at from a future point:
In two years’ time I’ll have finished my PhD thesis.
By the end of the month, I’ll have been working for him for fifteen years.
can also be used to express an assumption on the part of the speaker.
You won’t have heard the rumours about their engagement, of course.
This means I assume you haven’t heard the rumours.
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Controlled Practice:
1. Translate into English:
a. Te voi chema când voi ajunge acasã.
b. Îl voi vedea sãptãmâna viitoare.
c. Azi avem repetiţie la ora douã.
d. Va deveni necesar sã citim mai mult de acum încolo.
e. Crezi cã veţi ajunge la spectacol în timp util?
f. Îţi voi telefona imediat ce ajung la hotel.
g. Spectacolul nu va începe până la ora 5.
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h. Will you be going/ will you go to the market later? If you go, please buy
some potatoes for lunch.
i. That will be/ is Jim at the door. He is always late.
j. In twenty four hours’ time I’ll relax/ I’ll be relaxing on the beach.
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Unit 7
In this unit you will learn:
Passive Voice
Reading
Read the following fragment belonging to James Joyce’s A Portrait of the
Artist as a Young Man. Look for those verbs which are used in the passive
voice. Translate the text into Romanian.
Why did he not tell it? His father, who kept the racehorses, must be a
magistrate too like Saurin’s father and Nasty Roche’s father. He thought of
his own father, of how he sang songs while his mother played and of how he
always gave him a shilling when he asked for sixpence and he felt sorry for
him that he was not a magistrate like the other boys’ fathers. Then why was
he sent to that place with them? But his father had told him that he would be
no stranger there because his granduncle had presented in address to the
liberator there fifty years before.
You could know the people of that time by their old dress. It seemed to him a
solemn time: and he wondered if that was the time when the fellows in
Clongowes wore blue coats with brass buttons and yellow waistcoats and
caps of rabbitskin and drank beer like grownup people and kept greyhounds
of their own to course the hares with.
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Grammar Reference
Causative Forms
Have +object +past participle is used to suggest that we are
instructing someone to do something for us.
I’ll have my car repaired. (I’ll arrange for it to be done)
Don’t have the files printed, please.
Have/get + object +past participle can also be used to replace a
passive verb usually describing an accident or a misfortune.
He had/got his car stolen.
Have + object + bare infinitive is used for giving instructions and
orders.
The manager had the secretary type 20 letters.
Get +object + to infinitive means make or persuade somebody to
do something.
See if you can get Mary to help us with our homework.
The teacher got the students to write the sentence five times.
Get + object + present participle (-ing) is used informally to mean
make somebody / something start doing something.
Once you get her talking about her children, she never stops.
Also: get moving, get going (without an object)
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Want and need + object + past participle indicate that you would
like or need something to be done
I want the room cleaned.
I need the reports checked.
Compare:
The Active Voice: I’m decorating the room. (I am doing it myself)
The Passive Voice: The room is being decorated. (Someone else is
doing it but the agent is not important; what interests us is the room)
Causative: I am having the room decorated.
Controlled Practice
1. Translate the following sentences into English:
a. Tu vei fi chematã de director mâine sã explici decizia ta.
b. El este întrebat dacã este vegetarian.
c. Soluţia a fost gãsitã de fratele meu.
d. Mi s-au furat banii.
e. Problema a fost rezolvatã recent prin introducerea internetului.
f. Doctorul a fost chemat.
g. El a fost ales preşedintele companiei în 1997.
h. Copiii sunt întrebaţi dacã ştiu în ce constã structura acestei lucrări.
i. Se construiesc foarte multe case zilele acestea.
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3. Transfer these passive sentences into active ones. When no agent is given
supply one:
a. My drawings were shown at the art exhibition in 2000.
b. When was your car stolen?
c. AIDS is thought to be curable.
d. The girl has been made to recite the poem and everybody has given her a
big hand.
e. The prisoners were forbidden to smoke when they were transferred into
the new building.
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4. Rewrite each sentence beginning as shown, so that the meaning stays the
same:
a. It is believed that the child was punished by his parents.
The child ………………………………………………….
b. When we have finished decorating the bedroom, we’ll paint the dining
room.
After the bedroom…………………………………………..
c. Please turn off the lights.
I’d rather you ……………………………………………….
d. It is thought that the coins date from the Middle Ages.
The coins …………………………………………………….
e. Somebody punched John in the face at a volley match.
John is thought ……………………………………………….
f. They say that Mary is difficult to work with.
Mary is said ……………………………………………………..
g. They have no idea what caused this error.
What caused this error……………………………………………
h. Ticket collectors work on the train on this line.
Tickets …………………………………………………………….
i. Somebody directed me at the wrong address.
I …………………………………………………………………….
j. The discovery of this new medicine is helping the fight against cancer.
The fight …………………………………………………………….
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5. Complete the sentences using the verbs given in brackets in the passive
tense suggested at the end of the sentence:
a. Many of Bucharest’s important buildings (destroy) by the earthquake in
1977.(past)
b. My neighbour’s leg (not broken) if he hadn’t walked on ice. (perfect
conditional)
c. The girl who (bite) by a dog was given a serum. (past perfect)
d. A great deal of effort (make) lately to avoid a war with that country.
(present perfect)
e. Would she go to the cinema if she was to (invite)?
f. The army (instruct) to shoot if the enemy crosses the line. (future)
g. Many block-of-flats (build) in the neighbourhood. (present continuous)
h. He strongly objected to (ask) about the accident. (gerund)
i. Mary (take) to the hospital by the end of the day, I’m sure. (future perfect)
j. Something (do) if we want to rescue the rest of the crew. (modal verb)
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7. Use one of the Passive forms of a suitable verb in each of the following
sentences:
a. A lot of money (…) from a German bank two years ago.
b. Windows (…) on the inside to prevent the wind from breaking them.
c. The police (…) in hearing from anyone who saw a 10-year-old child in
front of the shop yesterday.
d. The lock (…) and the window (…) by the police.
e. All the persons in the room (…) for drugs.
f. Money (…) always in the bank for interest.
g. (…) the reward to those who saved Jane?
h. She doesn’t remember her purse (…) by the thief.
i. Who (…) you by at the hospital?
j. Safes (…) not often by amateurs.
k. They (…) a five year sentence by the High Court Judge.
l. A sharp instrument (…) the old man.
m. The giraffe (…) to the zoo when it escaped.
n. It was the first time, my sister never (…) by the customs before.
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8. Complete the sentences using a suitable Passive Voice verb and any
necessary phrases:
a. It’s very foggy tonight; the cars … …
b. George’s watch has disappeared from the table where he left it; it … …
c. Shoplifting is on the increase; £ 20,000 worth of merchandise … …
d. There’ll be a big check at the customs tomorrow; all the people from the
Middle East … …
e. He insisted that our neighbour … …
f. The evidence that one of the accused gave … …
g. My window is open instead of closed; the lock ……
h. The house was found in a terrible condition; all the rooms … …
i. Will the new laws … …
j. There was a dreadful accident and all the cars … …
9. Use the Passive form with the verb to have in the following sentences:
a. The room looks different. They (repaint it).
b. The customs officers (arrest him) if he tries to leave the country.
c. Father (fit the burglar alarm) because his house had been broken into.
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d. I (vaccinate my child) against all the possible diseases when he was one
year old.
e. They (check the documents) before the case comes up next month.
f. Look at that man’s green hair! He (dye it).
g. The car is covered in mud, so he (clean it) as soon as possible.
h. Someone (clean the kitchen) when mother arrived.
i. She is not quite sure but she thinks she (steal the money) in the train.
j. You shouldn’t (repair the sink) before the plumber had examined it.
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10. Complete the following sentences, using the Passive form with either
have or need:
a. The roof is unsafe. It … …
b. Your back window squeaks. It … …
c. You can’t take your luggage into the shop unless you … …
d. This is quite bizarre! There are many questions that … …
e. Your hair seems shorter. Have you … …?
f. The so-called poet did not write the poem himself, he … …
g. Before we buy the mansion, we should make sure that we … …
h. There are many errors in your paper, don’t you think they … …?
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11. Complete the following passage with the correct Passive forms:
When John Miller killed his uncle, he was convinced that his crime
wouldn’t ever (detect). His plans were (lay) with extreme precision. He had
not (employ) as an accountant for the past ten years without acquiring a
passion for minute details. He was known as being a methodical man. His
bills (pay) regularly, he had his hair (cut) once a month, his car (service)
every three months, everything that in his ordinary life needed (do), John
saw to it that it was (do). It was entirely in his character that he had made up
his mind to get rid of his uncle. He was old, he needed (care for), his desires
had (consider), his wants (gratify). He had become a nuisance who should
(remove) as quickly as possible. Besides he was rich, and John was aware
that his fortune (leave) to him. ‘It is sad’, he told to himself, ‘that he has
(kill) rather than die a natural death, but the important thing is to make it
look as if it (do) while I was away.
Indeed, John’s crime would probably never (discover) if it had not stopped
raining just before he came home and if his uncle’s window had not (break)
with a flower pot. He didn’t even suppose inspector Thomson would guess
that the ladder (put) outside the bedroom window after his uncle (murder).
But then, as John himself said to the inspector, the criminal always gets
(catch) after all.
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13. Change the following sentences into the Passive Voice, knowing that
transitive verbs admit two passive constructions:
a. I told my parents the truth.
b. George gave him a beautiful present.
c. My friends promised me immediate assistance.
d. I give my child two bars of chocolate a day.
e. The doorman showed us the way to the bathroom.
f. The physician prescribed a bad medicine for the sick old man.
g. You paid him that huge sum of money two days ago.
h. The teacher may give us the results tonight.
i. They awarded the Best Actor Prize to George Clooney.
j. We showed them our newly- born child.
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14. Change the following intransitive verbs into the Passive Voice, paying
attention to the prepositions following the verbs:
a. They have called for the mechanic to repair their car.
b. The pupils will have to comment upon that poem.
c. The former enemies have arrived at an agreement after many years of
discussion.
d. Nobody objected to their suggestions.
e. These spoiled children do not listen to their parents.
f. The employer insists upon a strict discipline in all our work.
g. Our parents often refer to him as being a wrong model for us.
h. You spoke much about that young lady you had met a week before.
i. Nobody has lived in this haunted house for more than 50 years.
j. You must look after your kid sister; otherwise your mother will scold you.
k. Don’t put on that pink shirt, your friends will laugh at you.
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16. Finish each of the following sentences in such a way that it is as similar
as possible to the sentence before it:
a. My cousin’s child completely destroyed my paper.
My paper … …
b. First prize was awarded to a freshman in our school.
A freshman … …
c. The referee refused him permission to enter the game.
He … …
d. Tom has earned several thousand dollars from his new book.
Tom’s new book… …
e. She suggested we eat Mike’s new favourite meal.
We … …
f. Leaving this shirt in the rain has made it shrink.
This shirt … …
g. We watched my brother drive the car into the garage.
We watched the car … …
h. I dropped the china cup and cracked it.
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19. Finish each of the following sentences in such a way that it is as similar
as possible to the sentence before it.
a. She didn’t remember that she had been called home by her mother.
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Progress Test 2
1. Match the sentences on the left with the functions on the right:
A B
1. We’ll have a thunderstorm tonight, a. stating a planned arrangement
I’m sure. - b.
2. Will there be a general strike? b. making a prediction
3. I’ll send you a card from Paris c. making a request
4. Will you send me an e-mail? d. expressing future hope
5. Shall I go to the library for you? e. expressing future uncertainty
6. Shall we take a drive into the f. offering
country later?
7. I’ll report you to the police next g. promising/ stating an intention
time.
8. The wedding will take place next h. making an invitation
Friday.
9. I hope you’ll come and see us on i. asking for a prediction
Saturday.
10. Explain it to them again. Perhaps j. threatening
they’ll understand.
11. Will you have dinner with us on k. making a suggestion
Sunday?
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3. Fill each of the gaps in the following sentences with an appropriate verb
from the list. The participles should be used with the verb to be in the
appropriate tense:
strewn, deemed, scheduled, inundated, overcome, baffled, dubbed,
shrouded, short-listed, dwarfed
a. The secretary (…) by exhaustion after 12-hour typing and had to go
home.
b. How he managed to obtain such a large sum of money (…) in mystery.
c. Since her book on cooking came out, she (…) with requests for some
more recipes.
d. My brother, who is rather short, (…) by almost all of his colleagues.
e. Richard’s new album (…) for release next year.
f. All the neighbours I asked (…) by the reason of her disease.
g. Unfortunately, your language in this newspaper article (…) inadequate for
the public taste.
h. Impossible as it may seem, Christine (…) the most beautiful girl in
Europe.
i. Having read the manuscript, we all agreed: his paper should (…) for last
year’s Literature prize.
j. When we came back from the mountains, our clothes (…) all over the
house.
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Key:
1. 1. b; 2. i; 3.g; 4. c; 5. f; 6. k; 7. j; 8. a; 9. d; 10. e; 11.h
2. a. I was a asked question on my way home; he wanted to know the time.
b. The woman’s hat was blown off (by a gust of wind).
c. What will your new cat be called?
d. The chicken has been burnt in the oven.
e. The paper was written on time.
f. The doctor was consulted when they were ill.
g. The bank is being shut for the winter holidays.
h. Her friend was soon lost sight of.
i. The dog has been looked after(by my brother) for the last two years.
j. The note could be read by the light of the candle.
k. A lot of questions are asked by children
l. We were requested to show our tickets (by the bodyguards).
m. The telephone bill must be paid…
n. She was made to cry hard (by Father).
o. The roof wasn’t fixed yesterday.
p. Mike wasn’t asked to come.
q. The grass mustn’t be walked on in this park.
r. A song is going to be written tonight.
s. He has been made captain of the children’s team.
t. Our friends haven’t been invited to the party yet.
u. He is going to be beaten soon!
v. Your bike was found in front of the cinema.
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Score:
1.1point each x 10 = 10 points
2.1 point + 0.40 points each x 22 = 10 points
3.1 point + 0.90 points each x 10 = 10 points
4. 1 point + 1.00 point each x 9 = 10 points
Divided by 4 = 10 points
Unit 8
In this unit you will learn:
Coordinating Conjunctions
Subordinating Conjunctions
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Number of Nouns
Reading
Read the following fragment from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Pay
attention to the conjunctions. Underline the coordinate conjunctions with
one line and the subordinate ones with two lines:
Mary wished to say something very sensible, but knew not how.
“While Mary is adjusting her ideas,” he continued, “let us return to Mr.
Bingley.” “I am sick of Mr. Bingley,” cried his wife.
“I am sorry to hear that; but why did not you tell me so before? If I had
known as much this morning I certainly would not have called on him. It is
very unlucky; but as I have actually paid the visit, we cannot escape the
acquaintance now.” The astonishment of the ladies was just what he
wished; that of Mrs. Bennet perhaps surpassing the rest; though, when the
first tumult of joy was over, she began to declare that it was what she had
expected all the while.
“How good it was in you, my dear Mr. Bennet! But I knew I should
persuade you at last. I was sure you loved your girls too well to neglect
such an acquaintance. Well, how pleased I am! and it is such a good joke,
too, that you should have gone this morning and never said a word about it
till now.” “Now, Kitty, you may cough as much as you choose,” said Mr.
Bennet; and, as he spoke, he left the room, fatigued with the raptures of his
wife.
Grammar Reference 1
The Conjunction
Conjunctions join words, phrases and clauses:
He slipped and fell on the floor.
He moved quickly but quietly.
Please watch my baggage while I buy my train ticket.
Coordinating Conjunctions
Coordinating conjunctions join units that are equal grammatically
( have the same function in the sentence):
He slipped and fell on the floor. (And joins two verbs)
He moved quickly but quietly. (But joins two adverbs)
Conjunctions both...and, not only... (but also), either...or,
neither...nor make the connection more intense. They are also called
correlative conjunctions:
Both Lisa and I will go to the party.
Not only did she have two helpings, she also had dessert!
Either my husband or I can drive you home.
Neither money nor power can make him happy.
The second noun determines the number of the verb with neither...
nor and either...or:
Neither the teacher nor THE STUDENTS are allowed to wear jeans.
Neither the students nor THE TEACHER is allowed to wear jeans.
Punctuation with Coordinate Conjunctions
A comma is not necessary when only two elements (two words, two
phrases, two clauses) are joined by a coordinate conjunction.
The doctor told him not to smoke or drink.
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However, if three or more units are joined, use commas after the first
and second units. This is called a serial comma.
Men, women, and children are welcome.
It is not compulsory to use a comma before the last unit: Men, women and
children are welcome.
Subordinating Conjunctions
Subordinating conjunctions join elements of unequal rank. Here are
some common subordinating conjunctions: after, although, as, as
much as, because, before, how, if, since, that, unless, what, when,
where, who, whom
She never saw him after he left town.
He got a ticket because he was speeding.
She has been very ill since her operation.
Controlled Practice 1
1. Complete each sentence with an appropriate coordinate or subordinate
conjunction:
A journey to the National Parks of the United States is a rare and
unforgettable walk on the wild side. It is to feel once more the power of the
old myths, to once again know that the land is the cradle of life, a. ……….
nature is the hand setting b. ……… craddle endlessly rocking.
To the west, on the Olympic Peninsula, is the brooding, primordial coastline
of Olympic National Park. The great rocks rising from the sea were once a
part of the landmass. c. …….. the relentless sea chiseled away the softer
stone, creating the haunting monoliths rising from the tides. Along this
coast, and beyond, into the Olympic Mountains, is one of the most diverse
wilderness areas in North America. Within the park are alpine meadows,
majestic white-robed peaks, d. …….. some sixty active glaciers slow-
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sliding their relentless way down from the heights. On the western slopes of
the mountains, there is a remarkable rainforest.
In Wyoming are the rugged, majestic battlements and spires of the Teton
Mountains. e. …….. most mountain ranges, the Tetons have no foothills.
They rise dramatically to a height of almost 14,000 feet. Although relatively
small, the Colorado River must surely be the most powerful river of them
all. For the Colorado River carved the Grand Canyon. To travel from one
end of the canyon to the other would be a journey of 277 serpentine miles.
Sometimes the walls of the canyon are less than a half mile wide.
Far to the south and the east of the Colorado are the gentle waters of f.
…….. may be the most unusual river in the world. The Seminoles called it
"Pa-hay-okee," g. …….. "Grassy Water." Here is the central feature of
Everglades National Park. A river that is 100 miles long, 50 miles wide, and
averages only 6 inches deep. Slowly flowing through the entire southern
reaches of the Florida Peninsula, the Everglades teems with an extraordinary
variety of life. Within its labyrinth of cypress swamps, hammocks, islands
and hyacinth pools, live more than 350 species of birds.
Sea. Mountain. River. Each has had a powerful impact on human
experience. h. …….. perhaps the most ancient influence has been the forest.
Within the National Parks of North America there are vast reaches of forest.
On the slopes of the Sierra Nevada, the giant sequoias are the survivors of a
forest realm that has endured for millennia. Some of these patriarchs have
stood for more than 2000 years. They are the largest living things on earth.
Far to the east, there is a more gentle forest. In the ancient mountains of
southern Appalachia, in Shenandoah National Park i. …….. in Great Smoky
Mountains National Park, are seemingly endless groves of oak, hickory,
maple and other hardwoods. To walk these cool, serene, vaulted byways is
to feel an intimacy with nature rarely found in this modern world where man
and nature are too often strangers. These are softer mountains, laying
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Grammar Reference 2
Number of nouns
Nouns are made plural by adding:
-s: book-books, tool-tools
-es to singular nouns ending in -s, -z, -x, -ch, -sh, -ss, -o: bus-buses, box-
boxes, match-matches, brush-brushes, potato- potatoes (But: photo-photos)
-ves to nouns ending in -f(e): knife-knives, leaf-leaves, shelf-shelves (But:
roof-roofs, proof-proofs, cliff-cliffs, handkerchief-handkerchiefs)
-ies to nouns ending in consonant + y: lady-ladies
-s to nouns ending in vowel + y: toy-toys
Note: dwarf-dwarfs/dwarves; hoof-hooves/hoofs; scarf-scarfs/scarves
Some nouns form their plural irregularly
man-men, woman-women, foot-feet, tooth-teeth, goose-geese, louse-lice,
mouse-mice, child-children, ox-oxen, person-people/ persons
Foreign plurals
- datum-data, medium-media (but: museums, asylums)
- nucleus-nuclei, stimulus-stimuli, genius-genii (spirits)/geniuses (men of
genius) (but: bonuses, geniuses, viruses)
- alga-algae, larva-larvae, formula-formulae/formulas (but: dilemmas, villas,
diplomas)
- index-indices (algebraic signs) /indexes (tables of contents), appendix-
appendices (in books)/appendixes (anatomical)
- analysis-analyses, axis-axes, basis-bases, crisis-crises, diagnosis-
diagnoses, hypothesis-hypotheses, thesis-theses
- phenomenon-phenomena, criterion-criteria (but: demons, neurones,
protons, ganglions)
Some nouns remain unchanged in the plural:
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Craft, cod, deer, fish, Japanese, means, plaice, salmon, sheep, squid, species,
series, spacecraft, trout
Some nouns are only plural:
a. arms (weapons), belongings, cattle, clothes, congratulations,
earnings, goods, groceries, greens (vegetables), lodgings, oats, odds
(chances), outskirts, people, police, premises (building), regards,
remains, riches, savings, surroundings, thanks, etc.
b. garments, tools and instruments consisting of two parts: binoculars,
compasses, glasses, jeans, pants, pliers, pyjamas, scales, scissors,
spectacles, trousers, etc.
collective nouns can take either a singular or a plural verb, according
top the meaning.
The staff were not in agreement with the new rules. (We refer to the
individual members)
The staff of the school consists of fifty people. (We refer to the group as a
unit)
Some collective nouns are:
audience, choir, class, clergy, club, committee, company, crew, crowd,
family, firm, government, jury, orchestra, public, team, union, youth, etc.
Some nouns have different meanings when turned into plural:
Air (atmosphere)-airs (behaviour)
Cloth (a piece of material)-clothes (garments)
Compass (a magnetic compass)-compasses (an instrument for drawing
circles)
Content (what is written or spoken about in a piece of writing, speech)-
contents (the things contained in a box, place, etc.)
Custom (a traditional event)-customs (the government department which
collects taxes on imported goods)
Damage(harm done to something)-damages (monetary compensation)
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Controlled Practice 2
1. Complete this newspaper article. Choose the correct singular or plural
form in the brackets:
Clayton Factory for Milchester
The Clayton Clothing Company is going to build a new factory in
Milchester. (This/These) (new/news) (was/were) announced by company
chairman Mr David Clayton yesterday. Mr Clayton spent the morning in
Milchester before returning to the Clayton headquarters at Granby.
The Clayton company (has/have) been in existence for 130 years and
(is/are) famous for its “Polymode” (good/goods) The slogans “You’re never
alone with a pair of Polymode (trouser/trousers)” and “Polymode
(jean/jeans) (is/are) the (one/ones) for you” are well known. The company’s
profit last year of two million pounds (was/were) the highest in the clothing
business.
Mr Clayton will not say how (much/many) new (job/jobs) there will be, but
the (information/informations) that there will be (work/works) (is/are) hard
to find at the moment, and 2,000 unemployed people (is/are) a high figure
for a small town.
2. Make the nouns in these sentences plural. Make all other changes which
are necessary:
a. This child is a naughty one.
b. That phenomenon was interpreted by the geologists.
c. I need to buy some kerosene for my stove.
d. When I entered the room, he was taking a book from the shelf.
e. Where have you put that box?
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Unit 9
In this unit you will learn:
Gender of Nouns
Countable/Uncountable Nouns
Synthetical/ Analytical/ Double Genitive
Reading
Read the following fragment from Chapter 2 (The Glorious Whitewasher) of
Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. Underline the nouns and divide them into
concrete, abstract, proper and common nouns:
SATURDAY MORNING was come, and all the summer world was bright
and fresh, and brimming with life. There was a song in every heart; and if
the heart was young the music issued at the lips. There was cheer in every
face and a spring in every step. The locust trees were in bloom and the
fragrance of the blossoms filled the air. Cardiff Hill, beyond the village and
above it, was green with vegetation, and it lay just far enough away to seem
a Delectable Land, dreamy, reposeful, and inviting.
Tom appeared on the sidewalk with a bucket of whitewash and a long-
handled brush. He surveyed the fence, and all gladness left him and a deep
melancholy settled down upon his spirit. Thirty yards of board fence, nine
feet high.
Life to him seemed hollow, and existence but a burden. Sighing, he dipped
his brush and passed it along the topmost plank; repeated the operation;
did it again; compared the insignificant whitewashed streak with the far-
reaching continent of unwhite washed fence, and sat down on a tree-box
discouraged. Jim came skipping out at the gate with a tin pail, and singing
156 English Practical Course
“Buffalo Gals.” Bringing water from the town pump had always been
hateful work in Tom’s eyes, before, but now it did not strike him so. He
remembered that there was company at the pump.
White, mulatto, and negro boys and girls were always there waiting their
turns, resting, trading playthings, quarreling, fighting, skylarking. And he
remembered that although the pump was only a hundred and fifty yards off,
Jim never got back with a bucket of water under an hour- and even then
somebody generally had to go after him. Tom said:
“Say, Jim, I’ll fetch the water if you’ll whitewash some.” Jim shook his
head and said:
“Can’t, Mars Tom. Ole missis, she tole me I got to go an’ git dis water an’
not stop foolin’ roun’ wid anybody. She say she spec’ Mars Tom gwine to ax
me to whitewash, an’ she tole me go ‘long an’ ‘tend to my own business- she
‘lowed she’d ‘tend to de whitewashin’.” “O, never you mind what she said,
Jim. That’s the way she always talks.
Gimme the bucket- I won’t be gone only a minute. She won’t ever know.”
to succeed in (+doing sth.) = a avea succes în; a reuşi în.(e.g. She succeeded
in passing the exam).
Now practice these expressions in sentences of your own.
3. Look for the preposition at in the text. Now learn some expressions
containing the preposition at:
at best = în cel mai bun caz;
at a disadvantage = în dezavantaj;
at ease = liniştit, pe îndelete;
at full load = cu sarcinã plinã/ totalã;
at intervals = la intervale, intermitent;
at liberty = fãrã restricţii, liber;
at most = cel mult;
at once = imediat;
at request = la cerere;
at right angle = la unghi drept;
at stake = în joc;
Now practise these expressions in sentences of your own.
Grammar Reference
The Noun
There are four kinds of nouns in English:
abstract nouns (love, freedom thought);
common/concrete nouns (book, table);
collective nouns (family, herd);
proper nouns (Greg, London).
Gender
Masculine: men and boys (he)
Feminine: women, girls, cars, ships, countries (she)
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Countable/uncountable nouns
Countable nouns are those which can be counted: one book, two books,
three books. Countable nouns can be singular or plural: This cup is empty.
These cups are full.
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A simple apostrophe (‘) is used with plural nouns ending in –s: the
girls’ school, the Smiths’ car
Other names ending in –s can take ‘s or the apostrophe alone: Mr
Jones’s/ Mr Jones’ house
With compounds, the last word takes the ‘s: my brother-in-law’s
guitar
‘s can only be used after initials: the MP’s briefcase, the VIP’s escort
‘s is omitted in the phrase for … sake: for goodness sake
‘s is often added to a noun phrase (the group genitive): the Duke of
York’s eldest son
If joint possession is intended, the apostrophe is placed on the last
element: Tom and Mary’s baby
Individual possession requires an apostrophe with each element of the
series: America’s and England’s problems.
The local genitive is used to denote institutions of various kinds
(restaurants, churches, theatres, etc), a home, a shop: at Joe’s, at the
chemist’s, at my parents’ (home)
The synthetical genitive (‘s genitive) is used after:
nouns denoting people or other beings (animate nouns): John’s
lecture, my parents’ advice, the horse’s neck, the dog’s bark
nouns denoting measurement, time, space, quantity, size, distance,
weight: a two months’ practice, yesterday’s newspaper
in expressions of money + worth: ten dollars’ worth of sugar
collective nouns: the government’s decisions, the Parliament’s laws
geographical names, vehicles, natural phenomena, etc.: England’s
mountains, the spaceship’s crew, the afternoon’s heat.
names of seasons, months, days: a winter’s day/a winter day
some expressions (these have an alternative with of): the water’s
edge, at his journey’s end, the water’s surface, for charity’s sake
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Controlled Practice
1. Translate into English:
a. Inventatorul telefonului este Graham Bell
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3. Match:
a bunch of beads
a bundle of stars
a fleet of beer
a cluster of rags
a clump of grapes
a flight of trees
a string of taxis
a crate of flowers
a pack of stairs
a bouquet of cards
a burst of energy
an attack of laughter
a hint of abuse
an ounce of trouble
a stroke of fever
a wink of luck
a feat of sleep
a term of endurance
a word of imprisonment
a state of emergency
g. The police (has, have) been chasing the thieves for weeks.
h. The audience (has, have) just come back and (is, are) taking (its, their)
seats.
i. Your heroics (was, were) useless in that situation.
5. Put into the possessive and carry out any necessary changes in the
wordings of the sentences:
a. Mary, the daughter of the baker, is my best friend.
b. I have done that for the sake of my cousin George.
c. During the holiday of three weeks of their friends, the children had to go
to the mountains.
d. The novels of Dickens and Hardy are very often read nowadays.
e. The nephew of Chris and Liz is very smart.
f. She took the coat of somebody else.
g. There is a magazine belonging to Mr. Smith in almost every country.
h. There was a great variety of cars for the disabled in the fair.
i. The speech of the President was received with applause.
j. Cotroceni Palace is the residence of the President of Romania.
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7. Supply the correct collective nouns. Choose from the following: bevy,
bunch, swarm, row, fleet, pack, colony, clump, board:
a. My cousin was bitten by a ……… of bees.
b. She ate a ……… of grapes in two minutes.
c. Although the forest caught fire, some ………… of trees were still
untouched.
d. A ……….. of buildings was destroyed by the earthquake.
e. The teacher told them that wolves attack in ……… .
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10. Write a before the nouns which are used as countable nouns:
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12. Fill in the blanks with one of the following words: bar, bit, item, piece,
slice:
a. He wanted to buy a … of chocolate but the shop was closed.
b. There are three outrageous … of news in today’s paper.
c. I cut several … of bread for my kid sister.
d. They will buy a new … of furniture for their bedroom.
e. We are allowed to take four … of luggage in our trip.
f. With a … of luck you can still catch the train.
g. You can’t eat that … of cold beef left because it is off.
h. This is a … of good advice, you should take it into consideration.
13. Use either the analytical or the synthetical genitive with the nouns in
brackets:
a. They painted only one (wall, their room).
b. The (neighbours, friends) were invited to the party.
c. Do you know the (Moon, distance) from the Sun?
d. We are amazed by (that girl, lies).
e. The Amazonian jungle is one of the (world, natural wonders).
f. Your business depends on his (country, future).
g. When they got to the (bottom, the stairs) they realized that was not their
house.
h. I’ll never forget (Helen, words).
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14. Fill in the blanks with nouns derived from the words in brackets:
a. He is a fantastic (basketball), but also a good volley (play).
b. We were able to give a satisfactory (explain) for our (behave).
c. Children have a great deal of (curios).
d. The (begin) of the book was boring, but the (end) was more exciting.
e. There is a great (differ) between to remind and to remember.
f. She will give the detective a detailed (describe) of the thief.
g. (Visit) are requested to sign their names in the book.
h. The (advertise) will have to be published in the morning paper.
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friend, is blowing in wind.’ Generation after mine didn’t know what life was
all about, did they? We did, of course. ‘Very thought of you.’ ‘Just way you
look tonight.’ ‘Night they invented champagne.’ They were real songs. But
what came next? ‘How many years can mountain exist before it is washed to
sea?’ And there was whole generation singing alone to song. Funny world
we live in, I say it’s funny world we live in.
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i. Once the causes of Mike’s death are made public, the policemen will
arrest the suspects. (open)
j. She is convinced her daughter is going to be as successful as herself.
(high)
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Unit 10
In this unit you will learn:
Prepositions
Compound Prepositions
Place of Prepositions in the Sentence
Problematic Prepositions of Time and Space
Reading
Read the following fragment from Sons and Lovers by D. H. Lawrence. Pay
attention to the use of preposition in English. In what way are prepositions
different in Romanian? Try to see when the use of the English prepositions
is different from the use in Romanian:
She hurried out of the side garden to the front, where she could stand as if
in an immense gulf of white light, the moon streaming high in face of her,
the moonlight standing up from the hills in front, and filling the valley where
the Bottoms crouched, almost blindingly. There, panting and half weeping
in reaction from the stress, she murmured to herself over and over again:
“The nuisance! the nuisance!” She became aware of something about her.
With an effort she roused herself to see what it was that penetrated her
consciousness. The tall white lilies were reeling in the moonlight, and the
air was charged with their perfume, as with a presence. Mrs. Morel gasped
slightly in fear. She touched the big, pallid flowers on their petals, then
shivered. They seemed to be stretching in the moonlight. She put her hand
into one white bin: the gold scarcely showed on her fingers by moonlight.
She bent down to look at the binful of yellow pollen; but it only appeared
dusky. Then she drank a deep draught of the scent. It almost made her dizzy.
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Mrs. Morel leaned on the garden gate, looking out, and she lost herself
awhile. She did not know what she thought. Except for a slight feeling of
sickness, and her consciousness in the child, herself melted out like scent
into the shiny, pale air. After a time the child, too, melted with her in the
mixing-pot of moonlight, and she rested with the hills and lilies and houses,
all swum together in a kind of swoon.
Grammar Reference
Prepositions
Prepositions are connecting words that show relationships between words in
a sentence. A preposition followed by a complement (object) forms a
English Practical Course 179
of, in the name of, in the place of, in addition to, in answer to, in obedience
to, in opposition to, in order to, in regard to, in accordance with, in common
with, in comparison with, in company with, in connection with, in keeping
with, next to, on account of, owing to, prior to, thanks to, with reference to,
with regard to, with relation to, with respect to, with a view to. (see also
Appendix 2, page 309)
Prepositions of Time
In the morning/ afternoon/ evening; January, February, etc.; summer, winter,
etc.; 1988; the 1930s; two weeks; two weeks’ time; your free (spare) time;
good/ bad weather
At six o ‘clock, etc.; midnight; Easter/ Christmas; the weekend; the moment
On Saturday, Monday, etc.; Tuesday morning, etc.; 11-th January, etc.
For seven minutes, etc.; a long time; ages
Since June, 25-th, etc.; my last birthday; I came here
During* the film; the class; the war; my holidays; summer
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* In a sentence containing a subject and a verb, during is replaced by while:
While I was coming to you...
ABOUT:
argue, complain, doubt, fret, grieve, know, say, see, set, speak, talk, tell,
think, worry, write.
AFTER:
aspire, crave, hanker, hunger, hunt, look, take, yearn.
AGAINST:
clamour, defend, exclaim, fight, guard, indemnify, insure, murmur, mutter,
protect, revolt, thunder, warn.
AT:
aim, assess, buy/sell (sth) at a price, call, drive, fire a shot, gaze, glance,
knock, laugh, mock, point, puff, rage, rejoice, repine, rush, shoot, smile,
sneer, stay, strike, throw, work.
BY:
begin, buy / sell (sth) by the pound etc, divide, finish, pass, profit, pull,
swear, walk.
FOR:
account, answer, ask, atone, bargain, call, care, cry, die, do, fall, fish, hope,
lament, languish, leave, long, look, last, pay, pine, prepare, reach, sail,
search, send, sigh, stand, start, strive, take, wait, wish.
FROM:
absolve, banish, borrow, cry, derive, descent, differ, differentiate,
distinguish, ensue, exact, excerpt, expect, extricate, flee, learn, manufacture,
obtain, purchase, purge, receive, recover, refrain, select, spring, suffer,
withdraw.
IN:
abound, believe, confide, consist, deal, employ (sb), entangle, hammer,
insert, interfere, paint, succeed, write.
INTO:
alter, break, change, divide, look, merge, pitch, put, thrust, turn.
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OF:
accuse, acquit, allow, approve, avail (oneself), become, beware, complain,
consist, cure, deprive, die, disapprove, dispose, doubt, dream, hear, learn,
relieve, remind, speak, suspect, talk, think.
ON:
act, agree, bet, comment, concentrate, congratulate, count, depend, embark,
gloat, inculcate, insist, jar, operate, rely, stumble, tattle, tell.
OVER:
brood, cry, exult, muse, quarrel, rule, ruminate.
TO:
adapt, adhere, adjust, agree, allude, amount, announce, apologise, appeal,
aspire, attach, attend, attest, belong, cling, come, compare, complain,
consent, correspond, drink, entitle, explain, give, go, help (oneself), lead,
listen, nod, object, oppose, point, prove, refer, reply, resort, respond, return,
seem, set (to work), speak, stick, subscribe, succeed, take, tend.
WITH:
agree, combine, compare, comply, connect, contend, contrast, correspond,
deal, differ, disagree, do, fight, interfere, intermeddle, join, meet
(~hardships), mingle, quarrel, quiver, reconcile, rhyme, shiver, side,
sympathize, talk, tremble, trifle, vie.
UPON:
act, bear, call, chance, depend, enter, fall, fix, force, frown, impose, insist,
look, play (~one’s feelings), rest, smile (about fate), trample.
with, capabale of, certain of, charmed at (smth.), charmed with (smb.),
clever at (mathematics), compatible with, concerned about /with, concerned
for (smb), connected with, consistent with, contended with, convenient for
(smth.) convenient to (smb.), crazy about, cruel to, deficient in (smth.),
delighted at, derogatory to, devoid of, dexterous at, diffident in,
disappointed at, disgusted by (smth.), disgusted with (smb.), displeased at,
dissatisfied with, doubtful of (smb.), dying for, eager for/about, earnest
about, enraged by, essential for, excited at/over, fit for, frightened at, full of,
good at, greedy of, hostile to (smb.), hungry for, identical to/with, ignorant
of, immersed in (debts), immune against, immune from, impolite to,
inadequate for smth/to smb, incensed at/with, inclined to /for, inconceivable
to, independent of smb, indignant at/with, infatuate with, intent on, irritated
at, offended at, opposite from, parallel to, paralyzed with, partial to,
particular about, pleased at smth, prepared for, proficient in, prone to,
resolved on, rude to, secure of, skillful at/in, slow at, solicitous about, sorry
about smth, sorry for smb, subject to, suffering from, sufficient for, suited
to, sure about smth, sure of smb, sympathetic to, tired with, true to, unfit for,
unjust to, vexed at smth, vexed with smb
Controlled Practice
1. Supply the right preposition:
a. She is very fond ... children.
b. The new teacher is very patient... us.
c. We are leaving to Sinaia ... July, 3-rd.
d. I was interested ... nuclear Physics.
e. What are you afraid ...?
f. I’m proud ... your success.
g. She has never been successful ... anything she has done so far.
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h. We are going there early ... the morning, yet don’t expect us until late ...
night.
i. The results depended ... the recent discovery.
j. A paleontologist is a person who has specialized ... paleontology.
Batty stayed …….. the island ……... almost three years. …….. August
1934, a ship was sailing ……. the island, and the captain saw Batty’s signal.
The sailors found a man .……. a long blue coat …….. dark hair and a
beard, looking rather …..... a gorilla. Batty was soon home, and a few years
later he finally arrived in Australia …….. air .
A B
interest for
lack in
ambition in
delight for
advantage between
influence at
witness over
arrangement of
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agreement of
declaration upon
protection against
difference to
damage on
impatience to
A B
busy to
inferior of
satisfied at
advantageous to
superior at
mad with
new to
afraid to
excited in
interested about
A B
run in
deal with
talk after
take about
divide on
think about; of
climb by
pass up
rely into
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believe for
5. Read through the following and fill in the numbered blanks with a
suitable preposition of time. Be careful, however, because in one or two
cases no preposition is needed.
My parents met (1)… the war: (2)… August 1943 to be precise. My father
was home (3)… leave (4)… the front, and he decided to spend the first week
with his aunt in Liverpool. He hadn’t seen her (5)… several years, even
though she had brought him up (6)… his mother’s death. Liverpool is not
the most beautiful city in the world, but it can be very pleasant (7)…
summertime, especially early (8)… the morning. (9)… this particular
morning, however, my father was in no mood to enjoy the sunrise over the
Mersey. His train left Euston Station (10)… time, at midnight, but (11)…
the time it got to Crewe, it was already three and a half hours (12)…
schedule. So he was in a bad mood and very tired (13)… arrival at Lime
Street Station. But something happened (14)… minutes of his arrival that
changed not only his mood but also his whole life. Feeling thirsty (15)… his
long journey, he decided to go and have a cup of tea in the station buffet.
Typically, it was shut (16)… that early hour. A notice on the door read
“Opening hours (17)… 7 a.m. (18)… 5.30 p.m.” He looked at the station
clock: ten (19)… seven. The buffet should be open (20)… now, he thought.
But, knowing station buffets, he realized that he could wait (21)… 8 or even
9 o’clock before it opened. Suddenly he noticed a pretty girl sitting on a
bench. She was pouring some hot liquid from a thermos flask into a cup.
Being something of a lady’s man, my father (at least this is what my mother
told me (22)… some years later) sat down and said “I’ve never seen such a
pretty girl (23)… all my life as you. And I haven’t had a hot drink (24)…
last night. If you give me a drink of your tea, I’ll marry you and look after
you (25)… the rest of my life!” Believe it or not, she smiled at him, gave
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him the tea, and … well, I wouldn’t be here (26)… now if the buffet hadn’t
been shut (27)… that fateful day (28)… August 1943.
16. To tell you the truth, I’m not very keen p. against the
law
7. Each of the words and phrases on the left can be associated with one of
the prepositional phrases on the right. Try to match them up correctly.
1. recite a poem a. against the law
2. We’re late! b. at daybreak
3. What a mess! c. at the same time
4. very fashionable d. behind schedule
5. I can’t pay! e. behind the times
6. You’re too young! f. by degrees
7. illegal g. from memory
8. simultaneous h. in agony
9. no clothes i. in arrears
10.I haven’t eaten j. behind bars
11. old-fashioned k. in disorder
12. It really hurts! l. in flames
13. very early m. in the nude
14. a prisoner n. in vogue
15. It’s burning! o. on an empty stomach
16. gradually p. under age
8. Complete the sentences below with one of the following adjectives plus a
preposition.
addicted, adequate, angry, aware, bad, capable, disqualified, distracted,
eligible, expert, full, inspired, involved, jealous, notorious, sympathetic
h. Wendy said that she would like to dance, and immediately there were
twenty young men offering to dance with her. TIME
i. We’ll be in UK, but only briefly. LONG
j. Nobody wanted to buy his car, so finally he had to give it away. END
k. Our daughter left home three years ago, and we don’t know even now
what happened to her. DAY
l. Please complete the rest of your assignments right away. DELAY
m. Your Aunt Kate is using the spare bedroom now. MOMENT
n. …so you’ll have to sleep in the garden temporarily. BEING
o. I hope to see you next month. Until then, best of luck with your driving
test. MEANTIME
p. Please be very quiet. There is an examination going on. PROGRESS.
10. For each of the sentences below, write a new sentence as similar as
possible in meaning to the original sentence using the word in CAPITAL
LETTERS. We have given you the first word(s) of the new sentence.
I……
r. Henry really knew how to make people laugh. TALENT
Henry ……
s. My father says that the moon is made of green cheese. ACCORDING
The moon …….
t. I can recite Wordsworth’s Prelude without looking at the book.
MEMORY
I ……
u. We have run out of the items you want. STOCK
The items ……
v. The way to get the best out of me is to make me work very hard.
PRESSURE
I ……
B.
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8. Complete the sentences below with one of the following nouns plus a
preposition.
basis, campaign, choice, control, cruelty, excuse, fall, freedom, genius,
grudge, knowledge, news, objection, opposite, strain, trouble
a. If you had a … … marrying for love or marrying for money, which would
you do?
b. What is the … … “timid”? Is it “bold” or “brave”?
c. The African elephant will be extinct within 20 years if an international …
… the ivory trade is not started immediately.
d. Do you have any … … my parking my car in front of your house?
e. The … … chewing gum is that it loses its flavour too quickly.
f. I know you have a cold, but that’s no … … not doing your homework.
g. If you have to deal with overseas clients, a … … foreign languages is
very useful.
h. Perhaps the three most important human rights are … … hunger, fear and
persecution.
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Progress Test 3
1. Which words in column A can combine with words in column B?
a gaggle of puppies
a school of geese
a pride of locusts
a swarm of fish
a colony of hounds
a flock of birds
a pack of bees
a litter of lions
A B
on top
with the left
beyond a light heart
to praise
in land
by the mark
off war
at doubt
under earnest
without such circumstances
A B A B A B
tall person heavy music Happy New Year!
high tree strong noise Merry Anniversary!
mountain loud traffic Christmas!
wall smoker Birthday!
building wind
price
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Key:
a gaggle of geese, a pride of lions, a swarm of bees, a colony of locusts, a
flock of birds , a pack of hounds, a litter of puppies, a school of fish.
on top, by land, with a light heart, beyond praise, to the left, in earnest, at
war, off the mark, under such circumstances, without doubt,
a tall person, a tall tree, a high mountain, a high wall, a high building, a high
price, loud music, heavy noise, heavy traffic, heavy smoker, strong wind,
Happy New Year, Happy Anniversary, Merry Christmas, Happy Birthday.
2.
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Score:
1. a. 1 point + 1 point each x9 = 10 points
b. 1 point + 1 point each x9 = 10 points
c. 1 point + 0,60 point each x15 = 10 points
2. 1 point + 0,60 point each x15 = 10 points
Divided by 4 = 10 points
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English Practical Course 201
Unit 11
In this unit you will learn:
Adjectives
The Order of Adjectives in a Series
Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
Comparative Sentences
Reading
Consider the uses of modifiers in this paragraph rich in adjectives from
Thomas Wolfe’s Look Homeward, Angel. Adjectives are bold; participles,
verb forms acting as adjectives, are underlined. Some people would argue
that words that are part of a name – like East India Tea house – are not really
adjectival and that possessive nouns – father’s, farmer’s – are not
technically adjectives, but we’ve included them in our analysis of Wolve’s
text. Note that such an abundance of adjectives would be uncommon in
contemporary prose.
He remembered yet the East India Tea house at the Fair, the sandalwood,
the turbans, and the robes, the cool interior and the smell of India tea; and
he had felt now the nostalgic thrill of dew-wet mornings in Spring, the
cherry scent, the cool clarion earth, the wet loaniness of the garden, the
pungent breakfast smells and the floating snow of blossoms. He knew the
inchoate sharp excitement of hot dandelions in young earth; in July, of
watermelons bedded in sweet hay, inside a farmer’s covered wagon; of
cantaloupe and crated peaches; and the scent of orange rind, bitter-sweet,
before a fire of coals. He knew the good male smell of his father’s sitting-
room; if the smooth worn leather sofa, with the gaping horse-hair rent; of
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the blistered varnished wood upon the hearth; of the heated calf-skin
bindings, of the flat moist plug of apple tobacco, stuck with a red flag; of
wood-smoke and burnt leaves in October, of the brown tired autumn earth;
of honey-suckle at night; of warm nasturtiums, of a clean ruddy farmer who
comes weekly with printed butter eggs, and milk; of fat limp underdone
bacon and of coffee; of a bakery-oven in the wind; of large deep-hued
stringbeans smoking-hot and seasoned well with salt and butter; of a room
of old pine boards in which books and carpets have been stored, long
closed; of Concord grapes in their long white baskets.
Grammar Reference
Position of adjectives
Adjectives are words that describe or modify a noun/ nouns in the sentence:
the tall man, the fat lady, a serious commitment, a month’s pay, a five-
month-old child, the unhappiest, richest man.
Unlike adverbs, which often seem capable of popping up almost anywhere
in a sentence, adjectives nearly always appear immediately before the noun
or noun phrase that they modify. Sometimes they appear in a string of
adjectives, and when they do, they appear in a set order according to
category.
Collective adjectives
When the definite article, the, is combined with an adjective describing a
class or group of people, the resulting phrase can act as a noun: the poor, the
rich, the oppressed, the homeless, the lonely. The difference between a
collective noun (which is usually regarded as singular but which can be
plural in certain contexts) and a collective adjective is that the latter is
always plural and requires a plural verb:
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Adjectival opposites
The opposite or the negative aspect of an adjective can be formed in a
number of ways. One way, of course, is to find an antonym. The opposite of
beautiful is ugly, the opposite of young is old. Another way to form the
opposite of an adjective is with a number of prefixes. The opposite of
fortunate is unfortunate, the opposite of prudent is imprudent, the opposite
of considerate is inconsiderate, the opposite of honourable is
dishonourable, the opposite of alcoholic is non-alcoholic, the opposite of
being properly filled is misfilled. If you are not sure of the spelling of
adjectives modified in this way by prefixes (or which is the appropriate
prefix), you will have to consult a dictionary, as the rules for the selection of
a prefix are complex and too shifty to be trusted. The meaning itself can be
tricky; for instance, flammable and inflammable mean the same thing.
A third means of creating the opposite of an adjective is to combine it with
less or least to create a comparison which points in the opposite direction.
Interesting shades of meaning and tone become available with this usage.
They are figures of speech. For instance, an euphuism is created if we say
that This is the least beautiful city in the state instead of This is the ugliest
city in the state. A candidate for a job can still be worthy and yet less worthy
of consideration than another candidate. It’s probably not a good idea to use
this construction with an adjective that is already negative: He is less
unlucky than his brother, although that is not the same thing as saying he is
luckier than his brother. Use the comparative less when the comparison is
between two things or people; use the superlative least when the comparison
is among many things or people.
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* Farther/ the farthest are used to relate to distance (I live farther than
you.); further/ the furthest are used in relation to time, quantity. The latter
has also an abstract meaning. (Give me further details in order to
understand it better.)
** Former means of an earlier period or the first of two (In former times,
people used typing machines instead of computers.); the foremost means
chief (The foremost welder in this factory is John.); the first means initial
(Americans claim that the first movie was made in the United States.).
*** Latter means the second of two (I’ve met John and Cindy: the former is
a student in Philology, the latter is a student in Foreign Languages); the
latest means the most recent (He bought the latest novel by J. Fowles.); the
last means final: ( Shakespeare’s last play).
****The nearest is used for distance (Could you tell me the way to the
nearest library?); the next refers to order. (The next bus comes in an hour.)
Less versus fewer
When making a comparison between quantities we often have to make a
choice between the words fewer and less. Generally, when we’re talking
about countable things, we use the word fewer, when we’re talking about
measurable quantities that we cannot count, we use the word less.
She had fewer chores, but she also had less energy.
We do, however, use less when referring to statistical or numerical
expressions:
It’s less than four miles to Dallas.
He’s less than six feet tall.
Your essay should be a thousand words or less.
In these situations, it’s possible to regard the quantities as sums of countable
measures.
Taller than I/me?
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When making a comparison with than we end with a subject form: taller
than I/she.
We are looking for the subject form: He is taller than I am/ she. (We leave
out the verb in the second clause, am or is.) Some good writers, however,
will argue that the word than should be allowed to function as a preposition.
If we can say He is tall like me/ her, then (if than could be prepositional like
like) we should be able to say, He is taller than me/her. It’s an interesting
argument, but – for now, anyway – in formal, academic prose, use the
subject form in such comparisons.
We also want to be careful in a sentence such as I like him better than
she/her. She will mean that you like this person better than she likes him;
her would mean that you like this male person better than you like that
female person. (To avoid ambiguity and the slippery use of than, we could
write I like him better than she does or I like him better than I like her. )
More than/ over?
In the United States, we usually use more than in countable numerical
expressions, meaning in excess of or over. In England, there is no such
distinction. For instance, in the U.S., some editors would insist on more
than 40,000 traffic deaths in one year, whereas in the UK, over 40,000
traffic deaths would be acceptable. Even so in the U.S., however, you will
commonly hear over in numerical expressions of age, time or height: His
sister is over forty; she is over six feet tall. We’ve been waiting well over
two hours for her.
Good versus well
In both casual speech and formal writing, we frequently have to choose
between the adjective good and the adverb well. With most verbs, there is no
ambiguity: when modifying a verb, use the adverb.
He swims well.
He knows very well who the murderer is.
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However, when using a linking verb or a verb that has to do with the five
human senses, you can use the adjective instead.
How are you? I’m feeling good, thank you.
After a bath, the baby smells so good.
Many careful writers, however, will use well after linking verbs relating to
health, and this is perfectly all right. In fact, to say that you are good or that
you feel good usually implies not only that you are OK physically but also
that your spirits are high:
How are you?
I am well, thank you.
Bad versus badly
According to the same rule that applies to good versus well, use the
adjective form after verbs that have to do with human feelings. You feel bad
when something bad happens. If you felt badly it would mean that
something was wrong with your faculties for feeling.
Comparative Sentences
In relation to the degrees of comparison, there are idiomatic expressions
with two comparatives:
Form:
the+ comparative ...... the+ comparative ...
The bigger the essay, the better.
The more mass in the body, the less acceleration.
The more we are, the more fun we’ll have.
Controlled Practice
1. Translate into English:
a. Ea avea o maşinã sport albastră.
b. Noi am citit un articol interesant de 5 pagini în “Literary Magazine”.
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g. Problema aceasta este cea mai dificilã cu care m-am confruntat vreodatã.
h. Ideea ta e mai bunã, dar soluţia mea este mai ieftinã decât a ta.
i. Engleza devine din ce în ce mai importantã în întreaga lume.
j. Dintre cele douã romane, primul este mai scurt, iar al doilea este mai lung.
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5. Here are some of the things John said about the cities he visited. Some are
facts and some are his opinions. Complete his sentences:
a. London is, of course, much older …..... Los Angeles, but it isn’t ……..
than Athens. Athens is …….. oldest city I have ever seen.
b. London doesn’t have …….. buildings than Athens, but it has older ones
…….. the ones in Los Angeles and Tokyo.
c. Tokyo’s exciting, but, for an architect, London is …….. exciting ……..
Tokyo, and, of course, Los Angeles is .……. ..……. exciting of all.
d. Los Angeles has …….. parks than Tokyo, but London has .……. ……..
parks. There are five in the city centre.
e. In comparison to our cities, these are …….. interesting from the point of
view of the buildings people built there.
If one of your criteria in choosing a car is its design, the Mercedes is far
more attractive than any others. Yet at the same time you should think that,
even if their cars are very elegant and …….., they are …….. for common
people. The Electrolite is ..…….. than the others as it is equipped with a
filter fitted to remove toxins from the waste water that escapes from it. The
latest Mercedes model is of course …….. and ……. ,yet, if you want to
have a car for a life save your money and buy it.
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10. Complete the sentences with negative adjectives derived from the verbs
in brackets by using the suffixes –able, -ible, or –uble and the negative
prefixes in- or un-.
a. Heroes finally disappear, but their words are (destroy).
b. Freedom of speech is regarded today as an (alienate) right.
c. Because you have been so stubborn, their decision to sell the house is
(revoke).
d. The Romanian word dor is almost (translate) into English.
e. He is the greatest comic ever, his jokes are (imitate).
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12. Choose the correct word (adjective or adverb) according to the meaning:
a. She used to work (hard, hardly) for the exam.
b. You have (hard, hardly) read anything this week.
c. They were (deep, deeply) impressed by our success.
d. My friends entered (deep, deeply) in the cave.
e. My friend sold me the TV set (cheap, cheaply).
f. He stood firm on position, he acted (cool, coolly).
g. Jet airliners can fly (high, highly) in the sky.
h. That blue dress cost (dear, dearly).
i. He wasn’t allowed to hit (low, lowly) for fear he should hurt his opponent.
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13. The following sentences are incorrect. Reformulate them so that they
express the same meaning but use the comparative of superiority of the
antonym:
a. This poem is less good than your last one.
b. My cousin is much less rich than he looks.
c. This room is less wide than the previous one.
d. The water was less deep than they hoped.
e. His office is less near than mine.
f. A car is less quick than an airplane.
g. It is less dangerous to climb the Carpathians than to climb the Alps.
h. The wound is less bad than you thought at the beginning.
i. After that heavy rain the air is less dry that it was before.
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17. Choose the word or phrase which best completes each sentence. Explain
the meaning.
a. My grandfather never remembers anything; he has a memory like a
(bucket, mouse, sieve).
b. The Jackson brothers get on like (a house on fire, fish and chips, two peas
in a pod, clockwork). They never argue.
c. I can tell that you have eaten a lot lately; you are as heavy as (a corpse,
lead, an elephant)!
d. Putting your jewelry in this box is as safe as (houses, a bank, gold bars, a
vault).
e. Speak louder, please! He is as deaf as (a post, a leaf, a politician).
f. She was as pleased as (a poppy, a sunflower, punch, pound notes) when
she won the first prize.
g. That vampire hasn’t been banished from town, I saw him last night, as
(real, true, good, large) as life.
h. They will never eat so much ice-cream, they were as sick as a (pig
poodle, horse, dog, donkey).
i. The shoes fit you like (a glove, glue, a mould, a pillowcase) since you
mended them.
j. He drunk a lot yesterday, although normally he is as sober as (Sunday, a
judge, a priest, a Muslim).
18. Select the colour: white, grey, yellow, pink, green, blue.
a. They were tickled … … when the teacher congratulated them.
b. I was given the … … light to announce the winner.
c. To tell a … … lie sometimes does not hurt anybody’s feelings.
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d. You can shout at him until you are … … in the face, he won’t listen to
you.
e. Mary was … … with envy when her sister married a handsome young
man.
f. They say that lacking … … matter is worse than lacking beauty.
g. Even if they got a lot of nice gifts, they also got some … … elephants.
h. They were really … … to leave us here without protecting us.
20. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate form of the adjectives in brackets:
a. Try to be a little (precise), please.
b. She doesn’t believe that these cigarettes are any (good) than the Russian
ones.
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c. Your garden has (narrow) alleys than those from our park.
d. Which are the (breath-taking) views in your country?
e. The (cold) the weather, the (low) the temperatures.
f. Then the show became ever (funny).
g. It is (hard) for my nephew to understand the problem than for his (old)
sister.
h. In autumn, nights become (longer) till December, the 22nd.
i. His story became (interesting) the more we listened.
j. They have the (complete) understanding of the problem.
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22. Rewrite the sentences putting the words into the correct order:
a. incredibly/ holiday/ wonderful/ was/ the.
b. Enormous/ they/ old/ staying/ house/ brown/ are/ an/ in.
c. and/ looks/ now/ old/ she/ fresh/ rather.
d. close/ are/ buddies/ extremely/ we.
e. this/ man/ Pam/ wonder/ really/ I/ marry/ to/wants/if
f. people/ true/pork/that/never/is/drink/it/these/alcohol/no/eat/and?
g. life/movie/in/such/I/never/my/seen/a/have/boring
h. that/ motorbike/have/since/when/new/had/they?
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23. Put the adjectives in brackets into the comparative or superlative form:
The company’s twelve-monthly report shows that sales figures were (low)
than the previous year. This is no surprise due to the recession but what is
(unacceptable) than this is the clear proof that some of our (old) clients have
switched to another supplier. We are aware that there are (cheap) suppliers
than ourselves but this may not be the (essential) factor. One old client was
heard to say that their new supplier was (professional) and (flexible) than
we are. If this is the case, then this is (disturbing) than anything else. The
economic situation is getting (critical) and if we don’t compare favorably
with our (big) competitors, then we will not survive. We used to have the
(high) standing in the business but we are in danger of losing that for good.
It is not easy to be the (good) but that is what we should be aiming for.
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24. Complete the sentences with participles as adjectives, using the verbs
below. The verbs with adverbs should be used to form compound adjectives:
dry, change, act well, keep beautifully, bring up well, continue, break,
decline fast, steal, tailor beautifully, brush well, relax, think clearly, park,
write well, embarrass, build well, plan badly, boil, love.
a. It was a very restful holiday so we feel much more … now.
b. I saw a very … play.
c. I kept calling her by her nickname; it was very … .
d. The … kettle filled the little girl with fear.
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25. Complete the following sentences with an adjective formed from one of
the verbs or nouns below plus a suffix:
act, care, change, comfort, describe, dread, enjoy, forget, grace, motion,
power, rely, submit, tire, truth
a. They had a lovely holiday; it was thoroughly enjoyable.
b. She never remembers your birthday; I don’t know why she’s that … .
c. There’s nothing I can do about it; I’m totally… .
d. Everybody believes what Jack says because he’s always been … .
e. My friend never seems to run out of energy; he’s completely … .
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f. Jane Austen was a very … writer; she gives you a very good feel for the
places and characters in her novels.
g. He has said he’ll be here and I’m sure he will. He’s very… .
h. They always do what you tell him to do: he’s just so… .
i. You’re so … : you’re always dropping plates on the floor.
j. I love to watch the swans on the lake: they’re so … .
k. The lion stayed … as it waited to pounce on the gazelle.
l. It’s a very … climate; the weather can be completely different from one
day to another.
m. It’s important to keep … after you retire.
n. The armchairs he has just bought are really … . My back never hurts
while sitting in them.
o. The situation in the oil-polluted gulf is … . Thousands of fish are dying
every day.
27. Put the adjectives in brackets into the comparative or superlative form.
Some of the comparatives are formed with less:
Mary, who lives in Leeds, is on the phone to her friend Jane, who has
recently moved to the countryside.
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UNIT 12
In this unit you will learn:
Articles
Definite Articles
Indefinite Articles
Zero Articles
Reading
Read the following fragment from Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad. Pay
attention to the use of the article in English. Underline the definite articles
with one line and the indefinite articles with two lines:
A month or so afterwards, when Jim, in answer to pointed questions, tried to
tell honestly the truth of this experience, he said, speaking of the ship: “She
went over whatever it was as easy as a snake crawling over a stick.” The
illustration was good: the questions were aiming at facts, and the official
Inquiry was being held in the police court of an Eastern port. He stood
elevated in the witness-box, with burning cheeks in a cool lofty room: the
big framework of punkahs moved gently to and fro high above his head, and
from below many eyes were looking at him out of dark faces, out of white
faces, out of red faces, out of faces attentive, spellbound, as if all these
people sitting in orderly rows upon narrow benches had been enslaved by
the fascination of his voice. It was very loud, it rang startling in his own
ears, it was the only sound audible in the world, for the terribly distinct
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Grammar Reference
The Article
The use of articles in English is complex, and there are a lot of exceptions
that need to be known.
Here are the basic rules.
He is a Christian.
Compare: Tom is a teacher. Tom is the teacher of these students.
to refer to unknown people. Use of a/an emphasises that a person is
unknown:
A Mr Smith called and asked about you.
in phrases:
to be in a hurry, to have a headache, as a matter of fact, to develop a
disease, to have a good time, to take a seat, etc.
it is used with a generic noun that represents a class:
We saw a zebra at the zoo.
A book is for reading.
An indefinite article is required after
such, what: such an ugly scar , what a pretty nose, such pretty eyes
quite a, rather a: quite a large dog, rather a big decision
An is used before words beginning with a vowel sound (except for words
beginning with a semivowel: the sound /j/ and /w/):
an apple, an ink well, an hour, an honest man, an heir, a united party, a
usual case,
but an ugly man, an unusual accident, a university, a year, a woman.
Emphatic use: This heavily stresses and emphasises the following noun:
This country is the place to visit.
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Zero Article
It is used with:
plural and uncountable nouns when talking about things in general.
Money is the root of all evil.
Gas is cheaper than electricity.
Gold and silver are important metals.
Babies need to drink milk.
proper nouns denoting persons, continents, countries, regions, towns,
mountains, lakes, streets, magazines and periodicals, months,
festivals, days of the week, etc.:
Mary/ Mount Everest, Europe, Oxford Street, Paris, January, Sunday,
Newsweek
Most streets do not use an article. Green Road. Exceptions are The High
Street, The Strand and street names without preceding adjectives. Compare:
Holly Drive with The Drive.
some unique organisations: Parliament, but The (House of)
Commons
nouns like school, church, prison, when we imply the use made of
the institution (not the building):
He goes to school (to learn). But: The school in my district is near my
house.
in phrases:
at night, at dawn, day by day, by sea, to be in trouble, by mistake, to make
friends, to shake hands, to take place, etc.
Translation problems
Study these sentences. In what way do the English people use the article
differently in comparison with the way Romanians use it?
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Controlled Practice
1. Decide which answer A, B or C best fits each space:
a. He is speaking to .... authority.
A. an; B. - ; C. the
b. In order to survive, plants need ... water.
A. - ; B. a; C. the
c. In order to fix the armchair he needs ... hammer and ... nails.
A. the/ the; B. a/ the; C. a/ some
d. I took ... seat and waited for ... director to come.
A. - /the; B. a/the; C. the/ a
e. I thought you had passed ... exam but it seems that it was ... hardest of all.
A. - /the; B. an/the; C. the/the
f. They had ... excellent dinner and had ... very good time at ... Hilton.
A. - /a/the; B. an/the/ - ; C. an/a/the
g. He had ... degree in ... Physics and one in ... Mathematics, so he was one
of ... best teachers in our highschool.
A. - / - / - /the; B. a/ - / - /the; C. a/the/the/the
h. I did my homework and then went directly to ... bed as I was very tired.
A. - ; B. a; C. the
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i. Everyone was impressed by ... sincerity with which he spoke, yet not
everyone admires .... sincerity in such ... way.
A. - / - / - ; B. a/ - / - ; C. the/ - /a
j. ... Smiths are at ... home now, yet they are busy at the moment.
A. - / - ; B. the/ - ; C. - /the;
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such a situation, one has to ask how employees can protect their interests as
regards 6) ……. wages, conditions, and fair treatment by the managements.
As a last resort, there seems little alternative to the withdrawal of labour, the
call to strike.
The arguments against striking are numerous and vary somewhat depending
on one’s point of view. As 7) ……… employer, you may find both practical
and ideological arguments against the right to strike. Strikes disrupt the
process of production and can, as a result, create immense problems as
regards long-term planning. Employers may also resent 8) ……..right to
strike because it imposes limits on the management’s control of employees
and contradicts the ideology of a harmony of interests which assigns
legitimacy to managerial power. The government’s viewpoint is similar in 9)
…….. sense that the importance of the ideological argument may vary with
changes of government. But the practical argument against strikes would
remain a constant. 10) ……. Governments in capitalist societies such as
Britain inevitably serve the interests of management. However they may
wish to appear neutral. The state of the nation’s economy is inextricably
linked with 11) ……… fortunes of private enterprise. The disruptive effect
of 12) ……… major strike upon the nation’s economy is therefore
potentially dangerous.
These negative arguments all emphasize 13) ……… disruption and hardship
caused by strikes. Such arguments are not sufficiently strong to warrant
denying workers the right to strike. Withdrawing one’s labour should, of
course, be 14) ……… last resort and there should be fewer irresponsible
industrial disputes, which are an abuse of the right to strike. But without this
right and without the efforts of trade unions over the years, it is hard to
imagine that 15) ……… employees in Britain would be as well treated as
they are today.
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1. A. the; B. an; C. –
2. A. –; B. the; C. a
3. A. the; B. - ; C. a
4. A. some; B. - ; C. the
5. A. the; B. -; C. some
6. A. the; B. - ; C. some
7. A. an; B. the; C. –
8. A. the; B. a; C. -
9. A the; B. -; C. a
10. A. Some; B. the; C. -
11. A. the; B. -; C. some
12. A. the; B. a; C.-
13. A. a; B. -; C. the
14. A. the; B. a; C.-
15. A.-; B. the; C. some
two bags, and …….. rugs and …….. coats, and such like things, and started
off to look for …….. diggings.
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Unit 13
In this unit you will learn:
Adverbs
Punctuation
Reading
Read the following fragment from Silas Marner by George Eliot. Underline
the adverbs. Can you classify them?
‘Why, this is what I want- and just shake yourself sober and listen, will
you?’ said Godfrey, savagely. He had himself been drinking more than was
good for him, trying to turn his gloom into uncalculating anger. ‘I want to
tell you, I must hand over that rent of Fowler’s to the Squire, or else tell him
I gave it you; for he’s threatening to distrain for it, and it’ll all be out soon,
whether I tell him or not. He said, just now, before he went out, he should
send word to Cox to distrain, if Fowler didn’t come and pay up his arrears
this week. The Squire’s short o’ cash, and in no humour to stand any
nonsense; and you know what he threatened, if ever he found you making
away with his money again. So, see and get the money, and pretty quickly,
will you?’ ‘Oh!’ said Dunsey, sneeringly, coming nearer to his brother and
looking into his face. ‘Suppose, now, you get the money yourself, and save
me the trouble, eh? Since you was so kind as to hand it over to me, you’ll
not refuse me the kindness to pay it back for me: it was your brotherly love
made you do it, you know.’
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Grammar Reference 1
The Adverb
The adverb shows a characteristic of an event or state, a quality.
It can modify:
a verb: We are talking about your report today.
an adjective: He was bitterly disappointed.
a noun: Only John knows the whole truth.
a pronoun: Me too.
another adverb: She spoke extremely loud.
a clause: Maybe I will come to your party.
Form
Simple Derived adverbs Compound adverbs Adverbial
adverbs phrases
far likewise everywhere at least
fast afloat outdoors at once
here homeward(s) outside by the way
late repeatedly thereby by all means
near hardly therefore in full
now monthly today in general
then bitterly tomorrow in all probability
today happily wherein now and then
well excellently wherefore of old
Adverbs of manner: badly; carefully; excellently; fast
Adverbs of place: away; aboard; above; anywhere
Adverbs of time: already; after; afterwards; early
Adverbs of quantity, measure, degree and approximation: awfully;
extremely; enough; little
Adverbs of frequency: always; ever; every time; again; forever
Adverbs of cause, reason, result and concession: consequently; therefore;
thus; for this reason; hence; so that
Interrogative adverbs: how; where; when; wherefore; why.
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Controlled Practice 1
1. Maria is writing to her friend Mary in England. She’s rather tired, and
she’s left some of the words out by mistake. Rewrite Maria’s letter to Mary
putting in the adverbs and adverb phrases on the right:
Dear Mary,
Thank you for your letter. Is it five months since I last really
wrote?
I’m sorry, but I’ve been very busy. lately
I’m working for my exams. already
I’ve planned my revision. carefully
I work until about ten o’clock in the evening. usually
I’ve finished for today. just
I don’t keep my plan. of course
I saw a marvelous film. yesterday
It was called “The English Patient”. Have you seen it? yet
I don’t go out. actually, often
Suzanne comes about once a week. here
We talk. a lot
I hope to visit England again. next year
I had a lovely time last year. there
It would be great to see you. again
I’m trying to save some money. hard
How are you? Is your apartment all right? Please reply. soon
Love, yours,
Maria
John: It is getting a bit warm/warmly in here, isn’t it? Well I can easy/ easily
open this window here.
Helen: Thank you. Actually, my head aches quite bad/badly, too. I think it’s
slow/slowly getting worse.
John: I’m sure/surely the music isn’t helping too much. It seems rather
loud/loudly, doesn’t it? Look, would you like me to take you home?
Helen: No, that’s all right, thanks. But if I could sit quiet/quietly somewhere
for a few minutes, I might be OK.
John: I’ll ask Susan if there’s somewhere you can go.
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Grammar Reference 2
Punctuation
There is a considerable amount of variation in punctuation practices. At one
extreme are writers who use as little punctuation as possible. At the other
extreme there are writers who use to much punctuation in an effort to make
their meaning clear. Here are some punctuation rules.
1. Sentence - Level Punctuation
Punctuation Guidelines Examples
Marks
. Ordinaly. An indepen- Some of us think we should
dent clause is made into invest in this company.
a sentence by beginning Others think it is useless.
it with a capital letter
and ending it with a
period.
, Independent clauses The forecast promised
may be combined into beautiful weather on the coast
one sentence by using of the North Sea, but it rained
the words and, but, yet, every day.
or, nor, and so. The first Draw the figure, and solve
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Marks
“ When writers use the exact In 1841, Ralph Waldo
words of someone else, they Emerson wrote “I hate
must use quotation marks to quotations. Tell me what
set them off from the rest of the you know.”
text.
... If part of a quotation is She told him the
omitted, the omission must be following: “If you want
....
marked with points of ellipsis. to settle down, to get a
When the omission comes in proper job, to find the
the middle of a sentence, three proper wife... you should
points are used. When the give up your selfish
omission includes the end of ideas.”
one or more sentences, four “Work of the tyre that
points are used. B.W.R.A. is doing is of
greatest value when
carried out in a
sufficiently
comprehensive pattern,
and it is much to be
hoped that the framers of
codes will give it full
weight .... There are
many factors which
affect a pressure vessel of
the types commonly
used.”
[] When writers insert something “In a fault, it [the crust of
within a quoted passage, the the earth] has cracked
insertion should be set off with and caused different
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Unit 14
Reading
Read the following poem belonging to Rudyard Kipling. Pay attention to if
clauses. Translate the poem into Romanian.
If
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;
Grammar Reference
First Conditional
It is used to express a possible condition and a probable result in the future:
If my cheque comes, I’ll buy this car.
We’ll destroy the environment if we don’t look after it.
If he passes the baccalaureate, he’ll go to university.
Form
No future tense occurs in the conditional clause. This is replaced by the
present simple. However, we can also use: present continuous, present
perfect simple, present perfect continuous, can, should. Will / would can be
used to express polite requests or insistence:
If you will wait for a moment, I’ll wrap it for you. (request)
If you will go on smoking, you’ll get worse. (insistence)
The main clause usually has the verb in the future with will/shall. However,
we can also use: ‘be going to’ future, future continuous, future perfect,
imperative, can/could, may/might, should/ought to, must.
Main Clause If Clause
Present/ Future Present
Affirmative and negative
If I work hard, I’ll pass my exams.
If he’s still waiting for you, he must be very hungry.
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Second Conditional
It is used to express an unreal or improbable condition (hypothetical
condition) and its probable result in the present or future. The condition is
unreal because it is different from the facts that we know. We can always
say But...
If I were Prime Minister, I’d increase taxes on properties such as castles,
palaces, ranches, etc. (But I’m not Prime Minister.)
If I lived in a big house, I’d have a party. (But my house is very small.)
Form
The verb in the main clause is in the present conditional (would+infinitive);
the verb in the conditional clause is in the present subjunctive which is
similar to the past simple with the exception of the verb to be which
becomes were for all the persons.
Main Clause If Clause
Present Conditional Present Subjunctive
Affirmative and negative
If I had more money, I would (’d) /could buy a new computer. /go out more
often.
If she knew/ were to know the answer, she would tell it to us immediately.
If I didn’t have debts, I wouldn’t have to work so hard.
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Interrogative
What would you do if you were me?
Which countries would you visit it you travelled round the world?
Third Conditional
It is used to express impossible (unfulfilled) condition referring to the past;
it contradicts reality, which can no longer be changed. The condition is
highly hypothetical.
Form
The verb in the main clause is in the past/perfect conditional (would+ have+
the third form of the verb), while the verb in the conditional clause is in the
perfect subjunctive (a form similar to past perfect). However, we can also
use the past perfect continuous or could + perfect infinitive in if clause,
whereas in the main clause we can use the modals could and might before
the perfect infinitive.
Main clause If clause
Past/Perfect conditional Perfect subjunctive
Affirmative and negative
If I had had more money, I would (‘d) have bought this elegant car.
If she had known the answer, she would have passed the exam.
If I hadn’t made so many mistakes, I wouldn’t have failed the driving
license test.
If the ambulance had come sooner, he might have been /could have been
saved.
If he had been travelling in that car, he could have been killed.
Interrogative
What would you have done if you had seen such a wonderful movie?
Which countries would you have visited if you had travelled round the
world?
Notes:
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Mixed Conditionals
In addition to the tense variations we can use in the first, second and third
conditionals, it is also possible to mix conditionals. The context defines the
meaning.
The most common mixed conditional is:
If + past perfect would/could/might + infinitive
If I had worked harder at university, I would have a degree now.
Other types:
If you come to the party tomorrow, I wouldn’t bring Mary with you.
If he is honest, he would have told the truth.
If she loved him, she would have stayed with him.
Implied Conditionals
Conditionals are not always expressed in the form of conditional clauses,
particularly in spoken English:
Please come out with us tonight. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. (implied condition:
If you come out with us, …)
With a bit more help (if I had more help), I would have finished it on time.
I’m sure we’d really have a good time with you (if we went), but we just
can’t afford a holiday.
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I’m glad you didn’t tell Mathew about this. He would have been furious. (if
you had told him)
Inversion in If-Clauses
When there is should, were or had in the if-clause, the subject and the
auxiliary verb can be inverted and if is omitted.
If he should ring, tell him to come at 8.00. / Should he ring, …
If I were you, I wouldn’t say that. / Were I you, …
If I had known earlier, I wouldn’t have done such a thing. / Had I known
earlier, …
Controlled Practice
1. Answer the following questions with conditional sentences of the real
type:
a. What happens if you don’t pass this exam?
b. What presents will you buy if you go to that party?
c. What grade do you expect to get if you write a good paper?
d. What do you need to learn if you want to get that job?
e. What will you tell him if he asks you about your accident?
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3. Put if, when, or as soon as into each gap, and put the verbs in brackets in
the correct tense:
John: Bye, darling. Have a good trip.
Maria: Thanks. I (ring) you ... I (arrive) at the hotel.
John: Good, but remember I’m going out.
Maria: Well, ... you (be) out ... I (ring), I (leave) a message on the answer
phone so you know I’ve arrived safely.
John: Great. What time do you expect you’ll be there?
Mary: ... the plane (arrive) on time, I (be) at the hotel at about 10.00. That’s
8.00 your time.
John: All right. And remember. Give me a ring .. you know the time of your
flight back, and I (pick) you up.
Maria: Thanks, darling. Bye!
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e. If I had known how to solve the problems in chemistry, I (pass) the exam
in the winter session.
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10. Finish these sentences, taking care to use the correct tense. These are
mixed conditional sentences.
a. If he had taken my advice...
b. The substance would look better if...
c. I’d have brought my compass if...
d. If you had asked his permission...
e. If I buy this machine ...
f. If she practised more...
g. If the river rises any higher...
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15. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first
sentence using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use
between three and eight words, including the word given.
a. If I were him, I would not be late for the interview. (better)
b. You won’t be punished provided you admit it was your mistake. (long)
c. Since he is an only child, his parents have spoiled him. (not)
d. If I had been you, I would have punished him. (shoes)
e. If you revise all your notes, you’ll pass the exam. (provided)
f. If it wasn’t for the good pay, I wouldn’t stay in this job. (but)
g. If you don’t get to work on time, you’ll be given the sack. (punctual)
h. As you‘ve got a high temperature, you’d better go to the doctor’s. (were)
i. As I couldn’t answer any of the questions, I walked out of the Maths
exam.(so)
j. But for his help, I wouldn’t be in my current job.(got)
k. If Mary were feeling well, she would have come to Tom’s party. (since)
l. If someone gave you a free airline ticket, where would you travel to? (to)
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i. Dacă n-ar fi nins, excursia noastră la munte n-ar fi fost atât de plăcută.
j. Mi-a spus de câteva ori că va accepta postul cu condiţia ca salariul să fie
mulţumitor.
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Unit 15
Reading
Read the following fragment from The Blue Hotel by Stephen Crane.
Underline the modal verbs:
The Palace Hotel at Fort Romper was painted a light blue, a shade that is
on the legs of a kind of heron, causing the bird to declare its position
against any background. The Palace Hotel, then, was always screaming and
howling in a way that made the dazzling winter landscape of Nebraska seem
only a gray swampish hush. It stood alone on the prairie, and when the
snow was falling the town two hundred yards away was not visible. But
when the traveler alighted at the railway station he was obliged to pass the
Palace Hotel before he could come upon the company of low clap-board
houses which composed Fort Romper, and it was not to be thought that any
traveler could pass the Palace Hotel without looking at it.
Pat Scully, the proprietor, had proved himself a master of strategy when he
chose his paints. It is true that on clear days, when the great trans-
continental expresses, long lines of swaying Pullmans, swept through Fort
Romper, passengers were overcome at the sight, and the cult that knows the
brown-reds and the subdivisions of the dark greens of the East expressed
shame, pity, horror, in a laugh. But to the citizens of this prairie town, and
to the people who would naturally stop there, Pat Scully had performed a
feat. With this opulence and splendor, these creeds, classes, egotisms, that
streamed through Romper on the rails day after day, they had no color in
common.
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Grammar Reference
Modal Auxiliaries
Modal auxiliaries are also sometimes called modal verbs or modals.
The following are modal auxiliaries:
Present form Past form
Can could
May might
Will would
Shall should
Must
Ought to
Need
Modal auxiliaries always stay the same. They cannot be put into
different tenses, used as infinitives, as gerunds or present participles.
They are followed by the infinitive in different forms.
To express lack of necessity, use needn’t, don’t need to, don’t have
to, haven’t got to. When the speaker is giving the authority, we
often use needn’t.
Teacher to students: ‘You’ve worked hard today so you needn’t do
any homework tonight.’
We’re eating out tonight so we don’t need/needn’t/don’t have
to/haven’t got to buy any food.
To express lack of necessity in the past, use needn’t + perfect
infinitive or didn’t need to/didn’t have to + infinitive.
I needn’t have gone to the station so early. The train was nearly an
hour late. (It wasn’t necessary to go to the station early but I didn’t
realise that and so I did get there early).
We didn’t need to/didn’t have to get up early this morning because
we had no lectures. (It wasn’t necessary and so we didn’t do it).
IV. Offers, requests, permission, suggestions: can, could, may, might,
would, must, shall, would you mind
Asking permission: Can/Could/May/Might I …?
Making a request: Can/Could/Would you …?
To give or refuse permission: You can/can’t/may/may
not/must/mustn’t …
To make an offer: Can/Shall I, we …? Would you like…?
To make a suggestion or an invitation: Shall we …? We could
..., Would you like to …?
V. Habit: would, used to
Used to is not a modal: I used to work here. I didn’t use to work
here. Did you use to work here?
Use would and used to to talk about past habits.
When we were children, my brother and I used to fight all the time.
When we were children, my brother and I would fight all the time.
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Controlled Practice
1. Complete the sentences with the correct form of can, could or be able to.
a. He’s very fit for his age. He …(run) really fast.
b. I’d like … (work) with you one day.
c. He …(not climb) up to the top: he was too scared.
d. If they hadn’t phoned for an ambulance, he …(die).
e. I love … (spend) all morning in bed at weekends.
f. We …(go) to that concert tomorrow if the tickets haven’t sold out.
g. I think you should go in the spring: it (be) very crowded there in summer.
h. I … (not understand) what he says: he speaks too quickly.
i. …(speak) another language fluently is a great advantage.
j. Jonathan … (not say) anything until he was about three years old.
k. We … (not phone her up) because her phone had broken, but fortunately
we ... (get) a message to her.
l. Amy’s exam results weren’t very good. She … (do) better.
m. I … (not sleep) very well for the last four nights. It’s been too hot.
n. She tried to think of other things but she … (not put) that awful memory
out of her mind.
o. … (you come) to the party on Sunday?
2. Complete the sentences with can, could, may, might, will, should, ought
to, must and an infinitive in the appropriate form:
a. Kerry’s rather late. She … (miss) the train.
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3. Complete the sentences using the modals should, ought to, must or need
or the verb have to in the correct tense and form.
a. We … (leave) at 11 o’clock last night because the last bus went at 11.20.
b. I don’t think you … (offer) to help him. You’ve got enough work to do.
c. They … (not pay) to stay in a hotel. They can stay with us.
d. We’ve been staying in a hotel for the last two weeks so we (not cook) our
own meals.
e. You … (come round) for dinner one evening. We haven’t had a good talk
for a long time.
f. We … (run) all the way to the station because we were late for the train.
g. It’s your own fault that you’re so tired. You … (not go) to bed so late.
h. Why … the prisoners … (be locked) in their cells all day?
i. Hurry up. You … (not have) a bath now. The taxi’s coming in twenty
minutes.
j. You … (not tell) him what happened. He would never forgive us.
k. You … (not allow) David to walk home from school every day on his
own. He’s too young.
l. I don’t like … (do) everything my boss tells me to do.
m. You … (go) to that new French restaurant in town. It’s the best restaurant
I’ve ever been to.
n. Paul … (not get up) early in the morning but everyone else in the house
does.
o. If I fail any one of my exams, I … (take) all of them again in November.
p. I … (tell) him what you really think of him next time you see him if I
were you.
r. The wedding’s been cancelled so I … (not buy) that new suit: it was a
waste of money.
s. I … (take) the children to school every morning before I go to work.
t. You … (not eat) in the lecture hall: it’s against the college regulations.
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u. I’d like you to come to the meeting but you … (not come) if you don’t
want to.
4. Write what to say using can, could, may, might, shall, must, would,
would you like, would you mind. There may be a number of possible
answers.
a. Offer to open the door for a stranger.
b. Ask someone to answer the phone for you.
c. Invite a friend to go for a swim this morning.
d. Offer to make someone a sandwich.
e. Request an appointment to see your bank manager, Ms Arnold.
f. Give someone permission to use your phone.
g. Suggest going for a picnic this afternoon.
h. Ask someone to wait here for you.
i. Give your son permission to go out but tell him to be back before it gets
dark.
j. You are in the train. Ask another passenger if you can open the window.
Offer to answer the phone.
k. You are in a café. There is a free seat next to someone. Ask that person if
you can sit there.
5. Complete the sentences with would or used to. Where either form is
possible, write them both.
a. I … have lots of free time before I started working here.
b. In the long summer holidays, we … go out somewhere with a picnic
every day.
c. When I was a newly-trained teacher, I … work till late every night
preparing lessons.
d. They … be happy together but they are not now.
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e. When they came to London, they … (never) travel anywhere on the tube.
f. When I had a car, I … drive everywhere, but now I’m much fitter because
I always walk or cycle.
g. During my last year at university, I … go to the library to start work at 9
o’clock every morning.
h. When we shared a flat together, we … (often) stay up talking late.
i. When Amy was a baby, people … (often) come up to me and tell me how
beautiful she was.
j. He … be overweight but he’s much slimmer now.
r. Do not tell him any of this: it’s vital that it remains a secret.
s. I intend to finish this essay before I go to sleep.
t. It’s 7 o’clock. I assume that Clare will be here soon.
u. I know he’s in but he’s not answering the phone. I’m sure that he is
asleep.
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7. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first
sentence using the word given.
a. Shall we go out tonight? (how)
b. It’s very possible that he’ll be promoted. (every)
c. It is certain that he will return this afternoon. (bound)
d. He was not able to understand the radio message because of the
interference. (impossible)
e. Why haven’t you signed this page at the bottom? (sign)
f. Could he have been telling the truth? (likely)
g. Could you come on Saturday? (suit)
h. How do you feel about going on a trip? (like)
i. You don’t have to inform the agency beforehand. (compulsory)
j. May I borrow your typewriter? (mind)
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k. You won’t be able to enter the country unless you have a visa.
(prevented)
l. You mustn’t start writing before the test starts. (rules)
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English Practical Course 285
Progress Test 4
1. Rewrite each sentence, beginning as shown, so that the meaning stays the
same:
a. Without your support, I should have never won the nomination.
If it hadn’t ………………………………………………………..
b. The telephone rang the moment I stepped into the room
No sooner ………………………………………………………….
c. The candidate was undoubtedly highly intelligent but she was not very
suitable for the job.
Intelligent……………………………………………………………..
d. She has not been to the office since November, 4th.
She last…………………………………………………………………
e. I’d like to have seen this movie.
I wish …………………………………………………………………..
f. I should really like someone to do all the housework for me.
The thing I’d really like ………………………………………………….
g. I’ve never seen such an exciting match before.
This match ………………………………………………………………..
h. Joan is very alike her father.
Joan bears …………………………………………………………………
i. We can’t persuade the cat to come down from that tree.
The cat ………………………………………………………………………
j. Can you play golf well enough to beat him?
Is your ………………………………………………………………………
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Key:
a. If it hadn’t been for your support I should have never won the
nomination.
b. No sooner had I stepped into the room than the telephone rang.
c. Intelligent as the candidate was, she was not very suitable for the job.
d. She last was to the office on November, 4th.
e. I wish I had seen this movie.
f. The thing I’d really like is to have someone to do all the housework for
me.
g. This match is the most exciting I have ever seen.
h. Joan bears a resemblance with her father.
i. The cat wouldn’t come down from that tree.
j. Is your golf handicap better than his?
to send their children to get some schooling, and you should have seen the
number of boys and girls who flocked into the school from all parts, myself
among them, a puny, timid lad, afraid of my own shadow!
(translated by Ana Cartianu)
Score:
1. 1 point + 1 point each x 9 = 10 points
2. 1 point + 1 point each x 9 = 10 points
3. 1 point +9 points = 10 points
Divided by 3 = 10 points
English Practical Course 291
Appendix 1
Irregular verbs
Base form Past Simple Past Translation
Participle
to be was/were been a fi
to beat beat beaten a bate
a lovi
a învinge
to become became become a deveni
to bend bent bent a (se) îndoi
to begin began begun a începe
to bid bid bid a ordona
bade bidden a porunci
a oferi
to bind bound bound a uni
a lega
a obliga
to blow blew blown a sufla
to break broke broken a sparge
a rupe
a sfãrâma
a degrada
to bring brought brought a aduce
a produce
to build built built a clãdi
a construi
to burn burnt burnt a arde
a ataca
to burst burst burst a izbucni
a exploda
a crãpa
to buy bought bought a cumpãra
to cast cast cast a arunca
292 English Practical Course
a turna
to catch caught caught a prinde
a capta
a bloca
a colecta
to choose chose chosen a selecta
a alege
to cleave cleft cleft a (se) despica
clove cloven a (se) scinda
a separa
to come came come a veni
a ajunge
cost cost cost a costa
to creep crept crept a (se) târî
a aluneca
a se alungi
to cut cut cut a tãia
to deal dealt dealt a se ocupa (cu)
a distribui
to dig dug dug a sãpa
to do did done a face
to draw drew drawn a desena
a schiţa
a atrage
to dream dreamt dreamt a visa
to drink drank drunk a bea
to drive drove driven a acţiona
a conduce
to eat ate eaten a mânca
to fall fell fallen a cãdea
to feed fed fed a alimenta
a hrãni
to feel felt felt a (se) simţi
to fight fought fought a combate
a (se) lupta
to find found found a gãsi
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a descoperi
a constata
to fling flung flung a lansa
a arunca
a izbucni
to fly flew flown a zbura
a lansa
to forecast forecast forecast a prevedea
to forbid forbade forbidden a interzice
to forget forgot forgotten a uita
to freeze froze frozen a îngheţa
a refrigera
to get got got a obţine
a primi
a deveni (a ajunge)
to give gave given a da
a acorda
a transmite
a aviza
a preda
to go went gone a merge
a funcţiona
a circula
to grow grew grown a se mãri
a dezvolta
to hang hung hung a suspenda
a agãţa
a pune receptorul în furcã
to have had had a avea
to hear heard heard a auzi
to hew hewed hewed a ciopli
hewn a tãia
to hide hid hidden a ascunde
to hit hit hit a lovi
a ciocni
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a izbi
to hold held held a ţine
a bloca
a opri
a fixa
a cuprinde
to hurt hurt hurt a rãni
a lovi
a avaria
to keep kept kept a ţine
a reţine
a menţine
a întreţine
to knit knit knit a înnoda
a tricota
a îmbina
to know knew known a şti
a cunoaşte
to lay laid laid a pune
a aşeza
a întinde
to lead led led a conduce
a avansa
a comanda
to lean leant leant a înclina
a (se) apleca
a se sprijini
to learn learnt learnt a învãţa
to leave left left a pleca
a pãrãsi
to lend lent lent a împrumuta
to let let let a lãsa
a permite
to lie lay lain a se afla
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a consta în
light lit lit a aprinde
to lose lost lost a pierde
to make made made a fabrica
a face
to mean meant meant a însemna
a vrea să spunã
to meet met met a (se) întâlni
a intersecta
a încrucişa
to pay paid paid a plãti
a achita
to put put put a pune
a aşeza
to read read read a citi
to ride rode ridden a cãlãri
to ring rang rung a suna
a chema (la telefon)
to rise rose risen a (se) ridica
a (se) urca
a rãsãri
to run ran run a alerga
a funcţiona
a administra
to say said said a spune
to saw sawed sawn a tãia cu ferãstrãul
to see saw seen a vedea
to seek sought sought a cãuta
a cerceta
to sell sold sold a vinde
to send sent sent a trimite
to set set set a regla
a ajusta
a stabili
to shake shook shaken a bate
a scutura
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a vibra
to shear sheared shorn a tãia
a mãrgini
to shed shed shed a arunca
a difuza
a vãrsa
to shine shone shone a strãluci
to show showed shown a arãta
a manifesta
to shoot shot shot a împuşca
a filma
to shrink shrank shrunk a se contracta
to shut shut shut a închide
to sing sang sung a cânta
to sink sank sunk a (se) scufunda
a îngropa
to sit sat sat a sta jos
to sleep slept slept a dormi
to slide slid slid a aluneca
a glisa
to sling slung slung a arunca
a lansa
to smell smelt smelt a mirosi
to smite smote smitten a izbi
to speak spoke spoken a vorbi
to speed sped sped a accelera
to spell spelt spelt a scrie literã cu literã
a silabisi
to spend spent spent a petrece
a cheltui
a întrebuinţa
to spill spilt spilt a vãrsa
a risipi
a turna
to split split split a scinda
a despica
to spin spun spun a (se) roti
English Practical Course 297
Appendix 2
WORD+PREPOSITION
(sb.= somebody; sth.= something)
(break sth.) by accident
according to (the weather forecast)
to account for sth.
an advertisement for sth
afraid of (storms)
at the age of (twenty)
to agree with sb. on sth.
to apply for (a job)
appropriate for sth.
to argue with sb. about sth.
to arrive at (the railway station)
to arrive in (Europe)
as a result
to ask for sth.
to assist in sth.
attentive at sth./ sb.
at the beginning of sth.
in the beginning
to be afraid of. sb./ sth.
to be at home
to be aware of sth.
to be bored with sth./sb.
to be careful about sth.
to be fed up with sth.
to be full of (energy)
300 English Practical Course
to be fond of sb.
to be good at sth.
to be in charge of sth.
to be in love with sb.
to be in a mess
to be interested in sth.
to be impressed by sth.
to be married to sb.
to be on strike
to be out of order
to be patient with sb./ sth.
to be proud of sth./ sb.
to be similar to sth.
to be tired of sth.
to believe in sth.
to belong to sb.
to benefit from sth.
to go by bus/ train/plane, etc.
in the (20-th) century
certain of sth.
change for (a dollar)
to come from England/ Romania
to compare sth. with sth. else
to complain about sth.
in (good/bad) condition
in/ under these conditions
in contrast with sth./ sb.
to cooperate with sb.
to cope with sth.
English Practical Course 301
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2. ***, Sinteze şi exerciţii pentru examenele de bacalaureat şi
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