C1 Course

Unit 4: Grammar
Course Lecturer: Faridoon T.S. Hussainzada
Contents

• Noun phrases
• have / get passives
Noun phrases
Section 1
Structure of noun phrases

Combining information into noun phrases allows precise and concise expression
of both abstract and concrete ideas.
Compare these 2:
• She’s an author. She wrote a book. It’s on psychology. I read it recently. It’s
very interesting.
• She’s the author of a very interesting psychology book that I read recently.
Structure of noun phrases

Complex noun phrases can make language more formal and academic because
they develop ideas and package them efficiently.
Compare:
• In some countries, people often touch foreheads when they greet each other and
this is acceptable there.
• Touching foreheads is a commonly accepted form of greeting in some
countries.
Compound nouns

Compound nouns are the most efficient way of showing the subject or purpose of
something, for example a lecture about math = a math lecture, a machine which makes
bread = a bread maker.
Compare:
• There were prints from her fingers all over the vase. – Her fingerprints were all over
the vase.
• For my birthday I got a console for playing games on. – For my birthday I got a games
console.
• A person who was passing by found the wallet. – A passer-by found the wallet.
Determiners, adverbs and adjectives
We use determiners (a, my, this, etc.), adverbs and adjectives before nouns:
• Did you notice that unpleasant metallic smell?
• It was only a five-minute journey.
• Tom’s first reaction was to get angry.
Determiners, adverbs and adjectives

Use adverbs and compound adjectives before nouns rather than clauses after nouns. There is
usually a hyphen when compound adjectives are used before a noun.
Compare:
• It is a position with a fairly high status.
• It is a fairly high-status position.

• An artefact has recently been discovered and caused a sensation.

• A recently discovered artefact has caused a sensation.
One(s) and indefinite pronouns

We can put adjectives before one(s ) and after indefinite

pronouns:
• Don’t get the expensive ones.
• Let’s go somewhere romantic for our holiday.
Clauses and prepositional phrases
We use phrases after nouns for ideas which cannot be expressed fully
before the noun.
• Relative clauses: He gave a speech which inspired millions. NOT a
millions inspiring speech
• that clauses: I got the feeling that he never cared. NOT that he never
cared feeling
• Prepositional phrases: I’d like a house in a quiet area. NOT in a quiet
area’s house
Clauses and prepositional phrases

We can also use to + infinitive after certain nouns, for example choice,
decision, willingness:
• There’s a plan to redevelop the town center.
Possessives
When we show the relationship between nouns, we can often either use
a possessive ’s or an of phrase:
• The company’s decision / decision of the company to make staff
redundant was unpopular.
We prefer the possessive ’s when the possessor is a person or an animal:
• I looked down at John’s shoes. NOT the shoes of John
We prefer an of phrase when the possessor is an object:
• The roof of the house needs repairing. NOT The house’s roof
Possessives
Location, measuring, quantifying and qualitative words like back, piece,
cup, kind and sort are always followed by an of phrase:
• Get in the back of the car. NOT the car’s back
• Have a piece of chocolate. NOT chocolate’s piece
Tip
Very long noun phrases for people usually aren’t followed by the
possessive ’s:

• The children of the man who lives opposite are staying with me.
• NOT The man who lives opposite’s children are staying with me.
Underline the noun phrases in the text.
• One memorable summer day I was coming home after an exhausting
day at work when I met an old friend I hadn’t seen for ages. I don’t
know why but I had the strong feeling that this was no mere
coincidence. In fact, she had a proposition to make to me which was
about to change my life. She said that she was looking for a reliable
partner who she could trust to invest in a project started by a few
friends of hers. I made a few phone calls to the bank and I had the
money needed to get involved. My boring days of sitting behind a
desk were behind me.
Homework
Do exercises b and c of Grammar Focus 4A on page 144.
Have / Get passives

Section 2
Get passives

We can use get passives like be passives,

although they are less formal. get passives
often describe unfortunate events:
• Do you remember how Sandra got
kicked by a horse?
• I got made redundant yesterday.
Get passives
We can use a reflexive pronoun to say that the subject is responsible for something
that happened to them:
• He tried to use a fake passport and got himself arrested again.
• Stop that! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!
• She’s managed to get herself promoted for the third time in two years.
Have / get + object + v3

• We can use have + object + past participle to talk about something

where the subject is in an active role or a passive role.
• get + object + past participle usually implies an active role.
Have with passive role
Have and Get with active role
Get + object + v3

We often use get + object + past participle to talk about

completing an activity:
• I haven’t managed to get the paperwork finished.
• We can’t go until we’ve got the kids dressed.
Have / Get + Object + v3
We often use have / get + object + past participle to talk about causing
or instructing something to happen or to be done by somebody else:
• When I was twelve I wanted to have/get my ears pierced but my mum
wouldn’t let me.
• Have/Get your car repaired at Thompsons and save $$$!
Having / Getting + Object + v3
We can use having / getting + object + past participle:
• Having/Getting the walls painted is the most important job at
the moment.
• Why would I be interested in having/getting my nose made
smaller?
Tip
Other patterns
Choose the best option.
1 Two people got injured / had themselves injured when the roof collapsed.
2 I’m going to get him measuring me / get myself measured for a new suit.
3 My blood pressure is really high. I was checked / had it checked this
morning.
4 Getting / Having your car insured is cheaper if you do it online.
5 We’re trying to get more people to give / giving to our charity.
6 Jenkins, have / get the first candidate come in, please.
7 The news had everyone shouting / got everyone to shout with anger.
8 Wayne’s not coming in today. He needs his boiler mended / mending.
Homework
• Grammar Focus 4B:
Exercises b and c
Thank you
Any questions?