192
PRONOUNS
Much / Many / Little / Few
We use much and little with uncountable nouns:
We use many and few with plural nouns:
We use much/many especially in negative
sentences and questions. A lot (of) is also possible:
In positive sentences a lot (of) is more usual.
Much is unusual in positive sentences in spoken
English:
You can use many in positive sentences, but a
lot (o f is more usual in spoken English:
But note that we use too much and so much in
positive sentences:
Little and few (without 'a') are negative ideas
(=not much / not many):
You can say very little and very few.
Some / Any / Much / Many
Some
A little, a few or small number or amount.
We usually use some in positive sentences for
countable and uncountable nouns.
Sometimes we use some in a question, when we
expect a positive YES answer.
Any
One, small or all. It is used with negative
sentences.
When asking questions and when a sentence
is grammatically positive, but the meaning of the
sentence is negative.
Both / Both of / Neither / Neither of / Either / Either of
We use both/ neither/ either for two things.
You can use these words with a noun (both books,
neither book etc.).
For example, you are talking about going out to
eat this evening. There are two restaurants where
you can go. You say:
much time / much luck / little energy / little
money/
many friends / many people / few cars / few
countries
• We didn't spend much money, (or We didn't
spend a lot o f money.)
• Do you know many people? (or Do you know
a lot o f people?)
• I don't go out much, (or I don't go out a lot.)
• We spent a lot o f money, (hot 'We spent much
money')
• He goes out a lot. (hot 'He goes out much')
• A lot o f people (or many people) drive too fast.
• We spent too much money.
• We must be quick. There is little time. (=not
much, not enough time)
• He isn't popular. He has few friends. (=not
many, not enough friends)
• There is very little time.
• He has very few friends.
I have some friends in London.
I usually drink some wine with my meal.
Would you like some more tea?
Could I have some more sugar please?
Do you have any ice cream left fo r me?
My brother never does any chores.
We use any fo r both countable and uncountable
nouns.
Do you have any cheese?
He doesn't have any friends in Paris.
• Both restaurants are very good, (not 'the both
restaurants')
• Neither restaurant is expensive.
• We can go to either restaurant. I don't mind,
(either = one or the other, it doesn't matter which
one)

Both of... / neither of... /either of...
When you use both/ neither/ either + of, you
always need the... / these/ those... / my/ your/ his/
Tom's... (etc.). You cannot say 'both of restaurants'.
You have to say 'both of the restaurants', 'both of
those restaurants' etc.:
You can use both of / neither of / either of + us/
you/them:
You must say 'both of before us/ you/ them (of
is necessary):
After neither of... a singular (formal English) or
a plural verb (informal English) is possible:
You can also use both/ neither/ either alone:
Both... and...:
Neither... nor...:
Either... or...:
No / None / Not a / Not any
No and None\
We use no + noun.
None is used without any noun after it.
No or none (of) is used instead of not a or not
any to emphasize the negative idea in a sentence.
No or none of is used but not any can't be used
in initial position in a clause or sentence.
Note: No and none of are often preferred instead
of not any in formal written English.
193
• Both o f these restaurants are very good.
• Neither o f the restaurants we went to was (or
were- inf.) expensive.
• I haven't been to either o f those restaurants.
(= I haven't been to one or the other) You don't
need o f after both. So you can say:
• Both my parents are from London, or Both o f
my parents...
• (talking to two people) Can either o f you
speak Spanish?
• I asked two people the way to the station but
neither o f them knew.
• Both o f us were very tired, /not 'Both us
were...')
• Neither o f the children wants (or want) to go
to bed.
• / couldn't decide which o f the two shirts to
buy. I liked both, (or / liked both o f them.)
• 'Is your friend British or American?' 'Neither.
She's Australian.'
• 'Do you want tea or coffee?' 'Either. I don't
mind.'
Both Ann and Tom were late.
I was both tired and hungry when I arrived
home.
Neither Liz nor Robin came to the party.
She said she would contact me but she neither
wrote nor phoned.
I'm not sure where he's from. He's either
Spanish or Italian.
Either you apologise or I'll never speak to you
again.
Either James or I am to do it.
- She had no shoes on.
- No information was given about how the
study was conducted.
- There will be no busses until tomorrow.
- Have we got any more sugar? There's none in
the kitchen.
- How many cats have you got? «None».
- No force was needed to make them move.
{not any force was needed).
- None of the children was awake, {not any of
the children ...).
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Not a:
Not a is used in a formal or literary style. Not
a is also used in initial position in a clause or
sentence.
No:
After no, a singular noun is used in situations
where we would expect one of something, a plural
noun where we would expect more than one.
Note: Sometimes either a singular or plural with
little difference in meaning can be used.
None of:
None o f can be used with a plural noun and the
verb can be either singular or plural, although the
singular form is usually more formal.
No amount of:
If we want to give emphasis to no or none
o f we can use phrases like no amount o f with
uncountable nouns and not one (of) with singular
countable nouns.
Possessives
Basic use
We use Possessives to express a relation, often the
fact that someone has
something or that something belongs to someone.
Compare the possessive form of a noun.
Determiners and pronouns
Possessive determiners (sometimes called
'possessive adjectives') come before a noun.
NOTE
A possessive determiner can come after all, both or
half or after a quantifier + of.
We leave out the noun if it is clear from the
context what we mean. When we do
this, we use a pronoun. We say mine instead of my
diary.
A possessive pronoun is often a complement.
NOTE
We can use the possessive form of a noun on its
own.
- Not a word would she utter about the robbery.
- Not a sound came from the classroom.
- No answer (or answers) could be found.
- We want to go to the island but there's no
boat (or no boats) to take us.
- None o f the children were awake, (or ...was
awake).
- None o f the parcels have arrived yet. (or ...
has arrived yet).
Note: However, when none is used with an
uncountable noun, the verb must be singular.
- None o f the water was kept in the jar.
- None o f the money has been transferred to
Cuba.
- She was so seriously ill that no amount o f
expensive treatment could cure her.
- It was clear that no amount o f negotiation
would bring the employers and workers closer
together.
My diary is the diary that
belongs to me.
Luke's diary
our neighbour's birthday
my diary our neighbour her birthday
NOT the diary o f me and NOT the my diary
all my money some o f your friends a lot o f his
time one o f our neighbours
I ’ll just look in my diary. ~ I haven't got mine
with me.
NOT I haven’t got my. and NOT I haven’t got the
mine.
That isn ’t Harriet’s coat. Hers is blue.
Whose is this pen? ~ Yours, isn't it?
Is this diary yours? NOT IS this diary to you?
That isn't my diary - it's Luke's.
 But we do not use an apostrophe with a possessive We can use yours at the end of a letter, e.g. Yours
pronoun. NOT your's sincerely/faithfully.

Determiners Pronouns
Singular Plural Singular Plural
First person my pen our house mine ours

Second person your number your coats yours yours

Third person his father their attitude his theirs

her decision hers
its colour

PRONOUNS
1. You must learn to defend , Tom!
A) yourself C) himself
B) yourselves D) ourselves
2 .1 have not got___paint.
A) any C )-
B) some D) many
3. Is this umbrella ?
A) to you C) you
B) of you D) yours
4. There were not___people at the market yesterday.
A) many C) a few
B) much D) a little
5. Give that ball to Tom and me. It
A) is mine C) is theirs
B) is ours D) is our
6. There is only___water in the glass. Give me some more, please.
A) many C) a few
B) much D) a little
7. We can all get on the bus. There are only___passengers on it now.
A) many C) a few
B) much D) a little
8 .1 have two boys, b u t___of them like pop music.
A) either C) no
B) both D)none
9. Do you w alk___, now that you live in a village?
A) a lot of C) very many
B) few D) more
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10. It cost m e___than I thought it would.

A) fewer C) more
B) much D) a lot
11. Terry is ___.
A) an old friend of mine C) old friend of me
B) an old friend’s D) old friend’s
12. Since the old lady’s husband died, she has been living
A) herself C) by itself
B) on her own D) by her
13. There w ere___people in the queue that it was impossible to get on the bus.
A) so many C) so few
B) so much D) such a lot
14.___way is acceptable.
A) Either C) None
B) Both D) All
15. They were all strangers to me. I had m et___ of them before.
A) all C)none
B) neither D) either
16. The m an ___is sitting at this table is my friend.
A) how C) who
B) what D) which
17.___house is almost the same a s ___ neighbours’ house. The only difference in
ey and___is white.
A) our / ours / ours / theirs C) my / hers / my / her
B) ours / ours / our / their D) our / our / ours / theirs
18.___chapter did you like best?
A) What C) Which
B) Whose D) That
19. I have bought___books for you.
A) any C) some
B)anyone D) someone
2 0 .___K en___ Dan had fun at the party.
A) Neither / nor C) Neither / or
B) Either / or D) Either / nor
21. Why did not you ask to help ?
A) somebody / your C) anyone / yourself
B) anybody / you D) somebody / yourselves
22 .___do you like best - your brother or your sister?
A) What C) Which one
B) Who D) Whose
23. A s ___is clear to , I am not going to say ___ else.
 197

A) everything / somebody / anything C) everything / everybody / anything

B) everybody / somebody / anybody D) somebody / nobody / something
24. It is very quiet in the office today. There i s ___ here.___is on holiday.
A) nobody / Everybody C) nobody / All of them
B) anybody / Everybody D) somebody / Nothing
25. Is there___in the room?
A)anybody C) somebody
B) someone D) nobody
26. This is our new teacher, just started work today.
A) that C) which he
B) who he D) who
27. “Who did you send a Valentine’s card to?”
“I am not telling you, but it was someone___name begins with B”
A) which C) whose
B) who her D) whose her
28. “Have you seen Jason Green’s latest film?”
“Is that the one in ___joins the FBI?”
A) which he C) whom he
B) that he D) which
29. She is one of the few people to ___I can really talk.
A) which C) that
B) whom D)who
30. This is not___book. It must be
A) my / yours C) his / her
B )your/ she D) yours / mine

PREPOSITIONS

PREPOSITIONS OF TIME

Preposition Use Example

At with clock times and at nine o ’clock, at 6.35
points of time in the day at midnight, at noon, at dawn, at lunchtime, at night

with holiday periods at Christmas, at Easter, at Ramadan

in some phrases at the weekend/at weekends, at the moment, at present, at

the time, at the beginning, at the end, at last, at times
198

In with the main parts of in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening
the day

with years, months, in 2011, in March, in (the) winter, in the twentieth

seasons and centuries century

for things that will in an hour, in a couple o f minutes, in a week, in a moment

happen at the end of the
period mentioned

On with dates and specific on 8 August, on Tuesday, on Fridays, on weekdays,

days on New Year s Day, on Christmas Day, on Wednesday
morning, on a fine day, on the day o f arrival

By means ‘before or not We mustfinish by Monday.

later than the point in time
mentioned’

Until means up to the point in I ’ll be at the library until noon.

time mentioned’

During means ‘from the He worked as a waiter during the summer. (= all
beginning to the end of a through the summer) She fell asleep during the lecture. (=
period in time’ or ‘at some at some point in
point in a period in time’ the lecture)

PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE

Preposition Use Example

At - shows an exact position There was a huge queue at the bus stop.
or particular place where
sb/sth is or where sth is
appenng

- in some phrases at the top/bottom, at the corner, at the crossroads, at

home, at school, at work at Brenda s, at the wedding/funeral,
at the end o f the wad, at 18 Hill Street, at the door, at the
North Pole

In - at a point within an area No running is allowed in the building. I ’m in the living

or a space; into sth (e.g. a room. The photos are in that box over there. We arrived in
container) the US on Wednesday. (But; We arrived at the station at six.)

- in some phrases in an armchair, in bed, in the centre, in the country, in

the world, in hospital, in prison, in the centre o f town, in the
north/south, in the middle, in the sky, in town, in London/
Europe, in Hill Street (but at 18 Hill Street)

On - touching or forming part The laptop’s on my desk.

of a surface There was a porti~ait o f her on the wall.