GRAMMAR I

A COURSE PACK FOR SEMESTER-ONE STUDENTS

BY
ASSIA LAABOUDI
FALL 2019

Revised
Edition
Fall 2020
 INTRODUCTION

This course pack is designed with the spirit of retrieval practice. That is each unit
starts with an activity. The reason behind this is twofold:
(i) to gauge students’ actual level and identify the gaps in order to provide support
(ii) to call on students to use their prior knowledge to anchor their learning, build
on it to connect the new knowledge and facilitate retrieval whenever they need it
(Ambrose, Bridges, DiPietro, Lovett & Norman, 2010).
The activities are interleaved with grammar notes and rules to expand students’
knowledge. To create a desirable difficulty, the practice activities or ‘ Test Yourself’
sections vary in difficulty to make students struggle and encourage deeper learning and
better retention.
Further, to ensure effective learning, all grammar activities are context-based to
provide learners with authentic context and ample opportunities to see how
grammatical structures work in context as research demonstrates that
“It will be more motivating for learners if grammar is taught in context as students
will have an opportunity to perceive how the new grammar structures works” (Mart,
2013, p. 124).
The course pack is divided into two major sections. Section one is about speech
parts, namely, articles, nouns, quantifiers, prepositions, adjectives and adverbs. The
second section is about tenses, mainly, the present simple and present perfect, the past
simple and past perfect, and the future. Additionally, to further improve students’
retrieval practice, there are two diagnostic tests as well as sample tests.
Finally, the references section contains the list of references and online resources
I drew on to compile this course pack.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

page
Unit 1: Articles 1
Unit 2: Nouns 12
Unit 3: Quantifiers 24
Unit 4: Prepositions 31
Unit 5: Adjectives & Adverbs 41

Diagnostic Test 49
Unit 6: Present Simple/Present Progressive 54
Unit7: Past Simple/Past Progressive 59
Unit 8: Present Perfect Simple/Present Perfect 64
Progressive
Unit 9: Past perfect Simple/Past Perfect Progressive 72
Unit 10: Future Forms 76

Diagnostic Test 82

Sample Tests 86

References 95

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iv
Parts of Speech

v
 Unit 1: Articles
Activity
(i) Complete the introduction given below to the story by using 'a' 'an' or 'the' and
then answer the questions that follow.
The afternoon was hot, and so was (a) ______ railway carriage. (b) ______ next stop
was at Templecombe, nearly (c) ______ hour ahead. In the carriage were a small girl,
(d) ______ smaller girl, and a small boy. (e) ______ aunt belonging to (f)______ children
sat in one corner seat, and in (g) ______ further corner seat on (h) ______ opposite
side, was a man who was a stranger to them, but (i) ______small girls and the small boy
were (j) ______ ones who filled the compartment. The children chatted on and on to
their aunt, like (k) ______ housefly that refuses to be put off. Most of the aunt's remarks
seemed to begin with "Don't" and nearly all of (l) ______ children's remarks began with
"Why?"
Questions
(a) Where were the characters at the time of narration?
__________________________________________________________________________
(b) Who was travelling with the aunt?
__________________________________________________________________________
(c) How did the children pass their time?
__________________________________________________________________________
(d) How long would they take to reach Templecombe?
__________________________________________________________________________
(e) How does the aunt respond to the children's antics? Why do you say so?
__________________________________________________________________________
You must have used a variety of articles in your answer. Why did you use them?
__________________________________________________________________________

I. Understanding Articles
In English grammar, an article is a type of determiner that precedes and provides context
to a noun. A determiner is a word or a group of words that specifies, identifies, or
quantifies the noun or noun phrase that follows it.
(a) Study the following pair of sentences from the description. Notice the use of articles
a, an or the or no article Ø.
e.g. The next stop was at Ø Templecombe.
An aunt belonging to the children sat in one corner.
In the corner sat a stranger.
Hence we conclude

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1. No article Ø is used before a proper noun.
2. 'The' is used to refer to a specific place/person/object.
3. 'A' is used when the person/place is referred to for the first time.
4. 'An' is used before a vowel sound.

The three main articles in English grammar are "the," "a," and "an" that are grouped into
two types: definite or indefinite.
II. 1 -The Definite Article
(i) The definite article is the word ‘the’ and is used to:

a. Limit the meaning of a noun to a “Are you going to the party this weekend?”
a particular thing The definite article tells you that your friend
is referring to a specific party that both of you
know about

b. Can be used with singular, plural, a. The small girls and the small boy were the
countable and uncountable nouns. ones who filled the compartment.
b. What's the capital of your country?
c. The weather's awful.
d. Which is the longest river in the world?
e. The boy I met is called Andrew.
c. Refer to a whole class a. The whale is a mammal.
before singular nouns for species, b. Who invented the computer?
c. I play the piano
inventions and musical instrument

d. Before adjectives with plural the rich, the old, the best, the most expensive
meanings and superlative adjectives
e. with plural names of countries, the Americans, the Japanese, the United
oceans/ seas, rivers, deserts, States, the Pacific, the North Sea, the
mountain ranges, groups of islands Thames, the Sahara, the Alps, the Maldives
and regions the Middle East, the European Union, the
Arab Emirates.
f. Names of hotels, cinemas, theatres, the Hilton, the Odeon Cinema, the National
museums and newspapers Theatre, the Natural History Museum, the
Times

Test Yourself
Directions: An astronaut is speaking to the Mission Control from her capsule, describing
geographical features she can see on Earth. Decide which features she is talking about.
Fill in the gaps in the astronaut's description below. Use the names given in the box with
the correct determiners (a, an, the). (The first two have been done for you).

Bay of Bengal Arctic Ocean Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Asia India Mount Everest Lake Baikal Ganges
Sri Lanka Persian Gulf Himalayas Tropic of Cancer

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"There is very little cloud cover at the moment. I can see (1) India right below me. (2)
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are clearly visible, and of course there is (3)
………….. to the south. I can see where (4) ………….. _flows into (5) __…………..
………….. _. A little higher are the glistening snows of (6) ………….. but I can't see (7)
………….. _ itself. I can just make out (8) ………….. to the west. I'm passing over, (9)
____________ right now. To the north, I can just see (10) ………….. in the centre of
the vast expanse of (11) ………….. . In the far north, the ice of (12) …………..
____________is clearly visible."

II. Read each sentence and decide whether it is correct or not.

1. I don't really like sweet things but I love a chocolate.

a. Correct b. Not correct
2. She goes to work by bus.
a. Correct b. Not correct
3. They usually go skiing in the Alps but last year they went to France and skied on the
Mont Blanc.
a. Correct b. Not correct
4. What the great holiday we had in Italy and what the fantastic cheese we ate!
a. Correct b. Not correct
5. He's from the Maldives and she's from Ireland.
a. Correct b. Not correct
6. He bought a pair of jeans and the most fantastic suit I've ever seen.
a. Correct b. Not correct

II. 2. The definite article and Non-Countable Nouns:

Non-countable nouns that are made more specific by a limiting modifying phrase or
clause:
The coffee in my cup is too hot to drink.
The Japanese he speaks is often heard in the countryside.
The intelligence of animals is variable but undeniable.

The is also used when a noun refers to something unique:

The White House
The theory of relativity
The2019 African Cup of Nations

Test Yourself
Directions: Justify the use of articles in the following sentences:
1. First, I grate some cheese. Then I sprinkle the cheese into the sauce.
2. There is a tower over there. / Yes, it’s the Tower of London.
3. Jim is at the café.
4. Pass the salt, please.
5. The water tastes strange.
6. The whale and the white tiger are in danger of extinction.

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 7. The health of millions of people may be at risk.
8. The car was going at 50 km an hour.
9. The rent is 5000 Dhs a month.
10. The Democrats won the elections.
11. The elderly/ The unemployed/ The dead.
12. The cinema/ The supermarket
13. The Sun was setting over the sea
14. I have got a cold/ a headache.
15. What a fantastic sight! What an awful room!
16. It is such a great movie!
17. They have bought a Ferrari.
18. Does a certain Tom Davis live here?
19. An MP/ An MA

III. Indefinite Articles

the indefinite article a/an + singular countable noun is used to refer to anyone of a kind
or group, or when a noun is mentioned for the first time:
a. I'd like an apple.
b. Anne is a doctor.
c. I've got a cold/ headache.
d. I met a nice girl on holiday.

III.1. Using "a" and "an"

III.1. 2. We use a/an with expressions of quantity and frequency:

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 a half a couple a million €2 a kilo (= per kilo) 50km an hour (=
in an hour) twice a week.

III.1.3. We can also use a/an to refer to all examples of the same kind
A doctor earns more than a teacher. (= all doctors, all teachers)

Note that in English, the indefinite articles are used to indicate membership in a
profession, nationality status, or religion.
a. I am a teacher.
b. Brian is an Irishman.
c. Seiko is a practicing Buddhist.

Test Yourself

Directions: Fill in the blanks with a, an, the or Ø

According to Paul James, five members of Canada’s national soccer team took ____
fifteen thousand dollars in ____ bribes to lose ____ tournament in1986. During ____
card game, four of Canada’s players, David Norman, Chris Cheuden, Hector Marinaro,
and Igor Vrablic, asked James to help them lose____ game against North Korea. ____
game was ____ semi-final. James was surprised to learn that ____ men had already
accepted ____ bribes from bookmakers to lose ____ games in ____ competition. At ____
card table, James agreed to help ____ other four players lose ____ game against North
Korea. Before ____ game, Vrablic distributed $1,500 to each player. After ____ loss, he
distributed ____ same amount to each player again. James accepted ____money, but he
said that later his conscience bothered him. He gave ____ moneyback to ____ others
and told Randy Ragan, ____ teammate, who in turn informed Bruce Wilson, ____
captain of ____ team.

IV. Zero article

When to Omit Articles? We use zero article with

a- names of continents and most countries, states, cities/towns, mountains, lakes,
streets/roads, parks, shops. restaurants and some
magazines:
Europe Spain California Paris Mount Everest Lake Ontario
Oxford Street Hyde Park Harrods Hello Magazine
b- meals, games, sports, academic subjects, languages, some illnesses and institutions
(unless referring to a specific one):
lunch chess tennis moths Italian sunburn
cancer school university prison
c- To express a generic (or general) meaning
No article with a plural noun: Tigers are dangerous animals. (all tigers)
No article with a non-countable noun: Anger is a destructive emotion. (any
kind of anger)

N.B: Sometimes you would use the article in American English but not British English.
For example:

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 I have to go to the hospital. (American English)
I have to go to hospital. (British English)
I have got the flu (American English)
I have got flu (British English)

Conversely, sometimes you omit the article in American English but not in British
English, as in:

I played rugby. (American English)

I play the rugby. (British English)

In these cases, the use, or omission, of the definite article depends on the type of
English being spoken.

Test Yourself

Directions: Justify the non-use of articles in the following

1. Teachers often work long hours.
2. Water is becoming a scarce source.
3. Girls are better at learning foreign languages than boys.
4. Health is one of the most important things in life.
5. He has eaten half of the cake.
6. She has got meningitis.
7. I’ve got flu.

(ii) Use a, an, the, or Ø in the blanks below. Note that street names do not take
articles.
On October 12, Jim Parks, ____ Douglas College student, had ____motorcycle accident
near ____ corner of 8th Avenue and Queens Street. At 3:00p.m., he was driving down
Queens Street by himself in ____ heavy rain. At ____8th Avenue intersection with
Queens Street, his motorcycle suddenly skidded on____ wet pavement. First, he hit ____
car that was parked there. Then he knocked over two pedestrians, Gary and Tamara
Smith, who were walking on____ sidewalk. At 3:04, ____ officers from the New
Westminster Police Department arrived. Jim Parks reported that he and Gary Smith
were not injured, but Tamara told ____ officers that her arm hurt. ____ police took
Tamara to the Royal Columbian Hospital for ____ examination. Mr. Parks’ motorcycle
was dented, but he was able to drive home.

(iii) Choose the best answer from the options below to complete the sentences.
They met at (1)__________ speed-dating event. She was from (2) __________ Ireland
and he was from (3)__________ Caribbean. She really likes (4) __________ folk music
but he prefers (5)__________ jazz. She loves skiing but he's terrified of (6)__________
heights and was even too scared to go to (7)__________ top of (8) __________ Empire
State Building when he went to (9)__________New York on holiday. She eventually
decided to go out with him anyway and six months later they got married! What
(10)__________romantic story she'll have to tell her grandchildren.

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V. Summary

The flowchart below will help you decide when and which article to use.

Test Yourself

Directions: For the sentences below, decide if the underlined noun is general or
specific. Write G for General or S for Specific. The articles have been left out to make
it more challenging. So, some of these sentences have article errors.

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1. ____ Money in his wallet is from Italy.
2. ____ Money is important in our society.
3. ____ Second picture she took at the party is great.
4. ____ Picture is needed on a passport.
5. ____ Her mother told her to eat apple every day after school.
6. ____ I took apple to school. I put apple on the teacher’s desk.
7. ____ Students always need pens and paper.
8. ____ Pen she gave me is pink.

Directions: Complete the sentences with ‘the’ or zero article Ø.

1. .....survival of most large mammals is being put at risk by......global warming.
2. Is......person you are talking about .......Jane Small you knew at......university?
3. .....foreigners often have .....trouble getting used to .........Scottish climate.
4. ..... decoration in ....... small bedroom is really pleasing but I don’t like...colour of
curtains.
5. I missed .........beginning of .....film, so I didn’t understand....plot until half-way
through.
6. .... experts disagree as to whether …. men are .....better drivers than…women.
7. ........most of .........people I know don’t always get on with .......other
people.....first time they meet them.
8. What exactly is.... difference between rhythm of a piece of..... music and....tune?
9. Helen has gone to.....library to get..........information she needs for........project
she is doing at...... school.
10. I don’t know why you always put.....sugar in your coffee if you’re trying to
lose.....weight.

Directions: Complete the sentences with the right article.

1. .....tiger is ..................animal which struggles to survive in ......modern world.
2. I need.....kilo and......half of minced beef, but I want all.........fat taken off.
3. ..........art gallery used to own ............Picasso, but it was stolen in........daring
daylight robbery.
4. .....first thing students need to appreciate is that.....laboratory can b.....dangerous
place.
5. We spent........ week in Paris and had ......great time going up ............Eiffel Tower,
and taking........trip along.....Seine in.....small boat.
6. Tom Gibson, .....architect mainly responsible for....design of.......new building,
lives in.....farmhouse in........country.
7. ....rent is 1000 Euro......month because....apartment is in .....most expensive part
of....city.
8. I can never understand.....US elections, because I’m not sure I know......difference
between.........Democrats and....Republicans.
9. ....worst thing about travelling on the motorway is that if there is....accident, there
is usually....huge traffic jam.
10. My dad is down at.......pub having ........drink with......other members of.....pub
quiz-team.

Directions: Use a, an or the to complete the sentences

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1. Have you seen .... newspaper? I can't find it anywhere.
2. I got my sister ........... CD and ........... new book for her birthday. I don't think
she liked ........... CD, though.
3. Is this ........... first time you've stayed at ........... Hilton?
4. She started her career as ........... teacher but now she's ........... journalist.
5. Is ........... Nile or ........ ... Amazon ......... longest river in ........... world?
6. I took ........... bus and then ........... train to the airport. ........... bus was on time
but ........... train was late.
7. Several million visitors ..... year are attracted to ...... ski slopes on...... Alps.
8. I'll meet you outside ...... post office. I'll be there in ....... quarter of .....hour.
9. We lived in ..... Netherlands before moving here. But before that we worked in
........... Middle East.

Directions: Fill in the gaps with either a, the or zero article Ø.

1. In my opinion, ..... education should be free.
2. ........... education I got at school was excellent.
3. I'd like my children to have ......... .. good education.
4. ........... car is expensive to own and run but it's a reliable form of transport.
5. Unfortunately, ........... car is a major cause of air pollution and global warming.
6. In some cities ........... cars have been banned from the centre.

Directions: Complete the following exercise using a/an/the/ Ø in the underlined spaces
where appropriate. Change capital letters to lower case letters at the beginning of a
sentence if necessary.

There has never been (1) ___ more exciting time to produce (2) ___ new dictionary.
Everything is changing and expanding: the English language itself, the technology that
helps us to describe it, and (3) ___ needs and goals of those learning and teaching (4)
___ English. (5) ___ 1980s saw the development of (6) ___ first large corpora (special
collections) of English text.
(7) ___ Another of the Macmillan English Dictionary’s innovations is that two similar
but separate editions have been created from (8) ___ same database: one for learners
whose main target variety is (9) ___ American English, (10) ___ other for learners of
British English. The differences are small but significant.

The Macmillan English Dictionary is the product of good linguistic data and high-quality
people. It has been (11) ___ privilege to work with such (12) ___ talented and creative
team, and I would like to thank (13) ___ team for producing such (14) ___ excellent
book. I hope you enjoy (15) ___results of our hard work and find the dictionary (16)
___ pleasure to use.

Directions: Fill in the gaps using the or Ø article to complete the following paragraph.

Urban life past and present

(1) .... young people lend 10 think that (2) " ..... life was more difficult for (3) ..........
people in the past. Of course, (4) .......... lives our parents led were different from (5)
..... lives we lead today. For example, they couldn't rely as much on (6) ....... modern
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technology as we do. When my parents were young, (7) .... ...... computers were as
big as a room and (8) .......... mobile phone hadn't been invented yet!
On the other hand, I don 't think there were as many social problems in
those days. This is partly because (9)..... family was very important. For instance, (10)
........ families took care of (11) .......... old and weak so (I 2) ...... homelessness wasn't
(13) .......... problem that it is today. In fact, in many ways (14) ...... .... life was better
in the past.

Directions: Complete the following exercise using a/an/the/ Ø (no article) in the
underlined spaces where appropriate. Change capital letters to lower case letters at the
beginning of a sentence if necessary.
Ms Parrot, (1) ___ most famous lady detective of (2) ___ twenty-first century, was born
in (3) ___ United Kingdom in (4) ___ 1960s. Since then, she has been to many countries,
including (5)___ Portugal, Singapore and Australia, and has lived in (6) ___ northern
hemisphere and (7) ___southern hemisphere, as well as on (8) ___ equator. She has
never been to (9) ___ Philippines or(10) ___ United States, but she speaks (11) English,
French and Portuguese. Like Sherlock Holmes, (12) ___ famous detective, she plays (13)
___ violin, and sometimes practises up to five times (14)___ day. She is also (15) ___
only person in (16) ___ world to have performed Tchaikovsky’s 1812overture [a long
piece of music] in one breath on (17) ___ recorder. She has been (18) ___ detective for
thirty years and claims that although many people think that being (19) ___ detective is
(20) ___ piece of cake, detectives generally work very hard and it’s not all fun and
games. (21) ___ detective is someone who solves mysteries, and (22) ___people who
contact Ms Parrot have some very unusual problems. Little information is available
about some of (23) ___ cases she has solved, but quite (24) ___ few of her most famous
cases have attracted worldwide attention and she has been offered up to (25) ___
thousand dollars (26)___ hour to help solve mysteries such as (27) ___ case of (28) ___
Australian owl in (29) ___uniform. (30) ___ bird laid (31) ___ egg in (32) ___ European
nest in less than (33) ___ hour after its arrival. What (34) ___ strange problem! With
great (35) ___ modesty, she has either declined such (36) ___ fee or donated (37)
___money to (38) ___ poor, or to (39) ___ Grammar Survival Fund, believing that (40)
___ detective should use their skills for (41) ___ common good.

Directions: Add articles (a/an/the) where necessary in the following text. Change
capital letters to lower case letters at the beginning of a sentence if necessary.

Ms Parrot, most famous lady detective of twenty-first century, was born in United
Kingdom in1960s. Since then, she has been to many countries, including Portugal,
Singapore and Australia, and has lived in northern hemisphere and southern hemisphere,
as well as on equator. She has never been to Philippines or United States, but she speaks
English, French and Portuguese. Like Sherlock Holmes, famous detective, she plays
violin, and sometimes practises up to five times day. She is also only person in world to
have performed Tchaikovsky’s 1812 overture in one breath on recorder.

(i) Same as above

A.

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The Harvard referencing system has two essential components: brief in-text references
throughout your assignment and a comprehensive list of references at end of your
assignment. The in-text reference should give date that the work you are referring to
was published, the family name of the author and, in the case of quotations, page where
the quotation was found. It is easy system, once you understand it.

B.
There are different kinds of reward. There is reward which has no natural connexion
with things you do to earn it, and is quite foreign to desires that ought to accompany
those things. Money I snot natural reward of love; that is why we call man mercenary
if he marries woman for sake of her money. But marriage is proper reward for real
lover, and he is not mercenary for desiring it. General who fights well in order to get a
peerage is mercenary; general who fights for victory is not, victory being proper reward
of battle as marriage is proper reward of love.
(ii) To practice paying attention to the difference between “specific” and “general”
nouns, write a, an, the, or Ø (Ø = no article needed) in the blanks in the following
paragraph.
When ____ car behind me gets too close to my rear bumper, I get angry. This kind of
driving too closely to ____ car in front of you is called “tailgating” in English. Tailgating
annoys me for several reasons. First of all, if ____ car tailgates me, I sometimes get angry
and do something stupid. One time when____ car was tailgating me, I stepped hard on
____ brakes just to scare ____man who was driving ____ car behind me. This could easily
have caused ____accident. Also, ____ tailgaters make me so nervous that I don’t always
watch____ road in front of me carefully enough. ____ friend of mine has ____ same
problem. One day, he was watching ____ tailgating car in ____ rearview mirror.____
car was so close that it was almost touching his rear bumper. Because he wasn’t watching
where he was going, he rear ended ____ car in front of him.____ most important reason
that ____ tailgating annoys me is that ____ tailgater could easily rear end me. One
morning last year, my sister was driving down____ busy road. She had to stop suddenly,
and ____ tailgating car crashed into____ back of her car. ____ accident gave my sister
whiplash. If tailgating wasn’t so dangerous, it wouldn’t bother me so much.

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 Unit 2: NOUNS

Read the text and do the activities below

Concerned about Food? ASK THE EXPERT

Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to Ask the Expert. I'm Mel Brand. The other
day I glanced at a depressing headline in the local paper, which said "Is Anything Safe
to Eat These Days?" With reports of mad cow disease, bird flu, contaminated water, and
other food scares, it's not a bad question. Food and diet are things people are highly
interested in these days, and our guest today is Dr. Miranda Olsen from the International
Nutrition Institute. We'll be taking your questions in a moment.
Dr. Olsen, welcome. What's the biggest issue in food today?
Thanks for inviting me, Mel. I can answer your question in one word: convenience. The
most obvious recent change is that we're living fast lives, with less time at our disposal.
Everything revolves around speed and convenience, so there's a push for convenience
eating and convenience food. More of us are eating out. If we don't eat out, we often
go to supermarkets to pick up already-prepared food. Supermarkets have changed
greatly from what they were in the past. They now sell full meals to take out. They also
offer new products like packaged salad.
All right, Dr. Olsen. Thanks for that overview. Now let's have some questions from our
audience. Please give your name and tell us where you're from. Yes, the gentleman in
the back.
I'm Bob Gonzales from Tampa, Florida. My question is about school lunches. My three
children are all in high school, and they take lunches from home, which is OK. What
I'm really concerned about, though, are the vending machines in the schools. They sell
soda, candy, and snacks. I'm worried that the kids are filling up on sodas and chips and
not eating what they should. Is there any nutrition in that kind of stuff? Am I worrying
for nothing?
Dr. Olsen: No, you're not, Bob. You have reason to be concerned. There's very little
nutrition in soda and snacks. Soda is loaded with sugar, and most snacks are just empty
calories. School vending machines have become a big problem in many places. What
usually happens is that big companies pay school districts to have vending machines
there. The districts find it difficult to turn down the money. There's more and more
opposition to having these machines in schools, though, and you can get rid of them.
OK. Another question?
Yes, ma'am—in the third row. Yes, good morning, Dr. Olsen. I'm Maria Spring from
Toronto, Ontario. My question is about diets. In my family we're really concerned about
losing weight, so we've started using low-fat or fat-free food. The trouble is, we all hate
it because it tastes so bland. Can you give me any advice?
Well, there's evidence that a nonfat or low-fat diet can actually lead to weight gain. My
advice is to stay away from such diets. You can eat regular food in moderate quantities.
Avoid sodas. Drink plenty of water and juice, and minimize your intake of salt and
sugar. Make sure you eat five to eight servings a day of fruits and vegetables. And
exercise at least three times a week. Play a couple of games of tennis. Take brisk walks.
That should help your family to lose weight.

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Activities
I- What does the underlined word refer to? Circle the correct answer.
1. People are highly interested in food.
a. food in general b. a specific type of food
2. There's very little nutrition in soda.
a. an individual serving of soda b. soda in general
3. My question is about diets.
a. diets in general b. particular diets

II-Read the sentences based on the opening reading. Underline the count nouns and
circle the non-count nouns.

1. With reports of mad cow disease, bird flu, contaminated water and food scares, it's
not a bad question.
2. Food and diet are things people interested in these days.
3. What's the biggest issue in food today?
4. We're living fast lives with less free time, so we seek convenience.
5. I'm concerned about the vending machines that sell soda, candy, and snacks.
6. Is there any nutrition in that kind of stuff?
7. My family is concerned about losing weight, so we've started using low-fat or fat-
free food.
8. There's evidence that a nonfat or low-fat diet can actually lead to weight gain.

IIII- Fill in the gap with the right word

1. When we moved to the new office, we lost a piece of equipment. (a piece of /a

pound of)
2. Let me give you ____advice: don't buy that item (a speck of / a piece of)
3. The floor was so clean that there wasn't ____dust anywhere (a speck of / a piece of)
4. Please get ______ sugar when you're at the store. (a pound of / a piece of)
5. Our office bought several new ______furniture. (pieces of /matters of)
6. There hasn't been ____rain here for over a month. (a drop of I a grain of)
7. We heard an interesting ___news on the radio last night. (amount of / piece of)
8. In our family it's customary to have _____ tea late in the afternoon. (a kilo of /a cup
of)
9. What you order at a restaurant is ____choice. (a piece of / a matter of)
10. You've had a reasonable __________ time to finish the job. ((branch of / period of)

Mini -Lesson:

Noun Definition:
A noun can be defined as a word used to name a person, place, thing, or idea. Nouns
can be classified into two categories: Proper &Common.

Noun Definition Example

Types

13
 Proper Names a person, place, or thing Mel, Miranda, USA,
who/which is usually unique. It is written is Morocco
a capital letter.
Common* a name given in common to every person girl
or thing of the same class or kind”. boy
Different from proper nouns, this sort of city
nouns is not written in a capital letter. The country
following chart shows how these two university
categories work in practice.

• Common Nouns are classified into two types: concrete and abstract

Concrete Person Place Thing

Nouns Bob Tampa machine
Maria Toronto Book

Abstract idea emotion

Nouns convenience depression
intelligence

(i) Singular and Plural Nouns

a- Regular Plurals: Most English nouns form the plural with –s. This is true of nouns
which end in most consonants (e.g. questions, snacks, supermarkets...) and the vowels
a and e (e.g. areas, changes,...) but note the variations:

Noun ending in Plural form Examples

consonant+ y +ies quantities, calories
Vowel+y +s monkeys, trays
-ch, -s, -sh-x;-z +es watches, bosses, foxes
consonant + -o +es potatoes, heroes
vowel+-o +s radios, videos

N.B: * vowel + z: quizzes/ Some words ending in –o, especially words coming from
other languages, take –s only: pianos, photos, kilos, ...
b- Irregular nouns: English does not have many irregular plurals. Here are some
examples:
Noun Plural form Examples
ending in –f or –fe + ves (usually) leaves, loaves,...
foreign nouns vary according to origin of the termini, data, vertebrae,
word crises, phenomena,
curriculae...
Other irregulars +(r) en change of vowel children, oxen, women,
feet, women, feet…

14
NOTE: -Several words ending in –f and all those ending in –ff just take –s: chiefs, beliefs,
cliffs,...-Some words ending in –f take either plural ending: scarfs or scarves.

c- Nouns that do not change in the plural

sheep There are two sheep in the meadow

fish There are three fish in the pond
Three fish swim in the fish tank
Aircraft hovercraft, There are two aircraft prepared for landing
spacecraft, and other-
“craft” vehicles
bison The bison were grazing in the distance
cod The cod are known to migrate in large numbers
deer Deer are easy prey for wolves
moose Moose actually belong to the deer family
offspring The fox gave birth to five offspring
pike The pike are big freshwater predatory fish

salmon Salmon are often seen jumping over dangerous

waterfalls
trout The trout are fish related to the salmon

d- Nouns that take either regular or irregular plurals

buffalo I hope there aren’t too many buffalo(e)(s) outside

boar He saw several boar(s) in the woods
People (more than one) People say that the police are investigating the case
& police are always
plural
N.B: People can refer to They are a welcoming and hospitable people
a nation, religion or At college, he took a course on the history of the peoples
race, in which case it is of the British Isles
considered as a singular
noun and can be used in
a singular or plural form

e- Nouns with no singular form: Some English nouns are more common in the plural
form. These occur in a number of categories:
Clothing: clothes, jeans, pajamas, trunks, ....
Tools/ equipment: scissors, glasses, scales, handcuffs, tweezers,...
Games: Dominoes, darts, cards, bowls,...
Subjects/activities: physics, math, politics, economics, gymnastics, athletics,...
Other: goods, whereabouts, remains, thanks, news, ...Important note: These nouns
may have a singular form with a different meaning or as part of a compound
noun: a pajama party, a dartboard,...

f- Singular/Plural Subjects and Forms

15
Some nouns—especially those ending in -s—although plural in form, are singular in
number/meaning: news, measles, mumps, calculus, rickets, billiards, molasses, dizziness,
and other -ness ending nouns. These nouns require singular verb forms.

Example:
No news is good news.
This rule also applies to proper nouns that end in –s but refer to one thing
Example
The Evergladesis located in Florida.

Certain words ending in –ics are singular when they refer to principles, a system, or a
field of study. In these instances, the noun takes a singular verb. However, when these
nouns refer to individual practice or application or activities, they generally take a plural
verb: physics, mathematics, electronics, economics, politics, aerodynamics, mechanics,
calisthenics, forensics, ceramics, italics, athletics, statistics, acoustics, logistics, Olympics,
gymnastics, ethics, mathematics, etc.

Example
Statistics is not my favorite subject. (In this sentence, statistics indicates a field
of study.)
BUT:
Statistics show that divorce is a common practice in our society.
(In this sentence, statistics is plural—multiple data about divorce.)
Politics is not my favorite topic of conversation. (Politics is one concept.)
BUT:
The politics of the situation are what concern me. (Politics is plural—more than
one aspect of the situation.)

Certain nouns with plural forms and no singular counterpart are nearly always used
with plural verbs: Riches, grits, eyeglasses, manners, wages, pliers, whereabouts, jeans,
binoculars, tweezers, people, scissors, tidings, tidings, trousers, minutes, tights, clothes,
forceps, pants, and dues.

Example
My eyeglasses are lying on the table.

(ii) Collective nouns

Collective nouns are countable nouns that refer to groups of people, objects, or things.
A collective noun differs from a mass noun (a noun that cannot be counted—e.g., love,
water, evidence) in that it can be pluralized. For example, each of the collective nouns
below refers to a group but can itself be pluralized depending on whether we treat the
group as a unit (singular) or as a number of individuals (plural): and
faculty family government
group herd mob
orchestra staff team
audience Board committee
community crew crowd
government group jury staff

16
Example
My family is big.
His family were against his plans.
The audience was captivated by the performance.
This channel's target audience are young adults.

Some collective nouns are often used with other countable nouns:
Example
A team of researchers is working on this project.
A group of people were standing in front of the building.

A number of collective nouns are used with certain kinds of animals:

a colony of ants, a flock of sheep, a herd of cattle,
a pack of wolves, a swarm of bees

Key takeaways:
✓ Remember to check the nouns ending with –s and check whether they are
really plural
✓ Always check subject verb agreement when you notice a collective noun in the
sentence, e.g. family.
✓ A group is always singular (unless put into its plural from of course!)

Test Yourself

Choose the correct answer.

1. Mathematics does not interest me at all; I enjoy studying foreign languages.
Mathematics do not interest me at all; I enjoy studying foreign languages.
2. The measles are not fun to have.
The measles is not fun to have.
3. The molasses tastes delicious on the pancakes, but the grits are crunchy.
The molasses tastes delicious on the pancakes, but the grits is crunchy.
4. My jeans aren’t dry, so I guess I will wear shorts.
My jeans isn’t dry, so I guess I will wear shorts.
5. Politics are definitely a possible career interest for him.
Politics is definitely a possible career interest for him.
6. His happiness depend on his relationship with his girlfriend.
His happiness depends on his relationship with his girlfriend.
7. Victor’s manners need some improvement.
Victor’s manners needs some improvement.
8. The evening news seems quite depressing at times.
The evening news seem quite depressing at times.
9. Billiards are a sport that many people enjoy.
Billiards is a sport that many people enjoy.
10. Linguistics is one of the requirements for English majors.
11. Linguistics are one of the requirements for English majors.

17
(iii) Gender:
Nouns do not have grammatical gender in English.

Gender Example
Feminin girl, Julia, hen, waitress, maid, doe, spinster, matron, aunt,
squaw, she
Masculin Joseph, boy, cockerel, buck, footman, butler, brother, father,
uncle, he
Common bird, speaker, artist, animal, cat, European, musician, operator,
they
Neuter pencil, light, water, star, book, dust, leaf, it

Most nouns for jobs do not imply a gender. To specify gender, we have to say, e.g.: a
woman doctor. However, some nouns for jobs and roles do refer to males or females,
often by their suffix, e.g.: businessman (male), manageress (female). It used to be
common to use the –man suffix to refer to people of both sexes.

Example.: That’s the view of Sheila Davison, chairman of the Institute of Public
Relations

A lot of people avoid this now, especially if referring to a woman, and prefer a form
with no implicit gender, chair, or to match the suffix to the person, e.g. chairwoman.

Example: That’s the view of Sheila Davison, chairwoman of the Institute of Public
Relations.

(iv)

18
b- Countable and Uncountable meanings: Some nouns can be countable and
uncountable, but have different meaning:

Noun Noun Countable Uncountable meaning

meaning
Coffee I’d love a coffee, please Do you drink coffee?
Chicken I’ll buy a chicken for dinner Would you like some chicken
Drawing This is a drawing by ... He is good at drawing
Stone He threw a stone at me This is made of stone

c- Quantifying Uncountable Nouns We can refer to a specific example of an

uncountable noun with: determiner+ countable noun + of+ uncountable noun.
Common countable in this pattern are ‘piece’ and ‘bit’.

Example:
The council will remove two pieces of unwanted furniture.
Did you hear that interesting bit of gossip about Susan?

Other common nouns used in this way are: a slice of bread/meat/cake/cheese…; an

item of news/furniture/clothing…; a lump of sugar/ coal,… a cup of coffee/tea,…

Note:
a- We can make an uncountable noun countable when we want to express
‘different’ types of the noun:
Example The cheeses of France, The wines of Australia,….
b- We can make some uncountable abstract nouns countable if we refer to a specific
type of the noun, for example, a deep distrust, a distrust of accountants,… This
is common with nouns connected with emotions. We do not make these nouns
plural: ‘Jealousy’ but ‘ an incomprehensible jealousy’

(v) Subject Verb Agreement

a. Subject +verb + object/complement: In English the verb usually agrees with the
subject even if the verb is separated from its subject by prepositional phrases, relative
clauses, brackets or commas.
Example:
The petrol station across the road from the new shops has just cut its prices.
However, if the verb is a long way from the subject and is closer to a complement, it
is possible for the verb to agree with the complement.
Compare:
The most exciting event was the rowing finals.
The most exciting event in the Sydney Olympics for more British viewers was/were
the rowing finals.

The same can apply after ‘what’ used to introduce a relative clause:

Example: What the board needs to address now is/are the terms of payment.

19
b. (i) Two subjects/plural subject + verb: We usually use a plural verb with two
subjects linked by ‘and’ or ‘both’…and:
Example:
Mum and dad were hoping that you’d join them this evening.
Both the doctor and the surgeon have advised me to have my gall bladder out.

However, we use a singular verb if we consider the two items as one concept:

Example: Fish and chips is one of the most common English dishes in England.

(ii)Titles of books, films, etc. take a singular verb, even if they are plural nouns.

Example: Hitchcock’s film ‘The Birds’ is based on a story by Daphne Maurier.

(iii) When we link two items by ‘or’, the verb usually agrees with the second of the
items.
Example: Either my brother or my parents are going to get him from the airport.

(iv) Noun ending in –s + verb: Some uncountable nouns end in –s but take a singular
verb. These often concern illness (measles, mumps, tonsillitis,…), sport ( aerobics,
gymnastics), or study ( politics, physics).
Example: Politics is a topic best avoided with people you don’t know well.
Note: Some nouns refer to one object divided into two parts and take a plural verb.
Example.: scissors, trousers, scales, jeans,…Scissors are used to cut the jeans.

Important Note: A plural subject describing a single entity, e.g.: measurement, can
take a singular verb.
Example: Two meters isn’t particularly tall these days.
Twenty-four hours is a long time in politics.
(v) Collective noun + verb:
We can use either a singular or a plural verb with most collective nouns. i.e. nouns
referring to a group of people, animals or things, e.g. family, government, group, staff,
team, band, class, jury,…
A singular verb presents the collective noun as a whole ‘entity’: Example: The family
has agreed that the funeral should be held in Ireland. A plural verb presents the noun as
a group of individuals. E.g.: family members.

Example: The family are all gathering here for Christmas.

A large number of proper nouns fall into this category, e.g.: The United Nations:
The United Nations has agreed to …..
The United Nations are in disagreement on this issue.
Note: Unlike British English, US English prefers a singular verb in these cases.
In English, we prefer to use a singular verb after a collective noun if we use ‘a/an’
rather than ‘the’.

Test Yourself
I. Fill the gaps in these sentences with ‘a, an, nothing (-)’ or the correct form of a
suitable verb. If there are two possible answers, put both possibilities.

20
 1. Have you put …….pepper in this dish? I like plenty of seasoning.
2. What he’d really like us to buy him for his birthday …………………..some new
Nike trainers.
3. Rickets ………….a disease caused by deficiency of vitamin B.
4. I first felt the desire to visit Venice when looking at ……..painting by Canaletto.
5. You can’t hold a classical concert in the village hall, the acoustics
…………terrible!
6. A large number of police officers …………..present at the demonstration last
week in case of trouble.
7. At present 10.000 kilometers …………the longest walking competition held in
the Olympics.
8. ‘What have we got for supper?’ ‘Salmon’.
9. I got ………huge fish at the fishmonger’s for only five pounds’.
10. Either the twins or John, the eldest brother, ……………going to make a speech
at the Golden Wedding party.
11. My brother thinks that economics ………….. really interesting. I disagree.
12. Saudi Arabia, along with most of the oil-producing nations, voted to raise the
price of crude oil again.
13. That band ……always had a reputation for performing better in the studio
than live.
14. Both my brother and sister ……..lived in this town all their lives.
15. We developed …………….passion for Baroque music at university.
16. Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding …………….definitely still the favorite of
many British people!

II. Underline the best option.

1. I’m afraid that the news is /are not very encouraging.
2. It took Helen a while to get used to her new surrounding/surroundings.
3. Athletics is/ are a popular pastime in many countries.
4. Do you fancy a game of card/cards?
5. The cattle has/have through the fence by the main road.
6. Mumps is/are a serious illness for many other people.
7. What do you think of my new trousers/trouser?
8. The bathroom is on the left at the top of the stair/stairs.
9. ‘Extras’ is/are the funniest comedy series I have ever seen.
10. Local police is/are baffled by the disappearance of more than fifty pet dogs.

III. Circle the correct verb in each of the sentences below.

1. Your friend (talk-talks) too much.
2. The man with the roses (look-looks) like your brother.
3. The women in the pool (swim-swims) well.
4. Bill (drive-drives) a cab.
5. The football players (run-runs) five miles every day.
6. That red-haired lady in the fur hat (live-lives) across the street.
7. He (cook-cooks) dinner for his family.
8. The boys (walk-walks) to school every day.
9. The weather on the coast (appear-appears) to be good this weekend.
10. The center on the basketball team (bounce-bounces) the ball too high.

21
IV. Put the bracketed verb in the correct from in the sentences below.

1. Each of the girls (look) good on skis.

2. Everybody (be) asked to remain quiet.
3. Neither of the men (be) here yet.
4. (be) each of the girls ready to leave?
5. Several of the sheep (be) sick.
6. Some members of the faculty (be) present.
7. Nobody in the class (be) the answer.
8. Each of the girls (be) all the regulations.
9. All of the milk (be) gone.
10. Most of the seats (be) taken.
11. Margo and her parents (visit-visits) each other often.
12. Either the cups or the glasses (are-is) in the dishwasher.
13. Vern and Fred (need-needs) a ride to work.
14. There (is-are) a dog, a cat, and a bird in the garage.
15. Neither Matt nor his brothers (was-were) at the party.
16. Here into the main ring of the circus (come-comes) the trained elephants.
17. Either the workers or the boss (deliver-delivers) the merchandise.
18. The committee (work-works) hard for better schools.
19. There (is-are) many things to do before the holidays.
20. The jury (was-were) polled for their verdicts.
21. Here (is-are) the nails you need for the projects.
22. Either Joyce or Ellen (was-were) here.
23. The United States (is-are) a country of contrast.
24. A magazine and a book (was-were) lying on the floor.
25. The family (is-are) occupied with their individual problems.

V. Circle the correct verb in each of the sentences below.

1. Mumps (is-are) one of the most uncomfortable diseases.
2. One hundred dollars (is-are) not a lot of money to some people.
3. She (doesn’t-don’t) look very well today.
4. Twenty minutes (is-are) the amount of time it takes me to get home from
work.
5. It (doesn’t-don’t) seem so cold today.
6. Gymnastics (is-are) easy for Angela.
7. Interesting news (is-are) what sells our paper.
8. A pound of cookies (cost-costs) about a dollar.
9. They (doesn’t-don’t) think they’ll win the game tonight.
10. He (don’t-doesn’t) speak very well.

VI. Circle the subjects and underline the verbs. Make an arrow from the verb to its
subject. If the sentence has a subject-verb agreement error, cross out the incorrect verb
and write the correct verb form above it.

A The Columbia Icefield

22
 The Rocky Mountains, on the border of the provinces of Alberta and British
Columbia, has many attractions for tourists. One attraction is the Columbia Icefield. This
huge field of ancient ice cover 125 square kilometers. The Athabasca, Starfield and Dome
glaciers make up the icefield. As the ice melts, the water flow into four major river
systems. These systems is the Columbia, Fraser, Mackenzie and Saskatchewan. The
meltwater flows down these rivers into three different oceans, the Pacific, Arctic and
Atlantic. This high point in a continent’s water system is called a “hydrological apex”,
and the Columbia Icefield is one of only two such apexes in the world. Tourists visit the
icefield from April to October each year. Walking tours and snow coach tours is
available. Many people go to the icefield because it is the biggest area of ice and snow
in North America south of the Arctic Circle.

B The Beaver
The beaver, Canada’s national animal, have some unusual characteristics. One
unusual fact about beavers is their large size. The beaver is the largest rodent in North
America, weighing from 13 to 35 kg. It spend a lot of time in the water, so its feet is
large and webbed for swimming. The beaver’s tail which is wide and flat like a paddle
also helps it to swim. Thick underfur keep the beaver warm and dry, even in very cold
water. In fact, beavers have been known to stay under water in icy ponds for as long
as fifteen minutes. Beavers also has long teeth which grows all their lives. They use these
powerful teeth to cut down trees which they use for food and shelter. Another unusual
fact about the beaver is that it is one of the few animals that change its own
environment. Beavers create ponds by building dams with roots, sticks, mud and stones.
Each family of beavers build a lodge, or nest, in a riverbank or in the middle of a pond.
They build an underwater entrance to the lodge. Having the entrance underwater
protects them from their enemies. Beavers is also very social animals. They not only
communicate with each other by making sounds with their mouths but also by slapping
their big flat tails on the water. The beaver’s social life is complex and focus around the
female. These very special animals are found in every province in Canada.

VII. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence in this passage

As the sergeant looked over his new recruits, he was not totally incurious about the
backgrounds of the men he was to train, but he knew that the personal stuff would
have to come later. At this time, he had other concerns that were paramount. He was
cognizant of his responsibility for preparing his fold for those imminent situations that
each of the soldiers1 encounter almost daily in the line of duty, and he was ready to get
started. Decorousness, while appropriate in formal military settings, 2 were not
something he pressed upon his men, nor did he want them to move in the opposite
direction and 3 expects equality among all members. There is an order and equilibrium
in the dissemination of power. The men would see this and would come to appreciate
and rely upon it. Perhaps the most important aspect of being part of large teams 4 is
the cooperation that must exist among its members. Dissention among the men could
be dangerous, almost treacherous to a company of men whose 5 life depends upon
their working together as a unit, and not as separate individuals. At some time, each of
the men 6 exercise reserve and 7 inhibits the ardor of his passions regarding an issue or
a command.

A) NO CHANGE B) encounters C) encountered D) encountering

23
A) NO CHANGE B) is C) are D) was
A) NO CHANGE B) expecting C) expect D) expected
A) NO CHANGE B) are C) were D) was
A) NO CHANGE B) lives depend C) lives depended D) life depending
A) NO CHANGE B) exercised C) exercises D) exercising
A) NO CHANGE B) inhibit C) inhibited D) inhibiting

VIII. Underline the collective nouns in the passages below

(i) Last summer, my family and I took a trip to the local zoo. We learned about a
gaggle lives of geese that there. The zoo took in the geese because they were injured
in a terrible storm. My favorite part of going to the zoo was watching the pride of
lions. They actually were quite playful! We also made friends with a family of five
who we kept seeing throughout the day.
(ii) I remember my first field trip like it was yesterday. My classmates, teacher, and I
visited a farm. Once we arrived, a team of horses pulled us on a hay wagon to the
barn. In the barn we got to feed an entire flock of sheep, even the cute little babies!
Next, we witnessed a herd of cattle being fed and milked. I will never forget one
particular part of that field trip—my best friend and I collected small bundles of sticks
in our pockets throughout the visit. We kept them as souvenirs!
(iii) Last week my teacher told us that we could study any animal habitat for the next
week of science class. I decided to research ocean life, and I learned a lot! Did you
know that a group of fish is called a school of fish? A pod of whales travels together,
usually searching for food or warmer water. Two or more squids are called a shoal of
squids. By far my favorite group of animals I learned about is a rookery of penguins.
To me they are the most like humans and the most entertaining!

24
 Unit 3: Quantifiers

I. Reread the text and answer the questions below

Who is the healthiest?

My name is Mary and I am an architect. I get up every morning and have cereal for
breakfast. I also have a can of coke. I drink too much coke, but I really like it. For
lunch I have a sandwich, but I also eat a lot of fruit. I don’t do enough exercise, but I
try and go for a run once a week. For dinner I usually have pasta or salad. My brother
is called Tim and he works in an office. He doesn’t eat breakfast in the morning, but
he has a salad and a glass of orange juice for lunch. He does a lot of exercise and goes
to the gym every day but he eats too many cakes. He works very hard and sometimes
just has a sandwich for dinner. I don’t think he gets enough sleep.
Activity
(i) underline all the quantifiers
(ii) classify them according to the nouns they modify

II. Understanding Quantifiers

Quantifiers are adjectives or adjectival phrases that describe “how much”
(uncountable)or “how many” (countable) of a given noun there is.

Types of Quantifiers: Some quantifiers can only go with countable (precise quantity)
nouns, while others can only modify uncountable (imprecise quantity) nouns. A few
quantifiers can modify both as the chart below shows

Quantifiers With Count Nouns With Non-Count Nouns

One One store is open Ø
Each Each coin is valuable Ø
Every Every bank is closed
Two Two stores are open
Both Both stores are nearby
Several She bought several gifts
Few They have few investments.
A couple of She bought a couple of gifts
A few She has a few investments.
many Does he own many buildings?
much Does he have much property?
A great deal of He owns a great many buildings
No They have no bonds
any They don't have any bonds They don't have any
insurance
some They have some stocks They have some cash
A little She has a little money.

25
 little They have little money.
Enough You have enough stocks You have enough cash
A lot of/lots of He has a lot of / lots of clients He has a lot of / lots of
patience
Most Most banks are safe Most work is useful
all All banks are insured All work is tiring

Uses
state the number or amount of I bought a dozen tulips
something
used with both nouns and pronouns A lot of people are on vacation in the
summer
Most of us are going on the trip
often used alone if the noun or a A: Have you made many friends here?
pronoun has just been mentioned, as in B: Yes, I’ ve made a lot
a question
can be single words or phrases There's some money in my account
used with different types of nouns: I took each item back to the store.
singular count nouns: one, each, every, We were able to solve every problem.
etc.
plural count nouns: two, both, a couple We visited a couple of countries.
of, a dozen, several, few, a few, many, a We bought a few souvenirs
great many, a number of, etc.
non-count nouns: a little, little, much, a I only make a little money at that job.
great deal of, a great amount of, etc. She earns a great deal of money.

both plural count nouns and non-count She has no plans to travel.
nouns: no, any, some, enough, a lot of / We took no cash on the trip.
lots of, plenty of, most, all, etc.

III. Connotation/Attitudes of Quantifiers

A few and few (for countable) as well as a little and little (for uncountable nouns) may
seem very similar, but they actually hold very different connotations.
A few and a little indicate that the speaker feels positively about the quantity he/she is
describing:
Example: though he/she may not have much, it is enough.

Few and little indicate the speaker feels negatively about the quantity:
Example: he/she is lacking in the noun and would like more if it were available.

Uses
a few count nouns If you've got some money, you simply pull
Positive attitude out a few bills
I have a few good friends

few count nouns Jerry has few friends

26
 Negative attitude few flower vendors take checks
a little non-count nouns She has saved a little money
Positive attitude We have a little food at home

little non-count nouns Mary has little self-confidence

Negative attitude We have a little food at home

IMPORTANT: In comparison, use

fewer Count nouns I have fewer problems than I used to
less Noun count nouns I also earn less money, though
more Both count and I have more friends.
noun-count nouns I also have more self-confidence

Many/much
many count nouns He doesn't have many friends
much non-count nouns I don't have much trouble getting to work
Many/much Questions and Did they spend much money
negatives She does not read many magazines
a great count nouns The government has a great many
many responsibilities.
a great deal non-count nouns Presidents are under a great deal of stress
of

Some/Any
some Affirmative count/non- Bill bought some souvenirs
count nouns He borrowed some money from me
any Negative count/non- Alice didn't take any trips
count nouns didn't have any money
Some/any Questions Did you buy some / any clothes?
Offer Would you like some soda?
Negative questions Didn't you send any postcards?

IV. Quantifiers followed by “of”

Many quantifiers that end in “of” must be followed by an article or determiner (these,
his, my, etc.), although some do not.
Must be May or may not be
followed by article or followed by article or determiner
determiner
All of
Some of Plenty of
Many of A lot of
Much of A number of
(A) few of A couple of
(A) little of Most of
None of
Several of
Enough of

27
Example
Most of the EU countries are using the euro.
We saw many of her films.
Many of the doctors believed much of his research was flawed.
None of the tourists knew that a lot of piranha species prefer to eat crackers
over meat OR
None of the tourists knew that a lot of the piranha species prefer to eat crackers
over meat.
We generally use quantifiers without of when we have no particular person, place,
thing, or group in mind.
Most people don't understand the economy.
Many restaurants take credit cards.
IMPORTANT:
Quantifiers with of can be used only with plural count nouns and non-count nouns.
Most of the coins were very old.
Most of the gold was pure. NOT Most of the coin was very old.

Note: Quantifiers like most of and many of can be followed by a singular or a plural
verb, depending on the noun that follows of
Most of the food has been eaten. (non-count noun + singular verb)
Most of the people have arrived. (plural noun + plural verb)

Test Yourself
I. Read the sentences below and decide whether they could they be rewritten using
the words in parentheses without changing the basic meaning or creating an incorrect
sentence?
1. This is a trend that has been developing for many years now. (much) No
2. Are there still any advantages to cash? (some)
3. You suddenly remember you need to buy some flowers, (any)
4. At this writing, few flower vendors take checks, (a few)
5. Few vendors take plastic, (little)
6. Suppose you’d like to give a little money as a gift, (little)it’s much easier to pull
out cash to pay for them, (a lot)
7. Cash has some disadvantages as well, (any)
8. Cash has been handled by many different people, (a lot of)
9. Most people have paid their bills with checks, (a great deal of)it’s easier than
writing out several checks, (a little)
10. Some people have little use for credit cards, (a little)

II. Complete the sentences by choosing the correct quantifier.

We just got back from our second trip to Europe. This time we
visited………..countries, (less / fewer). We didn’t visit of the Scandinavian countries
this………..time,(some/any)We spent………..money this time too. (less / fewer). We
did buy …………. wonderful souvenirs, though, (some / any). Last time we rented a
car and were amazed by the……….cars on the roads, (amount of / number of). This
time we traveled by train. We expected …………..people to be traveling that way.

28
(much / a lot of). However, there weren’t very………(much /many). We had
problems finding seats in the railroad cars. We never had to stand. (few / a few) That’s
a good thing. My husband has patience when it comes to competing with other
passengers. The trip was so economical that we had extra money at the end. (little / a
little).

III. Choose the correct word for each blank

All – every-whole-no – none – any- few – a few – little- no one – everyone – each-
less- some- something-anything- either – neither-most- a little- whether.

A terrible journey
The journey by train took forever. ________________ the passengers looked
bored. The train had _______________ of the luxuries you’d usually expect on such a
journey. As a result, there was ____________________ to buy any food or
drink_______________ of the passengers brought their own packed lunches , and
_________________ watched enviously as they unwrapped them. At _______________
station we stopped, people looked out of the windows, hoping to see _______________
sellers with _________________ in the way of refreshment. But, sadly, there were
________________ at all. It appeared that________________ people would have to
spend all the time dreaming of a cup of coffee and a sandwich. I brought a couple of
magazines to read but _________________ of them held my attention for very long. I
had _________________ interest in _________________ but ending the journey. It was
very boring, and I felt __________________ refreshed nor relaxed when I finally reached
my destination.

IV. True or False?

1. There is no difference between “little‟ and “a little‟. true false
2. “few‟ is used with uncountable nouns. true false
3. Some quantifiers work with countable and uncountable nouns. true false
4. In formal English, it is better to use “many‟ and “much‟ rather than phrases
such as “a lot of”, “lots of‟ and “plenty of‟. true false

V. Match the quantifiers on the left to the appropriate definitions on the right.

VI. Complete the e-mail. Use one word in each gap.

I haven't heard from you for (1) ....... time so I thought I'd get in touch. There's hardly
(2) ................... time left until our exams and for weeks it seems as if I've done (3)

29
................. but study. The teachers keep reminding us that (4) ........ of the exams will
be easy and no doubt they will be even more difficult than I expect. But there's (5)........
I can do except keep working. When the exams are over, I'm going to take (6). ..........
time off and go on holiday with (7)..... .. people in my class. (8) .........of us care where
we go as long as it's somewhere warm! Anyway, why haven't I heard (9)............... from
you? Are you seeing (10) .................. these days? I was going out with (11) .... .. ... ..
........ but that finished a few weeks ago. Just as well - I have (12 ).............. time for a
social life at the moment and I won't have (13)......... until these exams are over!

VII. Editing
Read this excerpt from a president's speech. There are 12 mistakes in the use of
quantifiers. The first one is already corrected.

My fellow citizens: We are at a time in our history when we need to make some real
sacrifices. Recent presidents have made a great deal of/ a great many promises they
didn't keep. You may not like everything I tell you tonight, but you deserve to hear the
truth. On the economy, we've made little progress, but we still have a great many work
to do, so there are several measures I'm proposing. First, I want to raise taxes on the
very wealthy because a few of them are really paying their share. Second, many of
members of the middle class are carrying an unfair tax burden, so I'm asking for a tax
cut for the middle class. If I'm successful, most of you in the middle class will be paying
10 percent less in taxes next year, though few of you in the higher-income group may
see your taxes rise little. How do I intend to make up the lost revenue? The problem
with the national income tax is that there are much loopholes in the current law which
allow any people to avoid paying any taxes at all; I want to close these loopholes. My
additional plan is to replace the lost revenue with a national sales tax, which is fairer
because it applies to every people equally. Third, we have no money to finance health
care reform, and we've made a little progress in reducing pollution and meeting clean
air standards. Therefore, I am asking for a 50-cent-a-gallon tax on gasoline, which will
result in many more people using public transportation and will create additional
revenue. Thus, we will have enough of money to finance our new health care program
and will help the environment at the same time.

30
 Unit 4: Prepositions
Activity I:
Look around the classroom and come up with sentences in which you have used
prepositions.
Activity II:
(i) Read the information in the article. Look at the highlighted grammar examples.

THE STRATFORD SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL

THE STRATFORD SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL is one of the major theatre festivals in the
world. It takes place in Stratford, Ontario, near the town of Kitchener. It starts in the
spring and runs from April to November every year. Some of the world’s best actors
appear on stages in front of crowds of thousands of fans who travel to the festival from
all parts of the world. Transport to the festival is good: you can reach Stratford by plane,
train, bus or car. There are special buses from Toronto and Kitchener on some Saturdays
during the summer. Tickets for this year’s festival are for sale now, on the festival
website.

(ii) Now read the sentences and choose the correct words in italics.
1. Our closest theatre festival takes place on / at / in Burnham.
2. Sometimes you can’t get close / near / by the stage.
3. Some actors don’t like to play opposite / behind / in front of a big crowd.
4. A lot of people go at / in / to the Burnham Theatre festival.
5. The Burnham Theatre Festival starts in / on / at August.
6. Most summer festivals here are from July up / in / to September.
7. We try to see a play at the festival in every / on every / every week.
8. Festivals don’t usually take place while / during / from the winter.
9. Most people travel to the festival in / with / by car or train.
10. Tickets are usually to sale / by sale / for sale two months before the start.

(iii) Reread the text and sort the prepositions according to the type of relation they
express (time, space, position, direction, etc.).

II. Understanding Prepositions

What is a preposition?
A preposition is used to “… express a relation in space between two or more entities or
a relation in time between two events, or various other abstract relations such as
instrument and cause.” (Carter and McCarthy, 2006, p.462). A preposition refers to the
word or phrase which shows the relationship between one thing and another, linking
nouns, pronouns and phrases to other words in a sentence.
For example:
“The plane flew above the cloud, behind the cloud, around the cloud, below the cloud,
beneath the cloud, beside the cloud, beyond the cloud, into the cloud, near the cloud,
outside the cloud, over the cloud, past the cloud, through the cloud, toward the cloud,
under the cloud, and finally dived underneath the cloud.”

31
In the example above, the prepositions show the relationships between a plane and a
cloud.

Prepositions can be one word or compound (made of two or three words.). They
explain relationships of sequence, space, and logic between the object of the sentence
and the rest of the sentence. They help us understand order, time connections, directions
and positions, among others.

1. A relation in Place and Time:

We waited at the bus stop for ten minutes.
There is a telephone booth outside the bank.
What are you wearing underneath your coat?
She fell asleep during the lecture.
The police station is next to the shopping mall.

2. Prepositions of movement
From the ticket office, you go through the main gate and along the path. Go past the
toilets and follow the path to the food court. Then go round the fountain and across
the bridge. The mainstage is in front of you.
Along, past, across, over, through, round, from, to are prepositions of movement or
direction that show movement from one place to another.
These prepositions are most often used with verbs of motion (e.g. move, go, transfer,
walk/run/swim/ride/drive/ fly, travel, etc.) and are found after the verb.

Test Yourself:
(i) Match the two parts of the sentences.
There were some really good bands a. on the desk in my office.
Your coats and scarves are b. on the bedroom wall?
Who painted that lovely picture c.in the cupboard by the front door.
Can you put your old papers in the bin d.at her best friend’s wedding.
You’ll find the tickets e. under the sink?
At the moment Meral is living f. at the festival last year.
Louisa met her husband g.in Izmir, but she comes from Ankara.

(ii) Complete the passage with prepositions of movement/direction.

We caught the ferry (1)....... Dover and travelled (1)......... the English Channel to France.
Within an hour we had arrived (3) .......... the ferry terminal (4)..... Boulogne. We went
to the market(5) ...................... the main square, where I bought some souvenirs to take
back to my family in England. It was a beautiful day so we had lunch (6) ........ the
beach. It was very relaxing, with the sound of the waves and the seagulls flying(7)
........... our heads. After lunch we walked (8) ......... the beach (9).......... the old part of
town. We walked uphill (10) ........... the narrow streets towards the castle but when we
got there, they told us we had to pay an admission fee to get (11).......... the castle so
we didn't bother. Instead, we explored the old town for an hour. By then it was time
to go back to the ferry terminal. All in all, it was a good day out.

3. Preposition of time

32
 Brighton Festival
England’s biggest, busiest festival is back.
It starts on 5 May and continues until 27 May.
Events at lunchtime on most days and in the evening every day.
The ticket office is open from 10.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. every day.

At an exact time The ticket office is open from 10.00

a.m. to6.00 p.m. every day.
The film starts at 9.00.
Special days or occasions Lucy met an old friend at her sister’s
wedding
Times of meals and the The concert is at lunchtime.
weekend What are you doing at the weekend?
in Parts of the day There are events in the evening every
day.
Months, seasons, years, It gets cooler in the afternoon.
centuries The festival is in May.
He was born in 1994.
They built the castle in the eleventh
century
On Dates and days The festival starts on 5 May.
My interview is on Thursday afternoon.
Before, Times/events/situations: Let’s meet before 7.00.
after Train tickets are cheaper after 9.30 in
the morning
There will be drinks before the film.
Let’s watch TV after dinner.
My grandmother was born before the
war.
I can meet you after work
By, By=‘not later than’ Please give me your homework by
for, For + period of time Friday. (on or before Friday)
during for an hour, two days, three The holiday will be cheaper if we book
weeks. It means ‘the whole it by 30 April. (on or before 30 April)
time’ The meeting is on Wednesday so I’ll
finish the report by then.
We waited for the bus for an hour.
during An event or situation Neil Brand plays the piano during the
film.
Uncle Andy called us during supper with
some bad news.
In, until, from ... to/until My birthday is in five days. (five days from now)
The festival continues until 12 May. (it ends on this
date)
The festival lasts from 9 May to/until 12 May(from the
beginning to the end of this time)
f

33
N.B: We say at night, NOT in the night:
The supermarket is open in the night✓ The supermarket is open at night.

4. No preposition

this (morning, week, etc.) What time did you have breakfast this morning?
last (month, year, etc.) The new theatre opened last month
next (week, year, etc.) My English course starts next week
every (day, weekend, There are special events every day
etc.) But
Kevin’s exam was on last Tuesday
✓Kevin’s exam was last Tuesday
There’s a festival here in every February
✓ There’s a festival here every February

Test Yourself:
(i). Complete the article. Use the prepositions in the box.

after by during (x2) for (x2) in (X2) since (x2) until

Buckingham Palace has been the London home of Britain's royal family (1)
.......1837. (2)......... 1761 George III bought Buckingham House as a family home for his
wife. Queen Charlotte. Then (3) ......... 1826George IV decided to turn Buckingham
House into a palace. Workmen doubled the size of the house and built the Marble
Archin front of the palace. The work continued (4) ........... four years and(5) .........
1829 half a million pounds had already been spent on it. George IV never lived in
Buckingham Palace. Queen Victoria was the first monarch to make Buckingham Palace
her official home. (6) ........... her marriage to Albert in 1840. she decided that the palace
needed a nursery and more guest rooms. The Marble Arch was moved to a park in
central London so that workmen could add a fourth wing to the building .The work
continued (7).......... 1847 and today the palace has 775 rooms. The last major changes
to the building were made (8)............ the early twentieth century. when the stone on
the front of the building was replaced. Today Buckingham Palace is a major tourist
attraction. (9)......... 1993 the state rooms in the west wing have been opened to the
public(10)......... two months (11)........ the summer and they are visited by about
300.000 people over this period.

(ii). Use the prepositions below to complete the text

After before by during for

The Rocks Hotel has welcomed visitors (1)......... 25 years. The following
information will help you to have an enjoyable stay: The restaurant is open from 6.30
until 9.30 p.m. If you would like an evening meal (2).......... this time, please call 135.
Breakfast is served between 6.30 and 9.00 a.m. If you would like breakfast in your
room, please hang the menu card on your door (3)......... 2.00 a.m. Reception is closed
from 11.30 p.m. to 6.00 a.m. If you need a doctor (4)......... the night, please call 100.

34
We ask guests to leave their rooms by 11.00 a.m. If you wish to keep your room later
than this, please let us know (5).......... 9.00 a.m.** SPECIAL SPRING OFFER** (6)..........
the months of March and April, stay(7)........... two nights and have dinner here, get the
third night FREE!

(i) Complete the article. Use by, from, on or with.

All bullying involves attacks (1) ......... an individual or group on a weaker person.
Bullying can be an attack (2)....... a weapon or words, or it can be more subtle and
involve spreading lies and rumors. It can affect your self-esteem and prevent you (3)
......... succeeding at work or school. If you are being bullied. this is what you can do:
(i) Get help or advice (4) ........ an adult that you trust. Tell them what is happening.
They can provide you (5) ........ the support you need. You can also get advice (6)
.......... how to protect yourself (7) ......... going on line. (ii) Act confident. You are less
likely to be attacked. (iii) Avoid being alone (8) ........ bullies. Avoid areas that are
isolated or unsupervised (9) .......adults.

5. Common Phrases with prepositions

Phrases of Place

Phrases of time

35
 Other common Phrases

Test Yourself

(i) Complete the story. Use one word in each gap.

My family wanted to do something different this summer and (1)....... the end,
we decided to go (2)....... a safari holiday in Tanzania. We booked our holiday (3)........
advance and because I'm studying zoology (4)....... college, I prepared myself by
learning the scientific names of many animals (5).......... heart!(6)........ last our departure
date arrived. We were met (7) .............. ..our arrival in Tanzania and we travelled (8)
................ car to our hotel in the safari park. We stopped (9) ................ the way to the
hotel and (10).......my surprise, we saw a lion a few metres from the car! Every day at
the park was different and we were busy (11).........morning to night. We would set off
early in a Land Rover as it was too hot to go far (12)...... foot and return to the hotel
(13)....... time for lunch. Most evenings we ate out (14).......... doors. But it was the
animals that were (15) ....... far the best part of the holiday. Lying in bed at night, I could
hear them and (16).......... times. they came very close to my window. But I never felt I
was (17)........danger. (18).......... the contrary, I felt closer to nature than I've ever been
in my life.(19) ........... the end of our stay there was a farewell party attended by
everyone on the safari. We were all sad to be leaving but (20)......... the same time, we
knew we'd had the experience of a lifetime.

Mixed Prepositions Exercises

(i) Read the following story and fill in each gap with the most suitable
preposition in the box. Sometimes more than one answer is possible.

about / above / underneath / for / on / in at /

toward(s) / from / in front of instead of inside / under /
according to / thanks to / up / outside

36
 Christine’s cat was missing and she started looking around the house (1)
____________ it. She opened her closet and looked (2) ____________ but the cat was
not there. She went to the bedroom and crawled (3) ____________ the floor to look
(4) ____________ the bed. She searched the kitchen and bathroom but found nothing.
Since her cat could not be seen anywhere inside the house, Christine decided to
go (5) ____________ to give it a try. Just as she was (6) ____________ to open the door,
the doorbell rang. It was her neighbor, Mrs. Chan. Mrs. Chan pointed (7) ____________
the top of a nearby tree. “Look, Christine! Your cat is (8) ____________ the tree!” Mrs.
Chan began to describe how she found the cat. (9) ____________ her, she was cleaning
the windows when she heard a noise coming (10) ____________ the tree (11)
____________ her house. She looked (12) ____________ and saw the cat (13)
____________ one of the branches high (14) ____________ the ground. (15)
____________ ignoring the cat, Mrs. Chan decided to tell Christine. (16) ____________
Mrs. Chan’s help, Christine was able to rescue it. G- Fill in each gap with a suitable
preposition from the list below. in / by / for / into / after / at /as / to/ from /
on Inspiration: Being inspired is the key to success as a senior student. This is what I
concluded (1) ______ completing the ABC programme (2) ____The Chinese University
of Hong Kong. Life (3) ____ a postgraduate student (4) ____the Department of ABC can
be fun, or a nightmare, depending (5) ____ what approach you take. I am more than
willing to share my thoughts with you (6) ____ this regard. Comparing studying (7)
_____ travelling, I found many interesting parallels. Studying (8) _____ high school is
like joining a group tour. So long (9) _______ you don’t fall asleep (10) ______ the
coach, and you listen to what the tour guide tells you, you shouldn’t fail. Studying (11)
_____ a Bachelor’s degree is like going for a package tour. Many things have been
prepared (12)_____you but you still have to put extra effort (13) _____ your study.
Studying (14) ______a Master’s degree is like backpacking. You have to plan the trip
yourself and take the initiative to explore everything. Sometimes you get help (15)
_______experienced travelers, the lecturers. At the doctorate level, you will explore new
ground untouched (16) _____ others. Some Master’s students may get lost (17) _____
first because they don’t realize that a different approach (18) ______ their earlier study
experience is called (19) ______. They study hard reading the lecture notes (20) _______
they did before. They wonder why so little has been taught while the scope for their
assignments is so broad. They have not yet realized that the lecture notes show them
the directions, not destinations. However, once you realize this and adopt the attitude
(21) ______a backpacker, life is fun. The libraries here are treasure islands. The internet
is your highway. And the professors are black-belt masters. Challenge them. They
welcome your questions. They don’t teach you, they inspire. How many chances do
you have (22) ______ life to have your work assessed (23) ______a world class scholar?
Adapted from and inspired by an original article by Ho Wai Man H- Fill in each gap
with a suitable preposition. An Open Letter from Prof. Charles and Mrs. May Wan Kao
Since the announcement (1) ________ 6 October 2009 that Charles has been awarded
the 2009 Nobel Prize (2) _____ Physics, we have received messages (3) _____ friends
from all (4) ______ the world (5) _________ the Internet, fax, and email. We are
overwhelmed (6) __________ the sea of congratulatory messages from so many people,
and the many requests (7) ___________ interviews from the media. A Nobel Laureate
of Chinese ethnicity is a rare event and we understand the outpouring (8) ____
happiness and pride (9) ___________ our people throughout the world wherever they
live. The Nobel Prize is an international prize and has been awarded (10) ___________

37
work done internationally. Charles Kao was born (11) ______ Shanghai, China, did his
primary research in 1966 (12) _____ Standard Telecommunication Laboratories (STL) in
Harlow, UK, followed through with work in the USA at ITT, over the following 20
years, to develop fiber optics (13) ___________ a commercial product and finally came
to CUHK, Hong Kong (14) _________ 1987 to pass on his knowledge and expertise to
a new generation of students and businessmen. Charles really does belong(15) ________
the world! In this open letter, we would like to thank all who have concern (16)
_________ his health. Unfortunately there is no cure at present for Alzheimer's. Charles
shares this problem of coping (17) _______ Alzheimer with other eminent persons,
Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, to name a few. Charles keeps fit playing tennis and
with other exercises. He does not smoke, and he enjoys eating and drinking (18)
_________ healthy moderation and sleeps well too. The memory loss is getting more
severe, but he enjoys life. He is eminently proud (19) _________ his past achievements
and excited (20) ________ becoming a Nobel Laureate – an unexpected award. The
press and media have interviewed him and he is happy that they have found all the
facts they need. So he is more than ready to return (21) ________ a quiet and
undisturbed life now, and he asks that the media respect this. Our greetings to everyone
in Hong Kong, to staff, faculty and students past and present of CUHK, to all our very
good friends and especially to our tennis friends. Thank you (22) _________ all your
good wishes and congratulations. Now you know who is responsible (23) __________
the fiber optical cables that enable all the excessive information, both true and false,
good and bad, that circulate (24) _________ the Internet. Charles and May Wan Kao
13 October 2009

(ii). Read the text below. Fill in each blank with a suitable preposition. Put an “X” if
no preposition is needed.
Attack burns A five- year-old boy and a number of tourists and others were hurt in an
acid attack (1) _____ Eastern District (2) ______last night - just three hours (3) _______
the police had turned on surveillance cameras in the area. It is the fifth of this kind of
attack (4) _______ last November. It is being viewed (5) _______ a direct threat to the
security. As detectives searched surveillance footage (6) ______last night, 380 officers
swept the area to hunt (7) ________ the attacker or attackers. The Commissioner of
Police Chris Smith promised to track (8) _________ those behind it. Some of those hurt
said the corrosive liquid rained down just before 9.30 pm (9) _______ the junction of
North and South streets. The bottle used was 13-15 centimeters long, contained what
was probably acid and was similar (10) _________ those used (11_______ the previous
two attacks. It was found (12) ______ the road outside 123 North Street still releasing
a grayish gas. The area is only 60 meters (13) _________ the first attack in November
and less than 100 meters from the second hurt (14) _______ March 23. Many of those
hurt were treated (15) _______ the spot for head, shoulder and hand injuries while
others were sent to nearby hospitals. Nurses poured filtered water (16) _______ burns
before they were treated and bandaged. A victim hit by the bottle said he was not
aware it was corrosive until he felt a burning sensation. A nearby shopkeeper helped
him wash off the liquid, he said. Mr. Wong, who works (17) _______ an appliance shop,
said he saw people hurrying away before he realized it was another acid attack. He had
noticed some of them had holes in their clothes (18) _______ a result of acid burns. The
government decided to install surveillance cameras overlooking South Street (19)
________ the earlier attacks which injured nearly 80 people (20) _____ total. A district

38
councilor Mary Lee, who is in charge (21) ______ a working group for the installation
of the "sky eyes," confirmed they had been (22) ______ operation (23) _______ 1.30 pm
yesterday. "This acid throwing is obviously a challenge (24) _______ the police. It is a
dreadful crime. The operation of the sky eyes was not supposed to be known (25)
______ outsiders and the district council had planned to announce it after a meeting
later this week," she said. The Island East Headquarters senior superintendent said 15
males and 13 females suffered (26) ________ minor injuries. One was a five-year-old
boy. "Six units of detectives (27) ________ Island East regional crime unit, the anti-triad
unit, blue-beret police officers and other frontline officers were dispatched (28) _______
the scene to conduct an exhaustive search. Police will work in liaison (29) _______ the
District Council to inspect the surveillance images captured by the "sky eyes" to help the
investigation," the superintendent said. The police have not ruled (30) _________ any
motive for the attack.

(ii) What can prepositions tell us? Fill in the gaps with the appropriate word
from the list.
A- Time / Position / Location / Direction
1. It may tell you the __________ a thing is in relation to something else. e.g. The
students conducted an experiment in the laboratory.
2. It may tell you the __________ something is in relation to another event. e.g.
After dinner, we went for a walk.
3. A preposition may tell you the __________of something in relation to something
else. e.g. The gentle, brown cat slept beside the fluffy white rabbit.
4. It may also tell you the __________ something is travelling in relation to something
else. e.g. Who is that man walking towards us?

39
 Unit 5: Adjectives and Adverbs
Adjectives and adverbs are two classes of words that have descriptive functions.
Adjectives describe characteristics or properties of nouns. Adverbs perform a similar
function in modifying verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. They also provide
supplementary information about the content of clauses.
I. Adjectives
Adjectives modify nouns or pronouns. By modifying, adjectives give a more detailed
sense of the noun. For example: "I ate a meal." Meal is a noun. The reader does not
know what kind of meal this is, leaving a lot of room open for interpretation. "I ate an
enormous meal." Meal is a noun, and enormous is an adjective that modifies it. It tells
us what kind of meal the person ate. By using adjectives, the writer gives the reader a
better understanding of the noun. Adjectives clarify the noun by answering one of the
following different questions: "What kind?" or "Which?" or "How many?"

Example:
"The tall girl is riding her bike”: tall tells the reader which girl the writer is
talking about.
“Our old van needs to be replaced soon”: old tells the reader what kind of van
the writer is describing.
"The tough professor gave us the final exam”: Tough’ tells the reader what kind
of professor the writer is talking about. Final tells us which exam.
"Fifteen students passed the midterm exam; twelve students passed the final
exam": fifteen and twelve both tell the reader how many students; midterm and final
both tell the reader which exam.

I.1. Position and order of adjectives

(i) Position
Adjectives can come before a noun (attributive adjectives), They can also come after
linking verbs (predicative adjectives): appear, be, become, feel, get, grow, keep, look.
seem, smell, sound, stay. taste, turn, etc.
Example
She's an intelligent woman.
In the summer it gets very hot.
The leaves of the trees turned red and brown in autumn.
Some adjectives can only come before a noun: chief, elder, indoor, inner, live, main,
only, outdoor, outer, principle:
It was a live concert.
Some adjectives can only come after a verb: fine, ill, (un)well, afraid, alike, alive, alone,
asleep, awake, glad, sorry, upset:
'How is she?' 'She's fine.'
He was alone and felt frightened.
You seem upset. What's wrong?
(ii) order
If there is more than one adjective before a noun, this is the most common order

40
 Opinion Size Other Age Shape color Origin Material Type
qualities
beautiful large cold old oval brown Chinese wooden electric

Test Yourself

Underline the adjectives in this letter.

Hi everyone. I'm having a wonderful time. The weather is perfect It's hot and sunny in
the afternoon, but at night it gets cool. I swim and rest all day. I am so happy here! My
hotel room is quiet and comfortable, and I have a beautiful view of the beach. I love
to sit on my balcony and watch the huge waves. The food is delicious, especially the
fresh pineapple. See you soon!

I.2.Punctuation

Generally, there are no commas between the adjectives before a noun:

an ugly concrete building a difficult new theory

a tiny round brass button blue Italian ceramic tiles

expensive electronic equipment.

Use ‘and’ to join two adjectives of the same type before a noun. When there are more
than two adjectives, use commas and ‘and’ before the last adjective. The order of
adjectives is usually not important in these cases:
Example:
It's a violent and shocking/ shocking and violent film.
She wants a stable, warm and loving relationship.

We always use ‘and’ to join two color adjectives and after linking verbs:
The boy wore a red and blue shirt.
It's small and lightweight.
I feel cold and tired.

I.3. Gradability of Adjectives

Most adjectives are gradable; that is, they can indicate degrees of a property, as shown
in the table below. Some gradable adjectives have comparative (-er) and super1ative (-
est) forms. while others use the adverbs more and most to express varying degrees.
Many adjectives (e.g., Iively) take the er/est inflections as well as more and most. A
great many more, (e.g. private) take only more/most. while a few (e.g., good) allow
only the -er/est endings to express gradability.

Adjective inflections more/most

comparative superlative comparative superlative
lively livelier liveliest most lively more
lively
Private *privater* privatest most private more private

41
 Good better best *more good *most
good Negative Gradability
Successful less successful least successful
The result was less successful than anticipated
His third campaign was the least successful of all his attempts

Test Yourself.
Use the comparative or superlative form of the words in brackets to complete this memo.
MEMO
The company's annual report shows that unfortunately, our sales figures were
(1)……….[low] than those for the previous year. This is no surprise but what is
(2)……..[alarming] is that a number of our (3)………..[old] clients have switched to
another supplier, We are aware that there are (4)………….. [expensive] suppliers than
ourselves but cost may not be (5)………[important] factor in our clients' decision to
switch suppliers. One former client, for example, has said that their new supplier is not
only (6)………...[ efficient] but also offers a (7)………[good] all-round service. Reports
like these are (8)……[worrying] than anything else. If we cannot compete
(9)………….[effectively]. then we will not survive. We have to make every effort to
convince our clients that we can still give them (10)………….[good] value for their
money than anyone else.

1.4 Absolute adjectives

A number of adjectives, such as absolute, Complete, correct, essential, impossible,
perfect, pregnant, ultimate, and unique, have been called absolute adjectives because
their meaning is supposedly not gradable as they express a quality that cannot be
increased or decreased. For example, unique means "one of a kind"; hence, it seems
both illogical and incorrect to say, for example,
That painting is very/somewhat unique.
How could something (hat is unique be particularly or partially unique?

1.5 Participial Adjectives

Adjectives are frequently formed from present or past participles. For example, the
adjective in (6a) is formed from the present participle of the verb interest, and the
adjective in (6b) is formed from the past participle of the verb bore. These are referred
toas participial adjectives.
(6) a. That was really an interesting lecture b. He was standing around with a
bored expression on his face

To form the comparative and superlative forms of these adjectives, we add more and
most but not *er/est. Some of the more frequently used adjectives formed from present
participles include amazing, boring, corresponding. Encouraging, exciting, existing,
following, increasing, interesting, leading, missing, outstanding, promising, remaining,
threatening, willing, and working.

1.6 Modification of Adjectives

A final characteristic of adjectives is that they can be modified by adverbs, as shown in

42
(7)
Adv Adj
a. These shrimps are [unusually] [large].
Adv Adj
b. They appear to be [remarkably] [happy].

Test Yourself

(i). Bill and Nancy are going to attend a party at the home of Nancy's new boss. They
are trying to dress for the occasion and aren't sure what is expected. Nancy is very
worried about making a good impression. Unscramble the modifiers in their
conversation. Place commas where they are needed.

BILL: This is a 1 (office/formal) ………………….. party, isn't it? What if I wear my(silk /
new) tie?
NANGY. That's fine, but don't wear that 2(purple /ugly / denim)…………………..shirt
with it. People will think you don't have any (suitable/dress-up) clothes.
BILL: So what? Why should I pretend I like to dress up when I don't?
NANCY: Because there are going to be a lot of (interesting / important) business people
there, and I want to make a 3 (memorable/ good)…………………..impression. It's my
job, remember? I don't want people to think I have a 4 (unstylish /
sloppy)…………………..dresser for a husband, which of course you're not. Humor me
just this once, OK sweetie? Hmmm… I wonder if I should wear my 5(round/sapphire/
blue)…………………..earrings or the 6 (green/ oval/ emerald)…………………..ones.
NANCY: Hi, Paul. This is Bill, my husband.
PAUL: Welcome. Bill, I'm glad to know you. You two are our first guests to arrive. Help
yourselves to snacks. There are some 7 (excellent/ tomato- and-
cheese)………………….. sandwiches. Please make yourselves at home. You know,
Nancy, I'm sorry I didn't make it clear this isn't a 8 (dress-up/ fancy)…………………..
party.
BILL: Thanks. We'll be fine. By the way, Paul, I really like that 9 (beautiful! denim /
purple) …………………..shirt you're wearing. Where did you get it?

(ii). Complete the letter. Use the words in the box. Put them in the correct order and
add ‘and’ where necessary.

amazing / antique / Chinese black / gold / wooden charming / stone / whitewashed

clean / linen / white enjoyable / restful Summer/ fantastic Greek / small outdoor /
traditional lovely / warm round / wooden

I must tell you about the (1)............... holiday we're having. We're staying in a(n)
(2)........................ house on a(n) (3)... ...... ... ..... ....... island. It's close to the sea, which
at this time of year is (4)......... .. .... .......... .. .... - the perfect temperature for swimming.
The food here is very good. For lunch we usually go to a(n) (5)..........................
restaurant, sit in the garden at (6)..................... tables with (7)................ tablecloths
and treat ourselves to the local specialties. This evening we're going to a nearby taverna
and then on to a live performance of music and dancing. The local shops are a lot of
fun. You know I've been looking for something for my sitting room? The other day I

43
was walking through the flea market and I saw a(n) (8)... ....... ..... mirror with a(n)
(9)....................... frame. Of course, I bought it immediately - now all I have to worry
about is getting it home on the plane! Speaking of the plane, we fly home in a couple
of days. It's been a(n) (10).................... holiday and I'll be sorry to leave this island.

(iii) Read this entry from medical student Jennifer Yu's computer journal. There are
11 mistakes in the use of modifiers. The first mistake is already corrected. Find and
correct 10 more.

FRIDAY: It's midnight, the end of a long day. My first week of school medical medical
school is over, and I'm exhausted but happy! I'm so glad I decided to go to the university.
It was definitely a good decision. I'm not completely sure yet, but I think I want to go
into child psychiatry because I love working with children---especially nine- and ten-
years-old kids. Yesterday our psychiatry class visited a new large hospital where many
middle-class troubled children go for treatment. I expected to see a lot of boys and girls
behaving badly, but most of them were pretty quiet and relaxed. They just looked like
they needed some personal warm attention. Today in our surgery class we had a bright
hardworking teacher, a Brazilian young doctor who was substituting for our usual
professor. We got a foreign helpful viewpoint on things. The only thing I don't like
about medical school is the cafeteria disgusting food. I'm going to have to start getting
some hot tasty Chinese food from my local favorite place. Well, it's time for me to get
some sleep. I hope this computer new program works correctly.

II. ADVERBS: FUNCTIONS, TYPES, PLACEMENT, AND MEANING

Activity

II.1. Read this paragraph and identify adverbs. Look for single words that answer these
questions: How? When? Or Where? The first adverb is shown in bold.

… When he picked it up he immediately realized that here was a tin with a difference.
For one thing, it was lighter than all the others he had come across. Far, far lighter. This
was definitely no ordinary tin of beans or soup or stewed steak or curried chicken or
macaroni cheese. This was a tin which felt so light that it could almost have been empty.
But despite being so light, it definitely had something inside it. Fergal knew that for
certain. He could tell that quite clearly

II.2. Adverb Function

Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs; they indicate how, when,
where, or how often things happen.

Adverb Functions
To MODIFY VERBS He immediately realized that here was a tin with a
difference.
To MODIFY This was at in which felt so light.
ADJEGIVES

44
 To MODIFY He treated the topic very fairly.
OTHER ADVERBS
To MODIFY Unfortunately, the topic is controversial
ENTIRE
SENTENCES

II.3. Adverb Types

Generally, there are five types of Adverbs:

Type Function Example

MANNER indicate how Some think he presents issues
dishonestly.
TIME indicate when Military service for women has
become controversial recently.
PLACE indicate where The director found a new position
there.
FREQUENCY indicate how often The program's subjects are often
unpopular
DEGREE indicate the intensity; how I am so excited to go to college
much/ to what degree

II.4. Adverb Placement and meaning

Sentence Adverbs: Placement and Meaning

BEGINNING Clearly, these are bitter controversies.
MIDDLE. These are clearly bitter controversies.
END These are bitter controversies, clearly
BEGINNING. Clearly, these are bitter controversies.

II.5. Focus adverbs

These adverbs focus attention on a word or phrase. They usually precede the word or
phrase focused on. Common focus adverbs are almost, even, just, and only.

NOTE: Changing the position of a focus adverb often changes the meaning of the
sentence, as shown in the chart below.

45
II.6. Negative Adverbs

Negative adverbs include hardly, in no way (informal, no way), little, neither, never,
not only, only, rarely, and seldom.
When used sentence initially, these adverbs force inversion to emphasize the negative
meaning.

N.B: Invert the subject and verb only if the subject is a noun. No inversion when the
subject is a pronoun: Here is your money *Here is it Here it is

II.7. Adverbs and adverbials

Adverbials are words and phrases that modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs in the
same way that single adverbs do. These include nouns, noun phrases, and prepositional
phrases. They normally come at the end of a clause.

II.8. Position and order of adverbs

46
Adverbs and adverbial phrases can come in different positions in a sentence: at the
beginning, in the middle or at the end. The position depends partly on the kind of
adverb/ adverbial phrase and the meaning to be emphasized in the sentence.

(i) Adverbs of frequency

a. Adverbs of frequency (e.g. always, often, rarely, usually) come before the main verb
but after an auxiliary verb or the verb be:
We sometimes meet for lunch. I have always wanted to go there.
I am usually in bed before midnight.
b. Some adverbs of frequency (e.g. often, sometimes, occasionally) can also come at the
beginning or end of the sentence. The position at the beginning gives the adverb greater
emphasis:
(9) She helps me sometimes. Sometimes she helps me.
c. Adverbial phrases of frequency can come at the beginning or end of a sentence but
not in the middle:
(10) I go shopping on Fridays.
On Fridays I go shopping.
(ii) Adverbs of manner, place and time
d. If there is more than one kind of adverb in a sentence, the order is usually manner,
place, time:
(11) I lived happily in Singapore for many years.
e. The most neutral position for adverbs/ adverbial phrases of manner is at the end of
a sentence:
(12) They did their work quietly. They did it without a fuss.
f. For greater emphasis, these adverbs can come at the beginning of the sentence:
(13) Slowly, he opened the door.
g. Adverbs of manner ending in -Iy can also come between the subject and the main
verb for greater emphasis:
(14) He stupidly went out without locking the door.
h. The most neutral position for adverbs/ adverbial phrases of place and time is at the
end of a sentence:
(15) I bought these shoes in a market. I saw Gina yesterday.
i. For greater emphasis. they can come at the beginning of the sentence:
(16) In Athens, we stayed in the city centre.
In Crete, we stayed at a hotel near the beach.
j. Some indefinite adverbs of time can come between the subject and main verb:
(17) I recently changed my job. (Not! I last month changed my job!)

Test Yourself

(i). Rewrite the sentences. Put the words in brackets in the most neutral position.
1.Bianca is the last person to leave work 4.The children played. (happily, outside,
(always, in the evening) today)
2.Ross ran (quickly, to the bus stop) 4.I thought you explained your ideas (in
3.I worked in order to get good exam the meeting, last week, very well)
results (for months, hard) 5. She slept (all afternoon, in the chair,
soundly)
(ii). Rewrite the sentences_ Put the words in brackets in the correct position_

47
 1. We all know that if we eat and exercise, we will maintain an ideal weight
(healthily, regularly)
................................................................................................. .
2. As we become busier, many of us don't have the time to eat or exercise as often
as we should (at home and at work, sensibly)
.......................................................................
3. Many fashionable diets promise you will see results without working to achieve
them. (quickly, hard)
...................................................................................
4. However, these diets involve cutting out certain types of food. (often,
completely)
................................................................................
5. Many diet pills which advertisers claim have been tested are either dangerous or
ineffective (scientifically)
................................................................................................. .
6. In fact, the only way to lose weight is to eat less and exercise more. (safely and
permanently)
..................................................................................................

(iii).Complete the extract from a story. Use the words in the box.

across the fields, always, for some days, often (x2), badly, completely,
recently, slowly, directly, suddenly

After the lonely wet nights he had spent (1) ....., Inman felt half-dead. He stopped, put
his boot on the roadside fence and looked out (2) .. . ... ........... .... . . . The wound in
his neck felt raw and hurt (3) ........... ..... ........ He put his finger underneath the bandage
and was surprised to find that the wound had healed over almost (4) .... ......... . He
calculated that he had been walking (5) .... .......... .. ..... ... His wound forced him to
walk (6)........... and rest more (7) .................. than he wished. He felt very tired and
also rather lost. Still trying to find a route that went (8) ............. .. .. to his home in the
Appalachian Mountains. And the weather had been bad, with rain that came (9)..........
...... .. ,with thunder and lightning day and night. Each farm he passed had two or three
dogs and he was (10) ............... forced to fight off their attacks. The constant danger
from dogs and the Home Guards meant that he was(11)... ........ nervous travelling
through the dark nights.

48
 DIAGNOSTIC TEST
I. Put in the comparative or superlative form of the adjectives in the list.

Wide, famous, old, big, modern, comfortable, expensive, popular, boring, small,
pleasant, helpful, nice, noisy, busy.

There are lots of hotels in the pretty town of Blexham. You get a wider choice
in most places. The Crown is the most famous because Charles Dickens once stayed
there. It’s also one of the ______(1). The Metropole is a ______(2) and a ______(3)
hotel. It’s also ______(4) than the Crown. The Metropole is the ______(5) hotel in town,
and so it’s ______(6) with business people than with tourists. Personally I can’t think of
anything ______(7) than a big modern hotel. My own favourite is the Down Court
Hotel, which is ______(8) and ______(9) than the Metropole. The staff at Down Court
are ______(10) than at the other hotels. The Down Court is also in a ______(11) place
than the others. The Metropole is the ______(12) hotel in town because it’s on the main
road. The Bristol has a good restaurant. But you need to book a table because it’s the
______(13) place in Blexham.

II. Fill in the spaces in the following text with one appropriate word or put 0 if no
word is needed.

THE CHANCE OF A JOB

David had been buying ______ (1) paper every day for months though he wasn’t
interested in ______ (2) news about the latest disasters around the world. It was ______
(3) work he wanted. David had been out of ______ (4) work for ages and when he got
the chance of ______ (5) job in the local youth centre he applied at once. He rang and
asked them for ______ (6) information about ______ (7) job and they told him he
needed to have ______ (8) experience of working with ______(9) children and if
possible ______(10) training in counselling techniques. David had quite a lot of
______(11) knowledge of counselling because he had ______(12) degree in psychology
from ______ (13) Edinburgh University and at one time he had seriously considered
doing ______ (14) research in educational psychology. Before going to the interview, he
asked his mum for ______(15) advice about what he should wear, and she told him to
wear a suit and get his hair cut.

III. Fill in the gaps with the right preposition

Awakened suddenly 1 __2:30 a.m. 2 __ the news that Mexico’s President Huerta
had arrested American sailors 3 __ Tampico, President Wilson issued an order to attack
Veracruz. A landing party did so, killing 4 _ Mexicans. Later 5 __ the morning, Wilson
sent for his chief usher, shook an angry fist 6_ him, and ordered that he was never to
be awakened again 7 __the middle 8 __ the night. No man, he said, can make a clear
decision when startled 9 ___ 10___ a calm sleep.

49
_on___April 23, 1896, 1___Kooster and Bial’s Music Hall 2___New York City. No one
was excited 3__the subject matter: a man walking his dog 4 __one place 5__ another, a
train arriving 6__a station, and a balloon floating 7__ the air. 8__a while, no one cared.

IV. Rewrite the following paragraphs, inserting a, an, and the where needed.

1. I have horse of my own. I call her Pretty Girl. She is intelligent animal, but she is not
thoroughbred horse. I could never enter her in race, even if I wanted to. But I do not
want to. She is companion, for my own pleasure. I took her swimming day or two ago.

2. Horse knows when he is going to race. How does he know? His breakfast was
scanty.(He is angry about that.) He does not have saddle on his back. He is being led,
not ridden, to grandstand. He is led under grandstand into unusual, special stall. Horse
is nervous. Sometimes he does not know what to do when starting gate flies open and
track is before him. If he does not begin to run instantly, other horses are already ahead
of him. During race, when he sees another horse just ahead of him, he will try to pass
him. Sometimes jockey holds him back to save his energy for last stretch. Eventually
horse gets to run as fast as he can. Exercise boy, watching owner's favorite jockey riding
horse he has exercised day after day, says nothing. Secretly, he is planning for day when
he will be jockey himself, and his horse will be first to cross finish line.

V. Fill in the gaps with the correct article (a, an, the, 0) when necessary.
I am from Winchester, Hampshire. Winchester is______ city in ____ United Kingdom. I
live in ____ town called _____ Taunton which is on ______ River Tone. I live in ___
house in ______ quiet street in _____ countryside. ____ street is called “Hudson Street”
and _____ house is more than 100 years old! I am ___ English lecturer at _____ college
near _____center of _____town. I like _____ books, music and taking _____
photographs. I usually have _____ lunch at college. I usually go --___home____ by___
car. We have all kinds of food in _____ England. I like ______ Polish food very much.
Sometimes, I go to _____ Polish restaurant in Bath. ____ restaurant is called “Magda’s”.
_____ Polish food is delicious.

VI. Put in many, few, much or little.

The capital town of this island is very small and does not have 1 _____ important
buildings. The islanders do not have ______ 2 money, and they have ______ 3 contact
with the outside world. There is not ______ 4 chance of the place attracting tourists.
The roads aren’t very good. There are lots of bicycles but not ______ 5 cars. There are
______ 6 shops, and there is ______ 7 cultural life.

VII. Choose the correct form of the noun.

COOKERY CORNER
In today’s Cookery Corner I’d like to address a request from Mrs. Parkinson for ______
(1 – an information/information) about which ______ (2 chocolate/chocolates) to use
in cooking. Well, Mrs. Parkinson, my ______ (3 advice is/advices are) always to use the
best possible chocolate you can find. It is the same principle as with ______ (4
wines/wine): in cooking always use ______(5 an equivalent quality/equivalent quality)
to what you eat or drink. With ______ (6 a chocolate/chocolate), the reason for this is

50
that higher quality chocolate will always give your cakes and sweets ______ (7 better/a
better) taste. To judge the quality of chocolate, look at ______ (8 the amount of/the
number of) cocoa in the chocolate. Good quality chocolate has more cocoa solids and
______ (9 less sugar/fewer sugars). For the best taste choose chocolate with a high cocoa
______ (10 contents/content) – never ______ (11 fewer than/less than) 70 ______ (12 per
cent/per cents) if possible. It goes without saying that you should also use other ______
(13 ingredient/ingredients) of the highest quality, too. If, for example, you are using
______ (14 a coffee/coffee) in your chocolate recipe, always use ______(15 a
strong/strong) fresh coffee. If you are making ______ (16 a cake/cake), use the right kind
of ______ (17 – flours/flour), and always weigh the ingredients on your kitchen ______
(18 – scale/scales). Believe me, if you follow ______ (19 these/this) simple rules, the next
time you bake a chocolate cake, there won’t be a slice left over!

VIII. Read each sentence. If the sentence contains an incorrect plural form, rewrite it
using the correct plural form. If the sentence is correct, write C on the line.
1. Alicia’s father took photoes of the hurricane damage.
2. There were knifes all over the kitchen floor after the storm.
3. The children helped to pick up fallen branches in the yard.
4. Some familys had nowhere to live.
5. The local grocery store donated many boxes of food.
6. Everybody ate lots of potatos the week after the storm.
7. The roofs came off completely on several houses.
8. Lots of people became heros overnight.
9. They delivered loafs of bread and gallons of milk to hungry people.
10. Men and womans all over the town handed out ice and water.

VIX. Proofread this passage. Then rewrite the passage using the correct plural form.
Correct any mistakes in capitalization or punctuation.
since I live in florida, I have a lot of personal experience with hurricanes. This summer,
four hurricanes hit the state of florida my parents made sure we had plenty of canned
food water and diapers for the baby batterys were in short supply at the store, and all
the familys on my street rushed out to buy the few battery-powered radioes left on the
store shelfs we were safe and dry in our house we had three loafs of bread and lots of
peanut butter.
X. Circle the subjects and underline the verbs. Make an arrow from the verb to its
subject. If the sentence has a subject-verb agreement error, cross out the incorrect verb
and write the correct verb form above it.
The Columbia Icefield
The Rocky Mountains, on the border of the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia,
has many attractions for tourists. One attraction is the Columbia Icefield. This huge field
of ancient ice cover 125 square kilometers. The Athabasca, Stutfield and Dome glaciers
make up the ice field. As the ice melts, the water flow into four major river systems.
These systems is the Columbia, Fraser, Mackenzie and Saskatchewan. The melt water
flows down these rivers into three different oceans, the Pacific, Arctic and Atlantic. This
high point in a continent’s water system is called a “hydrological apex”, and the
Columbia Icefield is one of only two such apexes in the world. Tourists visit the icefield
from April to October each year. Walking tours and snow coach tours is available. Many

51
people go to the icefield because it is the biggest area of ice and snow in North America
south of the Arctic Circle.

XI. Same as above

The Beaver
The beaver, Canada’s national animal, have some unusual characteristics. One unusual
fact about beavers is their large size. The beaver is the largest rodent in North America,
weighing from 13 to 35 kg. It spend a lot of time in the water, so its feet is large and
webbed for swimming. The beaver’s tail which is wide and flat like a paddle also helps
it to swim. Thick underfur keep the beaver warm and dry, even in very cold water. In
fact, beavers have been known to stay under water in icy ponds for as long as fifteen
minutes. Beavers also has long teeth which grows all their lives. They use these powerful
teeth to cut down trees which they use for food and shelter. Another unusual fact about
the beaver is that it is one of the few animals that change its own environment. Beavers
create ponds by building dams with roots, sticks, mud and stones. Each family of beavers
build a lodge, or nest, in a riverbank or in the middle of a pond. They build an
underwater entrance to the lodge. Having the entrance underwater protects them from
their enemies. Beavers is also very social animals. They not only communicate with each
other by making sounds with their mouths but also by slapping their big flat tails on the
water. The beaver’s social life is complex and focus around the female. These very
special animals are found in every province in Canada.

52
TENSES

53
 UNIT 6: PRESENT SIMPLE
&
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
Read the text and do the activity that follows.

Jonathan's Last Day

Jonathan is a famous baker. He's hard-working and punctual. He always gets up

at three o'clock every night and bakes his products. Then he has his breakfast with
his wife and opens his bakery. He usually has his favorite pear marmalade in his
breakfast. He has many customers till afternoon. At noon, he has lunch in his house.
After lunch, he leaves the bakery to his son and sleeps about two hours. He returns
to the shop and chats with his favorite customers. He is the only baker in the town
for quite a long time, and now he has many friends who shop at his bakery. This is
the same routine for almost 25 years. Today his daily routine is not the same. This
is the last day in his bakery. He's going to retire tomorrow. He is going to be in
Hawaii with his wife next week. He has already booked his tickets. His son is going
to take care of the bakery. He normally wears white clothes but today he's wearing
a Hawaiian shirt. He always has siesta after lunch, but today he is having a cup of
espresso with his best friend. He’s had a wonderful working life. Now he is ready to
start a new life. He wants to see new places. There is a luxury liners company in
town, and they send a liner every Sunday to many different exotic places around
the world. Tonight, he’s starting his journey with his wife from the harbor. Tonight,
he’s starting his journey with his wife from the harbor. The luxury liner leaves the
harbor tonight.

Questions: True or False

Many people know Jonathan's Bakery.

Jonathan has breakfast before he bakes his products.
Today, he is wearing the same clothes just like everyday
At the moment he’s sleeping.
He’s leaving the town with his wife tonight.

Present Simple Uses

The simple present tense is Examples

used:
to talk about habits or He always gets up at 3 o’clock
routines This is the same routine for almost 25 years
To talk about general He has many customers till afternoon
truths There is a luxury liners company in town

54
 To talk about situations He is the only baker in the town for quite a
which are permanent long time
To talk about He wants to see new places
emotions/thoughts.
To express fixed The luxury liner leaves the harbor tonight.
arrangements presents or
future
To give instructions or You walk for two hundred meters, then
directions you turn left
To express future time, He'll give it to you when you come next
after some conjunctions Saturday
after, when, before, as
soon as, until
With adverbs of frequency He always gets up at three o'clock every
and time night and bakes his products
He usually has his favorite pear marmalade
in his breakfast they send a liner every
Sunday to many different exotic places
around the world

Present Simple Structure Affirmative statements

Test Yourself

(i) Complete the text with these verbs in the simple present

55
 shout bark cry talk Play argue havex2

My neighbors are very noisy. A young couple with a baby and a dog live upstairs They
aren't happy together, so they (1) ………. All the time. Their dog (2) ………._ when
they aren't at home, and their baby (3) ………. when they are An old couple lives
downstairs. They can't hear, so they always (4)……….the TV on very loud. They
(5)……….loudly because the TV is loud, and they (6) ……….about which shows to
watch, Some students live next door. They all (7)………._ musical instruments and they
aren't very good. Every night, they (8) ……….noisy parties and (9) ……….very loud.
I want a new apartment or some new neighbors!

(ii). Find and correct errors with the simple present

Bill is a mechanic. He know a lot about cars. He work at a garage. He fix cars and
talks to customers. They asks questions about their cars. Bill works from 8:00 a.m.
to6:00 p.m. every day. He haves a busy schedule, but he like his job very much.

Present Continuous Use

The simple present tense is Examples
used:
To describe activities and He normally wears white clothes but today
situations that are he's wearing a Hawaiian shirt
temporary
To talk about actions in 'What are you doing?' 'I'm taking a break
progress at the moment of
speaking
To describe situations that His son is going to take care of the bakery
are changing
To complain about You're always forgetting your keys!
annoying habits, with
always.
With time expressions: I'm still working for the same company.
always, still, currently
(usually after the auxiliary
verb)
at present, at the moment, Janice is living in Madrid at present
(right) now

Test Yourself

(i). Use the present simple or continuous of the verbs in the box,

gain goon learn offer organize perform remain study take

This year the International School for Languages has about 100 part-time students
who (1) ………….evening classes and a further 300 who (2) ....................full-time.
Many of them (3) ..................... a new language to improve their job prospects or to
prepare for university. The European languages (4) . .. ......... very popular but Chinese
56
and Japanese (5) ................. in popularity. The school (6) ................... an excellent
range of learning facilities and(7)................. social activities like excursions to local areas
of interest. Every year our students (8)..................... extremely well in their
examinations and many (9)................... to study at top universities in the country.
(ii). Same as above
The landscape (1)........... .(rise) from the lowlands in the east to the Himalayas in
the west. High plateaux and mountains (1).......(occupy) one third of the area. The
coastline on the Yellow Sea is flat at the mouths of China's two major rivers, the Yangtze
and the Huanghe. Unfortunately, rapid industrialization (3) ............. (destroy) much of
the plant and animal life in the country.
Most people (4) ................... (live) in rural regions. Rice production(5) ..............
(provide) enough food for the local population and surpluses are exported. However,
the economy (6) ......... (develop)rapidly and as a result, China (7)................ (open up)
to world markets. China (8).............. (export) many inexpensive processed goods,
including machinery and textiles, and income from foreign trade and tourism
(9)................ (increase).

State Verbs

Stative (or state) verbs describe states (things that don't change easily or quickly, for
example, what you believe, think or own) rather than actions (jump, talk or buy).
Because of their nature, stative or state verbs are usually used in the simple tense.

Note: Some stative verbs can be used in the simple and continuous tense, as the
examples below show:

Verb In Simple Tense In Continuous Tense

57
 Be Describing a fact: You are quiet = Behaving or acting a certain way:
it’s part of your personality You are being quiet today = not
normally quiet
Think To have an opinion: I think writing Planning or contemplating:
is fun I am thinking about tomorrow’s
dinner
Have To own: I have three cats. Part of an expression:
I am having a party/vacation/event/a
good time/etc.
taste To have a taste; describes an aspect The action of tasting:
of food: The coffee tastes bitter We were tasting while we cooked

Test Yourself

(i) Use the present simple or continuous of the verbs in brackets

1. We (be)………….. at the office right 6. I (see) ………….. Ben. We have a lot
now. of fun together.
2. I (see) ………….. that you are busy 7. Your cooking (taste) …………..
at the moment. great.
3. We (have) …………..a coffee. 8. We (have) ………….. three kids.
4. I (think) ………….. that's not true. 9. We (taste) ………….. the cakes now.
5. Joe (be) ………….. silly again. 10. I (think) ………….. about it at the
moment.

(ii)Same as above

Singer and song writer James Sharp (1)……………. a new hobby - golf. He (2)
................................ [have] lessons every day and spends so much time on the course
that his girlfriend, actress and model Sophie Clarke, (2) ....................... [think] of taking
up the sport as well so she can spend more time with him! What he (4).........................
[think] of the rumours that heard Sophie are planning to get married? 'Every day I (5)
.............................[see] things written about me that aren't true. One day they say we're
getting married and the next that I (6)........................ [see] another woman. I just try
to ignore all of it. James's new album came out last month and so far the critics have
been positive. The album (7) ................................ [include] a mixture of familiar and
new musical styles and (8) ................................ [contain] remixes of some old
favourites. James is pleased with the reviews but it's his fans that (9)
..........................[matter] most to him. However. if they (10).................... [hope] for
something that (11).......................[sound] like his last album, they may be disappointed.
So is James worried? Not at all. 1 need to grow as an artist and that (12)..................
[mean] taking risks. I hope that never changes. 'Somehow, we (13) ........................ [not
think) his fans will be disappointed.

58
 UNIT 7: PAST SIMPLE
&
PAST CONTINUOUS
Read the following passage and answer the questions.

Last night Mr. and Mrs. Rojas stayed home. It was cold and rainy and they didn't
want to go out in the bad weather. Mrs. Rojas made some popcorn and iced tea. At
8:00. Mr. and Mrs. Rojas went into the living room, sat on the sofa and began the
movie and ate and drank. At 8:15. Mr. and Mrs. Rojas realized they already watched
the movie last year and they didn't want to watch it again.
“Now what?" asked Mr. Rojas. “Let's play cards!" answered Mrs. Rojas. At 8:30 Mr. and
Mrs. Rojas started to play cards. They were playing for about 10 minutes when Mr.
Rojas looked out the window. The rain changed to snow and the trees were covered
in beautiful white snowflakes. “I'm happy we stayed home tonight. It looks beautiful
outside but this weather is very dangerous to drive in." said Mr. Rojas. “You're right,"
said Mrs. Rojas, “but I'm bored. Let's play some music and dance. "Mr. Rojas was
surprised. “Dance? But I really don't ...٠" “Oh come on!" Mrs. Rojas insisted. She put on
a romantic CD and they both started to dance. They were dancing for about 1 minute
when suddenly the music stopped and the lights went out. Mrs. Rojas laughed. “We're
just not very lucky tonight, are we?" she said. Mr. Rojas said, “Of course we're lucky!
We are together!" He kissed her and continued to dance with her, in the dark and
without music.

Questions
A
Why did Mr. and Mrs. Rojas stay home last night?
What did Mrs. Rojas make?
What were Mr. and Mrs. Rojas doing when it started to snow?
Why was Mr. Rojas happy they stayed home?
What were Mr. and Mrs. Rojas doing when the lights went out?

B
(i) List the simple past regular verbs in the opening reading. Write the base form of
each one next to the past form
Regular past tense verbs Base form

(ii) Do the same for irregular verbs

Irregular past tense verbs Base form

(iii) Compare the simple past forms to the past progressive ones

59
Grammar Note:

I. Past Simple Structure

a. Regular verbs
To form the affirmative, we usually add -ed to the infinitive form of the verb
If the verb ends in -e, we add -d: change ➔ changed; realize ➔ realized
If the verb ends in -y, we change y to i and add (-e)d: say➔ said; copy➔copied

To form the negative, we use didn’t and the infinitive form of the verb

Verb Affirmative Negative

change The rain changed to snow The rain didn’t change to snow
insist Mrs. Roja insisted on dancing Mrs. Roja didn’t insist on dancing
stop The music stopped The music didn’t stop
stay Mr. and Mrs. Rojas stayed home Mr. and Mrs. Rojas didn’t stay home
say Mrs. Raja said Mrs. Roja didn’t say

Note: the simple past form is the same for all persons.
I wanted/she wanted; I didn’t want/ she didn’t want

b. Irregular verbs
Many verbs are irregular in the past tense. An irregular verb does not use the -ed
ending.
It was cold and rainy, Mr. and Mrs. Rojas went into the living room, sat on the
sofa and began the movie and ate and drank.

VERBS WITH NO CHANGE FINAL d CHANGES TO t

bet—bet, hurt—hurt, cost—cost, let—let, bend—bent, send—sent, build—built,
cut—cut, put—put, fit—fit, quit—quit, spend—spent, lend—lent
hit—hit, shut—shut

MISCELLANEOUS CHANGES
be—was/were, go—went, do—did, hear—heard, begin – began, eat—ate,
have—had make—made, drink __drank, sit-- sat

Test Yourself

(i) Read the following facts about the history of rockets. Underline the verbs. Write R
for a regular verb. Write I for an irregular verb.
1. Goddard built and flew rockets from 4. The Americans sent up their first
1926 to 1939. satellite, Explorer 1, in 1958.
2. Germany used the first rockets in 5. Yuri Gagarin, a Russian, became the
World War II in 1944. first person in space in 1961.
3. The Russians launched their first 6. Alan Shepard, an American, went
satellite, Sputnik 1, in 1957. into space in 1961.

60
7. The United States put the first men 8. A spacecraft on Mars transmitted
on the moon in 1969. color photos to Earth in 2004.

II. Past simple and continuous Use

The past simple describes actions which are complete. We use the past simple for:

a past action or a sequence of past I woke up very early. Then I got dressed,
actions had breakfast and left the house
a state, event or action that lasted for a The Smiths owned a farm in the north of
period of time in the past the country. It rained for several days
and nights. The students waited for two
months to get their exam results.
a habit or repeated action in the past When we were children, we often went
to the cinema. Some days she would
work 12 hours. She used to be a teacher
Time expressions like ago, last, yesterday This place still looks the same as it did a
long time ago I went to the beach
yesterday
The weather was very hot last year

The past continuous describes states, events or actions which are temporary or
incomplete. We use the past continuous:

to emphasize that a past event continued It was raining all night

for some time
to describe an action in progress at a We were watching TV at nine o'clock
particular time in the past, or a last night
temporary past situation or event
to describe two or more past actions He was cooking dinner while she was
happening at the same time talking to him
To express an action that was in progress They were dancing for about 1 minute
(= not finished) at a time in the past when suddenly the music stopped and
the lights went out
to set the scene in a story We set off early. Before long the sun
was rising above the distant hills and the
birds were singing their morning chorus
to talk about something we were We were planning to move to Canada
planning or expected to happen but decided to stay here instead

Note: Sometimes we can use either the past simple or the past continuous, depending
on what we want to emphasize.
Compare: I lived there for five years. (I don't live there now.)
I was living there for five years. (This emphasizes that my residence there
was temporary/ the period of time I lived there.)
Test Yourself

(i) Complete with the simple past forms of the verbs in brackets.

61
Seurat was a French painter. He(a) ………. (live) in Paris, France. He (b) ……….
(study)art there. He (c) ………. (not travel) a lot during his life. He (d) ………. (start)to
draw in black and white. Then he (e) ………. (learn) about science and colors. He (f)
………. (use) dots of color in his paintings. He (g) ………. (not mix) the colors. Some
people (h) ………. (not like) his paintings because they were different. Seurat (i)……….
(not live) for very long. He (j) ………. (die) when he was 31.

(ii) Same as above

Sometimes I hate computers! Once, when I 1 (try) to do my English homework on my
laptop, the battery 2 (run out). I 3 (lie) on my bed and I was listening to music on
Spotify. It helps me to concentrate. I 4 also (chat) to my friend Daniel on Facebook.
OK, so I 5 (not concentrate) very hard on my homework and I 6 (forget) to plug in my
laptop! I didn’t notice that the battery was getting low. I was just finishing the essay
when the screen 7 (go) black. I 8 (lose) everything. I 9 (scream) in frustration. My dad
10 (come) running into my bedroom. I 11 almost (cry) so he 12 (give) me his laptop. I
13 (try) to remember everything in my essay – it 14 (be) quite difficult especially because
Daniel was sending me lots of funny videos. Anyway, while I was watching one, the
WiFi stopped working. In the end it was probably better because I 15 (manage) to finish
the essay.

(iii) Circle the correct answer

It (1) happened/ was happel1ing in June 1985. It was summer and we (2) relaxed /were
relaxing in the garden. My mother (3) read / was reading a book and my uncle (4)
dozed / was dozing peacefully in the sun. We children (5) looked / were looking for
worms and insects. And then he (6) arrived / was arriving. He was a handsome man
with piercing eyes and he (7) looked / was looking straight at my mother. Her face (8)
went / was going pale. 'Arthur, I (9) thought / was thinking you were dead!' she said.
Jussi and I (10) met / were meeting while we (111) lived / were living in London. I (21)
rented / was renting a room in a house in North London and he (13) stayed / was staying
with friends who'd offered to put him up. We both (14) had / were having temporary
jobs - at one time he (15) waited / was waiting on tables in a cafe and I (16) washed /
was washing dishes in a small restaurant. Anyway, we (17) got on / were getting on
really well and before long we (18) planned / were planning to go on a long holiday
together. That (19) was / was being before the accident. I (20) sat / was sitting in my
taxi reading the morning newspaper when the alarm in the bank across the street (21)
went off / was going off. I (22) looked / was looking up and (23) saw / was seeing two
masked men running towards me. There was confusion everywhere. Police cars (24)
raced / were racing towards the bank while pedestrians (25) ran / were running away
from it. I (26) turned / was turning the key in the ignition when the masked men (27)
forced / were forcing their way into my taxi and (28) told / were telling me to drive
off. It was the scariest thing that had ever happened to me.

(iv) Complete the extract from a story. Use the past simple or continuous of the verbs
in brackets.

Sometimes both tenses are possible. As I (1) ................... ... (go) to sleep, l (2).................
(tell) myself that I would avoid the man who was sharing the room. I (3)..................
(sleep) deeply when I was suddenly woken by a loud noise. To judge from the sound.

62
my companion must have jumped down from the upper berth to the floor in a single
movement. I (4) ........................ (hear) him trying to open the door; it
(5)......................... (open), and then I (6)........................... . (hear) him running at full
speed down the passage, leaving the door open behind him. The ship (7)
.................................. (roll) a little and I (8) ............................. (expect) to hear him
fall but he (9) ............................. (run) as though for his life. The door (10) .... ..............
(swing) open and shut with the movement of the ship and the sound (11) ..
........................... (annoy) me. 1 (12 ) ......................... (get up) and (13)
..................................... (close) it and (14).. ........... ........... (find) my way back to my
berth in the darkness. I (15) ...................... (go) to sleep again but I have no idea how
long I slept.

63
 UNIT 8: PRESENT PERFECT
Read the passage and do the following:
a. underline the present perfects forms
b. describe how the present perfect is formed

An Amazing Trip
Pam has just arrived home after a long vacation. She has invited her friend,
Nancy, over for coffee. She is telling her all about the vacation. "I have been to the
most beautiful island," Pam explains as she heats up the coffee. "It was incredible!" "That
is wonderful," Nancy says. "Have you enjoyed the trip, then? I hope it was relaxing."
She takes the cup of coffee from Pam and puts it on the kitchen counter. "I cannot stop
thinking about it! I have done so many amazing things!" Pam replies. She gives Nancy a
spoon. "Wow, the trip has really put you in a good mood!" Nancy says, mixing her
coffee with the spoon. "Tell me more about it. "Well, for one thing, I have learned to
scuba dive!" Pam announces. Nancy drops her spoon in surprise. "Really? But you have
always been afraid to swim!" "I guess I have stopped being afraid," Pam replies,
laughing. "That is great," Nancy says. "Well, what else have you learned?" "Oh, that is
all," Pam answers. "But I have become interested in dancing, and I have made lots of
friends!" "Dancing? You have never danced before!" Nancy thinks maybe her ears are
not working correctly. "This trip has made some big changes in your life!" "Yes, it has
been a great experience," Pam answers. "I am really happy for you," Nancy says. "So,
now that you have had your amazing vacation, will you go back to work on Monday?"
"Oh, no!" Pam replies. "I have had lots of fun, but I am tired! I have taken some more
days off from work. I need a vacation from my vacation!"’

Working on Yes/No Questions with Irregular Past Participles

c. Complete these questions with the past participles of the verbs in the box. Then
answer the questions.

be eat find fly meet ride

Have you ever (1) (be) been on television?

No. I haven’t.
2. ____________________________________ a horse? ______________
3. ____________________________________ Indian food? ________
4. ______________a famous person? __________
5. ___________in a helicopter?______________
6. ___________money in the street? ______________

d. Asking Information Questions

Use the words and phrases to write information questions in the present perfect.
1. How long / you / be / out of college?
How Iong have you been out of college?
2. Where / you / travel to?
_________________________________________________________________________

64
3. How many people / she / invite?
___________________________________________________________________________
4. Who / be / to China?
___________________________________________________________________________
5. Why / you / choose / that book?
___________________________________________________________________________
6. How long / Larry / live / there?
___________________________________________________________________________
7. What / you / prepare / for lunch?
___________________________________________________________________________
8. How much money / you / spend / this week?
___________________________________________________________________________

e. Understanding the Present Perfect: Choose the best answer to complete each
sentence.
1. She’s been a teacher all her life,
a. and she loved her job. b. and she loves her job
2. I’ve traveled in Europe a lot, and in 2001
a. I’ve gone to Africa. b. I went to Africa
3. I’ve had that car for five years,
a. and it never breaks down b. and I sold it
4. We haven’t eaten at the Creek restaurant yet,
a. so we tried it last night b.so we want to try it soon
5. We haven’t solved the problem yet,
a. so we gave up b. but we aren’t giving up
6. Pedro is one of my best friends;
a. I’ve known him for a long time b. I knew him for a long time

Grammar Note
The present perfect is a form of the verb that shows the action was completed before
the present, and has some effect on the present.

I. Present Perfect Uses

The present perfect is used:

for states or for single or repeated Have you enjoyed the trip, then? I hope
actions that happened at an unspecified it was relaxing
time in the past. The exact time is not She has invited her friend, Nancy, over
important for coffee.
With expressions of frequency: often, You have never danced before
once/twice/several times, the first/second Pam has visited several places
time, ever, never

65
 recently completed single actions, when I've broken my leg. (Result: I can't walk.)
the result of the action is important in
the present
With just, already (= sooner than Pam has just arrived home after a long
expected) and yet (= up to now) for vacation.
emphasis Pam has already come back from
vacation.
She has not resumed her work yet
Recently (= a short time ago) Has Nancy talked to Pam recently?
with for and since to talk about states, We've known each other for years/ since
events or actions that began in the past 1997. (Not We know each other for
and continue up to now. We use for + a years.)
period of time and since + a point in
time: for a month/three years/ages since
2oo4/yesterday/l was four.
To talk about an unfinished time period, Have you been busy this morning? (It's
with expressions such as today, this still morning.)
morning/week

Test Yourself

(i) Use either for or since with these time expressions and time clauses
For three days . 3 o’clock . a long time . a moment .
last month . a month . he was a boy . 1988

Contrasting the Present Perfect and The Simple Past

(ii) Complete this conversation with the present perfect or simple past forms of the
verbs in parentheses.
A: Why do you want to work here?
B: Well, I ________(love) children all my life. I (want) to work with kids since
(leave) high school.
A: Your resume says that you________(work) in the childcare center at the university
from 1999 to 2001. Can you tell me about that?
B: Yes. It______(be) a part-time job. We____(play) with the children and
(give) them lunch. I ________ (work) with a Head Teacher.
A: Tell me about the jobs you (have) since then (you/ever have) full
responsibility for children in your care?
B: Yes. For the last year I (look after) one-year-old twins.

Using Adverbs with the Present Perfect

(iii) Use the words below to rewrite each sentence in two ways. Do not change the
meaning of the sentence. More than one answer may be possible.

already never still so far yet

1. I haven’t seen a volcano in my whole life,

66
a. I’ve never seen a volcano. b. I haven’t seen a volcano yet.
2. Up to now, we’ve raised $5,700.
a………………………………………. b………………………………………
3. He hasn’t been to Europe.
a. ……………………………………… b. ………………………………………
4. They’ve interviewed five people.
a. ……………………………………… b. ………………………………………

(iv) Find and correct the nine errors in these paragraphs.

My wife and I have travel as much as possible since we retired. We’ve

visited cousins in Australia, and we been to New Zealand twice. We’ve also
went on safari in Africa. We’ve been to Europe a lot. Gina and I has spent time
in Paris, in Madrid, and in several cities in Italy. We haven’t to Eastern Europe
yet, though. We hope to visit Prague and Budapest next year.

My sister Betty was born in the United States, and she has never traveled outside the
country-except once when she was very young. But she have been to a lot of places in
the U.S. She has visit most of the national parks: The Grand Canyon, Yellowstone,
Yosemite, and so on. She has been to all of the big cities, too. In fact, she is lived in four
different cities in the U.S.: New York, Boston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. I think
she seen more of her own country than most people.

(v) Use the present perfect or past simple of the verbs in the box.

Be catch (x2) collect not see phone drop study introduce suggest
keep

Carrie and I (1) .................... together at university for three / years. We (2)
....................... in touch but I (3) .................. her for ages. To my surprise, she
(4).................... me last week and (5).................... we meet for lunch today. I
(6)................... the bus to town this morning but although I (7)................... here for
over an hour, there's no sign of her. I hope she's all right. We're here this morning in
Marylebone Road in London, where traffic police (8) .................... these cameras a year
ago to catch drivers who break the law. Since then, the police (9)................... thousands
of motorists on camera and (10) ........................... many thousands of pounds in fines.
Officials claim that traffic congestion (11).................... by almost 20% since the cameras
were installed.

(vi) Complete the email. Use the present perfect or past simple of the verbs in
brackets.
Dear Javier,
I’m sorry(!) I..... (not be) in touch recently but I (2)................ (be) really busy. I
(3) ............................ (go) to my third job interview this morning but unfortunately,
no one (4).................. (offer) me a job yet. I (5) ............................ (look) everywhere
and I (6) ............................ (fill in) dozens of application forms. Still, I'm not
discouraged. Some things take time. In fact, I'm really enjoying myself here. I (7)

67
............................ (already / see) Cats and I (8) ............................ (just / buy) tickets
for the next Madonna concert - I (9) ............................ (stand) in line for an hour this
afternoon but it was worth it. Also, I like the family I'm staying with- they (10)
............................ (give) me lots of advice about finding work and last night they even
(11) ....... . ......... ........... (take) me out for a meal. We talk all the time and as a result,
my English (12) ............................(already / improve) a lot. Anyway, someone (13)
.................. (just /come) to the door. I hope it's the pizza I (14) ............. (order)an hour
ago. I'll write more often in future - I promise.
Farida

(vii) Present Perfect Simple and Continuous

A

B. compare these examples

a. My hands are very dirty. e. My bike is OK again now. I’ve

I’ve been repairing my bike. repaired it.
b. Joe has been eating too much f. Somebody has eaten all the chocolates.
recently. He should eat less. The box is empty.
c. It’s nice to see you again. What have g. Where’s the book I gave you? What
you been doing since we last met? have you done with it?
d. Where have you been? Have you h. Have you ever played tennis?
been playing tennis?

C. Uses

Present Perfect Simple Present Perfect Continuous

We use the present perfect simple: We use the present perfect continuous:

68
 to describe an activity that is complete: I' to describe an activity that is incomplete:
ve painted my bedroom. (I've finished I’ve been painting my bedroom. (I
it.) haven't finished it yet.)
to emphasize the result or consequence to focus on an activity, not the result or
of a completed action: I’ve already the consequence of that activity: ‘You
painted my bedroom. (I don’t want to look messy. What have you been doing?’
paint it again) ‘I’ve been painting my bedroom
to describe a permanent state: She's lived to describe a temporary state or activity:
here for six years. (This is her home She’s been living here for six months.
now.) (But she intends to move.)

Some verbs (for example, know/like/believe) are not normally used in the continuous:
I’ve known about the problem for a long time. (not I’ve been knowing)
How long have you had that camera? (not have you been having).
But note that you can use want and mean in the present perfect continuous:
I’ve been meaning to phone Jane, but I keep forgetting.

Test Yourself

(i) Read the situation and complete the sentences. Use the verbs in brackets.
1 Tom started reading a book two hours ago. He is still reading it and now he is on
page 53. He has been reading for two hours. (read) He ……….. 53 pages so far.
2 Rachel is from Australia. She …………. round Europe at the moment. She began her
trip three months ago. She ……………………for three months. (travel)
…………………………six countries so far. (visit)
3 Patrick is a tennis player. He ……….(begin/play) tennis when he was ten years old.
This year he won the national championship again – for the fourth time. He (win)
………………………the national championship four times. (play)
………………………since he was ten.
4 When they left college, Lisa and Sue started making films together. They still
(make)…….. films. They…………………… films since they left college.

(ii). For each situation, ask a question using the words in brackets.
You have a friend who is learning Arabic. You ask: (how long / learn / Arabic?)
How long have you been learning Arabic?
You have just arrived to meet a friend. She is waiting for you. You ask: (wait / long?)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
You see somebody fishing by the river. You ask: (catch / any
fish?)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Some friends of yours are having a party next week. You ask: (how many people /
invite?)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
A friend of yours is a teacher. You ask: (how long / teach?)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
You meet somebody who is a writer. You ask: (how many books / write?) (how long
/ write / books?)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..

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A friend of yours is saving money to go on a world trip. You ask: (how long / save?)
(how much money / save?)
……………………………………………………………………………………………

(iii). Put the verb into the more suitable form, present perfect simple (I have done) or
continuous (I have been doing).

1. Where have you been? Have you been playing (you / play) tennis? Look!
(somebody / break) that window.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
2. You look tired. (you / work) hard?
…………………………………………………………………………………………
3. “ (you / ever / work) in a factory?’ ‘No, never.’
…………………………………………………………………………………………
4. ‘Liz is away on holiday.’ ‘Is she? Where (she / go)?’
…………………………………………………………………………………………
5. My brother is an actor. (he / appear) in several films
.…………………………………………………………………………………………
6. ‘Sorry I’m late.’ ‘That’s all right. (I / not / wait) long.’
…………………………………………………………………………………………
7. ‘Is it still raining?’ ‘No, (it / stop).’
…………………………………………………………………………………………
8. (I / lose) my phone. (you / see) it anywhere?
………………………………………………………………………………………
9. (I / read) the book you lent me, but (I / not / finish) it yet. It’s very interesting.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
10. (I / read) the book you lent me, so you can have it back now.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
11. This is a very old book. (I / have) it since I was a child.
………………………………………………………………………………………..

(vi). Complete the article. Use the present perfect simple or continuous of the verbs in
the box

avoid do eat invite lose make order pay off set stick watch

They (1) ............... the date, picked the dress and are making the final
preparations for the big day. Lyndsey Young (2) .... ....... also......................sure she will
look her best when she marries Ben O'Neill later this week. For the past five months,
she (3)........................ to an exercise programme in which she (4)...................... forty
or fifty minutes of exercise a day. She (5) ................ also ................... her diet. She (6)
........................................... high-calorie foods and (7) ....................... lots of fruit and
vegetables instead. Thanks to all of her hard work, she (8)....... ............. nearly ten kilos.
Lyndsey's efforts (9)................ ... and she looks fabulous. The couple
(10)........................... huge amounts of food and beverages for the wedding, which will
take place at a secret location, but sources say that Lyndsey and Ben
(11)............................ .... only family and close friends to the wedding. The stage is set
for what will surely be the wedding of the year.

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(v). Circle the correct answer.
The Tower of London (1) survived / has survived centuries of warfare but it could
vanish from sight in the twenty-first century, experts (2) warned / have warned
yesterday. The ancient fortress, which (3) dominates / has dominated the city skyline
for almost a thousand years, could be placed on a United Nations list of endangered
landmarks because developers (4) put up / are putting up new buildings in the area and
a number of high-rise buildings (5) ruin / are ruining views of the famous World Heritage
site, according to the UN's cultural body UNESCO. British officials have until the end of
the month to show UNESCO that they can save the Tower. If not, the Tower could be
put on UNESCO's World Heritage in Danger list. UNESCO inspectors (6) visited / have
visited London last year after they received a damning report that the City of London
(7) doesn't appear I isn't appearing to do enough to protect the setting of some of
Britain's important sites. Other buildings under threat (8) include/ are including
Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament.

(vi). Complete the article. Use the present simple, present continuous, present perfect
simple or present perfect continuous of the verbs in brackets.

According to research, the demand for alternative medicine (1)........................

(rise) recently and approximately 20 per cent of the UK's population regularly (2)
......................... (turn) to alternative treatments when they (3).............. ...... (be) ill.
Consequently, more and more British doctors(4) ......................... (offer/their patients
choices of treatment these days and many of them (5) .........................
(usually/combine) alternative treatments with conventional medicine. Although
alternative medicine (6) ......................... (become) increasingly popular. doctors (7)
............. (disagree) about whether or not the treatments are effective. Of course,
people(8) ......................... (use) alternative medicine for hundreds of years but many
practitioners of conventional medicine (9) .........................(claim) that so far they (10)
......................... (not see) any convincing proof that alternative treatments are safe or
effective. Today, the most widely practiced alternative treatments are acupuncture,
aromatherapy, massage and herbal medicine but other forms of treatment (11) ........
............. (also/gain) in popularity. What about you? (12) ......................(you/ever / try)
an alternative treatment? If so, was it successful? Send us your views and experiences

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 UNIT 9: PAST PERFECT
Daring. Defiant. Free.
A new generation of super climbers is pushing the limits in Yosemite. Every rock climber
who has come to Yosemite has a dream. Alex Honnold’s dream was to free solo Half
Dome, a 2130-foot (649-meter) wall of granite. Free soloing means climbing with only
rock shoes and some chalk to help keep the hands dry. Honnold couldn’t use a rope or
anything else to help him stick to the slippery stone. The few people who had climbed
Half Dome before had used ropes, and it had taken them more than a day to do the
climb. On a bright September morning, Honnold was clinging to the face of Half Dome,
less than 100 feet (30 meters) from the top. He had been climbing for two hours and
forty-five minutes, but all of a sudden he stopped. Something potentially disastrous had
occurred—he had lost some of his confidence. He hadn’t felt that way two days before
when he’d been racing up the same rock with a rope. That climb had gone well. Today
though, Honnold hesitated. He knew that even the slightest doubt could cause a deadly
fall, thousands of feet to the valley floor below. He knew he had to get moving, so he
chalked his hands, adjusted his feet, and started climbing again. Within minutes, he was
at the top. Bloggers spread the news of Honnold’s two-hour-and-fifty-minute free solo,
and climbers were amazed. On this warm fall day, 23-year-old Alex Honnold had just
set a new record in one of climbing’s biggest challenges.

Reread the passage below and decide whether the sentences with had + past participle
happen first or second? Write 1 above the actions or situation that happened first, and
2 above the one that happened second.
Honnold climbed Half Dome without a rope. Others had climbed it with rope.
He had been confident until he got near the top. This time was different from the last
time. The last time he had used a rope. He climbed the fastest. Nobody had ever climbed
so quickly

I. Past perfect structure

Subject + Had ( Not ) + Past Participle

Affirmative Lisa had finished her assignment by the due date.
Negative Tim hadn’t revised his essay before class.

The past perfect is used to show that

one action or event happened before
another past action, event, or time.
We had finished dinner, so we ordered
dessert
Use the past perfect for the action or
event that happened first. Use the
simple past for the one that
happened second.
The past perfect is not necessary She had left home before he arrived. She left
when the context is clear. Words like home before he arrived

72
 before and after make the order of
events clear.
Already, always, ever, just, and never Had you ever noticed that sign before?
usually go before the past participle. She had never eaten a kiwi until her trip.
By + a time or by the time + subject By 5:00 p.m., it had rained two inches.
+ simple past are often used with the By the time we finished dinner, the rain had
past perfect. stopped.
By means before or not later than.

Test Yourself

(i). Complete the conversation with the words in parentheses. Use the simple past or
past perfect. In some sentences both forms are correct.
Deb: So tell me, why (1) did you take (you / take) the train from Moscow to Beijing?
Joe: Because it was my dream to ride the Trans-Siberian Railway. It was something (2)
I’d always wanted (I / always / want) to do.
Deb: How long (3) …………… (the trip / take)?
Joe: Seven days. By the time the train arrived at Beijing’s main train station, (4)………….
(I / travel) 4735 miles.
Deb: (5) (you / ever / be)……………. on such a long ride?
Joe: No, never. The longest train ride (6)………… (I / ever / take) was only six hours
long.
Deb: What (7)……………. (you / do) during those seven days? Did you ever get bored?
Joe: No, not at all. It was fun on the train, and I had many conversations. By the time
the journey was over, (8) ……………. (I / make) many new friends. In fact, one of them
(9)……………. (go) to my high school. (10)……….. (I / never / meet) her before!

(ii). Complete the first part of an article. Use the past simple or past perfect simple of
the verbs in brackets.
Pirate of the Caribbean Black Sam Bellamy was an original pirate of the
Caribbean. In 1984 Black Sam's ship, the Whydah, (1) ............ (become) the first pirate
ship ever recovered from the sea. According to experts, Sam was probably a democratic
leader because divers (2) ............... (find) gold ornaments on the ship which were cut
into pieces so they could be shared with the crew. Black Sam (3) ......................... (leave)
England and (4).............. (sail) to America in the early 1700s. We don't know much
about the life he (5) .... .... ......... (leave) behind. We do know that he was dark and
handsome and that he (6) ......... ... (wear) his long black hair tied in a pony tail. By
1715 Black Sam (7)............ (already / meet) his lover, Maria Hallett, in Cape Cod,
Massachusetts. While living in Cape Cod, Black Sam (8)............ .... (hear) of a fleet of
Spanish treasure ships which (9)............... (sink) in the Caribbean earlier that year.
He(10) ......................... (decide) to look for the sunken treasure but he(11) ................
(need) a ship to do so. He (I2) ................. (persuade) a friend, Palgrave Williams, to
buy him one. Black Sam (12)............ (go) looking for the lost treasure but when he
(13).... .. .. .. (not find) it, he(14)......... (turn) to piracy.

II. Past Perfect Progressive Structure

Subject + Had ( Not ) + Been + Verb + -ing

73
 Affirmative Affirmative Nick had been skiing for years when he first skied the Alps
Negative We hadn’t been climbing since 2008.

Use the past perfect progressive a. She had been climbing for half an
a. when an action or event was hour when she suddenly got a pain in
happening for a period of time until (or her leg.
just before) another action, event, or b. We’d been trying to win the contest
time for five years
b. to talk about how long something
happened
2. Be careful! Use the past perfect to talk We’d tried to win the contest five times
about how many times something
happened.

Test Yourself

(i). Use the right form of the verb to complete the story

By 1717 Black Sam and his crew (1) .......... (capture) over fifty ships but none was
as large or as rich as the slave ship, the whydab. In April of 1717 the Whydab (2)
......................... Gust I sell) a cargo of slaves and was returning to London when Black
Sam (3) ......................... (begin) to chase her. By the time he (4) .........................
(capture) her, he (5) ......................... (chase) her for three days. At last Black Sam (6)
......................... (find) the wealth he (7) .......................(look) for and he (8) ...............
..... ... (decide) to sail back to Cape Cod. But the Whydah (9) .............. .......... (sail)
into a storm and strong winds(10) ......................... (drive) her towards land. The ship
(11) ................. .......(strike) rocks a hundred yards from the shores of Cape Cod and
(I2) ......................... (sink). Two men (13) ................ ......... (swim) to shore but Black
Sam wasn't one of them. According to legend, Black Sam (14) ............... (travel) home
to meet Maria Hallett. Some people believe he (15) ............... (decide) to propose
marriage. They also say Maria (16) ......................... (wait) for his return and was
watching from the cliffs of Cape Cod when the Whydab (17) ....................... (go) down.
Was Maria saddened to lose her lover - or was she glad to be rid of such a dangerous
man? No one knows.

(ii). Complete the text with the correct tense of the verbs in brackets. Use the present
simple, present continuous, past simple, past continuous, present perfect or present
perfect continuous.

My brother, Sam, (1) ......... (go) to a gallery last week to see an exhibition by a
new artist. While Sam (2) .......... (look) at one of the paintings, a man (3) ....... (appear)
next to him. The man asked, ‘(4) ...... you ........... (enjoy) the exhibition?’ Sam said, ‘It’s
very good, but I (5) ...... (not understand) this painting.’ ‘Really? That’s interesting,’ the
man replied. Sam said, ‘I (6) ......... (stare) at it for a long time, but I (7) ...... (not decide)
if I like it yet. The subject is interesting, but the style and colors are a bit simple. What
do you think? (8)........... you ever…….... (see) this artist before?’ ‘Yes,’ he replied, ‘I am
the artist.’ Sam (9) ........ (blush) but the man said, ‘Don’t worry. I like talking about my
paintings and I (10).......... (prefer) people to be honest.’

74
 Unit 10: FUTURE FORMS
I. Future Simple

Read the message and find examples of tenses used for the future in the text and
match them with the names and functions below

Hi Laura,
I’m just writing to tell you that I’m going away tomorrow on a school trip to Wales.
I’m very excited about it! We leave at 7.30 a.m. and we come back on Wednesday at
10.30 p.m. We’re going to be camping at a big outdoor activity centre, in big tents. I’m
sharing a tent with Ella, Mel, Samira, Lucy and Amy, and they all love to talk! We’ll be
talking every night until four or five, I’m sure! I don’t think anyone will get much sleep!
At the activity centre there are lots of things you can do and I’m going to try surfing. I
think it will be lots of fun! By the time I next see you, I’ll have learned how to surf, I
hope, so we can go surfing together next summer!
Love, Beth

FUNCTIONS FUTURE TENSE

present simple for a future event that is
scheduled as part of a timetable
present continuous + a future time
reference for an arrangement or a definite
plan
going to for a future intention
will + infinitive for a prediction based on
the writer’s opinion
future continuous for an action in
progress at a future point in time
future perfect for something that will be
finished by a future point in time

II. Fill the gaps to complete the rules. You need to use some words twice.

When we talk about future predictions in general, we use_________________(1), but,

when we base our prediction on present evidence, we use_______________(2). When
we have made an arrangement (for example, organized to meet someone at a certain
time), we use _________________(3), but, when something is happening that is not our
decision (for example, train times or the time a film starts at the cinema), we
use________________(4). When we just have a general plan or we have already decided
to do something in the future, we use ______________________(5). When we make a
spontaneous decision to do something (meaning we make the decision at the time we
are speaking), we use ___________________(6).

75
III. Future Simple Structure and Use

Will For statements of fact or I think it will be lots of fun

general predictions about
the future
For decisions we make at 'Would you like to come with us to
the time of speaking the theatre tonight?'
'All right. I'll join you.'
Offers, promises and I'll do that for you. Will you help me,
requests please?
With verbs like believe, I think it will be lots of fun.
doubt, expect, hope, They probably won't come by taxi
suppose and think, and
adverbs like perhaps,
probably and definitely
Shall With l or we in offers and Shall we go out?
suggestions
Be going For things we expect to We’re going to be camping at a big
to happen based on present outdoor activity centre, in big tents.
evidence. At the activity centre there are lots of
For intentions, when we things you can do and I’m going to
have already decided to do try surfing.
something
Present For future events we have I’m just writing to tell you that I’m
continuous planned and arranged. The going away tomorrow on a school
time reference must be trip to Wales.
stated or clear from the
context
Simple To talk about timetables We leave at 7.30 a.m. and we come
Present and schedules back on Wednesday at 10.30 p.m.
To refer to the future in By the time I next see you, I’ll have
clauses of time and learned how to surf.
condition after if, unless,
when, after, before, as soon
as, until and by the time

Test Yourself

(I). Complete the conversation. Use will or be going to and the verbs in brackets.
A: Have you decided what you (1) .... ...... (do) this weekend?

76
B: Well, Mark phoned last night and he (2)....................... (visit) us at the weekend.
A: Really? I'd like to see him. I think I (3) .................. (phone) him tonight and
arrange something.
B: Why not? We're planning to spend the day at the beach on Saturday. I hope the
weather (4) ............ ... ........ ...... ... (be) warm enough. The weather forecast says it
(5) ...... ......... ... ... .... (be) a nice weekend - apparently, there's warm weather
coming in from Europe later on this week. And then on Saturday night we (6)
................................ (see) a film.
A: Well, I've got nothing planned so I (7) ........................... (Join) you on Saturday
morning if that's OK.
B: Sure. I (8) ...... ....................... (pick) you up from your flat after breakfast.
A: Great! And what about the film? What time (9) .... .... ... ........ .. (you / see) that?
B: We (10) ........................ ........ (see) the early show at six and after that we (11)
.................. ...... ........ (probably / go) somewhere for a meal.
A: Sounds good. I (12) ...... ........ ..... ......... .... (see) you on Saturday!

(II). Complete the conversations. Use the present continuous or be going to and the
verbs in brackets. Use the present continuous wherever possible.

A: I (1) ..……………. (ring) SuIi. Would you Iike me to teII her anything.
B: Tell her I've spoken to Ned and I (2) .....................(meet) him for lunch tomorrow.
A: Where (3) ... ........... ......... (you / go)?
B: Home. (4) .........................(you / come) with me?
A: Shall we go to the cinema tonight?
B: I (5) ................... ... (take) Alice out for dinner. I've booked a table at a nice restaurant
and I (6) .......... ... ... ...... ..... (ask) her to marry me.
A: That child on the bicycle isn't looking where he's going. Oh, dear! He (7) ..........
.......... (crash) into the wall if he's not careful!
B: You're right. Look! He's hurt himself. He (8) .......................... (need) stitches for that
cut on his leg.
A: Could you help me decorate the living room this afternoon?
B: Sorry, I can't. I (9) ......................... (play) tennis with Tom. We've already booked
the court.
A: I hope you're playing indoors. It's nice now but they say it (10) ...................(rain)
later today.

(III). Complete the e-mail. Use the present simple or continuous of the verbs in Brackets.
9.00 am: Leave Brighton; 7-30 pm: a. Phantom of the Opera. b.
6:00 pm: Supper; Leave Victoria Station;
10.30 am: Madame Tussaud's and 12.00 pm Lunch;
guided tour; 12.00 am; Arrive Brighton;
1.00.p.m.: Free

The coach (1) ................ (leave) Brighton at nine and we (2) ........................(arrive) at
Madame Tussaud's at ten thirty. When we get there, we (3)............. (go) on a guided
tour - it's all been arranged for us. After that we (4) ..................... (have) lunch
somewhere nearby and in the afternoon, we can do what we like- some of us (5)
.....................(go) shopping. If you (6)........... (not want) to do that, there'll be lots of

77
other things we can do in London. We (7) .... .... ..... ... (meet) up in the evening for
something to eat and then we (8) ............................ (take) the Underground to
Piccadilly Station. We can walk from there to the theatre. Phantom of the Opera (9)
.................... (start) at seven thirty and (10) ............. (finish) at ten. At ten thirty the
coach (11) .......... .... (leave) Victoria Station for Brighton.

II. Future Continuous

Read the passage and do the activity below

Brad likes to fish. He fishes whenever he can. This weekend, he will be

fishing at the lake. It is his favorite place to fish. Mark is Brad's friend. Mark likes to fish
too. He also fishes whenever he can. This weekend he will be fishing at the lake with
Brad. They will be camping at the lake all weekend. Mark will be picking up Brad at 8
o'clock Friday night. Brad will be ready when Mark arrives. They will be driving all night
before they get to the lake. They are excited about the weekend. Brad and Mark both
love to fish. They love to fish together. They will be fishing together for many years!

Find signal words for the future continuous. Underline instances of future simple and
determine their functions.

III. Future continuous Structure

Affirmative Subject + will + be + verb + in

Interrogative Will +subject + be + verb + ing

Uses

for an activity that will be in progress This weekend, Brad will be

at a point in time or for a period of fishing at the lake.
time in the future
for intentions or events that are fixed Mark will be picking up Brad at 8
or expected to happen o'clock Friday night.
to talk about a future activity without They will be fishing together for many
expressing deliberate intention years!

78
IV. Future Perfect

Two students, Dan and Ryan, have decide to go out dancing on a Friday night.
They have done so much work during the past couple of weeks! They are in the final
week of the semester. But, by Friday, they will have finished all their final projects!
They really want to celebrate. So, they will go out dancing and try to meet some fun
people. "After a few minutes listening to the music and looking at all the other people,
we will have forgotten about all this hard work," Dan says, closing his notebook and
putting down his pencil. "For sure," Ryan agrees. "We will have left all that stress
behind!" "Will we have made some new friends by the time we go home?" Dan asks. "I
feel like I have not done anything fun in weeks!" "It is true that we really only see our
classmates," Ryan admits. "We will not have had time to learn much about the new
people we dance with, but I am sure we will have met some nice people. And that is
how you make new friends, right?" "Maybe we will even meet some nice girls," Dan
says. "I will feel very confident, you know?” “Why is that asks Ryan?” “unwind..." Dan
replies. "But mainly because I will have put on my lucky bowtie before we go out!"
"Your lucky bowtie?" Ryan exclaims. "But maybe after just a few songs, you will have
gotten tired of dancing!" "No way! I will not have gotten tired after just a few of songs.
I will have lots of energy. Remember, I will have worn my lucky bowtie!" Dan explains.
"Well, you’re lucky bowtie may help you with your energy." Ryan says. "but after about
5 minutes you will have scared all the girls”.

Structure & Uses

The future perfect is used to

Use the future perfect to show an action, we will have made some new friends
state, or event that will happen before a by the time we go home.
certain time in the future.
You can also use the future perfect in the By the end of the summer, we’ll have
progressive. been travelling for several weeks.
NOTE: We often use the future perfect By Friday, they will have finished all
with by and by the time. We use the future their final projects. We'll have been
perfect continuous with for to emphasize living here for two years in January.
the duration of a state or action which will
probably continue after the time
mentioned

V. Other ways of talking about the future

We use be + to-infinitive to talk about The Queen is to arrive at 10.00 to begin

formal plans or arrangements, the ceremony. You are to be there no
instructions and prohibitions later than eight o'clock.
We use be due + to-infinitive to talk The bus is due to arrive any minute.
about events that we expect to take
place at affixed time, e.g. with timetables

79
 We use be (just) about + to-infinitive or We 're (just) about to leave. I think he's
be on the point of+ -ing form to talk on the point of asking her to marry him.
about events that we expect will happen
very soon
Some verbs refer to the future: plan/ The company plans to build a new
hope/intend + to-infinitive: supermarket.
I hope to study law next year.

Test Yourself

(I). Complete the texts. Use the correct form of the future perfect simple or future
continuous.
(i)
What (1) …………… we ……………… (do) in a hundred years’ time? According to
NASA Scientists we (2) …………… (travel) in outer space. By the twenty-second century
man (3) …………… (develop) a quick way of getting to the stars, and the first long-
distance spaceships (4) …………… (leave) Earth. However, these spaceships won’t be
the first to explore outer space. Other spaceships (5)…………… (already / voyage) into
the unknown. In fact, the first unmanned ship, Pioneer 10, was launched in 1972.
Pioneer 10 will be in space for thousands of years, and in 32,000 years’ time it will pass
a star called Ross 248. By the time Pioneer 10 gets there, man (6)…………… (already /
reach) Ross 248 and (7)…………… (colonize) the planets around it. What
(8)…………… these humans (9)………… (do) when Pioneer 10 passes by? Will they
remember that it was the first spaceship to venture into outer space?
(ii)
Robin: I think the waiter (forget) ................. us. We (wait)....... here for over half an
hour and nobody (take) ........ our order yet.
Michele: I think you're right. He (walk) ..... by us at least twenty times. He probably
thinks we (order, already) .........
Robin: Look at that couple over there, they (be, only) ..... here for five or ten minutes
and they already have their food.
Michele: He must realize we (order, not) .... yet! We (sit) .... here for over half an hour
staring at him.
Robin: I don't know if he (notice, even) ............ He (run)............. from table to table
taking orders and serving food.
Michele: That's true, and he (look, not) ................ in our direction once.

II. Complete the interview. Use the future simple (will), future continuous or future
perfect of the verbs in brackets.

Interviewer: Today we're talking to Professor Marjorie Brown about life in the future.
Let's start with homes. Professor, what will our homes be like?

Professor: Well, they might not look very different from homes today but (1) ………...
(there / certainly / be) differences. In twenty years' time homes (2) ......................
(become)smaller. This is because more and more people (3) ........ ........... (live) in
crowded cities. However, designers (4) ............ .... ... (undoubtedly / find) ways of
making small homes more comfortable. For example, the homes of the future (5)

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................. (have) walls that can be moved so that space can be used in different ways.
Scientists (6) ..................... (also / invent) glass that can change from transparent to
black. Transparent glass lets light and heat in and out. Black glass keeps it in. This
(7).................... (help) us to control the temperature of our homes.

Interviewer: (8)....................... (there / be) any other changes to the way we live?

Professor: Yes, one major change. Experts predict that by 2024 humans (9)
..................... (live) on the moon. One can only imagine what homes there (10)
............................ (look) like! And I think that by then many of us (to)
................................. (take) at least one holiday in space and maybe even to the
moon. Imagine that.

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 DIAGNOTIC TEST
I. Complete the text with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Use the past simple
or the past continuous.
My friends and I (1) ........ (enjoy) my birthday party when suddenly the lights
(2) ...... (go)out. I (3) …...... (think) that my brother (4) …... (try) to scare everyone. I
(5) …... (shout), ‘Switch the lights on!’ but nothing (6) ……... (happen). While we (7)
….... (wait) in the darkness, somebody (8) …......... (scream). Suddenly, I felt scared!

II. Complete the passage with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Use the
Present Simple, Present Continuous, Past Simple or the Past Continuous.
Today, it ……. (1) ……...(seem) that everyone recognizes the paintings of
Vincent Van Gogh. However, few people…….( 2 )……..(know) the sad details of his
difficult life. Van Gogh was born in 1853 in a small village in the Netherlands. He drew
pictures when he was a boy, but……. (3) ……... (not consider) art as a career. When
he was 16 years old, he … (4) ……... (go)to work for a company which bought and
sold art. He had periods of deep depression, which……. (5) ……...(affect) his work,
and as a result, the company …. (6) ……..(dismiss) him 1876. Van Gogh then ……. (7)
……...(teach) in England and later ……. (8) ……..(give) Bible lessons in Belgium. He
finally decided to become an artist. Between 1880 and 1890, while he…….
(9)……..(produce) his famous paintings and drawings, he suffered from frequent
periods of depression. On 27 July 1890, when he was 37, he ……. (10) ……...(shoot)
himself. He died two days later.

III. Complete the text with the correct present, past or future form of the verbs in
brackets. Sometimes there is more than one possible answer.
I 1……... (want) to be a vet ever since I was little. I 2……... (not have) any brothers or
sisters and so I 3……... (do)everything with my dog, Goldie, when I 4……... (grow up).
Goldie was my best friend! These days we 5 ……... (have) another dog, Sparkle, a cat,
two rabbits and two budgerigars, and I 6 ……... (look) after them all. At the moment
the cat isn’t well, so I 7 ……... (let) her sleep in my room so I can take care of her.
When I8 ……... (wake) up this morning she 9 ……... (sleep) on my bed and she 10
……... (look) very happy! Next month I 11 ……... (start) working on a farm one day a
week. I 12 ……... (work) with cows, sheep and horses and I hope that I 13 ……... (gain)
some useful experience with farm animals by the time I go to university.

VI. Use the Simple Present or Present Continuous

Today (be) 1.............. the second day of my trek around Mount Annapurna. I am
exhausted and my legs (shake) 2............; I just hope I am able to complete the trek. My
feet (kill, really) 3............. me and my toes (bleed) 4 .........., but I (want, still) 5..........
to continue. Nepal is a fascinating country, but I have a great deal to learn. Everything
(be) 6............. so different, and I (try) 7........... to adapt to the new way of life here. I
(learn) 8.......... a little bit of the language to make communication easier; unfortunately,
I (learn, not) 9............... foreign languages quickly. Although I (understand, not)
10................. much yet, I believe that I (improve, gradually) 11.................... I (travel,
currently) 12............... with Liam, a student from Leeds University in England. He (be)
13............... a nice guy, but impatient. He (walk, always) 14............. ahead of me and

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(complain) 14............ that I am too slow. I (do) 15.................. my best to keep up with
him, but he is younger and stronger than I am. Maybe, I am just feeling sorry for myself
because I am getting old. Right now, Liam (sit) 16................. with the owner of the
inn. They (discuss) 17................ the differences between life in England and life in Nepal.
I (know, not) 18.................... the real name of the owner, but everybody (call, just)
19................. him Tam. Tam (speak) 20 ................... English very well and he (try)
21............... to teach Liam some words in Nepali. Every time Tam (say) 22............... a
new word, Liam (try) 23.............. to repeat it. Unfortunately, Liam (seem, also) 24
.............. to have difficulty learning foreign languages. I just hope we don't get lost and
have to ask for directions.

V. Fill in the gaps with the verbs in the appropriate tense

John always 1…………… (travel) a lot. In fact, when he 2 ……………(be) only two
years old when he first 3 ……………(fly) to the US. His mother 4 ……………(be) Italian
and his father 5……………(be) American. John 6……………(be)born in France, but his
parents 7……………(meet) in Cologne, Germany after they 8……………(live) there for
five years. They 9……………(meet) one day while John's father 10……………(read) a
book in the library and his mother 11 ……………(sit) down beside him. John
12……………(travel)a lot because his parents also13……………(travel)a lot. As a matter
of fact, John 14……………(visit) his parents in France at the moment. He
15……………(live) in New York now, but 16 ……………(visit) his parents for the past
few weeks. He really 17……………(enjoy) living in New York, but he also
18……………(love) coming to visit his parents at least once a year. This year he
19……………(fly) over 50,000 miles for his job. He 20……………(work) for Jackson
& Co. for almost two years now. He’s pretty sure that he21……………(work) for them
next year as well. His job 22……………(require) a lot of travel. In fact, by the end of
this year, he23……………(travel) over 120,000 miles! His next journey
24……………(be) to Australia. He really 24…………… (not/ like/ go) to Australia
because it is so far. This time he 25……………(go) to fly from Paris after a meeting with
the company's French partner. He26……………(sit) for over 18 hours by the time he
arrives! John 27……………(talk) with his parents earlier this evening when his girlfriend
from New York 28……………(telephone) to let him know that Jackson & Co.
29……………(decide) to merge with a company in Australia. The two companies
30……………(negotiate) for the past month, so it really 31…………… (be not) much
of a surprise. Of course, this means that John 32 ……………(have/catch) the next plane
back to New York. He33……………(meet) with his boss at this time tomorrow.

VI. Same as above

My English is really getting better. I (try) ............. to learn the language since 1985, but
only recently have I been able to make some real progress. By the time I started high
school in 1988, I (study) ............... the language for almost three years; however, I was
only able to introduce myself and utter a few memorized sentences. For a couple more
years, I (struggle) ..............through grammar and vocabulary lessons, which made
absolutely no difference. Nothing worked, so I decided to study abroad. I found an
exchange program in England that sounded like the perfect answer. I (stay) ....................
with a host family for one month. It was a huge disappointment! I (sit) ................. there
the whole time staring at the host mother and father hoping that there would be some
breakthrough. Nothing. When I returned, I mentioned to a friend that I (have)

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.............. problems with the language for years. He recommended that I spend a year
in an English-speaking country. I decided to go abroad again. I (research) ................
exchange programs for a couple of weeks and finally decided on a school in the United
States. Well, it worked. I (live) ............. and (study) ................. in the U.S. for more
than two years. I (stay) ................. here for at least another year before I return home.
By then, I should be completely fluent.
VII. Read this student essay. There are 13 mistakes in the use of verbs, adjectives, and
adverbs. The first mistake is already corrected. Find and correct 12 more.

No Cell Phone Restrictions!

It's seeming seems that I constantly hear the same thing: ''Cell phones are
dangerous. We're needing to severely restrict them. People are dying because of cell
phones." Well, I'm thinking cell phones themselves aren't the problem. I'm completely
opposed to restrictions on them, and here's why.
First, people say cell phones are dangerous to health, so they should be limited.
Supporters of this idea say there are being studies showing that cell phones produce
radiation that is harmful to users. I think this is nonsense. There hasn't been any real
proof. It's sounding like just another study that ultimately isn't meaning anything.
Second, a lot of teachers are proposing that we not allow cell phones in classes
because they're a distraction. I feel pretty angrily about this. Here's a good example.
Two weeks ago in my history class, one of the students was having her cell phone on
because her mother was really sick and might need a ride to the hospital. The student's
mother couldn't contact anyone else. In fact, the student's mother did call, and the
student found someone to help her mother. What if her cell phone hadn't been on? The
teacher would have felt pretty badly.
Third, people argue that using a cell phone while driving is dangerous. I disagree.
It's no more dangerously than turning on the car radio or eating a sandwich. People do
those things when they drive. The law says you must have one hand on the steering
wheel. It's possible to use a cell phone correct with one hand. I use my cell phone
careful; I always keep one hand on the wheel. Maybe there should be training in ways
to use a cell phone good, but we shouldn't prohibit using cell phones in cars.
This has always been a free country. I hope it stays that way.

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 Sample Tests
Test 1
I. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in brackets
Google, a search engine that can be used to find a variety of information (1.
become) ……………........ very successful. Perhaps there (2. be) ………………….. no
greater testament to its success than the fact that it (3. become) ………………….. a verb.
Since it (4. start) ……..…….. in 1998, it (5. become) ……………. one of the most
popular search engines. Google (6. grow) ………….. to a business that now (7. employ)
…………. over 20,000 people.
Google’s founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, (8. be) ….……... graduate
students in computer science at Stanford University in California when they (9. meet)
……..…… in 1995. Page was born of a Jewish family in Michigan, the US; but he (10.
not follow) ……………. any religion. His attraction to computers (11. grow)
……………… since his early childhood years, as he (12. be) ………………... able to use
first-generation personal computers that his parents would leave lying around. Brin was
born in Russia, but he (13. live) ……………. in the U.S. since he was five years old. The
two (14. drop out) …………… of school to concentrate on their project.
After Page and Brin (15. realize) …………….. that Internet search was a very
important field, they (16. begin) ………….... working together to facilitate the action of
searching. Together, they (17. author) ……………….. a research paper titled “The
Anatomy of a Large-Scale Hypertextual Web Search Engine” which (18. become)
……………….. one of the most downloaded scientific documents in the history of the
Internet at the time.
Google (19. have) ……………….. benefits over other search engines, which make
it an easy choice for users to switch to. For instance, it (20. have) …………….. speed, a
deep index, and relevance of results. Also, (21. you, ever notice) ……………… how
many ads and banners there are on other search engines? News, sports scores, stock
prices, links for shopping, mortgage rates, and more (22. fill) ……………… other search
engines. In contrast, when they (23. design) ……..……… their home page, Brin and
Page (24. plan) ………………... to make it a clean one. They (25. think) ………………...
that people come to the Internet to search for specific information, not to be
bombarded with unwanted data.
The success of Google over its rivals (26. prove) ……………….. that this is true.
Google (27. always, focus) ………………….. on good search results. Besides, though it
(28. add) ………………. new features to its Web site over the years, the clean opening
page that Google (29. offer)…………….. its users (30. not changed) …………………

II. Fill in the blanks with an appropriate article. If no article is needed, use the symbol
ᴓ
(1)………..lift, which is also known as (2)………..elevator in (3)…………..USA, is
(4)…………machine that you stand in to go up and down inside (5)……………building.
This word is also used for (6)………… action of taking someone somewhere in
(7)………….. car, described as ‘giving someone (8) …………. lift’. Something rather
different is meant by (9)………… facelift, which is (10)………… operation to make
someone look younger by, for example, removing (11)………… fat or pulling
(12)…………. skin tighter. Similarly, (13)………….. process of improving (14) ………….

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appearance of (15)……….. outside of (16) ………. building can be described as ‘giving
it (17)…………. facelift.’ (18)……… forklift is (19)……….. vehicle with (20) …………
special equipment; it is used for lifting and moving heavy things.

III. Fill in the blanks with a suitable preposition

Thanks (1)……………… your email and the good news (2)………………. the report.
I’ve tried several times to think (3)……………… the report, but then I have to pay
attention (4)……………… whatever is going on right (5)………………. that moment. I
can assure you that this won’t happen again, but right now I’m (6)……………… a
position where every problem (7)……………… the office seems to land
(8)……………… my desk. Anyway, that’s not what you wanted to hear (9)……………,
I’m sure. I don’t think there’s a slot (10)………………. my schedule this morning when
we can talk. How (11)………….. late this afternoon (12) ………………….. three or four,
whichever is best (13) …………… you. If you already have some idea how we should
put the report together, then I agree (14)…………….. you that there shouldn’t be any
reason why we can’t complete it (15) ……………… the deadline.

IV. Read the short story below. Fill the gaps using the adverbs and adjectives below. Use each
listed word once only, apart from the two words that are listed twice.

After, brightly, excitedly, extremely, after, happily, finally, how, busy, happily, first,
hastily, stuck, later, luckily, quickly, really, slowly, suddenly, very.

It was a blue summer afternoon with the sun shining (1)…………….. . I (2)…………….
phoned my friends asking them to come over (3)……………. for a barbecue.
(4)……………. making the calls I (5) …………… drove into town to buy some food
and drink. When I arrived at the shops I was (6)……………. surprised at (7)
……………. (8)…………….. it was. Everyone must have been shopping for a barbecue!
The (9)……………… butchers I visited had (10)…………….. run out of sausages. The
next shop had some left so I (11)………………. brought some. (12)…………… visiting a
few more shops I had (13)…………… finished my shopping. But I was starting to worry
as it was 6 p.m. and I had invited my friends to visit at 6.30 p.m.
I (14) ……………. rushed to the car park with all of my shopping and threw it in the
boot. (15)…………….. I noticed that the cars were moving (16)………………. out of
the car park and there was a bit of traffic jam! It was past 6:30 p.m. when I arrived
home and I was (17) ……………. worried. As I drove into my drive I smiled
(18)……………… when I saw my friends sitting in my front garden. (19)……………..
they had realized I was (20) ………………. at the shops and they waited for me. We
had a wonderful barbecue!

V. Complete the passage using the following quantifiers (some quantifiers are
repeated): a lot of - much - all - some - - several – a few
Nelson Mandela, who became a massive influence in Africa as well as all over the world,
spent (1) ……….. years in prison in South Africa. There, he started a garden which was
his favorite place because, as he said, it was, ‘a small taste of freedom’ for him.
Mandela’s love for his garden has inspired (2) …………. people. Mandela noticed the
roof of the prison was flat and empty. It wasn’t beautiful, but it was peaceful and more

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importantly, it got sunshine (3) ……….. day. He realized that he didn’t need (4) ……….
equipment or much money to start a small garden. He just needed (5) ………… things
and a bit of help to get started. After years of asking, the prison guards finally gave him
sixteen large oil drums and they cut them in half for him. He filled them with (6)
………… soil and created thirty-two giant flowerpots. The garden was a relaxing place
to go. It gave Mandela (7) ………… control and freedom in his life. He spent (8)
……….. time there, as often as he could. He loved the satisfaction of planting a seed
and watching it grow into a tree or a plant full of vegetables. It was (9) …………. work
but it made him feel better about himself.

Test 2
I. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in brackets. Place any item
accompanying the verb in the correct position.
I (1) (be) ________________ born in 1960. My parents (2) (name) ________________ me
Cynthia Lee after my mother. They (3) (name) ________________ me John after my
father, but I (4) (turn out) ________________ to be a girl). I (5) (not/be)
________________ sure what ‘Cynthia’ (6) (mean) ________________, but I (7) (think)
________________ it (8) (come) ________________ from the Greek and (9) (have)
________________ some connection to the moon. When I (10) (grow up)
________________, I (11) (find) ________________ it hard to pronounce my name-
especially the ‘th’. Whenever I (12) (try) ________________ to say Cynthia, it (13) (come
out) ________________ more like ‘SIN-TEE.’ So as a little girl I (14) (call)
________________ myself Sinty. When I (15) (get) ________________ older my younger
brother (16) (nickname) ________________ me ‘Kangaroo’ because I (17) (jump/always)
________________ on things. I (18) (hate) ________________ the name and (19) (call)
________________ him ‘Stu’ (short for ‘stupid’) in return. In high school my friends (20)
(start) ________________ to call me ‘CICI’. However, when I (21) (get)
________________ a little older, I (22) (prefer) ________________ Cynthia. This (23)
(please) ________________ my parents a lot. When I (24) (get) ________________
married, I (25) (decide) ________________ (26) (use) ________________ both my last
name and my husband’s, so I (27) (become) ________________ Cynthia Lee Gordon-
Hughes. My husband (28) (call) ________________ me Cindy or occasionally just ‘C’.
When he (29) (be) ________________ annoyed at me, he (30) (call) ________________
me by full name, Cynthia. We (31) (expect/now) ________________ our first child- a
son. We (32) (not/decide) ________________ on a name for him yet. We (33)
(not/want) ________________ (34) (name) ________________ him after a relative, so
we (35) (look) ________________ through baby-name books for ideas. At the moment
we (36) (consider) ________________ the names Forrest and Ian. We (37) (also/not
decide) ________________ yet which family name (38) (use) ________________ for our
son- mine, my husband’s, or a combination of the two. Choosing a name (39) (be)
________________ very important, and we (40) (want/not) ________________ to make
a mistake.

II. Fill in the blanks with the right article. Use O if no article is needed
It was quite _______ (1) surprise when London’s _______ (2) Daily Mail printed _______
(3) photo in 1933 of _______ (4) creature in _______ (5) Scotland’s Loch Ness, _______
(6) largest and _______ (7) deepest freshwater lake in _______ (8) United Kingdom.
_______ (9) people had been telling stories about such _______ (10) creature for over

87
_______ (11) thousand years. But when _______ (12) respected London surgeon, Colonel
Robert Kenneth Wilson, took _______ (13) photo, _______ (14) stories suddenly seemed
believable. He claimed that while driving by _______ (15) Loch Ness, he saw something
strange in _______ (16) water and quickly grabbed his camera. _______ (17) photo he
took was seen worldwide and began _______ (18) increased public interest in _______
(19) ‘Loch Ness Monster’. This particular hoax took _______ (20) world by storm.

III. Fill in the gaps with the right preposition from the list below. Some prepositions
can be used several times: of, in, on, before, towards, below, during, for.
(1) _______ the COP21 in Paris 2015, 195 delegations adopted the Paris Agreement
which plans to "contain" the average increase (2) _______ the global temperature "well
(3) _______ 2°C" to match levels (4) _______ the industrial era. Developed countries
should continue to lead the way by committing to reduce their emissions. Developing
countries are the ones "encouraged" to move (5) _______ the goals (6) _______ reducing
or limiting their emissions in every aspect of their economy. In return, they will receive
financial support. As _______ (7) 6 October 2016, the membership threshold consisting
(8) ___ 55 countries representing the critical mass (9) _____ 55% (10) _______
greenhouse gas emissions worldwide has been reached, allowing the implementation
(11) _______ the Paris Agreement. COP22 will focus (12) _______ the actions needed to
achieve the various priorities outlined (13) ____ the Paris Agreement. These include
issues related (14) _______ adaptation, transparency, technology transfer, mitigation,
capacity building, compensation (15) _______loss and damages, and –of course–
financing.

IV. Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate expression of quantity.
__________ (1) professionals around the world wear formal business attire to work in
company offices. In __________ (2) countries, there is an unwritten dress code making
it mandatory for a man to wear a dark suit and tie and for a woman to wear a skirted
suit. But in __________ (3) countries, __________ (4) companies are experimenting with
casual business dress during working hours.
In Australia, during the hotter summer months, __________ (5) companies are allowing
employees to leave their suits at home. And in the United States, __________ (6) Office
workers are allowed to dress down on Fridays. __________ (7) US companies make the
standard business suit optional- allowing casual clothing __________ (8) day. There is
__________ (9) interest in a casual dress code because of its attraction to new employees.
However, __________ (10) critics complain that casual dress in the office causes
__________ (11) problems, among them __________ (12) productivity. __________ (13)
manager needs to decide if ‘business casual’ is right for his/her company. __________
(14) experts in the fashion industry claim that the trend toward casual office dress is on
the way out. But a recent survey found that __________ (15) employees say their
company dress code is at least as casual as or more casual than it was a few years ago.

V. Complete these sentences using the modifiers (adjectives and adverbs) between
brackets in the right order.
1. I have worn my ________________________________________ boots.
(green/recently/stylish/comfortable/new/leather)
2. Are you going to put on that ________________________________________
(cotton/old-fashioned/still/ugly/yellow) shirt?

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3. Isn’t this the ________________________________________
(thrilling/historical/third/ever/longest) novel you’ve read in your lifetime?
4. She stops talking about her ________________________________________
(destructive/colorful/clever/never/Amazonian) parrot.
5. Megan Bloom has been collecting ________________________________________
(porcelain/for ages/antique/English/large) teapots.

Test 3
I. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in brackets. Place any item
accompanying the verb in the correct position.

In the United States and Canada they have been termed the sandwich generation
— people caught between the needs of their growing children and their aging parents,
having to care for both. Factors giving rise to the sandwich generation (1)
________________ (include) the fact that people (2) _________________ (have) children
later in life, combined with longer life expectancies .Whatever the cause, this new
responsibility (3) ________________(place) many demands on these caregivers’ time and
energy and (4) _________________ (leave) little space for attending to their own needs.
Some members of the sandwich generation (5) __________________ (be) parents
in their 30’s or 40’s caring for young children. For example, Pamela Bose, 40, (6)
____________ (have) a three-year-old and a nine-year-old. She (7) _________________
(take/recently) over the care of her widowed mother. One minute she (8)
________________ (worry) about getting the children to school on time; the next, she
(9) ________________ (check) to make sure that her mother (10) _________________
(remember) to take her medicine. “I (11) ____________ (spend) so much time keeping
up with their competing demands that I (12) ________________(end up) not devoting
enough time to anyone, let alone making time for myself,” says Bose.
Other members of the sandwich generation (13) __________________(be) parents
in their 40’s or 50’s caring for teenaged or adult children. Nowadays more adult
children (14) ___________________ (live) at home while they (15) _______________ (be)
in college and even afterward, as they get established and (16) _______________ (figure
out) what they want to do. Also, an increasing number of adult children (17)
__________________ (return) home to live after a divorce or job loss.
The longer adult children (18) ____________ (remain) dependent on their
parents, the more people (19) _____________ (find) themselves in the sandwich
generation. Patricia Rivas (20) ______________ (be) one of these people. She and her
husband David both (21) _______________ (have) careers. They (22)
_________________ (have) a teenaged son, a recently divorced daughter with a two-
year-old child, and an elderly father who (23) ____________ (have) early dementia and
is (24) _______________ (require) more and more care, all living in the same household.
Most sandwich-generation caregivers (25) ________________ (be) women.
Increased female labor-force participation (26) _____________ (mean) that many of
these women (27) __________________ (balance) not only care for their children and
parents but also their own careers. Without a doubt, trying to meet all of these
obligations at the same time (28) ________________ (be) stressful. It (29) _____________
(not/be) surprising that sandwich-generation members (30) ________________ (report)
an increase in depression, sleeplessness, headaches, and other health problems. While

89
many (31) _________________ (be) happy about the chance to help care for their
parents, they (32) ________________(feel/also) guilty about not doing more.
As sandwich-generation members (33) _______________ (try) to respond to
everyone else’s needs, it (34) _____________ (be) important that they (35)
_________________ (not/ignore) their own needs. As these caregivers (36)
_________________(struggle) to give their young children attention and patience, their
older children support and guidance, their elderly parents not only the physical care
they (37) _________________ (need) but also opportunities for social interaction and
inclusion in family life, it (38) __________________ (be/also) important that they (39)
________________ (make) some time for their own relaxation, something that (40)
____________ (be) more often than not overlooked.

II. Fill in the blanks with the right article. Use Ø if no article is needed.

Something very strange happened to me (1) _______ other night. As I was going
home, (2) _______ man came up to me. He had (3) _______ untidy hair and (4)
_______ paint all over his clothes. He told me he was (5) _______ head of (6) _______
local council and that he was offering me (7) _______ job as (8) _______ road
sweeper. He said that (9) _______ road sweeper earns a great deal of money and that
I would have (10) _______ responsibility for (11) _______ miles of roads. Well, I just
said ‘No, thanks’ and walked on. When I looked back he had stopped (12) _______
woman. He was telling her that he was (13) _______ President of the United States
and that he wanted her to be either (14) _______ Defense Secretary or (15) _______ US
Secretary of State.

III. Fill in the blanks in the following news item with suitable prepositions.

We focus next (1) _______ the mission (2) _______ the Ares, the manned space mission
(3) _______ WASA, the World Aeronautics and Space association. The Ares was
launched seven months ago (4) _______ Woomera Spaceport (5) _______ Australia.
However, contact had been lost (6) _______ the Ares (7) _______ past three weeks, and
WASA officials had feared the worst. WASA officials were thus elated when they
received a radio message today that the Ares has made a successful landing (8) _______
Mars. Herald Svendorf, chief (9) _______ WASA, had this to say (10) _______ today’s
news conference:” We needed a victory; otherwise, we might have lost our United
Nations funding. This successful landing should silence our critics who have been calling
the Ares Project a boondoggie. The project will moreover be one of the cost-effective
missions in the history of space exploration. In fact, it will pave the way (11) _______
realization of the other manned missions (12) _______ the Jovian moons and (13)
_______ Venus.”

IV. Fill in the blanks with the right quantity expression. Place any accompanying item
in the right place.

Many, most, all, several, few, very, each, several, a lot of, much, plenty, any.

_______________ (1) people realize that (2) _______________ (almost) unrealistic ideals
of beauty in the media have negatively affected the body image of women and girls.

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However (3) _______________ (not) are aware of (4) _______________ the pressure on
men and boys to conform to an ideal body type that, (5) _______________ others,
television and magazines have started to define for them. (6) _______________ males
are becoming more self-conscious and self-critical. They compare themselves to (7)
_______________ media images of muscular, well-built men and are (8)
_______________ satisfied with how they look.

V. Complete the sentences with the correct order of adjectives between brackets.

1. She bought a __________________________________ (mountain/new/ten-

speed/professional) bike.
2. Susan has a(n) __________________________________ (ten-year-
old/weird/interesting) hobby that she knows no one will ever understand.
3. She likes to walk up and down the beach with one of those
__________________________________ (silly/relatively small/metal) detectors looking
for lost coins and watches.
4. I just love that __________________________________
(multicolored/handmade/thick/stylish) scarf by Desigual.
5. She was offered a(n) ________________________________
(oval/antique/wooden/beautiful/expensive) box.

Test 3
I. Complete the following passage with the appropriate form of the verb between
parentheses, placing any item accompanying the verb in the correct position. The
answers are to be written in the spaces provided
A very important world problem, if not the most serious of all the great world
problems which (affect) (1) -------------------------------- us at the moment, (be) (2) ------------
------------------- the increasing number of people who actually (inhabit) (3) ------------------
------------- this planet. The limited amount of land and land resources (soon, be) (4) ----
--------------------------- unable to support the huge population if it (continue) (5) ------------
------------------- to grow at its present rate.
In an early survey conducted in 1888, a billion and a half people (inhabit) (6) --
----------------------------- the earth. Now, the population (exceed) (7) -----------------------------
-- five billion and (grow) (8) ------------------------------- fast - by the staggering figure of 90
million in 1988 alone. This (mean) (9) ------------------------------- that the world (modal,
accommodate) (10) ------------------------------- a new population roughly equal to that of
the United States and Canada every three years! Even though the rate of growth
(begin) (11) ------------------------------- to slow down, most experts (believe) (12) -------------
------------------ the population size (still, pass) (13) ------------------------------- eight billion
during the next 50 years.
So why (be) (14) ------------------------------- this huge increase in population taking
place? It (really, be) (15) ------------------------------- due to the spread of the knowledge and
practice of what (become) (16) ------------------------------- known as "Death Control". You
(no doubt, hear) (17) ------------------------------- of the term "Birth Control" - "Death
Control" (be) (18) ------------------------------- something rather different. It (recognize) (19)
------------------------------- the work of the doctors and scientists who (now, keep) (20) ----
--------------------------- alive people who, not very long ago, (modal, die) (21) ----------------
--------------- of a variety of then incurable diseases. Through a wide variety of
technological innovations that (include) (22) ------------------------------- farming methods
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and sanitation, as well as the control of these deadly diseases, we (find) (23) --------------
----------------- ways to reduce the rate at which we (die) (24) ------------------------------- -
creating a population explosion. We (think) (25) ------------------------------- that reaching
(26) ------------------------------- seventy years old (be) (27) ------------------------------- a
remarkable achievement, but now eighty or even ninety (become) (28) ---------------------
---------- recognized as the normal life-span for humans. In a sense, this (represent) (29) -
------------------------------ a tremendous achievement for our species. Biologically this (be)
(30) ------------------------------- the very definition of success and we (undoubtedly,
become) (31) ------------------------------- the dominant animal on the planet. However, this
success (be) (32) ------------------------------- the very cause of the greatest threat to mankind.

II. Use the articles “a”, “an” or “the” where necessary. If no article is needed, use the
symbol “ø”.

Although (1) ------- women now have (2) ------- freedom to choose whether or
not they have (3) ------- children, it is generally (4) ------- joint decision between (5) ----
--- partners involved. In fact, in ------- cultures which remain strongly traditional, (6) ---
---- decision to have (7) ------- baby may well be affected by (8) ------- society, (9) -------
family and (10) ------- man of (11) ------- family, rather than (12) ------- mother.

III. Fill in each blank with the appropriate preposition. If no preposition is needed, use
the symbol “ø”.

Thirty years ago, most people started work (1) ----------- the age (2) -----------
twenty and retired (3) ----------- the age (4) ----------- sixty-five. Normally, they worked
(5) ----------- the same company (6) ----------- all their lives. (7) ----------- the last thirty
years or so, things have changed. Today, people often work (8) ----------- a variety (9)--
----------- companies; others are self-employed and many, unfortunately, are jobless.
Companies employ fewer people: one reason (10) ----------- that is that many processes
are computerised.

IV. Fill in each blank with the appropriate quantifier.

1. There is -------------------- talk nowadays about the computer age.

2. Not -------------------- that glitters is gold.
3. Has -------------------- seen that new Star Wars movie?
4. There is so -------------------- violence in today's world that people live in fear.
5. We never go -------------------- without money.

V. Which letter (A), (B), (C) or (D) is the best position for the adverbs given in capital
letters? Write the letter in the space provided on the right-hand side of the page.

1. You must (A) finish your work (B), or you’ll (C) miss your train (D).
EARLY........................
2. I should (A) prefer (B) to travel (C) by plane (D).
VERY MUCH........................
3. (A) In his professional life (B) has he (C) been (D) late for work.
NEVER........................

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4. We (A) realized (B) we were going (C) in the wrong direction (D).
QUICKLY........................
5. She (A) looked at her nephew and said (B), “I am cutting you (C) out of my will
(D).”
SHARPLY........................

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References

Hay, I., Bochner, D. & Dungey, C.(1997). Making the grade. Oxford University Press
Australia, Sydney.
Mart, C. T. (2013). Teaching Grammar in Context: Why and How? Theory and
Practice in Language Studies, Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 124-129. Retrieved online
[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/276020676_Teaching_Grammar_in
_Context_Why_and_How].
Murray, J. (2006). Focus on Grammar: An Integrated Skills Approach (3rd ed).
Pearson, Longman.
Powell, D., Walker, E., & Elsworth, S. (2000). Grammar Practice for Upper
Intermediate Students with key (3rd ed). Pearson, Longman.
Rundell, M. (2002). Introduction. In Macmillan English dictionary for advanced
learners. Macmillan Education, Oxford

Online resources
http://www.cbse.nic.in/publications/interact_in_english_wb_ix/UNIT-2.PDF
http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammarchallenge/pdfs/gc_30_
zero_articles_quizzes.pdf
http://www.cbse.nic.in/publications/interact_in_english_wb_ix/UNIT-2.PDF
https://www.douglascollege.ca/-
/media/2FA8BBBCB5B64E6CBD02694B4D2F571C.ashx
https://www.wm.edu/as/wrc/documents/the%20use%20and%20non-
use%20of%20articles1.pdf
http://writing.umn.edu/sws/assets/pdf/quicktips/articleschart.pdf
https://www.adelaide.edu.au/english-for-
uni/articles/articles_exercises_english_for_uni.pdf

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