- •The abc of modern english grammar: a key to successful communication
- •Unit 1. The verb to be
- •1.1. Complete the sentences using a suitable form of the verb to be. Give all possible answers.
- •1.2. Render the sentences into English.
- •2.1. Rewrite the sentences, using there is or there are.
- •2.2. Rewrite the sentences, using there was or there were.
- •2.3. Make these sentences into questions. Begin each question with the words given.
- •2.4. Fill in the gaps with it or there.
- •2.5. Complete the sentences using there is or it is. Use inversion where necessary.
- •2.6. Rewrite these sentences to begin with “there” as an impersonal subject.
- •2.7. Make ten sentences from this table.
- •2.8. Rewrite each sentence, ending as shown, so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, and so that it contains it or there.
- •2.9. The word “it” has been left out of these sentences. The number in brackets tells you how many times it should occur. Show where it should be.
- •2.10. Rewrite these sentences with “it” and a “to”-infinitive clause.
- •Unit 3. Questions
- •3.1. Expand the “What about…?” phrases to make “yes/no”-questions.
- •3.2. Complete the “yes/no”-questions using the endings given.
- •3.3. Use the “wh”-words below to complete the questions which follow.
- •3.4. Rearrange the parts of the sentences to make questions with “wh”-words as subject.
- •3.5. Expand the “What about…?” phrases to make questions with “wh”-words as object.
- •3.6. Do these questions starting and finishing with the words given.
- •3.7. Write questions to which the words in bold are the answers.
- •3.8. Write a who or what question for each answer.
- •3.9. Write a question to each answer.
- •3.10. Match the questions and answers.
- •3.11. Complete the table by writing questions and answers.
- •3.12. Here are some of the things people say at parties. Match the statements with the question tags.
- •3.13. Add the question tags.
- •3.14. Mark and Jenny went into the travel agent’s to book a holiday. These are some of the questions that were asked. Add the question tags.
- •3.15. Mark and Jenny were showing some family photographs to a friend. Here are some of the questions that were asked. Complete the questions by adding the question tags.
- •3.16. Complete these questions with the appropriate question tags.
- •3.17. Use question tags to complete these sentences.
- •3.18. Add question tags to these statements to make them into questions asking someone to confirm what you are saying, or to agree with you.
- •3.19. Add suitable question tags.
- •3.20. Add a question tag to each sentence.
- •3.21. Write a short answer for each question, beginning as shown.
- •3.22. Rewrite these requests using question tags.
- •3.23. In pairs, look at this conversation. Where do you think the conversation is happening? Read it out between you, adding a question tag in each gap.
- •3.24. Read out these sentences, adding a question tag. Decide whether you want it to be: 1) a real question, with a rising intonation, or 2) a request for confirmation, with a falling intonation.
- •In pairs, choose some of the questions and write short dialogues, e.G.
- •3.25. Make a new sentence with a tag question which has the same meaning as the first sentence, beginning as shown. Make any necessary changes.
- •In groups of three, take it in turns to say a statement to the student on your left to reply to with a short question. Do not use the statements given above.
- •3.31. Questionnaires
- •3.32. Yes/no game
- •3.33. Questions for answers
- •3.34. Questions for questions
- •3.35. In pairs, write short conversations (5 – 6 remarks for each student) for one of the following situations.
- •3.36. Render the following into English.
- •Unit 4. Possession
- •4.1. Choose the correct word or phrase in each sentence.
- •4.2. Complete these sentences by adding a possessive.
- •4.3. Complete these sentences by adding a possessive with “own”.
- •4.4. Complete the sentences by adding an apostrophe or an apostrophe s (’s) to the word or word combination in brackets.
- •4.5. Find the errors in these sentences. Rewrite each sentence.
- •4.6. Put an apostrophe where necessary.
- •4.7. Put apostrophes where necessary. There should be twenty. Decide whether each ’s is a) an abbreviation of is, b) an abbreviation of has, c) an abbreviation of us, or d) a possessive ’s.
- •4.8. Look at these sentences and transform them, using a possessive pronoun instead of the possessive adjective, e.G. It’s my book. – The book is mine.
- •4.9. Rewrite these sentences using “a … of” instead of “one of”.
- •4.10. Rewrite the replies to these questions.
- •4.11. For each question, complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first, using no more than three words.
- •4.12. In pairs, discuss what you know about each other, e.G. Carmen’s hair is curly. Donald’s job is very rewarding.
- •4.14. Give the English for the following sentences.
- •Unit 5. Pronouns
- •5.1. Choose the correct word in each sentence.
- •5.2. Complete the following sentences with “they”, “them” or “their”.
- •5.3. In small groups, take turns to say as many sentences as you can using these words, as quickly as possible, e.G. He wants us to listen.
- •5.4. Add personal pronouns to complete the story.
- •5.5. Use the correct reflexive pronouns to complete the following sentences.
- •5.6. Complete each sentence so that it includes a suitable form of one of the verbs from the box, and a reflexive pronoun.
- •5.7. Choose a personal pronoun or a reflexive pronoun to complete these sentences correctly.
- •5.8. Use these pairs of words and a reflexive pronoun in sentences, e.G. Matches/burn – He burnt himself while he was playing with matches.
- •5.9. Change the phrases “on one’s own” to “by oneself”.
- •5.10. Come up with answers to the following questions.
- •5.11. Supply the English for the underlying sentences.
- •Unit 6. Making comparisons
- •6.1. Write down the comparative and superlative forms of the adjectives below.
- •6.2. Correct the spelling of these words where necessary.
- •6.3. Complete these sentences using the comparative of the adjectives in brackets and “than”.
- •6.4. Form the comparative of the adjectives in these phrases and use the phrases in the sentences below.
- •6.5. Make sentences with a comparative form and “than”, using the words given.
- •6.6. Complete these sentences using the comparative and the superlative of the adjectives given.
- •6.7. Complete the following sentences using superlative adjectives in front of the nouns.
- •6.8. Put one suitable word in each space, beginning with the letter given. The number of letters in the word is suggested.
- •6.9. Choose the correct word or phrase in each sentence.
- •6.10. Complete each sentence with a comparative or superlative form of the word in bold. Include any other necessary words.
- •6.11. Choose the correct answer.
- •6.12. Change not as … as into less … than.
- •6.13. Supply as … as, not as … as, less. More than one answer may be possible.
- •6.14. Choose the correct answer.
- •6.15. Rewrite the sentences using the words in bold.
- •6.16. Put one suitable word in each space.
- •6.17. Put one suitable word in each space.
- •6.18. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence.
- •6.19. For each question, complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first, using no more than three words.
- •6.26. The sooner the better
- •In pairs, write two more beginnings and pass them on to another pair to complete.
- •6.27. The same of different?
- •6.29. Opinions
- •In pairs, think of five questions with superlatives about a country you know well. Give the questions to another pair to answer.
- •6.32. Give an English equivalent for the sentences.
- •Recommended learning resources Reference and grammar books
- •Dictionaries
- •Internet resources
3.24. Read out these sentences, adding a question tag. Decide whether you want it to be: 1) a real question, with a rising intonation, or 2) a request for confirmation, with a falling intonation.
It’s a lovely day.
The exam’s on Wednesday.
We’ve never met before.
They don’t like each other.
You don’t agree.
He didn’t say that.
Ben’s really full of himself.
There aren’t any left.
This is absolutely rubbish.
I’ll see you again.
You’ve got my dictionary.
Kate’s beautiful.
You’ve finished now.
That isn’t a right thing to do.
Something’s wrong.
We’ve got plenty of time.
In pairs, choose some of the questions and write short dialogues, e.G.
A – You know Paul, don’t you?
B – No, I don’t think I’ve ever met him.
A – Are you sure? Weren’t you at Jane’s party last month? He was the DJ.
B – Oh, that’s Paul. Yes, I know him!
3.25. Make a new sentence with a tag question which has the same meaning as the first sentence, beginning as shown. Make any necessary changes.
Model: I’m sure that Paul doesn’t like football.
Paul doesn’t like football, does he?
1. I’m checking that you’ve cooked the dinner.
You ………………………………………….........................................................
2. I don’t think that you’ve done your homework!
You ……………………………………………………………………………….
3. I’m angry that you sat next to Ellen!
You ……………………………………………………………………………….
4. I’m surprised that the guests have arrived.
The guests …………………………………...........................................................
5. I’m checking that your name is John.
Your name………………………………………………………………………...
6. I’m surprised to meet you and think that your name might be John.
Your name………………………………………………………………………...
7. You’re certain that you didn’t leave your wallet in the desk.
You ……………………………………………………………………………….
8. You’re surprised that William has got married.
William……………………………………………………………………………
9. You’re checking that this book is by Geoffrey Archer.
This book……………………….............................................................................
3.26. Work in two groups. Agree a list of the ten best questions to help you guess the identity of an object you can’t see, e.g. What’s it made of? How big is it? Is it man-made? The questions must start with one of the question words (what, when, who, where, why, which, whose, how). You can’t ask what the object is called.
3.27. Work in two teams. Each team has to make a question (it can be a wh- or yes/no question), and for each grammatically correct question the team earns a point, but each question word can only be used once. You might find the following prompts handy.
what, when, who, where, why, which, whose, how (how much, how many, how long, how big, how often, etc.), do, does, did, have, has, had, am, are, is, was, were, will, would, can, could, must, may, might, should
3.28. Work in pairs. Ask each other as many questions as you can about something (clothes, shoes, bag, flat, eating habits, spending habits, daily routines, job, studies, hobbies, family, dreams, plans for the future, etc.).
3.29. INTERVIEWS
In pairs, ask questions to help you fill in this form with information about your partner, e.g. What’s your name?
Name |
Age |
Address |
Nationality |
|
Marital status |
|
Children |
Telephone number |
Job |
3.30. REPLY QUESTIONS
Work in pairs. Follow the model to reply with a short question and provide an answer to it.
Model 1: It’s raining. – Student 1: Is it? – Student 2: Yes, it is.
Model 2: It’s not here. – Student 1: Isn’t it? – Student 2: No, it isn’t.
He’s just arrived.
I’m studying economics.
There’s an e-mail for you.
I’d like to try.
I passed!
We’ve run out of sugar.
We’re going.
I’ll be back late.
They had a fight.
I don’t know.
They’ve moved to Belgium.
Nobody came to the party.
She wasn’t there.
Look. Harry gave me this.
He’s not in.
You look ill.
Ron’s read your diary.
Glenda won’t like it.
There’s no one at home.
You should go.
You’re late!
She’s pregnant again.
The lights don’t work.
We’d better not tell anyone
.