- •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
Unit 6. Making comparisons
REFERENCE
A Degrees of comparison of adjectives
Positive degree |
Comparative degree |
Superlative degree |
1 – 2 s y l l a b l e w o r d s |
||
tall |
taller (than) |
the tallest (of all) |
thin |
thinner (than) |
the thinnest (of all) |
easy |
easier (than) |
the easiest (of all) |
clever |
cleverer (than) |
the cleverest (of all) |
P o l y s y l l a b i c w o r d s |
||
beautiful |
more / less beautiful (than) |
the most / least beautiful (of all) |
attentive |
more / less attentive (than) |
the most / least attentive (of all) |
independent |
more / less independent (than) |
the most / least independent (of all) |
Mark is tall.
Mark is taller than me.
Mark is the tallest in the group.
Special forms
Positive degree |
Comparative degree |
Superlative degree |
good |
better (than) |
the best (of all) |
bad |
worse (than) |
the worst (of all) |
old |
older / elder (than) |
the oldest / eldest (of all) |
far |
farther / further (than) |
the farthest / furthest (of all) |
little |
less (than) |
the least (of all) |
“older/the oldest” – старший по возрасту, “elder/the eldest” – старший в семье. Ср.:
I am two years older than my cousin.
My elder brother Alex is a football player.
Farther / the farthest – отдалённый по расстоянию, further / the furthest, помимо этого значения, имеет и другое – «отдалённый во времени, относящийся к будущему». Ср.:
Your house is much farther/further than mine.
Further events will show who of us is right.
B Degrees of comparison of adverbs
Positive degree |
Comparative degree |
Superlative degree |
1 – 2 s y l l a b l e w o r d s |
||
hard |
harder (than) |
the hardest (of all) |
fast |
faster (than) |
the fastest (of all) |
late |
later (than) |
the latest (of all) |
early |
earlier (than) |
the earliest (of all) |
P o l y s y l l a b i c w o r d s |
||
beautifully |
more / less beautifully (than) |
the most / least beautifully (of all) |
attentively |
more / less attentively (than) |
the most / least attentively (of all) |
independently |
more / less independently (than) |
the most / least independently (of all) |
Paul always thinks independently.
He thinks more independently than Jane.
He thinks the most independently in the team.
Special forms
Positive degree |
Comparative degree |
Superlative degree |
well |
better (than) |
the best (of all) |
badly |
worse (than) |
the worst (of all) |
much many a lot of lots of |
more (than) |
the most (of all) |
little |
less (than) |
the least (of all) |
far |
farther / further (than) |
the farthest / furthest (of all) |
Financial managers earn a lot of money.
They earn more money than taxi drivers.
They earn the most money on the job market.
C Related constructions
Для выражения одинаковой степени наличия признака используется конструкция as + adjective/adverb + as. Конструкция not so/as + adjective/adverb + as синонимична конструкции less + adjective/adverb + than:
He is as gifted as his father.
Sharon draws as beautifully as Catherine.
He isn’t so/as gifted as his farther. = He is less gifted than his father.
Sharon doesn’t draw so/as beautifully as Catherine. = Sharon draws less beautifully than Catherine.
PRACTICE