English Grammar Exercises - Part I

8/3/2019 English Grammar Exercises - Part I

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1. BASIC SENTENCE PARTS

Here's a little rhyme by David B. Tower& Benjamin F. Tweed that teachers used in days gone by to help

students learn the parts of speech. (We include it here in response to

popular demand. Why the song leaves out pronouns is a mystery. A writer

from Richland, Washington, suggests "A PRONOUN replaces any noun: /

he, she, it, andyou are found.) It has been set to music, but we'll leave that

up to you to discover or create for yourself:

Three little words you often see

Are ARTICLES: a, an, and the.

A NOUN's the name of anything,

As:schoolorgarden, toy, orswing.

ADJECTIVES tell the kind of noun,

As:great, small, pretty, white, orbrown.

VERBS tell of something being done:

To read, write, count, sing, jump, orrun.

How things are done the ADVERBS tell,

As:slowly, quickly, badly, well.

CONJUNCTIONS join the words together,

As: men andwomen, wind orweather.

The PREPOSITION stands before

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A noun as: in orthrough a door.

The INTERJECTION shows surprise

As: Oh, how pretty! Ah! how wise!

The whole are called the PARTS of SPEECH,

Which reading, writing, speaking teach.

Sentence Parts:

Function and Usage Notes

Absolute

PhrasesAdjectives Adverbs

Determiners/

Articles

Clauses ComplementsCoordinated

AdjectivesConjunctions

Direct and

Indirect

Objects

Interjections Nouns Phrases

Predicates Prepositions Pronouns Subjects

Verbs and Verbals

(Infinitives, Participles, Gerunds)

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1.1. IDENTIFYING BASIC SENTENCE PARTS

1. In the following sentences, certain words or sentence parts are

italicised or written in ALL CAPS. Try to identify the sentence

part:

a) The FIRST sentence CONTAINS only a few basic parts.

b) Many sentences contain only one independent clause , BUTcompound sentences contain at least two independent clauses.

c) This INDEPENDENT clause CAN STAND by itself, HOWEVER, itIS nicely CONNECTED to another one just LIKE IT.

d) Although this clause contains a subject and verb , it cannot stand by

itself BECAUSE itIS INTRODUCED by a subordinating word.

e) Trying to break that world record IS BECOMING an exhausting

experiencefor the entire crew.

f) Intense and rumpled , her brow furrowed with anxiety, Josefinaarrived at her first job interview.

g) Perplexed by a string of last-second losses , Coach Calhoun GAVEhis assistants THE TASK of turning the team around.

h) After years OF FEELING ABUSED by his misuse OF POWER, the

voters of this city HAVE CHOSEN to remove the mayor FROMOFFICE.

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2.A very basic quiz: in this quiz, you will be matching the words in one

column with their definition in other column:

A VERY BASIC QUIZ

Your

AnswersWords Def. No. Definitions

Clause 1A word that modifies a verb,

adjective, or adverb

Gerund 2Locates something in time or

place

Adjective 3 Command, protest, or exclamation

Participle 4 Verb form acting as an adjective

adverb 5Group of related words containing

a subject and a verb

Phrase 6 The completer of a sentence

Infinitive 7 Verb form acting as a noun

Preposition 8Group of related words not

containing a subject and a verbPredicate 9 Modifies a noun

Interjection 10 "To" plus the root of the verb

3. In a question for which more than one response is correct, you must

select the opinion that indicates which responses are correct:

Part one

A) There are four possible answers to this question. Select the word or

phrase that is the simple subject in sentence one.

a. There

b. question

c. possible

d. answers

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B) Running through the park after dark can be very dangerous. What

is the subject of this sentence?

a. Running

b. parkc. dark

d. Running through the park after dark

e. Either (a) or (d) above.

C) After she had purchased all her Christmas gifts, Julia felt much

better about the upcoming holidays. How would you describe, After she

had purchased all her Christmas gifts?

a. an introductory adverb clauseb. a dangling participle

c. a misplaced modifier

d. an adjective clause

e. a tasteful infraction

D) His hair greased down and his comb sticking out of his back pocket,

Jerzi looked like a rock star out of the early 50s. How would you

describe His hair greased down and his comb sticking out of his back

pocket?

a. an introductory adverb clause

b. a prepositional phrase

c. an absolute phrase

d. a dependent clause modifying Jerzi

e. an idiom

E) My mother-in-law, who just moved into a retirement community,

recently retired as Mayor of Middleburg. How would you describe,

who just moved into a retirement community?

a. an adjective clause modifying mother-in-law

b. an absolute phrase

c. a parenthetical element

d. an adverb clause

e. Both (a) and (c).

F) Laughter is the best medicine. What term describes the wordlaughter?

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a. a collective noun

b. a mass noun

c. a count noun

d. a proper noune. a super nominal

G) For three months now, hes been learning to bunt his way onto first

base. How would you describe, to bunt his way onto first base?

a. an absolute phrase

b. the indirect object of this sentence

c. a reflexive pronoun

d. an infinitive phrase acting as the object of this sentencee. Both (b) and (d)

____________________________________________________________

Part two

A) Dr. Pepinsky is the last of those professors who wears a tie in theclassroom. This sentence illustrates a problem in:

a. pronoun-antecedent agreement

b. punctuation

c. spelling

d. subject-verb agreement

e. This sentence has no grammatical problems

B) Tashonda wanted to calmly and deliberately and without prejudicemake up her own mind. This sentence illustrates a problem referred to as:

a. inconsistency in tense

b. subject-verb agreement

c. a split infinitive

d. sexist language

e. Both (c) and (d)

C) The students knew that Professor Villa teaches molecular biology at

the university. This sentence illustrates a problem in:

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a. pronoun-antecedent agreement

b. a run-on sentence or fused sentence

c. verb tense consistency

d. squinting modifiere. both (a) and (b) above

D) Calixta gave her professor the best paper she has ever written.In this sentence, her professor is

a. the indirect object

b. the direct object

c. a predicate noun

d. an absolute phrase

E) After the invention of television, small movie theatres began closing

down. The phrase After the invention of television could be described as:

a. an introductory adverbial clause

b. an absolute phrase

c. a prepositional phrase acting as an adjective

d. a clich

e. a prepositional phrase acting as an adverb

F) Coach Espinoza met with her new recruits and tried to instil in them

the drive to win that had characterized her teams in the past. We could

categorize this sentence as:

a. a run-on sentence

b. a compound-complex sentence

c. a complex sentence

d. a compound sentence

e. both (a) and (d)

G) Young patients who are visited by their parents often get released

earlier. We could describe this sentence as:

a. having a squinting modifier

b. being a run-on sentence

c. having a comma-splice

d. being a compound sentence

e. either (b) or (c)

H) To know him is to love him. The phrase to know him is:

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a. the subject of this sentence

b. the predicate of this sentence

c. an infinitive phrase acting as a noun

d. both (a) and (c)

4.

A. In the sentence I would like to spend the summer writing, the

underlined word is which of the following?

a. main verb

b. modal verb

c. adverb

d. adjectivee. none of the above

B. In the sentence Please place all dogs on leash, the underlined word is

which of the following?

a. adjective

b. adverb

c. preposition

d. interjection

e. none of the above

C. In the sentence You may pick up your exams after I have finished

grading them, the underlined word is which of the following?

a. preposition

b. verb

c. adverb

d. coordinating conjunction

e. subordinating conjunction

D. In the sentence His parents are poor but honest, the underlined

word is which of the following?

a. preposition

b. verb

c. adverb

d. coordinating conjunction

e. subordinating conjunction

E. In the sentence Although she is from Texas, she doesnt sound or actlike it, the underlined word is which of the following?

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a. preposition

b. verb

c. adverb

d. coordinating conjunctione. subordinating conjunction

F. What is the full tense classification of the sentence John is writing his

second book?

a. present

b. present perfect

c. present progressive

d. present perfect progressivee. none of the above

G. What is the full time classification of the sentence Mary will be

completing her Ph.D. next May?

a. future perfect

b. future perfect progressive

c. future

d. future progressive

e. none of the above

H. What is the full tense classification of the sentence I have been

working on my web page?

a. future perfect


c. perfect progressive

d. present perfect progressive

e. progressive perfect

I. What is the full tense classification of the sentence I will have

completed my dissertation by May?

a. future perfect


c. future

d. future passive

e. future passive perfect

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J. What is the voice of the sentence He will have been talked into

leading the team by that time?

a. active

b. passivec. semi-active

d. semi-passive

e. lifeless

1.2. NOUNS

A noun is the name of a person, place, thing, or idea.

Whatever exists, we assume, can be named, and that name is a noun. A

proper noun, which names a specific person, place, or thing (Carlos,

Queen Marguerite, Middle East, Jerusalem, Malaysia, Presbyterianism,

God, Spanish, Buddhism, the Republican Party), is almost alwayscapitalized. A proper noun used as an addressed person's name is called a

noun of address. Common nouns name everything else, things that

usually are not capitalized.

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

Bright copperkettles and warm woollen mittens

Brown paperpackages tied up with strings

These are a few of my favourite nouns

Cream coloured ponies and crisp apple strudels

Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles

Wild geese that fly with the moon on theirwings


Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes

Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes

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Silver white winters that melt into springs


When the dog bites

When the bee stings

When I'm feeling sad

I simply remember my favourite nouns

And then I don't feel so bad.

Apologies to Oscar Hammerstein II,

Lyricist of My Favourite Things from

The Sound Of Music

1.

The following paragraph is taken from Ernest

Hemingways short story The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber.Indicate all forms of nouns in order in which they appear in the text:

Francis Macomber had, half an hour before, been carried to his

tent from the edge of the camp in triumph on the arms and shoulders of

the cook, the personal boys, the skinner and the porters. The gun-bearershad taken no part in the demonstration. When the native boys put him

down at the door of his tent, he had shaken their hands, received their

congratulations, and then gone into the tent and sat on the bed until his

wife came in. She did not speak to him when she came in and he left the

tent at once to wash his face and hands in the portable washbasin outside

and go over to the dining tent to sit in a comfortable canvas chair in the

breeze and the shade.

2. An Exercise in Noun Definition

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In the picture above (Pieter Bruegel the Elder's Landscapewith the Fall of Icarus [c. 1558; Oil on canvas, mounted onwood, 73.5 x 112 cm; Muses Royaux des Beaux-Arts de

Belgique, Brussels]), name eight things that you can see orcould touch if you could physically enter the painting

concrete nouns. For the purposes of this exercise, name only

singular items in this first text-area (for example, you can't

use "cloud" because there is more than one cloud).

Now name eight concrete nouns that exist in the plural in this

painting.

How many of the plural nouns were made plural simply by

adding s ores to the end of the noun? Did you name any

that were made plural in other ways? Did you list any nounsthat didnt change form (from the singular) but were

nonetheless plural (hint: those white woolly things)? Did you

name any plurals that have no singular form at all?

Now, stretching your imagination a bit, name four things that

you cant really see or touch but that are in the painting. These

will be non-count nouns and some of them will probably be

abstract nouns.

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Are there any collective nouns in this painting? Try to come

up with one.

Now if youve really been paying attention, there is one more

type of noun you can come up with. You should be able to listone proper noun. (Hint: we dont know the ploughmans

name).

3. Recognizing Count and Non-Count Nouns

In each space in the following sentences, indicate whether the noun

preceding that space is a count noun (using the letter C) or a non-count

noun (using the letters NC). Some of these words could be either count ornon-count nouns, but you should determine how each is being used in the

context of the sentence in which it appears.

a). Jorge___sent me information___about Chilean wines___.

b). This restaurant___serves the best Thai food___in the city___.

c). The traffic___during rush hour___is really horrible.

d). Can you give me advice___about finding work___in Port-land___?

e). Most men___in my family___dont wear jewellery___.

f). Soldiers___at the edge of town___stole all the equipment___.

g). We need money___to buy new furniture___for our bedroom___.

h). Lets play some music___.

i). The office___has its own stationary___.

j). It takes a lot of patience___to learn how to appreciate good wine___.

k). We hold these truths___to be self-evident.

l). Its hard to discover the truth___about this particular case.

m). For such large women___, the Klandutzy sisters___move across the

dance floor___with astonishing grace___.

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n). It took great courage___for Farboddy___to admit to embezzling

funds___from the bank.

4.Nouns. A Crossword Puzzle This puzzle should help you refine your

sense of what is a count noun and what is a non-count noun. Type thecorrect letter in each box:

Across -- Non-Count Nouns4. Giggles5. too many cars7. Funds9. sweet for the sweet

Down -- Count Nouns1. put food on2. big fish3. nasty burp6. Penalties7. women's opposite8. aural organ

1 2 3

4

5 6

7 8

9

5.Make person nounsfrom each of the following verbs:

1.teach. 2. learn. 3. read. 4. drink. 5. sleep. 6. bathe. 7. smoke. 8. write.

9. play. 10. speak. 11. swim. 12. run.

6.Exercise in Plurals and Possessives

Each space in the paragraph below is preceded by an opportunity for

error in the formation of plurals or possessives. If the word is correct,write a C in the space; if it is incorrect, write an I:

THE FAMILY REUNION

My friend's___, the Rodriguez's___, had a big family reunion last summer.

They hadn't been together since the late 1980's___, according to Carmen,

and there were many cousins___ she hadn't seen since then and some new

baby's___ she'd never met before. "Aunt Flo___ and Uncle Silvio's

___family had really grown," she said. Flo, who already had five kids ofher own, had divorced and remarried and Flo's___ and Silvio's___ kids___

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like a bunch of elves___ filled a minivan and two taxi___. Fortunately, Flo

and Silvio have PhD's___ in psychology with good incomes to match. "We

should've leased busses___ for everyone," Carmen added.

They had their big dinner down at that place owned by Joe Pagani,Paganis___ Ristorante, Illinois's___ most popular and expensive restaurant.

It was jammed and familys___ kept arriving in bunch's___ until some

people ended up sitting on box's___ and benches___. The waitresses___

went crazy keeping up with the order's___, especially with kids ordering

from the childrens' ___menu. When it came time to pay the bill, they

couldn't find Agnes's ___purse, and she had collected all the money. They

had a lot of laughes___ about washing all those dish's___ until Uncle

Antony found his baby girl, Eutrusca, curled up under his chair, sound

asleep, using Agneses' ___bag for a pillow. Eutrusca hadn't waited for her

grandpas ___long after-dinner speech to put her to sleep.

7. Quiz on Possessives and Irregular Plurals

A. Form the plurals of the following words. Capitalize any proper nouns:

a. child

b. ATM

c. woman

d. son-in-lawe. criterion

f. also-ran

g. teaspoonful

h. George

i. Kennedy

j. basis

k. fly

l. ski

m. soliloquyn. potato

o. elf

p. buffalo

B. Form the possessive of the following words. Capitalize any proper

nouns. Wherever more than one word is listed, show the possessive of the

italicised word.

a. mother-in-law

b. a dollars worthc. the Carpenters children

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d. Moses journeye. everybody

f. thepeoples choiceg. the elves dance

h. my HMOs policyi. womens rights

8. Plurals and Count- Non-Count Nouns

Next to each word in the list, type correctly the plural for that word. If that

word cannot be pluralized because its a non-count noun, type in the letter

X:

1. man________________

2. furniture ____________

3. experience___________

4. Kennedy____________

5. ski ________________

6. gas ________________

7. box _______________

8. peace ______________

9. cactus ______________

10. criterion ___________11. baby ______________

12. memo _____________

13. work ______________

14. self _______________

15. applause ___________

16. dancing ______________

17. 1990 ________________

18. aluminium ____________

19. fax __________________

20. roof _________________

21. fish _________________

22. child ________________

23. difficulty _____________

24. knowledge ____________

25. goose ________________26. video ________________

27. curriculum ____________

28. biology ______________

29. URL ________________

30. dish _________________

9. Subjector! This quiz is designed to test your ability to recognize simple

subjects and compound subjects (Remember that a simple subject is not

always one word. If there is a compound subject, include the conjunctionthat connect the parts of the subject):

The simple or compound subject in the following sentence___________is:

1. To err is human.

2. Shouldnt Shermans bus be arriving soon?

3. Here, then, is the root of the matter.

4.The narrator of the fairy tales in these books of ancient stories is a

woman.

5. My brother and three sisters live on a mountaintop in Tennessee.

6.Wishing for better grades wont do you much good.7. This story about the three witches is really scary.

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8. There is no excuse for such behaviour.

9. What you told me about Albert will remain a secret between us.

10. Wesleyan, Trinity and Williams are members of so called Little Three.

1.3. ARTICLES, DETERMINERS AND QUANTIFIERS

Articles, determiners, and quantifiers are those little words

that precede and modify nouns: the teacher, a college, a bit ofhoney, that

person, those people, whateverpurpose, eitherway,yourchoiceSometimes these words will tell the reader or listener whether we're

referring to a specific or general thing (the garage out back; A horse! A

horse! My kingdom fora horse!); sometimes they tell how much or how

many (lots oftrees,severalbooks, a great deal ofconfusion).

1.3.1. Articles

In English, the words a, an and the are called articles.

The indefinite articles:

There are two indefinite articles:

a and an

For example: Can I have a sandwich? Can I have an apple?The definite article

There is one definite article:

the

For example:London is the capital of England.The zero article

Sometimes we don't use any article. In this case, we can say we use the

zero article (zero = nothing).

For example:Apples are good for us.

1.3.2. Determiners are said to "mark" nouns. That is to say, you

know a determiner will be followed by a noun. Some categories of

determiners are limited (there are only three articles, a handful of

possessive pronouns, etc.), but the possessive nouns are as limitless as

nouns themselves. These categories of determiners are as follows: thearticles (an, a, the), possessive nouns (Joe's, the priest's, my mother's);

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possessive pronouns, (his, your, their, whose, etc.); numbers (one, two,

etc.); indefinite pronouns (few, more, each, every, either, all, both, some,

any, etc.); and demonstrative pronouns (this, that, these, those, such).

1.3.3. Like articles, quantifiers are words that precede and modifynouns. They tell us how many or how much. Selecting the correct

quantifier depends on your understanding the distinction between Count

and Non-Count Nouns.

1.Write the appropriate article a, an, the- in the spaces provided:

Cold Comfort,by Michael Castleman, fromMother Jones Magazine,

March/April 1998

Not so long ago, many of us resisted separating ___ glass, cans, and

paper out of our garbage. What ___ hassle. Today, of course, every

second-grader knows that ___ world's resources are limited and that

recycling helps preserve them. We act locally, while thinking globally. It's

time to bring ___ same consciousness to health care as we face ___

growing medical crisis: ___ loss of antibiotic effectiveness against

common bacterial illnesses. By personally refusing ___ or not demanding

___ antibiotics for viral illnesses they won't cure, we can each take ___

step toward prolonging overall antibiotic effectiveness.

Media reports have likely made you aware of this problem, but they have

neglected ___ implications. Your brother catches ___ cold that turns into

___ sinus infection. His doctor treats him with antibiotics, but ___ bacteria

are resistant to all of them. The infection enters his bloodstream ___ a

condition known as septicaemia ___ and ___ few days later, your brother

dies. (Septicaemia is what killed Muppets creator Jim Henson a few years

ago) Or instead of ___cold, he has ___infected cut that won't heal, or any

other common bacterial disease, such as___ear or prostate infection.

Far-fetched? It's not. ___antibiotics crisis is real. Consider Streptococcus

pneumonia: This common bacterium often causes post-flu pneumonia.

(Pneumonia and influenza combined are ___country's sixth leading cause

of death, killing 82,500 Americans in 1996.) Before 1980, less than 1

percent of S. pneumonia samples showed any resistance to penicillin. As of

last May, researchers at ___Naval Medical Centre in San Diego discovered

that 22 percent of S. pneumonia samples were highly resistant to it, with

another 15 percent moderately so. And___most recent statistics from___Sentry Antimicrobial Surveillance Program, which monitors bacterial

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resistance at 70 medical centres in___U.S., Canada, Europe, and South

America, show that 44 percent of S. pneumonia samples in the U.S. are

highly resistant, and worldwide, resistance is at___all-time high (55

percent).

Strains of S. pneumonia are also now resistant to tetracycline,

erythromycin, clindamycin, chloramphenicol, and several other antibiotics.

And there's a "plausible risk" that we'll run out of options for treating other

types of pneumonia as well, according to infectious disease expert Joshua

Lederberg of Rockefeller University in New York.___not-too-distant

future promises ___potential failure of medicine's ability to treat ___broad

range of bacterial infections -- from urinary tract infections to meningitis to

tuberculosis.

Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a direct outgrowth of the overuse of

these drugs. In classic Darwinian fashion,___more doctors prescribe

antibiotics,___more likely it is for some lucky bacterium blessed with ___

minor genetic variation to survive antibiotic assault-and pass its resistance

along to its offspring. The solution is obvious: Doctors should prescribe

antibiotics only as ___last resort.

This strategy works. In___early 1990s, Finnish public health authorities

responded to rising bacterial resistance to erythromycin by discouraging itsuse as a first-line treatment for certain infections. From 1991 to 1992,

erythromycin consumption per capita dropped 43 percent. By 1996,

bacterial resistance to___antibiotic had been cut almost in half. But

American doctors are doing___spectacularly lousy job of keeping their

pens off their prescription pads, most notably by prescribing antibiotics for

___common cold and other upper respiratory tract infections (URIs). Data

from___National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey show that bronchitis

and URIs account for___third of___nation's antibiotic prescriptions.

Antibiotics treat only bacterial infections and are completely powerlessagainst viral illnesses. Every doctor knows this.

Yet, according to___recent study by Dr. Ralph Gonzalez, ___assistant

professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Health Sciences

Center in Denver, when adults consult physicians for URIs and ___

bronchitis that often follows them, more than half walk out with ___

prescription for ___antibiotic. If doctors simply stopped prescribing

antibiotics for conditions they know don't respond to them, we'd instantlybe well on our way to minimizing antibiotic resistance.

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Why are doctors so ready to prescribe antibiotics? Physicians are quick to

blame___public. Patients, they say, demand antibiotics, and doctors are so

terrified of malpractice suits they prescribe them to keep their customers

happy and their lawyers at bay.

There's another side to___story: Doctors are trained that there's___pill for

every ill (or there should be). All of their medical education conspires to

make___antibiotic prescription their knee-jerk reaction to any infection,

which may or may not have___bacterial cause.

In addition, prescribing antibiotics is the doctors' path of least resistance.

It's easier than taking___time to explain that antibiotics are worthlessagainst viral infections, and to recommend rest, fluids, and vitamin C-or,

God forbid,___herbal, homeopathic, Chinese, or other complementary

treatment. Most medical practices schedule patients at 15-minute intervals.

Rather than doing what they know is right for public health, it's much

quicker for doctors to whip out the prescription pad and send people on

their merry, albeit misinformed way.

In___better world, medical education would be less drug-oriented and ___health care system would encourage doctors to take ___time to be effective

health educators. But even in our imperfect world, some basic health

education can help prevent frivolous antibiotic use from boomeranging.

Like our doctors, we Americans have been socialized into believing that

antibiotics are miracle drugs that can cure just about everything. They

aren't, and they don't. We've also been trained to think that colds and their

lingering coughs should clear up in ___few days. They usually don't ___

even if you load up on cold formulas that promise to make all symptomsmagically vanish. A study by University of Virginia professor of medicine

Jack Gwaltney, one of___nation's top cold researchers, shows that nearly

one-third of adults with colds are still coughing after 10 days. Meanwhile,

according to a recent survey by researchers at Louisiana State University

Medical Centre in New Orleans, after just five days of cold symptoms, 61

percent of adults are ready to head for their doctors ___ and ask for

unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions.

My fellow Americans, the next time you feel ___cold coming on, mark

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your calendar. Unless you start coughing up lots of green sputum or

develop unusual symptoms ___ for example, a fever that does not respond

to aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol), or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) ___

think twice about calling your doctor before two weeks have passed.

What I do instead is, from ___moment I feel the infection coming on, I

drink lots of hot fluids, take 500 to 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C four

times a day, suck on ___zinc lozenge every two waking hours, and mix

half a teaspoon of tincture of echinacea, ___immune-boosting herb, into

juice or tea three times a day.

Reliable studies show that these approaches reduce ___severity and

duration of colds. If you develop ___persistent cough at ___tail end ofyour cold, keep taking vitamin C and try an over-the-counter cough

suppressant containing dextromethorphan.

If we hope to preserve antibiotic effectiveness, it's up to us, ___public, to

convince doctors to prescribe these drugs only when they're necessary.

This from-the- bottom-up approach is nothing new. Health consumers have

taken the lead in showing doctors ___value of fitness, nutrition, and

alternative therapies. It's time we get serious about antibiotics.

2. Exercises in Choosing Articles

A). In this exercise, your task is to provide the correct article in each blank

space, or to indicate that no article is appropriate; type in the article that

would best fit in that space - a, an the -If none of these are appropriate andzero article is appropriate instead, write the number 0 (zero).

___Oxford is___city in___southern

England, only___hour and___half from

___London by___car.___Oxford has___

two universities and___car factory.

There is___university in___city centre,

which is very old and famous, with

___beautiful college buildings. ___Oxford also has___new university,

in___east Oxford. ___university in___city centre is___oldest

in__England.___car factory is in___Crowley, East Oxford. It producesMini Cooper cars for___BMW.___original Mini was___inexpensive

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car, very small and popular in___UK.___new Mini Coopers are also

small, but fast and not so cheap.

In___daytime,___cars and___buses cant drive through___centre

of___Oxford any more. Thats good, because___people can walk in___middle of___street, and ___air is cleaner.

B). Complete the answers. Choose [x] if no article is right.

a. Wheres Oxford? In a an the x south of England.

b. Whens the next train to Oxford? In about -a an the x hour.

c. Where can I change money? In a an the x centre of Oxford.

d. Where are you staying? At a an the x hotel in Oxford.

e. Where do you study? Ata an the x university in England.

f. Where do you work? Ata an the x car factory in England.

g. What do you wear at work?A An The X uniform.

h. Where do you come from?A An The X UK.

i. Are you interested in sports? I love playinga an the x

football.

j. Would you like a beer? No, I never drinka an the x alcohol.

C). Type in the correct article that would best fit in that space a, an, the. If

none of these are appropriate and zero article is appropriate instead,

write the number 0 (zero):

Soccer or ___football (orfoosballorfutbol), as it is called by ___rest of___world outside ___United States is surely ___most popular sport in

the world. Every four years, the world championship of soccer, ___World

Cup, is watched by literally billions all over the world, beating out the

United States professional football's Super bowl by far. It is estimated that

1.5 billion people watched the World Cup final between Italy and Brazil in

1994. And it is also ___genuine world championship, involving teams from

many countries (as many as 172) and played in venues all over ___globe,unlike ___much more parochial and misnamed World Series in

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___American baseball (that doesn't even involve Japan or Cuba, two

baseball hotbeds). But although ___soccer has become ___important sport

in ___American sports scene, it will never make inroads into ___hearts and

markets of ___American sports the way that football, basketball, hockey,

baseball, and even ___tennis and golf have done. There are many reasonsfor this.

Recently ___New England Revolution beat ___Tampa Bay Mutiny in

___game played during ---horrid rainstorm. Nearly 5000 fans showed up,

which shows that soccer is, indeed, popular in the United States. However,

the story of ___game was buried near ___back of ___newspaper's sports

section, and there was certainly no television coverage. In fact, ___biggest

reason for soccer's failure as ---mass appeal sport in the United States is

that it doesn't conform easily to ___demands of television.

Basketball succeeds enormously in ___America because it regularly

schedules what it calls "television time-outs" as well as the time-outs that

___teams themselves call to re-group, not to mention half-times and, on the

professional level, quarter breaks. Those time-outs in the action are ideally

made for television commercials. And ___television coverage is ___

lifeblood of ___American sports. College basketball lives for ___game

scheduled on ___CBS or ESPN (highly recruited high school players are

more likely to go to ___team that regularly gets ___national television

exposure), and we could even say that ___television coverage has dictated

___pace and feel of American football. Anyone who has attended ___live

football game knows how commercial time-outs slow the game and

sometimes, at its most exciting moments, disrupt ___flow of events. No

one raises ___objection, however, because without ___television, football

knows that it simply wouldn't remain in ___homes and hearts of

Americans. Also, without those advertising dollars, the teams couldn't

afford ___sky-high salaries of their high-priced superstars.

3. Quantifiers A basic quiz. Select from the word provided the correct

quantifier for the blank text areas:

I. In the following sentences, fill in the gaps with one of the following

quantifiers:

much, many

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a. It seems to me that weve had _____assignments in English this

term.

b. How_____material can we expected to read in one week?

c. _____books are not in the library.

d. Ive had_____headaches already because of stress.e. _____depression can be attributed to being overworked.

If you got them all correct, go back and substitute either lots of or a lot

of where you think those quantifiers might be appropriate.

II. In the following sentences, fill in the gaps with one of the following

quantifiers:

much, many, few, little, most

When youve got all the answers correct, see if you can substitute other

quantifiers from the list. (HINT: Three of the last four sentences could

have two different answers).

a. Our yard looks awful this summer. There are too_____weeds.

b. I didnt use _____fertilizer last spring, and that have made a

difference.

c. Also, Ive paid _____attention to how_____rain weve had.

d. Im afraid its rained _____times this summer, and the grass isturning brown and dying.

e. _____experts say you should fertilize your lawn in the fall.

f. It didnt seem to do my lawn _____good.

g. _____advice you get from experts doesnt seem to help.

h. _____of my neighbours ignore their grass, and they have better

lawns this year.

III. In the following sentences, fill in the gaps with one of the following

quantifiers:

a little, little, a few, few

Again, when youve got all the answers correct, go back and try

substituting other quantifies. (HINT: Three of the four can have more than

one correct response)

a. They say _____knowledge is a bad thing.

b. I know _____instances where that prove true.

c. _____people know as much about computers as Tomas does.

d. But it does him_____good when the whole system goes down.

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4.Quantifiers Fill in the gaps

For each item choose a quantifier from the list below:

A few, a great deal, a little, a lot, a lot of, a majority of, enough, many,

much of, plenty, several of, some

a. Im having _____of trouble passing my driving exam.

b. _____the movies were rated PG.

c. _____information proved to be outdated.

d. Were close to the project deadline, but there is still ____time left.

e. Although there are_____brilliant students in this state____

thousands, even, only ____will choose to remain in the state after

graduation.

f. We were able to destroy _____the parasites with our antigen, but_____of them survived to cause trouble.

g. _____a student has passed through these doors.

h. Although _____of the lawn is open in the sun, there are _____of

shade trees to make it comfortable.

i. I think he drank ______wine last night.

j. _____the evidence was taken from the police safe last night.

1.4. ADJECTIVES

Adjectives are words that describe or modify another person or

thing in the sentence. The Articles a, an, and the are adjectives.

the tall professor the lugubrious lieutenant

a solid commitment

a month's pay

a six-year-old child

the unhappiest, richest man

In English, it is common to use more than one adjective before a noun

- for example, "He's a silly young fool," or " she's a smart, energetic

woman." When you use more than one adjective, you have to put them in

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the right order, according to type. This page will explain the different types

of adjectives and the correct order for them.

Opinion

An opinion adjective explains what you think about something

(other people may not agree with you). Examples:silly, beautiful, horrible, difficult

Size

A size adjective, of course, tells you how big or small something

is. Examples:

large, tiny, enormous, little

Age

An age adjective tells you how young or old something or

someone is. Examples:

ancient, new, young, old

Shape

A shape adjective describes the shape of something. Examples:

square, round, flat, rectangular

Colour

A colour adjective, of course, describes the colour of something.

Examples:

blue, pink, reddish, grey

Origin

An origin adjective describes where something comes from.

Examples:

French, lunar, American, eastern, Greek

Material

A material adjective describes what something is made from.

Examples:

wooden, metal, cotton, paper

Purpose

A purpose adjective describes what something is used for. These

adjectives often end with "-ing". Examples:

sleeping (as in "sleeping bag"), roasting (as in "roasting tin")

1.4.1. Some examples of adjective order

Opinion Size Age Shape Colour Origin Material Purpose

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a silly young English man

a huge round metal bowl

a small red sleeping bag

1.4.2. Comparison of Adjectives

Positive Comparative Superlative

Quiet quieter the quietest

Old older the oldest

Young younger the youngest

Tall taller the tallestFat fatter the fattest

Thin thinner the thinnest

Noisy noisier the noisiest

Pretty prettier the prettiest

Good better the best

Bad worse the worst

Much more the most

Many more the most

a little less the least

1. Which is the correct order?

a small Canadian thin lady

a Canadian small thin lady

a small thin Canadian lady

a thin small Canadian lady

a carving steel new knife

a new steel carving knife

a steel new carving knife

a new carving steel knife

a beautiful blue sailing boat

a blue beautiful sailing boat

a sailing beautiful blue boat

a blue sailing beautiful boat

an old wooden square table

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a square wooden old table

an old square wooden table

a wooden old square table

a new French exiting band

a French new exiting bandan exiting French new band

an exiting new French band

a red big plastic hat

a big red plastic hat

a plastic big red hat

a big plastic red hat

a small Japanese serving bowl

a Japanese small serving bowl

a small serving Japanese bowla serving small Japanese bowl

a cotton dirty old tie

a dirty cotton old tie

an old cotton dirty tie

a dirty old cotton tie

2. The following paragraph is taken from D.H.Lawrences

short story The Horse Dealers Daughter. Select theadjectives, predicate adjectives, and modifying participles

in the order in which they appear in the text-area below:

And he hastened straight down, running over the wet,

saddened fields, pushing through the hedges, down into the

depression of callous, wintry obscurity. It took him several

minutes to come to the pond. He stood on the bank, breathing heavily.

He could see nothing. His eyes seemed to penetrate the dead water. Yes,

perhaps that was the dark shadow of her black clothing beneath the

surface of the water.

He slowly ventured into the pond. The bottom was deep, soft clay,

then he sank in, and the water claspedhis legs. As he stirred he could

smell the cold, rotten clay that fouled up into the water. It was

objectionable in his lungs. Still, repelled and yet not heeding, he moved

deeper into the pond. The cold water rose over his thighs, over his loins,

upon his abdomen. The lower part of his body was all sunk in the

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hideous cold element. And the bottom was so deeply soft and uncertain,

he was afraid of pitching with his mouth underneath. He could not swim,

and was afraid.

3. Select a word or phrase that could correctly complete the sentence:a. Those are probably the ___________ curtains in the store.

fancyest

fanciest

most fanciest

b. Uncle Carl is really ______________________ man.

an old sweet

a sweet, old

a sweet old

c. The Karmen-Ghia used to be _________________ sports car.

a fine German

a German, fine

a fine, German

d. Everyone was home for the holidays. What could make for

___________ Christmas than that?

a merryer

the merriest

a merrier

e. They grew up in ___________________ house in Mexico City.

a comfortable, little

a little, comfortable

a comfortable little

f. Diehardis the ____________ movie I've ever seen.

most excitedmost exciting

most exciteable

g. Tashonda wanted to take a course with _____________________

professor.

that interesting new Japanese economics

that Japanese interesting, new economics

that interesting, new, Japanese, economics

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h. Of all the mechanics in the shop, Jerzy is surely ______________ .

the less competent.

the least competent.

the competentest.i. In the fall, the valleys tend to be ___________ than the hilltops.

foggy

more foggier

foggier

j. My cold is definitely _________ this morning.

worse

worst

worser

4. Put the adjectives in the Comparative orSuperlative form:

a. What (nice) present is there than a box of chocolates?

b. What (good) present is there than a box of cigarettes?c. My cigarettes are not the (expensive) in London.d. This is the (wonderful) and (beautiful) picture that has ever come out

of Hollywood.

e. Frieda is (old) than Hans; she is the (old) in the family.f. Summer is (warm) than winter.g. Summer is the (warm) of the four seasons.h. London is (big) than Manchester.

i. Manchester is (small) than London.

j. The aeroplane is (fast) than the train.

k. This picture is (beautiful) than Romeo and Julietand is (moving)thanLimelight.

l. The train is (slow) than the aeroplane.

m. Frieda is (pretty) than her sister.n. Lucille is (slim) than she was a year ago.

o. Winter in London is (foggy) than in Paris.

p. These are the (bad) cigarettes I have ever smoke.

q. If these are the (good) cigarettes in London, the (bad) must be

terrible.

r. I think I am the (bad) dancer in the world.

s. You are not (bad) than I am.

t. Your work is much (good) than it was last week.

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1.5. ADVERBS

Adverbs are words that modify:

a verb (He drove slowly. How did he drive?)

an adjective (He drove a very fast car. How fast was his car?)

another adverb (She moved quite slowly down the aisle. How slowly did

she move?)As we will see, adverbs often tell when, where, why, or under what

conditions something happens or happened. Adverbs frequently end in -ly;however, many words and phrases not ending in -ly serve an adverbialfunction and an -ly ending is not a guarantee that a word is an adverb. Thewords lovely, lonely, motherly, friendly, neighbourly, for instance, areadjectives:

That lovely woman lives in a friendly neighbourhood.

If a group of words containing a subject and verb acts as an adverb(modifying the verb of a sentence), it is called an Adverb Clause:

When this class is over, we're going to the movies.When a group of words not containing a subject and verb acts as an adverb,

it is called an adverbial phrase.

There is a basic order in which adverbs will appear when there is more than

one. It is similar to The Royal Order of Adjectives, but it is even more

flexible.

THE ROYAL ORDER OF ADVERBS

Verb Manner Place Frequency Time Purpose

Beth

swimsenthusiastically

in the

pool

every

morning

before

dawn

to keep in

shape.

Dad

walks

impatientlyinto

town

every

afternoon

before

supper

to get a

newspaper.

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Tashonda

naps

in her

room

every

morning

before

lunch.

In actual practice, of course, it would be highly unusual to have a

string of adverbial modifiers beyond two or three (at the most).

Because the placement of adverbs is so flexible, one or two of the

modifiers would probably move to the beginning of the sentence:

"Every afternoon before supper, Dad impatiently walks into town

to get a newspaper." When that happens, the introductory

adverbial modifiers are usually set off with a comma.

1.For each question, select the most appropriate order of modifiers or

the only appropriate placement of modifier(s).

A. Select the sentence in which usually appears in an appropriate position:

a. She usually shops for clothes at the local thrift store.

b. Usually she shops for clothes at the local thrift store.

c. She shops for clothes at the local thrift store usually.

d. Either a or b is correct.

B. Select the sentence with the most appropriate order of adverbial phrases.

a. She leaves the island during the months of December and January

after dark.

b. She leaves the island after dark during the months of December

and January.

c. Either a or b is correct.

C. Select the sentence with the most appropriate order of adverbs and

adverbial phrases.

a. Ramonita prays at St. Matthews Church fervently for her

grandmothers recovery.

b. Ramonita prays fervently for her grandmothers recovery at

St.Matthews Church.c. Ramonita prays fervently at St. Matthews Church for her

grandmothers recovery.

d. Any one of the above is correct.

D. Select the sentence with the most appropriate order of adverbial phrases

a. Juan made an appointment to see his doctor at two oclock on the

first Thursday of July next summer.

b. Juan made an appointment next summer to see his doctor next

July at two oclock on the first Thursday.c. Either a or b is correct.

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E. Select the sentence with the most appropriate order of modifiers

a. My father was born in Cleveland in the backroom of a bakery.

b. My father was born in the backroom of a bakery in Cleveland.


F. Select the sentence with the most appropriate order of modifiers

a. Dry the car carefully with a soft fluffy towel.

b. Dry the car with a soft fluffy towel carefully.

c. Carefully dry the car with a soft fluffy towel

d. Either a or c is correct.

G. Select the most emphatic position for the adverbial modifier of this

sentencea. Rarely do we see this kind of talent on a small-town high school

baseball team.

b. We rarely see this kind of talent on a small-town high school

baseball team

c. a and b are equally emphatic.

H. Select the sentence with the most appropriate order of adverbial

modifiers

a. He found the golf clubs that his father had used to win the U.S.

Open in the car trunk.

b. In the car trunk, he found the golf clubs that his father had used to

win the U.S. Open.

I. Select the sentence with the most appropriate position for the adjectival

modifier

a. These miniature roses only grow to be an inch across.

b. These miniature roses grow to be only an inch across.


1.6. PREPOSITIONS

Time Prepositions: at, in, on, until, by, for

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Direction Prepositions: down, down from, in, into, out, out

of, up, up to, across, along, around, over, through, under.

Location Prepositions: at, in, on.

Position Prepositions: at, next, under, behind, in, in front of,

on.

Complete the sentences below by choosing the correct prepositions:

1 (A).

a. Jane is arriving__January 26___2 oclock___the afternoon.

b. It snows here every year___December. We always go outside and

play in the snow___Christmas day.

c.Michael is leaving___Friday___noon.d. Frankie started working for her law firm___1995.

e. Franklin began working on the project___yesterday.

f. Normally, ___New Years Eve, its tradition to kiss the one you love

___midnight.

g. Dont be ridiculous; there were no telephones___the seventeenth

century! The telephone was invented___the 1870s.h. The plane leaves___tomorrow morning___8:00 AM.i. The hills here are covered with wildflowers___early spring.

j. We met at the restaurant___6: 30 and___stayed 10:30.

(B).

a. She always gets up early___the morning, so she can make it to class

___time.b. I was sick, so I didnt go to work___last Thursday, but I did go to

work ___Friday.c. Mary stopped talking___the middle of her story, and suddenly started

to cry. I think we were all crying___the time she finished telling us

what had happened.

d. Late___night, you can hear coyotes howling in the distance.e. Just wait a second; Ill be there___a minute.

f. I need to give my parents a call. I havent talked to them___over a

month.

g. Barbara is going to start her new job___next September.

h. The professor said___the first day of the course that there would be a

big final test___the end of the semester.

i. I have been sitting here___more than an hour. If they dont

arrive___the next ten minutes, Im leaving.

j. We were really worried___first because the banks wereclosed___Saturdays, so we couldnt exchange money. But___the end,

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everything worked out because we were able to exchange money at

the hotel.

2. (A)

a. Donna went___the store, but I dont think she found what she waslooking for because she came back___almost immediately.

b. As Samantha was climbing___the swimming pool, she slipped and

fell back.

c. The post office is just___the street on the left near the hospital.

d. Lily had problems climbing back___the tree house because she had

injured her ankle as she was climbing___.

e. She didnt have any difficulty pulling___the parking space, but as she

was backing___, she scratched the car parked next to her.

f.Although you can take an elevator___the top of the Eiffel Tower, wedecided to walk___. I was exhausted by the time we got to the top.

g. When Mrs. Sims saw the kids playing on the roof she screamed,

You kids had better come___there, right now!

h. You can go___now; Dr. Wilson is ready to see you.

i. Our customer service centre will help you solve that problem. Just

walk___the hall and take the elevator___the second floor.j. Just as Debbie was stepping___the elevator, she realized she was on

the wrong floor, so she quickly jumped back___before the doors

closed.

(B)

a. While they were hiking___the forest, Laurelle and Frank saw a

mountain lion.b. We walked___the river looking for a way to get___it, but there was

no bridge.c. When the kids saw the snake in the grass, they started running

___screaming hysterically.d. The train passed___nine tunnels on the way to Denver.

e. They strolled___the beach watching the sunset.f. The plane flew___the Grand Canyon on the way to Los Angeles.

g. Several animals, including emus, ran___the road in front of the car as

they were driving___the outback of Australia.

h. They walked the building___twice looking for the entrance.

i. The cruise ship passed___the Golden Gate Bridge as it was leaving

San Francisco.

j. His dog is always trying to escape from the backyard. Sometimes he

manages to jump___the fence and sometimes he digs a hole and

crawls___it.

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3. (A)

a. We have DSL Internet access___work, but I dont have a high-speed

connection___home.b. The kids are learning about the Civil War___their history

class___school.c. Toby was___the hospital for two weeks after his motorcycle

accident___the freeway.

d. Jane and Debbie saw dolphins___the ocean while they were having a

picnic___the beach.

e. Fred loves to go camping___the desert, but Kyle prefers to camp

___the mountains.

f. The conference was held___a ski resort, ___Telluride, a small town

___southwest Colorado.

g.You can buy stamps___the post office ___Delancy Street.h. The old man who was standing___the corner yelled at the kids who

were playing___the street.

i. While they were hiking___Ridgeback Mountain, Laurelle and Frank

saw a bear___the woods.

j. They have a small house___a lake in the countryside. When I visit

them, I always love to sit___the shore and watch the kids

swimming___the lake.

(B)a. You can buy your rail passes___the ticket counter___any train

station___the country.b. The brown bears found___Kodiak Island are the largest___the world.c. There is no life___the moon, but there are many forms of life___the

ocean floor.d. She bought her wedding dress___an exclusive shop___Fifth Avenue.e. Nathan was able to exchange money___the exchange counter___the

airport.f. If you want anything to eat, there is a freshly baked chocolate cake

___the table___the kitchen and plenty of food___the refrigerator.g. While Shirley was in Tacys department store___the mall, she ran

into Evan and Lea___the furniture department.

h. While Dave was___the top of the Eiffel Tower, he could see several

tourist boats___the Seine, the river that runs through Paris.

i. I stood___line for thirty minutes___the ticket window___the movie

theatre to get tickets for the film.

j. Mike has sitting___his desk___his office___work when Bill called;

Bill was ___Asia on business.

4. (A)

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a. The computer printer is___the table___the computer.b. Shawn and Noel stood___the tree waiting for the rain to stop.c. I didnt see the mailbox even through I was sitting right___it.d. Everybody was already sitting___the table waiting for dinner to be

served.e. Every evening, the dog sits___the dinner table begging for food.

f. Debra was sitting___the computer surfing the Internet.

g. I asked the woman standing___me on the bus where I should get out.

h. My car Keys were---the desk, but I couldnt see them because they

were ___magazine.

i. When I went to buy the concert tickets, there was nobody___the

ticket sales window.

(B).a. Her wallet wasnt___her purse; it was___her coat pocket.

b. Tony had an ink stain___his coat pocket.

c. Phillip waited___the movie theatre for Simone, so they could buy

tickets and go in together.

d. While Sam was talking to the bank teller, the woman___him in line

kept sighting impatiently.e. There was a sign___the restaurant saying that it was closed for

renovations.f. His grandfather, who had passed away years before, was___the

painting which was hanging___the wall.g. Shelly didnt see Bobby because he was hiding___the couch.h. Frank had his passport___his hand as he boarded the plane.i. There is an electrical outlet___the desk. Can you help me move the

desk, so I can plug in the computer?j. Then kids were sitting___the floor___the TV when Barbara came

home.

5. For each question, choose the single best answer:

1. My best friend lives___Boretz Road.

a. in

b. on

c. at

2. Ill be ready to leave___about twenty minutes.

a. in

b. onc. at

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3. Since he met his new girlfriend, Juan never seems to be___home.

a. on

b. in

c. at

4. The child responded to his mothers demands___throwing a tantrum.a. with

b. by

c. from

5. I think she spent the entire afternoon___the phone.

a. on

b. in

c. at

6. Ill wait___6:30, but then Im going home.

a. fromb. at

c. until

7. The police caught the thief___the corner of Cascade and Plum Streets.

a. in

b. at

c. from

8. My fingers were injured so my sister had to write the note___me.

a. for

b. with

c. to

9. I am not interested___buying a new car now.

a. to

b. for

c. in

10. What are the main ingredients___this casserole?

a. about

b. to

c. of

11. My best friend, John, is named___his great-grandfather.

a. after

b. to

c. about

12. Grandpa stayed up___two in the morning.

a. since

b. for

c. until13. My parents have been married___forty-nine years.

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a. since

b. for

c. until

14. He usually travels to Philadelphia___train.

a. byb. at

c. with

15. You frequently see this kind of violence___television.

a. with

b. in

c. on

16. I told Mom wed be home___an hour or so.

a. to

b. inc. at

17. I was visiting my best friend___the hospital.

a. of

b. at

c. in

18. The professor___South Africa amazed the American students with her

stories.

a. from

b. of

c. in

19. Ill see you___home when I get there.

a. in

b. by

c. at

20. Its been snowing___Christmas morning.

a. since

b. for

c. until.

6.Prepositions at the Crossword: type the correct letter in each box:

Across1. placed ____ the desk5. ___ a friend6. left ___ noon8. ____ the night10.___ the movie

1 2 3 4

5 6 7

8

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13.___ the stairs

Down2. ran ___ the door3. lives ___ Dallas

4. go ___ God7. ___ her goals9. speaks highly ___ you11. going ___ school12. she's ___ school

9

10 11 12

13

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2. VERBS AND VERBALS

2.1. RECOGNIZING VERBS AND VERB STRINGS

This quiz is designed to test your ability to recognize verbs and verb

strings. You will also have to distinguish between real verbs and verb

forms, taking on other functions (gerunds and participles). Write the

complete verb string for each sentence in the second text area (below the

sentence).Remember that an adverb (such as never) or a contraction (suchas nt) is technically not part of the verb):

The verb or verb string in the following sentence-________is:

a. In June I will have been attending college for six straight years.

b. Making slow but steady progress, I have never been one to give upeasily.

c. My mother and father have always encouraged me to go to college.

d. Mo Vaughan left the Redsox and alienated many fans in the process.

e. Could Mrs.Lincoln ever have foretold such a series of calamities?

f. She left the village but never abandoned her principles.

g. By the next election, Mr. Peters will have been acting as mayor for

sixteen years.

h. Having prepared well for winter, the bears began their long

hibernation.

2.2. IDENTIFYING VERB TENSES

Verb Tenses are tools that English speakers use to express

time in their language. You may find that many English tenses do not have

direct translations in your language. That is not a problem. By studying theverb tenses, you will learn to think like a native English speaker.

2.2.1. Verb Tense Overview with Examples

Simple Present Simple Past Simple Future

I study English

everyday.

Two years ago, I

studied English in

England.

If you are having problems,

I will help you study

English.

I am going to study Englishnext year.

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Present Continuous Past Continuous Future Continuous

I am studying English

now.

I was studying English

when you called

yesterday.

I will be studyingEnglish when you arrive

tonight.

I am going to be

studying English when

you arrive tonight.

Present Perfect Past Perfect Future Perfect

I have studied English

in several different

countries.

I had studied a little

English before I moved

to the U.S.

I will have studied

every tense by the time I

finish this course.

I am going to have

studied every tense by

the time I finish this

course.

Present Perfect

Continuous

Past Perfect

Continuous

Future Perfect

Continuous

I have been studyingEnglish for five years.

I had been studying

English for five yearsbefore I moved to the

U.S.

I will have been

studying English for

over two hours by the

time you arrive.

I am going to have

been studying English

for over two hours by

the time you arrive.

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http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/presentcontinuous.htmlhttp://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/pastcontinuous.htmlhttp://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/futurecontinuous.htmlhttp://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/futurecontinuous.htmlhttp://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/futurecontinuous.htmlhttp://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/presentperfect.htmlhttp://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/pastperfect.htmlhttp://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/futureperfect.htmlhttp://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/futureperfect.htmlhttp://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/futureperfect.htmlhttp://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/presentperfectcontinuous.htmlhttp://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/pastperfectcontinuous.htmlhttp://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/futureperfectcontinuous.htmlhttp://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/futureperfectcontinuous.htmlhttp://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/futureperfectcontinuous.htmlhttp://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/futureperfectcontinuous.htmlhttp://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/presentcontinuous.htmlhttp://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/pastcontinuous.htmlhttp://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/futurecontinuous.htmlhttp://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/futurecontinuous.htmlhttp://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/futurecontinuous.htmlhttp://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/presentperfect.htmlhttp://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/pastperfect.htmlhttp://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/futureperfect.htmlhttp://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/futureperfect.htmlhttp://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/futureperfect.htmlhttp://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/presentperfectcontinuous.htmlhttp://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/pastperfectcontinuous.htmlhttp://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/futureperfectcontinuous.htmlhttp://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/futureperfectcontinuous.htmlhttp://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/futureperfectcontinuous.htmlhttp://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/futureperfectcontinuous.html


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2.2.2. Types of Verbs

Before you begin the verb tense lessons, it is extremely important to

understand that NOT all English verbs are the same. English verbs are

divided into three groups:

Group I Continuous Verbs

The first group, called "Continuous Verbs", contains most English verbs.

These verbs are usually physical actions, which you can see somebody

doing. These verbs can be used in all tenses.

Continuous Verbs

to run, to walk, to eat, to fly, to go, to say, to touch etc.

Examples:

I eat dinner every day. Correct

I am eating dinner now. Correct

Group IINon-continuous Verbs

The second group, called "Non-continuous Verbs is smaller. These verbs

are usually things you cannot see somebody doing. These verbs are rarely

used in "continuous" tenses. They include:

Abstract Verbs

to be, to want, to cost, to seem, to need, to care, to contain, to owe, to

exist...

Possession Verbs

to possess, to own, to belong...

Emotion Verbs

to like, to love, to hate, to dislike, to fear, to envy, to mind...

Examples:

He is here now. Correct

He is being here now. Not Correct

He wants a drink now. CorrectHe is wanting a drink now. Not Correct

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Group III Mixed Verbs

The third group, called "Mixed Verbs", is the smallest group. These verbshave more than one meaning. Some meanings behave like "Non-continuous

Verbs", while other meanings behave like "Continuous Verbs."

Mixed Verbs

to have, to appear, to see, to hear, to feel, to weigh, to look ...

List of Mixed Verbs with Examples and Definitions:

to appear:

Donna appears confused. Non-continuous Verb

(Donna seems confused.)

My favourite singer is appearing at the jazz club tonight. Continuous

Verb

(My favourite singer is giving a performance at the jazz club tonight.)

to have:

I have a dollar now. Non-continuous Verb

(I possess a dollar.)

I am having fun now. Continuous Verb

(I am experiencing fun now.)

to hear:

She hears the music. Non-continuous Verb(She hears the music with her ears.)

She is hearing voices. Continuous Verb(To hear something others cannot hear. She is hearing voices in her mind.)

to miss:

John misses Sally. Non-continuous Verb

(He is sad because she is not there.)

Debbie is missing her favourite TV program. Continuous Verb

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(She is not there to see her favourite program.)

to see:

I see her. Non-continuous Verb(I see her with my eyes.)

I am seeing the doctor. Continuous Verb(To visit or consult with a doctor, dentist, or lawyer.)

I am seeing her. Continuous Verb(I am having a relationship with her.)

He is seeing ghosts at night. Continuous Verb(To see something others cannot see. For example ghosts, aura, a vision of

the future etc.)

to smell:

The coffee smells good. Non-continuous Verb

(The coffee has a good smell.)

I am smelling the flowers. Continuous Verb

(I am sniffing the flowers.)

to taste:

The coffee tastes good. Non-continuous Verb

(The coffee has a good taste.)

I am tasting the cake. Continuous Verb

(I am trying the cake to see what it tastes like.)

to think:

He thinks the test is easy. Non-continuous Verb(He considers the test to be easy.)

She is thinking about the question. Continuous Verb(She is pondering the question, going over it in her mind.)

to weigh:The table weighs a lot. Non-continuous Verb

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(The table has a great weight.)

She is weighing herself. Continuous Verb

(She is determining her weight.)

Some Verbs Can Be Especially Confusing:

to be:

Joe is American. Non-continuous Verb(Joe is an American citizen.)

Joe is being very American. Continuous Verb(Joe is behaving like a stereotypical American.)

Joe is being very rude. Continuous Verb(Joe is behaving very rudely. Usually he is not rude.)

Joe is being very formal. Continuous Verb(Joe is behaving very formally. Usually he is not formal.)

NOTICE: Only rarely is "to be" used in a continuous form. This is most

commonly done when a person is temporarily behaving badly or

stereotypically. It can also be used when someone's behaviour is noticeably

different.

to feel:

The massage feels great. Non-continuous Verb

(The massage has a pleasing feeling.)

I don't feel well today. Continuous or Non-continuous Verb

I am not feeling well today.

(I am a little sick.)

NOTICE: Feel is very flexible and there is no difference in meaning in the

two sentences above.)

In this quiz, you will be matching names of English verb tenses in

one column with sentences that contain those verb tenses (written in

ALL CAPS) in another column:

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Your

AnswersTenses

Sent.

No.Sentences

past perfect 1

Television HAS BEEN such an

important part of our family's life

for so many years that we can'timagine being without it.

simple future 2

As of this fall, Meet The PressWILL HAVE BEEN ENTERING

our living room on Sunday

mornings for fifty years!

future progressive 3My folks BOUGHT their first TV

in the early 50s.

past progressive 4The appliance store WASSELLING 13-inch black-and-

white TV sets for fifty dollars.

present perfect 5

The saleswoman HAD

CONVINCED my father that a

TV would make a great Mother's

Day gift.

present progressive 6

In fact, my father HAS BEEN

KEEPING that old TV in our

attic all these years.

simple present 7

He says he WILL SELL it

someday as an antique for

hundreds of dollars.

future perfect

progressive8

I think he IS HOPING that it still

actually works.

present perfect

progressive9

He WILL BE TAKING it to an

antique store soon to see what it's

worth.

simple past 10

It still SURPRISES me that he's

been able to hold on to that old

TV set.

2.2.3. Verb Tenses and Sentence Order

Some of the sentences in the paragraphs below are in the wrong order.

Using the verb tenses and time clues, number the sentences in each

paragraph in their proper order:

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___A presence on the World Wide Web is now becoming an essential

part of a college's public relations program. ___Three years ago not all

colleges recognized the advantages of being on the web.

___But we did not have the necessary support staff. ___Two years agoour college installed its first web server. ___Our Academic Technology

Committee had decided to invest in the necessary hardware. ___So we

recruited a full-time Webmaster and tech-support people. ___Now all

the components are ready for full usage of the World Wide Web.

___The technology for creating web-pages, however, is becoming much

easier to use. ___Faculty and students have been nervous about creating

pages. ___Almost every faculty member and many students will soon

have his or her own web-page.

___WYSIWIG authoring tools have largely replaced cumbersome

HTML editors. ___Writing HTML made web-page creation difficult in

the past. ___Now anyone who can create a text document can create a

decent and colourful web-page.

___It is nice to know some basic HTML code to fix those mistakes.

___As a result, graphics end up in the wrong place and some text will

come out the wrong colour or size. ___Some of the new authoring tools

make peculiar mistakes.

2.3. MAKING SUBJECTS AND VERBS AGREE

1. When the subject of a sentence is composed of two or more

nouns or pronouns connected by and, use a plural verb.

2. When two or more singular nouns or pronouns are connected by orornor, use a singular verb.

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3. When a compound subject contains both a singular and a plural noun or

pronoun joined by or or nor, the verb should agree with the part of thesubject that is nearer the verb.

4. Doesn't is a contraction of does not and should be used only with asingular subject. Don'tis a contraction ofdo notand should be used only

with a plural subject. The exception to this rule appears in the case of thefirst person and second person pronouns Iand you. With these pronouns,the contraction don'tshould be used.

5. Do not be misled by a phrase that comes between the subject and the

verb. The verb agrees with the subject, not with a noun or pronoun in thephrase.

6. The words each, each one, either, neither, everyone, everybody,

anybody, anyone, nobody,somebody,someone, and no one are singular andrequire a singular verb.

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7. Nouns such as civics, mathematics, dollars, measles, and news requiresingular verbs.

Note: the word dollars is a special case. When talking about an amount ofmoney, it requires a singular verb, but when referring to the dollars

themselves, a plural verb is required.

8. Nouns such as scissors, tweezers, trousers, and shears require pluralverbs. (There are two parts to these things.)

9. In sentences beginning with there is orthere are, the subject follows theverb. Since there is not the subject, the verb agrees with what follows.

10. Collective nouns are words that imply more than one person but that

are considered singular and take a singular verb, such as: group, team,

committee, class, and family.In very few cases, the plural verb is used if the individuals in the group are

thought of and specifically referred to.

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11. Expressions such as with, together with, including, accompanied by, inaddition to, or as well do not change the number of the subject. If thesubject is singular, the verb is too.

1. Choose the correct form of the verb that agrees with the subject:

1. Annie and her brothers (is, are) at school.

2. Either my mother or my father (is, are) coming to the meeting.

3. The dog or the cats (is, are) outside.

4. Either my shoes or your coat (is, are) always on the floor.5. George and Tamara (doesn't, don't) want to see that movie.

6. Benito (doesn't, don't) know the answer.

7. One of my sisters (is, are) going on a trip to France.

8. The man with all the birds (live, lives) on my street.

9. The movie, including all the previews, (take, takes) about two hours to

watch.

10. The players, as well as the captain, (want, wants) to win.

11. Either answer (is, are) acceptable.

12. Every one of those books (is, are) fiction.

13. Nobody (know, knows) the trouble I've seen.

14. (Is, Are) the news on at five or six?

15. Mathematics (is, are) John's favourite subject, while Civics (is, are)

Andrea's favourite subject.

16. Eight dollars (is, are) the price of a movie these days.

17. (Is, Are) the tweezers in this drawer?

18. Your pants (is, are) at the cleaner's.

19. There (was, were) fifteen candies in that bag. Now there (is, are) only

one left!

20. The committee (debates, debate) these questions carefully.21. The committee (leads, lead) very different lives in private.

22. The Prime Minister, together with his wife, (greets, greet) the press

cordially.

23. All of the CDs, even the scratched one, (is, are) in this case.

2. Select one answers from the choices provided after each sentence.

The word you choose should fit the blank in the sentence:

1.Either the physicians in the hospital or the chief administrator___going tohave to make a decision.

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- is

- are

2.___my boss or my sisters in the union going to win this grievance?

- Is- Are

3. Some of the votes____to have been miscounted.

- seem

- seems

4. The tornadoes that tear through this country every spring_____more than

just a nuisance.

- are- is

5. Everyone selected to serve on this jury_____to be willing to give up a lot

of time.

- have

- has

6. Kara Wolters, together with her team mates_____a formidable opponent

on the basketball court.

- presents

- present

7. He seems to forget that there_____things to be done before he can

graduate.

- are

- is

8. There_____to be some people left in that town after yesterdays flood.

- have- has

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English Grammar Exercises - Part I

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Transcript of English Grammar Exercises - Part I