A friend of mine, my own house

UNIT  77 ''A friend of mine'', ''my own house''

A.   A friend of mine/a friend of Tom's
We say "a friend of mine/yours his hers/ours theirs.'' (not a friend of me/you/him, etc.)

• A friend of mine is coming to stay with me next week. (not a friend of me)

• We went on vacation with some friends of ours. (not some friends of us)

• Tom had an argument with a neighbor of his.

• It was a good suggestion of yours to go swimming this afternoon.

We also say "a friend of Tom's,'' ''a friend of my brother's,'' etc.:

• That man over there is a friend of my brother's.

• It was a good idea of Tom's to go swimming.

B.   My own . . . /your own . . . , etc.

You cannot say "an own . . .'' (an own house,'' "an own car," etc.)

You must use my/your/his/her/its/our/their before own:

• my own house.

• your own car.

• her own room.                       

My own . . . = something that is only mine, not shared or borrowed:

• The Browns live in an apartment, but they'd like to have their own house. (not an own house)

• I don't want to share with anyone. I want my own room.

• Unfortunately the apartment doesn't have its own entrance.

• It's my own fault that I don't have any money. I spend it too quickly.

• Why do you want to borrow my car? Why can't you use your own (car)

You can also use . . . own . . . to say that you do something yourself instead of somebody else doing it for you. For example:

• Do you grow your own vegetables? (=do you grow them yourself in your garden instead of buying them?)

• Ann always cuts her own hair. (= she cuts it herself; she doesn't go to the hairdresser)

Reflexive pronouns Exercises

UNIT 76  Reflexive pronouns  Exercises

76.1   Complete these sentences using myself/yourself, etc., with these verbs:

kick         teach        cut          lock         take care of         burn       talk to            blame

Example: Tom cut himself while he was shaving this morning

1.   Be careful! That pan is very hot. Don't ____________________________

2.   They couldn't get back into the house. They had __________________________ out

3.   It isn't her fault. She really shouldn't______________________________________

4.   hat a stupid fool I am! I could________________________________________!

5.   I'm trying to ________________________ Spanish but I'm not making much progress.

6.   He spends most of his time alone, so it's not surprising that he _______________________________

7.   Don't worry about us. We can _____________________________

76.2   Complete these sentences with these verbs. This time, use myself, etc., only where necessary:
dry       concentrate         feel         enjoy         relax          wash          shave        meet

Example: Tom is growing a beard because he doesn't like shaving

1.   I really____________________________________good today - much better than yesterday.

2.   She climbed out of the pool, picked up a towel. and

3.   I tried to study but I just couldn't

4.   Jack and I first_________________________________at a party five years ago.

5.   You're always rushing around. Why don't you _______________________________more?

6.   It was a great vacation. We really _______________________________________very much.

7.   I overslept this morning. I didn't have time to _______________________________or have breakfast.                       


76.3   Write -selves or each other.

Examples: Tom and Ann stood in front of the mirror and looked at themselves.
How long have Tom and Ann known each other?

1.   At Christmas friends often give ______________________presents

2.   Did the children enjoy_________________________when they were on vacation?

3.   They had an argument last week. They are still not speaking to_____________________________

4.   Some people are very selfish. They only think of______________________________________

5.   Sue and I don't see____________________________very often these days.

76.4   Answer these questions using myself/yourself, etc., or by myself/yourself, etc.

Examples: "Who repaired the bicycle for you?"   "Nobody. I repaired it myself.''I like living by myself.

1.   "Who cut your hair for you?''   ''Nobody. I cut_____________________________''

2.   "Who did you go to the movies with?''   "No one. I went__________________________''

3.   "Who told you Linda was getting married?"  "Linda___________________________________''

4.   "Does Mr. Thomas have a secretary to his letters?''   ''No, he_____________________________________''

5.   ''Does she like working with other people?''   ''Not really. She prefers to work ___________________''

6.   "Do you want me to mail that letter for  you?''  "No, I'll_________________________________''

7.   "Can you clean the windows for me?"   ''Why don't you__________________________________''

Reflexive pronouns

UNIT 76  Reflexive pronouns (myself, yourself, etc.), by myself

A.   The reflexive pronouns are:

singular:       myself                    yourself (one person)                himself/herself/itself

plural:       ourselves     yourselves (more than one person)     themselves

We use a reflexive pronoun when the subject and object are the same:

• Tom cut himself while he was shaving. (not Tom cut him)

• The old lady sat in a corner talking to herself.

• Don't get angry. Control yourself! (said to one person)

• If you want more to eat, help yourselves. (said to more than one person)

• The party was great. We enjoyed ourselves very much.

But we do not use "myself," etc., after bring/take something with . . . :

• I went out and took an umbrella with me. (not with myself)

B.   We do not use "myself," etc., after feel/relax/concentrate:

• I feel great after going for a swim. (not I feel myself great)

• Why don't you try and concentrate?

• It's good to relax.

We do not normally use after wash/dress/shave:
I got up, shaved, washed, and dressed. (not shaved myself, etc.)

But we say: Idried myself.

Note how we use meet:

• What time shall we meet? (not meet ourselves/meet us)                        

C.   Study the difference between -selves and each other:

• Tom and Ann stood in front of the mirror and looked at themselves. (= Tom and Ann looked at Tom and Ann) but: Tom looked at Ann and Ann looked at Tom. They looked at each other.

You can use one another instead of each other:

• Sue and Ann don't like each other. (or one another)

D.   We also use myself, etc., in another way. For example:

• "Who fixed your bicycle for you?''   "Nobody. I fixed it myself."

I fixed it myself= I fixed it, not anybody else. We use myself here to emphasize I. Here are some more examples:

• I'm not going to do it for you. You can do it yourself.

• Let's paint the house ourselves. It will be much cheaper.

• The movie itself wasn't very good, but I liked the music.

• I don't think Tom will get the job. Tom himself doesn't think he'll get it. (or Tom doesn't think he'll get it himself.)

E.   By myself yourself, etc. = alone. We say:

• I like living by myself

• Did you go on vacation by yourself?

• Jack was sitting by himself in a corner of the cafe

Apostrophe and of Exercises

UNIT 75  Apostrophe and of   Exercises

75.1   Join two nouns. Sometimes you have to use an apostrophe e), with or without s. Sometimes
you have to use . . . of . . . .

Examples: the door/the room the door of the room
the mother/Ann Ann's mother.

1.   the camera/Tom_________________________

2.   the eyes/the cat__________________________

3.   the top/the page_________________________

4.   the daughter/Charles_________________________

5.   the newspaper/today_______________________________

6.   the toys/the children______________________________

7.   the name/your wife_______________________________

8.   the name/this street______________________________

9.   the name/the man I saw you with yesterday_____________________________

10.   the new manager/the company___________________________

11.   the result/the football game_____________________________

12.   the car/Mike's parents____________________________

13.   the birthday/my father___________________________

14.   the new principal/the school_______________________________

15.   the garden/our neighbors________________________________

16.   the ground floor/the building_______________________________

17.   the children/Don and Mary_______________________________

18.   the economic policy/the government___________________________________

19.   the husband/the woman talking to Tom___________________________________

20.   the house my aunt and uncle___________________________________________
                       

75.2  Read each sentence and write a new sentence using 's with the underlined words.

Example: The meeting tomorrow has been canceled. Tomorrow's meeting has been canceled

1.   The storm last week caused a lot of damage
Last week______________________________________________________________

2.   The only movie theater in the town has been closed down.
The t______________________________________________________________________

3.   Exports from Canada to the United States have fallen recently.
C___________________________________________________________________________

4.   There will be a big crowd at the football game this evening.
There will be a big crowd at this________________________________________

5.   Tourism is the main industry in the region.
The r_________________________________________________________________________




75.3   Use the information given to complete the sentences.

Example: If I leave my house at 9:00 and drive to Houston, I arrive at about 12:00. So it's about three hours' drive to Houston from my house.

1.   I'm going on vacation on the 12th. I have to be back at work on the 26th.
So I have_____________________________________________vacation

2.   I went to sleep at 3:00 this morning and woke up an hour later at 4:00.
So I only had_______________________________________sleep.

3.   If I leave my house at 8:50 and walk to work, I get to work at 9:00.
So it's only______________________________________________walk from my house to work.

apostrophe and of

UNIT 75  . . . 's (apostrophe s) and . . . of . . .

A.   We normally use 's when the first noun is a person or an animal.

• the manager's office (not the office of the manager)

• Mr. Evans's daughter.

• the horse's tail.

• a police officer's hat.

Otherwise (with things) we normally use . . . of . . .

• the door of the room (not the room's door)

• the beginning of the story (not the story's beginning)

Sometimes you can use 's when the first noun is a thing. For example, you can say:

• the book's title       or        the title of the book

But it is safer and more usual to use . . . of . . . 


B.   You can usually use 's when the first noun is an organization (= a group of people). So you can say:

• the government's decision          or          the decision of the government

• the company's success                  or          the success of the company

It is also possible to use 's with places. So you can say:

• the city's new theater

• the world's population

• France's system of government

• Italy's largest city                       

C.   After a singular noun we use 's. After a plural noun (which ends in -s) we use only an apostrophe ('):

• Mr. Carter's house

• my sister's room (one sister)

• my sisters' room (more than one sister)

• the Carters' house (Mr. and Mrs. Carter)

If a plural noun not end in -s, we use 's:

• a children's book

Note that you can use 's after more than one noun:

• Jack and Jill's wedding.

• Mr. and Mrs. Carter's house.

But we would not use 's in a sentence like this:

• I met the wife of the man who lent us the money. (''the man who lent us the money" is too long to be followed by 's)

Note that you can use 's without a following noun:

• Tom's apartment is much larger than Ann's (= Ann's apartment)

D.   You can also use 's with time words (tomorrow, etc.)

• Tomorrow's meeting has been canceled.

• Do you still have last Saturday's newspaper?

You can also say: yesterday's . . . today's . . . this evening's . . . next week's . . . Monday's . . . etc.

we also use 's (or only an apostrophe(') with plurals) with periods of time:

• I have a week's vacation.

• I have three weeks' vacation.

• I need eight hours' sleep a night.

• My house is very near here only about five minutes' walk.

Singular or plural Exercises

UNIT 74  Singular or plural  Exercises

74.1   Complete the sentences with words from sections a, b, and c. Sometimes you need a or some.
Examples: She can't see very well, she needs glasses.
This plant is a very rare species.

1.   Soccer players don't wear long pants when they play. They wear _______________________.

2.   The bicycle ________________ of transportation.

3.   The bicycle and the car are ____________________ of transportation.

4.   I want to cut this piece of material. I need ______________________.

5.   Ann is going to write _____________________ of articles for her local newspaper

6.   There are a lot of American television __________________ on television throughout the world

7.   While we were out walking, we saw 25 different _________________ of bird.
 
8.   We need at least four_________________ to play this game.

74.2   Choose the correct form, singular or plural. Sometimes either singular or plural is possible.
Example: Gymnastics is/are my favorite sport. (''is" is correct)

1.   The pants you bought for me doesn't/ don't fit me.

2.   Physics was/were my best subject at school.

3.   Fortunately the news wasn't /weren't as bad as we had expected.

4.   The police wants/want to interview Fred about a robbery.

5.   Three days isn't/aren't long enough for a good vacation

6.   ''Have you seen my sunglasses?''   ''Yes, it's/they're on the table."

7.   Does/Do the police know about the stolen money?

8.   Can I borrow your scissors? Mine isn't/aren't sharp enough.

9.   I'm going to take a taxi. Six miles is/are too far for me to walk.                       

74.3   Use the structure a plural noun with a singular verb.

Examples: our vacation lasted three weeks.  It was a three-week.vacation.The girls were 14 years old.  They were 14 year-old girls.
1.   The woman was 27.   She was a_______________________.

2.   The flight lasted three hours.   It was a_________________________.

3.   The strike lasted four days.   It was a ______________________________.

4.   The book has 200 pages.   It is a_________________________________.

5.   The boys were ten years old.  They were_________________________________.

6.   The television series has ten parts.   It is__________________________________.

7.   The bottle holds two liters.   It is_________________________________.

8.   Each of the tickets cost ten dollars.   They were_______________________________.

9.   The building has ten stories (= floors).   It is__________________________________.

10.   This bag of potatoes weighs five pounds.   It is________________________________.

11.   We walked for five miles.   It was_______________________________________.

Singular or plural?

UNIT 74   Singular or plural? 

 

A.   We use some nouns only in the plural. For example:

• glasses

• pajamas

• Scissors

• shorts

• slacks/pants jeans

You can also use a pair of . . . with these words

• I need some new slacks.   or    I need a new pair of slacks

 B.   We do not often use the plural of person ("persons''). Instead we use people:

• He is a nice person 

• They are nice people. (not nice persons)

These nouns end in -s but they are not usually plural:

mathematics      physics       economics        athletics         gymnastics        news

• Gymnastics is my favorite sport

• What time is the news on television?

These words end in -s and can be singular or plural:

means         a means of transportation                many means of transportation
 
series        a television series                               two television series

species       a species of bird                                  200 species of bird                       


D.   We always use a plural verb with the police:

• The police have arrested Tom

• Are the police paid well?

E.   Sometimes we use a plural noun with a singular verb. We do this when we talk about a sum of money, a period of time, a distance, etc.

•  Five thousand dollars (= it) was stolen in the robbery. (not were stolen)

• Three years (= it) is a long time to be without a job. (not are)

F.   We say "a vacation of three weeks" but "a three-week vacation'':

• I have a three-week vacation in July. (not a three-weeks vacation)

Here, three-week is used as an adjective before "vacation." When we use "three-weeks" as

an adjective, it loses the s. So we say:

• two 14-year-old girls

• a ten-dollar bill (not dollars)

• a six-hour journey

• a four-week English course

You can also say "I have three weeks' vacation."

Names of streets, buildings, etc Exercises

UNIT 73  Names of streets, buildings, etc Exercises

73.1   Use the map to answer the questions in the way shown. Write the name of the place and the street it is on. On maps we don't normally use the; in your sentences, use the if necessary.

Example: "Is there a movie theater near here    "Yes, the Palace on Whashington,"

1.   "Is there asupermarketnear here?''  ''Yes________________________________on____________________________''

2.   "Is there a hotelnear here?"  "Yes________________________________on____________________________________''

3.   "Is there a bank near here?''  ''Yes_______________________________on____________________________________''

4.   "Is there arestaurant near here?''  "Yes_______________________________on_______________________________''

5.   "Is there a church near here?"  "Yes________________________________________________________________''

6.   "Is there a museum nearhere?"  "Yes_______________________________________________________________''

7.   "Is there a park near here?''  "Yes__________________________________________________________________''
                     

73.2   Choose the correct form, with or without the.

Example: When we were in Washington, D.C., we visited National Gallery/the National Gallery.

1.   The President lives in White House/the White House.

2.   One of the nicest buildings in Washington is Supreme Court Building/the Supreme Court Building, which is very close to Capitol Building/the Capitol Building.

3.   Frank is a student at Georgetown University/the Georgetown University.

4.   If you want to buy some new clothes, the store Twould recommend is Jack's/the Jacks.

5.   We flew from Washington to O'Hare Airport/the O'Hare Airport in Chicago.

6.   Smithsonian/The Smithsonian is an important museum in Washington.

7.   A favorite restaurant is Luigi's/the luigi's

8.   Have you ever visited Lincoln Memorial/the Lincoln Memorial?

9.   "Which hotel are you stay at?"  ''At Sheraton/the Sheraton.''

10.   Did you see the movie at Quad/the Quad (movie theater)?

11.   In my opinion, the best stores in Toronto are on Yonge Street/the Yonge Street.

12.   Yesterday I opened a checking account at Barclay s Bank/the Barclay's Ban

Names of streets, buildings, etc. with and without the

UNIT 73   Names of streets, buildings, etc. with and without the

A.   We do not normally use the with names of streets, roads, avenues, boulevards, squares, etc.:

• Fifth Avenue.

• Bloor Street.

• Piccadilly Circus.

• Wilshire Boulevard.

• Broadway.

• Red Square.

B.   Many names (for example, of airports or universities) are two or three words:

• Kennedy Airport

• Boston University

The first word is usually the name of a person ("Kennedy") or a place ("Boston"). We do not usually say the with names like these:

• Pearson International Airport

• Buckingham Palace

• Penn Station

• Hyde Park

But we say "the White House,''  ''the Royal Palace" because "white" and "royal" are not
names. This is only a general rule.

C.   We usually say the before the names of these places:
hotels                                   the Hilton Hotel, the Sheraton (Hotel)

restaurants                          the Bombay Restaurant, the Stage Delicatessen

theaters                                the Shubert (Theater), the National Theater

movie theaters                    the R KO Plaza, the Quad

museums/galleries             the Metropolitan Museum, the National Gallery, the Louvre

buildings/monuments       the Empire State Building, the Washington Monument

But banks do not usually take the:

• First Interstate Bank.

• Citibank.

• Lloyds Bank.

D.   Many stores and restaurants are named after the people who started them. These names end in s or 's. We do not use the with these names:

• "Where did you buy that hat?"   "At Macy's." (not the Macy's)

• We're going to have lunch at Mama Leone's (not the Mama Leone's)

Churches are sometimes named after saints (St Saint)

• St. John's Church.

• St. Patrick's Cathedral.

E.   We say the before the names of places, buildings, etc., with of.

• the Tower of London

• the Museum of Modern Art

• the Great Wall of China

• the University of Southern California

Geographical names Exercises

UNIT 72   Geographical names Exercises

72.1   Read these sentences carefully. Some are correct, but some need the (perhaps more than once). Correct the sentences where necessary.

Examples: Everest was first climbed in 1953            RIGHT
Milan is in north of Italy.                WRONG-the north of Italy

1.   Last year we visited Canada and United States.   ____________

2.   Africa is much larger than Europe.       ______________

3.   South of England is warmer than north.      ______________

4.   We went to Spain for our vacation and swam in Mediterranean.  _____________

5.   Tom has visited most countries in western Europe.    ________________

6.   There are many different languages spoken in Far East.     _______________

7.   Next year we are going skiing in Swiss Alps.      ______________

8.   Malta has been a republic since 1974.     ________________

9.   Nile is longest river in Africa.   ______________

10.   United Kingdom consists of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.    _____________                      


72.2   Here are some geography questions. Choose the right answer. Sometimes you need the, sometimes not. Try and find out the answers if you don't know them.
Example: What is the longest river in the world? (Amazon/Rhine/Nile) the Amazon

1.   Where is Bolivia? (Africa/South America/North America) ___________________________

2.   Where is Ethiopia? (Asia/South America/Africa)  ________________________________

3.   Of which country is Manila the capital? (Indonesia/Philippines/Japan) _____________________________

4.   Of which country is Stockholm the capital? (Norway/Demmark/Sweden) ____________________

5.   Which country lies between Mexico and Canada?  (Venezuela/El Salvador/United States)
__________________________

6.   Which is the largest country in the world? (United States/China/Russia) __________________

7.   Which is the largest continent? (Africa/America/Asia) _______________________

8.   What is the name of the mountain range in the west of North America? (Rocky Mountains/Andes/Alps)  _____________________

9.   What is the name of the ocean between America and Asia? (Atlantic/Pacific/Indian Ocean)
_______________________________

10.   What is the name of the ocean between Africa and Australia? (Atlantic/Pacific/Indian Ocean)
_______________________________

11.   What is the name of the sea between England and France? (Mediterranean Sea/English ehannel/French Sea) ____________________________

12.   What is the name of the sea between Africa and Europe? (Black Sea/Red sea/Mediterranean Sea) ________________________________

13.   What is the name of the sea between Britain and Norway? (Norwegian Sea/English Channel/ North Sea) _______________________________

14.   Which river flows through Vienna, Budapest, and Belgrade? (Rhine /Danube/Volga) ___________

15.   What joins the Atlantic and Pacific oceans? (Suez Canal/Panama Canal) _________________________

Geographical names with and without the

UNIT 72   Geographical names with and without the

A.   Continents: We do not say the with the names of continents:

• Africa. (not the Africa)

• Asia.

• Europe.

• South America.

B.   Countries and states: We do not usually say the with the names of countries and states:

• France. (not the France)

• Japan.

• Germany.

• Nigeria.

• Texas.

But we say the with names that include words like ''republic,'' ''kingdom,'' ''States'':

• the Dominican Republic. 

• the Republic of Ireland.

• the United States. (of America)

• the People's Republicof China.

• the United Kingdom.

• the United Arab Emirates.

We also use the with plural names:

• the Netherlands.

• the Philippines.

C.   Cities: We do not use the with the names of cities/towns/villages:

• Cairo. (not the Cairo)

• New York.

• Madrid.

• Tokyo.

Exception: The Hague. (in the Netherlands)

D.   Islands:  Island groups usually have plural names with the:

• the Bahamas.

• the Canaries/the Canary Islands.

• the British Isles.

• the Virgin Islands.

Individual islands usually have singular names without the:

• Corfu.

• Sicily.

• Bermuda.

• Easter Island.                       

E.   Regions: We say:

• the Middle East.

• the Far East.

• the north of France.

• the south of Spain.

• the west of Canada.

(but: northern France/southern Spain/western Canada - without the)

F.   Mountains: Mountain ranges usually have plural names with the:

• the Rocky Mountains 

• the Rockies

• the Andes

• the Alps

But individual mountains usually have names without the:

• (Mount) Everest.

• (Mount) Fuji. 

• (Mount) Etna.

G.   Lakes: Lakes usually have names without the

• Lake Superior.

• Lake Victoria.

H.   Names of oceans/seas/rivers canals have the

• the Atlantic (Ocean).

• the Indian Ocean.

• the Mediterranean (Sea).

• the Red Sea.

• the (English) Channel.

• the Nile.

• the Amazon.

• the Mississippi.

• the Rhine.

• the Suez Canal.

• the Panama Canal.

Note: On maps the is not usually included in the name.

Place names with of usually have the:

• the Bay of Naples.

• the United States of America.

• the Gulf of Mexico.

• the Sea of Japan.

School/the School, prison/the prison Exercises

UNIT 71  School/the School, prison/the prison Exercises

71.1   Complete these sentences using the words in this unit
Example: Fred robbed a bank but was caught by the police. He was sent to jail.

l.    I was very tired and it was very late, so I went_____________________________________

2.   Tom doesn't often go out in the evenings. He usually stays ____________________________________

3.   Jill isn't a religious person. She never goes_____________________________________________

4.   In the U.S., children over the age of five have to go _________________________________________________

5.   Children sometimes get into trouble if they are late for______________________________________

6.   There is a lot of traffic in the morning when everybody is going___________________________________

7.   Fred was arrested by the police and spent the night____________________________________________

8.   When Sue finishes high school, she wants to study economics _______________________________________

9.   Bill never gets up before 9:00. It's 8:30 now, so he is still_______________________________________________


71.2   Write short answers to these questions.
Example: If you wanted to meet your children's teachers, where would you go? To the  school.

1.   A friend of yours is in prison. Where would you go to visit your friend?
_____________________________________________________________________________

2.   Where are criminals sent?
_____________________________________________________________________________

3.   Where do children go during the day?
_____________________________________________________________________________

4.   A friend of yours is at church. If you wanted to meet your friend immediately after the service, where would you go?_________________________________________________________________________________

5.   Where can you go if you want to study after finishing high school?
____________________________________________________________________________________                     


71.3   Choose the correct form, with or without the.

Example: Ken's brother is in prison the prison for robbery. (''prison" is correct)

1.   Some children hate school/the school.

2.   What time do your children finish school/the school?

3.   Every term parents are invited to school/the school to meet the teachers.

4.   After leaving high school/the high school, Jane worked as a nurse in a hospital.

5.   All over the world, people are in prison/the prison because of their political beliefs.

6.   The other day the fire department had to go to prison/the prison to put out a fire.

7.   On the way to Boston we passed through a small village with an old church. We stopped to visit church/the church. It was a beautiful building

8.   John's mother is a regular churchgoer, She goes to church/the church every Sunday. John himself doesn't go to church the church

9.   After work the work, Ann usually goes home/to home.

10.   Tom left college /the college without taking his exams.

11.   I like to read in bed/the bed before going to sleep

12.   What time do you have to start work/the work tomorrow morning?

13.   "Did they catch the thief?  "Yes, I'm sure he's in jail/the jail by now."

School/the school, prison/the prison

UNIT 71  School/the school, prison/the prison

A.    School         college        prison/jail               church
Compare these examples:

• Mrs. Kelly went to the school to meet her son's teachers.

• The children are going to school.

We say:

• a child goes to school. (as a student)

• a student goes to college. (to study)

• a criminal goes to prison or to jail. (as a prisoner)

• someone goes to church. (for a religious service)

We do not use the when we are thinking of the idea of these places and what they are used for:

• Mr. Kelly goes to church every Sunday. (not to the church)

• After I finish high school, I want to go to college.

• Ken's brother was sent to prison for robbing a bank.                       

We say: "be in or at school college'' (but "be in high school'') and ''be in prison/jail":

• What did you learn at (or in) school today?

• Ken's brother is in jail. (or in prison)

Now study these examples with the:

• Mrs. Kelly went to the school to meet her son's teachers. (she went there as a visitor, not as a pupil)

• Ken went to the prison to visit his brother (as a visitor, not as a prisoner; he went to the jail where his brother was)

• The workers went to the church to repair the roof. (they didn't go to a religious service)

B.   bed     work       home

We say:

''go to bed/be in bed'' (not the bed)

• It's time to go to bed now

• Is Tom still in bed?

go to work/be at work/start work/finish work," etc. (not the work):

• Why isn't Ann at work today? 

• What time do you finish work?

go home/come home/get home/arrive home (no preposition)

• Come on! Let's go home.

• What time did you get home.

be (at) home/stay (at) home'':

• Will you be (at) home tomorrow? 

• We stayed (at) home.

Plural and uncountable nouns Exercises

UNIT 70  Plural and uncountable nouns Exercises

70.1   Write whether you like or dislike something. Begin your sentences with:

I like . . .      I don't like . . .         I love . . .         I hate . . .            I don't mind . . .
I'm (not) interested in . . .            I have no opinion about . . .

Example: (hot weather) I don't like hot weather.

1.   (soccer)_____________________________________

2.   (small children)_____________________________________________________

3.   (cats) _____________________________________

4.   (modern art) __________________________________________

5.   (horror movies) _________________________________________


70.2    What do you think about these things? Write a sentence about each one. Begin with:

I don't agree with . . .       I think . . .             I don't think . . .          In my opinion . . .           
I'm against . . .                   I'm in favor of . . .
Example: (divorce)  I think divorce sametimes necessary.

1.   (violence)________________________________________________

2.   (smoking)_______________________________________________

3.   (exams)_________________________________________________

4.   (capital punishment)________________________________________________

5.   (nuclear power)_________________________________________________
                      

70.3   Choose the correct form, with or without the.

Examples: I'm afraid of dogs/the dogs              Can you pass salt/the salt, please?

1.   Apples/The apples are good for you

2.   Look at apples/the apples on that tree! They're very large.

3.   Women/the women are sometimes better teachers than men /the men

4.   In Britain coffee/the coffee is more expensive than tea /the tea.

5.   We had a very nice meal in that restaurant. Service/The service was good too.

6.   Most people/The most people still believe that marriage/the marriage and family life/the family life are the basis of our society.

7.   They got married but marriage/the marriage wasn't successful

8.   I know someone who wrote a book about life/the life Gandhi.

9.   Life The life would be very difficult without electricity/the electricity.
10.   Skiing /the skiing is my favorite sport, but I also like swimming/the swimming.

11.   Second World War/The Second World War ended in 1945.

12.   Do you know people/the people who live next door?

13.   Are you interested in art/the art or architecture/the architecture?

14.   All books/All the books on the top shelf belong to me.

15.   Don't stay in that hotel. Beds/The beds are very uncomfortable.

16.   Two of the biggest problems facing our society are crime/the crime and unemployment/the unemployment.

17.   I hate violence/the violence.

Plural and uncountable nouns

UNIT  70 Plural and uncountable nouns with and without the (flowers/the flowers)

A.   We don't use the before a noun when we mean something in general:

• I love flowers. (not the flowers) (flowers= flowers in general, not a particular group of flowers)

• I'm afraid of dogs.

• Doctors are paid more than teachers.

• Crime is a problem in most big cities. (not the crime)

• Life has changed a lot since I was young. (not the life)

• I prefer classical music to pop music. (not the classical/pop music)

• Do you like Chinese food/American television? (not the. . .)

• My favorite subject at school was history/physics/English.

• I like soccer/athletics/skiing/chess.

• Do you collect stamps?

We say most people most dogs, etc. (not the most . . . )

Most people like George. (not the most people)

B.   We say the . . . when we mean something in particular:

• I like your garden. The flowers are beautiful. (not Flowers are) (the flowers = the flowers in your garden, not flowers in general)

• Children learn lot from playing. (= children in general) 

but: We took the children to the zoo. (= a particular group of children , perhaps the speaker's own children)

• Salt is used to flavor food.

but Can you pass the salt, please? (= the salt on the table)

• I often listen to music.

but: The movie wasn't very good, but I liked the music. (= the music in the movie)

• All cars have wheels.

but: All the students in the class like their teacher.

• Are American people friendly? (= American people in general)

but: Are the American people you know friendly (= only the American people you know, not American people in general)

C.   The difference between "something in general and "something in particular" is not always very clear. Study these sentences:

• I like working with people. (= people in general)

• I like working with people who are lively. (not all people, but people who are lively is still a general idea)

but: I like the people I work with. (= a particular group of people)

• Do you like coffee? (= coffee in general)

• Do you like strong black coffee? (not all coffee, but strong black coffee is still a general idea)

but: Did you like the coffee we had after dinner? (= particular coffee)

The (2) Exercises

UNIT 69   The (2) Exercises

69.1   Answer these questions about yourself and your favorite hings. Use a dictionary if you don't
know the English words you need.

Example: What is your favorite flower? the rose

1.   What is your favorite tree? __________________________________________

2.   Which bird do you like most? ____________________________________________

3.   What is your favorite car? ______________________________________________

4.   What is your favorite musical instrument? ________________________________________________


69.2   Make sentences from the words in parentheses ( . . . )

Example: (Mary/play/piano very well) Mary plays the piano very well

1.   (Jack/play/guitar very badly) Jack plays______________________________________

2.   (Jill/play/violin in an orchestra) _________________________________________________

3.   (I'd like/learn/play/piano)______________________________________________________

4.   (you/play/guitar?)___________________________________________________________


69.3   Complete these sentences about animals Choose one of the words in parentheses. Use a dictionary if you don't know these words.

Example: The giraffe is the tallest of all animals. (elephant/lion/giraffe)

1.   _______________________ is the fastest of all animals. (tiger/cheetah/elephant)

2.   ________________________ is the largest but it the sea. (octopus/elephant/whale)

3.   ________________________ is the largest living bird. (eagle/sparrow/ostrich)                       


69.4   Complete these sentences using the with these adjectives:

poor          injured        unemployed            dead             rich             sick             blind

Example: Braille is a system of reading and writing by touch for the blind.

1.   Many people were killed in the plane crash. The bodies of  _______________ were taken away. __________________ were taken to the hospital.

2.   Do you know the story of Robin Hood? It is said that he robbed __________________
and gave the money to _____________________

3.   For people with jobs, life is easier than it is for_________________________

4.   Linda has been a nurse all her life. She has spent her life caring for _____________________


69.5   What do you call the people from these places?

Examples: England? the English
Russia? the Russians

1.   Britain?____________________

2.   Ireland?____________________

3.   Greece?_____________________

4.   Korea?______________________

5.   Spain?______________________

6.   France?________________________

7.   Japan?________________________

8.   German?_____________________

9.   China?_______________________

10.   Canada?____________________

11.   Switzerland?____________________

12.   America (the U.S.)?____________________

13.   the Netherlands?______________________

14.   and your country?________________________

The (2)

UNIT 69   The (2)

A.   Study these sentences:

• The rose is my favorite flower.

• The giraffe is the tallest of all animals.

In these examples the . . . doesn't mean one particular thing. The rose= roses in general, the giraffe = giraffes in general. We use the + a singular countable noun in this way to talk about a type of plant, animal, etc. Note that you can also use a plural noun without the:

• Roses are my favorite flowers. (but not The roses.)

We also use the + a singular countable noun when we talk about a type of machine, an invention, etc. For example:

• When was the telephone invented?

• The bicycle is an excellent means of transportation.

We also use the for musical instruments:

• Can you play the guitar (not Can you play guitar?)

• The piano is my favorite instrument.

B.   The + adjective.
We use the with some adjectives (without a noun). The meaning is always plural. For example, the rich = rich people in general:

• Do you think the rich should pay more taxes?

We use the especially with these adjectives:                       
the injured       the blind       the sick        the disabled       the rich                   the old
the poor         the young        the deaf          the dead      the unemployed      the homeless

• That man over there is collecting money for the homeless.

• Why doesn't the government do more to help the unemployed?

These expressions are always plural. You cannot say "a blind'' or "an unemployed." You have to say "a blind man,''  an unemployed woman,'' etc.

C.   The + nationality words.

You can use the with some nationality adjectives when you mean the people of that country.
For example:
 

• The French are famous for their food. (= the French people)

• The English are known for being polite. (= the English people)

tYou can use the in this way with these nationality words:

the British    the Welsh    the Spanish   the Dutch   
the English   the Irish       the French    the Swiss
You can also use the with words ending in-ese (the Japanese/the Chinese, etc.)
With other nationalities you have to use a plural noun ending in-s:

(the) Russians        (the) Italians       (the) Arabs          (the) Germans            (the) Turks

The (1) Exercises

UNIT 68 The (1) Exercises

68.1   Answer these questions in the way shown

Example: "Was it a good movie "Yes, it was the best movie l've ever seen.''

1.   "Is it a big hotel?''   ''Yes, it is__________________________in the city.''

2.   ''Is he a rich man?''    ''Yes, he is___________________________I've ever met."

3.   ''Was it a bad accident?''  ''Yes, it was_____________________ I've ever seen."

4.   "Is it a cheap restaurant?''   "Well, it is______________________you will find.''

5.   ''It's hot today, isn't it?''   ''t is_________________________day of the year."


68.2   Put in a/an or the. Sometimes you don't need either word you leave it blank.

Examples: We went to the most expensive restaurant in town.
Do you want to watch _________ television this evening?
Last night we went out for a meal in a restaurant.

1.   I wrote my name at_______top of the page.

2.   _______ moon goes around  __________ earth every 27 days.

3.   The Soviet Union was _______ first country to send a man into _________ space.

4.   Did you see the movie on ________ television or in _________ movie theater?

5.   After_________ lunch, we went for a walk by _________ sea.

6.   I'm not very hungry. I had ________ big breakfast.

7.   John was ___________ only person I talked to at the party.

8.   Liz lives in ________ small village in _________ country.

9.   Peru is __________ country in South America. __________ capital is Lima.

10.   I never listen to _________ radio. In fact, I don't have __________ radio.

11.   It was________beautiful day _________ sun shone brightly in________sky

12.   I've invited Tom to _______ dinner next Wednesday

13.   What is ________highest mountain in ________ world?

14.   We don't go to _________ theater very much these days. In fact, in ________ town where we live there isn't ______ theater.

15.   It was a long voyage. We were at _______sea for four weeks.

16.   I prefer swimming in _______ sea to swimming in pools.

17.   Can you turn ________ television down, please? It's alittle loud                       


68.3   Here are some things Tom did yesterday. Write a sentence for each.

Morning:
8:00 breakfast
8:30-9:00 radio
9:30 walk/country

Afternoon:
1:00 lunch
2:30 movies

Evening:
6:30 dinner
8:00-10:00 television

1.   At 8:00 he had breakfast

2.   From 8:30 until 9:00 he listened____________________

3.   At 9:30 he went for a walk in _____________________

4.   At 1:00 he ______________________

5.   At 2:30__________________________

6.   At 6:30 _________________________

7.   From______________________________________

The (1)

UNIT 68   The (1)
 

A.   We say the . . . when there is only one of something:

• What is the longest river in the world? (There is only one longest river in the world.)

• We went to the most expensive restaurant in town.

• The only television program she watches is the news.

• Paris is the capital of France.

• Everybody left at the end of the meeting.

• The earth goes around the sun. (also: the moon/ the world/ the universe)

B.   We say: the sea        the sky          the ground           the city/the country

• Would you rather live in the city or in the country?

• Don't sit on the ground! It's wet.

• We looked up at all the stars in the sky

We say go to sea/be at sea (without the) when the meaning is go/be on a voyage:

• Ken is a seaman. He spends most of his life at sea.  

but: I would love to live near the sea. (not near sea)
We say space (not the space) when we mean space in the universe.

• There are millions of stars in space (not in the space) 

 but: He tried to park his car, but the space wasn't big enough.                       

C.   Movies       theater           radio              television

We say the movies/the theater:

• We went to the movies last night.

• Do you often go to the theater?

Note that when we say the theater, we do not necessarily mean one particular theater.

We usually say the radio:

• We often listen to the radio.

• I heard the news on the radio.

But we usually say television. (without the):

• We often watch television.

• I watched the news on television.

but: Can you turn off the television, please? (= the television set)

D.    Meals: We do not normally use the with the names of meals:

• What time is lunch?

• We had dinner in a restaurant.

• What did you have for breakfast?

• Ann invited me to (or for) dinner.

But we say a meal:

• We had a meal in a restaurant.

We also say a when there is an adjective before lunch/breakfast, etc.

• Thank you. That was a very nice lunch. (not that was very nice lunch)

A/an and The Exercises

UNIT 67   A/an and The Exercises

67.1  Put in  a/an or the.

Example: There was a man and a woman in the room. The man was American, and the woman looked Indian

1.  This morning I bought_____  newspaper and ______ magazine _______ newspaper is in my bag, but I don't know where ______ magazine is.

2.  My parents have ____ cat and  ______ dog. ______dog never bites ________ cat, but often _____ cat scratches _______ dog

3.  I saw ____ accident this morning _____ car crashed into ____ wall. _____ driver of  _____ car was not hurt, but _____ car was badly damaged.

4.  When you turn onto Pine Tree Drive, you will see three houses: ____ red one, ____ blue one, and ______ white one. I live in _____ white one.

5.  We live in ______ old house in _____ middle of town. There is ______ garden behind ______ house _____ roof of t house is in bad condition .

                      
67.2    Put in a/an or the.

Examples: I'm looking for a job.
Did Ann get the job she applied for?

1.  Would you like _______ apple?

2.  Could you close ______ door, please?

3.  We live in _____ small apartment near ______ center of town.

4.   Have you finished with ______ book l lent you last week?
 
5.   We went out for ______ meal last night. _______ restaurant we went to was excellent.

6.   Did _____ police find ________ person who stole your bicycle?

7.   This is a nice house. Does it have _______  garden?

8.   It was warm and sunny, so we decided to sit in _____ garden.

9.   This morning I had the soft-boiled egg and toast for breakfast.

10.   ______ President of the United States is elected every four years.

11.   As I was walking along the street, I saw ______ S20 bill on ______ sidewalk.

12.   I went into the store and asked to speak to ______ manager.

13.   Do you have ______  car?" No, I've never had ______ car in my life.

14.   There's no need to buy a paper _______ newspaper carrier brings it every morning.


67.3   Complete these sentences using the + noun

Example: It was getting dark in the room, so turned on the light.

1.   There were no chairs, so we all had to sit on________________________

2.   As soon as I saw the fire, I called_________________________

3.   We didn't have any stamps, so we had to go to_______________________

4.   I had a toothache, so I made an appointment with____________________________

5.   Ann had to catch a train, so I took her to____________________________

6.   When we found that someone had broken into our house, we called___________________________

7.   Bill wasn't feeling well, so he went to ____________________________

8.   We didn't have any money, so we had to go to_____________________________

9.   The plane was delayed, so we had to wait at__________________________for three hours.

10.   Jill had a car accident, She'll be in_____________________________ for at least two weeks.

A/an and the

UNIT 67   A/an and the

A.   Study this example:
For lunch I had a sandwich and an apple. The sandwich wasn't very good.

The speaker says "the sandwich" because the listener now knows which sandwich he means the sandwich he had for lunch.

The speaker says "a /an apple" because this is the first time he talks about them.

Here are some more examples:

• There was a man talking to a woman outside my house. The man looked American, and I think the woman was Indian.

• When we were on vacation, we stayed at a hotel. In the evenings, sometimes we had dinner at the hotel and sometimes in a restaurant.

• I saw a movie last night. The movie was about a soldier and a beautiful woman. The soldier was in love with the woman, but the woman was in love with a teacher. So the soldier shot the teacher and married the woman.

B.   We a/an when the listener doesn't know which thing we mean. We use the when it is
use clear which thing we mean:

• Tom sat down on a chair (we don't know which chair)

Tom sat down on the chair nearest the door. (we know which chair)

• Ann is looking for a job. (not a particular job)

Did Ann get the Job she applied for? (a particular job)

• Do you have a car? (not a particular car)

I cleaned the car yesterday. (a particular car, my car)
                       

C.   We use the when it is clear in the situation which thing or person we mean. For example, in a we talk about "the light, the floor, the ceiling, the door, the carpet, etc. Study these examples

• Can you turn off the light, please? (=the light in this room)

• Where is the bathroom, please? (=the bathroom in this building/house)

• I enjoyed the movie. Who was the director? (= the director of the movie)

• I took a taxi to the station (= the station of the town)

• We got to the airport just in time for our flight.

Also: the police, the fire department, the army.

We also say the bank, the post office:

• I have to go to the bank to change some money, and then I'm going to the post office to buy some stamps. (The speaker is usually thinking of a particular bank or post office.)

We also say the doctor, the dentist, the hospital:

• John wasn't feeling very well. He went to the doctor. (= his doctor)

• Two people were taken to the hospital after the accident.

Countables nouns Exercises

UNIT 66   Countables nouns Exercises

66.1   What are these things? Try and find out if you don't know.
Example: an ant? It's an insect                       ants? bees? They are inserts.

1.   an onion? It's__________________________

2.   a pigeon? It__________________________

3.   a dandelion?_________________________

4.   a skyscraper?__________________________

5.   Earth? Mars? Venus? Jupiter? They______________________

6.   the Rhine? the Nile? the Mississippi?________________________

And who were these people?

Example: Beethoven? He was a composer.            Beethoven? Bach? They were camposers.

7.   Picasso? He was_____________________

8.   Shakespeare? He_______________________

9.   Einstein?_________________________

10.   Marilyn Monroe?_________________________

11.   Kennedy? Johnson? Nixo? They______________________

12.   Elvis Presley? John Lennon?____________________________


66.2   Read about someone's job and then write what his or her job is.

Example: Ron flies airplanes.  He's a pilot.

1.   sue types letters and answers the phone in an office. She is__________________________

2.   Tim plans people's vacations for them. He_________________________________

3.   Carol takes care of patients in a hospital. She__________________________________
 
4.   Mary teaches math._________________________________________

5.   Martha directs movies._______________________________

6.   John translates what people are saying from one language into another, so that they can understand each other.  ________________________________________________                     


66.3   Put in a/an or some, or leave a space (without a word).

Examples: I've seen some good movies recently.
Do you have a headache?
Are most of your friends _______________ students?

1.   Do you have________ camera?

2.   Would you like to be_______actor?

3.   Bill has ________ big feet.

4.   Do you collect _________ stamps?

5.   Tom always gives Ann_____________flowers on her birthday.

6.   Those are___________ really nice slacks. Where did you get them?

7.   What____________beautiful garden!

8.   What_________nice children

9.   ____________birds, for example the penguin, cannot fly.

10.   Jack has___________very long legs, so he's _____________fast runner.

11.   You need______visa to visit foreign countries, but not all of them.

12.   I'm going shopping. I'm going to get___________new clothes.

13.   Jane is teacher. Her parents were______________teaches too.

14.   When we got downtown,_____________ stores were still open, but most of them were already closed.

15.   Do you enjoy going to______________concerts?

16.   When I was child, I used to_____________be very shy

Countable nouns

UNIT 66   Countable nouns with a/an and some

A.   Countable nouns are, for example:

dog       umbrella          job         suggestion        girl
Countable nouns are things we can count. We can make them plural:
two dogs        six jobs         some girls          many suggestions







B.   Before singular countable nouns you can use a/an:

• That's a good suggestion

• Do you need an umbrella?

You cannot use singular countable nouns alone (without a/the/my, etc.):

• I'm looking for a job. (not I'm looking for job)

• Be careful of the dog. (not Be careful of dog)

• I've got a headache. 

• Would you like a cigarette?

C.   We often use a/an + noun when we say what something/someone is, or what something/someone is like:

• Sue is a very nice person.

• A dog is an animal.

• Jack has a big nose.

• This is a really beautiful house.

• What a nice dress!                       

Remember to use a/an for jobs:

• Tom's mother is a doctor. (not Tom's mother is doctor)

• I wouldn't like to be an English teacher.

In sentences like these, we use plural countable nouns alone (not with some):

• What awful shoes!

• Tom's parents are very nice people.(not some very nice people)

• Dogs are animals.

•  Are most of your friends students?

• Ann has blue eyes.

D.   We also use some with plural countable nouns. Some= a number of/a few of (but we don't know or say exactly how a number many):

• I've seen some good movies lately.

• Some friends of mine are coming to stay for the weekend.

Do not use some when you are talking about things in general:

• I love bananas. (not some bananas)

Sometimes you can use some or leave it out:

• There are (some) eggs in the refrigerator if you're hungry.

E.   You have to use some when you mean some, but not all/not many, etc.

• Some children learn very quickly. (but not all children)

• Some police officers in Britain carry guns, but most of them don't.

Uncountable nouns Exercises

UNIT 65 Uncountable nouns Exercises

65.1   Which of the underlined parts of these sentences s right?

Example: Sue was very helpful She gave me some good advice/advices. ("advice" is right)

l.   Margaret has very long black hair/hairs.

2.   We had a very good weather/very good weather when we were on vacation.

3.   Can l help you with your luggage/luggages?

4.   I want something to read. Im going to buy a/some paper.

5.   I want to write some letters, I need a/some writing paper.

6.   It's very difficult to find a work/job at the moment.

7.   Bad news don't/doesn't make people happy.

8.   Our travel/trip from Paris to Frankfurt by train was very interesting.

9.   The apartment is empty. We don't have any furnitures/furniture yet

10.   When the fire alarm rang, there was a complete chaos/complete chaos.

11. Can I talk to you? I need an/some advice

12. Do you have any experience/experiences in sales?



65.2   Complete these sentences usung these words:

progress    advice     hair    work     experience   air      information       paper      permission

Example: The room was very crowded We had to open the windows for (some) air.

1.   I don't think Ann will get the job. She hasn't got______________________________________________

2.   They'll tell you all you want to know. They'll give you plenty of___________________________________

3.   You'll recognize Alan easily. He's got green______________________________________________

4.   Carla's English has improved. She has made________________________________________________

5.   I want to write down your address. Do you have______________________________________________

6.   If you want to leave early, you have to ask for_______________________________________________

7.   George is unemployed at the moment. He is looking for_________________________________________

8.   I didn't know what to do. So I asked Jack for___________________________________________________                       

65.3   What would say in these situations. Each time begin in the way shown and use one
of the words in section d of this unit.

Example: Your friends have just arrived at the station. You can't see any suitcases or bags.
You say: Do you have any luggage

1.   You go into the tourist office. You want to know about places to see in the town. You say:
I'd like_________________________________________________________________

2.   The weather is beautiful. You say: What_________________________________________________________

3.   You are a student. You want your teacher to advise you about which exams to take. You say: Can you give me_____________________________________________________________________

4.   You want to watch the news on television, but you don't know what time it is on. You ask your friend: What time_________________________________________________________________

5.   You are standing at the top of a mountain. You can see a very long way. It is beautiful. You say: What________________________________________________________________________________