Transcript Document

How to use this program
When you have finished reading these instructions,
click on the button at the right. This will take you to
Exercise 1.
Read carefully what is in the large yellow box.
Do the exercise in the blue box at the bottom of the
screen. Each exercise has four parts - in each part
you have to choose between two answers.
At the right of the screen are sixteen buttons
showing all the possible combinations of answers.
Click on the one you think has the four correct
answers.
If you have answered all four correctly you will jump
to a new screen. Do the same there - read what is in
the large yellow box then do the exercise in the blue
box.
If you did not answer all four correctly, you will jump
to another screen. Follow the instructions on it.
Start
1, 2, 3 and 4
Exercise 1 - Verbs
There are thousands of words in our language,
but they perform only a few tasks. We can
break these tasks down into groups.
Runs tells us what someone (Michael) does; and
jumps tells us what something (It) does. So
runs and jumps are verbs.
We shall begin by dealing with two groups
known as subject and verb. Without a verb and
its subject, we cannot make a sentence - and
without a sentence we cannot clearly express
any thought or ask a question or give a
command.
The verbs runs and jumps tell us about actions
of the body - actions we can see with our own
eyes. Verbs can also tell us about the mind or
emotions - which we cannot observe with our
eyes:
First we shall look at the verb. The verb tells
us what someone or something does:
Michael runs.
It jumps.
Julia thinks.
The dog fears water.
1, 6, 3 and 4
1, 2, 7 and 4
1, 6, 7 and 4
1, 2, 3 and 8
1, 6, 3 and 8
1, 2, 7 and 8
Thinks tells us what someone (Julia) does even though we do not see her do it. Fears
tells us what something (The dog) does - even
though we could not see the dog do it. So
thinks and fears are also verbs.
1, 6, 7 and 8
5, 2, 3 and 4
5, 6, 3 and 4
Pick out the verbs and click on the correct button to the right.
A. He hates lessons.
hates - 1
lessons - 5
B. The man rides a large horse.
man - 2
rides - 6
C. Boys love shouting.
love - 3
shouting - 7
D. Joan faints regularly.
faints - 4
regularly - 8
5, 2, 7 and 4
5, 6, 7 and 4
5, 2, 3 and 8
5, 6, 3 and 8
5, 2, 7 and 8
5, 6, 7 and 8
Sorry, that’s the wrong answer!
Click the button below and try again.
Back to the Exercise
All correct - well done!
1, 2, 3 and 4
Exercise 2 - Verbs
1, 5, 3 and 4
When a verb tells us what someone or something does it is
concerned with what is going on now, at the present time. It is
therefore said to be in the Present Tense. But a verb can also
tell us what someone or something did or will do:
1, 2, 8 and 4
1, 5, 8 and 4
Michael ran. Michael will run.
It jumped. It will jump.
1, 2, 3 and 7
When a verb tells us what someone or something did it is said
to be in the Past Tense. When it tells us what someone or
something will do it is said to be in the Future Tense.
1, 5, 3 and 7
1, 2, 8 and 7
Note that a verb may be a group of words - two, three or even
four words. It is not always just one word.
1, 5, 8 and 7
6, 2, 3 and 4
6, 5, 3 and 4
Pick out the verbs and click on the correct button to the right.
A. I shall swim every evening.
B. The teacher arrived late.
C. Our team will win. will win - 3
D. They climbed very high.
swim - 1
shall swim - 6
arrived - 2
teacher - 5
win - 8
climbed - 4
6, 2, 8 and 4
6, 5, 8 and 4
6, 2, 3 and 7
6, 5, 3 and 7
6, 2, 8 and 7
climbed very - 7
6, 5, 8 and 7
All correct - well done!
1, 2, 3 and 4
Exercise 3 - Verbs
So far we have learned that the task of the verb
is to tell us what someone or something does, did
or will do. Now compare the following:
Peter pushes.
Peter is pushed.
In the first example the verb tells us what
someone (Peter) does. In the second, however,
the situation is reversed. Here Peter is the
receiver of the action, and the verb is telling us
what is done to someone or something. The verb
can also tell us what was done to someone or
something (Past Tense) and what will be done to
someone or something (Future Tense):
Peter was pushed.
Peter will be pushed.
We can now state the task of the verb
in full:
A verb is a word (or group of words)
telling us what someone or something
does, did, or will do; or what is, was, or
will be done to someone or something.
Note that the action of a verb may be
continuous:
1, 8, 3 and 4
1, 2, 5 and 4
1, 8, 5 and 4
1, 2, 3 and 6
1, 8, 3 and 6
Pushes - is pushing: is pushed - is
being pushed: etc.
1, 2, 5 and 6
There are variations to all the three
main tenses - Present, Past and Future.
1, 8, 5 and 6
7, 2, 3 and 4
7, 8, 3 and 4
Pick out the verbs and click on the correct button to the right.
A. I am seated.
B. The cows were being fed.
am seated - 1
were being fed - 2
am - 7
were fed - 8
C. The pigs were feeding noisily. were - 3 were feeding - 5
D. Our friends will be coming.
will be coming - 4
will be - 6
7, 2, 5 and 4
7, 8, 5 and 4
7, 2, 3 and 6
7, 8, 3 and 6
7, 2, 5 and 6
7, 8, 5 and 6
All correct - well done!
1, 2, 5 and 6
Exercise 4 - Verbs
When a verb contains two or more words,
other words which are not verbs can come in
between them. You must be careful not to
confuse these wother words with the verb
itself.
When we ask a question the verb is
always split if it contains two or more
words:
Shall we go? (We shall go.)
When were you asked? (You were
asked when.)
He was quietly walking home.
Although the word ‘quietly’ comes between
the two parts of the verb, it is not itself a
verb. It does not tell us what someone or
something did (or was doing). You cannot
‘quietly’ a person or a thing.
Observe that the word not does not
belong to the verb:
They will not be coming.
They cannot do it.
Note that words can often be rearranged to
clear up the confusion:
1, 4, 5 and 6
1, 2, 7 and 6
1, 4, 7 and 6
1, 2, 5 and 8
1, 4, 5 and 8
1, 2, 7 and 8
1, 4, 7 and 8
3, 2, 5 and 6
He was walking home quietly.
3, 4, 5 and 6
Pick out the verbs and click on the correct button to the right.
A. How shall we know?
shall we know - 1
shall know - 3
B. Girls will seldom arrive on time. will seldom arrive - 2 will arrive - 4
C. They were rather rudely interrupted.
were rather rudely interrupted - 5 were interrupted - 7
D. Mary was not greatly interested.
was interested - 6
3, 2, 7 and 6
3, 4, 7 and 6
3, 2, 5 and 8
3, 4, 5 and 8
3, 2, 7 and 8
was not interested - 8
3, 4, 7 and 8
All correct - well done!
1, 2, 3 and 4
Exercise 5 - Subjects
In our first lesson we said that the two
essential parts of a sentence are the verb
and its subject. To find the subject of a
verb we must ask the questions 'Who?' or
'What?' in front of the verb.
The young girl was sleeping.
First, find the verb -'was sleeping'. Now ask
'Who?' or 'What?' in front of it. 'Who was
sleeping?' - The young girl. This is the
subject of the verb.
Note that, although we ask the
questions in front of the verb, the
subject itself does not necessarily come
in front of the verb:
Into the water plunged the grey seal.
(What plunged?) It was the grey seal
that plunged - not the water.
The injured bird was taken indoors.
The verb is 'was taken'. 'Who was taken?' No one was taken. 'What was taken?' - The
injured bird. Subject.
1, 7, 3 and 4
1, 2, 6 and 4
1, 7, 6 and 4
1, 2, 3 and 5
1, 7, 3 and 5
1, 2, 6 and 5
1, 7, 6 and 5
8, 2, 3 and 4
8, 7, 3 and 4
Pick out the subjects and click on the correct button to the right.
A. Up in the sky floated the red balloon. (1 the sky) (8 the red balloon)
B. That chair will collapse. (2 That chair) (7 collapse)
C. It will be changed by my father. (3 my father) (6 It)
D. 'Piffle!' retorted the chief. (4 'Piffle!') (5 the chief)
8, 2, 6 and 4
8, 7, 6 and 4
8, 2, 3 and 5
8, 7, 3 and 5
8, 2, 6 and 5
8, 7, 6 and 5
All correct - well done!
1, 2, 5 and 6
Exercise 6 - Finite Verbs
A verb that takes a subject is called a
finite verb - that is to say a 'finished' or
'complete' verb. Remembering that we
cannot make up a sentence without a verb
and its subject, we are now in a position to
define a sentence:
A sentence is a group of words
containing a finite verb.
language - like most mechanisms in a space
craft - are refinements. They have their
jobs to do, but they are not absolutely
essential to set things going in the first
place. Note that, when a sentence is in
question form, the subject always comes
after the verb, or after part of the verb:
It is important to remember this definition.
Without a finite verb no group of words,
however long or impressive, can make up a
sentence - just as no space craft can be
accurately called a space craft unless it has
a rocket motor to drive it. Most words in a
Is he here? (He is here)
Are you dreaming? (You are dreaming)
Where shall we sit? (We shall sit where)
1, 3, 5 and 6
1, 2, 8 and 6
1, 3, 8 and 6
1, 2, 5 and 7
1, 3, 5 and 7
1, 2, 8 and 7
1, 3, 8 and 7
4, 2, 5 and 6
4, 3, 5 and 6
Pick out the subjects and click on the correct button to the right.
4, 2, 8 and 6
A. Can Honour's voice provoke the silent dust?
the silent dust - 1
4, 3, 8 and 6
Honour's voice - 4
B. Times out of number he has been told.
he - 2
C. Down the road came she.
she - 5
number - 3
road - 8
D. A bag of apples was lying on the floor. A bag of apples - 6 apples - 7
4, 2, 5 and 7
4, 3, 5 and 7
4, 2, 8 and 7
4, 3, 8 and 7
All correct - well done!
1, 2, 4 and 3
Exercise 7 - Phrases
‘A sentence is a group of words containing a
finite verb.' What, then, do we call a group of
words that does not contain a finite verb? Unless
it is merely nonsense we call it a phrase.
In the haze of a summer's evening,
towards the end of a long, gentle and
gracious day by the shore of the sea.
Despite its length, this group of words does not
contain a verb and subject. Therefore it is a
phrase.
Sitting by the stream
To take things easy
These two groups of words both contain verbs,
but they have no subjects. When we ask 'Who?'
or 'What?' in front of them we get no
answer - nor would ‘he sitting' or 'they to
take' make real sense. Thus both these
groups of words are also phrases. Verbs
which cannot take subjects are called nonfinite - that is to say 'unfinished' or
'incomplete'.
Note that, when a sentence is in the form
of a command, the object 'You' is usually
left out. But it is 'understood' to be there:
Come here! ((You) come here!) Sentence
So sentences can be very short - sometimes
they contain only two words - while phrases
can be quite long. Length is no guide. You
must look for the verb and subject.
1, 6, 4 and 3
1, 2, 8 and 3
1, 6, 8 and 3
1, 2, 4 and 7
1, 6, 4 and 7
1, 2, 8 and 7
1, 6, 8 and 7
5, 2, 4 and 3
5, 6, 4 and 3
Decide whether these are sentences or phrases and click on the
correct button to the right.
5, 2, 8 and 3
5, 6, 8 and 3
A. We sleep.
(1 Phrase) (5 Sentence)
B. Stop!
(2 Phrase) (6 Sentence)
C. Over the hills and far away.
(4 Sentence) (8 Phrase)
5, 2, 8 and 7
D. Two shillings to pay for a seat!
(3 Phrase) (7 Sentence)
5, 6, 8 and 7
5, 2, 4 and 7
5, 6, 4 and 7
All correct - well done!
1, 2, 4 and 3
Exercise 8 - Voice
1, 5, 4 and 3
Compare the following sentences carefully:
1, 2, 7 and 3
My father drives the car.
The car is driven by my father.
Both these sentences say the same thing and yet there is a subtle difference between them. In
the first sentence, the subject 'My father' is the doer of the action. In the second sentence,
the subject ‘the car' is the receiver of the action. This brings us to what we call the voice of the
verb.
When the subject of a verb is the doer of the action the verb is said to be in the Active Voice.
When the subject of a verb is the receiver of the action the verb is said to be in the Passive
1, 5, 7 and 3
1, 2, 4 and 8
1, 5, 4 and 8
Voice.
1, 2, 7 and 8
Here are two more very simple examples:
1, 5, 7 and 8
Jean helps - Jean, the subject, is doing the helping.
Jean is helped - Jean, the subject, is being helped.
Active Voice verb
Pa.ssive Voice verb
6, 2, 4 and 3
6, 5, 4 and 3
Decide whether the verbs are active or passive and click on the
correct button to the right.
A. I saw him. They watched me.
Active - 1 Passive - 6
6, 2, 7 and 3
6, 5, 7 and 3
6, 2, 4 and 8
B. He was seen by me. I was watched by them.
Active - 2 Passive - 5
C. They were chased. The player was rested.
Active - 4 Passive - 7
6, 2, 7 and 8
D. The player was resting. They were chasing.
Passive - 3 Active - 8
6, 5, 7 and 8
6, 5, 4 and 8
All correct - well done!
1, 2, 4 and 3
Exercise 9 - Objects
When someone or something receives the action
of an Active Voice verb then that someone or
something is said to be the object of that verb.
We find the object (if any) by asking the
questions 'Whom?' or 'What?' after the verb.
I followed the ginger cat.
First find the verb -'followed'. Now ask
'Whom?' or 'What?' after it. 'Followed whom?'no answer. 'Followed what?'-the ginger cat. This
is the object of the verb 'followed'.
Although we ask the questions after the verb,
the object (if any) does not necessarily come
after the verb:
NB 1 A Passive Voice verb can never take an
object because, as we have seen, the
subject is already the receiver of the
action.
NB 2 Verbs immediately followed by such
words as 'in', 'at', 'on', 'over', 'near', 'by',
'with', 'from', etc, hardly ever take
objects.
NB 3 Verbs that take objects are called
transitive. Verbs that do not take objects
are called intransltive.
1, 8, 4 and 3
1, 2, 6 and 3
1, 8, 6 and 3
1, 2, 4 and 5
1, 8, 4 and 5
1, 2, 6 and 5
1, 8, 6 and 5
7, 2, 4 and 3
Several people I asked. (Asked whom?)
7, 8, 4 and 3
Pick out the objects (if any) and click on the correct button to the right.
7, 2, 6 and 3
A. Chocolate cake we just adore!
chocolate cake - 7
7, 8, 6 and 3
B. The guide stopped by the lake. lake - 2
No object - 8
7, 2, 4 and 5
C. 'John!' my father shouted.
No object - 6
D. I will help you now.
No object - 1
'John!' - 4
you now - 3
you - 5
7, 8, 4 and 5
7, 2, 6 and 5
7, 8, 6 and 5
All correct - well done!
1, 2, 6 and 5
Exercise 10 - Appositional Phrases
Sometimes a subject or object is re-expressed by a phrase which follows it. This is called an
appositional phrase - that is, a phrase which is 'positioned next to' some other word or words.
Examine the following:
Susan, my youngest sister, is six today.
Who is six today? - Susan
Who is six today? - my youngest sister
1, 2, 8 and 5
1, 4, 8 and 5
)
)Both subjects
1, 2, 6 and 7
My youngest sister is a phrase in apposition to the subject 'Susan'.
Similarly, a phrase may be in apposition to an object:
I helped Susan, my youngest sister.
1, 4, 6 and 7
1, 2, 8 and 7
Note that the appositional phrase is always marked off between commas, unless it comes at the
end of a sentence when, of course, the second comma is replaced by a full-stop.
Decide whether the appositional phrases in the following sentences are
re-expressing subjects or objects. Click on the correct button.
A. Joseph Conrad, the novelist, was a sailor for much of his life.
Subject - 1 Object - 3
B. I have visited Paris, the French capital.
1, 4, 6 and 5
Subject - 2 Object - 4
C. John, my next-door neighbour, lent me his very ancient, nearly
collapsing bicycle.
Subject - 6 Object - 8
D. Aloysius, the hero of the tale, then defeats the enemy army singlehanded.
Subject - 5 Object - 7
1, 4, 8 and 7
3, 2, 6 and 5
3, 4, 6 and 5
3, 2, 8 and 5
3, 4, 8 and 5
3, 2, 6 and 7
3, 4, 6 and 7
3, 2, 8 and 7
3, 4, 8 and 7
All correct - well done!
Exercise 11 - Appositional Phrases
The appositional phrase brings us to our
first practical step in composition. Before
we take this step, however, we must learn
to think about degrees of importance.
Whenever we speak or write, some of the
things we say are more important or
interesting (to ourselves, anyway) than
other things we say. One of the main arts
of speech or composition is to give the
right amount of emphasis to these things
according to their importance. Look at the
following:
Mr. Robson is our mathematics teacher.
Mr. Decimal was married today.
Which of these two sentences is more
important? Clearly the second one is more
important. The first sentence merely gives
someone or something a label, as it were, so
that the listener or reader shall know who is
being discussed.
1, 2, 4 and 3
1, 7, 4 and 3
1, 2, 5 and 3
1, 7, 5 and 3
1, 2, 4 and 6
1, 7, 4 and 6
1, 2, 5 and 6
1, 7, 5 and 6
Select the more important or interesting sentence and click on the
correct button.
8, 2, 4 and 3
A. The chameleon is a species of lizard. - 1
The chameleon can change its colour at will. - 8
8, 7, 4 and 3
B. Claude Monet was a founder of the Impressionist movement in art. - 2
Claude Monet was a Frenchman. - 7
C. Sir Isaac Newton was a scientist. - 4
Sir Isaac Newton discovered the law of universal gravitation. - 5
D. Pompeii was an ancient Italian town. - 3
Pompeii was destroyed by a volcanic eruption in A.D. 79. - 6
8, 2, 5 and 3
8, 7, 5 and 3
8, 2, 4 and 6
8, 7, 4 and 6
8, 2, 5 and 6
8, 7, 5 and 6
All correct - well done!
Exercise 12 - Blending Sentences
Often in essays we wish to give some additional
information about someone or something. This,
as we have seen, can be done by means of the
appositional phrase. We shall now see how two
sentences can be blended into one by using this
kind of phrase. Let us return to Mr. Decimal:
Mr Decimal is our mathematics master.
Mr. Decimal was married today.
Leave the more important sentence untouched.
Reduce the less important sentence to a phrase
by removing its verb and subject. Now insert
the phrase into the remaining sentence, placing
it after the person or thing that it is reexpressing. Mark it off with commas:
Mr. Decimal, our mathematics master, was
married today.
Observe that we have now only one finite verb
- 'was married'. So we have now blended two
sentences into one, instead of having two
separate, unlinked statements. Such blending,
or linking, is essential to good essay writing,
but we must always decide what is more
important and what is less important when we
do this blending or linking.
1, 2, 6 and 5
1, 3, 6 and 5
1, 2, 7 and 5
1, 3, 7 and 5
1, 2, 6 and 8
1, 3, 6 and 8
1, 2, 7 and 8
1, 3, 7 and 8
4, 2, 6 and 5
Select the phrase you would use in apposition if you were blending
the following pairs of sentences and click on the correct button.
A. Peter is (my cousin - 1). Peter is (the best athlete in the school - 4).
B. My dog is (an Irish wolfhound - 2). My dog was (the champion at last
year's show - 3).
4, 3, 6 and 5
4, 2, 7 and 5
4, 3, 7 and 5
4, 2, 6 and 8
C. Our village is (a remote one - 6). Our village is (a famous beauty
spot - 7).
4, 3, 6 and 8
D. Mr. Perkins is (a seven-foot giant - 5). Mr Perkins is (our landlord - 8).
4, 3, 7 and 8
4, 2, 7 and 8
All correct - well done!
Exercise 13 - Blending Sentences
Two appositional phrases can be linked together
with ‘and’ :
Mr. Robson is our mathematics teacher. He
is also our rugby coach. He was married
today.
Preserve the most important or interesting
sentence. Remove the verbs and subjects of the
other two sentences, thereby turning them into
phrases. Link them with' and'. Insert them into
the remaining sentence. Mark them off between
commas. Substitute 'Mr. Decimal' for 'He':
Mr. Robson, our mathematics teacher and
(also our) rugby coach, was married today.
Note that we have now blended three
sentences into one. The words' also our' have
been bracketed because they are no longer
necessary and may be left out.
1, 3, 2 and 4
1, 7, 2 and 4
1, 3, 6 and 4
1, 7, 6 and 4
1, 3, 2 and 8
1, 7, 2 and 8
1, 3, 6 and 8
1, 7, 6 and 8
From each of these groups of sentences, select the one you would
keep as being the most important. Click on the correct button.
5, 3, 2 and 4
A. Bicycles are driven by means of pedals. They are fairly cheap. They
are a useful means of transport.
First - 1
Third - 5
5, 7, 2 and 4
B. Mr Jenkins is our postman. He is also an ex-miner. He broke our gate
last week.
Third - 3 Second - 7
C. Man is a two-legged creature. He is master of this planet. He stands
upright.
First - 2
Second - 6
D. Telephones enable us to communicate over long distances. Some of
them use landlines. Some of them are wireless. Second - 4
First - 8
5, 3, 6 and 4
5, 7, 6 and 4
5, 3, 2 and 8
5, 7, 2 and 8
5, 3, 6 and 8
5, 7, 6 and 8
All correct - well done!
Exercise 14 - Blending Sentences
Before changing a sentence into an appositional
phrase, we sometimes have to re-express a
word or words. Examine the following:
John sprints well. He won the race.
If we try to turn the first sentence into an
appositional phrase by removing its verb and
subject, we are left with the word 'well', which
is not another way of saying 'John'. (You could
not say 'Well won the race'.) So we must
1, 3, 2 and 4
re-express. What do we call a person who
sprints ? - A sprinter. And what do we call a
person who sprints well? - Obviously a fast
sprinter, or a good sprinter.
1, 8, 2 and 4
Now we are able to blend the two sentences
into one sentence by using an appositional
phrase:
1, 8, 5 and 4
John, a fast sprinter, won the race.
1, 3, 5 and 4
1, 3, 2 and 7
1, 8, 2 and 7
1, 3, 5 and 7
1, 8, 5 and 7
6, 3, 2 and 4
Re-express the following and click on the correct button.
A. A person who plays the violin well is (a well violinist - 1 a good
violinist - 6).
6, 8, 2 and 4
6, 3, 5 and 4
B. A person who likes to climb mountains is (a keen mountaineer - 3
a mountainous liker - 8).
6, 8, 5 and 4
C. A person who comes to clean and sweep every day is (a daily cleaner 2 a clean sweep - 5).
6, 8, 2 and 7
D. A person who jumps high is (a high jumper - 4 a tall jumper - 7).
6, 3, 2 and 7
6, 3, 5 and 7
6, 8, 5 and 7
All correct - well done!
Exercise 15 - Nouns
1, 3, 2 and 4
When the task of a word is to tell us the name of a person, place or thing, we call it a noun. We find
nouns by asking ‘Who?', 'Whom?', or 'What?' in relation to some other word:
1, 5, 2 and 4
Eve Smith was visiting her friend near Dunster when she heard the cry of a curlew.
Who was visiting?
Visiting whom?
Near what?
Heard what?
Of what?
- Eve Smith
-friend
- Dunster
- cry
-curlew
- Name
- ”
- ”
- "
- ”
of a person
”
"
"
place
" thing
”
"
1, 3, 8 and 4
1, 5, 8 and 4
1, 3, 2 and 6
Since nouns answer the questions 'Who?', 'Whom?' and ‘What?', they will very often be subjects
or objects of verbs, as you can see above. 'Eve Smith' is subject to the verb' was visiting'; 'friend'
is object to the verb 'was visiting'; 'cry' is object to the verb' heard', etc.
1, 5, 2 and 6
1, 3, 8 and 6
Normally a noun contains only one word. However, when it tells us the name or title of a particular
person or thing, then it may contain several words, eg Eve Smith, The Rock of Gibraltar, The Duke
of Alba, etc.
1, 5, 8 and 6
Pick out the nouns and click on the correct button.
7, 5, 2 and 4
A. The boy had big ideas.
boy - 1 boy, ideas - 7
7, 3, 8 and 4
B. The villagers lived in a constant state of fear owing to tigers
villagers, tigers - 3
villagers, state, fear, tigers - 5
7, 5, 8 and 4
c. Sir Walter Scott, the novelist, wrote 'The Fair Maid of Perth'.
Sir Walter Scott, novelist, 'The Fair Maid of Perth' - 2
Scott, novelist, Maid, Perth - 8
D. Tokyo is a large city.
Tokyo - 4 Tokyo, city - 6
7, 3, 2 and 4
7, 3, 2 and 6
7, 5, 2 and 6
7, 3, 8 and 6
7, 5, 8 and 6
All correct - well done!
Exercise 16 - Pronouns
1, 5, 2 and 6
When we are speaking or writing, we should take care to avoid using nouns unnecessarily; otherwise
we shall have a great deal of repetition and this can be tedious:
John and Martha hurried home. The caretaker had told John and Martha that, if John and
Martha arrived back early, John and Martha would receive a pleasant surprise.
After the first mention of 'John and Martha', substitute 'they', 'them', etc.
John and Martha hurried home. The caretaker had told them that, if they arrived back early,
they would receive a pleasant surprise.
In the above passage the words ‘they' and' them' stand in place of the nouns 'John' and 'Martha'.
That is their task. When the task of words is to stand in place of nouns, we call them pronouns.
1, 7, 2 and 6
1, 5, 4 and 6
1, 7, 4 and 6
1, 5, 2 and 8
1, 7, 2 and 8
1, 5, 4 and 8
1, 7, 4 and 8
3, 5, 2 and 6
Select suitable pronouns to replace the italicised nouns and click on
the correct button.
3, 7, 2 and 6
3, 5, 4 and 6
A. Mary is here.
she - 1
B. The dog bit Henry.
he, it - 5
it, him - 7
3, 5, 2 and 8
C. Henry bit the dog.
he, it- 2
him, it - 4
3, 7, 2 and 8
it - 3
D. Edna and Eleanor Purdew saw Edna and Eleanor Purdew in the mirror.
they, themselves - 6 they, them - 8
3, 7, 4 and 6
3, 5, 4 and 8
3, 7, 4 and 8
All correct - well done!
Exercise 17 - Pronouns
1, 3, 2 and 4
Pronouns are sometimes difficult to recognize because the nouns they stand for are often unstated:
1, 6, 2 and 4
Many were left. (Many could stand for ‘men’, ‘girls’, ‘apples’, etc.)
1, 3, 7 and 4
Each was examined. (Each could stand for 'boy', 'bank-note', etc.)
This was examined. (This could stand for 'a banknote', 'an apple', etc, but not for a person.)
1, 6, 7 and 4
1, 3, 2 and 5
Mine is sold. (Mine could stand for ‘bicycle’, 'book', etc.)
Who goes there? (We do not know for what person Who stands, until an answer is made.)
1, 6, 2 and 5
You said so. (Presumably the person speaking knows who You is, even if we do not. It could
1, 3, 7 and 5
stand for any person, from a king or president to a dustman.)
1, 6, 7 and 5
8, 3, 2 and 4
Decide how many pronouns there are and click on the correct button.
8, 6, 2 and 4
A. What did you say to them?
8, 3, 7 and 4
three - 1
two - 8
B. This was discussed by each of us while we were talking among
ourselves.
five - 3
four - 6
8, 6, 7 and 4
C. I have borrowed yours as you yourself are not using it.
five - 2
three - 7
8, 6, 2 and 5
D. Which is the key you want?
one - 4
two - 5
8, 3, 2 and 5
8, 3, 7 and 5
8, 6, 7 and 5
All correct - well done!
Exercise 18 - Adjectives
For the time being we shall leave the pronoun
and turn to a word whose task is to qualify or
limit a noun or pronoun: the adjective. When we
qualify or limit something we narrow down that
something.
Suppose you are at a library and are trying to
find a book. You have borrowed the book before
but you have forgotten the title and author.
The librarian asks you to describe it.
1, 5, 2 and 6
By the aid of four words qualifying or limiting
the noun 'book' you have found the item you
want from among thousands. These words 'thin', 'red', 'tattered', 'that' - are adjectives.
Note that, although the first three adjectives
also describe the noun' book', the word' that'
does not describe. It is pointing something out.
It is not sufficient to say that an adjective
describes. It qualifies or limits.
‘A thin book.’ (There are 5,000 thin books.)
‘A thin red book.’ (There are 500 thin red
books.)
‘A thin, red tattered book.’ (The librarian
produces 10 such books. )
‘That book.’
1, 8, 2 and 6
1, 5, 3 and 6
1, 8, 3 and 6
1, 5, 2 and 7
1, 8, 2 and 7
1, 5, 3 and 7
1, 8, 3 and 7
4, 5, 2 and 6
Pick out the adjectives and click on the correct button.
4, 8, 2 and 6
A. This boy has a black eye and a swollen lip.
This, black, swollen - 1 black, swollen - 4
4, 5, 3 and 6
B. It was a cold, wet day.
cold, wet day - 5
cold, wet - 8
C. I have seen those ugly little dogs before.
ugly little - 2 those ugly little - 3
D. The sweet young child screamed furiously.
sweet - 6
4, 8, 3 and 6
4, 5, 2 and 7
4, 8, 2 and 7
4, 5, 3 and 7
sweet young - 7
4, 8, 3 and 7
All correct - well done!
Exercise 19 - Adjectives
1, 3, 4 and 2
The boy is stupid. (What kind of boy? - A
stupid boy)
He is stupid. (What kind of he? - A stupid
he)
1, 7, 4 and 2
The second of the above examples shows the
usual way in which an adjective qualifies a
pronoun.
1, 7, 8 and 2
Adjectives are usually found by asking the
questions 'What kind of?' 'Which?' 'How
many?' 'How much?'
Apple tree (What kind of tree?)
This house (Which house?)
Five spanners (How many spanners?)
Some sugar (How much sugar?)
Some adjectives, instead of answering
questions, ask them:
What car is that? Which street do you mean?
Note that the words 'a' and 'an' (usual1y called
the 'indefinite articles') and 'the' (usually
called the 'definite article') are really
adjectives.
Adjectives do not always come before the
words they qualify; sometimes they follow the
verb - usually the verb 'to be':
1, 3, 8 and 2
1, 3, 4 and 6
1, 7, 4 and 6
1, 3, 8 and 6
1, 7, 8 and 6
5, 3, 4 and 2
5, 7, 4 and 2
Pick out the adjectives and click on the correct button.
A. My young sister was lucky.
My, young - 1
My, young, lucky - 5
B. We ordered fourteen new cricket balls.
fourteen, new, cricket - 3
C. That wooden bridge is unsafe.
That, wooden - 4
D. Which cake did your mother choose?
5, 3, 8 and 2
5, 7, 8 and 2
new, cricket - 7
5, 3, 4 and 6
5, 7, 4 and 6
That, wooden, unsafe - 8
your - 2
Which, your -6
5, 3, 8 and 6
5, 7, 8 and 6
All correct - well done!
Exercise 20 - Nouns and Adjectives
Sometimes confusion arises between adjectives
and nouns:
I love to study grammar.
I have a grammar book.
In the first of the above sentences we have no
trouble in realizing that' grammar' is a noun,
since it is the name of something. In the second
example the problem is not quite so simple.
Here the word' grammar' is still the name of
something, but its real task in the sentence is
to qualify the noun 'book' -to distinguish it
from other kinds of book.
What kind of book? - A grammar book.
Therefore, in the second of the above
examples, the word 'grammar' is an adjective not a noun. The fact that we may use the word'
grammar' more often as a noun than as an
adjective does not matter. It is its task in its
sentence that is the deciding factor.
NB Nouns showing possession do the work of
adjectives but are still treated as nouns, eg
Jill's pen.
1, 3, 4 and 2
1, 8, 4 and 2
1, 3, 7 and 2
1, 8, 7 and 2
1, 3, 4 and 5
1, 8, 4 and 5
1, 3, 7 and 5
1, 8, 7 and 5
6, 3, 4 and 2
Decide if the italicised words are adjectives or nouns and click on the
correct button.
6, 8, 4 and 2
6, 3, 7 and 2
A. The pirates sailed on the Spanish main.
noun - 1 adjective -6
6, 8, 7 and 2
B. The main attraction was a jazz quartet.
noun - 3 adjective - 8
6, 3, 4 and 5
C. The horse race was cancelled.
adjective - 4 noun - 7
D. The cart horse was ill.
noun - 2 adjective - 5
6, 8, 4 and 5
6, 3, 7 and 5
6, 8, 7 and 5
All correct - well done!
Exercise 21 - Summary
Let us briefly consider what we have learned so
far:
1. A verb expresses action, doing or being.
2. A verb has three main tenses: present, past,
future.
3. A finite verb is a verb that takes a subject
('Who?' or 'What?' in front of the verb).
4. Without a finite verb there can be no
subject and no sentence; only a phrase
(Exercises 6 and 7).
5. When the subject is the doer of the action
the verb is in the Active Voice.
6. When the subject is the receiver of the
action the verb is in the Passive Voice.
1, 3, 4 and 2
7. Active Voice verbs can (and sometimes do)
take objects. ('Whom?' or 'What?' after the
verb.)
8. Verbs taking objects are called Transitive
verbs.
9. Passive Voice verbs cannot take objects
because the subject is already receiving the
action (Exercise 9).
10. A noun is the name of a person, place or
thing.
11. A pronoun is a word which stands in place of
a noun.
12. An adjective limits or qualifies a noun or
pronoun.
1, 5, 4 and 2
1, 3, 6 and 2
1, 5, 6 and 2
1, 3, 4 and 8
1, 5, 4 and 8
1, 3, 6 and 8
1, 5, 6 and 8
7, 3, 4 and 2
Answer the following and click on the correct button.
7, 5, 4 and 2
A. A non-finite verb (cannot - 1 can - 7) take a subject.
7, 3, 6 and 2
B. The Voices of the verb are:
Subject and Object - 3
7, 5, 6 and 2
Active and Passive - 5
C. A sentence (always contains - 4 does not always contain - 6) an
Object.
D. A verb that takes an object is called:
Active - 2 Transitive - 8
7, 3, 4 and 8
7, 5, 4 and 8
7, 3, 6 and 8
7, 5, 6 and 8
All correct - well done!
Exercise 22 - Prepositions
If you were to approach a friend who lived on
the coast and say to him, 'Your house is near
the sea', he would probably nod his head
absent-mindedly in agreement. If, however, you
said to him, 'Your house is in the sea', he would
doubtless become highly excited and rush home
at great speed. By changing the word 'near' to
the word 'in' we have changed the relationship
between 'house' and 'sea' in a very important
manner.
Such words as these, which show the
relationship between one thing and another, are
called prepositions. 'Preposition' simply means
'positioned in front of' or 'placed before'.
1, 5, 6 and 2
Prepositions are so called because they are
always placed before nouns or pronouns. They
are said to 'govern' the nouns or pronouns that
follow them:
Your house is in the sea. ('in' - preposition,
governing the noun 'sea')
Here is a short list of common prepositions,
followed by nouns or pronouns for example
purposes:
of the ship, to the corner, for the milkman, with
my uncle, from him, by the sports field, over
the wall.
1, 7, 6 and 2
1, 5, 8 and 2
1, 7, 8 and 2
1, 5, 6 and 4
1, 7, 6 and 4
1, 5, 8 and 4
1, 7, 8 and 4
3, 5, 6 and 2
Pick out the prepositions and click on the correct button.
A. A bag of wool was lying on the table.
on - 1
3, 7, 6 and 2
of, on - 3
B. A knock at the door caused him to leap from his chair.
at, to, from - 5 at, from - 7
C. Into the darkness came a stream of light.
into, of - 6
D. They jumped through the hedge and won through.
through, through - 2
3, 5, 8 and 2
3, 7, 8 and 2
3, 5, 6 and 4
of - 8
3, 7, 6 and 4
3, 5, 8 and 4
through - 4
3, 7, 8 and 4
All correct - well done!
Exercise 23 - Adjective Phrase
1, 3, 4 and 2
Sometimes a phrase can do the work of an
adjective. When it does so, we call it an
1, 6, 4 and 2
adjective phrase:
A courageous man. (What kind of man?)
Adjective
A man of courage. (What kind of man?)
Adjective phrase
It is important to note that, in the second
example above, neither the word ‘of’ nor the
word 'courage' is an adjective. 'Of' is a
preposition, and' courage' is the noun it
governs. So we may see that an adjective
phrase is not a phrase made up of adjectives,
but a phrase doing the work of an adjective.
Note that the adjective phrase above comes
directly after the noun it qualifies. This is
usual. However, you may find it useful to think
of it as coming before the noun when you are
looking for an adjective phrase -just as though
it were an adjective. (What kind of man? - An
of-courage man.)
Often an adjective phrase can be re-expressed
in one word as an adjective:
An occasionfor festivity - A festive
occasion.
1, 3, 5 and 2
1, 6, 5 and 2
1, 3, 4 and 7
1, 6, 4 and 7
1, 3, 5 and 7
1, 6, 5 and 7
8, 3, 4 and 2
Pick out the adjective phrases and click on the correct button.
A. The girl from next door brought me a box of chocolates.
(1 of chocolates) (8 from next door, of chocolates)
B. The man in that car has a face like a poodle.
(3 in that car) (6 in that car, like a poodle)
C. He worked hard by the light of an old lamp.
(4 by the light, of an old lamp) (5 of an old lamp)
D. A refreshing swim in the sea is better than ten boxes of pills.
(2 in the sea, of pills) (7 refreshing swim, ten boxes)
8, 6, 4 and 2
8, 3, 5 and 2
8, 6, 5 and 2
8, 3, 4 and 7
8, 6, 4 and 7
8, 3, 5 and 7
8, 6, 5 and 7
All correct - well done!
Exercise 24 - Subjects and Objects
1, 5, 6 and 2
Let us take a look at the sentence in the light of what we have learned so far:
1, 8, 6 and 2
The man with the bow tie kicked the stable door.
The verb is 'kicked'. The subject ('Who or what kicked?') is 'The man with the bow tie'. The
object ('Kicked whom or what?') is 'the stable door'.
Expressed in one word, the subject is 'man'. Expressed in one word, the object is 'door'. The
subject word of a sentence and the object word (if any) of a sentence will always be nouns or
pronouns. The remainder (if any) of the subject or object will always be adjectives or adjective
phrases limiting or qualifying the subject words or object words.
Subject
Word
Limitation
of Subject
Word
Verb
Object Word
Limitation
of Object
Word
man
the, with
the bow tie
kicked
door
the,
stable
1, 5, 7 and 2
1, 8, 7 and 2
1, 5, 6 and 3
1, 8, 6 and 3
1, 5, 7 and 3
1, 8, 7 and 3
4, 5, 6 and 2
Answer the following and click on the correct button.
4, 8, 6 and 2
A. The Limitation of a Subject or Object is made up of
(adjectives/adjective phrases - 1 nouns/pronouns - 4).
4, 5, 7 and 2
B. The Subject Word or Object Word will always be a
(noun or pronoun - 5 noun - 8).
4, 5, 6 and 3
4, 8, 7 and 2
C. Subject and Object Words (always - 6 do not always - 7) have
adjectives or adjective phrases to limit or qualify them.
4, 8, 6 and 3
D. Sentences (do not always - 2 always - 3) contain Objects.
4, 8, 7 and 3
4, 5, 7 and 3
All correct - well done!
Exercise 25 - Sentence Structure
1, 4, 2 and 3
Observe how the following sentences are broken down:
1, 8, 2 and 3
He can run.
Any intelligent man can run a shop.
Any man of intelligence can run that shop on the corner.
1, 4, 6 and 3
Subject
Word
Limitation
of Subject Word
He
man
man
any, intelligent
any, of intelligence
Verb
Object
Word
Limitation
of Object Word
can run
can run
can run
shop
shop
a
that, on the corner
1, 8, 6 and 3
1, 4, 2 and 7
1, 8, 2 and 7
1, 4, 6 and 7
1, 8, 6 and 7
Answer the questions on the following sentences:
One of the boys will bring the picnic basket.
Follow that car!
This little mongrel has found an old bone.
A large bag of sweets may be lost.
Will she help us?
Click on the correct button.
A. The Subject Words are:
boys: (You): mongrel: sweets: she
One: (You): mongrel: bag: she
B. The Limitations of
of the boys: -: this, little: a large, of sweets: Subject are:
one of the: -: this, little: a large bag of: C. The Object Words are:
basket: car: bone: -: us
picnic: car: bone: bag: she
D. The Limitations of Object are:
the, picnic: that: an, old: -: the, basket: that: an, old: large: help
5, 4, 2 and 3
5, 8, 2 and 3
5, 4, 6 and 3
1
5
4
8
2
6
3
7
5, 8, 6 and 3
5, 4, 2 and 7
5, 8, 2 and 7
5, 5, 6 and 7
5, 8, 6 and 7
All correct - well done!
Exercise 26 - Participles
The wheel is breaking.
The wheel is broken.
In each of the above sentences the full verb is
made up of two words: 'is breaking' in the
first; 'is broken' in the second. The words'
breaking' and' broken' - although verbs -are
therefore not complete verbs. (You cannot
sensibly say, 'The wheel breaking' or 'The
wheel broken'.) They are both non-finite verbs
(see Exercise 7).
1, 4, 2 and 3
However, they are not just non-finite verbs.
Each word also does the work of an
adjective since each qualifies a noun:
What kind of wheel? -A breaking wheel.
What kind of wheel ? -A broken wheel.
Such words as these - non-finite verbs
doing the work of adjectives - are
sometimes called verbal adjectives, but
they are better known as participles.
1, 7, 2 and 3
1, 4, 5 and 3
1, 7, 5 and 3
1, 4, 2 and 8
1, 7, 2 and 8
1, 4, 5 and 8
1, 7, 5 and 8
6, 4, 2 and 3
Pick out the participles and click on the correct button.
A. They started off again, although they were exhausted.
started, exhausted - 1 exhausted - 6
B. We shall be walking to the town of Woking.
walking - 4 Woking - 7
c. The potatoes are boiling and the beans are burnt.
boiling - 2 boiling, burnt - 5
D. John helped Peggy, and Montmorency was assisted by Jean.
helped, assisted - 3 assisted -8
6, 7, 2 and 3
6, 4, 5 and 3
6, 7, 5 and 3
6, 4, 2 and 8
6, 7, 2 and 8
6, 4, 5 and 8
6, 7, 5 and 8
All correct - well done!
Exercise 27 - Participles
1, 4, 2 and 3
The participle often appears separately from the finite verb of a sentence, and works purely as an
adjective:
1, 6, 2 and 3
Smiling, the girl walked away.
I watched the men working.
Terrified, the rabbit ran for shelter.
They brought him home exhausted.
(What kind of girl?-A smiling girl)
(What kind of men?-Working men)
(What kind of rabbit?-A terrified rabbit)
(What kind of him?-An exhausted him)
In the above sentences, 'smiling' and ‘working' tell us of actions still going on at the time. These are
Present (or Continuous) Participles. 'Terrified' and 'exhausted' tell us of actions that are finished
and done with (ie 'Terrified' really means 'having been terrified'). These are Past (or Perfect)
Participles. Participles may also be in the Future Tense, as you can see from the table below:
Present:
Perfect:
Future:
Active
calling
having called
about to call
Passive
being called
(having been) called
about to be called
1, 4, 8 and 3
1, 6, 8 and 3
1, 4, 2 and 5
1, 6, 2 and 5
1, 4, 8 and 5
1, 6, 8 and 5
7, 4, 2 and 3
Pick out the participles and click on the correct button.
A. Excited, he ran to the chatting group. Excited, chatting - 1 Excited - 7
B. Excitedly he ran to the chatting group.
Chatting - 4 Excitedly, chatting - 6
C. Henry, about to be birched by the headmaster, lined his trousers with
paper.
birched -2 about to be birched - 8
D. We saw him being chased.
being chased - 3 chased - 5
7, 6, 2 and 3
7, 4, 8 and 3
7, 6, 8 and 3
7, 4, 2 and 5
7, 6, 2 and 5
7, 4, 8 and 5
7, 6, 8 and 5
All correct - well done!
Exercise 28 - Participial Phrases
1, 6, 2 and 5
Sometimes a phrase is introduced by a
participle. Such a phrase does the work
of an adjective phrase (Exercise 23)
and qualifies the noun or pronoun
nearest to it:
N.B.2 The participial phrase is almost the only kind of
adjective phrase not to be introduced by a preposition.
1, 8, 2 and 5
N.B.3 When we analyse sentences the participial phrase
is treated exactly as though it were an adjective
phrase and, like the normal adjective phrase, it will go
in Limitation of Subject or Limitation of Object
columns :
1, 6, 4 and 5
Humming quietly to himself, the boy
closed the door.
The boy, humming quietly to himself,
closed the door.
What kind of boy? -A humming-quietlyto-himself boy.
N.B. 1 A participial phrase is usually
marked off from the rest of the
sentence with a comma or commas.
Subject Limitation
Word
of S. W.
boy
the,
humming
quietly to
himself
Verb
closed
Object Limitation
Word
of O. W.
door
the
1, 8, 4 and 5
1, 6, 2 and 7
1, 8, 2 and 7
1, 6, 4 and 7
1, 8, 4 and 7
3, 6, 2 and 5
Pick out the participial phrases and click on the correct button.
A. Delighted with her present, my mother kissed me.
Delighted with her present - 1
B. I like my bread buttered on both sides.
buttered on both sides - 6
C. John, being grumpy as usual, kept quiet.
being grumpy as usual - 2
Delighted - 3
buttered on - 8
being grumpy - 4
D. Crouching quietly, he watched the men.
Crouching - 5 Crouching quietly - 7
3, 8, 2 and 5
3, 6, 4 and 5
3, 8, 4 and 5
3, 6, 2 and 7
3, 8, 2 and 7
3, 6, 4 and 7
3, 8, 4 and 7
All correct - well done!
Exercise 29 - Participial Phrases
When writing a story or essay one should strive
after compactness of expression. This can often
be achieved by turning sentences into participial
phrases, particularly when two events are related
in time.
He closed the door. Then he took off his coat.
Preserve the sentence expressing the later
event. Remove the verb and subject of the other
sentence, since we are going to turn it into a
phrase:
He closed the door.
Now substitute a suitable participle from the
verb 'to close':
Having closed the door
Join the participial phrase to the preserved
sentence:
Having closed the door. he took off his
coat.
NB 1 The word 'then' is now unnecessary.
Such omissions often occur when blending
sentences together.
NB 2 If the two events happened at the same
time, use the Present Participle. If one event
was completed before the other began, use
the Past (or Perfect) Participle.
1, 4, 2 and 3
1, 5, 2 and 3
1, 4, 7 and 3
1, 5, 7 and 3
1, 4, 2 and 6
1, 5, 2 and 6
1, 4, 7 and 6
1, 5, 7 and 6
8, 4, 2 and 3
Answer the following and click on the correct button.
A. When writing a story or essay one should strive after:
compactness of expression - 1 participial phrases - 8
B. One can employ the participial phrase:
only when one event succeeds another - 4
for simultaneous events and for events which succeed one another - 5
C. The participle (is not - 2
is - 7) formed from the removed verb.
D. Other words are (never - 3
sometimes - 6) removed.
8, 5, 2 and 3
8, 4, 7 and 3
8, 5, 7 and 3
8, 4, 2 and 6
8, 5, 2 and 6
8, 4, 7 and 6
8, 5, 7 and 6
All correct - well done!
Practice Exercise 5
Blend the following pairs of sentences by using the participial
phrase:
1. She smiled quietly. At the same time she replied.
2. He drew a gun. He fired at the same time.
3. First he took his gun from the drawer. Then he began to clean it.
4. The cat screeched loudly. At the same time it fled.
5. He answered the question. Then he sat down again.
6. We finished the job. Then we joined the others.
7. The driver braked furiously. At the same time he swung his wheel
hard over to the right.
8. They knocked on the door. Then they waited patiently.
Go to Exercise 30
All correct - well done!
Exercise 30 - Participial Phrases
1, 6, 2 and 5
The participial phrase can also be used to
express a causal relationship:
1, 7, 2 and 5
He felt tired. Therefore he went to bed.
Preserve the more significant sentence
(remember that this will usually contain an
action rather than a thought or feeling).
Turn to the other sentence (which gives
cause or reason for the action in the
significant sentence) and remove its verb
and subject:
Therefore he went to bed. (Significant-preserve)
He felt tired.
Substitute a suitable participle from the verb 'to
feel'. (Present Participle in this case, since the feeling
of tiredness still continued in bed presumably.) Link
the phrase to the preserved sentence:
Feeling tired, he went to bed.
1, 6, 3 and 5
1, 7, 3 and 5
1, 6, 2 and 8
1, 7, 2 and 8
1, 6, 3 and 8
1, 7, 3 and 8
Answer the following and click on the correct button.
A. When blending sentences by means of a participial phrase we
preserve the (less - 1 more - 4) significant sentence.
B. When a sentence is 'significant' it is more likely to express:
a thought or feeling - 6 an action - 7
C. When we have blended two sentences by means of the
participial phrase, we are left with (two - 2 one - 3) finite verb(s)
D. Participial phrases can express a relationship of:
Time and Cause or Reason - 5 Cause or Reason only - 8
4, 6, 2 and 5
4, 7, 2 and 5
4, 6, 3 and 5
4, 7, 3 and 5
4, 6, 2 and 8
4, 7, 2 and 8
4, 6, 3 and 8
4, 7, 3 and 8
All correct - well done!
Exercise 31 - Participial Phrases
1, 4, 3 and 2
The participial phrase may also qualify an object, or a noun or pronoun governed by a preposition:
1, 8, 3 and 2
We saw a man. He was carrying a ladder.
By blending:
We saw a man carrying a ladder.
Here the participial phrase qualifies the noun' man', which is object to the verb ‘saw’ (Exercise 9).
We spoke to a man. He was carrying a ladder.
By blending:
We spoke to a man carrying a ladder.
Here the participial phrase qualifies the noun' man', which is governed by the preposition 'to'
(Exercise 22).
1, 4, 7 and 2
1, 8, 7 and 2
1, 4, 3 and 6
1, 8, 3 and 6
1, 4, 7 and 6
1, 8, 7 and 6
5, 4, 3 and 2
5, 8, 3 and 2
Consider this sentence, answer the following and click on the correct
button: Having done their work, the children watched their father
playing cricket and chatted to the man keeping the score.
A. In the above there are (1 four) (5 three) participial phrases.
B. The first qualifies (4 a subject) (8 an object).
5, 4, 7 and 2
5, 8, 7 and 2
5, 4, 3 and 6
5, 8, 3 and 6
C. The second qualifies (3 a subject) (7 an object).
5, 4, 7 and 6
D. The third qualifies (2 an object) (6 a noun governed by a preposition).
5, 8, 7 and 6
All correct - well done!
Exercise 32 - Participial Phrases
1, 4, 3 and 2
Two participial phrases may be linked together with ‘and’ if - and only if - they both qualify the
same noun or pronoun. The method is basically the same as before, the significant sentence being
preserved:
1, 7, 3 and 2
He picked up a walking-stick. Then he called his dog. Then he went out.
Since the first two events were complete before the last one occurred we use the perfect
participle:
Having picked up a walking-stick and called his dog, he went out.
Note that the word 'having' is omitted before 'called' in order to avoid clumsy repetition. We have
now turned three sentences into one, both participial phrases qualifying the pronoun 'he'. The
above example shows time relationship, but the same method could have been used to show cause
or reason.
1, 4, 8 and 2
1, 7, 8 and 2
1, 4, 3 and 5
1, 7, 3 and 5
1, 4, 8 and 5
1, 7, 8 and 5
6, 4, 3 and 2
Consider this sentence, answer the following and click on the correct
button: Feeling bored and lonely, Jane went along to watch the cows
being brought in and milked.
6, 7, 3 and 2
6, 4, 8 and 2
A. In the above there are (three - 1 four - 6) participial phrases.
6, 7, 8 and 2
B. The first two express a (time - 4 causal - 7) relationship.
6, 4, 3 and 5
C. 'Being brought in' qualifies (a subject - 3 an object - 8).
6, 7, 3 and 5
D. There is a word omitted before 'milked' in order to avoid
clumsiness. This word is (being - 2 having - 5).
6, 4, 8 and 5
6, 7, 8 and 5
All correct - well done!
Exercise 33 - Blending Sentences
1, 4, 3 and 2
We are now going to blend sentences by using
a mixture of participial AND appositional
phrases. To refer back to appositional phrases,
look at Exercises 10, 11 and 12.
employ a participial phrase, preserving the
sentence expressing the later event, as usual:
1, 6, 3 and 2
Examine the following:
Since the third sentence clearly re-expresses
'John’ we can turn it into an appositional phrase:
John had his breakfast. Then he went for a
run. John is my eldest brother.
Look for the significant sentence that is to be
preserved, remembering that it is likely to
contain an action. There are two sentences
expressing action: John had his breakfast.
Then he went for a run. As there is a time
relation between them, we can probably
Having had his breakfast, John went for a run.
Having had his breakfast, John, my
eldest brother, went for a run.
We have now blended three sentences into one.
1, 4, 5 and 2
1, 6, 5 and 2
1, 4, 3 and 8
1, 6, 3 and 8
1, 4, 5 and 8
1, 6, 5 and 8
7, 4, 3 and 2
Answer the following and click on the correct button:
A. An appositional phrase (re-expresses - 1 describes - 7) a noun or
pronoun.
B. One (cannot - 4 can - 6) link two appositional phrases together
with 'and'.
C. A participial phrase is (introduced by a participle - 3 made up of
participles - 5).
D. In the blended sentence in bold in the yellow box there is/are
(two - 2 one - 8) subject(s).
7, 6, 3 and 2
7, 4, 5 and 2
7, 6, 5 and 2
7, 4, 3 and 8
7, 6, 3 and 8
7, 4, 5 and 8
7, 6, 5 and 8
All correct - well done!
Practice Exercise 9
Blend the following groups of sentences by using both the
appositional phrase and participial phrase :
1. Anne looked across the stream. She saw Miss Brown. Miss Brown was
her games mistress.
2. John espied the man. The man was hiding in a wood. John is my nextdoor neighbour.
3. Lefty was an old-timer from Kansas. Lefty reached a town. The town
was called Upper Creek.
4. Both friends were good walkers. Therefore they hoped to reach
Finger Point by noon. Finger Point was a small peninsula up north.
Go to Exercise 34
All correct - well done!
Exercise 34 - Infinitives
There are two kinds of non-finite verb
(i.e. verb not taking a subject). One is
the participle, which we have just been
studying. The other is the infinitive.
The infinitive is the root from which all
verbs are formed:
to run, to jump, to see, to be helped,
to have thought, etc.
Now examine the table to the right. We
have already dealt with the Active and
Passive Voice of the verb in Exercise 8.
1, 6, 5 and 2
Active
Passive
Present: to call
to be called
Perfect: to have called
to have been called
Future: to be about to call to be about to be called
It will be noticed that all infinitives start with 'to';
but do not forget that 'to' can also be a preposition
introducing an ordinary phrase:
a walk to the park (Adjective phrase qualifying 'walk')
an attempt to park the car (Present infinitive, Active)
1, 8, 5 and 2
1, 6, 7 and 2
1, 8, 7 and 2
1, 6, 5 and 4
1, 8, 5 and 4
1, 6, 7 and 4
1, 8, 7 and 4
3, 6, 5 and 2
3, 8, 5 and 2
Pick out the infinitives and click on the correct button:
A. I love to study English
None - 1
to study - 3
3, 6, 7 and 2
B. They ought to have come to help us long ago.
to have, to help - 6 to have come, to help - 8
3, 8, 7 and 2
C. We are hoping to be taken to London to see a pantomime.
to be taken, to see - 5
to be taken, to London, to see - 7
D. A call to arms warned them to arm themselves.
to arms, to arm- 2
3, 6, 5 and 4
3, 8, 5 and 4
3, 6, 7 and 4
to arm - 4
3, 8, 7 and 4
All correct - well done!
Exercise 35 - Adverbs
1, 4, 3 and 2
Now we come to a word whose task is to modify the verb and certain other words. This is called an
1, 5, 3 and 2
adverb.
It is important to understand the meaning of the word 'modify' (not to be confused with 'qualify'
which means to 'narrow down' – Exercise 18). When we modify something, we alter that something.
Take a sentence: 'The car moves.' Try to draw a picture in your mind of a vehicle with its wheels
turning, presumably forward. By adding various adverbs we can alter - that is, modify - the picture
in our mind:
The
The
The
The
car
car
car
car
moves fast.
moves slowly.
moves backwards.
does not move.
(The
(The
(The
(The
car
car
car
car
is
is
is
is
speeding.)
now crawling.)
now reversing.)
now stationary.)
1, 4, 6 and 2
1, 5, 6 and 2
1, 4, 3 and 7
1, 5, 3 and 7
1, 4, 6 and 7
Note that, when a verb contains more than one word, the adverb sometimes splits it in two:
The car was slowly skidding. (Verb - 'was skidding')
1, 5, 6 and 7
8, 4, 3 and 2
8, 5, 3 and 2
Count the adverbs in each sentence and click on the correct button:
8, 4, 6 and 2
A. The man jumped sideways.
(1 one) (8 none)
8, 5, 6 and 2
B. We trotted easily; they ran hard.
(4 one) (5 two)
8, 4, 3 and 7
C. They always help; you will never bother.
(3 one) (6 two)
D. The panther crept smoothly, silently and gracefully. (2 one) (7 three)
8, 5, 3 and 7
8, 4, 6 and 7
8, 5, 6 and 7
All correct - well done!
Exercise 36 - Adverbs
There are six kinds of adverbs that modify
the verb. Three of them can be found by
asking questions after the verb:
The man walks (How?) clumsily - Manner
The man walks (When?) today - Time
The man walks (Where?) there - Place
Note that, although we ask the question after
the verb, the adverb itself does not
necessarily come after the verb:
1, 6, 5 and 2
Adverbs and adjectives sometimes have the
same form. Take care not to confuse them:
That is a fast plane (What kind of plane?)
Adjective
That plane travels fast (Travels how?)
Adverb of Manner
1, 6, 8 and 2
1, 7, 8 and 2
1, 6, 5 and 3
1, 7, 5 and 3
He is coming now (Coming when?)
He is now coming (Coming when?)
Now he is coming (Coming when?)
1, 6, 8 and 3
1, 7, 8 and 3
Look at the adverbs and decide their kinds. Click on the correct button:
A. If we walk steadily we shall soon get there.
Manner, Place - 1
Manner, Time, Place - 4
B. Go home immediately!
1, 7, 5 and 2
Time - 6
C. Down she fell, screaming loudly.
Place, Place, Manner - 5
Place, Time - 7
Place, Manner - 8
D. He turned right and stopped at the right house.
Place, Place - 2
4, 6, 5 and 2
4, 7, 5 and 2
4, 6, 8 and 2
4, 7, 8 and 2
4, 6, 5 and 3
4, 7, 5 and 3
4, 6, 8 and 3
Place - 3
4, 7, 8 and 3
All correct - well done!
Exercise 37 - Adverbs
2, 1, 3 and 4
Here are the three remaining kinds of adverb that modify the verb. They cannot be found by asking
questions after the verb:
2, 5, 3 and 4
The man
{certainly }
{positively } walks.
{assuredly }
{Asserting that
{something does
{happen
The man does not walk.
How
When
Why
Where
}
}
}
}
does the man walk?
- Affirmation
2, 5, 7 and 4
- Negation
{These ask
{questions,
{not answer
{them
2, 1, 7 and 4
- Interrogation
Now we have six kinds of adverb modifying the verb: Manner, Time, Place, Affirmation, Negation,
Interrogation. Verbs and adverbs of Negation are sometimes joined together, or even shortened:
cannot (can not); won't (will not); hadn't (had not) ; etc.
Decide which kinds of adverb are being used and click on the correct
button:
A. Why will she not do her work properly? (2 Interrogation, Negation,
Manner) (6 Interrogation, Manner)
B. The package will definitely be arriving today, but we will not be allowed
to open it immediately. (1 Manner, Time, Negation, Manner) (5 Affirmation,
Time, Negation, Time)
C. There they go again, boasting stupidly! (3 Time, Manner) (7 Place, Time, Manner)
D. How did you manage? I can't do it. (4 Manner) (8 Interrogation, Negation)
2, 1, 3 and 8
2, 5, 3 and 8
2, 1, 7 and 8
2, 5, 7 and 8
6, 1, 3 and 4
6, 5, 3 and 4
6, 1, 7 and 4
6, 5, 7 and 4
6, 1, 3 and 8
6, 5, 3 and 8
6, 1, 7 and 8
6, 5, 7 and 8
All correct - well done!
Exercise 38 - Adverbs
2, 1, 3 and 4
One kind of adverb remains: the adverb of Degree or Extent. Unlike the adverbs we have been
studying it does not modify the verb. It modifies adjectives (Exercise 18), prepositions (Exercise 22)
or other adverbs. It always comes before the word it modifies, and we find it by asking the question
'To what extent?'
2, 6, 3 and 4
2, 1, 8 and 4
A very strong stick. (To what extent strong?)
('very’ adverb modifying adjective 'strong')
2, 6, 8 and 4
Almost on the edge. (To what extent on the edge?)
2, 1, 3 and 7
('almost', adverb modifying preposition' on')
2, 6, 3 and 7
He walks fairly quickly. (To what extent quickly?)
('fairly', adverb modifying adverb 'quickly')
Note that in the last of the above examples the adverb 'fairly' does not modify the verb. 'He' does
not walk 'fairly' - 'he' walks 'quickly'.
2, 1, 8 and 7
2, 6, 8 and 7
5, 1, 3 and 4
5, 6, 3 and 4
Decide how many adverbs of Degree or Extent and click on the correct
button:
6, 1, 8 and 4
A. It was much too wonderful to be true.
two - 2 one - 5
5, 6, 8 and 4
B. They went calmly right into the thick of it.
one - 1 two - 6
5, 1, 3 and 7
C. The girls were very well pleased with their work.
one - 3 two - 8
5, 6, 3 and 7
D. She writes exceptionally fast, but almost illegibly.
two - 4 four - 7
5, 1, 8 and 7
5, 6, 8 and 7
All correct - well done!
2, 1, 3 and 4
Exercise 39 - Adverbs
So we have seven kinds of adverb in all:
Manner, Time, Place, Affirmation, Negation,
Interrogation and Degree or Extent.
Here is a useful sequence for finding them
all:
2. Find any adjectives and ask 'To what extent?'
before them.
3. Find any prepositions and do the same.
4. Look at the adverbs you have already found
and ask 'To what extent?' before them, too.
1. Find any verbs and ask 'How?' 'When?'
'Where?' after them. (Also remember
Affirmation, Interrogation and Negation,
which cannot be found by asking questions.)
NB Obviously adverbs of degree or extent
modifying other adverbs must be dealt with last,
since one must first be sure that all other
adverbs have been picked out.
Answer the questions on the following passage and click on the
correct button:
Then I watched the riders descend the slope. Most of them came
slowly and carefully, guiding their very tired horses skilfully; but a
few trotted down far too fast and three of them definitely landed
right in the ditch.
A. The adverbs of Manner are:
slowly, carefully, down, definitely - 2 slowly, carefillly, skilfully, fast - 8
B. The adverbs of Place are:
down, far, right- 1
C. The adverbs of Degree or Extent are:
very, too - 3
down - 7
very, far, too, right - 5
D. Apart from the kinds in A, B and C, there is/are (two - 4
other adverb(s) in the above passage.
one - 6)
2, 7, 3 and 4
2, 1, 5 and 4
2, 7, 5 and 4
2, 1, 3 and 6
2, 7, 3 and 6
2, 1, 5 and 6
2, 7, 5 and 6
8, 1, 3 and 4
8, 7, 3 and 4
8, 1, 5 and 4
8, 7, 5 and 4
8, 1, 3 and 6
8, 7, 3 and 6
8, 1, 5 and 6
8, 7, 5 and 6
All correct - well done!
Exercise 40 - The Adverb Phrase
2, 1, 5 and 6
Now we come to the adverb phrase. An adverb phrase is a phrase doing the work of an adverb. It does
not necessarily contain any adverbs. It modifies the verb only and can be found by a method similar to
that for finding adverbs. As with the adjective phrase, it is introduced by a preposition:
2, 3, 5 and 6
He walks (How?) in a slovenly way.
He walks (When?) at lunch time.
He walks (Where?) to the shops.
He has to walk (Why?) because of the strike.
He was scared (By what?) by the noise.
He was scared (By whom?) by his friend.
Manner
Time
Place
Reason
Instrument
Agent
NB 1 In the above, 'in', 'at', 'to', 'by' are prepositions: 'because of' is a preposition phrase.
NB 2 Sometimes the introducing preposition is understood; eg Each day (on each day).
NB 3 Two adverbs coming together do not make an adverb phrase: eg very fast ('fast', adverb of
Manner; 'very', adverb of Extent).
2, 1, 7 and 6
2, 3, 7 and 6
2, 1, 5 and 8
2, 3, 5 and 8
2, 1, 7 and 8
2, 3, 7 and 8
4, 1, 5 and 6
Decide what kind of adverb phrases are being used and click on the
correct button:
A. He is helped by his father every evening. (Agent - 2 Agent, Time - 4)
B. The girl was taken to school by taxi. (Place, Instrument - 1 Place,
Manner - 3)
C. Owing to the traffic jam, the cars crawled at a snail's pace along the
high street. (Reason, Manner, Place - 5 Instrument, Time, Place - 7)
D. They were breathing rather heavily. ( None - 6 Manner - 8)
4, 3, 5 and 6
4, 1, 7 and 6
4, 3, 7 and 6
4, 1, 5 and 8
4, 3, 5 and 8
4, 1, 7 and 8
4, 3, 7 and 8
All correct - well done!
Exercise 41 - The Adverb Phrase
2, 1, 3 and 4
Compare the following:
2, 8, 3 and 4
He had to run (Why?) owing to the time.
He ran daily (Why?) to keep fit.
Although both the adverb phrases above are found by asking 'Why?’ after the verb, there
is a distinction between them. 'Owing to the time' simply provides a reason, but the phrase
'to keep fit’ expresses more than reason - it expresses a planned intention or purpose:
He ran daily to keep fit - Adverb Phrase of Purpose
Note that the word 'to' in this instance is not a preposition - it is part of the infinitive 'to
keep' (Exercise 7). This is the one exception to the rule. For this reason the adverb phrase
of Purpose is sometimes referred to as the Infinitive Phrase of Purpose.
2, 1, 6 and 4
2, 8, 6 and 4
2, 1, 3 and 5
2, 8, 3 and 5
2, 1, 6 and 5
2, 8, 6 and 5
7, 1, 3 and 4
Identify the adverb phrases in italics and click on the correct button:
7, 8, 3 and 4
A. They came all this way to the fair. (2 Purpose) (7 Place)
7, 1, 7 and 4
B. They came all this way to see the fair. (1 Purpose) (8 Place)
C. We are staying indoors because of the weather. (3 Purpose)
(6 Reason)
D. We are staying indoors to finish our homework (4 Reason)
( 5 Purpose)
7, 8, 6 and 4
7, 1, 3 and 5
7, 8, 3 and 5
7, 1, 6 and 5
7, 8, 6 and 5
All correct - well done!
Exercise 42 - The Adverb Phrase of Purpose
2, 1, 5 and 6
The adverb phrase of Purpose, always introduced
by an infinitive, is a useful means of blending
sentences when some kind of intention is
involved. Examine the following:
As with other phrases, these infinitive
phrases of Purpose can be linked together
with 'and' : e.g. He worked hard to get top
marks and (to) win the prize.
2, 4, 5 and 6
NB Not all infinitive phrases are adverb
phrases of Purpose. They can also be
Adjective or Noun Phrases:
2, 4, 8 and 6
He worked hard. He wanted to win the prize.
The first sentence expresses an action. The
second sentence expresses the purpose of that
action. Leave the action sentence intact. Remove
the subject and finite verb orthe other
sentence, but preserve the infinitive and
remainder. Jain the phrase to the sentence:
I want (What?) to win a prize.
Noun phrase
The way to win a prize (What kind of way?).
Adjective phrase
He worked hard to win the prize.
Identify the phrase in italics and click on the correct button:
2, 1, 8 and 6
2, 1, 5 and 7
2, 4, 5 and 7
2, 1, 8 and 7
2, 4, 8 and 7
3, 1, 5 and 6
A. The time to take a holiday is now.
adjective phrase - 2 adverb phrase of Purpose - 3
3, 4, 5 and 6
B. I am saving up to take a holiday.
noun phrase - 1 adverb phrase of Purpose - 4
3, 4, 8 and 6
C. I wish to take a holiday.
noun phrase - 5 adverb phrase of Purpose - 8
D. I have come to see your brother.
adverb phrase of Purpose - 6 adjective phrase - 7
3, 1, 8 and 6
3, 1, 5 and 7
3, 4, 5 and 7
3, 1, 8 and 7
3, 4, 8 and 7
All correct - well done!
2, 1, 4 and 3
Exercise 43 - Sentences
Employing the methods we have practised so far,
we shall now blend four sentences into one:
1. John had his tea. 2. He then went to a concert.
3. He wanted to hear his favourite symphony. 4.
He is a keen music lover.
Look for significant (ie 'action') sentences. Both
(1) and (2) express action but, whereas (1) tells
us of an ordinary everyday event, (2) tells about
a rather particular event.
Therefore we shall preserve (2) intact as a
sentence and turn the others into phrases by
removing their finite verbs and subjects.
There is a time relationship between (1) and
(2) - so turn (1) into a participial phrase.
There is an infinitive in (3) and it expresses
purpose - so turn it into an adverb phrase of
Purpose. (4) re-expresses 'John' - so turn it
into an appositional phrase.
2, 5, 4 and 3
Arrange them suitably:
2, 1, 4 and 7
Having had his tea, John, a keen music
lover, went to a concert to hear his
favourite symphony.
2, 1, 8 and 3
2, 5, 8 and 3
2, 4, 4 and 7
2, 1, 8 and 7
2, 5, 8 and 7
6, 1, 4 and 3
Based on the completed sentence above, click on the correct button:
6, 5, 4 and 3
6, 1, 8 and 3
A. 'Having had' is a (perfect - 2 present - 6) participle.
6, 5, 8 and 3
B. The finite verb is:
went - 1 went to hear - 5
6, 1, 4 and 7
C. The subject word/words is/are:
John - 4 John, lover - 8
6, 5, 4 and 7
D. The sentence contains (two - 3 one - 7) non-finite verb(s).
6, 1, 8 and 7
6, 5, 8 and 7
All correct - well done!
Exercise 44 - Extensions of the Verb
2, 1, 4 and 3
When breaking the sentence down into divisions we group adverbs and adverb phrases modifying
the verb under the heading ‘Extension of the Verb'. Examine the following:
2, 6, 4 and 3
2, 1, 7 and 3
In the morning we will take you quickly to the old farm.
He galloped hard to avoid capture.
Subject
We
He
Verb
will take
Object
Extension of Verb
you
galloped
2, 6, 7 and 3
quickly, to the old
farm, in the morning
2, 1, 4 and 8
hard, to avoid capture
2, 6, 4 and 8
2, 1, 7 and 8
2, 6, 7 and 8
5, 1, 4 and 3
Decide what the ‘Extension to the Verb’ in each of the following is and
click on the correct button:
A. In future we are not going to be bullied by you.
In future, not, by you - 2
5, 6, 4 and 3
5, 1, 7 and 3
In future - 5
5, 6, 7 and 3
B. I should really like that book of yours. really - 1 really, of yours -6
5, 1, 4 and 8
C. The man with the top hat closed the gates with a flourish.
with a flourish - 4
with the top hat. with a flourish - 7
5, 6, 4 and 8
D. Why are you going there?
there - 3 Why, there - 8
5, 1, 7 and 8
5, 6, 7 and 8
All correct - well done!
Exercise 45 - Indirect Objects
2, 1, 4 and 3
Sometimes, owing to the omission
of the preposition 'to' or 'for', a
noun or pronoun appears to be the
object of a verb when it is not:
2, 7, 4 and 3
The word' fruit' is therefore the object. What, then, is 'him'?
In English, rather meaninglessly, it is called the indirect
object. Strictly speaking it is a phrase with the introducing
preposition omitted.
I sent him fruit.
At first glance, 'him' appears to
be the object of the verb. A
moment's thought, however, shows
this to be wrong. 'I' did not send
'him' - 'I' sent 'fruit' to him.
Subject
I
I
Verb
sent
sent
Object
fruit
fruit
Indirect
Object
him
Extension
of Verb
to him (Place)
2, 1, 6 and 3
2, 7, 6 and 3
2, 1, 4 and 5
2, 7, 4 and 5
2, 1, 6 and 5
2, 7, 6 and 5
8, 1, 4 and 3
8, 7, 4 and 3
Pick out the indirect objects (if any) and click on the correct button:
A. She gave us a shilling.
B. She gave a shilling to us.
shilling - 2
None - 1
C. This saved everyone a good deal of trouble. everyone - 4
D. The accident taught Mary a lesson.
Mary - 3
us - 8
shilling - 7
deal - 6
lesson - 5
8, 1, 6 and 3
8, 7, 6 and 3
8, 1, 4 and 5
8, 7, 4 and 5
8, 1, 6 and 5
8, 7, 6 and 5
All correct - well done!
2, 1, 6 and 5
Exercise 46 - Complements
Certain verbs, sufficient by themselves to
convey one meaning, are not sufficient to convey
another meaning unless they are helped by an
additional word or words. The most common of
these verbs is the verb 'to be' which, by itself,
simply means 'to exist'. Compare the following:
He is.
(He exists)
He is dead. (He no longer exists)
In the first of the above examples the verb is
sufficient to convey the meaning intended in the
sentence. In the second example it is not
sufficient to convey the meaning intended in the
sentence, but requires an additional word ('dead'
in this case) to help it. Such additional words
are called complements (ie 'completing
words').
Take care not to confuse complements with
participles:
He is coming.
2, 3, 6 and 5
2, 1, 8 and 5
2, 3, 8 and 5
2, 1, 6 and 7
The verb here is not ‘to be'. The verb is 'to
come'. 'coming' is the essence of the verb 'is' is simply an additional verb helping the
verb to form its tense. Such words which
help verbs to form their tenses are called
auxiliary verbs.
2, 3, 6 and 7
2, 1, 8 and 7
2, 3, 8 and 7
4, 1, 6 and 5
4, 3, 6 and 5
Decide whether the italicised words are complements and click on the
correct button:
4, 1, 8 and 5
A. They were rich.
4, 3, 8 and 5
Yes - 2 No - 4
B. They were captured.
No - 1 Yes - 3
C. She will be waiting.
No - 6 Yes - 8
D. She will be miserable.
No - 5 Yes - 7
4, 1, 6 and 7
4, 3, 6 and 7
4, 1, 8 and 7
4, 3, 8 and 7
All correct - well done!
2, 1, 4 and 3
Exercise 47 - Complements
A complement can be an adjective, an adverb, or
a noun. If it is a noun it may also be qualified by
an adjective - in which case it will be more than
one word.
They made him furious. (Adjective)
They made him up.
(Adverb)
They made him a sergeant. (Noun)
The object in each of the above sentences is
'him' - but in none of them is 'him' object to the
verb 'made' alone. 'They' did not 'make' (ie
'construct') him. They 'made furious'
(infuriated) him. They 'made up' (grease-painted)
him. They 'made sergeant' (promoted) him.
A useful way to check whether a word is a
complement or not is to remove it mentally.
If its removal entirely alters the meaning of
the verb in the sentence then it is likely to
be a complement.
NB In our last exercise we learned that the
verb 'to be' nearly always takes a
complement. The same applies to any verb
followed by 'to be', even when 'to be' is
understood:
to seem (to be) ill, to appear (to be) tired,
etc.
2, 8, 4 and 3
2, 1, 5 and 3
2, 8, 5 and 3
2, 1, 4 and 6
2, 8, 4 and 6
2, 1, 5 and 6
2, 8, 5 and 6
7, 1, 4 and 3
7, 8, 4 and 3
Identify the words in italics and click on the correct button:
7, 1, 5 and 3
A. He looked everywhere.
Complement - 2 Extension of Verb - 7
7, 8, 8 and 3
B. He looked an absolute fool.
Object - 1
Complement - 8
7, 1, 4 and 6
C. They drove the cattle home.
Extension of Verb - 4 Complement - 5
7, 8, 4 and 6
D. They drove their parents mad. Extension of Verb - 3 Complement - 6
7, 1, 5 and 6
7, 8, 5 and 6
All correct - well done!
2, 1, 6 and 5
Exercise 48 - Interjection
In the first lesson of this book we said that, although
there are many thousands of words in the English
Language, the tasks performed by these words are
very few. Every individual sentence or phrase we have
so far considered has been made up of one of the six
following units, each representing a different task:
verb, noun, pronoun, adjective, preposition, adverb.
These task units are called parts of speech. There
are eight parts of speech in all.
The seventh part of speech is the interjection - a
'thrown in' word which breaks the normal flow of
expression. It usually indicates some kind of
emotion and is nearly always followed by a
mark of exclamation:
Oh! Mm! Hey! Yippee! Ugh! Hurray! Alas!
2, 4, 6 and 5
2, 1, 7 and 5
The eighth and last part of speech is the
conjunction, used to join two sentences to
each other. We shall be dealing with this
after a little revision work.
2, 4, 7 and 5
When deciding on the part of speech of a
word, always remember that it is its task
in the sentence that settles the matter not what it usually is.
2, 4, 6 and 8
2, 1, 6 and 8
2, 1, 7 and 8
2, 4, 7 and 8
3, 1, 6 and 5
3, 4, 6 and 5
Identify the words in italics and click on the correct button:
A. Files round off sharp edges.
preposition - 2
3, 1, 7 and 5
verb - 3
3, 4, 7 and 5
B. The man with the round hat played a round of golf.
adverb, adjective - 1
adjective, noun - 4
3, 1, 6 and 8
C. She swung round.
preposition - 6 adverb - 7
D. The boy ran round the track.
preposition - 5 adverb - 8
3, 4, 6 and 8
3, 1, 7 and 8
3, 4, 7 and 8
All correct - well done!
Exercise 49 - Simple Sentences (Revision)
2, 3, 1 and 4
1. A sentence is a group of words making
complete sense.
2, 7, 1 and 4
2. Seven Parts of Speech go to make up a simple
sentence: verb, noun, pronoun, adjective, adverb,
preposition, interjection.
3. The eighth Part of Speech - the conjunction comes between sentences. It does not belong to
any one sentence.
4. The verb expresses action, doing or being
(Exercise 3) - past, present or future.
5. No sentence can exist without a finite verb
(Exercise 6, etc.).
6. A noun is the name of a person, place or
thing (Exercise 15). It may be the subject
word (Exercise 24), the object word
(Exercise 24), complement to the verb
(Exercise 47). It may be governed by a
preposition (Exercise 22) or it may do the
work of an adjective by showing possession
(Exercise 20 NB).
7. A pronoun is a word used instead of a
noun. Like the noun, it may be subject word,
object word, complement to the verb,
governed by a preposition, or used
adjectivally to show possession.
2, 3, 5 and 4
2, 7, 5 and 4
2, 3, 1 and 8
2, 7, 1 and 8
2, 3, 5 and 8
2, 7, 5 and 8
6, 3, 1 and 4
Choose the right answers and click on the correct button:
A. Without a (finite verb - 2 verb - 6) we cannot make up a sentence.
B. A finite verb is a verb which takes (an object - 3 a subject - 7).
C. The subject of a verb is found by asking ('Whom?' or 'What?'
after the verb - 1
'Who?' or 'What?' before the verb - 5).
D. A simple, unlinked sentence may contain up to (eight - 4 seven - 8)
different Parts of Speech.
6, 7, 1 and 4
6, 3, 5 and 4
6, 7, 5 and 4
6, 3, 1 and 8
6, 7, 1 and 8
6, 3, 5 and 8
6, 7, 5 and 8
All correct - well done!
Exercise 50 - Simple Sentences (Revision)
2, 3, 1 and 4
8. A preposition is a word which shows the relationship between two things (Exercise 22).
2, 8, 1 and 4
9. An adjective is a word that qualifies a noun or pronoun (Exercise 18).
2, 3, 6 and 4
10. An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, adjective, preposition, or another adverb
(Exercise 35, etc).
2, 8, 6 and 4
11. A verb that cannot take a subject is called a non-finite verb. There are two forms of
non-finite verb: the infinitive and the participle.
2, 3, 1 and 7
12. The infinitive is the root from which every verb is taken (Exercise 34).
2, 8, 1 and 7
13. The participle is a verbal adjective (Exercise 26, etc).
2, 3, 6 and 7
2, 8, 6 and 7
5, 3, 1 and 4
Choose the right answers and click on the correct button:
5, 8, 1 and 4
A. A preposition is (sometimes - 2 always - 5) followed by a noun or
pronoun.
5, 3, 6 and 4
B. An adjective (qualifies - 3 describes - 8) a noun or pronoun.
5, 3, 1 and 7
C. An adverb modifies (only - 1 not only - 6) the verb.
5, 8, 1 and 7
D. The words 'modify' and 'qualify' (do - 4 do not - 7) mean the same
thing.
5, 3, 6 and 7
5, 8, 6 and 4
5, 8, 6 and 7
All correct - well done!
Exercise 51 - Simple Sentences (Revision)
14. A group of words without a finite verb is
called a phrase if it does the work of a Part
of Speech. If it does not do the work of a
Part of Speech, it is not called a phrase - it
is just 'a group of words'.
15. With the exception of the appositional
phrase (Exercise 10) the phrase is always
introduced by a preposition, participle, or an
infinitive.
17. Phrases introduced by participles always
do the work of adjectives (Exercise 28).
18. Phrases introduced by infinitives can do
the work of adverbs (Exercise 41) or noum or
adjectives (Exercise 42 NB).
19. No phrase can ever make complete sense
by itself. Its sense will always depend upon
its work in the sentence which contains it.
16. Phrases introduced by prepositions
always do the work of adjectives (Exercise
23) or adverbs (Exercise 40).
2, 3, 1 and 4
2, 5, 1 and 4
2, 3, 7 and 4
2, 5, 7 and 4
2, 3, 1 and 6
2, 5, 1 and 6
2, 3, 7 and 6
2, 5, 7 and 6
8, 3, 1 and 4
Choose the right answers and click on the correct button:
8, 5, 1 and 4
A. A group of words without a finite verb will (not always - 2 always 8) be a phrase.
8, 3, 7 and 4
B. A phrase (cannot -3 can - 5) do the work of every Part of Speech.
8, 3, 1 and 6
C. Phrases are (always - 1 not always - 7) introduced by prepositions.
8, 5, 1 and 6
D. The appositional phrase (is - 4 is not - 6) the only phrase not
introduced by a preposition, participle or infinitive.
8, 3, 7 and 6
8, 5, 7 and 4
8, 5, 7 and 6
All correct - well done!
2, 5, 1 and 6
Exercise 52 - Sentences
Now look at the following:
The twins played.
The twins played and then they slept.
Consider the first group of words above.
Does it contain a finite verb and subject?
Yes - 'twins played'. So it is a sentence.
And what about the second group of words
above? This contains not just one, but
more than one finite verb and subject -
'twins played', 'they slept'. So this group
of words is a sentence made up of two
sentences linked together by the word
'and'. 'Twins played' and 'they slept' are,
so to speak, sentences-within-a-sentence.
Obviously it is confusing to use the word' sentence'
for sentences-within-a-sentence, as well as for
groups of sentences.
From now on, therefore, we shall use the term
'sentence' for any group of words that starts with
a capital letter and ends with a full stop - provided
that it contains at least one finite verb and subject.
And we shall use the word 'clause' (which simply
means 'closed in') for any sentence-within-asentence:
The twins played.
- SENTENCE
The twins played (CLAUSE) and }
then they slept. (CLAUSE)
} - SENTENCE
2, 7, 1 and 6
2, 5, 3 and 6
2, 7, 3 and 6
2, 5, 1 and 8
2, 7, 1 and 8
2, 5, 3 and 8
2, 7, 3 and 8
4, 5, 1 and 6
4, 7, 1 and 6
Identify the italicised words and click on the correct button:
4, 5, 3 and 6
A. The pig escaped and we chased it.
Sentence - 2
Clause - 4
4, 7, 3 and 6
B. The pig escaped.
Sentence - 5
Clause - 7
4, 5, 1 and 8
C. The pig escaped and we chased it.
Clause - 1
Sentence - 3
4, 7, 1 and 8
D. The pig escaped and we chased it.
Sentence - 6
Clause - 8
4, 5, 3 and 8
4, 7, 3 and 8
All correct - well done!
2, 3, 1 and 4
Exercise 53 - Conjunctions
2, 6, 1 and 4
The twins played and then they slept.
2, 3, 8 and 4
Let us see how each of the above clauses breaks down:
Subject
Verb
the twins
they
played
slept
Object
Indirect
Object
Complement
Extension
of Verb
2, 6, 8 and 4
then (Exercise 44)
2, 3, 1 and 5
The word ‘and' joins the two clauses together. It is therefore a conjunction. Note that it does
not belong to either clause - not subject, verb, object, etc. It is purely a link. There are four
conjunctions which are pure links and which do not belong to the clauses they link: and, but,
either-or, neither-nor
2, 6, 1 and 5
The rain stopped and the sun shone.
The sun shone, but it remained cold.
Neither the rain (could stop them) nor the cold could stop them.
2, 6, 8 and 5
2, 3, 8 and 5
7, 3, 1 and 4
7, 6, 1 and 4
Choose suitable conjunctions and click on the correct button:
7, 3, 8 and 4
A. Joyce went. I went too. (2 but) (7 and)
7, 6, 8 and 4
B. Joyce went. I could not go. (3 but) (6 and)
7, 3, 1 and 5
C. You can live forever. He can live forever. (1 either... or) (8 neither. . .
nor)
7, 6, 1 and 5
D. Peter rested. John worked. I worked as well. (4 and, but) (5 but, and)
7, 6, 8 and 5
7, 3, 8 and 5
Two errors - fairly good.
2, 5, 1 and 6
Exercise 52b - Clauses
The pig escaped and we chased it.
The pig escaped and we chased it.
Look at these two questions again. In each of
them you have decided that the italicized words
make up a sentence. In a manner of speaking you
are perfectly correct since both groups contain a
finite verb and a subject.
However, you have not paid sufficient attention to
what was said in the last lesson. The term
'sentence' now applies to any group of words
beginning with a capital letter and ending with a
full-stop, provided that the group contains at
least one finite verb and subject. It may contain
more than one finite verb and subject - in other
words a sentence may be made up of several
sentences.
To avoid confusion of terms these
'contained' sentences - these
sentences-within-a-sentence - are
now called clauses. So each of the
italicized groups of words above is
now called a clause.
On the other hand 'The pig escaped
and we chased it.' is a sentence since
it begins with a capital letter and
ends with a full-stop. It is a sentence
made up of two clauses linked
together.
2, 7, 1 and 6
2, 5, 3 and 6
2, 7, 3 and 6
2, 5, 1 and 8
2, 7, 1 and 8
2, 5, 3 and 8
2, 7, 3 and 8
4, 5, 1 and 6
4, 7, 1 and 6
Identify the italicised words and click on the correct button:
A. The gun fired and the race began.
Sentence - 2 Clause - 4
B. The gun fired and the race began.
Clause - 5 Sentence - 7
C. The gun fired.
Sentence - 1 Clause - 3
D. The gun fired and the race began.
Sentence - 6 Clause - 8
4, 5, 3 and 6
4, 7, 3 and 6
4, 5, 1 and 8
4, 7, 1 and 8
4, 5, 3 and 8
4, 7, 3 and 8
All correct - well done!
2, 5, 1 and 6
Exercise 54 - Clauses
1. The twins played / and / then they slept.
2. The twins played / before they slept.
In (1) above, the word 'and' is a pure
conjunction. It links two clauses and belongs to
neither clause. But the word 'before' in (2) is
different. It links two clauses, but it cannot
be separated from the clause it introduces.
The reason for this is that 'before they slept'
does the work of a single part of speech - an
adverb of Time (layout 2183) in this case,
modifying 'played' in the other clause:
There are many words like ‘before' which link
two clauses together and which cannot be
separated from the clause they introduce.
Only the pure conjunctions -' and’, 'but',
'either-or', 'neither-nor' - can be treated
separately from the clauses they link.
Linking words such as 'before' do not
necessarily come between the sentences they
link - it depends entirely upon the position of
the clause they introduce:
The twins played when? - 'before they slept'
Before they slept, the twins played.
2, 8, 1 and 6
2, 5, 4 and 6
2, 8, 4 and 6
2, 5, 1 and 7
2, 8, 1 and 7
2, 5, 4 and 7
2, 8, 4 and 7
The whole clause is, in effect, a single part of
speech and we cannot sensibly break it apart
any more than we could break an adverb apart.
3, 5, 1 and 6
3, 8, 1 and 6
Decide whether or not the italicized words belong to the clauses that
follow them and click on the correct button:
3, 5, 4 and 6
A. She ran because she was frightened.
3, 8, 4 and 6
No - 2 Yes - 3
B. She was frightened and she ran.
Yes - 5 No - 8
c. She was weary, but she continued.
No - 1 Yes - 4
D. When she was weary she stopped.
No - 6 Yes - 7
3, 5, 1 and 7
3, 8, 1 and 7
3, 5, 4 and 7
3, 8, 4 and 7
All correct - well done!
2, 3, 4 and 1
Exercise 55 - Clauses
(1) The twins played and (2) we worked.
(3) The twins played (4) after they had worked.
Look at the four clauses in the two sentences
above. (1), (2) and (3) can all stand by themselves
and require no other clause to give them sense.
The same cannot be said of (4) even though,
being a clause, it contains a finite verb and
subject:
after they had worked.
Automatically one waits for more words.
This is because the linking word 'after' unlike 'and' - cannot be separated from the
clause it introduces (see Exercise 54).
Clauses which, like (1), (2) and (3), can stand
by themselves are called Main Clauses.
Clauses which, like (4), cannot stand by
themselves are called Dependent Clauses.
2, 7, 4 and 1
2, 3, 8 and 1
2, 7, 8 and 1
2, 3, 4 and 5
2, 7, 4 and 5
2, 3, 8 and 5
2, 7, 8 and 5
6, 3, 4 and 1
Identify the second clause and click on the correct button:
A. They ran off before we had a chance to stop them.
(2 Dependent) (6 Main)
B. They ran off and we did not have a chance to stop them.
(3 Dependent) (7 Main)
C. We took our time, but we were late.
(4 Main) (8 Dependent)
D. We took our time, although we were late. (1 Dependent) (5 Main)
6, 7, 4 and 1
6, 3, 8 and 1
3, 7, 8 and 1
6, 3, 4 and 5
6, 7, 4 and 5
6, 3, 8 and 5
6, 7, 8 and 5
All correct - well done!
2, 3, 4 and 1
Exercise 56 - Sentences
There are three kinds of sentence:
Simple: One finite verb and subject.
Compound: Two or more main clauses - no
dependent clauses.
Complex: At least one main clause and at
least one dependent clause.
Sometimes sentences are a combination of
Compound and Complex - that is, they contain
not only two or more main clauses, but also at
least one dependent clause. Such sentences
are sometimes called 'Compound-Complex'.
We shall simply treat them as Complex.
He went away. Simple
He went away and they stayed. Compound
He went away, although they stayed. Complex
NB When a Compound sentence contains three or
more main clauses in sequence, the conjunction
'and' is sometimes left out as 'understood':
They ran (and), they jumped and they sang.
2, 8, 4 and 1
2, 3, 7 and 1
2, 8, 7 and 1
2, 3, 4 and 6
2, 8, 4 and 6
2, 3, 7 and 6
2, 8, 7 and 6
5, 3, 4 and 1
5, 8, 4 and 1
Identify the sentence and click on the correct button:
A. The crowd cleared after they had left.
Compound - 2 Complex - 5
B. The crowd cleared and afterwards they left.
Compound - 3 Complex - 8
C. After they had left, the crowd cleared and the traffic began to
move again.
Complex - 4 Compound - 7
D. The crowd cleared after their departure. Simple - 1
Complex - 6
5, 3, 7 and 1
5, 8, 7 and 1
5, 3, 4 and 6
5, 8, 4 and 6
5, 3, 7 and 6
5, 8, 7 and 6
Two errors - not bad.
2, 3, 4 and 1
Exercise 55b - Dependent Clauses
They ran before we had a chance to stop them.
We took our time, although we were late.
Look at these two sentences again. You have
decided that the second clause in each of them is a
main clause - that is a clause that makes complete
sense on its own. There is only one way in which you
could have made this mistake. You have said that
the second clauses are ‘we had a chance to stop
them' and 'we were late'. In other words you have
separated these clauses from the words that
introduce them. You have treated 'before' and
‘although' as pure links. However, as we
have already seen (Exercise ), only ‘and',
'but', 'either-or', 'neither-nor' are pure
links; all other linking words belong to the
clause they introduce. So the two second
clauses above are
. . . before we had a chance to stop them.
. . . although we were late.
Clearly neither of these clauses can stand
by itself. They are both dependent clauses.
2, 7, 4 and 1
2, 3, 8 and 1
2, 7, 8 and 1
2, 3, 4 and 5
2, 7, 4 and 5
2, 3, 8 and 5
2, 7, 8 and 5
6, 3, 4 and 1
6, 7, 4 and 1
Identify the second clause and click on the correct button:
6, 3, 8 and 1
A. They came after we had gone.
Dependent - 2 Main - 6
3, 7, 8 and 1
B. They came, but we had already gone.
Dependent - 3 Main - 7
6, 3, 4 and 5
C. After we had gone, they came.
Main - 4 Dependent - 8
6, 7, 4 and 5
D. They came because they were curious.
Dependent - 1 Main - 5
6, 3, 8 and 5
6, 7, 8 and 5
All correct - well done!
Practice Exercise 12
1. Compile eight Simple sentences.
2. Write down these eight Simple sentences again. Add another
Simple sentence to each of them linked with' and', 'but', 'either-or' or
'neither-nor' so as to make up a Compound sentence.
3. Write down your eight Simple sentences once again. Add a
dependent clause to each so as to turn them into Complex
sentences.
Go to Exercise 57
All correct - well done!
Exercise 57 - Compound Sentences
Jack and Jill went up the hill.
I like bacon and eggs.
He played in the wind and the rain.
Each of the above appears to be a Simple sentence,
because each appears to contain only one finite
verb. However, this is only because words have been
omitted and, in each case, the omitted words
include another verb:
Jack (went up the hill) and Jill went up the hill.
I like bacon and (I like) eggs.
He played in the wind and (he played in) the rain.
So we may see that each of these
sentences, although appearing to be
Simple, is really Compound since each
contains two main clauses.
NB1 Omission of words to avoid
repetition is called 'ellipsis'.
NB2 Although 'and', 'but', 'either-or',
'neither-nor' often seem to join two
words or two phrases, they always join
two clauses.
2, 3, 4 and 1
2, 5, 4 and 1
2, 3, 6 and 1
2, 5, 6 and 1
2, 3, 4 and 7
2, 5, 4 and 7
2, 3, 6 and 7
2, 5, 6 and 7
8, 3, 4 and 1
Identify these sentences and click on the correct button:
8, 7, 4 and 1
8, 3, 6 and 1
A. You can go.
(2 Simple) (8 Compound)
8, 5, 6 and 1
B. Either you or she can go.
(3 Compound) (5 Simple)
8, 3, 4 and 7
C. We arrived, but rather late unfortunately. (4 Compound) (6 Simple)
8, 5, 4 and 7
D. Unfortunately, we arrived rather late.
8, 3, 6 and 7
(1 Compound) (7 Simple)
8, 5, 6 and 7
All correct - well done!
Exercise 58 - Sentences and Clauses (Revision)
Clause - a sentence-within-a-sentence.
Main Clause - a clause that stands by itself.
Dependent Clause - a clause that does not stand
by itself.
Simple Sentence - a sentence that contains only
one finite verb and subject.
Compound Sentence - a sentence made up of two
or more main clauses and no dependent clauses.
These main clauses will always be linked by the
pure conjunctions 'and', 'but', 'either-or',
'neither-nor'.
Complex Sentence - a sentence containing
at least one main clause and at least one
dependent clause. The word that links the
dependent clause (or clauses) to the rest of
the sentence is the word that introduces
the dependent clause. It cannot be
separated from the clause it introduces.
NB No sentence can make full sense unless
it contains a main clause. The Simple
sentence is, in effect, a main clause - only
there is no need to use the term' clause'
for it, since there is only one sentence to be
considered and no possible confusion of
terms.
2, 5, 6 and 1
2, 7, 6 and 1
2, 5, 8 and 1
2, 7, 8 and 1
2, 5, 6 and 3
2, 7, 6 and 3
2, 5, 8 and 3
2, 7, 8 and 3
4, 5, 6 and 1
Answer the following and click on the correct button:
A. A Simple sentence is:
an easy sentence - 2
a sentence containing only one finite verb and subject - 4
B. A Compound sentence contains at least
one dependent clause - 5
two linked main clauses - 7
C. A Complex sentence (will always - 6 can sometimes - 8) contain a
dependent clause.
D. Two linked main clauses (may sometimes - 1 will always - 3) be joined
by 'and', 'but', 'either/or', 'neither/nor'.
4, 7, 6 and 1
4, 5, 8 and 1
4, 7, 8 and 1
4, 5, 6 and 3
4, 7, 6 and 3
4, 5, 8 and 3
4, 7, 8 and 3
All correct - well done!
Exercise 59 - The Adverb Clause
We have seen that a dependent clause can do the work of an adverb. When it does
so we call it an Adverb Clause. Compare the following:
John arrived late.
John arrived at a late hour.
John arrived when it was late.
(Arrived when?) Adverb
(Arrived when?) Adverb Phrase
(Arrived when?) Adverb Clause
NB 1 The first two sentences above are Simple sentences since they each contain
only one finite verb and subject. The third sentence is Complex since the adverbial
work is done by a dependent clause linked to the main clause 'John arrived'.
NB 2 Whereas 'late' and ‘at a late hour' modify verbs in their own sentence, 'when
it was late' modifies a verb in another sentence - that is, in another clause.
2, 3, 4 and 1
2, 6, 4 and 1
2, 3, 5 and 1
2, 6, 5 and 1
2, 3, 4 and 8
2, 6, 4 and 8
2, 3, 5 and 8
2, 6, 5 and 8
7, 3, 4 and 1
Decide whether the italicized groups of words are adverb phrases or
adverb clauses and click on the correct button:
7, 6, 4 and 1
7, 3, 5 and 1
A. At sunset she went home. (2 Adverb Clause) (7 Adverb Phrase)
7, 6, 5 and 1
B. As the sun set she went home. (3 Adverb Clause) (6 Adverb Phrase)
7, 3, 4 and 8
C. Bats fly after dark. (4 Adverb Clause) (5 Adverb Phrase)
D. Bats fly after night hasfallen. (1 Adverb Phrase) (8 Adverb Clause)
7, 6, 4 and 8
7, 3, 5 and 8
7, 6, 5 and 8
All correct - well done!
Practice Exercise 13
Each of the italicized groups of words is an adverb clause. Turn each
into an adverb phrase:
1. Although he had succeeded, he was not satisfied.
2. One cannot improve unless one practises.
3. They stopped where the two roads meet.
4. They left when the clock struck four.
5. He walks as a duck walks.
6. I am saving money so that I may have a holiday.
Go to Exercise 60
All correct - well done!
Exercise 60 - Adverb Clauses
Re-read Exercises 39 and 40. Then look at the following adverb clauses:
MANNER:
TIME:
PLACE:
REASON:
PURPOSE:
CONCESSION:
CONTRAST:
CONDITION:
He fights (How?) as a lion fights.
He fights (When?) when he is angry.
He fights (Where?) where the master cannot see.
He fights (Why?) because he likes to (fight).
He fights (Why?) so that he may remain free.
He fights, although he hates it.
He fights, whereas we do not.
He fights if he is allowed to (fight).
NB 1 Each of the above sentences is Complex, with the adverb clause modifying
the verb in the main clause.
NB 2 Concession, Contrast and Condition will be dealt with later. Here are the
words that introduce them:
Concession: although, though, even though, whilst.
Contrast: whereas.
Condition: if, unless, whether. . . or.
2, 5, 6 and 1
2, 8, 6 and 1
2, 5, 7 and 1
2, 8, 7 and 1
2, 5, 6 and 4
2, 8, 6 and 4
2, 5, 7 and 4
2, 8, 7 and 4
3, 5, 6 and 1
3, 8, 6 and 1
Identify the adverb clauses in order and click on the correct button:
A. As he was hungry he hurried home, even though he was tired.
Reason, Concession - 2 Manner, Contrast - 3
B. He walked as though he was tired so that he could put them off their guard.
Concession, Reason - 5 Manner, Purpose - 8
C. Unless you help me, I shall stay where I am.
Time, Contrast - 6 Condition, Place - 7
D. When he was finishing he broke off suddenly because he heard a noise.
Reason, Time - 1 Time, Reason - 4
3, 5, 7 and 1
3, 8, 7 and 1
3, 5, 6 and 4
3, 8, 6 and 4
3, 5, 7 and 4
3, 8, 7 and 4
All correct - well done!
2, 4, 3 and 1
Exercise 61 - Adverbs
Re-read Exercise 38 and then compare the following:
1. The plane travels
very fast.
)
) To what
) extent
2. The plane travels
) fast?
as fast as sound travels )
( Adverb of Degree
( or Extent
(
( Adverb Clause of
(Degree or Extent
Just as the adverb 'very' modifies the adverb' fast' in
(1), so does the clause 'as sound travels' modify the
adverb 'fast' in (2). After all, if you know the speed of
sound you will have some idea of the speed of the plane
- the extent of its 'fast-ness'. Note that the adverb
clause here does not modify the verb in the main clause
- it modifies the adverb' fast' in the main
clause. We can see that the word 'fast'
belongs to the main clause by asking
'How?' after the main clause verb:
The plane travels (How?) - fast.
There are three adverb clauses like
this:
DEGREE OR EXTENT: He runs as
quickly as a hare (runs).
COMPARISON: He runs more quickly
2, 8, 3 and 1
2, 4, 7 and 1
2, 8, 7 and 1
2, 4, 3 and 5
2, 8, 3 and 5
than a hare (runs).
2, 4, 7 and 5
did not hear them knock.
2, 8, 7 and 5
RESULT: He slept so soundly that he
6, 4, 3 and 1
6, 8, 3 and 1
Identify the adverb clause and click on the correct button:
A. She swims as smoothly as a fish.
Degree - 2 Manner - 6
B. He is madder than a hatter.
Comparison - 4 Degree - 8
C. . They ran so fast that they fell over.
Result - 3 Comparison - 7
D. He walks as slowly as a tortoise.
Manner - 1 Degree - 5
6, 4, 7 and 1
6, 8, 7 and 1
6, 4, 3 and 5
6, 8, 3 and 5
6, 4, 7 and 5
6, 8, 7 and 5
All correct - well done!
2, 4, 3 and 1
Exercise 62 - Adverb Clauses
Variety of expression, as we have already said, is
very important in speech or writing. So it is always
necessary to practise expressing the same idea in
different ways. See how the following adverb clauses
can be re-expressed as adverb phrases:
Adverb clauses can also be compressed
by ellipsis (see Exercise 57, NB 1). Take
care not to confuse them with adverb
phrases (Exercise 40). Always
remember that a clause is a sentence:
while she was on holiday
although she was ill
because it was snowing
when you like
as if he was mad
so that he can eat
where we used to live
I shall come as soon as (it is) possible
(to come).
I fell asleep while (I was) reading.
Although (he was) hurt, he carried on.
- during her holiday
- despite her illness
- because of the snow
- in your own time
- like a madman
- to eat
- at our old house
2, 7, 3 and 1
2, 4, 8 and 1
2, 7, 8 and 1
2, 4, 3 and 6
2, 7, 3 and 6
2, 4, 8 and 6
2, 7, 8 and 6
Identify the italicised words and click on the correct button:
A. They swim every day when on holiday.
Adverb Phrase - 2
5, 7, 3 and 1
Adverb Clause - 5
B. They swim every day on holiday.
Adverb Clause - 4
Adverb Phrase - 7
C. The job was done as requested.
Adverb Clause - 3
Adverb Phrase - 8
D. We will come if called.
Adverb Phrase - 1
5, 4, 3 and 1
5, 4, 8 and 1
5, 7, 8 and 1
5, 4, 3 and 6
5, 7, 3 and 6
5, 4, 8 and 6
Adverb Clause - 6
5, 7, 8 and 6
All correct - well done!
Practice Exercise 14
Pick out the adverb phrase in each of these Simple sentences. Turn
each adverb phrase into an adverb clause so as to make a Complex
sentence:
1. In spite of the cold he carried on.
2. Come at your pleasure.
3. I am dieting to keep slim.
4. They arrived during our dinner.
5. He ran like a hunted man.
6. She was delayed because of the railway strike.
Go to Exercise 63
All correct - well done!
2, 4, 3 and 1
Exercise 63 - Ellipsis
Examine the following:
Although he was poor, he still had to pay the bill.
Now we compress by ellipsis:
Although poor, he still had to pay the bill.
Since the omitted pronoun ‘he' refers to the same
person indicated by 'he' in the main clause, this
elliptical structure is clear in meaning. But see what
happens when the noun or pronoun omitted
is not the same as that in the main clause:
Although poor, the bill had still to be paid.
This gives the impression that the bill was
poor, which is nonsensical and not the
intended meaning. So we see that one
cannot always apply ellipsis.
2, 6, 3 and 1
2, 4, 5 and 1
2, 6, 5 and 1
2, 4, 3 and 7
2, 6, 3 and 7
2, 4, 5 and 7
2, 6, 5 and 7
8, 4, 3 and 1
8, 6, 3 and 1
Decide whether or not the italicised adverb clauses can be intelligently
Compressed and click on the correct button:
A. While he was dancing, the bed collapsed beneath him. Yes - 2 No - 8
B. While he was dancing on the bed, he fell to the floor. Yes - 4 No - 6
C. If I am wanted I am always available.
No - 3 Yes - 5
D. If I am wanted my door is always open.
Yes - 1 No - 7
8, 4, 5 and 1
8, 6, 5 and 1
8, 4, 3 and 7
8, 6, 3 and 7
8, 4, 5 and 7
8, 6, 5 and 7
All correct - well done!
Exercise 64 - Participial Phrases
Adverb clauses can often be re-expressed by
participial phrases (Exercise 29):
After I had done the job, I went home.
Having done the job, I went home.
I went home because I was feeling tired.
Feeling tired, I went home.
Since the verb and subject have to be
removed to turn a clause into a participial
phrase, the same danger of confusion arises
as with elliptical clauses (Exercise 63).
Examine the following:
Since the driver was ill, the car was towed away.
This cannot be re-expressed -
Being ill, the car was towed away.
- because the participial phrase now relates to
'car'. This faulty construction is common and is
usually referred to as the 'unrelated participle'.
2, 6, 5 and 1
2, 8, 5 and 1
2, 6, 7 and 1
2, 8, 7 and 1
2, 6, 5 and 3
2, 8, 5 and 3
2, 6, 7 and 3
2, 8, 7 and 3
Decide whether or not the italicized adverb clauses can intelligently
be re-expressed as participial phrases and click on the correct button:
4, 6, 5 and 1
A. While we were walking along the road a thought suddenly occurred
to us.
Yes - 2 No - 4
4, 8, 5 and 1
B. While we were walking along the road we were suddenly struck by
a thought.
No - 6 Yes - 8
4, 8, 7 and 1
C. Since it was stuck fast the garage door had to be forced open.
Yes - 5 No - 7
D. Since the garage door was stuck fast, my father had to take a train.
Yes - 1 No - 3
4, 6, 7 and 1
4, 6, 5 and 3
4, 8, 5 and 3
4, 6, 7 and 3
4, 8, 7 and 3
All correct - well done!
Practice Exercise 15
Re-express the participial phrases as adverb clauses:
1. Having finished early, she was allowed to go home.
2. Walking to the post this morning, I saw Mrs. Smith.
3. I saw Mrs. Smith walking to the post this morning.
4. Feeling drowsy, they slept for a while.
5. Having finished for the day, we each took a bath.
Re-express, wherever possible, the adverb clauses as participial
phrases. Leave a blank wherever this would produce an unrelated
participle:
6. After we had received our instructions we quietly dispersed.
7. After we had received our instructions the officer dismissed us.
8. Since the road was iced up we could not get through.
9. Since it was iced up the road was impassable.
10. While I was resting on the bench I heard the first cuckoo.
Go to Exercise 65
All correct - well done!
2, 4, 3 and 1
Exercise 65 - Sentences
I changed my clothes and then I went to
see my friend and after that I fell over
and twisted my ankle, but someone helped
me home and my mother put me to bed.
The above sentence is very poorly
constructed for two reasons:
1. It is made up entirely of main clauses. This
conveys the idea that all the events are of
equal importance and that no one event
depends on another. A careful look at the
passage shows that this is not so.
2. Main clauses can be linked to one another
only by the pure conjunctions 'and', 'but',
'either-or',
'neither-nor'. So these conjunctions particularly 'and' - constantly repeat themselves
monotonously.
Before seeing how to overcome this repetition,
we shall see how not to overcome it:
I changed my clothes, then I went to see my
friend in hospital, after that. . . etc.
All that has been done here is to remove the
conjunctions and run the main clauses together.
This is no solution. Unlinked main clauses must
not be run together with commas between them,
except when ‘and' is understood to be there.
(Exercise 56 NB)
2, 5, 3 and 1
2, 4, 6 and 1
2, 5, 6 and 1
2, 4, 3 and 8
2, 5, 3 and 8
2, 4, 6 and 8
2, 5, 6 and 8
7, 4, 3 and 1
7, 5, 3 and 1
Decide whether these clause are linked and click on the correct
button:
A. I was late, so I went home. (2 Yes) (7 No)
B. I was late and so I went home. (4 Yes) (5 No)
C. I tried, but I could not do it. (3 No) (6 Yes)
D. I tried, yet I could not do it. (1 Yes) (8 No)
7, 4, 6 and 1
7, 5, 6 and 1
7, 4, 3 and 8
7, 5, 3 and 8
7, 4, 6 and 8
7, 5, 6 and 8
All correct - well done!
Exercise 66 - Relationships
When we write or speak we express ideas, relate events, ask questions and so on. Unless we are just
babbling like a child that has just learned to talk, there should be a connecting thread that leads us
through from sentence to sentence. Our ideas should be related one to another. To express these
relationships clearly is most important.
Below is a list of the most common relationships. The words and phrases against each one of them are
the most commonly used to show these relationships between sentences that are not linked. They are
not conjunctions. That is why they are given capital letters - to remind you that they normally come at
the beginning of fresh sentences.
Cause (or Reason):
Purpose:
Result:
Concession:
Contrast:
Time:
Condition:
So, Therefore, Thus, Accordingly, Owing to this, On account of this, etc
(As' Cause' above.)
Consequently, Inevitably, As a result, etc.
Yet, Nevertheless, However, Despite this, etc.
On the other hand, In contrast to this, etc.
Then, Before this, At the same time, etc.
(Seldom shown between unlinked sentences.)
Select the suitable word or phrase and click on the correct button:
A. It was late. (So - 2 Yet- 3) we went to bed.
B. He finished his letter. (Afterwards - 6 At the same time - 7) he
posted it.
c. Steel is stronger. (On the other hand - 5 As a result - 8) wood is
less brittle.
D. She refused to work. (Then - 1 Consequently - 4) she failed her test.
2, 6, 5 and 1
2, 7, 5 and 1
2, 6, 8 and 1
2, 7, 8 and 1
2, 6, 5 and 4
2, 7, 5 and 4
2, 6, 8 and 4
2, 7, 8 and 4
3, 6, 5 and 1
3, 7, 5 and 1
3, 6, 8 and 1
3, 7, 8 and 1
3, 6, 5 and 4
3, 7, 5 and 4
3, 6, 8 and 4
3, 7, 8 and 4
All correct - well done!
Exercise 67 - Linking Sentences
The words and phrases listed in the last exercise
show relationship between sentences but, since
they do not link those sentences, they do not
help us to give flow to our writing. So we must
also learn to show relationship between
sentences by linking or blending them.
CAUSE
Sheila lost her temper. So she was sent home.
Here is a clear causal relation. The fact that
Sheila lost her temper provides the cause or
reason for her being sent home. Now we will show
this by linking.
1. By adverb clause (Exercise 60) :
Since (because, as) she had lost her
temper, Sheila was sent home OR Sheila
was sent home because. . .
2. By adverb phrase (Exercise 40):
Because of her temper Sheila was sent
home.
3. By participial phrase (Exercise 30):
Having lost her temper, Sheila was sent
home.
2, 4, 1 and 3
2, 8, 1 and 3
2, 4, 5 and 3
2, 8, 5 and 3
2, 4, 1 and 7
2, 8, 1 and 7
2, 4, 5 and 7
2, 8, 5 and 7
6, 4, 1 and 3
6, 8, 1 and 3
Answer the following and click on the correct button:
6, 4, 5 and 3
A. The first example above is a (Simple - 2 Complex - 6) sentence.
6, 8, 5 and 3
B. The second example above is a (Simple - 4 Complex - 8) sentence.
6, 4, 1 and 7
C. The third example above is a (Compound - 1 Simple - 5) sentence.
6, 8, 1 and 7
D. 'Cause' and 'Reason' (are not - 3 are - 7) the same.
6, 4, 5 and 7
6, 8, 5 and 7
All correct - well done!
2, 4, 1 and 3
Exercise 68 - Purpose
As we have already seen (Exercise 41), Purpose
differs from Cause in that Purpose expresses
planned or deliberate action, whereas Cause does
not necessarily do so.
1. By adverb clause (Exercise 60):
PURPOSE
2. By adverb phrase (Exercise 41):
They wanted to see the show. Therefore they
remained.
Here we have a deliberate action intended to
achieve a given end -a wish to see a show, in this
case. This Purpose relationship can be shown by
linking or blending in two different ways.
They remained so that they could see the
show.
They remained to see the show OR They
remained in order to see the show.
2, 7, 1 and 3
2, 4, 6 and 3
2, 7, 6 and 3
2, 4, 1 and 8
NB The negative form of 'so’ that is ‘lest':
2, 7, 1 and 8
They hid in the barn lest they should be seen.
2, 4, 6 and 8
2, 7, 6 and 8
Decide whether the relationship between the sentences is Cause
or Purpose and click on the correct button:
A. They arrived early. They had mistaken the time.
Cause - 2 Purpose - 5
B. They arrived early. They wanted to be in good time.
Purpose - 4 Cause - 7
C. We cannot come today. So we will call on you tomorrow.
Purpose - 1 Cause - 6
D. We have something to discuss with you. So we will call upon you
tomorrow.
Purpose - 3 Cause - 8
5, 4, 1 and 3
5, 7, 1 and 3
5, 4, 6 and 3
5, 7, 6 and 3
5, 4, 1 and 8
5, 7, 1 and 8
5, 4, 6 and 8
5, 7, 6 and 8
All correct - well done!
2, 4, 1 and 3
Exercise 69 - Result
It was very dark. Consequently we lost our way.
Apart from the loose joining of two main clauses
with 'and so', 'and consequently', etc, there is
only one way to show Result by linkage.
By adverb clause (Exercise 61):
It was so dark that we lost our way.
The only difference between a Result relationship
and a Cause relationship is one of emphasis. Take
the second main clause above and put it first,
turning the first main clause into a dependent
clause, and we will have a Cause relation:
We lost our way because it was very dark.
NB Take care not to confuse Result with
Purpose:
I trained hard so that I could win. -Purpose
I trained so hard that I fell ill. -Result
2, 6, 1 and 3
2, 4, 7 and 3
2, 6, 7 and 3
2, 4, 1 and 5
2, 6, 1 and 5
2, 4, 7 and 5
2, 6, 7 and 5
8, 4, 1 and 3
8, 6, 1 and 3
Decide the relationship and click on the correct button:
8, 4, 7 and 3
A. They could not see as it was foggy.
Cause - 2 Result - 8
8, 6, 7 and 3
B. It was so foggy that they could not see.
Cause - 4 Result - 6
8, 4, 1 and 5
C. She sat quietly so that she could hear.
Result - 1 Purpose - 7
D. She sat so quietly that no one noticed her.
Purpose - 3 Result - 5
8, 6, 1 and 5
8, 4, 7 and 5
8, 6, 7 and 5
All correct - well done!
2, 6, 1 and 5
Exercise 70 - Concession
This is a very important relationship to grasp.
It is used mainly to show an exception to what
might have been reasonably expected. As such,
it is in a sense the opposite of Cause or Reason.
Compare the following:
It was raining. So we stayed indoors.
It was raining. Yet we still went out.
In the first of the above, one event follows
reasonably and logically upon the other - Cause.
In the second it is the opposite - Concession.
Concession can be shown by linking in three
different ways.
1. By adverb clause (Exercise 60) :
Although it was raining, we went out OR
We went out although it was raining
2. By adverb phrase (Exercise 40) :
Despite the rain, we went out OR
We went out despite the rain
3. Two main clauses linked with 'but':
It was raining, but we still went out.
2, 8, 1 and 5
2, 6, 3 and 5
2, 8, 3 and 5
2, 6, 1 and 7
2, 8, 1 and 7
2, 6, 3 and 7
2, 8, 3 and 7
4, 6, 1 and 5
4, 8, 1 and 5
Decide the relationship and click on the correct button:
4, 6, 3 and 5
A. We put on light clothes. It was hot.
Concession - 2 Cause - 4
4, 8, 3 and 5
B. We kept on heavy clothes, It was hot.
Cause - 6 Concession - 8
4, 6, 1 and 7
C. I did not eat the food. I was hungry.
Cause - 1 Concession - 3
D. I ate the food. I was hungry.
Cause - 5 Concession - 7
4, 8, 1 and 7
4, 6, 3 and 7
4, 8, 3 and 7
All correct - well done!
Practice Exercise 19
Blend or link the following pairs of sentences in as many ways as
you can so as to show concession relationship:
1. He knew the truth. However, he said nothing.
2. It was hot. Nevertheless, we still went on.
3. Jean remained behind. Yet she should have gone with the others.
4. We had a map. Yet we lost our way.
5. The house was centrally heated. Nevertheless, it was still cold.
6. Harry lacked experience. However, he managed somehow.
Go to Exercise 71
All correct - well done!
Exercise 71 - Contrast
2, 4, 1 and 3
This, as its name suggests, is employed to stress the difference between two facts by placing them
side by side and weighing them against each other - as in a pair of scales. It is not the same as
Concession, which expresses an exception to what one might logically expect.
2, 5, 1 and 3
The porcupine uses its quills for protection. On the other hand the chameleon relies on
camouflage.
Here are two ways in which Contrast may be shown when linking sentences.
1. By adverb clause (Exercise 60) :
The porcupine uses its quills for protection, whereas the chameleon relies on camouflage.
2. Two main clauses linked with 'but':
The porcupine uses its quills for protection, but the chameleon relies on camouflage.
NB 'but' is loose and overworked. Do not rely on it too much.
2, 5, 8 and 3
2, 4, 1 and 6
2, 5, 1 and 6
2, 4, 8 and 6
2, 5, 8 and 6
Decide the relationship between these sentences and click on the
correct button:
A. The first boy was nervous. He did very well.
(2 Concession) (7 Contrast)
B. My brother is very shy. He has many friends.
(4 Coutrast) (5 Concession)
C. The first boy did very well. The second did very badly.
(1 Contrast) (8 Concession)
D. My brother is very shy. I am sociable.
2, 4, 8 and 3
(3 Contrast) (6 Concession)
7, 4, 1 and 3
7, 5, 1 and 3
7, 4, 8 and 3
7, 5, 8 and 3
7, 4, 1 and 6
7, 5, 1 and 6
7, 4, 8 and 6
7, 5, 8 and 6
All correct - well done!
Practice Exercise 20
Link the following pairs of sentences in as many ways as you can so
as to show contrast relationship:
1. One of the wrestlers was very fast on his feet. On the other hand,
the other was more experienced.
2. One tribe lived by hunting. On the other hand, its neighbours lived
by agriculture.
3. Yellow is very cheerful. On the other hand, green is more restful to
the eye.
4. The townsman has many amenities at his disposal. Against this, the
countryman has the benefits of natural surroundings.
Go to Exercise 72
All correct - well done!
2, 6, 1 and 5
Exercise 72 - Time
Time relationship needs scarcely any
explanation. Though scientists may disagree,
for everyday purposes we know that - given
any two events - those two events will either
happen at the same time, or else one will
happen after the other. There are three ways
in which Time relationship may be shown when
we are linking or blending sentences.
He finished his meal. Then he went out.
2, 7, 1 and 5
1. By adverb clause (Exercise 60) :
He went out after he had finished his meal.
2. By adverb phrase (Exercise 40) :
He went out after his meal.
3. By participial phrase (Exercise 29):
2, 6, 4 and 5
2, 7, 4 and 5
2, 6, 1 and 8
Having finished his meal, he went out.
2, 7, 1 and 8
NB Do not confuse 'as' (Time) with 'as'
(Cause); or 'while' or 'whilst' (Time) with
'while' or 'whilst' (Concession).
2, 6, 4 and 8
2, 7, 4 and 8
3, 6, 1 and 5
3, 7, 1 and 5
Decide the relationship and click on the correct button:
A. He laughed as he was happy.
Cause - 2
B. He laughed as he spoke.
Time - 6
C. Have some coffee whilst you are waiting.
Time - 3
Cause - 7
Concession - 1 Time - 4
D. Whilst I sympathize, nevertheless I cannot help you.
Concession - 5 Time - 8
3, 6, 4 and 5
3, 7, 4 and 5
3, 6, 1 and 8
3, 7, 1 and 8
3, 6, 4 and 8
3, 7, 4 and 8
Two errors - fairly good.
1, 2, 3 and 4
Exercise 5b - Subjects
1, 7, 3 and 4
Up in the sky floated the red balloon.
Nonsense!' retorted the chief.
Look at these questions again. In the first you incorrectly chose the word' sky' as subject of
the verb' floated', simply because 'sky' comes before the verb. However, as we stated in the
last lesson, the subject does not necessarily come in front of the verb, although we ask the
questions 'Who?' or 'What?' in front of the verb in order to find it.
What floated? - The red balloon. Subject.
1, 2, 6 and 4
1, 7, 6 and 4
1, 2, 3 and 5
Similarly 'the chief' is the subject of the verb in the second sentence.
1, 7, 3 and 5
Who retorted? - The chief.
1, 2, 6 and 5
1, 7, 6 and 5
8, 2, 3 and 4
8, 7, 3 and 4
8, 2, 6 and 4
Pick out the subjects and click on the correct button:
A. The two girls ran out of the house. house - 1
The two girls - 8
B. Out of the house ran the two girls. the two girls - 2 the house - 7
C. Last came my father.
D. ‘Silence!' whispered the detective.
Last - 3
my father - 6
‘Silence!’ - 4 the detective - 5
8, 7, 6 and 4
8, 2, 3 and 5
8, 7, 3 and 5
8, 2, 6 and 5
8, 7, 6 and 5
All correct - well done!
Practice Exercise 1
Either write this exercise on paper or word process it and print it out.
Hand in your finished exercise to your teacher to mark. Do the same
for all the other practice exercises when you come to them.
Blend the following pairs of sentences by using the appositional
phrase:
1. John is an old friend of ours. John is very ill.
2. Yo-Yo is our Siamese cat. Last week we lost Yo-Yo.
3. Jersey is the largest of the Channel Islands. We visited Jersey.
4. Mary is a tiresome child. She screams all the time.
5. The new bridge is a steel structure. It is safer than the old one.
6. Aunt Muriel is a university lecturer. She comes to visit every Spring.
7. Beethoven was deaf before the completion of his Ninth Symphony.
He was the great German composer.
8. Geoffrey Chaucer was the father of English poetry. He wrote the
Canterbury Tales.
Go to Exercise 13
Two errors - fairly good.
1, 2, 4 and 3
Exercise 7b - Sentences and Phrases
1, 6, 4 and 3
We sleep.
Stop!
Look at these questions again. Despite what was said in the last lesson, you have fallen into
the trap of thinking that short groups of words are always phrases. Both of the examples
above are sentences, even though they are short.
In the first, the verb is 'sleep'. Who sleep? - We. So we have a finite verb and its subject.
Sentence.
Similarly, the second is also a sentence. The verb is 'Stop!' and its subject, as often happens
in commands, is the word 'You' which is 'understood' to be there. Who stop? (You) stop!
1, 2, 8 and 3
1, 6, 8 and 3
1, 2, 4 and 7
1, 6, 4 and 7
1, 2, 8 and 7
1, 6, 8 and 7
5, 2, 4 and 3
Decide whether the following are sentences or phrases and click on
the correct button:
A. Up at the first light of dawn in order to start early and to
finish before the others.
Sentence - 1
Phrase - 5
B. Charge!
Phrase - 2
Sentence - 6
C. We struggled hard.
Phrase - 4
Sentence - 8
D. Struggling hard.
Phrase - 3
Sentence - 7
5, 6, 4 and 3
5, 2, 8 and 3
5, 6, 8 and 3
5, 2, 4 and 7
5, 6, 4 and 7
5, 2, 8 and 7
5, 6, 8 and 7
Two errors - fairly good.
1, 3, 4 and 2
Exercise 19b - Adjectives
1, 7, 4 and 2
My young sister was lucky.
That wooden bridge is unsafe.
Look at these two sentences again. You have made the same mistake in both
of them. You have forgotten that an adjective can sometimes follow the verb
(usually the verb 'to be') and yet qualify a noun before the verb.
1, 3, 8 and 2
1, 7, 8 and 2
1, 3, 4 and 6
. . . sister was lucky. (What kind of sister?-A lucky sister.)
. . . bridge is unsafe. (What kind of bridge?-An unsafe bridge.)
1, 7, 4 and 6
So, in the two sentences above, 'lucky' and 'unsafe' are both adjectives.
Remember that adjectives do not always come immediately before or after
the nouns (or pronouns) they qualify. Sometimes they follow the verb.
1, 3, 8 and 6
1, 7, 8 and 6
5, 3, 4 and 2
5, 7, 4 and 2
Pick out the adjectives and click on the correct button:
A. Your friends will be happy to hear it.
B. Those roads were rough.
C. They are mad.
D. Every lion is dangerous.
Your - 1
5, 3, 8 and 2
Your, happy - 5
5, 7, 8 and 2
Those, rough - 3 Those - 7
5, 3, 4 and 6
no adjectives - 4 mad - 8
5, 7, 4 and 6
Every - 2 Every, dangerous - 6
5, 3, 8 and 6
5, 7, 8 and 6
Two errors - fairly good.
1, 2, 4 and 3
Exercise 9b - Objects
Plum pudding we just adore!
'John!' my father shouted.
Look at these two sentences again. You have
made the same mistake in both of them.
They both have objects.
In the first the verb is 'adore' and the
subject is 'we'.
We adore what? - Plum pudding. Object.
In the second the verb is ‘shouted’ and the
subject is 'my father'.
My father shouted what? - ‘John!’. Object.
Remember that, although we ask the questions
'’Whom?’ or 'What?' after the verb to find
the object, the object (if any) does not
necessarily come after the verb.
Now try the following exercise.
1, 8, 4 and 3
1, 2, 6 and 3
1, 8, 6 and 3
1, 2, 4 and 5
1, 8, 4 and 5
1, 2, 6 and 5
1, 8, 6 and 5
Pick out the objects (if any) and click on the correct button:
7, 2, 4 and 3
A. English lessons I always await eagerly.
No object - 1
7, 8, 4 and 3
English lessons - 7
B. I always await English lessons eagerly.
No object - 2
English lessons - 8
C. English lessons come too often.
No object - 4
D. Treasure Island we have read many times.
No object - 3
7, 2, 6 and 3
7, 8, 6 and 3
7, 2, 4 and 5
English lessons - 6
7, 8, 4 and 5
7, 2, 6 and 5
Treasure Island - 5
7, 8, 6 and 5
All correct - well done!
Practice Exercise 10
Blend the following groups of sentences by using the infinitive
phrase of Purpose:
1. The captain encouraged his team. He wanted them to do better
still.
2. They took the short route. They intended to be there in good
time.
3. She saved up her money. She wished to buy some presents.
4. I have called. I want to return your book. I also wish to borrow
another.
5. The rescuers worked hard all night. They were trying to reach the
trapped victims.
6. We have remained behind. We intend to clear up the mess. We
intend to see you home safely.
Go to Exercise 43
All correct - well done!
Practice Exercise 17
Blend or link the following groups of sentences in as many ways as
you can so as to show purpose relationship:
1. She went a different way. She wanted to be alone.
2. I have stayed behind. I wish to ask you a favour.
3. The engineers worked night and day. They intended to complete
the bridge on time.
4. He kept out of the way. He did not want to be questioned.
5. She switched on her torch. She wished to signal to the others.
She also wished to let them know her position.
6. She wanted to be alone. So she went a different way.
Go to Exercise 69
All correct - well done!
Practice Exercise 6
Blend the following pairs of sentences by using the participial
phrase:
1. She was scared of the dark. So she ran all the way home.
2. She had lost her purse. Accordingly she went back to look for it.
3. They thought the house to be empty. Therefore they walked
straight in.
4. He had pulled a muscle. So he went to the doctor.
5. They hoped to be first. So they took a short cut.
6. The otter heard her mate call. Therefore she swam upstream to
the pool.
7. We received a caution. So we did not do it again.
8. Pamela did not wish to be early. Therefore she took her time.
Go to Exercise 31
Two errors - fairly good.
1, 5, 2 and 6
Exercise 18b - Adjectives
1, 8, 2 and 6
This boy has a black eye and a swollen lip.
I have seen those ugly little dogs before.
1, 5, 3 and 6
Look at these sentences again. In the first you
missed the adjective' this' and in the second you
missed the adjective 'those'.
1, 8, 3 and 6
1, 5, 2 and 7
In other words, you are still thinking of the
adjective as a purely 'describing' word, instead of as
a word that limits or narrows down. Both 'this' and
'those' are adjectives because they single out the
nouns they describe.
1, 8, 2 and 7
1, 5, 3 and 7
1, 8, 3 and 7
4, 5, 2 and 6
Pick out the adjectives and click on the correct button:
A. We believe it is the same black cat.
(1 same, black) (4 black)
4, 8, 2 and 6
4, 5, 3 and 6
4, 8, 3 and 6
B. I first saw the old badger last week.
(5 old) (8 old, last)
C. These yellow flowers arrived just now.
(2 yellow) (3 These, yellow)
4, 8, 2 and 7
D. Hand me that large steel spanner.
(6 large, steel) (7 that, large, steel)
4, 5, 3 and 7
4, 5, 2 and 7
4, 8, 3 and 7
All correct - well done!
Practice Exercise 2
Blend the following groups of sentences by using two appositional
phrases linked with' and' :
1. My father refereed the game. He is a fine player. He is also a
former captain.
2. William Shakespeare was a great dramatist. He was also a great
poet. He is acknowledged throughout the world.
3. The old tower is sanctuary for birds. It is also a famous landmark.
It is going to be demolished.
4. I gave my brother two presents. One was a tie. The other was a
box of handkerchiefs.
5. The house was a large building. The house was a ramshackle
building. It was said to be haunted.
Go to Exercise 14
All correct - well done!
Practice Exercise 7
Blend the following pairs of sentences by using the participial
phrase:
1. They watched him. He was digging in the garden.
2. We told the policeman. He was standing at the corner.
3. They avoided the sentry. He was coming in their path.
4. Swans were feeding at the water's edge. The children paused to
admire them.
5. I followed the band. The band was marching down the main street.
6. Snakes slither through long grass. We were told to imitate them.
Go to Exercise 32
All correct - well done!
Practice Exercise 16
Blend or link the following groups of sentences in as many ways as
you can so as to show causal relationship:
1. It was cold. So we stayed indoors.
2. My sister was the senior member. Therefore she was made
president.
3. My sister was the senior member. Therefore we made her
president.
4. The truck was overloaded. Thus it broke down.
5. The house was old. It was also badly constructed. So it was
demolished.
6. The horse was frightened. It bolted.
Go to Exercise 68
All correct - well done!
Practice Exercise 21
Blend or link the following groups of sentences in as many ways as
you can so as to show time relationship:
1. He completed the job. Then he went home.
2. The performance ended. Everyone rushed for the exit.
3. You are leaving this morning. Before this you should speak to your
uncle.
4. You are leaving this morning. Before this I should like to speak to
you.
5. They walked along the corridor. At the same time they whistled.
6. Rosalie waited for the others. Meanwhile she read a newspaper.
7. The detective entered the flat. He locked the door behind him.
Then he carefully searched the rooms.
8. They howled. They wept. At the same time they begged for mercy.
Go to Exercise 73
All correct - well done!
Practice Exercise 3
With the help of re-expression, blend the following pairs of
sentences by using the appositional phrase:
1. Jane shoots accurately. She won first prize.
2. Harry captains our cricket team. He has taken more than sixty
wickets this season.
3. I am going to join my brother. He farms in Australia.
4. My brothers both swim competently. They are training for the
200 metres free-style.
5. Mr Williams teaches us geography. He has just bought a new car.
6. We have been to hear Banski. He plays the piano very badly.
7. This is Eric. He is employed to bring our papers every day.
8. Mr. Overblast was in a temper. He runs the local inn.
Go to Exercise 15
All correct - well done!
Practice Exercise 4
Turn the italicized adjective phrases into adjectives:
1. A man of wealth.
2. A stitch in time.
3. A boy from London.
4. A person with tact.
5. A drive in the country.
6. A situation without hope.
7. A dress with pleats.
8. A moment for anxiety.
Go to Exercise 24
All correct - well done!
Practice Exercise 8
Blend the following groups of sentences by using two participial
phrases linked with 'and' :
1. The man faced his enemy. He howled defiance. He fought to the
last.
2. I wanted peace. I wanted solitude. Therefore I went for a long
walk in the countryside.
3. He put on some pads. He selected a bat. Then he went into the
practice nets.
4. They laughed. They shouted. They ran through the hall.
5. We observed some fishermen. They were sitting in the sun. They
were mending their nets.
6. They washed up the crockery. They dried it. After that they put
it away.
Go to Exercise 33
All correct - well done!
Practice Exercise 11
Blend the following groups of sentences by using the appositional
phrase, the participial phrase and the infinitive phrase of Purpose.
Only one finite verb and subject should be preserved:
1. We visited Little Tumbling. Little Tumbling is a village in the south.
We intended to watch the inhabitants. The inhabitants were dancing in
the market square that day.
2. Mrs Jones finished the dining room. Then she went to the kitchen.
She had to clean the silver. She had to polish the floor. Mrs Jones is
our daily help.
3. First he rested. Then he went back to the old garden. He intended
to keep an eye on the intruder. The intruder was a tall man. The
intruder was dressed in grey.
4. We heard the music. So we rushed out of doors. We wanted to see
the regiment. The regiment was marching past the mayoress. The
mayoress is Mrs Soames.
Go to Exercise 44
All correct - well done!
Practice Exercise 18
Blend or link the following groups of sentences to show a result
relationship. Then re-arrange to show causal relationship:
1. He was very bad tempered. Consequently no-one spoke to him.
2. The picture was exceedingly rare. Consequently all the dealers tried
to outbid one another.
3. The day was very cold. Consequently we packed up. Consequently we
went home.
4. She was hysterical. Consequently she had to be given a sedative.
Go to Exercise 70
All correct - well done!
Practice Exercise 22
Link the following pairs of sentences by using suitable relative
adverbs:
1. We found the wallet in a corner. Here is the corner.
2. They chose a special time. Everyone was away at that time.
3. You did not go to school. We know the reason.
4. The old man returned to the forest. He had originally come from
this forest.
Now link (1), (2) and (4) again, using relative pronouns with suitable
prepositions.
Go to Exercise 84
All correct - well done!
Practice Exercise 23
Link the following groups of sentences by turning one (or more, if
necessary) into adjective clauses:
1. The girl lives down the road. She is always in trouble.
2. Albert looks out of place in his form. He is a tall boy for his age.
3. Here is the torch. You wanted it.
4. The torch was eaten with rust inside. It would not work.
5. My elbow was already sore. I then banged it against the window sill.
6. There are the gypsies. We were telling you about them yesterday.
7. I have met someone. We all know her. We all like her.
8. That new record has disappeared. I borrowed it yesterday. You had
it this morning.
Go to Exercise 86
All correct - well done!
Practice Exercise 24
Blend or link these groups of sentences in as many ways as you can:
1. John is a useful batsman. He scored thirty-five.
2. We examined the snowflakes. They were melting on the window pane.
3. Mr. Faversham is very interested in wild life. He goes out on the
moors every weekend.
4. My elder sister dances well. She also sings well. She hopes to go on
the stage after leaving school.
5. We heard some late revellers. They were shouting. They were making
every kind of noise imaginable.
6. There is the man. You found his hat.
Using the adjective clause, link these pairs of sentences so as to show
causal relationship:
7. Jane is very small. Therefore she crept in first.
8. The car had a broken half-shaft. So it was towed away.
Go to Exercise 87
All correct - well done!
Practice Exercise 25
Punctuate the following sentences:
1. Then needless to say we were three hours late.
2. The dress that you wanted has as I feared been sold.
3. Eleanor who is very impulsive left immediately to call on the rev
aloysius mullins our local vicar.
4. However we called upon them and though it was not really
convenient for us we stayed to help.
5. The dress which had taken four weeks and three days to complete
was finally packed and as requested sent by registered post.
6. He worked very hard for when it came to gardening he really
enjoyed himself by teatime he had finished.
7. They were moreover very tired so they went indoors to rest.
8. The others if they had waited might have seen mr ellis the family
solicitor coming across the park consequently they missed the news.
Go to Exercise 94
All correct - well done!
Practice Exercise 26
Punctuate the following sentences:
1. We like cycling but we prefer to travel by car.
2. We like cycling but if it comes to the choice we prefer to travel by
car we realize however that not everyone would agree with us.
3. They ran jumped crawled and slithered all the way down the icy
slope although they had been told to stay away.
4. Peering round the corner very cautiously Natalie noticed two men
striding along the quayside.
5. Hurry up she said we shall be late.
6. Hurry up she said or we shall be late.
7. However he continued we must do what we can.
8. Be quiet he said fiercely we must do what we can.
Go to Exercise 97
All correct - well done!
Practice Exercise 27
Punctuate the following sentences:
1. I could not see a thing it was too dark.
2. I could not see because it was too dark.
3. I could see everything the bridge the sawmill the sentry post and
even the braid on their uniforms.
4. I could see the bridge the sawmill the sentry post and whenever
the men turned in my direction even the braid on their uniforms.
5. You take the high road I'll take the low one.
6. You take the high road we shall meet again at dusk.
7. You take the high road it is fairly short and meet me again at dusk.
8. You may go now and remember to close the door this time.
Go to Exercise 100
All correct - well done!
3, 1, 2 and 4
Exercise 73 - Condition
The relation of Condition simply shows a
condition which governs some intended action.
Is the weather going to dear? In that case
I will come.
Condition is usually shown by linking and there
is only one way in which this can be done.
NB 1 'whether. . . or' is a double
Conditional clause.
NB 2 Do not confuse 'unless' (Condition)
with 'lest' (Purpose). 'lest' means 'so
that. .. not'.
3, 5, 2 and 4
3, 1, 6 and 4
3, 5, 6 and 4
3, 1, 2 and 8
By adverb clause (layout 7358) :
3, 5, 2 and 8
I will come if the weather clears.
I will not come unless the weather clears.
I will come whether the weather clears or
(whether it does) not.
3, 1, 6 and 8
3, 5, 6 and 8
7, 1, 2 and 4
Decide the relationship and click on the correct button:
A. He will play when he is fit.
Time - 3 Condition - 7
B. He will play if he is fit.
Concession - 1 Condition - 5
C. They left early lest they should be delayed on the way.
Purpose - 2 Condition - 6
D. They will leave early unless they are delayed.
Condition - 4 Purpose - 8
7, 5, 2 and 4
7, 1, 6 and 4
7, 5, 6 and 4
7, 1, 2 and 8
7, 5, 2 and 8
7, 1, 6 and 8
7, 5, 6 and 8
All correct - well done!
3, 1, 2 and 4
Exercise 74 - Noun Clauses
We have said that the dependent clause does the
work of a part of speech and we have seen this
with the adverb clause. The next kind of
dependent clause is the noun clause which, as its
name suggests, does the work of a noun.
1. Subject to the verb (Exercise 5, Exercise 24):
What you say is true. (What is true?)
Since it does the work of a noun, the removal of
a noun clause will often leave the clause on which
it depends incomplete. If we were to call the
noun clause ‘A’, then the main clause in the above
example would be 'A is true' or - if you prefer it
- 'Something is true'.
2. Object to the verb (Exercise 9, Exercise
24) :
I know that he is here. (I know what?)
3. Governed by a preposition (Exercise 22):
We laughed at what they told us. (At
what?)
Again, with the removal of the noun clause
the main clause would be left incomplete:
'We laughed at B.' or 'We laughed at
something'.
3, 6, 2 and 4
3, 1, 5 and 4
3, 6, 5 and 4
3, 1, 2 and 7
3, 6, 2 and 7
3, 1, 5 and 7
3, 6, 5 and 7
8, 1, 2 and 4
Decide what work the noun clause is doing in each of the following
sentences and click on the correct button:
A. We wonder what they did.
(3 Subject)
(8 Object)
8, 6, 2 and 4
8, 1, 5 and 4
8, 6, 5 and 4
B. We were pleased with what they did.
(1 Governed by a preposition)
(6 Object)
8, 1, 2 and 7
C. What they did was remarkable.
(5 Subject)
8, 6, 2 and 7
(2 Object)
D. We asked whether she was ill.
(4 Governed by a preposition)
8, 1, 5 and 7
(7 Object)
8, 6, 5 and 7
All correct - well done!
3, 1, 2 and 4
Exercise 75 - Noun Clauses
There are two more jobs that the noun clause - like
the noun itself - can do. It may be:
4. In apposition to a noun or pronoun (Exercise 10):
The news that they had won delighted us all.
Here ‘that they had won' is re-expressing 'news'.
The news delighted us all.
That they had won delighted us all.
So 'that they had won' is a noun clause in apposition
to the subject' news'. The most common form of
appositional noun clause is to be found in impersonal
constructions - that is, sentences beginning
with 'It':
It is possible that we shall stay.
(It is possible. That we shall stay is
possible.)
5. Complement to the verb (Execises 46 and
47):
Here, once again, the removal of the noun
clause leaves the other clause incomplete:
'Life is (something)'.
Decide what work the noun clause is doing and click on the correct
button:
A. Whether he can come is doubtful.
Apposition to subject - 3 Subject - 5
B. It is doubtful whether he can come.
Apposition to subject - 1 Subject - 7
Apposition to object - 8
D. Our worry is whether he can come.
Complement - 4
3, 1, 8 and 4
3, 7, 8 and 4
3, 1, 2 and 6
3, 7, 2 and 6
Life is what you make it.
C. We doubt whether he can come.
Object - 2
3, 7, 2 and 4
3, 1, 8 and 6
3, 7, 8 and 6
5, 1, 2 and 4
5, 7, 2 and 4
5, 1, 8 and 4
5, 7, 8 and 4
5, 1, 2 and 6
5, 7, 2 and 6
5, 1, 8 and 6
Object - 6
5, 7, 8 and 6
All correct - well done!
5, 1, 2 and 6
Exercise 76 - Speech
1. 'I will come,' he said.
2. He said that he would come.
Note the changes involved when re-expressing
direct speech as indirect speech:
Both italicized clauses are noun clauses
object to 'said’ in the main clause (Said
what?).
1. After verbs of 'saying', 'stating', etc, the
noun clause is introduced by 'that', although
this is sometimes omitted as 'understood'.
The words ‘I will come' in (1) are the
actual words of the speaker, and the
inverted commas are used to show this.
2. 'I' becomes 'he' or 'she'. 'We' becomes
'they', etc - unless the subject of the main
clause happens to be 'I' or ‘we’, etc.
Direct Speech.
In (2) the words that he would come are
not the actual words used by the speaker
- they are the substance of his words as
reported by someone else after he had
spoken. Indirect (or Reported) Speech.
3. The verb in the noun clause changes to
match the tense of the verb in the main
clause. The rule is simple: Primary Tense
follows Primary Tense; Historic Tense follows
Historic Tense.
5, 3, 2 and 6
5, 1, 4 and 6
5, 3, 4 and 6
5, 1, 2 and 8
5, 3, 2 and 8
5, 1, 4 and 8
5, 3, 4 and 8
7, 1, 2 and 6
7, 3, 2 and 6
Choose the appropriate tense of verb and click on the correct button:
A. He has promised that he (5 would) (7 will) come.
B. She answered that she (1 may) (3 might) be ready.
C. They have said that they (2 could) (4 can) do it.
D. He had suggested he (6 might) (8 may) help us.
7, 1, 4 and 6
7, 3, 4 and 6
7, 1, 2 and 8
7, 3, 2 and 8
7, 1, 4 and 8
7, 3, 4 and 8
All correct - well done!
Exercise 77 - Noun Clauses
Examine the following:
1. 'Where are we?' she asked.
2. 'What do you want?' my mother said to us.
3. ‘Will they understand?' I wondered.
Each of the direct questions above is a noun clause, object to the main clause verb. (Asked
what? Said what?) When turning questions from direct to indirect speech, we must observe
three things. The question mark disappears. The verb follows the subject - it does not come
entirely or partly before the subject (see above). When, as in (3), there is no interrogative
word -' How', 'When', 'Where', 'Why', 'Who', 'Whom', 'Whose', 'Which', etc - then the
word 'if' or 'whether' must be supplied.
1. She asked where we were.
2. My mother asked us what we wanted.
3. I wondered if they would understand.
3, 1, 2 and 4
3, 8, 2 and 4
3, 1, 7 and 4
3, 8, 7 and 4
3, 1, 2 and 5
3, 8, 2 and 5
3, 1, 7 and 5
3, 8, 7 and 5
6, 1, 2 and 4
6, 8, 2 and 4
Choose the correct construction and click on the correct button:
A. We asked when (it was - 3 was it - 6).
B. They asked why (we were - 1 were we - 8) going.
C. She doubted if she (can - 2 could - 7) do it.
D. I wonder (what they are hiding. - 4 what they are hiding ? - 5)
6, 1, 7 and 4
6, 8, 7 and 4
6, 1, 2 and 5
6, 8, 2 and 5
6, 1, 7 and 5
6, 8, 7 and 5
All correct - well done!
5, 1, 2 and 6
Exercise 78 - Relative Pronouns
We shall now leave the noun clause. Examine the
following:
I saw the man. The man arrived yesterday.
By substituting the word 'who' for 'the man' in
the second sentence we can link the two
sentences:
I saw the man who arrived yesterday.
Since 'who' replaces a noun (ie 'man') it is a
pronoun. But 'who' does not only replace the noun
'man' in the second sentence - it also refers to, or
relates to, the noun 'man' in the first sentence.
We call such pronouns relative pronouns.
There are six relative pronouns altogether.
For the moment we shall deal with three of
them:
who
relates to humans
which
that
)
) relate to animals and things
NB Do not confuse the relative pronouns
'who' and 'which' with interrogative (ie
question-asking) pronouns.
5, 4, 2 and 6
5, 1, 3 and 6
5, 4, 3 and 6
5, 1, 2 and 7
5, 4, 2 and 7
5, 1, 3 and 7
5, 4, 3 and 7
8, 1, 2 and 6
8, 4, 2 and 6
Choose a pronoun and click on the correct button:
A. The boy (he - 5 who - 8) was here has now left.
B. I am wearing a tie (which - 1 it - 4) my sister gave me.
C. . These are the boxes (who - 2 that - 3) came just now.
D. The pencils, (who - 6 which - 7) were on the table, are now gone.
8, 1, 3 and 6
8, 4, 3 and 6
8, 1, 2 and 7
8, 4, 2 and 7
8, 1, 3 and 7
8, 4, 3 and 7
All correct - well done!
Exercise 79 - Relative Pronouns
Let us look at the last example again:
1. I saw the man. The man arrived yesterday.
2. I saw the man who arrived yesterday.
In the second sentence of (1) 'man' is the
subject of the verb 'arrived' (Who arrived?).
Therefore in (2) the relative pronoun 'who',
which replaces the subject 'man', will also be a
subject. Now look at the following:
1. I saw a man. You know the man.
2. I saw a man whom you know.
Observe that the relative pronoun 'who' has
changed to 'whom '. This is because it is
replacing an object noun. (Know whom? Man). Thus it is also object in its own
clause. Note also that 'whom' is placed at
the beginning of its clause. This is so that
it may come immediately after the noun or
pronoun - in the other clause - to which it
relates. This noun or pronoun in the other
clause, to which the relative pronoun
relates, is called the antecedent - that is,
the 'going-before’ word.
NB 'which' and' that' do not change their
form when they are objects.
3, 1, 4 and 2
3, 5, 4 and 2
3, 1, 8 and 2
3, 5, 8 and 2
3, 1, 4 and 6
3, 5, 4 and 6
3, 1, 8 and 6
3, 5, 8 and 6
7, 1, 4 and 2
7, 5, 4 and 2
Select the correct relative pronoun and click on the correct button:
A. This is the lady (whom - 3 who - 7) we asked.
B. A person (who - 1 that - 5) deals in stamps is called a philatelist.
C. I have the pen (whom - 4 that - 8) you want.
D. Here is someone (whom - 2 who - 6) you must meet.
7, 1, 8 and 2
7, 5, 8 and 2
7, 1, 4 and 6
7, 5, 4 and 6
7, 1, 8 and 6
7, 5, 8 and 6
All correct - well done!
3, 1, 4 and 2
Exercise 80 - Relative Pronouns
We have seen that the relative pronoun 'who'
(subject) changes to 'whom' (object). It also
changes to 'whom' when it is governed by a
preposition (layout 1568):
1. I saw the man. You spoke to the man.
2. I saw the man to whom you spoke.
In the second sentence of (1) 'man’ is governed
by the preposition 'to'. So, therefore, is the
relative pronoun that replaces 'man'.
NB 1 In this instance the relative pronoun does
not come immediately after its antecedent. This
is because the relative pronoun (like all nouns
and pronouns) should follow the governing
preposition.
We could write -
3, 6, 4 and 2
I saw the man whom you spoke to
3, 1, 7 and 2
- leaving the preposition hanging at the
end of the sentence, but this is normally
to be avoided.
3, 6, 7 and 2
NB 2 The relative pronoun 'which' may
also be governed by a preposition, but it
does not change its form:
I saw the house at which you stayed.
NB 3 The relative pronoun 'that' is never
governed by a preposition.
3, 1, 4 and 5
3, 6, 4 and 5
3, 1, 7 and 5
3, 6, 7 and 5
8, 1, 4 and 2
8, 6, 4 and 2
Select the correct relative pronoun and click on the correct button:
A. The lady to (3 whom) (8 who) you spoke. . .
B. The film about (1 that) (6 which) they were talking. . .
C. The table beneath (4 whom) (7 which) he hid. . .
D. The girl near (2 who) (5 whom) they were sitting. . .
8, 1, 7 and 2
8, 6, 7 and 2
8, 1, 4 and 5
8, 6, 4 and 5
8, 1, 7 and 5
8, 6, 7 and 5
Two errors. Fairly good.
Exercise 81 - Relative Pronouns
The lady to who you spoke ,', .
The girl near who they were sitting. . .
You have made the same mistake in each of
these questions. In each case the relative
pronoun is governed by a preposition. So, as we
have seen in our last lesson, the relative
pronoun should be 'whom' - not 'who'.
You spoke to whom (= the lady)
They were sitting near whom (= the girl)
Remember that this change of form applies only
to ‘who’. The relative pronoun 'which' remains
unaltered.
3, 1, 4 and 2
3, 6, 4 and 2
3, 1, 7 and 2
3, 6, 7 and 2
3, 1, 4 and 5
3, 6, 4 and 5
3, 1, 7 and 5
3, 6, 7 and 5
8, 1, 4 and 2
8, 6, 4 and 2
Select the correct relative pronoun and click on the correct button:
A. The assistant (who - 3 who - 8) served me . . .
B. The assistant by (who - 1 whom - 6) I was served. . .
C. The stranger from (who - 4 whom - 7) you accepted this. . .
D. The stranger (whom - 2 who - 5) gave this to you. . .
8, 1, 7 and 2
8, 6, 7 and 2
8, 1, 4 and 5
8, 6, 4 and 5
8, 1, 7 and 5
8, 6, 7 and 5
All correct - well done!
Exercise 82 - Relative Pronouns
The relative pronoun ‘who’ can also take the
place of a possessive noun or pronoun. In this
case it changes its form to ‘whose’.
I saw the man. You borrowed his book.
I saw the man whose book you borrowed.
Strictly speaking, the form ‘whose’ is the
possessive of ‘who’ alone. However, it is
sometimes used as a possessive of ‘which’:
The book, whose title I have forgotten...
Otherwise we can precede ‘which’ by the
preposition ‘of’:
The book, the title of which I have forgotten...
The relative pronoun ‘that’ does not take this
possessive form.
So now we have five relative pronouns:
who (subject), whom (object or governed by a
preposition), which, that, and whose (possessive).
3, 1, 4 and 2
3, 7, 4 and 2
3, 1, 6 and 2
3, 7, 6 and 2
3, 1, 4 and 8
3, 7, 4 and 8
3, 1, 6 and 8
3, 7, 6 and 8
5, 1, 4 and 2
5, 7, 4 and 2
Select the correct relative pronoun and click on the correct button:
5, 1, 6 and 2
A. My uncle, (3 which) (5 whose) health is poor, lives in the country.
5, 7, 6 and 2
B. He sold me a bicycle, the brakes of (1 which) (7 whose) were faulty.
5, 1, 4 and 8
C. He sold me a bicycle (4 which) (6 whose) brakes were faulty.
5, 7, 4 and 8
D. Susan, (2 that) (8 whose) house is opposite, still manages to be late
for school.
5, 1, 6 and 8
5, 7, 6 and 8
All correct - well done!
Exercise 83 - Relative Pronouns and Relative Adverbs
The sixth and last relative pronoun is ‘as'. It is
always used when the antecedent (screen
8137) is qualified by the adjectives 'such' or
'same':
Such a person as my father. . .
The same place as we went to before. . .
Here is the list of relative adverbs:
where = in which, at which
when = in which, at which, during which
why = for which
whence = from which
whither = to which
Sometimes an adverb does the work of a
relative pronoun and its governing preposition.
Such adverbs are called relative adverbs.
5, 1, 6 and 2
5, 3, 6 and 2
5, 1, 8 and 2
5, 3, 8 and 2
5, 1, 6 and 4
5, 3, 6 and 4
5, 1, 8 and 4
5, 3, 8 and 4
Look at the italicised relative adverbs and decide the correct
equivalent for each. Click on the correct button:
A.
We bathed in a pool where our parents used to bathe.
(5 in which) (7 from which)
B. They arrived at a time when the house was in chaos.
(1 in which) (3 during which)
C. They returned to the place whence they had come.
(6 from which) (8 to which)
D. That is the reason why we left.
(2 for which) (4 at which)
7, 1, 6 and 2
7, 3, 6 and 2
7, 1, 8 and 2
7, 3, 8 and 2
7, 1, 6 and 4
7, 3, 6 and 4
7, 1, 8 and 4
7, 3, 8 and 4
All correct - well done!
Exercise 84 - Adjective Clause
We are now able to deal with the third and last
kind of dependent clause. It is the adjective
clause, so called because it does the work of an
adjective. It is always introduced by a relative
pronoun or relative adverb and it always qualifies
the antecedent (layout 8137) of that relative
pronoun or relative adverb.
1. He is a wealthy man. (What kind of man?)
('wealthy' - adjective, qualifying 'man')
2. He is a man of wealth. (What kind of man?)
('of wealth' - adjective phrase, qualifying' man')
3. He is a man who is wealthy. (What kind of
man?) ('who is wealthy' - adjective clause,
qualifying 'man' in the main clause)
Note that (1) and (2) are Simple sentences
(layout 2741) while (3) is a Complex sentence
made up of a main clause and a dependent clause.
Sometimes the relative pronoun or relative
adverb is omitted as understood:
The man (whom) you asked. . .
The last place (where) we expecled to find it . . .
3, 1, 4 and 2
3, 8, 4 and 2
3, 1, 5 and 2
3, 8, 5 and 2
3, 1, 4 and 7
3, 8, 4 and 7
3, 1, 5 and 7
3, 8, 5 and 7
Answer the following and click on the correct button:
6, 1, 4 and 2
6, 8, 4 and 2
A. An adjective clause is (always - 3 sometime - 6) introduced by
a relative pronoun or relative adverb, stated or ‘understood’) .
B. An adjective clause qualifies a noun or pronoun in (another - 1
its own - 8) clause.
6, 1, 5 and 2
6, 8, 5 and 2
6, 1, 4 and 7
C. An adjective clause is a (dependent - 4 main - 5) clause.
6, 8, 4 and 7
D. A sentence containing an adjective clause will (sometimes - 2
always - 7) be a complex sentence.
6, 1, 5 and 7
6, 8, 5 and 7
All correct - well done!
5, 1, 6 and 2
Exercise 85 - Relative Pronouns
Examine the following:
The baby was sitting near my father. The
baby was sucking his toe.
Linking by means of relative pronoun:
1. The baby was sitting near my father who was
sucking his toe.
2. The baby, who was sucking his toe, was sitting
near my father.
Obviously (1) is nonsense since the adjective
clause 'who was sucking his toe' is qualifying
'father'. A relative pronoun or relative
adverb must always follow its correct
antecedent - 'baby' in this case. Since the
relative pronoun cannot be separated from
the rest of its clause, this often means that
an adjective clause will interrupt another
clause, as in (2) above. The main clause is
'The baby. . . was sitting near my father.'
5, 4, 6 and 2
5, 1, 7 and 2
5, 4, 7 and 2
5, 1, 6 and 3
5, 4, 6 and 3
5, 1, 7 and 3
Imagine you are going to link each of the following pairs of
sentences by means of a relative pronoun. Decide whether the
adjective clause will interrupt the main clause or not and and click
on the correct button:
5, 4, 7 and 3
8, 1, 6 and 2
8, 4, 6 and 2
No - 5 Yes - 8
8, 1, 7 and 2
B. The grocer was tidying his shop. The grocer is an ex-sailor.
No - 1 Yes - 4
8, 4, 7 and 2
C. I waved my hand at the ship. My hand was heavily bandaged.
No - 6 Yes - 7
D. Seeing the ship, I waved my hand. My hand was heavily bandag
Yes - 2 No - 3
8, 4, 6 and 3
A. I spoke to the grocer. The grocer is an ex-sailor.
8, 1, 6 and 3
8, 1, 7 and 3
8, 4, 7 and 3
All correct - well done!
Exercise 86 - Adjective Clause
1. The stamp that you are holding is rare.
2. The stamp, which is very old and very
valuable, will be shown at the exhibition.
In (1) the adjective clause is demonstrative
- that is, it points something out. In such
cases (when relating to things) use 'that'.
In (2) the adjective clause is descriptive,
providing additional information. In such
cases (when relating to things) use ‘which'.
NB Adjective clauses are such a convenient
method of giving additional information
about someone or something that there is a
temptation to over-use them. In order to
have variety of expression, we should
practise alternative methods:
My uncle, who is a keen gardener. . .
(Adjective Clause).
My uncle, a keen gardener. . .
(Appositional Phrase).
I saw some men who were digging. . .
(Adjective Clause).
I saw some men digging. . .
(Participle or Participial Phrase).
Sometimes adjective clauses express Cause
(Exercise 67) and can be re-expressed
accordingly:
My brother, who is frail, stayed at home.
Because he is frail my brother stayed at home.
Choose a suitable relative pronoun and and click on the correct
button:
3, 2, 1 and 4
3, 6, 1 and 4
3, 2, 5 and 4
3, 6, 5 and 4
3, 2, 1 and 8
3, 6, 1 and 8
3, 2, 5 and 8
3, 6, 5 and 8
7, 2, 1 and 4
7, 6, 1 and 4
7, 2, 5 and 4
A. This is the street (which - 3 that - 7) you want.
7, 6, 5 and 4
B. The ring (which - 2 that - 6) you mentioned has gone.
7, 2, 1 and 8
C. The car (that - 1 which - 5) was a large silver saloon used to
belong to my aunt.
7, 6, 1 and 8
D. I know the feeling (that - 4 which - 8) you mean.
7, 2, 5 and 8
7, 6, 5 and 8
All correct - well done!
3, 2, 1 and 4
Exercise 87 - Conjunctions
The pure conjunctions 'and', 'but', '(n)either-(n)or' link main clause to main clause, and dependent
clause to dependent clause (noun clause to noun clause, adjective clause to adjective clause,
adverb clause to adverb clause). In other words, these conjunctions link clauses that are of the
same kind and of equal rank. The word for 'equal rank' is 'co-ordinate'. Therefore they are known
as co-ordinating conjunctions and the clauses they link are called co-ordinate clauses.
I dressed and (I) ate my meal.
When I had dressed and (when I had) eaten my meal. . .
Main Clause to Main Clause
Adverb Clause to Adv.erb Clause
Note the elliptical constructions. This, as we have already seen, frequently occurs with coordinating conjunctions (Exercise 57). This sometimes makes a dependent clause appear to be a
main clause at first sight:
The book, which you bought and I borrowed. . .
3, 5, 1 and 4
3, 2, 6 and 4
3, 5, 6 and 4
3, 2, 1 and 7
3, 5, 1 and 7
3, 2, 6 and 7
3, 5, 6 and 7
Here 'I borrowed' is really 'which I borrowed'.
8, 2, 1 and 4
Identify the italicised clauses and and click on the correct button:
8, 5, 1 and 4
8, 2, 6 and 4
A. When the whistle had blown and the train had lift the platform,
we went home.
Main - 3 Adverb - 8
B. I can do it if you and she can do it.
Main - 2 Adverb - 5
C. 1 know that you and she can do it.
Noun - 1 Main - 6
D. This is the girl whom you and I helped.
Main - 4 Adjective - 7
8, 5, 6 and 4
8, 2, 1 and 7
8, 5, 1 and 7
8, 2, 6 and 7
8, 5, 6 and 7
All correct - well done!
Exercise 88 - Dependent Clauses (Revision)
Clause - a sentence-within-a-sentence.
(Time (Exercise 72), Condition (Exercise 73).
Dependent Clause - a clause which cannot stand
by itself. It always does the work of an adverb
(Exercise 59), a noun (Exercises74 and 75), or
an adjective (Exercise 84). Whenever a
dependent clause appears, the sentence that
contains it will be a Complex sentence.
Noun Clause - a dependent clause doing the
work of a noun. Used to convey, by direct or
indirect speech (Exercise 76 etc),
statements, doubts, questions, commands,
etc. Is usually dependent on verbs of saying,
thinking, wishing, asking, etc.
Adverb Clause - a dependent clause doing the
work of an adverb. Most valuable for showing
relationships of Cause (Exercise 67), Purpose
(Exercise 68), Result (Exercise 69), Concession
(Exercise 70), Contrast (Exercise 71),
Adjective Clause - a dependent clause doing
the work of an adjective. Always introduced
by a relative pronoun or relative adverb
(Exercise 84).
Answer the questions on the following passage and and click on
the correct button:
The rain started. John and Pat decided to run for it. Though she
was older, Pat, who had recently been ill, was unable to keep up with
her brother unless he trotted slowly. It was obvious that they were
going to be late.
A. The above sentences in order are (3 Simple, Compound, Complex,
Complex) ( 5 Simple, Simple, Complex, Simple).
B. There is/are (2 two) (8 one) adjective clause(s).
3, 2, 1 and 4
3, 8, 1 and 4
3, 2, 7 and 4
3, 8, 7 and 4
3, 2, 1 and 6
3, 8, 1 and 6
3, 2, 7 and 6
3, 8, 7 and 6
5, 2, 1 and 4
5, 8, 1 and 4
5, 2, 7 and 4
5, 8, 7 and 4
5, 2, 1 and 6
5, 8, 1 and 6
C. There is/are (1 two) (7 one) adverb clause(s).
5, 2, 7 and 6
D. There is/are (4 one) (6 two) noun clause(s).
5, 8, 7 and 6
All correct - well done!
Exercise 89 - Punctuation
Full-stop
5, 2, 1 and 6
So much for dependent clauses. We shall
conclude this book with some lessons on
punctuation of the sentence.
1. To mark the end of a sentence. To separate two
unlinked sentences:
5, 4, 1 and 6
The tide was coming in fast. We hurried home.
5, 2, 3 and 6
Punctuation serves two purposes. Firstly, it
allows us to pause for breath when we are
reading. Secondly, it is used to make clear
the meaning of what is written. When we
speak we can raise or lower our voices to
show what is important or less important, and
we can also vary the lengths of our pauses
between words. When we are writing we use
punctuation marks to do these things. There
are other uses of the punctuation mark, but
these will explain themselves or be explained.
NB Had the two sentences in the above example
been linked with a conjunction there would have
been no need for a full-stop after' fast'.
2. To indicate an abbreviation:
Mr., Sq., Rd., etc.
5, 4, 3 and 6
5, 2, 1 and 8
5, 4, 1 and 8
5, 2, 3 and 8
5, 4, 3 and 8
7, 2, 1 and 6
7, 4, 1 and 6
Select the correctly punctuated answer and click on the correct
button:
7, 2, 3 and 6
A. (5 We waited. They also waited.) (7 We waited, they also waited.)
7, 4, 3 and 6
B. (2 Jones and Sons, Ltd) (4 Jones and Sons, Ltd.)
C. (1 I called, he stopped.) (3 I called. He stopped.)
D. (6 Dr Low lives at No 9 James St) (8 Dr. Low lives at No. 9 James St.)
7, 2, 1 and 8
7, 4, 1 and 8
7, 2, 3 and 8
7, 4, 3 and 8
All correct - well done!
Exercise 90 - Linking Sentences
We waited, they also waited.
I called, he stopped.
Look at these two sentences again. Each
of them is made up of two unlinked main
clauses and, with one exception
(Exercise 56), unlinked main clauses
should not be run together with
commas. The correct punctuation for
the above is
We waited. They also waited.
I called. He stopped.
If you feel that a full-stop is too severe a
break between such sentences, then you should
link them with a co-ordinating conjunction:
We waited and so did they.
I called and he stopped.
Remember that only the co-ordinating
conjunctions-'and', 'but', 'either-or', 'neithernar'-can be used to link main clauses. Words
such as 'so', 'yet', 'then' are not conjunctions;
they are adverbs. Re-read the second half of
Exercise 65 and do this exercise below.
5, 2, 1 and 6
5, 4, 1 and 6
5, 2, 3 and 6
5, 4, 3 and 6
5, 2, 1 and 8
5, 4, 1 and 8
5, 2, 3 and 8
5, 4, 3 and 8
Select the correctly punctuated sentence and click on the correct
button:
7, 2, 1 and 6
A. We stayed for a while. Then we returned to the mill. - 5
We stayed for a while, then we returned to the mill. - 7
7, 4, 1 and 6
B. I shouted, yet no one paid any attention.. - 2
I shouted. Yet no one paid any attention. - 4
C. She had a cold, so she stayed indoors. - 1
She had a cold. So she stayed indoors. - 3
D. The leader crouched down, we all crouched down. - 6
The leader crouched down. We all crouched down. - 8
7, 2, 3 and 6
7, 4, 3 and 6
7, 2, 1 and 8
7, 4, 1 and 8
7, 2, 3 and 8
7, 4, 3 and 8
All correct - well done!
Exercise 91 - Comma
This is the most common of the punctuation
marks. It is also the most difficult to use
accurately. Very often commas are used in pairs
to enclose a word, phrase or dependent clause
that interrupts the flow or main idea of a
sentence. Used in this way, the commas indicate
that the reader should drop his voice. Such an
interruption is called a parenthesis.
3, 2, 1 and 4
Words such as ‘however’, 'moreover', etc
and the names of people directly addressed
(as 'John' above) are also marked off with a
single comma when they come at the
beginning or end of a sentence:
However, we did not stay for lunch.
Are you aware that it is six o'clock, John?
1. To mark off a parenthetic word:
We did not, however, stay for lunch.
Are you aware, John, that it is six o'clock?
3, 7, 1 and 4
3, 2, 8 and 4
3, 7, 8 and 4
3, 2, 1 and 5
3, 7, 1 and 5
3, 2, 8 and 5
3, 7, 8 and 5
Select the correctly punctuated sentence and click on the correct
button:
6, 2, 1 and 4
A. Gentlemen this is, a sad occasion. - 3
Gentlemen, this is a sad occasion. - 6
6, 7, 1 and 4
B. We were, moreover, very alarmed. - 2
We were moreover, very alarmed. - 7
C. Nevertheless, Jenny, must come. - 1
Nevertheless, Jenny must come. - 8
D. It has been decided Bill, that you must come. - 4
It has been decided, Bill, that you must come. - 5
6, 2, 8 and 4
6, 7, 8 and 4
6, 2, 1 and 5
6, 7, 1 and 5
6, 2, 8 and 5
6, 7, 8 and 5
All correct - well done!
Exercise 92 - Comma
We have said that the comma is also used
to mark off parenthetic (ie interrupting)
phrases. A phrase is usually interrupting if
it has been moved from its natural position
in the sentence, or if it is expressing a
personal thought of the speaker or writer.
2. To mark off a parenthetic phrase:
5, 2, 1 and 6
The appositional phrase (Exercise 10) is always
marked off between commas when it lies in the
middle of a sentence. When it comes at the end of
a sentence one comma only is needed:
Professor Barlow, the famous scientist, is here.
We have just seen Professor Barlow, the famous
scientist.
They should, by this time, have arrived.
But:
They should have arrived by this time.
5, 3, 1 and 6
5, 2, 4 and 6
5, 3, 4 and 6
5, 2, 1 and 7
5, 3, 1 and 7
5, 2, 4 and 7
5, 3, 4 and 7
Select the correctly punctuated sentence and click on the correct
button:
8, 2, 1 and 6
A. Now of course, it has started to rain. - 5
Now, of course, it has started to rain. - 8
8, 3, 1 and 6
B. You should with your ability, be able to succeed. - 2
You should, with your ability, be able to succeed. - 3
C. Bronze, a combination of tin and copper, is used. - 1
Bronze, a combination of tin and copper is used. - 4
D. You should be able to succeed, with your ability. - 6
You should be able to succeed with your ability. - 7
8, 2, 4 and 6
8, 3, 4 and 6
8, 2, 1 and 7
8, 3, 1 and 7
8, 2, 4 and 7
8, 3, 4 and 7
All correct - well done!
Exercise 93 - Comma
Dependent clauses frequently interrupt other
clauses and, owing to their length, they are almost
always enclosed between commas.
3. To mark off a parenthetic dependent clause:
I should like, if you will permit me, to come again.
So, when they had finished, they called upon us.
3, 2, 4 and 1
Adjective clauses are frequently
parenthetic (Exercise 85), but short
demonstrative adjective clauses are
seldom enclosed between commas
(Exercise 86):
The stamp that you are holding is rare.
BUT
I should like to come again if you will permit me.
So they called upon us when they had finished.
3, 6, 4 and 1
3, 2, 8 and 1
3, 6, 8 and 1
3, 2, 4 and 5
3, 6, 4 and 5
3, 2, 8 and 5
3, 6, 8 and 5
Select the correctly punctuated sentence and click on the correct
button:
7, 2, 4 and 1
A. They sat down, and after they had rested, they told their story. - 3
They sat down and, after they had rested they told their story. - 7
7, 6, 4 and 1
B. The man, that you want to see, has gone.) - 2
The man that you want to see has gone. - 6
C. The ship, which has been to Asia on a mission, has returned.) - 4
The ship which has been to Asia on a mission has returned. - 8
D. She worked hard, and although she was younger, she came first. - 1
She worked hard and, although she was younger, she came first. - 5
7, 2, 8 and 1
7, 6, 8 and 1
7, 2, 4 and 5
7, 6, 4 and 5
7, 2, 8 and 5
7, 6, 8 and 5
All correct - well done!
Exercise 94 - Comma
3, 2, 4 and 1
So much for commas in pairs. Single commas are
used to separate two clauses between which
there is a relation of Contrast (Exercise 71) or
Concession (Exercise 70).
4. To show Concession or Contrast:
Although he was poor, everyone liked him.
The west is warmer, but the east is drier.
He was poor but, as we came to learn,
everyone liked him.
To put a comma before 'but' in this case
would be to overpunctuate. Also 'but'
would be enclosed between a pair of
commas and this would cause confusion,
making it appear to be a parenthetic word.
The conjunction 'but' is nearly always preceded
by a comma. One of the rare exceptions is when
it is itself followed by a comma which is one of
a pair marking off a parenthesis:
3, 5, 4 and 1
3, 2, 7 and 1
3, 5, 7 and 1
3, 2, 4 and 6
3, 5, 4 and 6
3, 2, 7 and 6
3, 5, 7 and 6
Select the correctly punctuated sentence and click on the correct
button:
A. We stuck at the job, whereas they went home. - 3
We stuck at the job, whereas, they went home. - 8
B. She ran, but I sat down. - 2
She ran but I sat down. - 5
C. Although it was forbidden, we climbed the fence. - 4
Although, it was forbidden we climbed the fence. - 7
D. He laughed, but, when the time came, he was the first to flee. - 1
He laughed but, when the time came, he was the first to flee. - 6
8, 2, 4 and 1
8, 5, 4 and 1
8, 2, 7 and 1
8, 5, 7 and 1
8, 2, 4 and 6
8, 5, 4 and 6
8, 2, 7 and 6
8, 5, 7 and 6
All correct - well done!
Exercise 95 - Comma
5. To replace the conjunction 'and' in a series of coordinate clauses (Exercise 56 NB, Exercise 57 NB2):
He rose from his bed, dressed, went downstairs
and opened the windows.
John, Mary and George arrived early.
He was tall, dark and handsome.
They moved slowly, sadly, quietly down the path.
6. With the conjunction 'and' to avoid confusion:
3, 2, 4 and 1
7. To mark off a participial phrase from
the rest of its sentence:
Stunned by the shock, we all sat down.
We all sat down, stunned by the shock.
BUT (Exercise 31) :
We watched them clearing the road.
I hammered at the door, and my sister waited.
3, 8, 4 and 1
3, 2, 6 and 1
3, 8, 6 and 1
3, 2, 4 and 7
3, 8, 4 and 7
3, 2, 6 and 7
3, 8, 6 and 7
Select the correctly punctuated sentence and click on the correct
button:
5, 2, 4 and 1
A. The dog growled, showed its teeth, and then attacked. - 3
The dog growled, showed its teeth and then attacked. - 5
5, 8, 4 and 1
B. I heard them singing in the valley. - 2
I heard them, singing in the valley. - 8
C. I bought a pair of jeans and some food for my cat. - 4
I bought a pair of jeans, and some food for my cat. - 6
D. Along the road we came singing at the tops of our voices. - 1
Along the road we came, singing at the tops of our voices. - 7
5, 2, 6 and 1
5, 8, 6 and 1
5, 2, 4 and 7
5, 8, 4 and 7
5, 2, 6 and 7
5, 8, 6 and 7
All correct - well done!
Exercise 96 - Comma
8. To separate direct from indirect speech (Exercise
76):
They said, 'We will go.'
'We will go,' they said.
Note that, when the direct speech precedes, the
indirect speech, the comma is placed within the
inverted commas - and vice versa.
Compare the following:
'We will go,' they said, 'if you come with us.'
'We will go,' they said. 'You must come with us.'
5, 2, 6 and 1
In the first of the above examples there
is a comma after 'said'. This is because
the two pieces of direct speech are linked
or continuous:
'We will go if you come with us,'
5, 4, 6 and 1
5, 2, 8 and 1
5, 4, 8 and 1
In the second example there is a full-stop
after 'said'. This is because the two
pieces of direct speech are two unlinked
sentences:
5, 2, 6 and 3
'We will go. You must come with us.'
5, 2, 8 and 3
5, 4, 6 and 3
5, 4, 8 and 3
7, 2, 6 and 1
Select the correctly punctuated sentence and click on the correct
button:
A. (5 'Slow down,' he ordered, 'here is the place.')
(7 'Slow down,' he ordered. 'Here is the place.')
B. (2 'I am ready,' I replied.) (4 'I am ready', I replied.)
7, 4, 6 and 1
7, 2, 8 and 1
7, 4, 8 and 1
7, 2, 6 and 3
C. (6 I replied that I was ready.) (8 I replied, that I was ready.)
7, 4, 6 and 3
D. (1 'The truth is out,' she said. 'Now I can tell you too.')
(3 'The truth is out,' she said, 'now I can tell you too.')
7, 2, 8 and 3
7, 4, 8 and 3
All correct - well done!
Exercise 97 - Semicolon
We have seen (Exercise 65) that no two
unlinked main clauses should be run together
with a comma, unless there is a series of main
clauses in which the conjunction 'and' is
'understood' (Exercise 56 NB). Normally,
then, we use a full stop to make the
separation, but there are occasions when the
full stop, which is the longest pause in
punctuation, would make too decisive a break
between two sentences that are closely
linked in idea. In such cases we use the
semicolon.
3, 2, 4 and 1
To separate two main clauses between which
there is a close connection of ideas:
We did not stay; we were late already.
Some want this; others want that.
Note that there is an unexpressed relationship
between each of these pairs of clauses. In the
first pair it is Cause. In the second pair it is
Contrast. In effect, the semicolon stands
instead of 'because’ and ‘on the other hand' in
these examples.
3, 7, 4 and 1
3, 2, 5 and 1
3, 7, 5 and 1
3, 2, 4 and 8
3, 7, 4 and 8
3, 2, 5 and 8
3, 7, 5 and 8
Select the correctly punctuated sentence and click on the correct
button:
6, 2, 4 and 1
A. I am going; I hope to see you sometime. - 3
I am going. I hope to see you sometime. - 6
6, 7, 4 and 1
B. I am going; I am rather tired.) - 2
I am going. I am rather tired. - 7
C. She hates pudding. We love it. - 4
She hates pudding; we love it. - 5
D. I am going; and I hope to see you sometime. - 1
I am going and I hope to see you sometime. - 8
6, 2, 5 and 1
6, 7, 5 and 1
6, 2, 4 and 8
6, 7, 4 and 8
6, 2, 5 and 8
6, 7, 5 and 8
All correct - well done!
Exercise 98 - Colon
5, 2, 6 and 1
1. To introduce a list of words or a sentence or sentences expressing more fully a simple complete
statement:
5, 3, 6 and 1
In the garden there were various flowers: geraniums, pinks, fuchsias and asters.
He gazed at the scene before him: the sea was in a ferment and the esplanade was deserted.
Note that in each of the examples the colon comes after a complete sentence.
2. To introduce a long speech or quotation:
He coughed twice and then began to speak: 'Gentlemen, we are gathered here tonight. . .'
I remembered the words of Alexander Pope: 'The proper study of mankind is Man.'
5, 2, 7 and 1
5, 3, 7 and 1
5, 2, 6 and 4
5, 3, 6 and 4
5, 2, 7 and 4
5, 3, 7 and 4
Select the correctly punctuated sentence and click on the correct
button:
A. We are sending machines, men and equipment. - 5
We are sending: machines, men and equipment. - 8
B. I am buying a new outfit: hat, coat, dress and shoes. - 2
I am buying a new outfit, hat, coat, dress and shoes. - 3
C. Always observe the proverb, 'Look before you leap.' - 6
Always observe the proverb: 'Look before you leap.' - 7
D. What we need is a rest, a change of scene and lots of fresh air. - 1
What we need is: a rest, a change of scene and lots of fresh air. - 4
8, 2, 6 and 1
8, 3, 6 and 1
8, 2, 7 and 1
8, 3, 7 and 1
8, 2, 6 and 4
8, 3, 6 and 4
8, 2, 7 and 4
8, 3, 7 and 4
All correct - well done!
Exercise 99 - Brackets and Dashes
3, 4, 1 and 2
1. To enclose a main clause parenthesis:
3, 8, 1 and 2
The farm (I mentioned it to you before) is
to be sold.
Parenthetic dependent clauses (layout 8317)
usually go between commas rather than
brackets.
2. To enclose an additional piece of
information:
Julius Caesar (102-44 BC) came from a
patrician family which...
1. To mark off a main clause parenthesis (as
brackets):
The farm - I mentioned it to you before - is
to be sold.
2. A single dash may introduce an afterthought:
I am going now - would you like to come?
NB There is a tendency among modern writers to
use the dash more widely in place of commas, the
colon and even the semicolon. This is not to be
recommended unless you know what you are doing.
3, 4, 5 and 2
3, 8, 5 and 2
3, 4, 1 and 6
3, 8, 1 and 6
3, 4, 5 and 6
3, 8, 5 and 6
Select the correctly punctuated sentence and click on the correct
button:
7, 4, 1 and 2
A. (3 The girl, who was in a state of hysteria, screamed.)
(7 The girl (who was in a state of hysteria) screamed.)
7, 8, 1 and 2
B. (4 I shall, if I can afford it, buy you a present.)
(8 I shall - if I can afford it - buy you a present.)
C. (1 My father, he is an old soldier, saluted smartly.)
(5 My father (he is an old soldier) saluted smartly.)
D. (2 We walked-it was a fine day-down to the market.)
(6 We walked, it was a fine day, down to the market.)
7, 4, 5 and 2
7, 8, 5 and 2
7, 4, 1 and 6
7, 8, 1 and 6
7, 4, 5 and 6
7, 8, 5 and 6
All correct - well done!
Exercise 100 - Question Marks and Exclamation Marks
3, 4, 1 and 2
1. To indicate a direct question
(Exercise 77) :
1. To indicate some kind of emotion:
3, 7, 1 and 2
'Whoopee!' 'Save us!' 'Forward!
3, 4, 6 and 2
'Are you better?' they asked her.
2. To indicate a voice above normal
conversation level:
2. To indicate a rhetorical question. A
rhetorical question is one asked to
obtain a particular effect rather than
to seek information:
'Mary! Come here!'
Note that the question mark and exclamation
mark replace full-stops, commas, etc, which
would otherwise be there.
'Must we endure this tyranny?'
3, 7, 6 and 2
3, 4, 1 and 5
3, 7, 1 and 5
3, 4, 6 and 5
3, 7, 6 and 5
Select the correctly punctuated sentence and click on the correct
button:
A. 'Will you go?' he inquired. 'If I come too?' - 3
'Will you go,' he inquired, 'if I come too?' - 8
B. 'Go away!' he roared. - 4
'Go away!,' he roared. - 7
C. They asked me if I would go? - 1
They asked me if I would go. - 6
D. 'Ouch, that was my toe!' she said severely. - 2
'Ouch! That was my toe,' she said severely. - 5
8, 4, 1 and 2
8, 7, 1 and 2
8, 4, 6 and 2
8, 7, 6 and 2
8, 4, 1 and 5
8, 7, 1 and 5
8, 4, 6 and 5
8, 7, 6 and 5
All correct - well done!
Exercise 101 - Apostrophe
3, 4, 1 and 2
Women's dresses (belonging to women).
3, 6, 1 and 2
Sometimes, with proper nouns ending in 's'
in the singular, the 's' after the
apostrophe is omitted to avoid ugliness of
sound:
3, 4, 7 and 2
1. To indicate a letter or letters omitted:
Haven't (have not), it's (it is), can't (cannot).
This should be employed only when writing dialogue.
2. To indicate possession (Exercise 20) :
The boy's book (belonging to the boy).
The boys' book (belong to the boys).
Normally an apostrophe after the 's' indicates plural.
However, there are exceptions. Some old English
words form their plural without using 's', in which
case the apostrophe comes before the 's':
Charles' (instead of Charles's).
Unlike nouns, pronouns do not use the
apostrophe to show possession: its, ours,
etc (not it's, our's, etc)
Select the correctly punctuated sentence and click on the correct
button:
A. We heard its cry. - 3 We heard it's cry. - 5
B. We didn't know they couldn't come. - 4
We did'nt know they could'nt come. - 6
C. We want a children's bicycle-not a man's. - 1
We want a childrens' bicycle-not a man's. - 7
D. That is Helen's house and this is their's. - 2
That is Helen's house and this is theirs. - 8
3, 6, 7 and 2
3, 4, 1 and 8
3, 6, 1 and 8
3, 4, 7 and 8
3, 6, 7 and 8
5, 4, 1 and 2
5, 6, 1 and 2
5, 4, 7 and 2
5, 6, 7 and 2
5, 4, 1 and 8
5, 6, 1 and 8
5, 4, 7 and 8
5, 6, 7 and 8
All correct - well done!
Exercise 102 - Inverted Commas and Capital Letters
5, 6, 1 and 2
1. To enclose a direct speech (see Exercise 96).
5, 8, 1 and 2
2. To enclose a quotation (see Exercise 98).
3. To indicate a word used ironically:
‘What a “lovely” day; it hasn’t stopped raining.’
4. To indicate slang or foreign words:
‘copper’ (policeman), ‘carte blanche’, ‘uhuru’, etc
5. To indicate the name or title of a book, ship,
etc: ‘Gulliver’s Travels’, ‘The Rose and Crown’.
Capital letters are used to indicate a
proper noun, to begin a fresh sentence,
to begin afresh line of poetry, to begin
a sentence of direct speech. They are
also used in titles for all words except
verbs, articles or prepositions: ‘A
Journey to the Tropics’. These rules
are not hard and fast: modern poets
sometimes do not use capitals for each
fresh line, and some modern publishers
avoid capitals in titles.
5, 6, 3 and 2
5, 8, 3 and 2
5, 6, 1 and 4
5, 8, 1 and 4
5, 6, 3 and 4
5, 8, 3 and 4
Select the correctly punctuated sentence and click on the correct
button:
7, 6, 1 and 2
7, 8, 1 and 2
A. (We are reading ‘Macbeth’. - 5 We are reading Macbeth. - 7
7, 6, 3 and 2
B. ‘Hand over the lolly,’ said the bandit. - 6
‘Hand over the “lolly”,’ said the bandit. - 8
7, 8, 3 and 2
C. ‘What a “hero”!’ they jeered. - 1 ‘What a hero!’ they jeered. - 3
7, 8, 1 and 4
D. We have been to see ‘A Tale of Two Cities’. - 2
We have been to see ‘A Tale Of Two Cities’. - 4
7, 6, 3 and 4
7, 6, 1 and 4
7, 8, 3 and 4
Two errors. Fairly good.
Exercise 15b - Nouns
1, 3, 2 and 4
1, 5, 2 and 4
The boy had big ideas.
The village lived in a constant state of fear owing to tigers.
1, 3, 8 and 4
Look at these two sentences again. In the first you selected
'boy' as being the only noun. In the second you selected
'villagers' and 'tigers' as being the only nouns.
1, 5, 8 and 4
However, the word 'ideas' in the first sentence, and the words
'state' and 'fear' in the second sentence are also nouns. It is
true that they have no substance - they are not solid, liquid or
gas. They are things of the mind or the emotions. Nevertheless
they are still 'things' -or rather the names of things - and so
they are also nouns.
1, 3, 2 and 6
1, 5, 2 and 6
1, 3, 8 and 6
1, 5, 8 and 6
7, 3, 2 and 4
Pick out the nouns and click on the correct button:
A. David had a great love of horses.
David, horses - 1
7, 5, 2 and 4
David, love, horses - 7
7, 3, 8 and 4
house, shape - 5
7, 5, 8 and 4
C. The mob was stirred to anger and then to a desire for revenge.
mob, anger, desire, revenge - 2
mob - 8
7, 3, 2 and 6
D. He reached the height of his ambitions.
ambitions - 4
7, 3, 8 and 6
B. They keep their house in good shape.
house - 3
height, ambitions - 6
7, 5, 2 and 6
7, 5, 8 and 6
Two errors. Fairly good.
Exercise 26b - Participles
They started off again, although they were
exhausted.
John helped Angela, and Thomas was
assisted by Hayley.
Look at these two sentences again. In the first
you have decided that' started' and'
exhausted' are participles. In the second you
have chosen 'helped' and 'assisted'. You are
only half right in each case.
'exhausted' is part of the complete verb' were
exhausted'. Since it is not the whole verb it
must be non-finite. Also it does the work of an
1, 4, 2 and 3
adjective, qualifying (or describing) 'they'.
'They' were an exhausted 'they'. Therefore
'exhausted' is a participle.
Similarly, 'assisted' is a participle. It is part of
a whole verb ('was assisted') and is therefore
non-finite; and it qualifies' Montmorency'.
However, although they also end in '.ed',
'started' and 'helped' are not participles since
they are both finite (complete) verbs. 'Started'
is not part of a verb-it is the verb, the whole
verb. So is 'helped'. Therefore neither of them
is a participle because a participle is non-finite.
1, 7, 2 and 3
1, 4, 5 and 3
1, 7, 5 and 3
1, 4, 2 and 8
1, 7, 2 and 8
1, 4, 5 and 8
1, 7, 5 and 8
6, 4, 2 and 3
Pick out the participles and click on the correct button:
6, 7, 2 and 3
A. They were annoyed because we laughed at them.
laughed - 1
annoyed - 6
B. Pam was stopped by the boy who delivered the papers.
stopped - 4
C. My cousin tried very hard.
tried - 2
D. We walked back since the theatre was closing.
walked - 3
6, 4, 5 and 3
6, 7, 5 and 3
delivered - 7
6, 4, 2 and 8
no participle - 5
6, 7, 2 and 8
closing - 8
6, 4, 5 and 8
6, 7, 5 and 8
Two errors. Fairly good.
Exercise 25b - Sentence Structure
One of the boys will bring the picnic basket.
A large bag of sweets may be lost.
Look at the first of these sentences again. The verb
is 'will bring'. Who will bring? - ' One of the boys'
will bring. So 'one of the boys' is the complete
subject. Now express the subject in one word.
'Boys'? No. The sentence does not say that the boys
(plural) will bring the basket. It says that ‘one’ (ie
one boy) from among the boys will bring it. So 'one'
is the subject word, and the remainder of the
subject is an adjective phrase qualifying 'one'.
Without the phrase ‘of the boys’ we should not have
any knowledge of what the 'one' was - it could have
been one income tax inspector for all we should know.
1, 4, 2 and 3
Note that the adjective phrase 'of the
boys' is introduced by a preposition and
that it follows the word it qualifies.
Similarly, with the second sentence
above. The actual subject word is 'bag'.
It was the bag which was lost. The fact
that the bag happened to contain
sweets means, of course, that the
sweets were also lost, but that is not
important. The bag could have contained
coal. 'Of sweets' is an adjective phrase
qualifying 'bag'.
1, 8, 2 and 3
1, 4, 6 and 3
1, 8, 6 and 3
1, 4, 2 and 7
1, 8, 2 and 7
1, 4, 6 and 7
1, 8, 6 and 7
5, 4, 2 and 3
5, 8, 2 and 3
5, 4, 6 and 3
Pick out the subject words and click on the correct button:
box - 5
5, 8, 6 and 3
Two - 4
pencils - 8
5, 4, 2 and 7
Most - 2
guests - 6
A. A box of matches was on the table.
matches - 1
B. Two of your pencils are broken.
C. Most of the guests have arrived.
D. Another bottle of ink is needed.
bottle - 3
ink -7
5, 8, 2 and 7
5, 4, 6 and 7
5, 8, 6 and 7
Two errors. Fairly good.
Exercise 54b - Clauses
She ran because she was frightened.
When she was weary she stopped.
Look at these two sentences again. You have decided
in each case that the italicized word does not belong
to the clause that follows it. You are wrong.
Why did she run? - Because she was frightened.
When did she stop? - When she was weary.
The clause 'because she was frightened' answers the
question 'Why?' after the verb in the other clause.
Therefore it is doing the work of a single part of
speech - an adverb of Cause (Exercise 44). Similarly
the clause 'when she was weary' answers the
2, 5, 1 and 6
question 'When?' after the verb in the
other clause. Therefore it is doing the
work of a single part of speech - an
adverb of Time (Exercise 44).
2, 8, 1 and 6
Since these clauses both do the work of
a Part of Speech we cannot break them
apart any more than we could break a
noun or an adverb apart - at least not
with any intelligent purpose. Therefore
'because' and 'when' belong to the
clauses they introduce. Only 'and',
'but', 'either/or', 'neither/nor' can be
treated separately as pure links.
2, 8, 4 and 6
2, 5, 4 and 6
2, 5, 1 and 7
2, 8, 1 and 7
2, 5, 4 and 7
2, 8, 4 and 7
3, 5, 1 and 6
3, 8, 1 and 6
Decide whether the words in italics belong to the clauses that
follow them and click on the correct button:
3, 5, 4 and 6
A. You help me and I will help you.
Yes - 2 No - 3
3, 8, 4 and 6
B. When you help me I will help you.
No - 5 Yes - 8
3, 5, 1 and 7
C. We shall be waiting where the coaches turn round.
Yes - 1 No - 4
D. I will help you, but you must help me too.
Yes - 6 No - 7
3, 8, 1 and 7
3, 5, 4 and 7
3, 8, 4 and 7
Two errors. Fairly good.
Exercise 93b - Comma
They sat down, and after they had rested,
they told their story.
She worked hard, and although she was
younger, she came first.
You have made the same mistake in each of
these sentences. The way to check yourself in
these cases is to remove the parenthesis and
to see what is left:
They sat down, . . . , they told their story.
She worked hard, . . . , she came first.
3, 2, 4 and 1
In each of the above there are two unlinked
main clauses run together and this, as we have
seen, is to be avoided. This has happened
because you have enclosed ‘and’ in the
parenthesis, although it does not belong there.
'and' is not part of either dependent clause. In
each case its job is to link the two main clauses.
So the correct punctuation is
They sat down and, . . . , they told their
story.
She worked hard and, . . . , she came first.
3, 6, 4 and 1
3, 2, 8 and 1
3, 6, 8 and 1
3, 2, 4 and 5
3, 6, 4 and 5
3, 2, 8 and 5
Select the correctly punctuated sentences and click on the correct
button:
3, 6, 8 and 5
7, 2, 4 and 1
A. (3 They arrived, and as nothing was ready, they offered to help.)
(7 They arrived and, as nothing was ready, they offered to help.)
7, 6, 4 and 1
B. (2 I shall be here, and so if you want me, just call.)
(6 I shall be here and so, if you want me, just call.)
7, 6, 8 and 1
7, 2, 8 and 1
C. (4 He went up and, after he had read for a while, he put out the light.)
(8 He went up, and after he had read for a while, he put out the light.)
7, 2, 4 and 5
D. (1 She ran back to us, and though breathless, began to explain.)
(5 She ran back to us and, though breathless, began to explain.)
7, 2, 8 and 5
7, 6, 4 and 5
7, 6, 8 and 5
Two errors. Fairly good.
Exercise 96b - Comma
'Slow down,' he ordered, 'here is the place.'
'The truth is out,' she said, 'now I can tell
you too.'
Look at these two sentences again. In each case
the two pieces of direct speech are unlinked
sentences:
'Slow down. Here is the place.'
'The truth is out. Now I can tell you.'
So, as we saw in our last lesson, the direct
speech that follows the indirect speech must be
separated with a full-stop:
5, 2, 6 and 1
'Slow down,' he ordered. 'Here is the
place.'
'The truth is out,' she said. 'Now I can
tell you too.'
5, 4, 6 and 1
Only when the second piece of direct speech
is linked grammatically to the first do we use
a comma:
5, 4, 8 and 1
'Slow down,' he ordered, 'if you wish to
stay alive.'
5, 2, 8 and 1
5, 2, 6 and 3
5, 4, 6 and 3
5, 2, 8 and 3
5, 4, 8 and 3
Select the correctly punctuated sentences and click on the correct
button:
A. (5 'When 1 have finished,' he said. 'I shall take a holiday.')
(7 'When I have finished,' he said, 'I shall take a holiday.')
B. (2 '1 have finished,' he said. '1 shall take a holiday.')
(4 '1 have finished,' he said, '1 shall take a holiday.')
C. (6 'We know,' they answered, 'that we can trust him.')
(8 'We know,' they answered. 'That we can trust him.')
D. (1 'All is well,' they answered. 'We can trust him.')
(3 'All is well,' they answered, 'we can trust him.')
7, 2, 6 and 1
7, 4, 6 and 1
7, 2, 8 and 1
7, 4, 8 and 1
7, 2, 6 and 3
7, 4, 6 and 3
7, 2, 8 and 3
7, 4, 8 and 3
Two errors. Fairly good.
Exercise 76b - Speech
1. 'I will come,' he said.
2. He said that he would come.
Both italicized clauses are noun clauses object
to 'said’ in the main clause (Said what?).
The words ‘I will come' in (1) are the actual
words of the speaker, and the inverted commas
are used to show this. Direct Speech.
In (2) the words that he would come are not
the actual words used by the speaker - they are
the substance of his words as reported by
someone else after he had spoken. Indirect (or
Reported) Speech.
5, 1, 2 and 6
Note the changes involved when reexpressing direct speech as indirect speech:
1. After verbs of 'saying', 'stating', etc, the
noun clause is introduced by 'that', although
this is sometimes omitted as 'understood'.
2. 'I' becomes 'he' or 'she'. 'We' becomes
'they', etc - unless the subject of the main
clause happens to be 'I' or ‘we’, etc.
3. The verb in the noun clause changes to
match the tense of the verb in the main
clause. The rule is simple: Primary Tense
follows Primary Tense; Historic Tense follows
Historic Tense.
5, 3, 2 and 6
5, 1, 4 and 6
5, 3, 4 and 6
5, 1, 2 and 8
5, 3, 2 and 8
5, 1, 4 and 8
5, 3, 4 and 8
7, 1, 2 and 6
7, 3, 2 and 6
Choose the appropriate tense and click on the correct button:
7, 1, 4 and 6
A. He has promised that he (5 would) (7 will) come.
7, 3, 4 and 6
B. She answered that she (1 may) (3 might) be ready.
7, 1, 2 and 8
C. They have said that they (2 could) (4 can) do it.
D. He had suggested he (6 might) (8 may) help us.
7, 3, 2 and 8
7, 1, 4 and 8
7, 3, 4 and 8
Two errors. Fairly good.
Exercise 101b - Apostrophe
We heard it's cry.
That is Helen's house and this is their's.
Look at these two sentences again. Despite
what was said in the last lesson, you have
forgotten that, unlike possessive nouns,
possessive pronouns do not take an apostrophe.
We heard its cry.
That is Helen's house and this is theirs.
Remember that it's is simply a shortened form
of it is. Now try the following exercise.
3, 4, 1 and 2
3, 6, 1 and 2
3, 4, 7 and 2
3, 6, 7 and 2
3, 4, 1 and 8
3, 6, 1 and 8
3, 4, 7 and 8
3, 6, 7 and 8
5, 4, 1 and 2
5, 6, 1 and 2
Select the correctly punctuated sentence and click on the correct
button:
A. There's a hole in ours. - 3 There's a hole in our's. - 5
B. It's a pity about its paw. - 4 Its a pity about it's paw. - 6
C. Yours is new, isn't it? - 1 Your's is new, is'nt it? -7
D. Here's her's. - 2 Here's hers. - 8
5, 4, 7 and 2
5, 6, 7 and 2
5, 4, 1 and 8
5, 6, 1 and 8
5, 4, 7 and 8
5, 6, 7 and 8
Two errors. Fairly good.
Exercise 1b - Verbs
1, 2, 3 and 4
1, 6, 3 and 4
He hates lessons.
Boys love shouting.
1, 2, 7 and 4
Look at these again. In the first, you wrongly
chose ‘lessons’, probably saying to yourself
that ‘lessons’ is what someone does. But the
someone in this case is ‘He’ - and what he is
doing is hating. Therefore ‘hates’ is the verb.
1, 6, 7 and 4
1, 2, 3 and 8
Similarly with the second. The verb is ‘love’ not ‘shouting’.
1, 6, 3 and 8
1, 2, 7 and 8
1, 6, 7 and 8
5, 2, 3 and 4
5, 6, 3 and 4
5, 2, 7 and 4
Pick out the verbs and click on the correct button:
A. We play hockey.
play - 1
hockey - 5
B. John likes skating on ice.
skating - 2
likes - 6
C. The girls practise dancing.
practise - 3
dancing - 7
D. Cats prefer sleeping.
prefer - 4
sleeping - 8
5, 6, 7 and 4
5, 2, 3 and 8
5, 6, 3 and 8
5, 2, 7 and 8
5, 6, 7 and 8
Two errors. Fairly good.
Exercise 61b - Adverbs
2, 4, 3 and 1
She swims as smoothly as a fish.
He walks as slowly as a tortoise.
Look at these two sentences again. You have
decided that the adverb clause in each case is
Manner. Swims how? Walks how? This is an
understandable mistake, but you have not taken
in what we said in the last lesson. You have
broken these sentences down incorrectly.
'smoothly' modifies 'swims' (Swims how?), and
'slowly' modifies' walks ' (Walks how ?).
Therefore each of them belongs to the clause
of the verb it modifies:
She swims as smoothly as a fish (swims).
He walks as slowly as a tortoise (walks).
To what extent smoothly? To what extent
slowly? Both the adverb clauses here are
Degree or Extent - not Manner.
Do not allow the first' as' in each case to
worry you. In effect, the main clauses are
'She swims smoothly' and 'He walks slowly'.
2, 8, 3 and 1
2, 4, 7 and 1
2, 8, 7 and 1
2, 4, 3 and 5
2, 8, 3 and 5
2, 4, 7 and 5
2, 8, 7 and 5
6, 4, 3 and 1
6, 8, 3 and 1
Identify the adverb clause and click on the correct button:
A. They talk as we do.
Manner - 2 Degree - 6
B. They talk as loudly as we do.
Degree - 4 Manner - 8
C. He dresses as if he were a millionaire.
Manner - 3 Degree - 7
D. He dresses as expensively as a millionaire.
Manner - 1 Degree - 5
6, 4, 7 and 1
6, 8, 7 and 1
6, 4, 3 and 5
6, 8, 3 and 5
6, 4, 7 and 5
6, 8, 7 and 5
Two errors. Fairly good.
Exercise 79b - Relative Pronouns
3, 1, 4 and 2
3, 5, 4 and 2
This is the lady who we asked.
Here is someone who you must meet.
You have made the same mistake in each of these sentences. In each case the relative pronoun is
direct object of the verb in its clause and should therefore be 'whom' - not' who'.
Subject
we
you
Verb
asked
must meet
Object
whom (= lady)
whom (= someone)
As we have already seen (Exercise 9) the object does not always come after the verb. Remember
that, whether it is subject or object, the relative pronoun must come at the beginning of its clause.
So it can never come after the verb in its clause.
Remember that this change of form applies only to 'who'. The relative pronoun 'which' remains
unaltered.
3, 1, 8 and 2
3, 5, 8 and 2
3, 1, 4 and 6
3, 5, 4 and 6
3, 1, 8 and 6
3, 5, 8 and 6
7, 1, 4 and 2
7, 5, 4 and 2
Select the correct relative pronoun and click on the correct button:
7, 1, 8 and 2
A. There is the boy (who - 3 whom - 7) followed us.
7, 5, 8 and 2
B. There is the boy (whom - 1 who - 5) we followed.
7, 1, 4 and 6
C. Where is the friend (who - 4 whom - 8) you invited?
D. Where is the friend (who - 2 who - 6) invited you?
7, 5, 4 and 6
7, 1, 8 and 6
7, 5, 8 and 6
Two errors. Fairly good.
Exercise 99b - Brackets and Dashes
The girl (who was in a state of hysteria) screamed.
I shall - if I can afford it - buy you a present.
Look at these two sentences again. In the first the
parenthetic clause is an adjective clause. In the second
it is an adverb clause of Condition. In other words they
are both dependent clauses and so commas are quite
sufficient to enclose them.
The girl, who was in a state of hysteria, screamed.
I shall, if I can afford it, buy you a present.
There is nothing seriously wrong with the methods you
selected but, if you employ them, you will run the risk
of losing marks in an external examination.
3, 4, 1 and 2
3, 8, 1 and 2
3, 4, 5 and 2
3, 8, 5 and 2
3, 4, 1 and 6
3, 8, 1 and 6
3, 4, 5 and 6
3, 8, 5 and 6
7, 4, 1 and 2
Select the correctly punctuated sentence and click on the correct
button:
A. So, since we knew all about it anyway, we smiled. - 3
So (since we knew all about it anyway) we smiled. - 7
B. The dog, which was very agile, leapt the fence. - 4
The dog-which was very agile-leapt the fence. - 8
c. The dog, it was very agile, leapt the fence. - 1
The dog-it was very agile-leapt the fence. - 5
D. So (we knew all about it anyway) we smiled. - 2
So, we knew all about it anyway, we smiled. - 6
7, 8, 1 and 2
7, 4, 5 and 2
7, 8, 5 and 2
7, 4, 1 and 6
7, 8, 1 and 6
7, 4, 5 and 6
7, 8, 5 and 6
Two errors. Fairly good.
Exercise 98b - Colon
We are sending: machines, men and equipment.
What we need is: a rest, a change of scene and plenty of fresh air.
Look at the first of the above sentences: 'are sending what?' - 'machines, men
and equipment'. 'machines', 'men' and 'equipment' are objects of the verb
'are sending'. Therefore 'We are sending' is not a complete statement. So we
do not use a colon here. Similarly, we do not use a colon for the second
sentence above since 'a rest, a change of scene and plenty of fresh air'
completes the incomplete statement 'What we need is'.
We are sending machines, men and equipment.
What we need is a rest, a change of scene and plenty of fresh air.
Colons are used to introduce something which expresses more fully a complete
statement already made.
5, 2, 6 and 1
5, 3, 6 and 1
5, 2, 7 and 1
5, 3, 7 and 1
5, 2, 6 and 4
5, 3, 6 and 4
5, 2, 7 and 4
5, 3, 7 and 4
8, 2, 6 and 1
Select the correctly punctuated sentence and click on the correct
button:
A. They lost everything: house, land and cattle. - 5
They lost everything, house, land and cattle. - 8
B. They lost their house, land and cattle. - 2
They lost their: house, land and cattle. - 3
C. He wore a coat all year round, Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter. - 6
He wore a coat all year round: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter. -7
D. He wore a coat in Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter. - 1
He wore a coat in: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter. - 4
8, 3, 6 and 1
8, 2, 7 and 1
8, 3, 7 and 1
8, 2, 6 and 4
8, 3, 6 and 4
8, 2, 7 and 4
8, 3, 7 and 4
Two errors. Fairly good.
Exercise 17b - Pronouns
1, 3, 2 and 4
1, 6, 2 and 4
What did you say to them?
Which is the key you want?
1, 3, 7 and 4
Look at these two sentences again. You have made the
same mistake in both. In the first you left out 'What. . .?'
and in the second you left out 'Which. . .?'
1, 6, 7 and 4
Both these pronouns are question-asking pronouns and,
until the question is answered, we cannot know for what
they stand. Nevertheless, they do stand in place of nouns,
even though we do not happen to know the noun.
Therefore they are still pronouns.
1, 3, 2 and 5
1, 6, 2 and 5
1, 3, 7 and 5
1, 6, 7 and 5
8, 3, 2 and 4
8, 6, 2 and 4
Decide how many pronouns there are and click on the correct button:
8, 3, 7 and 4
A. To whom did you speak?
two - 1 one - 8
8, 6, 7 and 4
B. What was that?
two - 3 one - 6
8, 3, 2 and 5
C. Whose is it?
D. Who is coming?
two - 2 one - 7
none - 4 one - 5
8, 6, 2 and 5
8, 3, 7 and 5
8, 6, 7 and 5
All correct - well done!
103 - The End
You have reached the end of this project.
You have covered the various kinds of sentence and you should
now know how the sentence is made up.
You should also know the importance of relating ideas clearly
and you have had practice in showing relationships by blending
and linking sentences.
Lastly, you should now be able to understand the technical
terms your teacher uses when he or she corrects your work.
This is important since, if you understand the grammatical
basis of any error you may make when writing, then you are not
likely to make that error over and over again.