a wet cloth, a clean cloth, a tablecloth, a dishcloth.

8. Rubber is a non-count material noun meaning an elastic

substance used to make tyres, boots etc. - резина. A rubber (Br:

Eng.) is the same as the American eraser - a small piece of rubber

or other material used for rubbing off pencil marks from

paper. It is countable, has a plural and can be used with the

indefinite article.

9. A lamb is a countable common noun meaning a young

sheep - ягненок. Lamb is the meat of the above. It is an

uncountable material noun.

 

 

10. Language is an abstract uncountable noun meaning the

use of written or spoken words - речь, язык, e.g. written language,

colloquial language, informal language or the words

and style used in poetry, writing or speech or the words used in

a particular activity or job, e.g. literary language, foul language,

everyday language, medical language, etc. A language

is a system of communication by words which is used by the

people of a particular country or area - язык.

11. Tin is an uncountable material noun meaning a soft silver-

gray non-precious metal - олово. A tin is a small metal

container often tin-plated in whish food or drink is sold or

stored.

12. Study is an abstract noun meaning learning e.g. from

books, especially if you do it at home by yourself - изучение,

учеба, e.g. fond of study, give a lot of one’s time to study etc.

It can’t take the indefinite article but is often used in plural.

A study is either a piece of research, or a room used by smb. for

reading, writing, etc.

13. Light is an uncountable material noun meaning the

energy from the sun, a lamp etc. that makes things visible - свет.

A light is either a particularly type of light or a source of light. It

is a result of a metonymic transfer from light.

14. Air is an uncountable material noun. Air is the mixture of

gases around the Earth that we breathe - воздух. An air is an

appearance, a manner e.g. an air of confidence. It is a common

countable noun which has a plural and can take the indefinite

article.

15. Duck - утятина is the meat of a duck (утка) - a very

common water bird. Duck is an uncountable material noun and

a duck is a class countable one. Duck is derived from a duck as

a result of a metonymic transfer.

16. Gold is an uncountable material noun meaning a soft yellow

precious metal - золото. A gold as a countable noun is

a case of a metonymic transfer from gold. It can mean either the

colour of gold and or a gold medal in which sense it is always

countable and can take the indefinite article.

17. Play is an abstract uncountable noun meaning the things

people do for amusement rather than work - игра. A play is a story

written to be performed by actors - пьеса. As such is a countable

noun which can be used in plural and take the indefinite article.

 

 

18. Thought is an abstract uncountable noun meaning an

act or process of thinking or careful consideration - раздумье,

размышления, e.g. lost in thought. A thought is an abstract

countable noun meaning an idea, an intention or an opinion

formed by thinking - мысль.

II.

1. What terrible weather!	What a terrible climate!
2. What (a) beautiful language!	What a beautiful suitcase!
3. What elegant clothes!	What an elegant dress!
4. What heavy rainfall!	What a heavy shower!
5. What a healthy cow!	What healthy cattle!
6. What awful rubbish!	What an awful mess!
7. What clever people!	What a clever person!
8. What a difficult job!	What difficult work!
9. What fresh bread!	What a fresh loaf.
10. What delicious food!	What a delicious meal!
11. What a horrible song!	What horrible music!
12. What tough beef!	What a tough steak!

Exercise 8, p. 367

I.

1. a lottery – lotteries, 2. a fisherman – fishermen, 3. a fish - fish, fishes, 4. a series – series, 5. a Japanese - the Japanese(the entire nation), two, three etc. Japanese (people/men/women), 6. progress, 7. a person - people, persons, 8. a woman – women, 9. advice, 10. a mouse – mice, 11. petrol, 12. a chef – chefs, 13. information, 14. a foot – feet, 15. weather, 16. a tomato – tomatoes, 17. a means – means, 18. a photo – photos, 19. a leaf – leaves, 20. an ox – oxen, 21. a species – species, 22. a carp - carp, carps, 23. a tooth – teeth, 24. a cuckoo – cuckoos, 25. a taxi – taxis, 26. a menu – menus, 27. toast, 28. a mongoose – mongooses, 29. a disco – discos, 30. a Swiss - the Swiss (the entire nation), two Swiss (people/ men/ girls),

 

 

II.

1. a class-mate -class-mates, 2. a forget-me-not- forget-me-nots, 3. a man-of-war -

men-of-war, 4. a man-servant - men-servants, 5. a merry-goround - merry-gorounds, 6. a mother-in-law - mothers-in-law, 7. a passer-by - passers-by, 8. a woman-driver- women-drivers, 9. a grown-up - grown-ups, 10. a hanger-on- hangers-on, 11. a boy-friend - boy-friends, 12. an officeblock - office-blocks, 13. a cupful – cupfuls, 14. a court-martial – courtsmartial, 15. a school-inspector – schoolinspectors.

Exercise 9, p. 367

Complete the table. Note that some of these words of foreign

origin have regular plurals.

Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural
1. cactus	cacti, cactuses	13. memorandum	memoranda, memorandums
2. analysis	analyses	14. stadium	stadiums, stadia
3. stimulus	stimuli	15. museum	museums
4. stratum	strata	16. addendum	addenda, addendums
5. datum	data	17. radius	radii
6. curriculum	curricula, curriculums	18. drama	dramas
7. basis bases		19. genius	geniuses
8. fungus	fungi, funguses	20. appendix	1. appendices; 2. appendixes- (see the difference in meaning in a good dictionary)
9. genus	genera	21. axis	axes
10. index	indices, indexes	22. medium	media
11. crisis	crises	23. album	albums
12. criterion	criteria	24. phenomenon	phenomena

 

Exercise 10, p. 368

1,2,4,8, 13, 15, 16, 18. All these uncountable abstract nouns

are used without articles because in a general sense such nouns

take no article. It is notworthy that all these nouns: information,

advice, neivs, weather, money, work (in the meaning a job or an

activity that one does, especially in order to earn money -ра бота)

are never used with the indefinite article.

3. The definite article is used with the uncountable abstract

noun information because the limitation is clear from the context

out of which the sentence has been taken.

5. The definite article is used with the uncountable abstract

noun advice because there is the limiting attribute I gave you.

6. One instance of giving or receiving advice is a piece of

advice. One needs such a long construction because advice

remains an invariable singular noun no matter how often you

give of receive it.

7. For advice see 4 and 6. As for good name the word combination

generally takes an article, mostly the indefinite one, as

name is an abstract countable noun. Here, however, it is used

with zero article, probably to echo good advice which cannot

take the indefinite article.

10. The countable abstract noun weather never takes the

indefinite article. When preceded by a descriptive attribute it

takes no article at all.

I I. The uncountable noun money is never used with the

indefinite article.

12. The definite article is used with the uncountable abstract

noun money because there is a limiting attribute.

14. The abstract uncountable noun weather is always used

with the definite article if it is not preceded by a descriptive

attribute.

17. When used in a general sense abstract uncountable

nouns take no article and this is just the case.

Exercise 11, p. 368

1. Play and no work will make you lazy.

2. History repeats itself.

3. Grammar is taught deeply in this school.

4. My father has an old French grammar.

6. Nature should be protected against pollution.

 

7. He was a man who lived for pleasure.

8. He has a nature like his grandfather’s.

9. It was a pleasure to talk to you.

10. Can you do me a favour?

11. Get down to business, all of you!

12. Charity begins at home.

13. You should study law at university.

14. Language is unique to humans.

15. To succeed in life you need a will.

16. In her youth she was a beauty.

17. We are looking for people with experience.

18. I need a study where I can work quietly.

19. They are looking for work at the moment.

20. Speech is a manifestation of language.

Exercise 12, p. 369

1. What is news and how is it gathered?

2. What is the latest news? - It is very interesting.

3. There is a piece/bit of news I’d like to discuss.

4. Be careful! Such fatal news can kill the old man.

5. A reporter looks through the news he has managed to

obtain/he has been able to get.

6. Bad news travels fast.

7. Most information comes from the press.

8. The spy brought important information.

9. Is the information accurate? Can it be trusted?

10. “Mom, we’ve come to you for advice.”

11. A good piece/bit of advice is what you need now.

12. Do you want advice? OK, I can give you a bit of it.

13. This is an invaluable piece/bit of advice! It comes from

the heart.

14. People like to talk about the weather because it’s a safe

subject.

15. What is the weather like today? - The weather is cold. It

looks like snow

16. I like to roam the forest in the weather favourable to the

growth of mushrooms.

17. Work in a bank was difficult for him.

18. Is this interesting work? Do you like it?

19. He has got an extensive knowledge of physics.

 

20. The rock concert was a great success.

21. My students are making great progress in the foreign language.

22. There is money in the box. Take it. The money is yours.

23. He counted the money carefully and put it into his wallet.

24. Education is the best investment.

25. He has given his son a first-class education.

Exercise 13, p. 369

1. In both sentences particular sorts of cheese are mentioned,

so the noun cheese has become a class countable one.

2. Material uncountable nouns used in a general sense (food

in this case) take no article. The presence of a descriptive attribute

good makes no difference.

3. Snack is a countable noun used as an attribute to foods

which is also countable because it denotes different sorts of

food. Popcorn is an uncountable noun of material. Since it is

used in a general sense no article is used. A treat is a class noun

used with the indefinite article in its classifying function.

4. Lunch is a class noun. As it is used with a descriptive attribute

very fancy it takes the indefinite article in its classifying function.

Meats is a countable plural noun here because it denotes

different kinds of meat. A salad is also a class countable noun as

it denotes a particular sort of salad. As such it is used with the

indefinite article in its classifying function.

5. In the first sentence the material noun wine is used in its

general sense, so it is uncountable, takes no article and is used

with a singular verb. In the second sentence the noun wines

denotes various sorts of wine so it is countable and plural.

6. A wine denotes a particular sort of wine, so it is countable

and can take the indefinite article.

7. See 5, the second sentence.

8. See 5, the second sentence.

9-10. See 5. Vegetable (9) and Jruit (10) are material nouns

used as attributes.

11. A salad denotes a particular sort of salad, so it is countable.

Fruit is an uncountable noun of material used as an

attribute.

12. Two teas mean two cups of tea, and a coffee denotes

a cup of coffee. When one speaks of portions of tea, coffee,

 

 

beer, salad, etc. these material nouns become class countable

ones and can be used with numerals or with “a” meaning

“one”.

13. Chicken here is not a bird but its flesh which one eats as

food, so it is an uncountable noun of material. Fruit is an

uncountable material noun used attributively. Fruil here is a singular

invariable noun. The same applies to toast which unlike

fruit is always singular.

14. See 1.

15. Different sorts of soup are mentioned so the noun

becomes a class countable one. A particular kind of broth is

mentioned, so it is countable and can take the indefinite article.

Teas mean different sorts of tea, so the noun has also become a

class countable one.

Exercise 14, pp. 370-371

I.

1. A singular invariable noun.

2. If the word fruit is used in the botanical sense, that is the

part of a plant, bush or tree which contains the seeds, it can be

countable (ruiod).

3. The fruits of nature or of the earth are those plant or vegetable

products that may be used for food. These are set expressions

and the word fruit in them is countable.

4. In this sentence the noun fruit is singular and is used in its

botanical sense (See 2). Most often fruit has no plural but it doesn’t

mean that it can’t be used with the indefinite article like

advice or toast.

5. To bear fruit is a set phrase meaning to yield results.

Although here the word fruit is used in its figurative sense and

when used figuratively fruit is countable, originally to bearJruit

must have had only a literal meaning and was used with reference

to fruit trees and bushes, so fruit in this sentence is a singular

noun.

6. A singular invariable noun.

7,10,12. Here fruits is a countable noun which means sorts of

fruit. 8. See 1. As fruit is a singular invariable noun it is used with

singular verbs.

11,13,14. See 1 and 4.

 

 

II.

I. I spend a lot of money on fruit because I like it.

2. What shall we have for dessert?

3. Fruit is cheap this season, especially apples, bananas and

plums.

4. Formerly/In the past fruit was brought from the Crimea

and the Caucasus/Fruit used to be brought.... Now it is mostly

brought from Latin America, Africa and Italy.

5. They say that you should eat the fruits that grow where you

live.

6. What’s the English for “the fruits of learning”?

7. Fruit salad should consist of different fruits.

8. A lot of exotic fruit can be seen nowadays in our markets.

9. There isn’t much fruit this year. But this is no problem. It

will be imported from abroad.

10. The play “The Fruits of Enlightenment” was written by

Leo Tolstoy.

11. His knowledge is a result/a fruit of long learning.

12. The apricot is a very wholesome food, it is especially good

for the heart.

13. Now I can fully enjoy the fruits of my labour.

14. What fruits do you sell? - Whatever you like.

15. In the north cold-resistant fruit is cultivated.

16. Fruit and vegetables are vegetarians’ main food.

17. We’ve run out of fruit. Someone has to go to the market.

18. Different fruits are used for cosmetic purposes.

Exercise 15, pp. 371-372

I.

1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 18. The noun fish and its derivatives

such as starfish (5) have identical forms for the singular and for

the plural. When it is plural it is used with plural verbs.

4, 8. The form fishes denotes different kinds and species of

fish.

In 4 and 11 both forms are used. See above.

14. The plural of the noun fish identical to its singular is used.

The sentence is a set expression which in this case means “There

are many other men you can have a relationship with.”

15. The form fishes is used here just to rhyme with wishes. The

noun fish is singular in the first sentence and plural in the sec-

 

 

ond. An odd fish is an old-fashioned expression meaning someone

slightly strange or crazy. A pretty kettle of fish is trouble.

13, 16. Here fish is the flesh of a fish which one eats as food.

It is an uncountable material noun and takes singular verbs.

II. 1. I usually prefer fish to meat.

2. Fish is necessary for our health/for the functioning of our

bodies.

3. Sushi is a popular Japanese food consisting of fish and rice.

4. Fish contains little fat.

5. Amanda swims like a fish.

6. Henry has a large collection of minerals, fishes and birds.

7. My favorite dish is fish and chips.

8. There are very many ways to cook/of cooking fish.

9. There are a lot of fish in this river, but we haven’t caught

any today.

10. There is a lot of meat on the table but little fish.

11. The fishermen were happy, they had caught a lot of fish.

12. Stop thinking about Maxim. There are many other fish in

the sea.

13. How much fish shall I buy? - Two or three fish.

14. The boy was given an album about exotic fishes as a present.

15. He catches fish for pleasure.

16. A shark is a fish which is dangerous for other fish.

17. She is breathing like a fish out of water.

18. The fish is delicious! It melts in the mouth.

Exercise 16, p. 372

1. Here family is viewed as a single undivided body, so it

takes a singular predicate verb.

2. Here the group of people denoted by the collective noun

family is considered as a collection of individuals doing personal

things, so the predicate verb is plural.

3. Here the staff is viewed as an impersonal unit, hence the

singular predicate verb.

4. Here the staff are considered as a collection of people

doing personal things like deciding, so the predicate verb is plural.

5. The media is a collective noun, which can be used with

plural or singular verbs. In conversation both can be used but a

plural form should be used in formal writings.

 

 

6. The collective noun police is always used with plural

verbs.

7. Glasses is the plural of glass. In the plural the noun loses

its original meaning and means spectacles.

8. Equipment is a singular invariable noun of material.

Under no circumstances can it become plural.

9. If the noun statistics as in this case means the science of

collecting and examining numbers which represent facts of

measurements, it is always singular and as such is used with singular

verbs.

10. The noun statistics if it denotes a set of numbers representing

facts or measurements as in this sentence is always plural

and is used with plural verbs.

11. Poultry is considered as a collection of living beings,

hence the plural verb.

12. The Government is viewed as an impersonal unit so it

takes a singular predicate verb.

13. The Government is considered as a collection of people

doing personal things like feeling, so this collective noun takes a

plural predicate verb.

14. The collective noun plankton is uncountable and takes

singular predicate verbs.

15. Linen is a noun of material. As such it is uncountable and

takes singular predicate verbs.

16. The noun public is a collective one. Since here the public

are a collection of people performing personal actions like

stopping and staring, the predicate verb is plural.

1 7. Crowd is a collective noun. The verb is plural not because

here it is a noun of multitude, i.e. a noun denoting a collection of

living beings doing personal things, but because the subject is

plural: we.

Clothes is a plural invariable noun used with plural verbs.

Earnings is a plural invariable noun used with plural predicate

verbs.

20. The noun tights is a plural invariable one used only with

plural verbs.

21. Class is a collective noun. Here it is viewd as a single undivided

body, so a single predicate verb is used.

22. The teacher views her class as a collection of individuals

 

doing separate things, hence the plural predicate verb.

23. Measles like the names of some other diseases (mumps,

shingles, rickets) is a singular invariable noun taking singular verbs.

Exercise 17, p. 373

1. There are more than 80 species of butterflies on the

British Isles.

2. All my family are good musicians.

3. The dregs on/at the bottom of the glass looked suspicious.

4. His memoirs are very interesting to read.

5. Why are your eyelids so red? - I’ve been peeling onions.

6. The customs are at the end of the corridor.

7. What is the novel about? - The police fight the mafia as

usual.

8. A new series of short stories for beginners was published a

month ago.

9. The gladioli in our garden are very lovely.

10. This information is very interesting, the police are already

studying it.

11. I’ve read Charles Darwin’s book “The Origin of Species”

with interest.

12. These bears belong to a rare species.

13. Such natural phenomena are frequent in this hemisphere.

14. Your jeans are new, but they have holes on the knees. Is

this the latest fashion? - Exactly/Precisely.

15. What are Wellingtons? - They are rubber boots. Even the

Queen herself wears them in rainy weather.

16. There are no preservatives in this juice.

17. I owe you 40 pence, and I’ll pay it back to you right away

18. When we were travelling in the Sahara we saw oases all

the time but they were just mirages.

Exercise 18, p. 374

1, 2. Non-perfect active gerunds used as subjects.

3. Non-perfect active gerunds. Thinking is a subject and

knowing is an object.

4. Non-perfect active gerunds. Proposing is a subject and

performing is an adverbial modifier of manner.

 

 

5. Non-perfect active gerunds performing the function of

subjects.

6. Non-perfect active gerunds progressing and denying are

subjects and regressing is a predicative.

7. Non-perfect active gerunds. The first choosing is a predicative,

and the second is a subject.

8. Non-perfect active gerunds. Crossing is a subject, avoiding

is part of an attribute and driving, doing, listening and

having are all subjects.

9. A non-perfect active gerund performing the function of a

subject.

10. Non-perfect active gerunds used as adverbial modifiers

of manner.

11. A non-perfect active gerund used as an adverbial modifier

of manner.

12. A non-perfect active gerund performing the function of

an adverbial modifier of reason.

13. A non-perfect active gerund serving as part of an

attribute.

14. A non-perfect active gerund serving as a subject.

15. A non-perfect active gerund forming part of a compound

phasal predicate.

16. A non-perfect active gerund serving as an object.

17. See 16.

Exercise 19, pp. 374-375

Possible Variants

1. If you seriously want to save money, you’d better give up

smoking/gambling.

2. I don’t mind most housework, but I can’t stand cooking/

washing up/ironing.

3. The puppies looked so sweet that I couldn’t resist patting

them/taking one for my daughter.

4. If you want to ride a horse you won’t be able to avoid

falling from time to time.

5. Must you keep blowing your nose all the time/belching

so loudly every time you drink some soda? It’s really annoying!

 

 

6. I’d hate to be a miner! Can you imagine having to work

in the entrails of the earth and getting your face all black

every day?

7. Can I have the newspaper if you have finished reading

it/looking it through?

8. The man the police caught finally admitted stealing/having

stolen the diamonds.

9. When he said he had forgotten the phone number, I suggested

calling his friend whose number was in the telephone

directory.

10. My job as a tourist guide involved showing tourists

around places of interest and explaining things to them in their

own language.

11. Nobody suspects you of cheating/of stealing/of murdering

your wife.

12. Sue never takes the trouble of turning off the lights when

she leaves.

13. Is it worth seeing/reading?

14. I can’t help laughing/crying/giving him a piece of my

mind.

15. Ted hesitated before jumping into the icy water/before

answering.

16. What he loves best is having a good fight/watching

videos.

17. There is little hope of ever getting my money back/of his

graduating with honours.

18. Don’t insist on telling the truth - it will only cause

trouble.

19. Why do you persist in dating this good-for-nothing

boy/in using “good” instead of “well” and vice versa?

20. At the reception I had the pleasure of meeting the most

beautiful and intelligent woman I had ever seen.

Exercise 20, p. 375

1. You must remember to call at the bank on your way home

because we need to order some traveller’s cheques.

2. Could you stop typing for a moment? I need to concentrate

on this letter.

 

3. I hope you haven’t forgotten to telephone the garage

because the car badly needs servicing.

4. We could try to make a dash for the car if it would only

stop raining for a moment.

5. I’m sure you won’t regret buying the house even though it

needs painting and decorating.

6. I regret to say that he’s forgotten ever promising you a job.

7. I don’t remember taking my wallet out of my bag, but

I must have done it when I stopped to buy petrol.

8. As I told you, he’s rather deaf, so don’t forget to try shouting

if he doesn’t answer the door at first.

9. I’ve considered asking him to raise my salary but I don’t

think he can afford to do/doing it.

10. If the machine happens to stop working just telephone

and arrange for the service engineer to call.

11. I can’t help thinking that we shouldn’t have agreed to

lend him our car.

12. If you’ve finished using the typewriter, I’d like to borrow

it for a while, so that I can get used to typing with that machine.

13. I regret to say I lost my temper with him.

14. He regrets stealing/having stolen money now.

15. Sheila will always regret not going/not having gone to

University.

16. The headmaster does not allow running along the corridors.

17. The teacher on duty does not allow us to run along the

corridors.

18. Don’t forget to write to me when you are away.

19. Have you forgotten about writing to me already?

20. Tony cannot do any work without being told at least

twice.

21. Always remember to wipe your feet before entering the

school during the rainy season.

22. Do you remember wiping your feet before you came into

the house?

Exercise 21, p. 376

1. This is a specifying genitive denoting authorship.

2. This is a specifying genitive denoting subjective relations

(a subjective genitive).

 

 

3. This is a specifying genitive denoting belonging/possession.

4. See. 3. In this case the noun in the possessive case is a regular

plural one, so it is followed only by an apostrophe and there

is no suffix “s”.

5,6. Generally only animate nouns are used in the possessive

case but some inanimate nouns can also be used in this way.

Here belong the nouns denoting cities, towns, countries, the

world etc. as well as all locative nouns (schools, cafes, shops

etc.). 7. This is a specifying genitive denoting personal or social

relations. Since Maria Callas’s surname ends in s it can have

both’ and ‘s in the genitive/possessive case, but whether there

is an ‘s or just the apostrophe the pronunciation of the ending

is [iz].

8. This is a specifying genitive denoting authorship. The

apostrophe plus s here is added not to a single noun but to the

end of a whole group of words.

9. This is a specifying genitive denoting subjective relations.

Since this noun is a compound one the s is added to its final

component.

10. This is a specifying genitive denoting subjective relations.

Since the noun is a regular plural one there is just the apostrophe.

11. This is a classifying/descriptive genitive.

12. This is a classifying genitive of measure/a classifying genitive

indicating time.

13. 14, 18. These are absolute genitives indicating personal

and social relations.

15. This is a group specifying genitive denoting personal relations.

Since ‘s comes at the end of the group of words and the

noun mother is singular it is clear that Ted and Linda are brother

and sister.

16. These are specifying genitives indicating authorship.

Since ‘s comes after both names and the noun “projects” is

plural it is clear that each of the siblings has their own project.

17. This is a classifying absolute genitive denoting a shop.

19. This is a double specifying genitive denoting subjective

relations.

 

 

Exercise 22, p. 377

I. 1. my neighbour’s dog,2. a boy’s school, 3. Keats’s poems (Keats’poems), 4. a fortnight’s holiday,5. the girl’s dresses,6. the girls’ clothes,7. the boss’s car,8. policemen’s uniforms, 9. children’s education,10. the country’s problems, 11. secretaries’ working hours, 12. an actress’s life, 13. Mr. Davies’s office (Mr. Davies’ office), 14. France’s foreign police, 15. women’s liberation, 16. a year’s time,17. nature’s way, 18. the princess’s dress, 19. the sun’s rays, 20. the Church’s work.

II.

1. To one’s heart’s content - сколько душе угодно, в свое удовольствие, вволю, всласть, вдосталь; 2. То be at one’s wit’s/wits’ end - стать в тупик, не знать, что делать; 3. То have smth. at one’s fingers’ ends/at one’s fingertips - иметь что-л. под рукой, знать что-л. как свои пять пальцев; 4. Out of harm’s way – от греха подальше; в надежном месте; 5. То a hair’s breadth (to a hair, to a hairbreadth) точь-в-точь, точно, тютелька в тютельку; 6. For comfort’s (friendship’s) sake - ради удобства (дружбы); 7. At arm’s reach - под рукой; 8. At arm’s length - 1) на расстоянии вытянутой руки; 2) на почтительном расстоянии; 9. At a stone’s throw – рукой подать, в двух шагах, очень близко; 10. At sword’s point - под дулом пистолета (перен.); 11. on the razor’s edge – на острие ножа, на краю пропасти; to be on the razor’s edge/razor edge - ходить по острию ножа, по краю пропасти; 12. one’s money’s worth - справедливая цена. I’m at my wit’s end what to do with my son, how to make him study instead of what he is doing now - going to discos and the movies all the time. He is quite unlike his twin sister who has all the subjects at her fingers’ ends, especially English and French. How

on earth is he going to pass the winter exams? I keep telling him he is on the razor’s edge but he won’t listen to reason. Sometimes I think o flocking him up out of harm’s way and throwing the key away and paying the school teachers to give him lessons at home.

 

 

Exercise 23, p. 377

I.

1. To McDonald’s 2. To the greengrocer’s 3. To the doctor’s 4. To the ironmonger’s 5. To the hairdresser’s 6. To the (dry) cleaner’s 7. To the tobacconist’s 8. To the jeweller’s 9. To the stationer’s 10. To the confectioner’s 11. To the supermarket 12. To the dentist’s 13. To the chemist’s 14. To the butcher’s 15. To the florist’s 16. To the travel agent’s 17. To the watchmaker’s 18. To Harrods 19. To the vet’s 20. To the dressmaker’s (the tailor’s)

Exercise 24, p. 378

1. They say eighty per cent of the data (accumulated) in the

world’s computers is in English.

2. Don’t touch anything until the police arrive. - They have

already arrived. And who is it they are chasing?

3. I’m at my wit’s/wits’ end what this man wants from us. -

For God’s/goodness’/heaven’s sake don’t be so naive! All he

wants is our money but he won’t get it.

4.St. Thomas’ Hospital is one of the oldest in London. It is

within a stone’s throw, just five minutes’ walk/a five-minute

walk through St. James’s park.

5. This ring is not mine, it’s my grandmother’s. It was bought

at Tiffany’s and cost a fortune.

6. I’ve brought you a new series of Keats’/Keats’s poems. You

can read them to you heart’s content.

7. I hate that disgusting habit of your neighbours’ to turn the

television full tilt. - They bought a new Sony six months ago and

still can’t enjoy it enough.

8. Still waters run deep. - That describes him to a hair’s

breadth/to a hair. So you’d better stay away from him to keep

out of harm’s way.

9. Is that really a Dali in your grandfather’s house? - Actually

he has got two Dalis, and I remember seeing a Picasso and a

Chagall in his study.

10. Everybody is glad of/about Charles’/Charles’s success.

Let’s go and congratulate him for appearance’s sake.

 

 

11. There are reports about unusual phenomena on Mars’s

surface.

12. Of all fish I prefer trout and salmon although I’m not

much of a fish-lover.

13. The sun’s rays/sunbeams penetrated the thick foliage/

leaves and made Sir Robert Fox’s estate look even grander.

14. She forgave everybody at death’s door/on her death-bed

for the family’s sake.

15. Collins is a very reliable dictionary and I always keep it

at/within arm’s reach/at hand.

16. You are on a the razor’s/razor edge. Be careful for safety’s

sake.

17. He accepted/adopted another religion/faith at sword’s

point/at gunpoint.

Exercise 25, p. 379

1. A non-perfect active Participle I serving as part of an

attribute.

2. A non-perfect active Participle I serving as part of an

adverbial modifier of manner.

3. See 1.

4. A non-perfect active Participle I serving as part of an

adverbial modifier of time.

5. A perfect active Participle I serving as part of an adverbial

modifier of reason.

6. A non-perfect active Participle I serving as an attribute.

7. See 6.

8. See 1.

9. A non-perfect active Participle I serving as part of an

adverbial modifier of attendant circumstances.

10. A non-perfect active Participle I serving as part of an

adverbial modifier of comparison.

11. A non-perfect active Participle I serving as part of an

adverbial modifier of concession.

12. A non-perfect active Participle I serving as part of an

adverbial modifier of manner.

13. A non-perfect active Participle I serving as part of an

adverbial modifier of manner.

14. A non-perfect active Participle I serving as part of a complex

object/of an objective participial construction.

 

15. See 14.

16. A non-perfect active Participle I serving as part of an

adverbial modifier of reason.

17. A non-perfect active Participle I serving as part of an

adverbial modifier of reason.

Exercise 26, p. 379

I.

1. a brother - a sister. 2. a father - a mother 3. a man - a woman 4. an uncle - an aunt 5. a nephew - a niece 6. a son - a daughter 7. a bachelor - a spinster 8. a king - a queen 9. a lord - a lady 10. a monk - a nun 11. a male - a female 12. a lad - a lass, a girl 13. husband – wife 14. a gentleman - a lady, a gentlewoman 15. Mr. - Mrs. Miss, Ms. 16. grandfather – grandmother 17. Sir - Madam; Lady

II.

a baron - a baroness, a count - a countess, a god - a goddess, a duke - a duchess, an emperor - an empress, an usher - an usherette (old-fashioned) - an usher, a monitor - a monitor, a manager - a manager, a steward - a stewardess, a waiter - a waitress, a widow - a widower, a poet - a poet- a poetess (old-fashioned), a prince - a princess, a tiger - a tigress, a lion - a lioness, a hero - a heroine, a tzar - a tsarina

III.

Male	Female	Young
1. bull	cow	calf
2. boar	sow	piglet
3. buck (Am. E.)	doe	fawn
4. stag (Br. E.)	hind	fawn
5. fox	vixen	cub
6. dog	bitch	pup
7. gander	goose	gosling
8. drake	duck	duckling
9. stallion	mare	foal
10. cock	hen	chick

 

 

Exercise 27, p. 380

I. 1. I can feel something crawling up my leg!

2. I saw her switch on the light and come/walk into the

room.

3. For a while she stood and watched the men pulling trees.

4. He smelt something burning, so he rang the fire brigade.

5. We could definitely hear someone moving about downstairs.

6. We listened to the school orchestra play the whole of the

Jupiter Symphony with hardly a mistake.

7. I felt someone tap me on the shoulder, but when I turned

round, there was no one there.

8. Look at that poor old lady trying to cross the road.

9. I watched the man get out of his car and pull/get out a gun.

II. 1. Where is Harry? - He has gone fishing but I doubt if he’ll

catch anything!

2. Did you go dancing last night? - No, I don’t like the discos

in this place.

3. What are you doing at the weekend? - We’re going sailing

if the boat is ready.

4. If it hadn’t been ready, we might have gone hiking/skiing

in the hills above Budapest.

5. You’re wet through! What have you been up to? - We have

been hiking (serfing).

6. Now that she has her own pony, she goes horse-riding

every day.

7. If my bicycle were in better condition, Fd go cycling in

France this holiday

8. The ice rink is closed so we won’t go skating tomorrow

night.

9. If there were more snow, we would go skiing.

Exercise 28, p. 381

1. Several lovely old English tables.

2. A lot of pretty young French girls.

3. These few last valuable Regency dining-room chairs.

4. His three first really important impressionist paintings.

5. All my best dark blue silk shirts.

6. Many young German factory workers.

7. All these old-fashioned oval marble-popped washstands.

 

8. All Mike’s latest black-and-white wildlife photographs.

9. A few carefully-chosen plain hand-woven dresses.

Exercise 29, p. 382

1. tinier – tiniest, 2. handsomer – handsomest, 3. livelier – liveliest, 4. dryer – driest, 5. pleasanter – pleasantest, 6. simpler – simplest, 7. mellow – mellowest, 8. better – best, 9. worse – worst, 10. farther/further - farthest/furthest, 11. sadder – saddest, 12. heavier – heaviest, 13. grayer – grayest, 14. later - latest (for time),

the latter - (the) last (for order), 15. quieter – quietest, 16. politer – politest, 17. cleverer – cleverest, 18. bigger – biggest 19. fatter – fattest, 20. wider – widest, 21. foggier – foggiest, 22. abler – ablest, 23. more ill - most ill (used predicatively), sicker - sickest (used attributively), 24. commoner – commonest, 25. sooner – soonest, 26. thinner – thinnest, 27. calmer – calmest, 28. healthier – healthiest, 29. truer – truest, 30. wider – widest, 31. earlier – earliest, 32. narrower – narrowest, 33. freer – freest, 34. rarer – rarest, 35. flatter – flattest, 36. prettier – prettiest

Exercise 30, p. 382

1. That is the most incredible story I have ever heard!

2. It is not always the brightest students who do well in tests.

3. Terylene shirts are harder-wearing, but cotton shirts are

much more comfortable.

4. Which is deeper, Lake Garda or Lake Iseo?

5. She is much more self-confident than she used to be.

6. I like both of them, but I think Michael is easier to talk to.

7. Most people are better-off than their parents were.

8. She has a lot to be thankful for - the saddest thing of all is

that she does not realize it.

9. I want to rent a car - the most powerful one you have.

10. You look a lot better than you did last time I saw you.

 

 

11. There is nothing more irritating than locking yourself out

of your own house.

12. Both roads lead to the city center, but the left-hand one

is probably a bit shorter and more direct.

13. As I get older, I notice that the policemen seem to be getting

younger!

14. Is Cambridge the oldest university in Britain? - No,

Oxford is about 50 years older.

15. If you were tidier and better-organized than you are, you

would not keep losing things.

16. The boys in our school are much better-looking/more

good-looking and a lot better at football than the boys in other

schools in the town.

Exercise 31, p. 383

I.

1. true - truthful

a) This play is based on a true story.

b) I believe her: I think she is a truthful person.

2. childish - childlike

a) You cannot have everything you want: don’t be so childish.

b) She has a childlike quality, a sort of innocence, which I like.

3. young - youthful

a) Our teacher is full of youthful enthusiasm for her subject.

b) Enjoy yourself while you are still young.

4. uneatable - inedible

a) This meat is so tough that I find it uneatable.

b) Some of the inedible varieties of fungus are poisonous.

5. unreadable - illegible

a) The inscription was illegible, but I recognized it as Latin.

b) War and Peace may be a good novel, but I find it

unreadable.

6. historic - historical

a) “Ladies and gentlemen, this is a historic moment: the

first manned landing on another planet!”

b) The library contains a copy of Magna Carta and other

historical documents.

7. economic – economical

 

a) The country is experiencing a time of great economic

difficulty.

b) This soap is very economical, you only need to use a little

of it at a time.

8. electric - electrical

a) I see you have an electric cooker; I prefer gas.

b) The battery gave off a sudden electrical discharge.

9. sensible - sensitive

a) John will be all right on his own; he is a very sensible

boy.

b) Don’t criticize her too harshly: she is very sensitive.

II.

1. a) we have known for a long time

b) who has lived for a very long time

2. a) diligent, industrious, sparing no effort

b) difficult, requiring a lot of effort

3. a) having recently arrived

b) recently bought or made

4. a) smoking a lot

b) weighing a lot

5. a) sure, without any doubts

b) used to talk about someone you do not know but whose

name you have been told

6. a) existing now

b) being in the place in question

7. a) worried

b) involved in smth. or affected by it

8. a) right, suitable

b) strictly so called

9. a) complex, complicated

b) mixed up in the accident or connected with it

Exercise 32, p. 384

I.

1. a half-hour programme

2. a five-hour drive

3. a fifteen-ton lorry

4.a three-and-a-half-hour flight

5. a twelve-inch ruler

6. a three-and-a-half litre engine

7. a five-year-old child

 

8. a six-foot man

9. an eight-hour walk

10. a sixteen-gallon tank

11. a three-hundred-millimetre telephoto lens

12. a five-star hotel

II.

1. a second-year student

2. a third-floor flat

3. a second-generation computer

4. a last-minute decision

5. a first-class meal

6. a third-rate production

Exercise 33, p. 385

1. Attributes

2. Part of an attribute

3. Attributes

4. Attribute

5. Parts of attributes

6. Predicatives

7-10. Parts of objective participial constructions with

Participle II

11. An adverbial modifier of reason

12. The participle II expresses a second action accompanying

the action of the predicate verb.

13. Part of an adverbial modifier of comparison.

14. Part of an adverbial modifier of reason.

15. See 12.

16. Part of a prepositional absolute construction with

Participle II.

Exercise 34, p. 385

1. Notknowing the exact address, they got lost in the city.

2. Never sign anything without reading it carefully.

3. The door was wide open, and we entered without knocking.

4. The clerk was fired without being given any explanation.

5. The teenagers listened to the pop-singer without concealing

their admiration.

6. The snow has been falling for many days, without seeming

to stop.

 

7. Susan accepted Tom’s proposal without thinking of the

consequences.

8. Not knowing a word of Dutch, she was taken to the police

station.

9. He left the restaurant without waiting for his wife to join

him.

10. The brother and the sister couldn’t stand each other’s

company without immediately losing their temper.

11. Not having recognized me, Linda passed by without

answering my “Hello”.

12. The travellers went on and on, without paying attention

to the bitter cold

13. Not knowing the reason for their silence, Robert went on

talking non-stop.

14.Tom has never done a thing, without consulting his

father.

15. Not wanting to quarrel with his mother, he dropped the

subject.

Exercise 35, p. 386

I. All the past participles are parts of objective participial constructions

with participle II.

1. Майкл проколол себе ухо. Он сделал это, чтобы досадить

родителям.

2. В пятницу моя машина будет проходить осмотр и текущий

ремонт.

3. На ремонт вашего телефона может уйти несколько

дней или даже недель.

4.Три недели назад мы подали заявку на установку телефона

в офисе. Все еще ждем.

5. Проверьте, пожалуйста, покрышки. И заправьте бак.

6. Каким образом ты умудрился так дешево отремонтировать

машину?

7. Полицейский сделал в его правах отметку об опасном

вождении.

8. Смотри не прищеми пальцы дверью.

II. 1. Where do you have your dresses made? - I make them

myself.

2. How often do you have your hair cut? - It depends on the

season.

 

3. Why did you let yourself get involved/mixed up/entangled

in this dangerous undertaking/scheme/venture?

4. The suit is magnificent/gorgeous, but I’d like to have the

skirt shortened.

5. We haven’t had our house redecorated/renovated for five

years.

6. I’d like the contract (to be) signed today.

7. You lack knowledge and experience and that makes itself

felt.

8. They want to have their child baptized.

9. I won’t have anything changed in my room.

10. In the hotel you can have your clothes cleaned, tickets

booked and letters sent.

11. She had her purse stolen while she was buying fruit.

12. Anne needs a passport photograph taken.

13. My children have their teeth examined every six months.

14. Have your hair cut at last! You (are) look(ing) a mess!

15. When I was in Rome I had my umbrella stolen.

16. We are doing our best to have our central heating equipment

repaired before the weather gets cold.

17. I like to have my flat/room papered anew every five years.

18. You should really have this cut examined: I think it looks

infected.

Exercise 36, p. 387

1, 2. We cannot use very with comparatives. Instead we use

(very) much,far, a lot and lots (the latter, two are informal).

3. Dead meaning completely can be used with the positive

degree of adjectives. Dead is more emotional than completely.

4. No here means not any. One might just as well say. You are

not any better than all those people.

5. In formal speech and writing most used without the definite

article before an adjective has the same meaning as very.

6. Pretty before an adjective in the positive degree is a colloquial

synonym of fairly.

7, 15. Comparatives with the... the are used to say that two

things change together one depending on the other. A short

form of this structure (7) is used in sentences ending with the

better (7) and in the expression. The more the merrier (В тесноте,

да не в обиде).

 

8. See 3.

9,10,11,13. See 5.

12. As... as with positive degrees of adjectives is used to say

that two people or things are equal in some way.

14. Imaginable is used after a superlative to emphasize that

something is the best, worst, smartest etc. that can be imagined.

It comes after the adjective in the superlative degree and the

noun it modifies.

Exercise 37, pp. 387-388

I. Possible variants

1. The more exercise you take, the fitter you’ll become.

2. The bigger the car, the more gas/petrol it guzzles.

3. The more I get to know him, the less I like him.

4. The more chocolate she ate, the more zits she had.

5. The farther from home, the lonelier you feel.

6. The more children there are, the noisier it is.

7. The sooner you realize, it the better.

8. The more frightening the film, the more horror film

fans/lovers like it.

9. The younger the child, the easier it is for him to learn a foreign

language.

10. The less time you waste, the better.

11. The more sophisticated a girl is, the less likely she is to fall

for a dumbhead, good-looking as he may be/for all his good

looks.

12. The more I know people, the more I like animals.

13. The hotter the weather, the less I like it here.

14. The colder the winter, the more homeless people freeze

to death.

15. The harder she works, the more she earns.

16. The longer you sleep, the quicker you’ll recover/

get well.

17. The more you learn, the more pessimistic you become for

the Bible/Ecclesiastes says, “Who increases knowledge increases

sorrow.”

18. The less money people get the less likely their children

are to go to college/the less chance their children have to go to

college.

19. The more difficult the case is, the more of a challenge it is.

 

20. The busier the boss is the less chance we have to have an

extra coffee break.

II. 1. The storm started out of the blue.

2. The refusal touched her to the quick.

3. All the summer the kids stayed in the open.

4. On the whole she is not a bad person.

5. In the present situation there is a change for the better.

6. In short the story has a happy end.

7. Paul Macey left his job all of a sudden.

8. He did his best to get the better of everything.

9. Don’t worry, it’s all for the better.

10. - Are you confused? - Not in the least.

Exercise 38, p. 388

1,2. Verbs. 3. Adjectives. 4. Adjective. 5. The impossible is a substantivized adjective and the accused is a substantivized past participle. 6. Adjective. 7. Conjunctions. 8,9. Adjective. 10. Numeral. 11. Adjectives. 12. Numerals. 13. Adjectives. 14,15. Preposition. 16. Pronouns. 17. Adjective. 18. Past participle. 19, 20, 21. Adjectives. 22. Numerals. 23. Numerals. (Мы с тобой не ладим, Фред.)

Exercise 39, p. 389

1. - Where do the wicked go after death? - They go to hell.

2. His hair was already gray, her own was still a rich honey

brown.

3. Bali is a heaven where the famous, the rich and the privileged

go for a holiday.

4. He is a conservative and won’t change his views all of a

sudden.

5. Scandinavians are much of merchants: the Swedish produce

all the materials, the Norwegians transport them, and the

Danish sell them.

6. - Is the weather changing for the worse? - I hope for the

better.

 

7. Simon flew to America as he wanted to have a look at the

land of the free.

8. The old and the young, the rich and the poor have their

own problems.

9. The unemployed cannot be expected to live on the savings.

10. “Twice in my life have I prayed, and a fat lot of good it did

me.” «... и черта с два мне это помогло».

11. Some Tibetians believed that the souls of the dead were

reborn.

12. Every child should pass the medical check-up. It’s a must!

13. One evening she telephoned me out of the blue and said

she was in some kind of trouble.

14. Black and white are her favourite colours.

15. Jimmy is a radical and believes in his mission to change

the world.

16. Only the wealthy can have the luxury of doing nothing.

17. He got a second wind (второе дыхание) and came to

the finish first.

Exercise 40, p. 390

1. Слепой ведет слепых/слепого.

2. Золото и в грязи блестит./И в мусоре сверкает бриллиант.

3. Умный понимает с полуслова./Умному намек, глупому

толчок.

4. В стране слепых и кривой - король./На безрыбье и

рак - рыба.

5. В темноте все кошки серы.

6. Если слепой ведет слепого, оба свалятся в канаву./Сле-

пой слепца водит, оба ни зги не видят.

7. Нет худа без добра.

8. Смелость города берет.

9. Открыл Америку!