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Blog »Grammar

In an informal style, we use much and many mostly in negative sentences and questions, and after so, as and too. In affirmative sentences (except after so, as and too), we use other words and expressions.

Compare:

  • How much money have you got?
    I've got plenty. (NOT I've got much.)
  • I haven't got many pop records.
    I've got a lot of jazz records.
    (NOT USUALLY /Vo gof many jazz records.)
  • You make too many mistakes.
    You make lots of mistakes.
    (NOT USUALLY You такс many mistakes.)
  much, many, a lot
Vera, 588 days ago 1
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Blog »Grammar

There are two ways of telling a person what somebody else said.
a. direct speech

  • SUE: What did Bill say?
  • PETER: He said I want to go home'.

b. reported speech

  • SUE: What did Bill say?
  • PETER: He said that he wanted to go home.

When we use 'direct speech', we give the exact words (more or less) that were said. When we use 'reported speech', we change the words that were said to make them fit into our own sentence.

Vera, 592 days ago 0
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Blog »Grammar

clause + conjunction + clause

conjunction + clause, + clause

1.  A conjunction joins two clauses.

  • I'm tired and I want to go to bed. I tried hard but I couldn't understand. His father died, so he had to stop his studies. I know that you don't like her. I 'II sell it to you cheap because you 're a friend of mine. She married to him although she didn't love him. We 'II start at eight о 'clock so that we can finish early. I'd tell you If I knew.

Vera, 592 days ago 1
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Blog »Grammar

We use come for movements to the place where the speaker or hearer is. We use go for movements to other places.

  • 'Maria, would you come here, please?' 'I'm coming ' (NOT. . . I'm going.')
  • When did you come to live here? Can I come and sit on your lap?
  • I want to go and live in Greece. Let's go and see Peter and Diane. In 1577, he went to study in Rome.

We can use come for a movement to a place where the speaker or listener was or will be. Compare:


  • What time did I come to see you in the office yesterday? About ten, was it?
  • I went to your office yesterday, but you weren't in.
  • Will you come and visit me in hospital? He's going into hospital next week.
  go, come
Vera, 592 days ago 0
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Blog »Grammar

We use the singular holiday in a short period of, say, one or two days.

  • We've got a holiday next Tuesday.
  • We get five days' Christmas holiday this year.

We often use holidays for the 'big holiday' of the year.

  • Where are you going for your summer holiday(s)?

We always use the singular in the expression on holiday. (Note the preposition.)

  • I met her on holiday in Norway. (NOT . . . in holidays . . .)

Americans use the word vacation for a long holiday.

Vera, 592 days ago 1
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Sorry
Blog »Grammar

We use sorry for . . . -ing or sorry about . . . -ing to talk about past things that we regret.

  • I'm sorry for/about waking you up. ( = I'm sorry that I woke you up.)

We can use a perfect infinitive with the same meaning.

  • I'm sorry to have woken you up.

Sorry + infinitive is used to apologize for something that we are doing or going to do.

  • Sorry to disturb you — could I speak to you for a moment?
  • I'm sorry to tell you that you failed the exam.

Vera, 592 days ago 1
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Blog »Grammar

We use each to talk about two or more people or things. We use every to talk about three or more. (Instead of 'every two' we say both).

We say each when we are thinking of people or things separately, one at a time. We say every when we are thinking of people or things together, in a
group. (Every is closer to all.)

Compare:

  • We want each child to develop in his or her own way. We want every child to be happy.
  • Each person in turn went to see the doctor. He gave every patient the same medicine.



The difference is not always very great, and often both words are possible.

  • You look more beautiful each/every time I see you.

Vera, 592 days ago 1
2

As I was going past the Art Theatre on my way home I heard somebody ask in a low voice, "Want to come to the theatre?" It was a young fellow with no hat on and a disappointed look on his face. I understood at once: his girl hadn't turned up, otherwise he would not have had a ticket for the Art Theatre to spare—they're not that easy to come by.
"What's on?" I asked.
"A revival of Pogodin's 'Kremlin Chimes'."
That was a play I had been wanting to see for a long time. I wasn't dressed for the theatre and I had not had any dinner, but why be bothered with trifles when such luck had come my way. I accepted.

7sky, 592 days ago 1
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Blog »Grammar

Grammarians are not always agreed as to the grammatical status of the article in Modern English.
In structural grammars the article is often dispensed with as a separate part of speech and absorbed into the adjective class.

The name "determiners" is then given to closed system items, which, functioning as adjuncts, show their head-words to be nouns. The most central type of "determiner" is that to which we traditionally give the name article.

Exion, 776 days ago 1
1
Blog »Grammar

We often put small questions at the ends of sentences in speech.

  • That's the postman, isn't it?    
  • You take sugar in tea, don't you?
  • Not a very good film, was it?

We use these 'question tags' to ask if something is true, or to ask somebody to agree with us.

Structure

We do not put question tags after questions.

7sky, 776 days ago 2
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