Знаменитый советско-русско-одесский сатирик Михаил Жванецкий как-то но телевизору с легкой ироничной улыбкой рассказывал, как его шутки абсолютно не проходили в США. Американцы долго и задумчиво по несколько раз выслушивали рассказ о том, что вчера продавались раки 'по пять рублей, а сегодня - но три рубля. Но те, что продавались вчера, были больше. Это тоже тонкий английский юмор, только русский. Карцев смешно читает этот текст. Но как его перевести? Господин Жванецкий недоумевал, мол, было два переводчика, но американцы (во тупые!) так ничего и не поняли. А ведь и в самом деле, вдумайтесь, ну что здесь смешного? Ну вчера раки продавались большие, а сегодня меньше! И стоили по-разному!

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.)
  

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.
  
  

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.
  
  

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.

Представьте картину: вам надо идти на ответственный экзамен по английской грамматике, которую вы  не знаете, но вас в лицо не знает и преподаватель, и вместо вас сдавать инглиш идет ваш друг—американец. Вы ликуете: "отлично" обеспечено! Но... не спешите радоваться. Ваш фрэнд вполне может испортить вам всю зачетку. Его не только заклюют по грамматике, но и по фонетике кучу замечаний наговорят. Разве такое может быть? Может. И сейчас мы рассмотрим самые типичные моменты "плохого знания" английского языка англичанами и американцами.

Двойное отрицание
Когда мы по-русски что-то отрицаем, то мы, сами того не зная, отрицаем это "что-то" аж два раза. Вот посмотрите: я его никогда не знал, я ничего не видела, я ничего не знаю... После "никогда", "ничего" следует "не" целых два отрицательных "парня". В школах, колледжах, лицеях и университетах  нас учат, что в английском языке отрицание одно. Вот как следует правильно переводить
вышеупомянутые выражения: I never knew him, I saw nothing, I know nothing.