- •Contents
- •Thanks
- •To the student
- •To the teacher
- •3 Present continuous and present simple 1 (I am doing and I do)
- •10 Present perfect continuous and simple (I have been doing and I have done)
- •11 how long have you (been) … ?
- •12 for and since when … ? and how long … ?
- •13 Present perfect and past 1 (I have done and I did)
- •14 Present perfect and past 2 (I have done and I did)
- •15 Past perfect (I had done)
- •16 Past perfect continuous (I had been doing)
- •17 have and have got
- •18 used to (do)
- •19 Present tenses (I am doing / I do) for the future
- •20 I’m going to (do)
- •21 will and shall 1
- •22 will and shall 2
- •23 I will and I’m going to
- •24 will be doing and will have done
- •26 can, could and (be) able to
- •27 could (do) and could have (done)
- •28 must and can’t
- •29 may and might 1
- •30 may and might 2
- •31 have to and must
- •32 must mustn’t needn’t
- •33 should 1
- •34 should 2
- •35 I’d better … it’s time …
- •36 would
- •39 if I knew … I wish I knew …
- •40 if I had known … I wish I had known …
- •41 wish
- •42 Passive 1 (is done / was done)
- •43 Passive 2 (be done / been done / being done)
- •44 Passive 3
- •45 it is said that … he is said to … he is supposed to …
- •46 have something done
- •47 Reported speech 1 (he said that …)
- •48 Reported speech 2
- •49 Questions 1
- •52 Question tags (do you? isn’t it? etc.)
- •53 Verb + -ing (enjoy doing / stop doing etc.)
- •54 Verb + to … (decide to … / forget to … etc.)
- •55 Verb (+ object) + to … (I want you to …)
- •56 Verb + -ing or to … 1 (remember, regret etc.)
- •57 Verb + -ing or to … 2 (try, need, help)
- •58 Verb + -ing or to … 3 (like / would like etc.)
- •59 prefer and would rather
- •60 Preposition (in/for/about etc.) + -ing
- •61 be/get used to … (I’m used to …)
- •63 there’s no point in -ing, it’s worth -ing etc.
- •64 to … , for … and so that …
- •65 Adjective + to …
- •66 to … (afraid to do) and preposition + -ing (afraid of -ing)
- •67 see somebody do and see somebody doing
- •68 -ing clauses (He hurt his knee playing football.)
- •69 Countable and uncountable 1
- •70 Countable and uncountable 2
- •71 Countable nouns with a/an and some
- •74 the 2 (school / the school etc.)
- •75 the 3 (children / the children)
- •77 Names with and without the 1
- •78 Names with and without the 2
- •79 Singular and plural
- •80 Noun + noun (a bus driver / a headache)
- •81 -’s (your sister’s name) and of … (the name of the book)
- •82 myself/yourself/themselves etc.
- •83 a friend of mine my own house on my own / by myself
- •84 there … and it …
- •85 some and any
- •87 much, many, little, few, a lot, plenty
- •90 all every whole
- •91 each and every
- •92 Relative clauses 1: clauses with who/that/which
- •94 Relative clauses 3: whose/whom/where
- •95 Relative clauses 4: extra information clauses (1)
- •96 Relative clauses 5: extra information clauses (2)
- •97 -ing and -ed clauses (the woman talking to Tom, the boy injured in the accident)
- •98 Adjectives ending in -ing and -ed (boring/bored etc.)
- •99 Adjectives: a nice new house, you look tired
- •100 Adjectives and adverbs 1 (quick/quickly)
- •102 so and such
- •104 quite, pretty, rather and fairly
- •105 Comparative 1 (cheaper, more expensive etc.)
- •106 Comparative 2 (much better / any better etc.)
- •107 Comparative 3 (as … as / than)
- •108 Superlative (the longest / the most enjoyable etc.)
- •109 Word order 1: verb + object; place and time
- •110 Word order 2: adverbs with the verb
- •111 still any more yet already
- •112 even
- •114 in case
- •116 as (as I walked … / as I was … etc.)
- •117 like and as
- •119 during for while
- •121 at/on/in (time)
- •122 on time and in time at the end and in the end
- •123 in/at/on (position) 1
- •124 in/at/on (position) 2
- •125 in/at/on (position) 3
- •126 to, at, in and into
- •127 in/on/at (other uses)
- •129 Noun + preposition (reason for, cause of etc.)
- •130 Adjective + preposition 1
- •131 Adjective + preposition 2
- •132 Verb + preposition 1 to and at
- •134 Verb + preposition 3 about and of
- •135 Verb + preposition 4 of/for/from/on
- •136 Verb + preposition 5 in/into/with/to/on
- •137 Phrasal verbs 1 Introduction
- •138 Phrasal verbs 2 in/out
- •139 Phrasal verbs 3 out
- •142 Phrasal verbs 6 up/down
- •143 Phrasal verbs 7 up (1)
- •144 Phrasal verbs 8 up (2)
- •145 Phrasal verbs 9 away/back
- •Additional exercises
- •Study guide
- •Key to Exercises
- •Key to Additional exercises (see page 302)
- •Key to Study guide
- •Index
Unit
79 Singular and plural
ASometimes we use a plural noun for one thing that has two parts. For example:
trousers (two legs) |
pyjamas |
glasses |
binoculars |
scissors |
also jeans/tights/shorts/pants |
(top and bottom) |
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These words are plural, so they take a plural verb: |
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My trousers are too long. (not My trousers is) |
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You can also use a pair of + these words: |
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Those are nice jeans. |
or That’s a nice pair of jeans. (not a nice jeans) |
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I need some new glasses. |
or I need a new pair of glasses. |
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BSome nouns end in -ics, but are not usually plural. For example:
athletics |
gymnastics |
economics |
politics |
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physics |
electronics |
maths (= mathematics) |
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Gymnastics is my favourite sport. (not Gymnastics are) |
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News is not plural (see Unit 70B): |
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I have some news for you. It’s good news! |
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Some words that end in -s can be singular or plural. For example: |
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means |
a means of transport |
many means of transport |
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series |
a TV series |
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two TV series |
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species |
a species of fish |
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200 species of fish |
CSome singular nouns are oten used with a plural verb. For example:
audience committee company family firm government staf team
These nouns are all groups of people. We oten think of them as a number of people (= they), not as one thing (= it). So we oten use a plural verb:
The government (= they) have decided to increase taxes.
The staf at the company (= they) are not happy with their working conditions. In the same way, we oten use a plural verb ater the name of a company or a sports team:
Shell have increased the price of petrol.
Italy are playing Brazil next Sunday (in a football match).
You can also use a singular verb (The government wants … / Shell has … etc.).
We use a plural verb with police:
The police are investigating the crime, but haven’t arrested anyone yet. (not The police is … hasn’t)
Note that we say a police oficer / a policeman / a policewoman (not a police).
DWe do not oten use the plural of person (‘persons’). We normally use people (a plural word):
He’s a nice person. but They are nice people. (not nice persons)
Many people don’t have enough to eat. (not Many people doesn’t)
EWe think of a sum of money, a period of time, a distance etc. as one thing. So we use a singular verb:
Fity thousand pounds (= it) was stolen in the robbery. (not were stolen)
Three years (= it) is a long time to be without a job. (not Three years are)
Two miles isn’t very far to walk.
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American English Appendix 7 |
Exercises
79.1 |
Complete the sentences. Choose from the box. |
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1 |
My eyesight is getting worse. I need glasses . |
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2 |
The trousers you bought for me |
fit me. |
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3 |
The jacket you bought for me |
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fit me. |
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4 |
I need |
scissors to cut this piece of material. |
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5 |
I can’t find my binoculars. Have you seen |
? |
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6 |
I went shopping and bought a |
of jeans. |
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7 |
Where |
my sunglasses? |
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8 |
I went shopping and bought |
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pair of pyjamas. |
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9 |
I don’t know much about politics. I’m not interested in |
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79.2 Complete the sentences. Use a word from section B (news, series etc.).
Unit
79
a are them
doesn’t pair
it glasses some don’t
1 |
‘Have you heard the news ?’ |
‘No. What’s happened?’ |
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2 |
The bicycle is a |
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of transport. |
3 |
A lot of American TV |
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are shown in other countries. |
4 |
The tiger is an endangered |
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5 |
There will be a |
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of meetings to discuss the problem. |
6 |
Fortunately the |
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wasn’t as bad as we expected. |
7 |
How many |
of bird are there in the world? |
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8 |
I didn’t have my phone, so I had no |
of contacting you. |
79.3Choose the correct form of the verb, singular or plural. In three sentences either the singular or plural verb is possible.
1 |
Gymnastics is / |
are |
my favourite sport. (is is correct) |
2 |
My new glasses doesn’t / don’t fit very well. |
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3 |
The police want / wants to interview two men about the robbery. |
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Physics was / were my favourite subject at school. |
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It’s a nice place to visit. The people is / are very friendly. |
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6 |
Germany is / are playing Spain tomorrow night. Are you going to watch it? |
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7 |
Does / Do the police know how the accident happened? |
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Where do / does your family live? |
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Most people enjoy / enjoys music. |
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10 |
I like this cafe. The staf here is / are really friendly and eficient. |
79.4 Complete the sentences. Use is or isn’t, and choose from the box.
1 |
Three years is a long time |
to be without a job. |
2 |
Thirty degrees |
for Tom. He doesn’t like hot weather. |
3 |
Ten dollars |
. We need more than that. |
4 |
Four days |
for a holiday. You need at least a week. |
5 |
Twenty kilos |
. Are you sure you can manage? |
79.5 Are these sentences OK? Correct them where necessary.
a lot to carry enough money too hot
long enough a long time
1 Three years are a long time to be without a job.
2 The committee want to change the rules of the club. 3 Susan was wearing a black jeans.
4 I like Martin and Jane. They’re very nice persons. 5 I’m going to buy some new pyjamas.
6 There was a police directing trafic in the street. 7 This scissors isn’t very sharp.
8 The company have decided to open a new factory. 9 This plant is very rare species.
10 Twelve hours are a long time to be on a plane.
Three years is a long time OK (wants is also correct)
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Unit
80 Noun + noun (a bus driver / a headache)
AYou can use two nouns together (noun + noun) to mean one thing/person/idea etc. :
a bus driver |
income tax |
the city centre |
an apple tree |
The first noun is like an adjective. It tells us what kind of thing/person/idea etc. :
a bus driver = the driver of a bus
income tax = tax that you pay on your income the city centre = the centre of the city
an apple tree = a tree that has apples a Paris hotel = a hotel in Paris
my life story = the story of my life
So you can say: |
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a television camera |
a television programme a television studio a television producer |
(things or people to do with television) |
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language problems |
marriage problems health problems work problems |
(diferent kinds of problems)
Sometimes the first word ends in -ing: a frying pan (= a pan for frying) a washing machine
a swimming pool
BSometimes there are more than two nouns together:
I waited at the hotel reception desk.
We watched the World Swimming Championships on TV.
If you want to play table tennis (= a game), you need a table tennis table (= a table).
CWhen two nouns are together like this, sometimes we write them as one word and sometimes as two separate words. For example:
a headache |
toothpaste |
a weekend |
a car park |
a road sign |
There are no clear rules for this. If you are not sure, write two words.
DNote the diference between:
a cofee cup (maybe empty) and a cup of cofee (= a cup with cofee in it)
a shopping bag (maybe empty) and a bag of shopping (= a bag full of shopping)
EWhen we use noun + noun, the first noun is like an adjective. It is normally singular, but the meaning is oten plural.
For example: a car park is a place to park cars, an apple tree is a tree that has apples.
In the same way we say:
a three-hour journey (= a journey that takes three hours) a ten-pound note (= a note with the value of ten pounds) a four-week course
a six-mile walk
two 14-year-old girls
Compare:
It was a four-week course. (not a four weeks course) but The course lasted four weeks.
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-’s and of … Unit 81 a week’s holiday / three weeks’ holiday etc. Unit 81E |
Exercises |
Unit |
80 |
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80.1 What do we call these things and people?
1 |
Someone who drives a bus is a |
bus driver |
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2 |
Problems concerning health are |
health problems |
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3 |
A ticket to travel by train is a |
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4 |
A machine you use to get a ticket is a |
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The staf at a hotel are the |
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6 |
The results of your exams are your |
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7 |
A horse that runs in races is a |
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8 |
A race for horses is a |
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9 |
Shoes for running are |
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10 |
A shop that sells shoes is a |
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11 |
The window of a shop is a |
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A person who cleans windows is a |
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13 |
A scandal involving a construction company is |
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Workers at a car factory are |
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A scheme for the improvement of a road is a |
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16 |
A department store in New York is a |
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80.2 Answer the questions using two of the following words each time:
accident |
belt |
birthday |
card |
credit |
driver |
forecast |
machine |
number |
party |
ring |
road |
room |
seat |
truck |
washing |
weather |
wedding |
1 |
This could be caused by bad driving. |
a road accident |
2 |
You should wear this when you’re driving. |
a |
3 |
You can use this to pay for things. |
a |
4 |
This will tell you if it’s going to rain or not. |
the |
5 |
This is useful if you have a lot of dirty clothes. |
a |
6 |
This is something you might wear if you’re married. |
a |
7 |
If you’re staying at a hotel, you need to remember this. |
your |
8 |
This is a way to celebrate getting older. |
a |
9 |
This person transports things by road. |
a |
80.3 Put the words in the right order.
1 |
I spilt cofee on the living room carpet . |
(room / carpet / living) |
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2 |
Jack likes sport. He plays for his |
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. (team / school / football) |
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3 |
Anna works for a |
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. (company / production / film) |
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4 |
Many people invest in a |
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. (life / policy / insurance) |
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5 |
You can get a map at the |
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. (information / ofice / tourist) |
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80.4 |
Which is correct? |
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1 |
It’s quite a big book. There are more than |
500 page |
/ 500 pages. (500 pages is correct) |
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2 |
It’s only a two-hour / two hours flight from London to Madrid. |
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3 |
It took only two hour / two hours to fly to Madrid. |
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4 |
I don’t have any change. I only have a twenty-pound / twenty pounds note. |
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5 |
I looked down and there were two ten-pound / ten pounds notes on the ground. |
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6 |
At work in the morning we usually have a 15-minute / 15 minutes break for cofee. |
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7 |
There are 60-minute / 60 minutes in an hour. |
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8 |
My ofice is on the tenth floor of a twelve-storey / twelve storeys building. |
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9 |
I work five-day / five days a week. Saturday and Sunday are free. |
10Five-star / Five stars hotels are the most expensive.
11Sam’s daughter is six-year-old / six years old.
12Sam has a six-year-old / six-years-old daughter.
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