SPECIAL DIFFICULTIES IN THE USE OF ARTICLES
The Use of Articles with Nouns Denoting Parts of the Day
To this group belong: day, night, morning, evening, noon, afternoon, midnight, dawn, dusk, sunrise, sunset, daytime, nightfall and the like.
When we use ‘morning’ and ‘day’ to denote light and ‘evening’ and ‘night’ to denote darkness no article is used.
E.g.: It was night when he came home.
When these nouns are modified by a descriptive attribute in pre-position an indefinite article is used.
E.g.: It was a wonderful summer morning.
On a hot September evening we went for a walk for the first time together.
BUT if we say early morning, late evening, broad day, high noon, no article is used.
E.g.: It was late evening when I woke up.
If these nouns are modified by a particularizing attribute or the situation makes it definite, the definite article is used.
E.g.: The day when I met him will always stay in my memory.
The night was warm and beautifully still.
When these nouns are modified by the names of the days of the week or the words ‘yesterday’ and ‘tomorrow’, no article is used.
E.g.: She was here yesterday afternoon.
There are some set expressions:
In the morning, in the evening, in the afternoon, in the day time, by day, by night, by noon, by midnight, at night, at dawn, at dusk, all day long, all night through, all through the night, all through the day, day by day, day in day out, from morning till night, to work day and night, in the dead of night, late at night, early in the morning.
E.g.: The robbery took place in the dead of the night.
We study English day in day out.
When the nouns morning, day, dawn are used as subjects to the verbs ‘to break’, ‘to be at hand’, no article is used.
E.g.: Dawn was at hand and we had to set off.
The same is true about evening, night and dusk with the verbs ‘to fall’, ‘to gather’, ‘to set in’, ‘to come’, ‘to be at hand’.
E.g.: Night fell unnoticed while we were talking.
The use of Articles with the Names of Seasons
To this group belong: winter, spring, summer, autumn. The use of article with these nouns presents a great difficulty and we find a good deal of fluctuation here.
As a rule these nouns are used without any article.
E.g.: It was spring and the garden broke up with white flowers.
I’m used to spending summer in the Crimea.
If these nouns are modified by a descriptive attribute in pre-position an indefinite article is used.
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E.g.: We had a cold summer and a very warm winter without snow.
BUT if these nouns are modified by the adjectives ‘early’ and ‘late’ no article is used.
E.g.: It was late winter when they got married.
When these nouns are modified by a particularizing attribute or the situation makes them definite the definite article is used.
E.g.: The winter that year was very cold.
The autumn was over, but they hadn’t heard about him yet.
When they are used as objects in the sentence together with such verbs as to spend, to like, to love, to hate, to wait for, to talk about, the definite article is used.
E.g.: They like the summer there, on account of bathing, I think.
He looks like somebody who spent the summer at the sea.
As adverbial modifiers after the prepositions in, till, until, before, after, these nouns are used according to the general rule.
E.g.: In autumn days become shorter and nights longer.
I simply can’t wait till the winter.
BUT After the prepositions through, for, during, the definite article is used.
E.g.: During the autumn we picked up mushrooms.
Remember set expressions: the warmth of spring, the dust of summer, three month of winter, the colours of autumn, early in the autumn, late in the spring, all the summer, all the winter, etc.
E.g.: I cannot but love the colours of autumn.
The Use of Articles with the Names of Meals
As a rule the nouns breakfast, lunch, dinner, supper, tea are used without any article.
E.g.: I usually have dinner at home.
We were talking about it before supper.
Is dinner ready?
When these nouns are modified by a particularizing attribute or the situation makes them definite the definite article is used.
E.g.: The breakfast was wonderful.
He was greedily eating the lunch his mother had prepared for him.
If they are modified by a descriptive attribute an indefinite article is used.
E.g.: After a hearty dinner everyone is a little bit sleepy.
It was a delicious supper.
Occasionally due to a change of meaning names of meals become countable nouns.
When they denote dinner party, tea party, follow the general rules.
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E.g.: She said: “We had a dinner last night. Everybody was invited.”
She used to give a dinner to the entire family.
When they denote a portion an indefinite article is used.
E.g.: I can’t afford a dinner at such an expensive restaurant.
The Use of Articles with the Names of Months and Days
As a rule names of months and days are used without articles.
E.g.: May is a spring month.
My day off is Friday.
When these nouns are modified by a particularizing attribute the definite article is used.
E.g.: The May of 1945 will always remain in our nation’s memory.
Miss Trotwood came on the Friday when David was born.
Names of days are used with the indefinite article when we mean one of many Mondays, Fridays, etc.
E.g.: Robinson Crusoe found his servant on a Friday.
I do not remember exactly when he came from Moscow, but I am sure it was on a Monday.
Names of months are used with the indefinite article when modified by a descriptive attribute.
E.g.: A cold May is the usual thing in our region.
Certain Countable Nouns in their Phraseological Use
The nouns school, college, hospital, prison, table, bed, church, court, market are used without any article when, as a part of a set phrase they lose their concrete meaning and express the purpose which the object denotes.
Compare the following examples:
1) Pupils go to school every day except Sunday.
Kelly’s parents went to the school to meet her teacher.
2) He was sent to prison for murder.
The road to the prison was blocked by policemen.
3) She was sent to hospital with pneumonia.
Her mother goes to the hospital every day.
4) Now I prefer to go to bed early.
The mother sat on the bed and started to read a fairytale.
5) I didn’t know all those people at table.
In the café we had a table to ourselves.
Madam sat at the table darning socks.
The noun ‘town’ is used without any article when it means the centre or business part of a town, or the nearest town to a country place.
E.g.: She drove into town.
Let’s have lunch in town.
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I want to go to the town I was born in.
Would you rather live in a town or in the country?
Mind the following expressions: to be at work, to go to work, to start work, to go home, to come home, to be at home, to stay at home, to feel at home.
E.g.: Why aren’t you at work today?
I like the work I do.
Let’s go home.
Siberia is the home of the tiger.
She was brought up in an orphan’s home.
Mind:
a) I like English.
I want to study the Portuguese language.
The English of America differs from the English of England.
b) This is the most interesting chapter in the book. (superlative degree)
Caroline is a most devoted daughter and sister. (very, exceedingly)
c) Most flowers smell sweet. (in general)
Most of the flowers in the garden are spring flowers. (the situation makes it definite)
d) Two students entered the room.
The two books proved very interesting.
e) The second attempt was more successful than the first.
Oliver asked for a second portion. (another, one more).
Exercises
Exercise 1
Fill in the definite article where necessary.
1) We went to _____ America for _____ Easter and ended up staying ___ whole summer.
2) My grandfather is from ____ Scilly Isles, which are some of ___ most remote islands in ___ Britain.
3) Jane went to ___ cinema yesterday after ____ work and saw a film about ___ First World War.
4) Whenever we go to ____ London we take ____ train; it’s ___ most convenient way to travel.
5) James has got _____ measles so he won’t be coming to ____ school today.
6) While ____ princess was in ____ Hong Kong, she visited many of the designer shops there.
7) Mary is in ____ hospital with pneumonia. She became ill while in ____ Scotland over ___ Christmas holidays.
8) _____ most beautiful place I’ve ever been is ____ Thailand. It has some of ____ best beaches in ____ world.
9) Sarah really likes _____ swimming in ___sea, but most of ____ time it’s too cold to.
Exercise 2
Use the proper article whenever necessary; comment on its usage.
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1) ____ Great Britain lies in ____ eastern part of ____ Atlantic Ocean.
2) ____ coast of ____ England contains many good harbours.
3) ___ most beautiful part of ___ England is ____ Lake District.
4) Have you ever been to ____ Canaries?
5) We’re going to ___ Crimea in summer.
6) They live in ___West End.
7) ____ Strait of Dover separates ____ British Isles from ___ continent.
8) ____ London is ____ capital of ___ United Kingdom of ___ Great Britain and ___ Northern Ireland.
9) ___ Kyiv is situated on ____ banks of ___ Dnieper.
10) ____ tourists couldn’t help admiring ____ Niagara Falls.
11) If we start from ___ Euston Station in ___ London and travel by ___ London Midland and Scottish Railway for about 300 miles we shall reach ___ town called Rendal. From here we take ___ coach and very soon we are in ____ wonderful Lake District of ___ England. To this part ___ thousands of ___ visitors travel every year, and though ___ weather is often very rainy we are sure of ____ many splendid views and interesting trips.
12) ___ Lake District is divided from ___ Pennines by ___ valleys of ___ rivers Eden and Lune. Between these two valleys and ___sea are ___ highest mountains in ___ England. They are called ___ Cumbrian Mountains. As they are much higher than ___ Pennines and nearer to ___sea they get much more rain. Some of this rain collects in ___ hollows, in ___ valleys, or ___ dales, as they are called, to form ___ beautiful lakes.
13) ____ largest lake is ___ Lake Windermere, which is about ten miles long and about ___ mile wide. On ____ sunny days ___ blue of ___ sky is reflected in ___ clear water while at ___ other times ___ wind with ___ sudden gusts beats ___ surface of ___ lake into ___ little waves. Many poets and writers lived near this lake. Although these lakes are ___ largest in ___ England, they are very small compared with ___ big lakes of ___ world.
Exercise 3
Fill in the blanks with articles where necessary.
1) ___ chapter one contains ___ description of ___ early history of my hero.
2) Open ___ books on ___ page twenty-five.
3) It’s ____ first volume and ___ chapter thirty-two is in ____ second.
4) He put ____ volume one back on ___ shelf.
5) ___ two people can’t live as cheaply as one.
6) ____ two girls looked alike though ____ resemblance did not lie in their features.
7) Our flat is on ____ second floor and ___ kitchen window commands ___ beautiful view of ___ yard.
8) He took ___ third sandwich and continued eating in silence.
9) It’s ___ third floor down ___ corridor.
10) ____ suitcase contained ___ two clean shirts, some socks and handkerchiefs.
11) At ___ second attempt ___ key turned in ____ lock and ___ door opened.
12) She promised to tell him about it ___ second time he called and I wondered if there would be ____ second time.
Exercise 4
Fill in the blanks with articles or ‘some’ / ‘any’ where necessary.
THE DEVOTED FRIEND
(After Oscar Wilde)
___ Hans had ___ great many friends, but ___ most devoted friend of all was ___ big Hugh, ___ miller. Indeed, so devoted was ___ rich miller to ___ little Hans that he never went by his garden without leaning over ___ wall and plucking ___ large nosegay, or filling his pockets with ___ plums and ___ cherries if it was ___ fruit season.
“_______ real friends should have everything in common,” ___ miller used to say. _____ neighbours, indeed, thought it strange that ___ rich miller never gave ___ little Hans anything in return, though he had ___ hundred sacks of ___flour stored away in ___ mill, and six cows, and ___ large flock of ___ sheep.
In ___ spring, ___ summer and autumn Hans was very happy, but when ___ winter came, he suffered ___ good deal from ___ cold and ___ hunger and often had to go to ___ bed without ___ supper. “There is no good in my going to see ___ little Hans now,” ___ miller used to say to his wife, “for when ___ people are in ___ trouble they shouldn’t be bothered by ___ visitors. I shall pay him ___ visit in spring, and he will be able to give me ____ large basket of flowers, and that will make him so happy.”
“You are very thoughtful about ___ others,” answered his wife. “It’s ___ pleasure to hear you talk about ___ friendship. I am sure ____ clergyman himself could not say such beautiful things, though he does live in ___ three-storied house and wears ___ gold ring on his little finger.”
“But could we not ask little Hans up here?” said ___ miller’s youngest son.
“What ___ silly boy you are!” cried ____ miller. “I really don’t know what is ___ use of sending you to ___ school. You do not seem to learn anything. Why, if ___ little Hans came here, he might get envious, and ___ envy is ___ most terrible thing. Besides, if he came here, he might ask me to let him have some flour on ___ credit, and that I couldn’t do. ___ flour is one thing, and ___ friendship is another. ___ words are spelt differently and mean quite different things.”
“How well you talk,” said ___ miller’s wife, pouring herself out ___ large glass of ___ warm ale. “It’s just like being in ___ church.”
Exercise 5
Use the proper article. Pay attention to the use of the article with the names of meals.
1) ____ dinner was to be at seven, ____ concert from eight to ten, ___ supper from ten to eleven.
2) ____ lunch was excellent, but I noticed that she ate very little.
3) They arrested him after ____ breakfast.
4) At this point ____ maid announced that ____ supper was served.
5) I was anxious to have ____ good comfortable breakfast ready before I called Joe.
6) Sometimes he took me out to ___ dinner or ___ theatre.
7) After ____ supper she suggested ____ stroll in ___ park to enjoy ____ pleasant evening.
8) I’m going to find ____ place for ___ lunch.
9) _____ dinner was as good as it looked and smelled.
10) That’s ____ best dinner I’ve had in years.
11) He followed her into ___ front room, where ____ supper had been cleared from ____ table.
12) After ___ dinner when coffee was brought in, ___ talk became medical.
13) Tonight they are giving him ____ farewell dinner and everyone will be there.
14) I’ve got ____ lecture at nine, so I should want ___ breakfast at ___ quarter past eight.
15) He had ____ miserable lunch all alone.
Exercise 6
Comment on the omission of the article in the following examples.
1) Less than a year ago, the two of them seemed as close as mother and daughter could be.
2) We were more like brothers than father and son.
3) He was kept busy day and night with plans for his retirement.
4) All she knew was that he had been in the army and had lost both leg and eye shortly before the surrender.
5) His face reddened with anger, “Don’t play cat and mouth with me!”
6) Listening to the minutes and other routine business he let his eyes move from face to face.
7) They walked on again, but only hand in hand.
8) He beat his hands on his sides and moved from foot to foot.
9) They went side by side, hand in hand silently towards the hedge.
10) The young man who had been turning his head from side to side became transfixed.
Exercise 7
Fill in the proper articles where necessary and comment on their usage. Consult the prompts given below.
London, like most cities which have long history behind them, is not really one single city, but rather collection of once separated towns and villages which in the course of time have grown together.
It is practically certain that previous to first invasion of Romans there was town on or near place where City of London is now. That it was town of some importance is shown by remains of wall which Romans built round it. City really forms town within town, and is financial and business centre of London.
Trafalgar Square is good starting-point for any tour of London. Along there is the Strand (once bank of River Thames) leading to Fleet Street, where all newspapers have their offices, and on the Ludgate Hill, St. Paul’s Cathedral and City. The other way leads to Piccadilly Circus; from there you can go along shops of Regent Street, across Oxford Street to Regent’s Park and Zoo.
Trafalgar Square was laid about hundred years ago. Monument in centre of square, known as Nelson’s Column (about 185 feet high), is surmounted with statue of Nelson. At base of Nelson’s Column are four great bronze lions.
Just behind you is National Gallery and joined to it is National Portrait Gallery.
Broad thoroughfare which runs between Trafalgar Square and Houses of Parliament is known as Whitehall. Chief government offices are in or near Whitehall. In centre of Whitehall stands the Cenotaph, simple white stone monument to the dead of the two world wars. At end of Whitehall you come to Parliament Square with Houses of Parliament on left. Clock Tower of Houses of Parliament is considered to be one of finest time-keepers in world. Largest bell, well known as “Big Ben”, strikes the hour.
On other side of Houses of Parliament is Westminster Abbey, beautiful for its architecture. Many great Englishmen such as Chaucer, Dickens, Tennyson, Darwin, Newton are buried there.
Largest open space in West End of London is Hyde Park which, at its western end, merges into Kensington Gardens.
Sooner or later you pass through Piccadilly Circus, centre of London’s theatres – bright in the daytime with flower-sellers and at night with electric advertisements.
London is immense and complex mass of human dwellings and working places, old palaces and modern buildings.
(Most cities, a history, a collection, towns and villages, time, the invasion, the Romans, a town, the place, the City, a town, the remains, the wall, the Romans, the City, a town, a town, the centre; Trafalgar Square, a starting-point, the bank, the River Thames, Fleet Street, the newspapers, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the City, Piccadilly Circus, the shops, Regent Street, Oxford Street, Regent’s Park, The Zoo; Trafalgar Square, a hundred, the monument, the centre, the square, Nelson’s Column; the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery; the thoroughfare, Trafalgar Square, the Houses of Parliament, Whitehall, the offices the centre, a monument, the dead, two world wars, the end, Parliament Square, the left, the Clock Tower, the time-keepers, the world, the bell, “Big Ben”; the other side, Westminster Abbey; the space, the West End, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens; Piccadilly Circus, the centre, theatres, the daytime, flower-sellers, night, advertisements; a mass, dwellings, places, palaces, buildings).
Exercise 8
Complete the following text with articles, where they are necessary.
A.
A tourist in ______ Africa was walking by the sea when he saw ____ man in ____ simple clothes dozing in a fishing boat. It was ____ idyllic picture, so he decided to take a photograph. The click of ___ camera woke ___ man up. ____ tourist offered him ___ cigarette. “The weather is great. There are plenty of ___ fish. Why are you lying around instead of going out and catching more?”
______ fisherman replied:”Because I caught enough this morning.”
“But just imagine,” _____ tourist said, “if you went out there three times every day, you’d catch three times as much. After about ____ year you could buy yourself ____ motor-boat. After ___ few more years of ___ hard work, you could have ____ fleet of ___ boats working for you. And then…”
“And then?” asked the fisherman.
“And then,” ____ tourist continued triumphantly, “you could be calmly sitting on the beach, dozing in ____ sun and looking at ___ beautiful ocean.”
(Based on a short story by Heinrich Boll)
B.
There was ____ young lady from ___ Niger,
Who smiled as she rode on ___ tiger.
They came back from ___ ride
With ____ lady inside
And ____ smile on ___ face of ___ tiger.
(Edward Lear)
Here are some general rules for using articles. Find an example of each rule in the texts given above.
1. Don’t use articles with most proper nouns.
2. Don’t use the indefinite article with plurals or uncountable nouns.
3. Use the indefinite article to introduce new information.
4. Use the definite article to refer to specific things which have already been mentioned.
5. Use the definite article to refer to things that you know the listener or hearer can identify.
Exercise 9
Write three interesting statements, each of which combines a word from box A with a word from box B. Discuss your statements with a partner and the rest of your class. Pay attention to the usage of the articles.
Model: Time is more important than money.
Men are a mystery to women.
A + B
Time life
Youth money
Wisdom experience
Health love
Death women
Men peace
Gold silver
Music happiness
War intelligence
Humour
Exercise 10
Complete the newspaper article using a / an and the where necessary.
Patricia Henderson, ______ teacher from _____ Newcastle, got _____ biggest shock of her life yesterday while preparing ____ dinner for her husband and two children. On putting her hand into ___ bag of ready-prepared salad, she felt something “large, slimy and moving”. ____ second later, there was ____ rather relieved snake slithering across ____ kitchen table. “I have always been afraid of ___ snakes and I just screamed and screamed and screamed,” she said. “_____ snake just stared at me. I couldn’t move.”
___ spokesperson for _____ supermarket where she bought ____ salad told ___ reporters they had no idea at all how ____ creature had got into ___ bag. ____ snake, which is almost half ___ metre long, has yet to be identified. Mrs. Henderson, who is still recovering from ___ ordeal, said: “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to eat ___ salad again.”
Exercise 11
Which is correct?
A. Pacific Ocean / the Pacific Ocean;
B. Station hotel / the station hotel;
C. National Gallery / the National Gallery;
D. River Seine / the river Seine;
E. Gobi desert / the Gobi desert;
F. United States of America / the United States of America;
G. Oxford Street / the Oxford Street;
H. South of France / the South of France;
I. Apollo theatre / the Apollo Theatre;
J. Heathrow Airport / the Heathrow Airport;
K. Lake Erie / the Lake Erie;
L. Netherlands / the Netherlands;
M. Trafalgar Square / the Trafalgar Square;
N. North America / the North America.
Exercise 12
Choose the correct form.
1) Life/the life indeed would be dull if there were no difficulties.
2) The vegetables/vegetables are good for health.
3) Women/the women are often better teaches than men/the men.
4) In Britain/the Britaincoffee/the coffee is more expensive than tea/the tea.
5) Most people/the most people still believe that marriage/the marriage and family life/the family life are the basis of our society.
6) Second World War/ The Second World War ended in 1945.
7) Do you know people/the people who live next door/the next door?
8) Two of the biggest problems facing our society are crime/the crime and unemployment/the unemployment.
9) I hate violence/the violence and cruelty/the cruelty among people.
10) He followed a/the letter, but not a/the spirit of the law.
11) Language/the language is art/the art of concealing thoughts.
12) One of the most/most pleasant things in the world/world is going to a/the journey.
13) -/the police searched a/the house of the/a suspect.
14) Most of -/the roads in this district are not suitable for -/the motor cars.
15) To love our country, to be interested in its concerns, is natural for all the/- men.
16) Truth/the truth is that I don’t like to stay here any longer.
17) We are studying a/the/- architecture. We are studying -/the architecture of the/-/a Renaissance period.
18) Love/the love is blind, but at the same time it is a/-/the wonderful thing. It makes a/the world go round.
19) I’m going to a/the post-office. I want to post a/the parcel.
20) We are installing a/- solar heating. We want to save an/-/the energy.
Exercise 13
Insert the articles where it is necessary.
1) …Beethoven whose music you have just listened to was one of …world’s greatest composers.
2) …youth is full of …pleasure and …hope.
3) There are five students from …Japan here, so we have …good opportunity to practice … Japanese.
4) We looked at …cars standing near the store, …first two were far expensive, but …other ones were quite ordinary.
5) This morning I bought … newspaper and …magazine. …newspaper is in my bag, but I don’t know where …magazine is.
6) I saw…accident this morning. …car crashed into …wall. …driver of …car was not hurt, but …car was badly damaged.
7) We live in … old house in … middle of the village. There is … beautiful garden behind … house. …roof of …house is in …bad condition.
8) I’m looking for …job. Did you get …job you applied for?
9) Could you close …door, please? They live …next door.
10) We live in …small flat near … centre of the city.
11) Did …police find …person who stole your car?
12) This morning I had …boiled egg and toast for …breakfast.
13) As I was walking along …street, I found …10$ note on …pavement.
14) Have you got …car? – No, I have never had …car in my life.
15) I went into …shop and asked to speak to …manager.
16) …President of …United States is elected for four years.
17) What …beautiful garden! …flowers growing here are beautiful too.
18) You got into …wrong train. Your train is at …platform 5.
19) …truth is that he is …only man she obeys.
20) My cousin, …young man of twenty-five, works as …interpreter. He has …wide range of …interests and …good knowledge of three foreign languages.
Exercise 14
Put in a/an, the or leave it blank.
1) Julius Caesar who was …powerful Roman general came to …Britain in 55 B.C.
2) …English language was brought onto …British Isles in …middle of …fifth century by …Angles, …Saxons, …Jutes who came there from …North of …Germany.
3) …British Prime Minister lives in …Downing Street.
4) One of …nicest parks in London is …St. James’s Park which is I very near …Buckingham Palace.
5) Mr. Readdles reads …Daily Telegraph but his wife reads … Times.
6) …Tower of London is situated within …City.
7) …London Underground (or Tube) is …oldest and longest in …Europe.
8) …Regent’s Park is …largest, it is still one of …most popular places of rest of …Londoners on …hot summer days.
9) …oldest part of London is …City, …business centre. But …political centre is …Westminster which is in …West End.
10) …Londoners like to say, ”When …man is tired of London, he is tired of …life”.
11) Do you usually see films at …Classic or at …Odeon?
12) …National Gallery and …Tate Gallery are famous all over …world.
13) …London University was built in …19th century.
14) …English Channel separates …Great Britain from …Continent.
Exercise 15
Insert the articles, if any.
1) …Moon goes round …Earth every 27 days.
2) After …lunch we went for …walk by …sea.
3) …Mother was …only person I could talk about it.
4) It was …beautiful day, …sun was shining brightly in …sky.
5) What is …highest mountain in …world?
6) We don’t go to …theatre very often these days. In fact, in …town where we live there is no …theatre.
7) Could you turn down …television, please? It’s a bit loud.
8) Do you listen to …latest news over …radio or …television?
9) Mary plays …piano very well, but she can’t play …violin. Can you play …guitar?
10) …giraffe is …tallest of all animals.
11) What is …largest living bird? -…eagle.
12) Every English child knows …story of Robin Hood. It is said that he robbed …rich and gave the money to …poor.
13) …man must do everything possible to save …environment and …life on …planet of …Earth.
14) Those people with jobs have enough money, but life is not so easy for …unemployed.
15) All over the world people are in …prison because of their political beliefs.
16) How many people go to …university in your country?
17) Some children hate …school.
18) When will you go to …hospital to visit your sick friend? -…next week.
19) I really hate …people who chew …gum all the time.
20) …traffic is one of …biggest problems in our cities.
Exercise 16
Insert the articles where it is necessary. Retell the following texts.
Esop and his Fables
…ancient stories of Esop seem to fascinate many people.
…fable is …short story that teaches …lesson.
Esop was …Greek slave who lied in …6th century B.C. He wrote down over …hundred fables; he wasn’t …author of all …fables; he collected them from many countries. …most famous are “…Hare and …Tortoise”, :…Lion and …Mouse”, “…Wolf I Sheep’s Clothing”. Many fables have …animals as their main characters. However, …people are also …main characters in some of …Esop’s fables.
The farmer and his Sons
There was once …old, dying farmer. Before he died he wanted to teach his three sons how to be …good farmers. So he called them to him and said, ”My boys, before I die I want you to know that there is …great treasure buried in …vine-yard. Promise me that you will look for it when I’m dead”. …sons promised and they began looking for …treasure. They worked very hard in …hot sun. I their minds they pictured …boxes of …gold coins, …diamond necklaces and other things like that.
But they found not …single penny. They were very upset. But then …grapes started to appear on …vines and their grapes were …biggest and best in …neighbourhood and they sold them for …lot of money. Now they understood everything and they lived happily and wealthy ever after.
…moral of …story is: …hard work brings …happiness and …wealth.
…American Tourist in …Britain
…man from …California was spending …month in …Britain. One day he booked into …hotel in …Cheltenham, …nice old town in …west of …England. Then he went out to look around …place. But …man didn’t return to …hotel. He disappeared, leaving …suitcase full of clothes behind. …police were called in, but they were unable to find out what had happened to …missing tourist. It was …mystery.
But two weeks later …man walked into …police station in …Cheltenham. He explained that he was very sorry, but while walking around …town he had got lost. He had also forgotten …name of …hotel he had booked into. So he had decided to continue with his tour of …country and had gone to visit …friend in Scotland before returning to pick up …case he had left behind.
In Search of …Good Job
There is …lot of unemployment nowadays so it is getting more and more difficult to get … kind of …job you really want. Then you have to decide what is more important to you – how much you earn or …job satisfaction. Do you want to work with your hands (called …manual work) or do you prefer to work in …office (called …clerical work)? Then you are thinking about …career, or applying for …job, first of all you should go out and look for …work instead of sitting around all day doing nothing.
Susan is …teacher of …English in …state secondary school. She’s …graduate of …Sussex University with degree in …English Literature. When she graduated, she first worked in …office but was bad at typing and soon got bored with …job. She decided to teach, so she went to …teacher training college. Susan teaches …six different classes of …children between …age of 12 and 18. …pupils enjoy her lessons, but she finds it … hard work. She gives …children …lot of homework to do, and every evening she has to mark it and prepare for …next day. One problem is that …children in …Susan’s school don’t behave very well. They are often impolite. Susan and …other teachers have to be very strict with them.
Susan’s brother Harry is 21. He passed his school exams with …good marks and left …school at 19. Now he is at …university. He is …student and receives …grant from …state to help him pay …university fees and his personal expenses. He is very keen on …mathematics and it will be useful to him in …future. He works hard and enjoys his studies. …university courses in …Britain usually last for …three years. After this, Harry hopes to graduate. …good degree will get him …good job
Exercise 17
In each of the following sentences there are two words that are possible and one that isn’t. Cross out the incorrect word in each sentence.
1) There wasn’t much / some / any salt in her omelette.
2) There was some / a bit of / a few ham in her vegetarian salad.
3) A few / several / a little of his chips were burnt.
4) There were hardly any / little/ not many desserts they liked on the menu.
5) There were only a couple of / a little / a few flavours of ice-cream to choose from.
6) There were no / very few / any taxis outside when they left the restaurant.
7) He had never had some / any/ so many problems in this restaurant before.
8) They had anything / hardly anything / nothing in common.
Exercise 18
Choose words from exercise 17 to complete the sentences below. Compare with a partner.
I could live without _______
I could live without a _______
I couldn’t live without ______
I couldn’t live without a ________
Exercise 19
Give Ukrainian equivalents to the following English proverbs. Use them in the situations of your own.
1. One man, no man.
2. A friend in need is a friend indeed.
3. Friends are thieves of time.
4. Life is not a bed of roses.
5. No news is good news.
6. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
7. Too much knowledge makes the head bold.
8. Clothes do not make the man.
9. Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion.
10. Time is money.
11. Business is business.
12. Business is first, pleasure is afterwards.
13. The way to man’s heart is through his stomach.
14. Speech is silver, but silence is gold.
15. Misfortunes never come singly.
Exercise 20
Cross out one word which doesn’t fit well with the others (in each line).
Worker, operator, electrician, factory;
hair stylist, astronomer, manager, mathematician;
laboratory, library, bakery, advisor;
artist, linguist, worker, musician;
factory, library, bakery, laboratory;
grocery, bakery, greengrocery, laboratory;
helper, banker, novelist, ventilator;
astronomer, pharmacist, linguist, electrician;
buyer, traveler, officer, microcomputer;
journalist, seller, buyer, sales manager
Exercise 21
Translate into English all the answers to the questions.
· What can you say about Gainsborough? – Художник Гейнсборо намалював багато картин.
· Who is waiting for me? – Якийсь містер Тул, місцевий лікар.
· Who wrote this book? – Професор Кейдж, викладач університету.
· What happened to Jane? – Неборака Джейн потрапили в автомобільну катастрофу; зараз вона в лікарні.
· What happened then? – Капітан Кук наказав усім залишити корабель, але сам піти відмовився.
· How did you find Sondra? – О, це була чудова Сандра, та Сандра, що я зустрів три роки тому.
· You see, you’ve failed again. – Так, на жаль, я ніколи не стану Наполеоном.
· How’s Dick getting on? – Ти його не впізнаєш. Це вже не той Дік, якого ти колись знав.
· Who is the man on your right? – Я тебе познайомлю. Це – містер Вайт, а це – містер Чейз.
· Did you see anybody here? – Так, я бачив полковника Рейда і капітана Сміта, вони запитували про вас.
· What was the reason for your defeat? – Знаменитий генерал Сміт. Мої солдати просто не могли витримати такого.
· Let me introduce Mrs. Winston. –Я не мав жодного сумніву, що ви – та сама місіс Він стон, про яку я стільки чув.
· Do you know anything about the Whites? –Старий Вайт – учений, автор кількох книг. Що стосується молодого Вайта, то він поки нічого видатного не зробив.
· What do we know about the case? – Не дуже багато. Якийсь містер Брамс приїхав відвідати свою дочку і зник по дорозі з вокзалу.
· Any other curiosities? – Ну, наприклад, Шекспір і Сервантес вмерли в тому самому році.
Exercise 22
Translate into English.
o How do you like London? – Це вже не Лондон 80-х років, коли я вперше приїхав сюди.
o What do you know about the world’s greatest lakes? – Байкал – найглибше озеро у світі. Воно відзначається рідкісною красотою берегів.
o What oceans are there on our planet? – Тихий, Атлантичний, Індійський і Північний Льодовитий; найбільший – Тихий океан.
o What mountains are the highest in North and South America? – У Північній Америці – Кордильєри, а у Південній – Анди.
o Where did the plane land? – Літак приземлився у Франції, в провінції Нормандія.
o And what can you say about the capital of Wales? – Кардіфф, крім того, що є столицею Уельсу, ще й великий порт.
o What street is the main one in the Scottish capital? – У шотландській столиці, Единбурзі, центральною є вулиця Принсез Стріт.
o What can you say about the geographical location of the USA? – США розташовані у центральній частині північноамериканського континенту. Західне узбережжя омивається Тихим океаном, а східне – Атлантичним океаном і Мексиканською затокою.
o What do you know about the fiftieth state of the USA? – П’ятидесятим штатом США стали у 1959 році Гавайські острови, розташовані у Тихому океані між Америкою і Азією.
o What is the highest point in the USA? – Найвищою точкою у США є висота 4540 метрів у горах Сьєра Невада.
Exercise 23
Cross out (put a line through) the words in the diagram in the order of the numbered instructions below. You will be left with a proverb, when remaining words are read left to right, top to bottom.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | |
| 1 | PEEK | A | ALBERTA | BARRIERE | TURN | MUDDY |
| 2 | BETRAY | VAVENBY | GOING | BIRD | QUEBEC | TEAL |
| 3 | IN | TOOT | THE | SHAPE | LOLLIPOP | SPLIT |
| 4 | MAGENTA | SMELL | MANITOBA | MACAROON | COPPER | SEEING |
| 5 | ONTARIO | WORK | HAND | GRUNGY | CALL | FEEL |
| 6 | COOMBS | FUDGE | JUMPING | WAKE | IS | SUCKER |
| 7 | TURN | SHOPWORN | HAZELTON | TOUCH | FORAY | RELAY |
| 8 | FALLING | WORTH | SHAKE | WALKING | CLEARWATER | BEAT |
| 9 | QUEST | FONDANT | MAUVE | DELAY | SILVER | TWO |
| 10 | START | POPKUM | GRITTY | IN | CROCHET | SITTING |
| 11 | THE | MATINEE | FOOT | MAKE | HOLD | QUESNEL |
| 12 | COMOX | STANDING | BUSH | THROUGHWAY | FILTHY | SASHAY |
CROSS OUT:
1. Words that mean the same as "DIRTY" in rows 1, 5, 7, 10, 12.
2. Verbs in the Present Progressive tense in even rows.
3. Names of colours in columns A, C, E, F.
4. Four-letter words with a double vowel in the middle.
5. Words that are kinds of candy in columns B, D, E, F.
6. Names of towns in British Columbia, Canada.
7. Words that are still words when preceded by "RE-" in odd rows.
8. Names of Provinces of Canada in rows 1-5.
9. Words that rhyme with "BOUQUET."
10. Verbs that precede "UP" to make the phrasal verb "___ UP."
Exercise 24
Translate into English.
i. Щойно ескадра вийшла в море, їй на зустріч рушили три кораблі.
ii. У цій країні генеральних прокурорів зазвичай призначає президент.
iii. Енн мала кілька нервових зривів після того, як недавно вийшла заміж.
iv. За кілька хвилин після аварії навколо постраждалого зібралося багато перехожих, поліції ледь вдалося пробитися крізь натовп.
v. Її сусіди по кімнаті не таки вже й милі люди, тому вона часто уходила поблукати містом.
vi. Більше за все я люблю в нашому саду незабудки.
vii. Серед головнокомандувачів особливо виділявся генерал Шерідан.
viii. Діти зазвичай дуже люблять ходити до парку та кататися на каруселях.
ix. Діти хочуть скоріше стати дорослими, але, коли виростають, із сумом згадують дитячі роки.
x. Напередодні свята Перемоги його запросили на вечір, де він міг зустрітися зі своїми товаришами по зброї та згадати минулі роки.
xi. Багато хто з колег по роботі прийшов, щоб поздоровити його з ювілеєм та побажати довгих років життя.
xii. Після бомбардування аеродрому тільки два літаки змогли піднятися в небо.
xiii. Мисливці завмерли – з лісу до них наближалися два олені.
xiv. Я не дам тобі жодних доказів, якщо не отримаю офіційний запит.
xv. На картині було зображено кілька форелей.
xvi. Вона побачила поля, на яких паслись отари овець, неподалік були бики та гуси.
xvii. Де мої гроші? Я поклав їх тут, але зараз не можу їх знайти.
xviii. Піжама на ньому просто висіла. Три місяці перебування у лікарні змінили його до невпізнанності.
xix. Кір дуже поширена хвороба серед дітей дошкільного віку.
xx. Сполучені Штати Америки - це країна, де живуть вихідці з усього світу.
xxi. Щоб зрозуміти таку складну ситуацію, треба використати кілька критеріїв оцінки.
xxii. Відомий професор має намір дати дві серії лекцій про життя комах.
xxiii. Поліцейський намагався змусити розійтися перехожих, які зібралися біля пошкодженого автомобіля.
xxiv. Публіка бажала дізнатися більше про свого улюбленого актора.
xxv. Сніги та морози Сибіру відомі у всьому світі.
xxvi. Шахи – це гра, що розвиває мислення.
xxvii. Кімната виглядала жахливо – усюди був розкиданий одяг.
xxviii. Фрукти Іспанії експортуються до багатьох країн.
xxix. Учора я познайомився з кількома іноземними акторами. Серед них було датчан та двоє голландців.
xxx. Генії народжуються в усі часи.
xxxi. Його заробітної платні було достатньо, щоб прогодувати родину.
xxxii. Його поради завжди допомагали нам у важку хвилину.
xxxiii. Мисливець отримав приз за те, що вбив двох вовків, які завдали значної шкоди отарі овець.
xxxiv. Його роботи у галузі математики відомі за межами країни.
xxxv. Багато антен на даху будинку пошкоджені ураганом.
xxxvi. Навіть поліція була розгублена, побачивши стільки жертв на місці злочину.
xxxvii. Його знань недостатньо, щоб проводити дослідження у цій галузі.
xxxviii. Її густе волосся надає їй особливої чарівності.
xxxix. Це нове видання поем Байрона буде подарунком Джона.
xl. Він був на волосині від смерті, і тільки диво врятувало його.
xli. Ви можете відвідати її, вона живе в десяти хвилинах ходьби звідси.
xlii. Ніхто не міг пояснити поведінку Джейн на вчорашній вечірці.
xliii. По дорозі додому ми купили великий букет троянд – улюблених квітів моєї мами.
xliv. Я вважаю, що чоловіча дружба набагато міцніша за жіночу.
xlv. Після хвилинної нерішучості Джон підійшов до нареченої і сказав правду.
xlvi. Будь-який злочин може бути наслідком суспільного ладу в країні.
xlvii. Для влаштування на роботу мені не вистачало характеристики начальника відділу кадрів.
xlviii. У присутності поліцейського містер Крамер боявся заговорити зі своїм братом.
xlix. Перерва у три години – ось що потрібно після такої нелегкої праці.
l. У часи Маргарет Тетчер у Великій Британії відбулися великі зміни.
THE ADJECTIVE
The adjective is a nominative part of speech expressing a quality of a substance: size (big, small), colour (white, black), age (young, old), material (wooden, iron), psychological state (angry, glad).
The adjective has the following morphological characteristics: most adjectives have degrees of comparison (the comparative degree and the superlative degree).
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