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English File Advanced 3rd Edition - Test & Assessment CDROM

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English File Advanced 3rd Edition - Test & Assessment CDROM

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English File Advanced 3rd Edition - Test & Assessment CDROM

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English File Advanced 3rd Edition - Test & Assessment CDROM

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Unit 3
Discourse marker
https://www.englishgrammar.org/discourse-markers-exercise/

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Discourse markers ( so, right, okay ) - English Grammar Today - Cambridge Dictionary

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Discourse markers ( so, right, okay ) - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary

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Unit 10

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Which flavor of ice cream tastes the best?

Chocolate, vanilla or perhaps something fruity?

Personally, I think vanilla ice cream is delicious, but chocolate ice cream is even better.

You probably have different opinions, though, which is completely fine.

But do you know how to express them in English?

Read on for the ultimate guide to making comparisons in English. We guarantee that by the end of this post, you'll be smarter than you are now!

This article will not have many grammar terms or other complicated words, but there is one major word that you should know to understand this article: adjective.

What Is an Adjective?

An adjective is a descriptive word that describes a noun (a person, place, thing or idea). For example, the words in bold below are adjectives:

There are different types of adjectives, but the ones we'll look at today are usually just one word long.

Very common English adjectives include words like "good," "bad," "big," "small," happy," "sad" and "delicious,"but there are thousands more.

If you do want to start learning more advanced adjectives, there are many different lists online.

After you learn some of those adjectives, you can start making comparisons.

How to Make Comparisons with Comparative Adjectives

There are two basic types of comparisons: positive and negative. Positive comparisons are more common, so we'll start with those. First I'll give you the general rule, and then I'll give you several examples.

How to make positive comparisons

First we need to form the comparative adjective.

If the adjective has one syllable, add "-er" to the end of the adjective. (If the one-syllable adjective already ends in "e," just add "r.")

If the adjective ends with the letter "y," change the "y" to "i" and add "-er."

If the adjective has two or more syllables, you can make it comparative by adding "more" before the adjective.
creative → more creative beautiful → more beautiful
Then, to make a comparison, use the word "than" before the second noun you're comparing to. Here's a template using the verb "is":
[A] is [comparative adjective] than [B].
We'll look at examples and exceptions/details below to make it clear.

Examples of positive comparisons

Let's start with some examples using the countries Russia and Mexico.

For this first example I want to talk about their size, so I'll use the adjective "large."

Mexico is a large country. It's almost 2 million square kilometers in area. But Russia is over 17 million square kilometers! It's pretty obvious that Russia wins here.

The word "large" has only one syllable, which means that I should add "-er" to the end of the word. But since "large" already ends in an "e," I only need to add the "r": larger.

Using "larger" and "than," I can make a basic comparison:
Russia is larger than Mexico.
I can also do the same thing with a synonym of "large," like "big." This is also a good way to notice another exception to the basic "-er"/"-ier" rule.

If you have an adjective that ends with a consonant + vowel + consonant, you must double the final consonant before adding the "-er." "Big" is one of these words where we double the consonant "g" to make its comparative form: "bigger."
Russia is bigger than Mexico.
Other such adjectives are "fat" → "fatter" and "wet" → "wetter."

What if I want to reverse the comparison, and compare how small the countries are?

That's easy! I just follow the same rule with the word "small." This words ends with a double consonant (-ll), so only add "-er": "smaller."
Mexico is smaller than Russia.
Now, let's compare a few other qualities for these two countries. How about temperature, population and happiness?

For temperature, the most obvious adjectives are "hot" and "cold." Obviously, these two countries are very large, so different places in the same country can have very different climates.

But if you look at their average annual temperatures, Mexico's average temperature is 21 degrees Celsius. Sounds nice! But Russia's annual temperature is actually 5.1 degrees below zero! (-5.1) Wow, be sure to wear your jacket!

Let's start with the adjective "hot." It ends with consonant + vowel + consonant, so we'll double the final "t" to make the comparative adjective: "hotter."
Mexico is hotter than Russia.
Now let's do "cold." It's only one syllable and ends in two consonants (-ld), so we should add "er."
Russia is colder than Mexico.
Here's also a good example of when we can add additional words. Since there's a very large difference in annual temperature, I could say something like:
Russia is much colder than Mexico. Russia is a lot colder than Mexico.
Usually, if we're going to add words like "much," "slightly," "a bit," "barely," "possibly," "probably,"etc., we put them before the comparative adjective.

Now let's talk about population.

Russia's population is around 143 million people, and Mexico's is around 123 million. This one is a bit closer, but it's still clear that Russia has more people.

My adjective in this case will be "populated." It has four syllables, so I will just add the word "more" before the adjective: "more populated." So my comparison is:
Russia is more populated than Mexico.
Okay, so what about happiness? That's much harder to measure, but there is actually a World Happiness Report. According to the 2016 report, Mexico was in 21st place and Russia was in the 56th place. Let's look at this comparison with the adjective "happy" first, and then "optimistic."

Since "happy" ends in the letter "y," we change the "y" to "i" and add "-er."
According to the 2016 World Happiness Report, Mexico is happier than Russia.
Let's make the same sentence with the adjective "optimistic." This word word has four syllables, so the comparative form is "more optimistic."

"Optimistic" isn't the exact same thing as "happy," though, but a happy country is probably also optimistic. I can use a word like "probably," "possibly" or "maybe" before the adjective to show I'm not 100% certain.
Mexico is possibly more optimistic than Russia.
That may sound a bit strange because we're talking about a country, but it sounds a bit more natural if we're talking about the people in those countries:
Mexicans are possibly more optimistic than Russians.
How to make negative comparisons

If I want to make a negative comparison, the basic rule is very simple: Put "less" before the adjective:
[A] is less [adjective] than [B].
Let's use that with our Russia/Mexico examples again:
Mexico is less populated than Russia. Russians are perhaps less optimistic than Mexicans.
The adjectives in those examples have two or more syllables, but we can also use the rule when the adjective has one syllable. However, this is much less common because it sounds strange to some native speakers.

For example, let's say Sheila is 188 cm tall and John is 181 cm tall. I can compare them "positively" in two ways:
Sheila is taller than John.
If I want to focus on John for some reason, it's also possible to say:
John is less tall than Sheila.
But that example will sound strange to many native speakers because if something is "less tall," it's "shorter"-which is much more commonly used.

Adjectives with Two Comparative Forms

There are just a few adjectives that can be made into comparative adjectives in two ways. For them, you can either add "-er" or "more," but not both at the same time.

Those adjectives include "," " likely," " quiet," " simple," " stupid," " subtle" and " sure."

So, for example, both of the following are correct:
Tony is cleverer than Aldo. Tony is more clever than Aldo.
Even though both comparative forms are technically correct for these seven words, some of them may sound more natural to native speakers. If you're not sure which sounds best, you can always try to find a synonym:
Tony is smarter than Aldo. Tony is more intelligent than Aldo.
Irregular Comparative Adjectives

We've already mentioned a few exceptions or changes that you need to remember when making comparative adjectives, but some are irregular.

There are three common irregular adjectives that don't follow the rule at all. Those are the adjectives "good," " bad" and "far."

Better and worse

The comparative form of "good" is "better."
Your score was better than mine.
The comparative form of "bad" is "worse."
My score was worse than yours.
Because these two comparatives are completely different from the basic rule, you'll just have to memorize them.

Further and farther

The other irregular adjective is "far." If you're talking about a physical distance or length, the comparative form is usually "farther."
Portugal is farther from Mexico than Russia.
If you're talking about an amount or time, then the comparative form is "further."

Honestly, though, this one is quite complicated-even for native speakers. You can read explanations about when to use each, but since this post is more basic, here's a general rule you can follow:

Use "farther." If you're not sure if it's correct, consider using a different word or rephrasing your sentence.

Superlatives in English

A superlative adjective is similar to a comparative adjective, but we use superlative adjectives to indicate things that are the most extreme or which have the highest degree of an adjective.

In fact, that last sentence had two superlative adjectives: "the most extreme" and "the highest."You can remember that the word "superlative" starts with the with word "super," so that should remind you that these are for things that are super and extreme!

How to form superlative adjectives

You'll notice that the rules for forming superlative adjectives are very similar to the rules for forming comparative adjectives. First, all superlative adjectives will begin with "the." Then:

If the adjective you're using has one syllable, add "-est" to the end (or just "-st" if it already ends in "e").

If the adjective ends with the letter "y," change the "y" to "i" and add "-est."

If the adjective has two or more syllables, you can make it superlative by adding "most" before the adjective.
creative → the most creative beautiful → the most beautiful
Examples using positive superlatives

Let's continue talking about countries and use some of the same topics that we saw in the comparatives part.

First, let's talk about size. We already know that Russia is bigger than Mexico, but Russia is also bigger than every other country in the world. Because of this, we can use a superlative adjective.

If we want to use the adjective "large," its superlative adjective is "the largest." Another option is "big" → "the biggest."
Russia is the largest/biggest country in the world.
Notice that here I added the word "country" and the phrase "in the world."

When using superlative adjectives, we generally indicate these two things:

1. What things we're comparing. (Here we're comparing countries.)

2. Where the things we're comparing are located. In other words, the limits of our comparison. (Here the limiter is "in the world.")

Let's look at another example with people.
Sheila is the tallest student.
We don't know if Sheila is the tallest student in her class, in her school, or maybe even in her city! So we should include more information to be clear. For example:
Sheila is the tallest girl in her English class.
Now it's much clearer. So be sure to indicate what you're comparing and the limits of what you're comparing.

Exceptions and negative superlatives

The two biggest exceptions are also for the adjectives "good" and "bad." Here are their superlative forms:

So on an exam, let's say I got an 88, you got a 98 and Jenny scored a 78. So I can say:

The other exception, "far," becomes "the farthest" (or "the furthest") in its superlative form.

For negative superlatives, we put the phrase "the least" before the adjective. We don't change the adjective in this case, even if it's one syllable. But remember that if the adjective does have one syllable, it may sound strange to some people.

So in the example about our exams, I could say "Jenny got the least good grade," but most people would probably say "the worst" instead because it sounds much more natural.

Additional superlative examples

Now let's take some of the comparisons from the first section and find their superlatives.

We already know that Russia is the largest country, but do you know what the smallest country in the world is? And what about the hottest, the coldest, the most populated, the least populated, the happiest and the least happy countries? Well, here are the answers:
Vatican City is the smallest country in the world. The hottest country in the world is Mali, and the coldest country is Canada. The most populated country in the world is China. The least populated country in the world is Vatican City. The happiest country in the world is Denmark, according to the World Happiness Report. The least happy country ranked in the report is Burundi, but not all countries were included.
Other Ways to Compare in English

There are a few other ways that you can make comparisions in English.

When things are equal: as ~ as

If you're comparing two things and they're the same in a quality, then you should use the words "as [adjective] as" to indicate that they're equal. For example, if Peter and Mary are both 188 cm tall, we can say:

Because we don't have to change the adjective, this is very easy to use, and you don't have to worry about the number of syllables. So you can also say things like:
Peter is as intelligent as Mary.
Just remember that if the two things you're comparing are not exactly the same, you can indicate the small difference with words like "almost," "about," "nearly,"etc.

For example, imagine Mary is 188 cm tall and Peter is 187 cm tall. That's very close, and it's hard to notice the difference. So I could say:
Peter is nearly as tall as Mary.
Using "more" or "less" with nouns

If you're talking about two nouns, then you can compare two quantities with the words "more," "less" or "fewer."

"More" can work for things that are countable (i.e. dogs, pencils, dollars, bottles) and uncountable (i.e. water, sugar, money, milk).

For example, if Tim has $100 and Wendy has $200, I can say:
Wendy has more money than Tim.
It's a little more complicated to make the negative comparison. If the things you want to compare are not countable (like "money" in the last example), then you should use "less":
Tim has less money than Wendy.
But if the things you want to compare are countable (like people), then you should use "fewer":
Mexico has fewer people than Russia. I have fewer books than my library.
Just a side comment: This is a small grammar/vocabulary difference, and a lot of native speakers say this incorrectly. They often use the word "less" for both countable and uncountable nouns.

Finally, we can also use superlatives in this case, but we generally have to include more information or already understand it from the context. So let's include Victoria, who has $300. We can say:
Victoria has the most money.
Additional information may be optional, but it depends on the context.
Victoria makes the most money out of all the dancers in the state.
Using comparatives with adverbs

The final structure we'll look at involves adverbs. Adverbs are words that describe how or when things happen. A few common examples are "quickly," "slowly" and "happily." Adverbs describe verbs, adjectives or other adverbs.

If I want to compare how two things happen, I can add the word "more" or "less" before the adverb to make a comparison.

For example, between 2015 and 2016, Mexico's population increased by 1.3%. In the same time period, China's population increased by only .5%. So I can say:
Mexico's population is increasing more quickly than China's. China's population is increasing more slowly than Mexico's.
We could also use superlatives in cases like these, but they often sound a bit confusing and unnatural.

I hope you're now smarter than when you started reading this article.

Using the above information, you should be able to compare most things in many situations. Remember that these are the basic rules for using comparatives and superlatives in English, but you can always find more complicated examples and additional exceptions.

In that spirit of learning, I want to end with a quote about that exact idea, which also includes comparisons:

I cannot say this too strongly: Do not compare yourself to others. Be true to who you are, and continue to learn with all your might. -Daisaku Ikeda

Ryan Sitzman teaches English and sometimes German in Costa Rica. He is passionate about learning, coffee, traveling, languages, writing, photography, books, and movies, but not necessarily in that order. You can learn more or connect with him through his website Sitzman ABC.

If you liked this post, something tells me that you'll love FluentU, the best way to learn English with real-world videos.
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Chocolate or Vanilla: The Sweet Guide to Comparisons in English

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Which flavor of ice cream tastes the best?Chocolate, vanilla or perhaps something fruity?Personally, I think vanilla ice cream is delicious, but chocolate ice cream is even better.You probably have different opinions, though, which is completely fine.But do you know how to express th

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Unit 10

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There are a number of ways to add emphasis to your sentences in English. Use these forms to emphasize your statements when you are expressing your opinions, disagreeing, making strong suggestions, expressing annoyance, etc.

Use of the Passive

The passive voice is used when focusing on the person or thing affected by an action. Generally, more emphasis is given to the beginning of a sentence. By using a passive sentence, we emphasize by showing what happens to something rather than who or what does something.
Example: Reports are expected by the end of the week.
In this example, attention is called to what is expected of students (reports).

Inversion

Invert the word order by placing a prepositional phrase or ​another expression (at no time, suddenly into, little, seldom, never, etc.) at the beginning of the sentence followed by inverted word order.
Examples: At no time did I say you couldn't come.
Hardly had I arrived when he started complaining.
Little did I understand what was happening.
Seldom have I felt so alone.
Note that the auxiliary verb is placed before the subject which is followed by the main verb.

Expressing Annoyance

Use the continuous form modified by 'always', 'forever', etc. to express annoyance at another person's action. This form is considered an exception as it used to express a routine rather than an action occurring at a particular moment in time.
Examples: Martha is always getting into trouble.
Peter is forever asking tricky questions.
George was always being reprimanded by his teachers.
Note that this form is generally used with the present or past continuous (he is always doing, they were always doing).

Cleft Sentences: It

Sentences introduced by 'It', like 'It is' or 'It was', are often used to emphasize a specific subject or object. The introductory clause is then followed by a relative pronoun.
Examples: It was I who received the promotion.
It is the awful weather that drives him crazy.
Cleft Sentences: What

Sentences introduced by a clause beginning with 'What' are also used to emphasize a specific subject or object. The clause introduced by 'What' is employed as the subject of the sentence as is followed by the verb 'to be'.
Examples: What we need is a good long shower.
What he thinks isn't necessarily true.
Exceptional Use of 'Do' or 'Did'

You have probably learned that the auxiliary verbs 'do' and 'did' are not used in positive sentences - for example: He went to the store. NOT He did go to the store. However, in order to emphasize something we feel strongly these auxiliary verbs can be used as an exception to the rule.
Examples: No that's not true. John did speak to Mary.
I do believe that you should think twice about this situation.
Note this form is often used to express something contrary to what another person believes.

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Use This Guide to Add Emphasis in Your English Sentences

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There are a number of ways to add emphasis to your sentences in English. Use these forms to emphasize your statements when you are expressing your opinions, disagreeing, making strong suggestions, expressing annoyance, etc. The passive voice is used when focusing on the person or thing affected by an action.

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Unit 2B
The past narrative tenses :
Narrative tenses are verb tenses that are used to talk about the past. They are often found in stories and descriptions of past events, such as
personal anecdotes.

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Meaning and use

We use narrative tenses to talk about the past. We can use them to tell a story or to describe past events, including personal anecdotes.

When I lived on the island, I enjoyed walking on the beach in the early morning with Bonnie - my best friend and my dog.

Britain declared war on Germany on 3 September 1939 after Germany had attacked Poland two days earlier. Britain had been trying to negotiate a peaceful settlement.

The four narrative tenses are the past simple, past continuous, past perfect and past perfect continuous and one or more of these can be used in a sentence.

We were walking as usual one day, when all of a sudden, Bonnie shot off. She started to bark furiously. I saw a man sleeping face down on the sand. Bonnie continued to bark, but the man didn't wake up. He wasn't sleeping; he was dead. It was clear that the storm had washed up the body.

Past simple

We can use the past simple for actions that started and finished in the past, for example a series of events in someone's life.

Nelson Mandela was born in 1918. He became the first black President of South Africa. He spent 27 years in prison in his battle against the system of apartheid.

The past simple is often used in stories and dialogue, too.
- When Bobby went down for breakfast, Matt looked up. - "Did you hear the storm last night?" - "Your brother went out last night. He didn't come back. Do you know where he went?" - Bobby's heart sank. She knew exactly where Dan had gone...
Past continuous

We use the past continuous for background information and to describe a scene or situation that continued for some time.

Past simple and past continuous

We often use the past simple and past continuous together when one action interrupts another.

I was strolling along the beach one day when suddenly, Bonnie ran off.

It was still raining when Bobby woke up the next morning. Dan was sitting at the table when she went into the kitchen.

Past simple and past perfect

We can use the past perfect with the past simple together in a sentence to describe an action that happened before another past action.

I quickly realised that the storm the previous night had washed up the body.

Bobby knew that Dan hadn't wanted to come home but she also knew that he hadn't had any other option.

Past perfect continuous

We use this tense to describe something that has been happening over a long period of time.

I could tell that the body had been lying on the beach for several hours because the man's clothes were dry.

Britain had been trying to negotiate a peaceful settlement between Poland and Germany.

Take note: linking devices

When we tell a story in the past, we often use linking words or phrases to join two or more sentences or clauses. This helps the narrative to flow in a more interesting and natural way. Some linking phrases and words show a sequence of events or actions.

Nelson Mandela never gave up on his struggle against apartheid. As the years went by, his fame spread to every corner of the world. In the end, under enormous global pressure, the government had no option but to release him.

Other linking words and phrases that signal order of events are: First of all ..., Then ..., Next ..., Finally ..., After that ..., After several months/days/hours/weeks ..., By the time ..., All of a sudden ...

We also use linking words and phrases in dialogue to indicate interest in what is being said and to keep the conversation flowing.
- So how did you meet your wife? - Well, it's a strange story: what happened was I was training as a paramedic and one day we got a call to a house in East Street. - Oh, my cousin lives there! ... - Really? ... So, anyway, when we arrived in East Street, another ambulance was already there! Sylvie and I treated the patient together. The rest is history!

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BBC Learning English - Course: intermediate / Unit 20 / Grammar Reference

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We use narrative tenses to talk about the past. We can use them to tell a story or to describe past events, including personal anecdotes. When I lived on the island, I enjoyed walking on the beach in the early morning with Bonnie - my best friend and my dog.

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Unit 1B
Have:
1- Explanation.
2- Exercises.

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Unit 8A
Gerunds and Infinitives:
1- Definitions.
2- Examples.
3- Exercises.
4- References.

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Unit 10
Adding emphasis: cleft sent

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Comparison: adjectives ( bigger, biggest, more interesting ) - English Grammar Today - Cambridge Dictionary

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Comparison: adjectives ( bigger, biggest, more interesting ) - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary

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Unit 10
Adding emphasis: cleft sentences

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We sometimes use constructions called cleft sentences when we want to focus on a particular part of the sentence. These are used both in written and spoken English.

There are two main types of cleft sentence, it- clefts and what- clefts (and a variation of what-clefts, all-clefts). What- clefts and variations on them are often referred to as pseudo clefts.

Read all about clefts and try some exercises.

Introduction

What a cleft sentence does is to cleave (split or divide into two) a sentence into two parts in order to emphasise one of the parts (underlined). The part of the sentence we don't want to emphasise is put into a type of relative clause (in dark blue).

Warsaw Will writes this blog. (normal sentence)

If we want to emphasise nouns and other parts of a sentence other than finite verbs, we can use an it-cleft.

If we want to emphasise finite verbs or actions, we need to use a wh-cleft.

Update - following a comment from elhamcz I've amended the section on it-clefts a bit, adding a little more information, a bit about pronouns and an additional exercise, on it-cleft structures in questions.

What's a nominal relative clause?

A nominal relative clause is like a defining relative clause, but where the noun and relative pronoun are combined in a nominal relative pronoun, most commonly what. You can find out more about these in my post about nominal relative clauses (link below).

This is the thing that connects the brake cable to the brake. (defining relative)

This is what connects the brake cable to the brake. (nominal relative)

Emphasis in cleft sentences with it.

By using a cleft sentence with preparatory it, we can emphasise a noun, often in contrast with what has just been said:

We often use an it-cleft to correct wrong information. When speaking, we stress the emphasised noun phrase. Note that we can stress different parts of the sentence: the subject, the object, a prepositional phrase for example.

Jenny has bought a house in London

Jenny went to visit her sister on Wednesday.

Notice that the use of pronouns is similar to but not exactly the same as in defining relative clauses:

that is usually used for things and after prepositional phrases

As in defining relative clauses, who and that can be left out when they refer to the object or the object of a preposition.

See the next section for a discussion on words used to introduce the relative clause.

Relative pronouns etc in it-clefts

By far the most common pronoun used to introduce the relative clause part is that, and it is also possible to use who to refer to people. One grammar book suggests that we tend to use that after proper nouns (names), and my own feeling is that we tend to use who after pronouns:

It was Paul that gave the game away, wasn't it?

It's you who should be apologising, not her.

You will occasionally see other wh-words in it-clefts, but they are rather rare, and you are probably better avoiding them, especially in tests and in writing:

which (for things)
It was his attitude which annoyed me.
more usual:
It was his attitude that annoyed me.

whose (for possession)
It wasn't David whose pen you borrowed, you borrowed mine.
more usual is to use a possessive and that or zero pronoun
It wasn't David's pen (that) you borrowed, it was mine.

whom (very formal, and seen by many as rather old-fashioned and stilted)
In the end it was Peter whom I asked to be my best man.
much more natural is to use who, that or perhaps best, nothing.
In the end it was Peter (that/who) I asked to be my best man.

when, where (sometimes used in an informal style, often without a preposition)
It's Tuesday when they're coming, isn't it?
It was the Black Swan where I saw you last night, wasn't it?
When using that or nothing we may need to include a preposition
It's on Tuesday (that) they're coming, isn't it?
It was in the Black Swan (that) I saw you last night, wasn't it?

A bit more on it-clefts

In spoken English we often use tag questions after it-clefts:

It was you who left the door open, wasn't it?

It's tomorrow we're having an extra class, isn't it?

Sometimes we stress is/was rather than the emphasised word, when we want to confirm something we already think is probably true:

It was you who left the door open, wasn't it?

It is tomorrow we're having an extra class, isn't it?

We use a third person verb after who/that, agreeing with the subject:

We can also use negative structures:

It isn't Peter who you should be blaming, but George.

It wasn't in Bristol he made his fortune, although that's where he was born.

When the context is clear, we can miss out the relative clause part:

A: I wonder who wrote that on the board.
B: Well, it certainly wasn't me! (who wrote that on the board)

A:Do you know when the exhibition starts?
B: It's on Friday. (that the exhibition starts)

When we emphasise a subject pronoun, we usually use an object pronoun after is/was. In a very formal style, a subject pronoun can be used. If you want to avoid being too informal, you can use a structure with person/one:

It's me who does all the cooking. (informal)
It is I who does all the cooking. (very formal)
I'm the person/one who does all the cooking. (neutral)

It wasn't her who told me. (informal)
I was not she who told me. (very formal)
She's not the person/one who told me. (neutral)

Practice with it-clefts

In the it-cleft exercises only that, who and zero pronoun (nothing) are used to introduce the relative clause part.

Exercise 1

Rewrite each sentence to emphasise the relevant noun, starting with It was ... - where possible leave out the pronoun.

We can also emphasise parts of the sentence (other than finite verbs), not just nouns. Again when speaking we'd stress the most important word of the stressed phrase.

Exercise 2

Rewrite each sentence to emphasise the underlined phrase, starting with It was .... You will need to add that to each sentence. Look carefully at the underlined words in the last two questions.

Questions with it-clefts

Look at these two questions and their answers:

Did you tell James, or did you forget?
It's OK, I told him.

Did you tell Peter, or was it somebody else?
No, it certainly wasn't me.

Was it you who / that told Peter?
I don't know who it was, but it certainly wasn't me.

Notice that the part after who / that is in normal positive form (without do/did in simple teneses) and in the third person.

Exercise 3

Rewrite each question to emphasise the underlined word or phrase, starting with Was or Is and including the word given. If it's (-), don't include any relative pronoun. Use contractions where appropriate.

Emphasis in cleft sentences with what.

Sally dumped me.

I don't like the way she did it.

She locked me out of the flat.

1. To focus on a noun phrase, we split the sentence just before the noun phraseThis pattern is often used with verbs expressing an emotion or want:

I don't like the way she did it.
What I don't like is the way she did it.
The way she did it (reversed)
is what I don't like.

like, love, dislike, hate, enjoy, need, prefer, want, etc.

2. To focus on an action done by the subject, we split the sentence just before the verb (the action), and add a form of do. Note that we might have to change the form of the verb.did had done

Sally dumped me.
What Sally was (to) dump me.
Sally had dumped me.
dump me.What Sally was (to)

3. To focus on the whole event, especially an event outside the subject's control. Here the 'split' comes before the event, in other words the whole sentence.

She locked me out of the flat.
she locked me out of the flat.
She has locked me out of the flat.
she has locked me out of the flat.What has happened is (that)

Emphasis in cleft sentences with all.

We can also use all (meaning the only thing) instead of what in all three of the patterns we use for what-clefts.

Practice with what-clefts

Exercise 4

Fill each gap with ONE suitable word.

Exercise 5

Rewrite the sentences exactly as in the examples, following the three patterns you've just looked at.

The main difference between it-clefts and wh-clefts

In an it-cleft, the emphasis is near the beginning of the sentence. In a what-cleft, it's the end of the sentence that takes the emphasis. This is where we often prefer to put new information or a long subject.

A group of wild horses galloping through the clearing caught our attention.

What caught our attention was a group of wild horses galloping through the clearing.

A what-cleft can also have an announcing function; it is like answering a question we might expect our listener is wondering about. It's often used by a speaker to introduce their talk or lecture.

Audience - I wonder what he's going to talk about.

Speaker - What I want to talk about today is the state of the economy.

Although what is the by far the most common, we can also in theory use other wh-words in pseudo clefts.

What we did was (to) build a treehouse in the garden.

Why we did it was so that the children would have somewhere interesting to play.

Where we did it was in the big oak tree overlooking the river.

How we did it was by first erecting a platform in the tree.

When we did it was in the spring, before the leaves grew too much.

But apart from the what-cleft in the first sentence, these clefts starting with a simple wh-word are quite informal, and we usually prefer to use a longer expression instead.

These should become clearer in the next exercise.

Grammar trivia

When we use a simple wh-pronoun, we have a nominal relative clause. But when we use a 'long expression', we have a defining relative clause.

To-infinitives after do in pseudo clefts

Look at these example sentences from previous sections:

What Sally did was (to) dump me.

All Oliver Twist did was (to) ask for more.

The best thing (that) we can do is (to) forget about it.

Exercise 6

Complete each gap with one of the words in the box. Where necessary (but only where necessary) add that.

Reversed pseudo clefts

Sometimes we might want to put the expression we are focussing on at the beginning of the sentence, in which case we can use what is known by linguists and grammarians as a reversed pseudo cleft.

Reversed pseudo clefts are not used as much as normal pseudo clefts, and can sound rather formal, except perhaps for constructions with 'the person' or something similar, which are quite common - see next section.

He wanted to buy a new computer game. (normal sentence)
What he wanted to buy was a new computer game. (pseudo cleft)
A new computer game (reversed pseudo cleft)

You need to see Diana about that. (normal sentence)
The person (who / that) you need to see about that is Diana. (pseudo cleft)
Diana (reversed pseudo cleft)is the person (who /that) you need to see about that.

We're leaving early because of the traffic. (normal sentence)
The reason (why / that) we're leaving early is the traffic. (pseudo cleft)
The traffic (reversed pseudo cleft)is the reason (why / that) we're leaving early.

The person, one, thing etc

We can also use cleft-like structures with person or one for people:

The person who knows all about that is Diana.

Diana 's the one (who /that) you need to see about that.

You've come to the right person. I'm the one who deals with all that sort of thing.

The one (who/that) everybody's been talking about for the job is Spencer.

Apparently you're the person (who) I need to see.

They're the people who have invited us to dinner next week.

For things and situations, we use thing:

The only thing (that) you need (to) bring is yourself.

The best thing (that) we can do is (to) forget about it.

The first thing (that) you have to do is (to) work out how much you need.

Somebody, someone

We can make sentences similar to it-clefts but using this, that, these, those.

But this is Diana (who/that) we're talking about. She's not usually like that.

Hey, that's my foot (that) you're standing on!

These are the people who/that have invited us to dinner next week

Are those my boots that are lying over there?

Note - When we can, we usually leave out the pronoun.

This and that are often used in this way to replace here and there

The where-clause is a type of nominal relative clause. The next section shows another common type of cleft sentence using nominal relative clause.

th-wh constructions

Putting it all together

Exercise 7

In each of the sentences one of the underlined words or phrases is wrong. Write the number in the first box and the correct word or phrase in the second box. Use contractions where possible and capital letters where necessary.

Exercise 8

Complete each gap with ONE word. Contractions count as one word.

Exercise 9

Complete the sentences as cleft sentences focussing on the underlined phrases and including any words in bold. After It's, only use that where necessary. Don't use any final punctuation.

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Emphasis - Focussing with cleft sentences

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We sometimes use constructions called cleft sentences when we want to focus on a particular part of the sentence. These are used both in written and spoken English. There are two main types of cleft sentence, it- clefts and what- clefts (and a variation of what-clefts, all-clefts).

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4A
Speculation and deduction
1. The Lesson

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 When you are sure something is TRUE: you guess it from the context or evidence. Ex.: He must be rich. He drives a Ferrari. He hasn't come to cl...

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4A
2. The exercises

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3a speculation and deduction learn english

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Students >English File Student's Site >New Advanced >Grammar >File 3 >3A speculation and deduction

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Unit 5A. Distancing.
A prefect explanation for these grammar that I have found with very good excersices.

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Unit
4B

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Unit 9A
Ellipsis and substitution exercises

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Ellipsis and substitution - Test English

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Ellipsis and substitution. Advanced English grammar exercises. Omission of pronouns, use of auxiliary verbs, reduced infinitive, etc.

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Unit 9A
Ellipsis and substitution lesson

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Ellipsis - English Grammar Today - Cambridge Dictionary

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Ellipsis - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary

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Unit 7A
Permission, obligation, and necessity

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Classic Style Exercises:
Modals Exercises

Multiple Choice Exercises:
Modal Verbs Tests

Drag and Drop Exercises:
Modal Verbs Drag and Drop Exercises 1
Modal Verbs Drag and Drop Exercises 2
Modal Verbs Drag and Drop Exercises 3

Also See:
Auxiliary Verbs
Must/Mustn't vs Have/Has to
Could have / Should have / Would have / Might have / Must Have + V3
Needn't have V3 vs Didn't need to
Can - Can't
Can - Can't Exercises
Can - Can't Exercises 2
Could vs Was/Were able to

Modal Verbs Table

Another Reference for Modals

Permission

CAN / BE ALLOWED TO

I can have a dog in my apartment. I am allowed to have pets in my room.

Past Ability

COULD / WAS ABLE TO

When I was a kid, I could run for hours.
could vs was were able to

Possibility / Uncertainty about the future
*adverb MAYBE

MAY / MIGHT

It might / may rain this evening.
May be it will rain this evening.

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Modal Verbs / Modals Chart - GrammarBank

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Classic Style Exercises: Modals Exercises Multiple Choice Exercises: Modal Verbs Tests Drag and Drop Exercises: Modal Verbs Drag and Drop Exercises 1 Modal Verbs Drag and Drop Exercises 2 Modal Verbs Drag and Drop Exercises 3 Also See: Auxiliary Verbs Must/Mustn't vs Have/Has to Could have / Should have / Would have / Might have / Must Have + V3 Needn't have V3 vs Didn't need to Can - Can't Can - Can't Exercises Can - Can't Exercises 2 Could vs Was/Were able to Permission CAN / BE ALLOWED TO I can have a dog in my apartment.

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Unit 7B
Verbs of the senses, we have studied this grammar with teacher Waseem. He had explained that in a wonderful way. we all understand what he explained. i want to give you a link for more information and  more explanation  of this grammar, they may help you. After you read the explanation you should do the exercises and check your answers.

good luck

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Learn English. 1 FREE English lesson added every single day. Grammar, vocabulary, listening & reading

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7 Reasons why Research is important

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Why Is Research Important?

The significance of research cannot be understated. It is integral to succeeding in school as well as in many professions, such as law, writing, and finance. The main purposes of research are to inform action, gather evidence for theories, and contribute to developing knowledge in a field of study. This article discusses the significance of research and the many reasons why it is important for everyone-not just students and scientists.

Understanding that research is important might seem like a no-brainer, but many people avoid it like the plague. Yet, for those who like to learn, whether they are members of a research institution or not, conducting research is not just important-it's imperative.

Why Research Is Necessary and Valuable in Our Daily Lives

1. It's a tool for building knowledge and facilitating learning.

2. It's a means to understand issues and increase public awareness.

3. It helps us succeed in business.

4. It allows us to disprove lies and support truths.

5. It is a means to find, gauge, and seize opportunities.

6. It promotes a love of and confidence in reading, writing, analyzing, and sharing valuable information.

7. It provides nourishment and exercise for the mind.

A Tool for Building Knowledge and Facilitating Learning

Research is required not just for students and academics but for all professionals and nonprofessionals alike. It is also important for budding and veteran writers, both offline and online.

For nonprofessionals who value learning, doing research equips them with knowledge about the world and skills to help them survive and improve their lives. Among professionals and scribes, on the other hand, finding an interesting topic to discuss and/or to write about should go beyond personal experience. Determining what the general public may want to know or what researchers want others to realize or think about can serve as a reason to do research. Thus, research is an essential component in generating knowledge and vice-versa.

Knowledge is commonly described as a factual proposition in an individual's mind. It essentially refers to facts based on objective insights and/or study findings processed by the human brain. It can be acquired through various means, such as reading books and articles, listening to experts, watching documentaries or investigative shows, conducting scientific experiments, and interacting with other people. Facts collected during research can be checked against other sources to ensure truthfulness and accuracy.

Studies and Articles About the Importance of Research

In his article, " E pistemology," Yale University's David Truncellito (n.d.) identifies three kinds of knowledge: procedural (competence or know-how), acquaintance (familiarity), and propositional (description of "a fact or a state of affairs").

Brain Research UK (formerly Brain Research Trust), a medical-research charity based in the United Kingdom, acknowledges the importance of research in building knowledge. It sees research as crucial to finding possible cures for diseases and ways to prevent them. Thus, research is necessary to ascertain whether previous studies support one's ideas or if these ideas still need further proof to be considered knowledge.

An example of one such endeavor is a 2016 study conducted by several psychologists to examine how sleep affects memory reactivation. In " Relearn Faster and Retain Longer: Along With Practice, Sleep Makes Perfect," they discovered that "interleaving sleep between learning sessions not only reduced the amount of practice needed by half but also ensured much better long-term retention. Sleeping after learning is definitely a good strategy, but sleeping between two learning sessions is a better strategy." This study supports the fact that both repetition and sleep improve a person's long-term retention of information. Their findings also emphasize how highly important sleep is to healthy brain function.

A study by The World Bank in 2006 also underscored sleep as a key factor in efficient learning, or the process of gaining optimal learning using few resources. The study reiterated the role of sleep in: (1) protecting and restoring memory, (2) advanced learning, and (3) enhancing mathematical ability and problem-solving. It further noted that "knowledge is better consolidated when people study at the time when they are supposed to be awake rather than, say, late-night sessions." It cited the need for research on "the memory capacity of the poor in low-income countries" to enable teachers to better help underprivileged students learn basic skills.

The effect of sleep on the human brain is just one of the countless topics that academics and specialists have examined in various universities and medical institutions. A myriad of newer and even more specific research ideas likewise await the attention of avid scholars and inquisitive writers. Indeed, research is instrumental in building and improving knowledge and supporting existing knowledge with verifiable facts to facilitate learning.

What Is Research?

A Means to Understand Issues and Increase Public Awareness

Using Research to Understand Current Issues

Television shows and movies-both fictional and nonfictional-ooze with research. For instance, Oprah Winfrey would not have achieved remarkable success as a news anchor and television show host had she eschewed doing her research about certain topics and public figures. According to entrepreneur and lifestyle coach Paul C. Brunson, in his interview with emotional intelligence expert and author Justin Bariso (2017):

"Oprah spends a disproportionate amount of her time gathering information from communities of people outside of her core (different age groups, social classes, ethnicities, education levels, careers, etc.) and then she shares that information within her community."

This kind of effort shows the necessary role of research in helping others and raising social consciousness.

Using Research to Understand People

Many film and TV actors also take time to interview individuals to understand their roles better. Actors have worked with detectives, boxers, scientists, business owners, criminals, and teachers, among others, to gain an inside understanding of what it's like to have a certain identity. Others even go through immersion to begin to understand their characters' issues better. This might look like living in jail or a drug rehabilitation center for a while, gaining or losing a significant amount of weight, or learning to captain a sailboat. Many read literature, biographies, or journals to have a better view or context of the story they've been hired to tell.

In her 2017 article about Daniel Day-Lewis, Lynn Hirschberg described how the award-winning actor prepared for his role as dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock in Paul Thomas Anderson's film, Phantom Thread. She wrote:

"To become Woodcock, Day-Lewis, who is 60, watched archival footage of fashion shows from the 1940s and '50s, studied the lives of designers, and most important, learned to sew. He consulted with Cassie Davies-Strodder, then curator of fashion and textiles at the Victoria and Albert Museum, in London. And for many months he apprenticed under Marc Happel, who is head of the costume department at the New York City Ballet, watching intently and then helping to reconstruct the famous Marc Chagall costumes for a production of Firebird. At the end of the ballet season, Day-Lewis decided he needed to build a couture piece from scratch."

People both within and outside of the entertainment industry have, on occasion, belittled what actors do or even the profession of acting itself. However, professional thespians like Daniel Day-Lewis exert great effort to make their characters believable. Their dedication to studying their roles involves a tremendous amount of research.

Using Research to Create Realistic Fiction and Stories

Many films, theater plays, broadcast dramas, and online videos present stories based on real-life events and problems. A serious writer or content producer sees how vital research is in substantiating the context of the stories they are telling to entertain and educate audiences through different media platforms.

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The significance of research cannot be understated. It is integral to succeeding in school as well as in many professions, such as law, writing, and finance. The main purposes of research are to inform action, gather evidence for theories, and contribute to developing knowledge in a field of study.

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Unit 7A
Permission, obligation, and necessity
https://www.ecenglish.com/learnenglish/lessons/modal-verbs-1-permission-prohibition-obligation-no-obligation

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Sat, 06/01/2013 - 05:19 - Krista B

When we want to express permission, prohibition (not allowing something), obligation or no obligation we use modal verbs.

Permission - can, may, could
'Can' is most often used to ask for or give permission but 'may' and 'could' are also possible even though they are not used as often as 'can'.

Can I borrow a pen?
You can sit here, the seat is free.
Could I open the window?
May I ask a question?

Prohibition
'Can't' and 'mustn't' (must not) are used to show that something is prohibited (not allowed)
You can't go into that restaurant without a tie.
You can't drive in this country unless you are over eighteen.
You mustn't use your phone in class.
'Can't' usually gives the idea of something that is against the rules. Mustn't usually means that it is the speaker who is setting the rule.

Obligation
'Have to' and 'must' are both used to express obligation. There is a slight difference in the way that they are both used.
'Have to' shows that the obligation comes from someone else, not the speaker. This is usually referring to a rule or law.
We have to be at the airport at least two hours before the flight.
I have to work on Saturday.
They have to wear their uniforms at school.
'Must' shows us that the obligation comes from the speaker.
I must hand in my thesis by tomorrow.
I really must call my parents.

Here is an example of the difference between 'have to' and 'must':
My doctor said that I have to stop smoking or I'll risk serious problems. (I have no choice)
I must stop smoking. It's costing me too much money. (it's my decision)

We use 'don't have to' to show that there is no obligation. You can do something if you want but it is not an obligation.
You don't have to wear a tie to go to that restaurant but it would be nice.
You didn't have to call for me. I could have got a taxi.
Students don't have to wear uniforms to school.
Lesson by Tristan Now choose the correct verb for these sentences:

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Modal Verbs 1: Permission, Prohibition, Obligation, No obligation

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Sat, 06/01/2013 - 05:19 - Krista B When we want to express permission, prohibition (not allowing something), obligation or no obligation we use modal verbs. Permission - can, may, could 'Can' is most often used to ask for or give permission but 'may' and 'could' are also possible even though they are not used as often as 'can'.