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A Self-Study
reference and practice book for intermediate students
This color book is presented in Word 97-2003 Document
format.
This grammar text for intermediate students of English is
known for its simple, clear explanations and innovative format. Each of the 136
units is a two-page spread that teaches a specific grammar point, such as
if-clause, on the left-hand page and provides practice exercise on the
right.
It is suitable for students who are preparing for the TOEFL
teat and other standard examinations.
This edition includes:
Three to six practice exercises in every unit
Additional Exercises after the units that give
students the opportunity to consolidate what they have learned
Speakers
tend to use proverbs to comment on a situation, often at the end of a true story
someone has told, or in response to some event. Like all idiomatic expressions,
they are useful and enjoyable to know and understand, but should be used with
care.
A.
Warning/advice/morals – dos and don’ts
proverb
paraphrase
Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched.
Don’t anticipate
(=think that something will probably happen) the future too much.
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
Don’t invest
(=put money, effort, time etc. into something to make a profit or get an
advantage) all your efforts, or attention in just one thing.
Never judge a book by its cover.
Don’t judge people/things by their outward appearance.
Never look a gift-horse in the mouth.
Never refuse good fortune when it is there in front of you.
Take care of the pence and the pounds will take care of themselves.
Take care of small sums of money and they will become large sums.
B.
Key elements
Proverbs can be grouped by key elements, for example, animals and birds.
proverb
paraphrase
When the cat’s away, the mice will play.
People will take advantage of someone else’s absence to behave more
freely.
You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.
You can try to persuade someone, but you can’t force them.
One swallow doesn’t make a summer.
One positive sign doesn’t mean that all will be well. A swallow is a
very fast-flying bird that returns to Britain in late spring.
C.
Visualizing
As with learning all vocabulary, visualizing
(=imagining) some elements often helps.
proverb
paraphrase
There’s no smoke without fore. or Where there’s smoke,
there’s fire.
Rumors
(=unofficial information that may or may not be true) are usually
based on some degree of truth.
Too many cooks spoil the broth
/brɔθ/(=soup).
Too many people interfering is a bad way of doing things.
People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
Don’t criticize
(=say what you think is wrong or bad about something) others’
faults if you suffer from them yourself.
Many hands make light work.
A lot of people helping makes a job easier.
Adopted from English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate
A pronoun is a substitute for a noun. It refers to a person, place, thing, feeling, or quality but does not refer to it by its name. The pronoun in the following sample sentence is bolded.
The critique of Plato's Republic was written from a contemporary point of view. It was an in-depth analysis of Plato's opinions about possible governmental forms.
Antecedent
An antecedent is the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers, understood by the context. The antecedent in the following sample sentence is bolded.
The critique of Plato's Republic was written from a contemporary point of view. It was an in-depth analysis of Plato's opinions about possible governmental forms.
While the pronouns I and you can be replaced by nouns, the context of a sentence does not always require the nouns to make clear to which persons I and you refer. However, the third person pronouns (he, she, it, they) almost always derive their meaning from their antecedents or the words for which they stand. Remember that pronouns in the third person communicate nothing unless the reader knows what they mean:
It is the best source available. What source is that?
Agreement
A pronoun must agree with its antecedent in three ways:
Person refers to the quality of being.
Number is the quality that distinguishes between singular (one entity) and plural (numerous entities).
Gender is the quality that distinguishes the entities as masculine or feminine.
Grammar Conflicts
The following are some incorrect sentences. An explanation of the conflicts that some sentences may present in person, number, and gender and some possible solutions to the errors are given.
Person
Incorrect Sentence
If a person wants to succeed in corporate life, you have to know the rules of the game.
Explanation
Antecedent
a person (third person)
Pronoun
you (second person)
Conclusion
no person agreement
Solution
Although the antecedent and the pronoun agree in number, they do not agree in person. This problem can be remedied in two ways.
Solution
Example
Change the second person singular, you, to a third person singular pronoun.
If a person wants to succeed in corporate life, he or she has to know the rules of the game.
Change the third person singular antecedent, a person, to a second person singular antecedent.
If you want to succeed in corporate life, you have to know the rules of the game.
Number
Incorrect Sentence
If anybody wants to succeed in corporate life, they have to know the rules of the game.
Explanation
Antecedent
anybody (third person singular)
Pronoun
they (third person plural)
Conclusion
no number agreement
Solution
Although the antecedent and pronoun agree in person, they do not agree in number. This problem can be remedied in two ways.
Solution
Example
Make the antecedent plural.
If people want to succeed in corporate life, they have to know the rules of the game.
Make the pronoun singular.
If anybody wants to succeed in corporate life, he or she has to know the rules of the game.
Gender
Incorrect Sentence
If a person wants to succeed in corporate life, he has to know the rules of the game.
Explanation
Antecedent
a person (third person neutral singular)
Pronoun
he (third person masculine singular)
Conclusion
no gender agreement
Solution
Even though there is person and number agreement between the antecedent, a person, and the pronoun, he, there is no gender agreement; in other words, the language appears to favor one sex over the other. This problem can be remedied in two ways.
Solution
Example
Replace the pronoun he with he or she.
If a person wants to succeed in corporate life, he or she has to know the rules of the game.
Make the entire sentence plural.
If people want to succeed in corporate life, they have to know the rules of the game.
We often use phrases to describe words within sentences, and we determine the meaning of our sentences by placing these descriptive phrases next to the words they point to or "modify." For example, the sentence, "I saw a boy running down the street," indicates that the "boy" was doing the running. However, if we wrote, "Running down the street, I saw the boy," we would be suggesting to readers that "I" was doing the running.
Misplaced Modifiers
Sometimes we become careless and place descriptive phrases far away from the words they modify, making our sentences unclear or inaccurate. We call these phrases misplaced modifiers. For example, in "I was told that I had been awarded the scholarship by my professor," does the underlined phrase mean that the professor did the telling or the awarding? If the professor did the telling, we could make the meaning of this sentence clearer by repositioning the phrase: "I was told by my professor that I had been awarded the scholarship."
Dangling Modifiers
Other times we write descriptive phrases that point to or modify words that are not clearly stated in our sentences, making our sentences illogical. We call these phrases dangling modifiers. For example, in "Walking to college on a subzero morning, my left ear became frozen," the underlined phrase modifies "my left ear." This doesn't make sense; some person must have been doing the walking. We can clarify the sentence by putting a logical word after the phrase: for example, "Walking to college on a subzero morning, I froze my left ear." Or, we can change the phrase so that it has a logical subject and verb in it: "When I was walking to college on a subzero morning, my left ear became frozen."
The following table includes sentences with dangling and misplaced modifiers, as well as a possible revision for each and an explanation of why the revision is necessary.
Examples of Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers
Revisions
On July 20, 1969, American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin landed on the moon, watched by nearly a fifth of the world's population.
Watched by nearly a fifth of the world's population, American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin landed on the moon on July 20, 1969.
(The world was not watching the moon; the world was watching the astronauts.)
After seeing the benefits of reduced employee turnover, absenteeism, and lateness, onsite daycare is being provided more frequently as a perk for working parents.
After seeing the benefits of reduced employee turnover, absenteeism, and lateness, more and more companies are providing onsite daycare as a perk for working parents.
(Onsite daycare is not seeing the benefits of reduced turnover, absenteeism, and lateness; companies are seeing these benefits as a result of onsite daycare.)
An author who did not receive much attention until after her death, readers of all ages enjoy Emily Dickinson's poetry today.
or
Readers of all ages enjoy Emily Dickinson's poetry today, an author who did not receive much attention until after her death.
Today, readers of all ages enjoy the poetry of Emily Dickinson, an author who did not receive much attention until after her death.
(The phrase, an author who did not receive much attention until after her death, should modify Emily Dickinson rather than readers or Emily Dickinson's poetry.)
Cost-efficient and convenient, many of today's corporate employees are being trained through computer-assisted instruction.
Cost-efficient and convenient, computer-assisted instruction is being used by many companies to train employees.
(The descriptive words, cost-efficient and convenient, modify computer-assisted instruction rather than today's corporate employees.)
Having submitted the conference registration form after the deadline, special permission by the chairperson was needed before she could give her presentation.
Having submitted the conference registration form after the deadline, Susan needed special permission from the chairperson before she could give her presentation.
(The example doesn't make sense as it is written. Someone must have submitted the form late. According to the revision, Susan submitted the form late.)
When purchasing a cellular phone, the wide variety of calling plans and features overwhelms many people.
When purchasing a cellular phone, many people become overwhelmed by the wide variety of calling plans and features.
(The calling plans and features aren't purchasing cellular phones. People purchase cellular phones.)
New York Stock Exchange members shout out opening bids and offers, acting on behalf of institutions and individual investors.
Acting on behalf of institutions and individual investors, New York Stock Exchange members shout out opening bids and offers.
(Members of the New York Stock Exchange--rather than opening bids and offers-- act on behalf of institutions and investors.
The following rules and examples will help you know when and where to use the semicolon as a punctuation mark.
Use a semicolon to combine two very closely related complete sentences.
Toni Morrison uses parabolic storytelling in her writing; she seldom writes in a linear mode.
Many people believe the state quarters released from the United States Mint will be valuable someday; although this is possible, the coins may also turn out to be worth no more than their actual value of 25 cents.
Use a semicolon along with a conjunctive adverb and a comma to clarify the relationship between two closely related complete sentences. Conjunctive adverbs include however, therefore, in addition, moreover, subsequently, consequently, instead, and additionally.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is in danger of falling over; however, engineers are trying to stabilize its foundation.
The Five Nations respects the abilities of all its people; therefore, both women and men participate in making tribal decisions.
Use a semicolon to separate a series of phrases or clauses that are long or have punctuation, like commas, within them.
In Walden, Henry David Thoreau encourages individuals to find their own way of life rather than conforming to the ideas of others; to seek the truth and beauty of life in nature; and to learn about themselves and the world by experiencing life instead of just studying it.
The University's community outreach committee was led by three individuals: Erica Hunt, a full-time student; Dave Woods, a Center for Information Media administrator; and Joyce Wilkins, a business professor.
The following rules and examples will help you know when and where to use the colon as a punctuation mark.
Use a colon to signal the reader that a series of words, phrases, or clauses follows a complete sentence.
The baseball coach claimed that the team's success stemmed from four things: consistent hitting, solid pitching, good fielding, and excellent teamwork.
The Greasy Spoon restaurant had several house specialties: a hot turkey sandwich, a roast pork dinner, a walleye platter, and a barbecued chicken wing basket.
Use a colon to signal the reader that a second complete sentence explains a closely related preceding sentence.
The supervisor's remark was straight to the point: I won't tolerate workers who show up late.
Religion and politics can be sensitive subjects: many people hold opinionated views and are easily offended by other peoples' remarks.
Use a colon to signal the reader that a name or description follows a complete sentence when you want to put a lot of emphasis on that item.
The local anglers had a nickname for the large muskie that had cruised the lake's shoreline for years without being caught: Old Mossback.
The preoccupied burglar didn't notice who was standing right behind him: a smiling police officer.
Use a colon to introduce a long quotation after a complete sentence.
In his book, Language is Sermonic, rhetorician Richard Weaver described how language may influence us:
Sophistications of theory cannot obscure the truth that there are but three ways for language to affect us. It can move us toward what is good; it can move us toward what is evil; or it can, in hypothetical third place, fail to move us at all. (60)
Colons are also used...
...to separate titles and subtitles:
Richard Nixon: The Tarnished President
...to express time:
The accident occurred at approximately 1:45 p.m. on Tuesday.
...to cite a law or Biblical passage:
According to Minnesota statute 1:49:002, it is unlawful to feed licorice or peanut butter to goats.
...to end a salutation:
Dear Rachel:
...to separate the place of publication and the publisher in a bibliographic entry:
West, Gerald. How to Write Best Sellers. New York: Henry
Without, the night was cold and wet, but in the small parlor of Lakesnam Villa the blinds were drawn and the fire burned brightly. Father and son were at chess, the former, who possessed ideas about the game involving radical changes, putting his king into suchm sharp and unnecessary perils that it even provoked comment from the whitehaired old lady knitting placidly by the fire.
"Hark at the wind," said Mr. White, who, having seen a fatal mistake after it was too late, was amiably desirous of preventing his son from seeing it.
"I'm listening," said the latter, grimly surveying the board as he stretched out his hand. "Check."
"I should hardly think that he'd come tonight," said his father, with his hand poised over the board.
"Mate," replied the son.
"That's the worst of living so far out," bawled Mr. White, with sudden and unlooked-for violence; "of all the beastly, slushy, out-of-the-way places to live in, this is the worst. Pathway's a bog, and the road's a torrent. I don't know what people are thinking about. I suppose because only two houses on the road are let, they think it doesn't matter."
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Grammar
Vocabulary
Pronunciation
Proverbs, Idioms, Informal Expressions
Word Choice
Punctuation Marks
Picture Vocabulary
Articles
Stories
Jokes
Other
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