MIND YOUR GRAMMAR  
Lesson 11: The Main Rules
Table:    
  Relative clauses  
  Countable / uncountable  
  Adjectives / adverbs  
  There / it contrasted  
Some / any
Verb tenses
Uses of would
Uses of should
Word order
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relative clauses

Unit 1 The books which I've read are all in the library. (defining)
  The books, which (by the way) I've read, are all in the library. (non-defining)

Table 1 : Relative clauses: defining and non-defining

a. The books which I've read are all in the library

(the books : antecedent, which : relative pronoun)
b. The books which I've read are all in the library. (defining)

The books, which I've read, are all in the library. (non-defining)

The books (which, by the way, I've read) are all in the library.
c.
The books that I've read
 The books I've read

}

 are all in the library (defining).

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countable / uncountable

Unit 3 biscuit (C): butter, honesty (U)
a piece of advice, some good advice(U)
a pair of trousers, some new trousers (always plural)

Table 2: classes of nouns

Classes of Nouns
  Countable (C) Uncountable (U) Proper
Singular a (one) banana butter, honesty Mary Brown
Plural two bananas - the Browns

Table 3: of, some, any

Two ways of dealing with uncountables and 'always plural' nouns
 

use of C noun + of

use of some and any
Uncountables a. a piece of advice, information, evidence

b. a loaf of bread, a bar of soap

c. an item of news, a news item

 He gave me some good advice.

Is there any bread in the house?

There was some interesting news on the radio.
Always plural d. a pair of trousers, glasses

e. a pair of scissors, binoculars

 I've just bought some new trousers.

Have you got any scissors?

 

Unit 4 a biscuit, several biscuits, the last one (only with Cs)
Apples will be cheap this autumn (pl general sense )
Modern American literature (U general sense)

Table 4: countables

  Countables Uncountables
a, an Would you like a biscuit? -
several, many, five There were several biscuits left. -
prop-word one This is the last one. -

Table 5: uncountable / plural

Petrol is expensive just now.
Apples are cheap this year.

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adjectives / adverbs

Unit 5 The train was slow. The train went slowly.
The fantastic (U) has always aroused my interest.
What is society doing for the unemployed? (pl)

Table 6: Adverbs

a. The train went slowly . manner
b. The train was terribly slow. degree
c. The train went terribly slowly. degree and manner

Table 7: 'Nominalised' adjectives (1)

Singular (abstract)

General

Specific
the fantastic (fantastic things, stories, phenomena)

The fantastic has always attracted me.

 the fantastic thing (what was fantastic in this specific situation)

The fantastic thing was that in spite of everything we succeeded.

Table 8: 'Nominalised' adjectives (2)

Plural (of persons)

General

Specific
the unemployed (unemployed people) the unemployed people (in this area, that I have met)
the poor the poor people(poor people)
the English the English people (English people)
What is society doing for the unemployed? The unemployed people that I've met.

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there / it

Unit 6 There's a book on the table ('introductory' there).

It's a dictionary ('real' it).

Table 9: there / it (1)

There's a book on the table.
It's a dictionary.

Table 10: there / it (2)

a. 'introductory' there There + is + a book. (on the table)
b. 'real' it a book <- It + is + a dictionary

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some / any

Unit 7 There's some tea in that tin. (affirmative)
Is there any tea left? (interrogative)
I haven't read any of these books. (negative)

Table 11: some / any

Affirmative

Interrogative, negative, and inconditional clauses

some

any
There's some tea in that tin.(U) a. (int) Is there any tea left?
I've bought some interesting books. (C pl) b. (neg) I haven't read any of these books.
  c. (cond) If anyone phones, say I'll ring them back.

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verb tenses

Unit 8 Mrs Brown is putting out her empty milk-bottles. (now)
  While I was reading a book, the phone rang. (interrupted action in the past)

Table 12: A comparison of progressive and simple forms in the present

a. You look out of the window. What is going on? (now)

Mrs Brown is putting out her empty milk-bottles.

The postman is delivering some letters.

Mr and Mrs Jones are going for a walk with their dog.

William is cycling to town to do some shopping.
b. What happens every day at about this time?

Mrs Brown always puts out her empty milk-bottles.

The postman usually delivers some letters.

Mr and Mrs Jones often go for a walk with their dog.

William sometimes cycles to town to do some shopping.

Table 13 : Progressive and simple forms in the past tense

a. While I was reading a book, the phone rang.
b. I got up. I washed and shaved. I had breakfast. I went over to the window and looked out. Mrs Brown was putting out her empty milk-bottles.
c. While I was watching TV, someone broke into my car.
d. While I did the washing up, my wife put the children to bed.

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uses of would

Unit 9 They knew he would find a solution
If it had rained, I would have stayed at home.
You should have been there.

Table 14: Main uses of would) ('d always possible)

a. in subordinate clauses (future in the past)

They knew he would find a solution. (indirect statement)

from: They know he will find. (direct: He will find.)

I wondered if he would find a solution. (indirect question)

from: I wonder if he will. (direct question: Will he find?)
b. in main clauses (with a conditional clause)

If it rained / In that case, I would stay at home.

If it had rained, I would have stayed at home.

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uses of should

Table 15 : Main uses of should ('d never possible)

a. You should have been there. (weaker form of ought to)
b. It's a pity you should always be so busy.(expression of attitude)
c. If you should see Peter, tell him about the match. (improbable condition)

a. and b. express the opinion of the speaker.

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word order

Unit 10 Yesterday I went to London.
  I know someone who has never been to the cinema.

(frequency adverbial after an auxiliary)

Table 16: Subject-verb word order in statements

I went to London yesterday.
Yesterday I went to London.
In the summer of 1989, I went to London.
When I was in England, I went to London.

Table 17 : Some patterns for placing frequency adverbials

1. Angelica never goes to the cinema.
2. She has never been to the cinema.
3. Never has she been to the cinema. (inversion)
4. The fact is that she has never been to the cinema.

I know someone who has never been to the cinema.

I wonder if she has ever been to the cinema.

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back to Lesson 11 index | 50 dual choice questions | 10 questions on rules

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