Lesson 11: Summing up

Why have you moved toCambridge?

?) Well, there's three reasons really. û

(acceptable spoken; write there are)

û: There isn't five good novelists writing today.
Ö : There aren't five good novelists writing today.

Billy likes salmon.

??) No, he don't. û

(substandard spoken, esp. American)

Aren't I going to get a present?

û: Well, I aren't going to give you one. (say I'm not)

Ö : Well, I'm not going to give you one.

	bread (U)	cars (C pl)	bread (U)	cars (C pl)
affirmative	a lot of lots of a good deal of	a lot of lots of a good many	(very) little	(very) few
negative / interrogative	much	many
comparative	more	more	less	fewer
superlative	the most	the most	the least (the smallest amount)	the fewest (the smallest number)

Aren't you afraid of falling?

These shoes are no good for dancing.

She's thinking about leaving.

infinitive marker	preposition
Mary used to sleep with the window open. (But: nowadays, she usually sleeps with the window open).	Mary is not used to sleeping with the window open.
I hope to see you soon.	I'm looking forward to seeing you.

	MIND YOUR GRAMMAR Lesson 11: Summing up - some points to remember
Table:
	Some examples of irregular usage in spoken English
	Uncountable / plural nouns
	preposition + ing form
	To as infinitive marker and preposition
		back to Lesson 11 index