Assignment 2: Nouns, Articles and Verb Forms Exercise

Assignment 2: Nouns and Articles; Verbs and Verb Phrases

Read the relevant parts of the compendium and UGE, and go through the PowerPoint presentation (see Grammar: Dates and Deadlines for information), then do the following six exercises. Post your answers in the discussion board and comment on the work of the three others in your group. Focus on discussing the parts that you found most difficult and/or the parts that the group disagrees on. Then submit your answers (revise these if necessary after the discussion) in the assignment 2 drop-box in Moodle. You will then be sent a key. E-mail your supervisor if you have questions.

Exercise 1: Countable and uncountable nouns

Label each highlighted noun in sentences 1–6 countable or uncountable:

Example: I have a car (countable) but no petrol (uncountable).

1. There shouldn’t be furniture in non-furnished accommodation!

2. I can hear the team cheering, so the news must be good.

3. The children soon got covered in mud.

4. The sheep stood grazing by the fence.

5. No money in the world would persuade him to do research.

6. The student thought studying mathematics might be too difficult.

Exercise 2: The genitive

Correct sentences 1–6 by adding the correct form of the genitive to the highlighted nouns:

Example: The cat wanted the dog (dog’s) bone.

1. She gave away her daughter toys to charity.

2. I enjoy reading children books.

3. I dislike Henry James novels.

4. The brambles cut the horses legs.

5. The cat sat on the witch broomstick

6. They read each other assignments.

Exercise 3: Articles

Discuss the reasons for the use or non-use of articles in sentences 1–10; correct any errors you find:

Example: I have a cat and dog. The indefinite article is needed before ‛dog’ as well as ‛cat’; the indefinite article is used to introduce singular countable nouns.

1. It was a honest mistake.

2. He lived in an untidy student room near Mid-Sweden University.

3. According to Oscar Wilde, the life imitates art.

4. She works as lecturer at the University of Strathclyde.

5. This is a much better weather than we usually have during the summer.

6. I love the French food they serve in the restaurant in the George Street.

7. She plays bassoon and the clarinet.

8. The sheep is a stupid species.

9. He may be a darling at home, but he’s a horror at the school.

10. The socialism isn’t what it used to be.

Exercise 4: Finite and non-finite verb forms

Label each verb form in sentences 1–5 finite or non-finite.

Example: Come (finite) back here, you idiot!

1. She might have been waiting for him on the wrong platform.

2. The postman was bitten by the cat.

3. He said that he was feeling feverish, but his temperature was normal.

4. Do you know the answer? You know that you should know, right?

5. I have a new car! I have wanted one for ages.

Exercise 5: Subject-verb agreement

Delete the incorrect form of the verb in sentences 1–10:

Example: The sun shine/shines every day

1. The news was/were interesting.

2. People from all over the world come/comes here to study English.

3. Not everybody like/likes dogs.

4. The woman together with both her children has/have just caught the bus.

5. If I was/were you, I would do it.

6. Here come/comes trouble in the shape of two drunken lads!

7. Studying Latin, Dutch and English was/were too time-consuming.

8. My favourite food is/are sausages

9. Sausages is/are her favourite too.

10. The boss demands that the new employee work/works harder.

Exercise 6: Auxiliary verbs

Delete the incorrect auxiliaries in sentences 1–5:

Example: Have/Had you had lunch yet? It’s nearly dinner time!

1. It is desirable that she should/would listen to our advice.

2. If he would have/had helped me, I would have/had finished by now.

3. It can/could be that he has been delayed.

4. She must not/does not have to finish her homework.

5. He shall/will be here soon.