Grammar Flashcards
Referential “it” REFERS TO…
“it” refers to sth previously mentioned/ sth that can be identified from the context.
VATT-regeln is used when…
Using “it”
We use “it” in expressions for weather, distance, time and temperature. “it’s snowing”
What is the difference between the sentences:
There is time for a break.
It’s time for a break.
There - period of time.
It - a point in time.
First sentence: IF we want, we can take a break.
Second sentence: We going for a break RIGHT NOW.
What pronoun we use in cleft-sentences? What are cleft-sentences?
John did it. - It was John (who did it.
Explain The principle of end focus and The principle of end weight. What pronoun is used in both principles?
We use “it” as a preparatory pronoun in those cases. Meaning that we have an “extraposed subject” in the form of a clause.
The ideia is to put the most important info in the end of the sentence.
if the extraposed subject is a NP we use “there” instead of “it”: There isn’t anything we can do.
When do we use the quant. pronoun “some” and “any”? What is the difference?
“Some” has a limited reference, and is used in affirmative clauses. “any” has an unlimited reference, and is used in negative clauses.
You can still use “some” in negative clauses if “some” means “en del”/”vissa”: “I didn’t talk to some of them” vs “I didn’t talk to any of them”.
“some” also is used:
In some expressions,
with the meaning of “cirka”, “around”, “about” (Some 18% of…)
“Any” is used in affirmative clauses with the meaning of “som helst”, “all”, “den som”:
Anyone can do this.
It’s anybody’s guess.
Anyone who tries to cheat will be desqualified.
We use the pronoun “own”
. Preceded by a possessive pronoun of a genitive: This is my own room. / This is Betty’s own room.
. Place in an of-construction at the end of a clause: I also have a room of my own.
We DO NOT use the pronoun “own”:
. “Own” can never be followed by “one” or “ones”
Explain the difference in the sentence:
A large number of jewels.
A large amount of jewellery.
Count. noun.
Uncount. noun.
Explain the difference in the sentence:
A great many coins.
A greal deal of money.
Count. noun.
Uncount. noun.
Explain the difference in the sentence:
Many poems.
Much poetry.
Count. noun.
Uncount. noun.
Explain the difference in the sentence:
Fewer assignements.
Less homework.
Count. noun.
Uncount. noun.
Personal pronouns are…
He (subject form), us (object form)
Reflexive pronouns are…
Herself, themselves
Possessive pronouns are…
My (dep.), your (indep.)
Demonstrative pronouns are…
This, those
Interrogative pronouns are…
who, which…
Relative pronouns are…
who, that, which, whom
Exclamatory pronouns are…
what, such…
- They come with the article “a”
Quantifying pronouns are…
some, no…
Reciprocal pronouns are…
each other, one another…
The quantifying pronouns “either” and “neither” are used when…
Talking about two items, can be with our without “of”
The quantifying pronounc “each” refers to…
2 or more of sth. More freq. when thinking of sth as individual entities.
The quantifying pronoun “every” refers to…
3 or more of sth.
Difference between “everyone” and “every one” is that..
Everyone refers only to ppl.
Every one does not refer to ppl.
The quantifying pronouns: a good/a great deal of, a large amount of, much are used when ref. to…
Uncount. nouns
The quantifying pronouns: a good/great many, a large number of, many etc. are used when ref. to…
Count. nouns (plural)
The quantifying pronouns: a lot of, lots of, plenty of, are used when ref. to…
Both Count. and Uncount. nouns.
Important differences between count. and uncount nouns are that:
. Uncount. nouns are only singular.
. Uncount. nouns do not use the indefinitive article. Instead you can use “any”.
. You can not use numerals when ref. to uncount nouns.
. When using demonstrative pronouns (this, that, these, those) you can only use singular (this, that) when ref. to uncount. nouns.
Explain about nouns that can be both count. and uncount. Give examples.
When they can refer either to:
. a substance and sth else. Like coffee (substance vs liquid).
. a general phenomenon vs a specific situation (death is.. victory is… vs how many deaths? A victory like this…)
In case of abbreviations (N), how we use plural form?
CDs or CD’s, both are correct.
Irregular plural content.
Man…
Men
Irregular plural content.
Woman
Women
Irregular plural content.
Foot
Feet
Irregular plural content.
Goose
Geese
Irregular plural content.
Tooth
Teeth
Irregular plural content.
Mouse
Mice
Irregular plural content.
Louse
Lice
Irregular plural content.
Child
Children
Irregular plural content.
Ox
Oxen
Irregular plural content.
Calf
Half
Knife
Shelf
Wife
Calves
Halves
Knives
Shelves
Wives
Irregular plural content.Echo
Potato
Echoes
Potatoes
Irregular plural content.
Leaf
Life
loaf
Thief
Wolf
Leaves
Lives
Loaves
Thieves
Wolves
Irregular plural content.
Hero
Tomato
Heroes
Tomatoes
Irregular plural content.
Analysis
Basis
Crisis
Diagnosis
Hypothesis
Oasis
Parenthesis
Thesis
Analyses
Bases
Crises
Diagnoses
Hypotheses
Oases
Parentheses
Theses
Irregular plural content.
-on
ex: Criterion, phenomenon
-a
Criteria
Phenomena
Irregular plural content.
-us
ex: bacillus, stimulus
-i
bacilli
stimuli
Zero plural means that…
a N is the same both in plural and singular form.
Examples: fish, cod, deer, elk, grouse, mackerel, moose, perch, pike, plaice, reindeer, roe deer, salmon, sheep, squid, trout, nationalities ending in -ese and the word Swiss, aircraft, barracks, crossroads, glassworks, headquarters, horsepower, kennels, means, offspring, quid, series, spacecraft, species, steelworks
Plural of compound nouns…
Add -s to the last word:
Football matches
water skiers´
If includes a prep. phrase or a to-infinitive, the -s is added in the first word:
mothers-in-law
fathers-to-be
if the second part is an adv. it varies:
passers-by
push-ups
hangovers
If the first noun is “woman” both nouns go into plural:
women doctors
Invariable nouns
Always either singular or plural.
Nouns that are always singular are…
(invariable nouns)
. Uncount. nouns
. Some diaseses: diabetes, German measles, hiccups, measles, mumps, rabies, scabies, shingles
. Some sports or games: aerobics, athetics, billiards, cards, darts, dominos, gymnastics, hurdles, marbles
. Subjects that you ca study or do research in ending in -ics: economics, statistics, ethics
Nouns that are always plural are…
(invariable nouns)
. Nouns that denote things that consiste of 2 parts (clothes or tools): use “a pair of” when ref. to only one item.
. Nouns ref. to living beins: cattle, clergy, folk, livestock, people, personel, police, poultry, vermin
Collective nouns refer to…
government, couple, company, family etc.
If refers to the collective use singular (The family is French).
If refers to individuals use plural (The family are having dinner)
Units of measurement use….
(verb)
singular.
Two million pounds is…
Two gallons is…
Rule of attraction means…
Pron. or N + sing. N = use singular v.
Pron. or N + plural N. = use plural v.
Neither vs none differs in which way?
Neither you use for 2 of sth.
None you use for 3 or more of sth.
What are the basic rules for article usage?
. The def. article is used with sth. that has already been mentioned or sth. that can be identified form the context.
. The indef. article is used to introduce sth new.
No def. article when: uncount. generic nouns (society, modern society etc.); proper nouns, generic meaning (England)
HOWEVER, IF YOU HAVE A POSTMOD, THEN THE UNCOUNT. OR PROPER NOUN BECOMES SPECIFIC AND YOU USE DEF. ARTICLE.
What makes an uncount. generic noun or a proper noun specific?
What happens in those cases?
Postmodifiers, like for example: of.phrse, that-clause, non-finite clauses.
In those cases you add def. article to it
When do you use def. article?
. Most bodies of water, NOT LAKES
. The cardinal points
. Grammar terminology
. Unique phenomena (the sun)
. Common phenomena in society (the bus)
. Musical instruments
. Pubs, hotels, etc. with EXCEPTION OF THE GENITIVE FORM, BECAUSE THE GENITIVE ALREADY MAKES IT SPECIFIC
When you DO NOT use def. article?
. Meals (breakfast)
. Religions and ideologies (Buddhism, Marxism)
. Holidays (Easter)
. Certain expressions of time with “at”, “before”, “by” (at dawn, by night)
.Places for human activities (school, church). YOU USE DEF. ARTICLE IN THOSE CASES IF YOU ARE REF. TO THE BUILDING ITSELF.
How to use the ‘ in the genitive form?
The girl’s bike
The girls’ bike
The children’s bike
James’s bike
James’ bike
When do you use the -of construction?
. For inanimate owners
. Time and measurement you can use both -of constr. and the genitive form
The future tense…
Will do / be going to
It expresses intentions, predictions, and planned arrangement in the future.
Wil: spontaneous intentions (I will meet you there), conditional intentions (I will if…), and offers (I will get the bags!).
be going to: premedited intentions (How long are they going to stay?), uncounditional intentions (I am going to buy a new house no matter what), and predicitions based on what we can see or hear (That book is going to fall).
The present tense…
do/does
Expresses present time, past time (and then last week, he suddenly walks… and sits…), and future time (scheduled events, such as train departures)
The past tense…
did
Expresses past time as well as politeness/remoteness/tentativeness
Was Bill here?
I was wondering if you could help me.
The present perfect tense…
Have/has done
Also expresses past time, often with a connection to the present:
Have you ever been to Paris?
We have lived here for more than ten years now. (Implies that they still live there)
The past perfect tense…
Had done
Expresses sth that happened in the past before some other past event (no connection to present time). It can also be used in indirect speech.
Had you been to Paris at that time?
The parcel had already arrived…
He said that he had been to Paris many times.
The future perfect
ex: Will have left
Expresses completed action in the future.
By the time tomorrow, she will already have left.
Will you have eaten when I come?
Won’t they have arrived by 5 pm?
What are the two aspects in verbs?
The simple aspect: sth complete, habitual, permanent; it is unmarked, neutral
We dated a few times.
I read a lot.
The progressive aspect (ing form): sth ongoing, unfinnished, a subinterval; marked, speaker attitude.
We were dating back then.
I was reading when you called.
ing form and the progressive are different because…
progressive consists of: be + v-ing
ing form of: v-ing
When do we use ing form?
(6 items)
- After prepositions.
- After certain verbs (avoid, be used to, delay, dislike, escape, finish, forgive, give up, go on, imagine)
- In reduced clases
- After the adj. “busy” and “worth”
- As part of the subj. of the clause (Reading is my hobbie)
- As part of the progressive form
Dif. between those cases
Forget + ing form
Regret + ing form
Remember + ing form
Forget + infinitive
Regret + infinitive
Remember + infinitive
+ing form: refers to the past. Simple statement.
I remember posting the letter.
Infinitive: refers to the future.
I remember to post the letter.
… The letter wasn’t posted yet when I remember (it was a future action)
If clauses.
Type I: When sth is likely to happen you use:
If x (event) - present tense ….. Main event (then) - future tense
If he asks me, (then) I will go.
If clauses.
Type II: When sth is less likely to happen you use:
If x (past)… then x (word+inf)
If he asked me I would go.
If clauses.
Type III: You use when something can not happen, when is too late, because it already went
If x (past perfect)… then Y (would have + p. ptc)
If he had asked me, I would have gone.
Verb Mood.
The imperative is used for…
Direct commands, asking for help.
Help!
Come here!
Verb Mood.
The indicative is used for…
its the “default” mood.
God helps me.
Verb Mood.
The subjunctive is used for…
Wishes, hypothetical (if), desire (trigger verbs: demand, essential).
It’s essential that she come.
I wish she like me.
Modal auxiliary verbs do not…
They do not have non-finite nor finite form
Finite verbs are…
The present tense, the past tense, the imperative
Non finite verbs are…
The infinitive, the present particle (ing form), the past partiple(…has kept me, had kept…, were kept…)
A main clause always contain which type of verb?
A finite verb.
Which type(s) of verb can a dependent clause contain?
Both finite and non finite verbs.
Primary auxiliary verbs examples are…
be, do, have
Modal auxiliary verbs examples are…
can, may, must, will
Verbs easy to confuse are those:
find-found-found
found-founded-founded
fly-flew-flown
flow-flowed-flowed
lie-lay-lain
lie-lied-lied
rise-rose-risen
raise-raised-raised
stike-stuck-stuck
stroke-stroked-stroked
wind-wound-wound
wound-wounded-wounded
Verbs easy to confuse are those:
find-found-found
found-founded-founded
fly-flew-flown
flow-flowed-flowed
lie-lay-lain
lie-lied-lied
rise-rose-risen
raise-raised-raised
stike-stuck-stuck
stroke-stroked-stroked
wind-wound-wound
wound-wounded-wounded
Compound sentences consists of..
two or more main clauses, often joined by a coordinating conjunction.
Julia left but Alessandro stayed.
Julia left, Alessandro stayed, and Durin fell asleep.
Simple sentences consists of…
1 main clause. No subordinate clauses.
Julia left.
Leave!
Complex sentences contains…
a main clause and at least one subotrdinate clause.
Although Julia left, Alessandro stayed.
Following this advice may be difficult.
List the 4 types of subordinate clauses.
- Relative clauses: functions as a post-mod in a NP.
Have you seem the money that was here? - that-clause: functions as subj. in the main clause.
The she was elected was hardly a surprise. - Interrogative clauses: functions as ES (extraposed subject) in the main clause.
It is uncertain what he meant.
“what he meant” is the ES - Advl clauses:
If the fact dont fit the theory, change the fact.
Conjunctions are used to…
bind two linguistics items together. They can either coordinators or subordinates.
Coordinators link…
“two of the same”.
and, but, or, as well as, both… and, either … or, neither … nor
Subordinators…
Introduces a dependent clause.
There is a large number of them.
Few examples: after, as, as soon as, before, as, as if, like, rather than, as, because, for, in that, so long as, granted that, if, in case, in condition that, although, even if though, except that, though, whereas, while, if, how, wheter
Uses for the word “that:
. Relative pronoun (“som”)
The eagle that can swim.
. Demonstrative pronoun (“denna”)
Look at that eagle!
. Sub. conjunction (“att”)
I know that eagles can fly.
. Adv. (“så”)
The eagle is not that good at swimming.
The adj phrase consists of…
(advl) + H + (complement)
Adj Phrases are used to..
Adj Phrases function as…
Modify nouns and indep. pronouns.
They function as:
. modifier in a NP
A smart man.
. Subject predicative or obj. predicative
The man is smart.
. NP Head (nominalized adj) - less common
Do you believe in the supernatural?
We can afford pension for the old.
What are the functions of adverbs?
Modify:
. Verbs
. Adjectives
. Other adverbs
. Entire clauses
. Nouns (less usual. Example: Europe today)
examples of types of advl:
time, place, reason, modal, manner, deggree, linking (therefore)
An advl can be…
. An adv - now
. a NP - this week
. A subordinate clause - when I found out.
Some adverbs have two forms…
Concrete: deep, high, wide, close
Abstract: deeply, highly, widely, closely
Hard / hardly
After linking verbs we can use adv, adv or both? This includes verbs of perception (feel, look, smell, sound, taste etc.)
Only adj, since you do not “do” anything when you have a linking verb, which means that you can’t describe them. Instead you are describing the N/Pr that comes before the linking verb.
In reduced clauses after “as/if/than” we use adj, adv or both?
Adj.
Come as soon as possible.
This is better than usual.
If possible, call me.
After -thing, -bodym -one we use adj, adv or both?
Adj.
She is someone extraordinary.
Something strange just happened here.
What are the 3 degrees of comparision?
Adj content
. The positive degree (big, interesting)
. The comparative degree (bigger, more interesting)
. The superlative (biggest, the most interesting)
When do we use the pronoun “one/ones” with adj?
TO support them in place of a count. noun.
You can’t use “one/ones” after the adj “own” or with uncount. nouns.
What is the basic word order in English?
S - V - O
What does it mean “fronting” when talking about word order?
When you bring another clause element before the subject in order to give emphasis to it.
. Adverbial fronting is frequent.
. Obj. or complement fronting is infrequent in English, but freq. in Swedish.
What does it mean to do a “full inversion” when talking about word order?
It means that the entire predicate verb comes before the subject (V - S).
We do this:
1) in Some sentences with a clause initial advl if the subj. is longer than the predicate.
There goes the bus!
Here are the children!
2) In reporting clauses after direct speech (the reporting clause of direct speech is the short clause that indicates who is talking):
* THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE IF THE SUBJECT IS A PRONOUN
* THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE IF THE PREDICATE IS COMPLEX
* THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE WHEN THERE IS AN OBJ. IN THE REPORTING CLAUSE
When do we use “partial inversion”?
1) Questions
Have you done it yet?
Where do you live?
Are you there?
2) Clauses with an initial advl/obj which negates or restricts the meaning of the entire clause (emphasis):
Never have I seen so many ppl.
Only then did I understand…
3) Clauses beginning with so + adj/adv:
So monotonously, did he speak that…
So poor was Farah’s English that he…
Medial position short advl are usually:
frequency, degree, modal advl
Final position (after VP) short advl are usually:
manner, place, spec. time (yesterday) advl
Long advl are usually positioned in…
final position (neutral)
initial position (more emphatic)
Where exactly is the “medial” position when placing advl?
. Before simple verbs
Jhon always works hard.
. After the (first aux. verb)
John has always worked hard.
. After the finite form of BE
John is not always…
Where exactly is the “post-medial” position when placing advl?
. It means that the advl is placed after the SECOND aux. verb.
Common with advl of degree and manner
Sally had been completely ignoring us.
Where exactly is the “pre-medial” position when placing advl?
. means that the advl is placed before the FIRST aux. verb.
. This is often used with linking advl.
The plan, however, had been unsuccessful.
Also right:
I never would have succeded.
This is not art and it never will be.
What is the difference between the following sentences:
For a week.
In two weeks.
Two weeks ago.
- Length of time.
- Has not hap. yet.
- Past.
Dif. between “on” and “about”
“on” is used in formal contexts.
“about” in informal contexts.
You can not use preposition before…
That-clause
infinitives
Prepositional verbs are…
V + prep
Phrasel verbs are…
V + advl/particle
Phrsal-Prep. verbs are…
v + adv + prep
Word order for prep. verbs is normally:
V + PREP + OBJ
Obj. is place AFTER prep, because prepositions ALWAYS need something to come after them.
They called on them.
Word order for phra
sal verbs is normally…
V + OBJ + PARTICLE
They called the strike off. - mid position
. THIS IS OBRIGATORY IF THE OBJ IS A PRONOUN.
V + PARTICLE + OBJ
They called off the strike. - post-particle position
. THIS IS OBLIGATORY WHEN THE OBJ IS A LONG NP