Sunday Observer Online
 

Home

Sunday, 27 July 2014

Untitled-1

observer
 ONLINE


OTHER PUBLICATIONS


OTHER LINKS

Marriage Proposals
Classified
Government Gazette

‘A’ and ‘An’ to describe people and things

We use the indefinite articles “a” and “an” to describe people and things. For instance, we can say what something is or what job someone does.

Things with “a”


My uncle has a big nose

This is a building.
You have a red book.
She carries a handbag.
Mother sweeps the floor with a broom.
Sam drives a car.

Things with “an”

Do you always carry an umbrella?
This is an old coin.
Alice in Wonderland is an interesting book.
The mechanic used a tool to open the bonnet.
Can you peel an onion?

People with “a”

Sam is a doctor.
My uncle is a carpenter.
We don’t have a housemaid.
He is a lawyer.
She is a nurse.

People with “an”

Her father is an engineer.
An uncle of mine came to meet me at the airport.
An old man met with an accident.
An aunt bought me a laptop.
His son is an architect.

We use “a” or “an” in descriptions.

Amanda has got a sweet voice.
Rex is a quiet boy.
Raj is a friendly man.
You’ve got a nice smile.
My uncle has a big nose.

We do not use “a” or “an” with plural and uncountable nouns.

Sarah has got blue eyes.
Mother has long hair.
Some people love horses.
Some women have long legs.


You’ve got a nice smile


I wear glasses.

[Activity]

Change the following into singular sentences and check your answers with the key.
1. Cars are vehicles.
...............................

2. Houses are buildings.
...............................

3. Bags are containers.
...............................

4. Violins are musical instruments.
................................

5. Hammers are tools.
................................

6. Buses are vehicles.
................................

7. Screwdrivers are tools.
................................

8. Guitars are musical instruments.
................................

9. Boxes are containers.
................................

10. Hotels are buildings.
................................

**************

Key:

1. A car is a vehicle.
2. A house is a building.
3. A bag is a container.
4. A violin is a musical instrument.
5. A hammer is a tool.
6. A bus is a vehicle.
7. A screwdriver is a tool.
8. A guitar is a musical instrument.
9. A box is a container.
10. A hotel is a building.

**************


Match words and meanings

Here’s an interesting way to enrich your vocabulary. Match the words in Column A with their meanings in Column B and check your answers with the key. The first one has been done for you.

[Column A]

M.. 1. coolly
... 2. coop
... 3. cooperate
... 4. cope
... 5. copilot
... 6. copious
... 7. coppery
... 8. coppice
... 9. coral
... 10. cord
... 11. cordial
... 12. core
... 13. cornea
... 14. cornucopia
... 15. corollary
... 16. coronation
... 17. coronet
... 18. corporal
... 19. corporate
... 20. corporeal
... 21. corps
... 22. corpse
... 23. corpulent
... 24. corrective
... 25. correlation

[Column B]

A. intended to improve a situation
B. fat
C. a military unit
D. relating to a large company
E. a small crown
F. Something that results from something else
G. the transparent outer covering of the eye
H. friendly
I. a substance like rock
J. reddish brown
K. a pilot who helps the main pilot
L. to act or work together
M. in an unfriendly way
N. a connection between two or more things
O. a dead body
P. physical and not spiritual
Q. of or relating to the body
R. a ceremony at which a person is made king or queen
S. a large amount of something
T. the most important part of something
U. a rope or string made of twisted thread
V. an area of closely planted trees
W. in large amounts
X. to deal successfully with a difficult situation
Y. cage

**************

Key:

2. Y 3. L 4. X 5. K 6. W 7. J 8. V 9. I 10. U 11. H 12. T 13. G 14. S 15. F 16. R 17. E 18. Q 19. D 20. P 21. C 22. O 23. B 24. A 25. N.

**************


Singular or plural?

Some nouns have only a plural form (with ‘s’) and take a plural verb.

Amanda put the clothes into the washing machine.
Some trains transport only goods.
Where are you going to keep your belongings?


The accident caused a lot of damage to my car


Soldiers carry arms most of the time.
Congratulations on your examination success!
The security guard wanted to check the contents of my bag.
The Customs Department collects taxes on goods leaving or entering the country.
Average earnings for skilled workers are rising.
People living in the outskirts of Colombo have to travel to the city daily.
Human remains were found in the abandoned house.
Rich people live in very comfortable surroundings.
Let's give thanks to God.
American troops were stationed in the small island.

Some nouns have singular and plural forms with different meanings.

If you buy three cakes of soap for Rs. 80, it is a saving of Rs. 10.
I spent all my savings on an expensive car.
The accident caused a lot of damage to my car.
The doctor claimed damages in a defamation suit against the newspaper company.
He gets a pain in his back occasionally.
She took great pains to educate her children.

Some nouns have a plural form with ‘s’ but take singular verbs.

Good news is no news.
Economics is a difficult subject.
Mathematics is her favourite subject.
Physics is not a difficult subject.
Politics is a game for most people.
Statistics is a dry subject for some students.
Athletics is not my forte.
Gymnastics is popular among young people.
Measles is an illness.
Darts is a game.
Billiards is a game played by two people.

Some nouns ending in ‘s’ have the same singular and plural forms.

This means of transport saves money.
These means of transport save money.
This species of reptile is quite rare.
These species of reptile are quite rare.

Some nouns ending in ‘s’ have only one form and they are followed by singular or plural verbs.

The steel works (a factory) has closed down.
The steel works (a factory) have closed down.
The police headquarters is in Colombo.
The police headquarters are in Colombo.

[Activity]

Put in the nouns and add ‘s’ if necessary. Check your answers with the key.

1. We had to take our luggage through .............. (custom).
2. Please accept this gift as an expression of my ............ (thank).
3. The man demanded ................ (damage) for his injuries.
4. I couldn't bear the ................ (pain) and called the doctor.
5. The beggar carried his ................. (belonging) wherever he went.
6. If you pay cash, you will make a ............. (saving) of 5 percent.
7. People should transport more ............ (good) by rail.
8. Terrorists caused some ................ (damage) to the buildings.
9. We're going to spend all our ............... (saving) to buy an apartment.
10. Parents always take great ............ (pain) to protect their children.

**************

Key:

1.customs 2. thanks 3. damages 4. pain 5. belongings 6. saving 7. goods 8. damage 9. savings 10. pains

**************


Quiz on idioms

An idiom is a special kind of phrase. It is a group of words which have a different meaning when used together from the one it would have if the meaning of each word were taken individually. Tick the meaning of each idiom in bold type and check your answers with the key.

1. Don't hide your light under a bushel
(a) you should not be modest about your skills and good features
(b) you should not boast about your skills and good looks
(c) you should not speak the truth

2. If someone is beating the bushes ...
(a) they are trying very hard to defeat their rivals
(b) They are trying very hard to achieve something
(c) they are trying very hard to deceive their customers

3. If somebody is in business ...
(a) they are not doing business
(b) they are doing business
(c) they have got everything ready to do something

4. If someone shows that they mean business ...
(a) they are determined about what they are doing
(b) they are clueless about what they are doing
(c) they are very careful in their dealings

5. If you describe someone as a busy bee ...
(a) they are careless about their dealings
(b) they are inefficient in their work
(c) they enjoy doing a lot of things and always keep themselves busy

6. She looks as though butter wouldn't melt in her mouth, but I wouldn't trust her.
(a) she is not trustworthy
(b) she looks innocent but she is capable of doing something horrible
(c) she looks horrible but she is capable of doing something efficiently

7. If you have butterflies in your stomach ...
(a) you feel very nervous
(b) you feel very happy
(c) you feel very energetic

8. If you break a butterfly on a wheel...
(a) you're causing injuries to innocent people
(b) you're using far more force than is necessary to do something
(c) you do not show what you're capable of doing

9. If you say that you do something at the touch of a button ...
(a) you refuse to do something
(b) you insist that you cannot do it
(c) you emphasise that you can do it very easily and quickly

10. If someone presses the right button ...
(a) they skilfully do the things necessary to get what they want
(b) they fail to do things necessary to get what they want
(c) they ignore instructions

**********************

Key:

1. (a) 2. (b) 3. (c) 4. (a) 5. (c) 6. (b) 7. (a) 8. (b) 9. (c) 10. (a)

**********************

 | EMAIL |   PRINTABLE VIEW | FEEDBACK

www.defence.lk
Donate Now | defence.lk
www.apiwenuwenapi.co.uk
LANKAPUVATH - National News Agency of Sri Lank
www.batsman.com
Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL)
www.army.lk
www.news.lk
 

| News | Editorial | Finance | Features | Political | Security | Sports | Spectrum | Montage | Impact | World | Obituaries | Junior | Youth |

 
 

Produced by Lake House Copyright © 2014 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.

Comments and suggestions to : Web Editor