by R. S. Karunaratne

What you should know about 'this'

'This' is a determiner and a pronoun. Its plural form is 'these'. 'This' refers to something near you.

1. 'This' refers to things near you.

This is a nice painting.

Do you like this book?

Do these trousers fit me?

How much is this toothbrush?

These are the latest fashions.

2. 'This' refers to the place or situation you are in now.

This is the school where I studied.

This is not my first visit to Kataragama.

This is the best hotel in town.

Why shouldn't he follow the queue. This is a funny situation.

These are villages where you will always be welcomed.

3. 'This' refers to people when you introduce or identify them to others.

This is the man I was talking about.

This child needs to be disciplined.

These are not the boys who plucked mangoes from the tree.

This is someone you can trust.

4. 'This' is used to refer back to something you have already mentioned.

Ragging is a sociological problem. This should be handled with care.

Martin Wickramasinghe's Madolduwa has been translated into English. This is a poor translation.

The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. This is what happens in most countries.

The water level of the Mahaweli is rising. This is due to heavy rains.

5. 'This' is used to refer forward to something you are going to say.

This is what the archaeologists say: There are six moonstones at Anuradhapura.

A: Why are you limping?

B: This is what happened. I slipped and fell in the bathroom.

If you don't study well, this is what will happen.

This is the foreword to the book I'm writing.

This should stop! Why are you making nasty remarks about me?

6. 'This' is used to refer to somebody or something informally.

The farmer was in this hut when the elephant appeared from the jungle.

There were these three monkeys. The first was blind, the second was deaf, the third was dumb!

7. We use 'this' to indicate the size of somebody or something with our hands.

I lived in a small house about this size.

Now add some salt: about this much.

8. Collocations

'This' is frequently used with time expressions.

What are you doing this afternoon?

I'm busy this Sunday. How about next Sunday?

Weathermen say this month is going to be warm.

'This' is frequently used with words that refer back to the topic.

People complain of train delays. This problem is nothing new.

Is there life after death? This question has been answered in different ways.

According to some religions God created man. This idea is fascinating.

Can we halt global warming? This situation is alarming.

Some people are against the capital punishment. This topic has been discussed without reaching any finality.

A: I have a valid passport. Why can't I enter your country? This is a funny state of affairs.

B: Sorry, you haven't obtained visa.

9. Set phrases

You should hurry because the train is leaving this minute. (immediately)

What are you doing these days?

(at the present time)

A: What have you been discussing?

B: This and that. Nothing important.

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Here is an interesting way to increase your word power. Read each sentence carefully and find the answer to the word in bold type. Check your answers with the key.1. Sinhalese kings built canals to extend natural waterway.

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(a) exhibit

(b) excite

(c) expand

2. During the election some former ministers could not retain their seats.

(a) move

(b) keep

(c) lose

3. The king surrendered to the invading army as he could not fight against it.

(a) submitted

(b) crossed

(c) chanted

4. The coastline of some countries have numerous natural harbours

(a) many

(b) few

(c) busy

5. The lion is the national emblem of Sri Lanka's flag.

(a) animal

(b) symbol

(c) hero

6. The inhabitants of certain African countries endure many hardships.

(a) cause

(b) enjoy

(c) suffer

7. The computer is an essential part of modern businesses.

(a) integral

(b) useless

(c) exciting

8. Martin Wickramasinghe is a celebrated Sinhala novelist.

(a) talented

(b) famed

(c) prolific

9. Scientists say that the ozone layer is depleting.

(a) disappearing

(b) closing

(c) growing

10. Have scientists discovered any signs of life on Mars?

(a) seen

(b) found

(c) created

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[Key] 1. c 2. b 3. a 4. a 5. b 6. c 7. a 8. b 9. a 10. b

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Starters :

Adjectives of quantity

Adjectives of quantity are used to indicate indefinite quantities.

1. 'Many' meaning 'a large number of' is used with plural countable nouns.

There are many rooms in this building.

Are there many books in your school library?

Many students sat the examination.

Many errant motorists are fined every day.

Many people do not exercise on a regular basis.

You don't have many days for the exam.

Many members boycotted the meeting.

There are many errors in your essay.

The shop sells many types of books.

2. 'Much' meaning 'a large amount of' is used with uncountable nouns.

I did not get much cooperation from the senior members of the staff.

She has much respect for her teachers.

The parents showered their children with much love.

They put much effort to make the project a success.

Much of the machinery was damaged by the storm.

There is much development in the country now.

You are making too much noise.

There was much laughter in the classroom.

I don't have much time to waste.

In August there is much rain in the Western coast.

Did you find much traffic on the road?

3. 'A little' meaning 'a small amount of' is used with uncountable nouns.

Can you add a little sugar to my cup of tea?

I need a little water to mix the colours.

Tsunami victims received a little aid from rich families.

Just add a little pepper to make the curry tasty.

Give me a little time to finish the essay.

A little salt will make it tasty.

The lorry suffered only a little damage in the accident.

Show them a little kindness.

Spread a little jam on this slice of bread.

4. 'A few' meaning 'a small number of' is used with plural countable nouns.

A few students attended the concert.

There were a few mistakes in your letter.

Only a few tourists came to see the rare statue.

She bought a few mangoes at the market.

5. 'Some' meaning 'an unknown number of' or 'an unknown amount of' is used with both countable and uncountable nouns.

There are some buns on the table.

There are some telephone messages for you.

He has stolen some money from my purse!

Can you name some diseases which have no cure?

We spent some time on the beach.

Add some sugar to the lime juice.

You need some training to do this kind of work.

Why don't you drink some water?

There is some cheese in the refrigerator.

Bring me some blank sheets of paper.

We are going to import some equipment from Russian.