by R. S. Karunaratne

Subject - verb agreement in negative questions

We can form negative questions by adding ‘not’ to the ‘be’ verb in positive questions.

Positive question: Is he the chairman of this company?

Negative question: Isn’t he the chairman of this company?

PQ: Are you in the church choir?
NQ: Aren’t you in the church choir?
PQ: Is he an honest politician?
NQ: Isn’t he an honest politician?
PQ: Are they coming back from Australia?
NQ: Aren’t they coming back from Australia?
PQ: Is she an A Grade singer?
NQ: Isn’t she an A Grade singer?

Note: We ask positive questions when we do not know the answer. We ask negative questions to check or confirm information about somebody or something.

We form negative questions with most verbs by adding ‘not’ to the base from of the verb.

Positive statement: Anne looks beautiful today.

Negative question: Doesn’t Anne look beautiful today?

PS: You knew the answer to this question.
NQ: Didn’t you know the answer to this question?
PS: Sita went abroad for studies.
NQ: Didn’t Sita go abroad for studies?
PS: Arundathy taught me English.
NQ: Didn’t Arundathy teach me English?
PS: Menaka works as a clerk.
NQ: Doesn’t Menaka work as a clerk?

We form negative questions by placing the auxiliary (helping) verb before the subject and adding ‘not’ to it.

Positive statement: Lionel has got a cushy job.

Negative question: Hasn’t Lionel got a cushy job?

PS: Mary is coming to office today.
NQ: Isn’t Mary coming to office today?
PS: The boys are running around the school building.
NQ: Aren’t the boys running around the school building.
PS: The teachers are coming to the meeting.
NQ: Aren’t the teachers coming to the meeting?
PS: All the children have raincoats.
NQ: Don’t all the children have raincoats?

[Activity]

Underline the correct verbs given in brackets. Check your answers with the key.

1. (Isn’t / Aren’t) the students listening to the teacher?
2. (Don’t / Doesn’t) the girls (has / have) laptops?
3. (Hasn’t / Haven’t) Lalitha (get / got) through the examination?
4. (Isn’t / Aren’t) the news of the accident shocking?
5. Namel (doesn’t / don’t) have any work to do.
6. (Wasn’t / Weren’t) the play interesting?
7. (Isn’t / Aren’t) the price of gold going up?
8. (Hasn’t / Haven’t) you (get / got) a first-aid kit at home?
9. (Doesn’t / Don’t) you write home regularly to your parents.
10. (Doesn’t / Don’t) Lalith and Gamini find the subject difficult?

Key:

1. Aren’t 2. Don’t, have 3. Hasn’t, got 4. Isn’t 5. doesn’t 6. Wasn’t 7. Isn’t 8. Haven’t, got 9. Don’t 10. Don’t

It pays to increase your word power. Electricwords is a quiz to test your vocabulary. Tick off the meaning under (a), (b) or (c) for the words in bold type and check your answers with the key.

1. After seizing power the military junta ruled Myanmar for a long time.

(a) a group of rulers
(b) coup
(c) king

2. The government has adopted a laissez-faire economic policy to attract foreign investors.

(a) unfavourable policy
(b) strict policy
(c) hands-off policy

3. The judge declared Mr Dawson non compos mentis and appointed a person to look after his estate.

(a) insane
(b) bankrupt
(c) silly

4. Wealth is a sine qua non to become a member of the ‘90 Club.’

(a) essential condition
(b) disqualification
(c) barrier

5. Everybody admired Eva’s elegant coiffure.

(a) posture
(b) hair style
(c) education

6. The denouement of the play was unrealistic.

(a) plot
b) theme
(c) final outcome

7. The beauty queen’s eclat began to fade with the onset of old age.

(a) acclaim
(b) health
(c) good looks

8. Even at the age of 80, Bernard Shaw was admired for his elan.

(a) humour
(b) wisdom
(c) vigour

9. Sam was an entrepreneur who made a fortune in sponsoring beauty contests.

(a) philanthropist
(b) big businessman
(c) fashion designer

10. Siva had a sense of malaise about his investment with a finance company.

(a) uneasiness
(b) happiness
(c) guilt

Key:

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

Starters:

Many uses of the verb ‘get’

The simple verb ‘get’ has many uses. It has different meanings in diverse contexts.

Do you get my letters regularly? (receive)

I like your laptop. Where did you get it? (buy)

A: Hello, Can I speak to Janitha, please?
B: One moment please. I’ll get her. (fetch)

It is difficult to get a job in the UK. (find)

The patient is getting better. (becoming)

It’s getting warm day by day. (becoming)

If you are getting tired, stop it. (becoming)

It’s getting dark. Let’s go home. (becoming)

Drink your tea. It’s getting cold. (becoming)

Why are you getting angry over such trivial things? (becoming)

If you don’t have your breakfast, you will get hungry. (become)

My teacher is going to get married. (be)

Get lost. (Go away)

I got lost in Kuala Lumpur. (I lost my way)

How do you get to school? (go)

I get home at 6 p.m. (arrive)

We left home at 6 a.m. and got to the airport at 9 a.m. (arrived)

The principal got into his car and drove away. (entered)

A van stopped and a man got out.(came out)

Where do you want to get off? (get down)

Get out of here or I’ll call the security. (move)

He got down on his knees and pleaded for mercy. (knelt)

I never get to see him these days. (have a chance)

I didn’t get what you said. (understand)

I cracked a joke but she didn’t get it. (understand)

The bullet got him in the leg. (hit)

My grandmother is too old to get about. (move)

It’s not easy for a woman to get ahead in politics. (succeed)

Some people do not know how to get along with others. (be friendly)

Ronny keeps getting at me and I really don’t know the reason. (criticising)

If you do something wrong, you can’t get away with it. (avoid punishment)

When I got back to school, the principal had already left. (returned)

I know you have problems, but don’t let them get you down. (depress)

The robber had got in through a broken window. (entered)

Spelling test

Underline the words with the correct spelling. Check your answers with the key.

1. Affluent / affluant
2. agregate / aggregate
3. aggression / agression
4. agreable / aggreable
5. airborne / airborn
6. Albuman / albumen
7. Alligator / alligater
8. Allution / allusion
9. Altercation / altercasion
10. Aluminium / alminium
11. Ambassader / ambassador
12. Ambidextrous / ambidex terous
13. Ameba / amoeba
14. Answerable / anserable
15. Antena / antenna
16. Anticlimax / anteclimax
17. anctious / anxious
18. Apartheid / apurthede
19. Aporism / aphorism
20. Apparatus / aparatus
21. Apellant / Appellant
22. Apportion / apporsion
23. Artifact / artefact
24. Arthritis / arthritise
25. Article / artical

Key:

1. Affluent 2. Aggregate 3. Aggression 4. Agreeable 5. Airborne 6. Albumen 7. Alligator 8. Allusion 9. Altercation 10. Aluminium 11. Ambassador 12. Ambidextrous 13. Amoeba 14. Answerable 15. Antenna 16. Anticlimax 17. Anxious 18. Apartheid 19. Aphorism 20. Apparatus 21. Appellant 22. Apportion 23. Artefact 24. Arthritis 25. Article

Match the synonyms

Synonyms are words having similar meaning. Match the words in column ‘A’ with the synonyms in column ‘B’. Check your answers with the key.

[Column A]

1. Bankrupt
2. Banner
3. Banquet
4. Barbarian
5. Bare
6. Bark
7. Barrage
8. Barren
9. Barricade
10. Base
11. Basic
12. Batch
13. Bath
14. Baton
15. Batter
16. Battle
17. bazaar
18. Beach
19. Beacon
20. Bear
21. Beast
22. Beautiful
23. Beckon
24. Beg
25. Begin

[Column B]

A. barrier
B. bombardment
C. animal
D. desolate
E. carry
F. flag
G. feast
H. bottom
I. insolvent
J. fundamental
K. group
L. fight
M. start
N. naked
O. implore
P. beat
Q. market
R. signal
S. savage
T. stick
U. shore
V. attractive
W. wash
X gesture
Y. yap

Key:

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