English 3
Support materials
Error hunting exercises:
- I like my boss to much to betray her.
I like my boss too much to betray her.
- I detest having to hurry myself in the morning
I detest having to hurry in the morning. (‘to hurry’ not reflexive)
- Gerald introduces the new products very good to the prospects.
very well (good modifies the verb so an adverb is needed)
- The US have given an new warning to OPEC
The us has given (US is singular)
- We’ve been looking forward to see you since last year.
forward to seeing you since.. (to look foward to + gerund)
- Our new female CEO looks. Very nice on this picture
in this picture
- OK. I write my report tomorrow
ok I’ll write (instance decision+ reference tot he future)
- How much operating systems do you know?
how many (many is used for countable nouns)
- How much costs the repair of my company car?
how much does the repair of my company car cost? (an auxiliary verb
is used for ‘object’ questions
- Few managers work less hours than employees do.
few managers work fewer (‘hours’ countable (few is required, here in
comparative form))
- There weren’t a lot of salesman at the fair
there weren’t many
- Don’t be disaapointed about your company car: you sit as comofrtable in
a VW as in a BMW
: you sit as comfortably in a VW.. (‘comfortable modifies the verb, soa n
adverb is needed
- We’re going to do this test again, but orally this time
Correct
- Peter works as interpreter fort he Common Market
works as an interpreter (article is needed before an occupation)
- He looked puzzled during his speech, because he was forgotten his main
point
because he had forgotten his main point (past perfect: had + past
participle
- Have you coffee for breakfast every morning?
do you have coffee for breakfast (‘have’ common verb here, so
auxiliary verb needed for ‘object questions’)
,- The assessor? I think h’ll have arrived by now
correct
- It are strategies by which new product scan be marketed
it is strategies by which new products can be communicated (the verb
agrees with ‘it’)
- How much data’s can your computer hard drive store?
how much data can (‘data’ (+ plural after vowel in E: never ‘s)
- Did you have a good time at Paul’s party?
Correct
- Jealous on me, my colleague tried to put the blame on me
jealous of me
- Such horrible coffee: it tastes as bas as it smells
Correct
- Our competitor’s campaign looks more aggresively than ours
More agressive than ours (‘sense verbs’ require adjectives instead of
adverbs
- My new tablet, that is extremely compact, is not an Ipad. It’s an Asus
running on Android
my new tablet, which is (the relative pronoun ‘which’ is required in non-
defining relative clauses)
- He worked as accountant for PrinceWaterhouseCoopers
he worked as an accountant ( an indefinite article is needed before
nouns denoting a profession or trade)
- If you cancelled today’s staff meeting, we will have ample time to modify
our new business plan.
if you cancelled today’s staff meeting, we would have ample time
(second conditional, ‘would’ required in the main clause)
- I have seen a splendid promotion film yesterday
i saw (‘yestrday’ triggers a simple past (not a present perfect)
- I’m afraid they can’t drive theirselves
drive themselves (’theirselves’ is not a word)
- One of those files contain classified information
contains (‘one’ refers to a single file, so 3red person singulr is
required)
- The Labour party often appeals to their electors.
to its electors (‘party’ is inanimate, therefore possessive its)
- Ms Ashley from accounting just found your drawing of her and she is
extremely hurt.
has just found (‘just’ triggers a present perfect)
- The presentation started rather slow
rather slowly (‘slow’modifies the verb so an adverb is required)
- Why schould we train our personnel to work more effeciently?
why should (schould is incorrect)
- You succeeded in getting this shy desk clerks to talk
getting these (‘clerks’plural, so plural determnier ‘these’ needed)
- Aren’t their any messages for me today?
aren’t there (their is incorrect here)
- That’s often been said, isn’t it?
hasn’t it (‘s’ stands for ‘has’ > ‘has’ in question tag)
- This is an advice you should try never to forget.
, this is a piece of/some advice (‘advice’ is uncountable)
- Your boss had to be very angry when he saw you shooting at the
customer.
your boss must have been (‘modal+have+past participle’ better
construction to convey deduction
- Being a salesman in France is hard: the French are not used to talk
English
are not used to talking English (‘to be used to + gerund (to express
that something is familiar or easy) Do not confuse ‘I used to do
something’ and ‘i’m used to doing something’)
- This survet isn’t representative for the Belgian market
representative of the Belgian
- During a rol-play the salesman can use their imagination almost
unlimited
almost unlimitedly (‘unlimitedly’ modifies the verb soa n adverb is
needed)
- After a few minutes walk during the guided tour of the plant, they looked
quite exhausted
after a few minutes’ walk (genitive needed in time expression)
- John told me he must be at work by 9 am
correct
- I’ll send you an email as soon as my internet connection is restored
has been restored (present perfect better)
- How often haven’t I told yet that you must check your account on a
regular basis
told tou that you must check (indirect object needed with to tell, no
need to use yet)
- Even on a simple question he wasn’t able to answer
even a simple (‘on’ redundant)
- He works from morning untill night
until/ till night
- There weren’t so much people at the annual general meeting as last year
so many (‘people’ countable so ‘many’ needed
- The CFO complained that he had hardly some time to do all his tasks
hardly some time to do (‘any’ (instead of some) is required after
adverb ‘hardly’
- First we discussed the new learnt strategies and then we did some role
play exercises
the newly (‘newly’ modifies learnt so adverb compulsory)
- John choose not to give a discount on last year’s models
john chose not (simple past of ‘to choose’ is ‘chose’
- “explain me how the accident really happened”, the police constable said
explain to me how (proposition ‘to’ needed
- We oughtn’ have come tot his outlet; there’s really nothing interesting to
see.
we ought not have (short form ‘not’ used in negative recommendation,
no ‘to’ needed in negative forms)
- If there wasn’t an accident on the road to the airport, I wouldn’t have
missed my plane
, if there hadn’t been an (conditional sentence, type 3 (impossibility)
- Imagine that, my personal assistant was asleep on the floor besides her
desk
beside her desk (preposition ‘beside’ )
- Do you dislike to go to the office
do you dislike going to (to dislike + gerund)
- “I should rather have that you went home now”, the personnel manager
shouted
I would rather (that) you (improper use of modal, cannot be used
independently in English
- You’d prefer me to go home now, hadn’t you?
wouldn’t you
- What makes some prospects dislike some salesman
correct
- Ask the man behind the counter some more detailed information
correct
- We may have got to leave early. The flight schedule has been changed.
we may have to leave early. (‘got’ redundant)
- John said he wouldn’t like being seen with me. After all, I work for a rival
company
wouldn’t like to be seen with me. (would like+ to infinitive)
- Jenny from sales is one of them girls you just can’t resist.
one of those (them is personal pronoun (object form) replace it by
demonstrative pronoun
- This marketing guru suggests us to use next messages much more often
suggests (that) we use (‘suggest+ (that) clause’ or ‘suggest’ + gerund)
- After Thomas had been convicted for fraud, I went to prison to visit him
I went to the prison to visit him (‘places of assembly’:
Visited for ther ‘primary purpose: no article
Visited for other reasons: article
- The CEO summoned Fred to his office! I wouldn’t like to be in his shoes
correct
- Don’t forget phoning me tomorrow
forget to phone me (infinitive necessary as gerund makes no sense in
this context (both tomorrow (future) and imperative (order))
- Looking aside, the unidentified car ran into the van
when I looked aside (car is inanimate and cannot see)
- Can’t you have them be patient a little longer
them to be patient (construction is ‘verb+somebody+to+infinitive’)
- The new secretary is very good in speaking foreign languages
is very good at (wrong preposition)
- I deeply regret having to refuse his offer
regret to have to (‘regret + to infinitive’ is not the same as ‘regret+
gerund’ difference in meaning. Note: have to is not the same as have got
to)
- Although their efforts, they couldn’t convince the client
despite their efforts (‘although’ (=conjuction) used to introduce a
clause) (‘despite’(= in spite of) is a preposition and can precede a noun)
- He couldn’t remind the etd of his plane at JFK airport
Support materials
Error hunting exercises:
- I like my boss to much to betray her.
I like my boss too much to betray her.
- I detest having to hurry myself in the morning
I detest having to hurry in the morning. (‘to hurry’ not reflexive)
- Gerald introduces the new products very good to the prospects.
very well (good modifies the verb so an adverb is needed)
- The US have given an new warning to OPEC
The us has given (US is singular)
- We’ve been looking forward to see you since last year.
forward to seeing you since.. (to look foward to + gerund)
- Our new female CEO looks. Very nice on this picture
in this picture
- OK. I write my report tomorrow
ok I’ll write (instance decision+ reference tot he future)
- How much operating systems do you know?
how many (many is used for countable nouns)
- How much costs the repair of my company car?
how much does the repair of my company car cost? (an auxiliary verb
is used for ‘object’ questions
- Few managers work less hours than employees do.
few managers work fewer (‘hours’ countable (few is required, here in
comparative form))
- There weren’t a lot of salesman at the fair
there weren’t many
- Don’t be disaapointed about your company car: you sit as comofrtable in
a VW as in a BMW
: you sit as comfortably in a VW.. (‘comfortable modifies the verb, soa n
adverb is needed
- We’re going to do this test again, but orally this time
Correct
- Peter works as interpreter fort he Common Market
works as an interpreter (article is needed before an occupation)
- He looked puzzled during his speech, because he was forgotten his main
point
because he had forgotten his main point (past perfect: had + past
participle
- Have you coffee for breakfast every morning?
do you have coffee for breakfast (‘have’ common verb here, so
auxiliary verb needed for ‘object questions’)
,- The assessor? I think h’ll have arrived by now
correct
- It are strategies by which new product scan be marketed
it is strategies by which new products can be communicated (the verb
agrees with ‘it’)
- How much data’s can your computer hard drive store?
how much data can (‘data’ (+ plural after vowel in E: never ‘s)
- Did you have a good time at Paul’s party?
Correct
- Jealous on me, my colleague tried to put the blame on me
jealous of me
- Such horrible coffee: it tastes as bas as it smells
Correct
- Our competitor’s campaign looks more aggresively than ours
More agressive than ours (‘sense verbs’ require adjectives instead of
adverbs
- My new tablet, that is extremely compact, is not an Ipad. It’s an Asus
running on Android
my new tablet, which is (the relative pronoun ‘which’ is required in non-
defining relative clauses)
- He worked as accountant for PrinceWaterhouseCoopers
he worked as an accountant ( an indefinite article is needed before
nouns denoting a profession or trade)
- If you cancelled today’s staff meeting, we will have ample time to modify
our new business plan.
if you cancelled today’s staff meeting, we would have ample time
(second conditional, ‘would’ required in the main clause)
- I have seen a splendid promotion film yesterday
i saw (‘yestrday’ triggers a simple past (not a present perfect)
- I’m afraid they can’t drive theirselves
drive themselves (’theirselves’ is not a word)
- One of those files contain classified information
contains (‘one’ refers to a single file, so 3red person singulr is
required)
- The Labour party often appeals to their electors.
to its electors (‘party’ is inanimate, therefore possessive its)
- Ms Ashley from accounting just found your drawing of her and she is
extremely hurt.
has just found (‘just’ triggers a present perfect)
- The presentation started rather slow
rather slowly (‘slow’modifies the verb so an adverb is required)
- Why schould we train our personnel to work more effeciently?
why should (schould is incorrect)
- You succeeded in getting this shy desk clerks to talk
getting these (‘clerks’plural, so plural determnier ‘these’ needed)
- Aren’t their any messages for me today?
aren’t there (their is incorrect here)
- That’s often been said, isn’t it?
hasn’t it (‘s’ stands for ‘has’ > ‘has’ in question tag)
- This is an advice you should try never to forget.
, this is a piece of/some advice (‘advice’ is uncountable)
- Your boss had to be very angry when he saw you shooting at the
customer.
your boss must have been (‘modal+have+past participle’ better
construction to convey deduction
- Being a salesman in France is hard: the French are not used to talk
English
are not used to talking English (‘to be used to + gerund (to express
that something is familiar or easy) Do not confuse ‘I used to do
something’ and ‘i’m used to doing something’)
- This survet isn’t representative for the Belgian market
representative of the Belgian
- During a rol-play the salesman can use their imagination almost
unlimited
almost unlimitedly (‘unlimitedly’ modifies the verb soa n adverb is
needed)
- After a few minutes walk during the guided tour of the plant, they looked
quite exhausted
after a few minutes’ walk (genitive needed in time expression)
- John told me he must be at work by 9 am
correct
- I’ll send you an email as soon as my internet connection is restored
has been restored (present perfect better)
- How often haven’t I told yet that you must check your account on a
regular basis
told tou that you must check (indirect object needed with to tell, no
need to use yet)
- Even on a simple question he wasn’t able to answer
even a simple (‘on’ redundant)
- He works from morning untill night
until/ till night
- There weren’t so much people at the annual general meeting as last year
so many (‘people’ countable so ‘many’ needed
- The CFO complained that he had hardly some time to do all his tasks
hardly some time to do (‘any’ (instead of some) is required after
adverb ‘hardly’
- First we discussed the new learnt strategies and then we did some role
play exercises
the newly (‘newly’ modifies learnt so adverb compulsory)
- John choose not to give a discount on last year’s models
john chose not (simple past of ‘to choose’ is ‘chose’
- “explain me how the accident really happened”, the police constable said
explain to me how (proposition ‘to’ needed
- We oughtn’ have come tot his outlet; there’s really nothing interesting to
see.
we ought not have (short form ‘not’ used in negative recommendation,
no ‘to’ needed in negative forms)
- If there wasn’t an accident on the road to the airport, I wouldn’t have
missed my plane
, if there hadn’t been an (conditional sentence, type 3 (impossibility)
- Imagine that, my personal assistant was asleep on the floor besides her
desk
beside her desk (preposition ‘beside’ )
- Do you dislike to go to the office
do you dislike going to (to dislike + gerund)
- “I should rather have that you went home now”, the personnel manager
shouted
I would rather (that) you (improper use of modal, cannot be used
independently in English
- You’d prefer me to go home now, hadn’t you?
wouldn’t you
- What makes some prospects dislike some salesman
correct
- Ask the man behind the counter some more detailed information
correct
- We may have got to leave early. The flight schedule has been changed.
we may have to leave early. (‘got’ redundant)
- John said he wouldn’t like being seen with me. After all, I work for a rival
company
wouldn’t like to be seen with me. (would like+ to infinitive)
- Jenny from sales is one of them girls you just can’t resist.
one of those (them is personal pronoun (object form) replace it by
demonstrative pronoun
- This marketing guru suggests us to use next messages much more often
suggests (that) we use (‘suggest+ (that) clause’ or ‘suggest’ + gerund)
- After Thomas had been convicted for fraud, I went to prison to visit him
I went to the prison to visit him (‘places of assembly’:
Visited for ther ‘primary purpose: no article
Visited for other reasons: article
- The CEO summoned Fred to his office! I wouldn’t like to be in his shoes
correct
- Don’t forget phoning me tomorrow
forget to phone me (infinitive necessary as gerund makes no sense in
this context (both tomorrow (future) and imperative (order))
- Looking aside, the unidentified car ran into the van
when I looked aside (car is inanimate and cannot see)
- Can’t you have them be patient a little longer
them to be patient (construction is ‘verb+somebody+to+infinitive’)
- The new secretary is very good in speaking foreign languages
is very good at (wrong preposition)
- I deeply regret having to refuse his offer
regret to have to (‘regret + to infinitive’ is not the same as ‘regret+
gerund’ difference in meaning. Note: have to is not the same as have got
to)
- Although their efforts, they couldn’t convince the client
despite their efforts (‘although’ (=conjuction) used to introduce a
clause) (‘despite’(= in spite of) is a preposition and can precede a noun)
- He couldn’t remind the etd of his plane at JFK airport
