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I.Grammar Points
1.Agreement of Subject and Verb
Agreement can be defined as the relationship between two grammatical units such that one of them displays a particular feature (e.g.plurality) that accords with a displayed (or semantically implicit) feature in the other.The most important type of agreement is of the 3rd person number between subject and verb.The normally observed rule is very simple:
A singular subject requires a singular verb:
●My daughter watches television after supper.[singular subject+singular verb]
A plural subject requires a plural verb:
● My daughters watch television after supper.[plural subject+plural verb]
When the subject is realized by a noun phrase,the phrase counts as singular if its head is singular:
● The CHANGE in male attitudes is most obvious in industry.
● The CHANGES in male attitude are most obvious in industry.
Finite and nonfinite clauses generally count as singular:
● How you got there doesn't concern me.
● To treat them as hostages is criminal.
● Smoking cigarettes is dangerous to your health.
2.Agreement in the Nominal Relative Clause
An apparent exception for clauses is the nominal relative clause.Nominal relative clauses are on the continuum from clause to noun phrase.For the purpose of concord,their number depends on the interpretation of the number of the wh-element.With the determiners what and whatever,the concord depends on the number of the determined noun.Contrast (3) and (4) below:
(1) What were supposed to be new proposals were in fact modifications of earlier ones.
(2) What was once a palace is now a pile of rubble.
(3) Whatever book a Times reviewer praises sells well.
(4) What ideas he has are his wife's.
A verb counts as singular if the first verb in a finite verb phrase has a singular form:
● My son has no intention of spending a vacation with me.
● My sons have no intention of spending a vacation with me.
● A letter has been sent to every applicant.
● Two letters have been sent to every applicant.
The application of the general rule is restricted in several general aspects:
(1) Except for the verb BE,the verb shows a distinction of number only in the 3rd person present.Hence,the verb
generally does not show agreement in the past:
● My daughter watched television after supper.
● My daughters watched television after supper.
The verb BE displays agreement also in the 3rd person past:
● My daughter was watching television in my bedroom.
● My daughters were watching television in my bedroom.
(2) Number agreement is displayed only in the indicative.Nonfinite verbs,imperatives and subjunctives make no
number distinctions.
(3) Modal auxiliaries make no number distinctions:
● My daughter may watch television in my bedroom.
● My daughters may watch television in my bedroom.
In many sentences containing a singular subject,plural words may intervene between subject and verb.In such cases,the writer must remember that the subject is singular and must have a singular verb.
Consider the following sentences:
● The importance of men,ammunition,and food supplies was not overlooked by the general.(Because the subject importance is singular,the verb was overlooked is singular.The phrase of men,ammunition,and food supplies modifies importance and has nothing to do with the number of the verb.)
● The safety of her many children was her first concern.(The subject safety is singular,so the verb was is singular.)
Another problem in agreement may occur when the subject of a verb follows the verb instead of preceding it.Consider the following sentences:
● There were three men ahead of me in the check-out line.(The subject of were is men.Since men is plural,the plural verb were is used.)
● There was little applause for the sopranos.(The subject of was is applause.Since applause is singular,the singular verb was is used.)
● Concerning the acrobats there was little discussion.(The subject discussion is singular,so the singular verb was is used.)
● Beyond the broad river stretches the ugly slum.(The singular subject slum requires the singular verb stretches.)
● Across the plains lie miles of untracked wilderness.(The plural subject miles requires the plural verb lie.)
II.Grammar Exercises
1.In the following sentences,supply the correct form of the verb as shown in these examples.
Example:I (be) in complete agreement with everything you say.am
We (be) completely opposed to all your ideas.are
(1) Cats (have) an extraordinary ability to get their own way._______
(2) A cat (have) complete freedom to roam in our neighborhood._______
(3) England (be) no longer a world power in the minds of many._______
(4) The countries of Europe finally (desire) economic unity._______
(5) Economic strength and political vitality (go) hand in hand._______
(6) Snow and ice (collect) in our driveway every winter.
(7) Unpaid parking tickets (be) my greatest problem right now._______
(8)"Alice (have) always been a good lawyer,"the judge said._______
(9) Mark Twain still (find) a large readership in the Soviet Russia._______
(10) Many countries of South America (be) beginning to exploit valuable natural resources._______
2.In the following sentences,supply the correct form of the verb as shown in these examples.
Examples:At the time of her death,Mary's principal hobby (be) all types of stitchery.was
On most subjects,Jane and Richard now (be) in agreement.are
He found that there (be) little use in continuing work on his novels and plays.was
The aggression he observed in apes,large cats,and other mammals (be) also reported by other investigators.was
(1) The first violinist,as well as other members of the string section,(be) not ready to play when the conductor raised his baton._______
(2) The first violinist and the entire string section (be) ready to resign,because the conductor is so difficult to work with._______
(3) Beyond the knoll (lie) deposits of rock of the right type for the beautiful house he wants to build._______
(4) The necessity of assuring adequate stores of food and drink (be) not recognized by many of the inexperienced hikers who undertook the climb._______
(5) Of primary importance (be) clear drinking water,if one is selecting a home site._______
(6) After the dinner,there (be) going to be two long speeches by the candidates._______
(7) Once the sap begins to flow next spring,there (be) going to be work for all of us._______
(8) After the principal address was given,there (be) few of us still awake in the room._______
(9) People are our main concern,even though there (be) many other problems facing us._______
(10) Inflation and recession (be) the most serious public concerns this year._______
3.In the following sentences,supply the correct form of the verb as shown in these examples.
Examples:An apple and an orange (be) in every lunch box.are
Pie or cake (be) the perfect dessert after such a meal.is
Neither Kate nor her friends (play) the piano.play
Every boy and girl alive (be) either a little Liberal or else a little Conservative.is
(1) Ham and eggs (be) my favorite dish._______
(2) Spokane and Takoma (be) in the State of Washington._______
(3) Neither Alfred nor Bill (want) to be present when the bill arrives._______
(4) Either Henry or his father (carve) the turkey at our house._______
(5) Neither goats nor sheep (permit) to graze now in the upper pasture._______
(6) Either Anne or her brothers (be) welcome here._______
(7) All good brothers and sisters (take) their turns at doing the dishes._______
(8) A pound of potatoes (go) far when no hungry children are at home._______
(9) Three carrots and one parsnip (be) all you need to complete the stew._______
(10) Two big lamb chops or one small steak (feed) our little family._______
(11) One duck and three geese (swim) outside the hotel window every morning._______
(12) Twelve votes for or one vote against (be) all we need for an acceptable decision in the matter._______
(13) One bus and three taxi cabs (stand) ready to take the delegates to the meeting._______
(14) The employees and their elected leader (agree) on the terms of the contract._______
(15) Strawberries and cream (be) all I want to eat._______
(16) Every man and woman (have) a single vote._______
(17) Every edition of the New Testament (have) admirers and attackers._______
(18) He has applauded most of the television scripts and movie scripts that (perform) by that company._______
(19) Flowers or cards (comfort) the bereaved._______
(20) Each member of the group and their friends (carry) part of the load._______
4.In the following sentences,supply the correct form of the verb as shown in these examples.Examples:The group always (vote) the way its leader tells it to vote.votes
Athletics (be) one of her great interests when she was an undergraduate.was
The majority (realize) that they have no more power than the smallest minorities.realize
(1) He says that his committee no longer (expect) to vote tomorrow._______
(2) The minority always (vote) with a single voice._______
(3) Politics (make) strange bedfellows,but so does many another human enterprise._______
(4) While a number (be) defecting,many others will stay behind to reform the present administration for the good of the nation._______
(5) The team (work) well as a unit and will probably win most of its matches._______
(6) An American crowd (leave) most of its garbage behind once it has dispersed._______
(7) Committees often (have) no other function than to meet and issue useless reports._______
(8) The contents of a shopping bag always (amaze) me._______
(9) The table of contents (be) never omitted from our company reports._______
(10) A dozen (be) much too expensive for my poor pocketbook._______
III.TEM-4 Exercises
1.All the President's Men____one of the important books for historians who study the Watergate Scandal.
A.remain B.remains C.remained D.is remaining
2.The statistics____that living standards in the area have improved drastically in recent times.
A.proves B.is proving C.are proving D.prove
3.It is futile to discuss the matter further,because____going to agree upon anything today.
A.neither you nor I are B.neither you nor me is
C.neither you nor I am D.neither me nor you are
IV.Key Words of TEM-4
Group 1 contradiction conflict confrontation competition
contradiction n.a disagreement between two things which means that both cannot be true
What he said yesterday is in direct contradiction to what he said today.
contradict v.
(1) to not agree with (something) in a way that shows or suggests that it is false,wrong,etc.
She has made statements that contradict each other.
(2) to say the opposite of (something that someone else has said)) to deny the truth of (something)
He contradicted the charges of his critics.
My sister doesn't like being contradicted.
conflict n.
(1) a struggle for power,property,etc.
We still have a wide gap between the well-paid and the low-paid.As long as this gap exists,there will always be a possibility that new conflicts will emerge.
Everyone in my family always tries to avoid conflict.
(2) a difference that prevents agreement,disagreement between ideas,feelings,etc.
I don't see any conflicts between the theories.
The writer tries to explore the character's inner conflicts.
confrontation n.a situation in which people,groups,etc.fight against,oppose to,or challenge each
other in an angry way
There were several violent confrontations between rival gangs.
He would prefer not to have a confrontation with the authorities.
a series of confrontations between residents and police
confront v.oppose,challenge or face,especially in a direct and forceful way,encounter
He was confronted by a security guard when he tried to leave the store.
The treatment center helps people confront their addictions.
competition n.the act of trying to get or win something that someone else is also trying to win
The school fosters an atmosphere of competition rather than cooperation.
These products are in competition with each other.
compete v.
compete only with yourself.
Thousands of applicants are competing for the same job.
competitive a.having a strong desire to win or be the best at something
She is a very competitive player.
He has a competitive nature.
TEM-4 Question 1
Due to personality____,the two colleagues never got on well in work.
A.contradiction B.conflict C.confrontation D.competition
Group 2 restore renovate neglect survive
restore v.
(1) to return (something) to an earlier or original condition by repairing it,cleaning it,etc.
The crew is trying to restore the old house to its original condition.
He restores old paintings.
(2) to put or bring (something) back into existence or use
Surgery will restore his hearing.
The police restored law and order.
renovate v.to make changes and repairs (to an old house,building,room,etc.) so that it is back in good condition
It's an old factory that has been renovated as office space.
We renovated the kitchen three years ago.
renovation n.The restaurant is closed for renovations.
neglect v.
(1) to fail to take care of or to give attention to (someone or something)
The building has been neglected for years.
She neglects her child.
The city has neglected the teacher shortage for too long.
(2) to fail to do (something)
The prison guard neglected his duty.
—often followed by to+verb
He neglected to mention that he was fired.
He neglected to sign the check.
survive v.
(1) to remain alive;to continue to live,exist,or succeed after something bad
I don't see how any creature can survive under those conditions.
They survived the crash.
This type of plant cannot survive temperatures below freezing.
Only a few written records survive from those times.
The company survived the recession.
(2) to live longer than
She survived her husband by only a few years.
survival n.
TEM-4 Question 2
Jimmy earns his living by____works of art in the museum.
A.recovering B.restoring C.renewing D.reviving
Group 3 justify unjust misguided mislead
justify v.to prove or show (something) to be just,right,or reasonable
He tried to justify his behavior by saying that he was being pressured unfairly by his boss.
Why should I have to justify myself when it was their fault?
be justified in have a good reason for...
She was fully justified in complaining to her boss.
unjustified a.having no reasons
unjust a.not fair or deserved;not just
The convict received an unjust sentence.
I am just urging soldiers not to accept unjust war.
misguided a.having or resulting from improper goals or values
She's been getting a lot of bad advice from misguided friends.
He blames the crisis on the government's misguided economic policies.
mislead v.to cause someone to believe something that is not true;to fool
We believe that her comments were deliberately meant to mislead the public.Don't be misled by his friendly appearance—he's really a ruthless competitor.
misleading a.
The early results were very misleading.
TEM-4 Question 3
The popularity of the film shows that the reviewers'fears were completely____.
A.unjustified B.unjust C.misguided D.unaccepted
Group 4 recession recommendation security safety
recession n.period of time in which there is a decrease in economic activity and many people do not have jobs
The economy is in deep recession.
The President helped pull the country out of recession.
recede v.move back or become smaller or weaker
The pain in his head gradually receded.
The flood water finally began to recede in November.
recommendation n.the act of saying that someone or something is good and deserves to be chosen
My boss wrote me a glowing letter of recommendation.
We picked this restaurant on his recommendation.
He rejected his doctor's recommendation that he work less and exercise more.
recommend v.to say that something is good and deserves to be chosen
They recommended her for a promotion after only two years.
It is strongly recommended that you change the oil in your car every 5,000 miles.
security n.
(1) the state of being protected or safe from harm
Their talk ran upon the problems of social welfare and social security system.
(2) the state of being free from anxiety or worry;the state of being or feeling secure
She is concerned about job security.
(3) the area in a place (such as an airport) where people are checked to make sure they
are not carrying weapons or other illegal materials
We have to go through security at the airport.
(4) the part of a company or other organization that provides protection
We called security when we found the door open.
safety n.freedom from harm or danger;the state of being safe
The changes were made in the interest of public safety.
We were reluctant to leave the relative safety of our hotel.
The climbers were roped together for safety's sake.
TEM-4 Question 4
The economic recession has meant that job____is a rare thing.
A.security B.safety C.protection D.recommendation
Group 5 call in call off call on/upon call up
call in (1) to ask someone to come and help you with a difficult situation
The government then called in troops to deal with the disturbances.
(2) to telephone a radio or television show
Over 2000 viewers called in with complaints about the bad language used in the program.
call off to cancel
The trip to Italy might be called off.
call on/upon (1) to formally ask someone to do something
call on somebody to do something
The UN has called on both sides to observe the ceasefire.
(2) to visit someone for a short time
Why don't you call on my sister when you're in Brighton?
call up to telephone someone
I'm going to call up and cancel my subscription.
TEM-4 Question 5
The football match was____because of the heavy rain.
A.called over B.called up C.called out D.called off
V.Working with Words and Expressions
Complete the following sentences with a word or an expression from the box.Change the form if necessary.
contradiction conflict contradict compete competitive recommend
recede renovation confront confrontation competition restore
renovate survive neglect justify unjust misguided
mislead recession recommendation security safety call in
call off call up call for1.The park will be closed during____.
2.Many businesses are struggling to____in today's economy.
3.Many people lost their jobs during the recent economic____.
4.They were dragged____by the rescuers.
5.None can afford to____the accumulated experience of man.
6.The country again finds itself____by water shortages.
7.He has nothing to____him as a political candidate.
8.He____a political scandal and was elected to the state legislature.
9.A great amount of work has gone into____the Cathedral to its previous splendor.
10.It is in the area of Economic factors that husbands and wives find themselves having to face many confusing and____feelings.
11.He has admitted____the police about his movements on the night of the murder.
12.I hold it essential for a teacher to be both intellectually and morally honest.And there is no____in my going on to say that a teacher should be a bit of an actor.
13.We listened as the sound of the sirens____into the distance.
14.To be a nurse____endurance and patience.
15.The fact that we are at war does not____treating innocent people as criminals.