Practice and Improve Your Grammar part 1

Substitution: one and ones

We can use one and ones instead of repeating countable nouns (1). We use one instead of a singular noun (banana) or a noun phrase (a small ripe banana) (2). We use ones instead of a plural noun (bananas), but not instead of a plural noun phrase (these small bananas) (3).

1We bought bananas at the local market. Would you like one? ~ Oh, I love the small ones.

2I'm not sure if there's a small one that's ripe. ~ Oh, yes, there's one in this bunch.

3I've never seen these small ones in the supermarket. (NOT I've never seen ones ...)

Instead of repeating plural noun phrases (4) or uncountable nouns (5), we use some or any.

4I love these small bananas, but I've never seen any in the supermarket. I must get some.

5I'm going to buy more fruit. Do you need any? I'll get some for the picnic. (NOT some ones)

We use one to talk about an object in general (6) and it for a specific example of an object (7).

6Do you have a French dictionary? I'm looking for one. (= not a specific French dictionary).

7Do you have the French dictionary? I'm looking for it. (= a specific French dictionary).

We don't usually use a/an with one (8) or quantifiers with ones (9) unless we include an adjective.

8I need a pen, preferably a red one. Do you have one? (NOT Do you have a one?)

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9Most of the tomatoes were still green, but I picked out three ripe ones. (NOT three ones)

We can use each/every with one: I examined each/every one.

We don't usually use the with one or ones unless there is an adjective before them (10), or a descriptive phrase or clause after them (11).

10We bought a new table, so you can have the old one. (NOT... you can have the one.)

11Do you mean the one in the kitchen or the one that used to have the computer on it?

We usually use demonstrative pronouns or possessive pronouns (rather than determiners with one or ones) (12) unless we include an adjective (13).

12I put our books in two piles. These are mine and those are yours. (NOT... those ones are your ones.)

13Computers have changed a lot. My new one is so much faster than that other one I used to have.

In informal situations, my one, your one, etc. and that one, this one, etc. are sometimes used.

Exercise 29. Choose an ending (a–d) for each beginning (1–4) and add

these words:
	any it one ones (×2)	some them
1	Sharon: I need six large brown envelopes.		a	but ….. wasn't large enough.
	(...)		b	but he may have used …..
2	Rachel: We have a lot of small ….., (...)			already.
			с	but no large ….., I'm afraid.
3	Ask Jack, he had ….. earlier, (...)		d	Do you have …..?
4	Sharon: I got ….. from him, (...)

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Exercise 30. Editing. Correct the mistakes in this text.

My mother told me this story about her first fridge. After my parents got married, they rented a flat. She said it was a very small/with an oven, but no fridge, so they started looking for it in the newspaper. She said that fridges weren't as common then and some ones were really expensive. But she kept looking for it. She eventually found a second-hand that wasn't too expensive and the man said he would deliver it for free, so she bought right away. She was really happy. She waited a week, then two weeks, but she never saw the man or the fridge again. Later, she heard about some other people who had gone to see that man and his fridge and every had fallen for the same trick.

Substitution: so and do so

We can use so instead of repeating a clause after some verbs expressing opinions or expectations.

1 The rain will stop soon. ~ I hope so. (= I hope the rain will stop soon.) (NOT I hope it.)

Other verbs used in this way include: be afraid, believe, expect, guess,

think

We don't use so after be sure and know: It's getting late. ~ I know. (NOT I know so.)

To express the negative, we use so after the negative forms of believe, expect and think (2). We use not after the positive forms of be afraid, guess and hope (3).

2 Perhaps it will be nice and sunny. ~ I don't think so. (NOT I don't think./I don't think it.)

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3 The weather may actually get worse. ~ I hope not. (NOT I don't hope so./I don't hope it.)

We also use so after say and tell (someone) instead of repeating what was

said.

4Jones was fired. They said so on the news. (= They said that Jones was fired on the news.)

I thought it was a mistake to fire him and I told them so. (NOT... I told them

it.).

We can use if so instead of repeating a clause in a conditional sentence.

5Landa says you took her book. If so, you must return it. (= If you took her book, ...).

We can use so after less and more instead of repeating an adjective (6) or an adverb (7).

6He used to be really serious. He's less so now. (= He's less serious

now).

7They're working hard, even more so than usual. (= even harder than usual). We can use different forms of do plus so instead of repeating the same

verb and object.

8They asked me to revise the first paragraph and I did so. (=I revised the first paragraph.) • Anne Elliot refused Wentworth's offer of marriage, then regretted doing so.

We usually use do so in formal situations. In informal situations, we can use do it or do that (9). When we repeat the verb with a different subject, we use do it (not do so) (10).

9Jump across the stream. Come on. Just do it! ~ Oh, no. It's too far. I can't do that.

10Brandon forgot to take the rubbish out and I can't do it. Can you do it?

(NOT Can you do so?)

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Exercise 31. Complete these sentences with so or it plus appropriate forms of do where necessary.

1 Adam likes to drive fast, even more ….. since he got that new sports

car.

2 Did we miss the bus? ~ I'm afraid ….. . Will there be another one? ~ I certainly hope …..!

3 Can you complete the work today? ~ I don't think ….. . I'm sure I can't ….. before Friday.

4WARNING. Dangerous currents. Anyone who swims here ….. at their own risk.

5One of my friends has asked me to go snowboarding, but I've never …..

before.

6Many teenagers want to earn money in part-time jobs and are encouraged ….. by their parents.

Exercise 32. Complete this dialogue with one, ones, so or - (= nothing).

'Would you like to hear a joke? Have you heard the (1) ….. about the five

flies?'

'I don't think (2) …...'

'Okay. If there are five flies on the table and I kill one, how many will be

left?'

'I'm not sure (3) ….. . Will there be four (4) ….. left?' 'Wrong! There'll only be the dead (5) …...'

'What about the other (6) …..?' 'Well, they'll fly away, of course!' 'Ha! I should have known (7) …...'

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Exercise 33. Complete these sentences with appropriate pronouns or substitution forms.

1Do you have a corkscrew that I could borrow? I used to have ….., but I don't know what happened to ….. .

2That zoo is the only ….. in the country with wild animals in natural environments, unlike other ….. I've been to where the animals are all in cages.

3Angela accused me of taking her new calculator, but I didn't touch ….. . I still use that old ….. my parents bought for me.

4We had four suitcases and they opened and searched each ….., so then we had to repack all of ….. .

5There was an old Volvo parked outside. It was an oldfashioned ….., just like the ….. her grandfather used to drive.

Exercise 34. Complete these sentences with one, ones, some or any.

1They created a huge manufacturing company by combining several smaller ….. .

2She was looking for brown rice and asked me for ….. but I didn't have ….. .

3All these knives are too small and ….. are blunt. I need a big sharp …..

.

4Rita needed drinking straws and I was sure I'd seen ….. in the cupboard. They were those long plastic ….. that you get for children's parties.

5I needed a new brush, ….. with a long handle, but I couldn't find ….. .

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Exercise 35. Choose an answer (a-e) for each question (1-5) and add it, one or so.

1Is next Monday a holiday? (...)

2Have you solved the puzzle yet? (...)

3Isn't there anyone in the shop? (…)

4Did you watch that film last night? (…)

5Do you want another bookmark? ( )

aDo you mean the ….. about dinosaurs?

bI don't think ….. .

с I can't do ….. .

dI believe ….. should be enough.

eI guess ….. must be closed.

Exercise 36. Complete these sentences with it, one or so, plus appropriate forms of do where necessary.

1They agreed to give me a new computer, but they ….. very reluctantly.

2Helen had extra tickets for the concert and she offered me ….. .

3Veronica didn't like the idea at all and told them ….. at the last meeting.

4The hike wasn't hard for Sebby who had ….. many times before.

5Stephen used to be very noisy and disruptive in class, but he's less ….. now.

6We didn't try to complain about his behaviour because there was no point in ….. .

7Can they fix it? ~ I hope ….. . If they can't, I'll have ….. myself.

8Other people have sung the song, but nobody ….. quite like Frank

Sinatra.

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Ellipsis

Exercise 37. Write the numbers of appropriate examples in the spaces.

Leaving words out

Ellipsis means leaving words out. Instead of repeating a noun phrase (the guard), we can use a pronoun or we can leave the pronoun out (..). Instead of repeating a verb phrase (take), we can use a substitution form or leave the substitution form out (..).

1The guard looked over and he smiled. / The guard looked over and _

smiled.

2She could take the money, but she won't do it. / She could take the money but she won't _ _ .

We usually use ellipsis instead of repeating words before nouns in phrases joined by and, but, or.

3You'll need a pen or _ pencil. • Ashley's aunt and _ uncle own property in France and _ Italy.

We can also use ellipsis after a comma in a list: I'm afraid of bees, _ wasps and _ spiders.

Leaving out subjects and objects

After and, but, or in compound sentences, we usually leave out a repeated subject (..), a repeated subject and auxiliary (..) or a repeated subject and verb (..).

4She was shouting and _ _ throwing things. • Should we bring our bags or _ _ leave them here?

5We sat and _ talked. • He came, but _ left early. • They ran or _ walked

the rest of the way.

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6He looked okay, but _ _tired. • I enjoy films, _ _ going to the theatre, and _ _ walks in the park.

We can also leave out repeated subjects in later clauses after then and yet (..). We don't usually leave out subjects (and auxiliaries) after subordinating conjunctions (..).

7We tidied up before we left. • He's tired because he's ill. (NOT He's tired because ill.)

8The bird looked up, then _ suddenly flew away. • Nella liked England, yet _ longed for Italy.

We usually leave out repeated objects (..) or preposition phrases (..) from the first clause. We use an object pronoun rather than leave out the object from second or later clauses (..).

9We gave food _ _ and water to everyone. • I lived _ _ _ _ _ and studied in Rome for a year.

10She makes _ and sells jewellery. • We usually boil _ _ or poach some eggs for breakfast.

11She makes jewellery and sells it. (NOT She makes jewellery and sells.)

Leaving out verb phrases

After an auxiliary verb in the second or later clause, we usually leave out a repeated verb phrase (..). We can leave out repeated adjectives and preposition phrases after be as a linking verb (..).

12 We thought they would be late, but they weren't _. • I'm afraid he's in love and she isn't _ _.

13 I've seen the film, but Mike hasn't _ _ _. • The boys weren't feeling cold, but I was _ _. • We would help you if we could _ _. • Sarah will eat broccoli, but Jessica won't _ _.

We can also leave out a repeated verb phrase after infinitive to (..) or not to (..). After verbs such as agree and want, we can also leave out to (..).

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14 She'll leave unless he begs her not to _. • Some boys kept talking after I told them not to _.

15 I don't smoke now, but I used to _. • We haven't applied for a grant, but we plan to _ soon.

16 They asked us to do this and you agreed (to) _ _. • You can stay here if you want (to) _.

After a negative, we include to: He'd like me to stay, but I don't want to. (NOT... but I don't want.)

In formal situations, a repeated verb can be left out of a second clause when both clauses have the same structure (..). We usually repeat the verb when the subject is a pronoun (..).

17 The girls go first and the boys _ after them. • Alex chose Oxford and Alison _ Cambridge.

18 We go first and they go after us. (NOT We go first and they after us.)

We can leave out repeated words after question words when we ask (..) or report questions (..).

19 I have to leave now. ~ Why _? • It will cost a lot of money to repair the damage. ~ How much _?

20 Dr Foster has said he's planning to go on holiday, but he hasn't told us where _ or when _ yet.

Exercise 38. Complete these definitions using the nouns plus they, them or - (= nothing).

litter pollution rubbish waste

(1) …..: small pieces of paper or containers that people leave, (2) ….. drop or (3) ….. throw away in a public place.

(4) …..: the act of using things in a careless way, causing (5) ….. to be lost or (6) ….. destroyed (7) ….. unnecessarily.

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