Fluncy English Book

1
Kev Nair
Key Speech-initiators & Speech-unit Patterns
Prof. Kev Nair was born in Kerala, South India, in 1949.

He’s an eminent scholar of international repute. He’s a first class
LL.B. and a first class LL.M. And he was ranked first in university
in both the LL. B. and LL. M. exams.
• “Nair was the first person in the world to give shape to the
area of study now known as ‘English fluency development’
and to systematize it into a distinct teachable subject... So he
is better known as the father of fluency development.”
– General Knowledge Today.
• “He had been researching since 1971, and the results... led
him to new discoveries... ”
– THE HINDU.
• “Prof. Kev Nair is regarded the world over as the father
of fluency lexicography... Fluency lexicography came into
existence as a separate branch of dictionary writing with
the publication of Prof. Nair’s Dictionary of Active Fluency
Combinations in 1986.”
– Competition Success Review.
• “A renowned English language lexicographer”
– The New Sunday Express.
• “One of the world’s most respected English language
scholars...Perhaps more innovative in method than Roget and
more modern in approach than Fowler, Prof. Kev Nair is... one
of the foremost Indian scholars who wield great influence
on the thinking of the English-educated people around the
world.”
– General Knowledge Today.
• “A towering English language expert”
– Competition Success Review.
• “Prof. Kev Nair... has... reached out to thousands – judicial
officers, professionals, top executives, scholars – who need
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that comfort and ease in speech with his specialised fluency

techniques.”
– The New Indian Express.
Prof. Nair is a lawyer by profession. He lives with his wife and
children in Kochi, Kerala, an enchanting place on the earth.
3
Fluent English Dictionaries1 by Kev Nair

• A Dictionary of Active Fluency Combinations.
• A Dictionary of Fluency Word Clusters.
• The Complete Fluency Words.
• A Dictionary of Essential Fluency Phrases.
• Core Fluency Thesaurus.
• Comprehensive Adjectival Fluency Dictionary.
• Narrative Fluency Dictionary.
• Thesaurus of Phrasal Verbs.
1
Note: The Fluent English Dictionaries do not form part of Fluentzy: The
English Fluency Encyclopedia. They’re separate publications – meant for those
who want to specialize in fluency-oriented vocabulary. For details, visit www.
fluencybookz.com.
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Books by Kev Nair making up

Fluentzy: The English Fluency Encyclopedia
• B1: Idea units & Fluency.
• B2: Speech Generation & Flow Production.
• B3: Teaching your Tongue & Speech Rhythm.
• B4: Key Speech-initiators & Speech-unit Patterns.
• S1/B13 & S2/B14: Fluency in Functional English (Vols. 1 & 2).
• S3/B15: Fluency in Telephone English & Sectoral English.
• B5: How to Deal with Hesitation.
• B6: Oral Training in Fluency Vocabulary (Vol.1).
• B7: Packing of Information.
• B8: Impromptu Speech-flow Techniques.
• S4/B16: Fluency Building & Mouth Gymnastics.
• S5/B17: Fluency in speaking about people.
• B9: Fluency in Asking Questions.
• B11: Fluency & Moment-to-Moment Speech-production.
• S6/B18 & S7/B19: Fluency in Topicwise English (Vols. 1 & 2).
• S8/B20: Fluency & Pronunciation.
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B4
Key Speech-initiators
& Speech-unit Patterns
“Helps you master speech-initiators
and speech-unit patterns quickly and easily.”
– The New Sunday Express.
Fifth Edition
Prof. Kev Nair
TM
TM
Adult Faculties Council
6
For Uma
key speech-initiators and speech-unit patterns.

Copyright © Prof. K. E. V. Nair @ KevNair 1982, 1988, 1995, 2001, 2007.
First published 1982.
4th edition 2001 (15 impressions).
5th edition 2008.
Prof. K. E. V. Nair @ KevNair has asserted his right to be identified
as the author of this book in accordance with the Copyright Act, 1957.
All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this book shall be copied or
reproduced or stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or
manner whatever, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise, without the prior permission, in writing, of the
publisher, except in the case of brief quotations or as expressly permitted
by law.
All quotations from this book shall credit the author, Prof. KevNair.
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade
or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form
of binding or cover other than that in which it is published, and without a
similar condition, including this condition, being imposed on any acquirer
or the subsequent purchaser.
Any violation of these terms and conditions will invite civil
and criminal proceedings and will be prosecuted to the fullest
extent of the law.
Published in India by Mrs. Uma V. Nair, Adult Faculties Council,
DP Lane, Elamakkara PO, Kochi-682 026, Kerala.
Printed in India by Ayodhya Printers Ltd., Elamakkara PO,
Kochi-682 026, Kerala.
Adult Faculties Council’s websites:
www.fluentzy.com; www.fluencybookz.com.
Phone: (91)(0484) 2538449, 2408361.
Fax: (91)(0484) 2408361.
E-mail: info@fluentzy.com.
Price: Rs.175.00
7
Contents
Chapter 1: Key speech-initiators, 11
Basic speech-initiators, 11
Group 1 to Group 20
Advanced speech-initiators, 17
Group 1 to Group 13
Chapter 2: Everyday speech-initiators, 23

Why’s the word group-repetition drill so important?, 29
Chapter 3: 3-word and 4-word Initiators

for oral practice, 30
Chapter 4: 5-word and 6-word Initiators
for oral practice, 41
Chapter 5: Key phrase patterns, 55
Action patterns & clause patterns, 57
Chapter 6: Link Patterns and Intransitive Patterns, 60

Link verb patterns, 60
Intransitive verb patterns, 61
Chapter 7: Transitive Patterns, 64

Simple monotransitive verb patterns, 64
Chapter 8: Complex monotransitive verb patterns, 74

Chapter 9: Ditransitive verb patterns, 81
8
Chapter 10: Naming patterns, 87

Chapter 11: Rhythm drill, 100
Chapter 12: Short responses, 109
Group I, 109
Category 1 to Category 12
Group II, 115
Category 1 to Category 12
Chapter 13: Negative meaning, 120

Chapter 14: Fluency nucleus, 123
Chats and serious conversations, 123
1). Chats, 123
2). Serious conversations, 124
Long sequences and short sequences, 125

Short sequences, 126
Long sequences, 126
Level of fluency, 126

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Preface to the 5th edition
Here’s the latest edition of this book.

I have now added two new Chapters. They cover the topics
“3-word and 4-word Initiators” and “5-word and 6-word
Initiators”. You’ll find them extremely useful.
If you have any comments and suggestions, please do write to
me care of the publishers.
KEV Nair
Kochi, 2008.
10
Abbreviations
fml formal
infml informal
sb somebody
sth something
sw somewhere
Key speech-initiators 11
chapter 1
Key speech-initiators
Basic speech-initiators
We’re now going to take up a most important item of practice.
One reason why people lack fluency in English-speech is this:
Their tongue and other organs of speech find it difficult to start
saying idea units. Let me explain: If you want to say anything, you
have to start your utterances. That is, you have to start speaking.
The initial words in almost all idea units are simple words like ‘I’,
‘have’, ‘are’, etc. These simple words combine together in various
ways, and these word combinations are the initial parts of most
idea units. These combinations look simple, and it’s easy to start
writing them. But note one thing: These combinations are not
easy to say freely. Our tongues and other speech organs do not
just yield to these initial word combinations easily. That’s why
people find it difficult to start their idea units.
You see, a stretch of speech is a chain made up of several idea
units. At the beginning of each idea unit, the speech-organs show
reluctance to say the initial word combinations, and the flow of
speech breaks up. The only way to overcome this difficulty is
this: Get your organs of speech to become familiar with the initial
word combinations. And the only way to do this is to practise
— by uttering these initial word combinations ALOUD several
times. All the common combinations are given below. These
combinations start or initiate speech units, and so we can call
them speech initiators.
Don’t shrug your shoulders and think that this practice is too
elementary. No. This practice is not an elementary or non-essential
practice. This is an essential practice. Of course, meaningwise, the
word groups given below are all elementary. They’re all simple
12 Key speech-initiators
and straightforward and are made up of the most basic words

in English — words that you learn when you first begin to learn
English at school. But remember this: The aim in getting you to
do the following drill is not to teach you the meaning of words.
No. The aim is to train your organs of speech in uttering these
word groups easily.
Mind you, though these word groups are all elementary,
speakers who are not fluent normally stumble over them — no
matter how highly educated they are. Yes, non-fluent speakers
trip up when they utter these word groups, lose their balance of
speech-delivery and falter. That’s why the drill you’re going to
do with the speech initiators is extremely important. Once you
start the practice, you’ll realize how stiff your organs of speech
had been — while uttering these word groups. And once you
complete the practice, you’ll realize how supple they’ve started
becoming. So let’s go for it. Pick up each word combination and
say it several times — ALOUD.
Group 1
• I have. • I haven’t. • I had. • I hadn’t. • I have a. • I
haven’t a. • I had a. • I hadn’t a. • I have got a. • I haven’t
got a. • I have to. • I had to. • I have got to. • I have been.
• I haven’t been. • I had been. • I hadn’t been. • I have
been the. • I haven’t been the. • I had been the. • I hadn’t
been the. • I have been able to. • I haven’t been able to. • I
had been able to. • I hadn’t been able to.
Group 2
• I don’t. • I didn’t. • I don’t have to. • I didn’t have to. • I
don’t have an. • I didn’t have an.
Note: Repeat the exercise with the word groups in Group I and Group
II by substituting for the word ‘I’ — (i) first ‘We’, (ii) then ‘They’,
and (iii) then ‘You’. That is, utter the word group in these two
groups first by using ‘We’ in place of ‘I’, then by using ‘They’ in
place of ‘I’, and then by using ‘You’ in place of ‘I’.
Group 3
• He has. • He hasn’t. • He had. • He hadn’t. • He has a.
• He hasn’t a. • He had a. • He hadn’t a. • He has got a. •
He hasn’t got a. • He has to. • He has got to. • He had to. •
He has been. • He hasn’t been. • He had been. • He hadn’t
been. • He has been the. • He hasn’t been the. • He had
been the. • He hadn’t been the. • He has been able to. •
He hasn’t been able to. • He had been able to. • He hadn’t
been able to.
Group 4
• He is. • He isn’t. • He is an. • He isn’t an. • He was.
• He wasn’t. • He was a. • He wasn’t a. • He was the. •
He wasn’t the. • He is to. • He isn’t to. • He was to. • He
wasn’t to. • He is able to. • He isn’t able to. • He was able
to. • He wasn’t able to. • He is going to. • He isn’t going
to. • He was going to. • He wasn’t going to. • He is going
to be a. • He isn’t going to be the. • He is going to be. • He
isn’t going to be.
Group 5
• He doesn’t. • He didn’t. • He doesn’t have to. • He didn’t
have to. • He doesn’t have a. • He didn’t have the.
Note: Repeat the exercise with the word groups in Groups III, IV & V
by substituting for the word ‘He’ — (i) first ‘She’, and (ii) then ‘It’.
Group 6
• I am. • I am not. • I am a. • I am not a. • I was. • I
wasn’t. • I was an. • I wasn’t the. • I am to. • I am not to.
• I was to. • I was not to. • I am able to. • I am not able to.
• I was able to. • I wasn’t able to. • I am going to. • I am
not going to. • I was going to. • I wasn’t going to. • I am
going to be an. • I am not going to be a. • I am going to be.

• I am not going to be.
Group 7
• We are. • We aren’t. • We are the. • We are not the. • We
were. • We weren’t. • We were the. • We were not the. •
We are to. • We are not to. • We were to. • We were not to.
• We are able to. • We are not able to. • We were able to. •
We weren’t able to. • We are going to. • We are not going
to. • We were going to. • We weren’t going to. • We are
going to be the. • We aren’t going to be the. • We are going
to be. • We aren’t going to be.
Note: Repeat the exercise first by substituting the word ‘They’ for the
word ‘We’. That is, say ‘They are’, ‘They aren’t’, ‘They are the’ etc.
several times. Thereafter, repeat the exercise by substituting ‘You’
for ‘We’.
Group 8
• I can. • I can’t. • I could. • I couldn’t. • I can’t have. • I
could have. • I couldn’t have. • I can be. • I can’t be. • I
can be the. • I can’t be the. • I can’t have been. • I could
have been. • I couldn’t have been. • I can’t have been the.
• I couldn’t have been the.
Group 9
• I may. • I may not. • I might. • I might not. • I may have.
• I may not have. • I may be. • I may not be. • I may have
been. • I may not have been. • I may be the. • I may not be
the. • I may have been the. • I may not have been the. • I
may have been able to. • I may not have been able to.
Group 10
• I must. • I mustn’t. • I must have. • I mustn’t have. • I
must be. • I mustn’t be. • I must have been. • I mustn’t
have been. • I must be the. • I mustn’t be the. • I must

have been the. • I mustn’t have been the. • I must have
been able to. • I mustn’t have been able to.
Group 11
• I needn’t. • I needn’t have. • I needn’t be. • I needn’t
have been. • I needn’t be the. • I needn’t have been the. • I
needn’t have been able to.
Group 12
• I ought to. • I oughtn’t to. • I ought to have. • I oughtn’t
to have. • I ought to be. • I oughtn’t to be. • I ought to
have been. • I oughtn’t to have been. • I ought to be the. •
I oughtn’t to be the. • I ought to have been the. • I oughtn’t
to have been the. • I ought to be able to. • I oughtn’t to be
able to.
Group 13
• I should. • I shouldn’t. • I should have. • I shouldn’t
have. • I should be. • I shouldn’t be. • I should have been.
• I shouldn’t have been. • I should be the. • I shouldn’t be
the. • I should have been the. • I shouldn’t have been the.
• I should be able to. • I shouldn’t be able to.
Group 14
• I used to. • I didn’t use to. • I never used to.
Group 15
• I had better. • I had better not.
Note: Repeat the exercise with the word groups in Groups 8 to 15 by
substituting for the word ‘I’ — (i) first ‘He’ (ii) then ‘She’ (iii) then
‘It’ (iv) then ‘We’ (v) then ‘They’, and (vi) then ‘You’.
Group 16
• I shall. • I shan’t. • I’ll. • I won’t. • I would. • I wouldn’t.
• I shall have. • I shan’t have. • I’ll have. • I won’t have. •
I’d have. • I wouldn’t have. • I shall be. • I shan’t be. • I’ll
be. • I won’t be. • I’d be. • I wouldn’t be. • I shall be the. •
I’ll be the. • I won’t be the. • I’d be the. • I wouldn’t be the.
• I’ll have been. • I won’t have been. • I’d have been. • I
wouldn’t have been. • I’ll be able to. • I won’t be able to. •
I’d be able to. • I wouldn’t be able to.
Group 17
• I should like to. • I shouldn’t like to. • I’d like to. • I
wouldn’t like to. • I’d have liked to. • I wouldn’t have liked
to.
Note: Repeat the exercise with the word groups in Groups 16 & 17 by
using ‘We’ in place of ‘I’.
Group 18
• He will. • He won’t. • He would. • He wouldn’t. • He’ll
have. • He won’t have. • He’d have. • He wouldn’t have. •
He’ll be. • He won’t be. • He’d be. • He wouldn’t be. • He’ll
have been. • He won’t have been. • He’d have been. • He
wouldn’t have been. • He’ll be able to. • He wouldn’t be
able to. • He’d be able to. • He wouldn’t be able to.
Group 19
• He’d like to. • He wouldn’t like to. • He’d have liked to.
Note: Repeat the exercise with the word groups in Groups 18 & 19
by substituting for ‘He’ — (i) first the word ‘She’, (ii) then ‘It’, (iii)
then ‘They’, and (iv) then ‘You’.
Group 20
• There is. • There is a. • There is no. • There are. • There
are no. • There was. • There was a. • There was no. •

There were. • There were no. • There isn’t. • There aren’t.
• There wasn’t. • There weren’t. • There has been. • There
hasn’t been. • There have been. • There haven’t been. •
There had been. • There hadn’t been. • There has been
no. • There have been no. • There had been no. • There’ll
be. • There won’t be. • There’d be. • There wouldn’t be.
• There’ll be no. • There’d be no. • There can be. • There
can’t be. • There could be. • There couldn’t be. • There can
be no. • There could be no. • There may be. • There may
not be. • There might be. • There might not be. • There
may be no. • There might be no. • There must be. • There
mustn’t be. • There must be no. • There ought to be. •
There oughtn’t to be. • There ought to be no. • There can’t
have been. • There could have been. • There couldn’t have
been. • There could have been no. • There may have been.
• There may not have been. • There might have been. •
There might not have been. • There may have been no.
• There might have been no. • There must have been. •
There mustn’t have been. • There must have been no. •
There ought to have been. • There oughtn’t to have been.
• There ought to have been no. • There is going to be. •
There isn’t going to be. • There are going to be. • There
aren’t going to be. • There was going to be. • There wasn’t
going to be. • There were going to be. • There weren’t
going to be. • There is going to be no. • There are going to
be no. • There was going to be no. • There were going to
be no. • There seems. • There appears. • There remains.
Note: Don’t worry about when to use each of these initiators or where.
At present, pay attention only to uttering each word group ALOUD
—several times.
Advanced speech-initiators
We’ve just now seen a number of Basic Speech Initiators. Let’s
now look at a few groups of Advanced Speech Initiators.

I’ve already explained why it is important to have training
with Basic Speech Initiators. Read through that part once again.
Advanced Speech Initiators are important for the same reasons.
Say each Advanced Speech Initiator several times — ALOUD.
Soon your tongue will become supple, and will start moving and
bending easily while uttering these initiators:
Group 1
• He’s decided to. • They failed to. • We didn’t agree to.
• They persuaded me to. • He wasn’t listening to. • He
didn’t go to. • He’s supposed to go to. • I was hoping to. •
They often listen to. • You don’t need to. • We pretended
to. • She’s come to. • She hadn’t promised to. • I’ll try to.
• He tried not to. • We ran fast to. • They didn’t expect to.
• She didn’t use to. • He was to. • She doesn’t wish to. •
He seems to. • She must go to. • She demanded to. • He
intended to. • He doesn’t mean to. • They hesitate to. •
We couldn’t afford to. • He desired to. • She hoped to. •
I wouldn’t like to. • I would like to. • We attempted to. •
I’ve got to. • We threatened to. • I just happened to. • He
wished to. • We refused to. • He was writing to. • They
started to. • It didn’t take long to. • They never remember
to. • We always forget to. • They planned to. • I’d like to.
• He wouldn’t lift a finger to. • They’d been trying to. • We
went to. • He offered to. • She decided not to.
Group 2
• They didn’t like me to. • You must remind me to. • I
want you to. • I don’t want them to. • He made up his
mind to. • We changed our plans to. • We helped them to.
• They came here to. • He’s writing a reply to. • She used
a spanner to. • It’ll take him ages to. • She didn’t make any
arrangements to. • We need it to. • It never occurred to
him to. • I didn’t want him to. • We stayed there to. • She
should see us to. • It’d cost money to. • It’d cost a lot to. • I
met them later to.
Group 3
• They didn’t know how to. • He wondered when to. • I
remembered what to. • I forgot who to. • He didn’t know
whether to. • I knew who to. • I found out where to. • We
all learnt how to. • I was wondering which way to. • She
knew how much to. • He showed me how to. • She told
them how to.
Group 4
• They went to that place to. • We had to do that to. • He
wanted to stay at home to.
Group 5
• Be there in time to. • Imagine not going to. • Explain
how to. • Describe what to. • Get him to. • Ask someone
to. • Try not to.
Group 6
• He’s eager to. • He was right to. • I was wrong to. •
They’ll be curious/able/anxious to. • We’re grateful/
afraid/frightened/lucky/fortunate to. • She was prepared/
ambitious/surprised/happy/willing to. • He seemed
excited/thrilled/amazed/delighted/alarmed/shocked to.
• They may be reluctant/unwilling/glad/happy/relieved/
sorry to. • We’re all upset/infuriated/determined/keen/
impatient to. • Everyone seemed proud/pleased/free/
welcome/disturbed/annoyed/irritated/inclined to. • They
were slow/quick/ready/unable to. • He was lucky/certain
to.
Note: The word group “They will be curious/able/anxious to” must

be uttered like this: “They will be curious to”, “They will be able
to”, “They will be anxious to”. Follow this procedure whenever
you come across word groups consisting of words separated by ‘/’.
Group 7:
• It was dangerous to. • It’s essential to. • It’s quite easy to.
• It was silly to. • It used to be difficult to. • It’ll be hard to.
• It was unpleasant to. • It seems absurd to. • It’s pleasant/
very fair/enough to. • It may be customary/impossible/
terrible/foolish to. • It was painful/wonderful/delightful/
marvellous to. • It’s important/necessary/sensible/useless
to. • It’ll be expensive/convenient/practical to.
Group 8:
• It’s very interesting/amusing/irritating to. • It was
thrilling/boring/startling/shocking to. • It was terrifying/
pleasing/annoying/astonishing to. • It was disturbing/
inspiring/satisfying/exciting to.
Group 9:
• It was wrong of him to. • It was thoughtful/kind/cruel/
rude of you to. • It’s clever/cheeky/impolite/crazy of them
to. • It was careless/wise/dishonest/selfish of her not to. •
It’ll be foolish/good/sensible/decent/generous of them to.
• It was naughty/impudent/ungrateful of the boys not to. •
It is so much cleaner to.
Group 10
• He’s too weak to. • He’s too clever to. • He’ll be too
excited/drunk/impatient/glad to. • He must be too strong/
fat/old/heavy to. • She was too ashamed/ill/small/brave
to. • It was too light/shabby/complicated/long to. • It was
too shallow/narrow/sour to. • He was too afraid/upset/
busy/angry to. • They were too smart/nervous/dangerous/

tired to. • He was too short/confused/tough to. • You were
too rash/mean/depressed/broad-minded to. • He was too
stupid/dirty/weak/narrow-minded to.
Group 11
• She’s big enough to. • He was calm/experienced/patient/
rich enough to. • It was deep/hot/heavy/wide enough to.
• It was thick/tidy/cool/smooth enough to. • It’s clean/
sweet/bright/easy enough to. • It’s safe/soft/warm/dry
enough to. • He was early/quick/bright/firm enough to.
Group 12
• He didn’t have enough time to. • He has a large family
to. • I didn’t have an opportunity to. • There’s not enough
chance to. • He told the lie just to. • He’s not a man to.
• There was nothing to. • He borrowed enough money
to. • She didn’t have a place to. • It was fun to. • He was
the first man to. • There’s not much time left to. • It’s an
odd place to. • This is the best book to. • It’s the easiest
way to. • It’s time to. • I’ll need a few minutes to. • It’s an
inconvenient time to. • I haven’t time to. • They have no
lawn to. • It’s an interesting way to. • All he can do is to. •
There’s no place there to.
Group 13
• They said it is. • I said I was. • She asked if it was. • You
told me she had. • She explained she had. • He told her he
could. • She’s just told us she wanted to. • They told you
their. • They told him how. • I said we must. • I said I was.
• You suggested we could. • She’s just told me she is. • I
said she had. • They said they must. • She told me I should
be. • She’s just told them she will. • I told him I was. • He
claimed his father had. • He explained what. • He said it
must be. • I wondered whether to. • They say they will. •

They say they are. • He argued his case is. • They asked us
if. • They say they have. • She asked him why. • They said
they would. • We asked them how. • They promised they
would. • They told him not to. • He thought he could. • He
asked me if. • They wondered which. • He asked her not
to. • They started asking her why. • You told her you had. •
They said they had to. • She said she might. • They asked
me what.
***
Everyday speech-initiators 23
chapter 2
Everyday speech-initiators
Now get ready for a very important drill.
I’m going to give you a collection of some of the most common
speech initiators. Once you complete your practice with these
initiators, you’d notice one thing: You’d notice that your organs
of speech have become far less obstinate in starting utterances
than they were before.
At this stage, don’t worry about the contexts in which these
initiators occur or about the way in which speakers use them.
Pay attention only to giving training to your organs of speech. So
keep uttering each initiator word group several times — ALOUD.
Remember this: These initiators are going to make you more
fluent than you’ve been till now. Here we go:
 • Please explain it to. • He couldn’t see the. • She can go out
whenever. • I must buy a present for. • They couldn’t have
moved the. • We punished her for wrecking the. • I’ve got
nothing in. • I have no idea of. • I’m having some trouble
with. • She complained about. • They don’t want any more
of. • I haven’t heard why. • He believes in. • We didn’t hear
from. • These are my. • That’s near the. • Let’s not do the.
• Someone wants to.
 • Please take it out of. • I can’t hear the. • She hadn’t dusted
the. • He is putting the bundle on the. • I don’t like doing.
• The discount price is. • I’m at the. • They’ve got used to.
• She kept waving to. • I’m looking forward to meeting
our. • Those are her. • We bought it at. • She had a lot of.
• That’s far from here to. • The next bus leaves at. • I like
going to. • I don’t have my. • You can’t do anything about.
• He was to go with. • I couldn’t help making a. • They
explained everything to. • This is the first day of. • There’s
24 Everyday speech-initiators
very little. • He’ll be back in. • It always seems better

when. • Let’s see if we can. • This is its. • It’s not much
good asking. • They warned me about. • He was quite. •
We do our own. • Show me some of the. • He was running
from. • This shirt is the same colour as. • I don’t want to.
• He didn’t mention the. • I had lunch in. • She quarrelled
with. • Let’s find out who. • Let’s ask him about. • You
can’t be going to. • His shoes are made of. • He doesn’t
look very. • They watched me weighing the. • We can’t
imagine what. • Both my bags are.
 • You must go somewhere else to. • I can’t go anywhere else
to. • Turn left at. • He wanted no more of. • She placed
the book on the. • She couldn’t see the. • They happened
to look at our. • This chair is made of. • They have to take
the trip by. • You haven’t paid the. • She poured some
more. • Theirs is the. • He always tries to be. • I’m feeling
very. • I was in front of. • He has to pay his. • They didn’t
think it was. • It’s opposite the. • He was wearing a. • It’s
easy for you to. • He’s at the. • They paid nothing for. •
They wouldn’t wait for. • I’m not used to. • That reminds
me. • They bought a few. • He hasn’t had enough time
for. • They gave her a. • He hasn’t seen me for. • Imagine
quarrelling with. • They put a little more. • They couldn’t
have reported it to. • Guess what the. • Her friends are all.
• I wish I had. • It’s worse than. • We were mending the. •
This is my. • I enjoyed talking to. • You shouldn’t use the. •
I’d fix it for you if. • I had a lot of difficulty understanding.
 • Turn right at. • The longest way is. • The shortest way is.
• I haven’t forgotten how much. • Those packets are near
the. • I sent it to. • I’m not used to carrying. • Something
is bothering. • He’s taking the book from the. • We went
to a. • The nearest one is. • It took about. • It rains a lot
in. • They took it back to. • There’s nobody in. • I don’t
know which one. • They didn’t see him attacking the. • I
don’t like the service in. • I have something in. • I have to

go to. • I don’t need any. • I apologized for. • That’s your.
• He hadn’t noticed the. • She’s thinking of. • There isn’t
enough food for. • They’ll wait for him at. • That’s always
at. • Look at the. • Look in the. • They’ve been cheating
us for. • We are getting. • We were pushing the. • I’ll bring
the. • We can’t understand your. • She won’t be dusting
the. • It’s no good warning. • Everyone is looking at. •
That’s our. • Meet him at. • Here’s my. • I forgot to tell. • I
wouldn’t mind arranging. • She passed her. • He may have
been trying to. • He was walking to the. • I don’t think she.
• It’s likely to. • It’s high time you were. • The next bus
leaves in. • I’ve never had. • He didn’t mean to. • We didn’t
discuss your. • I’m afraid of annoying the. • Imagine not
locking the. • He may be coming from. • Those are their.
• Ask them to turn off the. • I really wonder how. • I like
doing. • We don’t keep any record of. • Give him a. • Our
office is the. • He hasn’t told me what. • I couldn’t find a. •
There’s no point in bringing the. • He was pulling the. • It
was a very. • I’m against the. • These are their. • They went
with. • They’re annoyed over. • Don’t give her any. • Let’s
watch the.
 • She doesn’t ever get tired of. • He wrote a reply to. • She
apologized for spoiling the. • They’ve only just checked my.
• It’ll be useful in. • Meet me here at. • Everyone wonders
where. • They cooked their own. • It does not include. •
She didn’t come to. • We can’t tell you where. • I’m closing
the. • It’s certain to. • I don’t have anything else to. • The
weather is different in. • I wish you hadn’t. • He’s used
up all the. • You can get one at. • I’d better take. • He’s
always very fair to. • He shouldn’t have said. • They were
grumbling about. • They’ve heard her speak about. • You
can’t stop her going to. • She has everything she. • This is
Peter’s. • It was Julia who. • It isn’t in. • Most of them are.
• The paper says it is. • There’ll be one on. • There were
a few more. • It’s not much use eating. • He’s got used to
getting up at. • I haven’t had enough time for. • Bring me
all the. • No one can explain why. • You needn’t have gone
to. • There’s someone near. • Imagine not working for. • I
got into trouble for. • They borrowed it from. • It’s his. •
I have no. • I only hope we can. • They weren’t in any. • I
hadn’t ever seen the. • The first day of the year is.
 • He’ll get the. • All her brothers are. • Try pushing that. •
Some of her friends are. • It’s getting. • The train stops
at the. • They heard you shouting at. • It looks as if it’s
going to. • That’s not good for. • None of her brothers is. •
Come a little before. • Most of them are. • Try turning the.
• They’ll talk as if they. • I need change for a. • It’s worse
than. • I don’t speak. • It’s 4 kms. from. • It’s high time
they. • This is a very well-known kind of. • Give that to. •
I wish I had a. • They’ve been out since. • He’ll act as if he.
• I don’t need any. • I prefer a. • Her behaviour is different
from. • I’ve got to visit my. • Tell her it’s. • He’s got the. •
They’re in favour of the. • I would like to speak to. • She
told us the. • They wrote her a. • Everybody got tired of. •
Tell me the.
 • He was standing by the. • I’ve heard them speak about. •
He didn’t wash the. • She covered the. • She paid only. •
There were more. • She needed it for. • They’re working
for. • Give me the number of. • I didn’t have any trouble
finding. • All his shirts were. • We’ve been here since. •
They’re making the. • I can’t remember his. • I had trouble
finding a. • He took out the. • She’s given me some. • He
cannot take care of. • He doesn’t dare to. • They wouldn’t
leave the. • They have no idea when. • Many people don’t
do their. • We shall buy a lot more of. • Put all this in. •
Borrow some money from. • He wouldn’t do it for. • They
always forget to pay the. • Both of them can be. • Several
of them will be. • That’s north of. • You ought to ask for.
• They won’t understand the. • He forced them to. • We

didn’t get the. • He rubbed out the. • There’s one near the.
• We’ve stopped using. • They used to have a lot of. • All
our oil is.
 • They want two or three more of. • He looked upset about.
• If you don’t do it. • There’s nothing anybody can. • She
was behind. • I took the box to. • He can’t speak a word of.
• They must be talking to. • Their prices are. • He wasn’t
in the. • They haven’t found a. • He was out of. • This
letter is for. • Find someone who. • He hasn’t ordered the.
• He took a message for. • I didn’t have any trouble with.
• All your friends will be. • He’s gone abroad for. • There’s
someone else to. • There’s no one else to. • They haven’t
said. • We use this oil for. • You’ve got the. • We can’t let
you use the. • These four packets are. • Those four are. •
This one is. • She tore the. • They’re having a party at. •
It’s difficult for them to. • It’s right next to. • It’s no use
your offering a. • He likes this kind of. • He found a. • We
put down the. • The next one was. • She can go by. • She
got into trouble for carrying. • He sold it to. • They use this
for. • It never occurred to them to thank. • I didn’t dare to.
• He hasn’t repaid the. • I should like to look at. • We have
more. • They haven’t finished their. • He managed to fix
the. • It takes about. • I didn’t know you had. • She lost all
her.
 • I don’t understand the. • It’s near the. • I’m tired of. •
She’s polished the. • I’ve been busy with. • You must
understand why. • We’re looking for a. • There are some.
• Get off the bus at. • It’s no use offering a. • It’s on the.
• If they’d encouraged her. • She’d have. • I don’t agree
with. • There’s something on. • It’s many miles from here
to. • This one costs less than. • I haven’t gone to. • I’ll lend
you. • I usually have breakfast about. • They made him
pay back the. • He is very popular with. • There must have
been some. • I’m taking a trip to. • He’s always buying. •

You’ll soon get used to. • I enjoy seeing. • There are some
difficult parts in. • I live in a. • I don’t remember insulting.
• Don’t tell them what. • I’ll change them all by. • We were
to have invited. • Nothing happened when. • He’ll be late
for. • He was touching the. • I don’t like to. • I don’t know
the. • It’s no good making. • You can’t prevent anyone
looking at. • I don’t feel like tidying the. • We are staying
at. • He doesn’t have much. • They couldn’t hear what. •
They were opening the. • He didn’t say how often. • They
haven’t made much. • I was really a. • I have been feeling.
• Look at him eating the. • I remember how. • We live in.
• You can rely on. • I’d rather you see the. • It’s time you
collected the. • Give him some. • He can’t eat without. •
He was between. • I asked for a. • He was working in.
 • I didn’t have my. • She doesn’t have to wash her. • This
box is a different size from. • He didn’t send me a. • If
she blames me. • There isn’t much. • He’s had a lot of. •
There’s a good one in. • They never seem to get upset over.
• That is someone else’s. • She spent the day reading a. •
She was at the. • It’s no use going to. • I met him at. • His
name is.
 • It’s the same as. • They’re worried about. • I’ll have the. •
They were showing me their. • She never remembers to
post the. • She heard him shouting at. • He left a message
for. • We missed the. • He has fewer. • This is the worst
day in. • He didn’t answer my. • I like the. • They went on
mending the. • He got a letter from. • If you’d asked me. •
They’re travelling by. • I need some. • Wait until. • She’ll
behave as if she. • She doesn’t mind the. • They’d have
helped him if. • I thought he was. • We have one at. • Let’s
see him as soon as.
Note: These are all the initiators you need to have practice with at
present. Here let me repeat: It’s very important to utter each of
them ALOUD —several times. The aim is not to make you learn
them by heart. The aim is to get your speech-organs to become

familiar with them. And to get the organs into the habit of
working in certain specific ways.
Why’s the word-group-repetition drill so

important?
By now, haven’t you noticed one thing? When you start uttering a
set of word groups aloud, you might feel awkward and clumsy —
at first. But don’t give up. Gradually, you’ll start feeling at home
with the word groups.
It’s very important to practise by repeating word groups
aloud several times. You’ll realize how important this drill is only
after you’ve finished doing it — not before. Before doing the drill,
some of you may feel like this: “Oh, what’s the use! Anyway,
these Books ask me to do it and let me do it”. But once they’ve
finished doing it, they’ll feel like this: “Oh, how awkward and
clumsy I’ve been so far! How effortlessly I can utter these word
groups now!”.
Yes! Once you’ve finished uttering the word groups aloud
several times, the word groups come out of your mouth effortlessly
— with ease. You know, there’s one thing that people who are not
fluent do not realize: Words and word groups come out of their
mouths only with conscious effort. They’ll fully realize this only
after they’ve done the word group-repetition practice. After each
session of word group-repetition-practice, they’ll discover one
thing: They’ll discover that their speech organs have begun to
loosen up. They’ll feel as if a barrier is being removed slowly from
their way — a barrier that they never knew was there before.
Now listen: Suppose that you utter a few word groups aloud
for some time. Don’t think that those are the only word groups
that will become easier for you to utter. No. That’s not so. When
you utter a few word groups aloud for some time, those word
groups and a number of other word groups become easier to
utter. Listen. Suppose that you utter a particular word group

aloud several times. That word group contains: (i) certain sound-
combinations and (ii) at least one word-junction. You see, several
other word groups also contain some of those sound combinations
and the same word-junction. And so, several other word groups
with similar sound combinations and the same word junction
also become easier to utter — automatically.
You get a large number of specially-selected word groups for
practice in the various Books in this series. They all follow this
principle. Master uttering all those word groups. You’ll then be
able to utter any word group in conversational English — with
ease and without effort. That is, you’ll find yourself at home even
with word groups that you don’t find in the various Books in this
series.
So don’t you see how important the word group-repetition
practice is?
***
3-word and 4-word Initiators for Oral Practice 31
chapter 3
3-word and 4-word Initiators

for Oral Practice
To achieve great fluency in speech, one of the most important
skills you should have is the ability to produce idea-unit initiators
easily and quickly – without thinking about them in advance or
planning them in advance.
The word groups you get in this Chapter and in the next
Chapter can help you achieve this ability.
Here’s a comprehensive collection of 3-word initiators and
4-word initiators. These are initiators of frequent utility. Get as
much practice as you can saying these initiators aloud.
Here we go:
3-word initiators
A campaign to; A course to; Anyone willing to.
Don’t forget to.
He agreed to; He appeared to; He arranges to; He asked to;
He asks to; He attempted to; He began to; He bent to; He brought
to; He came to; He claims to; He confided to; He continued to; He
converted to; He decided to; He expected to; He expects to; He
failed to; He fell to; He flew to; He fought to; He grew to; He had
to; He has to; He hated to; He hates to; He hoped to; He hurried
to; He intends to; He lied to; He liked to; He likes to; He listened
to; He lived to; He made to; He managed to; He manoeuvres
to; He needed to; He needs to; He offered to; He ought to; He
owned to; He planned to; He pointed to; He proceeded to; He
promised to; He referred to; He refused to; He refuses to; He
reported to; He returned to; He rode to; He rose to; He said to;
He scrambled to; He seemed to; He seems to; He smiled to; He
32 3-word and 4-word Initiators for Oral Practice
started to; He stopped to; He tends to; He threatened to; He took

to; He transferred to; He tried to; He tries to; He trotted to; He
turned to; He used to; He walked to; He wanted to; He wants
to; He went to; He’d like to; He’d love to; He’ll have to; He’s
determined to; He’s going to; He’s known to; He’s learning to;
He’s starting to; He thought to; Horses need to;
I aim to; I asked to; I beg to; I began to; I came to; I climbed
to; I continued to; I decided to; I demand to; I expect to; I feel
to; I forgot to; I had to; I happen to; I hate to; I have to; I hope
to; I hoped to; I intend to; I learned to; I learnt to; I like to; I
live to; I love to; I managed to; I mean to; I need to; I offered
to; I ought to; I prefer to; I pretended to; I promised to; I want
to; I refuse to; I regret to; I ride to; I rode to; I said to; I seem
to; I seemed to; I shudder to; I sing to; I speak to; I spoke to; I
started to; I struggle to; I suggested to; I swerved to; I talked to;
I tend to; I thought to; I travel to; I tried to; I try to; I turned to;
I used to; I waited to; I walk to; I want to; I wanted to; I was to;
I went to; I wish to; I wrote to; I’d hate to; I’d like to; I’d love
to; I’d prefer to; I’ll have to; I’ll need to; I’m able to; I’m ready
to; I’m anxious to; I’m chained to; I’m fixing to; I’m going to; I’m
hoping to; I’m pleased to; I’m ready to; I’m sorry to; I’m trying
to; I’ve come to; I’ve decided to; I’ve got to; I’ve managed to; I’ve
taken to; I’ve wanted to; It applies to; It begins to; It changes to;
It comes to; It continues to; It fails to; It falls to; It happens to; It
helps to; It pays to; It promises to; It spreads to; It started to; It
starts to; It tries to; It’s difficult to; It’s good to; It’s hard to; It’s
unprofessional to.
Let’s go to.
Much remains to.
Parliament voted to; People used to; Police tried to; Press
here to; Produce evidence to; Promise not to.
Remind me to.
Scientists tried to; She admits to; She admitted to; She
appeared to; She asked to; She began to; She came to; She chose
to; She confessed to; She continued to; She contributes to; She
decided to; She demanded to; She failed to; She feared to; She
flew to; She forgot to; She happened to; She happens to; She
has to; She hurried to; She indicated to; She intends to; She is
to; She jumped to; She learnt to; She lied to; She liked to; She
longed to; She managed to; She manages to; She means to; She
moved to; She needs to; She offered to; She ought to; She prefers
to; She ran to; She refused to; She refuses to; She replied to; She
resolved to; She returned to; She seemed to; She seems to; She
sent to; She shot to; She slowed to; She strove to; She suggested
to; She talks to; She tended to; She threatened to; She tried to;
She turned to; She used to; She wanted to; She was to; She went
to; She woke to; She worked to; She wrote to; She’d learnt to;
She’ll have to; She’s decided to; She’s going to; She’s gone to;
She’s hoping to; She’s studying to; Soldiers trained to.
Take steps to; They agree to; They agreed to; They are to;
They arranged to; They aspired to; They began to; They begin to;
They chanced to; They combine to; They come to; They continue
to; They decide to; They decided to; They declined to; They fled
to; They forgot to; They fought to; They get to; They go to; They
had to; They happened to; They have to; They hope to; They
intend to; They join to; They like to; They listen to; They lost to;
They manage to; They mean to; They move to; They need to;
They needed to; They ought to; They pay to; They plan to; They
planned to; They prefer to; They pretend to; They ran to; They
refuse to; They refused to; They rose to; They seem to; They send
to; They speak to; They start to; They stopped to; They struggled
to; They talk to; They tend to; They threatened to; They tried to;
They try to; They want to; They wanted to; They’re allowed to;
They’re appealing to; They’re driving to; They’re going to; They’re
planning to; They’re trying to; They’ve decided to; They’ve got
to; Try not to.
We agreed to; We are to; We chose to; We flew to; We got to;
We guarantee to; We had to; We happened to; We have to; We
hope to; We huddled to; We intend to; We lost to; We manage
to; We managed to; We need to; We promise to; We promised
to; We put to; We seem to; We tend to; We tried to; We turned
to; We used to; We want to; We went to; We were to; We woke
to; We’d like to; We’ll have to; We’ll need to; We’re beginning to;
We’re going to; We’re invited to; We’re planning to; We’re trying
to; We’re waiting to; We’ve applied to; We’ve decided to; We’ve
had to; Who stands to.
You act to; You agree to; You apply to; You are to; You
arrange to; You begin to; You call to; You change to; You choose
to; You come to; You continue to; You decide to; You fail to; You
go to; You happen to; You have to; You hope to; You intend to;
You listen to; You manage to; You move to; You object to; You
offer to; You ought to; You pay to; You plan to; You pretend to;
You react to; You refuse to; You respond to; You return to; You
say to; You seem to; You speak to; You start to; You travel to; You
want to; You weren’t to; You work to; You write to; You’ll have to;
You’ll need to; You’ve planned to;
4-word initiators
Group 1
A pilot trained to; Allow your muscles to; Are animals able
to; Are you going to; Be careful not to; Children are reckoned to;
Children usually like to.
Did you ask to; Does he know to; Drivers are advised to.
Few people dared to.
Have you arranged to; He almost had to; He always refers
to; He always springs to; He appeared willing to; He approached
me to; He asked her to; He asked me to; He bit in to; He called
back to; He campaigned relentlessly to; He can claim to; He can’t
bear to; He challenged me to; He contributes regularly to; He
couldn’t bear to; He denies attempting to; He did well to; He
didn’t expect to; He didn’t like to; He didn’t offer to; He doesn’t
have to; He even tried to; He eventually rose to; He expects me
to; He fell in to; He flatly refused to; He flew back to; He flung
himself to; He grew up to; He had attempted to; He had been to;
He had decided to; He had failed to; He had hoped to; He had
nothing to; He had risen to; He has applied to; He has had to; He
has helped to; He has promised to; He has started to; He hauled
himself to; He is anxious to; He is due to; He is expected to; He
is learning to; He is prepared to; He is said to; He is unable to;
He just refused to; He knew when to; He leaned forward to; He
loved her to; He made it to; He may try to; He only agreed to;
He ordered us to; He quickly climbed to; He referred briefly to;
He said nothing to; He secretly tried to; He set out to; He simply
referred to; He simply wants to; He spoke briefly to; He spoke
well to; He stood up to; He strives hard to; He suddenly jumped
to; He taught me to; He teaches English to; He threw me to; He
told her to; He tried again to; He used compasses to; He walked
back to; He was able to; He was about to; He was admitted to;
He was asked to; He was burning to; He was determined to; He
was forced to; He was found to; He was going to; He was near to;
He was observed to; He was ordered to; He was prepared to; He
was reduced to; He was reluctant to; He was responding to; He
was seen to; He was sent to; He was terrified to; He was told to;
He was trying to; He was unable to; He was upgraded to; He was
willing to; He wasn’t used to; He went on to; He will appeal to;
He woke up to; He’ll just have to; He’s been committed to; He’s
decided not to; He’s generally considered to; He’s gone down to;
He’s just trying to; He’s not afraid to; He’s not entitled to; Her
eyes dropped to; His job is to; His thoughts turned to; Hunger
drove her to.
I allowed her to; I always like to; I always wanted to; I am
continuing to; I am given to; I am ready to; I am willing to; I
arrived back to; I asked her to; I asked him to; I believe her to; I
bring anything to; I called him to; I can’t afford to; I can’t get to;
I can’t seem to; I come in to; I conduct you to; I couldn’t wait to;
I desire only to; I did remember to; I didn’t aim to; I didn’t like to;
I didn’t mean to; I didn’t want to; I do expect to; I don’t claim to;
I don’t have to; I don’t like to; I don’t profess to; I don’t want to;
I don’t wish to; I did that to; I feel certain to; I feel that to; I fully
intended to; I get up to; I had gone to; I had waited to; I hardly
need to; I have children to; I have her to; I have nothing to; I
help you to; I hurried away to; I invited him to; I judged him to; I
judged it to; I jump in to; I jumped up to; I just hate to; I just need
to; I just want to; I just wanted to; I left it to; I looked forward
to; I might go to; I need you to; I needed something to; I never
agreed to; I never seem to; I never want to; I often want to; I only
go to; I ought not to; I owe everything to; I owe it to; I put this
to; I realized that to; I really have to; I say that to; I settled down
to; I shall need to; I should like to; I started out to; I stood aside
to; I thought back to; I tried not to; I want you to; I was allowed
to; I was amazed to; I was asked to; I was banished to; I was
called to; I was deemed to; I was disappointed to; I was forced
to; I was going to; I was led to; I was left to; I was lucky to; I was
made to; I was married to; I was preparing to; I was promoted
to; I was surprised to; I was touched to; I was transferred to; I
was trying to; I wasn’t attending to; I wasn’t going to; I wasn’t
here to; I wasn’t willing to; I went back to; I went up to; I would
deserve to; I would like to; I would love to; I wouldn’t like to; I’d
advise him to; I’d be ashamed to; I’d be glad to; I’d hate you to;
I’d just like to; I’d just tried to; I’d like everyone to; I’d like you
to; I’d love her to; I’d love you to; I’d really like to; I’d seen them
to; I’ll be happy to; I’ll leave it to; I’m just going to; I’m not going
to; I’m not insured to; I’m so glad to; I’m so sorry to; I’m so tired
to; I’m trying not to; I’m very sorry to; I’ve asked him to; I’ve been
invited to; I’ve been trying to; I’ve chosen him to; I’ve fixed up
(for us) to; I’ve forgotten how to; I’ve got something to; I’ve sent
him to; I’ve set myself to; If somebody tried to; If you attend to;
If you want to; Immigrants have contributed to; It adds up to;
It allows electricity to; It allows heat to; It becomes attached to;
It becomes unable to; It bothers me to; It causes it to; It causes
people to; It causes them to; It causes you to; It changes direction
to; It didn’t occur to; It felt strange to; It helps them to; It hurts
me to; It influences you to; It is able to; It is beginning to; It is
brought to; It is calculated to; It is considered to; It is delivered

to; It is designed to; It is difficult to; It is easy to; It is enough to;
It is given to; It is hard to; It is important to; It is impossible to;
It is intended to; It is joined to; It is left to; It is necessary to; It is
planned to; It is reasonable to; It is relevant to; It is returned to;
It is used to; It leads up to; It leans over to; It moves upwards to;
It seems likely to; It sends light to; It suddenly came to; It suits
me to; It supplies them to; It takes place to; It was difficult to; It
was hard to; It’s too far to; It’s your turn to.
Leave the concrete to; Leave the rice to; Let me demonstrate
to.
Nobody mentioned anything to; Now I’d like to.
Report the matter to; Reveal her age to.
She allowed victory to; She asked him to; She asked me to;
She called him to; She came near to; She didn’t want to; She
doesn’t seem to; She eventually had to; She fell in to; She felt
herself to; She felt it to; She felt moved to; She forced herself to;
She had decided to; She had managed to; She had nothing to;
She had objected to; She had vowed to; She has gone to; She has
had to; She has moved to; She has refused to; She hurried away
to; She invited him to; She is hoping to; She is reported to; She
is studying to; She is threatening to; She is training to; She kept
trying to; She left Frances to; She looked about to; She never
learned to; She often went to; She paused only to; She rolled over
to; She said goodbye to; She sounded close to; She still listens to;
She swung around to; She swung back to; She taught me to; She
tried not to; She turned back to; She walked me to; She was able
to; She was accepted to; She was admitted to; She was afraid to;
She was asked to; She was beaten to; She was beginning to; She
was burning to; She was close to; She was delighted to; She was
determined to; She was dying to; She was elected to; She was
lucky to; She was never to; She was partly to; She was planning
to; She was prepared to; She was sentenced to; She was there
to; She was trying to; She went directly to; She went on to; She
went upstairs to; She will have to; She’s asked him to; She’s still
learning to; She’s very keen to; Shelves were built to.
Group 2
Take their case to; The bank agrees to; The bank refuses
to; The car began to; The cells began to; The donor prefers to;
The evidence seems to; The fire begins to; The General had to;
The guidebook says to; The hijackers threatened to; The house
burned to; The kids offered to; The president nodded to; The
promotion proved to; The rain continued to; The visit helped
to; Their spokesman declined to; There is nothing to; They add
poison to; They agree not to; They all decide to; They allow it
to; They allow you to; They are aiming to; They are allowed to;
They are anxious to; They are appointed to; They are attached to;
They are believed to; They are calculated to; They are chosen to;
They are considered to; They are declared to; They are entitled
to; They are expected to; They are fighting to; They are forced
to; They are introduced to; They are likely to; They are made to;
They are next to; They are open to; They are ordered to; They are
planning to; They are prepared to; They are proved to; They are
reported to; They are similar to; They are trying to; They become
difficult to; They bowed low to; They bring it to; They cause it to;
They cause you to; They chained themselves to; They challenged
him to; They change it to; They choose someone to; They climbed
in to; They combine chemically to; They come down to; They
come together to; They create it to; They declared themselves to;
They desire you to; They discovered how to; They do something
to; They don’t hesitate to; They don’t want to; They encourage it
to; They expected me to; They force you to; They formally agree
to; They found him to; They gather somewhere to; They give
information to; They give it to; They give them to; They go back
to; They gradually start to; They had begun to; They have begun
to; They have had to; They have permission to; They have yet
to; They help them to; They help you to; They join together to;
They just need to; They leave it to; They listen carefully to; They
look carefully to; They march somewhere to; They may apply
to; They may refuse to; They need you to; They only refused
to; They pay you to; They persuade you to; They plan secretly
to; They produced evidence to; They protested bitterly to; They
shout loudly to; They slow down to; They speak angrily to; They
take action to; They tell it to; They told me to; They train dogs
to; They try hard to; They use deception to; They used dogs to;
They went up to; They were beaten to; They were committed to;
They were determined to; They were due to; They were glad to;
They were knocked to; They were made to; They were planning
to; They were reduced to; They were trying to; They were unable
to; They will tend to; They wrote back to; They’ll be able to;
They’ll be ready to; They’ve asked me to; This design came to;
This dispute threatens to; Transfer some money to.
Use the computer to.
Walk two kilometres to; We all had to; We all have to; We
always try to; We are delighted to; We are grateful to; We are
inching to; We are scared to; We are trying to; We asked her
to; We believe them to; We came home to; We can’t afford to;
We can’t wait to; We chose him to; We debated whether to; We
decided where to; We didn’t manage to; We don’t go to; We
encouraged them to; We had managed to; We have arranged to;
We have plans to; We have standards to; We huddled together to;
We know her to; We know what to; We learnt how to; We may
begin to; We must strive to; We need someone to; We need time
to; We often neglect to; We really needed to; We shall fight to;
We told him to; We turn now to; We want you to; We welcome
you to; We went in to; We went straight to; We were advised to;
We were encouraged to; We were happy to; We were heading to;
We will fight to; We will try to; We would prefer to; We’d like you
to; We’d recommend you to; We’re really struggling to; We’ve
decided not to; We’ve still got to; Western medicine tends to;
What led you to; When he wants to; When you want to; Would
you like to.
You accompany them to; You add something to; You add
substances to; You advise them to; You agree not to; You allow
doctors to; You allow it to; You allow someone to; You allow
them to; You allow yourself to; You appoint them to; You are
able to; You are afraid to; You are aiming to; You are allowed to;
You are forced to; You are going to; You are intending to; You
are introduced to; You are likely to; You are listening to; You
are ordered to; You are planning to; You are referring to; You
are required to; You are trying to; You are unable to; You are
unlikely to; You are unwilling to; You ask people to; You ask them
to; You bring it to; You can’t begin to; You can’t expect to; You
cannot expect to; You cause it to; You cause them to; You cause
water to; You challenge them to; You change it to; You choose it
to; You choose not to; You climb on to; You communicate it to;
You consider it to; You consider them to; You couldn’t fail to;
You decide not to; You deliver them to; You describe it to; You
develop it to; You didn’t want to; You do it to; You do something
to; You do things to; You don’t have to; You don’t need to; You
employ them to; You encourage them to; You explain it to; You
fasten it to; You feel attracted to; You fix it to; You fix them to;
You force them to; You get closer to; You get them to; You get
used to; You give it to; You have all to; You have decided to; You
haven’t listened to; You help students to; You help them to; You
influence them to; You introduce it to; You invite them to; You
join it to; You just have to; You knock them to; You learn how to;
You legally agree to; You lend it to; You make efforts to; You may
want to; You mention it to; You move it to; You officially apply to;
You order them to; You owe it to; You pass it to; You pay attention
to; You pay money to; You pay them to; You persuade them to;
You politely refuse to; You prefer it to; You present evidence to;
You present facts to; You really ought to; You recommend them
to; You reduce it to; You report them to; You say something to;
You say things to; You say yes to; You send it to; You send money
to; You shall go to; You show it to; You sold it to; You start it
to; You suddenly start to; You take action to; You take it to; You
teach them to; You tell it to; You tell them to; You throw it to; You
touch it to; You train yourself to; You try hard to; You try not to;
You turn it to; You use force to; You use it to; You want it to; You
want them to; You were going to; You will begin to; You will get
to; You will have to; You will need to; You write letters to; You
begin to; You’ll just have to.
***
Chapter 4
5-word and 6-word Initiators

for Oral Practice
Here’s a comprehensive collection of 5-word initiators and 6-word
initiators. These are initiators of frequent utility, especially in
serious, content-intensive speech.
Get plenty of practice saying these initiators aloud.
5-word initiators
Group 1
A lawyer was appointed to; A new train line to; Ambulance crews
were tending to.
Banks actively encourage people to; Both sides committed
themselves to.
Can they be trusted to; Can you describe him to; These
machines permit you to; Could you teach me to.
Do you know how to; Do you want me to; Don’t tell me what
to.
Experts were brought in to.
Have you been able to; He can’t decide whether to; He cast
the line to; He certainly knows how to; He claimed that working
to; He could not afford to; He could not bear to; He couldn’t
think how to; He did a lot to; He didn’t even bother to; He didn’t
know how to; He ducked in time to; He felt the need to; He felt
too shocked to; He gives Italian lessons to; He had again failed
to; He had been able to; He had been bound to; He had resigned
himself to; He had the insight to; He hadn’t been able to; He has
been known to; He has been picked to; He has been summoned
to; He has shown himself to; He hasn’t even bothered to; He

hated going there to; He indicated his willingness to; He is not
speaking to; He kept encouraging me to; He may come back to;
He needs more money to; He promised the money to; He proved
himself determined to; He sent me word to; He shouldered his
way to; He told us when to; He turned his back to; He turned
his head to; He warned her not to; He was barely able to; He
was desperately trying to; He was later discovered to; He was
not expected to; He was too distressed to; He was too modest
to; He was whistling softly to; He was working hard to; He went
on listening to; He won’t allow himself to; He worked his way
to; He’d given too much to; He’s grown a beard to; He’s let his
apartment to; He’s not certain whether to; Health officials are
proposing to; Her blood was found to; His dearest wish is to; His
father meant him to; House prices are expected to; How can you
bear to; Hydrogen and oxygen combine to.
I am not prepared to; I asked the shop to; I called the office
to; I can come but to; I can’t bear having to; I can’t come out
to; I can’t decide what to; I can’t find clothes to; I can’t keep it
to; I connected my printer to; I could find (the) time to; I could
hardly wait to; I count myself fortunate to; I count myself lucky
to; I decided I wanted to; I did not mean to; I did not remember
to; I didn’t have time to; I didn’t intend coming to; I didn’t know
what to; I didn’t mean you to; I didn’t pay attention to; I didn’t
really want to; I don’t know where to; I don’t know whether to;
I don’t pay you to; I don’t want him to; I don’t want them to; I
don’t want you to; I draw your attention to; I drove my daughter
to; I feel as if to; I felt I ought to; I felt it advisable to; I felt
morally compelled to; I find (that) it pays to; I first got paid to; I
gather (that) you wanted to; I got the fishmonger to; I had asked
everyone to; I had assumed him to; I had come here to; I had
done enough to; I had imagined her to; I had no right to; I had
no time to; I had worked hard to; I have absolutely nothing to;
I have given thanks to; I have no reason to; I have so much to; I
haven’t decided whether to; I haven’t done talking to; I hope they
continue to; I imagine you’re referring to; I just cannot afford to;
I keep on thinking to; I left the decision (up) to; I left the pub to;
I met (with) him again to; I need some time to; I personally don’t
want to; I rang them yesterday to; I reckon (that) I’m going to; I
reduced the problem to; I remember (that) we used to; I ride my
bicycle to; I said he’d have to; I sat down next to; I screamed at
them to; I shall look forward to; I shall not try to; I should have
written to; I shouldn’t expect you to; I shouted at mother to; I
simply couldn’t bear to; I simply gave in to; I soon learned not
to; I think it’s important to; I think it’s starting to; I think it’s time
to; I think Phil has to; I think we ought to; I think what appeals
to; I thought you wanted to; I took a pill to; I trust you not to;
I understand they are to; I was always taught to; I was deeply
attracted to; I was granted permission to; I was only trying to;
I was too nervous to; I was very attracted to; I wasn’t expecting
you to; I wish I’d listened to; I won’t be able to; I wonder what’s
happened to; I would advise people to; I would be glad to; I would
do anything to; I would hate him to; I would just like to; I would
prefer him to; I wouldn’t say no to; I wrote a letter to; I’d better
leave you to; I’d feel as if to; I’d like for us to; I’d like some time
to; I’d loan the money to; I’d love for you to; I’d prefer you not to;
I’d put the children to; I’d stayed up late to; I’ll tell you when to;
I’ll forward any mail to; I’ll forward his email to; I’ll get someone
else to; I’ll just change in to; I’ll put the kids to; I’m afraid he’ll
have to; I’m counting on you to; I’m not physically attracted to;
I’m not really expecting to; I’m not sexually attracted to; I’m not
sure how to; I’m quite happy really to; I’m sorry I forgot to; Ian’s
asked us round to; Insulin enables the body to.
It accidentally becomes attached to; It adds that quality to; It
can be designed to; It causes that event to; It causes that situation
to; It causes that surface to; It causes the area to; It causes the
building to; It has been planned to; It helped being able to; It is
complex enough to; It is deep enough to; It is good enough to; It
is large enough to; It is long enough to; It is not offered to; It is
officially given to; It is strong enough to; It is tall enough to; It
makes a sound to; It makes it able to; It makes it available to; It

makes it easier to; It makes them easy to; It makes you unable to;
It makes you want to; It puts an end to; It seems only reasonable
to; It should be done to; It starts causing you to; It uses its power
to; It was a shock to; It will be difficult to; It will help you to; It’ll
take her time to; It’ll work out cheaper to; Italy has been drawn
to.
Leaflets have been delivered to; Let’s move the meeting to.
Many people choose not to; My dad loves going to; My
secretary has threatened to; No one pushed you to; Nobody paid
any attention to; Play that new piece to; Police are still trying
to.
She advised us when to; She asked me back to; She called
me over to; She decided (that) she wanted to; She dedicated her
life to; She did her best to; She did not attempt to; She fell five
metres to; She was finally forced to; She finds it hard to; She
followed me in to; She found it hard to; She found it impossible
to; She had been trying to; She had been unable to; She had
done little to; She had supposed him to; She has a room to; She
has been heard to; She courageously continued to; She has done
more to; She makes herself out to; She must be made to; She
opened a window to; She paused long enough to; She pulled the
car to; She soon learnt not to; She suffered appalling burns to;
She transferred the house to; She tried her best to; She waited
for him to; She wanted his wedding to; She warned me not to;
She was heavily drugged to; She was in Mexico to; She was kind
enough to; She was not able to; She was refused access to; She
was somehow able to; She was the last to; She was too tired to;
She would dearly love to; She would do anything to; She’d given
the bug to; She’d have enough money to; She’s afraid she’s going
to; She’s already planning how to; She’s always very eager to;
She’s just been promoted to; Situations like these happen to.
Group 2
The agreement binds her to; The airline operates flights to; The
boys were taken to; The carpets are starting to; The college he
applied to; The college principal promised to; The college’s aim
is to; The committee is working to; The company was ordered
to; The contract was stated to; The deal is estimated to; The
doctor told me to; The exercises are designed to; The fans are
looking to; The fire rapidly spread to; The first thing leads to;
The hotel manager signed to; The girls are certain to; The house
was reported to; The injured driver had to; The job turned out
to; The journey was reckoned to; The kids would love to; The
painting was declared to; The password permits access to; The
Government is committed to; The programme is designed to;
The right of workers to; The road bent sharply to; The signals
are able to; The sound is able to; The test qualifies you to; The
theories were demonstrated to; The trial is predicted to; The
troops prepared themselves to; The vases are believed to; The
warning was radioed to; The wheel is pulling to.
These vases are held to; They are asking people to; They are
generally thought to; They are moved there to; They are now ready
to; They are officially allowed to; They are officially forbidden to;
They are officially ordered to; They are pressing us to; They are
set free to; They are too young to; They are using explosives to;
They are very similar to; They arrange for it to; They built a wall
to; They can suggest where to; They choose that person to; They
deliberately do things to; They deliberately tell it to; They do not
go to; They had a competition to; They had allowed her to; They
had invited me to; They had worked heroically to; They have
been directed to; They have been listening to; They have invited
me to; They have lent it to; They have warned us to; They hired
a trainer to; They judged it wise to; They make you want to; They
may be able to; They no longer talk to; They pay for it to; They
pushed their way to; They revealed certain information to; They
say it’s better to; They should be able to; They stop in order to;
They told the shopkeeper to; They unreasonably expect you to;
They use their power to; They use their strength to; They use
their teeth to; They want the government to; They were brought
up to; They were still trying to; They will be able to; They will
force you to; They will not reply to; They will only agree to;
They’re expressing their commitment to; They’ve sent their son
(away) to; This award is considered to; This book contributes
little to; This event is likely to; This has led scientists to; Today
we learnt how to; True marriage requires us to.
Visitors are not permitted to.
We are learning how to; We couldn’t agree what to; We did
the journey to; We employ an expert to; We figured (that) you’d
want to; We find her evidence to; We hadn’t been able to; We
must get someone to; We must try not to; We shut our eyes to;
We think an attempt to; We want the government to; We were all
shocked to; We were very surprised to; We’re planning a trip to;
We’re really looking forward to; We’ve got enough food to; What
are you trying to; What do you want to; What would you like to;
What’s the best way to; Where did you learn to; Where do I have
to; Who do you consider to; Who would have thought to; Whose
turn is it to; Why do you want to; Will you be able to; Would you
prefer me to.
You advise them not to; You allow someone else to; You
always want them to; You are advising them to; You are asking
them to; You are formally asked to; You are given permission
to; You are not able to; You are trying hard to; You are warning
them to; You arrange for it to; You arrange for someone to; You
arrange for them to; You arrive too late to; You ask for it to; You
can fly direct to; You can just afford to; You can trust them to; You
change your position to; You compete with them to; You consider
it carefully to; You control it carefully to; You do it repeatedly
to; You do not admit to; You do not go to; You do not want to;
You express your gratitude to; You fasten it firmly to; You feel
romantically attracted to; You feel sexually attracted to; You feel
the desire to; You find a solution to; You find an answer to; You
formally ask them to; You formally choose them to; You formally
send it to; You formally tell them to; You get it ready to; You get
quite near to; You give a speech to; You give them food to; You
give them out to; You give your attention to; You had better go
to; You have the ability to; You have the right to; You hold it close
to; You keep pressing it to; You look at it to; You make an effort
to; You make it easier to; You make it known to; You make them
go to; You move in order to; You no longer wish to; You open the
bottle to; You pay no attention to; You politely ask them to; You
raise your shoulders to; You ring a bell to; You rub its surface
to; You say insulting things to; You say something back to; You
say you cater to; You send a message to; You should be able to;
You should know when to; You shouldn’t always have to; You
show people how to; You stop paying attention to; You suddenly
become unable to; You tell them how to; You think about whether
to; You travel around it to; You try very hard to; You unwillingly
allow something to; You use a camera to; You use a knife to; You
use that phrase to; You use your authority to; You use your charm
to; You use your hands to; You use your power to; You use your
teeth to; You very much want to; You will be entitled to; You will
be expected to; You work out how to; You would be well-advised
to; You would like it to; You’d be a fool to.
6-word initiators
Group 1
A ramp has been built to; All candidates will be required to; All
our officers are trained to; All the students were asked to.
Can you show me how to; Children here walk several miles
to.
Have you sent a postcard to; Have you shown your work to;
He and the others withdrew to; He believes he has something
to; He brilliantly manoeuvred himself back to; He called it
particularly cynical to; He changed from voting against to; He
charged through the door to; He could refer the matter to; He
declared he was happy to; He failed in his attempt to; He felt
that he had to; He fought with the urge to; He had a taxi waiting
to; He had been sent here to; He had lost his desire to; He had
lots of time to; He had not been able to; He had only been trying
to; He had scheduled an address to; He had tied the dog to; He
has expressly forbidden her to; He has hired a lawyer to; He has
probably done more to; He is moving ever closer to; He keeps
putting off going to; He kept on at me to; He kept on crying and
to; He knew what he wanted to; He left all his money to; He
paused for a moment to; He rang for the guard to; He reached
out his hand to; He risked life and limb to; He said he was going
to; He said he was off to; He said they had threatened to; He
saw her but refused to; He shot out his hand to; He soon turned
his dreams to; He started something that was to; He stood up
and began to; He swung the camera around to; He turned and
murmured something to; He turned round and waved to; He
waited for the woman to; He was burning wood chips to; He was
reprimanded for trying to; He was staggering and had to; He was
the last man to; He was transferred from there to; He was waving
his arms to; He weaved around the tables to; He would not be
allowed to; He’s dying but he refuses to; He’s putting me under
pressure to; He’s putting pressure on me to; Her music always
sends me to; Her wet clothes were sticking to; His new book
shows him to; His parents won’t allow him to.
I am in a position to; I came over from Ireland to; I can get
the car to; I can never get her to; I can’t always be there to; I
can’t get my computer to; I can’t get the radio to; I certainly don’t
remember talking to; I consider myself lucky that to; I could not
bring myself to; I couldn’t get the car to; I decided it was safer
to; I desperately fought the urge to; I didn’t even see her to; I
do not know what to; I don’t know what happened to; I don’t
quite know how to; I don’t quite know what to; I don’t suppose
it occurred to; I failed in my attempt to; I felt I had adjusted to; I
felt sure I’d have to; I finally feel as if to; I find it really hard to; I
find it’s almost impossible to; I found it very easy to; I had a few
minutes to; I had been warned what to; I had met with him to;
I haven’t had a chance to; I held up one finger to; I just can’t be
bothered to; I know what it means to; I looked down the hallway
to; I packed and said goodbye to; I rang round the airlines to; I
shall use the money to; I should be doing more to; I still can’t
trust myself to; I still have no reason to; I stopped in London
only to; I stopped in several bookstores to; I stopped working last
year to; I suggest (that) we go out to; I thought the best way to;
I thought you might like to; I threw open the windows to; I too
am committing myself to; I vote that you try to; I want everyone
back here to; I was in a mood to; I went for a walk to; I went
into the bedroom to; I will always feel grateful to; I will arrange
for someone to; I will contact you later to; I would be the last to;
I’d like all the students to; I’m still debating what colour to; I’m
sure we’ll have something to; I’m waiting for a document to; I’ve
already arranged with him to; I’ve been avoiding getting down
to; I’ve booked us two tickets to; I’ve got thirty exam papers to;
I’ve just accepted an invitation to; I’ve shut the windows before
to.
It allows the currency’s value to; It becomes available for
people to; It causes the other things to; It goes down quite
suddenly to; It is available for people to; It is boiled in order to;
It is easy for it to; It is no longer fit to; It is put into containers
to; It is ready for you to; It is unsuccessful and has to; It makes it
more likely to; It makes the task easier to; It passes through your
body to; It remains there without appearing to; It stays fresh and
suitable to; It took her three hours to; It was not his plan to; It
would probably pay you to; It’s time I got down to.
Join one section of pipe to.
Membership fees should be paid to; Music and lighting are
used to; My father taught me how to; Now is a good time to;.
Real progress will be made to; Rehearse what they were
going to.
Shall I take a gift to; She always said I ought to; She carefully
returned the book to; She certainly lived her life to; She could
just about afford to; She decided (that) she would retire to; She
doesn’t find it easy to; She felt it her duty to; She finds it a strain
to; She gave up her studies to; She gradually fought her way to;
She had learned from experience to; She had never been able to;
She had not committed anything to; She had often considered
moving to; She had shown herself unable to; She hoped she’d be
able to; She just hasn’t known what to; She knew enough about
publishing to; She knocked on the window to; She paused for a
moment to; She rose from her chair to; She said that she wanted
to; She suddenly brought the interview to; She travelled over
100 miles to; She turned pale and started to; She turned the vase
over to; She was always treating him to; She was no longer able
to; She was shutting her eyes to; She would have hated him to;
She’s arranged for her son to; Six companies have been selected
to.
Group 2
Take a swing at him to; The baby is just learning to; The cable
isn’t long enough to; The climber slipped and dropped to; The
doors were painted blue to; The film studio is transferring to;
The first thing causes you to; The government not only has to;
The judges awarded equal points to; The meeting has been
switched to; The officer ordered his men to; The opera was the
place to; The Opposition moved an amendment to; The plot is
almost impossible to; The poor harvest caused prices to; The tour
included a visit to; The workforce is generally accepted to.
They alter it in order to; They appeared at court yesterday to;
They are employed by you to; They are expressing their closeness
to; They are sent by magistrates to; They are telling you politely
to; They argued for the right to; They attach a special device to;
They called on Western nations to; They cause a pregnant woman
to; They did everything they could to; They didn’t see the/any
need to; They do everything that needs to; They do everything
they can to; They do not give it to; They don’t have any plans to;
They expect the antibiotic products to; They expected all their
children to; They felt under no obligation to; They formally make
it known to; They formally put an end to; They give a legal order
to; They give you a place to; They give you the opportunity to;
They go there in order to; They had been called in to; They had
told their offices to; They haven’t got an invite to; They joined
with the monarchists to; They left themselves wide open to; They
make you feel determined to; They move from one place to; They
operate on that person to; They perform music for people to;
They praise it in order to; They say they have nothing to; They
say they would like to; They send a legal order to; They should
change the law to; They should then be able to; They sign a
contract agreeing to; They take it in turns to; They wanted the
army reduced to; They were at the door to; They were desperately
in love to; They were just shooting off to; They will also force
schools to; They will be offered transfers to; They will now seek
permission to; They’re meeting with their advisers to; They’ve
been campaigning for years to; They’ve given her some tablets
to; Those kids are driving me to.
University teachers are under pressure to.
We arranged for a car to; We banked up the fire to; We
battled with the elements to; We can no longer afford to; We
can’t assume the suspects to; We don’t consider our customers
to; We don’t usually give presents to; We fixed for the team to;
We haven’t got all day to; We haven’t yet arranged when to; We
haven’t yet been able to; We know that prolonged exposure to;
We rolled back the carpet to; We’ll do all we can to; What gives
you the right to; When is this fighting going to; Will you sing a
song to; Women and children are feared to.
You add the first number to; You and I are going to; You are
drawing their attention to; You are required by law to; You are
telling them not to; You are the first person to; You are the next
person to; You arrange for the advertisement to; You ask them
very anxiously to; You ask them very eagerly to; You attach the
first thing to; You can rely on me to; You can train your mind to;
You change from one vehicle to; You change it in order to; You
consider them in order to; You contact them in order to; You
crush them in order to; You decide that you want to; You delay it
in order to; You do something in order to; You do the same thing
to; You do what is necessary to; You don’t understand what it’s to;
You formally arrange for someone to; You get a new one to; You
give all your attention to; You give some of it to; You give them
the work to; You give them your permission to; You go and bring
them to; You go from one place to; You have a great desire to;
You have a strong desire to; You have the right qualities to; You
hit it in order to; You hit your hands together to; You iron them in
order to; You make a firm decision to; You make a great effort to;
You make a mental effort to; You make plans for it to; You make
plans with them to; You make the information available to; You
mean that it seems to; You mean that people react to; You mean
that they expect to; You mean that they have to; You mean that
they seem to; You mean that you intend to; You mean that you
prefer to; You meet them and talk to; You mention it in order to;
You mustn’t show this letter to; You need not feel obliged to; You
need them in order to; You pay him a fee to; You pull its feathers
out to; You put a tick next to; You say that it travels to; You say
who you want to; You see young people going to; You show it
without intending to; You squeeze them in order to; You succeed
in causing it to; You succeed in getting people to; You succeed in
persuading them to; You suggest it for people to; You support it
and help to; You take action in order to; You think that it needs
to; You touch them in order to; You treat it in order to; You try
very hard not to; You use force in order to; You use it in order to;
You use some of it to; You wave something flat next to; You were
probably brought up to; You’ve won yourself a trip to; Your father
would like you to.
***
54 Key phrase patterns
chapter 5
Key phrase patterns

In general, words in English belong to four classes:
1. Closed-class words:
(i) Conjunctions
(E.g. and, or, although, before, when, as if).
(ii) Determiners
[= a/an, all, any, each, either, enough, every, (a) few, fewer,
fewest, half, least, less, (a) little, many, more, most, much,
neither, no, one, several, some, such, the, this, that, these,
those, what, whatever, which, whichever].
(iii) Modal verbs

(= can, could, may, might, must, ought to, shall, should,
will, would).
(iv) Prepositions
(E.g. against, as, at, beside, during, for, from, into, of, than,
till, to, towards, until, with).
(v) Primary verbs

(= be, am, are, was, were, been, being; have, has, had,
having; do, does, did, doing, done).
(vi) Pronouns
[= all, any, anybody, anyone, anything, each, each other,
either, enough, everybody, everyone, everything, (a) few,
fewer, fewest, he, her, hers, herself, him, himself, his, I, it,
its, itself, least, less, (a) little, many, me, mine, more, most,
much, my, myself, neither, nobody, none, no one, nothing,
Key phrase patterns 55
one another, some, somebody, someone, something, that,

their, theirs, them, themselves, these, they, this, those, one,
oneself, our, ours, ourselves, several, she, us, we, what,
whatever, which, whichever, who, whoever, whom, whose,
you, your, yours, yourself, yourselves].
Note: If you compare the lists of determiners and pronouns, you
can see that several words function both as determiners and
pronouns.
2. Open-class words
(i) Adjectives
(E.g. beautiful, good, bad, big, small, tall, pleasant).
(ii) Adverbs
(E.g. extremely, really, clearly, briefly, carefully).
(iii) Nouns
(= apple, army, beauty, box, cat, diabetes, duty, flower, fish,
food, group, hair, mathematics, milk, money, news, plan,
politics, scissors, teacher).
(iv) Verbs (= Full verbs)

(E.g. achieve, apply, arrive, bring, come, create, disappear,
dream, enjoy, get, give, go, know, make, laugh, put, shave,
take, waste).
3. Numerals
(E.g. one, two, three...; first, second, third...).
4. Interjections
(E.g. ah, oh, ouch, phew, ugh).
Action patterns & clause patterns

Out of the various classes of words, the words that carry most of
your meaning are open-class words. And out of the open-class
words, the words that function as the most central of all elements
in a clause are full verbs.
Verbs express actions, events, processes, activities, conditions,
states or experiences. These actions, events, etc. are not only
physical, but also mental, perceptual, social, etc. Whenever
you speak spontaneously, almost everything you say expresses
such actions, events, etc. In other words, almost everything you
say tells that somebody or something did something or that
something happened to them or that they’re in such and such
condition, state, etc. And spoken English that is natural and
unvarnished tends to use a verb (along with a Subject element)
to do all this. Yes, a verb. (And a person who speaks naturally and
simply doesn’t try to get the work done by forming a noun from
a verb. No).
You see, in a clause, the first element is usually the Subject
element. And in 90% or more of these clauses, the Subject element
is followed by the Verb element. You see, it’s the full verb in the
Verb element that decides two things: Should any other elements
follow it in the clause? If so, what other elements?
So you can see that the most pivotal element in speech is the
verb phrase. And so, if you want to master the communicative
vocabulary in English, the words that you should pay most
attention to are verbs — full verbs. And if you want to master
verbs, the most fundamental thing you should do is to learn their
complementation patterns — that is, the different ways in which
verbs require their meanings to be completed in a clause.
You see, there are different types of verbs. All of them don’t
allow the same kind of complementation. For example, some
verbs require complementation by adjective phrases themselves,
and some verbs require complementation by noun phrases
Key phrase patterns 57
themselves. Some verbs require complementation by certain

specific adjective phrases or noun phrases themselves — phrases
which tend to occur regularly with them. And there are several
verbs that can be complemented in different ways.
Now don’t let all this explanation scare you. The whole thing
is actually quite simple and easy. And you don’t have to memorize
any of these details. Just read on, and just be aware that this is
how things are with verbs.
We’re now going to learn all these verb complementation
patterns. As verbs often express actions, we can also call these
verb complementation patterns ‘action patterns’.
You see, the Verb element is so important an element that
a clause pattern can be expressed as: “Subject element + Verb
element + Verb-complementation”. And so, when we learn Verb-
complementation patterns, what we really learn is the whole set
of clause patterns themselves in English. You’ll soon see that the
various types of Verb-complementation produce the following 8
clause-patterns:
(1) SV. (2) SVOd. (3) SVC. (4) SVOiOd. (5) SVOdC. (6) SVA. (7)
SVOdA. (8) SVOi.
Note: S = Subject element; V = Verb element; Od = Object
element (Direct); Oi = Object element (Indirect); C = Describer
complement; A = Adverbial element.
Out of the 8 patterns, the patterns that are most common
are the first 3 patterns: (1) SV. (2) SVOd. (3) SVC. The pattern
next in importance is the fourth pattern: (4) SVOiOd. Pay most
attention to these four patterns. The last pattern SVOi is the least
common. Out of the 8 patterns, the single most common pattern
(and the most useful) is the SVOd pattern.
You’re now going to get the action patterns. I’ve categorized
them into five groups:
• Link verb patterns. • Intransitive verb patterns. • Simple
monotransitive verb patterns. • Complex monotransitive
verb patterns. • Ditransitive verb patterns.

Under each verb pattern, you’ll first get a list of verbs.
These are verbs that can produce word groups of that pattern.
Immediately after the list of verbs, you’ll get a few examples,
illustrating how some of the verbs in the list follow that pattern.
***
Link patterns and Intransitive Patterns 59
Chapter 6
Link patterns
and Intransitive Patterns
Link verb patterns
1. SVC : Link verb + Describer complement

(= Adjective phrase)
 appear, become, come, end up, feel, get, go, grow, keep, look,
prove, remain, seem, smell, sound, stay, taste, turn, turn
out, wind up.
E.g. • He appeared calm. • He became angry. • His prediction
came true. • Many businessmen end up bankrupt. • She felt
happy. • He got bored. • Your coffee has gone cold. • She’s
growing old. • Keep quiet, will you? • She looked pretty.
Exercise: Under each verb pattern, you’ll get a list of words
that can follow that pattern. And you’ll find a few examples
showing how you can use those words and compose word
groups of that pattern. Now the thing you should do is this:
Compose one word group each, using the words in each list.
The word groups that you compose must be of the same pattern
as specified in the pattern heading and as illustrated by the
examples. Use your dictionary. Do this exercise with the words
given under all the verb patterns — that is, patterns 1 to 46.
2. SVC : Link-like verb + Describer

complement (= Adjective phrase)
 be born, blush, burn, die, escape, fall, fall down, freeze, glow,
hang, lie, loom, pass, play, plead, rest, run, sit, slam, spring,
stand, stand up, stare, survive.
60 Link patterns and Intransitive Patterns
E.g. • He was born blind. • She blushed scarlet/bright red. •

The fire is burning low. • He died young/poor. • It was a
serious accident, but most of the passengers escaped unhurt.
• She fell asleep during the meeting. • He fell down dead. •
The ground has frozen hard. • The fire glowed white. • The
curtains hung loose.
3. SVC : Link/Link-like verb + Describer

complement (= Noun phrase)
 appear (like/to be), become, constitute, end up, feel (like),
form, look (like), make, part, prove (to be), remain,
represent, seem, sound (like), turn, turnout, sound, wind
up.
E.g. • That appeared (like/to be) a good suggestion. • He’s
become an authority on this subject. • What they’ve done
really constitutes an offence. • His business failed, and he
ended up a beggar. • When she said that, he felt (like) a
fool. • This design formed the basis for that painting. • It
looked (like) a fine day when we started out. • He’ll make a
good philosopher.
Intransitive verb patterns
4. SV: Verbs that do not normally take a direct

object
 ache, advance, apologize, arise, arrive, bleed, blush, collapse,
come , cough, crackle, cry, decay, depart, deteriorate,
die, digress, dine, disappear, disintegrate, doze, droop,
economize, erupt, evaporate, exist, expire, faint, fall, falter,
fidget, flinch, flourish, fluctuate, gleam, go , growl, happen,
hesitate, howl, itch, kneel, laugh, lie, matter , moan, occur,
pause, persist, prosper, rise, roar, scream, shine, shiver, sigh,
sleep, slip, smile, snarl, sneeze, snore, snort, sob, sparkle,
Link patterns and Intransitive Patterns 61
speak, squeak, squeal, stink, subside, sulk, surrender, swim,

throb, tingle, vanish, vary, vibrate, wait, waver, weep, wilt,
work, yawn.
E.g. • My back aches. • The enemy forces are advancing. • He
apologized. • No such problem will arise. • The train has
arrived. • His shoulder was bleeding. • She saw him, and
she blushed. • He fainted and collapsed in the street. • She’s
come. • She was coughing and sneezing. • The telephone
crackled, and I couldn’t hear what she said. • Don’t tease
her — she’ll cry. • The dead leaves slowly decayed.
5. SVA: Verb + Adverbial (= Adverbial clause

introduced by ‘as if/though’).
 appear, feel, look, seem, smell, sound, taste.
E.g. • It appeared as if she doesn’t like him. • I feel as if I’m
going to faint. • He looked as if he didn’t believe me. • He
seemed as if he was bored. • The kitchen smelt as if it was
full of rotten vegetables. • He sounded as if he didn’t like
us. • The soup tasted as if it was full of alcohol.
6. SVA: Verb + Adverbial (= Prepositional

phrase or adverb)
 appear, belong, come, crawl, creep, drift, fall, feel, flow,
gallop, get, glide, go, hang, hurtle, keep, lie, live, plunge,
remain, run, seem, sit, soar, spring, stand, stay, stroll, travel,
walk.
E.g. • And then a man appeared at the gate. • This chair
belongs in the dining hall. • He came into the hall. • The
baby crawled across the floor. • Both the soldiers had to
creep through the undergrowth.
62 Link patterns and Intransitive Patterns
7. SV/SV(A): Verbs that are optionally followed by

an Adverbial (= ‘a preposition + each other/one
another’)
 agree, alternate, argue, balance, clash, coincide, collide,
combine, communicate, compete (against/with), conflict,
consult, contend, contrast, co-operate, correspond (to/
with), disagree, engage, fight (against/with), integrate,
mate, merge, mix, part (from), quarrel, relate (to), separate
(from), struggle, talk (to/with).
E.g. • They agreed with each other. • His moods alternate
between optimism and pessimism. • They’re always arguing
with each other. • I don’t think these two demands can
balance with each other. • Their beliefs clash with each
other.
***
Transitive Patterns 63
Chapter 7
Transitive Patterns
Broadly speaking, transitive verb patterns fall into three
categories:
1). Simple monotransitive verb patterns
2). Complex monotransitive verb patterns
3). Ditransitive verb patterns
We’ll take up the first category (Simple Monotransitive
Patterns) in this Chapter, and the other two categories of patterns
in the next two Chapters.
Simple monotransitive verb patterns

For ease of reference, and to ensure continuity between the
verb patterns in the previous Chapter and those in the present
Chapter, we’ll number the patterns in this Chapter from serial
number 8.
8. SVOd : Verb + Object (= Noun phrase)

 accept, achieve, acknowledge, address, admire, admit, affect,
afford, announce, ask, avoid, bear, begin, believe, blame,
build, buy, calm, carry, catch, claim, commit, complete,
concern, consider, continue, control, convince, correct,
cover, create, cut, damage, defy, demand, deny, describe,
design, desire, destroy, discover, discuss, display, do, doubt,
dread, enjoy, equal, exchange, expect, experience, explain,
express, favour, fear, fill, find, foresee, forget, free, get, give,
grant, guard, guess, handle, hate, have, hear, heat, hire, hit,
imagine, include, influence, introduce, issue, justify, keep,
kill, know, lack, learn, like, list, love, lower, maintain, make,
mean, mention, mutter, name, need, note, notice, own,
plant, please, predict, prefer, prevent, process, produce,
64 Transitive Patterns
promise, pronounce, protect, provide, raise, reach, receive,

recommend, record, refuse, release, remember, remove,
rent, repeat, report, respect, reveal, risk, see, seek, sell,
sense, shock, shout, specify, spot, state, suggest, support,
take, tease, tell, test, threaten, trust, understand, upset,
urge, use, value, want, waste, wear, welcome, whisper,
write.
E.g. • They accepted her suggestion. • It won’t be easy to
achieve these objectives. • He refused to acknowledge the
message. • Don’t forget to address the letter. • I admire
him for his courage. • He won’t admit defeat. • Don’t let
these problems affect your everyday life. • We can’t afford
such a high rent. • Why are you avoiding him like this? • I
can’t bear rude people like him. • When do you begin work
every day? • I don’t believe her story. • Don’t blame him for
everything. • They’re planning to build another house. •
She bought a pen. • He told them something, and it calmed
them. • He was carrying a bag. • The police have caught
the thief.
9. SVOd: Verb + oneself

The ‘-self words’ that you can use in place of ‘oneself’ are: myself,
yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves.
Here are the verbs that are particularly associated with a ‘-self
word’:
 absent oneself, adapt (oneself), adjust (oneself), apply oneself,
avail oneself (formal), behave (oneself), busy oneself,
compose oneself, content oneself, distance oneself, dress
oneself, enjoy oneself, excel oneself, exert oneself, express
oneself, hide oneself, identify (oneself) with, ingratiate
oneself, move (oneself), perjure oneself, prepare (oneself),
pride oneself, prove (himself), shave (oneself), readjust
(oneself), strain oneself, undress (oneself), wash (oneself),
worry (oneself).
E.g. • He’s been absenting himself from work for some time
now. • We’ll have to adapt ourselves to the change. • She
seems to have adjusted herself to the new job. • Once you
apply yourself to this task, you’ll find it quite easy.
Note that you can use a ‘-self word’ as the object of almost
any other transitive verb, if you have to do so in order to make
your meaning clear.
 accuse, admire, amuse, deceive, dislike, feed, free, get, hurt,
introduce, kill, persuade, put.
E.g. • It wasn’t your fault — don’t keep accusing yourself. • She
was admiring herself in the mirror. • He amused himself
by watching the passers-by. • Don’t deceive yourself into
thinking she loves you. • He disliked himself for lying to
her.
10. SVOd: Verb + Object (= that-clause)

 accept, acknowledge, add, admit, agree, allege, announce,
answer, anticipate, argue, arrange, ascertain, assert,
assume, assure, beg, believe, bet, boast, calculate, certify,
check, claim, command, comment, complain, concede,
conclude, confess, confirm, consider, decide, declare,
decree, demand, demonstrate, deny, desire, determine,
disclose, discover, dispute, doubt, dream, ensure, establish,
estimate, exclaim, expect, explain, fancy, fear, feel, figure,
find, forecast, foresee, foretell, forget, gather, grant,
guarantee, guess, hear, hint, hold, hope, imagine, imply,
indicate, infer, inform, insist, instruct, insure, intend,
judge, know, learn, maintain, mean, mention, note, notice,
notify, object, order, pledge, pray, predict, prefer, presume,
presuppose, pretend, proclaim, promise, pronounce,
propose, protest, prove, realize, reason, reassure, recall,
reckon, recognize, recommend, record, remark, remember,
repeat, reply, report, request, reveal, rule, say, see, sense,
show, signify, state, stipulate, submit, suggest, suppose,
suspect, swear, take, teach, testify, think, threaten,

understand, vote, vow, warn, wish, worry, write.
E.g. • I cannot accept that they were right. • He acknowledged
that he had made a mistake. • And he added that he was
not against the proposal. • He admitted that he was wrong.
• He agreed that the situation was serious.
11. SVOd: Verb + Object (= wh-clause)

 anticipate, ask, care, check, choose, confirm, consider,
decide, describe, depend, disclose, discover, discuss, doubt,
enquire, establish, explain, express, find out, forget, guess,
hear, imagine, indicate, inquire, judge, know, learn, make
out, mind, note, notice, point out, predict, prove, realize,
record, reflect, remember, reveal, say, see, show, suggest,
teach, tell, think, understand, wonder.
E.g. • Their marketing chief has the ability to anticipate how
the consumers would behave. • He asked what its price
was. • They don’t care whether you like it or not. • Let’s
check whether his name is in the list. • You can choose
whichever you like. • They haven’t confirmed when the
meeting is going to start. • We have to consider why these
things have happened. • Have you decided where you’re
going to stay?
12. SVOd: Verb + Object (= to-infinitive clause

— Subjectless)
 afford, agree, aim, appear, arrange, ask, attempt, (can’t) bear,
beg, begin, bother, burn, burst, choose, claim, consent,
continue, contrive, dare, decide, decline, demand, deserve,
desire, dread, expect, fail, fight, forget, guarantee, grow,
happen, hate, help, hesitate, hope, intend, learn, like,
live, long, love, manage, mean, need, neglect, (not) care,
offer, omit, opt, pay, plan, pledge, prefer, prepare, pretend,
profess, promise, propose, prove, reckon, refuse, regret,

remember, scorn, seek, seem, start, strive, survive, swear,
tend, threaten, try, undertake, venture, volunteer, vote, vow,
wait, want, wish.
E.g. • We can’t afford to leave now. • They’ve agreed to take
it back. • He’s been aiming to become the next Prime
Minister. • He appeared to like her. • We’ve arranged to
have a meeting with them tomorrow.
Note: After the word ‘help’, ‘to’ of the to-infinitive clause is optional.
13. SVOd : Verb + Object (= a perfect infinitive

clause)
 appear, claim, happen, pretend, prove, seem, tend.
E.g. • She appears to have calmed down. • They claimed to
have found a solution to the problem. • Things happen to
have changed. • He pretended to have enjoyed himself. •
The report proved to have been true.
14. SVOd : Verb + Object (= to-infinitive clause

— having Subject)
 (can’t) bear, bother, dread, fancy, hate, help, intend, like,
loathe, long, love, mean, prefer, want, wish.
E.g. • He can’t bear them to laugh at him. • He’s bothering me
to do it. • I fancy our team to win this match. • I’d hate you
to think I was trying to fool you.• I would hate him to find
it out. • I’d like them to win this match.
Note: This pattern looks superficially similar to pattern no. 45.
But the two patterns are different.
15. SVOd : Verb + Object (= -ing participle

clause)
 admit, adore, afford, attempt, avoid, begin, celebrate,
choose, consider, contemplate, continue, defer, delay,

deny, describe, detest, discontinue, discourage, disdain,
dislike, dread, endure, enjoy, envisage, escape, explain,
(not) fancy, finish, forget, go, hate, help, imagine, intend,
involves, justify, keep, lie, like, loathe, love, mean, mention,
(not) mind, miss, need, permit, plan, postpone, practise,
prefer, profess, propose, quit, recall, recommend, regret,
remember, repent, report, resent, resist, resume, risk, scorn,
sit, (can’t) stand, start, stop, suggest, try, venture, want,
wish.
E.g. • He admitted neglecting his work. • I adore listening to
classical music. • We can’t afford wasting our time like this.
• He attempted explaining it. • She avoided speaking to
him. • It began raining again.
16. SVOd : Verb + Object (= a perfect -ing

participle clause)
 admit, (can’t) bear, celebrate, deny, mention, recall.
E.g. • He admitted having made a mistake. • I can’t bear having
to work with that man. • The ruling party celebrated having
completed four years in power. • He denied having said
those things. • He didn’t mention having heard from them.
• I don’t recall having discussed this subject with them.
17. SVOd : Verb + Object (= -ing participle

clause — having Subject)
 (can’t) bear, dislike, dread, (not) fancy, forget, hate, (can’t)
help, imagine, involve, justify, like, loathe, love, (not) mind,
miss, need, permit, prevent (from), prohibit (from), recall,
recommend, regret, remember, resent, risk, save, (can’t)
stand, start, stop (from).
E.g. • I can’t bear anybody teasing me. • I dislike him shouting
at people like this. • I dread her asking me about it. • I
don’t fancy him getting any money out of those people. •

She hasn’t forgotten him criticizing her. • They hate their
son working together with us. • I can’t help it happening.
Note 1: Do not use a possessive determiner like “his” as the subject
of the ‘ing’ participle clause in this pattern. Use a pronoun (E.g.
“him”) instead. In the same way, do not use a genitive form like
Anil’s as the subject of the ‘ing’ participle clause. The possessive
determiner and genitive are theoretically possible, but if you use
them in this pattern, your speech would sound awkward and
stilted.
Note 2: This pattern looks superficially similar to pattern no. 35. But
the two patterns are different.
18. SVOd : Verb + Object (= to-infinitive clause

or -ing participle clause)
 afford, attempt, (can’t) bear, begin, bother, continue, dread,
fear, (can’t) help, hate, intend, like, love, mean, need, plan,
prefer, remember, regret, profess, propose, scorn, start, try,
venture.
E.g. • We can’t afford to waste our time like this. • We can’t
afford wasting our time like this. • He attempted to explain
it. • He attempted explaining it. • I can’t bear to work
with that man. • I can’t bear working with that man. • He
didn’t bother to get their permission. • He didn’t bother
getting their permission. • They continued to work. • They
continued working.
19. SVOd : Verb + Object (= wh-infinitive

clause)
 debate, decide, demonstrate, discover, explain, forget, know,
learn, wonder.
E.g. • He debated what to do under the circumstances. •
He couldn’t decide what to do. • He then demonstrated/
explained how to do it. • The police will soon discover how
all this came to happen. • They didn’t know where to look

for him.
20. SVOd/SVA: Verbs + Object or Adverbial

(= preposition + Object)
 boo (at), brush (against), chase (after), check (on), climb
(up), cross (over), distinguish (between), enter (for), fight
(against), fight (with), gain (in), gnaw (at), hiss (at),
infiltrate (into), jeer (at), juggle (with), jump (over), leap
(over), mock (at), mourn (for), nibble (at), play (against),
roam (over/through), rule (over), sip (at), skirt (round),
sniff (at), tug (at), twiddle (with), walk (through), wander
(through).
E.g. • The crowd booed (at) the speaker. • Look at the leaves
brushing (against) her cheek. • The dog chased (after) the
cat. • The police must have checked (on) his background. •
He didn’t want to climb (up) the stairs.
21. SV(Od ): Verbs that can function by omitting

the Object (when the Object element is clear from
the context)
 accept, aim, answer, approach, ask, attack, begin, bite, blow,
board, borrow, call, change, check, choose, clean, consider,
cook, direct, draw, drink, drive, dry, dust, eat, enter,
explain, film, fit, follow, forget, gain, guess, help, improve,
iron, join, judge, know, lead, learn, leave, lend, lose, marry,
mind, miss, move, notice, offer, order, paint, park, pass,
phone, play, point, produce, pull, push, read, remember,
ride, ring, rule, save, search, serve, share, sign, sing, smoke,
spend, steal, strike, study, telephone, type, understand,
wash, watch, wave, win, write.
E.g. • That was a good offer, and we accepted (it). • He aimed
(his gun) and shot at the rabbit. • Listen to the question
before answering (it). • The bank will ask for a project

report when you approach (them) for a loan. • If he rings,
ask (him) if he could come here tomorrow.
22. SV/SVOd : Verbs that can function (i) with

an Object (when the Subject is the performer of
an action), and (ii) without an Object (when the
Subject is the affected thing)
 age, back, bake, balance, begin, bend, bleach, boil, break,
burn, burst, change, close, continue, cook, crack, crash,
darken, decrease, defrost, diminish, disperse, double, drive,
drop, drown, dry, empty, end, fade, finish, fly, fry, grow,
improve, increase, melt, move, open, park, quicken, rest,
reverse, roast, rock, rot, run, sail, shake, shatter, shrink,
shut, simmer, slow, spin, split, spread, stand, start, steady,
stick, stop, stretch, swing, tear, thicken, turn, unite, walk,
widen, work, worsen.
E.g. • He seems to have aged. • His illness seems to have aged
him. • He backed the car into the garage. • The car backed
into the garage. • She baked a cake. • She couldn’t wait
till the cake baked. • He balanced a stick on the tip of his
finger. • The stick balanced on the tip of his finger. • They
began their work early today. • Their work began early
today. • He can’t bend his leg properly after the accident. •
His leg won’t bend properly after the accident.
Note: There are a few verbs that function in this way only with a
limited number or type of nouns. Here they are:
 catch, fire, play, ring, show, sound.
E.g. • He caught the sleeve of his shirt on the door handle. •
The sleeve of his shirt caught on the door handle. • He fired
the gun/rifle/pistol/revolver again. • The gun/rifle/pistol/
revolver fired again. • And then he started playing classical
music. • I could hear classical music playing somewhere. •
He rang the bell/alarm. • The bell/alarm rang. • He showed

anger/disappointment/fear. • Anger/disappointment/fear
showed in his eyes.
23. SV/SV(Om): Verbs that can optionally be

followed by Mutual-participation Objects ‘each
other’ or ‘one another’
 consult, cuddle, embrace, fight, hug, kiss, marry, match, meet,
touch.
E.g. • We should have consulted (each other). • The couple
cuddled (each other). • They embraced (each other). • Look
at those children fighting (each other). • They hugged (each
other).
Note: All these verbs can also be used in the pattern SVOd:
E.g. • We should consult a lawyer. • She cuddled the baby. • He
embraced/hugged his father. • They decided to fight the case
in court.
24. SVA/SVOd : Verb + Object (= Noun phrase)

or Adverbial
 clean, freeze, handle, mark, polish, sell, stain, wash.
E.g. • I’m cleaning/polishing my shoes. • These shoes clean/
polish easily. • You had better freeze this cake. • This sort of
cake doesn’t freeze well. • Look at the way he handles the
car. • His car handles very well. • This sort of floor doesn’t
mark easily. • Nothing can mark this sort of floor. • This
chair sells at Rs.1000. • They sell this chair for Rs.1000.
***
Complex monotransitive verb patterns 73
Chapter 8
Complex monotransitive verb

patterns
Let’s now take up monotransitive verb patterns.
For ease of reference, and to ensure continuity between
the verb patterns in the previous two Chapters and those in the
present Chapter, we’ll number the patterns in this Chapter from
serial number 25.
25. SVOdC: Verb + Object + Describer

complement (= Adjective phrase)
 burn, call, consider, certify, cut, declare, drive, eat, find, get,
hold, imagine, judge, keep, knock, label, leave, like, make,
paint, pat, pick, plane, prefer, presume, pronounce, prove,
rate, reckon, report, roll, send, serve, shoot, show, sweep,
swing, term, think, turn, want, wipe, wish.
E.g. • They burnt those people alive. • She called him stupid. •
We consider it very important. • The doctor certified him fit.
• He cut his hair short.

complement (= Noun phrase)
 appoint, brand, call, certify, choose, christen, confess, consider,
crown, declare, designate, dub, elect, be entitled, find, be
headed, hold, imagine, judge, keep, label, leave, make,
name, nickname, presume, proclaim, profess, pronounce,
prove, rate, be reckoned, suppose, term, be thought, vote,
wish.
E.g. • They’ve appointed him chairman. • He was branded a
rebel. • They called him a traitor. • His new novel is entitled
74 Complex monotransitive verb patterns
‘Valley’. • That chapter is headed ‘Poetic Rhythm’. • His

parents named him Arun. • They proved it a lie.
Note: You can see from 25 and 26 above that some verbs can have
either a noun phrase or an adjective phrase as the Describer
complement. (E.g. call).
27. SVOdC : Verb + Object + Describer

complement (= Prepositional phrase introduced
by optional ‘as’)
 appoint (as), brand (as), certify (as), choose (as), consider
(as), crown (as), count (as), deem (as), elect (as), esteem
(as), hail (as), proclaim (as), rate (as), reckon (as), report
(as).
E.g. • They appointed him (as) chairman. • He was branded
(as) a rebel. • He’s been certified (as) a heart specialist. •
They chose him (as) captain.

complement (= Prepositional phrase introduced
by obligatory ‘as’)
 accept as, acknowledge as, cast as, characterize as, class as,
condemn as, define as, denounce as, depict as, describe
as, diagnose as, establish as, give as, identify as, imagine
as, intend as, interpret as, label as, look on as, mistake for,
name as, perceive as, recognize as, referred to as, regard as,
scorn as, regard as, see as, suggest as , take as/for, think of
as, treat as, use as, view as.
E.g. • They’ve accepted him as their leader. • He’s acknowledged
as an expert. • The new film casts her as Cleopatra. •
They’ve been classed as casual workers. • Newspapers
condemned them as a reactionary group.

complement (= as + Adjective phrase)
 accept as, acknowledge as, brand as, categorize as, certify
as, characterize as, choose as, class as, condemn as,
consider as, count as, denounce as, describe as, diagnose
as, establish as, label as, perceive as, proclaim as, rate as,
reckon as, regard as, report as, scorn as, see as , take as ,
treat as, view as.
E.g. • Everybody accepted the idea as brilliant. • They’ve
acknowledged the situation as quite serious. • They branded
these methods as old-fashioned. • We can categorize people
like him as progressive. • Doctors certified him (as) insane.
30. SVOdA: Verb + Object + Adverbial (= to-

infinitive clause)
Group 1: Most verbs in this group can often take an alternative
(and, simpler) pattern. This alternative pattern is the SVOd
pattern, where Od is a ‘that-clause’, instead of a to-infinitive
clause. You know, the SVOdA pattern using verbs of this type often
sounds formal. And so, you should avoid it (as far as possible)
and use the SVOd pattern, instead.
 admit, be agreed, allege, announce, assume, believe,
calculate, certify, claim, confess, confirm, consider,
declare, demonstrate, be discovered, disclose, estimate,
expect, explain, fancy, feel, find, guarantee, guess, hear,
hold, imagine, indicate, judge, know, learn, maintain,
mean, note, notice, predict, presume, proclaim, promise,
pronounce, be proved, reckon, recognize, report, (be)
reputed, reveal, (be) rumoured, (be) said, be seen, sense,
show, state, suppose, suspect, take, testify, (be) thought,
understand, warn.
E.g. (A) • He admitted it to be true. (= He admitted that it
was true). • They announced the flight to be delayed. (=
They announced that the flight has been delayed). • The

opposition parties alleged the new measures to be immoral.
(= The opposition parties alleged that the new measures
were immoral). • These reports must not be assumed to
be true. (= You should not assume that these reports are
true). • Everybody believed the rumours to be baseless. (=
Everybody believed that the rumours were baseless).
(B) • He admitted it to have no importance. (= He admitted
that it had no importance). • They assumed him to have
a lot of influence. (= They assumed that he had a lot of
influence). • Everybody believed him to have a lot of wealth.
(= Everybody believed that he had a lot of wealth). • They
calculated him to have the support of most businessmen.
(= They calculated that he had the support of most
businessmen).
Group 2: The verbs in this group cannot have a ‘that-clause’
in place of a ‘to-infinitive’ clause. But even with a to-infinitive
clause, the SVOA pattern using these verbs won’t sound formal,
and you can use it without any worry.
 appoint (to be), assist, authorize, bother, bribe, cause,
compel, condemn, dare, drive, defy, elect (to be), enable,
encourage, entitle, equip, fit, force, get, help, induce,
inspire, intend, lead, mean, name (to be), oblige, permit,
press, prompt, be required, summon, tip, vote (to be).
E.g. • They appointed him (to be) chairman. • She assisted
them to complete that work. • They’ve authorized me to
negotiate with you. • Don’t bother them to lend you any
more money. • They bribed him to do them a favour.
31. SVOdA: Verb + Object + Adverbial (= a

perfect infinitive clause)
 admit, be agreed, allege, announce, assume, believe,
calculate, certify, claim, confess, confirm, consider,
declare, demonstrate, be discovered, disclose, estimate,

expect, explain, fancy, feel, find, guarantee, guess, hear,
hold, imagine, indicate, judge, know, learn, maintain,
mean, note, notice, predict, presume, proclaim, promise,
pronounce, be proved, reckon, recognize, report, (be)
reputed, reveal, (be) rumoured, (be) said, be seen, sense,
show, state, suppose, suspect, take, testify, (be) thought, tip,
understand, warn.
E.g. • He admitted his action to have been wrong. • (He
admitted that his action was wrong). • They assumed his
arguments to have been sound. • (They assumed that his
arguments were sound). • They still believe him to have
been responsible for all this. • (They still believe that he
was responsible for all this). • He confessed the whole plan
to have been a failure. • (He confessed that the whole plan
was a failure). • They confirmed the contract to have been
cancelled. • (They confirmed that the contract has been
cancelled).

bare infinitive clause)
 let, make, have
E.g. • Don’t let him order you around. • All this must have
made her feel very upset. • I’ll try and have him come with
us.

bare infinitive clause or an -ing participle clause)
 feel, hear, listen to, notice, overhear, see, watch.
E.g. • I felt something move/moving up my spine. • I heard
him shout/shouting. • She listened to him sing/singing. •
I didn’t notice them come/coming in. • I overheard them
talk/talking. • I saw him cross/crossing the road. • He
watched her dance/dancing.

bare infinitive or a to-infinitive clause)
 have known, help.
E.g. • I’ve known her (to) perform better. • Can you help us
(to) do it?
35. SVOdA: Verb + Object + Adverbial (=an

-ing participle clause)
 catch, describe, discover, feel, find, get, have, hear, imagine,
keep, leave, like, listen to, notice, observe, overhear,
perceive, picture, present, save, see, send, smell, spot, spy,
stop, want, watch.
E.g. • They caught him stealing money. • She described him
helping her with housework. • The police discovered him
lying on the roadside. • I felt myself getting irritated. •
I felt something moving up my spine. • They found his
watch lying on the table. • He turned the computer on
and tried to get the program running again. • They’ll have
you working for more than 8 hours a day. • I heard her
complaining about you to the boss. • I can’t imagine him
becoming my boss.
36. SVOdA: Verb + Object + Adverbial (= an

en-participle clause)
 discover, feel (oneself), find, get, have, hear, leave, like, need,
see, want, watch.
E.g. • The police discovered him almost dead. • I felt myself
very excited. • They found their house ransacked. • He
can’t get things done. • He had his wallet stolen. • I had my
car repaired there. • I’ve never heard that team beaten.
37. SVOdA pattern: Verb + Object +

Adverbial (= often, a prepositional phrase,
especially, of direction)
 bring, catch, chuck, cram, direct, drag, drive, elbow, escort,
fling, get, hoist, jab, jot, keep, lay, lead, leave, place, point,
position, prop, put, rip, see, send, set, shove, show, sit,
smear, stand, stick, store, take, talk, throw, thrust, tie, treat.
E.g. • He brought the box into the hall. • Her question caught
me off (my) guard. • Chuck these useless things in the
dustbin. • He crammed everything into that small box. •
Those remarks must have been directed at us.
38. SVOdA: Verb + Object + Adverbial (=

prepositional phrase)
 bring, get, keep, leave, place, put, throw
E.g. • That incident brought him into conflict with his boss. •
Who got you into this mess? • She likes keeping people in
suspense. • What they said left him in a dilemma. • The
transport strike has placed them in a difficult situation. •
What has put him in such a bad mood? • The news threw
everybody into confusion.
* **
80 Ditransitive verb patterns
Chapter 9
Ditransitive verb patterns

Let’s now take up the third (last) category of transitive verb
patterns.
For ease of reference, and to ensure continuity between the
verb patterns in the previous three Chapters and those in the
present Chapter, we’ll number the patterns in this Chapter from
serial number 39.
39. SVOiOd : Verb + Object + Object (= Noun

phrase)
 advance, allow, ask, bet, bring, cause, charge, cost, deny, do,
draw, envy, excuse, feed, find, fine, forgive, give, grant,
grudge, hand, leave, lend, loan, make, offer, order, owe,
pay, promise, read, refuse, reserve, save, send, serve, show,
spare, teach, tell, throw, wish, write.
E.g. • The bank refused to advance those people any money. •
They don’t allow strangers access to that area. • He asked
the girl her name. • I’ll bet you Rs. 1000 (that they’ll win
this match). • She brought me a glass of water. • They
caused him a lot of trouble. • He’s a busy lawyer, and he’ll
charge you a high fee. • It cost me Rs. 5000 to get the car
repaired. • They denied us access to that information. •
Could you do me a favour? • She gave me a small packet.
40. SVOiOd : Verb + oneself + Object

 allow, ask, buy, cause, cook, deny, forgive, get, pour, refuse.
E.g. • She hasn’t allowed herself any chocolates for sometime
now. • You ask yourself that question. • He bought himself
a new shirt. • I wonder why I caused myself all this trouble.
• She cooked herself a nice dinner.
Ditransitive verb patterns 81
41. SVOi(Od ): Verb + Object (+ Object)

 ask, envy, feed, forgive, pay, serve, teach, tell.
E.g. • Let me ask you (a question). • I envied him (his good
fortune). • She fed the dog (some biscuits). • She forgave
me (my rude behaviour). • They paid him (some money).
• She served him (soup) first. • She can’t teach you
(mathematics) till she gets well. • We’ll have to tell him
(everything).
42. SVOdOp: ‘Prepositional Verb’ + Object +

Object
 accuse of, address to, advance to, advise on, ask of, associate
with, award to, base on/upon, blame for, blame on, book
for, bring to/for, build for, buy for, cash for, charge with,
communicate to, compare to, compare with, condemn
to, confine to, confront with, congratulate on, consign to,
convict of, convince of, cook for, cut for, deal to, dedicate
to, deny to, deprive of, design for, divide by/into, do for,
engrave with, entitle to, entrust to/with, envy for, equate
to/with, excuse for, explain to, feed to, fetch for, find for,
fix for, forgive for, forward to, find for, get for, give to, grant
to, guarantee for, hand to, incorporate in/into, inform of,
interest in, introduce to, lavish on/upon, lease to, leave
to/for, lend to, liken to, loan to, mail to, make for, mix for,
offer to, order for, owe to, paint for, pass to, pay to, pay
with, persuade of, pick for, play to/for, post to, pour for,
prepare for, present to/with, prevent from, promise to,
protect from, provide for, provide with, punish for, quote
to, read to, refer to, relieve of, remind of, rent to, repay
to, reserve for, return to, rid of, rob of, save for, say to, sell
to, send to, sentence to, serve to, serve with, set for, show
to, sing to/for, spare for, subordinate to, subject to, supply
for/to, supply to/with, suspect of, take to/for, teach to, tell
about, thank for, throw to, treat to, trust with, warn of, win
for, write to/for.

E.g. • They accused [him] of [dishonesty]. • He addressed [the
remarks] to [those people]. • Her employer advanced [a
month’s salary] to [her]. • He advises [them] on [marketing
tactics]. • I wanted to ask [a favour] of [you]. • We
generally associate [people like them] with [anti-social
activities]. • Let’s not blame [them] for all this. • He’s
booked [a ticket] for [me].
43. SVOiOd : Verb + Object + Object (= that-

clause)
Group 1: Verbs followed by obligatory ‘indirect object’:
 assure, convince, inform, persuade, reassure, remind, satisfy,
tell.
E.g. • He assured me that what he said was true. • He
couldn’t convince them that the painting was genuine.
• He informed the management that he was thinking of
resigning. • We tried to persuade them that they should call
off the strike.
Group 2: Verbs followed by optional ‘indirect object’:
 advise, bet, promise, show, teach, warn, write.
E.g. • The doctor has advised (me) that I should have a
few days’ rest. • I’ll bet (you) that he’s going to win this
election. • He promised (her) that he wouldn’t smoke again.
• He made a gesture with his hand to show (them) that he
didn’t like it. • He taught (us) that we shouldn’t try to be
perfect in anything.
44. SVOiOd : Verb + Object (= Prepositional

Object) + Object (= that-clause)
Group 1: Verbs optionally followed by ‘to + indirect object’:
 admit, boast, complain, confess, explain, hint, insist, mention,
murmur, point out, propose, prove, remark, report, reveal,

say, shout, signal, state, suggest, swear, whisper, write.
E.g. • He admitted (to me) that he was to blame for what
happened. • She boasted (to us) that her father had three
cars. • They complained (to the Manager) that the sales
assistant was very rude. • He confessed (to the police) that
he had done the stealing. • She explained (to me) how the
dish could be prepared.
Group 2: Verbs optionally followed by ‘with + indirect object’:
 agree, argue, plead, reason.
E.g. • They agreed (with us) that the plan was unworkable.
• She argued (with them) that they shouldn’t support
the Democratic party. • He pleaded (with her) that she
shouldn’t leave him. • They reasoned (with him) that he
shouldn’t resign.
Group 3: Verbs optionally followed by ‘from + indirect object’:
 discover, gather, hear, infer, learn, see.
E.g. • The police discovered (from the enquiries) that Sharma
had been murdered. • They gathered (from various sources)
that their competitors were doing better than them. • I
heard (from someone) that Kiran was planning to start her
own business. • They inferred (from what he said) that he
must have been behind all those problems. • I learnt (from
what happened) that they couldn’t be trusted with money.
• Don’t you see (from all this) that he was trying to take
advantage of you?
45. SVOiOd: Verb + Object + Object (= to-

infinitive clause)
 advise, ask, beg, challenge, command, detail, direct, forbid,
incite, instruct, invite, order, persuade, pray, remind,
request, recommend, teach, tell, urge, warn.
E.g. • He advised those people to work harder. • He asked his

daughter to open the windows. • She begged him not to
leave. • He challenged them to prove the allegations. • The
captain commanded the troops to fire.
46. SVOiOd: Verb + Object + Object (= wh-

clause)
 advise, ask, convince, inform, persuade, promise, remind,
satisfy, show, teach, tell, warn.
E.g.• He advised them what they should do. • She asked him
when he would get back. • He couldn’t convince them
how he’d be able to carry out the project. • They haven’t
informed us where the exhibition was going to be held.
47. SVOiOd: Verb + Object + Object (= wh-

infinitive clause)
 advise, ask, instruct, remind, show, teach, tell, warn.
E.g. • He advised them how to start an antique business. • Ask
them where to leave these things. • You should instruct him
how to do it. • He reminded her what to do next. • They
showed her how to clean it.
Important: By now, you’ve seen all the verb patterns that
commonly occur in speech. The most important thing you
should do is to do the patternwise word group building exercise.
(See “Exercise” under Pattern 1). This exercise is extremely
important, and you shouldn’t skip it. This exercise is sure to
help you get to know these words intimately, and to master
them. Yes, to master them — and not just to learn them. Once
you’ve done this exercise, these words would stop just being
part of your “Reception vocabulary” or “Recognition vocabu-
lary” — and start being part of your “Production vocabulary”.
Once you’ve done this exercise, you’ll begin to stop having any
hang-ups about these words, and you’ll start using them in ev-
eryday speech — without any fear, embarrassment or shyness.

Yes, you’ll begin to feel that the things that have been holding
you back from using these words in speech have started drop-
ping away.
***
86 Naming patterns
chapter 10
Naming patterns
We saw that verbs are the most important class of words. Next
in importance are nouns. In fact, nouns are more numerous than
verbs or any other class of words. And we normally happen to use
more nouns than verbs. The reason is this: Verbs occur only in
one element of a clause (the Verb element), whereas nouns occur
in more than one element. Yes. A noun occurs in the Subject
element and in the Object element. It also occurs often in the
Describer complement, and even in the Adverbial element (that
is, as the Meaning completer in a prepositional phrase acting as
an Adverbial).
A noun is a word that names or identifies people, places and
things (= objects, substances, ideas, events, states, activities,
processes, times, occasions, etc.). And so, we can call them
naming words. They function as the head in a noun phrase. (That
is, as the one word that you cannot omit from a noun phrase).
Let’s now look at the various patterns that a noun phrase can
take.
Here we go. Pick up each word group, and practise saying
it several times — ALOUD. Get your organs of speech to become
good at uttering them smoothly, without stumbling over any of
the sounds or sequences of sounds.
1. Noun + Prepositional phrase (=

Postmodifier)
 • a good day for the trip. • the right man for the job. • a
good reason to be angry. • a big store like this. • a week
from today. • a man with long hair. • a letter from her. •
a place on the left there. • a house in the village. • a little
help from friends. • a man in a red shirt. • a report on the
Naming patterns 87
meeting. • a government official from Delhi. • a player

without equal. • a man without money. • some presents for
the kids. • tool for the work. • a book about gardening. • a
house by the river. • the small one next to it. • the next to
the last one. • the flowers in that park. • the report on the
radio. • the cut on your hand. • the difficult parts in that
report. • the library in our town. • the bus-stop at the next
corner. • the service in that hotel. • the road to Bangalore.
• the people from there. • the street with tall buildings. •
the last one in this line. • the first one on the other side. •
the red one on the left side. • the white one with the red
stripes. • the one over there with white edges. • the man
over there by the lamp post. • the building on your left. •
the one with the red scarf. • the agreement at the meeting.
• the important qualities in our work. • the man in black.
• the dark man with a limp. • the man across the road. •
the shop in front of the library. • the lamp above the table.
• the sheet over the desk. • the book on the table. • the
basket under the table. • the building beyond that bridge. •
the shop in the corner. • the difference between them. • the
church down the street. • the one next to the black one. •
the one opposite the big one. • the store over there. • the
next one after that. • someone in that office. • everything
in the essay. • money from the bank. • some trouble with
the police. • that thing with a strange shape. • the fight
against corruption. • the hardest thing about English. • the
night before last. • any language except my own. • every
place along the way. • things like that. • something about
fashion. • the strange thing about it. • another party like
that. • change for a ten-rupee note. • the furniture for my
room. • a picture for your room. • the difference in price. •
something too heavy for him.
88 Naming patterns
2. Noun + Prepositional phrase (= Meaning

completer)
There are certain abstract nouns that are usually or often followed
by prepositional phrases. Here’s a list of commonly-occurring
ones among them:
 access to, addiction to, admiration for, agreement about,
agreement on, allergy to, alternative to, anger at, answer
to, antidote to, appetite for, approach to, aptitude for,
argument against, argument for, assault on, attachment to,
attack on, authority over, aversion to, awareness of, ban
on, battle against, battle for, bond between, case against,
case for, claim on, collision with, collusion with, comment
on, complex about, concentration on, connection with,
constraint on, contrast with, contribution to, control over,
crackdown on, craving for, credit for, crime against, curb
on, cure for, damage to, date with, dealings with, debate
about, debate on, decision about, decision on, demand for,
departure from, desire for, devotion to, dislike for, disregard
for, disrespect for, dissatisfaction with, effect on, embargo
on, encounter with, escape from, exception to, excerpt from,
familiarity with, freedom from, grudge against, hold on,
hunger for, immune to, insurance against, intimacy with,
introduction to, link with, love for, need for, preface to,
provision for, quarrel with, quotation from, reaction against,
recipe for, reference to, reflection on, regard for, relapse
into, relationship with, relevance to, remedy for, reply to,
resistance to, respect for, responsibility for, restriction on,
return to, room for, safeguard against, search for, sequel
to, solution to, stance on, substitute for, sympathy for,
sympathy with, synonym for, taste for, tax on, thirst for,
threat to, transition from, transition to, witness to.
E.g. • Civilians have no access to that area. • He’ll have
to overcome his addiction to gambling. • I have great
Naming patterns 89
admiration for him. • We’re in agreement about/on these

issues. • She’s got an allergy to him. • There doesn’t seem
to be any alternative to this plan. • She couldn’t restrain her
anger at the way he treated her. • He had no answer to her
question. • Work is the best antidote to depression.
Exercise: Compose word groups like these, using the
remaining nouns in the list. Use your dictionary.
3. Noun + adverb (= Postmodifier)

 • the way ahead. • the road back. • the road north. • the
men outside. • the trip abroad. • the people upstairs. •
the rooms downstairs. • the weather yesterday. • the man
behind. • the family above. • the hall below. • the journey
home. • the votes for. • the votes against. • the people here.
• people everywhere. • the way out. • you there. • the
party tomorrow. • everyone present. • the meeting today. •
the day before. • this time tomorrow. • the terrace above. •
several kilometres this way. • the building opposite. • some
distance that way. • the people behind.
4. Noun + adjective (= Postmodifier)

 • something definite/different/special/strange/serious. •
someone practical. • someone important. • everything
possible. • nothing wrong/serious. • nothing unusual.
• something useful. • anybody intelligent. • something
smaller. • somebody bigger. • anyone anxious. • someone
angry. • nothing much. • anybody older. • someone younger.
• somebody tall. • someone timid. • something nasty. •
the best book available. • the only person suitable. • the
only explanation possible. • the best solution imaginable.
• the areas affected. • those available. • people concerned.
• everyone involved. • the members present. • those
assembled. • someone responsible. • the information
required. • Bombay proper. • the alternatives suggested.
90 Naming patterns
 • a street 5 metres broad. • a river 50 metres wide. • a lake 20

metres deep. • a hill 100 metres high. • a queue one mile
long. • a girl ten years old. • a man six feet tall. • a rope 2
inches thick.
 • the President elect. • the Governor designate. • a devil
incarnate.
 • people capable of better work. • a song popular in China. •
a man strong enough to lift that rock. • a mistake typical
of beginners. • a boy taller than you. • candidates likely
to be elected. • a house suitable for them. • those able to
run faster. • the lesson easiest to learn. • a habit common
among children. • a cow as big as an elephant. • a wrestler
strong enough to kill an elephant.
5. Noun + noun (= Postmodifier)

 • a hat this size. • a piece that shape. • a boy your age. • a
screw the same length. • the man next door. • a fellow the
size of an elephant. • somebody your age.
6. Noun + to-infinitive clause (=

Postmodifier)
 • the last person to come. • the first person to leave. • the
person to sign the letter. • the man to do the job. • the man
to make the arrangements. • the next person to speak. • the
only people to support the proposal.
 • the best doctor (for you) to consult. • the best thing (for
you) to do. • the best lawyer (for you) to see. • the place
(for you) to go. • the only thing (for you) to avoid. • the
worst thing (for you) to eat. • the next one (for you) to
paint. • the best way (for you) to get there. • the fastest
way (for you) to send this letter. • the place (for you) to
stay. • the time (for us) to act. • the procedure (for you) to
follow.
Naming patterns 91
7. Noun + to-infinitive clause (= Meaning

completer)
There are a few abstract nouns that are often followed by a to-
infinitive clause. Here’s a list:
 ability, attempt, chance, desire, failure, need, opportunity,
reason, unwillingness, urge, way, willingness.
E.g. • the ability to express oneself. • an attempt to escape
from the prison. • a chance to meet them. • a strong desire
to help them.
8. Noun + -ing participle clause (=

Postmodifier)
 • the man standing in the doorway. • the boy talking to him. •
the woman wearing the blue dress. • people waiting there.
• the car approaching. • the girl sitting opposite. • the bit
showing. • food containing protein.
9. Noun + -en participle clause (=

Postmodifier)
 • the film shown at the cinema. • a man called Sharma. • a
page torn out of that book. • the report prepared by her. •
the photos taken by him. • a bracelet made of gold. • the
topics taught last year. • a team beaten twice. • the car
driven by John. • the vegetables grown there.
10. Noun + Relative clause (= Postmodifier:

Relative pronoun, used as Subject element)
 • the man who shouted at you. • the car that crashed. • the
people who live next door. • the cinema that used to show
English films. • those who don’t want to go. • a job that
interests him. • a man who calls himself a doctor. • the
92 Naming patterns
nicest thing that ever happened. • a friend who works there.

• someone who looks like her. • anyone who votes for them.
• people who live next door. • the man who’s going to be
your boss. • the nicest person who ever lived. • the people
who were your neighbours. • those who help them. • those
who’ve come just now.
Note: The word ‘who’ can be replaced by ‘that’.

Relative pronoun, used as Object element)
 • the place (that) I used to know. • the car (that) I had last
winter. • the books (that) they recommended. • the person
(that/who) you saw. • the one (that) we selected. • the
shirt (that) you have on. • the last thing (that) we saw.
• the passage (that) he quoted. • the information (that)
I wanted. • the one (that) we looked at first. • the things
(that) you hit with a hammer. • the girl (that/who) he kept
following. • the troubles (that) she is having. • the money
(that) he won in the contest. • the maps (that) he has. •
the things (that) we want to do. • the foods (that) you must
avoid. • people and things (that) I like most. • a substance
(that) you must handle with care. • everyone (that/who) I
met. • somebody (that/who) I met last month. • everything
(that) you hear. • something (that) he likes. • every penny
(that) you posses. • things (that) you’ve been wanting to
do. • some matter (that) I can’t leave till tomorrow.
Note: (i) You can omit the words within brackets. (ii) When you refer
to things (and not to people), ‘(that)’ can be replaced by ‘(which)’.
But ‘that’ is more common.
12. Noun + [Relative clause + Preposition]

(= Postmodifier: Relative pronoun, used as the
Object element of ‘prepositional verbs’)
 • the job (that) you applied for. • the mistakes (that) they’ve
Naming patterns 93
admitted to. • the things (that) they believe in. • the girl
(that/who) you were speaking about. • the subject (that)
he was lecturing on. • the people (that/who) he relies on.
• people (that/who) you have to deal with. • the matter
(that) he was hinting at. • the contract (that) they drew
up. • the girl (that/who) he works with. • the person (that/
who) I told you about. • the lady (that/who) he’s talking
to. • the boys (that/who) he’s playing with. • the girl (that/
who) he’s getting married to. • the man (that/who) you’re
friendly with. • the person (that/who) I’m afraid of. • the
one (that/who) I was worried about. • the song (that)
you’re listening to. • the part (that) you had trouble with. •
the trouble (that) he’s in. • the picture (that) you’re looking
at. • the thing (that) they’re angry about. • the subject
(that) he has much difficulty with. • the subject (that) she
was interested in. • the only thing (that) he’s sure of. • the
pen (that) he was writing with. • the people (that/who) I
was travelling with. • the people (that/who) we were on
the look-out for. • a man (that/who) you could rely on.
Note: (i) You can omit the words within brackets. (ii) While referring
to things (and not to people), ‘(that)’ can be replaced by ‘(which)’.

Relative pronoun, used as Adverbial element)
 • the period when he was in Paris. [= the period (that) he
was in Paris]. • the place where they’ve gone. [= the place
(that) they’ve gone to]. • the day (when) he reached there.
[= the day (that) he reached there (on)]. • the day when
he was born (on). [= the day (that) he was born (on)]. •
the place where we stayed. [= the place (that) we stayed
at]. • the time (when) you were there. [= the time (that)
you were there]. • (the reason) why he did it. [= the reason
(that) he did it]. • the way (that) she handled the situation.
94 Naming patterns
14. Noun + [Relative clause + Preposition]

(= Postmodifier: Relative pronoun, used as the
Meaning completer in prepositional phrases =
Adverbials)
 • the table (that) he was hiding under. • the door (that) he
moved towards. • the man (that/who) he was sitting next
to. • the place (that) he is from. • the house (that) we went
to. • the day (that) he got married (on). • the place (that)
he works at. • the place (that) you stay at. • the time (that)
the train usually leaves (at). • the place (that) we are going
to.
Note: In time expressions like ‘the day (that) he got married (on)’, the
preposition at the end is normally omitted.
15. Adjective (= Pre-modifier) + Noun

 • a famous painter. • a long letter. • a terrible headache. • a
dull film. • a fine place. • a wretched week. • a pleasant
walk. • a horrid lunch. • a delightful dinner. • a stupid
fool. • a serious error. • a huge success. • a lovely voice. • a
golden opportunity. • a wise decision. • a wonderful time.
• a slight cold. • a rude remark. • a fine day. • a wonderful
day. • a terrible day. • a wise person. • a pleasant story. •
a good profit. • a strong letter. • a long screw. • a hopeless
day. • a peculiar look. • a horrid medicine. • a small favour.
• a large group. • a ghastly woman. • a delightful meal. •
a difficult situation. • a blue shirt. • a serious complaint. •
a fashionable woman. • a loud knock. • a pleasant journey.
• a great honour. • a humble home. • a decisive officer. •
a terrible decision. • a good thing. • a bad thing. • a long
time. • a big hand. • a good book. • a little information. •
a little help. • a long delay. • a pimply face. • an excellent
film. • an unfortunate mistake. • an awful day. • an awful
thing. • an able person. • an intelligent person. • an early
Naming patterns 95
lunch. • an absolute failure. • an awful dress. • a wretched

scooter. • an outrageous suggestion. • an extraordinary
group. • an idle talk. • an excellent speech. • a red mark. •
an excellent time. • an unexpected meeting. • a close secret.
• an ambitious scheme. • the regular price. • the usual
things. • the top one. • the bottom one. • your lucky stars.
• their precious possessions. • great harm. • clear weather.
• that dreadful place. • a good sort. • a decent sort. •
bitter enemies. • good food. • his favourite dish. • good
health. • excellent weather. • complete rubbish. • utter
rubbish. • that terrible moment. • sentimental rubbish. •
extraordinary views. • that old man. • mechanical trouble.
• bad manners. • pleasant company. • a powerful engine. •
the same answer. • the physical strain.
16. noun (= Pre-modifier) + Noun

 • the mathematics teacher. • a geography book. • a Sunday
paper. • a brick wall. • a suicide attempt. • the morning
train. • a story writer. • breakfast time. • tea time. • the
table leg. • a silver spoon. • an iron rod. • a shoe shop. •
the murder weapon. • a colour television. • the drill master.
• the evening news. • a stone bridge. • a truck driver. • a
coffee cup. • a road sign. • a bicycle factory. • a mountain
top. • a garden fence. • his girl friend. • gold watch. •
trouser buttons. • a silk dress. • mountain plants. • baby
clothes. • shirt pockets. • a corner table. • the insurance
man. • a war film. • night journey. • gold buttons. • a
gold ring. • an oil well. • a door knob. • chicken soup. • a
factory worker. • the car door. • a paint tin. • the evening
flight. • the discount price.
17. -ing adjective (= Pre-modifier) + Noun

 • a charming person. • an interesting mind. • a cleaning
woman. • a thrilling moment. • a puzzling problem. •
96 Naming patterns
a moving story. • a working man. • a fitting remark. •

a soothing ointment. • a welcoming smile. • a boring
spectacle. • a smiling face. • some reading material. • a
gambling man. • a delicious-looking apple. • a record-
breaking jump. • a convincing example. • a shocking
answer. • that chewing gum. • an amusing person. • a
roaring bull. • a very exciting story. • running water.
• hiding place. • walking stick. • a very embarrassing
situation. • an amazing trick. • an interesting morning. •
typing paper. • an interesting idea. • the rising sun. • our
washing machine. • a charming house. • a good-looking
shirt. • depressing places. • interesting people. • growing
boys. • writing desk. • that embarrassing talk. • the coming
months. • drinking water.
18. -en adjective (= Pre-modifier) + Noun

 • a stolen car. • a broken vase. • a wanted man. • a lost
wallet. • the defeated army. • a damaged car. • a bearded
man. • a well-built house. • a disappointed man. • a
wooded hillside. • a torn ligament. • a frightened person. •
a known criminal. • satisfied customers. • a worried man.
• a bored woman. • an interested student. • a furnished
apartment. • a painted door. • a pleased look. • a surprised
look. • a well-known actor.
19. Multi-word modifier (= Pre-modifier) +

Noun
 • a come-and-fight-me attitude. • these day-to-day problems.
• a do-or-die situation. • a down-to-earth approach. • a
face-to-face meeting. • a far-away place. • a free-and-easy
discussion. • a heads-I-win-tails-you-lose proposition. • a
holier-than-thou attitude. • an I-am-right-you-are-wrong
attitude. • an I-don’t-care attitude. • an I-know-everything
look. • that now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t impression. • an
Naming patterns 97
out-of-the-way village. • round-the-clock service. • a take-

it-or-leave-it attitude. • a tongue-in-cheek remark. • this
under-the-weather feeling. • an up-to-date timetable. • up-
to-the-minute information. • higher-than-average wages. •
an amusement-park attitude.
 • a hundred-rupee note. • a five-storey building. • a three-
mile walk. • a forty-year old man. • a thirty-minute talk. •
a two-hour journey. • a two-year course.
20. Genitive + noun

 • the boy’s book. • my uncle’s house. • his father’s watch.
• the man’s curious behaviour. • someone’s dictionary.
• nobody’s concern. • Ahmed’s plan. • John’s fault. •
yesterday’s news. • his greatest error. • people’s names. •
the dog’s collar. • your secretary’s opinion. • the teacher’s
role. • everyone’s idea. • Raju’s appointment. • Mao’s
supporters. • India’s population. • the world’s economy.
• this year’s profit. • my best friend’s mother. • a day’s
journey. • the book’s cover. • a women’s magazine. •
last Monday’s match. • one’s life. • the cat’s tail. • the
government’s policy. • the building’s design. • a child’s toy.
• a hen’s egg. • the scheme’s opponents. • the committee’s
report. • today’s programme. • cow’s milk. • yesterday’s
paper. • the car’s owner. • the contractor’s offer. • the plan’s
importance. • the men’s lavatory. • people’s complaints. •
uncle’s knee.
 • birds’ nests. • the boys’ toys. • employees’ rights. • two
hours’ journey. • their husbands’ shirts. • workers’ union.
21. Noun + [of + noun] (= Postmodification)

 • a picture of your family. • the name of the street. • a delay
of 30 minutes. • the beauty of that place. • this part of
the country. • the handle of the bag. • middle of the night.
98 Naming patterns
• the floor of the kitchen. • the aim of the scheme. • the

end of the street. • the core of the problem. • middle of
the road. • the owner of that shop. • the paintings of Ravi
Varma. • a friend of yours/mine/his/hers/theirs/ours. •
a friend of Ashok’s. • an acquaintance of my son’s. • the
climate of India. • the economy of that country. • the roads
of Kerala. • the roof of his house. • that boy of yours . • this
bad temper of Anil’s. • the responsibilities of a parent. • the
role of a teacher. • the status of a government official. • the
corner of the street. • the cartoon-section of the newspaper.
• a habit of his. • the back of the hall. • the back of her
dress. • the memory of childhood. • an admirer of art. • a
lover of classical music.
 • the smell of it. • the back of it. • the danger of it. • the
nicest part of it. • the beauty of it. • the style of it. • the
look of it. • the fun of it.
 • a man of courage. • a woman of principle. • a man of
humble origin. • the love of power. • this kind of weather. •
this kind of paper. • a different sort of leadership. • all sorts
of fruit. • all sorts of jobs. • most kinds of animals. • some
kind of meat. • five kinds of rose bush. • a good variety of
things. • a fine piece of work. • a feeling of betrayal. • years
of planning. • a giant of a man.
22. the, etc. + Adjective: Adjective as head of a

noun phrase
 • the aged. • the blind. • the brave. • the elderly. • the dead. •
the deaf. • the (highly) educated. • the greedy. • the injured.
• the innocent. • the jobless. • the meek. • the mentally
handicapped. • the needy. • the (very) old. • the physically
handicapped. • the (very) poor. • the rich. • the rural. •
the sick. • the underprivileged. • the unemployed. • the
unscrupulous. • the urban. • the weak. • the wicked. • the
(very) young.
Naming patterns 99
 • we poor. • we rich. • we unemployed. • our poor. • our

rich. • our unemployed. • your rich. • your jobless. • many
unemployed. • more jobless.
 • the best. • the exotic. • the impossible. • the latest. • the
mystical. • the new/old. • the supernatural. • the unknown.
• the unreal.
23. the, etc. + Noun

 • the authorities. • the foundations. • the fruits. • the heavens.
• the mains. • the odds. • the pictures. • the races. • the
rains. • the sights. • the waters.
 • your activities. • his attentions. • his feelings. • her likes. •
their movements. • our reactions. • my terms. • your travels.
• his troubles. • her wants.
Note: By now, we’ve seen all the frequent noun phrase patterns. We’ll
be taking up noun phrases again in later Books in this series,
because it’s important to learn how to prevent noun phrases from
getting heavily modified. For now, the thing you should do is this:
Pay attention to repeating the word groups aloud — several
times.
***
100 Rhythm drill
chapter 11
Rhythm drill
In Book 3, we learnt about the mechanics of rhythm. We saw how
important it was to speak English with its typical rhythm. We
saw that rhythm helps English speech to keep up its ‘equilibrium’
or ‘state of balance’. Thus rhythm prevents your speech from
collapsing and keeps you from faltering.
Now it’s time for us to do some intensive drill. Once this
drill is over, you’ll unconsciously start speaking English with its
typical rhythm. As you go through the drill, you’ll understand
the significance of the explanations in Book 3. Go back to the
explanations off and on.
Utter each word group ALOUD — several times. As you utter
each word group, you must beat the rhythm. Yes, you must beat
the rhythm. At each beat or tap, you must utter the first syllable in
each foot. As you know, the first syllable in each foot is a stressed
syllable. Immediately before each stressed syllable, you’ll find a
vertical line (|). The vertical line (|) marks the end of one foot
and the beginning of the next.
Now let’s go for the word groups:-
 • I’ve been to |Bombay. • I |love |travelling by |bus. •
She |can’t |stand |travelling by |bus. • You must |have
your |eyes |tested. • I |feel |sure he’s a |musician. • He
ex|plained the |method to her. • |Diwali is |coming. •
This is |much |easier. • I |want to |have my |hair |cut.
• I |can’t |stand |being ig|nored. • I |can’t |stand being
|bossed over. • They en|joyed it. • I |like |people |praising
my |work. • I |hate |people |criticizing me. • |Take a
|half |teaspoonful. • He’s got |dirt on his |hands. • It
|doesn’t |matter to me |which (you |give me). • The |food
is |too ex|pensive |here. • She |came |top of her |class. •
Rhythm drill 101
He |came |bottom of his |class.

 • It’s been |raining |hard. • I |visit my |mother |twice a
|month. • It’ll |take you a|bout an |hour to |get there
by |taxi. • His |hands are |shaking. • I |don’t |like the
|taste of this |fruit. • It’s |cost is |three |quarters |that
of |this. • The |meeting has been post|poned. • I |got on
the |bus. • She |got on the |train. • We |got off the |bus.
• They |got off the |train. • I |got into the |car. • He |got
into the |taxi. • We |got out of the |car. • They |got out
of the |taxi. • Per|haps I’d |better not |say |anything. •
She |fooled him com|pletely. • She |thinks we should |ask
them.
 • I’ve |seen the |Taj Mahal. • I’m from the |Brox Co. • Mr
|Johnson is ex|pecting me. • I |don’t |mind |which of
them you |give me. • The |pay |isn’t |good e|nough. •
We were |all de|lighted. • I |want to |have the |brakes
|tightened. • He |gets |more |money than his |brother. •
I’ve been |looking for a |house.
 • He com|pletely ig|nored her. • |Turn |left |here. •
She |likes to be inde|pendent. • She’s |quite |lively
|sometimes. • They |go out more |often |now than they
|used to. • You |don’t |look a |bit |older than when we
|first |met. • They |pay him |once a |week. • I |didn’t
|know you were |working. • It’s |much |smaller than |this
one. • |Clouded |sky |probably |means there’ll be |rain. •
It |wasn’t very a|ttractive. • She’s been |peeling |onions.
• |Calcutta is |east of |Patna. • |Calcutta is in the |east
of |India. • |Bombay is |north of |Pune. • |Bombay is in
the |West of |India. • Tri|vandrum is |south of |Kochi.
• Tri|vandrum is in the |south of |India. • He |only
|managed to com|plete |half of it. • I |used to |go there
more |often than I |do |now. • I’ve |seen that |film. • I’ve
|come to |see the |General |Manager. • He’s |worried
a|bout his |mother. • He |kept |making |silly re|marks. •
102 Rhythm drill
|That’s |what he |does for a |living. • His |salary was |not

e|nough to |live on. • He for|got |every |word a|bout
it. • She has a |lot more |friends. • He |stopped |taking
|exercises. • Now he’s be|come a lot |fatter. • |Monday’s
im|possible. • I’m in such |pain that I can |hardly |walk.
• You’d |better |take |half of it |for your|self. • He’s been
in |this |job for |15 |years. • I |don’t |know |what up|set
him. • She suc|ceeded in con|trolling them.
 • |Yesterday I |had a |heavy |meal. • To|day she |had a
|light |meal. • |Take the |second |turning on your |left.
• He |keeps |shouting. • I re|member him. • He |smokes
|much more |now than he |used to. • She’s |reasonably
|good at |studies. • |Prices |rising like |this |means
|heavy de|mand. • She’s been |crying. • I |thought you
were a|sleep. • His con|dition was |worse a |couple
of |days a|go. • He’s |getting |better |now. • She was
|looking a |good |deal |fitter than the |last |time I |saw
her. • It’d have been |much |quicker, |if we’d |gone via
|Nagpur. • He re|fused their |offer. • He |last |smoked
a|bout a |year a|go. • It’s |nothing |serious. • You’ll |not
be |able to |get |things |done so |easily any |longer. • You
|mustn’t for|get to |send him a |letter.
 • I |read it |just the |other |day. • The |motor is |not
|working |properly. • I’ll |have to |have it |seen to.
• You’re a |lot |richer than |him. • His |car |needs
|servicing. • You’re |not |getting e|nough for the |job. •
His |new |dress |seems to have |made him a |good |deal
more |confident. • |Everybody |likes to |look |smart. •
|China has the |largest popu|lation. • I pre|fer |going
by |train to |going by |car. • He’s |finished e|xamining
|John. • There’s |someone |standing there. • There was a
|bit of a |rush at the |counter. • |Anil is |taller than |Ajai.
• |Anil |isn’t as well-|dressed as |Ajai. • My |knee |started
|hurting a|bout a |week a|go. • I’m |not |sure it’s |right.
Rhythm drill 103
• He |managed to |cancel it.

 • She |won the |long |jump. • I |don’t |travel as |much as I
|used to. • You must re|turn it to me |soon. • |That was
a |year |after I |joined |here. • They’re |always |having
their |radio |on too |loud. • The |lights are |all |on,
ex|cept |one. • He’s |pretty |bad at |games and |sport.
• He |sometimes |wishes he |hadn’t |taken up this |job.
• They a|greed. • They re|fused. • He’s got |hardly any
|ways of |earning |money.
 • |Go |straight on a|long this |road. • I’m |going to
|Calcutta on the |next |train. • He’s |going to Ma|dras
on the |next |flight. • She’s |going to |Delhi on the |4.30
|train. • We’re |going to |Bombay on the |1.30 |flight. • I
|last |spoke to him a|bout a |month a|go. • He was |once
|very |thin. • Now he’s |very |fat. • We’re re|turning
to|day. • You must |tell your |wife a|bout it. • |First you
|pick up that |thing. • Then you |keep it under |water for
some |time. • |After that you |wipe it |dry.
 • I |saw it |just the |other |week. • The |switch has |gone
a|gain. • I’ll |have to |have it re|paired. • He’s |quite
a |bit more |good-looking than his |brother. • I pre|fer
|wearing |blue |clothes. • She |earns |much less than
|him. • I |don’t |think his pro|posal is |reasonable. •
|That |room is |twice as |large as |this one. • He’s |having
a |bath. • He’s been |much de|pressed |since he’s been
|talking to them. • I |need a |new |shirt. • I’m |just |back
from |seeing a |film. • Re|member |what I’ve |said. •
She |started |feeling |ill at the |end of |last |week. • It
was |wrong of her to be|have like |that. • |Asha |writes
|neatly. • |Asha |writes more |neatly than |Sita. • I’m
|glad to |hear you |got the pro|motion.
 • He |came |third in the |high jump. • He |said he |would.
• She’ll |have to a|pologise. • He |borrowed it from |me.
• |That’s |all I |have |left. • He |doesn’t |get |angry as
104 Rhythm drill
|often as he |used to. • I pre|fer |curly |hair to |straight

|hair. • He |sometimes re|grets |leaving his |village. • I
|met him |last |July. • I |think it’s dis|graceful that our
|team’s |lost a|gain. • |Children be|having like |this
is a |sign that there’s no |discipline. • He was |very
con|siderate. • It’d have been |much |easier, |if we’d
|gone via |Kanpur. • My |knee is |hurting since |yesterday
|morning. • He |didn’t be|come |angry un|til |then.
 • I |wish you were |here! • The |radio is |still not |working
|properly. • I su|ppose you’ll |have to. • He’s |quite a
|bit |heavier than me. • |Drive a |bit more |slowly. •
|Drive a |bit |faster. • He |earns |much more than |her.
• A |button has |come |off his |shirt. • I |hate |people
|staring at |me. • It’s |size is |double that of |this one. •
I |saw him |going |in. • He’s |left it be|hind. • He |looks
|bored. • I’ve |just been |trying to |find it. • |Nobody
be|haved as |badly as |Smith. • |Smith be|haved |more
|badly than |Abu. • I |don’t |think he’s |right. • She’s
been |much |happier |since she’s been |here. • I’m |sorry
to |hear it.
 • It was her |father who |came. • She’s |full of a|pologies. •
He |offered to |let me |have it for a |day. • |That’s |all I’ve
|got. • |That was |sometimes be|fore he |left this |place.
• I |asked him to |help me re|pair the |car. • I |don’t
like the |smell of |sweat. • I re|member |wanting to be a
|doctor. • I |don’t |live there |any |more. • They’ve got
|very |few |friends. • |People |running a|round like |this
is a |sign that |something is |going to |happen. • I |had
a |terrifying ex|perience. • The |best |way would’ve been
|via |Hyderabad. • You’re so |hard-hearted. • |Apples
|used to |cost only |4 |rupees a |kilo. • He’s |not the
|man he |used to be. • He’s been |going by |bus ever
|since he |sold his |car. • I |haven’t |sent it |yet.
 • We |had a |really |good |time. • I’ll |have it |put |right
Rhythm drill 105
in |10 |minutes. • |French is more |difficult to |learn

than |English. • |English |isn’t as |difficult to |learn as
|French. • A |5-rupee |postal |order, please. • |Ten |50-
paise |stamps, please. • You’re dis|turbing him. • I |think
it’s a dis|grace. • I could |see |people |rushing |forward.
• A|bout |four |times as |many |people |go |there as
|here. • There’s a |TV in his |room. • You’ve got a |lot
more a|ssertive |since you |took up this |job. • I |need
some |photocopies of |this |document. • It must |be
from Ja|pan. • I pre|fer the |other one. • He |borrowed
his |friend’s |scooter |over the |week-end. • He could be
|wrong a|bout it. • I |haven’t |seen |much of the |city.
 • It was his |sister who |phoned. • He |used to be |called
‘the go|rilla’ at |school. • He |offered to |do it for |me.
• Your |seat is at the |side. • I was un|well. • He’s |had
a |scooter |ever |since he was in |college. • I dis|like
|people who |always |boast. • There’s |somebody |looking
for you. • He’s got |hardly any |money. • We |don’t have
our |milk de|livered any |longer. • I |took the |next |flight
to |Cochin. • He |took the |earliest |train to |Hyderabad.
• I |can’t ac|cept it. • |This is the |longest re|port, and
|that’s the |second |longest one. • The |food was |awful.
• It’s |best to |ask for their |help. • I |haven’t got |any of
them |yet.
 • The |weather has been |perfect. • I |thought you |said
you were |going to |tighten the |brake. • I’ve got a |bit of
a |cold. • She |speaks |better than she |writes. • I |like
|people with a sin|cere |face. • He’ll a|rrive to|morrow.
• I |heard |someone |say |‘Run’. • |That’s |not |half as
ex|pensive as |this. • You’ve got a |lot |healthier |since
you |started |jogging. • There are |plenty of |bookshops
|there. • I |don’t |mind |lending you my |scooter. • I
|wish I |hadn’t |bought it. • It’s |very ex|pensive. • It’s a
|long |way to the |bus stop. • |That’s |really |good |news.
106 Rhythm drill
 • She |got the |book she |wanted. • It’s a |good i|dea to

con|sult a |lawyer. • He |didn’t a|gree. • I re|member we
|used to |go to |school to|gether. • Our |seats are at the
|end of the |row. • She |offered me a |cup of |coffee. •
He |smelt |very |heavily of |alcohol. • He’s been |drinking
|this ever |since he |fell |ill. • She |hardly |ever |gets
|angry. • There’s a |car |following |us. • He’s got |almost
no |income. • At |one |time, he |used to be |known as
the |giant a|mong |wrestlers. • I |started |doing |this
|six |years a|go. • The |way he |talked |made him |look
|silly. • She was |very disa|ppointed. • I |can’t re|member
my |date of |birth. • She’s be|come |very for|getful. •
We |started at |ten. • An |hour |later, we |reached |here.
• |Two |hours |after |that, she |joined us. • You were
su|pposed to |stop |smoking.
 • |Yesterday I |looked |round the |city. • His new |job
has |good |promotion |prospects. • I |thought you |said
you were |going to re|place the |plug. • Their |flat is
a|bove |ours. • You should |take some |rest. • He’s got
|narrow |shoulders. • It’s im|possible. • I |felt |something
|crawling up my |back. • That’s |only a |fourth as |big
as |this. • Their |music is very |pleasant. • |Nobody
at|tended the |meeting. • You can |have your |car
re|paired |there. • He |isn’t as |polite as he |looks. • This
|stove |uses up a |lot of el|ectricity. • It |isn’t as |difficult
as it |seems. • I’ve never |been to their |place be|fore. • I
|asked him |if I could |leave it |there.
 • There |weren’t any |girls in the |class. • He |wanted to |go
but she |wanted to |stay. • I |tried |writing to |her. • I
was sur|prised. • You can |use my |car if you |like. • The
|husband and |wife are |different |colours. • |Someone is
|watching you. • He’s an ex|tremely well-|shaven |man.
• He o|ccasionally |feels de|pressed. • I re|member
|living in |Delhi |when I was a |child. • She’s got |very
Rhythm drill 107
|little |money. • The |new |name for this |fridge is |XYZ.

• There are |buses to |Delhi every |hour on the |hour. •
You can |buy e|nough of |them. • The |kitchen is at the
|back down|stairs. • I’ve been |doing this for |six |years. •
There’s a |letter for you |from your |father. • It’s |better to
in|form the po|lice. • That’s |worth |much |more.
 • |Everything is |much too ex|pensive |here. • I’ll |get it
|done in |10 |minutes. • He |works the |hardest (of |all
of them). • It’s |only a |ten-minute |drive to his |house. •
You ought to |take him into |confidence. • He’s got |broad
|shoulders. • |Nisha |drives more |carefully than |Asha.
• It’s |size is |three |times as |large as |that of |this one.
• We |all a|greed to the |scheme. • He |let me |do it.
• He |wouldn’t |let me |do it. • Your |train |goes from
|platform no. |2. • |Each |room has |got a |phone. • It
|doesn’t |matter to me |which of them we |see. • I |can’t
|stand |going by |bus. • Oh |that’s in|furiating! • I’ve
|just |come |home. • I |tried |ringing him |up. • I |don’t
a|pprove of |this i|dea. • I’ll |do it for you, |if you |like.
• I |met her in |1970. • It |takes a|bout |2 |hours to |fly
from |there to |here. • We |used to |work to|gether. • We
|didn’t use to |go out |much. • It was a |tiring |journey.
• He’s |hardly ever im|patient with |anybody. • There’s
|someone |ringing the |bell. • I |think it’s |shocking
that they’ve |caught the |wrong |person. • His |house
|faces the |road. • She |takes |good |care of her |hair. •
I’ve been ex|pecting |that. • |Give her a|nother |one. •
|That’s |much more ex|pensive.
***
108 Short responses
chapter 12
Short responses
Short responses like “Yes, I am”, “No, he isn’t”, “So are we”,
“Neither are they”, etc. are an important feature of spoken
English. If you want to carry on a conversation fluently, you must
master the skill of making responses of this kind. The material
given below will help you here.
Go through each category of word groups carefully. Pick up
each pair of word groups (X & Y). Pay attention to the pattern of
the response (Y) with reference to the prompting word group (X).
Pay attention to the order of the words in the response. In this
way, complete each category one by one.
Utter each pair of word groups ALOUD — several times. Here
we go:
Group I
Category 1
• X: Are you ready? ~ Y: Yes, I am. • X: Were you feeling
awful? ~ Y: Yes, I was. • X: Are you from John’s Office? ~
Y: Yes, we are. • X: Were you away? ~ Y: Yes, we were. •
X: Am I mimicking anybody now? ~ Y: Yes, you are. • X:
Was I wringing my hands then? ~ Y: Yes, you were. • X:
Is he against this plan? ~ Y: Yes, he is. • X: Wasn’t he very
calm? ~ Y: Yes, he was. • X: Is she bursting from all the
new information she has? ~ Y: Yes, she is. • X: Was she
laughing so hard? ~ Y: Yes, she was. • X: Is it so very hard
to describe what was happening? ~ Y: Yes, it is. • X: Was it
(= the scooter) making a droning sound? ~ Y: Yes, it was.
• X: Are they coming to visit us the next Sunday? ~ Y: Yes,
they are. • X: Weren’t they looking at him with interest? ~
Short responses 109
Y: Yes, they were.
Category 2
• X: Are you hungry? ~ Y: No, I’m not. • X: You were
racing after someone. ~ Y: No, I wasn’t. • X: We’re all one
family, don’t you think? ~ Y: No, we aren’t. • X: Were you
there? ~ Y: No, we weren’t. • X: Am I being unreasonable?
~ Y: No, you aren’t. • X: Was I being too severe with them?
~ Y: No, you weren’t. • X: Isn’t he even saying a word
about it? ~ Y: No, he isn’t. • X: Was he rubbing it hard?
~ Y: No, he wasn’t. • X: She’s through washing them. ~
Y: No, she isn’t. • X: Was she winking at them? ~ Y: No,
she wasn’t . • X: Isn’t it a swell excuse? ~ Y: No, it isn’t.
• X: The milk was spread all over his shirt. ~ Y: No, it
wasn’t. • X: Your worries are over. ~ Y: No, they aren’t. •
X: Weren’t they through with their food by then? ~ Y: No,
they weren’t.
Category 3
• X: Do you sometimes force yourself to laugh? ~ Y: Yes, I
do. • X: Did you make a hole? ~ Y: Yes, I did. • X: Do you
hear him shouting? ~ Y: Yes, we do. • X: Did you hear him
hammering? ~ Y: Yes, we did. • X: Do I talk a lot? ~ Y: Yes,
you do. • X: Did I tell you about it? ~ Y: Yes, you did. • X:
Does he often pick fights with customers? ~ Y: Yes, he does.
• X: Did he hear her telling me all that? ~ Y: Yes, he did.
• X: Does she always talk about sicknesses? ~ Y: Yes, she
does. • X: Did she make a face at you? ~ Y: Yes, she did.
• X: Does it matter? ~ Y: Yes, it does. • X: Did the wound
worry him? ~ Y: Yes, it did. • X: Do they know you? ~ Y:
Yes, they do. • X: Did they admit it? ~ Y: Yes, they did. • X:
Does her new flat have a big kitchen? ~ Y: Yes, it does. • X:
Do they have a car? ~ Y: Yes, they do.
110 Short responses
Category 4
• X: Do you like having to stand up in front of an audience
and speak? ~ Y: No. I don’t. • X: Did you hear the tap
dripping? ~ Y: No, I didn’t. • X: Do you hear them still
quarrel? ~ Y: No, we don’t. • X: Did you see him paying
us? ~ Y: No, we didn’t. • X: Do I interfere too much? ~
Y: No, you don’t. • X: Did we make any promise to her?
~ Y: No, you didn’t. • X: Does he show the right spirit? ~
Y: No, he doesn’t. • X: Did he wait patiently? ~ Y: No, he
didn’t. • X: Does she always argue about prices? ~ Y: No,
she doesn’t. • X: Did she hear you threatening them? ~ Y:
No, she didn’t. • X: Does his friendship mean a great deal
to you? ~ Y: No, it doesn’t. • X: Did it feel like wood? ~
Y: No, it didn’t. • X: Do we have any choice? ~ Y: No, we
don’t. • X: Did you have any difficulty finding her place? ~
Y: No, I didn’t.
Category 5
• X: Have you seen him lately? ~ Y: Yes, I have. • X: Had
you shut the door before you left? ~ Y: Yes, I had. • X:
Hasn’t she got beautiful eyes? ~ Y: Yes, she has. • X: Have
you got change for a 5-rupee note? ~ Y: Yes, I have. • X:
Haven’t we met somewhere before? ~ Y: Yes, we have. •
X: Had you done anything wrong? ~ Y: Yes, we had. • X:
Have I ever pretended otherwise? ~ Y: Yes, you have. • X:
Had I ever refused to do it before then? ~ Y: Yes, you had.
• X: Has he had enough? ~ Y: Yes, he had. • X: Hadn’t
he done well? ~ Y: Yes, he had. • X: Has she finished her
course? ~ Y: Yes, she has. • X: Had she given up everything
by then? ~ Y: Yes, she had. • X: Has it been boiling? ~ Y:
Yes, it has. • X: Had it been raining before they started?
~ Y: Yes, it had. • X: Haven’t they made a mess of it? ~ Y:
Yes, they have. • X: Had they won ever before? ~ Y: Yes,
they had.
Short responses 111
Category 6
• X: Have you (got) time tomorrow? ~ Y: No, I haven’t.
• X: Had you any idea at that time why she was so rude?
~ Y: No, I hadn’t. • X: Have you tried using coconut oil?
~ Y: No, we haven’t. • X: Had you enough then? ~ Y: No,
we hadn’t. • X: Have I ever asked for a loan? ~ Y: No, you
haven’t. • X: Had we given you any trouble before then?
~ Y: No, you hadn’t. • X: Has he said anything like that
before? ~ Y: No, he hasn’t. • X: Had he already posted
it? ~ Y: No, he hadn’t. • X: Has she made sure? ~ Y: No,
she hasn’t. • X: Had she said anything to him? ~ Y: No,
she hadn’t. • X: Has it had any effect on him? ~ Y: No,
it hasn’t. • X: Had it crashed to the ground? ~ Y: No, it
hadn’t. • X: Haven’t they got a better one? ~ Y: No, they
haven’t. • X: Hadn’t they reminded him? ~ Y: No, they
hadn’t.
Category 7
• X: Will you help them? ~ Y: Yes, I will. • X: Would you
ask him yourself? ~ Y: Yes, I would. • X: Will you get there
in time? ~ Y: Yes, we will. • X: Would they be co-operative?
~ Y: Yes, they would. • X: Will I ever forget it? ~ Y: Yes,
you will. • X: Will he really come? ~ Y: Yes, he will. • X:
Would he stand a better chance then? ~ Y: Yes, he would.
• X: Will she be willing to fix it for me? ~ Y: Yes, she will.
• X: Would she listen to me? ~ Y: Yes, she would. • X: Will
it help? ~ Y: Yes, it will. • X: Would it surprise him to know
it? ~ Y: Yes, it would. • X: Will they lend it to you? ~ Y:
Yes, they will. • X: Would they be content with that? ~ Y:
Yes, they would.
Category 8
• X: Will you do it any more? ~ Y: No, I won’t. • X: Would
you do it if you could? ~ Y: No, I wouldn’t. • X: Will you
112 Short responses
take this? ~ Y: No, we won’t. • X: Would you mind if I

refused it? ~ Y: No, we wouldn’t. • X: Will I do for the
work? ~ Y: No, you won’t. • X: Would I have got it if I had
tried? ~ Y: No, you wouldn’t. • X: Will he have to do this?
~ Y: No, he won’t. • X: Will she warm up the cold food? ~
Y: No, she won’t. • X: Would she complain about the delay?
~ Y: No, she wouldn’t. • X: Will that be the end of it? ~
Y: No, it won’t. • X: Wouldn’t it be better to ignore it? ~
Y: No, it wouldn’t. • X: Will they change their mind? ~ Y:
No, they won’t. • X: Would they keep it in mind? ~ Y: No,
they wouldn’t. • X: Would it cost very much? ~ Y: No, it
wouldn’t.
Category 9
• X: Can you afford it? ~ Y: Yes, I can. • X: Could you
complete it in time? ~ Y: Yes, I could. • X: Can you repair
the car? ~ Y: Yes, I can. • X: Could you see from there?
~ Y: Yes, we could. • X: Can I help at all? ~ Y: Yes, you
can. • X: Could I have left it there? ~ Y: Yes, you could. •
X: Can he make tea? ~ Y: Yes, he can. • X: Could he have
smelt something burning? ~ Y: Yes, he could. • X: Can
she come this way? ~ Y: Yes, she can. • X: Could she have
understood it? ~ Y: Yes, she could. • X: Can it happen
again? ~ Y: Yes, it can. • X: Could the dog have howled? ~
Y: Yes, it could. • X: Can they prove it? ~ Y: Yes, they can. •
X: Could they see the difference? ~ Y: Yes, they could.
Category 10
• X: Can you get there by then? ~ Y: No, I can’t. • X: Could
you find your bag? ~ Y: No, I couldn’t. • X: Can’t you let
us have it rather sooner? ~ Y: No, we can’t. • X: Could we
have got there by any other way? ~ Y: No, we couldn’t. •
X: Can I approach his father perhaps? ~ Y: No, you can’t. •
X: Could I have known it was here? ~ Y: No, you couldn’t.
Short responses 113
• X: Can he do any better? ~ Y: No, he can’t. • X: Couldn’t

he have hired one? ~ Y: No, he couldn’t. • X: Can she sign
the contract? ~ Y: No, she can’t. • X: Could she see the
light in the distance? ~ Y: No, she couldn’t. • X: Can it
be today? ~ Y: No, it can’t. • X: Could such a thing have
happened? ~ Y: No, it couldn’t. • X: Can they carry it? ~
Y: No, they can’t. • X: Couldn’t they leave it till today? ~ Y:
No, they couldn’t.
Category 11
• X: Must you tell him about it? ~ Y: Yes, I must. • X: Must
we follow his advice? ~ Y: Yes, we must. • X: Must I be so
early? ~ Y: Yes, you must. • X: Must he be so insistent? ~
Y: Yes, he must. • X: Must she be so severe with them? ~
Y: Yes, she must. • X: Must it be similar to this? ~ Y: Yes, it
must. • X: Must they have said it openly and publicly? ~ Y:
Yes, they must.
Category 12
• X: Must I turn on the electricity? ~ Y: No, you mustn’t.
• X: Must I help her? ~ Y: No, you needn’t. • X: Must we
welcome them to our place? ~ Y: No, we mustn’t. • X:
Must we weigh it? ~ Y: No, we needn’t. • X: Must I speak
to them roughly? ~ Y: No, you mustn’t. • X: Must I go
round the corner? ~ Y: No, you needn’t. • X: Must he be so
strict with the children? ~ Y: No, he mustn’t. • X: Must he
act in her place when she goes away? ~ Y: No, he needn’t.
• X: Must she reject the offer outright? ~ Y: No, she
mustn’t. • X: Must she get very stern with them? ~ Y: No,
she needn’t. • X: Must it be full? ~ Y: No, it mustn’t. • X:
Must it be precise and exact? ~ Y: No, it needn’t. • X: Must
they stop payment? ~ Y: No, they mustn’t. • X: Must they
wear their hair long? ~ Y: No, they needn’t.
114 Short responses
Group II
Category 1
• X: I’m away quite often. ~ Y: So am I. • X: I was going
to give it to her. ~ Y: So was I. • X: He’s worried about the
money. ~ Y: So are we. • X: I was busy yesterday. ~ Y: So
were we. • X: He is very fond of samosas. ~ Y: So are you.
• X: You were being very unfair. ~ Y: So were you. • X:
You’re always making excuses. ~ Y: So is he. • X: She was
unlucky. ~ Y: So was he. • X: He’s always making mistakes.
~ Y: So is she. • X: You were so terribly rude. ~ Y: So was
she. • X: That’s a different one. ~ Y: So is this. • X: This
was in that corner. ~ Y: So was that. • X: We are ready to
start. ~ Y: So are they. • X: He was very sorry about it. ~
Y: So were they.
Category 2
• X: I’m not happy about it. ~ Y: Neither am I. • X: I was
not criticizing her. ~ Y: Neither was I. • X: He’s not blaming
them. ~ Y: Neither are we. • X: I was not sure about that.
~ Y: Neither were we. • X: You are not the boss around
here. ~ Y: Neither are you. • X: You aren’t their favourite
any more. ~ Y: Neither is he. • X: She wasn’t particular
about it. ~ Y: Neither was he. • X: He isn’t a friendly sort
of fellow. ~ Y: Neither is she. • X: You weren’t smiling. ~
Y: Neither was she. • X: That’s not made of plastic. ~ Y:
Neither is this. • X: This was not with him. ~ Y: Neither
was that. • X: We’re not experts in this kind of work. ~ Y:
Neither are they. • X: He was not modest at all in his talk.
~ Y: Neither were they.
Category 3
• X: I love the kids. ~ Y: So do I. • X: I enjoyed watching
Short responses 115
them play. ~ Y: So did I. • X: He wants to go on leave. ~ Y:

So do we. • X: They wanted to meet him. ~ Y: So did we. •
X: He gets angry easily. ~ Y: So do you. • X: He promised
her a watch for her birthday. ~ Y: So did you. • X: She
always boasts about his influence over them. ~ Y: So does
he. • X: They scolded her for her rude behaviour. ~ Y: So
did he. • X: I hate cooking. ~ Y: So does she. • X: He kept
interrupting them. ~ Y: So did she. • X: This (= My car)
breaks down too often. ~ Y: So does that. • X: That tasted
of kerosene. ~ Y: So did this. • X: They enjoy entertaining
friends. ~ Y: So do we. • X: They spoke severely to him. ~
Y: So did we.
Category 4
• X: I don’t mind washing up. ~ Y: Neither do I. • X: I
didn’t accept the invitation. ~ Y: Neither did I. • X: They
don’t care for football matches. ~ Y: Neither do we. •
X: They didn’t act wisely. ~ Y: Neither did we. • X: You
don’t care for your children. ~ Y: Neither do you. • X: He
didn’t eat them all at once. ~ Y: Neither did you. • X: She
doesn’t like ironing clothes. ~ Y: Neither does he. • X: They
didn’t ask the price. ~ Y: Neither did he. • X: He doesn’t
like eating out. ~ Y: Neither does she. • X: He didn’t save
any of it for later. ~ Y: Neither did she. • X: That doesn’t
look good. ~ Y: Neither does this. • X: This didn’t look
impressive then. ~ Y: Neither did that. • X: We don’t mind
personal questions. ~ Y: Neither do they. • X: He didn’t
have any more trouble. ~ Y: Neither did they.
Category 5
• X: I’ve missed the last bus. ~ Y: So have I. • X: He’d
suffered a lot of pain. ~ Y: So had I. • X: They’ve got to
work on Sundays. ~ Y: So have we. • X: I had better go.
~ Y: So had we. • X: She’s already got one. ~ Y: So have
116 Short responses
you. • X: You had better mind your manners. ~ Y: So had

you. • X: She’s made the same mistake again. ~ Y: So has
he. • X: She had seen me in the street. ~ Y: So had he. •
X: He has plenty of spare copies. ~ Y: So has she. • X: He’d
brought two dozens. ~ Y: So had she. • X: This has stopped
working. ~ Y: So has that. • X: That’d rusted. ~ Y: So had
this. • X: You’ve lost your chance. ~ Y: So have they. • X:
He had to make a large contribution. ~ Y: So had they.
Category 6
• X: I haven’t time now. ~ Y: Neither have I. • X: He
hadn’t smoked for several days. ~ Y: Neither had I. • X:
We haven’t seen her for ages. ~ Y: Neither have we. • X:
They hadn’t been there long. ~ Y: Neither had we. • X: She
has no real excuse. ~ Y: Neither have you. • X: He had no
strength left. ~ Y: Neither had you. • X: She hasn’t written
to them. ~ Y: Neither has he. • X: They hadn’t answered
her letter. ~ Y: Neither had he. • X: He hasn’t forgotten. ~
Y: Neither has she. • X: I hadn’t heard about them. ~ Y:
Neither had he. • X: That has nothing to do with it. ~ Y:
Neither has this. • X: This hadn’t a dent in it. ~ Y: Neither
had that. • X: We haven’t included Ahmed. ~ Y: Neither
have they. • X: I had never seen you so angry till then. ~ Y:
Neither had they.
Category 7
• X: They’ll be here by 10. ~ Y: So will I. • X: I’d like one
more. ~ Y: So would I. • X: They’ll both come. ~ Y: So
will we. • X: They’d rather refuse it. ~ Y: So would we. •
X: You’ll be sorry for it later. ~ Y: So will you. • X: You’d
be happier there. ~ Y: So would you. • X: They’ll get away
with it. ~ Y: So will he. • X: They’d be delighted. ~ Y: So
would he. • X: He’ll be surprised. ~ Y: So will she. • X:
From time to time, he’d ring them up. ~ Y: So would she.
Short responses 117
• X: This will take at least a month. ~ Y: So will that. • X:

That’d worsen the situation. ~ Y: So would this. • X: We’ll
leave before dawn. ~ Y: So will they. • X: He’d rather wait.
~ Y: So would they.
Category 8
• X: He won’t be able to help. ~ Y: Neither will I. • X:
He wouldn’t contribute. ~ Y: Neither would I. • X: They
won’t budge on this issue. ~ Y: Neither will we. • X: They
wouldn’t lend me the money. ~ Y: Neither would we. • X:
You’ll never get it. ~ Y: Neither will you. • X: He wouldn’t
take that risk. ~ Y: Neither would you. • X: They wouldn’t
yield to their critics. ~ Y: Neither would he. • X: He won’t
do it any more. ~ Y: Neither will she. • X: He wouldn’t
agree to our plan. ~ Y: Neither would she. • X: That won’t
do at all. ~ Y: Neither will this. • X: This wouldn’t make
any difference. ~ Y: Neither would that. • X: We won’t be
away long. ~ Y: Neither will they. • X: He wouldn’t like
this. ~ Y: Neither would they.
Category 9
• X: I can manage it alone. ~ Y: So can I. • X: I could have
told a lie. ~ Y: So could I. • X: I can hear a noise. ~ Y: So
can we. • X: They could have tried again. ~ Y: So could
we. • X: You can win easily. ~ Y: So can you. • X: You
could have asked for it. ~ Y: So could you. • X: She can
start immediately. ~ Y: So can he. • X: You could have
delayed it a bit longer. ~ Y: So could he. • X: He can come
tomorrow. ~ Y: So can she. • X: They could have finished
it yesterday. ~ Y: So could she. • X: This (= tub) can hold
twenty gallons. ~ Y: So can that. • X: That could have been
their mistake. ~ Y: So could this. • X: You can borrow it
from there. ~ Y: So can they. • X: He could have told us. ~
Y: So could they.
118 Short responses
Category 10
• X: I can’t manage Sunday. ~ Y: Neither can I. • X: I
couldn’t think what to give them. ~ Y: Neither could I. • X:
They can’t undo the door. ~ Y: Neither can we. • X: They
couldn’t collect the parcel yesterday. ~ Y: Neither could
we. • X: He can’t afford it. ~ Y: Neither can you. • X: He
couldn’t do anything about it. ~ Y: Neither could you. • X:
She can’t possibly do that. ~ Y: Neither can he. • X: She
couldn’t be rude to them. ~ Y: Neither could he. • X: He
can’t do any better. ~ Y: Neither can she. • X: They couldn’t
start before 4. ~ Y: Neither could she. • X: This can’t be
theirs. ~ Y: Neither can that. • X: That couldn’t have been
there. ~ Y: Neither could this. • X: We can’t eat all that. ~
Y: Neither can they. • X: We couldn’t give him more than
one. ~ Y: Neither could they.
Category 11
• X: I must leave early today. ~ Y: So must I. • X: We
must finish it by tomorrow. ~ Y: So must we. • X: He
must be very happy. ~ Y: So must you. • X: You must stop
gossiping. ~ Y: So must she. • X: This must be hers. ~ Y:
So must that. • X: That must be at the back. ~ Y: So must
this. • X: He must learn to remain calm. ~ Y: So must they.
Category 12
• X: I mustn’t find him here again. ~ Y: Neither must I. •
X: She mustn’t shout like this. ~ Y: Neither must we. • X:
You mustn’t go there. ~ Y: Neither must you. • X: They
mustn’t be so stiff. ~ Y: Neither must he. • X: He mustn’t
see you here. ~ Y: Neither must she. • X: This mustn’t
be here. ~ Y: Neither must that. • X: We mustn’t have
accepted it. ~ Y: Neither must they.
***
Negative meaning 119
chapter 13
Negative meaning
Of course, it’s very important to become skilled at expressing ideas
with a positive meaning. But it’s equally important to become
skilled at expressing ideas with a negative meaning. Mind you,
this is an area where most people fumble. In fact, when they start
putting across ideas with a negative meaning, most people (who
are not fluent) speak in a clumsy and unclear way. So let’s get
some training in this area.
Here’s a collection of word groups that would help you start
gaining this skill. Utter each word group ALOUD — several times.
Here we go:
 • They seldom come to an agreement. • It’s worth hardly
anything. • I could scarcely believe my eyes. • No one else
gave an explanation. • She looks barely twenty or twenty
two. • I’ve never had a desire for it. • Nobody showed it
to me. • She was barely able to walk. • Not all of it could
have been wrong. • You’re doing good to hardly anyone.
• Nobody will agree to this. • I expected her not to do it. •
I had hardly ever done the washing up. • Hardly anything
interested her. • They’re very seldom seen together. • Not
everybody likes it. • Nothing was known about it. • I had
scarcely reached there when your call came. • No one has
been making any accusation against you. • It annoyed me
not to have been consulted. • There’ll be no one else. •
Hardly anybody takes notice of all this. • Put no more in it.
• He paid nothing to them. • What they do is none of my
business. • He wasn’t doing anything whatsoever. • They
make no allowance for it. • Not everybody can go inside. •
You’re scarcely asking anything.
 • There’s no need whatsoever to meet them. • He’d scarcely
120 Negative meaning
ever have made such a decision. • No one offered a

suggestion. • Hardly anybody supported it. • You’ve eaten
scarcely any. • He could hardly get up. • He was so weak
that he could barely utter a word. • No one had earned
that kind of a reputation. • She hardly ever loses her
temper. • None of them earned money. • She seldom makes
a complaint. • I wanted neither of them. • He’s buying
none of it. • She wasn’t the least bit surprised. • None of
you take care of your health. • He’s never made an attack
on anybody. • She was hardly more than six or seven. •
Nobody follows the procedure. • He gets angry very rarely.
• You said nothing. • He almost never started trying. •
She’s taken all that trouble for nothing. • Not many are
happy. • Their M. D. is scarcely more than a boy. • He
has almost no friends. • None of you have done business
with them. • It made no sense to him. • Hardly anybody
made a comment. • His first child is barely one year old.
• He rarely goes for a walk. • She has no musical ability
whatsoever. • Nobody ever does a thing like this. • Nothing
else matters. • It could have fooled nobody.
 • None of them pays attention to all this. • Nobody will help
you. • There’d been no rain. • He left nothing for her. •
She’ll barely gain an advantage. • I saw nobody. • He had
hardly anywhere to go. • Nobody would have been taking
an interest in it. • There was no argument whatsoever.
• He had hardly left the office when they called him. •
Nobody was giving them any help. • Give him no more. •
Not everyone reached a decision. • She pretended not to
have seen me. • I don’t think he ever liked her. • We could
find it nowhere. • No one wanted any more. • She seldom
smiled. • She’d been eating hardly anything. • You’d have
heard of it never before. • She’s not following advice. • He
was stupid not to have done his best. • He has almost no
interest in things like these. • She wants none of them. •
He almost never smiles.• No mechanic is prepared to repair
Negative meaning 121
it. • He smiles so rarely. • You need ask nothing else.

 • Not everybody can tolerate it. • They invited hardly anybody
from there for the party. • He wasn’t happy in the least. •
No one enjoyed the music. • I had hardly any money. • She
doesn’t have any musical ability whatsoever. • He would
hardly be giving us encouragement. • He didn’t resist in
the least. • None of them paid for it. • You’d said nothing at
all. • Nothing ever gets done in an office like this. • I trust
nobody here. • They didn’t give him any advice whatsoever.
• There’s been nothing new. • Not for nothing is he their
leader. • Nothing annoys me like this kind of behaviour. •
There’s no more sugar left. • I never ever believed he was
guilty. • He too seldom praises people. • None of us had
been finding time for it. • He wasn’t the least bit interested.
• We were scarcely ever apart. • Not one of you is giving an
answer. • They didn’t hurt her in the slightest. • He never
does any harm to anybody. • We could understand hardly a
word. • I was going nowhere in particular. • Not all he says
is true. • He’s been giving no trouble. • She wasn’t a bit
shocked. • She eats hardly anything nowadays. • There’s
nothing to be done now. • You should never have given
him permission to do it. • Tell him not to wait for me. •
You’ll find it nowhere else. • Things haven’t changed in the
slightest. • Not everybody can use it properly. • It seldom
rains there. • Not much has been lost. • He’s rarely lost his
temper like this.
***
122 Fluency nucleus
chapter 14
Fluency nucleus
Chats and serious conversations

Broadly speaking, we can divide conversational English into two
categories: 1). Chats. 2). Serious conversations.
1). Chats
A chat is an informal, friendly conversation, and the conversation
would be about things that are not serious or important. When
you have a chat, your main objective is to establish or maintain
social relationships and to be nice to the people you’re talking to.
Sometimes you even have a chat just to pass the time.
The point is, when you have a chat, your main purpose is not
to get across any specific message to the people you’re having a
chat with, or to explain something in detail to them, or to make
them understand something thoroughly and completely. So
what’s important in a chat is not the content of what you say.
What’s important in a chat is that you listen to the other person
and say something, something nice — it’s not important what it
is. Say something that indicates that you’d like the other person
to continue speaking, or alternatively, that you’d like to share
something (like a personal experience or a piece of interesting
information) with him — so that the other person senses that you
like him and his company.
In fact, what often happens is this: You say something in
response to what the other person says. Usually, you also
voluntarily add a bit of connected information or a minor self-
disclosure — so that the other person has a ready topic to say
something about. And then, you pause or say something to
signal that the other person can now take the floor and start
Fluency nucleus 123
saying something. Now, just as you’ve done, he says something

in response to what you’ve said. Usually, he also voluntarily adds
a bit of connected information or a minor self-disclosure — so
that you have a ready topic to say something about. And then,
he pauses or says something to signal that you can now take the
floor and start saying something. In this way, a chat is essentially
a joint effort among the participants, and the conversational
ball gets passed from one participant to another quickly. No
participant usually speaks for more than a few seconds.
So all that you do when you have a chat is to touch on a
number of minor or unimportant topics, one after another, and
to move quickly from topic to topic, without spending much time
on any one topic. Topics of chat are usually local events, topical
or current events, family, friends, other people and their affairs.
Even if an important topic comes up, speakers only touch on it
briefly or superficially. Speakers only touch on the simplest and
the most obvious aspects of that topic. They do not move on to
aspects that require more effort to deal with or understand.
The stress during a chat is on creating and maintaining
an atmosphere of good feeling, and so disagreements are rare.
And so there won’t be much argument or discussion, based on
reasoning. Throughout, the tone and content of your speech
would be relaxed, friendly, informal and casual — rather than
serious, very correct or official. The tone and content would
be those that are suitable for use when you’re with friends and
family, and not those suitable for use during official occasions.
2). Serious conversations

By the term serious conversation, what this Book means is this:
A conversation in which the main objective of the utterance
sequences is not to establish or maintain social relationships, but
to pass definite information about something to the hearers.
Here the speaker’s chief interest is to communicate a definite
message (for example, his needs) to the hearers, and he’s
124 Fluency nucleus
particular that the hearers understand the message. To be nice

is not his chief aim. The speaker wants to succeed in making his
hearers understand something — facts, details, views, opinions.
So what’s important in a serious conversation is the content
of what you say. In a serious conversation, you not only speak
about the simplest and the most obvious aspects of a topic,
but also about aspects that require more effort to deal with or
understand. Yes. So, there would be much describing, explaining,
discussing and arguing. Speakers often try to show that they
think deeply and have much understanding of things that are
serious or important.
In a serious conversation, speakers try to be as explicit and
clear as the spoken medium would permit. They try to organize
and reorganize their facts, details, thoughts and arguments in as
logical an order, and in as effective a way, as the spoken medium
would permit. And they achieve explicitness and cohesiveness
mainly through unit-by-unit addition of details, repetitions,
reformulations, backtracking, paraphrasing and other on-the-
spot-speech-composition techniques — and not through the
written English strategy of packing information densely. So
remember this: Even in a serious conversation, the packing of
information is done loosely, and not tightly or densely. (We’ll
learn how to pack information in speech in later Books in this
series).
Long sequences and short sequences

In chats as well as serious conversations, there are two types of
utterance-sequences: 1). Short sequences. 2). Long sequences.
A short sequence is made up of just a few idea units, and it
lasts only for a few seconds. A long sequence consists of a series
of idea units, and you string these idea units together to give
meaning to your message. Here are a few examples of the types
of situations where short and long sequences occur:
Fluency nucleus 125
Short sequences
Chats
(a) You meet an old acquaintance at the bus stop. You
exchange a few pleasantries. (b) You go to your friend’s
house. There, your friend introduces you to one of his
friends. You and this third person get to know each other
and start talking about ‘this and that’.
Serious conversations
(a) Asking for information and expressing your needs — at
Railway Stations, Post Offices, Shops, Hotels, anywhere.
(b) Making brief responses when someone asks you for
information, or expresses their needs.
Long sequences
Chats: (a) Swapping of personal experiences, views and
opinions among friends or between you and a person you
meet somewhere, for example, at a party. (b) Summarizing
the story of a film to your friends — in a general way.
Serious conversations: (a) Describing your business
trip to your boss and colleagues. (b) Describing how to
operate a copying machine. (c) Expressing an opinion and
supporting it with reasons. (d) Taking a position on an issue
and justifying or defending it with reasons. (e) Telling a
story (in a situation where it is important that the listeners
understand you clearly).
Level of fluency
Now remember one thing: You don’t become fluent just because
you learn to exchange greetings or ask one-line questions or make
one-line responses. You become really fluent only when you can
126 Fluency nucleus
produce short sequences as well as long sequences. And the most

important thing that you must learn (to produce long sequences)
is this: You must have a clear idea of how to pack information in
spoken English. And here’s a habit that you must get into: The
habit of packing information loosely, rather than tightly. This is
one of the important topics we’ll be taking up in the later Books
in this series.
We’re now at the end of your first month’s training. Here
remember one thing: How many idea units does an ordinary
person utter every day? Or every week? Or every month?
Thousands. Lakhs. Millions. Do you think you can learn them
all by heart? This idea unit in that context, that idea unit in this
context —in this way? Is it possible for anyone to learn thousands
of idea units by heart and to relate each of them to each separate
context? No, it isn’t. Nobody can do that. You can only learn a
very few idea units in this way. But that would only help you
use those idea units. Not new ones. And that will not bring you
fluency.
Now what will bring you fluency? The answer is this: The
ability to utter the idea units you already know and the ability
to make up and utter any number of new idea units — on your
feet, on the spot, on the spur of the moment, off hand. Yes, the
ability to make up and utter new idea units, new word groups,
new combinations of words. And mind you, the new idea units
that you’ll have to utter in your life are countless, unlimited. And
you won’t be able to tell beforehand what their patterns are going
to be. Can you imagine what the exact word groups are that you
may have to utter in the next 10 minutes or the next 24 hours?
Of course, you can’t. Nobody can!
Then, how are we going to make you fluent? How are we
going to make you able to make up and utter newer and newer
idea units? That too, off hand? First, remember this: We’ve already
started this work. We’ve so far been paying attention to certain
basic things. We’ve been building a foundation. Now we’re ready
Fluency nucleus 127
for building a ‘superstructure’. We’ll start doing this from the next
Book onwards. Next, note this: The sum and substance of what
we’re doing is this: We’re planting a fluency-nucleus in you. You
learn a definite number of core-techniques, through a definite
number of core word groups (or, more correctly, sound-groups).
These techniques and word groups work in such a way that they
produce a particular result: They make your mind and your
speech-organs flexible and supple with the English language, and
you become able to make up and utter an indefinite or unlimited
number of idea units — idea units required in any context: Word
combinations that you’ve learnt and word combinations that are
new.
Once the nucleus gets planted in you, your fluency-problems
will be over. From then on, the nucleus keeps growing, and you
become more and more fluent. But so long as the nucleus does
not get planted in you, you won’t become fluent. Without this
nucleus, no amount of advanced education or knowledge of
English language will make anyone fluent.
And so, we’ve started our journey along our nucleus-
development path.
That’s it. Now for the next Book!
***

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1

Prof. Kev Nair was born in Kerala, South India, in 1949.

that comfort and ease in speech with his specialised fluency

Fluent English Dictionaries1 by Kev Nair

Books by Kev Nair making up

Prof. Kev Nair

key speech-initiators and speech-unit patterns.

Chapter 2: Everyday speech-initiators, 23

Chapter 3: 3-word and 4-word Initiators

Chapter 6: Link Patterns and Intransitive Patterns, 60

Chapter 7: Transitive Patterns, 64

Chapter 8: Complex monotransitive verb patterns, 74

Chapter 10: Naming patterns, 87

Chapter 13: Negative meaning, 120

Long sequences and short sequences, 125

Level of fluency, 126

Preface to the 5th edition

Here’s the latest edition of this book.

and straightforward and are made up of the most basic words

place of ‘I’, and then by using ‘You’ in place of ‘I’.

going to be an. • I am not going to be a. • I am going to be.

have been. • I must be the. • I mustn’t be the. • I must

are no. • There was. • There was a. • There was no. •

now look at a few groups of Advanced Speech Initiators.

Note: The word group “They will be curious/able/anxious to” must

busy/angry to. • They were too smart/nervous/dangerous/

must be. • I wondered whether to. • They say they will. •

very little. • He’ll be back in. • It always seems better

don’t like the service in. • I have something in. • I have to

• They won’t understand the. • He forced them to. • We

been some. • I’m taking a trip to. • He’s always buying. •

them by heart. The aim is to get your speech-organs to become

Why’s the word-group-repetition drill so

utter. Listen. Suppose that you utter a particular word group

3-word and 4-word Initiators

started to; He stopped to; He tends to; He threatened to; He took

brought to; It is calculated to; It is considered to; It is delivered

5-word and 6-word Initiators

to; He has shown himself to; He hasn’t even bothered to; He

makes a sound to; It makes it able to; It makes it available to; It

Key phrase patterns

(iii) Modal verbs

(v) Primary verbs

one another, some, somebody, someone, something, that,

(iv) Verbs (= Full verbs)

Action patterns & clause patterns

themselves. Some verbs require complementation by certain

verb patterns. • Ditransitive verb patterns.

1. SVC : Link verb + Describer complement

2. SVC : Link-like verb + Describer

E.g. • He was born blind. • She blushed scarlet/bright red. •

3. SVC : Link/Link-like verb + Describer

Intransitive verb patterns

4. SV: Verbs that do not normally take a direct

speak, squeak, squeal, stink, subside, sulk, surrender, swim,

5. SVA: Verb + Adverbial (= Adverbial clause

6. SVA: Verb + Adverbial (= Prepositional

7. SV/SV(A): Verbs that are optionally followed by

Simple monotransitive verb patterns

8. SVOd : Verb + Object (= Noun phrase)

promise, pronounce, protect, provide, raise, reach, receive,

9. SVOd: Verb + oneself

10. SVOd: Verb + Object (= that-clause)