WORKSHEET 2

UNIT 2: THE PHRASE

1. Identify all the verb phrases in the following passage. For each verb phrase, indicate
whether the verbs of which it is composed (there may be only one!) are auxiliary or lexical.

A hundred years from now, we’ll look back at this period and wonder how we got

sidetracked en route to sexual equality - that is, if there’s anyone around to do so. For if the

present trend continues, we are going to reach the point where no sane woman would ever

consider having a baby, nor any sensitive man dream of inflicting pregnancy upon her. The

trend seems to be growing most rapidly among those women with the most education. And

since more and more women are seeking higher education these days, we may be looking

forward to a future in which having babies will be considered as dumb as sponsoring

debutante balls, giving tea parties, doing volunteer work and other traditionally female

enterprises.

2. Identify all the prepositional and phrasal verbs in the following sentences and classify
each as one or the other:

a. Anna and her mother got off the bus at Kensington Street and went straight to the
shop.

b. Thomas picked up his novel again but could not read for more than ten minutes.

c. I have been thinking about things to do, like painting the cellar.

d. He blew out all fifty candles on his birthday cake.

e. Who was Mary talking to for half an hour?

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3. Supply the most appropriate form for each capitalised verb in the following sentences.
For each form indicate whether it is:

* past or present
* perfect or non-perfect
* progressive or non-progressive

Example: The team not BE BEATEN in 40 years

Answer: The team has not been beaten in 40 years
past, perfect, non-progressive

a. Last year I VISIT Scotland. I LOOK FORWARD to the trip for months, but I never

HAVE such a disappointment: whenever I LOOK out of the hotel window, there BE

grey skies.

b. Every time I WALK home from school, Tony forever PESTER me to go out with him.

c. Now that my hearing aid BE FIXED by that charming young man, I HEAR much

better.

d. [as said in June:] My Australian cousin ARRIVE in Barcelona in March. She’s

travelling round Europe for three months. She VISIT three countries so far.

e. Kate LIVE in Birmingham ever since she BE born.

f. Albert Einstein, one of the greatest physicists the world ever KNOW, DEVELOP the

theory of relativity.

g. As everyone knows, the Nile FLOW into the Mediterranean.

h. A disaster has been averted: she DROWN but that young man DIVE in to save her,

just in time.

i. It’s too late: nothing MATTER any more.

j. Shortly thereafter, while the train still MOVE, a great many men suddenly JUMP

out. I REALISE that something terrible HAPPEN.

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4. Attempt to change each of the following clauses into an equivalent passive clause.
[Where more than one possibility is available, indicate both.]

a. Someone has referred to my dissertation in an academic article.

b. The police will have arrested the hijackers.

c. Someone knocked on the door.

d. An old aunt of mine gave me a gold ring.

e. Someone wounded me in the trenches.

f. Everybody dances at Brian’s parties.

g. Someone has seen you climbing into the neighbour’s garden.

h. Someone walked into the class.

i. Can you rely on him?

j. We are attending to the matter.

k. They offered me a reward for finding their cat.

l. The monkey was climbing in the tree.

m. They had informed us that the train would be late.

n. People talk too easily about going to war.

o. We have asked you repeatedly to contact our office.

p. Anne is definitely the best student in the class.

5. Indicate for each of the following sentences whether the italicised noun it contains is
being used as a countable (C) or non-countable (N) noun:

a. He’s had ten years’ experience teaching English grammar.

b. I’m here on business.
c. Mathematics can be very difficult to enjoy.

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d. His data were totally unreliable.
e. Can you give me some advice?
f. Does she speak your language?
g. The news of the city’s destruction arrived too late for the morning papers.
h. She has a small travel business.
i. Seeing him again was a painful experience.
j. Linguistics is concerned with the study of language.
k. What are the advantages of marriage?
l. I am researching some unusual phenomena.
m. A lot of furniture can spoil the appearance of a room.

6. Rewrite the following sentences, choosing the right form of the personal pronoun where
you are asked to make a choice:

a. Although that mountain seems very near, he/she/it is in fact twenty miles away.

b. Who is there? It is I/me.

c. Come and sit here between him and I/me.

d. What a fine ship! When was he/she/it built?

e. Come over here! Who, I/me?

f. The cat came up to me and I started to pet it/her.

g. Who did that? It was we/us.

h. She and I/Her and me went to the cinema together.

i. Can anyone answer this question? I/me, miss!

j. Even before a baby is born, he/she/it is aware of the mother tongue.

7. Choose which of the possessive determiners is appropriate in the following sentences:

a. He is looking for a birthday present for his/her mother.

b. Nora told me she’s not very happy with his/her supervisor.

c. This afternoon my son will be playing with his/her/their friends.

d. My wife’s character is similar to that of his/her father.

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8. There are four demonstrative pronouns in English: this, that, these, and those. Choose
which of the pronouns should be used to replace TH in the following sentences:

a. I really don’t like TH people!

b. Norman has lost his favourite watch. TH is a real pity.

c. I was born just after the Second World War. TH was a long time ago.

d. Have one of TH delicious chocolates!

e. Me getting divorced? Not at all! Who told you TH?

f. We have finally made a profit. TH is what we’ve been working for.

g. My daughter is having a baby. I’ve been waiting years for TH news!

h. Which trousers shall I wear today? TH or TH?

9. Choose between some and any in the following contexts:

a. Jim is staying with … friends.

b. Do you have … money on you?

c. We seldom go ...where.

d. I wonder if ...body has seen him.

e. She embraced him without … hesitation.

f. Are there … letters for me?

g. You can come … day you like!

h. It must be hidden ...where near here.

i. If you see ...one, do not say a word.

j. I’m starving. Is there ...thing to eat?

10. Identify the following phrases as one of the five types seen in class, group them
together by type of phrase and analyse them into their functional constituents (i.e. indicate
their structure in each case):

a. Napoleon’s army

b. (I arrived) later than Monica

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c. until he came back

d. should have been driven

e. army officers

f. with regard to your first question

g. more slowly than necessary

h. only by studying hard

i. something exciting

j. (she married) too hastily for a girl of her age

l. sure that he is innocent

m. according to my information

n. the fact that inflation is going up

o. shortly afterwards

p. just at that moment

q. absolute rubbish

r. a pop concert with music at pain-producing intensity

s. very kind of you

t. more comfortably than travelling by air

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