P1 - F

Compiled Writing Materials

(Weeks 7-12)

TABLE of CONTENTS
Week 7  Chapter 1 - Extending Sentences p/2-10

Week 8  Chapter 2 - Conjunctions p/11-22

Week 9  Chapter 3 - Connecting Sentences p/23-28

Week 10  Chapter 4 - Subordinators p/29-36

Week 11  Chapter 5 - Prepositional Phrases p/37-41

Week 12  Chapter 6 - Indefinite Pronouns p/42-46

Fall 2022

CDO
 CHAPTER 1 - EXTENDING SENTENCES

WRITING FOCUS 1: WORD-ORDER IN SENTENCES

A. Basic Word Order in Simple Sentences

A sentence is a group of words that communicates a thought. Sentences may be short or long, but all sentences
must have a subject and a verb. Many sentences have an object (or a complement), too. When we make a
sentence in English, we normally follow Subject + Verb + Object order. Look at the examples below:

1. a. Anna speaks.
subject verb

b. Anna speaks Russian.

subject verb object

c. Anna speaks Russian fluently.

subject verb object other information

2. The teacher read her students a funny story in class yesterday.

S V Object 1 Object 2 other information

3. My friends are studying Maths in the library.

S V O other information

4. My brother joined the school football team last week.

S V O other information

5. Many students in my class will not attend the seminar on Saturday.

S V O other information

Exercise 1. Divide the sentences below into their parts and write S (subject), V (verb), O (object) and
OI (other information) for the parts you underlined.

1. Jenny likes reading the news in the mornings.

2. Mike has three older sisters and one younger brother.

3. The birds in the garden are singing happily.

4. The books on the top shelf have a lot of information on French history.

5. University students experience many problems in big cities.

6. My cousins are going to organize a birthday party for my grandmother.

7. My aunt gave me $50 for Christmas. I will buy a new pair of jeans with the money.

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Exercise 2. Reorder the sentences into meaningful ones. Keep the word order in mind! Do not add any
extra words!

a. (interested – am – I – photography - in)

________________________________________________________________________________
b. (has – the – new – The –iPhone – technology – all - latest)
________________________________________________________________________________
c. (Spanish – wants – some – My – lessons – take – to - friend)
________________________________________________________________________________
d. (spend – Internet – students – time- on – Some – much – too – the)
________________________________________________________________________________
e. (from – The – collected – beach – rubbish– students – the)
________________________________________________________________________________
f. (this – season – match – football – the – of – had – worst – team – My)
________________________________________________________________________________
g. (watching – on – the – animals – living room – in – is – documentary – Jennifer – a)
________________________________________________________________________________
h. (There – the – polar – documentary – is – little – in – bear – a)
________________________________________________________________________________
i. (roommate – caught – from – train – London – My – the – yesterday)
________________________________________________________________________________
j. (very – lady – A – in – unfriendly – the – lives – upstairs – flat)
________________________________________________________________________________

Exercise 3. Form groups of two and write your own jumbled up sentences. Then ask another team to
put the words in order to make meaningful sentences.

1._______________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________

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B. Adding Extra Information to Simple Sentences

Adverbs
You can extend your sentences by adding adverbs of frequency and / or adverbs of manner. Remember adverbs
of frequency come before the main verb (but after the verb ‘to be’). Adverbs of manner are generally used at the
end of the sentence.

Adverbs of Frequency Adverbs of Manner

100% - always softly happily significantly

90% - usually quickly successfully carefully
80% - normally / generally
quietly suddenly loudly
70% - often / frequently
50% - sometimes effectively carelessly clearly
30% - occasionally seriously positively negatively
10% - seldom
5% - hardly ever / rarely
0% - never

Jill rarely walks to school; her father almost always drives her.
Alan is sometimes late for work because of traffic.
Pollution affects all citizens negatively.
I can understand you better if you speak clearly.
To avoid mistakes in your sentences, please write your sentences carefully.
Suddenly, I felt very hungry and went to the kitchen to find something to eat.

Exercise 4. Read the example sentences and fill in the blanks with an appropriate adverb of manner
from the table below. Pay attention to the meaning. There are two extra words.

carelessly positively quietly clearly

happily quickly carefully softly

1. Visual materials always influence education ________________.

2. My sister spends her money ________________, and now she is in a lot of debt.
3. Carrie packed her suitcase ________________ because she was already late for her flight.
4. My mother drives her car ________________ when the roads are icy.
5. I did not want to disturb anyone at home, so I climbed up the stairs _________________.
6. The kids had a great day; they played_________________ in the park.

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Exercise 5. Look at the table below. Fill in the parts with appropriate words to form meaningful
sentences.

Adverb of Adverb of
Subject Verb Object Other Information
Frequency Manner

1.

2.

You can also add extra information to your sentences by using adverbs of time and adverbs of place.

IN ON AT

- in the morning - in the early ages - on Friday - at 8:30

- in the afternoon - in human history - on Sunday morning - at the moment
th
- in the evening - in modern times - on May the 10 - at noon
Adverbs - in March - in the short term - on weekdays - at night
of - in winter - in the long term - on holiday - at midnight
- in 2009 - at weekends
Time st
- in the 21 century
- in the past
- in the future
- in our country/city - in the library - on the Internet/on TV - at a language school
- in Amsterdam - in a laboratory - on a TV program - at (a) university
- in urban/rural areas - in a workplace - on a bus/plane/train - at work/home
Adverbs - in the USA - in a meeting - on a ship - at the office
of - in Asia - in an office - on a business trip - at a conference
- in the south/west/ environment - on campus - at a shopping mall
Place east/north - in his career - on earth - at an airport
- in the world - in the business world - at an early age
- in a research paper

Exercise 6. Complete the missing information in the sentences with the place and/or time expressions
from the table above.

Subject Verb Object Place Time

1. My mother and I saw a very beautiful

pair of shoes

2. Tim wrote a long essay

3. Jennifer is going to meet her roommates

4. Students will celebrate the end of the

semester

5. The children are playing hide and seek

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Extending Subjects
You can also focus on the subject of your sentence and extend it. There are different ways to extend the subject
using an adjective, a gerund form, a quantifier, and a prepositional phrase. Each different method is shown with
an example in the boxes. There are four different ways to extend the subject of a sentence:

Exercise 7. Write sentences in your own words by extending the subjects.

a. A subject with an adjective (developed, developing, effective, careful, logical, enthusiastic, etc.)

Developed countries have higher standards of living.

Motivated students study regularly and get higher grades.

Creative people can find different ways to solve problems.

1. _____________ people ________________________________________________________________

2. _____________ countries ______________________________________________________________

b. A subject with a gerund form (working, texting, driving, practicing, studying, playing, learning, etc.)

Reading books is important to learn new words.

Driving in heavy rain can be dangerous; you need to be careful.

Working while studying is challenging for many students.

1. ___________________________________________________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________________________________________________

c. A subject with a quantifier (many, a lot of, lots of, several, some, all, most of the, etc.)
Most of the students in my school have low motivation.

Several of my friends are planning a picnic for the next week.

Some people hate horror movies, but I love them.

1. ___________________________________________________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________________________________________________

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d. A subject with a prepositional phrase
Examples:
in: people in Europe, people in developing countries, students in the class, doctors in Turkey, etc.
under: people under pressure, animals under protection, species under threat, countries under attack, etc.
with: people with disabilities, people with sleeping problems, countries with high population,
countries with better economy, cities with low population, etc.

Countries with high population face several problems such as heavy traffic and pollution.

Educated people in developing countries are moving to developed countries for a better life.

Cities with low population can offer better public services to their citizens.

1. ____________________________________________________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________________________________________________

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 WRITING FOCUS 2: SUBJECT – VERB AGREEMENT

The basic principle of subject-verb agreement is:

 A singular subject requires a singular verb form.
 A plural subject requires a plural verb form.

Earth’s climate is changing. Average temperatures are rising.

singular subject singular verb plural subject plural verb

Singular Subjects Plural Subjects

That book on the desk is mine. Those books on the desk are mine.

This bag is new. These bags are new.

My sister is going to a party tonight. My sister and my brother are going to a party tonight.

One of the students was late for class. Many of the students were late for class.

One of her friends is coming over today. Two of her friends are coming over today.

Every student needs to study hard.

Each student has to bring a book.

All the money is mine. All the students are here.

None of the money is mine. None of the students are here.

Writing essays is difficult. Writing essays and memorizing new words are
difficult.

The United States has a big economy. The United States and Germany have big economies.

The Philippines has a population of 112 million.

Ten kilometers is a long distance to run.

5000 euros is too much for a pair of shoes.

Two hours is not enough to finish this project.

The news is shocking.

There is no news about the earthquake on this

webpage.

Maths is easy for me. Maths and Physics are my favorite subjects at school.

English is an easy language to learn. The English drink tea with milk.

The number of students in this class is 35. A number of students want to go out to play with
snow.

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Exercise 8. Choose the correct answer.

1. Every person has / have a different idea of a good education.

2. The students in my school seems / seem happy about the lessons.
3. Every student in our school has / have the capacity to get into university.
4. Only one of the books on the library shelves was / were about the history of Hollywood.
5. Almost all of the cars in the school’s parking lot belongs / belong to the teachers.
6. Meeting different students from all over the world is / are the best part of Erasmus.
7. Almost every professor at the university was / were present at the conference.
8. Using digital textbooks in language classes has / have advantages and disadvantages.
9. Doing homework with your classmates is / are useful and enjoyable.
10. The teachers in this school is / are able to motivate students very well.

Exercise 9. Choose the correct answer.

The Effects of Global Climate Change

1. Earth’s average temperature has / have increased about 0.5°C since 1900.
2. This sounds / sound like a small amount.
3. However, small changes in temperature causes / cause large changes in the environment.
4. The effects of global climate change is / are now happening.
5. Global climate change has / have already had negative effects on the environment.
6. Glaciers is / are now melting.
7. Ice on rivers and lakes is / are breaking up earlier.
8. Plant and animal species is / are in danger.
9. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts / predict a temperature rise of about 0.5°C in
the next century.
10. Each one of us has to / have to take better care of our planet.

Exercise 10. The paragraph below contains 8 mistakes in subject-verb agreement. Find and correct
them.

Shopping Malls

Every city in the USA have malls. Today, there is about 1,100 malls in the US. These giant store-filled buildings are
one of America’s greatest free time options for teens and families.

Mall of America in Minnesota is the largest mall in America. It is so big that it have an amusement park in it with
several roller coasters! There is more than 500 stores in it, and about 12,000 people works there.

Malls of today isn’t the same as the ones in the 80s and 90s. During those decades, teens went to the mall to play
video games at the arcade. Nowadays, there isn’t many arcades left. Teens has their Xbox or PlayStation, and
they also like shopping online. Therefore, shopping malls are not very popular among teenagers anymore.

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 WRITING ASSIGNMENT

What are the advantages OR disadvantages of living in a big city? You can use the prompts below to get some
ideas.

 transportation  education  entertainment

 pollution  cost  health facilities

 social life  environment  job opportunities

While writing your sentences,

 pay attention to the word order,
 be careful about subject-verb agreement,
 add extra information (adverbs of frequency / manner / time / place),
 extend subjects (with an adjective / gerund form / quantifier / a prepositional phrase).

e.g. Cities have developed public transportation systems, so people prefer public transportation.

To extend this sentence, ask some questions: Which people? How often? When?

Cities have developed public transportation systems, so a lot of people usually prefer public transportation
especially in rush hours.

Choose one of the topics below and write ONE paragraph about EITHER the advantages OR the disadvantages of
living in a big city.

Advantages of living in a big city:

There are many advantages of living in a big city. First of all, ______________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Disadvantages of living in a big city:

There are many disadvantages of living in a big city. First of all, ____________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

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 CHAPTER 2 - CONJUNCTIONS

WRITING FOCUS 1: COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS

COMPOUND SENTENCES

A compound sentence joins two or more sentences that have related ideas. To make a compound
sentence, connect two simple sentences, put a comma after the first simple sentence, and then put a
coordinating conjunction such as and, but, or so.

Analyze the sample texts below:

The first text only contains simple sentences, but it lacks conjunctions.

My neighborhood is very peaceful and quiet. It is a new neighborhood. There are a lot of big
houses and some apartment buildings. The streets are very clean. There aren’t many cars. My
school is near my house. I can walk there in 10 minutes. There’s also a park with a small
playground for children. I like playing baseball there with my friends after school. In my
neighborhood, all of the houses have small front yards. Their back yards are big. Most of my
neighbors have a swimming pool. Summers are always fun.

Now, consider this revision with coordinating conjunctions. You can connect the ideas in simple sentences in a
more organized way by using the highlighted conjunctions.

My neighborhood is very peaceful and quiet. It is a new neighborhood, and there are a lot of big
houses and some apartment buildings. The streets are very clean, and there aren’t many cars. My
school is near my house, so I can walk there in 10 minutes. There’s also a park with a small
playground for children. I like playing baseball there with my friends after school. In my
neighborhood, all of the houses have small front yards, but their back yards are big. Most of my
neighbors have a swimming pool, so summers are always fun.

Read the sentences below, pay attention to sentence structures and punctuation for compound sentences.

 Leonardo Da Vinci grew up in a small house in Italy, but he died in a large house in France.
 Da Vinci was very creative, and he enjoyed working on new projects.
 Da Vinci studied many subjects, so he had knowledge in many areas.
 Da Vinci made many drawings, yet he could not produce those inventions.
 The museum must never clean Mona Lisa, or the chemicals can damage it.

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“AND” connects two sentences that make sense with each other. It adds extra information.

 I like eating cookies, and I like drinking milk.

 My mom was born in the U.S., and my dad was born in Switzerland.
 Thom cooked the dinner, and his sister cleaned up the living room.

“BUT” connects two sentences that have contrasting ideas. It shows contrast.

 Sheila likes soup, but sometimes she orders something different.

 I put a lot of effort into the assignment, but I couldn’t get an A.
 My dad doesn’t like cooking, but he does it anyway.
 I really wanted to go out with my friends, but I was too tired to do anything.

“OR” connects two sentences to talk about two options. It is also used for saying that if one thing doesn’t
happen, something else (usually bad) will happen.

 He could go to the bar, or he could go to the cinema.

 You can hand in your assignments now, or you can e-mail them to your teacher later.

 Come on in now, or you will get wet.

 You should hurry, or you will miss the train.

“YET” also shows contrast. It connects two sentences with contrasting ideas.

The conjunction “yet” is very similar to “but”. It may also show “unexpected contrast”.
 He cried all day, yet the man made him laugh.
 I got a new prescription for my glasses, yet my vision is still a bit blurry.
 She looks very serious, yet she is the funniest person I know.
 Melissa was not good at physics, yet overall she had a B average in her physics course.

 Don’t get this conjunction mixed up with the other usage of the word “yet.” For example:
 Has she called you back yet?
 I haven’t talked to my parents yet.

“SO” shows result. It connects two sentences with a cause and effect relationship.

 The lady felt ill, so she went home to go to bed.

 It was the week before Christmas, so the mall was unusually busy and crowded.
 They have already made their decision, so there’s not much you can do about it now.
 He is allergic to peanuts, so he never eats peanut cookies.

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Exercise 1. Choose the best answer.

1. Karen didn't feel well, _______ she went home.

a. but b. and c. or d. so

2. I like to read, _______ I like writing in my journal every night.

a. but b. and c. so d. yet

3. He doesn’t like eating apples, _______ he loves apple juice.

a. or b. and c. so d. but

4. I always take a book to the beach, _______ I never turn a single page.
a. so b. and c. yet d. or

5. I like reading a lot, _______ I like doing sports.

a. so b. and c. yet d. but

Exercise 2. Combine each pair of simple sentences into a compound sentence. Use the coordinating
conjunctions in parentheses and add the commas as in the example. Be careful; you might have to change the
order of the sentences.

e.g. I am going to see my dentist tomorrow. I have a terrible toothache. (so)

I have a terrible toothache, so I am going to see my dentist tomorrow.

1. Fran prefers to drive there. There is often less traffic in the country. (so)
____________________________________________________________________________________ .
2. Otto will eat lunch on campus. He will skip eating to study. (or)
____________________________________________________________________________________ .
3. The ambulance arrived in 10 minutes. My friend’s son called 911. (and)
____________________________________________________________________________________ .
4. Thomas Edison was very creative. Thomas Edison was not very organized. (but)
____________________________________________________________________________________ .
5. Anne knows the class time well. She frequently arrives late. (yet)
____________________________________________________________________________________ .
6. Our neighbor sent the police to our house. She believed that we had an emergency. (so)
____________________________________________________________________________________ .
7. Kate knew our phone number and address. She did not contact us. (but)
____________________________________________________________________________________ .
8. I never gave up. My parents always believed in my success. (so)
____________________________________________________________________________________ .
9. Jenny will fail her class. Jenny needs to finish her project soon. (or)
____________________________________________________________________________________ .

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Exercise 3. Complete the sentences below in a meaningful way by using your own words.

1. He is a millionaire, but ____________________________________________________________________.

2. Extreme sports are dangerous, yet __________________________________________________________.
3. Extreme sports require a lot of strength and energy, and ________________________________________.
4. Parents and their children may not have similar interest in sports, so ______________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________.
5. People participate in various entertainment activities, and ______________________________________.
6. When you have difficulties in writing, you can ask for help from your teachers, or ____________________
________________________________________________________________________________________.
7. Istanbul can be very challenging, so _________________________________________________________.
8. Living in a big city is very challenging, but ____________________________________________________.
9. I love traveling, yet ______________________________________________________________________.
10. I need to improve my computer skills, or ____________________________________________________.

Exercise 4. Complete the sentences below in a meaningful way by using your own words.

1. _____________________________________________________________, or many species will disappear.

2. _____________________________________________, so the world has changed a lot in the last 100 years.
3. ________________________________________________________, but she does not like playing football.

Exercise 5. Match the following sentences and conjunctions to make meaningful sentences.

1. She still has a lot of homework,
2. Mike cannot speak any French, and
3. Traveling by train is very comfortable, so
4. He should start taking his studies more seriously, but
5. Terry did not study for the exam at all, or
6. Jenny loves listening to music, yet
7. We can order pizza for dinner,
he can speak Spanish, German, and Chinese.
he got the highest grade in class.
I can make us some sandwiches.
she enjoys singing, too.
he will fail all his classes this semester.
she doesn’t want to go to the cinema tonight.
I always take the train to my hometown.

1. She still has a lot of homework, so she doesn’t want to go to the cinema tonight.
2. ___________________________________________________________________________________.
3. ___________________________________________________________________________________.
4. ___________________________________________________________________________________.
5. ___________________________________________________________________________________.
6. ___________________________________________________________________________________.
7. ___________________________________________________________________________________.

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 WRITING ASSIGNMENT

Write about your likes and dislikes about the categories below using coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or,
yet, so) at least once.

e.g.
Music : I really like listening to music. I like different types of music, but I am crazy about electronic
music. My favorite DJs are Robin Schulz and Calvin Harris.

Hobbies: I am really fond of swimming, so I prefer to go to the swimming pool on the campus at
weekends.

MY LIKES and DISLIKES

Art
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Movies and TV programs
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Food
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
School Subjects
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Sports
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Books
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________

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 WRITING ASSIGNMENT
Read the paragraph below about “Jessica’s favorite food”.
Hello! I am Jessica, and I am a real foodie. I love everything about food.
I love shopping for ingredients, cooking, and mostly, I love eating.
I especially enjoy trying various dishes from different countries around
the world. Going to different restaurants to explore new dishes is my
greatest hobby. I am not picky about food; I love everything: pastries,
desserts, vegetables, soups, etc., but my favorite dish of all time is called
“blooming onion”. Blooming onion is a deep-fried onion, and it looks like
a huge flower. It looks amazing, and it also tastes delicious. It comes with
a special dip sauce and some French fries. Blooming onion is very difficult to make, so I never cook it at home, but
I can order one in almost every restaurant in my hometown. I know blooming onion is not the healthiest food in
the world, but it is a great choice especially on game nights while watching a football game.

Think about your favorite food and write a paragraph about it. When you are writing your paragraph, try to
include the answers to all the questions below.

 What is the name of the dish/food?

 Why do you like it so much?
 Where can you eat/order it?
 What does it look like/taste like?
 How often do you eat it?

Write your paragraph here:

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

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 WRITING FOCUS 2: PAIRED CONJUNCTIONS (CORRELATIVE CONJUNCTIONS)
BOTH...AND..., NOT ONLY...BUT ALSO..., EITHER...OR..., NEITHER... NOR...

We can combine two related words or phrases in a positive sentence using both…and, or not only…but
also….

both _____ and _____ not only _____ but also _____

NOUNS
Both scientists and environmentalists support the new Not only scientists but also environmentalists support the
law. new law.
Both my sister and my brothers are coming to visit me Not only my sister but also my brothers are coming to visit
this weekend. me this weekend.
I went shopping, and I bought both a jacket and a pair I went shopping, and I bought not only a jacket but also a
of jeans. pair of jeans.
She wants to take up both tennis and swimming. She wants to take up not only tennis but also swimming.

VERBS
The students both read a book and wrote a report on The students not only read a book but also wrote a report
World War I. on World War I.
Jenny both works and studies; she has a very busy life. Jenny not only works but also studies; she has a very busy
life.

ADJECTIVES
This book is both informative and amusing. This book is not only informative but also amusing.
Living in a big city is both challenging and tiring for Living in a big city is not only challenging but also tiring for
many people. many people.

ADVERBS
It was very easy to understand her; she spoke both It was very easy to understand her; she spoke not only
loudly and clearly. loudly but also clearly.
My father drives both slowly and carefully when it is My father drives not only slowly but also carefully when it
snowy or rainy. is snowy or rainy.

INFINITIVES and GERUNDS

The student wanted both to win the game and to get
the prize.
He enjoys both cooking and eating; he loves everything
about food.
Both golfing and surfing are very difficult.
The student wanted not only to win the game but also to
get the prize.
He enjoys not only cooking but also eating; he loves
everything about food.
Not only golfing but also surfing is very difficult.

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Examples:
 Both Pete and his sisters ENJOY spending time in the garden.
 Both his sisters and Pete ENJOY spending time in the garden.
 Not only Pete but also his sisters ENJOY spending time in the garden.
 Not only his sisters but also Pete ENJOYS spending time in the garden.

 Both the teacher and the students WERE pleased with the exam results.
 Both the students and the teacher WERE pleased with the exam results.
 Not only the teacher but also the students WERE pleased with the exam results.
 Not only the students but also the teacher WAS pleased with the exam results.

Exercise 6. Combine the two sentences in each pair to make one sentence using the given connecting words.

1. My brother can speak English. My sister can speak English. (both ... and ...)
_____________________________________________________________________________________

2. He has read a book on obesity. He has also watched a documentary on obesity. (not only ... but also ...)
_____________________________________________________________________________________

3. The movie is interesting. It is also entertaining. (both ... and ...)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

4. My friend hopes to sell his bike. He also hopes to buy a motorcycle. (both ... and ...)
_____________________________________________________________________________________

5. The criminal denied seeing the victim. He also denied threatening her. (not only ... but also ...)
_____________________________________________________________________________________

6. Basketball is a very active team sport. Volleyball is a very active team sport. (not only ... but also ...)
_____________________________________________________________________________________

7. He drives quickly. He drives safely. (both ... and ...)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

8. Festival tickets were expensive. They were difficult to find. (not only ... but also ...)
_____________________________________________________________________________________

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 When listing two negative things, we can combine them using “neither … nor…”. Neither means “NOT this
one AND NOT the other”. The verb after neither is always POSITIVE. In other words, sentences with
“neither … nor …” look positive, but the meaning is NEGATIVE.

neither … nor…

NOUNS
Neither my father nor my mother can speak English, but they can speak Spanish fluently.
I can play neither the guitar nor the piano, so I cannot join the school band.

VERBS
Suzie neither loved nor hated the movie she watched last night. She said it was okay.
You neither called not texted; we were all very worried about you.

ADJECTIVES
This book is neither interesting nor informative, but I have to read it for my school report.
My job is neither well-paying nor enjoyable. I really want to quit.

ADVERBS
The lawyer spoke neither clearly nor loudly, so nobody could understand him.
He had an accident because he was driving neither slowly nor carefully.

INFINITIVES and GERUNDS

She had a terrible sore throat. She wanted neither to eat nor to drink anything.
My children are fond of neither watching documentaries nor reading books. They only enjoy playing PC games.

Examples:

 Neither Ms. Thompson nor her students ARE at school today. They are on a field trip to the Natural
History Museum.
 Neither her students nor Ms. Thompson IS at school today. They are on a field trip to the Natural History
Museum.
 Neither the boss nor the employees WERE happy about the new pay rise agreement. The boss wanted to
pay lower salaries while the employees hoped for a bigger raise.
 Neither the employees nor the boss WAS happy about the new pay rise agreement. The boss wanted to
pay lower salaries while the employees hoped for a bigger raise.
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Exercise 7. Combine the two sentences in each pair using “neither ... nor ...” to make one sentence.

1. My mother does not like Chinese food. She does not like Japanese food. Italian is her favorite cuisine.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

2. The teacher did not come to school yesterday. Her students did not come, either.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

3. John’s parents do not force him to study. They do not force him to take any responsibility, either.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

4. The movie was not boring, but it was not interesting, either.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

5. She has recently started learning French, so she does not speak accurately. She does not speak fluently, either.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

6. Travis and his parents have always lived in the countryside, so Travis does not want to live in a big city. His
parents do not want to live in a big city, either.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

When we want to talk about options or indicate “one or the other”, we can use “either … or…” to
combine words or phrases.

either … or…

NOUNS
Either Ms. Johnson or Mr. Blake is going to do the speaking exam on Friday.
There are only two types of soft drinks in the fridge. You can drink either Coke or Fanta.

VERBS
I can either call you or send you an e-mail. Which one do you prefer?

ADJECTIVES
This is a traditional Spanish dish, and it is very easy to make. Also, you can serve it either hot or cold.

ADVERBS
You should treat people either respectfully or sincerely if you want them to respect you, too.

INFINITIVES and GERUNDS

The children wanted either to watch a movie or to play PC games at home. They didn’t want to go out.
You can join only one school team, so you have to choose. You can take up either swimming or running.

20
Examples:
 Either my cousins or my aunt IS going to pick me up from the airport. I do not know for sure yet.
 Either my aunt or my cousins ARE going to pick me up from the airport. I do not know for sure yet.

 Either the writer or the editors HAVE the first copy of the novel. I will call the publishing house soon.
 Either the editors or the writer HAS the first copy of the novel. I will call the publishing house soon.

Exercise 8. Combine the two sentences in each pair using “either ... or ...” to make one sentence.

1. My parents may arrive on Monday. My parents may arrive on Tuesday.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

2. The boss can present the project to the new clients. Her assistant can also present it.
___________________________________________________________________________________________

3. We can drive to the museum tomorrow. We can also take the bus to the museum tomorrow.
___________________________________________________________________________________________

4. This magazine comes out weekly, or perhaps it comes out monthly. I am really not sure.
___________________________________________________________________________________________

Exercise 9. Combine the following sentences using the words in parentheses.

In some countries, there are no wind power sites.

In some countries, there are no nuclear power sites. (neither ...nor)
1. _________________________________________________________________________________________

Global warming will impact weather conditions negatively.

Global warming will impact sea levels negatively. (not only ... but also ...)

2. _________________________________________________________________________________________

Climate change means a long-term change in global weather patterns.

Climate change means a long-term change in local weather patterns. (either ... or ...)

3. _________________________________________________________________________________________

21
 WRITING ASSIGNMENT

Use the cues below and write at least 7 sentences by USING PAIRED CONJUNCTIONS.

7th grade 7th grade 8th grade

Hudson Middle School Hudson Middle School Hudson Middle School
three siblings one older brother three siblings
no (dental) braces (dental) braces (dental) braces
loves History, painting, swimming loves Maths, swimming, reading loves Maths, painting, playing chess
blonde hair blonde hair blonde hair
hazel eyes blue eyes hazel eyes
tidy and organized tidy and organized really messy
good grades good grades good grades
doesn’t like broccoli or spinach doesn’t like broccoli or onion doesn’t like broccoli or eggplant

1. _________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
4. _________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
5. _________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
6. _________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
7. _________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________

22
 CHAPTER 3 - CONNECTING SENTENCES
WRITING FOCUS 1: PARALLEL STRUCTURES

Parallel structure is a grammatical technique for creating a uniform pattern when we compare or list two or
more items. Each item begins with the same grammatical structure.

Study the example:

Eric came in tired, hungry, and needing a bath. → Incorrect – NOT PARALLEL

adj. adj. not adj.

Eric came in tired, hungry, and dirty. → Correct – PARALLEL

adj. adj. adj.

Parallel Patterns Examples

nouns There are trees, plants, and flowers in the garden.

There aren’t any apples, oranges, or eggs in the fridge.
verbs We had dinner, played computer games, and listened to music.
She didn’t laugh or smile.
adjectives He is reliable, competent, and respectful.
She was attentive but quiet during the lesson.
He was very tiny as a kid, but as he grew older, he became taller and stronger.
adverbs She drives slowly and carefully.
He treats his employees not only respectfully but also fairly.
prepositional phrases I searched for my research paper in my room, under my bed, and on my desk.
You need to be either interested in or fond of a language to learn it well.
gerunds Writing poetry, singing karaoke, and dancing salsa are his favorite pastime activities.
I enjoy neither running nor dancing; I need to find another way to exercise.
infinitives He decided to sell his house and (to) buy a race car.
I don’t want to listen to his apologies or (to) hear his excuses; I am done with him.

23
Exercise 1. Correct the mistakes in the following sentences.

1. In the rain she drives slowly, careful, and cautiously.

2. Eating the right food will help you feel better, healthier, and strongly.
3. Jane enjoys singing more than to act.
4. To lose weight, you should eat small portions and limiting second helpings.
5. The chicken tacos were fresh, crispy, and tasted delicious.
6. You can apply to the nursing course by filling this form or call the office.
7. Tennis requires hand-eye coordination, flexibility, and to concentrate.
8. Eric decorated the Christmas tree, bought gifts for his family, and invites his friends to dinner.
9. Mary wanted to make sure her presentation was creative, effective, and persuaded others.
10. You can do the following activities at the shopping mall: buying groceries, eating lunch, and bill payment.
11. You can leave the boxes either in my office or the table.
12. I think he will lose his job soon. Unfortunately, he works neither efficiently nor productive.
13. She is amazing; she dances so gracefully and beautiful.
14. I admire him for his personality, his intelligence, and he is honest.
15. He wants to watch his favorite show on TV or going out with his friends.
16. When I finish university, I want to take a year off and travelling around the world.
17. Among the people I have met in this school so far, Jennifer is the most well-behaved, the most thoughtful,
and smarter than everyone.
18. Children are sometimes a little afraid but interested in animals.
19. He entered the room, took a seat but doesn't talk to us.
20. When I failed the exam, my parents were both angry and disappointed in me.

Exercise 2. Complete the sentences using parallel structures.

1. Sam is not only my roommate but also __________________________________________________________.

2. I wake up early in the mornings, have a shower, and _______________________________________________.
3. Recycling and ______________________________________________________are good for the environment.
4. My flat mate likes neither to wash the dishes nor _________________________________________________.
5. I usually spend my evenings either watching films or _______________________________________________.
6. The new training program was both stimulating and _______________________________________________.
7. During the holiday, I am planning to read some books and __________________________________________.
8. Every day I run 3 km to stay healthy and _________________________________________________________.

24
 WRITING FOCUS 2: TRANSITION SIGNALS (SENTENCE CONNECTORS)

Transition signals are linking words because they make connections between sentences. Many sentence
connectors can go at the beginning or in the middle of a sentence, and they are separated from the rest of the
sentence by punctuation marks.

COORDINATORS SENTENCE CONNECTORS EXAMPLE SENTENCES

and also Taking a walk in the park helps you get over your stress. Also,
it helps you keep fit.

in addition Cycling to work is a great work-out. In addition, it is good for

the environment.

moreover Swimming alone at night is very dangerous; moreover, it is

against the rules of many beaches.

furthermore He is old and unpopular. Furthermore, he has at best only two

years of political life ahead of him.

but/yet however I love almonds; however, I hate almond milk.

I really enjoyed the movie. However, I prefer the book. In my

opinion, books are always better than movie adaptations.

Tom went shopping; however, he didn’t buy anything.

or otherwise I need to find a job. Otherwise, I will not have enough money
for a summer vacation.

I think you should take your umbrella with you; otherwise, you
will get wet when it rains.

so therefore I overslept this morning. Therefore, I was late for school.

thus She didn’t do any of the homework; thus, she failed the
course.

as a result Most students watch TV series in English; as a result, they

learn lots of new words.

25
Exercise 3. Study the example sentences above and fill in the circles with appropriate punctuation marks.

1. Simple Sentence and but or Simple Sentence

yet so

2.
Simple Sentence However Simple Sentence
In addition
Otherwise
Therefore

3.
Simple Sentence however Simple Sentence
moreover
thus
otherwise

Exercise 4. Complete the following sentences with the words from the box. Be careful with the punctuation. In
some sentences, more than one answer is possible.

however also as a result thus otherwise moreover

1. Ben Affleck is a very good director ______________________ he is a successful actor and writer.
2. We need to start working on our project tonight ______________________ we won’t finish it on time.
3. Turkish TV series are very popular in the Middle East ___________________ they are not well-known in the
USA.
4. Good planning is necessary for success in science ______________________ scientists always plan every
experiment in detail.
5. The discovery of DNA was in 1869 ______________________ it did not become fully understood until 1953.
6. Science is always developing ______________________ our knowledge of the world is increasing.
7. You should avoid eating so much junk food ______________________ it will affect your health negatively.
8. I had a terrible headache on the day of the exam ______________________ I did well on the exam.
9. I washed the dishes and did some laundry ______________________ I baked some cookies for the kids.

26
Exercise 5. Rewrite the given sentences using the appropriate transition signals in the box. Do not change the
order of the sentences, and be careful with the punctuation.

also however otherwise thus

1. You should stop smoking. You’ll soon have heart trouble.

___________________________________________________________________________________________.
2. The students were well-prepared for the exam. They got high scores.
___________________________________________________________________________________________.
3. Public buses are easily accessible for everyone. These buses are often relatively inexpensive.
___________________________________________________________________________________________.
4. Most marriages end up in divorce. People continue to get married.
___________________________________________________________________________________________.

Exercise 6. Complete the following sentences using your own words.

1. I worked really hard. However, ________________________________________________________________.

2. You shouldn’t drink so much coffee. Otherwise, __________________________________________________.
3. My cats are always fighting with each other. Therefore, ____________________________________________.

Exercise 7. Choose the best option to complete the sentences.

1. He should drive very carefully. ______________, he will have problems on such a slippery road.
a. However b. Thus c. Otherwise d. As a result

2. My grandfather is 96 years old; ______________, he is still very healthy.

a. moreover b. thus c. also d. however

3. The couple broke up a few days ago. ______________, they are still living together because of the children.
a. But b. However c. So d. Thus

4. The job applicant did not speak any English; ______________, he did not get the job.
a. therefore b. yet c. in addition d. furthermore

5. The car has six air bags; ______________, it has a built-in security system.
a. so b. thus c. however d. furthermore

6. He spent most of his time playing with his friends. ______________, he wasn’t well-prepared for the exam.
a. Yet b. Thus c. Otherwise d. But

27
 WRITING ASSIGNMENT

What are the positive and negative sides of owning a car?

Positive Sides Negative Sides

While writing your paragraph, make sure that you use …

1. the following transition signals at least once.

● moreover ● therefore ● otherwise ● however

2. at least five of the following words/phrases.

● freedom ● parking ● fast

● public transport ● traffic jam ● expenses
● comfort/comfortable ● pollution/pollute ● safe/safety

Owning a Car
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
28
 CHAPTER 4 - SUBORDINATORS

DEPENDENT vs INDEPENDENT CLAUSES and COMPLEX SENTENCES

 A clause has a subject and a verb.

 An independent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and verb, and expresses a complete
thought. An independent clause can stand alone as a sentence.
Jim was studying in the café for his chemistry quiz. → Independent Clause

 A dependent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and verb but does not express a complete
thought. A dependent clause CANNOT STAND ALONE as a complete sentence.

While Jim was studying in the café for his chemistry quiz … → Dependent Clause
(What happened while he was studying? The thought is incomplete.)

While Jim was studying in the café for his chemistry quiz, he spilled coffee on his laptop.

The dependent clause is linked to the independent clause with the subordinating conjunction “while”.

After my mother graduated from university … → Dependent Clause

(What happened after she graduated? The thought is incomplete.)

After my mother graduated from university, she worked in an international company as an accountant.

The dependent clause is linked to the independent clause with the subordinating conjunction “after”.

Because he was injured … → Dependent Clause

(What happened because he was injured? The thought is incomplete.)

Because he was injured, he did not play in the last week’s game.

The dependent clause is linked to the independent clause with the subordinating conjunction “because”.

In order to make your writing more informative, you can add information to your sentences using different
subordinators of reason, time, contrast, or condition. When you add a dependent clause to an independent
clause, you make a complex sentence.

Subordinator + Dependent clause , Independent Clause

Independent Clause Subordinator + Dependent clause

29
SUBORDINATORS

REASON CONTRAST CONDITION TIME

as although if before
since even though after
because though when
while
until
as soon as
whenever

a. Subordinators of Reason (as, since, because)

Examples:
 Because they produce radiation, cell phones can be dangerous for our health.
 Cell phones can be dangerous for our health because they produce radiation.

 Since Jenny wants to save up for a summer vacation, she is looking for a part-time job.
 Jenny is looking for a part-time job since she wants to save up for a summer vacation.

 As Timmy was really ill, he did not go to school yesterday.

 Timmy did not go to school yesterday as he was really ill.

As/Since/Because _______________________ , ________________________________.

_____________________________ as /since /because ___________________________.

b. Subordinators of Contrast (although, even though, though)

Examples:
 Although she speaks English fluently, she does not get high marks in English exams.
 She does not get high marks in English exams although she speaks English fluently.

 Even though he was afraid of heights, he climbed up the tower with us.
 He climbed up the tower with us even though he was afraid of heights.

 Though she never lets anyone read them, she writes stories every day.
 She writes stories every day though she never lets anyone read them.

Although/ Even though/ Though ____________________ , __________________________.

________________________ although/ even though/ though ________________________.

30
c. Subordinators of Condition (if)

Examples:
 If you want to invest in crypto currencies, you should do a lot of research.
 You should do a lot of research if you want to invest in crypto currencies.

If _________________________________ , _________________________________.
___________________________________ if _________________________________.

d. Subordinators of Time (before, after, when, while, until, as soon as, whenever)

Examples:
 He is so unlucky. Whenever he goes out, it rains.
 He is so unlucky. It rains whenever he goes out.

 Until I finish my Maths assignment, I cannot go out with my friends.

 I cannot go out with my friends until I finish my Maths assignment.

 As soon as we heard the sirens, we rushed out of the building.

 We rushed out of the building as soon as we heard the sirens.

After /Before / When _________________________ , ______________________________.

_____________________________ after / before / when ____________________________.

Present meaning Present + Present Whenever I go on holiday, I take lots of photographs.

Future meaning Present + Future When I go home, I will call you.
Past meaning Past + Past After I got the news, I called all my friends.

31
Remember: Dependent clauses with time subordinators can NEVER be in future form. In complex sentences with
time subordinators, if you want to talk about the future, you must write the independent clause in future form
and the dependent clause in present form.

e.g.
CORRECT: I will go on a long and relaxing holiday when the summer comes.
INCORRECT: I will go on a long and relaxing holiday when the summer will come.

Exercise 1. The sentences below contain verb-tense consistency mistakes. Find the mistakes and correct them.

1. My friend will send a gift to her sister when she bought one.
2. While my father is cooking dinner in the kitchen, I clean up my bedroom.
3. Until the teacher graded and corrected all the exam papers, we will not know our grades.
4. When I finished answering my e-mails, I will go out for lunch.
5. Whenever I see pictures of my parents, I realized how much I miss them.
6. After the vet examined the little kitten, she will give it an injection.
7. I want to take Spanish lessons after I will complete my university degree.
8. As soon as the boss will arrive, he will start the meeting.
9. Do you want to hang out after we will finish writing our essays?
10. I want to travel the world after I will retire.

Exercise 2. Choose the appropriate subordinator from the box to complete the sentences. In some sentences
more than one answer is possible.

although when since as as soon as

1. ______________ the food at the party looked wonderful, it tasted awful.

2. She gets very tired after every walk ______________ she is very old now.
3. ______________ you buy a food product, you should read the label to check the nutritional value.
4. ______________ sunlight is important for health, you should still protect yourself from too much of it by
putting on sunscreen.
5. People over 60 should see their doctors regularly _______________ the risk of different diseases increases
with old age.
6. I was late for work _________________ I missed the bus.
7. Educated people in developing countries are moving abroad _________________ they are unhappy in their
own countries.
8. You must return the books to the library _________________ you finish reading them.
9. _________________ the bell rang, the students ran out of the classroom.

32
Exercise 3. Below is a text on driving safety. Choose the correct subordinator to complete each sentence.

About every twelve minutes, someone in the USA dies in a car accident. Trying to prevent these crashes is an
important part of traffic safety. To be safe on the road, follow these steps:

1. Before / After you start driving, walk around your car to check it.
2. Because / When you are driving your car, make sure your car is safe and working properly.
3. If / Even though there are children in your car, use car seats for them.
4. After / While you are driving, wear your seat belt.
5. When / Because you drive, don’t go too fast.
6. For your safety and the safety of others, do not drive since / if you are tired or sleepy.
7. Take a taxi, or take public transportation because / when you feel ill.
8. If / Though you need to make a phone call or send a text message, stop the car.
9. Although / When you are driving long distance, you should stop regularly to rest.
10. Do not unfasten your seatbelts until / since you arrive at your destination.

Exercise 4. Rewrite the following sentences with the words in parentheses.

1. It is raining heavily, but the stadium is completely full for the final game of the year. (even though)
____________________________________________________________________________________________

2. She is having financial difficulties, so she will look for a part-time job. (because)
____________________________________________________________________________________________

3. First, she took the dog for a walk. Then, she had dinner with her family. (after)
____________________________________________________________________________________________

4. First, he will fill in a form and prepare his documents. Then, he will apply for a visa. (before)
____________________________________________________________________________________________

5. First, she smelled something burning. Then, she called the fire department immediately. (as soon as)
____________________________________________________________________________________________

6. I drink a lot of water during the day; otherwise, my skin goes very dry. (if)
____________________________________________________________________________________________

7. He has lived in Japan for 7 years, yet he cannot speak the language. (although)
____________________________________________________________________________________________

8. All the hotels were too expensive, so I cancelled my holiday plans for this year. (since)
____________________________________________________________________________________________

33
Exercise 5. Complete the sentences below in your own words.
1. Because I did not know anyone at the party, _____________________________________________________.
2. Even though we were exhausted, ______________________________________________________________.
3. If you do not have an appointment, ____________________________________________________________.
4. As soon as the first semester ends, _____________________________________________________________.
5. Whenever I meet someone new, _______________________________________________________________.

Exercise 6. Complete the sentences below in your own words using subordinators. Use a different subordinator
for each sentence.

1. My little sister was very excited yesterday _______________________________________________________.

2. The local government decided not to build a new shopping mall _____________________________________.
3. I tripped and fell ____________________________________________________________________________.
4. She appears to be very serious and shy _________________________________________________________.
5. I wanted my brother to help me with my assignment ______________________________________________.

Exercise 7. Complete the sentences using the words from the table below. DO NOT change the order of
sentences. In some sentences, more than one answer is possible.

although when after while before if because

1. You can study distant stars. You have a radio telescope.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

2. It was difficult to observe the stars with the naked eye. Galileo invented the telescope.
____________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Millions of meteors hit the Earth’s atmosphere. People notice very few of them.
____________________________________________________________________________________________

4. People do not notice that many meteorites hit our planet. They hit the Earth in remote uninhabited areas.
____________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Space probes send pictures back to Earth. They are exploring Mars.
____________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Astronomers examine the digital images. The space probes send them.
____________________________________________________________________________________________

34
 WRITING ASSIGNMENT

Study the information below and write three paragraphs about Olena Petrovna. Follow the instructions for each
paragraph. Also, add articles (a, an, the), prepositions (in, at, to etc.), or words when necessary. Pay attention to
the correct use of verb tenses. Do not change the order of the sentences.
Use ALL the words in the box below to connect the bold words/sentences in parentheses.

Olena Petrovna

Paragraph I: Private Life

and (x 2) when

1. Olena Petrovna / Ukrainian gymnast and environmentalist

2. She / be born / Kiev, Ukraine / April 16, 1973
3. Her father / be / Ivan Petrovich / (from Kiev)
4. Her mother / be / Irina Petrovich / (from Crimea)
5. Her family / move / Moscow / (she / be / five years old)

Paragraph II: Education & Early Career

but when (x2) thus and

6. Olena / start school / (she/ be / 7 years old)

7. Olena’s grades / not / be / very high / (she / be/ really good / sports)
8. Her teachers / notice / her talent / (they / offer her / a place in the school gymnastics team)
9. She / join / several competitions / with her team / (they / win / a lot of medals)
10. Olena / be / a high school student / (she / become / the national champion in Russia)

however so and because

11. 1987 / she / join the Olympic team / (she /start training really hard)
12. A year later / she / participate / in the ’88 Summer Olympics / Seoul
13. Olena / not receive any medals / (her team / get / bronze medal in gymnastics)
14. Olena / return / Moscow / (she / start / training for the next Olympic games)
15. She / train for hours every day / (she / want / be very successful in the next Olympics)

Paragraph III: Career

and furthermore however since therefore because

16. She / join the ’92 Olympic Games / Barcelona / (she / win / 3 gold medals)
17. Olena and her team / receive / many gold medals / (they / become national stars)
18. Olena / be / happy about / her success / (she / be / also unhappy) / (her family / have economic problems)
19. Olena / open / a private gymnastics school/ 1994 / (Olena / want / help her parents financially)
20. Nowadays / her business / be / extremely successful / (she / open / a new branch in Kiev next June)

35
 Olena Petrovna

Paragraph I: Private Life

1. __________________________________________________________________________________________

2. __________________________________________________________________________________________

3. __________________________________________________________________________________________

4. __________________________________________________________________________________________

5. __________________________________________________________________________________________

Paragraph II: Education & Early Career

6. __________________________________________________________________________________________

7. __________________________________________________________________________________________

8. __________________________________________________________________________________________

9. __________________________________________________________________________________________

10. _________________________________________________________________________________________

11. _________________________________________________________________________________________

12. _________________________________________________________________________________________

13. _________________________________________________________________________________________

14. _________________________________________________________________________________________

15. _________________________________________________________________________________________

Paragraph III: Career

16. _________________________________________________________________________________________

17. _________________________________________________________________________________________

18. _________________________________________________________________________________________

19. _________________________________________________________________________________________

20. _________________________________________________________________________________________

36
 CHAPTER 5 - PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES
REASON CONTRAST ADDITION

as a result of despite in addition to

due to in spite of
because of

Prepositional places of reason, addition, and contrast can be used to give extra information and extend
sentences. Unlike sentence connectors or subordinators, a prepositional phrase can NEVER be followed by a
clause (SVO). Read the example sentences below and pay attention to the sentence structures.

a. Prepositional Phrases of Reason (as a result of, due to, because of)

Examples:
It was snowing heavily, so the committee decided to cancel the football game.
 Due to the heavy snow, the committee decided to cancel the football game.
 The committee decided to cancel the football game due to the heavy snow.

As I missed the bus, I was late for the first lesson.

 Because of missing the bus, I was late for the first lesson.
 I was late for the first lesson because of missing the bus.

My mother did not go to work last week since she was really ill.
 As a result of her illness, my mother did not go to work last week.
 My mother did not go to work last week as a result of her illness.

 As a result of being ill, my mother did not go to work last week.

 My mother did not go to work last week as a result of being ill.

REMEMBER: Prepositional phrases are always followed by nouns/noun phrases or the gerund form of a verb.
They CANNOT be followed by SVO structures.

Prepositional Phrase + Noun: As a result of an accident, the roads were blocked.

Prepositional Phrase + Noun Phrase: Due to an unfortunate mistake, my credit card got cancelled.
Prepositional Phrase + Gerund: Because of being tired, I did not want to play anymore.

INCORRECT: As a result of there was an accident, the roads were blocked. (= “There was an accident”
is a sentence (SVO), and it cannot follow a prepositional phrase.)

INCORRECT: Because of I was tired, I did not want to play anymore. (= “I was tired” is a sentence (SVO),
and it cannot follow a prepositional phrase.)

37
Exercise 1. Rewrite the sentences using Prepositional Phrases of Reason.

1. As it contains high levels of protein, broccoli is a great vegetable for athletes. (because of)

____________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Alex was fired since he made a huge mistake with the company accounts. (as a result of)

____________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Our grandfather had to stay in the hospital for 15 days because he had a heart attack. (due to)

____________________________________________________________________________________________

4. I received a very low grade in the Chemistry exam since I did not have enough materials to study. (because of)

____________________________________________________________________________________________

b. Prepositional Phrases of Contrast (despite, in spite of)

Examples:
Although Annie does not study for the exams, she always gets the highest grades.

 Despite not studying for the exams, Annie always gets the highest grades.
 Annie always gets the highest grades despite not studying for the exams.

Even though David loves cats very much, he cannot adopt one as he is highly allergic.

 In spite of loving cats very much, David cannot adopt one as he is highly allergic.
 David cannot adopt a cat in spite of loving cats very much as he is highly allergic.

Exercise 2. Rewrite the sentences using Prepositional Phrases of Contrast.

1. Although the sneakers were on sale, they were still very expensive. Therefore, I did not buy them. (despite)
____________________________________________________________________________________________
2. She did not steal the money; however, everyone thinks she is guilty. (in spite of)
____________________________________________________________________________________________
3. He graduated from a very good university, yet he had difficulty finding a job. (despite)
____________________________________________________________________________________________
4. I rest and take my pills regularly, but I still cannot get any better. (in spite of)
____________________________________________________________________________________________

38
c. Prepositional Phrases of Addition (in addition to)

Example:
Yesterday I bought a winter coat. I also bought a pair of boots.
 Yesterday I bought a winter coat in addition to a pair of boots.
 In addition to a winter coat, I bought a pair of boots yesterday.

She’s a fitness instructor. She’s also a full-time student.

 She’s a fitness instructor in addition to being a full-time student.
 In addition to being a fitness instructor, she is a full-time student.

Exercise 3. Rewrite the sentences using the Prepositional Phrase “in addition to”.

1. My oldest brother is not only really friendly but also very helpful.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
2. The house I want to buy is wonderful. It has three spacious bedrooms. Furthermore, it has a great garden.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Shanghai is a busy and noisy city. Moreover, it is a colorful city.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
4. My essay had spelling mistakes; also, it had some punctuation mistakes. That is why I lost a lot of points.
____________________________________________________________________________________________

Exercise 4. Fill in the blanks using the Prepositional Phrases in the box below.

in addition to as a result of despite in spite of because of due to

Ghost Towns
In different parts of the world, there are small towns, and there is no one living in those towns anymore.
_____________ being lively places in the past, they are now "ghost towns". There are three different reasons for
a town to become a ghost town. First of all, it can happen ____________ economic reasons. For instance, a gold
mining town can become a ghost town when the miners leave the town because they cannot find gold anymore.
____________ the economic reasons, a natural disaster can occur. For example, there might be a flood or a very
long drought; therefore, people leave that town to find a safe place. A town can also become a ghost town
____________ a man-made disaster. An example of this is the town of Prypiat, Ukraine. It turned into a ghost
town ____________ the nuclear fallout after the Chernobyl disaster. ____________ being ghost towns, some
ghost towns are kept unchanged, and people visit them as tourist attractions.

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Exercise 5. Rewrite the following sentences using a correct Prepositional Phrase.

1. Zurich has a lot of luxury hotels; also, it has stylish shops.

____________________________________________________________________________________________.
2. Zurich has many international banks because it is a major financial center.
____________________________________________________________________________________________.
3. Zurich is a very rich city; however, it doesn’t have many skyscrapers.
____________________________________________________________________________________________.
4. There is a well-developed public transportation in Zurich; therefore, many of the people there use public
transportation.
____________________________________________________________________________________________.
5. Because there is a low tax system in Zurich, many companies have their headquarters there.
____________________________________________________________________________________________.

Exercise 6. Complete the following sentences in your own words.

1. Despite not having any money, ________________________________________________________________.

2. As a result of the icy roads, ___________________________________________________________________.
3. In addition to being very rude, ________________________________________________________________.
4. Because of suffering from a sore throat, _________________________________________________________.
5. Due to smoking for a very long time, ____________________________________________________________.

Exercise 7. Complete the following sentences in your own words using prepositional phrases.

1. She is very successful at her job ________________________________________________________________.

2. I do not feel tired at all _______________________________________________________________________.
3. During the holiday, she finished reading two novels ________________________________________________.
4. We ordered two big pizzas and some garlic bread _________________________________________________.
5. We want to move to a new flat ________________________________________________________________.

Exercise 8. Put the words in order to make meaningful sentences.

1. As a result of / you / enough / having / I / cannot/ time / help / today / not

____________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Many / financial / move to / another / want to / difficulties / young / because of / people/ country
____________________________________________________________________________________________
3. play / injury / will / Ricardo / game / in spite of / in / his / Saturday’s
____________________________________________________________________________________________
4. a politician / still / In addition to / works / a lawyer / being / as / he
____________________________________________________________________________________________
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 WRITING ASSIGNMENT

Read the paragraph below about a birthday gift.

A Birthday Gift
Choosing a birthday gift for a friend or a family member is fun, but it can be difficult. The gift should be
personal and thoughtful. For example, the best birthday gift I have ever received was neither fancy nor
expensive. Last year my mother gave me a photograph of my father when he was my age. In the photo, my dad is
standing with his mother and father (my grandparents) in front of their house, and he looks very happy. This
photograph is on my desk in a red picture frame. I think of my father every time I see that photo, and that makes
me smile. It was surely a perfect birthday gift for me.

Think about the best birthday gift you have ever received and write a paragraph about it. When you are writing
your paragraph, try to include the answers to the questions below.

 What is the gift?

 Who gave it to you? When? For what occasion?
 Why is it the best gift for you?
 Where is it now?

Your paragraph must contain AT LEAST FIVE of the words/phrases given in the box below.

in spite of as a result of therefore however because of

in addition to also thus due to furthermore yet

Write your paragraph here:

____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

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 CHAPTER 6 - INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
Words like 'something', 'everywhere', 'anybody' and 'no one' are indefinite pronouns. We use them for people,
things and places. Look at the table below.

some any no every

somebody anybody nobody everybody

People
someone anyone no one everyone
Things
something anything nothing everything
Places
somewhere anywhere nowhere everywhere

Here are some rules about Indefinite Pronouns:

 The words in the table above (indefinite pronouns) are singular words. Therefore, we always use them with
singular verbs.

Examples:
 Does anybody know the new teacher’s name?
 Everyone loves puppies and kittens.
 Nothing is impossible; you just need to keep on trying.
 Something is wrong with her, but she does not want to talk about it.
 Is there anything you want to say?

 Even though they are singular, we can use indefinite pronouns with “they / them / their”.

Examples:
 Everyone should bring their own lunch to the picnic.
 Everyone should bring his/her own lunch to the picnic. (This is also correct!)

 If anyone wants me to respect them, they should respect me, too.

 If anyone wants me to respect him/her, he/she should respect me, too. (This is also correct!)

 We use “anybody, anyone, anything, and anywhere” in negative sentences. Although they have the same
meaning, sentences with “nobody, no one, nothing, and nowhere” look positive but the meaning is
negative.

Examples:
 I saw nobody in the living room. = I didn’t see anybody in the living room.
 I did nothing wrong! = I didn’t do anything wrong!
 She has nowhere to stay. = She doesn’t have anywhere to stay.

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 “Anybody, anyone, anything, and anywhere” CANNOT be the subject of a NEGATIVE sentence. In sentences
with a negative meaning, we have to use “nobody, no one, nothing, and nowhere” as the SUBJECT of the
sentence.

Examples:
 I was hiding. Anybody didn’t see me. (INCORRECT)
 I was hiding. Nobody saw me. (CORRECT)

 Anything cannot stop me. I will never give up until I achieve my goals. (INCORRECT)
 Nothing can stop me. I will never give up until I achieve my goals. (CORRECT)

 Anyone doesn’t want to be friends with me. (INCORRECT)

 No one wants to be friends with me. (CORRECT)

 We generally use “any- words” (anybody, anyone, anything, and anywhere) for questions and negative
sentences.

Examples:
 Do you want to drink anything with the cake?
 Is there anyone that can help me with this project?
 We will not go anywhere this summer.
 I cannot find anything I want in this shop. Let’s go to the next one.

 “Any- words” can also be used in POSITIVE sentences. However, if they are used in positive sentences, their
meanings also become positive. In the positive form, “any- words” have the meaning “it doesn’t matter
who / which / where”, similar to “each and every”.

Examples:
 This Maths problem is so easy. Anyone can do it. (= Everyone can do it.)
 I do not have a preference. We can go anywhere you wish. (= It does not matter for me.)
 If you try very hard and keep on working, you can achieve anything you want. (= Everything is possible.)
 The online conference is open to all. Anyone with an Internet connection can join. (= Everybody with an
Internet connection can attend the conference; it does not matter.)

 We use “some- words” (someone, somebody, something, and somewhere) in positive sentences. We can
also use them in polite questions or in questions when we think the answer is “yes”.

Examples:
 I need to find someone to help me with this assignment. I cannot do it alone.
 I want to eat something before we go out.
 Would you like to go somewhere this weekend?
 Are you looking for something? (= I think you are looking for something.)

 “Every- words” (everyone, everybody, everything, and everywhere) can be used in positive sentences,
negative sentences, and in questions.

Examples:
 I think that she has been everywhere in Europe.
 Everyone in my class will attend the online workshop on writing short stories.
 He doesn’t know everything.
 Do you know everybody here?
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 We use indefinite pronouns BEFORE ADJECTIVES.

Examples:
 I want to do something interesting this summer, but I do not know what.
indefinite adjective
pronoun

 There isn’t anyone funny on the show tonight. It is really boring.

 I want to meet someone adventurous and go somewhere exciting.
 There is nothing useful in this book. This is a waste of time.

USING “NOT EVERYONE” IN SENTENCES

Exercise 1. Read the sentences below and choose the correct meaning.

1. Not everyone can make baklava. It is a very difficult dessert, and it requires a lot of skill.
a. There is nobody that can make baklava.
b. Some people can make baklava, but some others cannot.
2. Not everyone wants to pay thousands of dollars for a university degree. Free university education should be
available for those who cannot afford it.
a. Some people may pay for a university degree, but others do not want to pay for it, or cannot.
b. Nobody wants to pay thousands of dollars for a university degree.
3. Many people can speak another language, but not everyone speaks a foreign language like a native speaker.
a. No one can speak another language like a native speaker.
b. Only some people can speak a foreign language like a native speaker.

Exercise 2. Write three sentences in your own words using the form “not everyone”.

1. __________________________________________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________________________________________
3. __________________________________________________________________________________________

Exercise 3. Complete the sentences below with the correct indefinite pronouns.

1. I looked __________________ for my cat, but I couldn’t find it.

2. James called his friend, but __________________ answered the phone.
3. I didn’t go __________________ at the weekend, so I was really bored.
4. Let’s get __________________ to eat after our class.
5. Did you hear that? I think __________________ rang the doorbell.
6. __________________ was on time. No one was late.
7. I didn’t eat __________________ for lunch, so I’m really hungry now.
8. Linda understood __________________ that her teacher said. It was an easy lesson for her.
9. I had __________________ to go because all the shops were closed.
10. __________________ came to school because it was a holiday.

44
Exercise 4. Complete the sentences below with the correct indefinite pronouns.

1. I put my soda down on the table, but _______________________ moved it!

2. The party is going to be great! _________________________ will be there.
3. Does ___________________ have change for a dollar so I can buy a soda?
4. Rachel was so popular that __________________ wanted to sit next to her.
5. ___________________ left the freezer open, and the ice cream melted.
6. The teacher said I could bring cupcakes for ________________ in the class.
7. Henry was surprised that _________________ sent him a birthday card in the mail but did not sign it.
8. The teacher passed the Maths tests out to ________________, and the room was suddenly quiet.
9. ____________________ can bake a cake like Grandma Anna. Hers are the best!
10. Has _____________________ seen my blue notebook? I can’t find it anywhere!
11. _________________ called my house, but they hung up without saying a word.
12. The third question on the test was so difficult that _________________ could answer it.

Exercise 5. The sentences below contain mistakes. Find the mistakes and correct them.

1. I didn’t meet nobody on my first day of school.

2. I could not find informative anything on this web page.

3. The crossword puzzle in today’s newspaper is extremely easy. Somebody can solve it.

4. Nobody didn’t invite me to the party. I was the only one who was not invited.

5. Kevin is a very rude and selfish person. Anybody doesn’t want to be his lab partner.

6. Let’s watch a movie tonight. Do you want to watch funny something or scary something?

7. Everyone cannot run a full marathon. People train very hard for a very long time to compete in marathons.

8. I don’t know nowhere in this town. I need someone to show me around.

9. Anyone cannot hear the speaker. I think the microphone is not working.

10. A good gift does not mean expensive something. It means thoughtful something.

11. This store is unbelievably expensive. I cannot find nothing with a reasonable price.

45
 WRITING ASSIGNMENT
Read the paragraph below about “an amazing person”.

Jack Collins
Jack Collins is the most amazing person I have ever met. A couple of months ago, he came to my school and
talked about his difficult life in prison. I found out that he was in prison for 15 years. He made a lot of mistakes
when he was young, but now he has changed his life. He saw a lot of violence in prison, so he uses his experience
to help high school students. Jack is tall, and he looks strong. He usually has a serious expression, but he has a
kind face. The thing I remember most is his sensitive personality. He really wants to help young people. I have
never met anyone like Jack before.

Think about a person that you admire or respect very much. Then, write a paragraph about him/her. When
you are writing your paragraph, try to include the answers to the questions below.

 Who is that person?

 Why is that person important to you?
 What does this person do?
 What does this person look like?
 What are his/her character traits?

Your paragraph must contain AT LEAST FIVE words from the table below.

some Any no every

People somebody anybody nobody everybody

someone anyone no one everyone

Things
something anything nothing everything
Places
somewhere anywhere nowhere everywhere

Write your paragraph here:

____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

46
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