One Day of Peter's life
(Story by Peter and Heidi Elliott)
I usually manage to be first at waking up — my brother Daniel (he's six) would stay in bed until seven o'clock. Mum can't understand it but it seems obvious to me that this is when the day starts, so why miss the beginning? After a quick warm-up and a chat we creep downstairs to see what's been left around from the night before, although Mum is wise to this and has usually put away anything really interesting.
The refrigerator is always a fairly good place to start, and cold rice pudding tastes much better for breakfast than it does for pudding.1 In fact I've tried most things at this hour, from cold stuffed marrow to raw sausages; some of it isn't recommendable and some of it can get you into a lot of trouble. Anyway, I can always make my own breakfast of cereals with plenty of sugar and not much milk. We made Mum's2 the other day but she didn't like the chopped peppercorns and Oxos3 that we added to it. Mind you, it didn't look too good.
Well, just when we get into a good game, Mum comes down and says that we have to put all the furniture back and get dressed. I always have the last say in what I'm going to wear, which is always jeans and a tee-shirt. I'm just not relaxed if I'm wearing smart trousers. I like a loose jacket and a hat; my old cowboy hat is a bit misshapen but I do not mind that, it seems to put me in the right mood for the day.
It's time to take Daniel to school. I really enjoy this trip at the moment because I've got a super little bike which I ride there and back. Well, I don't exactly ride it because both pedals have fallen off and the chain has snapped, so now it's more like a hobby-bike. I use my feet for brakes and propulsion.4 It works very well and my balance is now so good that I can ride my brother's big bike if someone helps me to get on and off.
When we get to Daniel's school I have a race around the playground and annoy a few of Dan's friends before the whistle goes, and then, as the trip home is up-hill and rather boring. Mum usually has to give me a push. I generally play then, or visit a friend down the lane whose brother has some super toys, which compensates for the fact that she's a girl.5
Lunch can vary from day to day because I'm quite fussy about my food. I find it hard to sit still long enough to eat a whole dinner, so sometimes Mum reads a book to me which makes it much more enjoyable, and if the story is very good, I've even been known to eat things that I didn't think I liked.
I suppose that the way I spend my day must seem fairly routine to some people, but I like to use it to the full no matter what I'm doing. I do everything with enthusiasm — whether constructing a rocket with bricks or practising gymnastics on the bed or just sliding down the banisters, and I've noticed that people who are older than me don't seem to have half as much fun, so I say that I'm going to enjoy myself for as long as possible.
The afternoons are unpredictable. On a fine day I may go swimming or visit a park or the shops. Personally, I think the shops are best, especially the ones with toys in. My mother just doesn't seem to understand that I need them all, anyway I have a good try with as many as I can before getting into trouble with the assistant. Then I move on to the sweets, which I generally get one of. Friends' houses can be a good source of entertainment, although if they haven't got any children it can be a bit frustrating not being allowed to touch anything. Luckily most of mother's friends have got children.
The best treat of all, though, is visiting Nanny.6 She's got much more time to spend on you than parents have and I do all sorts of things there. I have made some very tasty cakes in Nanny's kitchen and she doesn't mind how much mess goes on the floor.7
I also enjoy gardening with her. She is extremely patient with my pruning efforts.8 So my afternoons vary until we collect my brother from school at 3.30. He's not so much fun in the afternoons, but I do a bit of insect searching on the way home and collect any interesting sticks and stones that I think I could use in our small garden.
My bedtime is fixed at 7.30 and to be honest I'm just about ready for it by then. After doing my duty — by eating some tea — I play for a while or watch television. I'm not a TV addict but cartoons I do enjoy9 and my favourite programme is Tarzan. When this is on I strip off to my underpants and really get into the part. (I'm fantastically brave.) I then have a trip down a shark-infested river10 at bathtime or practise swimming in the bath, but my room is rather restricted and Mum doesn't appreciate how far I get the water up the wall.11 So, when the water has got fairly cold, I reluctantly agree to get out and put my pyjamas on. I don't like cleaning my teeth but I do.
Mum has to read a book at bedtime: it gives me a few minutes to have a last play and select my favourite toys before the light goes out. After all, even in my dreams I've had to fight some pretty fierce tigers.
Proper Names
Daniel ['d{nj@l] — Дэниел
Tarzan ['t¸z{n] — Тарзан
Vocabulary Notes
1. ... than it does for pudding — ... чем когда его подают как десерт.
2. ... we made Mum's the other day — на днях мы приготовили завтрак маме.
3. Oxos — «Оксоз» (Прим.: название бульонных кубиков)
4. I use my feet for brakes and propulsion. — Я торможу и отталкиваюсь ногами.
5. ... visit a friend down the lane whose brother has some super toys, which compensates for the fact that she's a girl. — ... хожу к подружке, которая живёт на нашей улице; у её брата есть потрясающие игрушки, и это смиряет меня с тем, что она — девочка.
6. Nanny — здесь: бабушка (Прим.: в других контекстах может означать «нянечка»).
7. She doesn't mind how much mess goes on the floor. — Ей всё равно, сколько мусора на полу.
8. ... she is extremely patient with my pruning efforts. — Она очень терпеливо относится к моим неловким попыткам подстричь деревья и кусты.
9. ... but cartoons I do enjoy ... — ... но вот мультики мне нравятся.
10. shark-infested — кишащий акулами.
11. Mum doesn't appreciate how far I get the water up the wall. — Мама не одобряет, что я забрызгиваю водой всю стену.
Comprehension Check
1. Why does the child wake up first?
2. What do the brothers do after a warm-up and a chat?
3. What does the child like to wear?
4. Why does the boy enjoy his trip to Daniel's school?
5. Is he fussy about his food?
6. Does the boy find his days boring?
7. How does he spend the afternoons?
8. Whom does he enjoy visiting most? Why?
9. When does the boy go to bed?
10. Is he a TV addict?
11. How does the boy entertain himself at bathtime?
12. What does he do before the light goes out? .
Phonetic Text Drills
○ Exercise 1
Transcribe and pronounce correctly the words from the text.
Obvious, to creep, stuffed, marrow, raw, recommendable, cereals, peppercorns, loose, cowboy, misshapen, super, propulsion, balance, to compensate, to vary, enthusiasm, gymnastics, banister, unpredictable, frustrating, treat, pruning, insect, addict, cartoon, underpants, appreciate, reluctantly, pyjamas, fierce.
○ Exercise 2
Pronounce the words or phrases where the following clusters occur.
1. plosive + plosive
managed to be, creep downstairs, good place, and cold rice, look too, good game, get dressed, to take Daniel, hard to sit, bedtime, but cartoons, trip down, and put.
2. plosive + w
at waking up, quick warm-up, that we added, just when, that we, it works, a rocket with bricks, patient with.
3. plosive + r
brother, creep, breakfast, tried, trouble, trousers, trip, brakes, propulsion, unpredictable, try, children, treat, extremely, programme, brave, practise, agree, pretty.
4. plosive + s
would stay, it seems, starts, what's, tastes, last say, its time, sit still, must seem, good source, fight some.
○ Exercise 3
Avoid false assimilation in the clusters:
1. z + s
he's six, has snapped, has some.
2. voiceless plosive + D
that this, at the moment, noticed that, think the shops.
3. s/z + D
miss the beginning, Mum's the other day, as the trip, suppose that.
○ Exercise 4
Practise the pronunciation of predicative structures.
It's 'time to 'take 'Daniel to \school. ||
The ,after'noons are 'unpre'dictable. ||
The 'best 'treat of \all, | though, | is 'visiting \Nanny. ||
My bedtime is 'fixed at 'seven \thirty | and | to be \honest | I'm 'just a'bout \ready for it by ,then. ||
I'm 'not a 'TV \addict | but car'toons I 'do en'joy | and my 'favourite 'programme is \Tarzan. ||
EXERCISES
Exercise 1
Reproduce the sentences in which the following words and expressions are used.
to wake up to vary from day to day
to leave around to use the day to the full
to get somebody into trouble to do everything with enthusiasm
to have the last say in to be a good source of
something entertainment
to be relaxed the best treat
to put somebody in the to be a TV addict
right mood
boring to strip off
to be fussy about something bedtime
Exercise 2
Agree or disagree with the following statements. Give your reasons.
1. The child is the last to wake up.
2. In the kitchen the boy tries a lot of things from cold mar row to raw sausages.
3. The child's mother has the last say in what he's going to wear.
4. The boy likes to wear smart suits.
5. He finds his trip to Daniel's school boring.
6. The boy is fussy about his food.
7. The child's routine is boring and predictable.
8. He likes spending his time in the shops.
9. The child enjoys visiting Nanny.
10. He is a TV addict.
11. The child enjoys swimming in the bath.
Exercise 3
I. Give the three forms of the irregular verbs from the text:
Creep, put, get, ride, go, give, find, read, think, slide, make, fight.
II. Give the past form of the regular verbs:
Manage, stay, start, add, enjoy, snap, use, annoy, visit, compensate, vary, suppose, construct, practise, seem, touch, mind, collect, search, fix, watch, strip, appreciate, agree, select.
Exercise 4
Fill the gaps in these sentences with the suitable words below.
I. frustrating unpredictable
loose smart
boring relaxed
fussy
1. She likes to feel comfortable and relaxed in clothes, that's why she always wears ... sweaters and jackets and not ... suits.
2. Jane is fed up with this ... town — all they have is a bar, a cinema and a Chinese restaurant.
3. There must be nothing more ... than having a job you don't like.
4. You can't feel ... and enjoy yourself if there are exams coming.
5. Since the time she was ill, she's been ... about what she eats.
6. She behaves like the weather in Great Britain; she's so ...
II. to creep to strip off to vary
to select to annoy to leave around
1. There was a large number of beautiful toys and dolls in the shop and it took the girl a lot of time ... one.
2. Someone ... into the house and stole jewellery.
3. She ran upstairs,... her wet jeans and sweater and pulled on a dressing gown.
4. I don't want to stay in the house with these two screaming kids. They ... me.
5. To make kids eat, you should ... the menu as much as possible.
6. Please, don't... your toys ... . I have to put them away before I can do the cleaning.
Exercise 5
Find in the text words and expressions similar in meaning to the italicized ones.
1. Somehow he got involved in a boring conversation about food prices.
2. I always start my day with morning exercises and a cold shower. And, of course, I very much like a cup of hot coffee.
3. Nurses should do all they can to make their patients feel at ease.
4. The child abandoned his favourite toy; a little squirrel in the grass had become better entertainment.
5. When I go to the countryside I like to observe insects.
6. I always go to bed at half past seven and nothing can change my habit.
7. I spent my holiday in Spain and enjoyed it fully.
8. I can't think of anything more tedious than washing and cooking for the family all day long.
9. I feel that you are doing that unwillingly.
10. My brother is always enthusiastic, no matter what he is doing — playing or working.
11. We moved quietly upstairs so as not to wake the baby.
12. Morning exercises may be hard work, but they can also be great fun.
13. A meal in a restaurant came as a real pleasure after all the food at the university.
14. You are just saying that to irritate me.
15. In the afternoons Mother takes my sister from school.
Exercise 6
Find in the text sentences containing:
I. synonyms and synonymous expressions for the following:
depressing untidiness
to pick somebody up to take off the clothes
physical exercises to be different
II. words or phrases with the opposite meaning:
to get out of bed to get undressed
not much boring
to stay out of trouble predictable
Exercise 7
Find in the text the English equivalents of the following words and expressions.
A.
Просыпаться; оставаться в постели; день начинается; разминка; приготовить завтрак; одеваться; пора (делать что-либо); добираться до школы; звучит свисток; съесть весь обед; ходить в парк; забирать из школы; ложиться спать ровно в 7.30; не отрываться от телевизора; раздеться до чего-либо; увлечься игрой; заниматься плаванием; надевать пижаму; чистить зубы; читать книгу на ночь; свет гаснет; во сне.
В.
Оставаться с вечера; убирать; причинить неприятности; разыграться; оставить за кем-либо последнее слово; потерять форму (о предмете одежды); создавать хорошее настроение; туда и обратно; хорошо получаться; быть привередливым; использовать в полной мере; скатываться вниз; попробовать как можно больше; забрызгать водой стену; неохотно согласиться.
Exercise 8
Express the same idea using different wording and grammar.
1. After a quick warm-up and a chat, we creep downstairs to see what's been left around from the night before.
2. I suppose the way I spend my day must seem fairly routine to some people, but I like to use it to the full.
3. Personally, I think the shops are best, especially the ones with toys in.
4. Friends' houses can be a good source of entertainment.
5. I'm not a TV addict but cartoons I do enjoy and my favourite programme is Tarzan.
6. The best treat of all is visiting Nanny.
7. She is extremely patient with my pruning efforts.
8. When Tarzan is on I strip off to my underpants and really get into the part.
9. I then have a trip down a shark-infested river at bathtime or practise swimming in the bath, but my room is rather restricted and mum doesn't appreciate how far I get the water up the wall.
10. Mum has to read a book at bedtime, it gives me a few minutes to have a last play and select my favourite toys before the light goes out.
Exercise 9
1. Draw a chart like the one below and arrange the child's activities into two columns.
| Enjoyable | Boring |
II. After you have finished the chart, compare it with the rest of the class. Discuss the child's activities using the following words:
Interesting, creative, exciting, good fun, dangerous, boring, good exercise, relaxing, crazy, wonderful, enjoyable, terrible.
Start your discussion with the following phrases:
I think/I don't think he enjoys/likes ...
It must be dangerous/interesting to swim/to play... etc.
That sounds/does not sound like much fan/crazy... etc.
I'd like to try ... myself.
He doesn't mind ...
If I had time, I'd like to ...
Exercise 10
Speak about your daily activities using the patterns given below.
1. I'm not a TV addict/ardent reader, etc. but cartoons/novels, etc. I do enjoy.
2. I don't like cleaning my teeth/watching newsreels, etc. but I do.
3. I find it hard to sit still long enough/to work in the library, etc.
4. It can be a bit frustrating not being allowed to touch anything/to go to a disco, etc.
Exercise 11
Speak about the child's daily routine:
1. in the third person;
2. in the person of his mother;
3. in the person of his brother Daniel.
Exercise 12
Discussion points.
1. What can you say about the boy's character? Support your opinion.
2. What do you think of his mother? What is her daily routine like?
3. What takes up most of the boy's day?
4. What activities mentioned by the boy seem to be most entertaining to you? Why?
Exercise 13
I. Discuss activities we do as part of our daily/weekly routine. In five minutes write down as many things as you can think of. You should write your routines in full sentences, using adverbs of frequency. Read out your list to the class and delete anything you have written down which someone else has as well. Thus make a list of your special routines, that no one else has.
► Pattern: I hove parties every week.
II. Express your own feelings about the special routines of your fellow students. Use the expressions of likes and dislikes.
► Pattern: — I have parties every week.
— Well, to be honest/No, I'm not too keen on arranging parties every week.
Exercise 14
Tell about your daily routine when a child. Compare it with your present daily routine. Think about the following points: studies, everyday activities, leisure activities, food/clothes, likes/dislikes. Use the following phrases:
When a child, I used to ..., but now I ...
I never used to ...
I spent most of my time ..., but now I ...
I was/am keenon ...
I was/am a ... addict.
I couldn't/can't live without ...
The best treat of all was/is ...
I found ... enjoyable, but now
I find ... boring/interesting.
I've decided to give up ...
But I'm not going to give up ...
Exercise 15
I. Read the following text and get ready to answer the questions.
John Naylor, 24, is a successful businessman. Let's follow him through a typical day.
The alarm clock goes off at 7:00 a. m. John jolts out of bed at the same time. The automatic coffee maker kicks on in the kitchen. He jumps in the shower, shaves, opens one of the half-dozen boxes of freshly laundered white shirts waiting on the shelf, finishes dressing, and pours a cup of coffee. He sits down to a piece of whole wheat toast while he nips through the Fleet Street Journal. It takes him about 15 minutes to wake up and get ready. His briefcase in one hand and gym bag in the other, he hops in the car, ready to start the day.
He clocks in at exactly 7:45 a. m. He takes a seat in front of the computer and prepares for hours of phone calls and meetings that occupy his mornings.
At noon John rashes to the health club where he strips off the grey suit and changes into his T-shirt, shorts and the latest in design running shoes for tennis. In an hour he is sitting in the club dining room where he has scheduled lunch with a potential client. They discuss business over sparkling water, pasta and a cup of coffee.
At 2:30 p. m. he is back at his office, eager for several more hours of frantic meetings and phone calls. At 6:00 p. m. John phones out for delivery of dinner to keep him going through the next two to three hours he'll spend at his office.
John gets home at 10:00 p. m. just in time to sit down to a bowl of frozen yoghurt and a reran of this season's most popular drama series before turning in.
II. Make brief notes of John's daily routine. Use these times as a guide.
7:00 7:45 2:30 10:00
7:15 12:00 6:00 - 9:00 1:00
III. Answer the following questions:
1. What takes up most of his time?
2. What things do you dislike about his daily routine?
3. Is his daily routine always the same?
4. Is his daily routine very different from yours? How?
5. What do you think about his social life? What daily routine may his girlfriend have?
6. Is he happy? Why?
7. What problems may arise if John gets married and starts a family? Will children fit into this hectic schedule?
IV. Work in groups of two.
Student A: You are going to interview John. Ask him questions about his daily routine, and ask anything else you like. (E. g. How he feels about his life, what he likes about his work, his future plans).
Student B: You are John. Answer the interviewer's questions about your daily routine. When you are asked about other things, invent suitable answers.
Exercise 16
Pair work: Talk about your busiest day. Ask the following and more:
1. What's your busiest day?
2. What do you usually do?
3. What time do you get up?
4. Where do you usually have breakfast, lunch?
5. What do you usually do after classes?
6. What time do you usually go home?
7. What do you do at the end of the day?
8. What do you do in your spare time?
9. What time do you usually go to bed?
10. What activities do you enjoy? Which do you dislike?
Exercise 17
Imagine you can do what you like and work where you want. Plan your daily routine. When you are ready tell the class.
Exercise 18
I. Carry out a survey titled "How to Organise Your Day". Ask your fellow students:
1. how much time they spend: working, sleeping, washing and getting dressed, eating and drinking, shopping, travelling, doing housework, studying, reading, watching TV or listening to the radio, performing other leisure activities, doing nothing;
2. which activities they enjoy doing and how long they spend on them;
3. which activities they do not enjoy doing and how long they spend on them;
4. if there is something they don't have time to do or would like to spend more time doing;
5. if there is some way they could organise their time differently and how.
II. Make notes and analyse the results of the investigation. Write a short report giving the results of your survey. Use words and expressions like these:
None of... A great many of...
Hardly any of... Some of...
Very few of... A large number of.
Not many of... A lot of...
The majority of...
III. Use the following phrases for summarising or generalising:
on the whole, ... at first glance, ...
apparently, ... it seems/appears that ...
generally, ...
IV. When you have finished your report, show it to the other students in the class and discuss.
Exercise 19
Retell the following text in English.
Самое главное, подумал я, это режим. Спать буду ложиться пораньше, часов в десять. Вставать тоже буду пораньше и повторять перед школой уроки. После школы буду играть часа полтора в футбол, а потом на свежую голову буду делать уроки. После уроков буду заниматься чем захочется: или с ребятами играть, или книжки читать, до тех пор пока не придёт время ложиться спать.
Так, значит, я подумал и пошёл играть в футбол, перед тем, как делать уроки. Я решил играть не больше, чем полтора часа, от силы — два, но, как только я попал на футбольное поле, у меня всё из головы вылетело, и я очнулся, когда уже совсем наступил вечер. Уроки я опять стал делать поздно, когда голова уже плохо соображала, и дал сам себе обещание — на следующий день не буду так долго играть. Но на следующий день повторилась та же история. И стал я думать, почему же у меня так получается. Вот я думал, думал, и наконец мне стало ясно, что у меня совсем нет воли. То есть у меня воля есть, только она не сильная. Если мне надо что-нибудь делать, то я никак не могу заставить себя это делать, а если мне не надо чего-нибудь делать, то я никак не могу заставить себя этого не делать. Вот, например, если я начну читать какую-нибудь интересную книжку, то читаю и читаю и никак не могу оторваться. Мне, например, надо делать уроки, или пора уже ложиться спать, а я всё читаю. Мама говорит, чтоб я шел спать, а папа говорит, что пора уже спать, а я не слушаюсь, пока нарочно не потушат свет, чтоб мне нельзя было больше читать. И вот то же самое с этим футболом. Не хватает у меня силы воли кончить вовремя игру, да и только!
... Я решил, что мне надо развивать сильную волю ... Для этого я буду делать не то, что хочется, а то, чего вовсе не хочется. Не хочется утром делать зарядку, — а я буду делать. Хочется идти играть в футбол, — а я не пойду. Хочется почитать интересную книжку, — а я не стану. Начать решил сразу, с этого же дня. В этот день мама испекла к чаю мое самое любимое пирожное, но я решил, что раз мне хочется съесть это пирожное, то я не буду его есть.
Наутро я встал — мне очень не хотелось делать зарядку, но я всё-таки сделал, потом пошел под кран обмываться холодной водой, потому что обмываться мне тоже не хотелось. Потом позавтракал и пошел в школу, а пирожное так и осталось лежать на тарелочке, когда я пришел, оно лежало по-прежнему. Я посмотрел на него. Мне очень захотелось тут же это прикончить, но я поборол в себе это желание.
В этот день я решил в футбол не играть, а просто отдохнуть часика полтора и тогда уже взяться за уроки. И вот после обеда я стал отдыхать. Но как отдыхать? Просто так отдыхать ведь не станешь. Отдых — это игра или какое-нибудь интересное занятие. «Чем же заняться?» — думаю.— «Во что поиграть?» Потом думаю: «Пойду-ка поиграю с ребятами в футбол». Не успел я это подумать, как ноги сами вынесли меня на улицу, и пирожное так и осталось лежать на тарелке.
(Н. Носов. «Витя Малеев в школе и дома»)
Exercise 20
I. Read the list of English idioms and find their Russian equivalents in the second list.
A.
To be back on track; a whole good hour; from time to time; year in, year out; on the run; in the dead of night; day in, day out; to play the fool; to twiddle one's thumbs.
B.
Время от времени; валять дурака; изо дня в день; из года в год; глубокой ночью; на бегу; битый час; войти в колею; бить баклуши.
II. Use the English idioms in sentences of your own speaking about your daily routine.
Exercise 21
I. Match the two halves of each proverb correctly. Translate them into Russian or give their Russian equivalents.
An early bird catches Jack a dull boy
Time is two things at once
Never put off till tomorrow a virtue
Time and tide a worm
Better late money
Everyday is not what you can do today
No man can do wait for no man
All work and no play makes Sunday
Punctuality is than never
II. Make up a story to illustrate one of these proverbs.
Exercise 22
Translate the quotations and comment upon them.
'A day is a miniature eternity.'
Ralph Emerson
'Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.'
Ralph Emerson
'Three o'clock is always too late or too early for anything you want to do.'
Jean-Paul Sartre
'The day is for honest men, the night for thieves.'
Euripides
'Every day, in every way, I am getting better and better.'
Emile Coue
Exercise 23
Role-play "Making a TV Programme".
Setting: The streets of a big modern city.
Situation: A television crew is making a programme about different lifestyles. The journalists stop people in the street and interview them. They ask questions about their daily routine. They try to find out what time they get up, whether they get enough sleep, what they have for breakfast/dinner/supper, whether they are fussy about food, how they get to work, whether they are late for work, what time they come back home, who does the cooking/cleaning/shopping/washing, etc., whether they are more awake in the morning or in the evening, what time they go to bed, what they do to keep fit, what they do to relax, whether they have any kind of social life, what puts them in a good mood, whether their daily routine is always the same.
Characters:
Card I—II — Christian and Christine, the journalists.
Card III—IV — Daniel and Diana, an actor and an actress. Famous and well-known.
Card V — Sheppard, a university student. Not very diligent.
Card VI — Shirley, a model. Willing to make a career.
Card VII — Patricia, a school teacher. Very responsible.
Card VIII — Felicia, a housewife. Has a large family.
Card IX — Raymond, a businessman. Very busy and very rich.
Card X — Letitia, a waitress in a restaurant. Young and carefree.
Card XI — Simon, a professional driver. Works hard and long hours.
WRITING
Exercise 1
Learn the spelling of the words in bold type from Introductory Reading and exercise 1 on page 68 and be ready to write a dictation.
Exercise 2
Write a short description of a) your busiest day; b) your day off; c) your favourite day in the form of diary notes. Follow the pattern:
Exercise 3
Write a composition or an essay on one of the following topics.
1. The Day Everything Went Wrong.
2. How I Organise My Time.
3. The Day Before You Came. (ABBA)
4. 'Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do the day after tomorrow.' (O. Wilde)
5. The Day of a Person Is a Picture of This Person.
Note:
Punctuation.
In writing it is very important to observe correct punctuation marks.
A full stop is put:
1) at the end of sentences;
2) in decimals (e.g. 3.5 — three point five).
A comma separates:
1) homogeneous parts of the sentence if there are more than three members (e.g. I saw a house, a garden, and a car);
2) parentheses (e.g. The story, to put it mildly, is not nice);
3) Nominative Absolute Constructions (e.g. The play over, the audience left the hall);
4) appositions (e.g. Byron, one of the greatest English poets, was born in 1788);
5) interjections (e.g. Oh, you are right!);
6) coordinate clauses joined by and, but, or, nor, for, while, whereas, etc. (e.g. The speaker was disappointed, but the audience was pleased);
7) attributive clauses in complex sentences if they are commenting (e.g. The Thames, which runs through London, is quite slow. Compare with a defining clause where no comma is needed — The river that/which runs through London is quite slow);
8) adverbial clauses introduced by if, when, because, though, etc. (e.g. If it is true, we are having good luck);
9) inverted clauses (e.g. Hardly had she entered, they fired questions at her);
10) in whole numbers (e.g. 25,500 — twenty five thousand five hundred).
Object clauses are not separated by commas (e.g. He asked what he should do).
To be continued on page 140.
Lesson 4 DOMESTIC CHORES