The recommended list of literature
1. Blokh M.Y. A Course in Theoretical English Grammar / M.Y. Blokh. – М.: Высшая школа, 1983.
2. Ganshina M.A., Vasilevskaya M.M. English Grammar / M.A. Ganshina, M.M. Vasilevskaya. – M.: Высшая школа, 1974.
3. Gordon E.M., Krylova I.P. A Grammar of Present-day English / E.M. Gordon, I.P. Krylova. – M.: Высшая школа, 1980.
4. Ilyish B.A. The Structure of Modern English / B.A. Ilyish. – Л.: Просвещение, 1971.
5. Morokhovskaya E.J. Fundamentals of Theoretical English Grammar / E.J. Morokhovskaya. – K.: Вища школа, 1984.
6. Каушанская Л.В. Грамматика английского языка. Морфология. Синтаксис / Л.В. Каушанская. – M.: Высшая школа, 2000.
7. Kobrina N.A. English Grammar. Morphology. Syntax / N.A. Kobrina. – M.: Просвещение, 1986.
8. Бархударов Л.С. Oчерки по морфологии современного английского языка / Л.С. Бархударов. – M.: Высшая школа, 1975.
9. Паращук В.Ю., Грицюк Л.Ф. Практикум з грамматики англійської мови / В.Ю. Паращук, Л.Ф. Грицюк. – Вінниця, 2002.
10. Хаймович Б.С., Роговская Б.И. Теоретическая граматика английского языка / Б.С. Хаймович, Б.И. Роговская. – М.: Высшая школа, 1967.
Seminar II. In the Mysterious World of the English Article
I. Theoretical questions for discussion
1. The use of articles with common nouns:
a) the use of articles with class nouns;
b) the use of articles with abstract nouns;
c) the use of articles with nouns of material.
2. The use of articles with proper nouns:
a) names of persons;
b) geographical names;
c) names of months and days.
3. The use of articles in some set expressions.
4. The use of articles in some syntactic relations:
a) the use of articles with predicative nouns;
b) the use of articles with nouns in apposition.
5. The use of articles with the nouns day, night, morning, evening.
6. The use of articles with names of seasons.
7. The use of articles with the nouns school, college, bed, prison, jail.
II. Practical task
Task I. Insert articles where necessary
Charles Dickens, … great English writer, was born on … 7th of … February 1812 in … small English town. He was … weak child and did not take part in … noisy and active games. … little boy was very capable. He learned to read at … early age and read many books in his childhood. When he was about six, someone took him to … theatre for … first time. He saw … play by Shakespeare and liked it so much that he decided to write … play himself. When it was ready, he performed it with some of his friends. Everybody enjoyed … performance and … little writer felt very happy.
When Charles was nine years old, … family moved to … London where they lived in … very old house. Charles’ father was … poor clerk. … life of … family was very hard. There were several younger children in … family besides Charles, … future writer could not even go to … school. At that time his father was put in … prison because he could not pay his debts. His wife and all … children went into … prison too. Those were … most unhappy days in … Charles’ life. At … age of ten he had to start working. … boy worked from … morning till … night to help his family.
When his father was out of prison, … young Charles was sent to … school where he remained three years. When he was fifteen he had to leave … school and start earning his own leaving again. He spent his spare time reading in … British Museum.
In … few years he became … newspaper reporter. In 1836 Dickens published his first book.
Task II. Insert articles where necessary. (Articles with class nouns.)
1. I think that _ man’s life is worth saving, whoever it belongs to. 2. Though _ earth was cold and wet, _ sky was clear and _ sun rose bright and beautiful. 3. He made them provide not one car, but half _ dozen. 4. Not _ word was spoken, not _ sound was made. 5. _ compass was invented in ancient China. 6. He looks older then he is, as _ dark men often do. 7. As … man sows, so shall he reap. 8. And what _ beautiful moth there is over there on _ wall. 9. _ old couldn’t help _ young. 10. When I was _ child, my mother used to make _ cakes.
Task III.Insert articles or some where necessary. (Articles with nouns of material.)
1. We sipped _ tea so weak that it tasted like _ metal against the teeth. 2. George said that we must take _ rug, _ lamp, _ soap, _ brush, and _ comb, _ tooth-brush, _ tooth-powder and _ couple of big towels for bathing. 3. _ children of his age seldom have natural pleasure in _ soap and water. 4. He bought _ cold beef, and _ ham, and _ French bread and butter, and came back with his pockets pretty heavily laden. 5. There were two bottles of _ wine, _ plate of _ oranges … with _ powdered sugar. 6. Here we have _ champagne, I quite forgot to offer you any, or would you rather have _ tea? 7. She made _ coffee. 8. _ coffee without _ bread could never honestly serve as supper.
Task IV.Insert articles where necessary. (Articles with abstract nouns.)
1. We both appreciate _ simplicity. 2. In less than _ week Cowperwood knew _ financial condition of Messrs. Waterman as well as they did, better, to _ dollar. 3. He had _ comfortable feeling of working alone in _ large empty building, _ feeling of _ peace and _ complete privacy. 4. I’ve reason to believe Fleur has never properly got over _ feeling she used to have. 5. You must learn to face _ life seriously, Stephen. 6. May you be happy in _ life you have chosen! 7. I love to think of _ time that will come some day when _ man will be conquered by _ nature, and _ toilworn human race enter upon _ era of _ peace. 8. And _ passion that held Strickland was _ passion to create beauty.
Task V. Insert articles where necessary. (Articles with geographical names.)
1. After _ tour in _ Austrian Alps they had gone to _ Hôtel Splendide at _ Montreux, in order to enjoy for _ day or two _ charmes of _ Lake Geneva. 2. Dusk was already falling on _ noble curve of _ Thames. 3. I hear he’s off to _ Central Africa. 4. In Ivanhoe Walter Scott describes _ England of _ Middle Ages. 5. _ Capetown is in _ South of Africa. 6. In _ heart of _ Central Asia lies _ Khoresm, _ small fertile area in _ sea of _ sand. 7. _ prospect ends in little hills that come nearly to _ sea; rudiments, these, of _ Atlas Mountains. 8. “We’ve been touring _ world. We tried _ South America. We lasted three days in _ Australia.” “Have you ever been to _ States?” 9. Michael looked quizzically at his parent. Did he quite understand _ England of today?
Task VI. Insert articles where necessary. (Special cases.)
A. Night, evening, morning.
1. Outside it was … night. 2. It was … warm night. 3. … night outside seemed very quiet. 4. It was … foggy night of November. 5. It was … evening, and he was walking across the school grounds on his way home. 6. He wondered what hour it was. … sun seemed to indicate _ late morning. 7. I think it’s going to be … fine morning, after all. 8. It is … early morning. 9. We are going to have … ideal night. 10. … night being sharp and frosty, we trembled from … head to … foot.
B. Bed, school, prison, town.
1. It was eleven o’clock. Annette was still in … bed. 2. Stefan, who had been sitting on the edge of … bed, came near to her and smiled for … first time. 3. Maycomb was … old town. 4. Dolores said nothing all … way to … town. 5. Yes, my brother and I had been to … school together. 6. Before that she had taught history in … girls’ school. 7. … school was not … particularly good one. 8. I never knew … lawyer yet who didn’t threaten to put me in … prison sooner or later. 9. Steger next visited … county jail, close on to five o’clock, when it was already dark.
Task VII. Insert articles where necessary. (Articles with set expressions.)
1. I trust you to tell me … bare truth, whatever it is. 2. On his trip round … world with Fleur he had often put his nose out and watched the dancing on … deck. 3. He decided that he would not at … present explain to her who he was. 4. I saw … good deal of him during … war. 5. She’s taken quite … fancy to you, Ridgeon. 6. All of … sudden, his face had become stony. 7. Mr. Byron could play … violin. 8. … rain had stopped, and we went on … foot to … Ebury Street. 9. We’ve had some tea … board … yacht.