Verb Patterns

Verbs + -ing form

Some verb are followed by a –ing form if the next word is a verb :

Give up (=stop doing something for the last time)

Admit (If you admit something, you agree it is true, and usually it is something bad.)

Some verbs are followed by an infinitive if the next word is a verb:

We were very busy but we managed to finish before 6 p.m.

I asked her to carry the suitcases but she refused to help.

They promised to phone as soon as they arrive.

            There are two common verbs followed by an object + infinitive without ‘to’. They are :

            Make someone do something, and let someone do something.

My parents make me do my homework every night. (=they force me to do my homework)

My parents let me go out after I’ve done my homework.  (=they allow/permit me to go)

Some verbs can be followed by an –ing form or infinitive, but the meaning is very similar e.g. love, like, hate and prefer. But with some verbs there is a difference in meaning.

I remembered to buy a present for my brother. (= I didn’t forget to buy a present)

I remember buying her a present. (=isn’t in my memory; it happened and I remember)

Verb Patterns

A. Verb + Object

Subject                 Verb                            object

She                       proposed                     the plan                                   at the meeting

They                     discussed                     the film                                  for hours

 B. Verb + object + question word

Subject                 verb                             object                          Qw

I                           told                              them                            where              to find it.

She                       asked                           us                                 why                 we wanted it.\

Note: A common mistake is: ‘He explained me what to do.’ After explain + question word there is no direct object. We say: ‘he explained what to do/ what I had to do.’

C. Verb + object + infinitive

Subject                 verb                             object                          infinitive

Se                         asked                           everyone                      to leave

I                           wanted                          the others                    to help                         us

She                       warned                         them                            to be                careful

Warn = tell someone of a possible danger, and often tell them what they should(n’t) do.

D. Verb + (object) + (that) clause

Subject                 verb                             object                          (that) clause

He                         said                                  -                             (that) is was good

She                       warned                          me                             (that) it was dangerous

E. Verb + (object) + preposition

He insisted on paying for the hotel. (note: use the-ing form of the verb after a preposition)

The manager apologied (to the customer) for the bad service. (=the manager said sorry)

Uncountable nouns and plural nouns

Uncountable nouns (e.g. information) :

Don’t have a plural form (information)

Are used with a singular verb (the information is)

Cannot be used with the indefinite article ‘a/an’. ( I want some information)

Countable nouns are for things we can count.

Example : dog, horse, man, shop, idea.

Uncountable nouns are for the  things that we cannot count.

Example : tea, sugar, water, air, rice.

Plural nouns (e.g trousers)

Only have a plural form and cannot be used with ‘a/an’ trousers

Usually have a plural verb (the trousers are)

Some plural nouns can be made singular using a pair of, e.g. a pair of trousers/sunglass

Other words which are usually plural include :

I bought a pair of  jeans yesterday.

There shorts are too long.

Phrasal Verbs: Grammar and Style

A. Grammar: intransitive verbs

     Some phrasal verbs are intransitive and do not need a direct object.

ü  The children are growing up. (= getting older and more mature)

ü  Don’t wait out there. Please come in. (=enter)

      With these verbs, you cannot put another word between the verb and adverb.

B. Grammar: transitive verbs

But many phrasal verbs are transitive and do need a direct object. With some of these, you can put the object between the verb and adverb.

ü  Turn on the TV

ü  Turn the TV on

C. Style: formal or informal

Some phrasal verbs can be used equally in written or spoken English. Sometimes this is because there is no other easy way to express the meaning of the phrasal verb.

The car broke down (= went wrong; stopped working) on the motorway.

D. Informal phrasal verbs

But most phrasal verbs are informal and are more common in spoken English. In written English there is often a more formal word with the same meaning.

Phrasal Verbs: Form and Meaning

A.  Formation

      A phrasal verb is a verb plus a preposition or adverb which creates a meaning different from the original verb.

      Example:
I ran into my teacher at the movies last night. (run + into = meet)
He ran away when he was. (run + away = leave home)

B.  Meaning

Sometimes the meaning of a phrasal verb is similar to the base verb, and the adverb just emphasises the meaning of the base verb, e.g. cut down, write down, clean out. But more often, the meaning of a phrasal verb is very different from the base verb, e.g. look for is different from look, but the meaning from look for is similar with search.

C.  Multiple meaning

Many phrasal verbs have more than one meaning, so you must be careful when you see a phrasal verb you think you know, or look up the meaning in a dictionary. The examples marked *, the phrasal verb is much more natural than the explanation in brackets.

ü  My alarm clock didn’t go off (= ring ) this morning.

ü  The bomb could go off (= explode ) at any minute.

Idioms and Fixed Expressions

A. What is an idiom?

An idiom is a group of words with a meaning that different from the individual words, and often difficult to understand from the individual words. Many of the phrasal verbs in Units 16 and 17 were idiomatic. Here are some more common idioms.

I’m sorry I can’t make it (= come) on Friday.

B. Fixed expressions

There are also expressions in English where the meaning is easy to understand, but the same idea in your language may need a completely different expressions. In other words, if you just translate from your language, you may say something in English which completely wrong. For this reason, you need to learn some expressions as idioms.

C. Using idioms

Idioms are important but they are be difficult so use correctly.

                  1.         With many idioms, if you make just a small mistake, it can sound strange, funny, or badly wrong. For example: get a move, a small talk, put an eye on, off-hands, etc.

                  2.         Idioms often have special features: they may be informal or funny or ironic; they may only be used by certain people (e.g. young children, or teenagers, or elderly people); they may only appear in limited contexts; they have special grammar. For these reasons, you can often ‘learn’ the meaning of an idiom but them use it incorrectly. For example; after her husband died she was down the dumps. (this idiom means ‘sad and depressed’ but is completely wrong here: the situation is too serious and the idiom is too informal).

           Idioms is an expression (i.e term or phrase) whose meaning cannot be deduced from the literal definitions and the arrangement of its parts, but refers instead to a figurative meaning that is known only through conventional use.

            In the English expression to kick the bucket, a listener knowing only the meaning of kick and bucket would be unable to deduce the expression’s actual meaning, which is to die. Although can refer literally to the act of striking a bucket with a foot, native speakers rarely use it that way.

Common features of idioms

1. Non-compositionality : The meaning of a collocation is not a straightforward composition of the         meaning of its part.

2. Other, like the common yet semantically strange “level well enough alone” may be a soramimi or mondegreen for “leave both well and ill alone”

3. Non-subtitutability : One cannot substitute a word in a collocation with a related word. For example, we cannot say kick the pail instead of kick the bucket and pail are synonyms.

4. Non-modifability : One cannot modify a collocation or apply syntactic transformations. For example, john kicked the green bucket or the bucket was kicked have nothing to do with dying. (However, John kicked his bucket was john’s bucket was kicked are both valid).

Example :

Have a set-to = Discuss                  Have a time = Have an opportunity

Have a shot at = Try                       Make a hullabeloo = Make a disturbance

                                                                                                                                                           

Nyms Family

I. a. Homonyms

        Homonyms are word forms that have two or more distinct meanings.

        In derivation, homonym means “same name”, homophone means “same soud”,

        homograph means “same writing”, heteronym means (somewhat confusingly  means                                     

        “different name”, and hetephony means “different sound”.

        Examples :

        Chair, meaning either something in the room or the place, or a someone who guide.

        Hug, meaning either the curb, or embrace.

        Know → No                               Weight → Way                       Won → One

 

I. b. Synonyms

       Synonyms are different words with similar or identical meanings and are interchangeable.

       Synonyms can be nouns, adverbs or adjectives, as long as both members of the pair are the        

       same part of speech.

       Cute = Sweet          Small = Little           Connection = Relationship

       Large = Big             With = By                Prisoner = Punishment

I. c. Antonyms

       Antonyms are words with opposite or nearly opposite meanings.

       Small >< Big          Long >< Short          Thin >< Fat             Kind >< Cruel

       Clean >< Dirty       Dark >< Bright         Usual >< Perfect     Laugh >< Angry

Collocation ( Word Partners )

A.    What is Collocation

        Collocation is mind word partners or some word go together.

        Information about collocation is important for dictionary writing, natural language processing and language teaching.

        Example :

        a Lot of money = [ not much money ]

        Because Lot is use to some count, but much is use to uncountable.

B.    Verb + Noun

        The meaning of many of these examples may be clear, but did you know these w=verbs and nouns go together? Is it same or different in your language?

        Open the window

        Open your mind

C.    Adjective + Noun

        Common adjectives often combine with a wide range of nouns.

        Wild child      ( = Naughty child )

        Wild animal   ( = Animal which live in freedom )

D.    Adverb + Adjective

        In these examples, all the adverbs mean very, but we choose to use them with certain adjectives. ( you can still use very in all of these examples if you wish ).

        He’s highly unlike to come now. ( = I’m  almost sure he will not come )

Verb or Adjective  +  Preposition

A.   Verb ( + preposition )

        Here are some common examples of verbs which are usually followed by a particular preposition. You will probably know most of these verbs, but do you always get the preposition right? Pay special attention to any that are different in your language.

        Don’t worry ( = be nervous ) about your exam, it’ll be OK.

B.   Change of meaning

        Sometimes a verb may be followed by different prepositions, and the meaning changes.

        He look at me   ( = He se me )

        He look for        (= Search something )

C.    Adjective ( + preposition )

         He says he's sorry for   ( = He fell very regret ) shouting at you.

         The busy on work         ( = Very busy )

       

Preposition  +  Noun

A.   Common patterns

        Sometimes a preposition is used with a particular meaning in a number of expressions, so they are very common.

        Rina Live on Bungurasih dalam street, Rani Live on Deltasari street  ( but, I live in sidoarjo )

B.    Fixed expressions

        Sometimes it is difficult to know why a particular preposition is used, and you must learn these as fixed expressions.

        She drives the car slowly ( because the traffic jam )

C.    In time or on time

        Sometimes two preposition can be used with the same noun, but the meaning is different.

What is the difference between on time and in time?"

"What is the difference between in the end and at the end?"

"On time = at the planned time; neither late nor early:

Peter wants the meeting to start exactly on time

In time = with enough time to spare; before the last moment:

He would have died if they hadn’t got him to the hospital in time." p. 450

"In the end = finally, after a long time:

In the end, I got a visa for Russia.

 At the end = at the point where something stops:

I think the film’s a bit weak at the end. p. 450

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