C U P R I N S - Universitatea Spiru Haret

Transcription

Conf. univ. dr. CAMELIA FIRICĂ
LIMBA ENGLEZĂ
Curs în tehnologia ID-IFR
 Editura Fundaţiei România de Mâine, 2014
http://www.edituraromaniademaine.ro/
Editură recunoscută de Ministerul Educaţiei, Cercetării, Tineretului
şi Sportului prin Consiliul Naţional al Cercetării Ştiinţifice
din Învăţământul Superior (COD 171)
Descrierea CIP a Bibliotecii Naţionale a României
FIRICĂ, CAMELIA
Limba engleză: curs în tehnologia ID-IFR autor/Camelia Firică - Bucureşti, Editura Fundaţiei
România de Mâine, 2014
Bibliogr.
ISBN
Reproducerea integrală sau fragmentară, prin orice formă
şi prin orice mijloace tehnice,
este strict interzisă şi se pedepseşte conform legii.
Răspunderea pentru conţinutul şi originalitatea textului revine exclusiv autorului/autorilor.
Redactor: Constantin FLOREA
Tehnoredactor: Magdalena ILIE
Coperta: Magdalena ILIE
Bun de tipar:
Editura Fundaţiei România de Mâine
Str. Fabricii; nr. 46 G, Bucureşti, Sector 6
Tel./Fax: 021/444.20.91; www.spiruharet.ro
e-mail: [email protected]
UNIVERSITATEA SPIRU HARET
FACULTATEA DE DREPT ȘI ADMINISTRAȚIE PUBLICĂ CRAIOVA
CAMELIA FIRICĂ
LIMBA ENGLEZĂ
– Curs în tehnologie ID/IFR –
Realizatori curs în tehnologie IDIFR
Conf. univ. dr. FIRICĂ CAMELIA
EDITURA FUNDAŢIEI ROMÂNIA DE MÂINE
Bucureşti, 2014
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCERE ………………………………………………………………………………………..
9
UNIT 1
INTRODUCING ONESELF AND GREETING PEOPLE
1. 1. WHAT IS YOUR NAME? HOW OLD ARE YOU?.........................................................................
1.1. 1. Grammar focus. Exercises .............................................................................................................
1.1.1.1. The indefinite article....................................................................................................................
1.1.1.2. Possessive adjectives....................................................................................................................
1.1.1.3. The present indicative of the verb to be........................................................................................
1.1.1.4. The plural of nouns - I...................................................................................................................
1. 2. LOCATIONS AND DIRECTIONS. WHAT IS THIS? WHAT ARE THOSE?...............................
1.2.1. Grammar focus Exercises .................................................................................................................
1.2.1.1. The definite article........................................................................................................................
1.2.1.2. The zero article..............................................................................................................................
1.2.1.3. Demonstrative adjectives and pronouns........................................................................................
1.2.1.4. There is, there are constructions....................................................................................................
1. 3. EXPRESSING POSSESION. I HAVE GOT MY DICTIONARY. WHOSE IS THIS?....................
1.3. 1. Grammar focus Exercises................................................................................................................
1.3. 2. The present indicative of the verb to have.......................................................................................
1.3. 3. Possessive pronouns.........................................................................................................................
1.3. 4. Interrogative pronouns and adjectives: who, what, which...............................................................
12
13
13
14
14
15
18
21
21
22
23
24
24
26
26
27
27
UNIT 2
DESCRIBING THINGS, PEOPLE. WHAT ARE THINGS MADE OF? WHAT ARE THEY
LIKE?
2.1. WHAT ARE YOU LIKE?...................................................................................................................
2.1.1. Grammar focus. Exercises...............................................................................................................
2.1.1.1. The plural of nouns II....................................................................................................................
2.2. RELATIVES. ALL ABOUT MY FAMILY........................................................................................
2.2.1. Grammar focus. Exercises................................................................................................................
2.2.1.1. Place of adjective...........................................................................................................................
2.2.1.2. The genitive case............................................................................................................................
2.3. DAILY ACTIVITIES. WHAT I USUALLY DO EVERY DAY........................................................
2.3.1. Grammar focus. Exercises ...............................................................................................................
2.3.1.1. The simple present ........................................................................................................................
2.3.1.2. Reflexive and emphasising pronouns.............................................................................................
29
30
30
33
34
34
34
36
37
37
38
UNIT 3
WORK, PROFESSIONS, OCCUPATIONS, TRADES. WHAT’S YOUR ROFESSION
3.1. HOW DO YOU EARN YOUR LIVING?...........................................................................................
3.1.1. Grammar focus. Exercises ..............................................................................................................
3.1.1.1. Indefinite pronouns and adjectives. Compounds of some, any, no………………………………
3.2. EXPRESSING TIME. WHAT TIME IS IT? WHAT’S THE TIME………………………………..
42
44
44
47
49
5
3.2.1.1. The cardinal numeral…………………………………………………………………………….
3.3. EXPRESSING DATE. WHAT DATE IS IT?.....................................................................................
3.3.1.1. The ordinal numeral……………………………………………………………………………...
49
54
55
55
UNIT 4
THINGS YOU CAN, MUST AND MAY DO
4.1. CAN YOU SPEAK ENGLISH?..........................................................................................................
4.1.1.1. Modal Verbs……………………………………………………………………………………...
4.1.1.2. Personal Pronouns in Dative and Accusative ……………………………………………………
4.1.1.3. The Imperative Mode…………………………………………………………………………….
4.2. LEISURE ACTIVITIES AND SKILLS……………………………………………………………..
4.2.1.1. The Indefinite Participle …………………………………………………………………………
4.3. WHAT ARE THEY DOING?.............................................................................................................
4.3.1.1. The Present Continuous………………………………………………………………………….
4.3.1.2. Near Future………………………………………………………………………………………
59
60
60
62
62
66
67
67
70
71
71
74
UNIT 5
SEASONS AND WEATHER. WHAT SEASON DO YOU LIKE BEST?
5.1. WHAT SEASON DO YOU LIKE BEST?..........................................................................................
5.1.1.1. Past tense of the verb to be; Past tense of the verb to have; Past tense of the verb can .............
5.1.1.2. The Adjective - Degrees of Comparison ......................................................................................
5.2. HOLIDAYS AND CELEBRATIONS ................................................................................................
5.2.1. Grammar focus Exercises ................................................................................................................
5.2.1.1. The simple past .............................................................................................................................
5.3. TRAVELLING BY AIR. AT THE AIRPORT ...................................................................................
5.3.1.1. The past tense. Continuous Aspect ...............................................................................................
5.4. TRAVELLING BY LAND. AT THE RAILWAY STATION ……………………………………...
5.4.1.1. Past Participle ……………………………………………………………………………………
5.4.1.1.The present perfect. Common aspect .............................................................................................
78
80
80
81
85
87
87
90
91
91
93
94
94
95
UNIT 6
A BUSY WORKING DAY
6.1. A BUSY WORKING DAY …………………………………………………………………………
6.1.1. Grammar focus. Exercises ..............................................................................................................
6.1.1.1. The Present Perfect Tense. Continuous aspect ............................................................................
6.2. CITY TRAFFIC ……………………………………………………………………………………..
6.2.1.1. The Future Tense. Common aspect. The Adverb .........................................................................
6.3. SHOPS AND SHOPPING. WHERE DO YOU SHOP? ………………………………………........
6.3.1.1. The Future Tense. Continuous Aspect ..........................................................................................
6.4. FOOD. MEALS IN ENGLAND .........................................................................................................
6.4.1.1. The Past Perfect Tense. Common Aspect. The Past Perfect Tense. Continuous Aspect ……….
UNIT 7
GETTING READY FOR AN INTERVIEW. WRITING FOR PROFESSIONAL PURPOUSE
6
97
98
98
100
102
102
104
106
106
107
109
109
7.1. GETTING READY FOR AN INTERVIEW. The curriculum vitae. Having an interview.................
7.2. CORRESPONDENCE KEEPS RELATIONS ALIVE. Writing for professional purposes. Formal
and informal English in business writing .................................................................................................
7.3. BRITISH AND AMERICAN ENGLISH - Differences; Spelling rules .............................................
7.4. PARTS OF A FORMAL LETTER. LETTER FORMAT ..................................................................
111
116
124
126
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INTRODUCERE
Includerea în planul de învăţământ a unui curs de Limba engleză nu mai trebuie justificată în
contextul actual internațional când fenomenul globalizării lingvistice dar şi politica de promovare intensă,
din ultimii ani de către Uniunea Europeană dar şi de fiecare stat membru în parte, a multiculturalismului,
sunt atât de vizibile.
Obiectivele cursului
Cursul Limba engleză se axează pe activităţi prevăzute să contribuie la perfecţionarea abilităţilor de
citire, ascultare, exprimare, interacţiune şi scriere ale cursanţilor şi la atingerea unui nivel ridicat de
cunoştinţe de limba engleză. Vocabularul nou şi problemele de gramatică vor fi introduse prin intermediul
unor fragmente extrase dintr-o varietate de surse, cursanţii fiind astfel încurajaţi să reacţioneze la texte şi
contexte diferite şi să devină din ce în ce mai conştienţi nu doar de aspectele lingvistice, dar şi de cele
culturale ale învăţării unei limbi străine. Cursul va include, de asemenea, activităţi de traducere, de
comunicare şi prezentare a unor situaţii, cu aplicare directă în activitatea viitoare a cursanţilor.
Competenţe conferite
Prin promovarea acestui curs, studenţii îşi vor dezvolta capacitatea de a comunica în scris şi oral,
de a înţelege diferite mesaje in situaţii variate şi de a se face la rândul lor înţeleşi în cadrul unei
comunicări. Astfel se vor dobândi competenţe teoretice şi practice privind:
– capacitatea de a iniţia şi susţine conversaţii pe subiecte familiare dar şi juridice, exersând prin
conversaţii/dialoguri pe diverse teme;
– exprimarea şi argumentarea propriilor opinii în mod corect şi coerent în limba engleză;
– identificarea ideilor esenţiale ale unui mesaj scris sau oral, selectarea şi sintetizarea informaţiei
necesare dintr-un text dat;
– cunoştinţele de gramatică;
– vocabularul de specialitate în domeniul juridic;
– elaborarea de texte pentru o varietate de scopuri;
– strategiile necesare diverselor situaţii comunicaţionale.
Resurse şi mijloace de lucru
Cursul dispune de un manual scris, supus studiului individual al studenţilor, precum şi de material
publicat pe Internet sub formă de sinteze, teste de autoevaluare, aplicaţii necesare întregirii cunoştinţelor
practice şi teoretice în domeniul studiat. În timpul convocărilor, în prezentarea cursului sunt folosite
echipamente audio-vizuale, metode interactive şi participative de antrenare a studenţilor pentru
conceptualizarea şi vizualizarea practică a noţiunilor predate. Activităţi tutoriale se pot desfăşura după
următorul plan tematic, prin dialog la distanţă, pe Internet, dezbateri în forum, răspunsuri online la
întrebările studenţilor în timpul e-consultaţiilor:
1. Introducing oneself and greeting people. (4 ore)
2. Work, professions, occupations, trades. (4 ore)
3. A busy working day. Getting ready for an interview. Having an interview (4 ore)
4. Correspondence keeps relations alive. Writing for professional purposes. (4 ore)
Structura cursului în tehnologie IFR
Cursul este compus din 7 unităţi de învăţare:
Unit 1.
Unit 2.
Unit 3.
Unit 4.
Unit 5.
Unit 6.
Unit 7.
DESCRIBING THINGS, PEOPLE. WHAT ARE THINGS MADE OF?
WHAT ARE THEY LIKE?
WORK, PROFESSIONS, OCCUPATIONS, TRADES. WHAT’S YOUR
PROFESSION
A BUSY WORKING DAY
GETTING READY FOR AN INTERVIEW. HAVING AN INTERVIEW.
WRITING FOR PROFESSIONAL PURPOUSE
Teme de control (TC)
Desfăşurarea activităţilor tutoriale va fi structurată pe prezentări şi dezbateri pe unităţile de învăţare
programată şi aplicaţii practice, simulări de teste, după tematica de mai sus.
Bibliografie:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Firică, Camelia. 2013. Limba engleză, Craiova, Universitaria
Firică, Camelia. 2009. Brush up on your everyday English, Craiova, Universitaria
Firică, Camelia. 2006. Curs de limbă engleză - partea I, II, Craiova, Sitech
Barbu, A., Chirimbu, S. 2006. English language for daily use, Bucureşti, Editura Fundaţiei
Romania de Mâine
Stefan R., Vasilescu R., Marcoci S., Beldea E., 2005. Come along, Editura Fundaţiei România de
Mâine, Bucuresti
Georgiana Gălăţeanu-Fârnoagă, Ecaterina Comişel. 2002. Gramatica limbii engleze, Bucureşti,
Lucman
Gheorghe Bică, Camelia Firică, Cristian Firică, 2004, A dictionary of Legal and Law Issues,
Craiova, Editura Sitech
Academia Română. 2004. Dictionar Englez-român, Bucureşti, Univers Enciclopedic
Metoda de evaluare:
Examenul final se susţine sub formă electronică, pe bază de grile, ţinându-se cont de activitatea şi
evaluarea pe parcurs la seminar/proiect a studentului.
10
UNIT 1
Contents:
1.1. WHAT IS YOUR NAME? HOW OLD ARE YOU?
1.1. 1. Grammar focus. Exercises
1.1.1.1. The indefinite article.
1.1.1.2. Possessive adjectives
1.1.1.3. The present indicative of the verb to be
1.1.1.4. The plural of nouns - I
1. 2. LOCATIONS AND DIRECTIONS. WHAT IS THIS? WHAT ARE THOSE?
1.2.1. Grammar focus. Exercises
1.2.1.1. The definite article
1.2.1.2. The zero article
1.2.1.3. Demonstrative adjectives and pronouns
1.2.1.4. There is, there are constructions
1.3. EXPRESSING POSSESION. I HAVE GOT MY DICTIONARY. WHOSE IS THIS?
1.3.2. The present indicative of the verb to have
1.3.3. Possessive pronouns
1.3.4. Interrogative pronouns and adjectives: who, what, which.
Unit Objectives and competences:
- Brush up on your knowledge about how to (1) introduce
yourself and greet people; (2) give direction and describe locations;
(3) express possession;
- Practise grammar issues: indefinite, definite, zero articles;
possessive adjectives and pronouns; present indicative of the verbs to
be, to have; plural of nouns; numeral; demonstrative adjectives and
pronouns; there is, there are constructions; interrogative pronouns and
adjectives.
Let’s Talk!
 Introduce yourself by answering the following questions. What
is your first name? What is your second name? Have you got a middle
name, a nickname, or a name day? What are you? What’s your
occupation? What are your parents’ names? What is your marital
status - are you married, single, divorced? Have you got siblings?
What are their names? What are they?
 About age! How old are you? How old are your parents? How
old is your girl/boy friend?
 About where someone is from. What city are you from? What is
the name of your country? Is Romania a foreign country for you?
What is the capital of your country? What is your mother tongue?
How many inhabitants are there in your country?
 About friends. Have you got a girlfriend/boyfriend? How old is
she/he? What is her/his name? Have you got friends abroad?
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 About greeting someone. What do you say when you meet
someone for the first time? How do you greet your friends? What are
the greetings in English?
1. WHAT IS YOUR NAME? HOW OLD ARE YOU?
READING. Read and pay attention to the use of the
phrases and change the following indirect questions into direct ones
according to the model:
Model: Ask me what I am. - What are you?
Ask who they are. - Who are they?
Ask who she is. Ask who the lawyer is.
Ask me how old I am. Ask how old men are. Ask how old the
lawyer is.
Ask if it is late or early. Ask if the students are usually late or
early.
Ask if the child is afraid of his parents. Ask what people are
afraid of.
Ask me where the man is from. Ask me where I am from.
- Good morning! Let me introduce myself to you. My name is
Sandra Law and I am a teacher. I am your teacher of English. You are
students. You are all my students. You are all freshmen. You are not
teachers. You are all present for our first class. I’m happy to see that
nobody is absent. She is a girl and he is a boy. She is not a woman
and he is not a man. We are all in the classroom. It is our classroom. It
is not their classroom.
- Let’s have a talk in English, to know one another better. Please
answer my questions, will you?
- What are you?
- We are students.
- What is my name and what am I?
- Your name is Mrs. Law and you are our English teacher.
- What are they?
- They are students, too. They are our colleagues.
- What is your name?
- My name is David.
- What is her name?
- Her name is Mary.
- What is his name?
- His name is Dan.
- What are their names?
- Their names are David, Mary and Dan.
- Who are you?
- I am Martin.
- How old are you, Mary?
- I am twenty years old. I’m young. We are all young people.
- Who is he?
- He is Dan. He is my colleague and friend, too.
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- How old is Dan? Is he twenty, too?
- No, he is not. He is not twenty. He is nineteen years old.
- How are you today?
- I’m fine, thanks. We are all very well.
- How is your girl friend, today, David?
- She is not so well, I’m afraid. She is ill, right now.
- I’m sorry to hear that. How are your colleagues? How are they?
- Oh, they are all right.
- Where is the teacher, Jane?
- The teacher is in the classroom, and so are we all.
- What country are you from, and what is your native language?
- I’m from England and English is my native language, of course.
- Where is Martin from and what is his mother tongue?
- He is from Romania and Romanian is his language. English is a
foreign language for him. Martin is from Bucharest. I know
Bucharest is the capital of Romania, as London is the capital of
England and Paris is the capital of France. Bucharest lies in the
middle of large fields and it is situated on the banks of the river
Dâmboviţa, in the Danube Plain. My girlfriend is from France.
France is a European country; its people are French and their
language is called French too. The people of the United States of
America are Americans but their language is English, too.
- I have friends in Italy and their language is Italian, and in Spain and
they speak Spanish. They are my pen friends. The people of
Germany are German and they speak German, the people of Greece
are Greek and their language is Greek. Turkish people are from
Turkey and their language is Turkish. Danes are from Denmark and
their language is Danish as Dutch people are from Holland and their
language is Dutch. Norway is inhabited by Norwegians. Its
inhabitants speak Norwegian. China’s inhabitants are Chinese and
Chinese is their mother tongue.
-Very well, thank you.
GRAMMAR FOCUS
THE INDEFINITE ARTICLE
Articolul nehotărât în limba engleză este: a / an şi prezintă
următoarele caracteristici:
 se plasează înaintea substantivului pe care îl determină: a teacher,
a headmaster, a student, a classroom;
 are forma a şi se pronunţă [ei] cînd este accentuat şi [∂] când
cuvântul care urmează începe cu un sunet consonantic, semivocalic
(w, y), o vocală cu sunet consonantic sau înaintea unui cuvânt care
începe cu u cînd acesta se pronunţă precum 'you' în 'youth.':
a good teacher, a woman, a year, a European county, a unit
of measurement;
 are forma an şi se pronunţă [∂n] când cuvântul care urmează
începe cu un sunet vocalic, cu h mut (în cuvintele hour, heir, honour):
an English book, an accountant, an ice cream, an apple; an
hour;

are aceiaşi formă indiferent de genul şi cazul substantivului pe
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care îl determină;

nu precede substantive la numărul plural.
Articolul nehotărât se foloseşte:
 înaintea substantivelor care denumesc o profesie, o meserie,
naţionalitatea, religia şi în faţa cuvintelor: man, woman, child:
I am a teacher. He is an Englishman. My husband is
not a Catholic. Our teacher is a woman not a man. They have
a child.
 când se face referire la o persoană necunoscută sau fără
importanţă:
A Mr. Brown looked for you yesterday. Un oarecare
domn Brown te-a căutat ieri.

când se face o asemănare, o alăturare:
She considers herself to be a Queen Victoria. Se crede o regina
Victoria

după: such (atât de), what (ce), half (jumătate):
Such a beautiful weather! O vreme aşa frumoasă!
What a stupid thing to do! Ce lucru prostesc să faci!
We talked for half an hour. Am vorbit timp de o jumătate de oră.

în expresii care conţin un număr sau o cantitate:
a dozen eggs, a hundred books, a million years, a litte money.
POSSESIVE ADJECTIVES
PERSON
I
II
III
PLURAL
SINGULAR
My
Your
His
Her
Its
Our
Your
Their
Adjectivul posesiv prezintă următoarele caracteristici:
însoţeşte întotdeauna un substantive, precedându-l:
my book, your exercise books, his friend, her room;
 are formă invariabilă indiferent de genul şi numărul substantivului
pe care îl determină;
 adjectivele însoţite de un adjectiv posesiv nu sunt articulate:
my English book, your good teachers, her bad language.

THE PRESENT INDICATIVE OF THE VERB TO BE
Affirmative
I am / I’m
You are/ you’re
He is/ he’s
She is/ she’s
It is/ it’s
We are/we’re
You are/you’re
They are/ they’re
14
Negative
I am not/ I’m not
You are not/ aren’t
He is not/ isn’t
She is not/isn’t
It is not/ isn’t
We are not/ aren’t
You are not/ aren’t
They are not/ aren’t
Interrogative
Am I?
Are you?
Is he?
Is she?
Is it?
Are we?
Are you?
Are they ?
TO BE este verbul care se foloseşte, în mod normal, pentru a denota
existenţa, starea sau profesiunea unei persoane sau a unui lucru.
The students are diligent. Studenţii sunt silitori.
He is a driver. El este şofer.
Gold is yellow. Aurul este galben.
Atenţie! Acest verb este întotdeauna folosit pentru exprimarea
vârstei în limba engleză:
How old are you? I’m 20. I’m 20 years old (niciodată nu vom
spune doar: I’m 20 years.)
How old is your son? He is 25. He is 25 years old.
How old are your children? They are both eleven. They are
both eleven years old
Exprimarea preţului în limba engleză se face tot cu ajutorul
verbului to be.
How much is this book? Cât costă această carte?
It’s 2 dollars. Costă 2 dolari.
How much are these shoes? Cât costă aceşti pontofi?
They are 100 dollars. Costă 100 de dolari.
 To be însoţit de un verb la infinitivul lung (cu particula to) poate
exprima:
 un plan viitor:
The teacher is to give a lecture next week. Profesorul
urmează să ţină o conferinţă săptămâna viitoare.
 o necesitate, un ordin:
You are to stay here untill I come! Să stai aici până vin!
They are to obey the rules. Ei trebuie să respecte regulile.
Atenţie! Singura situaţie în care verbul to be se conjugă cu
auxiliarul to do este când verbul to be este folosit la modul imperativ
negativ:
Don’t be late to school! Nu întârzia la şcoală!
Don’t be sorry! Să nu-ţi pară rău!
Verbul to be intră în componenţa unor expresii:
to be hungry, to be thisrty, to be cold, to be hot, to be warm,
to be right, to be wrong, to be sorry, to be afraid, to be at a loss, to be
late, to be early, to be over, to be about to.
THE PLURAL OF NOUNS - I
În mod obişnuit, în limba engleză, pluralul substantivelor se formează
prin adăugarea terminaţiei s la forma de singular a acestora:
SINGULAR
student
teacher
book
PLURAL
students
teachers
books
Substantivele terminate în ch, sh, s, ss, x, zz şi o precedat de o
consoană formează pluralul prin adăugarea terminaţiei es:
15
SINGULAR
bench
bush
boss
box
buzz
potato
PLURAL
benches
bushes
bosses
boxes
buzzes
potatoes
În cazul substantivelor terminate în ch pronunţat [k] se adaugă doar desinenţa de
plural, s:
SINGULAR
Czech
epoch
PLURAL
Czechs
epochs
Cuvintele de origine străină şi abrevierile terminate în o formează pluralul doar
prin adăugarea terminaţiei s:
SINGULAR
piano
photo
kilo
PLURAL
pianos
photos
kilos
Substantivele compuse exprimate în scris printr-un singur cuvânt
adaugă terminaţia de plural la cel de-al doilea termen:
SINGULAR
classroom
schoolboy
schoolgirl
PLURAL
classrooms
schoolboys
schoolgirls
Substantivele compuse care se termină în ful formează pluralul
adăugând terminaţia s la sfârşitul cuvântului compus: SINGULAR
cupful
handful
tablespoonful
PLURAL
cupfuls
handfuls
tablespoonfuls
Cuvintele compuse, scrise cu sau fără cratimă, formate dintr-un
substantiv urmat de un adjectiv sau orice altă expresie calificativă
adaugă desinenţa de plural la substantiv:
SINGULAR
brother-inlaw
attorney-general
notary public
PLURAL
brothers-in-law
attorneys-general
notaries public
Dacă nici unul din elementele componente ale unui substantiv compus
nu este substantiv, pluralul se formează prin adăugarea terminaţiei –s
la ultimul cuvânt:
16
SINGULAR
grown-up
break- in
PLURAL
grown-ups
break-ins
Cuvintele compuse cu substantivele man şi woman, cunoscute ca
având plural neregulat, vor forma pluralul cu men şi women dar vor
adăuga şi terminaţia s la celălalt substantiv:
SINGULAR
manservant
womandoctor
PLURAL
menservants
womendoctors
1. Put a or an before each of the following, paying attention to the
silent h:
…old lady, …university, … hospital, …aeroplane, …elephant, …egg,
…bad egg, …attorney, …arm, …hotel, …history book, …honest
man, …house, …ear, …eye, …hobby, …oil can, …actor, …auction,
…honour, …great honour.
2. In the following sentences replace the verb must with the
corresponding form of to be according to the model. Translate the
new sentences.
Model: I must leave tomorrow. - I am to leave tomorrow.
1. I must see the headmaster at noon. 2. Must I see him in his office?
3. When must they meet the manager? 4. They must meet him on
Monday. 5. They must not meet him on Sunday. 6. Must they know
that their friends are not coming? 7. We told her she must not make
the same mistake again. 8. The student must do the spelling exercise
again. 9. You must not do that. 10. You must be at the station at 8
p.m.
3. Make sentences with the following verbs expressing prohibition,
according to the pattern:
Model: touch – You mustn’t touch my papers.
You are not to touch my papers.
The verbs are: disturb people, talk too loud, smoke, eat many
sweets, break law, make noise, cross the street, sing, shout at the
judge, drink, miss your classes, be late, waste time.
4. Make up a series of sentences illustrating different uses of the verb
to be.
5. Complete the sentences with my, your, his, her, its, our, your, and
their:
1. My daughter is doing ... homework in ... room.
2. Do they live with ... parents?
3. Does your brother live with ... parents-in-law?
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4. I live in ... flat and I have new furniture. I love ... flat.
5. Clerks are in ... offices. This accountant is not in ... office.
6. London is famous for ... Big Ben.
7. London is also famous for ... changeable weather.
8. Ben, is this ... penknife?
9. Mother, it’s raining cats and dogs! Have you got ... umbrella?
10. When we go to ... friends at the seaside we sleep in ... room.
6. Complete these sentences with names of the inhabitants of the
country in brackets:
1. (England) are famous for being calm and fond of drinking tea.
2. I am to meet a group of (Bulgaria) at the seaside this summer.
3. Most (Hungary) visit North Transylvania.
4. There are lots of (America, Italy) and (Germany) business people
present at the auction.
5. Some (Austria), we are to meet at the Olympic Games, visit our
country after the competition.
6. (Romania) are peace-loving and very hospitable people.
7. The (Greece), we are to live at, when we visit Greece, have a
chain store.
8. The people who live in Finland are (Finland) and their language
is Finnish, and those who live in Norway are (Norway) and they
speak Norwegian.
9. (Holland) speak a difficult language - Dutch.
10. (France) speak a beautiful language - French.
2. LOCATIONS AND DIRECTIONS.
WHAT IS THIS? WHAT ARE THOSE?
phrases and then ask question according to the model:
Model: Show your colleagues your pen and ask what it is. - What
is this? This is a pen.
Show the wall and ask what it is. - What is that? That is the wall.
Show your colleagues some books / some sheets of paper and ask
what they are.
Show those desks and the chairs and ask what they are.
Show this window and ask what it is.
Show that door and ask what it is.
Ask if there is a computer in the classroom.
Ask if there are pictures and maps on the walls.
Ask if there are many people in the street.
Ask if there are many new words in the new lesson.
- What is this?
- This is an office. This office is large, clean and bright. It is very
modern, too. There are a lot of things in this office: two desks and two
chairs for the clerks, two shelves and two computers on each desk.
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One computer is on, one is off. This is the door and that is the
window. The door is closed; the window is open and it is opposite the
door. This is the floor and that is the ceiling. There are not carpets on
the floor but there are lamps on the ceiling above the desks. There are
lamps on the desks too. The floor is down, the ceiling is up. The floor
is under our feet, the ceiling is above our heads. Those desks are in
front of the window and those chairs are behind the desks. There are
shelves in this office, too. These two shelves are against the wall and
between them there is a modern clock that tells the right time. There
are pots with plants all over this office. The place is very welcoming.
- What are these, and what are those?
- These are the sheets of paper and those are the files. These
sheets of paper are in this drawer and those files are on those shelves.
Oh, look! Here’s a drawer full with envelopes, stamps, labels, glue,
paste, paper clips and folders. There are fountain pens, pencils,
ballpoint pens, rubbers and rulers on the desks. There are not
inkstands or inkpots on the desks because nowadays people rarely
write in ink using an old fashioned pen with nib.
- There is a calendar on the wall, but there aren’t pictures.
- Is there a map, too?
- No, there isn’t. There isn’t any map in this office.
- Is that the computer?
- Yes, it is. That is the computer
- Are these the clerks and secretaries?
- Yes, they are. These are the clerks and secretaries.
- Are those their desks and chairs?
- No, these are. Those aren’t theirs.
ASKING FOR DIRECTIONS
- Excuse me, can you tell me
the way to the hospital?
- I beg your pardon, how do I
get to the Art Museum?
- Pardon me! How do I get to
the nearest Post Office?
- How can I get to the nearest
Post Office? Can I get there by
car/by bus/by taxi?
- Am I on the right way to
University?
- Where is the Ministry of
Education?
- How can I reach to the
GIVING DIRECTIONS
- Go straight on.
- Go straight ahead.
- Go down this road and take
the third turning on the
right/left.
- You can take the bus and get
off at the second/at the third/at
Patria station.
-You go straight along this road
and take the second turning on
the left/right.
- Keep straight on past the
school and turn to the left/
right.
- Go back for about... metres
there’s the bus stop.
-Yes, you are./No, you are not.
- It’s right down the street.
- It’s on the right/left hand side
of the street.
Follow this street to the end.
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nearest Police Station?
- Is this the way to the City
Hall?
You are going on the right/
wrong way.
- You are going in the opposite
direction. Go back and take a
taxi/the bus/the tube and get off
at ... station.
Prepositions of location
Preposition
across
after
among
at
behind
below
between
in
in front of
nearby
next to / beside
/ by
on
over/above
under / below
Examples
The railway station is across the street.
The police run after the robber.
I enjoy being among my friends.
The secretary is sitting at her desk.
The orchard is behind the house.
The poster is below the window.
The lawyer is sitting between the two
witnesses.
They live in a new district.
Who is that in front of your door?
There is no supermarket nearby.
The university is next to/beside/by the
National Theatre.
There is a clock in the wall. Have a seat on
this chair.
The sign hanging above the door reads 'No
smoking'.
Airplanes fly over the buildings.
The temperature this winter was below 0.
Don’t look below!
Prepositions of movement
Preposition
to
through
He rushed to work.
They drove through the tunnel.
across
There is no bridge across the river.
along
You have to walk along that path.
down
He fell down the slope.
over
They walked over the bridge.
round
The hands move round the clock.
into
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Example
I poured water into the glasses.
GRAMMAR FOCUS
THE DEFINITE ARTICLE
Articolul hotărât este, în limba engleză, the şi se foloseşte
pentru toate cele trei genuri şi ambele numere - singular şi plural.
Articolul hotărât are următoarele caracteristici:

se plasează înaintea substantivului pe care îl determină;
 se citeşte [ð∂] când precede un cuvânt care începe cu un sunet
consonantic, semivocalic (w, y), u în silabă separată şi când precede
cuvântul one: the chair, the window, the year, the United States, the
one;
 se citeşte [ði] când precede un cuvânt care începe cu un sunet
vocalic sau când se doreşte sublinerea cuvântului respectiv: the
economist, the English dictionary,“ the“ is an article;
 folosirea acestui articol este obligatorie înaintea substantivelor
însoţite de prepoziţie: on the table, in the classroom, in front of the
table, behind the desk.
Anumite categorii de substantive sunt precedate în mod
obligatoriu de articol hotărât:
 nume de ape curgătoare, oceane şi mări: the Danube, the Atlantic
Ocean, the Black Sea;
 nume de lanţuri muntoase şi dealuri: the Carpathians, the Alps, the
Cheviot Hill;
 nume de instituţii: the British Museum, the National Theatre, the
City Hall;
 nume de hoteluri: the Intercontinental Hotel, the Savoy, the
Merriot;
 nume de nave: the Titanic, the Transilvania;
 nume de ziare: The Daily Mirror, The Times, The New York
Times, The Guardian;
 nume de deşerturi, golfuri, capuri şi nume proprii formate cu
cuvântul “of“: the Sahara, the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Mexico, the
Cape of Good Hope, the United States of America;
 nume de familie la plural: the Browns, the Smiths.
 substantive ale pluralităţii (formate din alăturarea articolului the
la un adjectiv obţinându-se astfel reprezentarea unei clase de
persoane); the poor – săracii, the rich – bogaţii, the dead – morţii, the
old – bătrânii; the blind – orbii;
 substantive abstracte unice: the beautiful – frumosul, the good –
binele, the sublime – sublimul;
 substantive unice: the Sun – Soarele, the Moon – Luna, the Earth
– Pământul, the sky – cerul, the universe – universul, the present –
prezentul the past – trecutul, the future – viitorul;
 substantive care desemnează o clasă de animale sau lucruri
(substantivul man folosit ca referire la rasa umană nu se articulează);
the lion – leul, the fir tree – bradul , the whale – balena;
 titluri care conţin în denumirea lor cuvântul of (nu se foloseşte şi
înaintea altor titluri sau ranguri); the Duke of Normandy, the Queen of
England, dar vom spune: Lord Nelson, Captain Hook.
 nume de instrumente muzicale: to play the piano, to play the
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violin, to play the guitar;
 Folosirea articolului hotărât este de asemenea obligatorie cu
numeralele ordinale, cu adjectivele şi adverbele la gradul superlativ
relativ şi cu cuvântul only: the first – primul, prima, the second – al
doilea, a doua, the best way – cea mai bună cale/ modalitate, the only
way – singura cale/ modalitate.
THE ZERO ARTICLE
Folosirea articolului zero este obligatorie în cazul:
 numelor proprii de locuri sau persoane cu excepţia celor
menţionate la articolul hotărât; Romania, Buchares, Mary;
 unui substantiv însoţit de adjectiv posesiv: my book, their books,
his dictionary;
 substantivelor care denumesc mesele zilei: Breakfast, lunch,
dinner and supper are the four meals of the day. Micul dejun, prânzul
şi cina sunt mesele zilei.
 substantivelor ce denumesc nume de jocuri: to play football, to
play golf, to play tennis;
 cuvintelor bed, church, hospital, court, prison, school, college,
university, institute când aceste locuri sunt folosite pentru sensul lor
primar; to bed – to sleep, to church – to pray, to hospital – as patients
or doctors, to prison – as prisoners, to school/ university/ college/
institute – as students/ pupils/ teachers;
 cuvintele university şi institute sunt totuşi cel mai adesea folosite
cu articol.
NOTĂ! Când aceste locuri sunt vizitate în alte scopuri, folosirea
articolului hotărât este obligatorie. Cu verbele to be, to get back, to
leave substantivele de mai sus se folosesc nearticulate: to be at
hospital, to get back to prison, to leave university;
 cuvântului home atunci când acesta este folosit singur
(neprecedat de alţi determinanţi): Are you at home?Eşti acasă?
 zilelor săptămânii, lunilor anului (acestea se scriu totdeauna cu
majusculă) şi anotimpurilor:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday,
Sunday are the days of the week. Luni, Marţi, Miercuri, Joi, Vineri,
Sâmbătă, Duminică sunt zilele săptămânii.
January is the first month of the year. Ianuarie este prima lună a
anului.
I like spring because it is a beautiful season. Îmi place primăvara
pentru că este un anotimp frumos.
 substantivului mankind;
Mankind is struggling for peace. Omenirea luptă pentru pace.
 numelor de continente, ţări şi state, provincii şi oraşe: Europe,
Australia, France, Canada, California, Transylvania, Moldavia,
Bucharest.
Excepţii: the Argentina, the Congo, the Sudan, the United States, the
Hague, the Netherlands.
 Substantivelor care denumesc substanţe, materiale, culori:
Chalk is a white substance white. Creta este o substabţă albă.
Gold and silver are precious metals. Aurul şi argintul sunt metale
preţioase.
Yellow is my favourite colour. Galbenul este culoarea mea
22
favorită.
 numelor de persoană însoţite de atributele adjectivale: young, old,
little, poor, dear, honest, pretty, lazy, silly: poor John, dear Kitty,
lazy Jim.
 substantivelor care denumesc numele limbilor şi obiectelor de
studiu:
English is not an easy language. Engleza nu este o limbă uşoară.
We study English at school. Studiem engleza la şcoală.
 substantivelor abstracte: life (viaţă), happiness (fericire), death
(moarte), knowledge (cunoaştere, ştiinţă, cunoştinţe):
Life is beautiful. Viaţa este frumoasă.
Happiness is relative. Fericirea este relativă.
Death is inevitable. Moartea este inevitabilă.
Knowledge is power. Ştiinţa înseamnă putere.
 prepoziţiei by şi mijloacelor de transport: by car – cu maşina, by
bus – cu autobuzul, by train – cu trenul, by tube – cu metroul;
 substantivelor comune asociate cu numerale cardinale: Lesson 2;
Room 34; Floor 4.
NOTĂ. Substantivele care denumesc zilele săptămânii, lunile anului,
anotimpurile, substanţe, materiale culori, obiecte de studiu, limbi şi
noţiuni abstracte, nume de persoane însoţite de adjectivele young,
old, little etc. sunt articulate cu articolul hotărât dacă sunt determinate
(se specifică ceva în legătură cu ele):
Sunday is a dull day for me but the Sunday we spent toghether
was a wonderful day. Duminica este o zi plictisitoare pentru mine dar
duminica pe care am petrecut-o împreună a fost o zi minunată.
Life is difficult but the life of this poet is impressive. Viaţa este
dificilă dar viaţa acestui poet este impresionantă.
Chalk is white but the chalk on the blackboard is red. Creta este
albă dar creta de pe tablă este roşie.
Breakfast is usually a light meal but the English breakfast is the most
important meal of the day. Micul dejun este o masă uşoară dar micul
dejun englezesc este cea mai importantă masă a zilei.
The poor Mr. Black whom we all know died last week. Sărmanul
domn Black pe care toţi îl cunoaştem a murit săptămâna trecută.
 substantivelor nenumărabile: sugar, coffee, oil, chocolate, milk.
 substantivelor: father, mother, grandfather, grandmother.
 substantivelor luate în sens generic: I like coffee. Imi place
cafeaua. Sugar is sweet. Zahărul este dulce. Children love toys.
Copiilor le plac jucăriile.
DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES AND PRONOUNS
DEMONSTRATIVE
PRONOUNS
THIS [ðis]
Read this!
THESE [ði:z]
Read these!
THAT [ðæt]
Take that!
THOSE [ðouz] Take those!
DEMONSTRATIVE
ADJECTIVES
Read this book!
Read these books!
Take that book!
Take those books!
Adjectivele demonstrative, ca de altfel toate adjectivele în limba
engleză, preced întotdeauna un substantiv.
23
THERE IS, THERE ARE CONSTRUCTIONS
AFFIRMATIVE
There is
There are
NEGATIVE
There is not
There are not
INTERROGATIVE
Is there
Are there
Aceste construcţii se traduc prin există, se află, este, sunt, se găseşte,
se găsesc şi sunt urmate de subiectul logic al propoziţiei din care fac
parte şi cu care se acordă în număr.
1. Insert the definite and indefinite articles (a, an, the):
I and my family live in ... Canada. .... house in which we live in is
old. .... students study. ... students you see in ... street are going to ...
university. We are at ...university. At ... university ... students have
...big library. ... Richard! Come to ... blackboard and put down ...
following examples. ... doctors and ... nurses work in … hospitals. ...
doctors in this ... hospital are ... best. We go to ... hospital to visit a
friend.
I always wash my hands before having ... breakfast, ... lunch or ...
dinner. ... breakfast we had yesterday was too large. I’ll never forget
... dinner we had at ... restaurant on my birthday last year. I enjoy ...
stories. ... story you are telling now is such ... funny one. This summer
we are going on ... trip to ... seaside. We like ... trips very much. ...
trip we are planning to make seems exciting. Today is ... Friday ...12th
of ... October. ... October is ... autumn month. What ... beautiful
autumn weather!
... Sahara is a desert in ... Africa. ...Atlantic Ocean lies between
...Europe and ...America. ... Carpathians are high, beautiful ...
mountains. ... Danube flows into … Black Sea.
2. Your pen friend has decided to come to your town and visit you.
Write a letter indicating the best way to follow from the railway
station to your house.
3. EXPRESSING POSSESION
I HAVE GOT MY DICTIONARY. WHOSE IS THIS?
phrases and then change the following indirect questions into direct
ones:
Ask your colleague if he has got a text book.
24
Ask someone if he has siblings/a spouse.
Ask who has got an extra pen/sheet of paper.
Ask if the manager has a partner.
Ask your colleagues if they have a good or thin time on weekends.
Ask your desk mate if he/she has his/her meals regularly.
- David, what have you got on your desk?
- I have got a dictionary. It‘s an English- Romanian dictionary.
- Whose dictionary is it?
- It is my dictionary. It is mine.
- Whose conversation guidebook is this? Is it your conversation
guidebook? Is it yours?
- Yes, it is mine, too. It is my conversation guidebook.
- My daughter has got a computer at home. She has not got a
typewriter. It is her computer. It is hers. What has she got?
- Your daughter has got a computer.
- What has your boy friend, Maria?
- He has a car. He has got a car. It is his car. It is his. His car is
new.
- Whose car is that? Is that car yours? Is it yours? Is that car
yours?
- No, it isn’t mine. It is his car. It is his.
- We have got a laboratory at the University. This is our
laboratory. What have we got?
- We have got a lab. It is a phonetic lab. We listen to English
tapes here. This is our phonetic lab. This lab is ours. Our University
has also got a library with lots of books in it. We borrow books and
dictionaries from our University’s library, in order to study them. The
librarian lends us books and takes care that we return them in due
time.
- My neighbours have a new house. Their house is cosy and
beautiful.
- Whose house is that?
- That is their house. It is theirs. Listen to its description:
- We live in a new house and I want to tell you about this. Let
me show you around our house!
- Our house is on a quiet street, It has two storeys – the ground
floor and the first floor. On the ground floor we have the dining-room,
the living- room or sitting-room, as the Americans say, the kitchen,
the hall and a lavatory.
- On the first floor there are the three bedrooms, for the children
and for the parents, and the bathrooms.
- We have new, modern furniture in every room. We also have
all the modern conveniences in our house: electricity, gas, running
water, central heating and a telephone. Its roof is made of tile.
- The house has a garden in front of it and a small orchard at the
back of it, where we plant flowers and fruit – trees.
- Has your house a garage?
- Of course it has, at one side of it.
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GRAMMAR FOCUS
THE PRESENT INDICATIVE OF TO HAVE
AFFIRMATIVE
I have/ I’ve
You have/ you’ve
He has/ he’s
She has/ she’s
It has/ it’s
We have/ we’ve
You have/ you’ve
They have/ they’ve
NEGATIVE
I have not/ haven’t
You have not
He has not/ hasn’t
She has not
It has not
We have not
You have not
They have not
INTERROGATIVE
Have I?
Have you?
Has he?
Has she?
Has it?
Have we?
Have you?
Have they?
Verbul to have, care exprimă ideea de posesiune, poate avea şi forma
to have got foarte uzitată în engleza vorbită.
I have got a pen friend. = I have a pen friend.
What has he got? = What has he?
What have you got there? = What have you there?
Această regulă nu este valabilă în cazul în care verbul to have este
folosit în expresii care-i schimbă sensul de posesiune.
They have lunch in town. Ei iau prânzul în oraş.
I have a headache. Mă doare capul.
Ca şi în cazul verbului to be, negativul şi interogativul verbului to
have se formează prin inversiune, respectiv prin adăugarea negaţiei
‘not’ la forma de afirmativ.
Atenţie! În varianta americană a limbii engleze, se foloseşte totuşi
auxiliarul ‘to do’ pentru formarea interogativului şi negativului
verbului ‘to have’.
De asemenea acest verb poate exprima şi ideea de necesitate
fiind astfel o alternativă a verbului modal must – a trebui.
The child has to drink milk. = The child must drink milk
We have to be there in time. = We must be there in time.
Asemenea verbului to be, verbul to have intră şi el în componenţa
unor expresii. Pe lângă cele deja menţionate la capitolul în care se
vorbeşte despre articolul hotărât mai trebuiesc amintite cele care se
referă la servitul principalelor mese ale zilei: to have breakfast (a lua
micul dejun), to have dinner (a lua cina), to have lunch (a lua
prânzul), to have supper (a lua cina), to have meals (a mânca).
POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS
Pronumele posesiv are forma adjectivului posesiv căruia i se
adaugă terminaţia s, cu excepţia persoanei I singular, unde are formă
diferită de cea a adjectivului posesiv.
La persoana a III- a singular, masculin, forma his este comună atât
adjectivului cât şi pronumelui posesiv.
Trebuie remarcat faptul că în cazul adjectivului posesiv nu se
foloseşte apostroful.
26
 ATENTIE! Trebuie evitată greşeala foarte comună de a scrie
pronumele posesiv its cu apostrof deoarece it’s este forma scurtă a lui
it is.
PERSON
I
II
III
SINGULAL
Mine
Yours
His
Hers
Its
PLURAL
Ours
Yours
Theirs
INTERROGATIVE PRONOUNS AND ADJECTIVES: WHO,
WHAT, WHICH
CASE
N.
G.
D.
Ac.
WHO? Who comes? (pron.)
WHOSE? Whose is that ruler? (pron) Whose
ruler is that? (adj.)
(TO) WHOM? To whom are you giving the
ruler? (pron.) or Whom are you giving the ruler
to? (pron.)
WHOM?/WHO? Whom do you know? (pron.)
WHAT? What is your friend? (pron.) What food
do you like? (adj.)
WHICH? (implies selection) Which of these
persons do you know? (pron.) Which person is
the manager? (adj.)
1. Imagine you talk with a friend and you know different things. Ask
questions as in the model and ask your friend to answer you:
Mo del: You know that something gives him headaches.
What gives you headaches?
1. You know that something happens every night. 2. You know that
someone calls him every night. 3. You know that someone helps him
with his work. 4. You know that something causes his happiness. 5.
You know that something makes him angry. 6. You know that
someone invites him abroad. 7. You know that somebody’s friend is
ill. 8. You know some people come to dinner. 9. You know that
somebody troubles him. 10. You know he spends much on books. 11.
You know that someone in his family drinks much coffee.
2. Fill in the blanks with who, whom, what, which, whose:
1. There are two roads to the station. ...road shall we take?
2. ... is the man you are talking to?
3. ... would you like to do next weekend?
4. ... you are telling me is not true.
5. The girl ...we met at the post- office is my cousin.
6. ...of these three teams is the best?
7. ...have you invited to your birthday party?
8. ...have you been to the cinema with?
27
9. At first, she couldn’t understand... the boy wanted with her.
10. ... is the secretary typing?
3. Write the sentences with the correct possessive pronouns and
adjectives:
1. I love ... town but ... is bigger and cleaner (I / you).
2. She doesn’t like ... boss. What’s ... like? (she / you ).
3. We can see... car in the street but where is ... (we / you).
4. Is that ... pen or ... (you / I)?
5. I think it’s ... I’ve put ... in the pencil case (you / I).
6. This is ... typewriter and this is … (he / she).
7. Whose desk is this? It’s ...(we).
8. The girls ate ... chocolate but the boys didn’t eat ... (they /
they).
9. ... television set has a larger screen and a better picture than ...
(we / they).
10. Shall I fetch you ... scarf? This is ... (you / she).
Bibliografie obligatorie:
1.
2.
3.
28
UNIT 2
DESCRIBING THINGS, PEOPLE. WHAT ARE THINGS MADE OF? WHAT ARE THEY
LIKE?
Contents:
2.1. WHAT ARE YOU LIKE?
2.1.1.1. The plural of nouns II
2.2. RELATIVES. ALL ABOUT MY FAMILY
2.2.1.1. Place of adjective
2.2.1.2. The genitive case
2.3. DAILY ACTIVITIES. WHAT I USUALLY DO EVERY DAY
2.3.1.1. The simple present
2.3.1.2. Reflexive and emphasising pronouns
- Brush up on your knowledge about (1) how to describe you,
other people and things; say what things may be made of; (2)
relatives and family members; (3) daily activities;
- Practise grammar issues: the plural of nouns II; adjectives; the
genitive case; the simple present tense of verbs; reflexive and
emphasising pronouns.
Let’s Talk!
 We all come under different appearances. We all have
strengths and weaknesses. Comment on these.
 Describing what someone is like. Describe yourself from the
point of view of your character and appearance. Who do you take
after, your mother or your father? What are your family members
like? What qualities do you appreciate in people? Do you consider
that appearance counts more than moral traits? Do you judge people
by their look? Did it happen to you to misjudge people? How did you
feel about this?
1. WHAT ARE YOU LIKE?
READING Read the text and then change the following
indirect questions into direct ones:
Ask your desk mate what the English course is like.
Ask someone what his girl friend is like.
29
Ask someone what his children / parents are like.
When we speak about things or persons we refer to their shape,
size, colour or materials they are made of.
The buildings of a town are high or low, big or small, new or old,
modern or old fashioned, ugly or beautiful. The height of some
buildings may be really astonishing or breathtaking. So are the
skyscrapers in New- York.
The rooms of a building are large or small, dark or bright, square
or rectangular. The doors and windows of a room are wide or narrow,
open or shut.
Furniture is made of wood, metal or straw.
Some figures are round, or oval, or rectangular or square, or
triangular.
Lines are straight or curved, long or short, thick or thin.
A triangle has three angles and its angles are sharp, or right or
obtuse.
Exercises are easy or difficult but an attaché-case is heavy if it is
full and light if it is empty.
Colours are light or dark, pale or loud. The sky is light- blue at
noon, on a summer day, and dark- blue at night. Grass and leaves are
green but flowers are white, blue, yellow, red, pink or violet. Oranges
are orange, but blackboards are black or grey. The Romanian flag is
blue, yellow and red. The English one is blue and white and red.
People can be young, old, tall or short, fat (plump, stout) or thin
(lean, skinny, bony), strong or weak, ugly or beautiful or handsome.
Men are usually strong and women and children are almost always
weak. I know a lot of people and they are very different from one
another. Some of the people I know are happy, some are unhappy,
some are merry and some are sad, some are good, some are bad,
some are brave, some are coward, some are calm, and some are
impatient, some are interesting and some are awfully boring, some
are bold and some are shy (coy, timid), some are quiet others are
noisy or talkative, honest or dishonest, clumsy or skilful, tidy or
untidy, careful or careless, stupid or clever (smart, intelligent), lazy or
hardworking (diligent or industrious).
Children may take after their parents, and may be like their father
and mother. Sometimes grandchildren look like their grandparents. If
children are twins they are as like as two peas.
Things are made of different materials. My watch is made of
gold. It isn’t made of silver, iron or steel, or plastic. It is waterproof
or shockproof.
My shoes and handbags are made of leather or patent leather but
hoses, or the soles of the footwear and tires are made of rubber. Some
shoes are handmade.
Clothes may be made of cotton, silk, wool, plastic materials.
Gloves may be made of leather, lace, silk or wool. Mirrors and
windowpanes are made of glass. Books, notebooks, newspapers are
made of paper.
Buildings are made of brick, stone, wood, concrete, glass,
prefabricated panels.
Cutlery may be made of silver, stainless steel or plastic; plates
and cups are made of china or porcelain.
30
GRAMMAR FOCUS
THE PLURAL OF NOUNS II
Unele substantive în limba engleză nu formează pluralul prin
adăugarea terminaţiei s, es. Ele provin din engleza veche, au formă
diferită pentru plural, sunt în număr de zece şi sunt cunoscute sub
denumirea de substantive de origine engleză cu plurale neregulate:
SINGULAR
MAN – bărbat
WOMAN – femeie
CHILD – copil
FOOT– laba piciorului
TOOTH – dinte
GOOSE – gâscă
MOUSE – şoarece
LOUSE – păduche
DIE – zar
OX – bou
PLURAL
MEN – bărbaţi
WOMEN – femei
CHILDREN – copii
FEET– labele picioarelor
TEETH – dinţi
GEESE – gâşte
MICE – şoareci
LICE – păduchi
DICE – zaruri
OXEN – boi
Douăsprezece substantive care se termină la singular în -f sau - fe
formează pluralul prin schimbarea acestor terminaţii în - ves. Alături
de acestea trebuie avută în vedere şi particula self- cu forma de plural
selves care se foloseşte pentru formarea pronumelor şi adjectivelor
reflexive: myself, yourself, himselfy, herself, itself cu formele de
plural: ourselves, yourselves, themselves.
SINGULAR
CALF – viţel
ELF – spiriduş
HALF – jumătate
KNIFE – cuţit
LEAF – frunză
LIFE – viaţă
LOAF – pâine
SHEAF – snop
SHELF – raft
THIEF – hoţ
WIFE – soţie
WOLF – lup
PLURAL
CALVES – viţei
ELVES – spiriduşi
HALVES – jumătăţi
KNIVES – cuţite
LEAVES – frunze
LIVES – vieţi
LOAVES – pâini
SHEAVES – snopi
SHELVES – rafturi
THIEVES – hoţi
WIVES – soţii
WOLVES – lupi
Restul cuvintelor terminate în -f, -fe formează pluralul prin adăugarea
terminaţiei s la forma de singular: beliefs, chiefs, cliffs, safes, roofs,
proofs, etc.
Unele cuvinte terminate în - f, - fe au amândouă formele pentru
plural:
SINGULAR
PLURAL
SCARF – eşarfă
SCARFS, SCARVES
HOOF – copită
HOOFS, HOOVES
31
Substantivele terminate în - y precedat de o consoană transformă pe y în - i şi adaugă terminaţia – es când formează pluralul:
SINGULAR
CITY
FACTORY
PARTY
PLURAL
CITIES
FACTORIES
PARTIES
Transformarea nu are loc:
 după vocale: boy – boys, play – plays, day – days;
 în substantive proprii: the Kennedys;
 în substantive compuse: stand – by – stand – bys.
1. Write the words in brackets in the plural:
1. Take care! Those (knife) and (penknife) are sharp.
2. What drawer are the (scarf) and the (handkerchief) in?
3. I’ll tell the (child) a fairy tale with (elf) and (dwarf).
4. Did the police catch the (thief)?
5. Let’s buy some (potato) and (tomato)! We haven’t any left.
6. (Louse) and (flea) are insects; (mouse) and (rats) are animals.
7. We had a party and we enjoyed (ourself).
8. (Hundred) and (hundred) of (man) and (woman) are gathered
in the square.
9. It’s a beautiful autumn. The (leaf) turned yellow and now
they are falling down.
10. The (dictionary) are on those (shelf) over there.
11. Two (wolf) attacked the (calf) on the farm.
12. Who said ’The (die) are cast’?
13. (housewife) have to do all the housework.
14. I buy two (brush) – one for my hair and one for my (tooth).
15. How many (t) are there in “butter“?
2. Make the following sentences plural. Make changes where
necessary:
1. The car factory is near the town. 2. That car is of the latest design.
3. A big city is crowded and noisy. 4. My child and the other boy,
who is with him, are crossing the street carefully. 5. This child is his
family’s first born. 6. The bench near the pillar-box is less
comfortable. 7. This man is our regular customer for many years. 8.
That woman runs an enterprise quite successfully. 9. A mouse is a
harmful rodent small animal that can cause much trouble. 10. A louse
is a parasite.
3. Fill in the definite or indefinite articles where necessary:
1. This student’s paper is
best.
2. There’s
new match between
former and
th
team on May 26 .
3. How many bridges are there across
London?
32
latter
Thames in
4.
oak tree is a tall tree.
5. Can you drive
lorry?
6. Can she ride
bike?
7.
Mont Blank is
highest mountain in
Alps.
8.
Mount Everest is
highest one in
Himalayas.
9. I do not know about
Rockies and I am not very sure about
Andes.
10. My father-in-law travelled from
Germany to
Romania
during
Second World War.
Let’s Talk!
 About family members: Speak about your family. Say if you
have siblings, where they live, how old your siblings are, what they
do and what they are like, what their likes and dislikes are. Say if
they are your seniors or juniors. Speak about your wife/husband,
about your children and in- laws if you are a married person. Who is
the person in your family you feel attached to?
2. RELATIVES. ALL ABOUT MY FAMILY
READING. Read the text to remember the words that
describe family relationship and comment on the sayings: A good
friend is my nearest relation. A good friend is another self.
Let me introduce you to my family today!
This is my family: my wife, my daughter, my son and I. I am Mr.
Black. My wife is Mrs. Black. I am Mrs. Black’s husband. We have
two children: a boy and a girl. The boy’s name is Robert and the
girl’s name is Mary Ann. My son is seventeen years old and my
daughter is ten. They are both pupils, go to school and learn very
well. Robert is Mary Ann’s brother and Mary Ann is Robert’s sister.
Robert is Mary Ann’s senior by seven years and Mary Ann is his
junior by seven years. Our son is a handsome teenager and our
daughter is a very pretty girl. I am Robert and Mary Ann’s father and
my wife is their mother. We are their parents.
We have a very big house and we live with my wife’s parents.
They are my parents-in-law. My father-in-law and my mother-inlaw, who are old people, are retired on pension. They are very gentle
persons and they are very fond of our children, who are their
grandchildren. We respect their old age and seniority. My son is their
grandson and my daughter is their grand daughter.
Children love their grandmother and grandfather very much. My
parents- in- law have two children: a daughter – my wife, and a son –
my brother-in-law, whose name is John. I am their son-in-law, and
their son’s wife is their daughter-in-law.
My brother-in-law is our children’s uncle and godfather at the
33
same time and his wife is their aunt and godmother, too. They
haven’t got children, so Mary Ann is their favourite niece and
goddaughter, and Robert is their beloved nephew and godson.
On Sundays we, the men of the family, watch a football match on
TV or go fishing and the women do the housework and then chat
over a cup of coffee or tea.
We are a happy family. Our daughter is a little sad because she
has no cousins to play with. Nevertheless, she has a very good friend,
the same age, our neighbours’ daughter, Carla. Carla is as old as our
daughter and they are not only good friends but also schoolmates.
They both attend the same secondary school.
GRAMMAR FOCUS
PLACE OF ADJECTIVE
Adjectivul calificativ are următoarele caracteristici:
 se plasează în limba engleză înaintea substantivului pe care îl
califică;
 rămâne invariabil fie că substantivul pe care-l califică este
masculin, feminin sau neutru, fie că este la numărul singular sau
plural:
a handsome teenager (un adolescent chipeş), a pretty little girl (o
etiţă drăguţă), the right answer (răspunsul corect), round figures (
guri rotunde); old grandparents (bunici în vîrstă); etc.
Iată câteva din puţinele cazuri în care adjectivul se plasează după
substantiv:
 în unele titulaturi: Attorney General, Lieutenant General;
 în expresii: Court martial, first/ second/ third person singular,
Asia Minor, A major (muz.), ’Paradise Lost’;
 când adjectivul urmează după unul din verbele: to be, to become,
to seem, to feel, to get/grow (= to become), to make, to look (to
appear), to turn;
This man is bad. The manager became rich in a few years’ time.
Your friend seems sad. I feel cold. She made her parents happy. The
woman looks bored. The clerk got/grew impatient. The girl turned
pale.
THE GENITIVE CASE
In limba engleză cazul genitiv se exprimă în două moduri:
1. Genitivul prepoziţional (analitic) care are următoarele
caracteristici:
 se redă cu ajutorul prepoziţiei of;
 ordinea cuvintelor în sintagma genitivală este:
substantivul ce denumeşte obiectul posedat (precedat de articolul
hotărât the) + prepoziţia of + substantivul ce denumeşte
posesorul (precedat de articolul hotărît the);
Genitivul prepoziţional se foloseşte în următoarele cazuri:
 cu substantive nume de obiecte sau cu nume de animale mici:
the colour of the flower – culoarea florii; the title of the book – titlul
34
cărţii, the cover of the textbook – coperta manualului; the tail of the
mouse- coada şoarecelui;
 cu denumiri geografice urmate de un nume propriu: the City of
London, the Tower of London, the Gulf of Mexico;
 cu substantive nume de persoană, în cazul în care substantivul
determinat este precedat de articol nehotărât sau demonstrativ: I am a
great fan of this actor. Sunt un mare fan al acestui actor.
2. Genitivul sintetic care are următoarele caracteristici:
 se redă prin ’s (apostrof şi s) sau doar prin ’(apostrof);
 ordinea cuvintelor în sintagma genitivală este:
substantivul care denumeşte posesorul + ’s sau ’ + substantivul
care denumeşte obiectul posedat;
Genitivul sintetic se foloseşte:
 cu substantive la numărul singular sau plural (care nu se termină
în s), cînd numele posesorului este exprimat prin:
 substantive nume proprii de fiinţe: Tom’s brother (fratele lui
Tom), Mary’s friend (prietena Mariei);
 substantive comune care definesc fiinţe: the schoolgirl’s name
(numele şcolăriţei), the teacher’s book (cartea profesorului), the
cat’s name (numele pisicii) a man’s job (meseria unui bărbat),
children’s room (camera copiilor);
 substantive nume de ţări sau continente: Romania’s population,
England’s inhabitants, Europe’s countries;
 iniţiale: the MP’s secretary (secretara parlamentarului), the
VIP’s escort (escorta vip-ului);
 substantive care exprimă noţiuni cronologice, măsuri, distanţe,
valori: today’s newspaper (ziarul de azi), a five days’ trip (o excursie
de cinci zile), a five miles’ distance (o distanţă de cinci mile), a
twenty minutes’ delay (o întârziere de 20 de minute), yesterday’s
meeting (şedinţa de ieri), tomorrow’s departure (plecarea de mâine),
a ten minutes’ break (o pauză de zece minute);
 substantive care denumesc animale mari: the lion’s mane
(coama leului), the elephant’s ears ( urechile elefantului);
 în expresii: for goodness’ sake (pentru numele lui Dumnezeu),
for pity’s sake (de/ din milă), for form’s sake (de dragul formei); to
be on a razor’s edge (a fi pe muchie de cuţit), to my heart’s content
(după placul inimii mele), a bird’s eye view (o privire de ansamblu).
 In cazul în care două substantive sunt posesorii aceluiaşi obiect
marca genitivului se plasează după ultimul substantiv care
desemnează posesorul:
Mary and Dan’s parents. Părinţii Mariei şi ai lui Dan.
 In cazul în care cel de-al doilea termen al sintagmei genitivale
(obiectul posedat) este exprimat prin unul din cuvintele shop, house,
museum, store, acestea sunt omise din exprimarea genitivală
folosindu-se doar substantivul care denotă posesorul în cazul genitiv:
at the baker’s (= at the baker’s shop – la brutărie), at the butcher’s
(= at the butcher’s shop – la măcelărie), at Bill’s (= at Bill’s house –
acasă la Bill), at Madam Tussaud’s (= at Madam Tussaud’s Wax
Figures Museum – la Muzeul figurilor de ceară al doamnei
Tussaud), at Selfridge’s (= at Selfridge’s store – la Selfridge).
 În cazul substantivelor compuse sau a celor formate din mai multe
cuvinte, marca genitivului sintetic ’s se va adăuga ultimului cuvânt:
my sister-in-law’s parents – părinţii cumnatei mele, Henry the
35
Eighth’s wives – soţiile lui Henry al VIII-lea.
După substantive la numărul singular sau substantivele cu plural
neregulat se foloseşte ’s, (men’s cars, children’s toys) dar după
substantivele la numărul plural, sau terminate în s cazul genitiv se
marchează numai cu apostrof: the students’ hostel (căminul
studenţilor), the Smiths’ car (maşina familiei Smith), Dickens’
literary works – lucrările literare ale lui Dickens.
1. Make compound adjectives according to the model and translate
them into Romania:
Model: with blue eyes > blue eyed; with long hair> long haired.
with short hair, with fair hair, with dark hair, with narrow mind,
with broad mind, with broad shoulders, with long legs, with short
legs, with green eyes, with ill temper, with cold blood, with hot
blood, with heavy heart, with hard heart, with kind heard, with hot
head, with cool head, with five fingers, with five toes, with black
coat, with short trousers, with bad manners, with good manners.
Let’s Talk!
 About daily activities. Speak about your daily program, your
job and responsibilities. Are the other members of your family busier
than you are? How do you usually spend your weekends?
 Do you treasure time? Comment on: Time is money.
3. DAILY ACTIVITIES. WHAT I USUALLY DO EVERY
DAY
ones:
Ask your desk mate what the weather is like today.
Ask someone what his girl friend is like.
Ask someone what his children / parents are like.
Ask your desk mate what his/her house/car is like.
Ask what the Romanian flag is like.
Every weekday, from Monday through Friday, we are very busy
and we work from morning till night.
My husband is a businessman and he runs a factory. He has great
responsibilities towards his employees and their families. He’s
36
fortunate his best friend assists him with his work, and his assistance
is very helpful to my husband. The period to come is going to be hard
for them, as their factory is about to merge with a smaller one.
As for me, I am a journalist and I work for a local newspaper. A
journalist’s work is very exciting as I consider a journalist is like an
explorer. He always has to find out new exciting facts or data; he has
to sort the false ones from the true ones. The following qualities are
considered to be essential for a journalist: he has to be prompt in
finding out the news and transmitting them, he has to be selfconfident, reliable, impartial, vigilant, alert, open- minded, accurate.
As a matter of fact the press in general should be impartial,
objective and prompt. Moreover, when a journalist’s words or
statements annoy somebody he has to be able to prove their rightness
and justify them. Once the newspaper printed, nothing can be deleted,
cut out or replaced. A journalist’s style ought to be concise, attractive
and direct. It mustn’t be floppy. My fellow workers and I always
correct the articles we write.
As we have to be at our offices at eight o’clock, we always wake
up at a quarter to seven when we hear the clock strike, we get out of
bed. My husband does his morning exercises and the children go to
the bathroom, wash themselves and brush their teeth, while I put on
my dressing gown and slippers open the windows to air the
bedrooms, make the beds, go to the bathroom and put on my clothes.
I cook breakfast while my husband takes a shower or a bath, shaves
himself, combs his hair and dresses himself. It takes us about forty –
five minutes to wake up and get ready. We generally eat bread and
butter, ham, cheese or marmalade, or bacon and eggs, and drink
coffee for breakfast but our children drink milk, tea or orange juice.
We leave home at a quarter to eight and go to work by car or by
tram. We can’t walk to work, as there’s a long distance to our places
of work and offices. Children come home at noon, have lunch and,
after a short rest, do their homework. After that, they ride their bikes,
play tennis or games or go for a walk with their friends. My husband
and I have lunch in town. Lunch is a proper time to discuss business
so my husband often has to meet some client and have lunch with
him or her in town. If the day is busy our lunch means just a
sandwich. We come back from work at about five in the afternoon
and all the family has dinner in the evening. After dinner we spend
the evening talking with our children, watching TV, or reading
something. At about ten o’clock we are dead tired and sleepy so we
take off our clothes, put on our pyjamas, set the alarm clock to ring
and go to sleep.
We all keep early hours during the week but sometimes, on
weekends, we meet some friends, go to a restaurant or to the theatre.
37
GRAMMAR FOCUS
THE SIMPLE PRESENT
AFFIRMATIVE
I write
You write
He writes
She writes
It writes
We write
You write
They write
NEGATIVE
I do not write
You do not write
He does not write
She does not write
It does not write
We do not write
You do not write
They do not write
INTERROGATIVE
Do I write?
Do you (not) write?
Does he (not) write?
Does she (not) write?
Does it (not) write?
Do we (not) write?
Do you (not) write?
Do they (not) write?
In conjugare verbul, la timpul prezent, aspectul comun, primeşte
terminaţia s sau es la persoana a III a singular. Terminaţia es se
adaugă verbelor terminate în ch, sh, ss, x, o.
Timpul present, aspectul comun se foloseşte pentru a reda:
 o acţiune care are un caracter repetat. Folosirea acestui timp este
impusă de următoarele adverbe şi locuţiuni adverbiale: usually
(de obicei), generally, often (adesea), always (totdeauna), ever,
never, every day/ week/ month/ year/, as a rule (de regulă), etc.
 acţiuni sau caracteristici generale, adevăruri universale:
The Moon moves round the Earth. Luna se învârte în jurul
pământului.
Dogs bark. Cîinii latră.
 o acţiune viitoare care este urmarea unui program prestabilit la
nivel oficial:
The tourists visit Bucharest tomorrow. Turiştii vizitează mâine
Bucureştiul.
 orarul de lucru, mersul trenurilor, avioanelor etc;
 data: Tomorrow is the 26th of May.
 viitorul în propoziţii conditionale şi temporale în care folosirea
viitorului nu este permisă în limba engleză:
The manager will be mad if we are late. Directorul va fi furios
dacă vom întârzia.
We shall call you when / as soon as he arrives. Te vom suna
când/ de îndată ce el va sosi.
ATENŢIE! Este obligatorie folosirea formei de afirmativ a
verbului dacă în propoziţie se află un adverb negativ.
We never go to University in weekends. Niciodată nu mergem la
universitate în weekend.
In cazul expresiilor: to have breakfast/ lunch/ dinner/ meals, to have
a good/ thin time, to have fun, to have a walk, to have a rest, to have
a cold, to have a chat în care verbul to have nu are sensul a poseda, a
avea interogativul şi negativul se formează cu auxiliarul to do.
Do you have fun when you meet your friends? Te distrezi când îţi
întâlneşti prietenii?
What time do you have breakfast in the morning? La ce oră iei
micul dejun dimineaţa?
NOTĂ: In varianta americană a limbii engleze interogativul şi
negativul verbului to have cu sensul a avea se formează cu auxiliarul
to do.
38
REFLEXIVE AND EMPHASISING PRONOUNS
PERSON
SINGULAR
I
myself
II
yourself
himself
III
herself
itself
PLURAL
ourselves
youselves
themselves
 Pronumele reflexive arată faptul că acţiunea exprimată de verb se
răsfrânge asupra subiectului acestuia.
We enjoy ourselves at her birthday party. Ne distrăm la
petrecerea dată de ziua ei de naştere.
 Pronumele de întărire au formă identică cu pronumele reflexive
dar se deosebesc de acestea prin faptul că sunt accentuate şi
subliniază substantivul sau pronumele pe care îl însoţesc. Ele se
plasează la sfârşitul propoziţiei dar dacă sunt aşezate după subiect ele
dobândesc o valoare mai accentuată.
We saw them ourselves. Noi înşine i-am văzut.
He himself did this. El însuşi a făcut asta.
NOTĂ! În cazul în care este precedat de prepoziţia by pronumele de
întărire se traduce prin singur, singură, singuri, singure.
I do the homework by myself. Îmi fac temele singur.
The children don’t wake up by themselves unless the alarm clock
rings. Copii nu se trezesc singuri dacă nu sună ceasul deşteptător.
1. Change the verbs in the following text into the third person
singular of the Present Tense. Common Aspect. Make the necessary
changes:
On weekdays I wake up at seven o’clock in the morning. I brush my
teeth, comb my hair and then I get dressed. I have breakfast or just
drink a cup of coffee while I read the morning newspapers and
afterwards I leave my house to get to my office. I walk to my office,
as I love walking.
On my way to work I often meet a friend and we chat about all kinds
of things. I reach my office at ten minutes to nine and I get ready to
start work. I work about eight hours a day but sometimes I have to
work more. I work more when I have to check the sales figures or
when I discuss with different suppliers. In the afternoon I take a bus
back home, as I am a bit tired. I have my meal and I take a nap. In the
evening I watch TV, listen to the wireless or read a book.
2. Change the marked words to singular and make all the necessary
changes inside the sentences:
1. They make toys that look like animals.
2. My friends grow vegetables in the countryside; they bring them
to the market and sell them.
3. Parents give their children presents when they are good.
4. Our friends love fishing; they catch a lot of fish when they go
39
fishing to the Danube Delta.
5. The workers wash their hands and dry themselves on a towel.
6. My nephews go to the kindergarten in the morning.
7. Their children play in the morning and take a nap in the
afternoon.
8. These farmers keep cows and we buy milk from them.
9. These old women often stand at the window and watch people
walking in the street.
10. Your sons-in-law spend a lot of money on interesting books.
11. The best students in this university speak English very well and
now they understand almost every English book they read.
12. Young birds leave their nests when they learn to fly.
13. Those families live in cottages about three miles away from the
centre of the town.
14. My nieces enjoy their week-ends in the mountains.
15. We find these men interesting.
3. Rewrite each sentence as a negative or interrogative one according
to the instructions in brackets:
1. The students take notes when their lecturers teach.
(interrogative).
2. We study two foreign languages. (negative)
3. They enjoy all the subjects they study. (interrogative)
4. They borrow books from the university’s library. (interrogative)
5. The secretary types English letters.(negative)
6. The manager rings up foreign clients.(interrogative)
7. He meets them later.(interrogative)
8. He takes the clients about the county.(interrogative)
9. The employer employs economists and assessors.(negative)
10. The applicants hand in the applications to the clerk.
(interrogative)
11. Your fellow workers often agree on the problems you have to
solve. (interrogative)
12. The accountant signs the papers in time. (interrogative)
4. Use the corresponding reflexive or emphatic pronouns in the
sentences below:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
40
I cut ... when making sandwiches for the picnic.
People must help ... in this small bar.
A lot of children enjoy ... in the Disney Land.
The hiker finds ... alone on a winding path in the woods.
If you eat so many sweets you will make ... ill.
Nowadays people find it easy to express ... in a foreign language,
particularly English.
I nourish the baby and than I ... have my meal.
The little girl tries to see ... in the mirror.
Humble people never talk about ...
They like to live by ... in that spooky, large manor house.
The wife knows her husband better than he knows ...
You must have a picture of ... somewhere in these drawers.
The child cut ... with a razor blade.
The banker ... is on a razor’s edge.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
He ... is not much of a reader.
The office ... is large and bright.
The Smiths ... send us greeting post cards every Christmas.
The secretary ... writes this document in English.
The porter offers to carry that heavy luggage ...
I ... have not been there for more than a year.
Did she hurt ... when she opened the gate?
People protect ... from rain with umbrellas.
They say it ...
We excuse... and leave the meeting room.
Their daughter shut ... in her own room.
If you cannot do the work by... you must find someone to help
you.
I often ask ... why on Earth I don’t give up.
One must do the work ... if he wants it well done.
One can lose ... quite easily in this rain forest.
All the people he ... appeals to greatly support him.
5. Change the following sentences to the negative:
Model: If we hurry, we shall be in time.
If we don’t hurry, we shall not be in time.
1. If she goes to the theatre, she will have a good time.
2. If we leave the house at 6 o’ clock, we shall get there in time.
3. If you open the window, it will be too cold.
4. If you listen to the teacher, you will understand the lesson.
5. If he arrives early, we shall see him.
6. If you work hard, you will finish before 10 o’ clock.
7. If he invites us, we shall go.
8. If she studies hard, she will get good marks.
9. If it rains, we shall go by bus.
If it snows for two or three days, there will be enough snow for
skiing.
1.
2.
3.
41
UNIT 3
WORK, PROFESSIONS, OCCUPATIONS, TRADES. WHAT’S YOUR PROFESSION
Contents:
3.1. HOW DO YOU EARN YOUR LIVING?
3.1.1.1. Indefinite pronouns and adjectives. Compounds of some, any, no
3.2. EXPRESSING TIME. WHAT TIME IS IT? WHAT’S THE TIME
3.2.1.1. The cardinal numeral
3.3. EXPRESSING DATE. WHAT DATE IS IT?
3.3.1.1. The ordinal numeral
- Improve your knowledge about (1) work, professions,
occupations, trades; (2) expressing time and date;
- Practise grammar issues: compounds of some, any, no; the
cardinal numeral; the ordinal numeral.
Let’s Talk!
 About career fulfilment. Why is it important to find out
everything you can about your future career or the job you want to
obtain? What do you know about your future job? Do you consider
this profession will give you satisfaction and you will be truly
successful in performing it? To what extent do you consider that the
working environment is important? Explain what you imagine
lawyers, judges, prosecutors do.
 About job security. Enlarge upon the advantages of working
for an established organization, upon the promotion opportunities a
position must grant. Why is it important to find out everything about
the company that employs you?
1. HOW DO YOU EARN YOUR LIVING?
READING. Read and then answer:
Where you would like to work after graduation.
Which is, according to your opinion, the most interesting job?
What else would you like to be if you hadn’t chosen to study
law?
Name as many traders as you know and the services they offer
their clients or customers.
42
- What is your profession? What kind of work do you do?
- I am a teacher. I teach foreign languages in a language school.
The teaching profession also includes schoolmasters, lecturers,
professors. Teaching is a beautiful profession that brings a lot of
satisfaction.
- I am a chief accountant. I keep the books for a big company.
Economists are specialists in economic problems. My husband is an
electro- technical engineer. He works in a factory. Others are civil,
mechanical or electrical engineers.
- I, on the other hand, am a doctor, a physician, and my wife is a
medical nurse but the medical profession includes surgeons, dentists,
radiologists, biologists, family doctor, general practitioner, eye and
throat specialists, cardiologists, paediatrician, psychiatrist,
pharmacists, veterinarians and so on. They all take care of sick
people and help them to be healthy again or get well soon. Doctors
help people by operating on them, making tests, or by prescribing
them pills. We must not forget to mention the work of our colleagues
the vets, who take care of animals or people’s pets.
- I am a shorthand typist and I work as a secretary in an office. I
can type, shorthand, work on computer and I speak French, English
and a little German. All this knowledge is important to find a proper
job. My office hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. but whenever it is the
case I work more than that. I have got a full time job but other clerks
have part time jobs. My boss is an engineer and a manager, too. He
runs a profitable business in the food industry and he does a lot of
fieldwork.
- I am a lawyer and I defend my clients but the profession of law
includes solicitors, barristers, assessors and judges.
- I am a carpenter. I build houses and make furniture, but a
building – site also employs bricklayers (or masons), plumbers,
painters, glaziers and locksmiths. All these are called skilled workers
and I think these jobs are very important, too. Can you imagine life
without these artisans’ work? I consider it unimaginable.
- I am a journalist and a writer, too. I write articles for a daily
newspaper. As to the books I write, I give them to a publisher after I
correct them. The publisher has a publishing house where printers
print the text books, the grammar books, the guide books, the poetry
books, the essay collections, the novels, the albums and so on and the
bookbinders bind the books in covers. Then, the booksellers sell my
books in bookshops and the librarians, who buy them for the public
libraries, lend them to the readers.
- Some traders offer their services to their clients and customers:
these are tailors, dressmakers, furriers, shoemakers, cobblers, barbers,
hairdressers, watchmakers, photographers, dyers, dry cleaners,
waiters, cooks, shop assistants, merchants, bakers, butchers, grocers,
greengrocers, florists.
- Actors, actresses, musicians, conductors, players, singers,
conjurers, tamers, clowns, rope – walkers they all entertain people
when they go to the theatre, cinema, opera or circus.
- Anyone who drives a car, a bus, a taxi is a driver, but a train has
an engine driver.
- The profession of arms, also very important because the army
43
provides security for our native land ever since the world began,
includes officers in the Navy, the Army, the Air Forces and the Police
Force. Someone who serves in these institutions is called a sailor, a
soldier, a fireman, an airman, a policeman or a customs officer.
- I think no one has a profession as beautiful as mine. I am a
farmer and I have my own farm. The farm I owe is in a plain region
and it is very large. I tend and harvest the crops of wheat and maize, I
grow pigs, cows, sheep that give meat, milk and wool and I plant fruit
– trees.
- I am a stockbroker. I am a car dealer. I am a freelance writer. I am
a sales representative. I have a small business of my own.
- I am unemployed at the moment. I’m looking for a job right now.
GRAMMAR FOCUS
INDEFINITE PRONOUNS AND ADJECTIVES
Affirmative
Sentence
Some
Any
Interrogative
Sentence
Any
Some
Negative
Sentence
No
Any
COMPOUNDS OF SOME, ANY, NO
ANY
BODY
Somebody
cineva (af.,
neg.)
Anybody
cineva (int.)
nimeni
(neg.)
oricine (af.)
NO
Nobody
SOME
ONE
Someone
cineva (af.,
neg.)
Anyone
cineva
(int.)
nimeni
(neg)
oricine
(af.)
No one
THING
Something
ceva
(af.,
neg.)
Anything
ceva (int.)
nimic (neg)
oricine (af.)
WHERE
Somewhere
undeva (af.,
neg.)
Anywhere
undeva (int.)
nicăieri
(neg.)
oriunde (af.)
Nothing
Nowhere
 Some şi compuşii lui se folosesc:
 în propoziţii afirmative atât ca pronume cât şi ca adjective;
 în propoziţii interogative pentru a sugera că se aşteaptă un răspus
pozitiv sau că există o presupunere, un dubiu:
Didn’t she tell you something about me? Nu ţi-a spus ceva
despre mine?
 Cînd se pune accentul pe o parte din obiectele menţionate:
Did you do some of the exercises the teacher asked us to do?
Ai făcut vreunele din exerciţiile pe care ne-a cerut profesorul
să le facem?
 Any şi compuşii lui se folosesc:
 în propoziţii interogative ca sinonime ale lui some şi compuşii
lui:
Is there anybody here? Este cineva aici?
44




Have you anything in your hand? Ai ceva în mână?
În propoziţii afirmative cu sensul: oricare, orice, oricine;
În propiziţii negative cu înţeles negativ şi cu verbul la negativ:
I cannot hear anything. Nu pot auzi nimic.
No şi compuşii lui se folosesc:
în propoziţii negative cu verbul la afirmativ:
He knows nothing. El nu ştie nimic.
We go nowhere. Nu mergem nicăieri.
I hear nobody. Nu aud pe nimeni.
I have nothing in my hand. Nu am nimic în mână.
1. Nouns denoting professions, occupations or the agent of an action
are formed from verb + -er/ -or. Others are formed from noun + -er/
-or. Make up nouns adding the suffixes -er/ -or to the following verbs
according to the model and translate them :
Model: to sing – singer – cîntăreţ
to collect – collector – colecţionar; încasator; agent fiscal
to play, to write, to read, to dance, to teach, to build, to paint, to
learn, to do, to make, to go, to look, to employ, to keep, to trade, to
work, to clean, to drink, to run, to sell, to drive, to walk, to kidnap, to
receive, to rap, to commute, to defend, to explore, to organise, to win,
to fly, to think, to dine;
to assess, to operate, to create, to credit, to deposit, to conduct, to
invent.
2. Guess the occupations:
1. I work in an office. I type letters and answer the phone.
2. I go to court and defend people’s rights.
3. I work in a hospital and take care of sick people.
4. I work in a school and help people learn.
5. You pay me when you buy something at the store.
6. I take care of sick animals.
7. I put out fires.
8. I wear a uniform and a badge. I help keep your neighborhood safe.
9. I help keep your teeth clean.
10. I deliver letters and packages to your home.
3. Read quickly in the singular:
These employees say that when they get home every afternoon
they change their clothes, have some food because they are hungry
and rest.
My friends, who live in the countryside, tell me that when they
come to town for a few days they always get very tired and sleep
badly and find it difficult to get up in the morning. They just idle,
visit their friends and eat. In the countryside, they say, they are so
busy that time passes quickly and they enjoy the evenings, when they
rest, read or talk. They never open an eye all night and feel fresh
when they begin a new working day.
4. Complete the sentences below with some, any, no and their
compound forms:
45
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
I hear (ceva/ cineva/nimic) at the door.
Can you hear (ceva)?
They know (ceva/nimic/orice) about this subject.
Do they have (ceva) for breakfast?
Do you go (undeva) during the winter holidays?
I don’t go (nicăieri). I go (nicăieri).
Do they go (undeva) with (cineva)?
Can you see (ceva/pe cineva) in the dark?
I can see (nimic). I cannot see (nimic). I can see (orice), as my
sight is good.
Would you like (nişte) coffee?
Would you like (ceva)?
The woman had (ceva/orice/nimic) in her shopping bag.
She bought (nimic/ceva). She didn’t buy (nimic).
Say (ceva/nimic/orice).
Don’t say (nimic).
Don’t go (nicăieri). Stay indoors and do (ceva) useful.
My old neighbour likes to play the piano (câteodată).
(Orice) child likes to play. (Nimeni) likes work.
I like (nişte) snacks when I watch TV.
(Nicăieri) is better than home.
(Nimic) is better than an ice-cream in summer.
(Orice) is better than rancid butter.
(Nimic) is worse than to lose (pe cineva) dear.
A parent gives his child (orice).
He gives his girl-friend (ceva/nimic/orice).
5. Complete the following sentences with some, any, no:
1. I want to ask you
thing.
2. Don’t ask me
thing. I have no time to talk.
3. Give me
thing to drink,
thing but water.
4. We cannot understand her: she never tells body
thing.
5. He will not listen (nu vrea să asculte) to one who has
thing
to say.
6. You may find my son
where in the garden.
7. She may go
where she pleases.
8. She may go
where, tonight. She is grounded.
9. There is
one at the door asking if there’s
one at home.
10. Do you know
thing about
one here?
11. No, I know
thing about
body.
where to talk to
body.
12. I feel like going
6. Change the following indirect questions into direct ones according
to the model:
Model: Ask mother if she needs something from the shop.
Mother, do you need anything from the shop?
Ask if there is any bread and butter for breakfast.
Ask if there is something on the table.
Ask if there is somebody in the office.
Ask if there are some secretaries in the faculty.
Ask your colleague if he goes somewhere on holiday.
Ask why he goes nowhere.
Ask why nobody comes to the courses.
46
Ask your colleague if he has something in his hand.
Ask if there is any dean in the office.
Ask if someone knows about the missing students.
7. Fill in the blanks with the words in the box:
library, bookshop, back cover, title, publishing house,
introduction, author, front cover, illustration, table of contents,
chapters, to lend, librarian, from cover to cover, best seller.
1. One can borrow books from the
but one can buy them from
a
.
2. The person who works in a library is called
.
3. The librarian
books to people.
4. The person who writes a book is a writer or an
.
5. I don’t know the title of the book but I can tell it by the
.
6. Read this book from
to
. It’s a
.
7. Usually one may find out what the book is about, by reading the
, that part in which the author speaks about the subject.
8. The parts the books are divided into are
.
9. A book may have several chapters, whose titles you may find by
reading the
.
10.
are parts of story books especially. Good illustrations
must be illustrative of the subject.
11. Other authors’ interesting opinions about a book may be read on
the
.
12. Since 1990 numerous
appeared all over the country and
they printed innumerable publications.
Let’s Talk!
 About how to tell the time in English. How can people know
the time of the day? How can they tell the right time? How did people
use to measure time in ancient times? Do you wear a watch? Where
do you wear it? Can you tell the time in English? What is the most
particular rule about telling the time in English? What is the time by
your watch now? What happens when your watch is slow or fast?
 Do you know what GMT stands for? If you don’t, how would
you ask about this in English?
2. EXPRESSING TIME. WHAT TIME IS IT?
phrases and then:
Go round the clock and give all the five minutes from three
o’clock to four o’clock.
47
Match each definition with a word: a.m., day, digital, half-hour,
hour, midday, minute, minute hand, morning, night, noon, o'clock,
p.m., quarter-hour, second, sunset, today, tomorrow, yesterday:
1. The time elapsed between sunset and dawn.
2. The sixtieth part of a minute.
3. Midday.
4. The Latin phrase post meridiem.
5. The part of a watch or clock that measures the minutes.
6. A type of watch or clock which uses numerals to tell the
time.
7. The day before today.
8. The sixty seconds.
9. The period between sunrise and sunset.
10. Thirty minutes.
11. Sixty minutes.
12. A word placed at the end of the phrase giving the time.
13. The earliest part of a day.
14. A clock or watch with hands for seconds, minutes, hours.
15. The moment the sun disappears from the sky.
16. Fifteen minutes.
17. The middle part of the day.
18. The latin phrase ante meridiem.
19. The day after today.
20. The present day.
21. The time between noon and evening
People can tell the time by a clock or a watch. A clock is big and
it usually hangs on the wall or stands on the mantelpiece above the
fireplace. Some clocks are very big, for example Big Ben, the clock
on the House of Parliament in London.
The minute hand of Big Ben is fourteen feet long, and the hour hand
is nine feet long. We can hear Big Ben every night on the wireless at
nine o’clock when it strikes and its sound goes all over the world.
A watch is small; we can put one in our pocket or we wear it on the
wrist as it has a strap. On the dial, under the glass we see twelve
Roman or Arabic figures. The figures round the dial mark the hours
and minutes. Each hour may be divided into two halves and four
quarters. A quarter of an hour has fifteen minutes and half an hour
has thirty minutes. A full hour has sixty minutes. Each minute has
sixty seconds. There are three hands on the dial: a short hand for the
hours, a long hand for the minutes and a very long one for the
seconds. The wheels and spring, which are inserted inside the case,
move the hands.
My watch keeps good time and only stops when I don’t wind it up
and then I set it right by the radio signal. When my watch is out of
order I take it to the watchmaker, who repairs it. Otherwise, my
watch is neither fast, nor slow.
I don’t consider it is difficult to tell the time in English. First of all,
let’s deal with the hours: we say it’s one o’clock sharp, two o’clock
sharp, three o’clock and so on. We use the letters a.m. (a short form
of the Latin words ante meridiem meaning before noon) and p.m. (a
short form of the Latin words post meridiem meaning after noon).
Twelve o’clock may refer to midnight or to midday.
48
For the quarters we say: it’s a quarter past five, half past five, and a
quarter to six. We can also say five fifteen, five thirty and five fortyfive when we refer to the times of trains or aeroplanes, shops etc.
Going round the clock and giving all the five minutes from twelve
o’clock to one o’clock we say: five past twelve, ten past twelve, a
quarter past twelve, twenty past twelve, twenty- five past twelve,
thirty past twelve, twenty- five to one, twenty to one, a quarter to one,
ten to one, five to one.
Thus we use the preposition past for the former half hour and the
preposition to for the latter half hour.
- What time is it by your watch? What’s the time by your watch?
- By my watch it is two to two, but my watch is wrong.
- Is your watch fast or slow?
- Sometimes it is a few minutes fast and sometimes it is a few
minutes slow. It does not keep good time. Sometimes it loses,
sometimes it gains. I must take it to the watchmaker to have it
mended.
- Listen! The clock in the tower is just striking four o’clock and
now I can set my watch correctly.
- Is it four already? Is it that late? Is it as late as that? We have no
much time left to go to the library before the math class so, let’s
go at once.
- You are right. Let’s.
GRAMMAR FOCUS
THE CARDINAL NUMERAL
Numeralele cardinale între 13 – 19 se formează adăugând
numeralelor de la 3 – 9 sufixul – teen:
13
14
15
16
18
19
thirteen
fourteen
fifteen
sixteen
eighteen
nineteen
Numeralele 13-thirteen ['θ∂:ti:n] şi 15-fifteen ['fifti:n] prezintă
deosebiri ortografice şi de pronunţie faţă de numeralele 3 - three şi 5 five de la care s-au format.
Numeralele 20, 30, 40 ... 90 se formează adăugând la numeralele
cuprinse între 2 şi 9 sufixul – ty.
20
30
40
50
twenty
thirty
forty
fifty
60
70
80
90
sixty
seventy
eighty
ninety
Intre zeci şi unităţi se pune liniuţă: twenty-one, thirty-four,
ninety- nine.
Particularităţi ortografice şi de pronunţie prezintă numeralele 20 49
twenty ['twenti], 30 - thirty ['θ∂:ti], 40 - forty ['fo:ti], 50 - fifty ['fifti].
Intre sute, mii şi milioane şi cifrele care denumesc zeci şi unităţi
se foloseşte conjuncţia and:
two hundred and thirty -230, two thousand and nine -2009.
Numeralele hundred, thousand şi million nu primesc terminaţia
catacteristică pluralului când sunt plasate după un numeral cardinal:
nine hundred - 900, two thousand -2000, three million -3 milioane.
Dacă sunt folosite la numărul singular ele vor fi însoţite de articolul
nehotărât sau numeralul one: a/ one hundred -100, one thousand 1000, one million two hundred and nine -1. 200 009.
Aceste numerale primesc desinenţa de plural:
 când sunt folosite ca substantive:
Hundreds come to the library every day. Sute vin la
bibliotecă zilnic.
 când sunt urmate de prepoziţia of:
Hundreds and hundreds of people are in street. Sute şi sute
de oameni sunt pe stradă.
Thousands and thousands of books are gathered in our
university’s library. Mii şi mii de cărţi sunt adunate în biblioteca
universităţii nostre.
Two millions of people live in this city. Două milioane de
oameni locuiesc în acest oraş.
Billion înseamnă miliard în engleza americană.
In locul punctului se foloseşte virgula pentru separarea cifrelor,
punctul indicând zecimalele: 2,029 (two thousand and twenty nine).
 Numeralele cardinale se folosesc pentru exprimarea orei şi a datei
(anilor);
Anii se citesc în două maniere:
 în stilul oficial: 1999 – one thousand nine hundred and ninety nine;
 în engleza vorbită: 1999 – nineteen ninety-nine (se citesc cifrele
luate două câte două).
 în exprimarea operaţiunilor aritmetice,
Two plus two is/ are four.
Four minus two makes/ make/ is two.
Two multiplied by two is/ are four
Four divided by two is/ are two.
 pentru citirea numerelor de telefon, unde trebuie remarcat faptul
că 0 (zero)se citeşte [ ∂u]:
NOTĂ! Dacă primele sau ultimele două cifre sunt identice se
foloseşte cuvântul double, dar această regulă nu se aplică şi în cazul
în care cifrele din mijloc sunt identice.
My phone number is 116603 – double one six six oh three
[dΛ bl wΛ n siks siks ∂ u θri].
1. Read the following years:
1066, 1172, 1391, 1601, 1735, 1877, 1918, 1944, 1955, 1956,
1978, 1989, 2000, 2003.
50
2. Translate into English:
Sute de studenţii, şase sute de studenţi, mii de cărţi, trei mii de
cărţi, milioane de oameni, multe milioane de oameni, douăzeci de
milioane de locuitori, zeci de profesori, multe zeci de profesori,
miliarde şi miliarde de lei pagubă.
3. Rewrite the following sentences using infinitives:
Model: I have nothing I can wear.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Have you anything you want to say?
The police have no evidence they can offer.
The secretary has a lot of letters she must write.
I have a lot of work I must do.
Can’t you find something better you could do?
She buys a hat she can wear at that party.
The doctor has tens of patients he must see.
We have a lot of friends we must visit.
We haven’t much money we can spend.
Has he anything he wants to add?
She is sorry that she missed the beginning of the concert.
We must wait till we hear the examination results before we
make holidays plans.
13. She is happy that she finds such a pleasant place to live in.
14. Mother is happy that she has good, obedient children.
15. I am horrified that I have to see her again.
4. Rewrite these sentences omitting the underlined adverbs and
using the words provided in brackets:
1. He always gets up before sunrise (occasionally).
2. They will soon arrive (in a few minutes).
3. The old man often goes out in the evening (once a week).
4. Their children usually go to school by bus (five times a week).
5. They rarely visit their parents (about twice a year).
6. They frequently go to visit their father at the hospital (once a day).
7. I sometimes spend a weekend in the mountains (every other month).
5. Rewrite these sentences adding the words very much in the
appropriate positions:
1. Young people nowadays like modern music.
2. I hope you have time to attend the concert.
3. He is surprised to hear that I speak German.
4. Does it matter if we arrive a few minutes after the party begins?
5. Mr. Lean regrets that it is not possible for him to accept your
invitation.
6. The news about the damage is exaggerated.
7. They are impressed by his good behaviour, aren’t they?
8. The wife is hurt by her husband’s words, isn’t she?
9. The chairman is annoyed because of the great loses.
10. They are concerned about their children’s future.
6. Complete the following sentences with the appropriate reflexive
pronouns:
1. ’Behave
’ mother tells her children every day.
51
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
’Don’t be too sure of
my boy’ the father keeps telling his son.
VIPs like to read about
in the papers.
The history teacher says: ’History repeats
’.
She goes out every Saturday and enjoys
.
She bought
a new coat.
Who made it? He made it
.
Does he think of other people? No he only thinks of
. He
only takes care of
.
7. Answer the questions:
1. How long does it take you to get to University?
2. How long does it take you to wash, dress yourself and eat your
breakfast?
3. How long does it take your mother to prepare breakfast?
4. How long does it take you to graduate this university?
5. How long does it take you to read a magazine?
8. Match each definition with a words:
a.m., analog, day, digital, elapsed, half-hour, hour, midday, minute,
minute hand, morning, night, noon, o'clock, p.m., quarter-hour,
second, sunset, today, tomorrow, yesterday
1. The hours of darkness between sunset and dawn.
2. A very short period of time equal; the sixtieth part of a minute.
3. Twelve o'clock in the daytime; midday.
4. The Latin phrase post meridiem which means after midday.
5. The part of an analog clock which measures the minutes.
6. When time has passed
7. A type of clock which does not have hands but rather uses
numerals to display the time
8. The day before today
9. The sixtieth part of an hour; sixty seconds.
10. the period between sunrise and sunset or between two
successive nights.
11. A period of time lasting thirty minutes.
12. A unit of time equal to sixty minutes; the twenty-fourth part of a
day
13. A word that is used when giving the time.
14. The earliest part of the day, beginning about sunrise and ending
about noon.
15. A type of clock that tells the time by means of hands moving on
a dial plate.
16. The moment each day when the sun disappears below the
western horizon.
17. A period of fifteen minutes.
18. The middle part of the day or the time near or around the middle
part of the day.
19. The Latin phrase ante meridiem which means before midday.
20. The day after today.
21. The present day.
22. The time of day between noon and evening
9. Select the definition that most nearly defines the given word.
time
52
a) the middle part of the day or the time near or around the
middle part of the day.
b) a particular moment measured by hours, minutes, and
seconds on a clock.
c) when time has passed
d) a period of fifteen minutes.
a.m.
a) twelve o'clock at night.
b) a very short period of time equal; the sixtieth part of a
minute.
c) the Latin phrase ante meridiem which means before midday.
d) the period between sunrise and sunset or between two
successive nights.
sunset
a) the Latin phrase post meridiem which means after midday.
b) a period of time lasting thirty minutes.
c) the day before today
d) the moment each day when the sun disappears below the
western horizon.
morning
a) the part of an analog clock which measures the minutes.
seconds on a clock.
c) the earliest part of the day, beginning about sunrise and
ending about noon.
d) the sixtieth part of an hour; sixty seconds.
noon
a) twelve o'clock in the daytime; midday.
b) the hours of darkness between sunset and dawn.
c) the time of day between late afternoon and nightfall.
d) the time of day between noon and evening
midnight
a) the present day.
b) twelve o'clock at night.
c) the part of an analog clock which measures the minutes.
d) a type of clock which does not have hands but rather uses
numerals to display the time
day
a) twelve o'clock in the daytime; midday.
b) a type of clock that tells the time by means of hands moving
on a dial plate.
c) the moment each day at which the sun first becomes visible
above the eastern horizon.
d) the period between sunrise and sunset or between two
successive nights.
midday
a) a word that is used when giving the time.
b) a unit of time equal to sixty minutes; the twenty-fourth part of
a day
c) the middle part of the day or the time near or around the
middle part of the day.
d) the moment each day when the sun disappears below the
western horizon.
53
clock
a) the moment each day when the sun disappears below the
western horizon.
seconds on a clock.
c) the day after today.
d) a machine that tells the time.
half-hour
a) a period of time lasting thirty minutes.
b) the earliest part of the day, beginning about sunrise and
ending about noon.
c) the present day.
d) a period of fifteen minutes.
second
a) a type of clock that tells the time by means of hands moving
on a dial plate.
b) a very short period of time equal; the sixtieth part of a
minute.
c) the moment each day at which the sun first becomes visible
d) when time has passed
sunrise
a) the day after today.
b) the Latin phrase ante meridiem which means before midday.
c) twelve o'clock at night.
d) the moment each day at which the sun first becomes visible
Let’s Talk!
 How can people keep track of days, weeks, and months? Who
made our calendar? How many years are there in a century? What
century are we in? What year did our century begin in? When does it
end? What do you call the year when February has 29 days?
3. EXPRESSING DATE. WHAT DATE IS IT?
READING. Read the text and tell the following dates
in English:
1 aprilie 2003, 25 august 1768, 12 ianuarie 1243, 2 iulie 1645, 3
mai 1159, 14 februarie 1989, 8 martie 2000, 25 decembrie 1967,
31 decembrie 1979, 20 septembrie 1978, 9 iulie 1978, 4 martie
1977, 1 octombrie 2005
54
As the clock is for the time, the calendar is for the date.
We measure time by seconds, minutes, hours, by days, weeks,
months or years, by decades or centuries, by millenniums.
There are twelve months in a year. Here are their names and
their successive order: January- the first, February- the second,
March- the third, April- the fourth, May- the fifth, June- the sixth,
July- the seventh, August- the eighth, September- the ninth, Octoberthe tenth, November- the eleventh and December- the twelfth.
Some months have thirty days, others have thirty-one. February
has only twenty- eight days, but every fourth year, in a leap year, it
has twenty- nine days.
Our calendar was made by Sosigenes at the special request of
Julius Caesar. The month of July was named after Caesar’s name.
Later Augustus named the month of August after his name and he
decided to make August as long as July. He took an extra day off
February that was shortened by one day.
There are fifty- two weeks in a year, or three hundred and sixtyfive or sixty- six days. Seven days, five working-days (weekdays)
and two holidays form a week. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday are the days of the week.
Monday is the first day of the week and Sunday is the last. The
English consider Sunday as being the first day of the week so when
they start to enumerate the seven days they start with Sunday not with
Monday. Two weeks make a fortnight.
A day has twenty- four hours. A day is the time it takes the
Earth to move right round its own axis while a year is the time it
takes our planet to move round the Sun. There are two parts in one
day- the day and the night. The period of twenty- four hours is
divided into morning, afternoon, evening and night. A day begins in
the morning and ends in the evening. In the morning the sun rises, in
the evening it sets. The middle of the day is called midday while
midnight is in the middle of the night. We refer to this day as today.
The day before today is called yesterday and the day before yesterday
is called the day before yesterday.
We call the day after today tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow
the day after tomorrow. In the morning, until 12 o’clock a.m., when
we want to greet people whom we are not friends with, we say Good
morning, in the afternoon, between 12 a.m. and 6 p.m., we say Good
afternoon, in the evening, after 6 p.m. till late at night, we say Good
evening. If it is night, and we leave or go to bed we have to say Good
night.
The 1st of January is the first day of the year. December 31st is the
last and it is called New Year’s Eve. One of the greatest holidays for
the Christians, Christmas, is on the 25th of December (or December
25th). People celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, our Saviour or
Redeemer.
A year may also be divided into four seasons: spring, summer,
autumn or fall as the Americans say, and the season of snow- winter.
Ten years form a decade and one hundred years form a century.
One thousand years or ten centuries form a millennium. The third
millennium of mankind’s history has just begun.
At present we are living in the first decade of the twenty- first
century A. D. The twentieth century ended some years ago.
55
GRAMMAR FOCUS
THE ORDINAL NUMERAL
Numeralele ordinale se formează adăugând sufixul - th la
numeralul cardinal corespunzător (cu excepţia numeralelor 1, 2, 3)
precedat de articolul hotărât the:
the fifth (al cincilea, a cincea), the seventh (al şaptelea, a
şaptea), the hundredth (al o sutălea), the one thousandth (al o
miilea).
Numeralele ordinale corespunzătoare numeralelor cardinale
1, 2, 3 sunt: the first, the second, the third.
Particularităţi ortografice prezintă numeralele: the fifth, the eighth,
the ninth, the twelfth.
La numeralele terminate în – ty, – y se transformă în ie şi primeşte
sufixul – th:
twenty – the twentieth, thirty – the thirtieth, forty – the fortieth, fifty –
the fiftieth, sixty – the sixtieth.
In cazul numerelor compuse numai ultima cifră este un numeral
ordinal: 32nd – the thirty – second, 328th – the three hundred and
thirty eighth, 1001st– the one thousand and first.
În limba engleză exprimarea datei se face cu ajutorul numeralului
ordinal.
1. Read the following dates in English:
1 aprilie 2003, 25 august 1768, 12 ianuarie 1243, 2 iulie 1645, 3 mai
1159, 14 februarie 1989, 8 martie 2000, 25 decembrie 1967, 31
decembrie 1979, 20 septembrie 1978, 9 iulie 1978, 4 martie 1977, 1
octombrie 2005
2. Study this list of jobs. Some of them are said to be a man’s job;
others a woman’s job. Give your own opinion:
bus driver, lorry driver, nurse, cook, bank manager, vet, secretary,
typist, professional footballer, garage mechanic, babysitter, train
driver, beauty expert, chef.
3. A woman is talking to a clerk. Look at the dialogue and do the
same, but mind the main verb:
Model: Clerk: I don’t know.
Woman: Don’t you? Well, is there someone here who does?
1. I don’t want to serve you.
2. I don’t want to tell anything about this problem.
3. I can’t help you.
4. I can’t explain the situation to you.
5. I’m not assisting customers.
6. I haven’t got any time.
7. I am not able to answer to your question.
56
8. I must not wash the wash basin.
9. I can’t speak English.
10. I am not able to spell in English.
4. Ask questions the same as the woman does:
Model: I don’t suppose you know how much the coat is?
1. What size the coat is.
2. What the dress is made of.
3. Where the salesgirl is.
4. Where the public phone is.
5. When the store closes.
6. Who that strange man is.
7. When the next plane to Paris is.
8. When it arrives to the destination.
9. If it’s on time.
10. If it’s usually very full.
5. Replace whose with of which in the following sentences:
Model: Don’t take the chair whose leg is broken.
Don’t take the chair the leg of which is broken.
1. We live in a house whose owner is abroad.
2. The librarian gives me a book whose author is completely
unknown.
3. They live in a village whose name I cannot remember.
4. My garden is the one whose gate is painted green.
5. He uses a dictionary whose cover has come off.
6. Their house is the one whose roof is green.
7. Our house is the one whose windows are open.
8. Our car is the one whose tyre is flat.
9. Her computer is the one whose screen is dusty.
10. His overcoat is the one whose buttons are loose.
6. Change the following sentences using there is a…or there are
some…according to the model:
Model: A shelf on the wall. There is a shelf on the wall.
Shelves on the walls. There are some shelves on the walls.
1. Men and women in the shop.
2. A clerk in this office.
3. Children in the playground.
4. A calendar on the desk.
5. Footsteps in front of the door.
6. Geese in the farmyard.
7. A lawyer in the court.
8. Two mice in the box over there.
9. Dice under the tablecloth.
10. Several scarves and handkerchiefs in the drawer.
11. A doctor near the pacient.
12. Many factories in this town.
13. Two wolves behind the sheaves in that field.
14. Yellow leaves in the street.
15. A number at the bottom of the page.
7. Comment on the following statements using BE + NEVER/
57
ALWAYS + ADJECTIVE.
Model: My brother is not cold.
Well, you know your brother, he’s never cold.
He is tired.Well, you know him, he’s always tired.
1. Our neighbours are late again.
2. They are not in a hurry.
3. These hens are hungry again.
4. Isn’t father hot?
5. He is thirsty again.
6. The boss is angry again.
7. He is not in a good mood.
8. These clerks are hard working people.
9. George is at a loss again.
10. He doesn’t know what to do.
11. That man is rude again.
12. Mary is afraid of our dog though he knows her.
13. My sister is being careless again.
14. The Browns are noisy again.
15. Mother is having a headache.
16. The teacher has a cold again.
17. These students don’t do their task.
18. This old lady doesn’t like anything.
19. She is never pleased.
20. She is always complaining about something.
1. Firică, Camelia. 2013. Limba engleză, Craiova, Universitaria
2. Firică, Camelia. 2009. Brush up on your everyday English, Craiova, Universitaria
3. Firică, Camelia. 2006. Curs de limbă engleză - partea I, II, Craiova, Sitech
58
UNIT 4
Contents:
4.1. CAN YOU SPEAK ENGLISH?
4.1.1.1. Modal verbs
4.1.1.2. Personal pronouns in Dative and Accusative
4.1.1.3. The imperative mode
4.2. LEISURE ACTIVITIES AND SKILLS
4.2.1.1. The indefinite participle
4.3. WHAT ARE THEY DOING?
4.3.1.1. The present continuous
4.3.1.2. The near future
- Learn and practice vocabulary referring to (1) expressing
ability, permission, obligation and some school regulations; (2)
leisure time and how you spend it; (3) having breakfast with family.
- Practise grammar issues: modal verbs, personal pronouns in Dative
and Accusative, the imperative mode, indefinite participle, the
present continuous, near future
.
Let’s Talk!
 Talking about abilities. Every person is good at doing something.
What can you do best?
 Talking about allowed and banned things. Every person is
forbidden to do certain things in public places or at work. What are
you forbidden to do at university, at home or in public places? And
what must you do? Should mobiles phones and camera phones be
banned inside places of education? What are the things you may do
at university and in public places?
1. CAN YOU SPEAK ENGLISH?
-
READING.
Can you speak English?
No, I cannot, but I can understand it a little.
Can your colleagues read and write in English?
Some of them can do this very well, some can’t.
What about you?
59
- I’m afraid I cannot write very well in English. My spelling in
English is not good but I can work hard to learn more.
- May I ask you a question, if you please?
- Yes, you all may ask any question you want.
- Tell us please, must we buy any dictionaries or conversation
guide- books?
- Yes, you must. You need a dictionary. It may be very useful
because you can find any new words in it. You need not buy
grammar books or other English books yet. Now, let’s speak only
English.
- Can you drive a car?
- Yes, I can, as I have a driving licence.
- What must you do when you are at the faculty?
- We must attend courses and seminars, we must come in time, we
must abide by university rules and regulations, we must complete
tasks and assignments.
- What are you not allowed to do?
- We are not allowed to disturb classes, missbehave, be impolite, or
miss classes.
- It is true, and if someone commits more serious ofends such as
bringing illegal drugs, alcohol, or weapons, which are prohibited, he
or she will be charged with a serious violation of the rules and law as
well.
GRAMMAR FOCUS
MODAL VERBS
 CAN – a putea, a fi în stare, a fi capabil (arată abilitatea fizică sau
mentală de a îndeplini o acţiune);
 MAY – a putea, a avea voie, a avea permisiunea (arată
permisiunea, probabilitatea);
 MUST – a trebui (arată o obligaţie, o necesitate);
 SHALL, SHOULD, WILL, WOULD, NEED, OUGHT (TO),
DARE.
Se numesc verbe modale pentru că exprimă atitudinea subiectului
faţă de acţiunea sau starea descrisă de verbul care le urmează. Spre
deosebire de celelalte verbe, au numai două timpuri şi moduri, şi
anume Indicativ Prezent şi Condiţional Prezent. Această
caracteristică le atrage şi denumirea de verbe defective. Verbele can,
may, must precum şi alte verbe defectiv- modale prezintă o serie de
particularităţi care le deosebesc de verbele obişnuite şi anume:
 nu sunt precedate la forma de infinitiv de particula to;
 verbele care le urmează sunt la forma de infinitiv scurt (fără
particula to);
I can learn. Sunt capabil să învăţ./ Pot învăţa.
I may leave. Am voie să plec.
We must be there. Trebuie să fim acolo.
COMPARAŢI CU!
I want to learn. Vreau să învăţ.
I want to leave. Vreau să plec
60
I want to be there. Vreau să fiu acolo.
 nu primesc terminaţia „s“ la persoana a III-a singular aşa cum se
întâmplă în cazul verbelor predicative obişnuite;
He can read. Poate citi.
He may come in. Poate intra
He must study. Trebuie să studieze.
 nu formează interogativul şi negativul cu verbul auxiliar ’to do’ ci
prin inversiune şi respectiv prin simpla adăugare a negaţiei not:
Can he swim? Ştie/ Poate să înoate?
He cannot / can’t swim. Nu ştie/ nu poate să înoate.
May I take this? Pot/Am voie să iau asta?
You may not/ mayn’t take that. Nu poţi s-o iei.
Must we go there? Trebuie să mergem acolo?
We must not/mustn’t go there. Nu trebuie să mergem acolo.
ATENŢIE! Forma de negativ a verbului can se scrie într-un cuvânt
- cannot.
 nu au toate timpurile şi modurile: can are forma de trecut şi de
condiţional could, may are forma de trecut şi de condiţional might,
must are numai formă de prezent (dar această formă poate fi folosită
ca şi formă de trecut în propoziţiile subordonate). Pentru celelalte
timpuri se folosesc expresii echivalente cunoscute sub denumirea de
echivalenţi ai verbelor modale:
Can se înlocuieşte cu to be able to
May se înlocuieşte cu to be allowed to, to be permitted to
Must se înlocuieşte cu to have to, to be obliged to
ATENŢIE! Pentru a cere îngăduinţa se pot folosi deopotrivă atât
may cât şi can.
May I leave? Îmi daţi voie să plec?
Can I leave? Pot pleca?
Verbul may la negativ exprimă lipsa permisiunii: nu- ţi dau voie, nuţi îngădui:
No, you may not leave. Nu-ţi dau voie să pleci.
Verbul must la negativ exprimă interdicţia este interzis, nu este
permis:
You must not smoke in the baby’s room. Nu ai voie să fumezi
în camera copilului.
Need – are înţelesul de este nevoie, este necesar.
Intrebarea este nevoie? şi răspunsul negativ nu este nevoie se
redau prin intermediul acestui verb atunci când se aşteaptă un răspuns
negativ:
Need we buy any dictionaries? Este nevoie să cumpărăm vreun
dicţionar?
No, you need not/ needn’d. Nu-i nevoie/ Ne este necesar.
Răspunsul afirmativ se va reda cu verbul must:
Yes, you must. Da, trebuie.
Obligaţia impusă de o planificare anterioară se exprimă prin
intermediul verbului to be to urmat de infinitivul scurt (fără particula
to) al verbului de conjugat. Acest verb se poate folosi atât la timpul
prezent cât şi la trecul.
We are to meet them at noon. Urmează să-i întâlnim la
amiază.
We were to meet them at noon. Urma să-i întâlnim la amiază.
61
Deoarece verbul modal can are aceiaşi formă - could - atât
pentru timpul trecut cît şi pentru modul condiţional, vom folosi
echivalentul to be able to pentru a indica o realizare în trecut:
I was able to read the whole report. Am fost în stare/ Am
putut să citesc tot raportul.
PERSONAL PRONOUNS IN DATIVE AND ACCUSATIVE
NOMINATIVE
I
you
he
she
it
we
you
they
DATIVE
(to) me – mie
(to) you – ţie
(to) him – lui
(to) her – ei
(to) it
(to) us – nouă
(to) you – vouă
(to)them – lor
ACCUSATIVE
me
you
him
her
it
us
you
them
În limba engleză, în propoziţiile afirmative, ordinea
cuvintelor este:
subiect + predicat + complement indirect + complement direct
I can lend you my pen. Iţi pot împrumuta stiloul meu.
Dacă complementul direct este plasat înaintea celui indirect,
acesta din urmă va fi, obligatoriu, precedat de prepoziţia to:
I can lend my pen to you. Iţi pot împrumuta stiloul meu.
THE IMPERATIVE MODE
Modul imperativ exprimă un ordin la afirmativ sau negativ şi
are o singură formă, persoana a II-a singular şi plural, identică cu
infinitivul scurt al verbului de conjugat:
Come! Go! Wait! Stop!
Forma negativă a modului imperativ se formează cu auxiliarul to do
conform schemei:
Do + not + verb (la infinitiv)
Do not / Don’t come late! Nu veni târziu!
Don’t go there alone! Nu te duce acolo singură!
Don’t wait for me! Nu mă aştepta!
Don’t be cheeky! Nu fi obraznic!
Pe de altă parte, putem vorbi de forme ale imperativului şi la celelalte
persoane. La persoanele I şi a III-a singular şi plural se foloseşte
construcţia cu verbul auxiliar let urmat de pronume în cazul acuzativ
şi verb de conjugat la infinitiv scurt conform schemei:
Let + pronume (me, him, her, it, us, them) + verb
Această construcţie se traduce prin (hai) să...
Let me see! (Lasă- mă) Să văd!
Let us/ Let’s go. Să mergem!
Negativul se construieşte cu ajutorul verbului to do:
Do + not (don’t) +let + pronume + verb.
Don’t let them leave early! Nu-i lăsa să plece devreme!
62
NOTĂ: In vorbirea indirectă propoziţiile imperative se vor reda cu
infinitivul verbului de conjugat dacă propoziţia este afirmativă, şi cu
not + infinitivul verbului dacă propoziţia este negativă.
Astfel, propoziţiile imperative:
Take a sheet of paper! Luaţi o bucată de hârtie!
Write down after dictation! Scrieţi după dictare!
Don’t look in your colleagues’ papers! Nu vă uitaţi în
lucrarea colegului!
vor fi introduse prin unul din verbele to tell, to order, to ask, după
cum este cazul, urmate de infinitivul verbelor take şi write (pentru
cele două propoziţii afirmative) şi respectiv not + infinitivul verbului
look (pentru propoziţia negativă):
The teacher tells us to take a sheet of paper. Profesorul ne
spune să luăm o bucată de hârtie.
The teacher asks us to write down after dictation! Profesorul
ne cere să scriem după dictare.
The teacher asks us not to look in our colleagues’ papers.
Profesorul ne cere să nu ne uităm în lucrările colegilor.
1. In the following sentences replace the verbs must, can, may with
the corresponding forms of to have to, to be able to, to be
allowed to, to be permitted to:
a) We must work hard to learn English. I must leave now to catch the
plane. This sick man must see the doctor tomorrow. I must get up
very early as I live very far from the university. They must finish
their work as it is very late. You must not eat so much. You must not
drink too much coffee in the evening.
b) Their child can swim better this year. The driver cannot drive any
more as he is too tired. Can you speak any foreign language? Can
your daughter cook? Who can do this translation at once? The
football player cannot play football because his leg hurts. This man
can lift that heavy box. That old man can ride a horse. What do you
think can he ride a bike, too?
c) May I open the window, please? You may open the window if you
think it’s too stuffy in here. You may not smoke in this room. May I
leave earlier, teacher? You may not take my car, you cannot drive
well. He may not take my fountain- pen. He is careless. May I ask
why you are late?
2. Can + be + adjective has the meaning of capacity.
a) Change the following sentences into this construction, omitting
the underlined adverbs:
Model: Little Mary is sometimes very annoying.
Little Mary can be very annoying.
1. She is sometimes very sarcastic.
2. Children are sometimes very naughty.
3. He is quite amusing when he wants to be.
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4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Smoking so much is often bad for the health.
This drug is occasionally useful in the treatment of pneumonia.
People are sometimes very rude.
Some persons are sometimes extremely helpful.
Women are very curious most of the time.
Women are talkative most of the time.
Husbands are occasionally nosy.
b) Replace the words that are underlined, using can together with
the words given in brackets.
Model: Swimming is not always easy. (sometimes tiring)
Swimming can be sometimes tiring.
1. Learning a foreign language isn’t always easy (sometimes
difficult).
2. The old mistress doesn’t always remember everything (quite
forgetful).
3. Holidays abroad aren’t necessarily expensive (quite cheap).
4. In this University discipline is not generally lax (quite strict).
5. The poor old man is not miserable all the time (occasionally quite
merry).
6. September isn’t by any means a bad month for taking a holiday
in England (wonderful).
7. The English method of numbering the houses isn’t always as
clear as it might be for a stranger (very confusing).
8. Accounting is not easy at all (very tiresome).
3. Change the following sentences using can + infinitive and translate
them into Romanian:
1. It is possible for me to help you but I don’t want to.
2. It is possible for you to make greater efforts to learn better.
3. We know it is possible for him to paint so beautifully.
4. It is not possible for the telegram to come so soon.
5. It is not possible for this accountant to make a mistake.
6. It is possible for him to keep god accounts.
7. It is possible for all the graduates to pass the final examination.
8. It is possible for them to buy a house in the central area.
9. It is possible our friends to succeed in business.
4. Change the form of the following sentences using may and can:
1. Will you give me the permission to borrow this book?
2. Have I your permission to sit next to you?
3. Will you allow us to play next time?
4. Will you allow me to help you?
5. Will you let me see your paper?
6. Do you mind if I take her address?
7. Do you mind if I use your phone?
8. Will you allow me to talk to her again?
9. Have I your permission to come a little later?
10. Do you mind if I invite them for the weekend?
5. Change the following sentences using may not:
1. I will not allow you to go out alone.
2. I will not give you permission to borrow my glasses.
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3. I will not permit my children to stay out after l0.
4. We are not allowed to say what we think.
5. She is not allowed to spend that much on clothes and make-up.
6. The child is not allowed to use the computer all day long.
7. A lawyer is not allowed to speak about his clients’ problems.
8. You are not permitted to forget to send the invoice.
9. I am not allowed to forget to pay the instalments for the fridge.
10. Nobody is permitted to deny my rights.
6. Change the following sentences using may:
1. It is possible my cousin is coming next week.
2. I shall possibly not be at home when you arrive.
3. It is possible he is telling the truth.
4. Take your umbrella; it is possible it is raining.
5. It is possible they stay for a week in Paris.
6. It is possible he will not be able to pay you back.
7. It is possible the weather improves.
8. Perhaps the reports are wrong.
9. It is possible the answer is simple.
7. Give the opposite of the following, implying there’s no necessity:
1. They must come to school tomorrow.
2. I must be back home by 10 o’clock in the evening.
3. You must pay the tailor today.
4. Students must answer every question on the sheet of paper.
5. The sales agent must do field work next week.
6. We must not be there earlier.
8. Change the following using to be to:
1. All passports must be shown to the customs officer.
2. You must say nothing about this.
3. They mustn’t use the car without my permission.
4. She must not argue with the teacher over the problem.
5. The work must be finished by next month.
6. The accountants must not leave their work unfinished.
7. They must not disobey the rules.
8. Every person must obey his or her country’s law.
9. If you want a proper job you must prove you are the best.
9. Complete with the corresponding personal pronouns:
1. Loot at (I)! Don’t look at (she)! Look at (we) all.
2. Tell (we) your sorrow! Don’t tell (they)!
3. Don’t lie (she)! Tell (she) the truth!
4. Don’t leave (they)! Stay with (he) and (she)!
5. Love (we)! Don’t hate (I) and (she)! Don’t scold (she)!
6. Give that to (we)! Don’t give that to (he)!
7. Write to (we)! Don’t forget (we).
8. Listen to (he) not to (she)!
9. Follow (we)! Don’t follow (they)!
10. Remind (I) to tell you something about (he)!
11. Urge (they) to read more!
10. Turn the sentences above into Indirect Speech.
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11. Following the model, what would you say if you offered to do the
following things?
Model: Let me help you with your suitcase.
- carry a young lady’s shopping bag;
- help to put books on the shelf;
- take her to a party;
- show her around your house;
- tell her a joke;
- introduce her to the librarian;
- see her home;
- give her a lift in your car.
2. LEISURE ACTIVITIES AND SKILLS
 What do you prefer to do in your leisure hours? Are you fond
of indoors or outdoors activities? Name some of these.
 What are your skills? Have you any hobbies? Speak about
them. Henry David Thoreau said: "It's not enough to be busy. The
question is: What are we busy about?” Comment on this.
All the week round we are busy working or studding but on
weekends we relax and enjoy ourselves and we choose to spend our
spare time in different ways.
If the weather is fine we drive our car out of town to the
woods, near a lake where we can go boating, swim, fish, sunbathe
and have a picnic. Shady places under the trees invite you to long
appeasing walks and I enjoy walking about the woods, picking
flowers, berries and mushrooms, and listening to little birds twitter.
Children love playing games like hide-and seek, leap frog,
blind man’s hood, tennis and football, and running about to gather
wood for the bonfire. When in the open air, they cry and laugh so
loudly that they split our ears. This wouldn’t be pleasant at all if you
had a splitting headache. If the branches or logs the children find are
too thick, my husband takes a little axe, he always keeps in the car’s
truck in his toolbox, and chops and splits them.
If we choose to spend the weekend at home I love gardening,
digging, planting and watering the flowers in the little garden we
have in front of the house. I have to tell you that we even have a
small greenhouse (hothouse) where we grow flowers and vegetables
in winter. I’m fond of looking after plants and vegetables and, by
keeping them in the greenhouse in winter, we save them from dying.
My husband loves reading books, listening to music, going to
a football match or working on computer. If he is very much
interested in the book or magazine he reads, he peruses it or,
otherwise, he only browses its pages or only skims the publications’
table of contents.
During the summer holiday we enjoy hiking so we go to the
mountains, as climbing mountains is our favourite pastime and in
winter we love skiing or skating, or simply playing with snowballs
and making snowmen together with our children. Oh! It’s lovely to
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see the rows of snow-covered fir trees rising themselves towards the
sky, like endless straight columns.
If the weather is bad we choose to go to a concert, to a theatre
play, or to the cinema. It depends on what play or movie is on. If it is
a first night on at the National Theatre we never miss the opportunity
to see it. When we feel like dancing, you know we love tangoing and
waltzing, we invite some friends to a restaurant and spend the
evening dancing, chatting and watching people.
Dialogue:
-
-
-
Which do you prefer: driving a car yourself or being a passenger?
Well, that depends. I enjoy driving, especially on long empty
roads where I can go nice and fast. But I’m not very fond of
sitting in traffic jams waiting for light to change and things like
that. I suppose I don’t mind being a passenger but only if the
other person can drive properly.
So you don’t really like being in other people’s cars?
Well, as I say, It’s all right with a good driver. Then I can relax
sitting on the back seat and enjoying the scenery. But yes, you
are right, on the whole, I certainly prefer driving to being a
passenger.
Tell me what are you good at?
I am very good at sports. I’m a brilliant footballer, you know in
fact I’m very good at ball games in general. I’m not bad at skiing,
either. The funny thing is that my brother is completely different.
He is a hopeless footballer and skier but he is terrific at chess.
Very good at using his brains.
GRAMMAR FOCUS
THE INDEFINITE PARTICIPLE
Participiul nedefinit (sau prezent) al verbelor se formează
adăugând terminaţia – ing la infinitivul scurt al verbului de conjugat:
to read
to listen
to pick
reading
listening
picking
citind
ascultând
culegând
Când primesc terminaţia ing:
 Verbele terminate la infinitiv în e pierd acest e final:
to write
writing
scriind
 Verbele monosilabice terminate într-o consoană precedată de o
vocală scurtă dublează consoana finală:
to stop
to sit
stopping
sitting
oprind
stând
 Verbele terminate în – l dublează această consoană finală:
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to travel
travelling
călătorind
 Verbele terminate în – y îl păstrază pe acesta neschimbat,
indiferent dacă este precedat de consoană sau vocală:
to play
to try
playing
trying
jucând
încercând
 Verbele terminate în – ie transformă această terminaţie în y şi
apoi adaugă terminaţia – ing:
to lie
to die
lying
dying
zăcând
murind
REMEMBER
THINGS YOU LIKE TO DO!
Mm!
I like
I enjoy
I love
I hate
I’m fond of
I dislike
Verb + ing
THINGS YOU DON’T LIKE TO DO!
Ugh!
I don’t like
I don’t enjoy
I don’t love
I’m not fond of
Verb + ing
1. Supply the ing form of the verbs in parentheses:
1. They have stopped (speak) to each other.
2. We shall appreciate (hear) from you.
3. Do you mind (come) back a little later?
4. We both enjoy (dance).
5. He is not going to stop (study) English.
6. He says he doesn’t mind (wait) for us.
7. He couldn’t avoid (hit) the other car.
8. They have finished (eat).
9. Nobody can go on (live) without some belief.
10. You must excuse my (be) so noisy.
11. It is difficult to imagine him (sit) silently.
12. She cannot sleep without (see) you and (speak) to you once more.
13. She does not like the thought of (leave) you.
14. He is disturbed by some (knock) at the door.
15. Do you mind (give) me your name and telephone number,
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16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
please?
Well, it’s no use my (tell) you a lie.
I like (skate) better than any other sports.
On (enter) the hall he noticed something strange in the corner.
I don’t like (sing), I prefer (dance).
Don’t worry, I shall not forget (write) to you.
Your (speak) so angrily makes me feel very sad.
2. Supply the correct preposition and the gerund form of the verb in
parentheses:
1. She is thinking ... (go) to Bucharest.
2. I am interested ... (study) English.
3. He got tired ... (wait) for her.
4. We have no intention ...(speak) to him.
5. She has little experience ...(drive) an automobile.
6. He needs more practice ... (speak).
7. We are both fond ... (dance).
8. He insists ... (go) with us.
9. There is no chance ...(see) her today.
10. It is a question ...(find) the right man.
11. We are looking forward ... (meet) her.
12. He is excited ...(go) to the seaside.
3. Translate into English according to the model following the
pattern: enjoy + verb + ing:
Ne place să călătorim pe uscat, pe mare, dar şi pe calea aerului. Ne
place să vizităm locuri cu peisaje minunate. Îi place să asculte muzică
indiferent dacă este simfonică sau uşoară. Vă place să vă întâlniţi
prietenii des? Iţi place să priveşti filme de groază? Îmi place să mă
scol dimineaţa devreme şi să beau o ceaşcă de cafea fierbinte după ce
mă spăl pe dinţi şi fac un duş. Ce fel de cărţi îi place fiului tău să
citească? Ii place să citească romane, biografii şi nuvele ştiinţificofantastice. Soţului ei îi place să se plimbe când plouă cu găleata.
Şoferilor nu le place să şofeze când este ceaţă sau când este burniţă.
Copiilor le place să mănânce fructe exotice.
Cine locuieşte în vila aceea? A cui este acea vilă? Al cui magazin
este acela? Cui dai aceste dosare? Cui dă aceste coli de hîrtie? Pe cine
poţi vedea în această fotografie? Cu cine vorbeşti acum? Care dintre
cei doi pictori este favoritul tău? Care dintre capodoperele lui îi place
cel mai mult? Ce mărfuri produceţi? Ce mărfuri exportă această
firmă? Pe cine aşteptaţi? De cine vă este frică? Cu cine vorbeşti?
Cine este bărbatul care vorbeşte cu secretara? Cui i-ai împrumutat
acea sumă imensă de bani?
3. WHAT ARE THEY DOING?
ones:
69
Ask if the students are watching TV.
Ask if the secretary is writing the report.
Ask what the accountant is calculating.
Ask your colleague if he/she is working on computer.
Ask what the dean is speaking about.
It’s ten o’clock on a Sunday morning. Father is in the dining
room. What is he doing? He is sitting in an armchair, smoking and
reading this morning’s newspaper. He is not watching television. My
brother is in his bedroom. He is opening the window and he is doing
his morning exercises right now. The cassette- recorder is on and he
is listening to his favourite band playing.
What am I doing? I am in the bathroom. First, I’m turning on the
cold and hot water taps and now I’m washing my face my hands and
my body. I’m brushing my teeth with my toothbrush and my
toothpaste. Now I’m drying myself with a towel and I’m combing my
hair. Next, I’m going to tidy up the rooms. I want to give a helping
hand to my mother who is in the kitchen now cooking breakfast.
What is she doing exactly? She is boiling water for tea or coffee,
frying some bacon and preparing some scrambled eggs. She is
making some orange juice, too. I’m cutting some bread in thin slices,
and I’m going to toast the slices.
Now we are laying the table in the dining room. I’m spreading
the table cloth on the table and I’m putting the cups, the saucers, the
plates, the knives, the forks, the little spoons, the paper napkins. I’m
not going to put spoons for breakfast. Father is also giving a helping
hand now and he is bringing in the breadbasket. Mother is bringing
the tray with the coffee pot, the teapot and the jug with orange juice.
She is pouring the hot drinks in the cups and right now she is
buttering the toast. I’m going to bring in a jar of jam and mother is
going to bring the scrambled eggs, the bacon and some cheese. At
this very moment my brother is coming into the dining room.
- Mm! It smells good. What is there for breakfast Mummy?
- Thanks God, there’s always something to eat for breakfast. Have a
seat and “Enjoy your meal“.
- I’m so hungry that I could eat a horse! And I’m thirsty, too. Will
you pass me some slices of bread? You know, I’m not so very fond
of toast. Mm! The bread is soft. I hate hard bread. May I have
another helping of bread and butter with jam?
- Of course you may. Here you are. Help yourself.
- This coffee is excellent. It tastes excellent. It is hot and strong, but
I think it needs more sugar. I dislike cold, weak, bitter coffee.
- Everything is tasty except for the bacon, which is rather salty and
overdone.
- My dear, mother says to father’s remark, they say that “Earth is
teeming with ungrateful husbands” and you are one of them. Is
anyone going to have some more orange juice? It is sweet, it is not
sour and it is fresh.
- I am, my dear, and please excuse me. I was not going to be rude.
Now that we have finished our breakfast your son and I are going to
clear the table, to do the washing up and dry the dishes. You know,
they say “One good turn deserves another“.
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GRAMMAR FOCUS
THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS
AFFIRMATIVE
I am writing
You are writing
He is writing
She is writing
It is writing
We are writing
You are writing
They are writing
NEGATIVE
I am not writing
You are not writing
He is not writing
She is not/ writing
It is not/writing
We are not writing
You are not writing
They are not writing
INTERROGATIVE
Am I writing?
Are you you writing
Is he writing?
Is she writing?
Is it writing?
Are we writing?
Are you writing?
Are they writing?
Timpul prezent. Aspectul continuu se formează cu ajutorul
verbului auxiliar to be la timpul prezent urmat de participiul
prezent (sau nedefinit - forma ing a verbului) al verbului de
conjugat.
Acest timp este cerut de adverbele: now, at the moment, in this
very moment, today, this week/ month/year..., these
days/weeks/months etc.
Acest timp se foloseşte pentru a exprima:
 o acţiunee în curs de desfăşurare în momentul vorbirii:
What is going on here? Ce se întâmplă aici?
Who is making such a noise? Cine face aşa o gălăgie?
The professor is giving a lecture. Profesorul ţine o
prelegere.
 o acţiune care urmează să aibă loc într-un viitor apropiat
faţă de momentul vorbirii:
What are you doing tonight? Ce faceţi astă seară?
We are meeting our friends at 7 o’clock and we are going
to the theatre. Ne întâlnim cu prietenii la ora şapte şi
mergem la teatru.
 o acţiune care se desfăşoară în prezent pe o perioadă
limitată de timp:
She is teaching at a university in the USA this year. Anul
acesta predă într-o universitate din Statele Unite.
 o acţiune repetată care devine supărătoare şi care este
dezaprobată de vorbitor (în astfel de cazuri folosirea
adverbelor de timp de genul always, forever, constantly,
continually devine necesară):
This pupil is always forgetting his exercise book! Elevul
acesta îşi uită întotdeauna caietul!
You are always complaining about something! Veşnic te
plângi de câte ceva!
She is forever getting late. Veşnic întârzie.
They are coming only when I’m busy! Ei vin numai când
sunt eu ocupată!
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VERBE CARE NU SE FOLOSESC LA ASPECTUL CONTINUU
 VERBELE MODALE: can, may, must, shall, should, will,
would, ought to, need, dare.
 VERBUL TO BE a fi, a exista;
EXCEPTIE: verbul to be poate fi folosit la aspectul
continuu când este folosit pentru a se face o caracterizare de
moment a subiectului:
You are being boring! Eşti plictisitor!
You are being cheeky! Eşti obraznic!
He is being rude! Este nepoliticos!
She is being very realistic! Este foarte realistă!
 VERBUL TO HAVE a avea, a poseda;
EXCEPTIE: verbul to have poate fi folosit la aspectul
continuu când este folosit în expresii unde nu are sensul a avea:
We are having fun at the party. Ne distrăm la petrecere.
He is having breakfast now. El mănâncă micul dejun acum.
 VERBELE CARE DENOTĂ SENTIMENTE: to love, to like,
to dislike, to hate, to prefer, to wish, to please, to hope, to
refuse, to regret, to worship (a adora);
 VERBE CARE DENOTĂ ACTIVITĂŢI MENTALE: to know,
to understand (a înţelege), to agree (a fi de acord), to disagree
(a nu fi de acord), to believe (a crede), to think (that) (a crede
că, a socoti că), to suppose, to fancy (a-şi imagina, a-şi
închipui, a socoti, a crede), to imagine, to intend, to mean (a
vrea să spună, a se referi la, a avea în vedere), to notice (a
observa), to recognize, to remember, to forget, to seem, to
surprise, to require, to realize (a-şi da seama), to recall (a-şi
reaminti), to expect (a se aştepta ca, a spera, a nădăjdui), to
mind (a se supăra, a avea ceva împotrivă).
ATENTIE! O parte din aceste verbe se pot folosi la
aspectul continuu când au următoarele înţelesuri:
TO THINK a (se) gândi:
I am thinking about/of you every day. Mă gândesc la tine în
fiecare zi.
TO EXPECT a aştepta:
We are expecting news from him. Aşteptăm veşti de la el.
 VERBE CARE DENOTĂ PERCEPŢII SENZORIALE: to feel,
to taste, to smell (când acestea arată o calitate permanentă cu
sensurile aproximative de a fi cumva la pipăit, la gust, la
miros), to see, to hear, to look (a arăta cumva):
Silk feels soft. Mătasea este moale la pipăit
Roses smell good. Trandafirii (au) miros frumos.
Pizza tastes good. Pizza are gust bun.
Can you see that ship at the horizon? Vezi vaporul acela la
orizont?
Can you hear noise at the door? Auzi un zgomot la uşă?
The clerk looks tired. Funcţionarul arată obosit.
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ATENŢIE! Aceste verbe pot fi folosite la aspectul
continuu când denotă activitatea efectivă: to feel (a atinge, a
pipăi, a (se) simţi), to smell (a mirosi), to taste (a gusta), to see
(a avea întâlnire, programare, a conduce pe cineva acasă, la
uşă...), to hear (a avea veşti de la cineva), lo took (a privi):
I am feeling the fabric. Pipăi ţesătura.
He is feeling tired. Se simte obosit.
The girl is smelling the roses. Fata miroase trandafirii.
The cook is tasting the food. Bucătăreasa gustă mâncarea.
I’m seeing the interviewer tomorrow. Mă întâlnesc cu cel
care ia ienterviuri mâine.
He’s seeing his guests to the gate. Işi conduce musafirii la
poartă.
You’ll be hearing from me soon. Veţi avea curând veşti de
la mine.
Why are you looking at me like this? De ce te uiţi aşa la
mine?
 VERBE CARE DENOTĂ O ACŢIUNE DE MOMENT: to
stop, to end, to finish, to begin, to start;
 ALTE VERBE CARE NU SE FOLOSESC LA ASPECTUL
CONTINUU sunt: to deserve (a merita), to own (a poseda, a
avea, a stăpîni ), to possess, to matter (a conta, a avea
importanţă), to belong to (a aparţine), to contain, to keep (a
continua să), to concern (a privi, a interesa), to signify, precum
şi:
TO COST a costa:
This car costs a lot of money. Maşina asta costă o groază de
bani.
EXCEPŢIE: când verbul to cost are semnificaţia de a se
scumpi:
Food is costing more and more these days. Mâncarea se
scumpeşte din ce în ce mai mult.
TO DEPEND ON a depinde de:
This depends on him. Asta depinde de el.
EXCEPŢIE: când verbul to depend on are semnificaţia de
a conta pe, a se baza pe:
Everybody is depending on him. Toată lumea contează
pe el.
TO HOLD a conţine:
This box contains 2o kilograms of flour. Lada asta
conţine 20 de kg de făină.
EXCEPŢIE: când verbul to hold are semnificaţia de a
ţine:
The little child is holding his mother’s hand. Copilul îşi
ţine mama de mână.
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THE NEAR FUTURE
Viitorul apropiat, de intenţie sau ’be going to’ future
cum mai este denumit, este folosit pentru a exprima o acţiune
pe care vorbitorul intenţionează să o desfăşoare într-un viitor
apropiat faţă de momentul vorbirii.
Se formează din prezentul continuu al verbului to go şi
infinitivul lung (cu particula to) al verbului de conjugat.
 Se traduce prin am de gînd să..., intenţionez să..., urmează
să..., voi...
 Să urmărim conjugarea verbului to leave la viitorul
apropiat:
AFFIRMATIVE
I am going to leave
You are going to leave
He is going to leave
She is going to leave
It is going to leave
We are going to leave
You are going to leave
They are going to leave
ATENŢIE! INTEROGATIVUL ŞI NEGATIVUL acestui
timp se vor forma conform regulilor de formare a negativului şi
interogativului verbului to be (prin inversiune şi respectiv
simpla adăugare a negaţiei not la forma de afirmativ).
1. Change the following indirect questions into direct ones
according to the model:
Model: Ask me if I am watching TV.
Are you watching TV?
Ask what mother is doing/ cooking/ reading.
Ask what the children are having for dinner.
Ask where father is sleeping/ reading the newspaper.
Ask what your friend is speaking about.
Ask when the interviewer is seeing the interviewees.
Ask who is seeing you to the door.
2. Make these sentences interrogative and negative:
1. The weather is getting colder and colder.
2. The wind is blowing.
3. It is pouring. / It is raining cats and dogs.
4. The sun is shining in the sky.
5. I am ironing my husband’s shirts.
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6. That man is beating his pet.
7. That nervous woman is biting her nails.
8. The clerks are attending a meeting with the manager.
9. That gentleman is knocking at our door.
10. The maid is answering the door.
11. The two friends are chatting over a glass of beer in the pub.
12. Pedestrians are crossing the road now.
13. The little girl is looking at herself in the mirror.
14. The typist is counting the words in the work- sheet.
15. The milkman is filling the bottles with milk.
16. I am browsing my new English - Romanian dictionary.
17. The schoolboy is labelling his books and copybooks.
18. The secretary is moving the files and folders from one
drawer into another.
3. Put in the Present Tense. Common Aspect or the Present
Tense. Continuous Aspect of the verbs in brackets:
my breakfast everyday but I
it now. (eat, not
1. I
eat)
2. You
to bed every night at half past ten but you
to bed now. (go, not go)
3. The housewife often
a lot of things but she
anything at the moment. (buy, not buy)
4. It often
in autumn and it
cats and dogs today.
(rain)
reports about the
5. The chief accountants usually
financial situation of the firm but this month they
any report. (draw up, not draw up)
6. The country housewives
the poultry twice a day and
the poultry right now. (feed)
this one
himself every morning. (dress).
7. Simon is three. He
8. What
he
now? (do)
9. Right now he
his clothes. (put on)
10. It
always
something terrible in their life!
(happen)
4. Make up sentences of your own using the verbs below both
in the Present Tense Common and Continuous Aspect:
to be, to have, to feel, to think, to taste, to smell, to hold, to see,
to hear, to hold, to contain, to think.
5. Fill in the spaces with the right tense of the verbs in the
margin:
to walk
to go
to sit down,
Look at that old man in rags!
into the Commercial Bank
He
right now.
I wonder what he
to do.
He
on a chair, he
his
75
to take
to start
to head to
glasses out of his pocket.
He
to write something on a sheet of
paper. It is a pre-printed form.
He
the pay desk now.
to give,
He
the form to the woman clerk
to hand
and he
her a large amount of money, too.
to count,
The woman clerk
the money and
to deposit
she is surprised that the old man
so much money.
to think, to be, She : Shabby as he
, he still
to have
that money!
6. Comment on the use of Present Tense. Continuous Aspect in
the following sentences:
1. You are always seeing something strange!
2. They are certainly not admitting such a fantastic claim.
3. I’m just thinking it may be a good idea.
4. Are you forgetting your manners?
5. They are always complaining they are poor but they don’t
take up work.
6. Now, you are just being silly.
7. Your friend is being too nosy!
8. These children are being too noisy!
9. Why are you being obnoxious?
10. This child is being naughty!
7. Insert the Present Tense Common or Continuous Aspect:
1. You must wait, my friend, before you (to get) an answer to
that question.
2. A stitch in time (to save) nine.
3. Light (to travel) more quickly than sound.
4. He who (to laugh) last (to laugh) best.
5. Actions (to speak) louder than words.
6. The woman who (to speak) with my sister in the yard (to
be) our neighbour who (to live) across the street.
7. I (to listen) very attentively, but still I (not to understand)
what he (to drive) at.
8. It (to be) a very interesting scientific film.
9. In it you can (to see) how the grass (to grow) and the
flowers (to unfold) their petals right before your eyes.
10. I (to look) at the barometer and (to see) it (to fall) now.
11. And now my written story (to end). I look back, once more
for the last time before I (to close) the book.
12. I (to see) our children and our friends round us.
8. Give answers to the following questions, using the Present
Tense. Common or Continuous Aspect:
1. Where are you going this Sunday? This Sunday... but
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usually on Sundays...
2. When is he coming to see us? He... Friday night but most
often ...
3. The delegation of physicians is arriving by plane to night,
isn’t it? Yes, it ... at the Otopeni airport; all the foreign
delegations ...
4. When is the boat from Constantza coming? It ... in half an
hour, as it is late tonight, but regularly it ... at 8 p.m. sharp.
5. When is the night train from Bucharest leaving? It ... in a
quarter of an hour. It ... at 15,15 according to the timetable.
6. What do you usually have for breakfast? I usually ... boiled
eggs.
7. What are you waiting for? I ... for the shop to open but it ... till 9
a.m.
1. Copilul vecinilor de la parter se joacă numai în timpul
orelor de odihnă!
2. Fetiţa celor de la etajul doi exersează la pian zi şi noapte!
3. Cei care stau vizavi de noi, dau într-una petreceri!
4. In blocul nostru cineva repară tot timpul ceva!
5. Ah! Femeia asta se plânge totdeauna de sănătatea ei
şubredă!
6. Niciodată nu-ţi ştergi picioarele pe preş când este vreme
ploioasă!
7. Şeful nostru face încontinuu promisiuni pe care nu le poate
ţine!
8. Ai de gând să dormi toată ziua? Când ai de gând să-ţi faci
ordine în cameră?
9. Nişte prieteni de-ai noştri au totdeauna probleme cu maşina
când trebuie să mergem undeva împreună! De aceea trebuie
să-i luăm în maşina noastră totdeauna. Sunt nişte zgârciţi!
Nu am de gând să mai suport asta.
1.
2.
3.
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UNIT 5
Contents:
5.1. WHAT SEASON DO YOU LIKE BEST?
5.1.1.1. Past tense of to be; Past tense of to have; Past tense of the verb can.
5.1.1.2. The adjective - degrees of comparison
5.2. HOLIDAYS AND CELEBRATIONS
5.2.1.1. The simple past
5.3. TRAVELLING BY AIR. AT THE AIRPORT
5.3.1.1. The past tense. Continuous aspect
5.4. TRAVELLING BY LAND. AT THE RAILWAY STATION
5.4.1.1. Past participle
5.4.1.1.The present perfect. Common aspect
- Speak about: (1) seasons and weather; (2) holidays and
celebrations; (2) means of transport - travelling by air and by land;
- Practise grammar issues: past tense of the verbs to be, to have
and can; adjectives - degrees of comparison; the past tense simple; the
past tense continuous; past participle; the present perfect - common
aspect.
Let’s Talk!
 About seasons, favourite months and holidays. What are the
seasons of the year? What season do you like best and why? Describe
your last summer/winter holiday.
 About weather in general and, particularly, in our country. How
would you describe the climate in your country? But at the North
Pole? And at the Equator? Would you like to live in such places? Do
you consider we are privileged to have all the seasons in our country?
1. WHAT SEASON DO YOU LIKE BEST?
READING. Read the text and then give the degrees of
comparison of the following adjectives: dry, sly, shy, common, honest,
handsome, noble, narrow, pleasant, polite, profound, able, clumsy,
clever, severe, sincere, wholesome, shallow, humble, remote, startling,
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healthy, worthy, tender, convenient, inner.
Spring, summer, autumn and winter are the four seasons into which
the year is divided and each of it lasts for about three months.
Spring, the most beautiful season of the year, begins on the 21st of
March and the spring months are March, April and May. Nature comes
to life after the long, cold winter and the days grow longer. Trees bud
and blossom, put on new leaves, the fields and meadows dress in
green, fat grass. Snowdrops, the most gentle flowers, the first spring
flowers raise their tiny heads in the woods. Then the forget-me-not
flowers, the lilies of the valley and the violets appear. Blue, pink and
white hyacinths fill the air with their scent. How lovely they are! Birds
return from the warmer countries and start building their nests again.
The mild air is full of their songs and chirps, of bees’ hum, and of the
beautifully coloured butterflies’ dance. Farmers dig and toil the soil,
sow the seeds and plant fruit trees. April rains are good for the crops.
Last spring we had a busy time as we were in the country at my
parents. We could help them with their work in the garden and in the
orchard. Children had a good time picking snowdrops in the forest,
running after butterflies in the fields, watching birds building their
nests in the trees or under the roofs. We were all very happy there but
we were a little sad when holidays were over.
Summer the hottest season of the year and the holiday season, too,
comes after spring and we are in summer from June 22nd to September
21st. In June, the most pleasant month of the year, called ‘Leafy June’
or ‘The Month of Roses’ because trees are in leaf and roses in bloom,
the days are the longest and the sun rises early, earlier than ever, and
sets late in the evening. When July begins the weather is the hottest;
the sun shines brightly in the blue, cloudless sky. However, now and
than dark clouds gather, cover the sun and, out of the blue, it begins to
pour with large, heavy raindrops. We have now storms with lightning
and thunder called thunderstorms. In the heat of the sun fruit ripe in
the orchards and crops are ready for the harvest.
Last summer we were at the seaside. The sun was bright, the sky
was clear, the seawater was warm so we could lie in the sun on the
beach, we could swim, and the children could play in the sand making
sand castles, or picking pebbles and shells. From time to time there
were summer showers and after them the air was fresher. We had lot
of fun and it was a lovely holiday.
Then we went to the countryside. What a beauty!
The cherry trees, the apricot trees and the peach trees were full
with ripe fruit and we could pick and eat them. The fields were yellow
with wheat and maize, and in the gardens there were big juicy melons
and watermelons. Some days were stuffy, dry and dusty, as there were
not many rains last August.
Summer is gone, autumn comes in. It begins on the 21st of
September. September is the calmest and loveliest of months when
pears, apples, plums, nuts, grapes and berries are ripe. But the days
gradually become shorter and the nights longer. The weather is already
cool, the wind blows and it rains very often. The leaves are no longer
green, they turn yellow or red, or brown and they fall down. It’s rather
sad to see the trees strip of their leaves. Rainy winds, cloudy weather
sets in.
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Sometimes it is raining cats and dogs, sometimes it is foggy and
the fog is very thick. So was the weather last November and it was
more pleasant to stay indoors, as the streets were muddy and there
were too many pools of rainwater in the streets and you couldn’t see
anything in front of you. People were cold and wet and they were in a
hurry to get to their homes. Some were slipping and sliding, losing
their foothold. They were not happy to be in the street on such an
awfully bad weather.
Winter is drawing near. Most birds no longer sing, but fly away to
warmer countries. The wind is blowing from the North. It is not warm,
it is cold. It is freezing more and more often and the weather is frosty.
Winter, the season of frost, is here. The days are getting shorter and
shorter and the nights are longer and longer. There are no flowers in
the gardens now and the trees are bare. The sun gives light for only
eight hours and it doesn’t heat the Earth at all. Water turns into ice,
rivers freeze, snow falls thick and covers the houses, the fields, the
trees, everything. Icicles hang on the eves of the houses. It is
wonderful to watch the big, fat snowflakes, which are falling thick and
fast. Sparrows and crows look for their food in vain. It’s more and
more difficult for them to find something to feed themselves.
Last winter we were at the mountains. The snow was good so we
could ski on the ski slopes, we could skate at the skating rink, and we
could make snowmen or play with snowballs. When we were cold we
had hot drinks by the fireplace.
GRAMMAR FOCUS
PAST TENSE OF THE VERB TO BE
AFFIRMATIVE
NEGATIVE
INTERROGATIVE
I, he, she, it WAS
I, he, she, it
WAS I, he, she, it?
WAS NOT
You, we, you, they You, we, you, they WERE you, we, you,
they?
WERE
WERE NOT
PAST TENSE OF THE VERB TO HAVE
AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE
INTERROGATIVE
I, you, he, she, it, we, I you, he, she, HAD I, you, he, she, it,
you, they HAD
it, we, you, we, you, they?
they
HAD
NOT
PAST TENSE OF THE VERB CAN
AFFIRMATIVE
I, you, he, she, it,
we,
you,
they
COULD
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NEGATIVE
INRROGATIVE
I, you, he, she, it, COULD I, you, he, she,
we, you, they it, we, you, they?
COULD NOT
THE ADJECTIVE - DEGREES OF COMPARISON
Forma pe care o ia adjectivul pentru a marca asemănarea sau
deosebirea dintre însuşirile unui obiect sau fiinţe se numesc grade de
comparaţie. Acestea sunt: gradul pozitiv (care reprezintă forma
iniţială a unui adjectiv), gradul comparativ (de superioritate, de
egalitate şi de inferioritate) şi gradul superlativ (relativ şi absolut).
In limba engleză gradele de comparaţie ale adjectivelor se formează în
funcţie de tipul acestora – monosilabice sau plurisilabice. Vom avea
astfel comparaţia sintetică şi comparaţia analitică.
 COMPARAŢIA SINTETICĂ care se formează de la gradul
pozitiv al adjectivului de comparat la care se alipeşte sufixul – er
pentru comparativul de superioritate şi – est pentru superlativul
relativ, se aplică:
 adjectivelor monosilabice:
POZITIV
big- mare
COMPARATIV DE
SUPERIORITATE
bigger - mai mare
tall - înalt
taller -mai înalt
short scund, scurt
shorter -mai
scund, scurt
SUPERLATIV
RELATIV
the biggest- cel mai
mare
the tallest- cel mai
înalt
the shortest- cel mai
scund, scurt
 Observaţi că la gradul superlativ relativ adjectivul este în mod
obligatoriu însoţit de articolul hotărât the.
 adjectivelor bisilabice terminate în ow, -le, -er, -some, şi -y
(precedat de o consoană):
POZITIV
pretty- drăguţ
narrow- îngust
humble- umil
clever - isteţ
handsomechipeş
COMPARATIV DE SUPERLATIV
SUPERIORITATE
RELATIV
prettier - mai drăguţ
the prettiest - cel mai
drăguţ
narrower - mai îngust
the narrowest - cel
mai îngust
humbler - mai umil
the humblest - cel
mai umil
cleverer – mai isteţ
the cleverest – cel
mai isteţ
handsome -mai chipeş the handsomest - cel
mai chipeş
NOTĂ: Aceste adjective pot avea şi forme analitice de comparativ şi
superlativ.
Comparativul de egalitate se formează cu adjectivul la gradul
pozitiv precedat şi urmat de conjuncţia as:
as big as - la fel de mare ca; as tall as - la fel de înalt ca; as short as la fel de scund/scurt ca; as handsome as -la fel de chipeş ca.
Comparativul de inferioritate se formează cu adjectivul la gradul
pozitiv precedat de not as/so şi urmat de as:
81
not so/as big as- nu aşa de mare ca; not so/as tall as- nu aşa de înalt
ca; not as/so short as- nu aşa de scund ca; not as/so handsome as- nu
aşa de chipeş ca.
Acest grad de comparaţie se mai poate forma şi cu less urmat de
adjectiv la gradul pozitiv şi than. Se foloseşte cu precădere pentru
adjectivele plurisilabice:
less interesting than...- mai puţin interesant ca...
 Superlativul absolut se formează din adjectiv la gradul pozitiv
precedat de adverbele very, not very, quite (cât se poate de,
foarte), extremely, terribly, etc.
Modificări ortografice cauzate de alipirea sufixelor comparaţiei:
 adjectivele terminate în – e pierd această terminaţie la alipirea
sufixelor -er, -est:

large
larger
the largest
adjectivele monosilabice terminate într-o consoană precedată de o
vocală scurtă dublează consoana finală:
red
hot
redder
hotter
the reddest
the hottest
 adjectivele terminate în -y precedat de consoană schimbă pe
-y în -i înaintea alipirii sufixelor comparaţiei:
dry
drier
the driest
 COMPARAŢIA ANALITICĂ,
care se aplică adjectivelor
plurisilabice, se realizează prin adăugarea în faţa adjectivului la
gradul pozitiv a adverbelor more pentru comparativul de
superioritate şi most precedat de articolul the pentru
superlativul relativ:
POZITIV
beautiful
interesting
COMPARATIV DE
SUPERIORITATE
more beautiful
more interesting
SUPERLATIV
RELATIV
the most beautiful
the most interesting
Comparativul de egalitate şi superlativul absolut se formează
conform regulilor expuse la adjectivele monosilabice.
Regulile de formare a gradelor de comparaţie ale adjectivelor se
aplică şi adverbelor.
Deşi unele adjective se pot compara atât sintetic cât şi analitic totuşi
este preferată:
 comparaţia sintetică la adjectivele bisilabice terminate în – y sau
– ly: cloudy, misty, lovely, clumsy, lucky, angry, sleepy;
 comparaţia analitică la adjectivele bisilabice cu accentul pe
prima silabă: active, common, hostile, pleasant, stupid, sau pe
ultima silabă: remote, precise, severe, polite.
 comparaţia analitică la adjectivele bisilabice terminate în două
consoane: correct, exact;
Gradele de comparaţie ale punctelor cardinale:
82
northern
more northern
northernmost/ northmost
southern
more southern
southernmost / southmost
eastern
more eastern
easternmost /eastmost
western
more western
westernmost / westmost
IRREGULAR COMPARISON
Unele adjective şi adverbe nu formează gradele de comparaţie conform
regulilor deja cunoscute, ci au forme separate pentru gradele
comparativ de superioritate şi superlativ relativ.
POZITIV
good - bun
well- bine
bad, ill- rău
badly
much- mult
many- mulţi
little- puţin
far- depărtat,
departe
COMPARATIV DE
SUPERLATIV
SUPERIORITATE
RELATIV
better- mai bun, mai the best- cel mai bun,
bine
cel mai bine
worse- mai rău
the worst- cel mai rău
more- mai mult, mai
mulţi
less- mai puţin
farther- mai depărtat,
furtherdepărtat,
suplimentar
the most- cel mai mult,
cei mai mulţi
the least- cel mai puţin
the farthest- cel mai
depărtat
furthestcel
mai
depărtat
late- târziu, later- de mai târziu, the latest- cel mai
întârziat, cel mai recent
recent
mai recent
the latter- cel de-al the last- ultimul (dintre
doilea, acesta din urmă mai mulţi)
(dintre doi)
old- bătrân, older- mai bătrân, mai the oldest- cel mai
bătrân, cel mai vechi
vechi
vechi
elder- mai în vârstă (se the eldest- cel mai în
foloseşte
numai vârstă
atributiv
pentru
membrii
aceleaşi
familii)
nearnearer- mai apropiat, the nearest- cel mai
apropiat,
mai aproape
apropiat
apropiat
the next- următorul

Expresia cu cât...cu atât... se redă în limba engleză prin două
comparative de superioritate precedate de articolul the:
The sooner, the better. Cu cât mai curând cu atît mai bine.
The later they come the worst it will be. Cu cât mai târziu vor veni
cu atât mai rău va fi.
 Expresia din ce în ce mai..., tot mai… se redă prin repetarea
comparativului de superioritate şi conjuncţia and. In cazul
adjectivelor lungi la care comparativul se formează cu more
83
respectiv less aceste două adverbe se vor repeta şi se vor lega prin
conjuncţia and:
It’s getting colder and colder. Se face din ce în ce mai frig.
I’m reading better and better. Citesc tot mai bine.
She is more and more beautiful. E tot mai frumoasă.
The book is less and less interesting. Cartea este din ce în ce mai
puţin interesantă.
 Acelaşi sens se poate reda şi prin ever + comparativde
superioritate:
ever colder, ever better, ever more beautiful, ever less interesting.
NOTĂ: Dacă adjectivele much şi far se plasează înaintea adjectivului
la gradul comparativ ele vor întări sensul exprimat de adjectiv. Acelaşi
lucru se va întâmpla şi în cazul în care un adjectiv la gradul comparativ
este urmat de by far.
She is much more beautiful / far more beautiful than her sister. Ea
este mult mai frumoasă decât sora ei.
She is more beautiful by far. Este de departe mai frumoasă.
REMENBER! Dacă se compară doar două noţiuni, superlativul
absolut se va reda în limba engleză prin comparativul de
superioritate precedat de articolul hotărât ’the’:
Of the two girls the thinner one is the prettier. Dintre cele două
fete cea mai slabă este cea mai drăguţă.
Of these two dresses the white one is the more beautiful and the
cheaper, too. Dintre cele două rochii cea albă este cea mai frumoasă
şi cea mai ieftină de asemenea.
Of the two deans the taller is the worse but the more intelligent
and the better manager at the same time. Dintre cei doi decani cel mai
înalt este cel mai rău dar şi cel mai inteligent şi cel mai bun manager
în acelaşi timp.
ATENŢIE!
Verbele de percepţie senzorială look, smell, sound, taste, feell sunt
urmate de adjective nu de adverbe întocmai ca şi verbele be, see,
grow, get, turn, become, keep.
 Adjectivele ill, well, drunk, worth se folosesc numai cu valoare
predicativă.
Adjectivele eastern, western, northern, southern precum şi cele
terminate în -en (golden, woollen, wooden, silken) pot fi folosite
numai cu valoare atributivă.

1. Make sentences according to the patterns:
a) Model: tall/ my brother/ my mother/ my father
My brother is tall.
My mother is taller than my brother.
But my father is the tallest of all.
high/ house/ block of flats/ sky scraper;
rich/ I/ he/ she;
84
nice/ my daughter/ my niece/ my Goddaughter;
cheap/ a tie/ a pair of socks/ a handkerchief;
fat/ a turkey/ a pig/ a cow;
tasty/ an apple/ an ice-cream/ a chocolate
b) Model: expensive fur coat/ she/ to see
This was the most expensive fur coat she had ever seen.
exciting view/ we / to admire:
frightening snake/ they/ to meet;
wonderful holiday/ the children/ to spend
dangerous peak/ the climbers/ to climb;
difficult task/ the accountant/ to solve;
handsome actor / the woman/ to be introduced;
amusing joke/ the entertainer/ to tell.
educated person/ the audience/ to listen to;
northern place/ the discoverers/ reach.
Let’s Talk!
 About celebrating birthdays or name days. When is your
birthday? Do you usually celebrate your birthday? How? What is the
most common wish the celebrated person hears on his or her birthday?
Do you have a name day, too?
 About celebrating Easter and Christmas. Which are the seasons
of the great religious events? Why are they important? How do people
celebrate them? Speak about the customs related to these holidays.
Make a list of facts, symbols, and key words associated with Christmas
and Easter.
2. HOLIDAYS AND CELEBRATIONS
READING. Read and then change the following indirect
questions into direct ones:
Ask someone how he/she celebrated his/her birthday last year.
Ask someone when he/she celebrated it.
Ask someone if he/she celebrated it at a restaurant.
Ask someone if he/she invited many guests.
Ask what they ate and drank.
Birthdays and holidays are days when people celebrate
different events. A birthday is the day when somebody was born a
certain time ago. Along the centuries, all over the world, birthdays
were considered special days and the peoples of the ancient times
nourished the strong belief that, on a birthday, good spirits as well as
bad spirits could influence a person’s destiny by helping or harming
him or her. According to this belief, it became customary that all the
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relatives and friends, the celebrated person had, should gather together
for protection against the evil. They say this was the beginning of the
birthday parties. It is from the ancients - namely Greeks that the
custom of putting lit candles on a birthday cake comes. Among the
many gods and goddesses that the Greeks used to celebrate there was
the goddess of the Moon, called Airtimes whose birthday was
celebrated monthly. The worshipers used to take round cakes, with lit
candles on them, to the goddess’ temple. The round cakes were
supposed to represent the bright Moon.
These beliefs are less known nowadays but, nevertheless, it is
customary for people to celebrate their birthdays with their families
and their best friends and to blow out the candles on the birthday cake.
Yesterday was Sunday and it was my son’s birthday and name
day, too, as it was Palm Sunday. He was 15 yesterday and he wanted
to have a little party so, my husband and I prepared everything. As we
had to do some shopping we woke up early, took some shopping bags
and some money and went shopping. First we drove at the butcher’s to
buy some salami and some pork, then we stopped at the dairy to buy
some butter, pressed cheese and cream, at the greengrocer’s to buy
some vegetables and fresh fruit, at the baker’s for some loaves of bread
and at the grocer’s for mineral water, juice and coke. When the
shopping was over we came home and, while my husband arranged
and decorated the yard for the party, it was supposed to be a garden
party, you know, I cooked and baked a birthday cake and made
sandwiches. By the time my son’s guests arrived everything was
ready. All the guests brought presents and my son was anxious to open
the parcels and admire the presents. They talked, listened music,
danced, played, ate and drank. One of the boys told funny jokes and
they laughed a lot. They enjoyed themselves and had a good time
together.
When I brought the birthday cake in with all the candles lit, my son
didn’t find it difficult to blow them all out at one go. Everybody sang
’Happy birthday, to you Florin’ and wished him ’Many happy returns
of the day’.
I don’t know how some people feel, but to me, as to all Christians,
Christmas and Easter are the most important holidays of a year.
Christmas is the day when Jesus Christ’s birth is celebrated. Not many
people know that the name of this holiday comes from the words
Christ’s Mass, a religious service that honours our Saviour, and the
custom of giving presents to the beloved ones has its origin in the fact
that the Magi brought presents to the baby Christ.
We spent last Christmas (Xmas for short) in England at some friends.
On Christmas Eve (the evening before Christmas – 24th December)
children decorated a tall fir tree, the Christmas tree, and they hung
their special stockings by the fireplace. We sang carols, special songs
that tell about Christ’s birth. Santa Claus, dressed in red clothes came,
in a sleigh drawn by reindeer and brought the children toys and sweets.
In the morning we said to our friends ’We wish you a Merry
Christmas’ and they answered ’The same to you’ or ’We wish you the
same’. On Xmas day there was a traditional dinner. Roast beef, turkey
and plum pudding are the customary dishes of an English Christmas
day.
On December 31st, at midnight, when the New Year began, we wished
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one another ’A happy new year’.
A greater holiday than Christmas is Easter. The Bible teaches us that
on a Friday, called Good Friday, our Saviour died on the cross, to
redeem our sins. According to the Christian religion the following
Sunday, the Redeemer resurrected. People of the same religion
celebrate Christ’s Resurrection on Easter Day. They eat traditional
Easter food, painted eggs and lamb – that symbolises Jesus – and wear
new clothes.
GRAMMAR FOCUS
THE SIMPLE PAST
Timpul trecut, aspectul comun - afirmativ al verbelor regulate se
formează, pentru toate persoanele, prin adăugarea terminaţiei ed la
forma de infinitiv şi este identic cu participiul trecut al acestor verbe:
LONG INFINITIVE
to work
to play
PAST TENSE
worked
played
După cum se poate observa din conjugarea celor două verbe la timpul
trecut, aspectul comun, negativul şi interogativul se vor forma cu
ajutorul auxiliarului to do – la trecut (did) şi infinitivul scurt al
verbului de conjugat.
Conjugarea unui verb regulat (to work) la Past Tense
AFFIRMATIVE
NEGATIVE
I, you, he, she, it, I, you, he, she,
we, you, they it, we, you, they
worked
did not work
INTERROGATIVE
did I, you, he, she, it, we,
you, they work?
Conjugarea unui verb neregulat (to wtite) la Past Tense. Common
Aspect
AFFIRMATIVE
NEGATIVE
I, you, he, she, it, I, you, he, she, it,
we, you, they we, you, they
wrote
did not write
INTERROGATIVE
did I, you, he, she, it, we,
you, they write?
Verbele neregulate nu urmează o anumită regulă de formare a timpului
trecut sau a participiului trecut, aspectul comun. Verbele neregulate au
forme diferite pentru infinitiv, trecut şi participiu trecut (deci nu
formează aceste timpuri prin adăugarea terminaţiei caracteristice ed).
Aceste verbe şi formele lor de trecut şi participiu trecut ( past tense
and past participle) se menţionează în tabele speciale. În cazul acestor
verbe forma a doua din respectivele tabele corespunde timpului trecut,
aspectul comun, în timp ce forma a treia corespunde participiului
trecut al verbului:
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INFINITIVE
to write
to go
to be
to have
to do
PAST TENSE
wrote
went
was, were
had
did
PAST PARTICIPLE
written
gone
been
had
done
Timpul trecut, aspectul comun este folosit pentru a exprima:
 o acţiune încheiată într-un moment în trecut care nu are nici o
legătură cu prezentul dar care poate fi asociată cu un anumit moment
din trecut exprimat printr-un adverb de timp sau locuţiune adverbială
de timp ca de exeplu: yesterday, last night/ week, month, year, a few
minutes ago, once (odată), once upon a time (o dată de mult), the
other day (deunăzi), sau cu perioade de timp trecute faţă de momentul
vorbirii: in childhood, in youth, in 1999 etc.:
I received a letter from a friend of mine the other day. Am
primit o scrisoare de la o prietenă de-a mea mai deunăzi.
 în cazul adverbelor şi locuţiunilor adverbiale: today, this/ week/
month/ year se foloseşte Past Tense. Common Aspect dacă perioada
de timp definită prin aceste adverbe este încheiată:
He gave two interviews this week. A dat două interviuri
săptămâna asta.
We all worked very much today. Astăzi toţi am muncit foarte
mult.
 în propoziţiile condiţionale în locul timpului condiţional prezent:
If I had money I should travel abroad. Dacă aş avea bani aş
călători în străinătate.
If I were in your place/ If I were you, I wouldn'd do that. Dacă
aş fi în locul tău nu aş face asta.
He would lend you the money if you asked him. Ţi-ar împrumuta bani
dacă i-ai cere.
1. Read the following paragraphs in the Past Tense Simple and make
changes where necessary. Use the list of irregular verbs at the end of
the course:
1. This happens every morning. We wake up at seven o’clock I
wash and shave while my wife cooks breakfast.
2. We eat in the kitchen. I feed the cat and the dog until my wife
gets ready.
3. Our nieces and nephews learn English as a foreign language.
A woman teacher teaches them twice a week.
4. My children love parties.
5. They give a party every two months.
6. They have a lot of fun when they meet their friends, they tell
jokes and laugh, they dance and sing.
7. Some of them drink and smoke too much and this is annoying.
8. This blind man has a stick.
9. He walks with its help.
10. He cannot see.
11. He asks a passer-by the way to the hospital.
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12. The passer- by explains him how to get there and the poor man
thanks him heartily.
13. The typist types the reports.
14. The typewriter lies on the desk in front of her.
15. The porters load and unload the luggage every day.
2. Make the following sentences interrogative:
1. We saw some interesting animals at the zoo.
2. The husband arrived late at home last night.
3. The woman left the house and walked to the station.
4. The porter carried my suitcase because it was heavy.
5. The cook made some sandwiches and gave us a drink.
6. We ate all the sandwiches.
7. We drank all the wine.
8. The masons took off their overalls.
9. They put them on the pegs.
10. Her elder sister fell in love with one of her former colleagues.
11. The travellers missed the train.
12. It snowed heavily this spring on March 1st.
13. The hikers went riding.
14. The chef forgot to turn on the gas.
15. The baby cried when he was sleepy.
3. Read the following sentences in the:
a) Present Tense Simple Interrogative;
b) Past Tense Simple Negative.
1. They wake up at seven o’clock.
2. They have breakfast at half past quarter.
3. His wife gives him a cup of coffee.
4. He takes it. He drinks it slowly.
5. The two children eat hungrily.
6. They empty the plates and the glasses.
7. They give the dishes to their mother to wash them.
8. Mother washes up quickly.
9. They open the door at a quarter to eight.
10. They leave the house in a hurry.
11. The two children walk to the school bus stop.
12. Their parents drive to their offices.
13. It happens every morning on weekdays.
14. My son learns two foreign languages.
15. Two women teachers teach them.
16. The members of the committee work hard every day.
17. My partner spends a lot of money on useless things.
Let’s Talk!
 How can people travel from one place to another? What do you
understand by ’means of transport’? What are the ’means of
transport’ people nowadays? Which is the fastest means of transport?
Have you ever flown? Do you travel a lot?
 What is the Romanian for ’customs’? But for ’custom’? Have
89
you ever gone through customs? What happened there, or what do you
know it usually happens?
3. TRAVELLING BY AIR. AT THE AIRPORT
READING. Read the text and pay attention to the use of
tenses. One of these things must have happened to you once. Say what
you were doing at the time:
Model: You suddenly fell down.
I was climbing a tree when I suddenly fell down.
1. It started to rain cats and dogs.
2. The waitress said: ’May I have your order now’?
3. The alarm went on.
4. The lights went off.
5. A dog began to bark at you.
6. You ran into a friend.
7. Your boss came in and shouted: ’What’s going on here’?
8. You began to feel very cold.
9. Your friend burst into tears.
10. You heard a terrible knock at the front door.
Travelling by air is one of the fastest means of transport but it
also has the reputation of being dangerous or unpleasant if you happen
to have airsick.
It is also the most expensive form of transport.
Last January when we had the chance to visit London, we
travelled back home by plane.
Heathrow, London’s main airport, handles more international
flights than any other airport in the world so, when we arrived there,
crowds of people were teeming to and fro, coming from different
places or leaving in all directions inside the country or abroad.
There were hundreds of passengers who were waiting for their
passports to be checked by the customs officers; other inspectors were
checking, weighing and putting labels on the passengers’ luggage.
Labels are pasted on suitcases so that they could be found easier, you
know. The customs officers were especially looking for prohibited
items on large quantities, or for commercial goods, which fall under
customs restriction. We saw an old lady who was arguing with an
inspector over some valuable things. She hadn’t known that she had to
pay duty on them, so she was rather puzzled as she was short of
money. It seemed she had spent all she had had and there wasn’t
enough money left.
Some young people were standing at the inquiry office, speaking
to a woman who was giving them information about a plane’s
departure time, which seemed to be much delayed because of the
foggy and rainy weather. Their conversation was rather difficult as the
travellers’ knowledge of English was poor.
There were also porters inside the airport who were carrying
suitcases and boxes but some young men were managing their luggage
90
by themselves using some trolleys. It was such a crowd as there were
many English people who were seeing their friends off or others who
were waiting and welcoming friends or relatives.
In the waiting hall the passengers were sitting on chairs or
armchairs, reading, talking or merrily watching the airfields through
the windows. We could see planes that were landing or taking off and
we even could watch the pilots and stewardesses who were getting on
or off the aircrafts.
When the customs formalities were over we kissed our friends
good bye and promised to write and then a special bus took us to the
jet. We got on, made ourselves comfortable, fastened our seatbelts and,
at the exact time we took off. We had a lovely flight home.
GRAMMAR FOCUS
THE PAST TENSE. CONTINUOUS ASPECT
AFFIRMATIVE
NEGATIVE
INTERROGATIVE
I, he, she, it
I, he, she, it was Was I, he, she, it
was writing
not writing
writing?
You, we, they
You, we, they,
Were you, we, they (not)
were writing
were not writing
writing?
Acest timp se formează din timpul trecul al verbului auxiliar to be şi
participiul prezent a verbului de conjugat conform schemei;
se traduce în limba română cu imperfectul;
 se traduce în limba română cu imperfectul;
Past Tense. Continuous Aspect se foloseşte pentru a exprima:
 o acţiune în desfăşurare la un anume moment în trecut,
moment ce poate fi indicat prin:
 una din expresiile adverbiale de genul: at ...o’clock, at that time,
this time yesterday,/ last week,/ last month, etc.
This time last week we were travelling to Braşov. Săptămîna
trecută pe vremea asta călătoream spre Braşov.
 altă acţiune:
The children were still arguing when mother arrived home.
Copii încă discutau în contradictoriu când a sosit mama acasă.
 acţiuni paralele în trecut:
He was talking to his wife while she was cooking. Vorbea cu
soţia lui în timp ce ea gătea.
1. Combine these pairs using while:
a) Model: It was raining. I went out. I went out while it was raining.
1. The young man was skiing. He had an accident.
2. He was lying in the snow. He felt a pain in the ankle.
91
3. He was crying loudly. A group of tourist came.
4. He was lying there. He saw them.
5. Porters were carrying luggage. The customs officers checked
the passports.
6. I was looking the other way. Someone hit my shoulder.
b) Model: Robert heard Julia. She was laughing. Robert heard Julia
laughing.
1. The man saw the mistress of the house. She was standing on
the terrace.
2. He heard her. She was talking feebly.
3. He smelt something. The stable was burning.
4. We heard the woman. She was shouting.
5. We noticed the burglar. He was stealing her purse.
6. I watched a couple. They were dancing.
c) Model: She left. She did not pay. She left without paying.
1. She came in. She did not knock.
2. She left the office. She did not apologise.
3. She sat down. She did not ask for permission.
4. He walked several miles. He did not stop.
5. He spoke for ten minutes. He did not pause.
6. I lay in bed for two hours. I did not fall asleep.
2. Imagine you are telling a friend the story of The Titanic. Look at the
model and do the same:
Model: The Titanic was going very fast. It was dangerous.
The Titanic was going very fast which was very dangerous.
1. It was very big. It seemed very safe.
2. It was well provided. It seemed to be unsinkable.
3. It was not carrying enough lifeboats. This was very foolish.
4. The other ship did not stop. This surprised everybody.
5. The other ship didn’t help the shipwrecked. It astonished the
crew.
6. The other ship just sailed away. It terrified the passengers.
7. Everybody was having a good time on the ship. This was
normal.
8. Some people gave their places in the lifeboats to other people.
This was brave.
9. A lot of other people fought wildly to get into the boats. This
was understandable.
10. The Titanic went down and over a thousand lives were lost.
This shocked the world.
3. Put the verbs into the correct tense (Simple or Continuous Past):
1. The two of them
(go out) and
(join) the
(sit) at one end of the porch by
wounded man who
himself.
2. The poor widow
(walk) through the blowing snow.
Suddenly a man with his hat pulled over his eyes
(bump)
into her.
3. I was told that an acquaintance of mine
(sit) at the bar
one evening when a man with a scar on his cheek
(hit)
him plump in his head.
4. At about 4 a.m. I
(awake and see) that it
(be)
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5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
still night and the stars and the moon
(shine) brightly
in the sky.
He
(take) his breakfast earlier than usual but
(linger)
in the parlour till his relatives finished their meal and (left).
When we
(hear) the deafening noise we
(wake up)
and
(jump) out of bed.
Pleased as she
(be), when she
(find) her purse, the
poor woman
(burst) into tears and
(hug) the first
person who
(pass) near by.
The commuters
(shelter) themselves under the eaves of
the houses while they
(wait) for the bus to come.
The old man
(doze) in the darkest corner of the
room, when the doorbell
(ring).
(go off), while they
(enter) the
The electric power
concert hall.
Let’s Talk!
 Do you often travel by train? Do you travel by train because you
like it or because you have no other means of transport available?
Where in the world have they the most efficient rail transport? What
do you think about rail transport in Romania? Compare it to that of
Japan or France.
4. TRAVELLING BY LAND. AT THE RAILWAY STATION
READING. Read the following text:
People who choose to use slow, fast or express trains from the
various means of transport they have at their disposal must go to the
railway station.
A railway station is a full of life place with platforms where
passengers and goods trains come in or leave from. Look! A train has
just arrived on platform 1. Many people have got off the train and
many others are getting on it at the moment. Some porters have
already taken the new comers’ luggage and have carried them out of
the station to the bus, trolley or taxi stations. Those people who have
already got on the trains have taken their seats in smoker or nonsmoker compartments, but there are also some latecomers who hurry
to catch their trains. Have they found vacant seats? Some have but
some have not.
This is a through train with a Diesel locomotive, several first
class or second class passenger carriages, a luggage van, a restaurant
car (dining-car) and even some sleeping cars as this is a long distance
train not a local train. The guard has waved his flag and has already
blown his whistle.
The train is off. The persons standing on the platform near the
carriages are friends or relatives who have come to see someone dear
off. They have kissed one another good-bye and now, as the engine has
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started and the train is moving away, they are waving good-bye.
Now, as our train has disappeared in the distance, let’s look
round the railway station.
We can see a left luggage office there, on the left side of the
platform, where passengers have deposited their suitcases, bags,
rucksacks. At the moment some are waiting to withdraw their luggage.
The booking office is a little further and many travellers are
standing in queues to buy single or return tickets for their journeys.
Those who have bought their tickets beforehand, and who travel light
are now comfortably sitting in armchairs in the waiting room over
there, on the right. Their train is due out later and they while their time
away reading the magazines or newspapers they have bought at the
bookstall, or booklets about various resorts of the country they have
found at hand on the little tables. Others are in the refreshment room
eating their meal.
Oh, dear! Look at that man who is running along the platform 2.
He is desperate. Unfortunately he has missed his train. Now he is
looking at the time table. Poor him!
GRAMMAR FOCUS
PAST PARTICIPLE
Participiul trecut al verbelor regulate se formează adăugând terminaţia
ed la infinitivul verbului.
Modificări ortografice apărute după adăugarea terminaţiei ed:
Verbele terminate în e pierd acest e final:
to dictate
dictated
Verbele monosilabice terminate într-o consoană precedată de o vocală
scurtă dublează consoana finală:
to drop
dropped
Verbele plurisilabice terminate într-o consoană precedată de o vocală
scurtă dublează consoana finală numai dacă accentul cade pe ultima
silabă:
to prefer
preferred
Verbele terminate în -l dublează consoana finală indiferent de accent:
to travel
travelled
La verbele terminate în -y precedat de o vocală, -y rămâne neschimbat:
to play
played
La verbele terminate în -y precedat de consoană acesta se schimbă în -i
şi se adaugă terminaţia -ed.
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Participiul trecut al verbelor neregulate este dat în tabele cu verbe
neregulate şi corespunde formei a treia din aceste tabele:
to be
to have
to have
was, were
had
had
been
had
had
THE PRESENT PERFECT. COMMON ASPECT
AFFIRMATIVE
I, you, we, they
have written
he,
she,
it
has written
NEGATIVE
I, you, we, they
have not written
he, she, it
has not written
INTERROGATIVE
Have I, you, we, they
written?
Hasn’t he, she, it
written?
Present Perfect. Commom Aspect exprimă o acţiune trecută care are
legătură cu prezentul, fie prin efectul sau consecinţele sale, fie prin
faptul că acţiunea continuă încă în prezent.
Timpul Present Perfect. Commom Aspect se formează cu verbul
auxiliar to have la prezent şi participiul trecut al verbului de conjugat.
I have written the letter. Am scris scrisoarea.
The teacher has arrived. Profesorul a sosit.
Acest timp este folosit pentru a reda:
 o acţiune începută în trecut care este în curs de desfăşurare în
momentul vorbirii şi probabil va continua şi în viitor.
My family has been living in this city for thirty years. Familia
mea locuieşte în acest oraş de 30 de ani.
The mayor has been attending the press conference for an
hour. Primarul participă la conferinţa de presă de o oră. (Este
acolo de acum o oră).
 O acţiune care a început în trecut, a fost în curs de desfăşurare în
trecut şi s-a terminat cu puţin înainte de momentul vorbirii:
He has been reading the reports so far. A citit rapoartele până
acum.
The maid has been cleaning the house all day long. Menajera a făcut
curat toată ziua.
l. Read the following sentences in the: Present Perfect Simple. Make
all the necessary changes:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
He keeps a very large house.
He has a cat and a dog as pets.
The cat’s feet are always dirty.
It comes in and jumps on the table.
He feeds his pets daily.
The dog constantly steals the cat’s food.
95
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
He kicks the dog and the dog barks.
It bites his master’s leg.
The master shouts but his girl friend laughs.
The grocer owns a small shop.
We buy groceries at the grocer’s and meat at the butcher’s.
The baker cuts a loaf in thin slices.
He gives the slices to some poor children.
He cuts himself. It hurts.
Commerce is a human activity.
Endless delays and hindrances occur in all stages of
commerce.
Goods move from the seller to the buyer.
Goods are usually produced far from the place of
consumption.
Manufacturers produce merchandise in large quantities.
Transport concerns the moving of goods by land, by sea or by
air.
2. Complete the sentences with for or since:
1. The Chief Executive Officer has waited
two hours to see
you.
2. He has been here
9 o’clock.
3. The cash flow statement hasn’t changed
several months.
4. The budget hasn’t been valued
last year.
5. The bank office has been staffed
it came into being.
6. They have cancelled the bond issue
the day before
yesterday.
7. The founders of this body of principles have settled it
the
enterprise was founded,
8. They have finished
several hours.
9. The clerks have worked in this office
20 years.
10. Many things have changed
we were children.
11. The central heating has been on
October.
she got ill.
12. Her husband has been very patient with her
13. The workers’ strike has lasted
three weeks.
14. The police have looked for the thieves
they stole the
jewels.
15. She has lost weight
that tragic accident in which her baby
died.
16. I haven’t eaten anything
twenty – four hours.
1. *** Dicţionar englez-român, 1974/2006, Bucureşti, Ed. Academiei.
2. Firică, Camelia, 2013, Limba engleză, Craiova, Editura Universitaria
3. Firică, Camelia, 2009, Brush up on your every day English, Craiova, Editura Universitaria
4. Gheorghe Bică, Camelia Firică, Cristian Firică, 2004, A dictionary of Legal and Law Issues,
96
UNIT 6
A BUSY WORKING DAY
Contents:
6.1. A BUSY WORKING DAY
6.1.1.1. The Present Perfect Tense. Continuous aspect
6.2. CITY TRAFFIC
6.2.1.1. The Future Tense. Common aspect. The Adverb.
6.3. SHOPS AND SHOPPING. WHERE DO YOU SHOP?
6.3.1.1. The Future Tense. Continuous Aspect
6.4. FOOD. MEALS IN ENGLAND
6.4.1.1. The Past Perfect Tense. Common Aspect. The Past Perfect Tense. Continuous
Aspect
- Learn and practice vocabulary referring to: (1) work; (2) city
traffic; (3) shops and shopping; (3) food and meals in England.
- Practise grammar issues: present perfect tense - continuous
aspect; the future tense simple and continuous; the adverb; the past
perfect tense - common and continuous aspect.
1. A BUSY WORKING DAY
READING. Read the following text and mind the use
of the present perfect tense continuous:
My friend works as a chief accountant in one of subsidiaries of
the German-Romanian Bank and he is just the man for his job that
fits him like a glove. He is a conscientious, hard working employee,
very appreciated by his employers and superiors. He gave an
interview and was employed several months ago when the subsidiary
in his town was opened and he has been working there ever since.
Some of the clerks on the staff haven’t been working at that bank
since the beginning; they are newcomers but they have quickly got
acquainted with the working conditions.
Now, let’s follow my friend along his whole working day! He has
got up, done his morning exercises, and he’s been in the bathroom for
a few minutes. He had turned on the cold water tap, as he is going to
take a shower. He enjoys having cold showers in the summer
mornings and now he has already been having his morning shower
for a while. He has just shaved, brushed his teeth, combed his hair
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and he’s putting on his clothes at this very moment.
His wife has been preparing breakfast in the kitchen since she has
woken up. They are sitting down at table. It’s a quarter to eight now
and they have been eating breakfast for ten minutes.
My friend is in his car now. They live on the outskirts of the town
and there’s a rather long way to his office. He has been driving for
twenty minutes. The traffic is heavy in the morning and there are
traffic jams as everybody wants to get somewhere, busy with their
current affairs.
Our character has finally reached his place of work after a long
drive. Piles of business letters and documents were on his desk,
waiting for an answer or signature, and my friend has been dictating
the necessary answers to the secretary for an hour.
Now it’s almost noon and the secretary has been typing for some
time. Meanwhile my friend wrote some reports; for a while he has
been verifying some balance sheets, charts of account and statements
of account. He has to take all the papers to the manager to have them
signed. Because the manager isn’t in his office, he has been attending
a meeting with some foreign businesspeople since morning, my
friend had to leave the papers with the manager’s secretary. It’s two o’c
The tiring working day is over. Although he has been working hard
so far, my friend is not tired. One never gets tired of what he loves to
do.
GRAMMAR FOCUS
THE PRESENT PERFECT TENSE. CONTINUOUS ASPECT
AFFIRMATIVE
NEGATIVE
I, you, we, they I, you, we, they
have been writing
have not been
writing
He, she, it has He, she, it has
been writing
not been writing
INTERROGATIVE
Have I, you, we, they
been writing?
Has he, she, it (not)
been writing
Timpul Present Perfect. Aspectul Continuu se formează din timpul
Present Perfect. Common Aspect al verbului to be şi participiul
prezent al verbului de conjugat.
The teacher has been teaching for an hour. Profesorul predă de o
oră.
Acest timp este folosit pentru a reda:
 o acţiune începută în trecut care este în curs de desfăşurare în
momentul vorbirii şi probabil va continua şi în viitor.
My family has been living in this city for thirty years. Familia
mea locuieşte în acest oraş de 30 de ani.
The mayor has been attending the press conference for an
hour. Primarul participă la conferinţa de presă de o oră. (Este
acolo de acum o oră).
 O acţiune care a început în trecut, a fost în curs de desfăşurare în
trecut şi s-a terminat cu puţin înainte de momentul vorbirii:
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He has been reading the reports so far. A citit rapoartele
până acum.
The maid has been cleaning the house all day long.
Menajera a făcut curat toată ziua.
1. Complete the following sentences with the Present Perfect Simple
or Continuous of the verbs you will find in the second part of each
sentence in italics:
1. I
this pen for several years but I’m not using it any
more.
2. My nephew
a student in Mathematics for about three
years, and he still is.
3. I
the Browns for ages and I think I know them
well.
4. My cousins
in the same block of flats for fifteen
years but they are not living in the same block any more.
5. The postman
that old bicycle since he was
young and he still rides it every day.
6. My niece
that old car of her parents’ for four
years but she is not driving it any more.
7. Our grandchildren
the same secondary school
for two years and they are still attending the same school.
8. The old plumber
hard for nearly fifty years and
he still works hard.
9. The Board of Directors
the Article of
Association for several hours and they are still analysing it.
10. The employees
large amounts of money, and they
still earn a lot.
2. Insert the Present Tense Continuous or Present Perfect
Continuous:
(wait) here all morning to see either the assistant
1. I
manager or the chief executive officer.
2. My dear fellow, what
(think about).
(search) the streets of the town to find you for
3. I
two years and this is the first time I’ve admitted it even to
myself.
4. Of course, as a joint stock company we have problems, but
we
(handle) them successfully since they occurred.
5. She moved easily and said: ’I
(not feel) well for the
last ten days.
6. We hear you
(look for) a new building for your
prosperous firm.
7. What else have I to live for, but my children? It’s you and the
rest of them that
(work) and
(make)
plans for all these years.
8. The van
(make) a curious noise ever since it
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ran out of oil.
9. The wireless
turned it off.
(play) since dawn. I wish someone
3. Replace the infinitives with the Present Perfect Simple or
Continuous:
(not to see) my neighbours since they returned
1. I
from abroad.
2. She is my best friend. I
(to like) always her.
3. I
(to want) for a long time to give you this pen as a
present.
4. He
(to be) awfully fond of you for quite a long time.
(to correspond)
5. All her relatives know that she
with him for the last four months.
6. She can’t remember her aunt’s address because she
(not
to hear) from the old woman for two years.
7. We often
(to hear) people say how disappointed
they will be if they never see a certain place which
they
(to dream) of for years.
8. A great poet is he who
always (to feel) most of the
things that move people’s hearts and who
always
(to understand) them most deeply.
9. It
(to rain) for two hours and the football ground is
too wet, so that the match
just (to be) postponed.
Let’s Talk!
 About urban means of transport. What can you say about city
transport? Name some means of transport. Which do you consider
the fastest? What other synonyms do you know for ’tube’? Is there
such a means of transport in your town?
 What do you call the part of the day when traffic is very heavy?
And what is the opposite of this?
 About driving skills. Can you drive? Have you ever been in the
position of avoiding a car accident just because you were driving
carefully?
2. CITY TRAFFIC
READING. Read and then give answers to the
following questions according to the pattern:
Model: When are you going to paint the house?
I’ll have to paint it next summer.
1. When are you going to type the report?
2. When are you going to refurbish these old offices?
3. When is he going to fix the fax?
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4. When are they going to hand the cheque in?
5. When is the government going to make the economic
decisions on a daily basis?
Traffic is awfully heavy in big cities because cars, busses, lorries,
vans, taxies and trolley buses run wildly along the straight
thoroughfares, boulevards or winding main streets during the
morning and afternoon rush hours, when thousands of people hurry
home or are busy with daily tasks.
Traffic jams will always be a problem in big cities.
Distances are long and those who do not drive – the pedestrians –
will have to walk fast along the crowded pavements and will have to
wait at the zebra crossings or on islands near the bus, tram or trolley
bus stops. They may also use the tube or underground if there’s one
in the city. At the big crossroads one will find subways for
pedestrians and along the wide or narrow streets one will notice
lampposts, road- signs and traffic lights at the corners. When the red
traffic light is switched on the vehicles will drive and the pedestrians
will wait for the vehicles to cross. Those who are late will be
impatient for the moment when they will be allowed to cross safely.
In all European countries traffic keeps on the right but if someone
visits England he will notice that vehicles drive on the left side of the
roads.
Driving is a pleasant, useful but serious matter; it can be also
dangerous and a car will always be your enemy if you don’t handle it
properly and carefully. There have been too many car accidents
lately, too many deaths and too many people injured.
On one hand, drivers are to be blamed – especially those who
exceed the speed limits and disobey the traffic rules without any
consideration for the others, drivers who think they are safe at the
steering wheel even when they have drunk. On the other hand the
pedestrians are to be blamed too; they step off the pavement
carelessly, without looking to the left or right.
I think I shall never be able to pass a driving test and obtain a
driving licence so, I’ll always get on the bus or tram. I’ll pay my fare
for the ticket to the conductor and, if I find a vacant seat, I’ll sit down
and patiently look out of the window; if not, I’ll hold on a strap to
keep from falling; when my stop comes I’ll get off the bus or tram
safe and sound, thanks God. So I shan’t have to take care not to hit or
run over careless pedestrians, I shan’t have to read all those terrible
traffic signs, and I shan’t have to deal with those unconscious drivers
who think the whole road is theirs.
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GRAMMAR FOCUS
THE FUTURE TENSE. COMMON ASPECT
AFFIRMATIVE
I, we shall write
You, he, she, it,
they will write
NEGATIVE
I, We shall not
write
You, he, she, it, they
will write
INTERROGATIVE
Shall I, we write?
Will you, he, she, it,
they write?
Timpul viitor. Aspectul Comun se formează cu ajutorul verbelor
auxiliare shall (pentru persoana I singular şi plural) şi will pentru
persoanele a II- a şi a III- a urmate de infinitivul scurt al verbului de
conjugat.
We shall be there on time. Vom fi acolo la timp.
He will not come earlier. El nu va veni mai devreme.
When will you go there? Când veţi merge acolo?
Acest timp se foloseşte pentru a exprima:
 O acţiune care va avea loc într-un moment viitor faţă de
momentul vorbirii:
 Precizarea momentului viitor în care se va petrece acţiunea se va
face cu ajutorul adverbelor sau locuţiunilor adverbiale de timp:
tomorrow, the day after tomorrow (poimâine), next/ week,
month, year, soon (curând), in a month’s time, in three weeks’
time etc.




REMEMBER!
Verbul auxiliar will, care este şi verb modal în acelaşi timp(a
vrea), folosit la persoanele I singular şi plural va exprima
intenţia sau hotărîrea vorbitorului de a săvârşi o anumită
acţiune în timp ce verbul auxiliar shall, care este şi verb modal (a
trebui), folosit la persoanele a II- a şi a III-a singular şi plural va
exprima un ordin, o promisiune fermă:
I will come. Voi veni/ am să vin negreşit.
I will help you. Te voi ajuta (sunt hotărât).
He shall come. (El) va veni (negreşit, îţi promit).
You shall help him. Trebuie să-l ajuţi.
In propoziţii interogative, la persoanele I singular şi plural shall
va avea sensul (trebuie) să...şi se va folosi pentru a cere un sfat
asupra săvârşirii unei acţiuni:
Shall I fetch you a glass of water? Să-ţi aduc un pahar cu
apă?
Shall I open the window? Să deschid fereastra?
In varianta americană a limbii engleze will se va folosi la toate
persoanele pentru formarea timpului viitor;
La persoanele a III- a singular şi plural, când se face referire la
lucruri, will va avea sensul – vrea, vor:
The window won’t open. Fereastra nu vrea să se deschidă.
ATENŢIE! TIMPUL VIITOR NU SE FOLOSEŞTE ÎN:
 Propoziţii condiţionale, în care viitorul se va reda prin timpul
prezent al verbului de conjugat:
You’ll miss the train if you get up late. O să pierzi trenul
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dacă te vei scula târziu.
I shan’t pass the exam unless I learn. Nu voi trece examenul
dacă nu voi învăţa.
NOTĂ: Unless este o locuţiune cu sens negativ – dacă nu, şi verbul
care-i urmează va fi obligatoriu folosit la forma afirmativă.
 Propoziţii circumstanţiale de timp în care viitorul va fi înlocuit
cu:
 Timpul prezent dacă cele două acţiuni din propoziţia regentă şi
cea temporală sunt simultane:
We’ll discuss this matter when I come. Vom discuta
problema aceasta când voi veni.
 Timpul Present Perfect dacă acţiunea din propoziţia
subordonată temporală este anterioară celei din regentă:
I’ll go to the cinema after I have finished my homework.
Voi merge la cinema după ce-mi voi termina temele.
THE ADVERB
Adverbul este partea de vorbire care arată o caracteristică a
unei acţiuni, a unei stări sau a unei calităţi. Adverbul are grade de
comparaţie şi îndeplineşte funcţia sintactică de complement
circumstanţial.
Clasificarea adverbelor:
 Adverbe de timp (Adverbs of time): before, now, then, after,
today, tonight, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, yesterday, the
day before yesterday, late, lately, lastly etc.;
 Adverbe de frecvenţă (Adverbs of frequency): ever, never, often,
seldom, rarely, occasionally, usually, sometimes, always, daily,
weekly, once, twice, ten times etc.;
 Adverbe de loc (Adverbs of place): here, there, outside, inside,
near, far, everywhere, upstairs, downstairs, nowhere, southward
(înspre sud), northward(s) (înspre nord), eastward(s) (înspre
est), westwards (înspre vest), (on the) east of (la est de), (on the)
north of (la nord de) etc.;
 Adverbe de mod (Adverbs of manner): slowly, rapidly, carefully,
fluently, badly, beautifully, quickly, well, fast etc.;
Formarea adverbelor de mod:
Majoritatea adverbelor de mod se formează prin adăugarea sufixului
–ly la un adjectiv sau substantiv:
distinct
rapid
day
week
distinctly
rapidly
daily
weekly
In general adăugarea sufixului –ly nu modifică forma iniţială a
cuvântului după cum se poate observa în exemplele anterioare.
Totuşi următoarele fapte lingvistice au loc după adăugarea sufixului
adverbial şi acestea nu trebuie scăpate din vedere:
 Dacă adjectivul se termină in -e acesta se păstrează înaintea
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sufixului -ly:
entire
extreme
entirely
extremely
true
due
whole
truly
duly
wholly
Excepţii:

Dacă adjectivul se termină în -l adverbul va avea -ll prin
adăugarea terminaţiei -ly:
beautiful

Adjectivele terminate în –ll pierd un –l:
full

beautifully
fully
Adjectivele terminate în -y îl transformă pe acesta în -i înaintea
sufixului -ly:
happy
happily
NOTĂ: cuvintele friendly, likely, lonely, lovely sunt adjective şi nu
adverbe. Exprimarea lor ca adverbe se face cu ajutorul altor adverbe
sau locuţiuni adverbiale: in a friendly way, in a lovely way, probably,
alone.
Adverbul adjectivului good este well.
3. SHOPS AND SHOPPING. WHERE DO YOU SHOP?
READING.
There are shops where we buy things to eat and others where we
buy things to wear or things we use in every day life.
The tailor, for instance, makes clothes to measure for men and the
dressmaker makes clothes for women. The hatter sells gentleman’s
hats and the milliner makes and sells hats for ladies. The draper sells
stockings, socks, underwear while the shoemaker makes and sells
shoes, sandals, boots and a cobbler repairs them. The bookseller sells
books (novels, science- fiction books, detective stories or short
stories, thrillers, poetry books, autobiographies, essay books,
memoirs), dictionaries, magazines; the tobacconist sells tobacco,
cigarettes and cigars, the stationer sells copy books, exercise books,
notebooks, pens, fountain pens, pencils, coloured pencils, ink, writing
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paper, stamps, envelopes, postcards, the chemist (or the
pharmaceutical chemist) sells not only medicines (or drugs) but also
cosmetics and toilet supplies.
Nowadays people prefer doing their shopping at the big selfservice supermarkets or department stores which are always well
supplied or well – stocked and where goods are visibly displayed at
hand in different departments and counters, rather than wander from
one shop to another which, after all, proved to be a waste of time.
A selfservice system offers lots of advantages: customers can find
in one and the same store a wide range of goods which are readyweighed, ready-packed, ready-bottled and price- marked so that they
can examine and select them, they can pay at the same cash- desk.
All these make shopping faster, easier and customers save their
precious time.
As for me shopping is my hobby and pastime at the same time.
Whether I have something to buy or not I love wandering alone
through all the shops, rather early in the morning, right after 10
o’clock when they open. I love the large, beautifully decorated shop
windows, which display all sorts of goods and invite you in. I’ve
made up my mind for tomorrow. As I have some spare time and
there’s no food supplies in the larder- I like it well stocked, you
know, and we’ve run out of foodstuff- I shall be going shopping
tomorrow morning at about a quarter to eleven. The shopping- area,
which is in the centre of the town, isn’t too far away from the house
so I’ll be walking to the biggest supermarket in our town and I’ll be
calling at all sorts of shops on my way: the boot-store, the drapers,
the haberdasher’s, the stationer’s, the chemist’s, at those shops that
sell furniture, electrical appliances, knitwear, fabrics, chinaware and
glassware, carpets. As soon as I reach the four- storied supermarket I
shall be visiting all the counters. The first one where I’ll be going to
will be the ready-made clothes where they display light or dark
coloured blouses, skirts, dresses, coats and overcoats. They are all of
an exceptionally good quality and I’ll be looking for a skirt for
winter. Then I’ll be trying a pair of low heeled, leather shoes at the
footwear department and, at the leatherwear department, I’ll be
looking for a pair of gloves. Finally I’ll shop at the food department.
Let’s begin at the dry groceries counter where one can buy: flour,
maize flour, rice, semolina, castor sugar, lump sugar, powder sugar,
oil, corn flakes, oat flakes, noodles, vermicelli, macaroni, spices,
vinegar, ready- ground coffee, instant coffee, instant soup, but I’ll
only be buying two kilos of castor sugar, one kilo of rice, coffee, tea,
a pack of noodles, half a kilo of semolina, some instant soup and
flour.
The baker’s counter sells loaves of white or brown bread, rolls,
buns, crescents, cheese pies, apple pies, meat pies, but I only need
two loaves of sliced white bread and some cheese pie from here.
The next counter will be the dairy one. Oh, what a variety of
goods they are displaying: butter, margarine, cream, whipped cream,
yoghurt, cheese, pressed cheese, bottled milk, sour milk, powder
milk. I’ll buy from each of these dairy products which we enjoy very
much as they are healthy.
As I need some meat I’ll call at the butcher’s. The counters that
sell meat and poultry are well supplied, too. They sell beef, pork,
105
mutton, lamb, duck, goose, turkey, chicken and even game here, but
I’ll only take some veal and poultry.
I shan’t buy fruit and vegetables at the greengrocery department
but I’ll stop at the market on my way home because I love walking
among the rows of counters where piles of tomatoes, potatoes,
cucumbers, cabbages, French beans, eggplants, onions, garlic,
apricots, peaches, nuts, melons, water melons and oranges are
displayed and one can chose anything he or she wants. After all these
shopping all the money will be gone and the shopping bags full so,
I’ll be taking a taxi to come back home tomorrow about noon...
GRAMMAR FOCUS
THE FUTURE TENSE. CONTINUOUS ASPECT
AFFIRMATIVE
I, we shall be
writing
You, he, she, it,
they will be
writing
NEGATIVE
I, we shall not be
writing
You, he, she, it,
they will not be
writing
INTERROGATIVE
Shall I, we be writing?
Will you, she, he, it,
they be writing?
Timpul viitor. Aspectul continuu se formează cu ajutorul verbului
auxiliar to be precedat de verbele modale shall/ will şi participiul
prezent al verbului de conjugat.
Acest timp se întrebuinţează pentru a exprima:
 O acţiune de durată care va fi în desfăşurare într-un anume
moment în viitor; caracterul progresiv al acţiunii viitoare fiind
exprimat printr-unul din adverbele sau locuţiunile adverbiale de timp
referitoare la viitor: at...o’clock, then, by that/ the time, this time
tomorrow/ next week/ next month/, from...to (de la ...la), all the
week/ month/ year through (pe durata întregii săptămîni/ luni /
întregului an).
This time tomorrow I shall be shopping. O să fac
cumpărături mâine pe vremea asta.
What will you be doing at eight o’clock tonight. Ce vei face
astă seară la ora 8?
 O acţiune care va ocupa o anumită perioadă de timp în viitor:
I shall be teaching tomorrow between 9 and 12 o’clock. Voi
preda mâine între orele 9-12.
1. Put the verbs in brackets into the Future Tense Simple or
Continuous:
1. He (draw up) a report all day tomorrow and then the
secretary (type) it the day after tomorrow.
2. He (read out) the report at the meeting next week.
3. The man thinks that this time next month he (sit) in the
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chairman’s chair.
4. When we arrive probably the kids (sleep) and a bright fire
(burn) in the fireplace.
5. The maid (serve) us dinner in half an hour.
6. Some friends are coming to see us tonight.
7. We (drink) champagne and (toast) for my husband’s
successful business.
8. I (wear) my smart new silk dress.
9. The professor (deliver) a new interesting lecture on English
literature next semester.
10. What you (do) tomorrow at about noon?
11. You (meet) those new foreign partners?
12. You (have lunch) with them in town?
13. I (see) the sales manager at the market opening the day after
tomorrow and we (discuss) the problem.
14. My nephew and nice (stay) with their grandparents for the
summer holidays.
15. Their parents (fly) to Paris in two weeks now.
16. We (not hear) from them for a while.
17. The new investor (take the floor) tomorrow about this time.
18. The delegates of the political party (gather) for their regular
conference next month.
19. The chairman (preside) tomorrow’s meeting.
20. He (provide) the required explanations.
21. The secretary (take) the minutes this time tomorrow.
4. FOOD. MEALS IN ENGLAND
READING.
Read te following text and tell:
- What is the most substantial meal of the day in England?
What do the English usually have for breakfast? What does a
continental breakfast consist of?
A friend of mine who visited England last summer told me he had
never imagined that he would be ever beaten by an English breakfast.
Between you and me, my friend is such a greedy fellow, and he is
always as hungry as a wolf, that I didn’t believe him. Nevertheless it
seems it really happened. The story goes like this.
When my friend arrived in Brighton, he checked in at a small inn,
in the neighbourhood of which his best friends, that had invited them
to England, had their residence. He had politely declined the
invitation to stay in his friends’ house during his visit, as he didn’t
want to trouble them too much and be a nuisance. However, he
accepted their invitation to spend most of the time together and have
meals together.
So, the very first morning after his arrival, on a Sunday morning,
my friend went to his friends’ place to have breakfast together and go
for a ride afterwards. They sat down at the large table in the kitchen
107
and started to eat while the housewife was still preparing some food
on the stove, in one corner. The two children of the host and hostess
started with some cornflakes with milk or cream and castor sugar or
salt, while the husband started with a plateful of porridge. To be
polite, my friend, who was not at all familiar with this particular dish,
asked for some porridge too and, although he did not enjoy it very
much, he emptied the plate, hungry as he was, you know. As he
didn’t know what the hostess had in store for him, he felt at ease
when he saw the second course coming. This was a rather substantial
one: a large helping of sausages and scrambled eggs for the two men,
and bacon and poached eggs for the children. The lady of the house
had some fried herrings. Afterwards slices of bread and toast, butter
and orange marmalade and a huge pot of milk and coffee appeared on
the table. My friend was already amazed and dumb with surprise at
this enormous quantity of food, and he had to struggle hard to eat
everything he had been given. After such a meal it was a torture for
him to go sightseeing.
As I was very interested in finding out further information about
meals in Britain, and as my friend was in the position to inform me, I
listened to him giving all the details about the subject. He told me
that lunch- which is usually served at one o’clock consists of two
courses: a plain, simple- cooked dish and a sweet or pudding. The
first course is some meat (beef, veal, mutton, lamb, pork, chicken,
duck, game) or poultry and some vegetables (potatoes, carrots, peas,
French beans, cabbage, cauliflower or spinach) usually boiled or
roast to go with. Usually ale is drunk with the first course. Puddings,
which are of various types are the second course, but sometimes
apple tarts, cheese and biscuits, stewed fruit or fresh fruit like apples,
pears, apricots, peaches, grapes, oranges are preferred. Coffee, black
or white, is served to end lunch with.
As it is already known all over the world, English drink a lot of
tea so five o’clock tea is considered the third meal of the day. It is
served between four and five. A pot of tea, a jug of milk and a basin
with castor or lump sugar, cups and saucers, thin slices of bread and
butter, chocolate cakes, strawberry jam and cream are all brought in,
on a tray.
The English gather all at home in the evening so dinner is the
most substantial meal of the day, served at about seven o’clock.
Dinner begins with tomato-soup for example and is followed by fish
or a joint of meat with vegetables and rice.
The dessert is the last to come. As the most substantial meal of
the day, dinner is sometimes served in the middle of the day, instead
of lunch and in this case, a light supper is served in the evening. This
is generally the case with country people and some people in town.
So, some English people have breakfast, dinner, tea, supper while
others have breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner.
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GRAMMAR FOCUS
THE PAST PERFECT TENSE. COMMON ASPECT
AFFIRMATIVE
NEGATIVE
INTERROGATIVE
I, you, he, she, it, I, you, he, she, it, Had I, you, he, she, it,
we, you, they had we, you they had we, you, they written?
written
not written
Past Perfect Simple se formează cu timpul Past Tense al verbului to
have + participiul trecut al verbului de conjugat.
Se traduce în limba română cu timpul mai mult ca perfectul.
Acest timp este întrebuinţat pentru a reda:
 O acţiune trecută, încheiată înaintea altei acţiuni în trecut:
They had settled all the problems when the manager arrived.
Rezolvaseră toate problemele când a venit directorul.
 O acţiune trecută încheiată înaintea unui moment trecut:
The committee had read the report by noon. Comitetul citise
raportul până la amiază.
 O acţiune trecută încheiată puţin înaintea unei alte acţiuni trecute:
We had just taken our seats when the performance began. Ne
ocupaserăm deja locurile când a început reprezentaţia.
 O acţiune trecută, anterioară unei alte acţiuni trecute dar ajungând
pînă la aceasta (cu adverbe de timp: for, since, till, until, by the
time, when):
He had left for America for a few months when the Second
World War began. Plecase în America de câteva luni când a
început cel de-al doilea război mondial.
 În vorbirea indirectă şi în concordanţa timpurilor, pentru a înlocui
Present Perfect sau Past Tense, când verbul din propoziţia
principală este la un timp trecut:
’I have finished all the housework’, mother said.
Mother said she had finished all the housework.
’ I worked hard’, she added.
Mother added that she had worked hard.
 In propoziţiile condiţionale în locul timpului condiţional perfect:
He would have helped them if they had asked him. I-ar fi
ajutat dacă l-ar fi rugat.
Folosirea timpului Past Perfect după hardly, scarcely, no sooner:
PPIMA PROPOZIŢIE
A DOUA PROPOZIŢIE
HARDLY + had + subiect + + WHEN + verb la Past Tense
verb la participiul trecut
SCARCELY + had + subiect + WHEN + verb la Past Tense
+ verb la participiul trecut
NO SOONER + had + + THAN + verb la Past Tense
subiect + verb la participiul
trecut
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Hardly had I entered the door when some guests arrived.
De abia/tocmai am intrat pe uşă când nişte oaspeţi au sosit.
Scarcely had the surgeon taken a nap when they called him
back at the hospital again. De abia a apucat chirurgul să tragă un pui
de somn când l-au şi chemat la spital din nou.
No sooner had they switched on the gas than the stove
exploded. Nici nu au apucat să aprindă bine gazul când a explodat
soba.
THE PAST PERFECT TENSE. CONTINUOUS ASPECT
AFFIRMATIVE
NEGATIVE
INTERROGATIVE
I, you, he, she, it, I, you, he, she, it Had I, you, he, she, it,
we, you, they had we, you, they had we, you, they been
been writing
not been writing
writing?
Acest timp se foloseşte pentru a reda:
 O acţiune trecută care continuă până la un anume moment în
trecut:
They had been arguing for several hours when the headmistress
suddenly declared the meeting closed. Discutaseră în
contradictoriu timp de mai multe ore până când directoarea şcolii
a declarat şedinţa închisă.
1.
2.
3.
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UNIT 7
GETTING READY FOR AN INTERVIEW.
WRITING FOR PROFESSIONAL PURPOUSE
Contents:
7.1. GETTING READY FOR AN INTERVIEW. The curriculum vitae. Having an interview
7.2. CORRESPONDENCE KEEPS RELATIONS ALIVE. Writing for professional
purposes. Formal and informal english in business writing
7.3. BRITISH AND AMERICAN ENGLISH - SPELLING RULES
7.4. PARTS OF A FORMAL LETTER. LETTER FORMAT
-
Learn things that will help you (1) prepare for an interview, what
must and what must not be done during an interview, (2) write a
curriculum vitae and a letter of intention, (3) master the general
points and conventions to be followed in professional writing; (4)
understand the differences between British and American
English, (5) write a business letter.
Let’s talk:
 By what means can one person find out about a vacant job? What
do companies or firms do whenever they want to employ somebody?
What is the presumed employee supposed to do as soon as he/she
finds out about a vacant job? What do you call the person who asks
for the job and what do you call the paper by which they apply for
the job?
 What do you consider to be the most important step in the act of
employment? Have you ever had the opportunity to apply for a job,
or have you ever attended an interview? According to your opinion,
what qualities must an applicant display?
1. GETTING READY FOR AN INTERVIEW
READING.
As soon as a person comes to the end of his or her courses at a
college or university he/she starts to ask himself or herself what is to
be done after getting a university degree in the field he/she trained
for.
The best means of information, except from hearsay, or television
advertising, or lab our power office is perusing all columns in all the
newspapers that advertise for possible jobs. A young graduate will
consider himself/herself lucky and happy if he/she comes upon with
the opening of finding a job and he/she should consider the idea of a
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modest start as a trainee in his/her domain, following that after hard
work and proof of his/her skills and abilities, he might become a
junior or even senior executive with the company or firm he/she
works for.
There are several steps to be followed after finding the
advertisement for what is considered to be a proper job so, here are
some pieces of advice for you as an applicant.
The first step is considered as the first contact with a potential
employer and it consists of a Letter of Application, a Résumé or a
Curriculum Vitae. If your application form will rouse the employer’s
interest in you then you may consider it a success and start getting
ready for the Interview – which plays a prominent part in the act of
employment. One should remember that the letter of application, the
résumé, the curriculum vitae and the interview are as many
opportunities to show one’s written and oral communication skills.
The Letter of Application is your visiting card as it represents
you and introduces you to a future possible employer. If you chose to
write a comprehensive letter of application, and not a letter of
application with a résumé of your experience and background
enclosed, your letter must contain all the pieces of information that
can show you at your best. Your letter of application must show a
proper appreciation of your qualification - in case you have the
proper qualification which is necessary for the job, - and your
experience, -if any - in the field. You must draw up your letter in a
persuasive, convincing, attractive, especially truthful and
straightforward style and way of expression. You shouldn’t be
modest or humble in your estimation but self- conceited either. That
is why it is imperative to say I can, I am good in stead of I think I
can or I am quite good. Your firm, loyal personality, your attitude
towards work (readiness and willingness to shoulder responsibilities,
ability to stick to a task and see it solved, initiative), your outlook on
life (your determination to achieve your personal goals by honest,
sustained work) are key points of interest for an employer, are the
merchandise you want to sell for the best of prices and, that’s why,
you must stress and point them out. Stress and point out your
commitment to hard work, responsibility and professionalism and
don’t even mention in this letter of application about salary and
holidays as they may make an unfavourable impression.
Address your letter correctly, spell it properly and type it well and
clean (misspelling and a sloppy sheet of paper talk about your
carelessness) and give it a business like aspect. look at the example
below:
Mr. Dan Pop
Employment Manager
Pop & Son Ltd.
24, Long Avenue
Bucharest
Dear Mr. Pop,
Your Company’s advertisement, published in ‘The Journal’
newspaper, has drawn my attention to your need for a licensed
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lawyer and, as soon as I saw the advertisement, I felt that was the
kind of job I’ve trained myself for, and for which I have the proper
qualification.
I have a Licentiate’s degree in Law, which I got six years ago
when I graduated from the Faculty of Law and Public
Administration, Craiova University.
I have the necessary practical experience in the field of law as I
have been working for three years with the ‘Marcus& Marcus’ Law
firm. During this period of time I entered the Bar Association of Dolj
County and obtain a Master’s degree. At present I passed the
examination for a doctor’s degree as well.
I am positive that my qualification will meet your requirements.
I’m highly experienced, I enjoy teamwork and I have a taste for
responsibility.
I intend to change my present place of work as I feel that I must
find one that offers me better opportunities to distinguish myself and
advance. I must also honestly admit that the firm I work for doesn’t
offer attractive promotion prospects. I am sure your company and the
job you advertise for can give me the very scope I’m looking forward
to meet.
My present wages is 700 Euros a month but I will accept any salary
your company is ready to pay me.
I enclose thereto my résumé with the details about my education
and experience as well as copies of testimonials and letters of
recommendation from my present employer and Head of Department
whom I have already informed about my decision.
In case you are interested in granting me an interview I hope
you’ll let me know in time.
Yours sincerely,
Ana Barb
THE CURRICULUM VITAE
A person’s Curriculum Vitae (CV) is among the most important
documents that a person writes to give account for his/her education
and professional life or achievements.
In order to produce an effective CV, one needs to know about
both the functions and language of curricula vitae.
A CV is a record of one’s educational and professional history. It
is information about past educational and professional background
that demonstrate one’s suitability for activities to be fulfilled in
future. Details concerning a person’s education and qualifications are
essential, but other information should be carefully selected as well.
It should be written in a concise but comprehensive form.
A good curriculum vitae does not merely present the facts of
one’s life to a potential employer. It also highlights one’s career
features (facts that show his/her personal characteristics - 'This is
what I am like', 'This is what I have done') and benefits (the
advantages one might bring to a company if it employs him/her 'This
is what I can do for your company').
Essentials of a Curriculum Vitae
Before you put down your CV, take time to outline a self113
assessment. Note down your skills and abilities as well as your work
experience and the extracurricular activities. This will make it easier
to prepare a complete document.
The Content of a Curriculum Vitae
All information related to the way you can be contacted should go
at the top of the curriculum vitae: name (first name - in full - and
last/family name), address, telephone and fax number, e-mail address.
Do not give your nicknames and take care to make your e-mail
address sound professional, avoiding an inappropriate one.
Objective or Summary
Some curriculum forms ask that an objective of writing the document
tell the potential employer what sort of position you are looking for
or what work you're hoping to do. So you must be specific about
what you want.
Educational background
In this part you will give details about your education, schools or
higher educational institution attended and graduated, degrees
obtained, fields you majored in. The most recent schools graduated
will be listed first.
Work Experience
Give the employer a brief overview of previous jobs, whether
paid or unpaid, full-time or part-time, mention your responsibilities,
job title and information about the place of work. Include your work
experience in reverse chronological order - that is, put your last job
first, title of position, location (town, county), dates of employment.
Describe your work responsibilities with emphasis on specific
skills and achievements.
You may add other information as well related to:
 Particular skills, competencies and qualifications (solid
managerial and administrative experience, leadership experience,
ability to manage multiple tasks in a pressured environment;
versatility and adaptability, dedication, energy, a hard-working
individual; communication abilities and team-building skills.
Volunteering is very appreciated!)
 Publications: Name(s), title, journal, page and year;
 Seminars: Name, title, meeting, location, date, year
 Patents: Patent publication location, serial number, title, date,
year
References
If references are required and you can provide them, you must
ask, those you think to appeal to, if they agree to serve as references
before you give their names to a potential employer. You may specify
at the end of the document: "References will be furnished on
request."
The following tips will make your curriculum vitae easier to read:
 Use white (not coloured!), good quality paper.
 Print on one side of the paper.
 Do not underline, italicize or bold any word;
 In case you post your curriculum vitae, put it in a large
envelope and do not fold it.
The Curricula Vitae language
There are some things you must do - the DO’s - and others
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you must not do - the DON'Ts - of a curriculum vitae:
The DO'S
Write in a concise, easy to read way so that the reader can screen
the document quickly and understand the important facts.
Summarise everything in one or two pages.
Emphasize your skills and past accomplishments, stress upon
what want to do and what you're good at so that the reader can clearly
understand them properly. You may use a bulleted style.
List your jobs and educational background in reverse
chronological order.
Give details about: title/position you held; name, city of
employer; dates of employment.
Information about education must include: name of degree
(Bachelor of Law/Science/Art/Engineering), name of university, city
of university, graduation year.
The whole aspect is important: neatness and correctness. Mind
the spelling, proofread carefully!. Misspelling may disqualify you!
And most important, be always honest!
The DON'TS
Don't write more than two pages.
Avoid personal pronouns (I, my, me).
Don't leave out the place of your past jobs. Employers expect
such information.
Don't mention high school!
Don't include military service, membership to organizations
unrelated to the job you apply for.
Don't include a photograph of yourself or information about your
height, weight, marital status, number and gender of kids, sex,
religion, political affiliations, reasons for leaving previous job(s),
salary information.
Don't include hobbies musical instruments you play, sports you
enjoy inappropriate for business marketing documents and such
details may be considered superfluous or trivial.
Don't ever lie on your curriculum vitae.
HAVING AN INTERVIEW
Let’s talk:
 What is an interview? What is the interview good for?
 What do you call the person who takes an applicant’s
interview? What is, in your opinion, the interviewer’s aim? What
attitude, must an interviewer display during the interview?
 The person giving an interview is called interviewee. What are
the qualities an interviewee must display? What must his appearance
and behaviour be?
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READING.
If a person is lucky enough that his/her letter of application may
rouse the interest he/she will have to take another step in the process
of employment - the last and most important but also the most
frightening and embarrassing -the interview.
The interviewer may be a person (the employer) or a group of
selectors who mean to find the most suitable person for their
company’s need and, if they are well trained interviewers, they’ll
have to be helpful, friendly so as to help the applicant (interviewee)
be natural, relaxed, self confident, and able to articulate his/her
resources, goals and hopes for the future.
It is during an interview that many people find out what they are
best suited for and, if you have the chance to face such an experience,
you have to know that any interviewer wants to convince himself
upon your qualification, background, your sense of responsibility,
commitment to give your best in the position you may be appointed
in, ability to work in group with other fellow workers, with the public
or customers.
The interviewee has the obligation to prepare himself for the
appointment beforehand. First he/she ought to be able to present
his/her autobiography and this must be accurate, detailed and, if
possibly, learnt by heart. It must be attractive so it must point out
your education and work experience. It must reflect your school or
university activity- what subjects you studied, which were your
favourites and what courses you enjoyed, where you got highest and
lowest grades, what extracurricular activities you attended, which
was your first, last or which is your present job, your political and
social activity, if there is any, what field did you majored in and
when or for how long.
Don’t be shy to declare your lack of experience but make it clear
that you are open and determined to learn and to perform any kind of
work in your field.
Don’t pretend or hunt high positions; take any you are offered,
prove you are the best and promotion will come in the course of time.
Don’t speak feebly but in a loud, clear voice, be firm when
speaking about your professional knowledge, ask about your wages,
vacation, and hospitalisation insurance but don’t be too insistent and
don’t show your disappointment and disapproval if they are below
your expectations. Last but not the least, mind your appearance and
clothes for the interview, as the first impression is always that which
counts.
Dress neatly and well groomed and avoid shocking appearances,
gestures or language.
Don’t smoke even if you are invited, don’t chew gum during the
interview, shake your interviewer’s hand firmly, and try to be a few
minutes earlier.
No matter how keen you are on getting the position/ job don’t
try to make the interview longer than necessary and when everything
is over stand up and thank before you leave.
And now one more thing: any information about the interviewer
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and the position you apply for may be useful and helpful.
READING
2. CORRESPONDENCE KEEPS RELATIONS ALIVE
”A man may realize the importance of establishing commercial
relations by means of correspondence with a person a thousand miles
away, but very often he may not properly realize the importance of
making each letter of such correspondence a clear, adequate, and, if
need be, elegant expression of his own desires, or he may be
completely ignorant of the regulations governing the handling of the
mails. He forgets, for instance, that a letter of application will not win
a place for him, or that a letter offering goods will not sell them,
unless and here enters the whole problem of good correspondence the
letter is so written that it will instantly impress the receiver as the
product of intelligence and experience. To do this, it must be an
example of excellent writing as far as the mere use of language goes;
it must show a firm grasp of the business proposed, if it is a letter
soliciting custom ; it must show aptitude and power in the direction in
question, if it is an application; it must be straightforward, concise,
and courteous; and it must also conform to the best usage in the
minor details of form and appearance, which, though they attract little
notice when properly attended to, become glaring evidence of
carelessness or ignorance when neglected”. (Belding, 1905:9)
Defined as a process by which information is exchanged
between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs or
behaviour communication is vital because it takes a person or an
organisation out from the state of isolation, or renders them
noticeable to the world.
Communication, particularly written communication, is an
important method to initialize, maintain or improve relations or to
conclude different business transactions. It facilitates positive,
unambiguous and interactive communication in a global
environment.
”Running any type of office requires creative and effective
communication when connecting with clients. A law office must use
various techniques in different situations with clients. Some clients
may be very cooperative, while others may procrastinate and need
some motivation. There are ways to communicate with clients in a
proactive and positive tone, while still delivering accurate facts and
difficult information… In a law office, anything communicated over
the phone should also be written down or mailed to maintain a paper
trail.”
After all a lawyer-client relation is a business relation as well,
and in this case business correspondence refers to the letters or
messages by the instrumentality of which two partners come into
contact, express points of view, develop and continue partnership.
Various problems or aspects of a business activity can be tackled by
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means of letter writing a necessity second only to the power of
speech. (Belding, 1905:7)
Correspondence is not only important to any business - it is a
critical aspect of any business. Correspondence is the opening move
that breaks the ice between partners and serves to achieve the
intended objective.
In commercial correspondence there are several types of letters:
orders, inquiry letters, complaint letters, follow up sales letters,
courtesy dispatches, acknowledgement, apology, or appreciation
letters. Some of these letters particularly the last four types can also
be used in all fields, in law implicitly. Nevertheless, there are some
particular categories here, characteristic to the field, such as parole
letters.
Written in a proper way letters, irrespective of the field or stile
are the best links meant to finally settle relationships that generate
profit after all, they are ”key points for the prosperity or lack of
success or accomplishment of any activity”.
In the nowadays business world environment where commerce
and trade have expanded so much and where the means of transport
and communication have improved to such an extent that information
travels around the world in just seconds, it has become almost
inconceivable for any organization or person to be able to establish
direct, face to face contact with peers or clients.
Under these circumstances, through the instrumentality of
correspondence, contact can be achieved easily and more
conveniently, without any appointment between, let’s say for
example, an employer and an employee. The spell of time necessary
to achieve information, contacts, or an interview is shorter, let alone
the money, time and energy saved.
The outgoing correspondence is a genuine mirror of an
organisation whose reputation depends upon the quality of the letters.
Business organizations exist as long as they communicate, as
long as they stays in touch with their beneficiaries therefore they
must strive to increase the awareness in what concerns the
communication importance and the effectiveness of giving
information in a concrete, clear, unequivocal, based on hard evidence
language able to persuade not to dissuade.
WRITING FOR PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES
Letters are personal documents that give people the opportunity
to express their points of view or feelings in a clear manner.
Friendly or personal letters also known as informal letters are
means of communication between people who are usually familiar to
one another - close friends or acquaintances. Hand-written, but most
often printed nowadays, tackling personal topics, friendly letters are
informal or casual in style but they still follow, in general, the
common pattern of a letter, consisting of seven parts: heading,
salutation, introduction, body, conclusion, closing and signature.
What is peculiar to this type of correspondence is the very fact
that there are no hard and fast rules about how to write an informal
letter that is why some people deviate from the format - some leave
out the date and the address considering them unimportant, some go
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extremely informal in what concerns the salutation using less
appropriate phrases such as “Hey!” or “Hi!” instead of the more
advisable “Dear”, start with the addressee’s first name and sign with
their first name too, use contracted forms (doesn't, won’t, isn't, aren’t,
you'll etc. ), or merely neglect punctuation and spelling.
Usually the first paragraph of the body must consist of an
introduction which expresses a greeting, followed by wishes of good
health, for example, and the summarized purpose of your letter. This
is the part where one must introduce yourself in case one addresses a
person he/she does not know, following that the proper message of
the letter will be approached in detail in the next paragraphs.
In the last paragraph one usually draws the conclusion, thanks
the recipient for the time and wishes him/her well, or makes inquiries
and closes the letter with "Best," "Cheers" or "Regards," rather than
"Sincerely" or "Thank You."
Business letters, on the other hand, are formal ways of
communicating employed by organizations to correspond with one
another or with customers or clients. Business letters give or ask for
information, convince, determine the reader to take actions, point out
positive or negative states of affair, acknowledge something, extend
contacts, accept or deny offers etc.
This type of letters has a specific format and uses formal
language. When addressing to a business audience one must keep in
mind that the readers’ time and forbearance is limited and it is most
likely that the letter be skimmed than thoroughly read. Therefore the
objective has to be straightforwardly uttered so as people understand
clearly and guess or imagine what you want to say, the unnecessary
details left out.
Business people are interested in what you want to transmit
insofar as it concerns their activity or is connected to their working
environment. That is why business letters must be clear and concise,
readable, drafted in short sentences and simple words able to make
them easy to understand.
Equally important is the sender’s ability to identify his/her
audience or receiver, to address the message to the very person
entitled to deal with the problem and not ”to who(m) it may
concern”, to avoid technical jargon and make use of that vocabulary
capable of being apprehended or understood.
A last but not less important key point to remember in business
writing is to maintain a professional tone and attitude. Even
discontent, dissatisfaction, annoyance, protest related to whatever
might have caused these feelings, can be expressed politely,
courteously, without resorting to intimidation, threats or libel, simply
by formulating the problem and giving information and suggestions
to those in charge to solve it by compensation, refund or replacement.
There are some general points and conventions that the person
who writes formal letters must follow unconditionally:
 to type the letters, not to handwrite them;
 to use a letter head or, in case he/she has not one, to simply
type his/her full name and address at the top of the page;
 to mention clearly, at the beginning of the letter, both the
sender’s and the receiver’s addresses as well as the date which is
important for the possible further correspondence on the same topic;
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 to introduce himself/herself in the very first paragraph of
the letter unless the receiver does not know him/her, by using
sentences like "We have recently met at …".
 to begin and end the letter with the most suitable greeting
formula; depending on the terms the sender and the recipient are in,
the most common formulae to begin a business letter are:
- Dear Sir /Dear Madam /Dear Sir or Madam - when the writer
of the letter does not know the recipient's name or when he/she
addresses the letter to a whole department;
- Dear Mr. Brown/Dear Mrs. Brown/Dear Miss. Brown/Dear
Ms. Brown - when the senders knows the recipient's name;
- Dear Sirs - when the senders addresses to a whole department.
- Sincerely (yours) and Best regards, Best wishes, Faithfully
yours alongside with their variations: Regards, Kind regards, Most
sincerely, that follow the final paragraph with concluding remarks,
are the best, but not the only, formal complimentary close that forego
the signature.
Abbreviations with Names and Titles of People
In formal writing abbreviations are very rarely used in what
concerns proper personal nouns, therefore it is advisable that names
be written in full - the form Gerard Smith will be more appropriate
than G. Smith unless the receiver of the letter uses an initial as part of
his/her name.
Initials can be used when they are part of the name the person
goes by (Norman C. Birdhouse).
Social titles such as:
Mister abbreviated Mr (BE) or Mr. (AE) with its plural form
written Messrs [mes∂rz] (UK.) or Messrs. (USA.);
Mrs (UK) or Mrs. (USA) for married women, and do not use
another title;
Mme.( from French Madame, Mesdames);
Ms (UK) or Ms. (USA) (pronounced [miz, m∂z] - used with
the last name or full name for women, regardless of marital status or
when the writer is uncertain about a woman’s marital status and
consequently is not offensive;
Miss (plural Misses) - never followed by a period and used for
unmarried women
Mlle. (plural Mlles.) (for Mademoiselle the French-language
equivalent of Miss)
Mmes. (Plural of Mrs., Ms., Mme.)
In case a person's gender is unknown to the writer of the letter
he/she may use the recipient’s full name preceded by the formula
dear: Dear P.C. Parson.
In case neither the name nor the gender is known, the generic
greeting: Dear Sir or Madam is preferable to the opening "To whom
it may concern."
Common types of business letters
The various types of business letters are used by people to
serve their purpose of sending the message across.
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1. Acknowledgement Letter. As a formal letter, an
acknowledgement letter is either sent by an organization to an
individual or vice versa as a sign of recognition of and gratitude for
somebody’s time, work, effort, trust or support, for a job appointment
or offer or simply to announce one’s resignation or retirement from
an organization or social service.
The receipt of some form of payment, service and goods
arrived in due time and proper condition or, on the contrary, the
receipt of a complaint by a customer, are also acknowledged by an
acknowledgement letter.
2. Apology Letter. In a business environment mistakes or
offences (incorrect or delayed deliveries, selling of low quality
products or services) are, as a rule, severely punished and can be
costly. Apology letters are written not to make excuses but to
apologize for such mistakes and ask for a chance to re-establish the
previous business relations, to convince the customers or clients that
measures are taken to redress the regrettable situation.
3. Adjustment Letter. The Adjustment Letter - a very essential
document by which a business organization maintains good
relationship with its client or customer - is a response to a letter of
complaint by which the reader is announced either that immediate
steps are made to correct a wrong deed or action or that causes
beyond control prevented the achievement of the organization’s
obligations.
4. Appreciation Letter - also known as Letter of Appreciation
or Thank you letter - it is written for business situations to appreciate,
thank or reward: a business for good, low priced services or
merchandise, a customer who stays loyal and pays promptly, an
employer's or a retiree’s activity inside the organization; the Thank
you letters are somehow more personal and they appreciate a friend’s
or acquaintance’s help or kindness to attend an event.
5. Complaint Letter. Complaints written by both a business
organisation to a peer or by a customer to a business are meant to
notify about errors occurred, discontent, unpleasant situations etc.
and ask for compensation or remedy.
6. Response Letter. This letter is written in reply to a request,
job application, advice request etc..
7. Letter of Recommendation. It recommends a person for a
job or higher position.
FORMAL AND INFORMAL ENGLISH IN BUSINESS
WRITING
The difference between formal English - used in professional
and business situations - and informal English - used with family and
acquaintances - consists in the way the tone, words and phrases,
grammar and syntax structures are chosen and used.
To build a business relationship balance is needed - a business
person has to keep a businesslike tone, be courteous, friendly and
helpful but neither too cold, distant nor too informal using colloquial
language or slang, abusive language.
In formal English avoid the use of the pronouns I and you - use
121
we and one instead, avoid the use of the passive voice and of
contracted forms.
Be polite - not humble, brief but precise.
Here are some differences between the two styles:
The use of contracted forms
Formal style: - Uses full Informal style: - Uses
forms of the auxiliary verb:
contracted forms.
They have worked hard to They've worked hard to finish
finish on time.
on time.
Relative Structures
Formal style: - Uses Informal style: - Drops out
relative structures.
certain relative structures.
The lawyer thought that it The lawyer thought it was
was important to call the important to call the witness.
witness.
The Use of Whom
Formal style: - Uses Informal style: - Uses who as
whom as an object.
an object.
Whom have they appointed Who have they appointed
gereral attorney?
gereral attorney?
The use of auxiliary verbs
Formal style: - Uses the Informal style: - Drops out
full form of a tense with the auxiliary verb.
auxiliary verb.
Have you finished the Finished the report?
report?
The use of abbreviations
Formal style: - Uses full Informal style: - Uses
words: - for example, abbreviated words (e.g., TV,
television, as soon as a. s. a. p. etc)
possible etc.)
Relative Structures. The use of imperative voice. The use of
contracted forms. The use of auxiliary verbs.
Formal style: Avoids Informal style: May use
imperative voice (use imperative
voice
(e.g.
Please remember to.....)
Remember to....)
To avoid the use of personal pronouns sometimes a modal
verb, an impersonal word (it or there), or a verb in the passive voice
is used.
Correct
Incorrect
This could be an effective I think this is an effective
approach.
approach.
The documents were put You put the documents in the
122
in the file.
There were two different
methods of approach.
file.
We used two different
methods of approach.
Suggestions for effective writing
Nowadays’ world is almost entirely based on information and
communication. Communication with peers or beneficiaries, most
often in writing, through the instrumentality of letters, emails,
memos, faxes is crucial.
In a professional environment lack of writing skills is a
handicap that affects one’s career; if overcome, it entails not only
great chances to be employed but also promotional prospects.
Here are a few pointers to help one with letter writing:
1. Being brief is the best.
In any type of formal relationship concision and clarity matter.
Lest you should lose your reader use words with moderation and
avoid long sentences, tackle the issue directly and say exactly what
you want to say because the way you express your ideas is equally
important as what you say.
2. Avoid using jargon.
Being clear is the goal in writing - to be clear means to write
like you talk, in plain, simple language.
3. Measure twice and cut once.
Proofread everything you write - mistakes or errors in
grammar, spelling, capitalization - kill professional relationship. Be
also careful about the tone of voice that must be a professional one;
errors of tone - anger for instance - might may be damaging to your
relationships.
4. Mind names, titles, genders.
It is annoying for the addressee and embarrassing for you to
misspell his/her proper name or not to know the title position. Try to
find the correct information. As to the case of gender, use genderneutral language - gender-neutral singular pronouns: they, their,
he/she, his/her.
5. Be Active not Passive
A document written in the active voice makes you appear as an
honest, active, straightforward, dynamic, responsible person - you are
the one who dose the action - and your message lively, interesting,
less vague and abstract, resembling the spoken language. In active
voice sentences are more concise, because it eliminates the use of the
verb be.
Yet, there are instances where passive verbs are to be used:
When one doesn’t know who performed the action.
Passive: Their house was broken in twice.
Not: Someone broke in their house twice.
When it doesn’t matter who performs the action.
Passive: The applications are pre-printed.
Not: A worker pre-prints the applications.
When one wants not to blame someone.
Passive: The documents were misplaced.
Not: The solicitors misplaced the documents.
When one wants to soften a direction/order/instruction.
123
Passive: This paragraph should be retyped.
Not: Retype this paragraph.
6. Mind the use of positive vs. negative words.
People may not be aware how many negative words they use a
day or how many negative thoughts they conceive, and above all they
are not aware how these affect their life. If one wants his/her results
to come easily and effortlessly, if one wants his/her readers or
listeners give positive answers one must use positive language, use
words that create a positive feeling, tell people what can be done or
achieved, give people possibility to choose or decide, sound
encouraging and helpful.
Negative words (cannot, do not, will not, unable to,
regret…until, hopeless) tell people what cannot be done, have a
negative influence on people consequently a negative relationship
there will develop. Negative language is destructive and results in
negative effects. People dislike being criticised or judged and
appreciate positive, constructive ideas more.
Whenever you want to send a negative message, try to rephrase
it in positive words.
BRITISH AND AMERICAN ENGLISH
There are so many differences between British and American
English that Oscar Wilde said that: The British and the Americans
have everything in common, but English and George Bernard Shaw
joked that Britain and America are two countries separated by the
same language.
After the 1776 War, Americans began to change the sound and
aspect of their speech. Some American leaders - Benjamin Franklin
was the first - proposed major changes in language so that the
separation from the British be complete in both language and
government.
The present British English spellings rules are, for the most
part, those standardized in Samuel Johnson’s work A Dictionary of
the English Language (1755), whereas American English spell
according to the norms settled by Noah Webster. Webster
endeavoured to establish an American version of the English
language. For example he asserted that every part of a word should
be uttered (hence that is why Americans pronounce sec-re-ta-ry
instead of sec-re-t’ry as the British do) which made American
English easier to learn.
The different influences of the immigrants who settled in the
United States also contributed to make American English different
from British English.
Punctuation
Full stops in abbreviations. American English tends to use a
full stop with abbreviations: Mr., Mrs., St., Dr. Ph.D, while the
British do not Mr, Mrs, St, Dr, PhD.
Quotation
British English uses single quotation marks, while in
124
American English quotes are placed between double quotation marks
(") and, for quotations within quotations, single quotation marks (')
are used.
Vocabulary
Differences between American and British English are in
vocabulary as well which can cause problems to nonnative speakers
and still sometimes make Americans and British not to understand
each other. So, a jumper in Britain is a sweater, in the States, it is a
kind of a dress, French fries in America are called chips in Britain
and we can continue: AE: closet, vacation, fall, subway, baggage,
movie, elevator, mailman, check, line, gas, truck, parking lot,
railroad vs. BE - cupboard, holiday, autumn, underground, luggage,
film, lift, postman, bill, queue, petrol, lorry, car park, railway.
Spelling
In the 1800's, the US Congress called for changes to make
spelling phonetic so words be spelled how they sound: AE - airplane,
check, tire, pajamas vs. BE - aeroplane, cheque, tyre, pyjamas.
Here are other illustrative differences:
British English
American English
-re ending
centre
metre
theatre
 to -er
center
meter
theatre
-our ending
colour
labour
neighbour
 to -or
color
labor
neighbour
-ogue ending
catalogue
 to -og
catalog
-ise/-ize endings
realise/realize
organise/organize
end only in -ize
realize
organize
final -l doubled after
short vowel
travelled
- l not always doubled
after a short vowel
travelled
words ending in -ence  to -ense
defence
defense
licence
license
NOTE: There are exceptions. Several words spelt with -re in
Modern French are spelt with -er in both American and British usage:
chapter, enter, filter, letter, member, minister, monster, number,
perimeter, September, October, November, December.
Grammar
There are some differences between British and American
English grammar. One of these is the agreement of collective nouns
125
(team, government, committee) and verb.
Our team is playing tonight. (AE)
Our team are playing tonight. (BE)
Simple past
American English also allows the use of simple past with
adverbs just, already, yet, ever, before, which in British English
require a present perfect tense.
He just came home. or He has just come home. (AE)
He has just come home. (BE)
Will/Shall
In American English will is used for all persons.
Have
Unlike Britains, Americans usually use do with have for
questions and negatives,.
Have you an appointment? (BE)
Do you have an appointment? (AE)
Subjunctive
Britains prefer should + infinitive in that-clauses.
It is important that people be informed. (AE)
It is important that people should be informed. (BE).
Numerals
Zero is much more common in American than in British
English, where nought is more common.
PARTS OF A FORMAL LETTER
LETTER FORMAT
A formal letter has the following parts:
 The Letterhead. The term letterhead, used for all official
correspondence, refers, as a matter of fact, to a company's logo and
basic contact information: address, phone number, e-mail, full
address (street number and name, town, county, country, post cod).
Formal letters must always begin with the letterhead that gives
the receiver information about who has sent the letter and where to
send a reply. In case you are not using letterhead, include the sender's
address at the top of the letter.
 The Date. The date is usually placed on the right corner below
the sender’s address. It is important to date your business letter so
that the recipient should be able to send a timely reply and besides,
correspondence is usually filed in date order. The use of figures for
date should be avoided as they may be understood differently in
U.S.A. (the month is placed before the day: month - day - year) and
England (the day is placed before the month: day - month - year).
The date may be written in different ways: 12th December, 2010; 12
December, 2010; December 12th, 2010; December 12, 2010
 The Inside Address. The inside address contains the mailing
information belonging to the recipient (name, title, company name)
126
and should be justified to the left margin of the letter and placed two
spaces below the date.
 The Salutation. Always left-aligned the salutation also
referred to as the greeting opens the letter and may have the forms:
Dear Ms./ Mrs./ Miss,/ Mr. + last name; Dear Director of +
department name. If there is a possibility that the person to whom
you are writing is a Dr. or has some other title, use that title.
Remember that you must write in capital letter the first word and all
nouns in the salutation (Dear Sir).
 Subject Line. The subject line summarises the content of the
letter, it is optional and makes it easier for the recipient to find out
immediately what your letter is about.
Skip a line between the subject line and the body.
 Body of the letter. The body or the text of the letter is, as a
matter of fact, the very content of the letter.
The first paragraph must contain the introduction and your
reason for writing. In the following paragraphs you will explain with
more details the reasons of your letter and finally, in last paragraph
you will summarise your reason for writing again and make or state
clear what you want the recipient to do.
 Complimentary Close. The complimentary close concludes
your letter with one of the most appropriate, polite formulae:
Sincerely, Sincerely yours, Yours sincerely, Yours faithfully,
Respectfully yours, Best regards, Thank you and is followed by your
signature. In business writing, formulas such as: Love, Warmly,
Cheers, Always etc. (common in informal letters) must not be used
because they are considered inappropriate.
Note that there is a comma after the end of the closing and
only the first word in the closing is capitalized (Yours sincerely, With
best wishes).
Skip three or four lines between the closing and the printed
name, so that there is room for the signature.
 Signature. Your signature will go four spaces below the
closing, usually signed in black or blue ink.
 Printed Name. The printed version of your name, which can
be accompanied by title or position.
 Enclosure. The word "Enclosure" is added when the letter
contains other documents than the letter itself.
 The Reference Initials. If someone else than you types the
letter you will include your initials in capital letters followed by the
typist's initials in lower case in the following format: TA/fc or TA:fc.
127
LETTER FORMAT
A formal letter should be single-spaced, typed on a computer.
It is advisable to use a Times Roman (12 point), to print the letter on
only one side of the paper and fold the letter horizontally into thirds.
Formal letters go under different formats.
FULL BLOCK FORMAT
The Full Block Format is the most common, simplest format
of a letter where all of elements or components of the letter are
aligned at the left margin:
Letterhead
Date
Recipient
Mr./Mrs./Ms./Dr. Full name of recipient.
Title/Position of Recipient.
Company Name
Address Line
Salutation
Dear Ms./Mrs./Mr. Last Name:
Subject: Title of Subject
Body of the letter
Paragraph 1 ..................................................
Paragraph 2 ..................................................
Paragraph 3 .................................................
Complimentary close
Signature
Your Title and Printed Name
Enclosures
Reference initials
128
MODIFIED BLOCK FORMAT
In the Modified Block Format letter, your address, date, the
complimentary closing, signature, and printed name are all aligned at
the right half of the page.
Paragraphs of the body of the letter are not indented.
Letterhead
Date
Recipient
Mr./Mrs./Ms./Dr. Full name of recipient.
Title/Position of Recipient.
Company Name
Address Line
Salutation
Dear Ms./Mrs./Mr. Last Name:
Subject: Subject title
Body of the letter
Paragraph 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Paragraph 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Paragraph 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Complimentary close,
Signature
Enclosures
Reference initials
SEMI-BLOCK (INDENTED) FORMAT
In the semi-block format letter your address, the date (that
can actually go on either the left or the right side of the letter), the
complimentary close, the signature and the printed name are all
aligned at the right half of the page.
The first line of each paragraph is indented which makes the
semi-block format letter different from the modified block format
letters.
129
Semi Block Format
Letterhead
Date
Recipient
Mr./Mrs./Ms./Dr. Full name of recipient
Title/Position of Recipient
Company Name
Address Line
Salutation
Dear Ms./Mrs./Mr. Last Name
Subject: Title of Subject
Body of the letter
Paragraph 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Paragraph 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Paragraph 3 . . . . . . . . . . . ..
Complimentary close
Signature
Enclosure(s)
Reference initials
1.
2.
3.
130
Firică, Camelia. 2006. Curs de limbă engleză - partea II, Craiova, Sitech
Gheorghe Bică, Camelia Firică, Cristian Firică, 2004, A dictionary of Legal and Law Issues,

C U P R I N S - Universitatea Spiru Haret

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