UNIT FOUR
I SPEECH PATTERNS
1. Mother is hardly ever able to have a treat like that.
a) They are hardly ever able to go sightseeing.
One is hardly ever able to get tickets for this show.
We are hardly ever able to talk to each other alone.
He was hardly ever able to catch the 6.30 train home.
b) You'll hardly be able to get to the British Museum today before the closing hours.
She will hardly be able to get over her fear of heavy traffic.
2. Father was afraid that Mother might take cold if she came.
I thought that she might spoil her complexion if she went on smoking.
He said we might be late if the bus didn't come soon.
Edward hoped he might meet the girl again if he came every day to the street she lived in.
The policeman told the boy he might be run over if he was careless when crossing the street.
3. We all felt that if would never do to let Father stay home.
It will never do to underline words in a library book.
It will never do to throw cigarette-ends on the floor.
Why are you shouting at the top of your voices?
It will never do. You have treated her very badly.
Rudeness will never do.
The boy said it would never do for a young girl to use so much make-up.
4. That kept Mother busy for a little while.
At night I always keep my window open.
They never keep their door shut.
Keep your feet warm or you'll catch cold.
He kept his room scrupulously clean.
She told the child an interesting story to keep him awake.
Keeping the child warm is not the same thing as keeping him healthy.
EXERCISES
I. Paraphrase toe following, using some of the patterns above:
P a t t e r n 1 : 1. It is not often that our mother goes to the theatre. 2. It is not often that
our students can listen to native English speech. 3. She very seldom can afford to get herself a new
dress. 4. They cannot afford to spend their holiday at the seaside. 5. He can never refuse helping his
comrades.
P a t t e r n 3 : 1. It is bad manners to stare at people. 2. The teacher said it was impolite
and rude to hand in homework written carelessly. 3. "I say, Turner, I don't like the way you treat your
comrades. It's too bad." 4. My mother said that it was too bad to let her do all the work alone. 5. It is
wicked to hurt animals. 6. "You have come unprepared again. It is unpardonable," said the teacher.
II. Describe toe following situations in one sentence, using Pattern 2:
E x a m p l e :
In such cold weather it was easy for the child to catch cold, if he went
for a walk. That was the cause of the mother's fear.
The mother was afraid that the child might catch cold if he went for a walk in such cold
weather.
1. She worked very little during the term, and it was quite possible for her to fail at her
examination. We all told her so. 2. It was hardly possible to let the boy stay at home alone. He could
make trouble if he did. We all knew that. 3. She worked too hard, and her friends were afraid that it
would result in her falling ill. 4. The mother wanted the boy to become a great pianist, and so she
made him practise day and night. 5. We wanted to go and see our sick friend, but the doctor didn't
allow that saying that there was a chance of our catching the disease.
III. Supply adjectives:
1. It is dangerous to keep the windows ... during a thunderstorm. 2. She kept her door ... and
didn't let anyone in. 3. Put the lemonade in the refrigerator to keep it.... 4. The epidemic was at its
height, and all the doctors of the town were kept.... 5. I put the tulips in the water to keep them .... 6.
Keep your eyes ... and your mouth ... . ?. This fur coat is sure to keep you ... in any frost. 8. What is
the teacher to do to keep his pupils ...?
IV. Translate the sentences into English, using the patterns:
1. He годится обижать младших. 2. Нам почти никогда не удается выбраться за город в
выходной день. 3. Я говорила тебе, что ты можешь заболеть, если промочишь ноги. 4. Не
давайте пациенту спать, пока не придет врач. 5. Нехорошо пользоваться телефоном для
глупых шуток. 6. Займите детей и не давайте им шуметь, пока я разговариваю по телефону. 7.
В такой жаркий день надо держать окна открытыми. 8. Нельзя курить так много, ты
подорвешь свое здоровье. 9. Джон написал своему другу, что он возможно навестит его в
следующем году.
V. Make up dialogues or situations, using the patterns.
TEXT. HOW WE KEPT MOTHER'S DAY by Stephen Leacock
Leacock, Stephen (1869-1944) — a famous Canadian writer of the 20th century. His stories,
full of humour and sarcasm, expose the contradictions of life in modem bourgeois society.
Leacock says that the basis of humour lies in the contrasts offered by life itself, but "the deep
background that lies behind and beyond what we call humour is revealed only to the few who. by
instinct or by effort have given thought to it."
So we decided to have a special celebration of Mother's Day. We thought it a fine idea. It
made us all realize how much Mother had done for us for years, and all the efforts and sacrifice that
she had made for our sake.
We decided that we'd make it a great day, a holiday for all the family, and do everything we
could to make Mother happy. Father decided to take a holiday from his office, so as to help in
celebrating the day, and my sister Anne and I stayed home from college classes, and Mary and my
brother Will stayed home from High School.
It was our plan to make it a day just like Xmas32 or any big holiday, and so we decided to
decorate the house with flowers and with mottoes over the mantelpieces,33 and all that kind of thing.
We got Mother to make mottoes and arrange the decorations, because she always does it at Xmas.
The two girls thought it would be a nice thing to dress in our very best for such a big
occasion and so they both got new hats. Mother trimmed both the hats, and they looked fine, and
Father had bought silk ties for himself and us boys as a souvenir of the day to remember Mother by.
We were going to get Mother a new hat too, but it turned out that she seemed to really like her old
grey bonnet better than a new one, and both the girls said that it was awfully becoming to her.
Well, after breakfast we had it arranged as a surprise for Mother that we would hire a motor
car and take her for a beautiful drive away into the country. Mother is hardly ever able to have a treat
like that, because we can only afford to keep one maid, and so Mother is busy in the house nearly all
the time.
But on the very morning of the day we changed the plan a little bit, because it occurred to
32 Xmas [krIsmqs]: an abbreviated form of Christmas. In England Christmas day (the 25th of December) is one of the biggest
holidays, devoted especially to family reunion and merry-making with its traditional Christmas tree and Christmas pudding.
33 mantelpiece: a structure of brick, wood or marble above and around a fire-place —an open grate where a coal fire burns. Most
old English houses have no central heating. Up to now a great number of flats are warmed by coal fires. Sometimes instead of a coal
fire a gas fire or an electric fire may be used, which is more convenient, as it can be lit in a second and turned off as soon as it is not
needed.
Father that a thing it would be better to do even than to take Mother for a motor drive would be to
take her fishing; if you are going to fish, there is a definite purpose in front of you to heighten the
