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Gethin Grammar in Context

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LINKING: RELATIVES 8C

object (three children) in a sentence, and then they cannot be moved: Harry
has three children, Christine being (= of whom Christine is) the eldest,
Charles the youngest.

Exercise 1 8C p.90
In some of the following sentences shortened constructions of the type shown in
the Examples can be used, while in others they cannot. Read out or rewrite the
sentences accordingly.

1 Marilyn has lost a purse that contained fifty pounds and a return air
ticket.
2 Anyone who finds it should ring this number.
3 The loss was rather a shock to Marilyn, who was planning to fly to Chicago
next week.
4 Marilyn, who is smiling all over her face, has just walked into the room
waving her purse.
5 Is there anyone here who understands Japanese?
6 Willie, who is a young architect, has just got his first client.
7 His client, who is a Japanese, cannot speak much English.
8 Willie, who is anxious not to lose his client, is looking for an interpreter.
9 Lady Blenkinsop, who is a woman of considerable enterprise, is taking up
farming.
10 She's taking over from one of the tenants on the estate, who farms about
forty hectares.
11 Now Lady Blenkinsop, who is full of enthusiasm for her new life, gets up
at five every morning to milk the cows.
12 I tell those friends of mine who have sedentary jobs that they should take
regular exercise.
13 After all, bank employees, who have sedentary jobs, are often first-rate
athletes.
14 Anyone who buys a second-hand car should be on his or her guard.
15 A friend of mine who knows a lot about the used car trade has opened my
eyes to some of its tricks.
16 Several young mothers, who all had babies in their arms, waited patiently
at the clinic.
17 There are many people who are just not patient enough to wait like that to
see a doctor.
18 Anyone who is thinking of taking the exam should give his name to me.
19 But I hope there's no one who thinks it'll be an easy exam.
20 Isn't that the girl who's always saying she wants to be an actress?
21 No, that's Zena, who is a fashion model and has a pet alligator.

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8C LINKING: RELATIVES

22 I live in the old rectory, which has a beautiful walled garden.


23 It's one of the few houses which isn't up for sale.
24 You're talking about the Red Lion Hotel, which is on the right of the road,
not the left.
25 On the left there's an oak tree that has branches which stretch right
across the road.
26 Sir James, who has realised that his son Toby is a layabout, has told him
he
should get a proper job.
27 Toby, who had a note of sarcasm in his voice, asked his father if he
thought his own job was a proper one.
28 I envy people who have no family ties and responsibilities.
29 You mean you envy spinsters and bachelors, who very often have no such
ties and responsibilities.
30 My cousin Georgina, who has four young children, goes out to work.
31 A working mother who has four young children has her hands full.
32 Has the person who came to see us yesterday about the vacant post left
her
name and address?
33 I notice that some of those who've applied for the post have no
qualifications at all.
34 Any motorist who wishes to take advantage of our special offer should fill
in the form below.
35 A handy map-case is an ideal present for someone who drives a lot.

Exercise 2 8C p.92
Here we repeat some of the sentences in 8A, B, since in each of them one or
more of the relative clauses can be shortened. Rewrite the sentences
accordingly.

1 Our neighbours include Sir James and Lady Blenkinsop ____ live at
Blenkinsop Hall ____ stands in grounds ____ are open to the public in
summer.
2 Sir James ____ is a Radical Member of Parliament is sometimes advised
by those of his fellow MPs ____ are socialists to give up Blenkinsop Hall
____ was left him by his father and live in something ____ would have
a less aristocratic image.
3 Sheila is one of the few teachers ____ is able to control their classes
without ever raising their voices ____ is an ability ____ children
appreciate highly.
4 New Zealand ____ is situated between latitudes 34°S and 47°S consists
principally of two islands of ____ the southern is the larger but the
northern the more highly populated.
*>

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LINKING: RELATIVES 8C

5 The Maoris ____ at one time were divided into many tribes ____ were
often at war with each other are now a peaceable people among ____ the
tribal system scarcely exists.
6 The atomic bombs ____ were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki had a
power of twenty kilotons ____ is equal to that of 20,000 tons of TNT,
whereas some of the bombs ____ have been developed since then are said
to have a power as great as forty-five megatons ____ is equal to that of
45,000,000 tons of TNT.
7 These more powerful bombs ____ are now included in the arsenals of all
countries ____ call themselves nuclear powers are known as hydrogen or
thermonuclear bombs.
8 A hydrogen bomb depends for its operation not only on the process of
nuclear fission or splitting ____ is the basis of the atomic bomb but on
nuclear fusion ____ two nuclei ____ in this case are nuclei of 'heavy'
hydrogen come together to form a larger nucleus.
9 Nuclear fission ____ is the source of energy of atomic power stations
results in the accumulation of harmful residues ____ are difficult to
dispose of, whereas nuclear fusion ____ is the source of energy of the sun
has no such residues.
10 The problem ____ scientists are faced with in trying to harness nuclear
fusion as a peaceful source of energy is that it requires for its operation the
high temperatures ____ are found in the sun but ____ so far have been
produced artificially only by the nuclear fission ____ provides the
'trigger' mechanism of the hydrogen bomb.

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9 Linking: similarity and comparison:
review of as, like, than etc.

Introductory note: This is a section of English grammar where there is


more argument among English speakers about correct usage than anywhere
else, and in the Explanation below you will accordingly find a good deal of
advice about what to use and what not to use. The object of this is not that
you should be a conservative speaker or writer of old-fashioned English, but
that your English should avoid criticism which, particularly in examinations,
might be to your disadvantage. (For a note on style marking, see 3.)

Examples 9 p.94
'When I worked (1) as a
waiter, I worked (2) like a as AGAINST like a
slave. It was (3) like working in
a shop, (4) as/(like) you said it
would be. In a restaurant,
(5) as/(like) in a shop, you're at as AGAINST like b
the mercy of both boss and
customers. Although I worked
(6) as hard as the other as... as c, d
waiters (did), I did
(7) not get as/so many tips (as not as/so ... as c, d
they did/them).' UNCOMPLETED COMPARISONS j
'If you did (8) the same job as the same ... as c, d
they did/them but got (9) less than AFTER COMPARATIVES e
money (than they did/them), UNCOMPLETED COMPARISONS j
why didn't you leave (10) sooner than AFTER COMPARATIVES e
(than you did)? After all, UNCOMPLETED COMPARISONS j
(11) the harder you work, the the WITH PAIRED COMPARATIVES f
more you should earn.'
'I(12) prefer working to doing prefer AGAINST would rather g
nothing, and (13) I'd rather be a
waiter than (be) a shop
worker. It may be (14) as tiring as... as c
a job but it's (15) not such a not such (a) ... as h
(great) strain on one's patience
(as working in a shop).' UNCOMPLETED COMPARISONS j
There are (16) other things you USES OF than k
could do besides/apart from

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LINKING: SIMILARITY AND COMPARISON 9

working in a restaurant or
shop.'
'What could I do (17) except /but USES OF than k
<other than> cook? And (18) I'd would as soon ... as c
(just) as soon be a waiter as (be)
a cook. There's little difference
between them (19) except in USES OF than k
their wages.'

'Nonsense! A cook is quite


(20) different in status from/(to) a USES OF than k
waiter. He can keep the
customers at a distance,
(21) but (whereas/while) a COMPARISON BY CONTRAST l
waiter is at their beck and call/

Explanation
a As AGAINST like WITH NOUNS OR PRONOUNS: as indicates someone's or
something's ROLE or FUNCTION (1); like is for similarity only (2). Compare
also 'He waved the stick about like a sword' with 'He used the stick as a
lever to open the door.' With -ing (verb-noun or gerund), only like is used
(3).
b As AGAINST like WITH CLAUSES AND PHRASES: except with nouns, pronouns
and -ing (see a above), the standard link for similarity is as (4, 5), and you
are advised to use it, at least in written English. Write 'You should do as I
do' not 'You should do like I do.' Although the use of like, shown in the
Examples in brackets, is quite common for clauses and phrases, it is
considered wrong by many people.
c As ... as, the same ... as are links for equality, used with adjectives or
adverbs (6) and nouns (8) respectively; for inequality we use not as/so ... as
(7). Note the use of as ... as with adjective + singular countable noun in
Example 14 (compare 3Ad) and of would as soon ... as with a verb in
Example 18. Here is an example involving two different verbs: 'I'd as soon
stay in this evening as go to the cinema.'
d 'As ... as' + CLAUSE OR (PRO)NOUN: after final as (6, 7, 8) we can use a
clause (the other waiters did/they did) or a noun or object pronoun (the
other waiters /them). But we must avoid ambiguity or double meaning:
instead of writing 'He's as fond of the dog as Georgina' we should make our
meaning clear by writing either (i) 'He's as fond of the dog as Georgina is'
or (ii) 'He's as fond of the dog as (he is) of Georgina.' In spoken English, a
difference in stress can make the distinction clear: (i) 'He's as fond of the
dog as Georgina' or (ii) 'He's as fond of the dog as Georgina' (compare
2Bk, m).

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9 LINKING: SIMILARITY AND COMPARISON

e Than AFTER COMPARATIVES like less (9) or sooner (10) can also (see d above)
be followed either by a clause (they did/you did) or a noun or object pronoun
(them). Again, we must avoid ambiguity by writing either 'He likes the dog
more than Georgina does' or 'He likes the dog more than he likes/does
Georgina.'
f The WITH PAIRED COMPARATIVES (11): this is not the common, everyday
definite article, but a link word. Note a similar use of the in contexts like the
following: 'What big teeth you have, grandmother!' said Little Red Riding
Hood. 'All the better to eat you with!' said the Wolf.
g Prefer AGAINST would rather: when comparing what we like doing we
generally use (12)prefer + -ing + to (preposition); when comparing what we
would like to do we generally use (13) would rather (sometimes would sooner)
+ plain infinitive + than (17Bg). This is because would prefer, like would like,
is followed by the full infinitive with to (10Cb), which means that, although
we can say 'I'd prefer to be a waiter', we cannot complete a comparison with
would prefer in good English: not 'I'd prefer to be a waiter to/(rather) than a
shop worker.' (See k below.)
h Not such ... as is used instead of not as/so ... as with uncountable or plural
nouns ('It's not such hard work/They're not such hard exercises as I thought'). It
is also used with a singular countable noun (15), but not as/so great a strain or
not as/so much of a strain is a possible alternative here. Not such a ... (as) can
be transformed as follows: 'It's not such a strain (as
working in a shop) –> It's less of a strain (than working in a shop) –>
Working in a shop is more of a strain (than being a waiter).' (Compare
3Ad, 3Bb.)
j UNCOMPLETED COMPARISONS after as (7, 14), comparatives (9, 10) or such (15)
are common where the context is established, that is to say, when we know
what we are talking about.
k THE USES OF than are as follows:
i after comparative adjectives or adverbs (see e);
ii after rather (see g);
iii after other (17), although, when words come in between, than is much less
common than besides or apart from (16). The phrase other than is itself
less frequent than except (17, 19). But (17) in its meaning of except is also
used in front of nouns or plain infinitives (cook), and is common in the
phrase nothing but: 'He does nothing but complain about his job.'
You are advised not to use than after any other words besides those in i, ii and
iii above, whatever you may see or hear. Its use, for example, after prefer (see g
above) or after different (20) in place of from or the less accepted to is quite
common, but there are people on both sides of the Atlantic who regard such use
as an 'abominable pestilence' (to quote from H. L. Mencken's classic book The
American Language). So beware!
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LINKING : SIMILARITY AND COMPARISON 9

l COMPARISON BY CONTRAST (21) may be linked with whereas or while or, more
informally, with but. Only whereas can introduce the contrast: 'Whereas a
waiter is at the customers' beck and call, a cook....' The adverbial (2B) that
corresponds to these links for contrast is on the other hand: 'A cook can keep
the customers at a distance. A waiter, on the other hand, is at their beck and
call.' The adverbial on the contrary also expresses contrast but in a different
manner, namely in the form of opposites: 'Helen wasn't angry at your remarks;
on the contrary, she was delighted that you took some notice of her.' Neither
whereas nor while can replace this adverbial. But can replace it only if the
subject (Helen/she) is not repeated. Often the second verb is left out as well:
'Helen wasn't angry at your remarks, but (was) delighted that you took some
notice of her (not but she was delighted ...).'
m See also as if (1Fc) as a link for similarity.

Exercise 1 9 p.97
Replace each number by the appropriate link.

This year hasn't been a bit (1) last year. The summer hasn't been nearly (2)
warm, and our harvest is likely to be smaller (3) it's ever been. (4) this time last
year we were cutting the corn, this year it's still green. However, other (5) give
up farming altogether there's nothing we can do about it.
One of the difficulties of English is that it is not spelt (6) it is pronounced. Some
letters, (7) in though or know, might just (8) well not be there. Another slight
difficulty is that American spelling is different (9) some respects (10) British.
Since it is a little nearer to English pronunciation, one could prefer it (11) British
spelling.
Marilyn seems to regard me not (12) an adult (13) (14) a child. She doesn't talk to
me in the same way (15) she does to the rest of us who work with her, although I
have a university degree (16) them and am (17) good with figures. Perhaps she
treats me (18) this because I'm younger and not (19) experienced in business. But
there's no real difference between us (20) our ages.

'Why is Ken dressed (21) a woman?'


'Because he's going to the Blenkinsops' fancy-dress party. What are you going
(22)?'
'I'm going (23) I am. I've got nothing else to wear (24) a dinner-jacket, and I
don't want to go looking (25) a waiter.'
'Why not? If I went (26) a waitress we'd make a fine pair.'
'The Blenkinsops would probably put us both to work for the evening
(27) unpaid servants. (28) less attention you draw to yourself at a fancy-dress
party (29) better.'

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9 LINKING: SIMILARITY AND COMPARISON

'But you'll draw all (30) more attention to yourself by not going in fancy
dress!'
Sheila and Helen are very different (31) appearance. Helen's tall and willowy
(32) Sheila's on the plump side and hasn't (33) a good figure. Helen's dark and
green-eyed (34) Sheila's fair and blue-eyed. Sheila looks pleasant rather (35)
pretty, (36) Helen looks (37) a film star. In short, Sheila's no beauty, but I'd
prefer her (38) a friend (39) Helen. (40) my mother says, there's more to life (41)
appearances, and in character Sheila stands head and shoulders above Helen.
Crossing the rope bridge over the ravine was more (42) climbing (43) walking.
There were other people on it (44) myself, and they made it bob about (45) a
clothesline. The leader went over (46) a man crossing the street, (47) all I could
do (48) last in the queue was to hold on (49) grim death and inch my way across
(50) a spider.

'Why don't you and your husband emigrate to the States (51) us? Wouldn't
you rather live there (52) in Britain?'
'No, I don't think so. I prefer smaller countries (53) larger ones. For one thing,
I wouldn't want to be any further from the sea (54) I am.'
'I'd (55) soon live near mountains (56) the sea. But California's got both, (57)
the rest of the West Coast. That's where we hope to be in three months'
time. (58) sooner (59) better (60) far (61) I'm concerned.'
'Really? Well, I can see there's no more point in my trying to persuade you to
stay (62) in your trying to persuade me to go. We might (63) well save our
breaths. I'd only add that I don't think it's (64) important where you live
(65) how you live.'

Exercise 2 9 p.98
Re-form the following using a comparative and than, in the way shown in the
examples below. If you can, do the Exercise orally, without the book and with
someone saying the sentences to you.
He's not so tall as she is. —> She's taller than he is.
Her car's not nearly so economical —> My car's much more economical
as mine. than hers.
The play isn't such a flop as / —> I thought the play would be more of
thought it would be. a flop than it is.

1 The dining room hasn't as many chairs in it as the sitting room.


2 Upstairs the ceilings aren't as high as they are downstairs.
3 The house next door isn't so well built as this one.
4 We didn't arrive as early as we expected to.
5 It isn't nearly as noisy here as it was at the airport.
6 We don't live as near the town as we'd like to.
7 We haven't done as much homework as we should have.
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