Lesson Two

SPEECH PATTERNS

1.

It is more like a stage village than one built of bricks and mortar.

  • It is more like an essay than a story.
  • This looks more like a pond than a lake.
  • This seems more like silk than wool.

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2.

We roamed about sweet Sonning for an hour or so.

They walked about the. town (in the forest, there) for an hour or so (for two hours or so)..

He lived in the village (in Kiev, there) for a year or so.

3.

George said that it would be a splendid opportunity to try a good, slap-up supper.

  • Ann will be here any minute. It will be a splendid opportunity to speak to her.
  • We still had plenty of time and John said it was a splendid opportunity to have a bite.

4.

I should never have thought that peeling potatoes was such an undertaking.

  • I should never have thought that translating ail article was so difficult.
  • I should never have thought that writing a composition was as difficult as that.

5.

The more we peeled, the more peel there seemed to be left on.

  • The more sentences he translated, the more of them there seemed to be left.
  • The more I listened, the more interested I became.
  • The longer he stayed there, the more (the less) he liked the place.
  • The more you do today, the less will be left for tomorrow.

6.

  • There was no potato left.
  • There was half a pork pie left.
  • There is some paper (money) left.
  • There is no bread left.
  • We still have some money left.

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7.

That won't do. You're wasting them.

  • That won't do. You haven't tried hard enough.
  • That won't do. You're making the mess of the job.

8.

Here was a dish with a taste like nothing else on earth.

  • This is a cake with a taste like nothing else on earth.
  • This is a dish with a flavour like, nothing else on earth.
  • This is a flower with a scent like nothing else on earth.

EXERCISES

I. Complete the following sentences:

1. This is more like a word for word translation than ... . 2. It is more like a fable than ... . 3. The stuff looks more like cotton than ... . 4. Ann looks more like a school-girl than ... . 5. With this hair-do she looks more like a boy than ... .6. We walked round the village for ... . 7. I stayed with my friends for ... . 8. I lived in the town for ... . 9. I am not through with the book yet, I've read only 50 pages or ... . 10. Since everyone is present I think it ... . 11. We are through with our work. Isn't it ... ? 12. We've been looking for her house for more than an hour. I should ... . 13. There seems to be no end to dirty clothes. I should ... . 14. The more we listened to him, ... . 15. The more John looked at her ... .16. The more I think about her decision, ... . 17. The more indignant Andrew became ... . 18. The longer we waited ... .19. Who'll go to the baker's? There is ... . 20. I'm going to the stationer's. There is ... . 21. Why go shopping?-We have ... . 22. We needn't hurry. There is ... . 23. Hurry up. We have ... . 24. Why not put the table near the window?-There seems to be ... . 25. Where will you put the bookcase? There seems to be no ... . 26. I happened to hear a song with a tune ... . 27. This is a wonderful cake with a flavour ... .

II. Suggest a beginning matching up the end. Use patterns 4, 5 and 7:

1. ... that looking after a child was so tiresome. 2. ... might cost so much effort. 3. ... might turn out to be such a trying job. 4. ... the bigger wages he earned. 5. ... the less he knew what to do. 6. ... the more we liked the place. 7. ... You shouldn't be so careless. 8. ... You'll have to do everything all over again. 9. ... You treat the matter too lightly. 10. ... Your answer is wrong.

III. Respond to the following statements and questions using the patterns:

1. If only the weather were better! 2. What delicious looking grapes! 3. In two days I'll finish my exams. 4. I shan't be through with my work before the week-end, I'm afraid. 5. What's her new flat like? 6. What do you think of my garden? 7. How long will the job take? 8. We're going

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there on Friday. 9. She may come yet. Let's wait a bit. 10. He says it was your fault. 11. How long shall I stay there?

IV. Make up two sentences of your own on each pattern.

V. Translate into English using the speech patterns:

A. Весной, на обратном пути в Москву, мы случайно проезжали мимо небольшого городка. Он был скорее похож на большую деревню, чем на город, все дома в нем утопали в цветах, и он показался нам таким красивым, что мы не сMorли устоять против соблазна остановиться там. Я никогда бы не подумала, что прогулка по маленькому провинциальному городку может доставить такое наслаждение. Мы ходили по городу около трех часов и чем больше мы смотрели на этот сказочный уголок, тем больше мы восхищались им. Перед нами был настоящий древний городок, полный такого очарования, какое не встретишь в наших краях. Но у нас оставалось мало времени, и нам пришлось спешить в Москву.

B. В прошлом году нам с женой пришлось пойти в отпуск зимой. Мы решили, что это удобный случай, чтобы собственными силами отремонтировать квартиру. После двух дней работы наша квартира больше походила на склад поломанной мебели, чем на квартиру. "Это никуда не годится, - сказала мне жена. - Давай лучше пригласим маляров".

VI. Make up situations in dialogue form using the speech patterns (to be done in pairs).

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