Personal feelings, experiences and opinions They say that travel broadens the mind. Well, I’ve done lots of it and I’m beginning to think this is rubbish. Let’s think about a typical foreign holiday. The travel agent never has much real information about where you want to go, apart from what’s in the brochure. So you book your accommodation and might arrive to find that the hotel hasn’t been finished yet.

And before you even get there, you have to get into a plane. Research has produced wonderful new equipment for the pilots. But what do the passengers get? A smaller seat and worse food! And when you go to reclaim your luggage, they tell you the happy news though you’re in Australia, your luggage has gone to Jamaica.

Things aren’t much better if stay at home. Think of all the poetry you’ve read about the English countryside – all that green grass and pretty scenery. Well, even if you can get there through the traffic, you’ll probably find a sign saying you don’t have permission to walk on it.

And then there’s the English weather – occasional sunshine, otherwise rain and possibly thunder and lightning. Let’s face it, travel is just too much like hard work. My advice is to stay at home. If you want something foreign, go out and eat a curry or some spaghetti. And if you have some money left after that, spend it on new furniture.

You may not broaden your mind, but at least you’ll be comfortable.

What is the writer trying to do in the text? A. Stop people going to travel agents. B. Persuade them to take their holidays in England. C. Make them think about travel. D. Persuade them to buy more furniture.

Where would you find this text? A. In a travel book. B. In a newspaper. C. In a holiday brochure. D. In a tourist guide.

What does the writer think about travel? A. It broadens the mind. B. It is difficult but worth the effort. C. It is better to do it in your own country. D. It is more trouble than it’s worth.

What kind of person is the writer? A. Someone who knows very little about travel. B. Someone who has travelled a lot. C. Someone who has never travelled. D. Someone who hates flying.

COUNTABLE NOUNS like…. film, table, biscuit … a film / some films a table / some tables a biscuit / some biscuits UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS like…. petrol, salt, rice … some petrol some salt some rice

How many films? Too few tables. Too many biscuits. How much petrol? Too little salt. Too much rice.

Look at the following nouns. Decide if they are countable or uncountable.

accommodationadvicebrochure countrysidecurryfood equipmentfurnituregrass holidayhomehotel informationlightning luggage mindmoneynewspermission planepoetryrainresearch rubbishscenery seat signspaghettisunshine thundertraffictraveltravel- agentweatherwork

So we don’t say a furniture – we have to say some furniture, or a piece of furniture… or perhaps just a table or a chair. We also use a piece of with other uncountable nouns, like advice and information.

Irregular comparatives and superlatives Adjective comparative superlative good better the best bad worse the worst far further/farther the furthest/ farthest

determiners comparative superlative littlelessthe least much/manymorethe most few fewer/less the fewest/ least least

adverbs comparatives superlative wellbetterthe best badlyworsethe worst far further/farther the furthest/ farthest muchmorethe most littlelessthe least

All of the sentences below are wrong. Correct them. 1. We must buy a furniture. 2. I’m looking for an accommodation. 3. That’s a beautiful scenery. 4. She wants a permission to go home early. 5. I like to walk in the nature. 6. Could you give me an advice. 7. We had a good luck.

And these! 8. I can’t possibly carry these luggages. 9. I heard a good news this morning. 10. Excuse me, I need an information. 11. There’s a rubbish lying in the street. 12. I’m going on a long travel tomorrow. 13. This job needs a special equipment. 14. There’s a heavy rain coming. 15. You need a money to live.

The following conversations have been simplified from real conversations which took place in law courts. Read them. Decide which tense – the past simple or present perfect – was used each time.

Q: Your illness – does it affect your memory? A: Yes. Q: And how does it affect your memory? A: I forgot / I’ve forgotten. Q: Ok – can you give an example of something you forgot / you’ve forgotten.

Q: How old is your son – the one living with you? A: Thirty-eight or thirty-five, I can’t remember which. Q: How long did he live / has he lived with you? A: Forty-five years.

Q: Your first marriage – why did it end / has it ended? A: Because of death. Q: Whose death ended / has ended it?

Q: How many times did you kill yourself / have you killed yourself ?

Q: Can you describe this person? A: He was / has been about medium height and had / has had a beard. Q: Was this / Has this been a male or female?

Q: Doctor, how many autopsies did you perform / have you performed on dead people? A: All my autopsies are performed on dead people.

Q: All your answers must be oral, OK? What school did you go to / have you been to? A: Oral

Q: At what time did you examine / have you examined the body? A: The autopsy started / has started around 8.30pm. Q: And Mr Jones – was he / has he been dead at the time? A: No, he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy on him.