The Advanced Grammar Book - Jocelyn Steer, Karen Carlisi 1998

Chapter 1 American Culture I

To the Student

As an advanced student of English, you have undoubtedly been studying English grammar for some time and have the feeling that there is nothing left to learn. However, this textbook has been written specifically to address those areas of English grammar that you have not yet mastered or perhaps have never encountered. Therefore, by continuing your study of English grammar with this book, you will build on what you already know and become more fluent in English by being able to use more sophisticated grammatical structures.

Preview

DIRECTIONS: The following adapted excerpt about the fast food chain, McDonald’s, was written by the economics writer, Robert J. Samuelson. Read the selection to find out what Samuelson thinks about the famous fast food restaurant, and then answer the questions that follow.

My Big Mac is Back; Praise Be to Ray Kroc

So what if McDonald’s is a crass, arrogant corporate giant? It does what it does just right by Robert J. Samuelson

1 I am thrilled. The McDonald’s that is located a block from my office has reopened. Ever since it closed two years ago when the building was torn down, I have suffered cruelly. Now I can get my Big Mac and fries again. My writing has definitely improved....

2 McDonald’s is no ordinary company. It’s the greatest restaurant chain in history. A recent survey of the country’s best-known brands put McDonald’s in the top five (Coca-Cola was No. I).

3 There are three types of Americans. First are those who, like me, openly worship McDonald’s., Next is a much larger group that likes McDonald’s but would never admit it These people use their children as an excuse to go—or only visit a McDonald’s where they won’t be recognized by family and friends. Finally there’s a small group of weirdos who can’t stand the food and regard McDonald’s as a symbol of the poor taste of American mass culture.

4 Before Ray Kroc—the man who made the chain what it is today—there we Richard and Maurice McDonald. The brothers McDonald conceived the golden arches and the basic ideas behind fast food. In 1948, they converted a successful conventional restaurant in San Bernardino into the prototype of every subsequent fast-food restaurant. They shortened a long menu to five items (hamburgers, cheeseburgers, fries, milkshakes and sodas). They cut prices (a hamburger went from 30 cents to 15 cents). And they adopted assembly-line cooking:

5 Kroc improved and. franchised the brothers’ system. He was fanatical about cleanliness, because he realized that dirty restaurants would kill family business. McDonald’s set strict standards on everything from meat quality to frying potatoes. In 1961, it created Hamburger University to train its managers.

6 I admit, that The resulting food colossus has many uncharming aspects. The work is boring and demanding, although (...) these jobs do teach vital employment skills: punctuality, teamwork and customer courtesy. (...) There’s also an arrogant edge to McDonald’s that reflects its combativeness and success.

7 McDonald’s uniformity was a response to social changes in postwar society that created fast food. As Americans became more mobile and harried!, people looked for something that was familiar, quick and dependable. McDonald’s uniformity and quality satisfied these needs. The same formula is now working abroad.

8 It’s impossible to overstate the quality control. Once in Tokyo, I had a Big Mac. A Japanese Big Mac doesn’t merely taste like an American Big Mac. It tastes exactly the same. Ditto for the fries. Put another way, if other American companies had McDonald’s quality control, Japanese exports to the United States would be half today’s level.

VOCABULARY

thrilled: very happy about; excited

worship: to regard someone or something with great respect and reverence

weirdos: strange people

the golden arches: the yellow arches that characterize McDonald’s restaurants

the prototype: the original model

fanatical: excessively attentive to

colossus: something of enormous size

an arrogant edge: a sense of superiority

condemning: criticizing harshly

postwar society: American society after World War II

mobile: not fixed in one place harried: very busy

ditto: (informal) The same is true for...

CULTURAL NOTE/DISCUSSION

This article praises McDonald’s for running an efficient business and controlling quality to provide a uniform product. Many Americans agree with Samuelson and could not imagine a world without fast food. What do you think about the predominance of fast food in this country? If you have been to a McDonald’s in another country, how was it similar to or different from a McDonald’s in the United States?

Focus ON GRAMMAR

The following questions are based on the preview text and are designed to help you find out what you already know about the grammatical structures in this chapter. Some of the questions may be difficult and some of them may be easy. Answer as many of the questions as you can. Work with a partner if your teacher tells you to do so.

1. Can you explain why the author uses no article before the bold nouns in the following sentences?

a. “He was fanatical about cleanliness....” (paragraph 5)

b. “McDonald’s set strict standards on everything” (paragraph 5)

2. Can you explain why a is used before McDonald’s and an is used before excuse in the following sentence: “These people use their children as an excuse to go—or only visit a McDonald’s where they won’t be recognized by family and friends.”

3. “The work is boring and demanding, although (...) these jobs do teach vital employment skills: punctuality, teamwork and customer courtesy.”

Could the nouns in bold be made plural? Why or why not?

Would you use much or many in the following blanks? Explain your choices.

not ... teamwork

not ... employment skills

not ... customer courtesy

Grammatical Patterns Part One

I. Count Nouns

In general, nouns in English can be classified as either count or noncount. As you will see in greater detail below, count nouns can be counted or easily divided. Count nouns have both singular and plural forms. The term noncount nouns refers to nouns which cannot be easily counted, and these nouns do not have a plural form.

1.1 Written Drill: Plural Formation

DIRECTIONS: Provide the plural form of these nouns. Refer to the charts in Appendix 41 7, which outline the rules and exceptions for plural formation. Be ready to cite the rule for forming the plural of similar nouns.

Example

memorandum: memoranda

Rule: words that end in -urn form their plural by changing the -am to -a.

1. odyssey ...  6. goose

2. Filipino ...  7. mouse

3. phenomenon 8. belief

4. potato   9. attorney

5. fish   10. syllabus

Provide the singular form of these nouns.

11. hypotheses    16. fungi

12. indices    17. stimuli

13. criteria    18. data

14. series    19. media

15. species    20. shelves

1.2 Editing Activity: Plural Formation

DIRECTIONS: Read the following student essay, which contains errors in plural formation. Underline the nouns that have faulty plural formations and make the necessary corrections. Refer to Appendix D on page 417 for information.

I am a second generation Mexican-American women. Even though I was born in the United States, I feel as if I live between two cultures. I experience this a lot when it comes to believes about the role and function of “la familia,” the family. Familys in my parent’s country of origin were extended. They included the husbands and wifes and the childrens, and also aunts, uncles, mother-in-laws, father-in-laws, and so on. All the memberes of the familys shared in childcare and provided support for everyone in the family. As you know, familys in the United State are smaller, sometimes called “nuclear familys.” I love my extended family, but it can be very difficult for me to find a balance between my own time and the time I feel I should be giving to my relatives. Of course, in crisises, I want to be available for my family, but when I have a lot of homework to do, I feel guilty when I go off to the library to study. The peoples in my family don’t always understand how important my school and career are for me

II. Noncount Nouns

There are two types of noncount nouns: mass and abstract, as follows.

A. Mass Nouns

There are many types of mass nouns. Here are some common examples.

1.3 Rapid Drill: Noncount Nouns

DIRECTIONS: Identify the following nouns as count (C) or noncount (NC).

advice  mouse   news   knowledge

luggage  information  furniture  suitcase

slang  mail   assignment  smog

toy   medicine  hypothesis  bottle

people  sheep   traffic   fog

homework deer   vocabulary  rice

work   jazz

1.4 Recognition Drill: Count or Noncount?

DIRECTIONS: Read the following paragraph, which is a continuation of the Preview selection by Robert J. Samuelson. Underline the nouns and identify them as count or noncount.

In the end, McDonald’s exemplifies what I have called “the Big Mac Principle.” It holds that a Big Mac tastes better than “two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.” The whole, in short, is greater than the sum of its parts. Or, if you think a Big Mac tastes worse than its ingredients, you have the Big Mac Principle in reverse. Companies, politicians, sports teams, bosses, entire civilizations—in fact, almost anything—can be understood as either the Big Mac Principle- or the Big Mac Principle in reverse.

1.5 Paired Activity: Count and Noncount Noun Equivalents

DIRECTIONS: Often noncount nouns in English have count noun equivalents. For example, study this sentence from the Preview text:

“The work is boring and demanding, although these jobs do teach vital employment skills...”

Work is a noncount noun and the count equivalent is jobs.

In the following exercise, work with a partner to find a noncount equivalent for each count noun provided.

Example

CUE: a suitcase

STUDENT A: suitcase (count)

STUDENT в: luggage (noncount)

1. a letter …

2. a chair …

3. an assignment …

4. an idiom …

5. a job …

6. a dollar …

7. a dress …

8. a possible answer to a problem …

9. a bracelet …

10. an editorial …

B. Abstract Nouns

Abstract nouns refer to general concepts and ideas. Here are some examples.

1.6 Recognition Drill: Preview Text

DIRECTIONS: Return to the Preview text on McDonald’s on page 2 of this chapter. Underline all the noncount nouns in the passage. Circle the noncount nouns which are also abstract.

1.7 Written Activity: Stereotypes

DIRECTIONS: Stereotypes are general statements that people make about people or things based on popular conceptions rather than actual experience or research. Many of the stereotypes we hold are formed by images from films and television. Select among the following categories and write a paragraph describing how popular television and film portray these people, emphasizing the stereotypical characteristics. Underline the abstract nouns that you use in your paragraph.

cowboys

Indians

members of organized crime (e.g., the Mafia)

medical doctors

housewives

members of a certain religion or culture

III. Nouns That Are Both Count and Noncount

Some nouns can be both count and noncount. Compare the following examples and note how the meaning changes when the noncount noun becomes a count noun.

1.8 Written Drill: Noncount or Count?

DIRECTIONS: Read the following sentences and indicate whether the bold noun is count (C) or noncount (NC). Then explain the meaning of the noun by referring to the five cases listed above.

1. My aunt bought me an iron for Christmas.

Meaning: ...

2. His two children are the joys of his life.

Meaning: ...

3. The cafe down the street is now offering a new coffee.

Meaning: ...

4. Poverty is a fact of life in many cities in the United States.

Meaning: ...

5. Bill Gates has a wealth that most people can’t even imagine.

Meaning: ...

6. Many Americans go into business for themselves. Meaning: ...

1.9 Written Activity: Noncount to Count Changes

DIRECTIONS: Write two sentences for each of the following nouns, clearly demonstrating the change in meaning caused by the noncount to count shift.

Example

democracy: Democracy is based on the will of the majority.

a democracy: The United States is a democracy.

1. beer: ...

a beer: ...

2. life: ...

a life: ...

3. business: ...

a business: ...

4. noise: ...

a noise: ...

5. love: ...

a love: ...

GrammaticaI Patterns Part Two

Expressions of Quantity

I. Count and Noncount Expressions of Quantity

Note the different expressions of quantity used with count and noncount nouns.

1.10 Written Activity: Quantifiers

DIRECTIONS: Technology has changed drastically in the United States during the past twenty years. Read each of the following statements about technology in the United States today and then write a comparative statement using the time frame provided. Use a different quantifier in each of your sentences; avoid, using the quantifier provided at the beginning of each sentence.

Example

CUE: Many people in the United States wear “pagers” today so that they can be reached at all times; [ten years ago], fewer people wore them.

ANSWER: ...

1. A great deal of money is spent on computer technology in American colleges; in the past, ... .

2. Most college libraries have, computerized indexes; ten years ago, ... .

3. You don’t hear many human voices when you call businesses on the phone these days. A lot of businesses have computerized phone systems that connect you from one automated voice to another; in the 1970s; ... .

4. A lot of mail is sent electronically now—many people have an “e-mail” address in addition to a street address; in the past, ... .

5. An increasing number of people are “telecommuting”—a great deal of work is done at home and transmitted electronically via fax, telephone, and modem; twenty years ago, ... .

1.11 Paired Activity: Expressions of Quantity

DIRECTIONS: Potluck dinners, parties to which each guest brings a dish or beverage, are becoming more popular in the United States as families have less time to prepare an elaborate dinner for a large group. Imagine that your English class is planning a potluck dinner for the end-of-the-term party. How much or many of the following items will be needed for your class?

Work with a partner to prepare a list of possible items to bring to a potluck party. Use the suggested items below, or include your own ideas. Identify an exact amount for each item. (See Special Note: Units of Measurement above.) Note that count nouns must be made plural.

Example bread two loaves of bread

1. pita bread

2. soda

3. coffee

4. chicken

5. fried rice

6. hummus

7. potato

8. salad

9. napkin

10. flower

11. egg

12. paper plate

13. sushi

14. ?

15. ?

II. (A) Few/(A) Little

DIRECTIONS: Read the following story about Carlos and Maria and then study the chart on quantifiers that follows.

Students who were not born in the U.S. often respond to “culture shock” in different ways. Maria is an example of a student who adjusted well to life in the U.S. She has been in the U.S. for a little over three years. She has had few problems making the transition to speaking English and attending American schools. She has had a few part-time jobs to supplement her family’s income. She has made a few friends at work and school, and she spends a little of her leisure time with them.

Carlos, on the other hand, is not very satisfied with his American experience. He doesn’t have many friends, and the ones he does have don’t live close by. He feels lonely and sad, so he spends his weekends writing letters to his family in South America. He also stays in on the weekends because he’s on a tight budget. Since life in the U.S. is much more expensive than he had imagined, he doesn’t have enough money to pay for a dinner out or even an evening at the movies.

Here is a summary of the uses of (a) little and (a) few:

1.12 Oral Drill: Few and Little

DIRECTIONS: Choose five of the following phrases and make sentences using (quite) a few/(very) few or a little/(very) little. Be honest in your answers and be prepared to disagree with your classmates!

Example

CUE: snow in Florida

ANSWER: There is very little snow in Florida.

1. money in your pocket

2. friends in this city

3. problems with count and noncount nouns

4. free time in the evening

5. great leaders in the world

6. cheap housing in New York City

7. tests in this class

8. teachers like this one

9. intelligent students in this class

10. chance for peace in the world

1.13 Written Activity: (A) Few/(A) Little

DIRECTIONS: Imagine that a friend from another country is coming to your city or community to work. Write a letter to him or her describing various aspects of life in your city. Include things you think would be surprising or that might be difficult for him or her to understand. Use a variety of quantifiers in your letter, including (a) few/(a) little.

1.14 Written Activity: All Expressions of Quantity

DIRECTIONS: Read the following sentences which compare 4-year and 2-year colleges. Paraphrase these sentences using any appropriate expression of quantity from the list on page 14 (for example, a great deal of, plenty of, few, etc.).

Example

CUE: An American university professor may give 50 to 100 pages of reading per night.

ANSWER: An American university professor may give a great deal of reading per night.

1. A four-year university is likely to have all types of recreational activities on campus—movies, concerts, plays, and even bowling.

2. Many students attending community colleges live at home with their families and commute to school.

3. In private colleges and universities, however, you will find more students living in dorms on campus.

4. A foreign student might be surprised at the amount of “partying” that goes on in the campus dorms of a large university, especially on the weekends.

5. It may be difficult for students to complain about the noise, because not many students seem to mind it.

6. At the end of the semester, however, most students have a lot of work, and the noise level is substantially reduced in the dorms.

7. In community colleges, many students take classes in the evenings, because they work during the day.

1.15 Chapter Review: Settling the New World

DIRECTIONS: Choose any appropriate answer to complete the following sentences about settling the New World. Some may have more than one correct answer.

1. ... Pilgrims came to Massachusetts in the seventeenth

century.

a. Many     c. A great number

b. Much     d. A number of

2. About the same time, ... noblemen from England were

settling in Virginia.

a. some    c. quite a few

b. much    d. a great deal of

3. Unfortunately, ... settlers from the first permanent English settlement in Jamestown, Virginia, survived.

a. hardly any    c. not many

b. few      d. not much

4. In Virginia, the land was rich. As a result, ... colonists were able to prosper from the land and build luxurious homes.

a. many of the    c. many of

b. many      d. a good many

5. Life was hard in Massachusetts for the early settlers. ... of their land was as fertile as that in Virginia.

a. Very little     c. Not much

b. Very few     d. Not many

6. Native American Indians inhabited the land in Virginia; when the European settlers moved to Virginia and decided to cut down ... of their pristine land for

tobacco, the Native Americans were quite unhappy.

a. very little     c. much

b. some      d. a good bit

III. Special Problems

Pay special attention to these very common errors.

1.16 Error Analysis: Count and Noncount Nouns

DIRECTIONS: The following sentences were written by students. Correct any errors in count and - noncount noun use, a/an use, and quantifiers. Some sentences may have more than one error.

1. In small private colleges, you will find a great amount of students living in dorms.

2. At the end of the semester, however, most students have a larger number of work.

3. At the end of the semester, a great deal of student have a lot of work.

4. A foreign student might be surprised at the great deal of partying that goes on.

5. At the end, most students have plenty work.

6. At the end of the semester, you have very few noise in the dorms.

7. In small private colleges, you’ll find a great many of students living in dorms on campus.

8. Bettina would like to. take a class in American slangs so she can improve her conversational vocabularies.

9. She bought three pianos for her rental studios.

10. You can get much informations from your advisor about applying to an U.S. University.

11. The automobile factorys in the midwest of United States still have some equipments that are not operated by robots.

12. The table’s leg got chipped in the move.

13. There were much letter to the editors on the topic of illegal immigration.

14. The mother gave her twin two-years-olds a handsful of cherries.

Focus oh Writing

Possessive Nouns

Use a possessive form with nouns and pronouns to show ownership. Note from the example below that the possessive for the noun (Ray Kroc’s) is formed by adding an apostrophe (’) and an "s" to the end of the noun.

Below are the basic guidelines for forming and using possessives.

1.17 Editing Activity: English Only

DIRECTIONS: Jose wrote a letter to the editor of his local paper on an old typewriter. The apostrophe key was not working, so all the apostrophes (’) are missing from the following “Letter to the Editor.” Edit the passage, inserting the apostrophes where necessary.

Dear Editor,

My mothers family came from Mexico and my fathers family came from the United States. All their childrens first language is Spanish because my mother always spoke Spanish at home to her kids. But we all learned English as soon as we went to the local schools, because none or our teachers could speak Spanish. In fact, they reprimanded us when we spoke Spanish among ourselves, so we learned to speak English in public and Spanish at home. I know that those teachers intentions were well-meaning, but I feel that I should have the right to speak the language I choose with my friends and family.

That is why I am opposed to the “English Only” proposition which wants to make English the only language in this country. My familys heritage is important to me, and a big part of that is the language of my culture. Speaking Spanish is part of the Ramirez family tradition, and I would have a very difficult time accepting the governments mandate that I speak only English at school and at work.

Sincerely,

Jose Ramirez

1.18 Written Activity: Possessive Nouns

DIRECTIONS: Complete the following sentences by providing a possessive form of the cue words in parentheses. Use an apostrophe + -s form whenever possible; use an of phrase when necessary.

Example:

CUE: (Americans/love affair with big cars)

It is easy to trace ... .

ANSWER: It is easy to trace Americans’ love affair with big cars.

1. Each generation has its love affair with cars. In the 1950s, people fell in love with (Cadillac/fish- tailed curves) ... .

2. These cars symbolized success and opulence, which were (that generation/dreams) ... .

3. In the 1960s, sports cars matched the (Baby Boomers/daring moods) ... as they purchased their first cars.

4. The Ford Mustang, the Camaro, the Corvette—these cars were designed to catch the eye of (teenage boys/girlfriends) ... .

5. In the 1970s, larger American cars lost their glamour as the energy crisis hit. The (cars/ great consumption of gasoline) ... led to (big car/demise) ... .

6. (The 1980s/trend) ... was to buy smaller, more fuel-efficient foreign cars. Le Car from Renault and the Yugo from the former Yugoslavia were common sights on the road.

7. These cars saved people (hundreds of dollars/worth) ... of gas annually.

8. They also conserved a great deal of (the earth/natural resources) ... .

Composition Topics

1. Many children of first generation immigrants find themselves between two cultures—that of their parents and that of the United States. Interview a student whose parents are immigrants. Find out about the difficulties and joys of being part of two cultures. Then summarize what you learned in the interview in an essay.

2. Many states in the U.S. have endorsed “English Only” initiatives which state that English is the official language of the United States. What is your opinion on this issue? Do you think that everyone in this country should master English, or do you believe that it is important to preserve and encourage immigrants to speak and write their own language? Discuss your ideas in a composition.

3. In the Preview text on page 2, the author, Robert J. Samuelson, maintains that McDonald’s is a model for quality control in business. Agree or disagree with his point of view and provide reasons for your ideas.