Exercise 6. Define the function of the verb “to be”

a) notional,

b) link verb,

c) modal,

d) auxiliary.

1. It’s six o’clock. He is at home at this time. 2. She is too young to understand it. 3. The whole country is going on strike. 4. The new film is to be on at our cinema next week. 5. He is taking his English exam now. 6. The football match will be shown on TV.7. It was a nasty day. It was raining cats and dogs. 8. Sentence 5 is on page 15. 9. Sunday is my day off. 10. My mother was 40 yesterday.

Оборот “there + to be”

Оборот there + to be употребляется для того, чтобы подчеркнуть наличие или отсутствие какого-либо предмета или предметов, лиц. В русском языке для этого используются предложения, начинающиеся с обстоятельств места:

В Орле нет оперного театра.

There is no opera theatre in Oryel.

Выбор формы глагола “to be” зависит от числа следующего за ним существительного:

In the middle of the room there is a round table.

Round the table there are several chairs.

Сокращенная форма there’s употребляется в разговорной речи.

Вопросительная форма с оборотом there + to be образуется по инверсии:

There is a table … Is there a table …?

There are several chairs … Are there several chairs …?

Отрицательная форма образуется при помощи отрицательной частицы not, Если перед существительным стоят слова many, much

There are not many students at the lesson.

В остальных случаях употребляется частица no:

There are no books on the shelf.

Exercises

Exercise 1. Translate into Russian.

1. There is a big parade today.

2. There were many new words in the lesson.

3. There are many green areas in the new districts of our capital.

4. There was a table and 5 chairs in the room.

5. There are more than ten sentences in each exercise.

6. There was thick ice on the river last winter.

7. There will be classes in art, music and gymnastics in the new school.

8. There are twelve months in a year.

9. There is no garden behind her cottage.

10. There will be much noise in the classroom.

Exercise 2. Put the verb “to be” into the correct Tense form.

1. There …much snow in Moscow last winter. 2. There …a storm yesterday. 3. There … a pen and two pencils on the desk. 4. There … two pencils and a pen on the desk. 5. There … a lot of snow in the streets next year. 6. There … twelve chairs and a table in the room. 7. There … a table and twelve chairs in the room. 8. There … many photos in this album. 9. There … no people in the hall last Monday. 10. There … many students in the lab.