Exercise16. Underline the correct or more likely alternative.

1. Salzman had saved us a table in the corner, with space reserved for Jill Joyce when she arrived. Most tables/ Most of the tables seated twelve. (R.B. Parker)

2. Most people/ most of the people aren’t that good at improvising. (S. Grafton)

3. I know you liked him. Most women/ Most of the women did. (S. Grafton)

4. Most people/ most of the people prefer to take a holiday in summer.

5. Most clerks/ Most of the clerks of the office wanted to go on holiday in summer.

6. Most flowers/ most of the flowers bloom in spring.

7. Most tulips/ Most of the tulips are in full bloom now.

8. Most children/ most of the children like sweets.

9. Most children/ Most of the children behaved well.

10. Most Englishmen/ Most of the Englishmen like gardening.

11. In most countries/ most of the countries traffic keeps to the right.

12. Most famous people/ most of the people are persistent.

13. Most actors/ most of the actors are publicity-conscious.

14. Most men/ most of the men want to dominate you. (Robert B. Parker)

15. I like most types of music/ most of the types of music.

16. Most of the phone boxes/ most phone boxes seemed to be vandalized.

17. Most people/ most of the people do their ordinary level exams at sixteen.

18. Well, I like to think I can turn my hand to most things/ most of the things. (Jack Higgins)

19.  Most people/ most of the people want peace nowadays. (Jack Higgins)

20. Most women/ most of the women set out to try to change a man, and when he has changed they don’t like him. (Marlene Dietrich)  

No/ none (of)/ not any

Study how we use no and none in these sentences:

no + noun	· She had no shoes on. · No information was given about how the study was conducted. · There’s no train until tomorrow.
none + ‘no noun’	· Have we got any more sugar? There’s none in the kitchen. · ‘How many children have you got?’ ‘None.’

NO/ NONE (OF) are used instead of NOT A or NOT ANY to emphasise the negative idea in sentence.Compare:

· There isn’t a key for this door.  or  There’s no key for this door. (more emphatic)

· She didn’t give me any help at all. or    She gave me no help at all.

· Sorry, there isn’t any left.            or   Sorry, there’s none left.

· She didn’t have any of the typical symptoms of cholera.  or

She had none of the typical symptoms of cholera.

Ø not any is not usedin initial position in a clause or sentence:

· No force was needed to make them move. (not Not any force was needed...)

· None of the children was/were awake. (not  Not any of the children...)

Ø in formal written English no and none of are used rather than not any or ...n't any;

Ø in a formal or literary style not a can be usedin initial position in a clause or sentence (notice the word order here):

· Not a word would she say about the robbery.

· Not a sound came from the classroom.

Ø After no, we use a singular noun in situations where we would expect one of something, and a plural noun where we would expect more than one. Compare:

· Since his resignation, the team has had no manager. (rather than ...had no managers.)

· Iphoned Sarah at home, but there was no answer. (rather than ...were no answers.)

· There were no biscuits left. (rather than ...was no biscuit left.)

· He seems very lonely at school, and has no friends. (rather than ...no friend.)

Ø But sometimes we can use either a singular or plural noun with little difference in meaning:

· No answer (or answers) could be found.

· We want to go to the island but there’s no boat (or there are no boats) to take us.

Ø When we use none of with a plural noun the verb can be either singular or plural, although thesingular form is usually more formal:

· None of the parcels have arrived yet. (or ...has arrived...)

However, when we use none with an uncountable noun the verb must be singular.

Ø If we want to give special emphasis to no or none of we can use phrases like no amount of withuncountable nouns and not one (of) with singular countable nouns:

· She was so seriously ill that no amount of expensive treatment could cure her.

· It was clear that no amount of negotiation would bring the employers and workers closer together.

· Not one member of the History department attended the meeting.

· Not one of the hundreds of families affected by the noise wants to move.

 

Exercise17. Insert no, none or their compounds.

1. On the day succeeding Isabella’s unexpected visit, I had no opportunity of speaking to my master: he shunned conversation, and was fit for discussing ………. . (E. Bronte)

2. ‘Her senses never returned: she recognized ………. from the time you left her,’ I said. (E. Bronte)

3. ………. could have noticed the minute of his death, it was so entirely without a struggle. (E. Bronte)

4. ‘………. alive would regret me, or be ashamed, though I cut my throat this minute – and it’s time to make an end. (E. Bronte)

5. She wants ……….of your tears. (E. Bronte)

6. ‘You’ll get ………. to take that, Catherine,’ I said, ‘if you write it; and at present I shall put out your candle.’ (E. Bronte)

7. Heathcliff chuckled a fiendish laugh at the idea. I made no reply, because I saw that he expected ……….. (E. Bronte)

8. ………. loves you – ………. will cry for you when you die! (E. Bronte)

9. ……….here care what becomes of him. (E. Bronte)

10. She had made him feel like a………., a peasant; she had acted as if the Hamleighs were a family of no account. (Ken Follett)

11. The place was filled with sunshine, and the door stood wide open; but ………. seemed at hand. (E. Bronte)

12. I want ……….of your prying at my house. (E. Bronte)

13. Mr Linton summoned me, and with great difficulty, and after resorting to many means, we managed to restore her to sensation; but she was all bewildered; she sighed, and moaned, and knew ………. . (E. Bronte)

14. While drinks were being poured, various pleasantries were exchanged, ………. of themheartfelt. (S. Grafton)

15. An unwelcomed infant it was, poor thing! It might have wailed out of life, and ………. cared a morsel, during those first hours of existence. (E. Bronte)

16. The parents were both the only children of only children. There was ………. left. (S. Grafton)

17. ‘… I keep strictly within the limits of the law. I have avoided, up to this period, giving her the slightest right to claim separation; and what’s more, she’d thank ………. for diving us.’ (E. Bronte)

18. Already! that damned business which he had almost succeeded in forgetting, since ………. ever mentioned it. (John Galsworthy)

19. There was ………. humor in the laugh, nor pleasure, nor, for that matter, anything much in the way of humanity. (Robert B. Parker)

20.  There was ……….at the reception desk when Keogh entered the hotel. (Jack Higgins)