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SAMPLE SENTENCE MONSTER
1001 MOSTLY MODAL, MOSTLY BUSINESSSAMPLE SENTENCES
THE FIVE TYPES OF VOCABULARY —
Book talk I’m angry
Educated usage I’m irked
Colloquialisms He’s ticked off
Slang/Vulgarities She’s pissed off
Idioms He went ballistic on me
PLUS —
Cognates
Formulaic expressions
PRONUNCIATION PRACTICE: Simple Past/Past Participle Forms:
Almost everybody has trouble with pronouncing the simple past and past participle verb forms that end with the spelling –ED.
Verbs ending in -T and -D ADD one syllable to the past participle; all the other verbs DO NOT add an extra syllable to the verb form.
For all other verbs, there’s no change to the number of syllables; if the infinitive is three syllables, the past forms are three syllables. Students frequently add an extra “-i” sound to those forms, producing an unnatural and, depending on who’s listening, potentially embarrassing sound.
Examples:
New equipment purchases are being discussed; a lot of money’s involved.
The new CIO has been promised a generous salary package.
He and I have shared the same office for two years.
The group approved the parent company’s proposal.
The technicians voiced their disapproval in very strong terms.
This matter has continued to be a problem for us and the clients.
Not much gets accomplished in the office here on Friday afternoons.
A lot of topics were discussed at the conference, and in later interviews with the media.
All the latest financial figures will have to be analysed in detail for the next several days.
10 The buildings and property have been assessed at approximately $11.5 million.
More than 100 universities participated in the international symposium.
Those statistics are going to be checked and examined in great detail.
The one manager is friendly and relaxed, the other, cold and abrupt.
The new economic statistics have just been published.
Questions have been raised about the appropriateness of such actions
She has been formally asked to step down, and her resignation is expected to be announced soon.
Do you think I wouldn’t tell you if I thought it mattered?
In that famous case, the court ruled for the plaintiffs, and the settlement was in the millions.
Improved relations with the unions have been a feature of management at the company.
20 All the helplines have been outsourced to India.
When pressed for an answer, he’s sure to tell you he was misinformed.
The fabric was edged in a thin band of silk.
All in all about 20–22 lawyers had to be involved in the transactions.
The same mistake has been repeated over and over again; instead of settling their differences, the two brothers are arguing again.
Marvin, please get to the point; we’re having trouble staying focused here.
She will shortly be asked to resign her position on the board of trustees of the museum.
The old house; inherited from their grandparents, is filled with mystery. In fact, I think it’s definitely haunted.
The architects chosen for the project were clearly well-qualified to carry out the task, having renovated the former Meunier Chocolate Factory near Paris.
We were called into the project after another architect had been dismissed by the clients.
30 He’s faced many obstacles on the way to the presidency.
A caterer has been engaged for the company reception.
My neighbor’s house is completely solar–powered.
I wanted to spend a week on the Italian Riviera, but I was overruled by my better half.
He stands accused of insider trading and several other illegal practices.
We were approached by at least twelve different investment banks about doing a leveraged buyout.
The projects are all organized and arranged around teams of specialized engineers.
By now we’re all convinced that negotiation and diplomacy are finished, and the time for decision and action has arrived.
In the debate about how to respond to the company’s difficulties, two opposing camps have emerged.
The speaker framed the question in this way: can costs continue to be contained? Should the shareholders be appeased?
40 She and I are both practiced, determined negotiators, and we won’t be stopped; I trust you’ve realized this by now.
Are we all agreed, then? The policy needs to be changed, and quickly.
If asked, he’ll say that it’s clear the costs in this case are far greater than that planned for in the revised budget.
There is an interesting analysis that has examined the length of bull and bear cycles in the stock market over the past century.
If they haven’t realized the implications of what’s been proposed, they’d better be prepared to deal with the consequences as well.
I understand they’re leveraged heavilyand have risked everything on a greatly improved economy.
They’ve devised an effective strategy against any takeover attempts.
I’m afraid that, with that group, hope has replaced reality.
That issue’s been raised on several occasions before, all to no effect.
Ethanol-powered autos are starting to be popularized in the automotive press.
50 Truth be told, the important voices in that company would have preferred to adopt a strategy better-suited toward the long term.
The Board has largely downplayed the risks of such a merger; it’s interested in the cost-cutting opportunities presented by such a deal.
The differences have been much remarked upon.
Sixty-six percent of oil consumed in the United States comes from foreign sources, up from 58 percent in 2000. Americans now spend $200,000 a minute on foreign oil, and more than $25 billion annually goes to Persian Gulf states for oil imports.
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silenced
wrapped disadvantaged stuffed
advanced
globalized
based embargoed praised considered
nationalised diminished devised reversed dragged
stalled
assured
bribed embarrassed vetoed
collapsed signalled
envisioned pushed
cancelled challenged
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asked arrived arranged allowed
named belonged crashed failed
performed photographed invited prepared
planned organized designed required
started formed practiced judged
powered imagined decided developed
happened completed watched called
flowed hoped suggested followed
offered processed managed framed
researched realized achieved used
carried occurred earned liked
loved risked rained rushed
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USED TO + Infinitive GET USED TO + Gerund/Noun/Clause
BE USED TO + Gerund/Noun/Clause
That could take some getting used to . . .
You’d better start getting used to . . . getting up early
working longer hours
the language difficulties
I could get used to this, flying business class all the time!
Didn’t you used to work for that big accounting firm, KMPG, or whatever it’s called?
Did you used to know that executive before he got involved in that scandal?
Well, you may not like it, but you’d better get used to it
All those operations used to be done here, in the back office, but they’ve been subcontracted out
10 I never used to think that way, but things’ve changed a lot since then . . .
He used to be really enthusiastic about his job, but that’s all changed now that they’ve got a new CEO and management team.
In the old days we would/used to make three copies of all documents for the files.
Our company used to be part of a large multinational.
I used to be a Microsoft fan, but I’ve switched allegiances to Macs, and I’ll never go back.
You simply must get used to the changed atmosphere around here.
Since I’ve been here I’ve definitely gotten used to having my own office.
There’s no getting around it, something’ll have to be done about it.
I’ve gotten habituated to all the free perks around here . . . the jets, golf matches, company apartment, the interest-free loan, the expense account.
Having gotten used to all the tension and arguing over at BBD&O, this place seems calm by comparison.
20 I can’t believe there’s no subway or tramway system here . . .
Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it in no time.
I’m having a hard time getting used to making presentations every week.
I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get used to the way people shop around here.
I used to go rock climbing a lot on, in all kinds of weather.
I used to do a lot of snowboarding, until it just got too hard on my knees
I used to go in for a lot of underwater diving in caves, but I gave it up and switched to kayaking.
Try and get used to the way things are around here, OK? Nothing’s gonna change anytime soon.
It takes time to get used to the prevailing attitude here.
I finally was able to get used to that, though it took forever.
30 I didn’t use to like olives until I started eating them here.
I’m not used to having to share office space with so many people; it’s really cramped in here.
You’re going to have to get used to not being the boss’s favorite anymore.
As far as the noise is concerned, you’ll never get used to it — I never did.
As far as the atmosphere here is concerned, you’ll probably never get used to it.
Don’t fool yourself into thinking you’ll ever get used to it. It ain’t gonna happen.
I haven’t been used to getting all this attention from my co-workers. Apparently everyone thinks I’m a genius, or something.
It’ll take some getting used to, no doubt about that.
I used to think people possessed a small amount of common sense, but that idea died a quiet death years ago.
Now that I’ve gotten used to this new system, I won’t be able to go back to the old stuff/way of doing it.
40 I haven’t at all gotten used to the way people drive around here.
It’s tough getting used to the buses here.
Have you gotten used to your new work schedule yet?
I never liked that new delivery schedule. I could never get used to having to wait until 8 o’clock at night.
Sorry, you’ll just have to get used to the way things are done around here, that’s all.
It was hard getting used to the new car, but driving it is second nature now.
It wasn’t easy at first, but eventually it got to be second nature
I used to have to get up at all hours of the night in my old job.
What kind of English instruction did there used to be in schools here in the past.
I’ll never get used to the way the banks operate here.
50 The hard thing to get used to, he said, was having to think on your feet so much.
It won’t be hard getting used to my new office, I can tell you that!
Never having gotten used to his first wife, he had even more trouble with the second . . .
After his marriage to the wealthy heiress, he couldn’t get used to the idea of having servants around; it always made him uneasy.
COMPLEXVERBFORMS
1. It wasn’t supposed to have turned out like that.
The test results didn’t turn out too bad, did they?
I had misgivings about the affair at first, but I suppose you could say everything turned out all right in the end.
Things didn’t turn out the way I was hoping they would.
5. None of us meant for that to happen; it just turned out that way.
The way things turned out, it was the opposite of what they had expected.
Things might have turned out differently if they had had a bit more luck.
It might not have been a suitable time and place to ask such a question, but this particular newspaper reporter seemed oblivious.
That may have been true on the father’s side of the family, but not the mother’s side.
10. Because of her state of mind, she was off her guard and confided in me things which perhaps in her ordinary state she would not have wanted known.
It might not have been felt suitable while conditions were as they were. But now that things are changing back I thought I might try once more.
I’m trying to remember how long it’s been since I last visited the seashore all by myself, with no one else to have to pay attention to.
What’s the story on that dinner party you said you were going to have?
I should think those two would’ve been able to work it all out with a marriage counselor.
15. I should think that’d be possible, with a little luck
I’d like to think they can have the renovations to the apartment taken care of by year’s end, at the latest.
Are they going to be able to get that done on time on their own?
I wouldn’t do that if I were you; things like that have a habit of blowing up in your face.
I wouldn’t have done that if I had been you.
20. I could never have done what he did.
Why couldn’t we have been notified sooner?
Shouldn’t we have been told a little sooner?
Shouldn’t someone have told us all that a little sooner? A lot sooner, in fact?
Shouldn’t that’ve been done already?
25. Shouldn’t that’ve been taken care of already?
Shouldn’t that’ve been clear to everyone at the beginning?
Who would have guessed the weather would turn so quickly?
Who would have guessed the weather would be so miserable?
Who would have guessed the weather would be so unpredictable?
30. There should have been some other way to approach this matter, some other way to resolve things
There should have been some other way to get these things done, and not put them off for so long.
The least you could’ve done would have been to admit you made a mistake, no?
Wouldn’t you have liked to have been there, to have seen that?
Wouldn’t you have liked to have been there, when they gave her the news?
35. What would you have done if he hadn’t believed your story?
Weren’t you at all surprised?
I begged them to reconsider, I pleaded, but . . . did anybody listen?
Am I correct in assuming this deal isn’t about to happen anytime soon?
It’s as if I were talking to a stone wall.
40. What does any of that have to do with me?
Why couldn’t you have thought this all out a bit better?
Shouldn’t we have agreed, instead of complaining?
How could I have known he was going to change his mind completely?
Who among us could’ve predicted an outcome like that?
45. There should have been some other way to get around her objections, other than outright lying.
Would you have liked to have been born in the 19th century, or maybe the Middle Ages?
What would you have done if I hadn’t stepped in and calmed things down?
You should’ve seen the look on her face when I gave her the news!
I could’ve told you he’d say something like that.
50. Don’t you think I have better things to do than to hang round with the likes of him?
It would’ve been two years that we’d have been married now . . .
That was to have been abandoned earlier this year.
We're not used to seeing such sharp swings in the prices of these commodities.
Those costs are going to have to be absorbed by the twelve member banks.
55. For that training class, I think you could have made use of additional computer exercises, in my estimation.
From what I've already seen, he's got the makings of an excellent plan.
They're said to be discussing how to accelerate production in many of the eastern oil fields.
Access to the refinery and terminal areas has had to be temporarily restricted.
On their tour of the new airport, the ministers were supposed to have been accompanied by extra security staff.
60. The important question is, "How could it have been accomplished any other way?"
Those missing files appear to have been located.
He's to be asked to formally defend the accuracy of these latest financial figures.
Better results might have been able to be achieved had there been more money invested at the beginning.
Independent analysis has shown the report to contain numerous inaccuracies.
65. The oil and gas leases are thought to have been acquired by a group of anonymous investors.
He's had to adapt his style of management to please the new Board of Directors of the company.
A company spokesperson said the fire which occurred couldn't have been due to inadequate safety controls.
For the past 12 months the company has had no end of difficulties following the new European Union regulations.
Hadn't they better try developing some of the areas, not next to these existing oil fields, but a good distance away?
70. Those changes to the project schedule couldn't have come at a worse time, you know? Have you thought about how much better it would've been had they been begun in March? That's when all that really should've been done.
Speaking about this work schedule ― don't you think you might want to go and try getting it adjusted sooner, like in two weeks' time, say?
Don't you think her speech may have been seen as being much too critical, much too harsh?
These data have been being computerized since late '81.
75. By week's end they'll have had all of two months to consult with each other over reforming the company structure.