Writing Task 2: Choose the correct words to complete the questions.
1. How a lot of / many students are there in your class?
The correct word to use in this sentence is "many." The sentence should read, "How many students are there in your class?" We use "many" when we are talking about countable objects or people. Since students can be counted, we use "many" in this case.
2. Did you get a lot of / much birthday presents?
The correct word to use in this sentence is "a lot of." The sentence should read, "Did you get a lot of birthday presents?" We use "a lot of" when we are talking about an unspecified quantity of countable objects. In this case, birthday presents can be counted, but we do not know the exact number, so we use "a lot of."
3. How much / many money do we need?
The correct word to use in this sentence is "much." The sentence should read, "How much money do we need?" We use "much" when we are talking about uncountable nouns, such as money. Money cannot be counted as individual units, so we use "much" instead of "many."
4. Are there much / a lot of computers in your school?
The correct phrase to use in this sentence is "a lot of." The sentence should read, "Are there a lot of computers in your school?" We use "a lot of" when we are talking about an unspecified quantity of countable objects. In this case, computers can be counted, but we do not know the exact number, so we use "a lot of."
5. Have you got much / many homework for next week?
The correct word to use in this sentence is "much." The sentence should read, "Have you got much homework for next week?" We use "much" when we are talking about uncountable nouns, such as homework. Homework cannot be counted as individual units, so we use "much" instead of "many."
I hope this explanation helps you understand the correct usage of these words in the given context. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask!
1) If you don't work harder at school, you'll never get a good job.
This sentence is an example of a conditional sentence in the first conditional form. We use the first conditional to talk about possible future actions and their probable results. In this case, the condition is "if you don't work harder at school" and the result is "you'll never get a good job". This means that if you don't put more effort into your studies, it is likely that you won't be able to find a good job in the future.
2) I remember my parents saying these words to me when I was at school.
This sentence is in the past simple tense and it is not a conditional sentence. The speaker is recalling a past memory of their parents giving them advice when they were still in school.
3) If I had listened to them then, I would not have become what I am now.
This sentence is an example of a conditional sentence in the third conditional form. We use the third conditional to talk about imaginary or unreal past situations and their imaginary or unreal results. In this case, the condition is "If I had listened to them then" (which means the person did not listen to their parents' advice in the past) and the result is "I would not have become what I am now" (which means the person regrets their past actions and believes that if they had listened, their life would have turned out differently).
4) I would be so much more if I had tried harder.
This sentence is an example of a conditional sentence in the second conditional form. We use the second conditional to talk about hypothetical or unreal present or future situations and their hypothetical or unreal results. In this case, the condition is not explicitly stated, but it can be understood as "If I had tried harder" (which means the person did not put enough effort in the past) and the result is "I would be so much more" (which means the person believes they would have achieved more success or progress in their life if they had made more effort).
5) I haven't always been a tramp actually; when I left school I had a job as a milkman and if the hours had been easier, I would have done it for much longer, but I hated getting up so early in the morning.
This sentence is an example of a conditional sentence in the third conditional form. The speaker is talking about a past situation where they worked as a milkman after leaving school. The condition is "if the hours had been easier" (which means the working hours were difficult for the person) and the result is "I would have done it for much longer" (which suggests that the person would have continued working as a milkman if the working hours had been more convenient for them).
6) When I lost my job, I couldn't pay the rent, so my landlord said that if I didn't get another job, I would be on the streets; and before I knew it, I was.
This sentence is an example of a conditional sentence in the second conditional form. The speaker is talking about a past situation where they lost their job and were unable to pay the rent. The condition is "if I didn't get another job" (which means the person didn't find employment) and the result is "I would be on the streets" (which suggests the person would become homeless). The use of "before I knew it, I was" indicates that the result mentioned in the conditional part actually happened.
7) I could have got another job if I had wanted to, but at first I quite enjoyed the freedom of the outdoor life.
This sentence is an example of a conditional sentence in the third conditional form. The speaker is talking about a past situation where they had the opportunity to get another job. The condition is "if I had wanted to" (which suggests that the person didn't have a strong desire for another job) and the result is "I could have got another job" (which indicates that the person had the capability to find alternative employment). The speaker then explains that they initially enjoyed the freedom of their current lifestyle, so they chose not to pursue another job.
8) If you sleep out in summer, it's not too bad, but in winter it's awful.
This sentence is an example of a conditional sentence in the zero conditional form. We use the zero conditional to talk about general truths and facts. In this case, the condition is "If you sleep out in summer" and the result is "it's not too bad" (which means the experience of sleeping outdoors during summer is tolerable). The speaker then contrasts this with the result of sleeping outdoors in winter, which is "it's awful" (suggesting that the experience is extremely uncomfortable or unpleasant).
9) If I could change anything about my life now, I would get in touch with my family again, even though I know they would only say, 'If you'd worked harder at school, you wouldn't have got yourself in this situation.'
This sentence is an example of a conditional sentence in the second conditional form. The speaker is talking about their present situation and expressing a hypothetical or unreal desire to change something. The condition is "If I could change anything about my life now" and the result is "I would get in touch with my family again" (which indicates that the person wishes to reconnect with their family). The speaker acknowledges that their family would likely bring up the past and say "If you'd worked harder at school, you wouldn't have got yourself in this situation" (suggesting that their family believes their current situation is a consequence of their past actions).
