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    Learn English > English lessons and exercises > English test #105676: Not everyone has ...
    > Other English exercises on the same topics: Idioms | Negation [Change theme]
    > Similar tests: - Placement test 1 - Modal can (video) - Negatives and semi-negatives - Any more.../ any longer - Not anything or Nothing - Too or Either - Negatives and semi-negatives - Negation and nouns
    > Double-click on words you don't understand


    Not everyone has ...


          Not everone is as lucky as you are !

     

    As foreign Learners of English, you're partial to idioms, often deceiving, indeed, and that you very often consider to be 'traps'. In fact, they are  particularisms of a language. You consider them as 'lacks of logic' that you denounce, (you often say so ... ) compared to your mother tongue ...

    Well, I must remind you that every language has ITS OWN  logic, and that each language has the right to exist and evolve differently from all others ! Concerning these idioms, there are no recipes to discover and become familiar with them ... YOU HAVE TO learn them !

    Beware ! The sign * in front of a sentence means that this sentence is incorrect  and mustn't be imitated, in the written language as well as the oral one !

    Our expression was tested on very experienced Learners, and a great proportion ot them got 'trapped' anyway ... Yet, this expression is simple when you know it :' Not everyone understands this rule'!

    1) What's the meaning of this sentence ? Simply that some people understand this rule whereas others don't ! A certain number of people understand ! Some don't !

    Now, if we try a literal translation of this sentence, as many foreigners do, and turn the sentence ( which means the verb!) into the negative form , we have to write : 

    * Everyone doesn't understand this rule = Nobody understands this rule !  

    We can notice that, in French, the negative is put on the verb. If we translate this new sentence literally, we will have =  'Nobody understands this rule', which is not at all what we meant in the initial sentence ... It's the proof that we are wrong !

    2) To make up for this inconvenience, you only have, once again, NOT TO TRANSLATE YOUR OWN LANGUAGE INTO ENGLISH', but to  think as British people do directly in English : 

    'NOT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THIS RULE' => In other words, you ONLY have to put the negative form in front of the indefinite pronoun, which is the 'element that you want to deny', and not on the verb.

    ex : Not every basket-ball game is interesting to follow

    ex : Not many people watched it !

    Simple, isn't it ?

    ex : Not all my friends trust me as you do !

    It's your turn to 'play', now ... 'avoiding' my 'traps', in the following exercise! Good luck !

     





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    English exercise "Not everyone has ..." created by here4u with The test builder. [More lessons & exercises from here4u]
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    1. the right to vote, in this country ... It must still be fought for !

    2. the friendship you have together ! Try to preserve it ...

    3. as good a pilot as he was !

    4. so similar as Patrick and Richard.

    5. access to these private documents. Be very careful with them ....

    6. so many hours of sleep as she does.

    7. to buy such an expensive first car ... He's bought a classic car !

    8. the time to be an activist ...

    9. a béret and carries a 'baguette' !

    10. pleasant to receive and to read .... I'm positive about that !










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