My grammar exercises 3

[Bassim]

I have tried to use "drop" in my sentences. Would you please correct my mistakes?

1. In the morning on her way to work, Maria drops her children at a nursery, and then picks them up in the afternoon.
2. Because of the terrible weather, the rescue helicopter was unable to land on an island, but it dropped water and food supplies for the stranded tourists.
3. Peter never buys new clothes collections but wait until the prices drop.
4. As an old man was telling a story to his grandchildren, his voice faded and he dropped off.
5. "Who broke the window?" Ben's father asked. "I did," Ben answered and dropped his eyes.
6. Michael complained to his neighbour that his children nowadays seldom drop round to see how he feels. But they always come when they want to borrow some money.
7. The president dropped a bombshell by telling the media he fathered a child while he was at university.
8. Anna came home, dropped her heavy shopping bags on the kitchen table, filled the glass with cold water and drained it. Shopping made her exhausted more than a manual work did.
9. Phil was angry at the manager for being dropped from the starting line-up.
10. Maria's jaw dropped when she saw his husband smoking a pipe in a pink pyjamas and a black beret.

 

[Tarheel]

Not up to your usual standards. You only got about half of them right.

For the first one, say that Maria drops her children off at a nursery.

For the third one, say that Peter never buys new clothes but waits until the prices fall.

For the fourth one, say that while the old man was telling a story he nodded off.

 

[Tarheel]

Number two. Perhaps:

Because of the terrible weather, the rescue helicopter was unable to land on the island. The aid workers dropped food and water supplies for the stranded tourists.

One disaster after another!

 

[Bassim]

Tarheel,
Longman dictionary says that drop or drop off mean the same. Example:"She dropped Johnny at the school gates..."
I think that nod off and drop off, which I used in my fourth sentence, mean the same.

 

[Bassim]

I also think that you can say that "prices drop" or "prices fall" with the same meaning.

 

[Tarheel]

For number five, say Ben lowered his eyes.

Number six is good. (You could also say "drop by" there.)

For number eight, say:

Anna came home, dropped her heavy shopping bags on the kitchen table, filled A glass with cold water and drained it. Shopping made her exhausted more than manual labor did. (You can keep "work" there if you want to.)

For ten say:

Maria's jaw dropped when she saw her husband smoking a pipe while wearing pink pyjamas and a black beret.

 

[Bassim]

I think that "dropped his eyes" and "lowered his eyes" mean the same.

 

[Tarheel]

Tarheel,
Longman dictionary says that drop or drop off mean the same. Example:"She dropped Johnny at the school gates..."
I think that nod off and drop off, which I used in my fourth sentence, mean the same.

In my experience "dropping" a child means one thing, and "dropping off" a child means something else.

I am also unfamiliar with "drop off" in the sense of "fall asleep". But context would reveal the intended meaning.

 

[Tarheel]

Somebody might drop by and either agree or disagree with me.

Do you think they will drop everything to post on this thread?

In American English, stick with "drop off" your kids. "Dropping the kids" presents a horrifying image.

 

[emsr2d2]

I have tried to use "drop" in my sentences. Would you please correct my mistakes?

1. In the morning, on her way to work, Maria drops her children at [STRIKE]a[/STRIKE] nursery; [STRIKE]and[/STRIKE] she [STRIKE]then[/STRIKE] picks them up again in the afternoon.
Like "at school", you can use "at nursery" here. "Drop" and "drop off" can be used interchangeably in this context in BrE. "Drop" has no connotation of doing the child harm. Context, as always, is everything.

2. Because of the terrible weather, the rescue helicopter was unable to land on [STRIKE]an[/STRIKE] the island, but [STRIKE]it[/STRIKE] dropped food and water [STRIKE]and food[/STRIKE] supplies for the stranded tourists.
Presumably the story has already mentioned which island is involved so "the island" is appropriate. The normal word order is "food and water".

3. Peter never buys new clothes collections but waits until the prices drop.
I don't know what you mean by the underlined part.

4. As an old man was telling a story to his grandchildren, his voice faded and he dropped off. :tick:
It's OK. As you know, "drop off" can mean "fall asleep". However, there is a danger that people might think there is something missing at the end and perhaps he "dropped off the end of the sofa"! To avoid confusion, use "nodded off".

5. "Who broke the window?", Ben's father asked. "I did," Ben answered, and dropped his eyes.
I can't argue with your logic that "dropped" should work here but it's unnatural for me. I'd use "lowered his eyes".

6. Michael complained to his neighbour that his children [STRIKE]nowadays[/STRIKE] seldom drop round to see how he feels nowadays. [STRIKE]But[/STRIKE] However, they always come when they want to borrow some money.

7. The president dropped a bombshell by telling the media he fathered a child while he was at university. :tick:
You can remove "he was" at the end.

8. Anna came home, dropped her heavy shopping bags on the kitchen table, filled [STRIKE]the[/STRIKE] a glass with cold water and drained it. Shopping made her more exhausted [STRIKE]more[/STRIKE] than [STRIKE]a[/STRIKE] manual work. [STRIKE]did.[/STRIKE]
I think I mentioned in a previous thread of yours that it's not "a work".

9. Phil was angry at the manager for [STRIKE]being dropped[/STRIKE] dropping him from the starting line-up.

10. Maria's jaw dropped when she saw [STRIKE]his[/STRIKE] her husband smoking a pipe, [STRIKE]in a[/STRIKE] and wearing pink pyjamas and a black beret.

See above.

 

[Bassim]

emsr2d2,

You are a treasure!
Thank you for all corrections, advice and help.

Regarding my third sentence, I did not know how to formulate in correct English what they often call "New Arrivals" in fashion catalogues, which means new collections of clothing just arrived for selling. Do you know which phrase could be used to describe the above meaning.

 

[emsr2d2]

emsr2d2,

You are a treasure!
Thank you for all your corrections, advice and help.

Regarding my third sentence, I did not know how to [STRIKE]formulate in correct English[/STRIKE] describe what they often call "New Arrivals" in fashion catalogues, which means new collections of clothing which have just [STRIKE]arrived for selling[/STRIKE] gone on sale. Do you know which phrase could be used to describe the above meaning?

Most people don't buy the whole collection. I'd probably say something like "Peter doesn't buy the latest fashions immediately they go on sale, but waits for the price/prices to drop".