2. Seasons

Exercise 1. Explain the use of articles with nouns denoting seasons.

1. The year wore on and it was summer.

2. The winter was coming on.

3. It was a warm and glowing autumn, and she lay in the mellow sunshine.

4. I think the country in winter would be horrible, don’t you?

5. The summer was here with its bright, short nights.

6. People realized that winter must come sooner or later, and were determined to make the most of the sun while it lasted.

7. “It has been a terrible summer,” he said.

8. He cleaned the barn for the winter.

9. Through the autumn, a busy time for me, I was often uneasy.

10. It was late summer.

11. In March came the first break in the winter.

12. We had a short summer this year.

13. To walk in the garden and watch the spring returning was like rediscovering the world.

14. Later when it grew warmer and the sun seemed as hot as in summer, she would go out into the garden.

15. She went to Scotland for the summer.

Exercise 2. Supply the required articles for nouns in the following sentences, paying special attention to those denoting seasons.

1. We used ____ cottage for ____ week-ends in ____ summer.

2. It was ____ first day of ____ summer.

3. Quite early in ____ autumn he began visiting us two or three times each week.

4. As ____ autumn passed, I saw ____ good deal of Charles and Ann together.

5. It was ____ remarkably fine autumn.

6. He walked along ____ streets smelling ____ spring in ____ air.

7. ____ spring had come early that year.

8. I saw him before he went down to ____ Mr. Bell’s country house for ____ summer.

9. It was _____ brilliant summer of 1971.

10. During ____ winter I had heard a rumour that she was abroad.

11. They must have met in ____ summer.

12. He felt more at home in ____ winter that in ____ summer because in ____ winter there were ____ firelights and ____ drawn curtains and one’s own company.

13. ____ summer faded gloomily into ____ autumn.

14. In ____ autumn young Ben was to go away to a prep school and my job would be ended.

15. ____ winter passed.

16. He went duck-schooting with the locals in ____ autumn and trout fishing with Mr Clark in ____ spring.

17. I expect I shall loathe Manchester. However, I shall not be there long. I’m off to school in ____ autumn.

18. It was ____ summer and ____ place broke out in ____ red flowers.

19. “Can’t you wait until ____ winter?” Sam asked.

20. ____ winter had now settled into ____ bright cold days and ____ hard cold nights.

Exercise 3. Insert articles where necessary.

1. It was ____ winter, and ____ night of bitter cold. (Wilde)

2. You see, ____ winter was ____ very bad time for me, and I really had no money at all to buy ____ bread with. (Wilde)

3. It was ____ very dark evening for ____ summer. (E. Brontё)

4. ____ summer drew to ____ end, and ____ early autumn. (E. Brontё)

5. I wondered if ____ autumn would come upon us two months before her time. (Du Maurier)

6. It was pretty late in ____ autumn of ____ year when ____ declining sun, struggling through ____ mist which had obscured it all day, looked brightly upon ____ little Wiltshire village. (Dickens)

7. There was going to be ____election soon, we all knew: this was ____ spring of 1955. (Snow)

8. It was ____ cold fall and ____ wind came down from ____mountains. (Hemingway)

9. It was ____fine day, early in ____ spring, and we were in ____ good humour. (Maugham)

Exercise 4. Translate into English.

1. Была ранняя весна.

2. Была дождливая, холодная осень.

3. Осень была исключительно теплая; стояла ясная, солнечная погода.

4. Мое любимое время года – лето.

5. Лето 1941 года было очень жаркое.

Exercise 5. Insert articles where necessary.

1. ____ morning was bright and sunny.

2. It all happened on ____ bright and sunny morning.

3. When ____ morning came we were already far out in the sea.

4. It was ____ early morning; the sun had just risen.

5. It was early in ____ morning that a loud knock at the door took me out of bed.

6. ____ day broke cold and windy.

7. The sun rose heralding the break of ____ day.

8. We returned late in ____ afternoon.

9. It was _____ late afternoon when we returned.

10. Now and then, a low roll of thunder broke ____ night.

11. ____ evening fell; lights began to appear in the windows.

12. It is pleasant to go for a stroll on such ____ evening.

13. The elevator was closed for ____ night and she slowly walked up the two flights of stairs.

14. We are expecting them towards _____ evening.

15. He spent _____ restless night, thinking of what could be done.

16. In ____ winter they used to plan what they would do on ____ warm day in ____ summer.

17. Have you got enough wood for ____ winter?

18. It was ____ wild and snowy winter.

Exercise 6. Supply the required articles for countable and uncountable nouns as well as for nouns denoting seasons and parts of the day.

1. ____ winter set in early and unexpectedly with ____ heavy fall of ____ snow.

2. It was ____ dark night, with no moon.

3. He went out shooting every morning in ____ autumn.

4. In ____ morning when he awoke, he found his breath frozen on ____ blanket.

5. Then ____ spring came, late, cold and rainy.

6. I paid my first visit to his house on ____ clear February night.

7. ____ expedition started in ____ autumn of 1967.

8. ____ magnificent spring afternoon was already deepening into ____ dusk.

9. In ____ winter this region is deep with ____ snow.

10. Isn’t it nice that ____ winter is behind us?

11. It was nearly ____ sundown.

12. They had better finish ____ work before ____ winter.

13. ____ house must be cold in ____ winter.

14. Philip called at our house on ____ Tuesday afternoon.