1. Present

Positive	Negative	Interrogative
There is a lecture today. There are many lectures today.	There is not a lecture today. There is no lecture today. There are not many lectures today.	Is there a lecture today? (?) Are there many lectures today?
There’s a lecture today. There’re many lectures today.	There isn’t a lecture today. There aren’t many lectures today.

Past

Positive	Negative	Interrogative
There was a lecture yesterday. There were many lectures yesterday.	There was not a lecture yesterday. There was no lecture yesterday. There were not many lectures yesterday.	Was there a lecture yesterday? (?) Were there many lectures yesterday?
	There wasn’t a lecture yesterday. There weren’t many lectures yesterday.

4. Future

Positive	Negative	Interrogative
There will be a lecture tomorrow. There will be many lectures Tomorrow.	There will not be a lecture tomorrow. There will be no lecture tomorrow. There will not be many lectures tomorrow.	Will there be a lecture tomorrow? (?) Will there be many lectures tomorrow?
There’ll be a lecture tomorrow. There’ll be many lectures Tomorrow.	There won’t be a lecture tomorrow. There won’t be many lectures tomorrow.

Grammar Reference

1. The constructions “there is (are)” in the Present, Past and Future Indefinite Tense are used when people talk about the existence of people, things, etc. These constructions have the meaning “есть”, “имеется”, “существует” in the Present Indefinite Tense, “было”, “существовало” in the Past Indefinite Tense, “будет” in the Future Indefinite Tense.

2. The corresponding Russian sentences begin with adverbial modifiers.

English	Russian
There is a Magistrate’s court in this town. There are three investigators in our department.	В этом городке есть мировой суд. В нашем отделе три следователя.

Exercise 1

Read the following sentences and say whether you would use the verb “to be” or “there is (are)”construction. Do not translate the sentences into English.

1. Существуют гражданские и уголовные суды.

2. Жалоба на действия предприятия по производству ядохимикатов - у следователя.

3. В сейфе не было обвинительного заключения.

4. Есть ли свидетели по делу о коррупции?

5. Следователь находится в прокуратуре.

6. Сколько сотрудников в вашем отделе?

7. План профилактических мероприятий будет лежать на Вашем столе завтра утром.

8. Нет оснований для возбуждения уголовного дела.

9. В зале суда не было репортера.

10. В каждом федеральном судебном округе США есть атторней.

11. Требования по выполнению модульных контрольных работ по уголовному праву размещены в УМКа в разделе «Комментарии».

12. Аргументы стороны защиты были неубедительными.

13. Будут ли преступники на следственном эксперименте завтра?

14. Он не является главным свидетелем по делу о магазинной краже.

15. Где Вы были в момент совершения преступления?

Exercise 2

Read and translate the following sentences into Russian.

1. The legal system in the USA is complex.

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2. Both the plaintiffs and the defendant are in court.

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3. Are there any complaints about the actions of this organization?

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4. The persons accused of a wrongdoing are the defendants.

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5. There were no good attorneys in that law firm.

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6. The paralegal will be absent tomorrow.

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7. There will be no jury in this case.

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8. A verdict is a legal conclusion.

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9. What is your job in the legal profession? – I am a judge.

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10. Was the attorney’s argument convincing?

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11. I’m sure the defendant is innocent.

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12. How many plaintiffs were there at the trial?

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13. The conversation was mostly about the creation of a complaint.

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14. There is no the plaintiff’s proof.

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15. According to the jury the defendant is guilty.

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Exercise 3

Ask questions of four types (general, alternative, special and disjunctive) about each sentence.

Model 1:

According to the jury the defendants are guilty.

1. Are the defendants guilty according to the jury?

2. Are the defendants guilty or innocent according to the jury?

3. Who is guilty according to the jury?

4. According to the jury the defendants are guilty, aren’t they?

Model 2:

There are about 50,000 solicitors in Great Britain.

1. Are there about 50, 000 solicitors in Great Britain?

2. Are there about 50, 000 solicitors or barristers in Great Britain?

3. How many solicitors are there in Great Britain?

4. There are about 50,000 solicitors in Great Britain, aren’t there?

1. I am a judge in a court of law.

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2. These civil cases are complicated.

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3. In my opinion the paralegals were not qualified.

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4. There were two plaintiffs in court.

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5. At 10 o clock tomorrow the jury will be in court.

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6. I hope next week there will be fewer complaints.

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7. The attorney’s advice to the defendant is useful.

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8. The plaintiff’s reaction to the verdict was unexpected.

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9. There is no progress in this civil case.

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10. The proof of the defendant will be weak.

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Exercise 4

Use the appropriate form of the verb “to be” or “there is (are)” construction.

1. Now it ________ not easy to put this law into effect.

2. I think the assistants ________ not qualified.

3. _________________ any other arguments of the plaintiff?

4. Yesterday the attorney ______________ late.

5. We expect the trial ____________ fair.

6. I ________ worried that the proof __________ weak.

7. _______________ no paralegal next week.

8. _______________ any proof presented last week?

9. The trial ___________ over on the 12^th of August, 2014.

10. The court ___________ in session in a week.

Exercise 5

Translate the sentences from Russian into English using the verb “to be” or “there is (are)” construction.

1. Боюсь, что все доводы будут против ответчика.

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2. Присяжные - это обычные граждане без юридической подготовки.

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3. Вы уверены, что обращение в суд необходимо?

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4. Сколько судебных разбирательств было на прошлой неделе?

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5. Помощник адвоката будет в суде через час.

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6. Исход дела ясен, так как, по мнению присяжных заседателей, обвиняемый был виновен.

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7. Каково ваше мнение об этом гражданском деле?

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8. Адвокаты не беспокоились потому, что соглашение было в письменном виде.

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9. Насколько мне известно, была только устная договоренность между сторонами.

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10. Будут ли доказательства того, что ответчик виновен?

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