Tricky point ~45 min of the core left

Review 4 (lessons 19–23)

Start the lesson Core 45 min · steps: 3 · optional: +1

Declared core time. Two of the core blocks carry no figure at all, so the real lesson is longer than this sum.

Tricky point

10 min

In A2 #18 you learnt to talk about something that has stopped: I don't work there any more — I worked there before, but not now. This not … any more has a formal variant where the negative is already inside: no longer. It works like hardly (B1 #12): the word is negative itself, and you don't put a second not next to it.

I no longer work there. I worked there before, but not now.
= I don't work there any more. the same, more conversational
She's no longer a child. she has grown up
The shop is no longer open on Sundays. it was open on Sundays before, but not now
You can no longer pay by cheque. paying by cheque was possible before, but not now
We no longer have a car. we had a car before, but not now

Position. no longer goes where adverbs of frequency (A1 #11) and hardly go: before the main verb (I no longer work), but after be (She's no longer) and after an auxiliary or a modal verb (You can no longer pay). any more goes at the very end of the sentence.

not … any longer means the same as not … any more and also goes at the end: I can't wait any longer. — I've waited long enough; I won't wait one more minute. With wait and stay this form is especially common: We couldn't stay any longer.

Where you hear which. In conversation it is almost always not … any more. no longer is for writing, notices, the news and official letters: This service is no longer available. — you can't use this service now. In speech no longer sounds stricter and stresses the change.

In a question and a short answer — still and any more: — Do you still live in Bath? — No, not any more. The one-word answer No longer sounds bookish.

Don't confuse no longer and no more. no longer is about time: it was so before, now it isn't. no more + a noun is about quantity: There's no more coffee. — the coffee is finished, there isn't any left. ✗ I no more work there → ✓ I no longer work there.

Compare with still:

He still lives with his parents. he lives with them even now
He no longer lives with his parents. he lived with them before, but not now

How to choose by the meaning. When you tell about a change — something was true before and isn't now — use no longer or not … any more. He has changed: He's no longer the same. Everybody knows it now: It's no longer a secret. You needed it before, but not now: I no longer need it or I don't need it any more. In many languages "not" and "any more" are two separate words — French ne … plus, German nicht mehr, Spanish ya no — and you want to put a not into the English sentence too. Don't: in no longer it is already there, as in hardly. But if "no more" means "not one second more", "that's enough", use not … any longer: you can't put up with something for one more minute — I can't stand it any longer.

Spelling. In British English it is usually written as two words — any more; the one-word anymore came from American English and is also more and more common in Britain. Neither is counted as a mistake; in this course it is two words, as in A2 #18. no longer is only written as two words.

Don't say this. ✗ I don't no longer work there → ✓ I no longer work there. no longer already has its negative; a second one turns the sentence into a double negative, which standard English doesn't have.

Check yourself. How do you say She doesn't live here any more in a formal style? What is wrong with I can't wait no longer? How is There's no more milk different from We no longer buy milk?

show the answers
She no longer lives here; a double negative: I can't wait any longer; in the first the milk is finished, in the second we have stopped buying it.
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Exercises on lessons 19–23

35 min

1. Mixed gap fill.

  1. Could you tell me where the nearest bus stop ? (be)
  2. You're from Leeds, ?
  3. — I can't sleep in hot weather. — can I
  4. He stopped (smoke) last year
  5. Remember (switch off) the lights
  6. My boss wants me (work) on Saturday
  7. They didn't let us (take) photos
  8. Did you make this cake ?
  9. I don't eat meat, but fish in this restaurant is wonderful
  10. She lives here — she moved to Bath. (not any more, formal)
Show the answers
is; aren't you; Neither / Nor; smoking; to switch off; to work; take; yourself / yourselves; — / the; no longer

2. Error correction.

  1. Do you know where does she live?
  2. Could you tell me is the museum open?
  3. — I'm tired. — So do I.
  4. She's never been late, hasn't she?
  5. I remember to see him at the station yesterday.
  6. I want that you stay.
  7. The teacher made us to read aloud.
  8. I don't no longer go there.
  9. The life in London is expensive.
Show the answers
Do you know where she lives?; Could you tell me if the museum is open? / Could you tell me whether the museum is open?; So am I.; She's never been late, has she?; I remember seeing him at the station yesterday; I want you to stay; The teacher made us read aloud; I no longer go there / I don't go there any more / I don't go there any longer; Life in London is expensive

3. Rewrite

  1. Where is the post office? (Could you tell me …)
  2. I don't know what I should say. (make it shorter: question word + to)
  3. You're coming to the party. (add a tag)
  4. I don't smoke any more. (stop, Present Perfect)
  5. I had to wait outside. My boss insisted. (make)
  6. I don't live there any more. (no longer)
  7. Nobody helped me. I painted the room. (by myself)
Show the answers
Could you tell me where the post office is?; I don't know what to say; You're coming to the party, aren't you?; I've stopped smoking / I have stopped smoking; My boss made me wait outside; I no longer live there; I painted the room by myself

4. Matching.

  1. I love this song.
  2. I don't like spicy food.
  3. I've just got engaged!
  4. Didn't you get my email?
  5. You're Anna's sister, aren't you?
Show the answers
`I love this song.` → `So do I.`; `I don't like spicy food.` → `Neither do I.`; `I've just got engaged!` → `Have you? Congratulations!`; `Didn't you get my email?` → `No, I didn't.`; `You're Anna's sister, aren't you?` → `Yes, I am.`

5. Say it in English.

Each line describes a situation in simple words. Say it with the forms of lessons 19–24. 1) You are in a town you don't know. Ask a stranger politely, with a frame, about the closing time of the bank. 2) A friend says that she has never visited Scotland. You haven't visited it either. Write her words and your answer. 3) Before you left, you closed the window, and you have a clear picture of that moment in your head. Say so. 4) When you were young, your parents had a plan for your career: they hoped you would become a lawyer. 5) You are in a library. Talk about the books on its shelves, in this particular library: they are very old. 6) Someone asks for Tom. Tom worked here before, but now he works somewhere else. Explain.

Show the answers
Do you know what time the bank closes?; I haven't been to Scotland. — Neither have I. / I haven't been to Scotland. — Nor have I. / I haven't been to Scotland. — Me neither.; I remember closing the window; My parents wanted me to become a lawyer; The books in this library are very old; He no longer works here / He doesn't work here any more / He doesn't work here any longer
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Summary

Covered

  • lessons 19–23 in full and no longer
  • not … any longer

Next — lesson 25: describe a group.

End of the core

The lesson counts as done once the exercises are done. Everything after this is optional.

Lesson 97

optional

Mini production

Talk aloud and then write down ten sentences: two polite questions to a stranger and one "I don't know"; a short conversation with a tag and So … I or Neither … I; a habit that you have given up, and something you remember from your childhood; what people want from you at work or at home and what you do by yourself; a place where you often go — with all three kinds of article. At least one sentence with no longer.

Checklist before lesson 25:

  • inside an indirect question — statement word order, no do, a yes/no question with if?
  • is the tag opposite to the sentence, and in So … I — the other person's verb and inverted order?
  • "gave up" — stopped + -ing, a memory — remember + -ing, a job — remember to?
  • after want — person + to, after make and let — no to?
  • a general idea with no article, a particular thing — with the?
  • no second not next to no longer?
The draft is saved on this device
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Practise this lesson in the other sections

Dictationbased on this lesson Write down what you hear. The check shows every word that differs, and how. Write the dictation Reading aloudbased on this lesson Read the lesson text aloud — speech recognition highlights the words it did not catch. Read the text aloud Reading and listeningA1–C1 Texts at every level with comprehension questions; the transcript opens after you answer. Try it

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