Use the text to answer the following questions. 1. What accounts for the fact that has English become the most widely-spoken languages in the world?

1. What accounts for the fact that has English become the most widely-spoken languages in the world? In what spheres is English applicable on an international level?

2. What words can be “misleading” in terms of their form? Explain the essence of this phenomenon.

3. The author gives a lot of examples of inconsistent, illogical usage of words. Can you recall any?

4. Why does the author say that “we English users are constantly standing meaning on its head”?

5. What plural forms do not have corresponding singular forms? What word/form would you use if you were to express the idea of singularity?

6. Which words can be used only with a negative prefix?

3. Analyze the examples in bold type from the text. Can they be considered incongruous? Do native speakers/foreigners perceive them as such? Give your reasons. Translate these expressions into Russian. Do the translated variants produce the same humorous effect? Think of similar incongruous expressions in the Russian language and ways of translating them into English.

Find at least ten cases of illogical, misleading usage of words in your native language (or any other foreign language you speak) and role-play the following situation. You are a native speaker. A foreigner is confused by some expressions in your native language and asks you to help them clarify the meaning of some misleading expressions. Before you act the situation out, discuss the most appropriate means (verbal or nonverbal) to get the message clear to a foreigner.