ALTE DOCUMENTE
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CONTENTS
Verbs which do not take the Continuous Aspect in English
Past Simple and Past Continuous
Present Perfect Simple and Past Simple
Other Ways of Referring to the Future
Further Points on the Passive Voice
Nouns which may be uncountable or countable
Place of Prepositions in the Sentence
Problematic Prepositi 828i87i ons of Movement and Place
The Order of Adjectives in a Series
Capitalising proper adjectives
Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
In this unit you will learn:
Present Simple
Present Continuous
Verbs which do not take a continuous aspect
Read the following fragment on advertising. Pay attention to the use of tenses. Underline the verbs which are in present tense simple and present continuous:
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Advertising is capitalism's soft sell. An anonymous mass of people called consumers have each to be persuaded to need whatever a product can give them, to buy it and to keep on buying. It is really interesting to notice that girls growing up, and women housewives worried about fulfilling and achieving their roles, are the foremost consumers. They see in advertising imagery reflections of society's attitudes and ideals often taken to extremes. They do not realise that this is in fact a fake image. They may not be persuaded to buy products, but they absorb the images. They do not learn their roles from this source, but it is a strong reinforcer. Advertising sets out to make people identify with characters in advertisements, with their situation and needs, to make them jealous of the person they would become if they bought the product. On the one side, they believe that if they buy Diavolo they will look like Antonio Banderas, if they buy BU, they will be a second Eva Herzigova, and so on. They do not realize the difference between fancy and reality. On the other side, advertising also captures girls' fluttering images of themselves. This is why they become that anonymous mass of people which we called consumers in the beginning.
Which of these would be the best title for the passage? More than one possible answer is possible.
a women as consumers
b the persuasive power of advertising
c how advertising influences women
d the image of women in advertisements
Which if the following points are made in the passage?
a. Advertisements persuade potential consumers that they need a product.
b. Girls and housewives are the main consumers.
c. Middle-aged women are particularly susceptible to advertisements.
d. Advertisements reinforce a woman's view of herself.
e. Advertisements project an image of the ideal housewives.
You will play a word game. Follow the directions and check your answers with the answer key:
I. Start with the word on. Follow directions:
a. Add a letter at the beginning and you have a great weight.
b. Add a vowel at the end of the weight and you have a musical sound.
c. Add a letter to the beginning of the musical sound and you have a small piece of rock.
II. Try again. Start with in:
a. Add a letter at the beginning and you have something used to fasten things together.
b. Add a vowel at the end of the fastener and you have a kind of tree.
c. Add a letter at the beginning of the tree and you have another word for backbone.
III. Try again. Start with an.
a. Add a letter at the end and you have a very little animal that lives in a hill.
b. Add a letter at the beginning of the little animal and you have the opposite of can.
c. Add a letter at the beginning of the opposite of can and you have a word that means not enough.
IV. Find the words described below:
a. A word that sounds like meat but means getting together.
b. Another word for too that ends with -so.
c. A word that rhymes with hair but means right and just.
d. Another word for sufficient that rhymes with tough.
e. A word with two meanings: it may mean portion and it may also mean to leave.
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British English |
American English |
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theatre |
theater |
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centre |
center |
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neighbour |
neighbor |
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colour |
color |
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travelling |
traveling |
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organise |
organize |
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analyse |
analyze |
Read the sentence: They do not realise that this is in fact a fake image again. Have you ever encountered the word organise spelled as organize? This is not a mistake. It's just the difference between British English and American English. There are several differences in spelling words between British English and American English.
Here are some of them:
Classified advertisements
You are touring
Yet opening the newspaper, you find it full of small advertisements containing abbreviations. Can you decipher them?
Bourbemouth - Warm welcome awaits you at Pinewood Guest House. Ctly. sit. H. & c. Tv. in bdrms. Access at all time. B. & b. Ł31.50/Ł42 p.w. Reduced rates for chldn. 197
[1977-08S
Bourbemouth - Linga-Longa Hotel. Westbourne. Spac. hotel, residential lic. Games rm. Large car park and gdns. Excel. food. B & b., e.m. Special Spring terms from Ł45 plus V.A.T. Phone 761001
Torquay. - Quiet det.
Bungalow for 7/8. Top class accom. 2 w.c.'s, bathrm. and shower, lounge, dining rm., big. kit.,
sunny gdn. Phone (06267)4590, after
[x21-0H
Totnes. - Holiday COTTAGES
in medieval courtyard of Queen Anne Mansion. S. -c. wing in House. Mews
Apartments. 2 bedrms., sitt, rm., kit., bathrm. Totnes 1 Ľ miles.
It is used to express:
I usually get up at 8.30.
Romanian people like to travel.
Most evenings we go out.
I don't like gangster film.
Wood floats on water.
The Earth moves round the Sun.
The Danube flows into the
I live in
She works in a very famous company.
Her letter shows how painful the divorce was for her.
I add flour to the egg yolks and place the basin into the oven.
The door bell rings. She listens quietly. A window opens and a masked man enters the room
Note that the historic present in narrative of funny stories appears in informal speech to describe past events, especially to make the narration seem more immediate and dramatic.
So when he enters the room he realises that his parents are there and.
The plane lands at
Our summer holiday starts on July 1st.
Form
Affirmative and negative
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I |
work do not (don't) work |
in a university. |
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You We They |
work do not (don't) work | |
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He She |
works does not (doesn't) work |
Interrogative
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Where |
do |
I |
work |
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do |
you we they | ||
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does |
he she it |
Short answer
Do you like summer?
Yes, I do.
Does she speak Italian?
No, she doesn't.
It is used to express:
They are playing in their bedroom now.
I am filling in a cloze test now.
I'm writing an essay on Victorianism this week.
I live in
I'm meeting you at
You are always calling me at
Form
Present Continuous is formed with the present tense of the auxiliary verb be followed by the present participle of the main verb (verb+ -ing).
Affirmative and negative
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I |
am ('m) am not ('m) not |
working |
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You We They |
are ('re) are not (aren't) | |
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He She It |
is ('s) is not (isn't) |
Interrogative
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What |
am |
I |
doing |
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are |
you we they | ||
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is |
he she it |
Short answer
Are you coming?
Yes, I am. No, I'm not.
Is she watching TV?
Yes, she is. No, she isn't.
There are verbs in English which are not generally used in the continuous aspect:
I smell gas. But: I am smelling the flower. ( I want to).
The meat doesn't taste good at all. In fact, I think it's a bit off. But: I'm tasting the meat to see if it's done.
I don't remember your name.
I think you are right. (This is my opinion). But: I'm thinking about you.
The house belongs to my mother.
I have a very good car. But: She's having a shower now. She can't answer the phone at the moment.
I'm having dinner with my boyfriend at a fancy restaurant tonight.
He is a teacher of Italian. But: You are being stupid now. (You generally are very smart, but you behave rather stupidly now).
I hate people calling me late at night.
He wants to buy a new tool.
I feel I need to tell you that you let me down. But: "How are you feeling today?", the doctor asked.
I'm feeling the material to see if it's soft or not.
I don't mind his smoking. But: Who is minding the baby? (Who is taking care of the baby?)
Put the verbs in brackets into the Present Simple or Present Continuous:
a. He usually (drink) coffee but today he (drink) tea.
b. The Rotring (belong) to Mary.
c. He (come) to see me tonight; we (go) on a trip to Sinaia next week and we (want) to make plans for it.
d. I (live) in Ploiesti, but this week, as I (attend) a course in Bucharest, I (stay) with my uncle in Calea Floreasca.
e. This course (contain) 14 chapters.
f. Maria (come) from Spain this week;
g. She (speak) French, English and Italian.
h. What you (do) here? I (look) for my glasses.
i. Where you (live)? I (live) in Scotland.
j. This week we (study) the Middle Ages in the English Culture and Civilisation.
k. This bottle (hold) boric acid. Don't touch it!
l. Ann (resemble) her mother more and more.
m. It (rain) now. It often (rain) in summer.
n. Pardon me, sir, but I (think) you (stand) on my feet.
Decide which is the most appropriate form of the verb in the following sentences:
a. I'm thinking/ I think of you.
b. She smells/ is smelling gas.;
c. Mother is tasting/ tastes the soup to see if it needs more salt.;
d. We have/ are having dinner now.;
e. Could you call him back in twenty minutes as he has/ is having a bath right now.
f. What's wrong with you? Why are you looking/ do you look at me like this?
g. The film is extremely long and boring. It lasts/ is lasting four hours.
h. I think/ am thinking that something is wrong with the radiator in this room. It gets/ is getting colder and colder.
i. What exactly does your job involve/ is your job involving?
Complete this postcard using the correct form of the verbs on the right:
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Greetings from
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spend |
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have learn come |
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I .... a paper on Samuel Beckett this week |
write |
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and John .... a
short story written by Angela Carter. We .... up at |
read get |
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and .... courses
from ten to |
have eat, visit finish |
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So it's hard work. But I .... it here. We ...... a post-office in front of the Centre, so I .. here in order to mail your postcard. Love, Kate |
like, have stop |
Rewrite each sentence so that it contains the word in capitals and so that the meaning stays the same:
a. The cost of the bus ticket is part of the transport fee.
INCLUDES
b. What is the weight of that bag you have as hand luggage?
MUCH
c. John has the bad habit of eavesdropping to other people's conversation.
ALWAYS
d. Sunset is at 9.30 tonight.
THE SUN
e. What is inside this book?
CONTAIN
f. I'm positive that you have no idea what the answer is.
BET
g. She works hard, so she doesn't have too much spare time.
MEANS
h. The war in Irak is over.
COMES
i. The number of people who own houses on the outskirts of the city is increasing.
BUYING
j. They are decorating my room now.
HAVING
Choose the correct sentence:
a. She has a car. /She is having a car.
b. We think she is tall./ We are thinking she is tall.
c. I am seeing a horse. / I see a horse.
d. The sweater feels soft. / The sweater is feeling soft.
e. She is looking angry. / She looks angry.
f. I feel the sweater. / I am feeling the sweater.
g. The dentist is seeing a patient. / The dentist sees a patient.
h. The grocer is weighing sugar. / The grocer weighs sugar.
i. I am looking at the picture. / I look at the picture.
j. We think about her. / We are thinking about her.
k. She is having dinner. / She has dinner .
l. Ann is foolish today. / Ann is being foolish today.
m. She is tasting the soup. / She tastes the soup.
n. The actor is appearing on TV. / The actor appears on TV.
Put the verbs in brackets into the simple present or the present continuous tense.
a. You cannot see Mary now: she (see) her boyfriend.
b. They won't go out as it (snow) and they (not have) warm clothes.
c. Hardly anyone (wear) tight pants nowadays.
d. George can't watch his favourite TV program now because his father (watch) a movie.
e. She's busy at the moment. She (put) the baby to sleep.
f. This novel is about a boy who (desert) his friends and (go) to enrol in the army.
g. The train that we
(look) at right now just (leave) for
h. What George (do) to his computer now? ~ I (think) he (format) it.
i. Why you (listen) to this song, Mary? You (not listen) to this type of music as a rule.
j. That play (come) to our theatre next week. You (want) to see it?
Ask questions about the underlined parts of the following sentences.
a. The two friends are listening to a rock concert.
b. The milkman comes to our house twice a week.
c. The children are playing at hide-and-seek.
d. I usually read two books a week when I have time.
e. Our guests are talking to us in Russian.
f. It takes five hours to reach the top of the mountain.
g. She is wearing a strange, yellow dress.
h. My father usually comes home from work by car.
i. The family are celebrating the birth of their newest member.
j. Tom never washes his trousers until somebody tells him to.
Translate into English using the Present Simple or Continuous.
a. Vacanta de vara tine doua luni. În fiecare vara mergem cinci zile la munte.
b. E sâmbata si facem curat în casa. Eu fac paturile iar sora mea sterge praful din camera.
c. Bunica uita întotdeauna unde-si pune pantofii si de fiecare data când are nevoie de ei îi cauta prin toata casa.
d. Luam micul dejun. Mama bea cafea, iar tata manânca omleta.
e. Nu spune niciodata nimic interesant.
f. În mod obisnuit ne petrecem sfârsitul de saptamâna într-un sat din apropierea Clujului. De data asta însa ramânem acasa pentru ca asteptam niste musafiri.
g. Prietenii tai te asteapta în fata cinematografului dar tu întotdeauna citesti la ora aceasta.
Add tag questions:
a. You look nice in this T-shirt, ...... ?
b. She knows where he was last night, ......?
c. Tom is having some whisky, ......?
d. He plays volleyball quite well, ......?
e. They are meeting him at
f. My boss doesn't employ teenagers, ......?
g. I don't think I'm the right person to teach him English, ......?
h. This car belongs to Jack, ......?
i. The pubs close at
j. It seems to me he is wasting his time, ......?
k. I'm sure you know who stole that purse, ......?
l. You're not a doctor, ......?
m. They hardly ever buy bread form this shop, ......?
n. She thinks we are running away from her, ......?
o. The police never catch any thieves, ......?
p. They say she works as an air-hostess, ......?
In this unit you will learn:
Past Simple
Past Continuous
The Ordinal Numeral
The Multiplicative
The Fractional Numeral
Read the
following text about English as a world language. Pay attention to the use of
the past tense. Underline the verbs which are in the past tense:
Today, when English is one of the major languages in the world, it doesn't require too much effort of our imagination to realize that this is a relatively recent thing - that in Shakespeare's time, for example, only a few million people spoke English, and this was not thought to be very important by the other nations of Europe, and it was unknown to the rest of the world.
English has become a world language because of its
establishment as a mother tongue outside England, in all the continents of the
world. People started to import English in the seventeenth century, with the
first settlements in
We often say what we have done so far as a way of explaining our achievements and successes. Work in pairs and ask your partner questions about English:
Model: Have you improved your accent?
Yes, I think I have.
Have you:
a been to an English-speaking country?
b passed any exams in English?
c managed to translate anything into English?
d had any conversations with English native speakers?
e written any e-mails in English which you have sent to people?
f used English in your studies or work?
g read a scientific article in English?
h managed to understand any English-speaking tourists?
i learned any songs in English?
j discovered any differences between English and your own language?
Comment on the personal qualities you need to succeed in learning a foreign language.
Example:
You don't have to be serious to learn English, you have to be co-operative.
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confident |
energetic |
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determined |
well-organised |
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independent |
patient |
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courageous |
enthusiastic |
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serious |
charming |
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handsome |
steady |
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ambitious |
intelligent |
Choose the word which best completes each sentence:
a. If you want to become ... when you speak, you should forget about making mistakes and try to speak as much as possible.
A. practical; B. fluent; C. handy; D. skillful.
b. If you don't understand anything you hear, then listening to a tape is a ... of time.
A. matter; B. problem; C. waste; D. loss.
c. If you're not ... certain of what someone has said, you should pretend that you have understood.
A. very; B. fairly; C. surely; D. quite.
d. If you want to practise speaking, a good idea is to tell a story or a ... to someone.
A. joke; B. tale; C. laughter; D. fool.
e. When you ... an oral exam, it is best to speak loudly and not to stop after each word.
A. make; B. take; C. speak; D. go.
What do you think a good language learner can do? Choose beginnings from A and suitable endings from B. There are many possible answers:
A good language learner:
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A |
B |
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borrows books |
without a teacher. |
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writes things down |
in every way possible. |
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guesses words |
without being told to. |
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tries to study |
in real situations. |
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tries to learn |
every day possible. |
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practises speaking |
from films, TV and records. |
What do you say to someone who does the things in column A. Choose from the phrases in column B:
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A |
B |
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answers the phone? |
"Get well soon!" |
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knocks on the door? |
"Cheers!" |
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says you are late? |
"Excuse me!" |
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is in danger? |
"Don't mention it!" |
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gets married? |
"Well done!" |
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passes an exam? |
"Congratulations! |
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drinks with you? |
"Sorry!" |
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is in your way? |
"Bless you!" |
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says "Good morning!' |
"Thanks." |
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says "How do you do!" |
"Look out!" |
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thanks you? |
"How do you do!" |
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is ill? |
"Hello?" |
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sneezes |
"Sleep well!" |
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says "Good night." |
"Good morning." |
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says "Make yourself at home." |
"Come in!" |
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says "Have a good weekend." |
"Thanks. Same to you." |
Read and translate the following poems on the English language and pronunciation:
A. Some words have different meanings
And yet they're spelled the same.
A cricket is an insect,
To play it - it's a game.
On every hand, in every land,
It's thoroughly agreed,
The English language to explain,
Is very hard indeed.
Some people say that you're a dear
Yet dear is far from cheap.
A jumper is a thing you wear,
Yet a jumper has to leap.
It's very clear, it's very queer,
And, pray, who is to blame
For different meanings to some words
Pronounced and spelt the same?
A little journey is a trip,
A trip is when you fall.
It doesn't mean you have to dance
When'er you hold a ball.
Now here's a thing that puzzles me:
Musicians of good taste
Will very often form a band -
I've one around my waist!
You spin a top, go for a spin,
Or spin a yarn maybe-
Yet every spin's a different spin,
As you can plainly see.
Now here's a most peculiar thing,
'twas told me as a joke-
A dumb man wouldn't speak a word,
Yet seized a wheel and spoke!
A door may often be ajar,
But give the door a slam
And then your nerves receive a jar-
And then there's jars of jam.
You've heard, of course, of traffic jams,
And jams you give your thumbs.
And adders, too, one is a snake,
The other adds up sums.
A policeman is a copper,
It's a nickname (impolite!)
Yet a copper in the kitchen
Is an article you light.
On every hand, in every land,
It's thoroughly agreed,
The English language to explain
Is very hard indeed!
(Harry Hemsley, The English language, in Verse That Is Fun, ed. Ireson, Faber, 1962)
B. I take it, you already know,
Of tough and bough and cough and dough?
Others may stumble, but not you
On hiccough, thorough, laugh and through,
Well done, and now you wish perhaps
To learn of less familiar traps?
Beware of heard, a dreadful word
That looks like beard and sounds like bird.
And dead: t's said like bed, not bead-
And only Scotsmen call it deed!
Watch out for meat and great and threat
They rhyme with suite and straight and debt.
A moth is not a moth in mother,
Nor both in bother, broth in brother,
And here is not a match for there
Nor dear and fear for bear and pear,
And then there's dose and rose and lose-
Just look them up - and goose and choose.
And cork and work and card and ward,
And font and front and word and sword,
And do and go, and thwart and cart-
Come, come, I've hardly made a start!
A dreadful language? Man alive-
I'd mastered it when I was five.
( Herbert Farjeon, Hints on Pronunciation for Foreigners)
Read the sentence: As I could read in an article, one person in seven of the world's entire population speaks English nowadays and most of them are quite fluent in it. Again. How do you translate as I could read. Let's learn some expressions containing the word as:
as compared with = în comparatie cu;
as a consequence of = ca o consecintă a;
as if/ as though = ca si cum;
as far as = întrucât, pe cât, în măsura în care;
as far as it goes = în ceea ce priveste;
as follows = precum/ după cum urmează;
as long as = atât timp cât;
as regards = în ceea ce priveste;
as a rule = de regulă, în principiu;
as seen = după cum se vede;
as shown in Fig. 2 = cum s-a arătat în Fig. 2;
as such = ca atare;
as well = deopotrivă, de asemenea;
as well as = cât si, tot asa ca;
as when = ca atunci când, ca în cazul în care;
as yet/ so far/ up to now. up to the present = până în prezent;
such as = astfel ca, ca de exemplu.
Now practise these expressions in sentences of your own.
It is used to express:
They discovered this machine in the late eighteenth century.
The English literature teacher gave us a copy of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight yesterday.
The industrialisation in
She always wore red.
I met him every day on my way to the office.
In those years, I didn't like reading.
Tom came into the room. He took off his shirt, put on a T-shirt and sat down in the armchair. Suddenly he remembered something. He stood up and went out of the room.
Form
The form of the Past Tense Simple is the same for all persons.
Affirmative
The positive of regular verbs ends in -ed.
There are many common irregular verbs. In order to create this tense you need the second form of the verb (see the list on page 299)
|
I You We They He/She |
arrived went to Sinaia |
yesterday |
Negative
-the negative of the Past Tense Simple is formed with the auxiliary did+not (didn't).
|
I You We They He/She |
did not (didn't) arrive did not (didn't) go to Sinaia |
yesterday |
Interrogative
-the question in the Past Tense Simple is formed with the auxiliary did.
|
When did Where did |
I you we they he she |
arrive go |
Short answer
Did you go to work yesterday?
Yes, I did. No, I didn't.
Did she report the results obtained?
Yes, she did. No, she didn't.
It is used to express:
What were you doing at
I was lecturing my students on linguistics.
When she arrived, they were waiting for her in the corridor.
I was reading from 4 to 6.30 yesterday.
-refers to:
I entered the room and looked around. My sister was playing with her dolls, Father was reading some news in the newspaper, of course, and little John was trying to draw something on my favourite poster.
The car was getting worse all the time. One of the headlights was continually falling off, and the engine was making a huge noise.
When she came to me, she was always looking through my diary.
Note that past continuous is not used to describe general habitual actions, without the sense of criticism mentioned above. Past simple is used for this meaning.
When I lived in
Form
was/ were (past tense of to be)+ verb+-ing (present participle)
Affirmative and negative
|
I He She |
was was not (wasn't) |
working |
|
You We They |
were were not (weren't) |
Interrogative
|
What |
was |
I he she |
doing |
|
were |
you we they |
Short answer
Were you working at this time yesterday?
Yes, I was. No, I wasn't.
Was she studying when you entered the room?
Yes, she was. No, she wasn't.
I was doing my homework at
I did my homework yesterday. (I started and finished it.)
They were producing such machines when those people started to buy shares in their company.
She was looking at the pictures when her husband came into the room.
(producing and looking are long activities. Something happened in the meantime to interrupt them).
Decide which is the correct verb form:
a. I saw/was seeing a very good programme on TV last night.
b. While I was learning/ learnt for my French exam, somebody was knocking/ knocked at the door.
c. How did you cut/ were you cutting your finger? While I was fixing/ fixed the wire, I was dropping/ dropped the knife.
d. I was listening/ listened to the news on the radio when the phone was starting/ started to ring.
e. An American jet pilot was taking off/ took off from
f. We made / were making about 50 text analyses last year.
g. Latin played/ was playing an essential part in the development of languages such as Romanian, Spanish, Italian, or French.
h. Our crew included/ was including a linguist, a writer and an English interpreter.
i. When the house was decorated, the entire family moved/ was moving in.
j. The first important breakthrough was replacing/ replaced radios with television sets in the 50's.
. Rewrite each sentence so that it contains the word or words in capitals. Do not alter the form of the words in any way and do not change the meaning of the sentence:
a. To get to the office on time I
had to wake up at
MEANT
b. I didn't exactly like swimming in those days.
WAS
c. There was someone to meet him on arrival.
WHEN
d. I didn't know about your departure.
THAT
e. I intended to invite you at my party, but I'm afraid that I completely forgot (it).
GOING
f. When you passed by the town hall clock, did you notice the time?
WHAT
g. I had to go past your house so I decided to drop in.
PASSING
h. Someone was painting our house at that moment.
HAVING
i. Someone stole Diana's bag yesterday.
HAD
j. The smell of the cheese stopped my eating the breakfast.
PUT
Put the verbs in brackets into the past simple or continuous:
It (happen) in June 1985. It (be) summer and we (all / lie out)in the garden. My mother (read) and my uncle (just / doze) in the sun. We children (look for) worms and insects. And then he (arrive). He (be) a tall, handsome man with piercing blue eyes and he (look) straight at my mother. Her face (go) pale and her eyes (open) wide with shock. "Arthur, I (think) you (be) dead, " she (say) in a kind of whisper.
Put the verbs in brackets into the past simple or continuous:
a. She lit the fire at 8.00 and it (burn) brightly when Mike came home at 9.00.
b. Mother (make) a cake when the light (go) out.
c. He (watch) the movie when the phone (ring). He (turn) down the sound and (go) to answer it.
d. The admiral (study) the battle plans when he (receive) news of the invasion. He (insist) on finishing his task.
e. They suddenly (realize) that they (fly) with the wrong plane.
f. I just (open) the door when the wind (blow) and (break) all the windows in the room.
g. He (dig) his garden when he accidentally (cut) three of his toes.
h. This (annoy) the bull, which immediately (begin) to chase Mr. Smith.
i. As they (walk) along the road they (hear) a car coming from behind them. j. Tom (turn) round and (hold) up his hand. The car (stop).
k. I (find) this ring as I (dig) in the garden. It looks very old. I wonder who it (belong) to?
l. A little later the teacher (notice) that smoke (rise) from this desk. 'You (smoke) when I (come) in?' he (ask).
m. He (say) that he (build) himself a house and that he (think) it would be ready in two years.
n. 'Why you (lend) him that book? I still (read) it.' 'I'm sorry. I (not know) that you still (read) it.'
o. At
Translate into English using the simple and continuous past tense whenever necessary:
a. Ma uitam la televizor când a sosit postasul.
b. În timp ce Diana asculta un concert la radio, cineva a batut la usa.
c. Anul trecut pe vremea asta eram la Predeal; acolo îmi petreceam vacanta de iarna si schiam în fiecare zi.
d. Cum s-a întâmplat exact accidentul? Mergeam de la Bucuresti la Ploiesti si tata tocmai ne povestea despre accidentul unor prieteni de-ai lui când deodata în fata masinii a sarit un câine.
e. Încercau sa gaseasca drumul catre centru când au dat peste un tânar care s-a oferit sa îi însoteasca si care i-a condus la obiectivele turistice cele mai importante ale orasului.
f. Dan se gândi ca trebuia sa se apuce de lucru, era cu mult în urma, dar tocmai în momentul când lua aceasta hotarâre veni un prieten si-l invita la un meci de fotbal.
g. Te-am zarit alaltaieri în multimea de oameni care astepta sa se deschida sala de spectacol, dar desi am încercat sa-mi croiesc drum pâna la tine, a fost de-a dreptul imposibil.
h. De ce boli ai suferit când erai mic si când ai fost ultima oara la medic?
Fill in the gaps with suitable verbs in the Simple Past or Past Continuous:
a. She (.) the voice that (.) louder than the others as that of her father.
b They (.) dinner when the girl next door (.) and (.) for a loaf of bread.
c. While the old lady (.) those scrambled eggs, she suddenly (.) they (.) off.
d. He not (.) the explosion because at that moment he (.).
e. What she (.) last night
between
f. I (.) when I (.) the road.
g. I (.) my bag when I (.) the plane.
h. My sister (.) wet while she (.) in the rain.
i. Whenever the politician (.) his mouth to speak the crowd (.) insults.
j. While the maid (.) the room a skeleton (.) out of the cupboard.
k As soon as he (.) under the shower, the doorbell (.).
l. They (.) and (.) while they (.) the mountain.
m. While I (.) in
n As they (.) from
o. When she (.) lunch a waiter (.) a plate of soup in her lap.
p As it (.) their mother (.) the picnic.
q. When he (.) downhill, the brakes (.) and he only (.) a serious accident by steering into a bush.
Translate the following texts into Romanian:
A. The winter term at Rummidge was of ten weeks' duration, like the autumn and summer terms, but seemed longer than the other two because of the cheerless season. The mornings were dark, dusk came early, and the sun seldom broke through the cloud cover in the brief interval of daylight. Electric lights burned all day in offices and lecture rooms. Outside, the air was cold and clammy, thick with moisture and pollution. It drained every colour and blurred every outline of the urban landscape. You could hardly see the face of the clock at the top of the University's tower, and the very chimes sounded muffled and despondent. The atmosphere chilled the bones and congested the lungs. Some people attributed the characteristic adenoidal whine of the local dialect to the winter climate, which gave everybody runny noses and blocked sinuses for months open like fish gasping for air. At this time of the year it was certainly hard to understand why human beings had ever settled and multiplied in such a cold, damp, grey place. Only work seemed to provide an answer. No other reason would make anyone come here, or having come, stay. All the more grim, therefore, was the fate of the unemployed of Rummidge and environments, condemned to be idle in a place where there was nothing much to do, except work.
(David Lodge, Nice Work)
B. Quayle knew then that here was a brick wall. It had all happened too quickly. He should have expected this. He should have got Helen out long ago. But it was not hopeless even if he did not know that she was all right. He didn't know whether or not she had been sent back with the other women. He was not sure of anything anymore. He was not certain about what he was to do. Perhaps H.Q. has some information. They may have telephone communication with the sector down the coast.
"Where is H.Q?" he asked the Australian.
"Down the coast. It's cut off, too.", the Australian said.
"Jesus Christ."
"That's right, too.", the Australian said. "Your wife's probably all right."
"Yes. Maybe." Quayle did not feel himself completely conscious.
"We'll probably clear it up tomorrow."
"Yes."
Quayle was standing there uncertainly. He turned around and started walking back. He thanked the guard as he walked away, and he felt the vibration of his feet against the hard road. He had never felt so completely unsure of himself and what he was doing.
He was picturing
Helen somewhere and he did not know where. But he could see her with sandals
sometimes, and sometimes with two fibre suitcases walking with other women, and
sometimes being surprised by German parachutists and shot. He was not certain
of anything, and he had vagueness about coming back or waiting to get down the
coast and whether this invasion would fail. He caught a truck going through
(James Aldridge, Signed with their Honour)
C. An old man with steel-rimmed spectacles and very dusty clothes sat by the side of the road. There was a bridge across the river and cars, trucks and men, women and children were crossing it. But the old man sat there without moving. He was too tired to go any farther.
"Where do you come from?" I asked him.
"From San-Carlos," he said and smiled. "I was taking care of the animals", he explained.
"Oh," I said, not quite understanding.
"Yes," he said.
"I stayed, you see, taking care of the animals. I was the last one to leave the
town of
"What animals were they?" I asked.
"There were two goats and a cat and then there were four pairs of pigeons."
"And you have no family?" I asked watching the far end of the bridge.
"No," he said, "only the animals I stated. I am seventy-six years old. I have come twelve kilometres now and I think I can go no further."
"This is not a good place to stop," I said.
"I will wait a little while," he said, "and then I will go."
He looked at me very blankly and tiredly, then said, having to share this worry with someone. "The cat will be all right. I am sure. But the others? Now what do you think about the others? What will they do under the artillery?"
"Did you leave the dove cage unlocked"? I asked.
"Yes."
"Then they'll fly."
"But the others? It's better not to think about the others," he said.
"If you are rested, I would go, I urged. "Get up and try to walk now."
"Thank you," he said and got to his feet, swayed from side to side and then sat down backwards in the dust.
"I was taking care of the animals," he said dully, but no longer to me. "I was only taking care of the animals."
There was
nothing to do about him. It was Sunday and the Fascists were advancing toward
the
(Ernest Hemingway, Old Man at the Bridge)
The form of the ordinal numeral
|
1st the first |
11th the eleventh |
21st the twenty-first |
|
2nd the second |
12th the twelfth |
22nd the twenty-second |
|
3rd the third |
13th the thirteenth |
23rd the twenty-third |
|
4th the fourth |
14th the fourteenth |
30th the thirtieth |
|
5th the fifth |
15th the fifteenth |
40th the fourtieth |
|
6th the sixth |
16th the sixteenth |
50th the fiftieth |
|
7th the seventh |
17th the seventeenth |
60th the sixtieth |
|
8th the eighth |
18th the eighteenth |
70th the seventieth |
|
9th the ninth |
19th the nineteenth |
80th the eightieth |
|
10th the tenth |
20th the twentieth |
90th the ninetieth |
|
100th the (one) hundredth |
1,000th the (one) thousandth |
|
622nd the (six) hundredth and twenty-second |
1,000,000 the (one) millionth |
The forms of the fractional numeral
|
Common fractions |
Decimal fractions |
|
1/2 a (one) half |
34.77 thirty-four point seventy-seven |
|
3/6 three sixths |
56.98 fifty-six point ninety-eight |
|
2/3 two thirds |
0.04 (nought) point nought four |
|
8 6/5 eight six fifths |
1.06 one point nought six |
The forms of the multiplicative numeral
1x single, once
2 double/ twice/ twofold
3x triple/ threefold, three times
4x fourfold, four times
10x tenfold, ten times
100x a hundredfold, a hundred times
Read the following numerals:
3 2/4; 5.879; 2 9/7; 11x; 43/42.
Read the following dates:
Translate into English:
a. Cât e ceasul, te rog? Douasprezece si un sfert.
b. La 1 iunie sarbatorim ziua copilului.
c. El s-a nascut la 23 octombrie 1974.
d. Între 13:20 si 13:30 avem o pauza în care nimeni nu are timp sa manânce.
e. Al cincilea modul este deja obositor pentru studenti.
f. La ora doua si un sfert iau autobuzul 85 si merg în Piata Universitatii.
g. Cât faci de la facultate pâna la camin? Caminul este lânga facultate, asa ca nu fac mai mult de cinci minute.
h. "A douasprezecea noapte" este o comedie scrisa de Shakespeare.
i. Câti centi are un dolar?
j. Deschideti cartea la pagina 43 si faceti exercitiul unu.
k. Toate lunile au treizeci sau treizeci si una de zile cu exceptia lunii februarie care are douazeci si opt de zile.
l. Camera are 5 metri în lungime si 4 si jumatate în latime.
m. O patrime din avere îi apartine lui Smith.
n. Cât ai obtinut? 0,78.
o. Ma duc la bunica aproximativ de trei ori pe saptamâna.
p. El a scris o lucrare de trei ori mai buna decât a ta.
In this unit you will learn:
Present Perfect Simple
Present Perfect Continuous
Differences between the Present Perfect and thePast Tense
Read the following dialogues. Pay attention to the use of homographs.
Dialogue 1: The Race
Jim has just come in last in a road race. He feels that the race was unfair, so he goes to talk to one of the judges about it.
Jim: I would like to contest the outcome of this contest. I would have won, but my shoelace was undone, and I had to bow down to fix it. That is why I did not get to start at the same time as the other runners.
Judge: I do not think that you can use that as an excuse. At the close of the race, you were not even close to the winning runner.
Jim: But the race was not fair. All of the other runners deserted me at the starting line. Can't we do it again?
Judge: I cannot discuss this with you any longer. If you will excuse me, I am late to meet some friends for a camping trip in the desert. Case closed!
Dialogue 2: The Singer
Charlie and Margaret are a married couple who own a video store. They are discussing the latest news they have received from their daughter, Joan.
Margaret:
Joan has told me this morning that she wants a career in the music business.
She is packing to go to
Charlie: What? She is going to subject the world to her singing voice? She is tone deaf!
Margaret: Don't let her hear you say that. It will bring her to tears. We will have to find a gentle way to separate her from the idea. We need to put our heads together to find a solution.
Charlie: Maybe we could show her that she could be of more use here. She could work at the store.
Margaret:
That's a great idea. I know she would like that. We could use another sales
clerk. On a separate subject, what should I do with Joan 's
train tickets to
Charlie: If she decides to stay, you can tear them up. It says on them that they are non-refundable.
Margaret: OK. I will check with Joan first.
Practise these dialogues.
The English language has a very complex spelling system.
Homographs are words that are spelled the same but pronounced differently (such as \'PREsent\ and \pre'SENT\). Homophones are words that sound the same, but are spelled differently (such as "hare" and "hair").
The meanings of the following homographs change depending on the way they are pronounced.
BOW and BOW:
A bow (n.) is "a tied ribbon," or also "a device used to shoot an arrow." To bow (v.) is "the action of bending forward at the waist and stooping low, demonstrating gratitude or respect."
CLOSE and CLOSE:
Close (adj.) describes "something very near, not far away." To close (v.) refers to "the act of shutting something."
CONTEST and CONTEST
A contest (n.) is "a competition that determines a winner." To contest (v.) refers to "the act of disputing or objecting to something."
DESERT and DESERT:
A desert (n.) is "an arid, sandy region." To desert (v.) something means "to leave it behind."
EXCUSE and EXCUSE
An excuse (n.) is "a reason or explanation for one's actions." To excuse (v.) means "to forgive."
RECORD and RECORD:
A record (n.) is "written documentation of a past event," or it can also refer to "a phonograph album." To record (v.) is "the act of writing information down," or "documenting data (such as music) electronically."
SEPARATE and SEPARATE:
To separate (v.) means "to divide or segregate." Separate (adj.) describes "things that are isolated or unconnected."
SUBJECT and SUBJECT:
A subject (n.) is "the topic of a book, conversation, or experiment." To subject (v.) means "to expose someone to something."
TEAR and TEAR:
Tears (n.) are "drops that fall from the eyes of someone who is crying." Tear (v.) means "to rip something into pieces."
USE and USE:
Use (n.) is "the event of employing something to serve a purpose." Use (v.) is "the action of employing for some purpose."
Now practice these homographs in sentences of your own. Can you add other homophones to the ones listed above?
In the second dialogue, the wife tells her husband: We need to put our heads together to find a solution. To put somebody's heads together is an idiom. It means to discuss a difficult problem together.
Let's learn some idioms containing the word head.
from head to foot/toe - over your whole body
have a good/fine head of hair - to have a lot of hair on your head
do something in your head - calculate something in your mind
go over your head - to be too difficult for you to understand
a clear/cool head - the ability to think clearly or calmly in a difficult or dangerous situation
need your head examined - be crazy
use your head - to think about something sensibly
keep your head above water - to manage to continue to live on your income or keep your business working in spite of money problems
be hanging your head against a brick wall - to keep trying to do something which seems impossible
have a head for figures/facts/ business - to be good at doing calculations, remembering facts
head over heels in love - loving somebody very much
heads with roll - used to say that some people will be punished severely for something that has happened
Now practise these idioms in sentences of your own.
Let's learn more idioms containing words which refer to parts of the body:
Foot
on foot - if you go somewhere on foot, you walk there
get/jump/ rise to your feet etc -to stand up after you have been sitting
be on your feet - to be standing for a long time without having time to sit down; to stand up; to feel better again after being ill and in bed
be rushed off your feet/ be run off your feet - to be very busy
put your foot in it - to say something without thinking carefully, so that you embarrass or upset someone
have two left feet - to be very clumsy
get off on the wrong foot - to start a relationship badly, usually by having an argument
have/keep both feet on the ground - to think in a sensible and practical way and not have ideas or aims that will be impossible to achieve
have one foot in the grave - to be very old or very ill
leave feet first - to die before you leave a place or job
feet of clay -someone that you admire who has feet of clay has faults that you did not realize they had
Hair
get in somebody's hair - to annoy someone, especially by always being near them
keep your hair on - (spoken) to tell someone to keep calm and not get annoyed
let your hair down - (informal) to enjoy yourself and start to relax, especially after working very hard
make somebody's hair stand on end - to make someone very frightened
not turn a hair - to remain completely calm when something bad or surprising suddenly happens
not harm/ touch a hair of somebody's head - no to harm somebody in any way
Hand
take somebody by the hand - hold somebody's hand in order to take them somewhere
hand in hand - holding each other's hand, especially to show love
right-handed/ left-handed - using the right hand for most actions rather than the left, or the left hand rather than the right
right/left hander - a player who uses mainly the right hand or mainly the left hand
not do a hand's turn - to do no work at all
a dab hand - someone who is very good at doing something good with your hands - skillful at making things
turn your hand to - to start doing something new or practising a new skill
keep your hand in - to keep practising something so you do not lose your skill
a firm hand - strict control of someone
get out of hand - to become impossible to control
take something/somebody in hand - to bring someone or something under control
in hand - being dealt with
have a hand in - to influence or to be involved in something
in good/safe/capable hands - being dealt with or looked after by someone who can be trusted
off your hands - if something or somebody is off your hands, you are not responsible for them anymore
at hand -near in time or space
on hand - close by and ready when needed
first hand/ at first hand - by direct personal experience
at second/third/fourth hand - passed from the first person who actually saw or heard something to a second, third, or fourth person
by hand - delivered from one person to another, and sent through the post
go hand in hand - to be closely connected
get your hands on to obtain something- to catch somebody you are angry with
lay your hands on - to find or obtain something
have time on your hands - to have a lot of time because you have no work to do
have your hands full -to be very busy or too busy
out of hand - if you refuse something out of hand, you refuse immediately and completely
hand in glove - closely connected with somebody, especially in a bad or illegal activity
on the one hand. on the other hand - used when comparing different or opposite facts or ideas
give somebody a (big) hand (of applause) - to clap loudly in order to show your approval of a performer or speaker
Mouth
keep your mouth shut - not to tell other people about a secret; not to say anything because you might make a mistake
big mouth - someone who is a big mouth or has a big mouth is annoying because they cannot keep secrets or they often say things they should not say
make your mouth water - if food makes your mouth water, it looks so good you want to eat it immediately
Nose
red-nosed/ long-nosed - having a nose that is red, long
right under somebody's nose - so close to somebody that they ought to notice, but they do not
stick/ poke your nose into - to show too much interest in private matters that do not concern you
look down your nose at - to behave as if you think somebody or something is not good enough for you
with your nose in the air - behaving as if you are more important than other people and not talking to them
on the nose - exactly
keep your nose to the grindstone - to work very hard, without stopping to rest
It relates past actions and states to the present.
It is used to express:
I have already seen that movie. (i.e. I can tell you the story).
He has fixed his car. (i.e. He can drive it now).
She has just met him in the computer science laboratory. (But: She met him there a few minutes ago.)
Has English been used by people at this office in the last ten years? (But: Why was English used on such a large scale in 1999?)
She has had four car accidents. (up to the present)
I have been to
He has never used an English-English dictionary before.
I've known you for five years/ since 1996. (Since means from a definite point in the past till now, and for expresses a duration).
How long have you worked as a translator?
How long has it taken the English language to be used by so many people?
Form
have/has +verb (past participle)
The past participle of regular verbs ends in -ed. There are many common irregular verbs (see the list on page 299).
Affirmative and negative
|
I We You They |
have ('ve) have not (haven't) |
worked in a petroleum factory. |
|
He She |
has ('s) has not (hasn't) |
Interrogative
|
Have |
I we you they |
been to the |
|
Has |
he she |
Short answer
Have you ever
been to
Yes, I have. No, I haven't.
Has she ever worked as a petroleum engineer?
Yes, she has. No, she hasn't.
Look at the use of the Present Perfect and the Past Simple in the following sentences:
I've lived in this flat for six months (I still do.)
I lived in this flat for two years. (Now I live somewhere else.)
John Fowles has written very good short stories. (He is still alive.)
Shakespeare wrote very good plays. (He is dead.)
He has worked in this university for four years. (But: He started working in this university four years ago)
Have you found your books? (uncertainty
Yes, I have.
Where did you find them? (certainty
I found them behind a couple of other books, on the top shelf.
I've bought a house. (indefinite
I bought a house last month. (definite)
I bought the house after all. (implies definite reference: the house we talked about).
Choice between past simple and present perfect for recent events may depend on the mental attitude of the speaker. This in turn may depend on whether the speaker feels distant in time or place from the event.
I've left the red bag in my room. I'm going back to take it.
Here the speaker may be about to return, and feels that the event is connected with the present.
I left the red bag in my room. I'm going back to take it.
Here the speaker may feel separated in time from the event, or be further away.
Complete this conversation by putting the verbs in brackets into the present perfect or simple past:
Maria: Hello, Dan.
Dan: Hello. I (not hear) from you for a long time.
Maria: I (see) you in town two or three weeks ago, but you (not see) me. I (be) on a tram.
Dan: Well, how are you? I remember that you were learning for your English Phonetics test. .. you (pass) it yet?
Maria: Yes, I have. I (pass) in December. I (not pass) my Lexicology exam yet. But what about you, Dan? Anything exciting (happen) to you lately?
Dan: No, not really. My brother is still out of work.
Maria: He (graduate) from school in autumn?
Dan: Yes. He (not do) very well in his exams and he (not find) a job yet.
Maria: Are you still working at Scott's?
Dan: Yes. They just (give) me a pay rise.
Maria: Well, that's one piece of good news.
Insert the Present Perfect or Past Indefinite:
a. Thomas (to meet) her for the first time the day he turned 20.
b. I (to see) my friend's name in the papers quite often lately.
c As far as I know, Mr Black (not to return) from the dentist's; he (to leave) quite a long time ago.
d. They (to stand) in silence for a few minutes; she (to speak) at last.
e Mike, here is your cake; you (not to eat) it.
f. I don't know why but I have the feeling that something (to happen).
g. She (to begin) reading
at 8 this morning and (to go) on reading until
h. When I (to buy) my car I (to ask) the company to confirm my insurance by telephone. The company (to tell) me to wait for the response, but I (to wait) a month now and the confirmation still (not come).
Circle the correct answer:
|
1. When ________________ the company? |
|
|
a) |
have you joined |
|
b) |
Had you joined |
|
c) |
did you join |
|
d) |
have you ever joined |
|
|
|
|
2.
___________________ in |
|
|
a) |
Did you ever worked |
|
b) |
Have you ever worked |
|
c) |
Had you ever worked |
|
d) |
Didn't you work |
|
|
|
|
3. That's the best presentation ______________ |
|
|
a) |
I never heard |
|
b) |
I didn't hear |
|
c) |
I used to hear |
|
d) |
I've ever heard |
|
|
|
|
4. He's the most difficult customer _____ _______ ______ ______ |
|
|
a) |
I never dealt with. |
|
b) |
I never had to deal with. |
|
c) |
I've ever had to deal with. |
|
d) |
I've never had to deal with. |
|
|
|
|
5. ___________________ to him last week. |
|
|
a) |
I spoke |
|
b) |
I've already spoken |
|
c) |
I hadn't spoken |
|
d) |
I will have spoken |
|
|
|
|
6. ______________ a binding contract last year and it is still valid. |
|
|
a) |
We have signed |
|
b) |
We signed |
|
c) |
We haven't signed |
|
d) |
We had signed |
|
|
|
|
7. The
reason I look so brown is that _______________ from a business trip to |
|
|
a) |
I come back |
|
b) |
I came back |
|
c) |
I never came back |
|
d) |
I've just come back |
|
|
|
|
8. Sales ________ in 1995 but then _____ in 1996. |
|
|
a) |
didn't rise have fallen |
|
b) |
rose fell |
|
c) |
have risen have fallen |
|
d) |
rose have fallen |
|
|
|
|
9. You ____________ to a word ____________ |
|
|
a) |
listened I haven't said |
|
b) |
didn't listen I say |
|
c) |
listened saying |
|
d) |
haven't listened I've said |
|
|
|
|
10. It's obvious that ________________ this report. |
|
|
a) |
you haven't read |
|
b) |
you didn't read |
|
c) |
you don't read |
|
d) |
you had read |
Fill in with a suitable verb either in the Past Tense or Present Perfect:
a. You (.) all your life in this luxurious mansion?
b. When I (.) school I (.) my hair and (.) it short ever since.
c. My sister (.) several poems. She just (.) her second ode.
d. For your information I
(.) home at 8 in the morning and (.) just before
e. John cannot send the letter since he (.) it. He (.) writing it at 5 and it's 8 already.
f. As a child, I (.) catch a cold every month. Now I (...) a cold for more than two years.
g. It (.) very hot this summer, I wonder when it's going to get colder.
h. The movie (.) at 12 and (.) for two hours. Everybody enjoyed it.
i. What are we going to do? We (.) the train and the next one leaves in the morning.
j. You (.) her an e-mail yet? Yes, I (.) it when you (.) at school.
Rephrase the sentences below using the word in brackets:
a. It's been years since I last met Jim. (contact)
b. When did you leave the country? (ago)
c. Mike has tried to give up smoking before. (first)
d. He was going to leave
for
e. It was proposed that a new church should be built. (forward)
f. It is Sunday. The last time I saw Jane was on Monday. (for)
Translate into English:
a. Te-am cautat ieri vreo doua ore si te-am cautat si astazi. Pe unde ai umblat?
b. Cu ani în urma crestea porumbei si lilieci dar acum s-a apucat sa planteze ananas.
c. Vecinul meu a scris si câteva povesti de adormit copiii; evident, le-a scris când era foarte tânar.
d. Am baut si am dansat pâna acum, ca de mâncat - am mâncat dimineata.
e. Nu am vazut în viata mea atâta suferinta cât am vazut azi la acest azil de batrâni.
f. S-a purtat foarte frumos cu mine de când i-am spus ca îi vând lui masina mea.
g. Cumnatul meu a spart ieri casa fostului sau director; dupa aceea s-a facut nevazut si de atunci politia îl cauta fara încetare.
h. Tocmai am aflat vestea conform careia presedintele acelei tari a cazut victima unui atac terorist.
i. Vi se pare curios ca tocmai si-a luat lucrurile si a plecat, dupa ce l-ati înjurat ca nu a avut bani sa plateasca chiria?
j. Sigur, domnule, John si-a platit datoria. si-a platit-o înca de când a luat salariul.
It is used to express:
They have been creating new products for several years.
I've been waiting for an hour and he still hasn't turned up.
Sorry I'm late. Have you been waiting long?
Note: In both these uses the present perfect simple can be also used, especially with those verbs which are not normally in the continuous aspect, in negative sentences, and when reference is made to the number of things that have been done: They have created/ have been creating new products for several years./ They have created 2000 new products so far.
There may be little contrast when some state verbs are used.
How long have you lived here?
How long have you been living here?
Some verbs (especially sit, lie, stay and wait) prefer the continuous form.
There may be a contrast between completion and incompletion, especially if the number of items completed is mentioned.
Completed: emphasis on achievement
I've washed four skirts this morning.
Incomplete, or recently completed: emphasis on duration.
I've been washing my skirts this morning.
I've been calling you for the past twenty minutes. Why don't you answer the phone?
Form
It consists of the present perfect of the auxiliary be and the present participle of the main verb (verb+-ing).
Affirmative and negative
|
I You We They |
have been have not been (haven't been) |
working |
|
He She |
has been has not been (hasn't been) |
Interrogative
|
What |
have I have you have we have they |
been |
doing |
|
has he has she |
Translate the following sentences into English. Use present perfect simple or present perfect continuous:
a. Te caut de o oră. Pe unde ai umblat?
b. De atunci n-am mai primit nici o veste de la el.
c. Câte cuvinte ai cautat în dictionar până acum?
d. Locuim în România de trei ani.
e. N-am mai văzut-o de când a terminat facultatea.
Supply the simple present perfect or the continuous present perfect of the verbs in brackets:
a. I'm tired. I (work) hard all day.
b. Up to now I (visit) twenty countries.
c. I saw her in August, but (not see) her ever since.
d. How long you (learn) Chinese?
e. You're out of breath. You (run)?
f. She (not write) the essay on Renaissance yet.
g. What she (do) all afternoon?
h. They already (speak) to me about that experiment.; i. Your eyes are red. You (cry).
Choose the correct verb form:
a. How long have you been living/ have you lived in this house?
b. Angela worked/ has been working in this petroleum company for ten years and a half.
c. Alan has been going/ has gone to
d. He's tired because he has worked/ has been working on the oil field all day.
e. How long have you been learning/ have you learned English?
Rewrite each sentence, beginning as shown, so that the meaning stays the same:
a. It's a long time since I last saw such a good movie.
I haven't seen .................
b. We haven't seen each other for ages.
It's ages ..................
c. I bought my car in 1992 and I'm still driving it.
I've been ..................
d. I haven't been to
It's the first ..................
e. There is definite improvement in your spelling recently.
Lately your spelling ...............
f. No wonder you are
overweight. You ate chocolates in the morning, you have eaten chocolates in the
afternoon and you are still eating chocolates now and it's
No wonder you are overweight. You .........
g. I don't know where my glasses are.
I have .....................
h. I don't have the textbook with me. It is at home.
I have .....................
i. The last time I spoke to Jane was in 2001.
I haven't .....................
j. Eating this spicy Indian food is totally new to me.
I haven't ....................
Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense: present perfect simple or continuous:
a. Peter: You (telephone) for ages. You not
nearly (finish)? Jack: I (not get) through yet. I (try) to get our
b. Ann (fail) her driving test three times because she's so bad at reversing. But she (practise) reversing for the last week and I think she (get) a bit better at it.
c. Tom: I often (wonder) why Bill left the country so suddenly. Peter: Actually, I just (find) out.
d. He (play) the bagpipes since
e. Why you (not bring) me the letters for signature? You (not type) them yet?
f. Tom (looking up absent-mindedly as Mary comes in): You (sunbathe)? Mary (crossly): Don't be ridiculous! It (rain) all day!
g. A pair of robins (build) a nest in the porch since last week. I (watch) them from my window since they began.
h. The police (not find) the murderer yet, but the dead man's brother (be) in the station all day. The police say that he (help) them with their enquiries.
i. They (pull) down most of the houses in this street, but they (not touch) the old shop at the corner yet.
j. Tom is convinced that there is gold in these hills but we (search) for six months and (not see) any sign of it.
k. I (wait) for the prices of the houses to come down before buying a house, but I think I (wait) too long and the prices are beginning to go up again.
l. Peter (be) a junior clerk for three years. Lately he (look) for a better post but so far he (not find) anything.
m. I (do) housework all morning and I (not finish) yet. I
(do) mine already. I always start at
n. I just (pick) ten pounds of strawberries! I (grow) strawberries for years but I never (have) such a good crop before.
o. What you (do) with the corkscrew? The point is broken off. I'm afraid I (use) it to make holes in this tin.
p. She just (sell) two of her own paintings. She's lucky. I (paint) for five years and I (not sell) a single picture yet.
q. They are throwing crockery at each other in the next flat. This (happen) before? Well, they (have) a good many rows but this is the fifth time they (throw) crockery.
r. What you (do) with my typewriter? I can't find it anywhere. Tom just (go) off with it. He says he'll bring it back when he (finish).
s. He (work) for Crow Brothers for forty years and never once (be) late. The firm just (present) him with a gold watch as a sign of their appreciation.
t. We (mend) sheets all morning but we only (do) three, and now the sewing machine (break) down so we'll be even slower with the next one.
Put the verbs in brackets into present perfect simple or continuous:
a. George (collect) matchboxes ever since he left school. Now he (collect) so many that he doesn't know where to put them.
b. I (look) through my old photograph album. It's full of photographs of people whose names I completely (forget). I wonder what (happen) to them all.
c. It was lovely at
d. I'm afraid the fine spell (come) to an end.
e. Since he became Mayor, my brother reckons that he (eat) 30 official lunches and 22 official dinner, and he (lose) count of the number of receptions and parties that he (attend). He (put) on a lot of weight?
f. Secretary: Customers (ring) up all morning complaining about getting incorrect bills. Manager: I know: something (go) wrong with our computer. The mechanic (work) on it, I hope he (find) out what's wrong.
g. "Someone (use) my umbrella! It's all wet! And it was wet yesterday and the day before!"
"Well, it wasn't me. I (not be) out of the house for a week!"
h. I (stand) in this queue for ages. It (not move) at all in the last five minutes. I think the man in the ticket office just (shut) his window and (go) out for lunch.
i. The Town Council (consider) my application for permission to build a garage for three months. They just (give) my neighbour permission to build one, so I hope they (decide) to let me have one too.
j. You look exhausted! Yes, I (play) tennis and I (not play) for years, so I'm not used to it.
k. They began widening this road three weeks ago; but the workmen (be) on strike for the last fortnight so they (not get) very far with it.
l. That man (stand) at the bus stop for the last half hour. Shall I tell him that the last bus already (go)?
m. I wonder if anything (happen) to Tom. I (wait) an hour now. He often (keep) me waiting but he never (be) quite so late as this.
n. Mrs Brown (live) next door for quite a long time now but she never (say) more than 'Good morning' to me.
o. I just (remember) that I (not pay) the rent yet, I am surprised that the landlord (not ring) me up to remind me. It is the first time you (be) late with the rent in 25 years. He probably thinks that you (pay) and he (lose) the cheque.
p. Shop assistant: Could you give me some proof of your identity, madam? Customer: But I (shop) here for fifteen years! Shop assistant: I know, madam, but apparently the company (lose) a lot of money lately through dud cheques and they (make) new regulations which we (be told) to apply to all customers no matter how long we (know) them.
q. What you (do)? I (look) for you for ages. I (build) a barbecue grid in the garden.
Translate into English:
a. Mihai e chiar culmea! Spala rufe de când am venit eu de la bâlci si n-a terminat nici macar pantalonii.
b. Miroase a ars în bucatarie. Iar a gatit sotul meu!
c. Tocmai am terminat de sapat gradina. Vecinul meu, saracul, sapa de azi dimineata dar nu a terminat decât un sfert din teren.
d. N-ai adus înca masina de la reparat? - Da' de unde, caut piese de schimb de mai bine de o luna si n-am gasit nici una pâna acum.
e. Tony si Nikki nu-si mai vorbesc de o luna; de luna trecuta îsi tot trimit mesaje de amenintare prin posta.
f. De 13 ani se chinuie românii sa redreseze economia si nici acum nu au reusit sa stabilizeze moneda nationala.
Put the verbs between brackets in the right tense:
In the past thirty years many social changes ...... (take) place in
The changes ....(be) significant, but, because tradition and prejudice can still ......(handicap) women in their working careers and personal lives, major legislation to help promote equality of opportunity and pay ...(appear) during the 70s.
Since 1951 the proportion of married women who work .... (grow) from just over a fifth to a half. Compared with their counterparts elsewhere in the European Community, British women comprise a relatively high proportion of the work-force, about two-fifths, but on average they ... work) fewer hours, about 31 a week. There is still a significant difference between women's average earnings and men's, but the equal pay legislation which .. come) into force at the end of 1975 seems to have helped to narrow the gap between women's and men's basic rates. During the 1970s women's wages ....(rise) proportionately more than men's but ......(remain) relatively low because women ....(tend) to work in lowly-paid sectors of the economy, they often ...(work) in predominantly female work-forces, and they work less overtime than men.
As more and more women joined the work-force in the 1960s and early 1970s there ..(be) an increase in the collective incomes of women as a whole and a major change in the economic role of large numbers of housewives. Families .. (come) to rely on married women's earnings as an essential part of their income rather than as "pocket money", or as a means of buying "extras". At the same time social roles within the family ... (be) more likely to be shared, exchanged or altered.
Rewrite each sentence, beginning as shown, so that the meaning stays the same:
a. I've had to wait all morning.
I have been .........
b. I didn't have any idea of my next move.
I didn't know .......
c. The last time I was to
I haven't ..........
d. Go to the registration desk immediately on arrival.
As .............
e. Mary and John's wedding is next weekend.
Mary and John will ......
f. I intended to tell you about it earlier, but I simply forgot.
I was .............
g. I wasn't very keen on tennis in those days.
I didn't use ..........
h. Whose car is that?
Whom does .........
i. Your brother will get over his illness. Then his work will get better.
Once ............
Choose the most suitable continuation for each sentence:
a. You can borrow this book,
A. I am not going to need it; B. won't have been needing it; C. am not needing it.
b. It's no use calling Barbra at home. She
A. will have left; B. is leaving; C. will leave
c. When you passed the town hall clock,
A. were you noticing what time it was?; B. have you noticed what time it was?; C. did you notice what time it was?
d. I must apologise, I
A. hadn't realised that this seat was yours.; B. wasn't realising that this seat was yours.; C. didn't realise that this seat was yours.
e. I realised that someone had stolen one of my bags when I
A. was getting to the taxi.; B. got to the taxi.; C. have got to the taxi.
f. Can you remember what
A. you were doing five years ago today?; B. you did five years ago today?; C. you have been doing five years ago today?
g. This is my new suit. Do you think it
A. suited me? B. suits me? C. has suited me?
h. Cleo! I didn't expect to see you here. What
A. are you doing in
i. I simply can't understand what
A. you are waiting for; B. you wait for; C. you will wait for.
Translate the following sentences into English, using the appropriate tense:
a. Nu stiu bine timpurile.
b. Am încercat sa-ti telefonez toata ziua. Unde ai fost?
c. Sunt casatoriti de zece ani.
d. Era o femeie atât de buna încât toata lumea o iubea.
e. Uite! Ţi-ai rupt tricoul.
f. Am petrecut revelionul la tara acum doi ani.
g. Nimeni nu are voie sa plece acasa pâna nu terminam proiectul.
h. De multa vreme nu mai ninge mult iarna.
i. În ziua urmatoare si-au continuat calatoria.
j. Ai recunoscut-o pe fata care statea lânga tine la cinema?
k. Are masina de doua luni. Sotul ei i-a daruit-o de întâi martie.
l. L-ai vazut pe John? Da, ieri a trecut pe la noi.
m. George locuia cu mama lui când aceasta a murit.
n. Ploua cu galeata de trei ore când ne-am întors acasa.
o. Ce faceai când a venit Maria la tine?
Key:
have taken; have been; have been; handicap; appeared; has grown; work; came; rose; remained; tend; work; was; came; were
2. a. I have been waiting all morning.
b. I didn't know what I would do next.
c. I haven't been to
d. As you arrive, go to the registration desk.
e. Mary and John will get married next weekend.
f. I was going to tell you about it earlier.
g. I didn't use to play tennis in those days.
h. Whom does the car belong to?
i. Once your brother has got over his illness, his work will get better.
a. A; b. A; c. C; d. C; e. B; f. A; g. B.; h. A; i. A
a. I don't know the tenses well.
b. I have been trying to call you all day. Where have you been?
c. They have been married for ten years.
d. She was such a kind woman that everybody loved her.
e. Look here! You've torn your T-shirt.
f. We spent New Year's Eve in the countryside last year.
g. Nobody is allowed to go home until we have finished the project.
h. It hasn't snowed anymore in winter for a long time.
i. The next day he went on his trip.
j. Have you recognised the girl sitting next to you at the cinema?
k. She has had this car for two months. Her husband gave it to her in March. l. Have you seen John? Yes, he called on us yesterday.
m. George was living with his mother when this one died.
n. It had been raining cats and dogs for three hours when we came back home.
o. What were you doing when Mary came to you?
Score:
1 point + 0,60 points each x15 =10 points
1 point + 1 point each x9 = 10 points
1 point + 1 point each x9 = 10 points
1 point + 0,60 points each x15 =10 points
Divided by 4 = 10 points
In this unit you will learn:
Indefinite Pronouns
Personal Pronouns
Read the following dialogues. Pay attention to the use of homophones.
Dialogue 1: The Portrait
In honour of John and Mary's wedding anniversary, Fred agrees to pose for his wife, who wants to paint his portrait.
John: It feels like I have been sitting here for hours. When can I take a peek?
Mary: Sit still. I don't want you to see the painting until the whole thing is done. I am still working on your face. It is coming out great! I think I am at my artistic peak.
John: Are we still going to that inn in
Mary: Certainly! I bought a pair of tickets for a dinner show there on Saturday night.
John: That sounds nice.
Mary: What are you doing with that pear?
John: I am going to pare it, and then I am going to eat it.
Mary: Well, put it down. I don't want it in the picture.
John: Can't you just leave a hole where the pear is and fill it in later? I am hungry.
Mary: Okay, we'll take a break. Oh, no! Where is my wedding ring? I hope it didn't go down the drain when I was wringing out those rags!
John: No, it's on the table. You took it off to paint.
Mary: Oh, good. I would hate to have lost that right before our anniversary!
Dialogue 2: The Carnival
Tammy and Bruce are spending the afternoon at a carnival.
Tammy: I am so glad we came today. I am having so much fun! This is ideal weather for a carnival.
Bruce: I agree. Where do you want to go next?
Tammy: Look! That guy over there will guess your weight. The sign says he can even guess what size you wear.
Bruce: There's no wait to see him, either. Let's go to his booth.
Carnival worker: Hey, you two! Do you want me to guess your weight? Whether you are fat or thin, I can guess just by looking at you.
Tammy: Okay. Guess.
Carnival worker: You weigh one hundred and thirty-seven pounds, and he weighs one-seventy.
Bruce: That's correct! Hey, look! There are Stan and Judy. They're good sports. Let's see if he can guess their weights, too!
Tammy: I'll go get them.
Practice these dialogues.
The following are examples of easily confused homophones. These words are pronounced identically, yet they have different spellings and meanings:
HOLE and WHOLE:
A hole (n.) is "an empty space." Whole (adj.) means "entire, total."
IN and
In (prep.) means "the opposite of 'out.'" An inn (n.) is "a small hotel."
PAIR, PARE, and PEAR:
A pair (n.) means "two matched or corresponding things." To pare (v.) means " to peel." A pear (n.) is "a fruit."
PEEK and PEAK:
Peek (v.) means "to sneak a quick look at something." A peak (n.) is "a summit or climax."
RING and WRING:
A ring (n.) is "a circular object with a hole in the middle." Ring (v.) means "to strike something for the purpose of creating a sound, such as a bell." To wring (v.) means "to twist something."
THEIR, THERE, and THEY'RE:
Their (pron.) is "the possessive form of ''they. " There (adv.) means "at a certain place." They're is "a contraction of ''they are. "
TO, TOO, and TWO:
To (prep.) is "the opposite of ''from. " Too (adv.) means "also." Two (n.) is "a cardinal number."
WAIT and WEIGHT:
To wait (v.) means "to pause or linger." Weight (n.) is "the measurement of heaviness."
WEAR and WHERE:
Wear (v.) means "to have an item of clothing or an object on one's body." Where (adv.) refers to "the location of something."
WEATHER and WHETHER:
Weather (n.) refers to "the climate conditions." Whether (conj.) is used "to introduce two or more alternatives."
Now practise these homographs in sentences of your own. Can you add other homophones to the ones listed above?
A lot of jokes are made with homonyms and homophones, because there is a play on words. Read the following children's jokes.
Customer: Waiter! What sort of soup is this?
Waiter: It's bean soup, sir.
Customer: I don't care what it was. I want to know what it is now.
A Panda bear goes to a restaurant, he orders Coke and salad and wants to leave. The waiter asks him to pay. They have an argument and they decide to look up the word restaurant. The definition of the word restaurant is: a place where you eat, you drink, you have a good time and you pay money when you leave. The Panda bear insists on checking the word Panda bear. The definition is: a Panda bear is a very nice black and white bear who eats vegetables and leaves.
Teacher: You missed school yesterday, Johnny, didn't you?
Johnny: No, not at all.
Mechanic: Your battery's flat.
Driver: Oh dear. What shape should it be?
What colour would you paint the sun and the wind?
The sun rose and the wind blue.
What did the salad say to the tomato?
Lettuce get married.
Why was the doctor angry?
Because he had no patients.
What's the difference between a ball and a prince?
One is thrown in the air, and the other is heir to the throne.
In the first dialogue, the wife tells her husband not to be hurried, as she still needs to work on his portrait. She says: I am still working on your face.
Let's learn some idioms containing the word face.
Face
pale-faced/ round-faced etc - having a face that has a particular shape or colour
serious-faced/ grim-faced etc - showing a particular expression on your face
face to face - if two people are face to face, they are very close and in front of each other
put a brave face (on) - to make an effort to behave in a happy cheerful way when you are upset or disappointed
Now practise these idioms in sentences of your own.
Let's learn more idioms containing words which refer to parts of the body:
Arm
arm in arm - if you walk arm in arm with somebody, you are walking next to them with your arm in theirs
welcome somebody/something with open arms - to show that you are happy to see somebody or eager to accept an idea, plan, etc.
give your right arm - to be willing to do anything to get or do something
at arm's length - if you hold something at arm's length, you hold it away from your body
as long as your arm - (informal) a list or written document that is as long as your arm
Ear
long-eared/ short-eared etc. - having long ears
be all ears - (informal) to be very keen to hear someone is going to tell you
smile/grin etc from ear to ear - to show that you are very happy or pleased by smiling so much
give somebody a thick ear - (British English informal) to hit someone
go in (at) one ear and out (at) the other - (informal) if information goes in one ear and out the other, you forget it as soon as you have heard it
keep your/an ear to the ground - to make sure that you always know what is happening in a situation
Eye
blue eyed/ one-eyed/bright-eye/ wide eyed etc - having blue eyes, one eye, bright eyes, eyes that are wide open etc
have/keep an eye on somebody - to be carefully watching everything that someone does, especially because you do not trust them to do things properly
clap/lay/set eyes on somebody/something - to see somebody or something, used especially when you are surprised or shocked
the naked eye - if you can see something with the naked eye, you can see it without using any artificial help such as telescope or microscope
be all eyes - to watch carefully what is happening or what someone is doing
eye contact - if you have eye contact with someone, you look directly at them and they look directly at you
run/cast eye over something - to look at something quickly without reading it in detail
keep your eye on something/somebody - to look after someone or something and make sure they are safe
keep you eyes open/peeled - (spoken) to carefully watch for anything
have eyes in the back of your head - to know what is happening all around you, even when this might seem impossible
have a (good) eye for something - to be good at noticing and recognizing what is attractive, valuable, of good quality
in the eyes of the law/ the world/ the police etc - in the opinion or judgment of the law, the world, the police
one in the eye for - (British English) a defeat or disappointment for someone else, usually used when you are pleased about it.
Finger
not lift/ raise a finger - not to make any effort to help someone with their work
keep your fingers crossed - to hope that something will happen the way you want
be all fingers and thumbs - (British English) to use your hands in an awkard or careless way, so that you drop or break things
have a finger in every pie - an expression meaning to be involved in many activities and have influence over them, used especially when you think someone has too much influence
twist/wrap somebody around your little finger - to be able to persuade someone to do anything that you want
long-fingered/delicate-fingered etc -having long, delicate fingers
Practise them in sentences of your own.
some/any; much/many, a lot of/ lots of, few (a few)/ little (a little)
Countable nouns are used with some+ a plural noun in affirmative sentences, and any+ a plural noun in negative and interrogative sentences:
I've got some tools.
Are there any books of Physics in the house?
We don't need any apples for this pie.
Uncountable nouns are used with some in affirmative sentences and any in interrogative and negative sentences, but only with a singular noun:
There is some chocolate in this cake.
Is there any water in this well?
We haven't got any butter in the house.
Countable nouns are used with many in interrogative and negative sentences:
How many geologists work for this company?
We haven't discovered many new oil fields.
Uncountable nouns are used with much in interrogative and negative sentences:
How much money have you got?
There wasn't much disappointment that awaited him when she deserted him
Both countable and uncountable nouns are used with a lot of and lots of:
We've got a lot of uniforms.
There are lots of books in this library.
There's a lot of mineral water in my fridge.
He's got a lot of money.
Countable nouns are used with few/ a few, while uncountable nouns are used with little/ a little:
I've got a few problems at the moment.
We only need a little money to buy this.
The nominative. Form
|
Person |
Singular |
Plural |
|
First person |
I |
we |
|
Second person |
you |
you |
|
Third person |
he she it |
they |
The accusative/The dative. Form
|
Person |
Singular |
Plural |
|
First person |
(to) me |
(to) us |
|
Second person |
(to) you |
(to) you |
|
Third person |
(to) him (to) her (to) it |
(to) them |
Fill in the personal pronoun in the accusative or dative (required by prepositions):
a. The old man asked (he) what the time was.
b. Will you give (I) permission to go home earlier?
c. Listen to (she).
d. Will you let (they) to come to your anniversary?
e. I'll call for (they) when I think they forgot our little misunderstanding.
f. The doctor! Send for (he) at once.
g. Please, look for it while I am away.
h. He takes much interest in (you).
Fill in the indefinite pronouns: somebody, anybody, nobody, everybody:
a. ...knows that the semester will finish in June.
b. ... is knocking at the door. There must be the cleaning woman you sent for.
c. Ask .... if they have come back from
d. ... came an hour ago and left this parcel for Mary.
e. I have never seen ... like him.
f. We haven't heard of .. who didn't pass the English exam.
g. ... can tell you how mistaken you are.
h. ... has to open the door for him!
i. She was talking and .. was listening to what she was saying.
j. During a good performance of the actors ... speaks.
k. I'm sorry. My knowledge in this field is very poor. Ask ... from the French department.
l. Can .. help me with this?
m. ... should know these rules. They are not difficult at all.
Fill in the indefinite pronouns: much, many, little, a little, few, a few:
a. .. were there but listened to what she had to say.
b. Do you have any questions? Just ..
c. He didn't give me too .. trouble, just ....
d. There wasn't .. sugar left, so I couldn't make a coffee.
e. Are there many mistakes in her test paper? No, just ...
f. The problem was .... difficult, but we finally managed.
g. There is plenty of information here but .. has been read.
h. Despite the unfavourable weather .. did come to the meeting.
i. I've got ... problems to solve.
j. We only need ... money to buy this.
Translate into English:
a. I-am dat cuiva cartea, darn nu-mi amintesc cu siguranta când.
b. Mi-a fost decernat premiul Uniunii Scriitorilor acum trei ani.
c. As vrea putin zahar în cafea, te rog. Este prea amara.
d. Cu putina rabdare, totul se va rezolva.
e. Lui i s-a parut ca ceva nu este în regula, asa ca s-a retras din cursa.
f. Toata lumea o iubeste. Se pare ca i-a cucerit pe toti.
g. Nu este nevoie de foarte mult vin la friptura.
h. Multi elevi asteapta vacanta cu nerabdare.
i. As vrea sa stiu câti studenti au picat la acest examen.
In this unit you will learn:
Past Perfect Simple
Past Perfect Continuous
The Imperative
Read the following fragment from Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. Underline the verbs which are used in Past Perfect:
All this while the storm increased, and the sea, which I had never been upon before, went very high, though nothing like what I have seen many times since; no, nor like what I saw a few days after. But it was enough to affect me then, who was but a young sailor, and had never known anything of the matter. I expected that every wave would have swallowed us up, and that every time the ship fell down, as I thought, in the trough or hollow of the sea, we should never rise more; and in this agony of mind I made many vows of resolutions, that if it would please God here to spare my life this one voyage, if ever I got once my foot upon dry land again, I would go directly home to my father, and never set it into a ship again while I lived; that I would take his advice, and never run myself into such miseries as these any more. Now I saw plainly the goodness of his observations about the middle station of life, how easy, how comfortably he had lived all his days.
And never had I been exposed to tempests at sea, or troubles on shore; and I resolved that I would, like a true repenting prodigal, go home to my father.
These wise and sober thoughts continued all the while the storm continued, and indeed some time after; but the next day the wind was abated and the sea calmer, and I began to be a little inured to it. However, I was very grave for all that day, being also a little sea-sick still; but towards night the weather cleared up, the wind was quite over, and a charming fine evening followed; the sun went down perfectly clear, and rose so the next morning; and having little or no wind, and a smooth sea, the sun shining upon it, the sight was, as I thought, the most delightful that ever I saw.
I had slept well in the night, and was now no more sea-sick but very cheerful, looking with wonder upon the sea that was so wrought and terrible the day before, and could be so calm and so pleasant in so little time after. And now lest my good resolutions should continue, my companion, who had indeed enticed me away, comes to me: "Well, Bob," says he, clapping me on the shoulder, "how do you do after it? I warrant you were frighted, wa'n't you, last night, when it blew but a capful of wind?" "A capful, d'you call it?" said I; It was a terrible storm." "A storm, you fool you," replied he; "do you call that a storm? Why, it was nothing at all; give us but a good ship and sea-room, and we think nothing at all; give us but a good ship and sea-room, and we think nothing of such a squall of wind as that; but you're but a fresh-water sailor, Bob. Come, let us make a bowl of punch, and we'll forget all that; d'ye see what charming weather 'tis now?"
Look at the following sentence belonging to this unit: I expected that every wave would have swallowed us up. Here are some expressions containing the word that:
that far = atât de departe;
that is the point = aceasta-i problema;
that much = cam atât;
that's how it happened = asa s-a întâmplat;
that is why (that's why) = de aceea, din această cauză;
that is to say = adică;
but for that = dacă nu ar fi fost asta;
for all that = cu toate acestea;
in order that = pentru ca, să;
like that (just like that) = asa;
Now practise these expressions in sentences of your own.
Read this sentence again: Come, let us make a bowl of punch, and we'll forget all that; d'ye see what charming weather 'tis now?" In this sentence to make means to produce. Among other meanings of the verb to make, we may mention: to create, to construct, to establish, to cause to do or be; to bring about or produce; to perform (an action); to serve as or become; to amount to; to earn. Try to make up sentences in which to express each of its meanings. Let's learn some expressions in which the verb to make occurs.
to make an attempt = a face o încercare;
to make the best of = a trage cât mai mult profit de pe urma, a profita la maximum de;
to make believe = a face să creadă;
to make do = a se descurca cu o solutie alternativa inferioara;
to make it clear = a clarifica;
to make it possible = a face posibil;
to make for = a contribui;
to make out = a întelege, a demonstra, a redacta;
to make over = a transfera, a ceda;
to make ready = a fi gata, a (se) pregăti;
to make a stand = a se opune;
to make sure of = a se asigura de;
to make short work of/ sth = a scurta, a face ceva repede, a termina, a finaliza;
to make tight = a ermetiza, a etanseiza, a închide etans;
to make up one's mind = a se hotărî;
to make up for one's losses = a-si recupera pierderile;
to make up for lost time = a recâstiga timpul pierdut;
to make as if/ though = a părea ca si cum, a pretinde ca si cum, a face ca si cum;
to make use of = a întrebuinta;
to make way for/ to make room for = a face loc pentru.
Now practise these expressions in sentences of your own.
Even if to do and to make are generally translated in the same way, there are several expressions in which you cannot use the verb to make. Generally speaking make is used with the meaning of create or produce and do with the meaning of carry out an action, but there are lots of exceptions:
e.g. to do an experiment
to do one's best
to do a course
to do the donkey work
to do sbd. a good turn/ a favour
to do sth. with your eyes closed
to do harm
to do the shopping
to do wonders
to do the washing-up
to have sth. to do with
Now practise these expressions in sentences of your own.
Put make or do before the following nouns:
.... a wish; ....fun of; .... a fuss; .... my homework; .... a mistake; ......a noise; .... trouble; .... the shopping; .... your best; .... a cup of tea; .... your bed; .... someone a favour; ...... an excuse; ...... sense; ......up your mind; .... an appointment; ....sure; ....a difference; .... a phone call; .... a mess; .... an effort.
It is used to express:
What happened to the students who had failed this exam four times?
He had read his lecture before he went to university.
In 1999 he had written books for five years.
He had lived in this flat since he was born
Form
-it consists of had followed by the past participle of the main verb.
Affirmative and negative
|
I You He/ She We They |
had had not (hadn't) |
left. |
Interrogative
|
What |
had |
I you he/she we they |
done? |
Short answer
Had you read the novel before we saw the film?
Yes, I had. No, I hadn't.
Had he spoken English before he started the Engineering English course?
Yes, he had. No, he hadn't.
It is used to express:
By that time we had been working on the project for two years.
They had been living for generations in that house.
Form
-it consists of the past perfect of the auxiliary be and the present participle of the main verb (v +-ing).
Affirmative and negative
|
By that time |
I you he/she we they |
had been had not (hadn't) been |
working |
for a year. |
Interrogative
|
What |
had |
I you he/she we they |
been |
working on |
by that time, last year? |
Short answer
Had you been working on that project by that time for a year?
Yes, I had. No, I hadn't.
Note that certain adverbs and adverb phrases (e.g. hardly, scarcely, no sooner, not only) are followed by inversion of subject and auxiliary verb when they are used at the beginning of the sentence. They can also be used in other parts of the sentence without inversion.
Hardly had I entered the room when the phone started to ring. (emphatic, rhetorical construction) / I had hardly entered the room when the phone started to ring. (ordinary, conversational English)
In contexts containing hardly/ scarcely/ barely, the connector between the two clauses is when:
Hardly/ Scarcely/ Barely had they got out of the house when it started to rain.
In contexts containing no sooner, the connector between the two clauses is than:
No sooner had the band begun to play when the electricity was cut off.
Decide the order in which these things happened. Then write two sentences using after and the past perfect.
Example:
The bank clerk gave it to
After the bank clerk had looked at my cheque, she counted the money.
After she had counted the money, she gave it to me.
a. The tourists got out of the coach./ They got back in the coach./ They took photos.
b. The prisoner ran across the yard./ He jumped out of the window./ He climbed over the wall.
c. The reporter wrote a report on the accident./ She interviewed the people there./ She went to the scene of the accident.
d. The mechanic put a new tyre on./ He put the wheel back on./ He took the wheel off the car.
e. The shop-assistant asked me which my size was./ She wrapped it./ She showed it to me.
Translate into English:
a. Se cunosteau de trei ani.
b. Până atunci lucrasem la proiectul acela de două luni.
c. Ce s-a întâmplat după ce am plecat?
d. Îl asteptam de o oră, când am aflat că avusese un accident de masina
e. Despre ce vorbeati când ne-am întâlnit?
. Use the simple past, or the simple/ continuous past perfect form of the verbs in brackets to complete the sentences below:
a. Yesterday afternoon Joan (go) to school and (hand in) the paper she (write).
b. As soon as they (have) lunch they (leave) the restaurant.
c. It was getting late, so we (decide) to go to bed.
d. She (say) that she (study) for two hours.
e. The man (sell) fifty newspapers for five minutes, as everybody (be) interested in the story of the prime minister.
f. She (change) from Channel 1 to Channel 3 as she (already see) the movie on Channel 1.
g. How long Monica (watch) TV by 12 o' clock?
She (watch) TV for an hour.
h. We (sit down) to dinner when the doorbell (start) to ring.
i. How long you (work) outside when it (start) to rain?
j. It (be
. Connect the following sentences using until, after, before, hardly, no sooner, etc. Use the simple past and the past perfect as appropriate:
a. The phone started to ring. Then Susan answered it.
b.
c. The bell rang. Then the pupils entered the classroom.
d. The teacher corrected all the compositions. Then he went home.
e. Tom went out. Then his colleague looked for him.
Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense and aspect (Past Perfect Simple or Continuous) :
a. She told me his name after he (leave).
b. She didn't even say "thank you" after all I (do) for her.
c. After I (hear) the news, I congratulated him.
d. When I arrived, the concert already (begin).
e. When it started to rain, we (dig) in the garden for an hour.
f. He didn't admit that he (steal) the book.
g. He just (leave) home when he came across John.
h. Yesterday I bought a new umbrella because I (lose) my old one.
i. When he finally reached
j. I didn't think that book to be a nice birthday present for you because I (read) it and I (not enjoy) it.
It is a mood which expresses an order, a command, a wish, a greeting, a piece of advice, a threat, a request, or an instruction:
Come here!
Leave me alone!
Watch your step!
Form
-the imperative has forms only for the second person singular and plural.
|
Affirmative |
Negative |
|
Get ready! Start working! |
Don't get ready! Don't start working |
For the first and second person together, use let's (let us):
Let's open the door.
Let's not open the door. (Negative command)
Only a few groups of words may precede the imperative verb:
Always open the door slowly.
Don't ever open the door to strangers.
Jane, open the door.
Don't you open the door.
Will and would are used for polite requests:
Would (will) you open the door, please?
Translate the following into English:
a. Serveste-te si serveste-i si pe ceilalti!
b. Vino, te rog, la noi să ne ajuti să rezolvăm o problemă de chimie organică.
c. Îi dai un deget si îti ia toată mâna!
d. Scrie tu proiectul la calculator, pentru că după aceea trebuie să folosesc si eu computerul pentru a formata niste dischete.
e. Luati loc, vă rog, doamnă!
f. Nu pleca, pentru ca nu am terminat ce am de spus! Haide cu mine sa-ti arat ce ai putut sa faci!
g. Nu te apropia de firele acelea pentru ca sunt sub tensiune.
h. Nu încerca sa ma faci sa ma razgândesc, pentru ca o sa-ti para rau.
i. Du-te si vezi daca au terminat cursul.
j. Grabeste-te, mai ai doar cinci minute!
Make the following sentences negative:
a. Come here!
b. Get ready as we are in a hurry!
c. Be on time, because English people are never late.
d. Go home and we'll finish this tomorrow.
e. Work faster as we need to finish this until
f. Show me the letter.
g. Lend Ann your skates.
h. Give the waiter your order.
i. Pass me the salt, please.
j. Throw the ball to John.
UNIT6
In this unit you will learn:
Future Simple
Future Continuous
Be going to Future
Other Ways of Expressing Future
Read the following fragment from Alice's Adventures in the Wonderland by Louis Carroll. Underline the future tenses of the verbs:
Luckily for Alice, the little magic bottle had now had its full effect, and she grew no larger: still it was very uncomfortable, and, as there seemed to be no sort of chance of her ever getting out of the room again, no wonder she felt unhappy.
"It was much pleasanter at home," thought poor
"But then," thought
Read the sentence: And so she went on, taking first one side and then the other, and making quite a conversation of it altogether. So is a word which is generally used in conversations instead of therefore which is used in written English. Now let's learn some expressions containing the word so:
so as/ that = asa încât, astfel încât;
so far = până acum, până în prezent;
so far as = întrucât, în măsura în care;
so it seems = asa se pare;
so much = atât de mult;
so to say/ so to speak = asa zicând, ca să zicem asa;
in a week or so = cam într-o săptămână;
so on and so forth = si asa mai departe;
in so doing = procedând astfel/ asa;
in so far as. is concerned = întrucât priveste.
Now practise these expressions in sentences of your own.
. In the sentence: That'll be a comfort, one way- never to be an old woman- but then- always to have lessons to learn!, the expression one way as is translated by pe de o parte. Now learn more expressions containing the word way:
by way of = prin mijlocirea, în calitate de, cu ajutorul;
by the way = apropo;
in this way = în acest mod;
in every way = în toate privintele;
in a general way = în genere/ în general;
in one way = într-un fel;
one way or another = într-un fel sau altul;
out of the way = afară din cale/ drum;
under way = în curs de;
way above = mult deasupra;
way ahead = mult înainte;
way below = mai jos;
way off = la o bună distantă;
to give way to = a ceda la;
to make one's way = a-si croi drum, a face carieră.
Now practise these expressions in sentences of your own.
It is used to express:
I shall be thirty next year.
When will you graduate from university?
She will work for our company if we give her a good salary
Note that:
Will is normally known as the predictive future, and describes known facts, or what we suppose is true.
I'll be late at school this morning.
The company will make a profit next year.
This can also take the form of an assumption:
That'll be John coming so early at the party.
This means that I suppose that it is John.
Will is also used to express an immediate decision:
I'll take this one.
Decisions expressed with going to refer to a more distant point in the future.
We use will and shall in many other ways, apart from predicting the future (in this case they are modal verbs, not forms of Future simple): e.g.:
-intentions/ promises (I'll buy you a bike for your birthday.)
-request/ invitations (Will you hold the door open for me, please?)
-offers (Shall I help you solve this problem?)
-suggestions (Shall we go to see that movie tomorrow?)
-threats (Just wait and see! You'll regret this!)
-decisions (I'll stop and ask the way.)
Future is not allowed in conditional and temporal clause:
If you help me, I'll be grateful to you.
When it rains, we stay inside.
Form
Affirmative and negative
|
I We |
shall ('ll) shall not (shan't) |
come. |
|
You He/ She They |
will ('ll) will not (won't) |
Interrogative
|
When |
shall |
I we |
help him? |
|
will |
you he/she they |
Short answer
Will you help me finish my drilling project?
Yes, I shall.
Note: No, I won't is not common because it is impolite, it may mean I don't want to help you. That is why a polite answer would be: I'm afraid I can't.
Come round in the morning. I'll be working on my project.
I won't bother to look for you in advance, because I'll be calling into the office anyway to see if you are there.
The singers will be performing live in
Note that in some contexts it sounds more polite than will
Will you be going to the shops later? If you do, could you get some bananas?
It is used
We're going to move to
How long are they going to stay here?
She isn't going to attend this Grammar course.
Note:
The Present Continuous can be used in a similar way for a plan or arrangement, particularly with the verbs go and come.
She's coming on Monday.
I'm going home.
Look at those grey clouds! It's going to rain.
Watch out! The box is going to fall.
Form
-the verb to be in Present +to +infinitive
Affirmative and negative
|
I |
am ('m) am ('m) not |
going to work. |
|
He She It |
is ('s) is not (isn't) | |
|
We You They |
are ('re) are not (aren't) |
Interrogative
|
When |
am I |
going to arrive? |
|
is he/ she/ it | ||
|
are we/you/ they |
Short answer
Are you going to attend his lecture?
Yes, I am. No, I'm not.
Look at the use of the Future Simple and to be going to in the following sentences:
I'm going to improve my English. ( I decided that and I may have bought books to improve my knowledge).
What language shall I learn? Er... I know. I'll learn some English! That's a good idea. (I decided to learn English at the moment of speaking.)
Be about to and be on the point of both refer to the next moment
I think it is about to rain.
I am on the point of moving to another company.
Be due to refers to scheduled times
The flight is due at
The cocktail party is due to start at 7.
Present simple is used to refer to future time in future time clauses
When we get there, we'll have dinner.
Present perfect can also be used instead of present simple when the completion of the event is emphasised
When we've finished the work, we'll be leaving.
I retire next year.
Similarly, calendar references use the present simple.
Christmas is on Wednesday next year.
In two years' time I'll have finished my PhD thesis.
By the end of the month, I'll have been working for him for fifteen years.
You won't have heard the rumours about their engagement, of course.
This means I assume you haven't heard the rumours.
Future perfect progressive tense is formed by the future perfect of the verb to be and the present active participle of the main verb:
It emphasizes the duration of one event taking place before another event in the future:
In May 2000, our family will have been living here for 30 years.
Most verbs of thinking can be followed by will if there is future reference (believe, doubt, expect, think)
I think the plane will be late.
I doubt that you will have the time to see all these places in a single day.
Just can be used to describe something which is on the point of happening
The train is just leaving/ is just about to leave, so I'm afraid you should leave the compartment.
I hope you'll come and see me when you are in
Translate into English:
a. Te voi chema când voi ajunge acasă.
b. Îl voi vedea săptămâna viitoare.
c. Azi avem repetitie la ora două.
d. Va deveni necesar să citim mai mult de acum încolo.
e. Crezi că veti ajunge la spectacol în timp util?
f. Îti voi telefona imediat ce ajung la hotel.
g. Spectacolul nu va începe pâna la ora 5.
h. Ei nu stiu când vor pleca.
i. Daca va întreba cineva de mine, te rog sa-i rogi sa ma sune dupa ora 6.
j. Sper ca ne veti ajuta sa reparam calculatorul.
Decide which is the correct verb form:
a. "My suitcase is so heavy!"
"Give it to me. I'll/I'm going to carry it for you."
b. I bought some warm boots because I'll go/I'm going on a trip to the mountains.
c. Maria is going to be/ will be thirty-three next month so she will organise/ is going to organise a party.
d. I hear you and Mike will get/ are going to get married! Congratulations!
e. Where will you go/ are you going on holiday this year?"
"
"We don't know
yet. Maybe we will go/ we are going to
f. We'll go/ We're going to a conference next week.
g. Come on, hurry up or we'll miss/ we will have missed the train.
h. Will you be going/ will you go to the market later? If you go, please buy some potatoes for lunch.
i. That will be/ is Jim at the door. He is always late.
j. In twenty four hours' time I'll relax/ I'll be relaxing on the beach.
Put the verbs in brackets into a suitable tense:
a. It's only an hour's travel. I (come back) very soon.
b. What (you do) on Monday? I (have) tickets to a violin concert. Would you like to come?
c. By the end of the month I (decide) what to do.
d. I (hope) it (not rain).
e. When we (get) there, we (call) you.
f. Hurry up! The play (start).
g. It's my twenty-ninth birthday next month so I (have) a party.
h. Maria is pregnant again. She (have) twins.
i. We're sure everything (be) all right in the end.
j. I (be) long. I (go) out for half an hour.
Decide whether the pairs of sentences A and B could be equally acceptable in the context given, or whether one is more appropriate.
a. Why don't you come with us?
A. The trip will be great. B. The trip is going to be great.
b. Stop that, will you!
A. I'm going to get angry in a minute. B. I'm getting angry in a minute.
c. I'd like to pay you a short visit.
A. What'll you be doing in the evening? B. What are you doing in the evening?
d. I've got no homework for tomorrow so
A. I'll watch TV. B. I'm going to watch TV.
e. We're run out of petrol.
A. What are we doing now? B. What are we going to do now?
Translate into English:
a. Cred sincer ca pe vremea asta saptamâna viitoare ma voi uita în sfârsit la HBO.
b. Mâine la ora 5.30 ne vom îmbarca în autocarul spre Grecia.
c. Are de gând sa îl faca de râs în fata clasei daca nu va spune adevarul.
d. Sper ca pâna se va întoarce fratele tau de la cules de capsuni tu vei fi spalat toate rufele murdare.
e. Sa nu uiti de aniversarea prietenilor tai: pe 24 ale lunii urmatoare ei vor fi locuit în aceasta casa de 10 ani.
f. Când tu îti vei face de cap în barul acela infect mâine, toti prietenii tai îti vor pregati o pedeapsa proportionala cu vina.
g. John stie sigur ca saptamâna viitoare când va începe scoala, varul sau va studia un manual de biologie umana.
h. Suntem înspaimântati de faptul ca furtuna nu se va opri pâna diseara pe la sase.
i. Ambasada va primi oaspetii numai dupa ce acestia vor fi perchezitionati.
j. Vor fi trecut sase ore de la ultimul atac dar aparatorii castelului tot nu se vor preda daca nu li se vor împlini conditiile.
k. Când mama se va întoarce de la tara, micutul John va fi cântat la vioara de cel putin 3 ore.
l. În timp ce presedintele va tine un discurs despre legea dreptului de autor, jurnalistii vor inventa tot felul de întrebari care l-ar putea pune pe acesta în dificultate.
m. Suntem prieteni de o viata si ne-am hotarât: o sa cumparam împreuna casa aceea de la munte si o s-o transformam în azil pentru batrâni.
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