b1 Grammar
b1 Grammar
b1 Grammar
B1 ENGLISH GRAMMAR
1
INDEX
2
TEST YOUR GRAMMAR
3
th
18. He was born __________ 10 April.
/ in / on / at /
25. I ___________.
/ like very much coffee / very like coffee / like coffee very much /
4
UNIT 1 WORD ORDER
The fundamental word order in an English sentence rarely changes. The usual affirmative construction is Subject +
Verb + Direct Object and time expressions are generally placed at the end of the sentence:
Transitive verbs may have an indirect object which precedes the direct object:
Subject Verb Indirect Object Direct Object
He gave Jane a flower
They sent me a letter
I will buy her a book
If the indirect object follows the direct object, then a preposition (usually for or to) is required:
Subject Verb Direct Object Preposition Indirect Object
He gave a flower to Jane
They sent a letter to me
I will buy a book for her
Some verbs that are not immediately followed by the indirect object are: explain, describe, mention and discuss.
He explained the plan to me
They described the project to us
The interrogative construction is also S+V+O, but the subject may be preceded by the question word in a content
question, and an auxiliary:
Q word Auxiliary Subject Verb Complement
What did you do this morning?
Did he see the film?
Is he coming tomorrow?
Question words are: why, where, which, when, who, whose, how + long/far/big/much/many/old etc.
If the element questioned is the subject, there is no variation from the affirmative form:
INTERROGATIVE
Exercise 1 Formulate questions asking about the underlined words.
1. I went to Susans house yesterday. __________________________________________
2. Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet. __________________________________________
3. They went to Rome to study the architecture there. __________________________________________
5
4. She prefers white wine to red. __________________________________________
5. Theyre going to Scotland this summer. __________________________________________
6. Dave loves Susan. __________________________________________
7. Nothing happened. __________________________________________
8. Theyre going to Venice by train. __________________________________________
9. It took them 30 years to build the bridge. __________________________________________
10. Stephen King has written over 40 novels. __________________________________________
The negative construction of a sentence is formed by the word not placed directly after the auxiliary verb and before
the main verb:
Negation can also be provided by adverbs and sometimes by another element in a sentence, which is more formal,
but remember that sentences can only contain one negative element to convey negation:
He has never been to France (= He hasnt ever been to France)
NEGATIVE
Exercise 3 Write the following sentences in the negative form.
1. He lives in a house. ____________________________________
2. They work in an office. ____________________________________
3. Theyre eating at the moment. ____________________________________
4. Shakespeare wrote novels. ____________________________________
5. Anne has got three dogs. ____________________________________
6. Weve been to Africa. ____________________________________
7. He can play the piano very well. ____________________________________
8. The train left at six. ____________________________________
6
9. I found the books I wanted. ____________________________________
10. Hes going to buy a new car. ____________________________________
11. They were cleaning the windows yesterday afternoon. ____________________________________
12. We have to wear a uniform at school. ____________________________________
13. He will be in his office. ____________________________________
14. The film had started when we arrived at the cinema. ____________________________________
Be careful with the position of adjectives and adverbs (manner, place, time): He ran fast to the station yesterday
morning. (See Unit 6 for the position of adjectives and adverbs of time, manner and place)
Make sure affirmative sentences start with the subject, also in the passive form:
WORD ORDER
Exercise 5 Write the words in the correct order.
1. spend / he / in Japan / next year / his holiday / will _______________________________________
2. where / the post office / you / know / do / is? ________________________________________
3. last week / had / at school / an exam / they ________________________________________
4. him / she / did / why / tell / a lie? ________________________________________
5. never / to / we / been / Germany / have ________________________________________
6. play / you / tennis / how often / do? ________________________________________
7. me / you / going to / help / are ? ________________________________________
8. likes / she / very much / jazz ________________________________________
9. what / does / he / look / like? ________________________________________
10. gave / present / they / me / a wonderful ________________________________________
11. to / meaning / the / explained / she / me ________________________________________
12. who / present / you / that / gave /? ________________________________________
13. who / is / Tim / it / the / wrote / letter ________________________________________
14. is / long / the / how / lesson? ________________________________________
15. photocopied / documents / the / were ________________________________________
7
EMPHASIS
Exercise 6 Rewrite the sentence with the emphatic form It is/was. that/who, with emphasis on the underlined
word.
1. John gave me the flowers. ___________________________________
2. Vermeer painted the picture. ___________________________________
3. I went to Paris. ___________________________________
4. Columbus discovered America in 1492. ___________________________________
5. We are learning French. ___________________________________
Exercise 7 Rewrite the sentence in a more emphatic form beginning with the underlined negative adverb.
1. I have never seen such a wonderful painting. ___________________________________
2. He rarely went to the cinema. ___________________________________
3. We seldom speak to our neighbors. ___________________________________
4. They had hardly arrived at the beach when it started raining. ___________________________________
5. We had never heard such terrible news. ___________________________________
SUBJECT
Note that the English language must always have a subject in the sentence. Some exceptions are the imperative form,
but the subject (you) is implied:
Sit down! Dont laugh!
If there is no natural subject, then a dummy subject is required, such as It and There.
It can refer to time, the weather, distance and temperature:
Its 4 oclock Its raining Its 3 kilometres to Venice Its hot today
IT/THERE + BE
Exercise 8 Complete the sentence with it or there and a form of the verb to be.
1. If __________ any difficulty with this exercise, let me know.
2. ___________ ages since I saw you.
3. __________ too cold to swim today.
4. __________ plenty of time before we catch the train.
5. __________ a terrible flood yesterday.
6. Look ! __________ snowing .
7. How far ________ to Milan from Venice?
8. ___________ dangerous to drive in the fog.
9. __________ a lot of nice people here.
th
10. __________ 8 December today.
11. ___________ said he is French.
12. ___________ a very strong wind tomorrow.
8
POSITION OF ADJECTIVES IN A SENTENCE
Adjectives generally precede the nouns they modify:
She bought a green dress. I caught an early train.
When more than one adjective precedes the noun, there is usually a precise order:
It is unusual, however, to find so many adjectives in the same sentence. (See Unit 6 for more about adjectives).
Exercise 9 Write the adjectives in the following sentences in the correct order.
Exercise 10 Put the adverb in brackets in the appropriate place in the sentence.
1. She plays the piano. (well)
2. The scientists hold the annual conference in the hall. (usually)
3. I would like to see your house. (very much)
4. He didnt run fast to catch up with her. (enough)
5. Her latest novel is good. (rather)
6. I got lost, but someone gave me directions to the station. (fortunately)
7. I have finished your book and will return it. (tomorrow)
8. They like the new design. (quite)
9. She was the centre of attention. (often)
10. Im sure that he told me. (fairly)
9
UNIT 2 VERBS AND TENSES
Tense refers to the location of an event or action in time. There are only two tenses in English: present simple and
past simple. The tense is marked by an inflection of the verb:
Susan watches television every evening. (present tense) Susan watched television last night. (past tense)
Reference to other times can be made in different ways, using modal auxiliaries, for instance:
10
Susan thinks she will watch the news tonight if she has time. (simple future time)
Susan has watched a really exciting tennis match. (present perfect)
Aspect refers to how an event or action is to be viewed with respect to time, rather than its location in time. Aspect
always includes tense, and the auxiliaries are in the past, present or future. There are three aspects: simple (base
form, past form) progressive (to be + present participle), perfect (to have + past participle). Look at Appendix I for
the various verb forms in the active voice.
IDENTIFYING ASPECT
Exercise 12 Say whether the following aspects are simple, perfect or progressive.
1. Jane bought a new car. _________________________________________________
2. I think we have already seen this film. _________________________________________________
3. They are driving to the theatre. _________________________________________________
4. Simon has left his book on the bus. _________________________________________________
5. We are leaving today. _________________________________________________
6. Ok, well go at six. _________________________________________________
7. Jane took a photo. _________________________________________________
8. The sun was shining. _________________________________________________
9. He wants a new computer. _________________________________________________
10. Theyll be coming on the 8 oclock train. _________________________________________________
SIMPLE ASPECT
The simple aspect is used for actions that occur at a specific time:
Susan rarely watches television. (habitual action)
Susan watched a good film last night. (action completed in time before speaking)
The present and past simple require a form of the auxiliary do followed by a verb in the infinitive form in the
interrogative and negative form of the verb:
Do you like music? I dont eat meat.
Does he go to school? He doesnt understand.
Did they see the film? They didnt go out.
11
Present simple: In the affirmative form the third person verb adds -s or -es to the base form: He calls me every day
she watches TV at night .
Verbs ending in a consonant + -y drop the -y and add ies: she studies a lot
Verbs ending in a vowel + -y add s: He often plays tennis
Past simple: In the affirmative form the verb is either regular (base form + ed) or irregular (altered) and the same form
is used for all persons:
I / he / we / they liked the film He / we / you bought a newspaper
Verbs ending in a consonant + -y drop the -y and add ied: she studied all night
Verbs ending in a vowel + -y add ed: They stayed in a luxury hotel
Short verbs ending in one vowel and one consonant double the final consonant: He dropped his glass
PRESENT SIMPLE
general truths: Christmas is on 25th December
habitual action: I go to the gym every evening
describing art/literary works: The painting represents the artists dream
timetables: The train leaves at 6 oclock
programmed future event: Term ends on Friday
subordinate clause in future time: Well phone you if we have an answer
TIME EXPRESSIONS
Every (day), on (Saturdays), now, nowadays, these days, once/twice/three times a week/month, in the
morning/afternoon/evening, at night, at weekends, adverbs of frequency (usually, never etc.) , all the time.
Exercise 14 Complete the sentences in the present simple with a verb from the box.
send speak wake up play live
listen watch drive work arrive
1. They __________ in Venice in a large flat by the Grand Canal.
2. I ___________ to the radio every morning.
3. He often __________ to the coast at weekends.
4. She always __________ me a postcard when shes on holiday.
5. The train __________ at 7 pm this evening.
6. I __________ early every morning.
7. We both __________ the piano at school.
8. That boy __________ a lot of television in the evenings.
9. He __________ in a bank in London.
10. She __________ three languages fluently.
12
5. she / work / a lot? _________________________________________
6. what time / he / catch/ the train in the morning? _________________________________________
7. why / they / run every morning? _________________________________________
8. we / need / a ticket to see the show? _________________________________________
9. where / you both / usually / meet? _________________________________________
10. he / often go / to the cinema? _________________________________________
PAST SIMPLE
completed action occurring in past before time of speaking: Susan came an hour ago
habitual actions in the past: I walked to school every day when I was young
past subjunctive in hypothetical conditions: If I won the lottery, I would travel
reported speech: She asked me if I played the piano
TIME EXPRESSIONS
yesterday, the day before yesterday, last night / week / month / year/, ago, at one time, at that time, in those days, in
th
the 16 century, in the last century, in 1950, in the 1960s, on Monday, when I was young.
13
PAST SIMPLE- INTERROGATIVE/NEGATIVE
Exercise 18 Write the interrogative and negative forms of the sentences.
1. you / learn / French / at school? _________________________________________________
2. why / he / go / out / so early? _________________________________________________
3. when / they / arrive / at the airport? _________________________________________________
4. he / not-stay / at home / yesterday. _________________________________________________
5. we / not-see / her / for a long time. _________________________________________________
6. who / you / speak to / at the meeting? _________________________________________________
7. which / dress / you / choose? _________________________________________________
8. I / not-pay / a lot / for the jacket. _________________________________________________
9. he / understand / the question? _________________________________________________
10. we / not-know / about the accident. _________________________________________________
PROGRESSIVE ASPECT
The progressive aspect indicates an incomplete action. The progressive auxiliary be in the present, past or future
form is followed by the present participle form of the verb in the interrogative, negative and affirmative:
PRESENT PROGRESSIVE
temporary action: Hes studying at the moment
future event: Im meeting my professor tomorrow
TIME EXPRESSIONS
at present, at the moment, for the time being, now, currently, this week/month/year.
Exercise 20 Write the sentences in the affirmative, interrogative and negative forms of the present progressive.
1. She / study/ now.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
2. We / listen / to the politician.
14
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
3. They /write/ to the bank.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
4. I / have / lunch / at the moment.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
5. He / teaching / his friend to speak English.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Exercise 21 Write the correct form of the verb in brackets according to the meaning.
1. I _________ (think) you are wrong.
2. He __________ (have) a shower at the moment.
3. Jane ________ (not see) what I mean.
4. This box __________ (weigh) a lot!
5. We __________ (prefer) the sea to the mountains.
6. The actor __________ (appear) in the new film that comes out tomorrow.
7. They _________ (seem) to know what they are talking about.
8. He ___________ (not understand) anything.
9. What do these words __________ (mean)?
10. I certainly __________ (agree) with you.
15
Exercise 22 Complete the sentences with the words from the box.
Exercise 23 Choose the correct form and pay attention to the time expression.
1. What (are you doing/do you do) under the table? Whats the matter?
2. Where (is he going / does he go) every day with that suitcase?
3. I (am reading / read) a fascinating book in this period.
4. They (arent working / do not work) at the moment.
5. (Is it raining / does it rain) hard? I need to go out.
6. We never (are listening / listen) to what he says.
7. I usually (am cleaning / clean) my house on Saturdays.
8. He (is smoking / smokes) a lot nowadays.
9. I (am taking / take) the dog for a walk as its sunny now.
10. (Do you ever dream/ Are you ever dreaming) at night?
SHORT ANSWERS
Exercise 24 Match the answers to the questions.
1. Are they coming to the party? a. No, she doesnt.
2. Do we have to pay for it? b. No, they arent.
3. Is she coming back? c. No, we arent. We dont have any money.
4. Does she eat meat? d. Yes, it is.
5. Is it still raining? e. No, I dont think she is.
6. Does it always rain a lot here? f. No, they dont.
7. Do they have everything they need? g. Yes, I am. Hes very late.
8. Are you waiting to see the doctor? h. No, I dont.
9. Do you see your cousin very often? i. Yes, it does at this time of year.
10. Are we going to Greece this year? j. Yes, we do.
PAST PROGRESSIVE
description of unfinished action at exact time in the past: At 3.30 we were travelling on the train.
continuing action in the past often in relation to action in simple past which may interrupt progressive action: I was
watching TV when the lights went out.
describing scenes or simultaneous actions: While I was cooking my husband was gardening.
Note: State verbs are not used in the past progressive.
16
TIME EXPRESSIONS
while, when, at + time, during.
Exercise 25 Write the questions in the past progressive and answer them.
1. the girls / play / basketball? No, they / play / football.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
2. Jane / sing? No, she / listen to / music.
______________________________________________________________________________________
3. you / wait / for the bus? No, I / look at / the shop.
______________________________________________________________________________________
4. he / laugh /? No, he / cry.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
5. the cat / sleep? No, it / eat.
WHILE/WHEN
Exercise 26 Match the sentences and insert while or when.
1. I was driving a. we saw the strange man. _____________________________
2. He was cooking b. they were listening to Jazz. _____________________________
3. They were having a drink c. I had an accident. _____________________________
4. We were leaving the theatre d. he cut himself. _____________________________
5. She fell asleep e. she was watching the film. _____________________________
PERFECT ASPECT
The perfect aspect describes a complete action:
Present perfect: Susan has watched a wonderful programme.
Past perfect: Susan had watched the documentary before.
The perfect auxiliary have in the present, past or future tense is followed by the past participle form of the verb
regular ed or irregular in the interrogative, negative and affirmative:
Present: He has taken some photos. He hasnt taken any photos. Has he taken any photos?
Past: They had robbed the bank. They hadnt robbed the bank. Had they robbed the bank?
Future: We will have finished our exams by June.
17
PRESENT PERFECT
action started in past and influences present: The cat has broken the vase again
unspecified time of action in the past: Hes been to Australia twice
period not finished at time of speaking: Ive written 3 letters so far this morning
Note: contrary to the perfect form in Italian, the present perfect in English is not only a past tense. Think of it as a
bridge connecting the past to the present.
The verb to go has two past participles:
She has been to London = she went there and she came back.
She has gone to London = she went and she hasnt come back yet.
Adverbs of frequency go between the auxiliary and the past participle:
He has never been to Rome.
TIME EXPRESSIONS
since (specific point in time), for (period of time), ever, never, yet, already, lately, recently, this week/month/year, until
now, up to now, so far, its the first/second/third time, all my life, before.
Exercise 28 Write the sentences in the affirmative, interrogative and negative forms of the present perfect.
1. I (pass) my exam.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
2. He (lose) his keys.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
3. We (tidy) the room.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
4. She (finish) her work.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
5. They (send) me some money.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
Exercise 29 Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb.
1. I _______________ (be) very busy lately.
2. _______________ (you-see) a film recently?
3. We ________________ (not-finish) our meal, yet.
4. They _______________ (buy) two new chairs for the garden.
5. What _______________ (you-do) with my book? I cant find it!
6. Mary _______________ (teach) for 30 years now.
7. He ________________ (write) 3 letters so far.
8. Where _______________ (he-go)? He should be here now.
9. Thank you for inviting me. I ________________ (have) a wonderful time here.
10. We _______________ (meet) a really nice person. His names Mike.
18
FOR/SINCE
Exercise 30 Complete the following sentences with for or since.
since
1. It hasnt rained __________ June.
2. We have been married __________for 10 years now.
for
3. Ive known John __________ a long time.
4. We have known each other _________we since were children.
since
5. They have had this car __________ 2008.
for
6. She has been ill _________ several days.
since
7. We havent seen her _________ last summer.
since
8. He hasnt eaten anything _________ this morning.
for
9. This jacket is very old. I have had it _________ ages.
since
10. It has been hot __________ May.
JUST/ALREADY/YET/EVER/NEVER/STILL
Apart from still, which goes before the auxiliary have, the other adverbs go between the auxiliary and the past
participle:
He still hasnt found his keys. Have you ever been to France? We have just arrived.
Yet is used in the interrogative and negative form and expresses expectation of something to happen:
Has your lesson started, yet? We havent finished the course, yet.
Note: Yet placed at the beginning of a sentence expresses but or nevertheless:
Jane says shes speaks French fluently, yet I have never heard her speak it.
Exercise 31 Complete the sentences with one of the words from the box.
already
1. Bob __________ hasnt phoned me. Im getting worried.
ever
2. Have you ___________ eaten porridge?
already
3. We have ___________ seen this film, but well watch again as its a classic.
just
4. Sue has ___________ come back form her holiday in Greece-shes so brown!
yet
5. Have you finished your exams, ___________?
never
6. I have ___________ been to Turkey, but I would love to go.
yet
7. They havent installed my phone, __________.
still
8. Has she __________ worked in a restaurant?
never
9. The books I ordered __________ havent arrived. Where are they?
just
10. I have ___________ visited Rome, but it would be nice to go there again.
19
have never (never
9. I __________ met / meet) that man in my life.
drove
10. He __________ (drive) to London last week.
TIME EXPRESSIONS
for, since, how long, all morning/week/month/year, lately, recently.
Exercise 34 Complete the sentence with the present perfect continuous form.
1. They _______________ (work) for 4 hours now.
2. She ________________ (dream) ever since she saw that lovely man.
3. Why are you crying? I_________________ (watch) a sad film.
4. Im so tired. I _____________ (study) all night.
5. We ____________ (collect) rare books for several years.
6. It ______________ (rain) since yesterday.
7. He ______________ (learn) English since last year.
8. I ______________ (wait) for the bus for over an hour.
9. He _________________ (work) in the bank for over a year.
10. She _________________ (sleep) for 12 hours now.
20
PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE / PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE
Exercise 35 Choose the correct form of the present perfect.
1. His face is familiar, but I (have forgotten / have been forgetting) his name.
2. You look tired. Yes, I (have run / have been running) all day.
3. We (have seen/ have been seeing) this film several times.
4. (Have you watched/ Have you been watching) the new crime series on TV?
5. He (hasnt been eating/hasnt eaten) anything for ages.
6. The baby (has cried/ has been crying) all night.
7. He (has had / has been having) a shower and now he feels better.
8. We (have been listening/ have listened) to music all evening.
9. They ( have done / have been doing) these exercises for over two hours now.
10. I (have been knowing / have known) them for a long time.
PAST PERFECT
The perfect auxiliary had followed by the past participle form of the verb regular ed or irregular.
action taking place in the past preceding another action in the past: the train had left when I arrived at the station
past unreal events in hypothetical statements: If I had studied English better, I wouldnt have failed the exam
reported speech: He said he had gone to the shops the day before
The past perfect is generally used together with the past simple form, to denote an earlier action. Compare:
When I arrived home, the children went to bed. (First I arrived and then the children went to bed)
When I arrived home, the children had gone to bed. (First the children went to bed and then I arrived)
TIME EXPRESSIONS
since (specific point in time), for (period of time), ever, never, yet, already, this week/month/year, it was the
first/second/third time, all my life, before, by the time.
21
PAST PERFECT/PAST SIMPLE
Exercise 37 Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets.
1. When I __________through Bologna I __________about the good times I __________ there as a student. (walk;
think; spend)
2. As soon as she __________ cleaning the floors she __________ gardening. (finish; start)
3. After I ___________ the letter, I _________ that I ___________ the wrong address. (post; realize; write)
4. John __________ me if I __________ away on holiday. (ask; be)
5. When I __________ home last night, my family ___________ to bed. (get; go)
6. We __________ worried about John because we _________ several times but he ____________ the phone. (be;
call; not answer)
7. When I __________ home, I __________ that a burglar __________ my computer. (arrive; see; steal)
8. She __________ James on the street yesterday and he _________ her that he __________ ill for two weeks. He still
____________ well. (meet; tell; be; not look)
9. I __________ out of the window last night because I _________ some noises and I ___________ that my cat
_________ in a tree. (look; hear; find; get stuck)
10. I ____________ Susan to the party but she _______________ come because she ___________other plans. (invite;
can; make)
TIME EXPRESSIONS
for, since, how long, all morning/week/month/year, before.
Exercise 38 Look at the situation and write a sentence with the past perfect progressive form of the verb.
1. There was a smell of burnt chips. Someone / fry.
_________________________________________________________________________________
2. The children were dirty. They / play / in the garden.
_________________________________________________________________________________
3. Jane was crying. She / cut / onions.
_________________________________________________________________________________
4. David was very red. He / sunbathe / all day on the beach.
__________________________________________________________________________________
5. The garden was under a foot of snow. It /snow/ all night.
__________________________________________________________________________________
22
5. They ______________ (watch) TV when the earthquake happened.
6. We ____________ (never-see) a snake before.
7. By the time he ________________ (finish) his homework it was well after midnight.
8. When we arrived at the cinema the film ______________ (start).
9. He ______________ (study) English for 3 years when he started the new course.
10. When the waiter arrived with our food, we _________________ (wait) half an hour.
Used to do (verb + infinitive) expresses an action done regularly in the past, but not now (or vice versa):
I used to swim a lot when I was young. He didnt use to drive a car to work, but now he does.
Would + infinitive without to describes a past routine without contrasting it with the present: Every day he would
take the n 34 bus to the station and then he would catch the train to London.
Exercise 40 Complete the sentences using one of the expressions above with the verb in the correct form.
1. He ______________________ (smoke) cigarettes, but now he smokes cigars.
2. We ______________________ (work) in this small room, despite the conditions.
3. I ______________________ (drive) on the left now Im living in Britain.
4. My mother ______________________ (tell) me a story at bedtime when I was young.
5. ______________________ (you/play) the piano when you were young?
6. We ______________________ (not/eat) so early in the evening. We usually eat at 8.00 pm.
7. This contemporary artist ____________________ (do) a lot of sketches before painting the final portrait.
8. I never ______________________ (walk) to work, but now I need the exercise.
9. There _______________________ (be) a bookshop here, but now there is a clothes shop.
10. He _______________________ (take) the dog out for a walk every evening.
FUTURE TIME
There are no inflected forms to express the future, so other alternative forms are used:
Arrangement: He is having lunch with Mary on Friday. (present continuous)
Fixed programme: The train arrives in Venice at 10.40. (present simple)
Personal intention: We are going to have a party tomorrow. (be + going to + infinitive)
Immediate future: Careful! You are going to fall. (be + going to + infinitive)
Immediate future: Google is about to buy a social network. (to be + about to + infinitive)
Spontaneous decision: There are no buses now. I think I will get a taxi. (will + infinitive without to)
Offering to do something: Ill help you with those bags. Shall I open the door?
Request: Will you open the window, please?
Asking for suggestion: What shall I / we do this evening? (shall + infinitive without to)
Promise: Ill write to you when I get there. (will, shall + infinitive without to)
Prediction: Dont worry about her. Im sure she will arrive. (will + infinitive without to)
Time clause: He will phone when/ if /as soon as he gets home. (will in main clause, present tense
in subordinate clause)
Formal future arrangement: The Queen is to visit Italy soon. (to be + infinitive of verb)
Continuing action in the future: I will be studying every evening next week. (will + be + present participle)
Action completed some time in the future: We will have finished painting the room by the time you get back from
your holidays. (will + have + past participle)
23
Continuing action completed at some time in the future: She will have been studying English for one year by the end
of term.
TIME EXPRESSIONS
next weekend /week/month/year, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, in three days/weeks/months time, by.
Exercise 41 Complete the sentences using one of the future forms above and the correct form of the verb.
1. Look out! We _______________ (crash) the car!
2. The phone is ringing. I _______________ (answer) it.
3. The film _______________ (begin) at 10.
4. I ________________ (not / work) tomorrow, so we can go to the beach.
5. I havent got any money. What ________________ I (do)?
6. If you ________________ (touch) that plate, you _____________ (burn) yourself.
7. She ________________ (apply) for the job that was advertised in the newspaper.
8. The Pope ______________ (visit) Turkey in November.
9. You _______________ (go) to France, I promise.
10. I dont think the exam ______________ (be) very difficult.
11. Jane ________________ (work) on her thesis for the next 3 months.
12. By the time I arrive home, the workers _______________ (repair) my TV.
13. During the next century the climate _______________ (become) warmer.
14. The guided tour ________________ (leave) from the hotel at 8 a.m. tomorrow.
15. I think I___________________ (go) to bed early tonight Im tired.
24
Exercise 43 Write the verbs in brackets in the present or future form.
1. Unless you ___________ (do) some shopping, you _____________ (not-eat) this evening.
2. I __________ (get) in touch with Joe when I ______________ (arrive) in France.
3. As soon as you ___________ (finish) your test, you ___________ (have) the results.
4. By the time they _________ (return), he _____________ (be) ready.
5. We _________ (go) into the garden after you _________ (visit) the house.
6. He _________(think) about the restoration before he _________ (consider) buying the house.
7. What __________(you-do) if you ___________(not-have) enough money?
8. What __________(happen) when the company __________ (be) reorganized?
9. I _________ (ask) Mary about her mother when I ____________ (phone) her.
10. As soon as you _____________(get) off the bus, you ____________ (see) my house.
INFINITIVE
INFINITIVE AS NOUN
The infinitive or an infinitive phrase can be used as a noun: To play the piano is her dream / Her dream is to play the
piano.
If the action is used in a general sense, the -ing form can be used: Learning English is not easy.
ADJECTIVE + INFINITIVE
However, it is more usual to use the construction introduced by it:
It is her dream to play the piano. It is not easy to learn English
25
Exercise 45 Rewrite the sentence with too or enough.
1. She is too old. She shouldnt drive. ______________________________________________________.
2. He is not old enough. He shouldnt drink alcohol. ____________________________________________.
3. We are too tired. We cant continue studying. ______________________________________________.
4. The child is too short. He cant reach the biscuits. ___________________________________________.
5. I am not strong enough. I cant lift the box. ________________________________________________.
Exercise 46 Replace the phrase in italics with a phrase with an infinitive form.
1. I have nothing that I can wear this evening. ________________________________________________.
2. He hasnt got anything that he can do at the moment. _______________________________________.
3. There is a lot that we can talk about. _____________________________________________________.
4. There are so many books that I must read for my studies. ____________________________________.
5. There is nowhere that we can go on Saturdays. _____________________________________________.
VERB + INFINITVE
Some of the most common verbs followed by the infinitive form:
aim expect refuse
allowed fail *remember
arrange forget say
ask hope start
attempt manage *stop
be *mean threaten
begin offer *try
care plan want
choose prefer wish
continue proceed
decide promise
*Can have both infinitive and ing form with different meanings:
Compare: a) I remember seeing the Queen when I was young b) Remember to lock the door when you go out a) I
stopped seeing my friend as we had quarrelled b) I stopped to visit my friend on the way back from Venice a) I
tried taking an aspirin for my headache b) I tried to lift up the heavy box
a) I didnt mean to hurt you b) Going to university means studying a lot
a) I suggest you go to the library tomorrow b) He suggested having a picnic
Exercise 47 Replace the phrase in italics by an infinitive form.
1. She threatened that she would shoot him. _________________________________________________.
2. We hope well arrive early. _____________________________________________________________.
3. I promised that I would send a postcard. __________________________________________________.
4. He reminded me that I had to see my lawyer. _______________________________________________.
5. We remembered that we had to lock the door._______________________________________________.
Note: The verb want if followed by a complement follows the same rule: They wanted him to be a doctor.
INFINITIVE OF PURPOSE
The infinitive is also used to express purpose:
He went to the bank to get some money (He went there because he wanted to get some money).
Note: do not use for in this case. For + gerund is used to express the general purpose of a noun:
This is a tool for cutting things.
27
2. He started the course because he wanted to learn French. _____________________________________.
3. They went to Egypt because they wanted to see the pyramids. _________________________________.
4. I am studying because I want to become a doctor. ___________________________________________.
5. He will buy a car because he wants to drive to work. _________________________________________.
-ING FORM
The ing form has a wide variety of functions:
28
13. I stopped ___________ at the view halfway up the mountain. (look)
14. He remembers ___________ a horse in the mountains when he was young. (ride)
15. If you dont know his telephone number, try ___________ it up in the phone book. (look)
Exercise 53 Film titles often begin with a gerund or infinitive form of the verb. Write the correct form of the verb
in brackets.
1. _____________________________(save) Private Ryan.
2. _____________________________(catch) a Thief.
3. _____________________________(be) John Malkovich.
4. _____________________________(kill) a Mockingbird.
5. _____________________________(regard) Henry.
6. _____________________________(have) and Have Not.
7. _____________________________(raise) Arizona.
8. _____________________________(die) For.
9. _____________________________(educate) Rita.
10. ____________________________ (be) or Not ______ (be).
A more formal passive construction to describe beliefs, opinions etc. uses the impersonal It:
It is said he has won numerous awards. (They say he has won numerous awards).
It is believed that the Government is thinking of imposing new taxes. (They believe the Government is thinking of
imposing new taxes).
Exercise 54 Complete the sentences with a passive construction, using the verbs in brackets and in the tense
suggested.
Exercise 55 Rewrite the sentences in the passive form. Add the agent only where necessary.
1. The police have arrested the thief. ___________________________________
2. The fierce dog bit the man on his leg. ___________________________________
3. Christopher Wren designed this church. ___________________________________
4. The government is going to increase taxes next month. ___________________________________
29
5. Scientists are making progress in cancer research. ___________________________________
6. They were painting the room when I came in. ___________________________________
7. Someone has taken my phone. ___________________________________
8. They will mend the roof next week. ___________________________________
UNIT 4 MODAL AUXILIARIES AND OTHER AUXILIARIES, CONDITIONAL FORM, REPORTED SPEECH
MODAL AUXILIARIES
Modal auxiliary verbs have the following characteristics:
There is no infinitive form of these verbs; they are followed by the bare infinitive of the verb (apart from ought to);
there is no s in the third person singular present; they do not need the auxiliary do to form the interrogative and
negative forms; they have no ed and ing forms. The modal auxiliaries are:
can, could, will, would, shall, should, ought to, may, might, must
Some forms are known as semi-modals, as they share some, but not all the characteristics:
to be able to, have to, to be allowed to, would rather, to be going to, had better
Ability: I can swim. I could ride a bicycle when I was 5. I have been able to speak English since I was at school.
Permission: Can/Could/May/Might I use your phone? We were allowed to leave the lesson early.
Obligation: You must study more. You have to drive on the left in Britain. They had to go to hospital. Did you have to
tidy your room when you were young? I will have to climb the stairs. The lift is out of order.
Prohibition: You mustnt touch that dog. Its dangerous. He wasnt allowed to go out.
Necessity: The child needs to have his own room. Her hair needs cutting.
No necessity: You dont have to / dont need to / neednt come with me if you dont want to.
Advice: You should / ought to go to bed - you look tired. He had better study harder.
Offers: Ill help you with your homework. Shall I open the window?
Requests: Can / Could / Will / Would you buy me a newspaper, please?
Past habit: He used to / would play football when he was ten.
Preference: We would rather stay at home than go out.
30
Probability: Stephen may/might be here, but Im not sure. The bus should be here by now. Dogs can be difficult to
educate. This painting cant be a Picasso-theres no signature. You must be tired after such a hard day. She must have
been tired. He cant have known.
Exercise 57 Rewrite the sentences using one of the modal verbs above.
e.g. I want permission to go home early = Can/Could/May I go home early?
1. I would like to use your phone. _______________________
2. Jane has the ability to play the violin. _______________________
3. The doctor has advised me to stop smoking. _______________________
4. I would like to help you pick up that heavy suitcase. _______________________
5. It is prohibited to smoke in here. _______________________
6. It is not necessary to wear a uniform. _______________________
7. I order you to tidy your room. _______________________
8. When I was six, I was able to play the piano. _______________________
9. Open the door, please. _______________________
10. It would be better if you studied harder. _______________________
11. He can drive now. He started to drive when he was 18. _______________________
12. I advise you to read that book. _______________________
13. It isnt necessary for you to go to the shops today. _______________________
14. It was obligatory for me to take the dog for a walk every day. ______________________
15. It is prohibited to wear a miniskirt in church. Change your clothes. _______________________
16. It is necessary to clean the floor. _______________________
17. It is possible that the painting is by Vermeer. _________________________
18. It isnt possible that your brother is here-hes in America! ________________________
19. I would prefer to go to the cinema. _________________________
20. It would be better if you left early to catch the train. ________________________
MUST / HAVE TO
Exercise 58 Complete the sentences with a form of must or have to.
1. Im tired. I __________ go to bed early tonight.
2. Mary ___________ go to school on Saturdays.
3. We __________ fly to London for a meeting next week.
4. You __________ visit us again soon.
5. He __________ cook because his wife is away.
6. __________ (you) pay taxes if you live abroad?
7. He __________ study harder if he wants to pass the exam.
8. She __________ go to the post office to renew her passport.
31
Exercise 60 Need(s) doing / Need(s) to do / Neednt do
1. You __________ (buy) any more milk. There is enough in the fridge.
2. He __________ (feed) the cat twice a day.
3. We __________ (bring) our umbrellas today. Its sunny.
4. The car __________ (repair).
5. They __________ (provide) more information.
The modals must, will, may, might, cant and could also express deduction and possibility.
Present
The man must be extremely rich to own a Rolls Royce.
She must be working a lot at the moment. Shes never at home.
Youve just had lunch. You cant be hungry.
Ask Susan, she may/might know the answer.
The phone is ringing. It could be my mother.
If you speak to her, she will tell you she doesnt want to know.
Exercise 61 Complete the sentences using one of the modal verbs above.
1. Youve been working all day. You ___________ be very tired.
2. The restaurant __________ be very good because its always empty.
3. Wheres John? He __________ be in his office.
4. Dont phone Mary now. She ___________ be busy.
5. I dont know when they are coming. They __________ be here any time now.
Past
The phone rang but I didnt hear it. I must have been asleep.
Jo is very tired. She must have been studying all night.
Tom drove straight into the wall. He cant/couldnt have seen it.
Wheres my dictionary? You may/might have left it on the bus.
I think he will have finished his exam by now.
Exercise 62 Complete the sentences using one of the modal verbs above.
1. The house is empty next door. The neighbours __________ gone away.
2. The exam __________ been very easy as only half the students passed.
3. -Wheres my mobile phone? I dont know. You __________ put it in your bag.
4. Jenny isnt at home. She ___________ gone to work.
5. He ____________ been feeling depressed after his wifes death.
1. I bought some bread but there was already plenty in the cupboard.
______________________________________________________________________________
32
2. He took an umbrella when he went out, but it didnt rain.
______________________________________________________________________________
3. It wasnt necessary to hurry to catch the train as there was still lots of time, so we had a coffee.
______________________________________________________________________________
4. She took her camera on holiday, but she never used it.
______________________________________________________________________________
5. It wasnt necessary for Tim to explain the situation, as everybody already knew.
______________________________________________________________________________
2. Jane couldnt come yesterday evening because there was a lot of work to do.
Jane _________________________________________________________________________
Conditional 0 (situation always true if something happens): If Im late for school, my father gives me a lift.
Conditional 1 (possible result): If I find your watch, Ill tell you. If you dont sleep, youre going to be tired.
Conditional 2 (imaginary result): Im sure Jane would understand if you explained the situation to her.
If I were you I would go to the doctor.
Conditional 3 (past situation with hypothetical result): If I had known you were in hospital, I would have gone to visit
you.
34
CONDITIONAL 1
Exercise 67 Match the phrases and connect them with if.
CONDITIONAL 2
Exercise 68 Put the verbs into the correct tense.
1. If I _________ (have) enough money, I ___________ (buy) a house.
2. It __________ (be) lovely if we ___________ (can go) on holiday together.
3. If I __________ (be) you, I __________ (consult) a lawyer.
4. We __________ (come) to the party if we __________ (not-have) so much work.
5. If I __________ (win) the lottery, I __________ (travel).
CONDITIONAL 3
Exercise 69 Rewrite the sentences using the third conditional form.
e.g. I didnt know you were ill, so I didnt visit you = If I had known you were ill, I would have visited you.
Exercise 70 Complete the sentences using one of the conditional forms above.
1. If we __________ (catch) the 10.30 train to Venice, we __________ (arrive) in time.
2. You dont look healthy. If you __________ (take) more exercise, you _________ (feel) better.
3. If I ___________ (be) president, I _________ (change) a lot of things.
4. If you __________ (break) a bone, it ________ (hurt) a lot.
5. The view was great. If I _________ (have) a camera, I _________ (take) some pictures.
6. We _________ (enjoy) the holiday more last week if the weather ___________ (be) better.
I WISH/IF ONLY
Wish / If only + noun/pronoun + past subjunctive of verb to be: You are not here but I would like you to be here = I
wish / If only you were here.
Wish / If only + same noun/pronoun as subject + could: I cant fly = I wish / If only I could fly.
Wish / If only + different noun/pronoun from subject + would: You dont tidy your room, but I want you to tidy it = I
wish you would tidy your room.
35
3. He wants to be able to fly. He wishes _____________________________________________________.
4. I dont want to be fat. I wish ____________________________________________________________.
5. They want to have more time. They wish __________________________________________________.
Wish / If only + noun/pronoun + past perfect: I didnt go to university. Now I have a badly-paid job = I wish / If only I
had gone to university.
REPORTED SPEECH
When reporting what somebody says, unless we report the speech on the same day, we go back a tense. Always check
pronouns, place and time expressions and tenses and aspect.
Reporting statements: I speak French = She said that she spoke French.
I am going to University = He said that he was going to University.
Reporting questions: Why do you smoke? = He asked me why I smoked.
Do you like beer? = He asked me if / whether I liked beer.
Requests: John, sit down, please. = She told John to sit down.
Jane, dont open your book. = He told Jane not to open her book.
36
Other reporting verbs: promise, refuse, offer, decide, agree + (not) to do; ask, advise, encourage, remind, invite +
someone + (not) to do.
REPORTING VERBS
Exercise 75 Complete the sentences with one of the reporting verbs from the box.
refused promised offered decided
advised reminded invited agreed
COUNTABLE/UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS
Countable nouns have a singular and plural form, whereas common uncountable and proper nouns only have a
singular form and are followed by a singular verb. Here are some examples:
37
Plural nouns can have both singular and plural forms, but sometimes only have a plural form:
Collective nouns, which are countable, are followed by the singular when considered as a group and plural when
considered as individuals. Some examples are:
audience class committee crowd family
public staff team jury group
Some nouns are both countable and uncountable, and may change their meaning as a result:
38
A few /few, a little/ little
There is a difference between using few / little with or without the indefinite article:
A few students came to the lesson means not many students came, but this is still positive.
Few students came to the lesson means not enough students came and this is negative.
I have a little time to help you means I have not much but enough time.
I have little time to help you means I dont have enough time.
Exercise 77 Complete the sentences with one of the quantifiers above. More than one answer is possible in some
cases.
1. I think I have __________ sugar left if you need it.
2. __________ Jane nor Mary lives in Venice.
3. _________ of the people I know have a computer.
4. Would you like ___________ wine?
5. _____________ of the time I just go out to eat.
6. He doesnt like meat very ___________.
7. There are _________ chairs in the classroom. We need to get others.
8. How __________ children do you have?
9. There isnt _________ pasta for everyone. Buy some more.
10. She has two cats. __________ are very sweet.
11. The train leaves in 30 minutes, so we have ____________ time. Lets have a coffee.
12. How ___________ information do you need?
FORMAL NEGATION
Formal written English tends to use a negative form with a positive verb form to give a negative meaning:
There isnt any evidence = There is no evidence
They didnt see anybody = They saw nobody
Not much and not many can be replaced by little and few:
Not much evidence is left = Little evidence is left
There are not many chairs = There are few chairs
39
POSSESSIVE FORMS OF NOUNS
In the possessive form the apostrophe goes before the -s after singular nouns, but after the -s after plural nouns:
My brothers name is Peter The doctors responsibilities
If the word has an irregular plural form, the apostrophe comes before the s: womens rights childrens toys
The possessive can also be used with time expressions: todays lesson in three weeks time
Note: Do not put an apostrophe before a plural used with figures or acronyms: the 1960s their IQs are high
Inanimate objects generally avoid using the possessive form and form a compound noun. A compound noun is a
combination of two or more nouns: coffee cup history book
In compound nouns, nouns are used in their singular forms: processor of words = word processor
The plural is added to the principal noun in the compound: tea cups toothbrushes mothers-in-law
Do not confuse the possessive of it (its) with the contraction its (it is): its location is unknown its in the
church.
PRONOUNS
Exercise 81 Complete the table.
40
8. This house is Stephen and Samanthas. ___________________________________________________.
9. She will send Bill and you a postcard. _____________________________________________________.
10.Tom and I would like to go away for the weekend. __________________________________________.
They can be used to emphasize a noun or pronoun: We met the President himself.
Other verbs may use a reflexive pronoun, but only if the action is unusual: He managed to wash himself despite his
broken arm.
Do not confuse the reflexive pronouns with the reciprocal pronouns each other and one another:
Susan and Jane looked at each other = Susan looked at Jane and Jane looked at Susan
Susan and Jane looked at themselves in the mirror = Susan looked at herself and Jane looked at herself
Exercise 83 Complete the sentences with a reflexive pronoun or reciprocal pronoun where necessary.
1. He enjoyed ___________ on holiday.
2. You should relax ___________more often.
3. My parents met ___________ when they were in Paris.
4. I taught __________how to play chess.
5. I dont feel ___________ well today.
6. You dont look well. You should take care of ___________ better.
7. Children should help ________ at school.
8. I could not concentrate ___________ on the lesson.
9. The couple gave ____________ a kiss and said goodbye.
10. I made this cake ___________.
Relative pronouns
relative pronoun use example
Who subject/object pronoun -people The man who gave you a lift
Which subject/object pronoun -things The book which is on the table
Whose possession people + things The man whose wife is a writer
Whom object pronoun people (formal) The woman to whom I wrote
That subject/object pronoun people + The picture that hangs on the wall
things (only in restrictive relative The girl that I met yesterday
clauses)
Relative adverbs
relative adverb use example
When time expression The year when we got married
Where place The house where he lived
Why reason The reason why he left
41
Object pronouns (but not subject pronouns) in restrictive clauses can be omitted:
The girl (that) I met yesterday is French.
Exercise 85 Say whether the following pronouns are subject (S) or object (O) pronouns. Which sentences can omit
the relative pronoun?
1. Do you know the man who I was talking to?
2. Do you know the man who was talking to me?
3. The books that are on the shelf are dusty.
4. The books that we borrowed from the library must go back.
5. That is a museum which I love.
6. That is a museum that is 500 years old.
7. Ill stay in a town which is near the sea.
8. Ill stay in a town that I have never visited before.
Professor Smith, who teaches Biology, is very nice. I went to a see play by Goldoni, which was performed at the Fenice
Theatre.
Which sentences states that I have only one sister? Which sentence states that I have more than one sister?
Exercise 86 Join the relative clauses with a relative pronoun. Remember to use commas.
1. Charles Darwin was the grandson of a physician. Charles Darwin was born in 1809.
Charles Darwin__________________________________________________________________________
2. He met John Henslow at Cambridge. John Henslow was professor of biology.
He met _____________________________________________________________________________
3. Darwin sailed on the HMS Beagle. Darwin acted as a naturalist on board the ship.
Darwin ____________________________________________________________________________
42
4. The voyage took 5 years. It included Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego.
The voyage _________________________________________________________________________
5. In 1859 Darwin completed the Origin of the Species. It sold out the day of publication.
In 1859 ___________________________________________________________________________
6. The Church upheld creationism. It attacked him as a blasphemous radical.
The Church ________________________________________________________________________
Exercise 88 Rewrite the sentences substituting the relative pronouns with a present or past participle.
1. The painting that was stolen from the gallery has been found recently.
______________________________________________________________________________________
2. The girl who brought our meal was Spanish.
___________________________________________________________________________________
3. Students who wish to do the exam must enrol by Friday.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
4. The mushroom which was eaten by my friend was poisonous.
__________________________________________________________________________________
5. People who think about going on holiday should book early.
____________________________________________________________________________________
43
ARTICLES
a + singular noun with initial consonant; A temple.
an + singular noun with vowel sound; a + singular noun An arch. A European.
with initial consonant sound;
a + job; He is a doctor.
44
UNIT 6 ADJECTIVES, ADVERBS, PREPOSITIONS, LINK WORDS
ADJECTIVE POSITION
Adjectives have only one form used for singular and plural nouns and they generally precede the nouns they modify:
a magnificent table two beautiful girls
Note: Demonstrative adjectives change before plural nouns:
This cat these cats that bag those bags
When more than one adjective precedes the noun, the nouns are usually not separated by and, except after verbs
such as be, seem appear and look:
There is a large, red box. The box is large and red.
Adjectives of quality can also be used as nouns when they represent a class of person:
Rich people = the rich poor people = the poor
Note: this expression refers to a group of people, not to an individual. For individuals we say:
a poor man or a young person.
COMPOUND ADJECTIVES
Compound adjectives may be formed with a noun, adjective or adverb and a present participle or a past participle: a
middle-aged lady a well-preserved tower a brightly-coloured dress long-lasting fame
45
PARTICIPIAL ADJECTIVES
Present participle adjectives are active and mean having this effect: The book is interesting.
Past participle adjectives are passive and mean affected in this way: I am interested in this book.
ADJECTIVES + PREPOSITIONS
Prepositions that follow adjectives can often be different from those used in Italian. Always learn the adjective with
the preposition. Some examples are:
interested / involved / rich / located /situated + IN
accustomed / adjacent / close / contrary /dedicated/connected/opposed/related/similar/attached /exposed/
limited/opposed/relevant + TO
aware/capable/afraid / conscious/ convinced / full/made + OF
suitable/famous/responsible / known + FOR
doubtful/worried/serious + ABOUT
associated / pleased/popular/ compatible / consistent/ covered / equipped/ familiar + WITH
good/bad + AT
surprised/astonished/amazed + BY
Exercise 96 Write sentences using the superlative form of the adjective in italics.
1. Hes a good driver, probably ____________________.
2. Its a fascinating film, ________________________ Ive ever seen.
3. The dress is pretty, in fact its ______________________ I have.
4. This book is boring, _____________________ Ive read so far.
5. The house is modern, ______________________ in town.
The absolute superlative in English is usually formed by adding very before the adjective: Its very important.
However, we often substitute the adjective with an absolute adjective:
very big = huge very small = tiny very hungry = starving very tired = exhausted very cold = freezing
47
ADVERBS
(for position of adverbs see Unit 1).
Adverbs of manner are usually formed by adding the suffix ly to an adjective: slow = slowly
There are some exceptions: good = well
Some adverbs retain the same form as the adjective: hard, fast, early, late, high, low
Some adjectives ending in ly cannot be used as adverbs: lovely, friendly, daily, weekly
Adverbs of time are usually placed at the end of the sentence. However, they can start a sentence to emphasize the
time element: We will start working today. Today we will start working and tomorrow we will continue.
Adverbs of frequency are usually placed after the simple tenses of to be: The train is often late
Before the simple tenses of other verbs: They rarely go out
Before the past participle in compound sentences: She has always tried to improve her English
Adverbs of purpose use the infinitive form of the verb with to: Shes learning English to find a job. (see Unit 3).
Exercise 101 Put the adverbs in the correct place in the following sentences.
1. They have been to London. (never)
2. We went to the sea when we were young. (rarely)
3. This phenomenon hadnt been seen before. (ever)
4. We are in a hurry. (always)
5. She spoke very. (softly)
6. I dont know him. (well)
48
7. Well see him. (tomorrow)
8. Do you go to the cinema on Saturdays? (usually)
9. How do you play football? (often)
10. She drives. (fast)
PREPOSITIONS ON / AT / IN / TO
Exercise 102 Complete the sentences with on, at, in or to where necessary.
1. She works _______Saturdays.
2. I was born ________August.
rd
3. I was born _______December 3 .
4. What are you doing _______this evening?
5. Ill see you again _____ Monday.
6. See you _______the morning.
7. Lets go ______ the country _______the weekend.
8. Are you free ______next Monday?
9. Im seeing the dentist________10 oclock.
10. The train leaves____ten minutes.
11. He is going _________ today.
12. She was born _______1970.
13. They prefer to work______night.
14. The plane arrives _____the airport _______five oclock.
15. They arrived _______England yesterday_____ afternoon.
Note: Verbs such as tell, discuss, phone, meet, and enter are not followed by a preposition:
We had to discuss the problem. Please phone me as soon as possible.
Exercise 103 Complete the sentence with an appropriate preposition where necessary.
1. I am certainly looking forward __________ seeing you at Christmas.
2. We will have to deal ___________ the problem as soon as possible.
3. Dont worry ________ the exam!
4. Please concentrate __________ the lesson.
5. I want to apologise _________ the delay.
6. I dont think he approves _________ us at all.
7. You will have to adjust __________ your new lifestyle.
8. He phoned _________ me last night.
9. What were you laughing __________ when I saw you?
10. It all depends _________ whether it will be sunny or not.
49
CO-ORDINATION
Joining independent clauses
The following coordinating conjunctions are used to join independent clauses:
For (because), And, Nor, But, Or, Yet (but), So
A comma usually precedes the conjunction: The weather was hot, so I went to the beach.
Conjunction pairs
Conjunction pairs show the relationship between ideas in a sentence. The most common are:
both and, either or, neither nor, rather than, whether or, not only but also.
He has both a computer and a mobile phone.
I should either exercise more or eat less.
I am neither rich, nor famous.
We would rather watch a video than go out.
Have you decided whether you will apply for the job or not?
He is not only very good-looking, but also rich.
Exercise 105 Complete the sentences with one of the pairs above.
1. I will finish my work ____________ today _________ tomorrow.
2. I dont like him very much. He is _________ intelligent __________ ambitious.
3. I dont know __________ I will call them __________ not.
4. She would __________ have a pizza __________ pasta.
5. The lecture was __________ long, _________ boring.
6. I hate __________ cleaning __________ ironing.
50
7. He wont believe me, although / so that I told the truth.
8. She spoke to him although / since she didnt recognize him.
9. So that / As you have finished early, you can go home.
10. Because / Although we are busy, we are hardly ever at home.
UNIT 7 PREPOSITIONAL AND PHRASAL VERBS, EXPRESSIONS, WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED, FALSE FRIENDS
PREPOSITIONAL VERBS
A prepositional verb is a verb + preposition:
Prepositions: about, after, at, for, from, in, into, of, on, to, with.
Exercise 108 Rewrite the sentences substituting the formal phrase in italics with a prepositional verb in its correct
form.
1. Prices will increase next month.____________________________________________________________
2. Doctors are seeking a cure. _____________________________________________________________
3. He continued speaking for 3 hours. _________________________________________________________
4. We have to take care of 5 children. _________________________________________________________
5. I think we are getting short of bread. There is only one loaf left. _________________________________
51
6. This emergency requires a lot of helpers. ____________________________________________________
7. Leave the bus at the next bus-stop. ________________________________________________________
8. While I was cleaning my room I found some old letters. ________________________________________
9. I have a good relationship with my sister. __________________________________________________
10. She is slowly recovering from a long illness. _______________________________________________
Exercise 108 Complete the sentences with an appropriate prepositional verb in its correct form in each space.
apply for ask for see to deal with explain to
look after pay for suffer from take on get on with
Hes a nurse at St. Marys Hospital. He 1. __________ the job last year and was 2. __________ at Christmas. Nurses
don't earn much and they even have to 3. __________ their own uniforms. The nurses are all 4. __________ a pay
rise. It is very tiring work 5.__________ the elderly patients and 6.__________ all their needs, but he 7. ___________
all of them. He often 8.__________ backache and has to 9.__________ the administration that he needs time off to
10. __________ this problem.
PHRASAL VERBS
A phrasal verb is a verb + adverb:
He took the patient away. It is time to go out now.
The adverb can be placed either before or after the object:
I turned down the job.
I turned the job down.
I turned it down. (Note: do not place the pronoun after the particle).
Adverbs: about, away, back, down, in, off, on, out, over, round, through, up.
ON (= connect) ON (= continue)
Please switch on the heating. After secondary school, many young adults go on to study
at university.
52
Separable phrasal verbs
Exercise 110 Match the phrasal verb with a definition.
break off recognise, distinguish
bring about raise
look up cause (something to happen)
make out start a business etc.
put off Remove
put up Discontinue
set up lower; reject
take off connect/disconnect an appliance
turn on/off consult a reference book
turn down Postpone
Exercise 111 Rewrite the sentences substituting the formal phrase in italics with a phrasal verb.
1. Please lower the volume of the radio. _____________________________________________________
2. Initiatives were launched to cause government change. ______________________________________________
3. You will have to remove your clothes for the x-ray. ___________________________________________
4. The government has just raised the price of gas. _____________________________________________
5. The meeting will be postponed until next Monday. __________________________________________
6. I find it difficult to distinguish these signs. __________________________________________________
7. They discontinued their relationship. ______________________________________________________
Exercise 112 Complete the sentences with an appropriate particle from the box.
1. Im afraid weve missed the flight. The plane took __________ five minutes ago.
2. Try looking __________ his phone number in the directory.
3. The number of births in Italy has gone __________ in the last decade. There are fewer children around.
4. Please turn _________ the radio. The music is giving me a headache.
5. I hope to be taken ___________ as an accountant in the near future.
6. Were you looking ___________ me? I was out in the garden.
7. He was so drunk that it was difficult to make __________ what he was saying.
8. I hope he will carry ________ with his English.
9. They are generous. They will pay __________ my courses.
10. The appointment has been put _________ until next month.
53
to break the law Google has broken Internet privacy laws.
to break a habit I want to break the nasty habit of biting my fingernails.
to take a break If you are feeling tense, take a break and go for a walk.
TO BRING
to bring about The Mediation service will try to bring about a reconciliation.
to bring down I wont buy that computer until they bring down the price.
to bring up a child It isnt easy to bring up children nowadays.
to bring up a subject Human trafficking is a difficult subject to bring up.
To bring back It is thought that the Italian lire might be brought back.
TO LOOK
to look after Please look after the dog while Im away.
to look out It is crucial that you look out when you cross the street.
to look for If you have enough money, you should look for another flat.
to look into The Government is looking into the possibility of launching a new 24-hour help-line.
to look forward to The children were looking forward to Christmas.
TO PUT
to put off He has put off his appointment with the doctor until next week.
to put out The firemen put out the fire while the policemen held back the crowd.
to put in You should put in an application for that vacant post.
to put by Im putting by some money for my holidays.
to put (somebody) up While my room was being painted my neighbour put me up for a few days.
to put up with I dont know how you can put up with that awful noise!
(something/someone)
TO TAKE
to take into account Employers must take into account the needs of people working for them.
to take on In English nouns can often take on the function of adjectives.
to take place The event will take place at the weekend.
to take advantage of You should take advantage of the discounts in that shop.
to take up Bob wants to take up golf when he retires.
to take over Steve will take over his fathers business.
TO GET
to get (receive) help, treatment, advice
to get (find/buy) tickets, clothes, food
to get (become) worried, better, worse, ill, pregnant, close to someone, old
to get (arrive) home, to the airport
to get (catch) a bus, train, plane
to get on /off a bus, train, plane
to get on with your work, job, someone
to get in / out of a car, taxi
to get over an illness, a shock, a death
to get dressed, changed, married, divorced
to get rid of something
to get used to something, doing something
Exercise 118 Substitute the phrase in italics with an expression for get.
1. I was becoming really bored with the lesson. ______________________________________________
2. We have decided to divorce. ___________________________________________________________
3. Continue with your work, please. ________________________________________________________
4. He found it difficult to recover from his wifes death. ________________________________________
5. We must throw out all that old furniture in the garage. ______________________________________
6. Ill come as soon as I have put some clothes on. ____________________________________________
7. When tourists come to Venice they have to get accustomed to walking. ________________________
8. Where did you find that lovely dress? ____________________________________________________
9. He became really angry when I told him.__________________________________________________
10. Were catching the train at 6 p.m. _______________________________________________________
55
TO KEEP
Exercise 119 Substitute the word or phrase in italics with an expression for keep.
1. If you travel on business you need to know what is happening with your expenses. _________________
2. If at first you dont succeed, continue to try. ________________________________________________
3. This coat will help you stay warm. ________________________________________________________
4. Could you watch the children while I go out?. ______________________________________________
5. You must maintain the repayments to your creditors. ________________________________________
DO: your homework, the shopping, someone a favour, exercises, your best, well/badly, research, a course.
HAVE / TAKE
HAVE: a bath, a meal, fun, a party, a look, an argument, an experience, a chat, a dream.
TAKE: a train/bus/plane, a photo, a seat, time off, an interest in something, a trip, charge of something.
56
8. I really need to __________ some time off and relax.
9. Please come in and __________ a seat.
10. Would you like me to ___________ a look at your homework?
SAY / TELL
Say and tell are reporting verbs. Say does not require and indirect object, but tell must have an indirect object: He
says that he is going to University. She told me she would phone.
57
You can tell a joke/the truth/ a lie.
AS / LIKE
Like is a preposition and means similar to. It is followed by a noun, pronoun or present participle.
Some music, like disco, is awful. Hes a student, like me. This cereal is like eating paper.
As is a conjunction and can also mean similar to. It is followed by a subject + verb. As can also be a preposition, but in
this case it means in the position/form of.
Write the essay as I showed you. He has to make important decisions as the curator of the museum
SUCH / SO
Such a + adjective + noun: Its such a nice day. They were such nice people.
So + adjective/adverb: Youre so kind. He went so fast.
FALSE FRIENDS
Many words to be found in the English language seem familiar to Italian students, but the meaning is often different.
See Appendix III for the most common words.
Exercise 127 Substitute the following words in italics with the correct word.
1. We went to buy some books from the local library.
2. The museum is actually undergoing restoration.
3. Admission prices were extremely economic.
4. The professor spoke on the argument of archaeology in the Near East.
58
5. Control your letter when you have finished it.
6. Students must assist the seminars.
7. Did you see the notice on television last night?
8. Have you seen Jane ultimately?
9. The historic spoke about WWI.
10. The number of visitors to the museum this year has broken all primates.
PRACTICE TEST
Choose ONE alternative.
1. When you come out of the lift, you (will see / see / are seeing) 2 doors.
2. The information you gave me (were / was / have been) interesting.
3. I do the same things every day. My job is very (boredom / bored / boring).
4. We (have already / already have / has already) finished the test.
5. The phone's ringing. (Might / Will / Do) you answer it?
6. There is too (many / lot of / much) traffic in London.
7. I attended the course (for / to / for to) perfect my French.
8. Who (does live / lives / living) in that strange house?
9. I went there to see (what was the problem / what the problem / what the problem was).
10. I've worked here (since / from / by) I left school.
11. While you were in Rome you should (visit / have visited / be visiting) the Coliseum.
12. My sister and I send e-mails to (ourselves / each other / one another) every week
13. You won't change her mind, so there is (any / none / no) use in trying.
14. The company (founded / was founded / has been founded) in 1920.
15. I think you are (doing / making / taking) a big mistake!
16. Did you come to lessons (on / -- / the) last week?
17. When we (got / reached / arrived) at the station, the train was leaving.
18. If I lost my job, I (will / would / --) have problems finding another one.
19. I enjoyed the meal. -So (do / did / am) I.
20. We went to Mestre, (that / -- / which) is a town in Italy.
21. They are looking (for / forward / after) a hotel for the night.
22. I dont know what (is the time / the time is / the time).
23. I wish you (dont / cant / wouldnt) talk so much!
24. Never (seen I / I have seen / have I seen) such terrible art!
25. Would you like (some / any / a) wine?
26. I am going (to / in / at) New York this summer.
27. Could you (take / make / do) this photo of the sea?
28. He is very interested (to / at / in) philosophy.
29. When I was young, I (used to play / used to playing / would playing) the guitar.
30. Does she work in the bank? Yes, she (is / does / works).
31. Im early, (amnt /am /arent) I?
32. She (still / yet / already) hasnt written to me!
33. I love (-- / the / a) Italian wine.
34. I knocked on the door, but (anybody / nobody / nothing) answered.
35. The floor needs (clean / cleaned / cleaning).
36. I remember (to see / see / seeing) the famous actor when I was young.
37. Id like (to meet / meeting / meet) that person one day.
38. Did your parents make you (tidy / to tidy / tidying) your room when you were young?
39. Im really worried (for / at / about) the exam tomorrow.
59
40. He has a (four-years-old / four-year / four-year-old) son.
60
Choose the correct alternative.
Controversy over 'Caravaggio' painting
A painting 1. __________ (that / what / who) was sold for 75,000 three years ago 2. __________ (had to / could /
couldn't) be worth millions after experts authenticated it as a 3. __________ (opera / works / work) by Italian master
Caravaggio. Art dealer Clovis Whitfield said he 4. __________ (did / made / found) the discovery when he examined
Apollo the Luteplayer for a 5. __________ (clientele / client / customer). It had been sold at Sotheby's in New York 6.
__________ (in the / in / at) 2001, where the catalogue listed it 7. __________ (as / such as / like) possibly by Carlo
th
Magnone. But Sotheby's insists that the painting is not by Caravaggio. Mr. Whitfield, an expert in 17 Century art, said
th
his interest 8. __________ (in / on / at) the painting started when he saw it in the auction catalogue. He said a 17
Century description of a 9. __________ (Caravaggio's / Caravaggios' / Caravaggio) painting by biographer Giovanni
Baglione corresponded with Apollo the Luteplayer, making it worth investigating. After the painting 10. _________
(was cleaning / was cleaned / cleaned), x-rays were taken, which showed changes in the painting, suggesting it was an
original, rather 11. __________ (that / than / then) a copy. There were incisions that are characteristic of Caravaggio.
There is a version of the 12. __________ (similar / like / same) painting in Russia's Hermitage Museum, which might
be a second original.
Sotheby's said a 13. __________ (great deal / number / numerous) of experts had attributed the painting to Magnone.
They remain confident with 14. __________ (there / their / they're) cataloguing and 15. __________ (research /
researches / researcher).
61
APPENDIX I TENSES: ACTIVE VOICE
PAST:
simple progressive perfect perfect progressive
I watched I was watching I had watched I had been watching
They were watching
PRESENT:
simple progressive perfect perfect progressive
I watch I am watching I have watched I have been watching
He watches He is watching He has watched He has been watching
She never eats meat. They often have pizza for dinner.
He is studying French at the moment.
They have visited most European countries in the last 20 years.
I have been reading all morning.
FUTURE:
simple progressive perfect perfect progressive
I shall/will watch I shall/will be watching I shall/will have watched I shall/will have been
watching
He will watch He will be watching He will have watched He will have been watching
INFINITIVES:
simple progressive perfect perfect progressive
To watch To be watching To have watched To have been watching
62
TENSES: PASSIVE VOICE
PAST:
simple progressive perfect
I was watched I was being watched I had been watched
They were watched They were being watched
PRESENT:
simple progressive perfect
I am watched I am being watched I have been watched
He is watched He is being watched He has been watched
FUTURE:
simple perfect
I shall/will be watched I shall/will have been
watched
He will be watched He will have been watched
INFINITIVES:
simple perfect
To be watched To be have been watched
63
APPENDIX II
IRREGULAR VERBS
65
sink sank sunk affondare
sit sat sat sedere, sedersi
sleep slept slept dormire
smell smelt/smelled (Am.E) smelt/smelled annusare, sentire
speak spoke spoken parlare
spell spelt/spelled (Am. E) spelt/spelled formare con lettere
spend spent spent spendere
stand stood stood stare (in piedi)
steal stole stolen rubare
stick stuck stuck attaccare, attaccarsi
strike struck struck colpire, scioperare
swim swam swum nuotare
66
APPENDIX III
NUMBERS AND TRENDS
Cardinal numbers
1) When reading a number of three or more figures or writing it in words, we place and before the word denoting
tens or units:
104 a hundred and four
2,986 two thousand nine hundred and eighty-six
4) The words hundred, thousand, million are never made plural unless used with general reference to a large number:
two hundred There were hundreds of birds in the trees.
five thousand Thousands of people went to the concert.
5) Unlike Italian, in English the comma is used to divide groups of numbers: 1,000 2,300 45,000 and the point
is used to indicate decimals: 1.5 (one point five) 4.56 (four point five six)
Ordinal numbers
st th st
1 first 11 eleventh 21 twenty-first
nd th nd
2 second 12 twelfth 22 twenty-second
rd th rd
3 third 13 thirteenth 23 twenty-third
th th th
4 fourth 14 fourteenth 24 twenty-fourth
th th th
5 fifth 15 fifteenth 25 twenty-fifth
th th th
6 sixth 16 sixteenth 26 twenty-sixth
th th th
7 seventh 17 seventeenth 27 twenty-seventh
th th th
8 eighth 18 eighteenth 28 twenty-eighth
th th th
9 ninth 19 nineteenth 29 twenty-ninth
67
th th th
10 tenth 20 twentieth 30 thirtieth
st th th
31 thirty-first 70 seventieth 1,000 thousandth
th th th
40 fortieth 80 eightieth 1,000,000 millionth
th th
50 fiftieth 90 ninetieth
th th
60 sixtieth 100 hundredth
1) Ordinal numbers written as figures add the last two letters of the written word:
first - 1st second - 2nd third - 3rd fourth - 4th
3) The titles of Kings, Wars etc. are written with Roman figures but are read with ordinal numbers:
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth the second) World War II (the second World War)
Note that American English tends to put the month before the day:
December 9
68
KEY TO EXERCISES
Exercise 1
1. Whose house did you go to? 2. Who wrote Romeo and Juliet? 3. Why did they go to Rome?
4. Which wine does she prefer? 5. When are they going to Scotland? 6. Who loves Susan? 7. What happened? 8.
How are they going to Venice? 9. How long did it take them to build the bridge.? 10. How many novels has Stephen
King written?
Exercise 2 (suggestions)
1. How many languages can she speak? 2. What did you have for lunch? 3. How often does she play tennis? 4. Why
are you closing the window? 5. When did you go to Scotland? 6. Who wrote the letter? 7. Who did you see? 8. How
old is he? 9. Whats your favourite food? 10. Whens your appointment? 11. Where are the cups? 12. Which dress
do you prefer? 13. Why did you go to the bank? 14. Whose book is this? 15. What does she look like /What is she
like?
Exercise 3
1. He doesnt live in a house. 2. They dont work in an office. 3. They arent eating at the moment. 4.
Shakespeare didnt write novels. 5. Anne hasnt got three dogs. 6. We havent been to Africa. 7. He cant play the
piano very well. 8. The train didnt leave at six. 9. I didnt find the books I wanted. 10. He isnt going to buy a new
car. 11. They werent cleaning the windows yesterday afternoon. 12. We dont have to wear a uniform at school. 13.
He wont be in his office. 14. The film hadnt started when we arrived at the cinema.
Exercise 4
1. There was nothing to do. 2. I have no money. 3. I decided to give him no help. 4. She can find her keys nowhere. 5.
We saw nobody.
Exercise 5
1. He will spend his holiday in Japan next year 2. Do you know where the post office is? 3. They had an exam at
school last week. 4. Why did she tell him a lie? 5. We have never been to Germany. 6. How often do you play
tennis? 7. Are you going to help me? 8. She like jazz very much. 9. What does he look like?
10. They gave me a wonderful present. 11. She explained the meaning to me. 12. Who gave you that present? 13. It
is Tim who wrote the letter. 14. How long is the lesson? 15. The documents were photocopied.
Exercise 6
1. It was John who gave me the flowers. 2. It was Vermeer who painted the picture. 3. It was Paris that I went to. 4.
It was in 1492 that Columbus discovered America. 5. It is French that we are learning.
Exercise 7
1. Never have I seen such a wonderful painting. 2. Rarely did he go to the cinema. 3. Seldom do we speak to our
neighbors. 4. Hardly had they arrived at the beach when it started raining. 5. Never had we heard such terrible news.
Exercise 8
1. there ; 2. It is; 3. Its; 4. There is; 5. There was; 6. It; 7. Is it; 8. Its; 9. There are; 10. It is; 11. It is;
12. there is.
Exercise 9
1. A pair of dirty brown leather shoes. 2. Some long yellow cotton curtains. 3. A beautiful whote Italian silk shirt. 4.
An antique silver teapot. 5. An authentic Victorian typewriter.
Exercise 10
1. She plays the piano well. 2. The scientists usually hold the annual conference in the hall. 3. I would like to see your
house very much. 4. He didnt run fast enough to catch up with her.5. Her latest novel is rather good. 6. I got lost,
69
but fortunately someone gave me directions to the station. 7. I have finished your book and will return it tomorrow.
8. They quite like the new design. 9. She was often the centre of attention. 10. Im fairly sure that he told me.
Exercise 11
1. become a doctor. 2. begin at 6oclock. 3. break a glass. 4. bring a book with you. 5. buy a house. 6. catch a train.
7. choose a dress. 8. do something. 9. drink some milk. 10. drive a car. 11. eat a sandwich. 12. fall off a chair. 13.
find treasure. 14. fly in a plane. 15. forget someones name. 16. get a sandwich. 17. give a present. 18. go to
London. 19. grow a plant. 20. hit a ball. 21. hear a song. 22. hold someones hand. 23. keep a promise. 24. lay the
table. 25. lead a group of people. 26. lie down on the bed. 27. lose the keys. 28. let someone do something. 29.
make a cake. 30. meet at the station. 31. pay for the meal. 32. read a book. 33. ride a bike. 34. rise early. 35. run
fast. 36. see a film. 37. sell a car. 38. send a letter. 39. sing a song. 40. sit on a chair. 41. speak English. 42. stand at
the bus-stop. 43. steal the jewels. 44. swim in the sea. 45. take a photo. 46. teach how to do something. 47. tell
somebody something. 48. think about someone. 49. understand the lesson. 50. write a letter.
Exercise 12
1. simple; 2. Perfect; 3. Progressive; 4. Perfect; 5. Progressive; 6. Simple; 7. Simple; 8. Progressive; 9. Simple; 10.
Progressive.
Exercise 13
1. present progressive; 2. Present simple ; 3. Present perfect progressive; 4. Future simple; 5. Past simple; 6.
Present perfect simple; 7. Future perfect; 8. Past perfect; 9. Past perfect progressive; 10. Future progressive;
Exercise 14
1. They live in Venice in a large flat by the Grand Canal. 2. I listen to the radio every morning. 3. He often drives to
the coast at weekends. 4. She always sends me a postcard when shes on holiday. 5. The train arrive at 7 p.m. this
evening. 6. I wake up early every morning. 7. We both play the piano at school. 8. That boy watches a lot of
television in the evenings. 9. He works in a bank in London. 10. She speaks three languages fluently.
Exercise 15
1. Where do you live? 2. Do you smoke? 3. When does the train leave? 4. What do you do? 5. Does she work a
lot? 6. What time does he catch the train in the morning? 7. Why do they run every morning? 8. Do we need a
ticket to see the show? 9. Where do you both usually meet? 10. Does he often go to the cinema?
Exercise 16
1. comes; 2.is; 3. Works; 4. Has; 5. Lives; 6.catches/takes; 7.is 8. Likes/loves; 8. Are; 9. Goes; 10. Likes/loves; 11.
Eats/has; 12. Drinks; 13. Stays; 14. Reads; 15. Watches.
Exercise 17
1. woke up; 2. Had; 3. Made; 4. Ate; 5. Drove; 6. Went; 7. Ran; 8. Drank; 9. Wrote; 10. Spent.
Exercise 18
1. Did you learn French at school? 2. Why did he go out so early? 3. When did they arrive at the airport? 4. He did
not stay at home yesterday. 5. We did not see her for a long time. 6. Who did you speak to at the
meeting? 7. Which dress did you choose? 8. I did not pay a lot for the jacket. 9. Did he understand the question? 10.
We did not know about the accident.
Exercise 19
70
1. spent; 2. Stayed; 3. Were; 4.went; 5.saw; 6. Caught/took; 7.was; 8. Had/ sold; 9. Bought; 10. Visited; 11. Was; 12.
Went; 13. Were; 14. Sent/wrote; 15. Was.
Exercise 20
1. She is studying now/ She isnt studying now. Is she studying now?
2. We are listening to the politician/We arent listening to the politician/Are we listening to the politician?
3. They are writing to the bank/They arent writing to the bank/ Are they writing to the bank?
4. I am having lunch at the moment/Im not having lunch at the moment/ Am I having lunch at the moment?
5. He is teaching his friend to speak English/ He isnt teaching his friend to speak English/ Is he teaching his friend to
speak English?
Exercise 21
1. think; 2. is having; 3. doesnt see; 4. Weighs; 5. Prefer; 6. Is appearing; 7. Seem; 8. Doesnt understand; 9. Mean;
10. Agree.
Exercise 22
1. is thinking; 2. are taking; 3. Stay; 4. do you have; 5. is speaking; 6. is staying; 7. doesnt think; 8. Take; 9. is
having; 10. Speaks.
Exercise 23
1. are you doing; 2. Does he go; 3. Am reading; 4. Arent working; 5. Is it raining; 6. Listen; 7. Clean; 8. Is Smoking; 9.
Am taking; 10. Do you dream.
Exercise 24
1. Are they coming to the party? b. No, they arent. 2. Do we have to pay for it? j. Yes, we do. 3. Is she coming
back? e. No, I dont think she is. 4. Does she eat meat? a. No, she doesnt. 5. Is it still raining? d. Yes, it is. 6.
Does it always rain a lot here? i. Yes, it does at this time of year. 7. Do they have everything they need? f.
No, they dont. 8. Are you waiting to see the doctor? g. Yes, I am. Hes very late. 9. Do you see your cousin very
often? h. No, I dont. 10. Are we going to Greece this year? c. No, we arent. We dont have any money.
Exercise 25
1. Were the girls playing basketball? No, they were playing football.
2. Was Jane singing? No, she was listening to music.
3. Were you waiting for the bus? No, I was looking at the shop.
4. Was he laughing? No, he was crying.
5. Was the cat sleeping? No, it was eating.
Exercise 26
1. I was driving when I had an accident.2. While he was cooking he cut himself. 3. They were having a drink while
they were listening to Jazz. 4. We were leaving the theatre when we saw the strange man. 5. She fell asleep while
she was watching the film.
Exercise 27
1. saw, was running; 2. Was waiting, arrived; 3. Didnt believe, told; 4. Was tidying, found; 5. What were you doing,
phoned.
Exercise 28
71
1. I have passed/ I havent passed/ Have I passed? 2. He has lost/ he hasnt lost/ has he lost? 3. We have tidied/We
havent tidied/ Have we tidied? 4. She has finished/ she hasnt finished/ has she finished? 5. They have sent/ have
they sent? / they havent sent.
Exercise 29
1. have been. 2. Have you seen? 3. havent finished. 4. have bought. 5. have you done? 6. has taught. 7. has
written. 8. has he gone? 9. have had. 10. have met.
Exercise 30
1. since. 2. for. 3. for. 4. since. 5. since. 6. for. 7. since. 8. since. 9. for. 10. since.
Exercise 31
1. still. 2. ever. 3. already. 4. just. 5. yet. 6. never. 7. yet. 8. ever. 9. still. 10. already.
Exercise 32
1. havent had. 2. didnt go. 3. has been. 4. havent finished. 5. got. 6. has just gone. 7. did Goldoni write. 8. have
you known. 9. have never met. 10. drove.
Exercise 33
1. lived. 2. sank. 3. has stolen. 4. has been. 5. graduated. 6. have seen. 7. has walked. 8. lived. 9. have torn. 10.
lost. 11. havent seen. 12. didnt write. 13. havent completed. 14. went. 15. have emerged.
Exercise 34
1. have been working. 2. has been dreaming. 3. have been watching. 4. have been studying. 5. have been collecting.
6. has been raining. 7. has been learning. 8. have been waiting. 9. has been working. 10. has been sleeping.
Exercise 35
1. have forgotten. 2. have been running. 3. have seen. 4. have you been watching. 5. hasnt eaten. 6. has been
crying. 7. has had. 8. have been listening. 9. have been doing. 10. have known.
Exercise 36
1. Had you forgotten to bring your ticket?/I hadnt forgotten to bring my ticket. 2. Had you slept the night before? / I
hadnt slept the night before. 3. Had she lost her wallet on the train again? / She hadnt lost her wallet on the train
again. 4. Had we visited London before? / We hadnt visited London before. 5. Had they seen a lion before? / They
hadnt seen a lion before.
Exercise 37
1. was walking; thought; had spent. 2. had finished; started. 3. posted; realized; had written. 4. asked; had been. 5.
got; had gone/went. 6. were; had called; didnt answer. 7. arrived; saw; had stolen. 8. met; told; had been; didnt
look. 9. looked; heard; found; had got stuck. 10. invited; couldnt; had made.
Exercise 38
1. Someone had been frying. 2. They had been playing in the garden. 3. She had been cutting onions. 4. He had been
sunbathing all day on the beach. 5. It had been snowing all night.
Exercise 39
1. had invited. 2. had been driving. 3. had been. 4. had you been doing. 5. had been watching. 6. had never seen. 7.
had finished. 8. had started. 9. had been studying. 10. had been waiting.
72
Exercise 40
1. used to smoke. 2. are used to working. 3. am used to driving. 4. used to / would tell me. 5. Did you use to play. 6.
are not used to eating. 7. would /used to do/ is used to doing. 8. used to walk. 9. used to be. 10. is used to taking.
Exercise 41
1. we are going to crash. 2. Ill answer. 3. begins. 4. am not working. 5. shall I do. 6. touch; will burn. 7. is
applying/is going to applying. 8. is to visit. 9. shall go. 10. will be. 11. will be working. 12. will have repaired. 13. will
become. 14. will be leaving. 15. Ill go.
Exercise 42
1. We wont get home until after midnight. 2. Ill phone him as soon as I get into the office. 3. She wont have
breakfast before she goes out to work. 4. I will go mad unless I have a holiday. 5. He will go for a swim tomorrow if
the weather is fine. 6. We will go to the restaurant after the concert. 7. He isnt going to sign the contract until he
reads it carefully. 8. You wont pass the exam unless you study hard. 9. They are going to celebrate after they have
finished their exams. 10. You will recognize him when you see him.
Exercise 43
1. do; wont eat. 2. will get; arrive. 3. finish; will have. 4. return; will be. 5. will go; have visited. 6. will think;
considers. 7. will you do; do not have. 8. will happen; is. 9. will ask; phone. 10. get; will see.
Exercise 44
1. to be. 2. to meet. 3. to hear. 4. to have. 5. to eat.
Exercise 45
1. She isnt old enough to drive. 2. He isnt old enough to drink alcohol. 3. We are to tired to continue studying. 4.
The child is too short to reach the biscuits. 5. Im not strong enough to lift the box.
Exercise 46
1. I have nothing to wear. 2. He hasnt got anything to do. 3. There is a lot to talk about. 4. There are so many books
to read. 5. There is nowhere to go.
Exercise 47
1. She threatened to shoot him. 2. We hope to arrive early. 3. I promised to send him a postcard. 4. He reminded
me to see my lawyer. 5. We remembered to lock the door.
Exercise 48
1. to go. 2. to build. 3. buy. 4. to meet. 5. to participate. 6. hurry. 7. tell. 8. let. 9. to finish. 10. to admire.
Exercise 49 (suggestions)
1. stay outside. 2. her to leave? 3. him not to use the computer. 4. me to buy the coat. 5. her to do some tests.
Exercise 50
1. to book a flight. 2. to learn French. 3. to see the pyramids. 4. to become a doctor. 5. to drive to work.
Exercise 51 (suggestions)
1. playing tennis. 2. eating fish. 3. watching TV. 4. taking the dog for a walk. 5. eating that cake. 6. discussing this
matter. 7. going to the dentist. 8. going to the park.
73
Exercise 52
1. to smoke. 2. opening. 3. to pass. 4. study. 5. to go. 6. think. 7. to see. 8. reading. 9. stay. 10. having. 11.
mentioning. 12. watching. 13. to look. 14. riding. 15. looking.
Exercise 53
1. Saving Private Ryan. 2. To Catch a Thief. 3. Being John Malkovich. 4. To Kill a Mockingbird. 5. Regarding Henry. 6.
To Have and have Not. 7. Raising Arizona. 8. To Die For. 9. Educating Rita. 10. To Be Or Not To Be.
Exercise 54
1. was written. 2. are not read. 3. will be opened. 4. was told. 5. has been left. 6. had been robbed.
Exercise 55
1. The thief has been arrested. 2. The man was bitten on his leg by the fierce dog. 3. This church was designed by
Christopher Wren. 4. Taxes are going to be increased next month. 5. Progress is being made in cancer research. 6.
The room was being painted when I came in. 7. My phone has been taken. 8. The roof will be mended next week.
Exercise 56
1. The dog must be walked every day. 2. The letter should be posted now. 3. The vase will be handled with care. 4.
The documents have to be photocopied. 5. The doctor could have been called.
Exercise 57
1. Can I use your phone? 2. Jane can play the violin. 3. I should stop smoking. 4. Shall I help you pick up the suitcase?
5. You mustnt smoke in here. 6. You must /have to wear a uniform. 7. You must tidy your room. 8. I could play the
piano. 9. Will you open the door? 10. Youd better study harder. 11. He has been able to drive since he was 18. 12.
You should read that book. 13. You neednt go to the shops today. 14. I had to take the dog for a walk every day. 15.
You mustnt wear a miniskirt in church. 16. The floor needs cleaning. 17. The painting may be by Vermeer. 18. It
cant be your brother. 19. Id rather go to the cinema. 20. Youd better leave early.
Exercise 58
1. must. 2. has to. 3. have to. 4. must. 5. has to. 6. Do you have to? 7. must. 8. has to.
Exercise 59
1. mustnt. 2. dont have to. 3. doesnt have to. 4. mustnt. 5. dont have to. 6. mustnt. 7. dont have to. 8. dont
have to.
Exercise 60
1. neednt buy. 2. needs to feed. 3. neednt bring. 4. needs repairing. 5. need to provide.
Exercise 61
1. must. 2. cant . 3. may/might. 4. will. 5. may/might.
Exercise 62
1. must have. 2. cant have. 3. may/might. 4. will have. 5. must have.
Exercise 63
1. I neednt have bought some bread. 2. He neednt have taken an umbrella. 3. We didnt need to hurry. 4. She
neednt have taken her camera. 5. He didnt need to explain the situation.
74
Exercise 64
1. You should have gone to see the doctor. 2. Jane had a lot of work to so. 3. We had to leave before the end of the
meeting. 4. You should have come to the party. 5. I had to wait for the bus a very long time.
Exercise 65
1. Shall. 2. Could. 3. mustnt. 4. should. 5. cant. 6. must. 7. had to. 8. ought to. 9. have to. 10. shouldnt.
Exercise 66
1. was. 2. did. 3. do. 4. can. 5. shall. 6. arent. 7. does. 8. do. 9. has. 10. has.
Exercise 67
1. Ill drive to work if I miss the bus. 2. If we have enough money, well go on holiday. 3. They will buy the car if they
can afford it. 4. If you give me the phone number, Ill phone her. 5. Well fall asleep if he continues speaking.
Exercise 68
1. had; would buy. 2. would be; could go. 3. were; would consult. 4. would come; didnt have. 5. won; would travel.
Exercise 69
1. I wouldnt have got lost if I had listened to him. 2. If my teacher had explained the rule I would have understood.
3. If I had seen the cat, I wouldnt have fallen down the stairs. 4. If she had been careful, she wouldnt have broken
the glass. 5. If he hadnt gone to the rock concert, he wouldnt have met his future wife.
Exercise 70
1. catch; will arrive. 2. took; would feel. 3. were; would change. 4. break; hurts. 5. had had; would have taken. 6.
would have enjoyed; had been.
Exercise 71
1. I wish you were here. 2. She wishes she were young again. 3. He wishes he could fly. 4. I wish I werent fat. 5.
They wish they had more time.
Exercise 72
1. We wish we had known about the train strike. 2. I wish I hadnt said some terrible things. 3. He wishes he had
posted the letter. 4. She wishes she hadnt broken the precious vase. 5. I wish I had told her.
Exercise 73
1. that was his chair. 2. she had gone to the cinema the day before. 3. he was writing a book. 4. she would do it the
day after. 5. they had never been to Paris. 6. he would do it if he could. 7. they were waiting for the new teacher. 8.
she had made a mistake.
Exercise 74
1. She asked what the time was. 2. Jane asked me how I was. 3. He asked me where the bank was. 4. His mother
asked him where he had been. 5. Tom asked me if/whether I liked chocolate. 6. Robert asked him how many people
lived in the town. 7. Susan asked why he was leaving. 8. Tom asked if /whether the party was a success.
Exercise 75
1. He advised me to go to the doctor. 2. She promised to post the letter. 3. He agreed to help me. 4. She decided to
wash the car. 5. He refused to pay the bill. 6. They offered to help him cook. 7. He reminded me to lock the door. 8.
They invited us to go for a pizza.
75
Exercise 76
1. is. 2. a. 3. --. 4. --. 5. homework. 6. --. 7. is. 8. was. 9. works. 10. progress. 11. a. 12. --. 13. --. 14. an. 15. a.
16. --. 17. talks. 18. --. 19. are. 20. are.
Exercise 77
1. some. 2. Neither. 3. Most. 4. a little. 5. Most. 6. much. 7. few. 8. many. 9. enough. 10. Both. 11. plenty of. 12.
much.
Exercise 78
1. I know nobody. 2. He went nowhere. 3. We have done nothing wrong. 4. Some people have no respect. 5. They
have no money left. 6. They never confessed to the crime. 7. I need no more chairs. 8. We had little difficulty. 9.
There are few possibilities. 10. Few people know this.
Exercise 79
1. I think Mozarts best opera is The marriage of Figaro. 2. The musicians wives are accompanying them on the tour.
3. Tom and Susans house is very old. 4. The Womens Movement was very strong in the 1970s. 5. I only had 5 hours
sleep last night.
Exercise 80
1. A computer study course. 2. Ancient manuscript research. 3. University reform issues. 4. Art history texts. 5. An
oil painting appreciation course.
Exercise 81
Subject object possessive reflexive
I me mine myself
You you yours yourself
He him his himself
She her hers herself
It it its itself
You you yours yourselves
We us ours ourselves
They them theirs themselves
Exercise 82
1. him. 2. them. 3. yours. 4. us. 5. her. 6. his. 7. it. 8. theirs. 9. you. 10. We.
Exercise 83
1. himself. 2. --. 3. each other. 4. myself. 5. --. 6. yourself. 7. each other. 8. --. 9. each other. 10. myself.
Exercise 84
1. The people who live in Italy are called Italians. 2. I chose the dress which was the cheapest. 3. The hotel where we
slept was very comfortable. 4. That is the professor whose wife is Russian. 5. The dictionary that is on the table is
mine.
Exercise 85
The following sentences have object pronouns so the relative pronouns can be omitted: 1, 4, 5, 7.
Exercise 86
76
1. Charles Darwin, who was the grandson of a physician, was born in 1809. 2. He met John Henslow at Cambridge,
who was professor of biology. 3. Darwin, who sailed on the HMS Beagle, acted as a naturalist on board the ship. 4.
The voyage, which took 5 years, included Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. 5. In 1859 Darwin completed the Origin of
the Species, sold out the day of publication. 6. The Church, which upheld creationism, attacked him as a blasphemous
radical.
Exercise 87
1. These are our friends we went to Greece with. 2. That was the month when there was the flood. 3. Do you know
the reason why she lost her job? 4. The professor i spoke to was in a hurry. 5. We climbed to the top of the
mountain, where we had a wonderful view.
Exercise 88
1. stolen from the gallery. 2. bringing our meal. 3. wishing to do the exam. 4. eaten by my friend. 5. thinking about
going.
Exercise 89
1. --; --. 2. --. 3. the. 4. the. 5. a. 6. --. 7. the. 8. a. 9. --. 10. the. 11. --. 12. --. 13. The. 14. --. 15. --. 16. --; --. 17.
a. 18. --. 19. --. 20. the.
Exercise 90
1. well-known castle. 2. never-ending. 3. English speaking teacher. 4. far-reaching. 5. hand-painted. 6. well-made.
Exercise 91
th
1. 12 -century castle. 2. 400-hundred-year-old bridge. 3. 3-foot-long table. 4. 5-metre-thick wall. 5. 5-year project.
th
6. 16 -century poem. 7. 14-year-old boy. 8. 5-mile walk. 9. 10-metre-high tree. 10. 3-week holiday.
Exercise 92
1. surprised. 2. exciting. 3. bored. 4. confusing. 5. exhausted. 6. interesting. 7. fascinating. 8. convinced. 9.
amazing. 10. interested.
Exercise 93
1. in. 2. in. 3. of. 4. about. 5. at. 6. for. 7. about. 8. of. 9. to. 10. for.
Exercise 94
Adjective comparative superlative
Good better the best
Bad worse the worst
Happy happier the happiest
Interesting more interesting the most interesting
Far farther/further the farthest/furthest
Modern more modern the most modern
Exercise 95
1. younger than. 2. tidier than. 3. more dangerous than. 4. further than. 5. worse than.
Exercise 96
1. the best. 2. the most fascinating. 3. the prettiest. 4. the most boring. 5. the most modern.
Exercise 97
77
1. newer. 2. the best. 3. latest. 4. longer. 5. the worst.
Exercise 98
1. not as tall as Simon. 2. is as light as a feather. 3. is not as deep as the sea. 4. as many drinks as you. 5. doesnt eat
as much as Tony.
Exercise 99
1. carefully. 2. fast. 3. well. 4. weekly. 5. friendly.
Exercise 100
1. faster. 2. better. 3. hard. 4. worse. 5. earlier.
Exercise 101
1. They have never been to London. 2. We rarely went to the sea when we were young. 3. This phenomenon hadnt
ever been seen before. 4. We are always in a hurry. 5. She spoke softly. 6. I dont know him well. 7. Well see him
tomorrow. 8. Do you usually go to the cinema on Saturdays? 9. How often do you play football? 10. She drives fast.
Exercise 102
1. on. 2. in. 3. on. 4. --. 5. on. 6. in. 7. to; at. 8. --. 9. at. 10. in. 11. --. 12. in. 13. at. 14. at; at. 15. in; --.
Exercise 103
1. to. 2. with. 3. about. 4. on. 5. for. 6. of. 7. to. 8. --. 9. at. 10. on.
Exercise 104
1. yet/for. 2. and. 3. yet. 4. or. 5. so. 6. nor.
Exercise 105
1. either...or. 2. neither ... nor. 3. whether ... or. 4. rather ... than. 5. not only ... but also. 6. both ... and.
Exercise 106
1. Although. 2. while. 3. so. 4. In spite of. 5. as. 6. unless. 7. although. 8. although. 9. As. 10. Because.
Exercise 107
call for require
carry on continue
come across find by chance
get on/off enter / leave bus, train, plane
get over recover from an illness etc.
get on with have good relationship
go up / down increase / decrease
go on continue
look after take care of
look for seek
run out of be short of
take off begin flight
Exercise 108
78
1. go up. 2. looking for. 3. went on. 4. look after. 5. running out of. 6. calls for. 7. Get off. 8. came across. 9. get on
with. 10. getting over.
Exercise 109
1. applied for. 2. taken on. 3. pay for. 4. asking for. 5. looking after. 6. seeing to. 7. gets on with. 8. suffers from. 9.
explain to. 10. deal with.
Exercise 110
break off discontinue
bring about cause to happen
look up consult a reference book
make out recognise, distinguish
put off postpone
put up raise
set up start a business etc.
take off remove
turn on/off connect/disconnect an appliance
turn down lower; reject
Exercise 111
1. turn down. 2. bring about. 3. take off. 4. put up. 5. put off. 6. make out. 7. broke off. 8. turned down. 9. set up.
10. look it up.
Exercise 112
1. off. 2. up. 3. down. 4. off/down. 5. on. 6. for. 7. out. 8. on. 9. for. 10. off.
Exercise 113
1. down. 2. out. 3. up. 4. habit. 5. the law.
Exercise 114
1. up. 2. up. 3. back. 4. about. 5. down.
Exercise 115
1. forward. 2. into. 3. for. 4. out. 5. after.
Exercise 116
1. off. 2. up with. 3. out. 4. by. 5. up.
Exercise 117
1. up. 2. place. 3. over. 4. advantage. 5. into account.
Exercise 118
1. getting. 2. get a divorce. 3. get on with. 4. get over. 5. get rid of. 6. got dressed. 7. get used to. 8. get. 9. got. 10.
getting.
Exercise 119
1. keep track of your expenses. 2. keep on trying. 3. keep you warm. 4. keep an eye on. 5. keep up with.
79
Exercise 120
1. make. 2. make. 3. did. 4. made. 5. do. 6. make. 7. made. 8. do. 9. make. 10. do.
Exercise 121
1. have. 2. have. 3. took. 4. taken. 5. had. 6. taken. 7. have. 8. take. 9. take. 10. take.
Exercise 122
1. whole. 2. Everybody. 3. everything. 4. whole. 5. every. 6. whole. 7. every. 8. all. 9. All. 10. all.
Exercise 123
1. other. 2. another. 3. other. 4. another. 5. others. 6. other. 7. other. 8. other. 9. other. 10. another.
Exercise 124
1. say. 2. tell. 3. tell. 4. say. 5. said. 6. told. 7. told. 8. telling. 9. say. 10. told.
Exercise 125
1. as. 2. like. 3. as. 4. as. 5. as.
Exercise 126
1. so. 2. such. 3. such. 4. so. 5. such.
Exercise 127
1. bookshop. 2. currently. 3. economical. 4. topic/subject. 5. Check. 6. attend. 7. news. 8. lately. 9. historian. 10.
records.
Practice Test
1. will see. 2. was. 3. boring. 4. have already. 5. Will. 6. much. 7. to. 8. lives. 9. what the problem was. 10. since.
11. have visited. 12. each other. 13. no. 14. was founded. 15. making. 16. --. 17. arrived. 18. would. 19. did. 20.
which. 21. for. 22. the time is. 23. wouldnt. 24. have I seen. 25. some. 26. to. 27. take. 28. in. 29. used to play.
30. does. 31. arent I. 32. still. 33. --. 34. nobody. 35. cleaning. 36. seeing. 37. to meet. 38. tidy. 39. about. 40.
four-year-old.
Translation
1. This information is interesting. 2. He cant come now. Hes having a bath. 3. What a lovely day! 4. Does Maria
study Philosophy? 5. Which pen do you want? The blue one or the black one? 6. She has black hair. 7. Look! Its
snowing. 8. He lived here until yesterday. 9. I have been here for hours. 10. Ive been here since 9 oclock. 11. Has
she ever been abroad? 12. Ive been writing letters all morning. 13. I go to the gym once a week. 14. Mr Smith is a
doctor. 15. They are his/hers. 16. You should eat more youre too thin. 17. I dont have to/neednt get up early
tomorrow - it s Sunday. 18. I have been able to speak French for 2 years. 19. You neednt/dont need to come
tomorrow. 20. Susan cant have taken the book. 21. Were leaving on Saturday evening. 22. If I were you I wouldnt
go there. 23. The car (that/which) Tom bought is Italian. 24. Stephen King, whose books are very famous, is very rich.
25. They wanted the student s to buy the books. 26. He is afraid of flying. 27. This picture was painted by Rembrandt.
28. It is thought that Jack is very rich. 29. The boy asked me if/whether I knew the town. 30. Jane told me to relax.
31. He told me not to open the window. 32. Look at the plane taking off.
Text
1. that. 2. could. 3. work. 4. made. 5. client. 6. in. 7. as. 8. in. 9. Caravaggio. 10. was cleaned. 11. than. 12. same.
13. number. 14. their. 15. research.
80
81
82
83