“Reality” markers
Exercise 18. In fact vs. but in fact. Make sentences as in the example.
Example: it rained all day / the weatherman had promised sunny weather The weatherman had promised sunny weather, but in fact, it rained all day.
Dynamo are the best team in the country / Dynamo are a very good team.
research оn anti-viral drugs is making good progress / а cure for many deadly diseases is only a few years away.
we thought we might arrive even earlier / we expected to reach our destination by midday.
the expedition hoped to climb the mountain by August / it was mid-September before they could begin the ascent.
I’ll probably be seeing them over Christmas / I think they’re having a party on Boxing Day.
Exercise 19. Insert indeed in the sentences below if possible. Alter punctuation as necessary.
Webb is a fine athlete. He is the best athlete in these games.
The newspapers praised him highly, and he did an excellent job. However, other people deserved just as much credit.
Linda was blamed for the accident, but it wasn’t her fault at all.
Hudson’s book did not sell well at first. The publishers considered dropping it from their list. However, it is now a bestseller.
We shall have to work with each other even if we don’t get on well.
Those with chapped hands should try treating them with my special herb lotion. The lotion is so safe that it can even be recommended for treating swollen eyes.
That’s a topic which has come to the fore very much recently. It is being widely discussed on all living-rooms.
Something was definitely wrong with the car. The engine began to sound very loud.
The Irish Prime Minister has carried out a visit to Belfast, which is very rare for him.
He is a cautious man, quite a timid one.
Exercise 20. Choose the best way of beginning the sentences below.
(a) The disease is serious. In fact,. . .
(b) The disease is serious, but in fact…
... it is fatal in over 60% of cases.
(a) Muller has developed a vaccine for it, and indeed …
(b) Muller has developed a vaccine for it. In fact. …
… his work gives some cause for hope. However, it appears that the vaccine is only partially effective.
(a) At first Muller claimed to have found a ‘cure’. In fact. …
(b) At first Muller claimed to have found a “cure”, but in fact …
... further research showed such claims were exaggerated.
(a) Cases of the disease will increase throughout the 1990s. Indeed …
(b) Cases of the disease will increase throughout the 1990s, but in fact…
... it may become a world health problem in the twenty-first century.
(a) The theory of relativity sounds rather simple, in fact …
(b) The theory of relativity sounds rather simple, but in fact…
… it’s beyond my comprehension.
(a) We’ve had a pretty bad time while you were away. As a matter of fact …
(b) We’ve had a pretty bad time while you were away. In fact …
… we very nearly split up this time.
(a) Officially he is in charge but as a matter of fact …
(b) Officially he is in charge but actually …
… his secretary does all the work.
Exercise 21. Insert actually / as a matter of fact in the sentences below.
I bought these shoes in a shop in the High Street. It’s that shop that opened last week, right on the corner. It has a very nice range.
John: I’m going home now. Would you like a lift?
Sue: I’m not leaving just yet. I’ve got some work to finish. Thanks, though.
Alan: I admired the Prime Minister’s speech on television. Didn’t you?
Bob: I found it extremely depressing.
Migoumi: Let’s go for a swim after the lesson this afternoon.
Kaoro: I can’t swim.
Fleming was the first person to notice the effects of penicillin. He discovered the effects by accident. Then later, he discovered what caused these effects.
I’m glad Williams is leaving the company. He never seemed particularly good at his job. I heard he only got the job because he’s a friend of the boss.
Exercise 22. Mixed ‘reality’ forms. Choose the correct form in the sentences below. Sometimes both forms are possible.
Did you have a good holiday in Scotland? - In fact, / Actually, we never went to Scotland. We got as far as the Lake District, then we came home.
The sales of LPs have declined at the expense of CDs. Indeed, / In fact, production of classical LPs has ceased entirely.
Hodgeson was said to be a fine musician, and indeed / and actually he had an excellent voice, though I never heard him play an instrument.
How do you like my new jacket? - Actually, / Indeed, it doesn’t suit you very well.
Do you think we should buy a 386 computer? - Actually, / As a matter of fact, there’s no advantage in getting a 386. The 486 models have come down in price, and they give more speed and power.
Everyone thought Stevens had the potential to become a great athlete, but in fact,/ and indeed he never fulfilled the promise he had shown.
Now some people have such confidence in the unborn child's hearing ability that they sing and talk to him and he actually responds! As a matter of fact / Actually, the unborn child has a completely developed auditory structure about half-way through pregnancy.
Her contradictions were not so unusual, not if you stopped to think about it. Most people, after all / as a matter of fact, were a mix of good and evil.
I'm not advising you to throw away your makeup or forget about your appearance. After all / Indeed, we do live in a world where beauty counts.
The Great Bear rotates about the sky and is always visible at night in the Northern Hemisphere. Indeed / As a matter of fact, during a total eclipse, it is visible in the daytime as well.
Exercise 23. Insert appropriate reality linkers.
I don’t have a car. , I can’t drive.
He apologized as soon as he realized what he had done. , he wrote a nice little note to me.
That sounds rather simple, it’s very difficult.
It’s a nice day, isn’t it? – Yes, it is beautiful weather.
She says it’s a good film, though she hasn’t seen it.
Have you ever met Simon? – , I met him two years ago.
He doesn’t mind. , he is very pleased.
Officially he is in charge, but his secretary does all the work.
We have nothing against diversity; , we want more of it.
Hm-m-m… You owe me a little bit more.
No, I’m not a student. I’m a doctor, .
You’re always late for work. – No, I’m not! , I’m nearly always early.
Mr. Major didn’t go to the university. , he left school at 16.
Yes, she is very nice… Well, , I don’t like her very much.
Do you think it’s a good idea to socialize with patients? – , I do. I think it’s a great idea.
They complained that they had been trapped inside the police station, most were seen escaping over the adjacent roofs in nearby buildings.
He’s too old for his job. – Well, he’s younger than you, .
We’ve had a pretty bad time while you were away. , we very nearly split up this time.
Yes, I know he looks younger, but he’s 45.
Happy birthday, Tom! – Thank you, but it was yesterday.