Grammar Exercises

Exercise 1.

Make the following sentences

negative and questions.

1. The fire was still burning at six o’clock this morning.

2. She was reading a book when he came in.

3. The sun was shining when we went out.

4. The children were doing their homework when their father came back from the office.

5. We were living in France when the war began.

6. It was raining this morning when I got up.

Exercise 2. Complete the Past Continuous form in the following:

1. You (walk) very quickly when I saw you.

2. James (go) to a disco when I met him.

3. He (sit) in the garden when the house fell down.

4. When you came in I (write).

5. I came in while he (write).

6. When I arrived at his house he still (sleep).

7. The boy jumped off the bus while it (move).

8. He (walk) across the bridge when his hat blew off.

9. She cut her finger while she (cut) the bread and butter.

10. The bus started while I (get) on.

11. When I (listen) to the radio last night, I heard a loud scream.

12. She finished the housework while she (cook) the lunch.

13. I took another cake when you (not look)!

14. I (have) a bath when the phone rang.

15. We (watch) television when Peter arrived.

Exercise 3. Choose the correct verb form in the following sentences.

1. I met/ was meeting a friend while I did/ was doing the shopping.

2. I paid/ was paying for my things when I heard/ was hearing someone call my name.

3. I turned/ was turning round and saw/ was seeing Paula.

4. She wore/ was wearing a bright red coat.

5. We decided/ were deciding to have a cup of coffee.

6. While we had/ were having a drink, a waiter dropped/ was dropping a pile of plates.

7. We all got/ were getting a terrible shock.

8. While the waiter picked/ was picking up the broken plates, he cut/ was cutting his finger.

9. We left/ were leaving the café and said/ were saying good-bye.

10. I finished/ was finishing my shopping and went/ was going home.

Exercise 4. Complete the passage with the correct words.

was working	clean	was watching	I heard		outside
was snowing	in	It stayed	as	see	was reading

One evening last year I was working late at the office. It was winter, and it ..... outside. I ..... some reports when ..... a noise. I looked out of the window but I couldn’t ..... anything. I went back to the reports but ..... I was working, I had a strange feeling. I felt that someone ..... me through the window. «This is silly,» I thought. «The office is on the second floor. It’s impossible for anyone to be outside.» I turned around to pick up a book and saw something in the mirror. It was a face and it was watching me through the window. When I turned back, the face wasn’t in the window any more ..... but it was still in the mirror. ..... there all night, watching me as I worked.

The next day, I looked at the ground .... the building. There were no marks in the snow underneath the window. It was ..... and fresh. There were no marks on the window itself and nothing ..... the mirror. But I know I saw a face. And there’s something else. That night was 31^st October, or Hallowe’en, the night when ghosts call and witches walk. Since that night, I have believed in ghosts.

Exercise 5. Put the verbs in brackets into the Past Simple or the Past Continuous.

1. Yesterday the sun (shine) when I (cycle) to school.

2. When I (come) home it (get) dark.

3. (He carry) a briefcase when you (see) him?

4. Tom (still read) when the phone (ring).

5. When I (look) for my needle-work the lights (go) out.

6. I (not know) he (prefer) tea to coffee.

7. He (practise) the violin, so he (not hear) me come in.

8. We (have) dinner when John (arrive).

9. Mary (know) that her husband (love) fishing.

10. She (still live) at the seaside when her parents (die).

Exercise 6.

Complete the passage with the correct form of the verb. Use the Past Continuous or the Past Simple tense.

I was walking home from school one day when I saw a girl that I knew. She ..... (sit) on a stone seat, looking at something, but I ..... (can not) see what it was. So I ..... (walk) over to her and ..... (say): «Hello. What’s that?» She ..... (jump). «Oh!» She said, «You ..... (frighten) me! I .... (watch) some little mice.» Then she ..... (show) me what she ..... (look) at. It was a nest of six baby mice with their mother.

Exercise 7.

Supply the most suitable tense (Present Simple, Present Continuous, Past Simple, Past Continuous, Present Perfect).

1. She (go) away every weekend.

2. He (go) abroad last week.

3. No, he isn’t here. He just (go) out.

4. He (go) downstairs when I (meet) him.

5. This boy never (see) the sea.

6. You (see) my bag? I (lose) it.

7. I (see) you yesterday. You (sit) outside a café.

8. He is busy now; he (write) a letter.

9. I usually (not take) sugar in my tea.

10. He (sit) in the garden, when the storm (break).

11. «You (go) to the cinema last night?» - «No, I (not be) for three weeks.»

12. «You (read) that book yet?» - «No, I only just (begin) it.»

Exercise 8.

Complete the sentences using the appropriate preposition.

1. They are very proud ….. their children.

2. My sister has just got engaged ….. her boyfriend.

3. Are you worried ….. your driving test?

4. You’re very good ….. explaining things.

5. Sydney in Australia is famous ….. its Opera House.

6. She’s quite capable ….. doing the job.

7. I’m tired … doing the same things every day.

8. Are you interested ….. playing tennis tomorrow?

9. It was very kind ….. them to give us a lift to the station.

10. He refused to give me an answer ….. my question.

11. What are the main differences ….. the two countries?

12. Smoking is one of the causes ….. heart disease.

13. The artist drew a picture ….. my mother.

14. There is a need ….. more houses in this area.

15. Has there been an increase ….. unemployment recently?

16. We need a solution ….. the world’s population problem.

Exercise 9. Translate from Russian into English.

1. Она выучила язык, когда училась в Англии. 2. Он простыл, когда катался на коньках в морозный день. 3. Я купил эту книгу, когда готовился к экзаменам. 4. Мистер Браун потерял фотоаппарат, когда гулял по городу. 5. Нэнси осталась дома, так как она удирала квартиру. 6. Почему он не остановился поговорить с тобой? - Он торопился на лекцию. 7. Они смотрят телевизор? - Не думаю. Когда я уходил, огни не смотрели его. 8. Дети спят? - Не думаю. Они не спали, когда я уходил. 9. Пока Джон мыл машину, девочки мыли посуду. 10. Дождь пошел как раз тогда, когда я вышел из дома.

UNIT 11

Grammar: Texts:

The Past Perfect Tense The Past Perfect Continuous Tense Relative Pronouns 1. «Someone Had Taken It» «Nobody Had Believed It Was Possible» «Luckily, I Had Been Wearing My Seatbelt» «Come On!» Dialogue

Text One

«Someone Had Taken It»

One day a few years ago a very funny thing happened to a neighbour of mine. He is a lecturer at one of London’s big medical schools. He had finished his teaching for the summer term and was at the airport on his way to Rumania to give a lecture on anatomy. He had packed a few clothes and his lecture notes in his hand

Vocabulary: a neighbour a lecturer to pack luggage a check-in desk

luggage but he had out Rupert, the skeleton he uses in his lectures, in a large brown suitcase. At the check-in desk, he realised he had forgotten to buy a newspaper. He left his suitcase near the desk and went over to the kiosk.

When he got back he discovered that someone had taken his suitcase. He often wonders what they said when they opened it and found Rupert.

Text Two

«Nobody Had Believed It Was Possible»

In 1912, the Titanic hit an iceberg on its first trip across the Atlantic, and it sank four hours later. At that time, the Titanic was the largest ship that had ever traveled on the sea. It was carrying 2207 people, but it had taken on enough lifeboats for only 1178 people. When the passengers tried to leave the ship, only 651 of them were able to get into lifeboats.

Vocabulary: an iceberg a lifeboat to sink a passenger radio a survivor

tragedy an officer a drill warning speed direction

The Carpathia was 58 miles away when the Titanic called on its radio for help. It arrived two hours after the great ship had gone down, and it saved 705 people. Some of the survivors had been in the icy water for hours when they were saved. Most of the passengers hadn’t lived that long; 1502 people had lost their lives.

Through the whole tragedy, the Californian was only ten miles away. Its officers were close enough to see the Titanic, but they didn’t understand the situation. They never received the Titanic’s call for help, and they didn’t come to the rescue until too late.

Why was there such a great loss of life? Why were there so few survivors? Why didn’t the Californian come to help?

First of all, nobody had prepared for such a tragedy. Nobody had believed that the Titanic could sink. The steamship company had thought that its ship would be completely safe in all situations. They’d followed an old rule for the number of lifeboats, so they’d supplied lifeboats for only half the people. The passengers had not yet received their lifeboat numbers, nor had they practiced lifeboat drill before the accident. Many of them had not even dressed warmly, for the ship had hit the iceberg late at night, and they didn’t believe they were in danger.

The ship had already received six ice warnings on its radio when it struck the iceberg. Nevertheless, it had not changed its direction or its speed. It was impossible to change direction quickly enough when the iceberg came in sight. When the Titanic hit the iceberg, the radio officer in the Californian had just gone to bed. He’d tried to warn the officers on the Titanic about the ice before he went to bed, but the officers hadn’t listened.

After this accident, ocean travel changed. Now there are always enough lifeboats for everybody. Ships don’t go so far north in winter, and they watch carefully for ice. Radio officers work 24 hours a day. A tragedy like the sinking of the Titanic should never happen again.

Text Three

«Luckily, I Had Been Wearing My Seatbelt»

The snowstorm in our city last week wasn’t a large one, but it caused many accidents. The snow started to come down in the late afternoon. I saw it through the window of the office building where I work as a secretary. It had been snowing for an hour when I started to drive home. The cars had been driving slowly because of the dangerous roads. It was slippery snow that froze when it hit the roads.Earlier,

Vocabulary: to freeze to melt to check traffic regularly to slip

the snow had been melting, but by evening it was staying on the roads. Police cars had been checking the traffic regularly.

I’d been driving for twenty minutes when the accident happened. My heater hadn’t been working, and the snow had been freezing on my window, so I couldn’t see well. I’d been stopping to clean my window every few minutes. I’d just started the car again when my tires started to slip. The car slipped onto the side of the road. When it hit the hill, it turned over and stopped.

I felt and looked to see if I was hurt, but I wasn’t. I’d been driving quite slowly, and luckily I’d been wearing my seatbelt. It was very quiet, with just the sounds of music and falling snow; I’d been playing the radio. Soon the police came to help me, and I was able to reach home in another hour.

Text Four

«Come On!»

Reporter: Harold: Reporter:

They’re all in a bunch! There’s nothing, nothing in it! No-no-no. Wait, the Favourite - I think it’s the Favourite - is coming up on the outside. Look, Peter, the white horse. That’s Flash. He’s the favourite. Flash is ahead! By a nose! But now, Negro Boy, Negro Boy is coming up. Yes, yes, he’s passed the favourite!

Vocabulary: a bunch ahead by a nose to pass marvellous to have in mind a ghost Would you like a lift?

Peter: The black horse is passing Flash. He is going to win the race.

Harold: Reporter: Harold: Peter: Peter: Harold: Peter: Harold: Peter: Harold: Nancy: Harold: Nancy: Peter: Nancy: Father: Peter: Father: Harold: Father: Peter: Father: Nancy: Mother: Harold: Mother: Nancy: Father: Peter: Harold:

Yes, I think he is. Good. ...Phew. What a race! Now, now, here’s the result: first - Negro Boy, second - Flash, the favourite. And in the third place - Red Smuggler. Well, that was it. Shall I switch off the TV, Peter? All right. CLIC Harold, I’ve got a marvellous plan. What have you in mind? Let’s go to the old castle on the cliffs. An old castle? Yes, it’s a very lonely place. The fishermen say it’s a haunted castle. Haunted? That’s interesting. I like ghost stories. Hello, boys. What are you doing? We are talking about a trip to the old castle. A trip? Lovely. Can I come with you? Oh, no. It’s no place for girls. No place for girls? Don’t be silly. What time is it? Twenty past two. Oh, I must go then. I’m on duty this afternoon. With the hovercraft? Yes. What are you doing this afternoon? We’re going to the old castle. Well, I’m going by car. Would you like a lift? That would be great. Are you doing anything special today? Yes, a trip to the old castle. Oh, you will be careful, won’t you? It’s dangerous on the cliffs. Don’t worry, mother. Come on, then. Good-bye! Bye!