Грамматика. Практикум

1.The white metal gates (swing) open and the car (drive) through.

2.Shane (go) to bed and Wendy and Victory and Nico (sat) on Wendy's ratty couch, still drinking champagne and talking.

3.Then we realized that Richard (come) in through the garden and (stand) in the room listening.

4.Grant just (change) into some dry things and (wait) for dinner when there was a knock at the door.

5.Mary (find) an old hat and (try) on. It suited perfectly.

EXERCISE № 251. Ask your partner questions with “What were you doing at…?” and “What were you doing when…(you first/ last…)?” that you think they won’t know the answer to. When your partner asks you something you can’t remember or you are trying to think, use different phrases each time, e.g. “It’s on the tip of my tongue” or “I’ll kick myself when I remember this later”

at seven o’clock this morning

at midday on the first of January

at twenty two minutes past ten last night

when you heard about the Berlin Wall falling

heard that Michael Jackson was dead

when you met your boyfriend/ girlfriend

when you last saw your grandmother

when you first drank champagne

EXERCISE № 252. Make polite requests. Use the verbs wonder, want or hope.

Model: I wonder if you can lend me your mixer. – I was wondering if you could lend me your mixer.

1.Can I use your phone?

2.Can I use your fax?

3.I wonder if you can baby-sit for me tonight.

4.Do you have time to see me?

5.Can we discuss a pay rise?

6.I hope you can lend me your bike.

7.Can I have a talk with Mr Lightman?

8.Will you help me?

9.Could you please lend me £50?

10.We hope you’ll come and see us on Sunday.

11.Could you give me a lift?

EXERCISE № 253. Sometimes we use the past continuous to emphasise an activity and the fact it went on for a period of time. For example, Sorry I’m late. I was chatting to a friend and forgot the time. Work in pairs and take turns saying sorry for being late. Give a different excuse each time. Reply with some of the expressions below.

Oh well. Never mind. At least you are here now. It’s OK. I’ve only just got here myself.

Don’t worry about it. I haven’t been waiting long.

have a coffee over the road

sort out a problem at work

look for a parking space

wait for a bus for ages

EXERCISE № 254. We often use X was telling me (that) to report what someone said, and then continue the conversation by adding a comment or a question. Work in pairs and have conversations like this:

-Tom was telling me you like football.

-Yeah, that’s right.

-Do you play much?

or

-Joanna was telling me she listens to a lot of music.

-Oh yeah? What kind?

lived in Germany/do there?

play golf/any good?

just been on holiday/you go?

getting married/Congratulations/big day?

looking for a flat at the moment/any luck?

going to Brazil/news travels fast/how long/ be away for?

have taken up the guitar/teaching yourself to play?

looking for a part-time job/what sort of job?

EXERCISE № 255. The past continuous is used in stories to describe the atmosphere, setting, etc. before we describe the main events. Write the backgrounds for the following situations. For example,

She felt so empty inside. – She stuck her brown Coach hat on her head and climbed out of her car. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, spring flowers were beginning to bloom. The world was moving on, and she felt so empty inside. (R.Gibson)

1.Then, suddenly the engine began to make a strange noise and his cat stopped dead in the middle of the road.

2.And then suddenly she felt something running up her leg she looked down it was…..

3.He felt a sudden pain in his back.

4.She felt panic-stricken. Her head felt as though it was on fire.

5.Then suddenly the bike stopped and before I knew what was happening, I'd fallen off.

EXERCISE № 256. Translate from Russian into English.

The Past Perfect and the Past Perfect Continuous

EXERCISE № 257. State if the form stands for the Past Perfect / the Past Perfect Continuous (Exclusive or Inclusive).

1.For a few seconds she just sat there, trying to 1. Past Perfect Exclusive absorb what Sandy had said to her.

2.She thought she had given up the idea of 2. Past Perfect Exclusive romantic love a long time ago.

3.And so she thought about how she would have 3. Past Perfect Inclusive to deal with this by herself, and how she had

always dealt with everything by herself and got through it.

4.Paparazzi were standing behind a velvet rope. 4. Past Perfect Continuous Inclusive; Past Perfect Of course, she'd been seeing them for years, and Inclusive

had purchased photographs from most of them.

5.She had known Lyne Bennett for year, and 5. Past Perfect Inclusive; Past Perfect Exclusive every time she saw him, she sensed that he had

been the kind of kid who would kick a dog when

no one was looking.

6. And he did call at seven-thirty Saturday. By 6. Past Perfect Exclusive then, she had almost completely forgotten about

him.

7. Before that day I 'd heard about the Internet, 7. Past Perfect Exclusive read about the Internet, talked about the Internet,

but I'd never really understood what it was all about.

8. Ben was aware that passing shoppers had 8. Past Perfect Exclusive stopped to see what was going on, were looking

at him in a way, he realized, that meant they too had recognized him.

9. This is the guy I have been chatting to on the 9. Past Perfect Continuous Inclusive

Internet. - I didn't know you had been chatting to anyone on the Internet.

10. He felt tired. He had been walking for a long 10. Past Perfect Continuous Exclusive time.

EXERCISE № 258. Ask what people had done before.

Model: He came to Moscow a year ago. -Where had he lived before?

4.Last year he got married to Jenny. It's his 4. Who had he been married to before? second marriage,

5.Last year I spent my holiday at the seaside for 5. Where had you spent your holiday before? the first time.

EXERCISE № 259. Say what you or other people had already done by a stated time in the past.

Model: I had watered all the flowers by 5 o’clock in the afternoon./The age 15 is very interesting! By the time Victor and Nina were 15, they had done quite different things. Victor had worked in his father’s office and had visited ten different countries, and Nina had won several prizes for swimming ...

1.What had you done by 7 p.m. yesterday?

2.What had you done by 9 a.m. yesterday?

3.What had your group-mates done by 3 p.m. the day before yesterday?

4.What had Pushkin done by the time he was 35?

5.What had your brother/sister done by the time he/she was 10?

6.What had Michael Jackson done by the time he was 18?

EXERCISE № 260. It was Helen’s birthday yesterday and she gave a great party for her friends. What had she done before the day of the party?

EXERCISE № 261. Tom and Alison went on holiday last weekend. What had they done before the plane took off?

EXERCISE № 262. Linda is married to Jack. They have a baby. Last weekend Linda had to

Model 2: She cried and her eyes got swollen. - Her eyes were swollen because she had been crying.

1. They worked in the garden and got tired. 2. He ate much chocolate and got a toothache. 3. She painted the ceiling and her clothes got stained. 4. He waited for a long time and got impatient. 5. She watched much TV and her eyes started to ache. 6. He sat in the sun all day and his arms got sunburnt. 7. They played football and their clothes got muddy.

EXERCISE № 267. Think of something you had wanted to do at a particular time in the past. Why didn’t you do it?

Model: I had wanted to take my English exam last May, but I wasn’t ready.

EXERCISE № 268. Write two explanations for each situation, one in the Past Perfect, the other in the Past Perfect Continuous.

Model: Sharon put on five pounds. She had been eating too many sweets. She had dropped her keep-fit

Ann failed her final exam.

EXERCISE № 269. Read the sentences and make up more sentences according to the pattern. Model: I had hardly straightened my tie when Mrs Thompson came in with the coffee.

buy a new dress / want another one;

EXERCISE № 270. Read the sentences with hardly…when, then make them sound more English, changing the construction according to the model. Pay attention to a little difference in meaning between the constructions.

Model:Hardly had he opened the door, when he heard a cry. – Once he had opened the door, he heard a cry.

1)Hardly had Pandora finished her third glass of champagne, when she said in a low, steady voice, “Before I get to these awful rows your father and I have been having, I must tell you a story, Larry darling. All right?”

2)Hardly had they ordered lunch, when Larry stared at his mother and said, “Well, you did promise to explain all about the rows with Dad. So go on.”

3)Hardly had he finished the meeting with their lawyers and the insurance people, when he hurried to his apartment on Avenue Montaigne, quickly changed into more casual clothes, and gave his driver the address of their destination.

4)Hardly had he found some place to live, when he sent her his new address.

5)Hardly had he made a few sips, when she added him more tea.

6)Hardly had he heard Sweetheart coming down the stairs, her high heels ringing on the stone steps, when he threw the stolen food away in panic.

7)Hardly had he turned the corner, when he took the coat off and slipped it over his arm.

8)Hardly had she recovered full consciousness, when it became clear that she had entirely lost the power of speech.

9)Hardly had she left, when I reached into my apron pocket for my packet of cigarettes.

10)Hardly had she thought he was coming in her direction, when her heart began to pump with excitement.

11)Hardly had she turned the corner, when she jumped off her bike and pushed it through the maze of potholes that pitted the drive as it meandered the half mile to the main gates.

12)Hardly had she tried it on, when her spirits sank once more to unprecedented depths. For the dress was quite impossible. Or worse not quite impossible, but just about, just gently verging upon the impossible. It was not so ridiculously bizarre that it was unwearable but it was bad enough.

EXERCISE № 271. Read the situations and make up sentences with the past perfect continuous.

Model 1: We played football yesterday. Half an hour after we began playing, it started to rain. – We had been playing for half an hour when it began to rain.

1.I had arranged to meet Tom in a café. I arrived and waited for him. After 15 minutes I suddenly realized that I was in the wrong café.

2.Alison got a job in a factory. Five years later the factory closed down.

3.My sister went to a concert last week. The orchestra began playing. After about 10 minutes a man in the audience began snoring.

4.We began playing tennis. After half an hour there was a terrible storm.

5.Mr Mayle went to live in the south of France. Four months later Mr Mayle bought a car.

6.The child was playing in the yard. Thirty minutes later his mother called him home.

7.Mrs Lightman decided to save for buying a new house. Three years later she bought the house she wanted.

8.I took up Spanish one day. Seven years later I decided to carry on with it at university.

9.She moved to Berlin. Three years later the war broke out.

10.I opened the book and began reading it. Half an hour later you phoned me.

11.She learned the Highway Code rules and then took a driving test.

Model 2: Sarah’s eyes were red. (cry) – She had been crying.

1.Ted was watching TV. He felt tired. (work hard)

2.When I entered the room I saw nobody there. But there was an awful smell in the room. (smoke)

3.Sophie’s overalls were in paint. (paint the walls)

4.She was wet. (walk in the rain)

5.They were tired. (discuss business problems)

6.The boys had black eyes and torn clothes. (fight)

7.The two boys went into the house. They had a football and were both very tired. (play football)

8.When Diana got home, her husband was sitting in front of the computer. He had just turned it off. (play computer games)

9.Arnold’s clothes were dirty. (change the tyres on his car)

10.There was a strong smell of nail polish in the room. (paint nails)

EXERCISE № 272. Read the sentence and make up more sentences according to the pattern. Model: They had been living in that town for about three years when their son came back to the country.

talk on the phone for ... / get disconnected;

walk in the forest for .../ find a lake;

live in the village for … / smb. arrive;

drive for … / smth. go wrong with the brakes;

shop for … / buy a hat.

EXERCISE № 273. Put the verbs in brackets in the Past Perfect or the Past Perfect Continuous.

1.We couldn't open the door because it ___ (snow) heavily all night.

2.She looked shocked and she said she ___ (see) a UFO.

3.Billy had a black eye and Joe's lip was cut – they ___ (fight).

4.John decided to complain as his neighbours ___ (have) parties every day for two weeks.

5.Jill looked great – she ___ (lose) a few pounds and ___ (put on) a smart evening dress.

6.Sheila's eyes were red and swollen as if she ___ (cry) all night.

EXERCISE № 274. Use the Present Perfect (Continuous) or the Past Perfect (Continuous).

1. I received a letter from Susan a few days ago. I (not receive) letters from her since she had left. 2. There are a lot of dirty dishes. We (not wash up) since morning. 3. I telephoned her after I (make up) my mind to accept her offer. 4. He gave up smoking after he (smoke) for 20 years. 5. How long you (be engaged) before you got married. 6. We (be) here since 10 o'clock. 7. At last he finished his book. He (write) it for ten years. 8. How long you (wait) when the bus finally came? 9. I came a minute late. The train (leave) 10. We (finish) our test by that time. 11. You (finish) your work? 12. I didn't want to see the film because I (see) it in the cinema. 13) We (wait) for an hour when they finally came. 14) Since what time he (sleep)? 15) By the time the police came the robbers (manage) to escape.

EXERCISE № 275. Translate from Russian into English.

AROUND THE PAST

EXERCISE № 276. Read the text about Mr Widdle’s Day. Say what he did yesterday. Remember that Mr. Widdle is a very predictable person, he always keeps his timetable.

Mr Widdle plans his days in a very special way. He has a timetable. At 6 o’clock in the morning Mr Widdle wakes up. He slips out of bed and waits only two seconds to become more awake. Then he gets dressed. At 7 o’clock he makes his own breakfast and eats it. At 8 o’clock he washes his dishes. It is nine o’clock now. Mr Widdle is sitting on his front steps. He is reading a newspaper. He does it every morning. He reads his newspaper when the sun is shining, he reads it when it is raining.

“The most important thing,”- he says, “is that I keep my timetable.”

At 10 o’clock he does the washing. He washes his socks, trousers and shirts. Then he hangs them in the yard, rain, shine, snow or wind! “The important thing,”- he says ,” is that I keep my timetable.” At 11 o’clock Mr Widdle cooks his lunch and eats it. At 12 o’clock he feeds his dog. At 1 o’clock he goes shopping. If there is any free time, he visits his friends.

At three o’clock Mr Wddle does the ironing. When he finishes ironing his clothes, he irons his shoelaces and his ironing board.

At 4 o’clock Mr Widdle cleans his house from top to bottom. If there is dust, he dusts, if there is no dust, he dusts the furniture all the same.

At 5 o’clock he has tea. After that there is only one thing to do before he goes to bed. 6 o’clock in the evening is a very special hour: that is the only time he visits his house.

So you see Mr Widdle really keeps his timetable. And you?

EXERCISE № 277. Retell the text in the past.

A Broken Vase

The young man is going to marry a beautiful girl. One day the girl says to him that the next day she will have a birthday party and she invites him to come. The young man is eager to make her a present, so he goes to a gift shop. There he sees many beautiful things. Of all things he particularly likes the vases. But they are very expensive, and as he has very little money he has to leave the shop without buying anything. When the young man is walking to the door he hears a noise: one of the vases has fallen down and broken to pieces. A brilliant idea comes to his mind. He comes up to the counter and asks the salesman to wrap up the broken vase he wants to buy. The salesman is surprised but does what the young man asks him to.

The young man takes the parcel and goes straight to the girl's place. He enters the room and sees that the guests have already gathered. Everybody is enjoying the party. Some of the people are dancing. Others are talking, joking and laughing. Saying “Many happy returns of the day,” the young man says that he has bought a small present for her. With these words he begins to unwrap the parcel. Suddenly he gets pale and says: “I am afraid, I have broken it. There were so many people in the bus …'' But when he unwraps the parcel, he sees that the salesman has wrapped each piece of the vase separately.

EXERCISE № 278. Play a game. One of you is a ghost of a Morgan or any of the characters mentioned. The group should ask “Yes/No”- questions to find out which ghost they see.

Model: Were you a sailor? Did you want to know about your ancestors?

The Morgans

Wally Morgan wanted to know about his ancestors. He looked in old books, and visited churches. He discovered a lot of things about his family.

His father, Willy Morgan, played football for England. He was a full-back. He played against Scotland in 1923. The game started at 3 o'clock on a Saturday afternoon in May. England scored the first goal at 4.15. Then Willy scored two goals-both of them for Scotland. He didn't play for England again.

Billy "Four Eyes" Morgan lived from 1857 to 1886. He moved to the United States in 1879, and in