Grammar Revision Grammar Training

19. Supply the correct form of the verbs given in brackets.

A.

Bradford Riot Sentence

‘Too Harsh’

The judge who sentenced Asian men to “excessive” prison sentences of 4 and 5 years for their part in the Bradford riots failed to consider that they feared that their community would be attacked by white racists, the court of appeal heard yesterday.

The Asian community in Bradford says the sentences were unfair (1) _______________ (to compare) with those (2) _______________ (to give) to white men (3) _______________ (to convict) for public disorders. Michael Mansfield QC said the men (4) _______________ (to suffer) “manifestly excessive” sentences from the Judge of Bradford, Stephen Gullick.

The riots of July 7, which caused £27m damage, followed an attempt by the National Front to march through Bradford. Police banned the march, but the group’s supporters still turned up. Two hundred racists (5) _______________ (to report) (6) _______________ (to arrive) by plane from Belgium on the morning of the riots, with others (7) _______________ (to reach) Bradford by train and car.

A smaller disturbance in the Revenscliff area of Bradford resulted in whites (8) _______________ (to charge) with the lesser offence of violent disorder rather than riot, and (9) _______________ (to receive) sentences of 12 months to three years.

Mr Mansfield represented Sajid Mahmood, 24, (10) _______________ (to jail) for four years for throwing stones at the police, and Waseem Raja, 27, who also threw missiles at the officers and made (11) _______________ (to threaten) gestures. They, like most others, went to the police after their pictures (12) ___________ (to circulate). Most made full confessions. The court of appeal was told Mr Gullick (13) _______________ (to pass) a six-year sentence if the men (14) (to contest) _______________ their guilt. But Mr Mansfield said the starting point for sentences (15) ___________ (modal verb) (16) _______________ (to be) two years.

Before the hearing the family of some of those (17) _____________ (to jail) protested outside the court. Saarah Ali, the mother of one of the applicants, said: “We know the violence (18) _______________ (not to justify). We don’t want riots. All we (19) _______________ (to ask for) is proportional sentencing. This (20) _______________ (to have) a devastating effect on us.”

The hearing continues.

(From ‘The Guardian’, abridged)

B.

Chinese Dig Unearths Secrets of General with Nine Tombs

The legend about a Chinese general who had nine tombs – so that no one (1) _______________ (to know) which one he (2) _______________ (to bury) in – (3) _______________ (to come) alive in Central China. The general’s mausoleum (4) ______________ (to find) last year at Zaoyang, in Hubei province, where a line of mounds long (5) _______________ (to know) by locals as the “ridge of nine”.

Details now (6) _______________ (to publish) about the opening of the elaborate coffin in which he (7) _______________ (to bury) at least 2,300 years ago, at the end of the southern Chu dynasty in China’s “warring states” period (475 – 221 BC).

The general’s name remains a mystery, but it (8) _________ (modal verb) (9) _______________ (to reveal) when a large bundle of bamboo slips – used for writing – (10) _______________ (to decipher). The general lay with his hands (11) _______________ (to cross) and a bronze sword by his side. He coffin (12) _______________ (to suspend) inside a larger enclosing coffin, and (13) _______________ (to paint) bright red. Earlier, the remains of a battle chariot (14) _______________ (to discover) to the west of the tomb.

According to the legend, the general died on the battlefield. (15) _______________ (to fear) that the body (16) _______________ (to dig up) by his enemies, his followers built a line of nine tombs and placed it in one of them.

Eight mounds long (17) _______________ (to know) at the site, but the ninth (18) _______________ (to discover) only last year when archeologists moved in. The ridge lies in the way of a new motorway and (19) __________ (modal verb) (20) _______________ (to excavate) before work (21) ___________ (modal verb) begin.

A new burst of Chinese economic development (22) _______________ (to lead) to a wave of archeological discoveries. The media (23) _______________ (to create) an “archeology fever” over Zaoyang excavation, and the opening of the general’s coffin (24) _______________ (to show) live on TV. When a second tomb (25) _______________ (to open), there was a fierce argument over what (26) _________ (modal verb) (27) _______________ (to do) with the coffin. After heated debate archeologists opened it with a crowbar.

The dig (28) _______________ (to unearth) nearly 700 items. Among the more important finds were more than 80 musical instruments including a 25-stringed zither – the first of its kind (29) _______________ (to discover) complete.

(From ‘The Guardian’, abridged)

C.