LESSON 13

The Present Perfect Continuous Tense. Сравнение the Present Perfect Tense и Present Perfect Continuous Tense.

What are you going to become? Have you chosen on your career? Tell your group-mates about it.

Text 1

I Want to Be a Businessman

My father works for an international company as a managing director. I like to be at his office.

My father is very busy. He often comes late from work. But I can see that he likes his job. And he always finds the time to spend with me and mum.

Sometimes he tells us about the difficult situations, which his company faces. It is so interesting to listen to him. It seems to me that you need to have a very creative mind to be a businessman.

My father is a friendly person and he is easy to talk to. I respect my father and I want to become a businessman too. I think our country needs good businesspeople to strengthen its economy.

At the Institute I study marketing and management. I haven’t decided yet exactly what I will become. Managers deal mainly with people. I study what is necessary to do to make people work better. Organizing makes things happen as planned. I understand that success will depend heavily on the coordinated efforts of the whole company and I will do my best to be a good leader. I hope I will obtain a high level of production from employees through motivation and proper guidance. Marketing deals with market research and commercial activity in general. I still have time to think and study.

1.In your opinion, how much time should a businessman work and how much time should he spend with his family?

2.Is a creative mind necessary for a businessperson?

3.Is there a need of businesspeople in our country?

4.What does marketing deal with?

5.What do managers deal with?

6.Are there any other reasons for you to become a businessperson?

Text 2

Is Entrepreneurship for You?

Factors you need to consider are your background, your financial and personal resources, your knowledge of people and their needs and desires, and your general attitude toward business and life.

One important area over which you have no control is your own personality and background. Is there such a notion as an entrepreneurial personality? It seems so. Certain traits of character and background are met with in successful entrepreneurs.

“Business Week” found, for example, that most come from homes where at least one parent was self-employed. Most showed entrepreneurial instincts very early. Nearly two thirds were the eldest child in their family; three quarters are married; half started a business because they disliked working for others.

Staying within a field of expertise increases chances for success. So does sales experience; salesmanship is part of any business - retail, wholesale, or manufacturing.

Text 3

Are you going to work at an office? If “yes”, the following information will be useful to you.

The Office

When we see or hear the word “business”, we think first of all not of different shops, factories or mines, but of offices. Modern business is done chiefly there, and a day of a modern businessman is a day spent at an office. That is probably why business people pay so much attention to the way their offices look like.

I am sure you can easily imagine this place.

Usually it is situated in a large or not very large well-planned building somewhere in the centre or in a prestigeous district of the city. How large the office is depends on the dimensions of the firm, which the businessman owns. But in any case it should be light and clean and have not necessarily very chic and expensive but comfortable furniture of good quality. One more very important thing is the air. It should always be fresh and neither hot nor cold. For this purpose a lot of modern businessmen use various types of airconditioners.

Office work usually means different forms of communication. A businessman often needs to speak to other people and he can do this by using the telephone, which is an important part of the communications system. The head of a large firm usually has two telephones on his desk. One is telephone, which connects the businessman with other people in the town and in other countries. But the other is connected to a private internal system which makes it possible for members of the staff in different parts of the same building to talk to one another without leaving their rooms.

A businessman also communicates by writing. But he doesn’t write his letters himself, he dictates them to his secretary, usually a woman, who types them on a typewriter or with the help of a computer, and then brings them to be signed.

After that she posts all the letters or (which is more common nowadays) sends them by fax. Thus we can say for sure that different technical means and equipment like a personal computer, fax, xerox, printer occupy a considerable part of the office interior.

And of course speaking about offices of any kind we shouldn’t forget the person, who actually organizes the work there, who arranges meetings, makes appointments, cancels them, does most of the paper-work and answers telephone calls thus helping the boss in his business, - the secretary or private assistant.

***

ORAL PRACTICE

Read the following dialogue in pairs. Learn it by heart.

Mr Thompson: I need a secretary who can type well and fast. Sarah: As I said in my letter, Mr. Thompson, I type well and fast. Ò: I need a secretary who can make good shorthand.

S: I make good shorthand.

Ò: I need a secretary who has à good voice on the telephone. S: I talked to you on the telephone, Mr. Thompson.

Ò: Yes, true. Well then, the job is yours, Miss Yardley. When can you begin?

S: Just a minute, please, Mr. Thompson. Ò: Yes?

S: You see, I need a job where I’m a person, not a machine. Ò: Oh!

S: And I need a job which is interesting. Ò: Yes.

S: And I need a job where I can decide things, not just be told everything. (не только выполнять поручения).

Ò: I see.

***

Insert prepositions:

A:What are you going to take ... as a career?

B:Architecture. Actually, I’ve already started. I began my studies last October.

A:What are you going to do when you finish?

B:Oh, I shall go back home and practice ... my native town. There’s a lot of useful work to be done there – building schools, hospitals, homes ... people.

A:What made you decide to take ... architecture as a career?

B:Well, I was good .... Maths and Art ... school and I think I had a certain feeling ... design. My teacher encouraged me and said I had a bent...

architecture.

A:I find that some young people fail to take ... a career because they’re not sure what they want to do and what career opportunities there are.

B: Yes, that’s true. But usually your personal qualities show ... school, don’t they? Teachers guide and encourage the young to take ... the careers ....

which they’re best suited.

Learn the dialogues by heart and act them out.

Dialogues at the Office

1.

Mr Smith. Let’s have a look at the diary. What are the engagements for today?

Secretary. Mr Green has appointment for ten. And there is a conference at three.

Mr Smith. Get the documents ready for the conference. And I’m afraid I will be busy till 12 o’clock.

Secretary. Shall I arrange for Mr Green to come later?

Mr Smith. Yes, you’d better phone him straight away and then attend to the documents.

Secretary. Very good.

2.

Mr Black. Could I speak to Mr Stain, please?

Secretary. Hold the line, please. I’ll see if he is in the office. Mr Black. Thank you.

Secretary. Mr Stain is on another line at the moment. Will you hold on a little longer or call back later?

Mr Black. I’d rather leave a message, if it is possible. Secretary. Yes, of course.

Mr Black. Will you please ask him to call at Mr Black’s office tomorrow at two o’clock?

Secretary. All right. I’ll tell him. Mr Black. Thanks a lot. Goodbye.

3.

My name’s Brown. How do you do. Mr Brown. Mr Hardy, isn’t it?

Mr Hardy. How do you do, Mr Brown. Very happy to meet you at last. I have spoken to you on the phone several times and now we’ve met.

Mr Brown. We saw some of your new cars at the last exhibition, Mr Hardy. Mr Hardy. Did you? What’s your impression?

Mr Brown. They are really very good. Some are completely different from what you had two years ago.

Mr Hardy. You are quite right. Model C365 is completely new.

Mr Brown. We are interested in buying it. I’d only like to discuss the price if you don’t mind. Your price is too high, you know.

Mr Hardy. Is it? But we’ve discussed the matter with several other companies and we’ll be selling the model to them at this price.

Mr Brown. Well, I’m sure we’ll come to an agreement, but I must first ring up my people and find out what they think of the price. Have you anything against it?

Mr Hardy. No, not at all.

***

Translate the sentences from Russian into English.

1.

-Haven’t seen you for ages. Where have you been all this time?

-В Швеции. Ты знаешь, у нас деловые отношения с одной крупной шведской фирмой.

-How long have you been in business with them?

-Мы подписали контракт 2 года назад. За это время наше сотрудничество значительно расширилось.

-What projects do you deal with?

-Сфера нашей деятельности – компьютерное обеспечение строительных предприятий.

-Glad to hear of your success. Good luck.

2.

-Well, Mr Black, what point would you like to take up now?

-Все вопросы важны. Все равно с чего начинать.

-You are quite right. If you don’t mind, let’s pass on to the terms of payment.

-Хорошо. Мы рассмотрели ваши условия и думаем, они приемлемы для нас.

-So, you will pay by an L/C against shipping documents, won’t you?

3.

-Is everything ready for the talks tomorrow?

-Да, я подготовил все необходимое. Проект контракта уже напечатан.

-Good. And have you considered the social programme?

-Да, мы планируем небольшой ланч, а затем пойдем в театр оперы и балета.

-O.K. Let’s look through all thepapers once again.

4.

-Виктор, я звонил тебе, но тебя не было на месте.

-Yes, I’m very busy now. We are receiving Italian businessmen.

-Они приняли наше новое предложение о сроках поставки?

-Yes, we’ve made some amendments and the delivery terms can be reduced to 6 months.

5.

-Mr. Black, what do you think about our offer to send our specialists to your firm?

-Это интересно, я думаю, для обеих сторон. Обмен специалистами будет способствовать развитию наших связей.

-Glad to hear it. How many people can be registered on the exchange programme?

-Этот вопрос надо дополнительно обсудить. Думаю, через 2 недели мы будем готовы дать свой ответ.

-I hope we’ll make a suitable decision for both parties.

6.

-This way, Mr. Bokov. Make yourself comfortable. Tea or cof-fee?

-Нет, спасибо. Мне бы хотелось сразу приступить к делу. Мы заинтересованы в покупке вашего оборудования.

-That’s nice to hear. It’s of the latest design. We’ve just developed it.

-Вы продавали его уже каким-либо потребителям?

-Yes, we have. Our customers are very satisfied with it.

GRAMMAR EXERCISES

Exercise 1. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense: Present Simple, Present Continuous, Present Perfect, Present Perfect Continuous.

1. He (to run) now. He (to run) for ten minutes without any rest. 2. What they (to do) now? – They (to work) in the reading-room. They (to work) there for already three hours. 3. Where he (to be) now? – He (to be) in the garden. He (to play) volley-ball with his friends. They (to play) since breakfast time. 4. I (to live) in St. Petersburg. I (to live) in St. Petersburg since 1990. 5. She already (to do) her homework for two hours; but she (not yet to do) half of it. 6. I (to wait) for you since two o’clock. 7. What you (to do)? – I (to read). I (to read) for already two hours. I already (to read) sixty pages. 8. This man (to be) a writer. He (to write) books. He (to write) books since he was a young man. He already (to write) eight books. 9. What you (to do) here since morning? 10. Lena is a very good girl. She always (to help) her mother about the house. Today she (to help) her mother since morning. They already (to wash) the floor and (to dust) the furniture. Now they (to cook) dinner together. 11. This is the factory where my father (to work). He (to work) here for fifteen years. 12. You (to find) your note-book? – No! I still (to look) for it. I already (to look) for it for two hours, but (not yet to find) it. 13. You (to play) with a ball for already three hours. Go home and do your homework. 14. Wake up! You (to sleep) for ten hours already. 15. I (to wait) for a letter from my cousin for a month already, but (not yet to receive) it. 16. It is difficult for me to speak about this opera as I (not to

hear) it. 17. I just (to receive) a letter from my granny, but I (not yet to receive) any letters from my parents. 18. The weather (to be) fine today. The sun (to shine) ever since we got up. 19. Every day I (to wind) up my watch at 10 o’clock in the evening. 20. Come along. Henry, what you (to do) now? I (to wait) for you a long time. 21. Where your gloves (to be)? – I (to put) them into my pocket.

Exercise 2. Translate the sentences into English. Mind the prepositions “on”, “in”, “at”, “to”, “into”.

1. Мой друг живет на севере. 2. Мы провели лето на юге. 3. В городе˝ было очень жарко, и мы решили поехать за город. После завтра˝ка мы поехали на вокзал. На вокзале было много народу. Люди стоял˝и на платформе и ждали поезда. За городом было чудесно. Сначала˝ мы пошли в лес. В лесу было прохладно. Потом мы подошли к реке. Мы плав˝али в реке, а бабушка сидела у реки на траве. Вечером мы поехали в˝ город. 4. Летом они всегда ездят на юг. 5. Мой папа работает на заводе, а˝ мама – в библиотеке. Мой старший брат учится в институте, а я учусь в˝ школе. Утром папа идет на завод, мама идет в библиотеку, мой брат и˝дет в институт, а я иду в школу. Наша бабушка обычно ходит в магазин утром. В˝ магазине она покупает продукты. 6. Владивосток расположен на Дальне˝м Востоке. 7. Вчера мы были в театре. 8. Позавчера мы были в парке. 9. Завтра˝ мы пойдем в кино или в музей. 10. Где твой брат? – Он в комнате, стои˝т у окна. 11. Где твоя сестра? – Она в школе. 12. Где ребенок? – Он в пос˝тели. Мама уложила его в постель полчаса назад. 13. Где твой папа? – ˝Он на работе. 14. Где твой дедушка? – Он в парке. 15. Где Коля? – Он на стадионе.

Exercise 3. Answer the following questions.

1. Do you remember who was the first to teach you English? 2. Who taught you in the 1st form at school? Did you like your first teacher? 3. Do you like to learn poems by heart? 4. What other foreign languages would you like to study? 5. Do you plan to teach your children foreign languages? 6. Is it easy to learn English tenses? 7. Who taught you to swim? 8. Must all the children study in our country? 9. Do you like to study? 10. When is it better to study: in the morning or in the evening?

Exercise 4. Insert “to study” or “to learn”:

1. Only later we ... about our friend’s arrival. 2. As the English proverb goes we live and ... . 3. You’ll never ... a foreign language if you don’t ... the words regularly. 4. Before they set off, the leader of the expedition decided to

... the map of the route. 5. He ... for the teacher’s profession. 6. It takes time to ... how to swim. 7. If you don’t ... the grammar rules, you will make many mistakes. 8. He ... to write with his left hand. 9. What subject do you ... in the third year? 10. I’d like to ... to play tennis. 11. Miss Read was a good

teacher and the boy ... very quickly. 12. John’s father wanted him to ... law. 13. I ... the expression of her face but saw nothing. 14. She knows English and German, and she wants to ... Spanish. 15. I was eager to ... about the house where I lived. 16. Before he began to write the book he ... the problem carefully. 17. Every day she ... to do things better. 18. “I suppose I will ... to respect these people in time” thought Paul. 19. Before reading the letter she... the envelope.

Exercise 5. Insert “to teach”, “to study”, or “to learn”:

1. What are you planning to ... them? 2. He had .. his lessons some days before. 3. As the school quietened down Tom made an honest effort to ...

Geography, but he couldn’t. 4. He took out his watch and ... it attentively. 5. You can’t ... an old dog new tricks. 6. Oh dear! What a lot you have to ... ! 7. Everyone must ... foreign languages. 8. He wanted to travel all over the world and to ... the customs of other countries. 9. He is planning to ... Greek next year. 10. I cannot ... you anything. You know as much as I do. 11. It was my mother who ... me to keep the house. 12. You must ... this poem by heart. 13. Life in the country ... him much. 14. When I saw Pete, he was ... the time-table. 15. In the first form children ... to read and to write.

Exercise 6. Translate the sentences into English, using Present Simple, Present Continuous, Present Perfect or Present Perfect Continuous.

1.Я уже три дня об этом думаю. 2. Моя сестра пьет кофе с молоком˝.

Àя всегда предпочитал черный кофе. 3. Мы очень рады вас виде˝ть. Мы вас ждали целый месяц. 4. Вы все еще читаете эту книгу? Скольк˝о времени вы ее уже читаете? 5. Моя сестра занимается музыкой уже пять˝ лет. 6. Я ищу тебя весь вечер. Где ты был все это время? 7. Они пишут соч˝инение уже два часа. 8. Мы знаем друг друга уже четыре года. 9. Я всегда˝ хотел изучать английский язык. 10. Где Нина? – Она уже два часа дома.˝ 11. Где дети? – Они все еще играют во дворе. 12. Мой брат уже три года ин˝женер. 13. Мой друг знает английский с детства. 14. Я уже полчаса наблю˝даю за тобой. 15. Ваш брат еще болен? – Нет, он уже поправился. Он уже тр˝и дня занимается физикой. Он хочет получить отличную оценку˝ на экзамене. 16. Мне уже давно хочется прочесть эту книгу. 17. Я уже двадцать˝ минут пытаюсь найти мою старую тетрадь. 18. Они уже десять лет живу˝т в НьюЙорке. 19. Моя тетя – артистка. Она всегда любила театр. 20. Ваш п˝апа уже вернулся с севера? – Да, он уже две недели дома.

Exercise 7. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense: Present, Past, Future Simple; Present, Past Continuous; Present, Past Perfect.

A. 1. We (to go) to school every day. 2. Nick (to do) his home-work by seven o’clock yesterday. 3. You (to help) your father tomorrow? 4. We (to

bring) a lot of berries from the wood. Now we will make jam. 5. Look! Jane (to swim) across the river. 6. What you (to do) at six o’clock yesterday? 7. You ever (to see) the Pyramids? 8. I (to go) to the Caucasus two years ago. 9. When Nick (to come) home yesterday, his mother (to return) and (to cook) dinner in the kitchen. 10. When I (to go) to school yesterday, I suddenly (to remember) that I (to forget) to take my English exercise-book. 11. Yesterday grandfather (to tell) us how he (to work) at the factory during the war.

B. 1. When you (to come) to see us? – I (to come) tomorrow if I (not to be) busy. 2. I (not to like) apples. 3. He (to come) home at five o’clock yesterday. 4. I (to ring) you up as soon as I (to come) home tomorrow. 5. I (to show) you my work if you (to like). 6. He (to come) home by six o’clock yesterday. 7. Pete certainly (to help) you with your English if you (to ask) him. 8. This little boy never (to see) a crocodile. 9. Send me a telegram as soon as you (to arrive). 10. Let’s go for a walk. The rain (to stop) and the sun (to shine). 11. If you (to help) me, I (to do) this work well. 12. I always (to get) up at eight o’clock, but tomorrow I (to get) up a little later. 13. What you (to read) now? – I (to read) Tom’s book. I (to be) in a hurry. Tom soon (to come), and I (to want) to finish reading the book before he (to come). 14. As soon as you (to see) your friend, tell him that I (to want) to see him. 15. When I (to come) home yesterday, my brother (to sleep).

Exercise 8. Translate:

1. Он перешел дорогу и вошел в кафе. 2. Она ходила по комнате. 3. Они плавали по южным морям. 4. Иди по этой дорожке через поле˝ и через лес, и через два-три часа ты подойдешь к реке. 5. Они бродили п˝о городу с рассвета до заката, говорили со многими людьми, смотрели˝ на прекрасные дворцы и памятники. Вечером они вернулись в гостиницу, уст˝алые, но довольные. 6. Том Сойер перепрыгнул через забор и побежал по˝ улице. Через несколько секунд он повернул за угол и исчез. 7. Пройд˝ите по этому коридору, заверните за угол в конце коридора и войдите в пе˝рвую комнату. 8. Через пять минут все сидели за столом и слушали бабушку. 9. ˝Он смотрел на лодки, плывущие по реке. 10. В прошлом году мы путешествова˝ли по Европе. 11. Он шел по улице и смотрел на лица прохожих. 12. Собака˝ подбежала к реке, прыгнула в воду, переплыла реку и убежала˝ в лес.

Exercise 9. Convert the utterances into Indirect Speech:

1. Jack told his father, “I have lost my notebook.” 2. Henry said to me, “I didn’t throw stones at your dog.” 3. Bob said to Tom, “Henry doesn’t sit next to me in class.” 4. I told the policeman, “I saw the thief in the garden.” 5. He said, “I have eaten nothing for two days.” 6. Jack’s father said to him, “You haven’t cleaned your shoes.” 7. Mary said, “I don’t want to wear my

old dress.” 8. My mother said to me, “I feel very tired, and I have a headache.” 9. My friend told me, “We have plenty of time to do our work.” 10. I said to my sister, “George has written me a long letter.”

Exercise 10. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense: Present, Past, Future Simple; Present, Past Continuous; Present, Past Perfect.

A.1. Yesterday Nick (to say) that he (to read) much during his summer vacation. 2. At the age of twenty my father (to combine) work and study. 3. A great number of students (to study) in the reading-room when I (to enter) it last night. 4. The storm (to rage) the whole night, and the sailors (to try) to do their best to save the ship. 5. Mike’s friends could hardly recognise him as he (to change) greatly after his expedition to the Antarctic. 6. When I (to enter) the hall, the students (to listen) to a very interesting lecture in history.

7.Hello! Where you (to go)? – Nowhere in particular. I just (to take) a walk. 8. Our students (to do) all kinds of exercises and now they (to be) sure that they (to know) this rule well. They (to hope) they (to make) no mistakes in the test-paper. 9. The expedition (to cover) hundreds of kilometres, but they still (to be) far from their destination. 10. You (to go) to Great Britain next year?

B.1. Mike (to eat) ice-cream every day. Look, he (to eat) ice-cream now. When I (to see) him in the morning, he (to eat) ice-cream, too. He (to say) he (to eat) one cone of ice-cream already by that time. I think he (to fall) ill if he (to eat) so much ice-cream. 2. They (to walk) along the street and (to talk). Suddenly Nick (to stop) and (to say): “Oh, what will we do? I (to lose) the key to the door.” “You (not to find) it,” said Pete, “we (to have) to wait for mother in the street.” 3. When I (to come) to the station yesterday, I (to learn) that my train already (to leave). 4. What he (to do) when you (to see) him yesterday? 5. I (to give) you this book as soon as I (to finish) reading it. 6. When the ship (to cross) the ocean, a great storm (to break) out.

Exercise 11. Put the following statements into Indirect Speech.

Part 1.

1.“I’m going out now, but I’ll be in by nine,” he said.

2.“I’m working at a restaurant, and don’t much care for it,” she said.

3.“I can’t live on my basic salary,” said Peter. “I’ll have to do overtime.”

4.“My younger brother wants to be a tax inspector,” said Mary. “I can’t think why. None of my family has ever been a tax inspector.”

5.“We’re waiting for the school bus,” said the children. “It’s late again.”

6.“I’ve made a terrible mistake!” said Peter. “You’re always making terrible mistakes,” I said. “We should be used to it by now.”

7.“We make £450 a week,” said one of the men, “and send most of it home to our wives.”

8.“It’s lonely being away from our families,” said another, “but we earn three times as much in this factory as we would in our own country.”

9.“We’ve been here for two and a half years,” said the man who had spoken first, “and we’re going to stay another six months.”

10.“I’ve got a job on an oil-rig,” said Paul. “That’ll be very hard work,” I said.

“I know it’ll be hard,” he replied, “but I don’t mind hard work, and it’ll be a good experience.”

11.“I’ll look for my skates when I get home,” Ann said.

12.“I’m living with my parents at present,” she said, “but I hope to have a flat of my own soon.”

13.“I’m leaving tomorrow,” she said, “by the 4.30 from Victoria.” “We’ll come and see you off,” we said.

14.“I’ve just bought a car,” said Peter, “but it’s not insured yet so I can’t take you for a drive.”

15.“I’d like to speak to Susan,” said Mary, “but I’m bathing the babies and they will drown if I leave them alone in the bath while I go to the phone.”

16.Mary has just received a postcard from Ann, reading: “I’m coming up to London next week. I hope you and Jack will meet me for lunch one day.” (Imagine that Mary is reading this card to Jack. Begin: Ann says . . .)

17.“Nothing ever happens in the village,” she said. “It’s like a dead village. All the young people have drifted away to the towns.”

18.“I’ve missed my train,” said Bill. “Now I’ll be late for work and my boss will be furious.

Part 2.

19.“We’ll wait for you if you’re late,” they said.

20.“They are supposed to be landing at London airport,” I said. “But if the fog gets any thicker the plane may be diverted.”

21.“If you lend me the chainsaw,” said Mary, “I’ll bring it back the day after tomorrow.”

22.“I hate getting up on dark mornings,” grumbled Peter. “It is horrible,” agreed his wife, “but the mornings will be lighter soon and then it won’t be quite so bad.”

23.“The sales are starting tomorrow,” said the typist. “As soon as we finish work the whole typing pool is going to make a dash for the shops.” “I hope you’ll all get what you want,” I said.

24.“I wish I had something to eat,” said Peter. “You’ve only just had lunch,” said his sister. “I don’t know how you can be hungry again so soon.”

25.“If you’re short of money I can lend you £50,” said my aunt, “and you can take your time about paying it back.”

26.“I usually take my dog out for a walk when I come home from work,” he said.

27.“I have a message for your brother,” I said. “He isn’t at home,” said Ann. “He left two days ago.”

28.“I bought this bag in Milan,” I said. “You shouldn’t have bought that colour,” said Peter. “It doesn’t go with your coat.”

29.“I must hurry. My father is always furious if any of us is late for meals,” she said.

30.“If you want to smoke you’ll have to go upstairs,” said the bus conductor.

31.“I’m building myself a house,” said Charles. “I won’t show it to you just yet but when the roof is on you can come and see it.”

32.“The lake will probably freeze tonight,” said Peter. “It’s much colder than last night.” “I’ll go out and look early in the morning,” said Mary, “and if it’s frozen I’ll make some holes in the ice so that the ducks can feed.”

33.“Even if the strikers go back to work tomorrow it will be some time before things return to normal,” said the official.

34.“Someone is trying to murder me!” said Mrs Jones. “I keep getting threatening letters.”

35.“I’m taking my children to the zoo tomorrow,” she said, “to see the baby polar bear.”

36.“All I can hear,” says Ann, “is a high-pitched buzz. I wonder if it’s some sort of signal.”

Exercise 12. Use the Past Simple Tense or the Past Perfect Tense.

1. The new bus-driver (have) an accident after he (drive) a few yards. 2. When I (get) to the cinema, the film (start). 3. The students (enter) the classroom five minutes after the bell (ring). 4. After she (lock) and (bolt) all the doors, she (go) to bed. 5. The students (do) the exercise very well after the teacher (show) them how to. 6. The little boy (tell) a lie five minutes after he (promise) to tell the truth. 7. When the plane (land), the sun (set). 8. She (feel) sick after she (eat) a whole box of chocolates. 9. After the doctor (examine) the child he (have) a talk with the mother. 10. When I (call) on my friend, he (go) out. 11. Mary (finish) her homework when her father (come) home from his office. 12. I (throw) away the newspaper after I (read) it. 13. After she (spend) all her money she (ask) her father to help her. 14. The teacher (give) back the exercise-books after he (correct) them. 15. The sun (rise) when the farmer (start) work.

Exercise 13. Put the verbs in brackets into the Past Simple or the Past Perfect Tense. See that a past period is shown in the first sentence of each passage, and that a Past Tense is to be used to denote this fact.

1.

The tourists arrived at London Airport early on Monday morning. They (leave) Cairo on Sunday evening. They (spend) a fortnight in Egypt and (see) most of the sights. After they (show) their passports to the official and (pass) through the Customs, they (get) on the bus and (go) to the Terminal.

2.

The examination was over at noon. Jack gave his answer paper to the teacher and (leave) the room. He (not answer) all the questions. He (write) very long answers to three questions and there (not be) enough time to answer the other two.

3.

Henry came home at half past eleven last night. He (meet) a friend in the street at seven o’clock and (go) to the cinema with him. When he got home, the house (be) in darkness. Everybody (go) to bed.

4.

Mr. Jones left the hospital at the end of April. He (break) his leg in March and (be) in hospital for about five weeks. He (get) into a taxi and (go) straight home. He (tell) everybody at home that the doctors and nurses (look) after him very well.

5.

I left home this morning at eight o’clock, (jump) on a bus and (sit) down. The conductor (come) for the fare. I (put) my hand in my pocket for the money, but it (be) empty. I (forget) my money. I (leave) it on the table in my bedroom. I (have) to get off the bus and go home again. I (be) half an hour late at the office that morning. I never (be) late before.

ADDITIONAL READING

Learning Foreign Languages

In the contemporary world learning foreign languages has become both fashionable and necessary. Of course, people living in English speaking countries i.e. America, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and many other countries where English is the first or second language such as India, Pakistan and some African countries are in a privileged position as they already speak the language, which in the last few years has been accepted as international.

All other nations are in a way forced to learn English if they want to communicate with foreigners or intend to do business with foreign partners or to make sightseeing visits to other countries.

Nowadays there are numerous ways to learn foreign languages. Many firms offer attractive courses with the participation of native English speakers, as well as intensive short-term courses for secretaries, salesmen, seamen, etc., with special attention paid to professional vocabulary. Also available are language camps in the country and abroad. Many people take advantage of scholarships in a foreign country or seek a job among native speakers to learn the every day jargon and speak the language like the English speak it. Those who want to learn at home individually can now find English bookshops that sell books specializing in English language for beginners, intermediate and advanced learners, as well as books with audio, and video tapes. For those who own a computer there are excellent study programs on disks. Also, foreign language courses are often broadcast on television.

Also for those living in areas where there are no English teachers available there are correspondence courses offering home tuition, with all the necessary material, and the possibility for students to study at their own tempo. Many people do not realize that correspondence courses started over one hundred years ago in America, when thousands of people went to live in the West, where cowboys and Indians did not have any schools, or teachers, doctors, dentists, and lawyers, correspondence courses were the only way to obtain a professional diploma.

Today to become a professional person one must attend a University, and obtain a degree but all over the world correspondence courses are still accepted as a low cost and highly convenient method of learning. Additionally at least one foreign language is taught in schools and more ambitious pupils can take the possibility to learn more. They learn in regular classes or special language laboratories. If they want to expand their knowledge they read good literary works in the original language, watch films without translated dialogues, and learn more about the history and culture of the given country.

***

How to Learn a Foreign Language

Forget about being shy, nervous or sounding silly. Forget completely about yourself – and speak. The other students are much too busy thinking about what they are going to say to notice your mistakes. And it’s far better to make a few mistakes than to say nothing.

If you make the effort to speak, you will find that little by little you get more confidence and even enjoy speaking. Talk to yourself sometimes in English when you are alone at home. Think in English as much as you can. If you practice, you can speak much more easily and then it isn’t difficult to talk in a group of people who, remember, probably make more mistakes than you do.

Wait a moment before you start speaking. Plan what you are going to say. When you don’t do this, and speak too quickly, you often know you are making mistakes. If this happens, stop and correct what you have said. If you make a habit of speaking carefully and correctly, this can soon become automatic and your English can develop real fluency.

Listen to the radio, watch films in the cinema or on television. Read the kinds of English books that contain a lot of everyday English conversation. There are many simplified English books on sale, and, as your knowledge improves, detective and adventure stories can be useful (not Westerns or American crime thrillers which may have their own strange language).

Of course, if you can, find some British or American people to talk to; if you have a tape recorder, ask them to record something for you provided their accent isn’t a very unusual one.

Make use of everyday spoken forms you learn. Practice using them until you bring them into your conversation as naturally as an English person. In this way you can begin to sound English. Make use of any new expressions you learn: don’t leave them unused and lost deep down in your mind. The wider your active vocabulary, the more fluent you can be.

Remember above all that language learning is an active thing that needs effort. You can’t learn to speak fluently just by sitting in a classroom and speaking. Try to speak correctly. Notice the corrections of your own and other people’s mistakes. Notice the suggestions your teacher makes about the best way to say something. Listen to good spoken English, and, very importantly, make use of what you learn. One of the surest ways of making mistakes is, of course, to think in your own language and translate into English. Find a way of using the English you already know for what you want to say.

And enjoy speaking English.