ENGLISH FOR

PROFESSIONAL
COMMUNICATION
Intermediate Level
USER
THE COURSE is designed to develop
the skills and practice the language
required to communicate effectively
in a wide range of international
business contexts.

A programme based on
the communication
strategy-building
process.
 INFORMATION STRUCTURE
For English as a Second Language

INFORMATION STRUCTURE is basically the study (and practice) of how

speakers structure sentences to convey –communicate - information.

The term Information Structure refers to the partitioning of sentences into

categories such as focus, background, topic, choice of language, syntax etc.

This booklet ENGLISH FOR PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION –

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL shall focus, however, on a crucial and essential part of
sentence structuring: Time Reference.

TIME REFERENCE refers to when the action takes place, such as past, present,
or future. This is a temporal concept in how human beings look at time and
reality.

We use TIME REFERENCE as a tool to guide English Verb Tenses and place
both Sender and Receiver in the course of his/her speech.

VERB TENSE refers to the particular grammatical form that the verb is in,
such as simple past tense, future progressive tense, and past perfect tense. It is
a grammatical construct.

The TIME REFERENCE dictates the VERB TENSE

YESTERDAY I worked a lot.

SINCE THEN I have worked a lot.
EVERY DAY I work a lot.
AT THE MOMENT I am working a lot.
TOMORROW I will work a lot.

1
 THE WHEEL OF COMMUNICATION

Ideas, before being communicated, follow a pattern of structure. This pattern

is the wheel by which IDEAS get moved onto WORDS and ACTIONS.

The Wheel of Communication is constantly turning from IDEAS onto TIME

REFERENCES.

The process by which an idea is brought into being – into existence - is the
engine which moves the Wheel of Communication towards Expression, both
oral and written.

Communication is then established by turning the wheel from IDEAS onto

ACTIONS – VERBS, and their appropriate TENSES.

THE WHEEL OF COMMUNICATION

REFERENCE OF
IDEAS
TIME

ENGLISH VERB
TENSES

2
 COURSE PROGRAMME

I. Time References (Study and Practice) 04

II. Narrative Structure (Story Telling) 14

III. ACTIVE / PASSIVE Voice 20

IV. Connectors of sequence 26

V. Modal Verbs 28

VI. Relative Clauses 31

VII. Indirect Speech (reporting stories/dialogues) 34

VIII. Connectors / Conjunctions 39

IX. Subjunctive – Hypothesis / Suppositions / Wishes 42

X. Modal Verbs (Advanced) 57

XI. Prepositions 60

XII. Phrasal Verbs 69

XIII. Idiomatic Expressions 75

XIV. Causative 80

XV. Indirect Speech (reporting stories/dialogues) 85

XVI. Connectors / Conjunctions 91

XVII. A beautiful Path / Final consideration 96

3
I. Time Reference
We shall start by dividing the Time Reference into two categories:

(A) Explicit

When the Verb tense can be directly linked to its reference of time.

1. At the moment I am organizing my files.

Time Reference: At the moment

Verb Tense: I am organizing (Present Continuous)

2. Yesterday I sent you all the files.

Time Reference: Yesterday

Verb Tense: I sent you (Past Simple)

3. I haven’t talked to Matt since last July.

Time Reference: Since last July (Period of time)

Verb Tense: I haven’t talked (Present Perfect)

(B) Implicit

When the Verb tense is dictated by another sentence / relative event time.
(Contextualization)

Ex. When I finished the report, I sent it to my boss.

Time Reference: When I finished the report

Verb Tense: I sent it to my boss (Past Simple)

Ex. When I finish the report, I will send it my boss.

Time Reference: When I finish the report

Verb Tense: I will send it to my boss (Future Simple)

Ex. They had already signed the contract when you finished the report.

Time Reference: When I finish the report

Verb Tense: They had already signed (Past participle)

4
I.I.

Let us first practice Time Reference (A), that is, when we can easily spot the
reference. See the table below with the tenses and its References.

Simple Present Simple Past Simple Future

Two years ago, I studied

I study English every day. I will help you study English
English in England.
next year.

Present Continuous Past Continuous Future Continuous

I was studying English when

I am studying English now. I will be studying English
you called yesterday.
when you arrive tonight.

Present Perfect Past Perfect Future Perfect

I have studied English since I I had studied a little English

was five. before I moved to the U.S. I will have studied every tense
by the time I finish this
course.

5
 Basic common References and their Tenses

Simple Present Simple Past Simple Future

Every day / every week /every

month / every year / Adverbs Ago, last year, last month, last
of frequency: sometimes, Next year, next month, next
week, yesterday, in 1984,
week, tomorrow, in 2014
usually, often etc.

Present Continuous Past Continuous Future Continuous

Now, at the moment, I was studying English when

currently you called yesterday. I will be studying English
when you arrive tonight.

Present Perfect Past Perfect Future Perfect

Since, recently, so far, in the

Before I moved to the U.S.
last few years, yet, ever,
By the time

6
Practice 1

Now try to fill in the gaps matching Time Reference with the appropriate
Verb Tense.

a) Last year I __________ (have) the most extraordinary experience while I was traveling
in India. I ___________ (meet) a friend I went to college with.

b) Since 1999 he ________________ (work) as a stress counselor.

c) A month ago he ___________ (resign) from his job.

d) I ________________ (invest) quite a lot of money in stocks recently.

e) At the moment they ____________________ (introduce) some new techniques to the

staff.

f) He usually ____________ (go) to work by bus.

g) Yesterday I _____________ (buy) some speakers for my computer.

h) Before I got home last night, my mother _____________________ (cook) a fantastic

dinner.

i) She __________________ (not/take) her exams next year.

j) I often ___________ (travel) abroad on business.

k) So far we ________________ (capture) 30% of the market.

l) Over the last few days I ________________ (have) too much work to do.

m) She ______________ (join) the company five years ago.

n) This week I ________________ (write) three long reports.

o) Capricorn ______________ (open) its first store in 1988.

7
 p) I ______________ (meet) Bill when I was at college.

q) I ________________ (know) Bill for many years.

r) We _________________ (visit) our suppliers next week.

Spanish Lollipops

The sweet maker company, Lollipops, is based in Barcelona and is number 25

worldwide. The company is familiar to many children. It has manufacturing sites in five
different countries.

How the company started? In 1954 Enric Bernat __________ (try) to revive sweet
manufacturer Granja Asturias. He _____________ (succeed) in turning the company
around. In 1985 he __________ (buy) all shares, ____________ (drop) entire product
range and ____________ (concentrate) on the new lollipops.

Now it _____________ (build) adult customer base and ______________ (attract) older
customers with new flavors.

They _____________ (launch) highly-colored tongue painter lollipops recently. Over

the years they _______________ (also/diversify) into sugar free mints with 5 mint
range. The sales ______________ (be) spectacular. Revenues _____________ (grow)
considerably, and last year they _______________ (sell) 4 billion lollipops.

So far, the company _________________ (defy) predictions that its competitors will do
better.

Exercise Practice

1. You look really great! (you/work) _________________ out at the fitness center
recently?

2. I ______________ (have) the same car for more than ten years.

3. I ___________ (come) to England sin months ago. I ____________ (start) my

Economics Course three months ago. By the time I return to Australia I
______________ (stay) in England for one year.

4. Samantha __________________ (live) in berlin for more than one year.

5. I ___________________ (not/travel) much yet. However, I _____________ (visit)

London and Paris next summer.

8
6. In the last three hundred years travelling ______________ (become) much easier
and very comfortable. In the 19th century it ____________ (take) two or three months
to cross North America by wagon. The trip ________ (be) very rough and dangerous.
However, things ______________ (change) a great deal in the last hundred and fifty
years. Now we _____________ (fly) from New York to Los Angeles in a matter of
hours.

Directions: Read the article below and underline the correct form of the verbs in
italics.

Twenty years ago most people have started / started work around the age of twenty
and retired / have retired at the age of sixty-five. Normally they worked for the same
company all their life. In the last twenty years things are changing / have changed.
Today people often work / are working for different employers, many are self-
employed and many, unfortunately, are unemployed.

People change jobs for different reasons. “I was forty, says Jürgen Klimmer, an IT
engineer. “I liked my job, but the prospects weren’t good, and there was very little
chance for promotion. I read the papers and wrote one or two letters. One day I got a
telephone call and an offer from Lufthansa. I said immediately, I’ll / I take it”. The job
offered a better salary and excellent prospects, but I had to move which was a problem
for my family.” Jürgen took the job and is / has been with the company for the last
three years.

Sergio Laguardia, an accountant in Milan, was less fortunate. “I am / was made

redundant six months ago. I am over fifty and it is hard to get another job. People think
I am too old. I read the papers every day. I have written / wrote a lot of letters of
application in the last few weeks. Next week I will go / I have gone to Turin for an
interview but I am not confident. If they offer me the job, I will / would take it but the
salary is not really high enough”.

Patrizia Rojas lives in Madrid. She is a secretary with a pharmaceutical company, but at
the moment she is looking / looks for another job. She has registered at a recruitment
agency. “I like my job but there was a merger between my company and another one
last year. I am employed by a large multinational now, instead of a small Spanish firm.
There are too many people in my department now, and I’ll / I would probably leave
quite soon.

Karel Sudek lives in Prague where he works for himself. “I worked / have worked for a
car manufacturing company for six years. I liked my job, but I had a bad relationship
with my boss and I wanted to be more independent. In 1995 I left to start my own
business. It is very stressful, but I like it. At least I know that I am responsible for my
own future”.

9
 Donald Trump - The Key to Success

Donald Trump is one of America’s most successful business magnates. He __________

(operate) several companies all over the world. His assets ______ (be) worth a total of about
$3 billion. Donald Trump ___________ (announce) recently that he might become a
candidate for the presidency in 2012.

When he was in his twenties Trump ___________ (develop) into a tycoon who built large
buildings like Trump Tower in New York. He and his wife Ivana _________ (become)
celebrities in the Big Apple. Towards the end of the 1980s Trump _______ (get) into financial
difficulties and almost became bankrupt. It was during this period that his first
marriage _________ (end).

Nevertheless, Donald Trump fought back. With the help of banks he __________ (manage) to
pay back most of his debt. He sold off some of his buildings and __________ (start) a
comeback towards the end of the 1990s.

Today Trump is married to his third wife and is back in business again. His three children
_______ (be) executives in his financial empire. In the last few years Trump ___________
(build) hotels, holiday resorts and golf courses all over the world. Trump World Tower,
__________ (finish) in 2001, is a luxury apartment building in the middle of Manhattan. Every
year he ___________ (organize) the Miss Universe beauty contest.

One key to success is how Donald Trump deals with the media. He __________ (write) his
autobiography The Art of the Deal at a very early age, before the financial crisis. He is a
big celebrity and _____________ (appear) on TV series more than once. Some years ago he
__________ (start) producing his own reality show, The Apprentice. Another reason for
Donald Trump’s long-lasting success is that he knows how to make money out of his name.
But many of his friends say his real goal is not money but being famous.

Donald Trump has learned from the mistakes he had made during the financial crisis. Today he
__________ (admit) that expanding his business at such a fast rate was a grave mistake he
__________ (make) any more.

10
I. III. TIME REFERENCE / CONTEXTUALIZATION
Now let us look into category (B), that is, when the Time Reference is
implicit, or contextualized. That should be slightly more difficult as the Verb
tense is dictated by another sentence and/or context. Have a look at the
example below.

Ex 1. Donald Trump is one of America’s most successful business magnates. He operates

several companies all over the world. His assets are worth a total of about $3 billion.

There are no explicit time references. However, the opening sentence Donald
Trump is one of America’s most successful business magnates sets Simple Present as
the main tense of the following phrases: He operates several companies all over the
world and His assets are worth a total of about $3 billion. The writer is giving us some
FACTs about Donald trump’s life.

Practice 2

Read the articles below and fill in the gaps with the appropriate form of the
verbs in brackets. Note that some sentences have an explicit time reference
while others are contextualized (or dictated by the previous sentence).

BANKER SWAPS RAT RACE FOR BUS LANE

A Bank manager ________________ (give up) his £30,000-a-year job with NatWest to
realize his childhood ambition of ________________ (become) a bus driver.

Despite the £11,000 salary and anti-social hours, John Burgin, 48, ________________
(never/be) happier. “Banking was a career but in the end it became just a job”, he said.
“Once I knew I was leaving, I used to go outside at lunchtime and watch as the buses
drove up and down. The time had come”.

His passion ________________ (awake) as a boy growing up in Sheffield, where he

______________ (collect) bus maps and time-tables. But Mr. Burgin, from Nailsea,
near Bristol, went on to spend nearly 30 years working his way up through NatWest.

“The levels of stress are totally different”, he said. “At the bank, things were very
political. I worked hard all day then took work home, and it never really finished. There
is stress driving a bus around Bristol, but it’s a different kind and I don’t take it home”.
11
 From The Times

THE INTERNATIONAL MANAGER

In recent years, many companies ________________ (expand) globally. They

_______________ (do) this through mergers, joint ventures and co-operation with
foreign companies. Because of this globalization trend, many more employee
___________________ (now/work) abroad in managerial positions or as part of a
multicultural team.

Although it is common nowadays for staff to work abroad to gain experience, many
people have difficulties adapting to the new culture. The failure rate in US
multinationals is estimated to be as high as 30% and it costs US business $3 billion a
year.

Fragment from Managing Across by Schneider and Barsoux

HOLLYWOOD LOOKS OVERSEAS FOR TALENT AND PROFIT

A few weeks ago something happened at the Academy Awards that ________________
(not/happen) since 1964. All the winners for best acting __________ (be) from outside
the United States.

For the last three months, foreign sales ______________ (total) about eight hundred
eighty million dollars. But there is fierce competition for each movie dollar.

Hollywood ______________ (recently/lose) market share in some places as other

countries develop their own film industries. For example, in the mid-eighties, American
films ___________ (have) eighty percent of the market in South Korea. Today that
share _______ (be) about forty percent.

Hollywood also faces competition from illegally copied movies, a major issue to the
Motion Picture Association of America. The trade group ______________ (estimate)
more than eighteen billion dollars in worldwide losses from piracy in 2005.

Hollywood reporter Alan Silverman says piracy ______________ (influence) how

American movies are released. In the past, Hollywood studios ____________ (wait)
months after the American release of a film to release it in foreign markets. Now, many
aim to release films at the same time around the world.

Yet DVD sales ______________ (drop) in recent years. This may be a sign that people
______________ (now/get) their movies off the Internet. The Internet is another front in
Hollywood's war on piracy. But more than that, it presents complex business questions
for an industry now built mostly on DVD and ticket sales.

12
 Extracted from Economics Report by M.Ritter

BUSINESS NEWS

The economy is very unstable. By ______________ (let) monetary policy run out of
control, the government caused inflation to rise at one point to 20 percent. The inflation
___________ (be) now down to “only” 8 percent. However, in the last six months
_______________ (there be) a severe worsening in the exchange rate against the dollar.
Total output, or GDP, _______________ (fall) by 5 percent over the past year. Exports
______________ (currently/decline) and the balance of trade is disastrous: we
______________ (import) much more than we ________________ (export).

The unemployment rate, with 30 percent of people out of work, is one of the highest in
the industrialised world. In order to stimulate the economy and attract foreign
investment, the country _________________ (now/offer) new tax incentives as well as
making a renewed effort to reduce government bureaucracy. But we need to improve
education and improve the skills of our labour force in order to offer attractive
investment opportunities over the long term.

Extracted from New Business by David Cotton, David Falvey and Simon Kent

13
II. NARRATIVE STRUCTURE (STORY TELLING)

Read the paragraph below:

“We arrived on the island in the late afternoon, and went straight to the bus station. We
had decided to stay in a small town on the far side, and we wanted to get there as
quickly as possible, as we had not booked anywhere to stay. When the bus finally left us
there, it was dark. People were walking up and down on the sea front, enjoying the cool
evening air. It was then we discovered that there was not a hotel there anymore. Our
guide book was out of date, and the hotel had closed down. While we were wondering
what to do, someone shouted at us from across the square. It was friend of ours from
college. Luckily, he was staying on the island with his grandparents, and so they put us
up”

1. What happened? (Important Fact) - SIMPLE PAST

Ex. We arrived on the island in the late afternoon.

We discovered that there was not a hotel there anymore.
Our guide book was out of date.
We met a friend. He put us up (accommodated us)

2. Longer Actions / Background description (Less important facts) – PAST

CONTINUOUS

Ex. People were walking up and down on the sea front, enjoying the cool evening air.
While we were wondering what to do… (thinking about what to do)
He was staying on the island with his grandparents.

3. Past events which happened BEFORE other events – PAST PARTICIPLE

Ex. We had decided to stay in a small town.

We had not booked anywhere to stay.
The hotel had closed down.

Exercise Practice

A. Put the verbs in brackets in the appropriate tenses.

14
“At first, everything ___________ (go) smoothly. The flight _____________ (take off)
on time, and we _______________ (join) the ship as planned. However, while
we___________________ (have) lunch on the second day, I _______________ (feel)
the ship move violently. I _____________ (forget) to ask the travel agent about the
weather! The ship ______________ (move) up and down and rolling. It_____________
(be) to be the worst storm there _____________ (be) for years. We _______________
(stay) in our cabin and only____________ (leave) it to visit the doctor. After two days
of high winds, I began to wish I________________ (ask) a few more questions! When
we ____________ (arrive) in the Greek Islands, we ______________ (sit) down at a
café and _____________ (try) to decide whether we should give up and fly home”

B. Put each verb into the right tense to continue the Narrative.

1) While we were sitting in the café, I ______________ (realize) I ______________

(lose) my wallet.

2) I ____________ (think) I _____________ (put) in my pocket before _____________

(leave) the ship.

3) But it wasn’t there when I ______________ (look), so obviously I ______________

(not/remember) to pick it up.

4) Or someone ______________ (steal) it while we were in town.

5) Anyway, luckily my sister ______________ (bring) her money with her, so we

___________ (pay) the bill and _______________ (decide) to go back to the ship.

6) By the time we finally ________________ (get back) to the ship, I

________________ (completely/forget) about _____________ (lose) my wallet.

C. Make a new sentence beginning with the word given.

Ex. I changed some money. Then I bought some souvenirs. (AFTER)

After changing some money, I bought some souvenirs.

1) I searched my cabin. Then I went to the police. (AFTER)

______________________________________________________________________

2) I looked for the police station, but I got lost. (WHILE)

______________________________________________________________________

3) I found it, but I had to ask several passers-by. (BEFORE)

15
______________________________________________________________________

4) I talked to the police. I realized there was no chance of finding my wallet. (AFTER)

______________________________________________________________________

5) I went to the ship, but first I bought some souvenirs. (BEFORE)

_____________________________________________________________________

6) I was choosing some postcards. Suddenly I realized it was time for the ship to leave.
(WHILE)

______________________________________________________________________

7) I ran as fast as I could, and just got back in time. (AFTER)

______________________________________________________________________

8) First I went to see the captain, and then I went back to my cabin. (BEFORE)

______________________________________________________________________

Exercise Practice

Complete the story using the NARRATIVE TENSES.

It ________ (be) Tuesday evening and I ___________ (get) ready to go to bed when the
phone _________ (ring). To my surprise it ________ (be) my friend Peter.

He __________ (call) from his mobile and he was very annoyed because he _________
(lose) his keys and he _________ (cannot) get into his flat. He __________ (think)
he __________ (leave) them at work but now it was midnight and the office was closed
so he ___________ (cannot) get in to check.

Luckily I had the keys to his flat because a month before he ____________ (give) me a
spare set so that I could look after his cat while he was on holiday. When he
finally _________ (arrive) to pick them up, it was three o'clock in the morning, and
I ___________ (lie) on the sofa fast asleep.

16
 The Tragic Tale of Ruddy Wee Hoody

Part 1

There was this young girl called ..., actually I don't know what she ____________ (be called)
really, because I only ever _____________ (hear) her being called by her nickname -
'Ruddy Wee Hoody', at least I think it was her nickname. It was how they
usually ______________ (refer) to her in the village, anyway. I always _______________
(assume) that it ______________ (come) from the red hooded top that she ______________
(wear), day in day out, wherever she went. But I might have been wrong.

Anyway, one day her mother ______________ (tell) her to take a basket filled with goodies to
her granny, who ________________ (happen) to live on the other side of the forest. Sorry, I
forgot to tell you that this girl________________ (live) in a small cottage on the edge of a big
forest, and that she _______________(spend) all her life there, up until that fateful day.

She ______________ (set) off in a happy mood. The sun ________________ (shine) through
the trees, the birds ______________ (sing). It was just as though everyone ____________
(wait) for Walt Disney to come and draw the scene. What _____________ (can) possibly spoil
such a perfect day?

What indeed? While she _______________ (walk) through the forest, she _______________
(see) a wolf ________________ (stroll) slowly towards her, humming something to himself. A
minute or so earlier, the wolf ___________________ (watch) her from behind a tree,
and ___________________ (think) to himself, 'She'd make a nice juicy meal'. But as
he ________________ (not want) to frighten her off he__________________ (decide) to play
it nice and cool, and so the nonchalant walk.

Part 2

As he approached the little girl, she _______________ (remember) what her

mother ______________ (tell) her before she left the house. That on no account _______ (be)
she to stop or dawdle on the way, or to talk to strangers. But the wolf ___________ (look) such
a handsome creature that she______________ (think) to herself, 'He's not like a real stranger.'
So when he _____________ (ask) her where she _______________ (go) on such a fine day, she
innocently _____________ (reply) that she _______________ (be) on her way to visit
somebody on the other side of the forest. 'And who are you going to visit, Little
Girl?', ________________ (enquire) the wolf inquisitively. 'It's WHOM!', said the girl
petulantly. 'One says, "WHOM are you going to visit?"'. She could be a pedantic little miss on
occasion, our Ruddy Wee Hoody. But then thinking that perhaps she _____________ (hurt) his
feelings, she_______________ (relent) and told him she was going to her gran's.

The wolf _______________ (need) a bit of time to carry out the plan he ______________
(think) up on the spot, so he __________ (tell) her that up ahead there ___________ (be) a
clearing full of beautiful bluebells, and what a good idea it _______________ (will be) to pick
some to take to her gran. When she _______________ (protest) that her
mother ____________ (tell) her never to pick wild flowers, he ______________ (laugh) and
said that there _____________ (be) thousands of them, and that nobody ____________ (going

17
to) miss a dozen or so. With which he____________ (disappear) into the forest, whistling to
himself a tune from 'Oliver', his favourite musical - 'Food, glorious food'.

Part 3

When he ___________ (arrive) at her granny's cottage, which was only a few minutes later as
he_____________ (take) a short cut, he _____________ (knock) on the door. And before the
poor unfortunate woman ____________ (realise) what _______________ (happen), the
wolf______________ (burst) into the cottage, _______________ (grab) the old lady
and______________ (gobble) her up in one go, just like that. Then he ____________ (get) into
her night clothes, and _______________ (jump) into the old lady's bed. _________________
(eat) the little girl's granny, the wolf now ________________ (feel) slightly better, but it was
the little girl that the wolf____________ (look) forward to really, because, which I think I've
forgotten to tell you, Ruddy Wee Hoody _________________ (be) rather a plump young girl,
and __________________ (promise) to be a bit more nourishing than her old gran,
who ________________ (be) to be honest, a bit on the skinny side.

Not long after, the little girl herself _______________ (arrive) at the door. She _____________
(be) a bit out of breath because she ______________ (run). 'Hopefully that's the last I've seen
of that wolf,' she ________________ (mutter) to herself, wondering if in fact he wasn't
perhaps a little strange after all. Famous last words! Before she even had time to ring the bell,
she heard a voice. 'Come on in dearie, it's open', ________________ (say) the wolf,
who ______________ (watch) her walk up the path, from the bedroom window. 'That's
funny', _________________ (think) the girl, 'her voice seems a bit deeper than usual. Perhaps
she's got a cold.' Then she _________________ (remember) that her
mother________________ (tell) her that her gran _______________ (be) ill, and that was why
she___________________ (take) her the food.

Part 4

And when she ___________ (see) her gran propped up in bed, it was true,
she ___________not seem) to be quite her usual self. She ___________ (wear) her usual night
gown alright, and her enormous nightcap. But there was something about her
that _______________ (not be) quite right. Her eyes ______________ (seem) bigger than
normal, and so did her ears, not to mention her enormous hooter. And just as Ruddy Wee
Hoody was starting to say something about her gran's rather large teeth, before
she _______________ (can) even get the words out, the wolf _____________ (decide) that
enough was enough, that he _____________ (can't keep) this up any longer, so
he ____________ (jump) out of bed, remembering a phrase he _______________ (read) in
some nursery rhyme or other, and which ______________ (sound) rather appropriate to the
occasion. 'All the better to eat you with', he _________________ (snarl). Ruddy Wee
Hoody ______________ (be) quick to retort: 'Shouldn't that be "All the better with which to
eat you"?'. 'Yeah, whatever', _________________ (snap) back the wolf, by now thoroughly fed
up with all this constant grammatical criticism, and he quite literally_____________ (wolf) her
down, right there on the spot.

18
Now some people say that this sort of story has to have a happy ending, and insist that a
hunter _________________ (happen) to be passing at that very moment (as they often do in
fairy stories), and being a quick-witted sort of chap, _________________ (open) up the wolf
and _____________ (rescue) both the unfortunate victims before you could say 'Jack
Robinson'.

But there's another darker theory that questions whether Ruddy Wee Hoody was quite what
she seemed, and rumour has it that at this very moment she ________________ (whip) out a
gun that for some reason she_______________ (carry) in her knickers that day, and that
she ________________ (shoot) the wolf stone dead.

And there's yet another version, which suggests that Ruddy Wee Hoody _____________
(meet) a sticky end at the hands of an ecomaniacal woodchopper, who, _______________ (not
read) the story, ____________ (not realise) that he _______________ (be) meant to save her.
What's more, he _______________ (see) her picking the flowers in the clearing earlier on, and
being incensed at this act of wanton vandalism, _________________ (decide) to avenge the
poor flowers, which was exactly what he ________________ (do).

The End

19
III. ACTIVE / PASSIVE VOICE
ACTIVE VOICE: The emphasis is on the SUBJECT performing the action.
Ex. Barack Obama removed American troops from Iraq.

SUBJECT: Barack Obama

ACTION: removed
OBJECT: American troops from Iraq

PASSIVE VOICE: The emphasis is on the OBJECT suffering the action.

Ex. American troops were removed from Iraq by Barack Obama.

Changing a sentence from ACTIVE to PASSIVE:

20
Exercise Practice

A. Complete the the gaps with the PASSIVE form.

1. They make shoes in that factory.

Shoes _____________________ that factory.

2. They built that skyscraper in 1934.

That skyscraper ____________________ in 1934.

3. The students will finish the course by July.

The course _________________________ by July.

4. They are repairing the streets this month.

The streets ______________________________ this month.

5. They make these tools of plastic.

These tools ___________________________ of plastic.

6. They have finished the new product design.

The new product design ______________________________ .

7. They were cooking dinner when I arrived.

Dinner ____________________ when I arrived.

8. Smithers painted 'Red Sunset' in 1986.

'Red Sunset' _______________________ in 1986 by Smithers.

9. Did the plan interest you?

_________________________________ in the plan?

10. They had finished the preparations by the time the guests arrived.

The preparations ______________________________ by the time the guests arrived.

11. You should take care when working on electrical equipment.

Care _____________________ when working on electrical equipment.

12. They are going to perform Beethoven's Fifth Symphony next weekend.

Beethoven's Fifth Symphony __________________________________ next weekend.

13. Someone will speak Japanese at the meeting.

21
Japanese ___________________________ at the meeting.

14. Karen is going to prepare the refreshments.

The refreshments _________________________________ by Karen.

Directions: Change the sentences below to the passive voice.

1. Children cannot open these bottles easily.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

2. The government built a road right outside her front door.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Mr. Ross broke the antique vase as he walked through the store.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

4. When she arrived, the changes amazed her.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

5. The construction workers are making street repairs all month long.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

6. The party will celebrate his retirement.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

7. His professors were discussing his oral exam right in front of him.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

8. My son ate all the homemade cookies.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

9. Corrosion had damaged the hull of the ship.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

10. Some children were visiting the old homestead while I was there.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

22
Directions: Change the sentences below to the active voice.

1. The statue is being visited by hundreds of tourists every year.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

2. My books were stolen by someone yesterday.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

3. These books had been left in the classroom by a careless student.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Coffee is raised in many parts of Hawaii by plantation workers.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

5. The house had been broken into by someone while the owners were on

vacation.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

6. A woman was being carried downstairs by a very strong firefighter.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

7. The streets around the fire had been blocked off by the police.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

8. Have you seen the new movie that was directed by Ron Howard?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

9. My car is in the garage being fixed by a dubious mechanic.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

10. A great deal of our oil will have been exported to other countries by our

government.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

23
B. Rewrite the sentences in the Passive Voice.

a) The managers discussed the project budget this morning.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

b) They sent the wrong file and we couldn’t open it.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

c) According to the rig manager, we didn’t given him the complete information.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

d) Despite the situation, we have solved quite a lot of problems.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

e) They didn’t mention the topics you described in your last message.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

f) Lenz AG contacted us asking about the possibility of a co-operation agreement.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

g) Due to recent changes, we are currently reviewing the company’s procedures.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

h) We offer opportunities in all areas of our firm.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

i) I think we should do something in order to improve the quality of our services.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

j) They will open a new sales office in Norway.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
24
k) They told me you had made a terrible mistake.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

l) As you had previously mentioned, they decided not to approve the budget.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

m) On behalf of European Business Associates, we invite you to be a speaker at our

Responsible Technologies Conference next October.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

n) I have interviewed three candidates for the position.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

o) You should arrange the topics in logical order. They should be short and include
only useful information.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

p) If you approve our recommendation, I will prepare the contract for your
signature.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

25
IV. CONNECTORS OF SEQUENCE
We can use words to connect sentences and help readers visualize the order
(sequence) that things happen in the course of our narrative (Story).

They are:

BEFORE AFTER FIRST THEN NEXT SO WHEN WHILE

AS SOON AS UNTIL LATER FINALLY BY THE TIME

Exercise Practice

A) Circle the correct words

1. I’ll call my mother until / as soon as I get the news about my father.

2. The plane hasn’t landed yet so I’ll wait until / when it arrives.

3. My sister’s going to buy a new computer when / then she has enough money.

4. I will get my driving license after / next I pass my driving test.

5. As soon as / While I arrive at my office, I check my emails.

6. They’ll go for a walk when / until the weather gets better.

7. He won’t play football until / as soon as he feels better.

8. After / While I was checking my emails, my boss was talking on the phone.

B) Fill in the blanks with a Connector of Sequence.

1. My boss’s coming to the office at 8.30. I’ll talk to him about my salary
____________________he arrives.

2. ______________ I can speak English fluently, I need to practice it a lot.

3. I can’t buy that car ______________ I have some money.

4. it’s an exciting game. I’ll call my girlfriend _________________I finish.

5. What will she do _______________she gets the promotion?

6. _________________we find the tickets, we can go to the concert.

26
7. Can you look after my dog _________________I’m travelling on business?

8. Because my father is on the way home, I’ll have to wait ______________he gets home
because he doesn’t have a spare key.

C. Kate North is an American who works in London. Read about her work
routine and underline the most appropriate words.

I usually get to work before / as soon as my boss arrives and as soon as / before
I arrive I check my emails and post. I usually try to answer all important enquiries
as soon as / before I go to lunch. Until / While I’m having lunch, I often discuss
problems with colleagues. When / Until I work long hours, I can take time off
another day. I have a lot of flexibility until / when I arrive at the office and before
/ while I leave, depending on the daily workload.

D. Complete the sentences with WHEN / WHILE / BEFORE / AFTER / UNTIL or

AS SOON AS. More than one answer may be possible in each case.

1. Don’t make a decision ____________________ we’ve seen the report.

2. I’m meeting Mark this afternoon. Send him up ____________________________ he
arrives.
3. Let’s solve this problem ________________________ she gets here.
4. I’m coming to Paris tomorrow afternoon. I’ll phone you _____________________ I
arrive.
5. Can you type this report for me _________________ I’m away?

27
V. MODAL VERBS
Modal Verbs are used to indicate modality – that is, ability, permission, possibility,
necessity, advice/ opinion, and obligation. They provide more information about
the function of the main verb.

Ex. Peter can speak English very well. (Ability)

Can I use you phone? (Permission)

I may come tomorrow. (Possibility)

I might come tomorrow. (Very low possibility)

They have to finish the report today. (Necessity-it’s necessary)

They must finish the report today. (Obligation)

I think you should study more often. (Advice/personal opinion)

CAN MAY HAVE TO SHOULD

COULD MIGHT MUST OUGHT TO

 Complete the sentences using the words

1. Ted's flight from Amsterdam took more than 11 hours. He _____________ be

exhausted after such a long flight. He ___________ prefer to stay in tonight and get

some rest.

2. If you want to get a better feeling for how the city is laid out, you __________ walk

downtown and explore the waterfront.

3. Hiking the trail to the peak ____________ be dangerous if you are not well prepared

for dramatic weather changes. You ___________ research the route a little more before

you attempt the ascent.

4. When you have a small child in the house, you __________ leave small objects lying

around. Such objects ____________ be swallowed, causing serious injury or even

death.

28
5. Dave: ____________ you hold your breath for more than a minute?

Nathan: No, I can't.

6. Jenny's engagement ring is enormous! It ___________ have cost a fortune.

7. Please make sure to water my plants while I am gone. If they don't get enough water,

they __________ die.

8. I __________ speak Arabic fluently when I was a child and we lived in Egypt. But

after we moved back to Canada, I had very little exposure to the language and forgot

almost everything I knew as a child. Now, I __________ just say a few things in the

language.

9. The book is optional. My professor said we _________ read it if we needed extra

credit. But we ______________ read it if we don't want to.

10. Leo: Where is the spatula? It _______________ be in this drawer but it's not here.

Nancy: I just did a load of dishes last night and they're still in the dish washer.

It __________ be in there. That's the only other place it _____________ be.

11. You _____________ take your umbrella along with you today. The weatherman on

the news said there's a storm north of here and it ______________ rain later on this

afternoon.

12. ____________ we pull over at the next rest stop? I really ____________use the

bathroom and I don't know if I ____________ hold it until we get to Chicago.

13. Oh no! Frank's wallet is lying on the coffee table. He ____________ have left it

here last night.

14. Ned: ___________ I borrow your lighter for a minute?

29
Stephen: Sure, no problem. Actually, you _____________ keep it if you want to. I've

given up smoking.

15. I __________ believe she said that to Megan! She ___________ insult her cooking

in front of everyone at the party last night. She ____________ have just said she was

full or had some salad if she didn't like the meal.

16. Do you _____________ chew with your mouth open like that? Geez, it's making me

sick watching you eat that piece of pizza.

17. Mrs. Scarlett's body was found in the lounge just moments ago, and it's still warm!

Nobody has left the mansion this evening, so the killer ______________ be someone in

this room. It __________ be any one of us!!!

18. Ted: I don't know why Denise starting crying when I mentioned the wedding.

Pamela: It ____________ have been what you said about her brother. Or, perhaps she is

just nervous. After all, the big day is tomorrow.

19. ____________ you always say the first thing that pops into your head? __________

you think once in a while before you speak?

20. I was reading the book last night before I went to bed. I never took it out of this

room. It __________ be lying around here somewhere. Where ____________ it be? Be

swallowed, causing serious injury or even death.

30
VI. RELATIVE CLAUSES
Relative clauses are used to add extra information. This information can either
define a noun (important information) or provide unnecessary information.

DEFINING CLAUSE – Important information

Ex. Children who play with fire are in great danger of harm.

NON-DEFINING CLAUSE – Unnecessary information

Ex. Frank Zappa, who was one of the most creative artists in rock ‘n roll, came
from California.

Correct punctuation is essential in non-defining relative clauses. If the non-

defining relative clause occurs in the middle of a sentence, a comma is put before
the relative pronoun and at the end of the clause. If the non-defining relative clause
occurs at the end of a sentence, a comma is put before the relative pronoun.

NOTE: In defining relative clauses there are no commas.

Relative Clauses can be introduced by:

 A relative pronoun: who; which, that; whose

 Where; why; and when instead of a relative pronoun

Exercise Practice

1. Study the situations and then decide whether the following relative clauses
are defining or non-defining.

Defining – no commas
Non-defining – commas

I have three brothers.

( ) My brother who lives in Sidney came to see me last month.
( ) My brother, who lives in Sidney, came to see me last month.

I have one sister.

( ) My sister who is 25 years old spent her holiday in France.
( ) My sister, who is 25 years old, spent her holiday in France.

31
Bob's mum has lost her keys.
( ) Bob's mum who is a musician has lost her car keys.
( ) Bob's mum, who is a musician, has lost her car keys.

My friend Jane moved to Canada.

( ) My friend Jane whose husband is Canadian moved to Canada last week.
( ) My friend Jane, whose husband is Canadian, moved to Canada last week.

I am a shoe fanatic.
( ) The shoes which I bought yesterday are very comfortable.
( ) The shoes, which I bought yesterday, are very comfortable.

Mr. Robinson is very famous.

( ) Mr. Robinson whom I met at the trade fair is a famous inventor.
( ) Mr. Robinson, whom I met at the trade fair, is a famous inventor.

Tamara has two cats. Both of them are black.

( ) Tamara's two cats which can play outside are black.
( ) Tamara's two cats, which can play outside, are black.

Kevin has four cats. Two of them are black.

( ) Kevin's two cats which are black can play outside.
( ) Kevin's two cats, which are black, can play outside.

We are on holiday. Yesterday we visited a church.

( ) The church which we visited yesterday is very old.
( ) The church, which we visited yesterday, is very old.

We are on holiday. Yesterday we visited a church.

( ) St. Mary's Church which we visited yesterday is very old.
( ) St. Mary's Church, which we visited yesterday, is very old.

2. Choose one of the following relative pronouns (who, which or whose) and
complete the clauses.

1) I talked to the girl ___________ car had broken down in front of the shop.

2) Mr. Richards, ___________ is a taxi driver, lives on the corner.

3) We often visit our aunt in Norwich ____________ is in East Anglia.

4) This is the girl ____________ comes from Spain.

5) That's Peter, the boy ____________ has just arrived at the airport.

32
6) Thank you very much for your e-mail ___________ was very interesting.

7) The man, ___________ father is a professor, forgot his umbrella.

8) The children, ___________ shouted in the street, are not from our school.

9) The car, ___________ driver is a young man, is from Ireland.

10) What did you do with the money __________ your mother lent you?

3. Use information form the list to make sentences about the people named
below.

Ex. Cary Grant, who was born in England, became famous in the USA.

a) Elizabeth Taylor __________________________________________________________________

b) Marilyn Monroe __________________________________________________________________
c) James Dean ________________________________________________________________________
d) Burt Lancaster ____________________________________________________________________
e) Alfred Hitchcock __________________________________________________________________
f) Grace Kelly ________________________________________________________________________
g) Charlie Chaplin ___________________________________________________________________
h) Ginger Rogers _____________________________________________________________________

Was born in England Was killed in a car crash

Danced with Fred Astaire Started acting as a child
Became famous as a sex symbol Also appeared in small parts
Starred in many adventure films Was also successful in serious roles
Made only a few films Is still internationally famous
Directed many films Had an unhappy private life
Could sing and act Started as a circus performer

33
VII. INDIRECT SPEECH (Reporting dialogues)
1. We often use SAY, TELL and ASK to report speech (dialogues).

 “The new job is challenging.”

She SAID (that) the new job was challenging.

a) We use TELL with an object.

 She TOLD her boss (that) the new job was challenging.

b) We use ASK (with or without an object) to report questions.

 “When do you want to start?”

Her boss asked her when she wanted to start.

2. We usually make the following changes in reported speech.

a) The VERB goes back one tense.

PRESENT PAST
PAST PAST PARTICIPLE
FUTURE (WILL) FUTURE (WOULD)
CAN COULD

Exercise Practice

A. Complete the sentences with the past tense of say or tell.

1. He ________ that he was finding it difficult to manage people.

2. He ________ me that he was finding it difficult to manage people.

3. She _________ him to improve his performance.

4. She _________ that they would never agree.

5. My boss _________ me not to pay the invoice.

6. He _________ that he worked for General Electric.

34
B. Use say, tell and ask to repot this dialogue between two company
directors.

Philip: I want to motivate our managers more.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Amanda: Are you delegating the less important decisions?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Philip: I think so. And I’m making more time to listen to their suggestions.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Amanda: That’s good. Responding to their ideas is really important.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Philip: is the department investing enough in training?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Amanda: Yes, it is. This year’s budget is bigger than last year’s

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

C. Complete the gaps according to the example.

1. "My sister is studying for her English test."

Example: Peter said that HIS sister WAS STUDYING for HER English test.

2. "I will send you a postcard."

Mary _________ me that _________________________a postcard.

3. "I don't like Peter. He is always telling lies."

Mark said that ______________________Peter because _________________________lies.

4. "I don't want to visit my grandmother tomorrow."

Steve told me that ___________________to visit ______ grandmother tomorrow.

5. "Do you play tennis on Sundays?"

Nick asked me _____________________________tennis on Sundays.

35
6. "What do you eat for breakfast?"

Rhonda asked me ________________________________for breakfast."

7. "Peter works in this office."

Frank told me that Peter ________________in this office.

8. "I won't help you with your homework."

William told Mary that _______________________with _______homework.

9. "I won't do this exercise."

Joe said that ______________________________ exercise.

10. "Will you go to Paris next month?"

Jack asked Joe ______________________to Paris next month.

D. Complete the phrases below according to the example.

1. John: "Peter is at school."

Example: John said that Peter was at school.

2. Mark: "Close the door."

Mark told me _________________________________________________________________.

3. Mary: "Do you want to go to the cinema with me?"

Mary asked me ________________________________________________________________.

4. Steve: "I visited my grandmother two days ago."

Steve said that ________________________________________________________________.

5. Harry: "Did you see John?"

Harry asked me _______________________________________________________________.

6. Jack: "Don't cross the road."

Jack told me __________________________________________________________________.

7. Peter: "Where is my bike?"

Peter asked me ________________________________________________________________.

8. Mary: "I will help you with your homework."

36
Mary told Jack that _____________________________________________________________.

9. Peter: "Why didn't you stay at home yesterday?"

Peter asked Mary ______________________________________________________________.

10. George: "At this moment I am playing tennis with my father."

George said that _______________________________________________________________.

E. Report the questions as in the example.

1) “Will you send me an e-mail?” Marty to Kim

Example: Marty asked Kim if he would send her an e-mail.

2) “Were you driving your car when you had an accident?” The police to Mr. Lloyd

_____________________________________________________________________________

3) “Did you give up smoking last month?” The doctor to Mrs. Smith

_____________________________________________________________________________

4) “Will you travel during the holiday?” My boss to me

_____________________________________________________________________________

5) “Can you phone your mother at home?” The teacher to Tim

_____________________________________________________________________________

6) “Do you like sleeping?” I to Greg

_____________________________________________________________________________

7) “Did you buy a new car?” My neighbor to me

_____________________________________________________________________________

8) “Were you late?” My colleague to me

_____________________________________________________________________________

9) “Do I have to finish this work today?” Samuel to Pablo.

_____________________________________________________________________________

10) “Are they delivering the material now?” John to Alison.

_____________________________________________________________________________

37
 ARTICLE PREPARATION

PART I

A. INTRODUCTION (Put us in the picture)

_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

B. REPORT (Report the situation; problem, or case / what happened / what did people say? /
Details);

_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

C. CONCLUSION (Outcome, consequences)

_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

38
VIII. CONNECTORS / CONJUNCTIONS
As seen in chapter IV, conjunctions are used to connect sentences. There are,
however, different types of connectors. In this module, we shall study the
following:

AND; ALSO; IN ADDITION TO; ADDITIONALLY; BESIDES;

CONNECTORS OF
FURTHERMORE; MOREOVER
ADDITION

CONNECTORS OF BECAUSE; SO; CONSEQUENTLY; THEREFORE; THUS;

CAUSE AND HENCE
CONSEQUENCE

BUT; ALTHOUGH; DESPITE; IN SPITE OF; HOWEVER;

CONNECTORS OF
NEVERTHELESS; THOUGH
CONTRAST

Exercise Practice

A. Complete the text by using the connectors in the list below.

IN SPITE OF / ALTHOUGH / HOWEVER / THOUGH / NEVERTHELESS

“There are many stories about the Bermuda Triangle, an area of ocean in the
Caribbean, but _____________________ many people believe that planes and ships
mysteriously vanish there, there is no proof that this is true.

_____________________, it is true that many small boats disappear in the area. This is
because it is an area of sudden bad weather, ____________________, not because it is
mysterious!

One story describes how some planes disappeared there during the war, and
________________________ this is true, the most likely explanation is that they ran out of
fuel and crashed.

39
________________________, there are stories suggesting that aliens may be responsible
for the “strange” disappearances. _______________________ many investigations, no
proof has ever been found that there is anything mysterious about the place at all.”

B. Complete the sentences with (because / so).

1. Perez can’t help you at the moment __________ he is busy.

2. Bill has got a lot of money __________ he can buy a plane.

3. I haven’t got much time ___________ I can’t go out with you.

4. Lydia is an intelligent girl__________ she is able to solve these math problems.

5. They can’t go abroad _____________ they haven’t got a passport.

6. Alex has seriously injured __________ he won’t be play in the following match.

7. We can’t understand his French__________ he speaks very fast.

8. He forgot to set up the alarm clock ___________he was late to the meeting.

C. Rewrite the sentences with (although).

1. Murat didn’t wake up. The telephone rang many times.

____________________________________________________________________________________________.

2. Kazim didn’t play in the match. He recovered from an injury.

____________________________________________________________________________________________.

3. It was snowing. I drove without snow chains.

___________________________________________________________________________________________.

4. Carlos took a nap. He still feels very tired.

___________________________________________________________________________________________.

5. Peter didn’t get hurt. He fell down the stairs.

____________________________________________________________________________________________.

40
D. Complete the sentences by yourself.

1. Although I wasn’t thirsty _______________________________.

2. My shirt still has coffee stains on it although _________________________.

3. Although my father is a careful driver _________________________________.

4. The referee showed him a red card because ______________________________.

5. They played very well so ______________________________________________.

E. Rewrite the sentences using the connector in brackets.

1. Knowledge is becoming the new source of power, but lifelong learning is the only
way to remain competitive in today's rapidly changing job market. (However)
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

2. Automation affects the number of workers in factories. It also affects the type of
work that is done. (Moreover)
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

3. Engineering is still a male area of study. However, things are changing. (Although)
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

4. British students are far away from their family and friends. However, they like the
idea of taking a year off. (In spite of)
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

5. I had the necessary qualifications. However, I didn't get the job. (Despite)

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

41
IX. Subjunctive – Hypothesis / Suppositions / Wishes
Subjunctive is a verb mood used to express various states of UNREALITY such as
possibility, regrets, speculations, opinion, and so on. We shall start this chapter by
talking about Conditional Sentences.
Although the various conditional forms might seem quite abstract at first, they are
actually some of the most useful structures in English and are commonly included
in daily conversations.
*Remember, though, that conditionals sentences are always “speculations”
(Subjunctive Mood) about the reality (Indicative Mood). Therefore, you should
always have the REALITY stated first. Check those examples:
Ex. I am studying really hard for this exam. (Present Reality – Indicative Mood)
If I pass, I’ll make my way into university. (Speculation – Subjunctive Mood)

I don’t have any time to practice my English. (Present Reality)

If I had more time to practice, my English would be much better. (Speculation)

I didn’t talk to my teacher about my doubts last week. (Past Reality)

If I had talked to him, I would have passed my exams. (Past Speculations)

There are, however, two kinds of conditional sentences: real and unreal.

USER
a) Real Conditional describes real-life possibilities.
b) Unreal Conditional describes unreal, imaginary situations.

A) REAL CONDITIONAL

Conditional 0 – FACT / GENERALLY TRUE /STANDARD PROCEDURE

IF + SIMPLE PRESENT, SIMPLE PRESENT

Ex. If I arrive late, you get a written warning.

Conditional 1 – REAL POSSIBILITY

IF + SIMPLE PRESENT, WILL + VERB

42
 Ex. If I save enough money, I will take a long holiday.

B) UNREAL CONDITIONAL
Conditional 2 – UNREAL POSSIBILITY / IMPROBABLE SITUATION

IF + SIMPLE PAST, WOULD + VERB

Ex.If they had more money (They don’t – reality)

They would buy a new house.

Conditional 3 – UNREAL PAST/ HYPOTHETICAL RESULTS

IF + PAST PARTICIPLE, WOULD + HAVE + PARTICIPLE

Ex. If she had stayed in Boston (She didn’t – Past reality)

She would have met Mark. (But she didn’t because she didn’t stay in
Boston)

Exercise Practice

A. Complete the text below with the appropriate conditional form.

1. If I (have) ____________ enough money, I (backpack) ______________ around Europe.

But, unfortunately, I am broke.

2. If I (have) ______________ enough money in my twenties, I (backpack) _______________

around Europe. But, unfortunately, I was broke.

3. She would have been here earlier if she (miss, not) ______________________ the train.

4. Thank you for helping me study. If you hadn't tutored me, I (fail) ________________
the test.

5. If I exercised more, I (be) _______________ much more fit and I (have,

not) _______________ so many health problems.

43
6. It's too bad Frank isn't with us. If he (be) _________________ here, he (can,
translate) _________________________ the letter for us.

7. Stop asking me what Joe bought you for your birthday. Even if I
(know) ______________ what he bought you, I (tell, not) _________________________ you.

8. My business trip to California was only two days. If the trip (be) _______________
longer, I (visit) ____________________ my friends in Los Angeles.

9. I'm sorry; I didn't know you were allergic to chocolate. If I (know) ________________,
I (make) ____________________ you a vanilla birthday cake.

10. Did you hear that Margaret won $2,000 in Las Vegas, and she used the money
to buy a new washing machine and dryer? How boring! If I (win) _____________ that
much money, I (go) ______________ to Tahiti for a couple of weeks.

11. Sally's alarm didn't go off, and she was almost late to the interview. If she
(arrive) ____________________ late, she (might, not, get) ______________________ the job.

12. Jane is polite and well mannered. She (say, never) _____________________ anything
rude or insulting. That is just the kind of person she is.

13. Martha said that Paul called Nick a jerk at the party. I don't believe that! Paul is
polite and well mannered. He (say, never) _____________________ anything rude or
insulting like that.

14. Penny's baby daughter almost drank some of the furniture polish which was
sitting on the coffee table. If she (drink, actually) _____________________ the polish, she
(could, get) ____________________ sick or even died.

15. If I (can, go) ____________________ anywhere in the world, I (go) _________________ to

Egypt to see the pyramids.

B. Complete the dialogue below with the appropriate conditional form.

Michael: Sharon, I am having some problems at work, and I was wondering if you

might be able to give me some advice.

Sharon: Sure, what's the problem?

Michael: The computer sales business is more difficult than I thought. When

44
customers (come) ___________ in to look at the new computer models, they often

(ask) __________ me which model they should buy. If they (ask) ________ me to suggest

a model, I (be) __________ usually quite honest with them. Most computer users don't

need a very advanced computer; they just need a basic model which they can use

for word-processing, bookkeeping and Internet access. If I am honest and I

(recommend) _______________ one of the cheaper models, my boss (get) __________

angry at me. He always says that a good salesperson can convince a customer to

buy one of the more expensive advanced models. I don't really feel comfortable

doing that. What would you do in my situation? Isn't it wrong to make them buy

something which they don't need?

Sharon: I think you should help your customers make an intelligent decision. If I

(be) ____________ you, I (educate) ______________ the customers. I

(teach) ___________________ them how to make a good decision by themselves. I

(make, not) _______________ the decision for them. When a customer (ask) _____________

a question, answer it honestly. You don't need to lie to the customer, and you don't

need to make the decision for them.

Michael: When I (sell) _______________ an inexpensive computer to a customer, my

boss (complain) _______________ that I am not trying hard enough. What would you

tell him?

Sharon: If I (be) _____________ in your situation, I (tell) ____________ him that I wasn't

comfortable forcing customers to buy products which they don't need. Tell him

that you don't want to lie to honest people, and that you want to provide them with

good service. Remind him that when customers (get) ______________ good service,

they (return) ______________ to a store and spend more money.

Michael: I think that's a great idea. He (might) ______________ change his mind if I

45
said that to him. Maybe he (realize) ______________ that good service is the most

important thing to consumers. And, of course, I (feel) ____________ much more

comfortable if I (be) ______________ able to be honest with the customers. Thanks for

your advice.

Past Unreal Conditional

1. Fill in the gaps

After I graduated from university, I applied for a marketing position with a

prominent bank with branches all over the world. I didn't get the job because they
wanted someone who spoke Spanish fluently. I (could, take) _______________ Spanish
in high school, but I didn't. I took an acting class instead. If I (take)
_________________Spanish, I (get) _____________________ the job. Just imagine, if I had
actually gotten the job, I (move) ____________________ to Spain. My entire life (could,
go) _____________________ in a totally different direction. If I had accepted the job and
moved to Spain, I (might, meet) __________________ a Spanish woman and
(get) ____________________ married. If that had actually happened, I probably
(stay) ___________________ in Spain. We (might, have) _________________ children.
Unfortunately, I didn't get the job and I didn't go to Spain. I got a boring job and I
live alone. If I had just taken Spanish, my life (be) __________________ much more
interesting.

*****

Clarence: Mary, have you ever had a teacher who changed your life or influenced
you greatly?

Mary: Yes. But the teacher influenced me in a very negative way. I have always had
problems with math, and I think it comes from my seventh grade math teacher, Mr.
Harris. He thought girls couldn't do math. When any girl (ask) ______________________ a
question, he always (sigh) _______________ and (say) ____________________, "Girls can't do
math. It's a well-known fact." When a boy (ask) _______________________ a question, he
(smile) _______________ and (ask) _________________ for his answer.

Clarence: That's terrible! Your teacher actually said that to you?

Mary: Yes. If he ever did let me answer a question, and I actually got it right, he
always (say) ____________________ that it was a lucky guess.

Clarence: Your parents (should, do) ___________________ something about him. They
(could, go) ______________________ to the principle of the school and complained about
the way Mr. Harris treated the girls. If you (be) ____________________ my child, I
46
(demand) ____________________ that such an irresponsible teacher be fired.

Mary: You're right! If somebody (force) _____________________ Mr. Harris to treat the
children equally, I (become) ____________________ more confident in math. His
behavior (might, affect) _______________________ every girl in that class.

Clarence: It might have. I'm glad our children don't have teachers like that!

We may also have to deal with MIXED CONDITIONAL; that is, when the
Condition and the Consequence don’t actually match the same tense. See the
examples below:

1. PAST CONDITION x PRESENT CONSEQUENCE

Ex. If I had learned English in high school, (I DIDN’T)

I would have more job opportunities. (BUT I DON’T)

If She had told the truth, (SHE DIDN’T)

She wouldn’t be in this situation now. (BUT SHE IS)

2. PRESENT CONDITION X PAST CONSEQUENCE

Ex. If I spoke English, (BUT I DON’T)
I would have translated the letter for you. (BUT I DIDN’T)

If I had a lot of money, (BUT I DON’T),

I would have paid the bill last night. (BUT I DIDN’T)

1.a. She will take care of the children for us next weekend because her
business trip was canceled.
1.b. But, she (take, not) would not be taking care of the children for us next weekend
if her business trip (be, not) had not been canceled.

2.a. Tom is not going to come to dinner tomorrow because you insulted him
yesterday.
2.b. But, he (come) ________________________ if you (insult) ____________________ him.

47
3.a. Marie is unhappy because she gave up her career when she got married.
3.b. But, Marie (be) _______________ happy if she (give, not) ___________________ up her
career when she got married.

4.a. Dr. Mercer decided not to accept the research grant at Harvard because
he is going to take six months off to spend more time with his family.
4.b. But, Dr. Mercer (accept) __________________ the research grant at Harvard if he
(take, not) ______________________ six months off to spend more time with his family.

5.a. Professor Schmitz talked so much about the Maasai tribe because she is
an expert on African tribal groups.
5.b. But, Professor Schmitz (talk, not) _______________________ so much about the
Maasai tribe if she (be, not) ______________________ an expert on African tribal groups.

6.a. I am unemployed because I had a disagreement with my boss and I was

fired.
6.b. But, I (be, not) ____________________ unemployed if I (have, not) ________________ a
disagreement with my boss and I (be, not) ___________________ fired.

7.a. Nicole speaks Chinese fluently because she lived in China for ten years.
7.b. But, Nicole (speak, not) __________________ Chinese fluently if she (live,
not) _____________________ in China for ten years.

8.a. I will not help you study for your test because you have spent the last two
weeks partying and wasting time.
8.b. But, I (help) __________________ you study for your test if you (spend,
not) _______________________ the last two weeks partying and wasting time.

9.a. Eleanor and Ben are not going skiing with us this year because Eleanor
just had a baby.
9.b. But, Eleanor and Ben (go) _____________________ skiing with us this year if Eleanor
(have, not, just) ____________________a baby.

10.a. I am completely exhausted, so I will not go with you to the movies

tonight.
10.b. But, if I (be, not) ______________________ completely exhausted, I
(go) ___________________ with you to the movies tonight.

11.a. She is not worried about the conference tomorrow because she is not
giving a speech.
11.b. But, she (be) ____________________ worried about the conference tomorrow if she
(give) ____________________ a speech.

48
12.a. Frank is not going to the graduation ceremony because he broke his leg
snowboarding last week.
12.b. But, Frank (go) ___________________ to the graduation ceremony if he
(break) __________________ his leg snowboarding last week.

13.a. They are not releasing the prisoner next month because there was so
much public opposition to his parole.
13.b. But, they (release) ______________________ the prisoner next month if there
(be) ____________________ so much opposition to his parole.

14.a. The hotels filled up months in advance because the festival is going to
include jazz artists from around the globe.
14.b. But, the hotels (fill) _________________________ up months in advance if the festival
(include) ___________________________ jazz artists from around the globe.

15.a. We are not worried about the recent string of robberies in the
neighborhood because the police have started regularly patrolling the area.
15.b. But, we (be) _____________________ worried about the recent string of robberies
in the neighborhood if the police (start, not) __________________ regularly patrolling
the area.

Future Real Conditional

I am not sure what I am going to do when I (graduate) _________________, but I do
know I want to travel. I am probably going to work at my father's restaurant for a
few months during the summer. When I (have) ________________ enough money, I
(go) ___________________ to Europe to visit some friends I met while studying.

I have always wanted to visit Europe. I especially want to visit Sweden. If I

(get) ________________ to go to Sweden, I (stay) ___________________ with my friend
Gustav. His family has a house on an island in a lake near Stockholm. I am sure we
(spend) __________________ a few days on the island if weather conditions
(allow) ____________________.

I am not sure what other countries I will visit. If it (be) _________________ not too
expensive, I (spend) ___________________a couple of days in Paris sightseeing. If I
(go) ______________ to Paris, I (climb) _______________ the Eiffel Tower,
(take) _____________ a boat tour of the Seine, and (photograph) _________________ daily
life in the Latin Quarter.

49
 All Conditional Forms

1. (If / When) ____________ I leave work, I usually go to the fitness center to work out.

2. She hates TV. She thinks television is a waste of time. (If / When) _____________ she
watches any television at all, it is usually a documentary or a news program.

3. My friend always keeps in touch by mail. (If / When) _________________ I get a letter,
I usually write back immediately.

4. If I (have) _________________ enough money, I (go) _________________ on safari to

Kenya. However, my bank account is empty!

5. I love to travel! When I (have) __________________ enough money, I

(go) _______________ abroad. I do it almost every year.

6. I really wanted to go on safari to Kenya with my friends, but I couldn't afford to

go. If I (have) __________________ enough money, I (go) ____________________ with them.

7. I'm sorry, I didn't know you were allergic to chocolate. If I (know) ________________,
I (make) _____________________ you a vanilla birthday cake.

8. Stop asking me what Amanda bought you for Christmas. Even if I

(know) _______________ what she bought you, I (tell, not) _________________ you.

9. Nobody here speaks English. Too bad Gloria isn't here. If she (be) _______________
with us, she (can) ___________________ act as our interpreter.

10. I am afraid I won't be able to come to your wedding next week because my
company is sending me to New York to attend a trade show. I (miss,
never) ______________ your wedding if I (have) __________________a choice in the matter.

11. If the weather is nice tomorrow, she (walk) ________________ along the river to
school.

12. If you help me move tomorrow, I (treat) _____________________ you to a dinner and
a movie.

13. If you were to help me move tomorrow, I (treat) ______________________ you to a

dinner and a movie.

50
14. If I were in Tahiti right now, I (snorkel) _____________________ along a beautiful
reef. I wouldn't be stuck here in this office with mountains of paperwork.

15. If Jerry hadn't stopped to pick up that quarter, he (cross) __________________ the
street when the bus ran the red light. He might have been killed!

16. Tina's train arrived ahead of schedule. If I hadn't decided to go to the train
station early, she (wait) ______________________ there for more than twenty minutes
before I arrived.

17. If I (pass) _________________ the test, I (get) _________________ an "A" in the class.
Instead, I got a "C." I really should have studied more.

18. If I (be) ___________________ rich, I (buy) _________________________ that new Mercedes

we saw yesterday. Unfortunately, I can't even afford a used car.

19. We (go) _____________________ skiing this weekend, but there's no snow. Oh, well!
We will just have to find something else to do instead.

20. If Heather spoke Chinese, she (translate) ________________________ the email for you
yesterday.

ALTERNATIVE WORDS FOR (IF)

UNLESS

Ex. Unless you tell me what to do, I will not be able to help you.

PROVIDED (THAT)

Ex. Provided you finish the job before 6pm, you can leave earlier.

IN CASE

Ex. In case more people turn up, I’ve bought more food.

AS LONG AS

Ex. As long as you leave now, you’ll catch the train in time.

51
 SUBJUNCTIVE – WISHES

WISHES for Present

Expressing your wishes/desires for Present time.

Ex. People throw lots of rubbish in the street.

I wish people didn’t throw rubbish in the street

1. Comment on each sentence below.

a) I live in a city with a lot of air pollution.

I wish __________________________________________________________________________________

b) More people should protest against the destruction of the environment.

I wish __________________________________________________________________________________

c) We don’t have enough information about these problems.

I wish ___________________________________________________________________________________

d) I think children should learn more about the environment at school.

I wish _________________________________________________________________________________

e) More people should belong to environmental organisations.

I wish ________________________________________________________________________________

WISHES for Past

Expressing your wishes/desires for Past time.

52
 Ex. You didn’t tell me the truth.

I wish you had told me the truth.

1. Comment on each sentence below.

a) You didn’t do the report as I asked you to.

I wish __________________________________________________________________________________

b) They wrote far too much.

I wish __________________________________________________________________________________

c) The director didn’t decide about the layout.

I wish ___________________________________________________________________________________

d) I told him what had happened.

I wish _________________________________________________________________________________

e) We made a decision too late.

I wish ________________________________________________________________________________

WISHES for future / annoying habits

Expressing your wishes/desires for future time.

Ex. I will go to that trip.

I wish you wouldn’t.

Ex. You keep shouting at me

I wish you wouldn’t shout at me like that!

53
 1. Comment on each sentence below.

a) You are extremely untidy, and leave your dirty clothes all over the
bathroom floor!

I wish __________________________________________________________________________________

b) My neighbor plays loud music late at night with their windows open.

I wish __________________________________________________________________________________

c) There is nowhere to park in my area, so people leave their cars on the

pavement. This makes walking very dangerous.

I wish ___________________________________________________________________________________

d) My work colleague smokes a lot, and even smokes in the office.

I wish _________________________________________________________________________________

e) I will not be able to take part in that meeting as I had planned.

I wish ________________________________________________________________________________

IF ONLY

Comment on each situation, beginning as shown.

Ex. You don’t have enough money to go on holiday.

IF ONLY I had some in the bank!

a) Your car has broken down, you have no tools, you are lost, and you have no
money!

If only I _____________________________________________________________________________________

b) You have lost your keys and are locked out of your house, and it’s raining
heavily.

If only______________________________________________________________________________________

c) You are in a foreign city, and someone has stolen all your money. You have
friends here, but you don’t know their phone numbers.

If only _____________________________________________________________________________________

d) Your ship has sunk, and you are stranded on a desert island. You have
problems finding foods, and you can’t escape.

54
If only _____________________________________________________________________________________

IT’S TIME

Comment on each situation by completing the statement given.

Ex. Your shoes are very old. You’ve had them a long time.

IT’S TIME you bought some new shoes.

a) if we don’t leave now, we are going to be very late.

It’s time we _________________________________________________________________________________

b) I think the government should do something about our schools.

It’s time the ________________________________________________________________________________

c) Sorry, but I really must do my homework now.

Sorry, but it’s time I _____________________________________________________________________

d) We haven’t had a drink for ages!

It’s time we _______________________________________________________________________________

e) You must start taking yourself seriously!

It’s time you _____________________________________________________________________________

f) Sorry, I’m very tired. I really have to go to bed.

Sorry, but it’s really time I ____________________________________________________________

- Create some examples of your own using the following subjunctive

expressions.

a) I wish _____________________________________________________________________________

b) If only I __________________________________________________________________________

c) It’s time I _________________________________________________________________________

d) I wish my boss __________________________________________________________________

e) It’s time politicians ______________________________________________________________

55
f) If only they _______________________________________________________________________

g) If only my salary ________________________________________________________________

h) It’s time the government _______________________________________________________

i) Provided they ____________________________________________________________________

j) Unless you _______________________________________________________________________

k) As long as we ____________________________________________________________________

56
X. Modal Verbs (advanced)
The Modal Perfect is formed by (modal verb + have + past participle)

Ex. We might have won the contract (modulating the main action)

Two uses of the modal perfect are:

a) Criticizing or commenting on past actions

Ex. You should have told me the meeting was canceled.

b) Speculating about the past

Ex. He may have moved to another department.

Exercise Practice

A. Type the correct perfect modal and verb form for the following sentences.
Sometimes negative forms are used.

a) Your house looks great. You __________________ spent a lot of time painting it.

b) Michael went running in the rain. He ____________________ gotten sick.

c) It was so dark that I fell down the stairs. I ______________________ fixed the light.

d) Patty ______________________ gone by bus. Why did she walk?

e) I called his apartment and nobody answered. He ____________________________ gone

out.

f) You ____________________ shoveled the front walk. It looks so clean.

g) He _____________________ stolen the car. He was with me all the time.

h) My bicycle is broken. I never _________________________ ridden it down the stairs.

i) Jim looks happy. I think he _____________________ gotten a new job.

j) The chocolate cake is all gone! Someone ____________________ eaten it.

57
B. Type the correct perfect modal and verb form for the following sentences.
Sometimes negative forms are used.

a) Gloria has won every game she's played today. She _____________________ (practice)
a lot.

b) I don't have anything to wear today. I ___________________________ (do) the laundry.

c) Jack lost his wallet on the way to work. He ___________________ (lose) it on the bus.

d) You did very well on the exam. You _________________________ (study) a lot.

e) The Smiths _____________________ (build) their house anywhere. Why did he choose
here?

f) It's hot in here today. I ________________________ (wear) a heavy sweater today.

g) You _______________________ (feed) your dog. He has been hungry all day.

h) Lucy shouldn't have stood on the broken chair. She ________________________ (fall).

i) I _______________________ (buy) more milk. I am almost out.

j) I didn't do very well on the test. I __________________________ (spend) more time

studying.

C. Answer YES, NO or NOT SURE to each of the questions below.

1. You should have chosen her for the team.

Was she chosen for the team? _____________________________________________________________

2. He must have made over 30 changes to the project.

Did he make over 30 changes to the project? ___________________________________________

3. They needn’t have spent so much time on the report.

Did they spend too much time on the report? ___________________________________________

4. They could have prepared better if they had had more time.

Did they prepare as well as they wanted to? ____________________________________________

5. The team would have been stronger without him.

Was the team as strong as it could be? ___________________________________________________

58
6. Sylvia may have arrived by now.

Has Sylvia arrived yet? _______________________________________________________________________

7. Thomas should have reached Barcelona by now.

Has Thomas reached Barcelona? __________________________________________________________

8. They couldn’t have done enough research as the launch was a failure.

Did the team do enough research? ________________________________________________________

D. Which of these statements uses the modal perfect correctly? Suggest

alternatives modals for the incorrect statements.

1. It’s too late to apply for the job now. You must have applied last month.

2. It was silly to leave your wallet in the hotel room. It would have been stolen.

3. The fire in our showroom last night could have destroyed all our merchandise.

4. He bought the land cheaply and sold it at a higher price to developers, so he

needn’t have made a lot of money.

5. Gerry wasn’t at the meeting. He might have been delayed in traffic.

6. You couldn’t have seen Mr. Lebeau at the conference because he was in Hong
Kong at the time.

7. He looked exhausted when he arrived. He should have had a bad flight.

8. He was charismatic and decisive. We must have made him team leader.

59
XI. Prepositions

a) Preposition of Time and Place

Read the story below:

I was born in Seattle, Washington on the 19th of April in 1961. Seattle is in the
State of Washington in the United States. That was many years ago... Now, I live in
Leghorn in Italy. I work at the British School. I sometimes go to a movie on the
weekend. I meet my friends at the movie theater at 8 o'clock or later. In the
summer, usually in August, I go home to visit my family in America. My family and
I go to the beach and relax in the sun in the morning and in the afternoon! In the
evening, we often eat at a restaurant with our friends. Sometimes, we go to a bar at
night.

Look at the chart below:

IN Months
Seasons
Country
City or town names
Times of the day
ON Specific days / dates
AT Specific times
Specific places in a city
TO Movement / Directions

Fill in the gaps in this paragraph with the prepositions - in, on, at or to.

Janet was born ________ Rochester ______ December 22nd ________ 3o'clock ______ the
morning. Rochester is ______ the state of New York _____ the United States. Now, she
goes __________ classes ________ the university. She usually arrives ______ the
morning _______ 8 o'clock. _______ weekends, she likes driving ________ her friend's
house ______ Canada. Her friend lives _________ Toronto. She usually arrives ________ 9
________ the evening and leaves _________ Sunday morning. ________ Saturday, they
often meet friends __________ a restaurant. ________ night, they sometimes go ________
a disco. _______ the Summer, ______ July for example, they often go ________ the
countryside.

60
Supply the required preposition of time.

1. They are getting married __________ Friday __________ six o'clock __________ the
evening.

2. Exactly __________ midnight we were awakened by the shrill sound of a car alarm.

3. The wedding reception will be __________ Sunday __________four __________ the

afternoon.

4. Spring begins __________ March 21, summer __________ June 21, autumn __________
September 22, and winter __________ December22.

5. The last time I saw him was __________ the spring of 1966.

6. The event took place __________ August.

7. He came to this country __________ August 5, 1968.

8. He came to this country __________ 1968.

9. Daffodils usually bloom __________ late March.

10. World War II lasted __________ 1939 __________ 1945.

11. They say that __________ the spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts
of love.

12. He has not felt well __________ a long time, ever __________ his accident.

13. He has been away from home __________ two weeks.

14. They never go out __________ night __________ the week.

15. __________ the storm, all the lights were out __________ several hours.

17. We'll have finished all the work __________ the time you get here.

18. He has been away from home __________ January 12.

19. __________ tomorrow, the worst of the storm should be over.

20. Recently he has been having trouble getting to sleep __________ night.

21. The temperature is below freezing. __________ a few hours the pond should be
frozen over.

61
 PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE

1. The point itself--in, inside (for something contained), on (the surface), at (a

general vicinity).

2. Higher than a point--over (generally), above (directly).

3. Lower than a point--under (generally), underneath (close under), beneath,

below (directly)

4. Neighboring the point--near, by, next to, between, among, opposite.

Supply the required preposition of place.

1. I'll meet you __________ the Algonquin Hotel.

2. If you want to reach that shelf you'd better stand __________ a chair.

3. You will find some stamps __________ the middle drawer of the desk.

4. We are still living __________ Bedford Avenue. We used to live __________ 450
Bedford Avenue, but we now live _________631 Bedford Avenue.

5. This apartment is 10-B; 11-B is the apartment directly__________ us.

6. __________ the box were the earrings she thought she had lost.

7. Some of the most expensive stores __________ New York are_________ Fifth Avenue.

8. __________ the front page of a newspaper are the most important stories of the
day.

9. Please play __________ the house. It's too cold outside.

10. When you are sitting __________ the table for dinner, don't put your elbows
__________ the table.

11. There is no one __________ the world who can help me now.

12. The boy hid the money __________ a rock __________ the garden.

13. A subterranean river runs __________ the ground.

14. The tax office is __________ the second floor.

15. A submarine operates __________ the surface of the water.

16. We'll wait for you __________ the lobby of the hotel.

62
17. He saw a dollar bill lying __________ the sidewalk.

18. Turn left __________ the next intersection.

19. The pupils were busy writing some exercises __________ their desks.

20. They arrived __________ the United States last week.

DEPENDENT PREPOSITIONS

PREPOSITION-DEPENDENT ADJECTIVES

dedicated to known for

devoted to
abreast of
disappointed with limited to
absent from
discriminated against located in
accused of/by
divorced from
accustomed to
done with made of/from
acquainted with
dressed in married to
addicted to
adjacent to
engaged in/to opposed to
afraid of / to (infinitive)
envious of
angry at
equipped with patient with
annoyed with/by
equivalent to pleased with
associated with
excited about polite to
aware of
exhausted from prepared for
exposed to protected from
blessed with
proud of
bored with/by
faithful to
familiar with qualified for
capable of
filled with
close to
finished with related to
cluttered with
fond of relevant to
committed to
friendly to/with remembered for
compatible with
frightened of/by responsible for
composed of
full of
concerned about
furnished with satisfied with
confronted with
scared of/by
connected to
gone from suitable for
conscious of
grateful to/for
consistent with
guilty of terrified of/by
content with
tired of/from
contrary to
innocent of
convinced of
interested in upset with
coordinated with
invited to used to
covered with
involved in useful to
crowded with
jealous of worried about

63
A. Fill in the gaps with the correct preposition.

1I am interested _______________ modern jazz.

2The students are bored __________ studying English.

3My son's frightened __________ dogs.

4If you're tired __________ London, you're tired of life.

5His parents are very proud ___________ his success.

6The furniture is made_________ solid wood.

7A good way to relax is to listen _________ music.

8This equipment is used ___________ manufacturing paper.

9The United Kingdom is composed ________ four countries.

10Divide the cake __________ four pieces, please.

11I have to tell you I am in love ___________ you.

B. Complete the sentences with the appropriate preposition.

I'm really bad ________ swimming - I never learned when I was young.

Lots of people are worried _________ their health.

My sister is scared __________ dogs.

I'm tired _________ studying prepositions. I need a break.

My dad is interested ________ foreign languages. He's learning Spanish now.

I love animals, so I'm always kind __________ them.

My sister was angry ___________ me because I lost her iPod.

My sister was annoyed __________ her bad exam results.

I'm really good __________ making cakes. Everyone says they're delicious.

I'm quite excited __________ Christmas this year.

I'm not scared ____________ the dark.

64
C. Complete the gaps with the dependent preposition

1. If you are serious __________ going ahead with this, let's have a meeting.

2. The Mini-TV is very popular ________ our younger customers.

3. The new Pilot notebook is similar ______ the previous model, but it has some interesting new
features.

4. The Finance Director said he was strongly opposed _______ awarding everyone a tax refund.

5. South Africa is rich ________ natural resources like diamonds and gold.

6. I have to travel by car or boat because I am afraid _______ flying.

7. He has very little experience. I don't think he would be capable ________ running such a large
project.

8. I would be very interested ________ discussing the idea of a joint venture.

9. Samsung are famous _______ their electronic goods.

10. I am very proud __________ my younger sister.

11. We are pleased ______ the results.

12. I'm not sure if he is aware _____ all the facts.

13. I am answerable _______ my supervisor at work.

14. There was a photograph attached _____ the e-mail.

15. We are enthusiastic _________ learning English.

PREPOSITION-DEPENDENT VERBS

A D O
abide by deal with object to
abstain from decide about/on/upon offer something to someone
accuse someone of depend on/upon
add something to something disagree on/with
adhere to discriminate against
advise someone to distinguish from P
agree on/with do research on/into/about
participate in something
aim at/for do something for someone
pay for something
allow for dream of/about
pay something to someone
apologize for

65
apply to/for persist in
approve of praise someone for
argue with/about E pray for
arise from prepare for
escape from
arrest someone for present someone with
excel in
arrive in/at prevent someone/something from
exchange something for
ask for prohibit someone from
excuse someone for
attend to protect someone/something from
expect someone to
protest about
provide someone/something with
punish someone for
B
F
R
beg for
face up to
believe in recover from
find something for someone
belong to refer to
fine someone for
beware of rely on/upon
forget about
blame someone for rescue from
forgive someone for
boast about respond to
borrow something from someone
brag about
buy something for someone G
S
get something for someone
give something to someone save someone from
C
sell something to someone
call for
care about/for H send something to someone
choose between
hide from sentence someone to
comment on
hope for
compare to/with show something to someone
complain about/of
comply with smile at
conceal something from
stare at
concentrate on
condemn someone for I
stop from
conform to
insist on/upon
congratulate someone on/for sthing subscribe to
interfere with/in
consent to
introduce to substitute for
consist of
invite someone to
contribute to
succeed in
cook something for someone
count on/upon suffer from
cure someone of a disease J

joke about
T

66
 L take advantage/care of

laugh at talk with/to someone about sthing

leave for some place
leave something for someone thank someone for
lend something to someone
think of/about
listen to
long for

M volunteer to

make something for someone vote for

mistake someone for

wait for

warn someone about

worry about

Exercise Practice

A. Complete the sentences with the appropriate preposition.

At the moment, I'm preparing __________ an exam.

Does this coat belong ________ you?

I don't believe __________ ghosts.

Have you said thank you __________ your birthday present yet?

I can't stop thinking __________ the man I met yesterday.

Will you pay _________ dinner, if I buy the cinema tickets?

I'm going to ask my teacher ___________ more homework tonight.

I took care _________ my brother's cat when he was on holiday.

I hate my job. I'm going to apply __________ a new one.

67
I'll wait __________ you outside the college.

The terrible weather prevented us __________ going to the beach.

Everyone laughed ________ me when I slipped on the banana skin.

You have to apologise to your sister _________ hitting her.

You need to talk to the doctor __________ your headaches.

I'm going to write ___________ the shop and complain.

I argued with him for hours ___________ who should clean the bathroom.

He agrees ___________ her about everything.

68
XII. Phrasal verbs
Phrasal verbs are formed when a verb is followed by one or more particles. Particles can be
prepositions or adverbs. The meaning of a phrasal verb is sometimes very different from the
meaning of the two words taken separately.

Phrasal verbs can come with one particle:

Ex. They called off the meeting. (cancel)

Or two particles:

Ex. We need to make up for lost time.(compensate)

Phrasal verbs are better understood when contextualized. We shall make use of different
contexts and situations in order to make them as clear as possible.

This chapter shall be practiced and studied by reading the texts passages below. The Phrasal
verbs have been highlighted for you. The student shall try and guess the meanings from their
general understanding of the text. Once that is done, look up the words in the dictionary (or
check them with your teacher) and make sure they fully match your comprehension.

However, it is absolutely imperative that you introduce them gradually into your own
vocabulary by writing sentences of your own – and therefore introducing them into your
context.

Exercise Practice

A. Read the passages below and work out the meaning of the phrasal verbs in bold.

1. Breaking up

Locally they were known as Romeo and Juliet in the small village where they had lived all their lives.
Actually they were Dave Owen and Maggie Stevens. It was generally assumed they would get married as
they had been inseparable since they were children. When therefore the news broke out in the local pub,
appropriately called the Lovers Arms that they were breaking up, nobody could believe it. After all they
had been engaged for five years. Old Mrs. Swenderbin, the celebrated cake maker who had been
commissioned to make the wedding cake, broke down and wept openly when she heard about it. No-one
was quite sure whether this was through sadness or at the thought of losing the cake commission.
Everyone was talking about it wherever you went in the village, the pub, the shops, and the park -
everywhere. It wouldn't have been a surprise to anyone if the announcer on the radio had suddenly
broken into the middle of a piece of music and informed the nation that Dave and Maggie had broken off
their engagement. It still remained a mystery why it had happened. There was a wall of secrecy
surrounding the whole affair which it was virtually impossible to break through. One reporter on the local
paper however was determined to break down the barriers and get to the bottom of the matter.

69
To break out
To break up
To break down
To break into
To break off
To break through

2. Going On

Ever since I can remember I have spent the evening in draughty halls, church halls, community centres,
town halls or huts converted for the evening into halls and sat on hard wooden seats watching other
people trying to make me believe that they are different people. If you don't know what I'm going on
about, I should explain that I have seen a lot plays acted by amateur dramatic companies. Comments like
that of course don't go down very well with the amateur actors themselves who sometimes go
around with a long face if they read a bad criticism in the local paper of their acting and can't stop smiling
if the critic goes on about how wonderful they are. It is after all only a hobby. But amateur acting unlike
fishing, collecting stamps or bird watching is not a solitary activity. You can't just go through an entire play
on your own in an empty hall — you need an audience. Acting and audiences go together like bread and
butter.

To go about (something)
To go down
To go around
To go on about
To go through
To go together

3. Look Out!

If you happen to report to the authorities you've seen a U.F.O (Unidentified Flying Object), very often you
are looked on as if you're someone who needs looking after. In other words they don't believe you.
People are usually reluctant to believe the extraordinary. You happen to have a room in a hotel looking on
to the lake in Scotland where there's supposed to be a monster and you're just looking out of the window
and there is the monster. You're looking at it now. You point at it and tell everyone to look out of the
window because you've seen it. What do they do? They look away. They've heard it all before. I suppose
it's not surprising because whenever you look at photographs of so-called monsters and beasts, they're
never very clear. People sometimes look into the matter but there never seems to be any proof.
Whenever I read in the newspaper about someone who has allegedly had a mystical or strange encounter
with a person or thing and is looking for support or is looking forward to finding someone who will accept
their story, I look back to a time some years ago when something similar happened to me.

To (be) looked on as
To look after
To look on to

70
To look out of
To look at
To look away
To look into
To look for
To look forward to
To look back to

4. Take On

When he was forty-two, Charlie Banham was made redundant. He didn't take to the idea at all. It all
happened so quickly. His boss, Angus Henderson, whom Charlie had not taken to the moment he'd taken
over from his previous boss eighteen months before, took him aside early one Monday morning and
asked him to come to his office, assuring him as he did so that it wouldn't take up much of his time. He
was right. Henderson asked him to sit down, took up a piece of paper and proceeded to read from it. The
content of the speech was that Charlie would have to go but of course, if he wished, he could take the
matter up with the managing director and take the matter further. In other words Charlie was being asked
to take himself off as quickly as possible. It took several minutes before Charlie could really take in the
news. What really galled him was that Henderson was so taken up with himself that he couldn't even be
bothered to thank Charlie for his services over the last ten years. Charlie was apparently being blamed for
the drop in sales of his new product which he had convinced everyone would soon take off.

To take to
To take somebody aside
To take up
To take off
To take in
To take up with oneself

5. A Christmas Postman

My main reason for becoming a temporary postman during the Christmas holiday period was because I
had run up some rather large bills and what was more important I had run out of money. My trainer was
a postman by the name of Ted with a life time of experience in doing all the walks in the town. It was all a
question of order, he said and then he ran through the steps I had to take the moment I got into the
sorting office. He didn't want any of his trainees to run away with the idea that being a postman was an
easy job. He was fed up with people he ran across every so often who claimed that it was only a part-time
job because it was all finished by mid-day. He ran over the sequence very carefully. The first thing was to
be punctual since you started at a time when most people were still asleep. Immediately you arrived you
had to start sorting the mail into the different pigeon holes. Sometimes you ran up against some terrible
handwriting and didn't know where the letter should go. He was always running down teachers for not
teaching children to write properly. These letters should be put to one side and old Charlie, the
handwriting expert, would run through them later. The next step was to run off some cold water, fill the
kettle and then make a cup of tea. Ted was always calm and optimistic. He never let himself get run
down by the job. He left me alone for an hour to follow his method and asked me to call him if I ran

71
into any difficulties. As he had been running about his house since two that morning because of a burst
water pipe, he went to have a quiet rest.

To run up To run over To run into

To run out of To run up against To run about
To run through To run down
To run away To run off
To run across To (get) run down by

6. Phrasal verb get

I don't recommend it as it can get you into an embarrassing situation if you're not careful but then I was
persuaded by a good friend of mine. I am referring to the time I returned to my old school some fifteen
years after I'd left. The friend had been invited to speak as the guest of honour at some function or other
at the school. He had been so insistent on my going that I couldn't really get out of it. Mind you, I had got
on quite well at school but I wasn't really looking forward to coming face to face again with certain of the
teachers. There was one in particular who must have been getting on because he'd seemed pretty ancient
when I was there.

His name was Harrison and he and I just didn't get on at all. There was something about the way he
looked at you or me, anyhow as if he was about to say something unpleasant about your hair, your shoes
or the way you walked and he always passed derogatory comments. It began to get on my nerves. I felt as
I was being persecuted, being got at. Things had got to such a state that in my last few weeks at the
school I'd written what I thought was a fairly satirical piece making fun of him without mentioning him by
name. Nobody on the teaching staff made any mention about it before I left and so I imagined I had got
away with it. The strange thing was that Harrison usually liked to have the last word and could not bear to
be humiliated.

Apparently the function at the school was to be a formal affair and the men were supposed to wear
dinner jackets, which I thought was a bit over the top. On the day of the function I was flying back from
abroad and by the time I got back there was only a couple of hours to change and drive to the school. I
say 'change' but I had no formal clothes to change into because the case with my dinner jacket had gone
missing. But I didn't let that get me down and thought the best thing was to get down to the school as
quickly as possible. I arrived therefore dressed in my holiday attire, got round the doorman by explaining
my predicament and sneaked into the back of the hall and sat down.

The proceedings got off to a good start and my friend gave a brilliant speech. The only worrying thing was
that up on the platform sat the dreaded Harrison and I had the horrible feeling that he had spotted me
and he had that strange look on his face as if he was up to something. From what I had heard from people
around me, some of the former students had got up a collection in order to make a presentation to
Harrison as he was retiring this term. There was I thinking I had got through the evening unscathed and
now I had this presentiment that somebody was about to be got at and that somebody was going to be
me. The presentation was made by the headmaster saying he didn't know how the school would get

72
on without him and other complimentary things and then handed him his leaving present. Harrison rose
with an evil smile on his face and assured the Head that the school would certainly get by without him. He
only hoped he would be able to get by on his pension. It all seemed to be quite harmless but I just wished
he would finish his speech and get it over. Then suddenly he made a comment about how they must
remember how fussy he always was about appearance and being properly dressed. He had, he said, got a
special prize for the best dressed old boy. I heard my name being called out. All I wanted to do was get
out but I had no choice and strolled as casually as I could to loud cheers and cat calls, in my holiday outfit,
up on to the stage. As he handed me a small book entitled 'How to look smart' and shook my hand, he
whispered: "I've waited fifteen years for this!" Get out of this! I said to myself.

7. Hold on

Some people can't stand open spaces. That's called "agoraphobia". Some people can't stand closed
spaces. That's called "claustrophobia". I suffer from the latter. Whenever I travel in a lift, I have to hold
myself together just in case I get the urge to shout and scream. I must admit I do hold off doing things like
that whenever other people are present. The other day I was put to the test and had to hold on to every
bit of self-control I had.

I was late for an appointment on the fifth floor of the building because my train had been held up through
some technical hitch or other. Despite my endeavour to lose weight and use stairs wherever possible I had
no alternative but to use the lift on this occasion. I ran to catch it just as the doors were closing until
someone kindly held them back for me. We went first to the second floor and three people got out
leaving a total of six, well within the specified maximum load. Then the wretched thing stopped between
the third and fourth floor. The different reactions were interesting.

To hold yourself together

To hold off
To hold on to
To hold up
To hold back

8. Fall – Phrasal verb

It was one o'clock in the morning, I had no money and I had just missed the last through train to where I
was living at the time. The people I was with fell about laughing at my predicament as they had only lived
a few minutes' walk away. I phoned home to see if there would be any chance of a lift from the station
where the train would stop but that little plan fell through as the car had broken down and was in the
garage for repair.

I had no alternative but to fall back on my own initiative. Whatever that meant. I even thought of
persuading the train driver to fall in with what I thought was an original idea namely just this once to go
the extra twenty miles to where I lived. Then I dismissed the idea and thought that if I put it to him I
might fall out with him and then I wouldn't even be able to go the forty miles already scheduled.

To fall about
To fall through

73
To fall back on
To fall in with
To fall out with

9. Upbringing

Sheila Hammond was only twenty-three when she was elected as a Member of Parliament, the youngest
woman member in its whole history. Naturally the press showed a great interest in her and her family,
invariably asking her how she had managed to be elected at such a young age. Her answer never altered.
She owed it all to the way she had been brought up by her mother, Mary. Her father had died of a heart
attack when she was only two after his business had been brought down following a financial scandal.
Criminal charges had been brought against him but the matter was closed on his death. The press decided
to bring up this information without being able to get at the truth thanks to Mary's skillful management.
In fact during the election as Sheila went round from house to house canvassing, Mary would always bring
up the rear. It was difficult sometimes to work out who was standing for Parliament, Sheila or Mary. Her
mother had observed early on that Sheila was very good at defending herself and always arguing her case
well, which had decided her to bring her daughter on in the art of public speaking. The awareness that
Sheila had had all her life about her father's apparent "disgrace» brought her up against the necessity
constantly to be on her guard. Sheila had never really explained what her father had done. All she would
hint at was that the whole business had brought shame on the family name, although her father was
totally innocent.

To bring up
To bring down
To bring against
To bring (somebody) on
To bring up against
To bring (shame) on

74
XIII. Idiomatic Expressions
Idiomatic expressions are quite difficult to understand if you are not particular familiar with
the idiom. We shall take a look at some popular idioms here. However, the more you read the
more familiar you shall become with those sorts of expressions.

Some extra research shall be necessary in order to do those exercises.

A. Complete these sentences with the idiomatic expressions below.

a) put you in the picture

b) talking at cross purposes
c) get straight to the point
d) have a quick word
e) get a word in the edgeways
f) beating about the bush
g) heard it on the grapevine
h) on the same wavelength

1. Ok, I’ll _____________________________________________________. I’m afraid we’re going to have to let

you go.

2. You and your boss seem to agree on most things. You seem to be
__________________________________________________.

3. Susan, I know you’re busy, but can I _______________________________________________ with you?

4. Some important decisions were taken at yesterday’s meeting. Let me

____________________________________________________________________________.

5. I think we have been ___________________________________________________________. I meant next

month, not this month.

6. Viviane dominates all our meetings. Once she starts you can’t
_______________________________________________________.

7. He never gives you a straight answer. He’s always _____________________________________________.

8. I _________________________________________________ that he’s been fired. Is it true?

75
Directions: Read each idiom and determine the meaning.

1. When the politician was caught stealing from the taxpayers, everyone thought he would
receive a severe punishment, but all he got was a slap on the wrist.
What is the meaning of this idiom? ______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. We thought that our neighbor’s, the Jones family, were rich beyond our wildest dreams,
but it turns out that we’re all in the same boat.
What is the meaning of this idiom? ______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. If Kim thinks that I’m going to let her copy my math homework, she’s barking up the
wrong tree.
What is the meaning of this idiom? ______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. The Vikings thought that they would easily beat the other team, but when it was tied with
a minute left in the fourth quarter, they knew that this game was really coming down to the
wire.
What is the meaning of this idiom? ______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. I thought Janet would be a good worker, but it turns out that she can’t cut the mustard.
What is the meaning of this idiom? ______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
6. Tom wanted to get down to brass tacks, but the lawyer kept chatting about the weather.
What is the meaning of this idiom? ______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
7. The lawyer knew that beating around the bush would get Tom all worked up.
What is the meaning of this idiom? ______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
8. After playing for three straight quarters, the quarterback was running out of steam.
What is the meaning of this idiom? ______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
9. Don’t get so worked up, buddy. She’s only pulling your leg.
What is the meaning of this idiom? ______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
10. Jane decided that she would go out on a limb and ask Byron to the Spring Fling dance.
What is the meaning of this idiom? ______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
11. Jimbo was too tired to finish the assignment, so he decided to hit the hay.
What is the meaning of this idiom? ______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
12. Alan was excited when he found out that he would have his own front row parking spot

76
at the university, but that was just the icing on the cake.
What is the meaning of this idiom? ______________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
13. Ever since Amy’s uncle bought the farm, she’s been faced with the difficult decision of
dividing the inheritance amongst the family.
What is the meaning of this idiom? ______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
14. Working at the Burger King was at first overwhelming to Kyle, but now he knows the
ropes.
What is the meaning of this idiom? ______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
15. Julie thought her mom would let her go to the party, but no dice.
What is the meaning of this idiom? ______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Idioms 2

Directions: Read each idiom and determine the meaning.

1. We tried to give Tommy a surprise party for his birthday, but you let the cat out of the
bag.

What is the meaning of this idiom?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Kevin accepted the job even though he was still in school, but his mom thought he might
be biting off more than he could chew.

What is the meaning of this idiom?

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. I didn’t want to jump the gun, so I decided to wait until the second date to try and hold her
hand.

What is the meaning of this idiom?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Derek hated how much his mom nagged him about homework. He didn’t really see why it
mattered and he thought that his mom was making a mountain out of a molehill.

What is the meaning of this idiom?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Alice was feeling a little under the weather, so she asked her mom if she could stay home
today.

77
What is the meaning of this idiom?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Tammy wanted to yell at John for leaving the toilet seat up again, but after their last fight
she decided to let sleeping dogs lie.

What is the meaning of this idiom?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. Jude was on pins and needles waiting for the results of the test.

What is the meaning of this idiom?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. I like Chris. He’s a cool guy.

What is the meaning of this idiom?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. Craig and I fought over a girl in the fourth grade, but that’s water under the bridge now.

What is the meaning of this idiom?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

10. Jeffrey was a fast learner, so he knew that the history test would be a piece of cake.

What is the meaning of this idiom?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

11. I told Tom to stop telling Kim all of his feelings, but he always did wear his heart on his
sleeve.

What is the meaning of this idiom?

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

12. Every player is important on a football team, but a good quarter back is worth his weight
in gold.

What is the meaning of this idiom?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

13. Kylie’s mother wanted her to play the piano but, as much as Kylie wanted to make her
mother happy, playing the piano was just not her cup of tea.

What is the meaning of this idiom?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

14. I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but I’m the fastest kid on my block and the smartest

78
too.

What is the meaning of this idiom?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

15. Look, you know that she’s never liked you, so take her criticism with a grain of salt.

What is the meaning of this idiom?

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

79
XIV. Causative
Causative is a form that indicates that a SUBJECT causes someone or something else to do or
be something, or causes a change in state of non-volition event.

Ex. I had my car repaired - (I asked a mechanic to do the repairs)

Structure 1: Subject + form of have + object + past participle verb

Ex. I will have my secretary send you the details.

Structure 2: Subject + form of have + person + base verb

Exercise practice

Transform these sentences using the causative have

1. A local firm redecorated our kitchen.

We ___________________________________________________ by a local firm.

2. A doctor took out her tonsils when she was six.

She _____________________________________________ when she was six.

3. Be careful! These walls have just been painted.

Be careful! I _________________________________________________ painted.

4. There was a leak in the roof so they're fixing it now.

There was a leak in the roof so I _______________________________________________ now.

5. The hairdresser should cut your hair. It's too long and untidy!

You _______________________________________. It's too long and untidy!

6. When will you call someone to repair the air conditioning? It's too hot in here!

When will you __________________________________________________? It's too hot in here!

7. When I was coming here, someone stole my purse on the bus.

80
When I was coming here, I ___________________________________________________ on the bus.

8. If you don't get out right now, I'll ask the police to arrest you.

9. If you don't get out right now, I ___________________________________________ by the police.

In the following sentences use the correct form of the verb in brackets:

1. My T-shirt is too long. I must ___________ it ___________________. (to shorten)

2. Your foot is very swollen. You had better ______________ it _____________________ (to x-ray)

3. She went to the dentist's to ________________ her decayed tooth ___________________. (to extract)

4. The roof of the shed is leaking, we should ______________ it _____________________. (to mend)

5. I badly need this article. I'm going to ____________ it __________________ (to copy)

6. The TV set is all right! We _____________ just ___________ it ___________________. ( to adjust)

7. Betty didn't like the colour of her hair so she decided to ___________ it _____________ (to dye)

8. It's a small house. We're going to ___________ it __________________________ (to enlarge).

9. I can't read Italian, so I _______________ the documents ___________________ (to translate)

10. I were you, I ____________ the brakes _____________________________. (to check)

Fill in the blanks to complete each ACTIVE CAUSATIVE FORM sentence.

EX: Jim sent the letter. --> I had Jim send the letter.

1. Tina washed the dishes. --> I ________________ Tina _________________ the dishes.

2. Robert told us what happened. --> I ___________Robert ________________ us what happened.

3. Paula sat next to George. --> I _____________ Paula _____________ next to George.

4. My mother prepared the appetizers. --> I _______ my mom _____________ appetizers.

5. My brother brought the chairs from the living room. --> I_________ my brother ____________
the chairs from the living room.

81
6. Steve bought some more soft drinks. --> I ______________________________ some more soft
drinks.

7. Kathy closed the window. --> I had Kathy _______________ the window.

8. My sister gave everyone a piece of cake. --> I had my sister ______________ everyone a piece
of cake.

9. Peter asked Steve about his new house. --> I ___________ Peter ____________ Steve about his
new house.

10. Frank drove everyone home. --> I ______________________________________ everyone home.

Choose the best option to complete the sentences.

1. I'm going to have Mike ________ my computer to see what is wrong.

( ) look at
( ) to look at
( )looked at

2. One of my wisdom teeth really hurt, so I went to the dentist ________.

( ) to have it remove
( ) to have it removed
( ) to have it to be removed

3. Are you going to ________ like this?

( ) let him to suffer
( ) allow him suffer
( ) let him suffer

4. Jimmy is dead. The mafia boss ________.

( ) had killed
( ) had him killed
( ) had him to be killed

5. Julie will not ________ the boy from across the street.
( ) let her daughter marry
( ) let her daughter to marry
( ) let her daughter married

6. I had the ________ when I was renovating my apartment.

( ) wall to be knocked down
( ) wall knocked down

82
( ) wall knock down

7. I ________ her and apologize.

( ) made him to call
( ) made him called
( ) made him call

8. I have ________ many times.

( ) my heart broken
( ) had my heart broken
( ) had my heart broke

9. The authorities ________ as soon as they found out she was there illegally.
( ) had her deported
( ) have her deport
( ) had her to be deported

10. I ________ on my lower back.

( ) had a tattoo done
( ) had a tattoo done
( ) had a tattoo to be done

Choose the best option to complete the sentences.

1. Please make him __________________ doing that.

( ) to stop
( ) stop

2. I can’t get him __________________ doing that.

( ) to stop
( ) stop

3. Why did you let him __________________ that?

( ) to do
( ) do

4. I will not allow him __________________ that anymore.

( ) to do
( ) do

5. Have him __________________ me.

( ) call
( ) to call

83
6. I will ask him __________________ you.
( ) call
( ) to call

7. I will get him __________________ you.

( ) call
( ) to call

8. I can’t make him __________________ you.

( ) call
( ) to call

9. I’ll let you __________________.

( ) to know
( ) know

10. He forced me __________________ to his parents.

( )apologise
( ) to apologize

84
XV. Indirect Speech (reporting stories and dialogues)
We shall divide our narrative structure into two parts in order to helps us organize what
needs to be communicated.

PART I

A. INTRODUCTION (Put us in the picture) – one or two sentences which may summarize the
story/situation making the Listener understand exactly what happened. Straight-to-the-point
approach.

B. REPORT (Report the situation; problem, or case / what happened / what was said/ details);

C. CONCLUSION (Outcome, consequences)

PART II

D. OPINION (Personal comments)

E. REASONS (Why? What is your opinion based on?)

F. EXAMPLE ( if possible give some real examples to illustrate your reasons)

Exercise Practice

Read the text below and complete the written report afterwards.

Guess Who I Bumped Into?

Tim wandered along the path thinking aloud; "If I continue this diet I should lose twenty pounds by
the end of..." when BOOM! He bumped into another city dweller out for a day's walk in the park. "I'm
terribly sorry", he apologized. "I was so caught up in my thoughts I didn't see you!" he managed to
stammer. Smiling, Sheila responded, "It's OK. Nothing's broken... No really, I wasn't watching my step
either." Suddenly they both stopped making excuses and stared at each other. "Don't I know you from
somewhere?" inquired Tim while Sheila exclaimed, "You're Tim, Jack's brother, aren't you?!" They
both began to laugh as they had met each other the week before at a party that Jack had given. Still
laughing, Tim suggested, "Why don't we have a cup a coffee and donut?" to which Sheila replied, "I
thought you wanted to continue your diet!" They both were still laughing by the time they reached
the Swimming Donut cafe.

Later that day Sheila reported the story to her friend Mike. Fill in the blanks with reported
(indirect) speech using the text above.

85
As he was walking down the path Tim said if he _______________ diet he ___________ lose twenty pounds.
We bumped into each other. He apologized saying he ____________ terribly sorry. I told him it ________
OK, that nothing __________ broken. Tim said he _________ so caught up in ___________ thoughts that he
_____________. He seemed embarrassed, so I added that I ____________ my step either. At that moment we
recognized each other! He asked me if he _____________ ____ from somewhere. I then remembered that
he was Jack's brother. We both had a good laugh and then he invited me to have a cup of coffee and a
donut. We had a great time together.

Read the chapter extracted from The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde, and summarize by
using PART I of our structure (Introduction / Report / Conclusion)

About ten minutes later, the bell rang for dinner, and, as Virginia did not come down, Mrs. Otis sent up
one of the servants. After a little time he returned and said that he could not find Miss Virginia
anywhere. So, the whole family started looking for her.

The hours passed, but they could find no trace of Virginia. So, after dinner, Mr. Otis ordered them all to
bed, saying that nothing more could be done that night, and that he would contact Scotland Yard in the
morning. Just when everybody was about to leave the dining-room, the clock struck midnight, and when
the last stroke sounded, a secret door opened in the wall and in that door stood Virginia with a little box
in her hand. Everybody ran up to her.

“Good heavens! Child, where have you been?” said Mr. Otis, rather angrily, as he thought she had been
playing a trick on them.

“Papa,” said Virginia quietly, “I have been with the ghost. He is dead, and you must come and see him. He
had been very nasty, but he was really sorry for all that he had done, and he gave me this box of beautiful
jewels before he died.”

Then she led the others down a narrow secret corridor to a little low room. There the family found the
skeleton of Sir Simon, who had been starved to death by his wife's brothers. Virginia knelt down beside
the skeleton, and, folding her little hands together, began to pray silently.

Meanwhile, one of the twins was looking out of the window in the little room and suddenly said, “Look!
The old almond-tree has blossoms.”

“Then God has forgiven him,” said Virginia and stood up.

Being Bilingual Boosts Brainpower

86
A study by the USA's Northwestern University provides biological evidence that people who are bilingual
have a more powerful brain. Drs Viorica Marian and Nina Kraus investigated how bilingualism affects the
brain. They found that studying another language "fine-tunes" people's attention span and enhances their
memory. In particular they discovered that when language learners attempt to understand speech in
another language, it activates and energises the brainstem – an ancient part of the brain. Professor Kraus
stated: "Bilingualism serves as enrichment for the brain and has real consequences when it comes
to…attention and working memory."

Professor Marian explained why studying and learning another language was so beneficial for the brain.
She said: "People do crossword puzzles and other activities to keep their minds sharp, but the advantages
we've discovered in dual language speakers come automatically simply from knowing and using two
languages." She added: "It seems that the benefits of bilingualism are particularly powerful and broad,
and include attention, inhibition and encoding of sound." She said bilinguals were better listeners because
they are "natural jugglers" of sound. She said: "The bilingual juggles linguistic input and, it appears,
automatically pays greater attention to relevant versus irrelevant sounds."

Now report the article above by following both structures: PART I and PART II.

A group of European students went on a ten-day visit to New York. It was the first time they
had been there. They were interviewed during their stay. Report what was said and how it
went.

Maria Pei, from Italy - It's a perfect choice of holiday for anyone who likes bright lights and lots to do.

Nico Ianopolos, from Greece - It's not as expensive as I imagined. You can live here quite cheap if you
know the right places to go. Yesterday I had an excellent meal for 5 dollars

Bruce Matlock, from England - I've never seen such a beautiful city in my life

Etienne Mathieu, from France - I love this city. It's very noisy, very dirty, but very full of life. I'll definitely
come back next year. Ten days are too short.

Kersti Kristiansen, from Denmark - I don't like New York at all. It's too impersonal. I may not stay here for
the full ten days.

Gilles Poitier, from Luxembourg - I've found the people very friendly and generous. And there seem to be
far more integration between black and white people than I imagined.

Martin Dressler, from Germany - We don't like the fast food, but the food you get in the restaurant is
wonderful. You can get almost everything you like here.

*****

Report the dialogues:

87
1. Presidential Elections

Alex: This election is going to be close!

Helen: I think you're right. The Republicans and the Democrats are fighting for every vote.

Alex: Did you watch the conventions?

Helen: Yes, I watched a little bit. The party platforms are extremely different.

Alex: Yes, they are! Watching them on TV, it was hard to believe they come from the same country!
Helen: Oh, it wasn't that bad.

Alex: Hmmm, anyway the delegates certainly clapped hard for their nominees.
Helen: But it was the same stump speech over and over again. In both parties!

Alex: That's what politicians do best. Talk ... the problem is whether they actually do very much.
Helen: Oh, you're a pessimist!

Alex: I wouldn't say that. It's just that I'm sick and tired of all the attack ads.
Helen: I see your point. It would be nice to know what they want to govern the country, rather than
why they think the other guy isn't any good.

Alex: They treat us like idiots! I hate sound bites. Short simple statements that don't really give me
much information. Treat me like I have a brain.
Helen: Some say we get what we deserve. Voter turnout is so low, perhaps we don't deserve any
better.

Alex: But that's why people don't come out to vote. They don't feel represented even if they do vote.
Helen: I think we need a third party in this country.

Alex: I couldn't agree with you more!

Helen: Perhaps a third party would stop the partisanship.

Alex: Another thing that I don't think is fair is the electoral system.
Helen: No kidding! Just think, a state like California has 54 electoral votes. One vote majority in the
popular vote and ALL of those 54 votes go to ONE candidate!

Alex: It just isn't fair.

Helen: Of course, there are reasons for that.

Alex: Hmmm. I guess ...

Helen: Are you a registered voter?

Alex: Of course! I'm a registered voter and I go to the voting booth to vote. I want that vote to
represent my voice.
Helen: OK, OK, no need to give a speech.

Alex: Ha ha, I just think it's my duty as a citizen to vote.

Helen: Yes, I agree with you. If you can vote, vote!

2. Tim and Randall.

88
Tim: Hey, can I get a little face time?
Randall: Sure, let's dialogue.

Tim: Great. I tried to ping you earlier, but you weren't in.
Randall: Yeah, I had to handle some pushback on my proposal.

Tim: Really, why was that?

Randall: Well, I've come up with a number of synergies in the value chain. My value proposition was
to seamlessly integrate our customer service reps.

Tim: Sounds like a win-win. How long is the ramp-up?

Randall: That's the problem. I projected a roll-out in two months. C-level people want to dial-in the
project in two weeks.

Tim: ...but you're proposing an end-to-end solution!

Randall: Yeah, I know. I had the time-frame mapped out for all the deliverables, too.

Tim: Sometimes you have to wonder about high-level management's capabilities to leverage people
like you!
Randall: You're much too kind! Anyway, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?

Tim: Nothing much, I just wanted to give you a heads-up on some performance management issues
I've been having with Pete.
Randall: No room to breathe?

Tim: You've got it ....

3. Joint Pain

Patient: Good morning. Doctor Smith?

Doctor: Yes, please come in.

Patient: Thank you. My name is Doug Smith.

Doctor: What have you come in for today Ms. Anders?

Patient: I've been having some pain in my joints, especially the knees.
Doctor: How long have you been having the pain?

Patient: I'd say it started three or four months ago. It's been getting worse recently.
Doctor: Are you having any other problems like weakness, fatigue or headaches?

Patient: Well I've certainly felt under the weather.

Doctor: Right. How much physical activity do you get? Do you play any sports?

Patient: Some. I like to play tennis about once a week. I take my dog on a walk every morning.
Doctor: OK. Let's have a look. Can you point to the area where you are having pain?

4. Fei helps Jerry buy a new computer in Beijing's Zhong Guan Cun district

89
Jerry: I'm so glad you brought me to Zhong Guan Cun, Fei. I might never have found it by myself.

Fei: No problem, Jerry. I'm always happy to help.

Jerry: Are you sure I can find what I want here?

Fei: Could you remind me exactly what you're looking for?

Jerry: I want to buy a very small computer, one that is very light and easy to carry. I want to be able
to prepare my lessons wherever I am - in a taxi, at a restaurant, even at the beach.

Fei: Ha ha ha. That would be interesting to see you writing your lessons at the beach! Anyway, I'm
sure you can find what you want here. In this building they sell nothing but electronics and
computers.

Jerry: I see so many new building under construction here. I wonder what they will be.

Fei: They will probably be office buildings for "hi tech" companies. This part of Beijing is called
China's "Silicon Valley".

Jerry: Oh, I didn't know that! Well, let's go inside and take a look. Hey, look at all the cool stuff here!
Hmmm... Maybe I should buy an MP3 player while I'm here ... Or maybe a new mobile phone...

Fei: Come on, Jerry. We had better go upstairs or you'll spend all of your money before we even SEE
the computers!

Jerry: Okay. Which floor are the computers on?

Fei: Let's see, there's a sign over here. They're on the 3rd and 4th floors. What brand do you want to
buy?

Jerry: I think I'd like to buy a SONY.

Fei: Well, you can't beat the quality!

Jerry: Yes, and SONY products are usually small and light.

Fei: Hey, here are some SONY computers. Why don't you ask the price. This is your chance to practice
your bargaining skills.

Jerry: Can we bargain in a big electronics store? I had no idea... Fei: Yes you can, but you have to be
good! I'm sure you can do it.

Jerry: Thanks for the vote of confidence. Okay, here goes... Uh, excuse me, could you tell me how much
this computer is?

XVI. Connectors and Conjunctions

1. Receptionists must be able to relay information ______ pass messages accurately.

90
 (A) or
(B) and
(C) but
(D) because

2. I did not go to the show ______ I had already seen it.

(A) until
(B) because
(C) so
(D) but

3. Mary is a member of the Historical Society ______ the Literary Society.

(A) as
(B) or
(C) and
(D) but

4. Read over your answers ______ correct all mistakes before you pass them up.

(A) or
(B) and
(C) because
(D) while

5. Keep the food covered ______ the flies will contaminate it.

(A) or
(B) and
(C) until
(D) though

6. ______ he is thin, he is strong.

(A) But
(B) As
(C) Though
(D) Because

7. Susie ______ phoned ______ wrote after she left home.

(A) either, or
(B) neither, nor
(C) while, and
(D) though, or

8. She had an unpleasant experience ______ she was in Thailand.

91
 (A) but
(B) and
(C) because
(D) while

9. The committee rejected the proposal ______ they did not think it was practical.

(A) or
(B) but
(C) though
(D) because

10. John welcomed his guests ______ offered them drinks.

(A) and
(B) while
(C) until
(D) as
*****

1. You can come to the meeting _______________________ you don’t say anything.

So that
As long as
While
Until
As if

2. I’m not leaving ________________________ I get an apology from you.

So that
As long as
While
Until
As if

3. I came here ________________________ you could give me an explanation.

So that
As long as
While
Until
As if

4. Bob is very tall _________________ Bill is very short.

So that

92
As long as
While
Until
As if

5. You look ________________ you’ve seen a ghost.

So that
As long as
While
Until
As if

6. I refuse to pay anything ___________________ you do the work properly.

So that
As long as
While
Until
As if

7. I'm going shopping for food this evening ________________ I don't have to go at the weekend.

So that
As long as
While
Until
As if

8. You look ______________________ you haven't eaten for a week.

So that
As long as
While
Until
As if

9. I came early _________________ I could talk to you privately.

So that
As long as
While
Until
As if

10. _____________ I don't think she's perfect for the job, she's certainly better qualified than Steve.

93
So that
As long as
While
Until
As if

11. I don't mind if you go out for lunch ______________________ you're back for the meeting at two.

So that
As long as
While
Until
As if

12. Are you OK? You look ______________________ you have a problem.

So that
As long as
While
Until
As if

13. ___________________________ the job is very interesting, it's also very badly paid.

So that
As long as
While
Until
As if

14. We'll go to the mountains on Saturday _______________________ it doesn't rain.

So that
As long as
While
Until
As if

15. The winters here are very cold ______ the summers are very hot.
So that
As long as
While
Until
As if

16. You can write the report when you want _______________ it's ready by the end of the month.

94
So that
As long as
While
Until
As if

17. It looks _____________________ the government has got a lot of problems.

So that
As long as
While
Until
As if

18. I want Mary to be in charge _________________________ I get back from holiday.

So that
As long as
While
Until
As if

19. _______________________ I don't approve of what you did, I'm not going to punish you for it.

So that
As long as
While
Until
As if

20. I'm learning English ______ I can get a better job.

So that
As long as
While
Until
As if

A BEAUTIFUL PATH

The Wheel of Communication is constantly turning from IDEAS onto TIME REFERENCES giving
the ACTIONS /VERBS their appropriate TENSES.

95
 REFERENCE
IDEAS
OF TIME

ENGLISH
TENSE

Once you get ACTIONS / VERBS placed in TIME = VERB TENSES, we must vibrate our vocal
cords and provide them with a VOICE.

VOICE

ACTIVE PASSIVE CAUSATIVE

This will then constitute our SPEECH, which may consequently be DIRECT or
INDIRECT (Reporting to a third person what someone else has said).

DIRECT INDIRECT SPEECH

PRESENT PAST
SPEECH PAST PAST PARTICIPLE
WILL WOULD
CAN COULD

The final idea which is being communicated can then be related to a

MOOD = THE SPEAKER’S ATTITUDE.

96
 FACTUALITY/ REALITY INDICATIVE MOOD

SUPPOSITIONS ABOUT REALITY SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD

DIRECT COMMAND IMPERATIVE MOOD

This whole process is the path by which an idea is brought into being – into
existence. It is the engine which moves the Wheel of Communication towards
Expression, oral and written.

It is, however, worth mentioning that Communication does not depend on Grammar
Rules to be made.

Grammar Rules are but conventions for World Languages.

Speaking English professionally as a second language, however, does imply full

knowledge of its rules.

This Programme has been developed to follow the course on PROFESSIONAL

COMMUNICATION – INTERMEDIATE LEVEL focusing on the main grammar topics
discussed during the course.

This booklet is nowhere intended to be a grammar course book, but a guide instead
to those attending the meetings on ENGLISH FOR CORPORATE COMMUNICATION.

97
M. Mello
Private English Tutor / Professional Translator
Marciomello104@hotmail.com
(21) 9359.4119

98