PAST PERFECT 

Past perfect simple: FORM:

SUBJECT + HAD + PAST PARTICIPLE

The past perfect simple tense expresses an activity that was completed before another activity or time in the past. 1. Elizabeth had already finished her homework by the time I arrived home. 2. Until last week, I had never understood the importance of her job. 3. She said she had talked to him on the phone before he left his office. 4. If you had arrived earlier, you could have met my partner. He left 15 minutes ago. 5. His business partner had already left when we arrived. (First, his business partner left, then we arrived: when we got there, his partner was not there.)) 6. His business partner left when we arrived. (When we arrived, his partner was still there. He had not left yet.) Note the difference in meaning between sentence example 5 and example 6. If either before or after is used in the sentence, however, the past perfect is often not necessary because the time relationship is already clear. The simple past may then be used, as in sentence examples 7 and 8, and 9 and 10. Sentences 7and 8, and sentences 9 and 10 have the same meaning. 7. His business partner had left before we arrived. 8. His business partner left before we arrived. 9. After our friends had left, we went to bed. 10. After our friends left, we went to bed. 

Past perfect continuous: FORM:

SUBJECT + HAD + BEEN + PRESENT PARTICIPLE (-ing)

The past perfect continuous tense emphasises the duration of an activity that was in progress before another activity or time in the past. 1. The archaeologists had been searching for the lost temple for five years before they finally found it. 2. I had been waiting in the queue for more than hour before I was able to buy tickets for the game. 3. She finally arrived at 10:00. We had been waiting for her since 9:30. The past perfect progressive is also used to express an activity that was in progress not long before another time or activity in the past. 1. When Bill came into the house, he was still perspiring because he had been running. 2. Her hair was wet because she had been swimming.

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Exercise 1: Use the simple past and the past perfect of the verbs in parentheses. In some cases, either form is correct. 1. A friend of mine is now working in the international sales division of a ceramics company. She has just returned from a trip to Germany. When she (be) _______ a student at the Language Institute, she (study) _______ German for five years. She (have, never) _________________ the opportunity to use her German until she went to Stuttgart last month. While she was in Germany, she (speak) _______ German every day and (enjoy) _______ very much. 2. Last year my girlfriend and I (go) _______ on a wine-tasting trip to the South of France. We (do, never) _________________ anything like that before.

We (drive) ____________ slowly and

leisurely through the countryside and (stop) _________________ at many interesting places. My girlfriend (be, never) _________________ to France before. 3. When I first (travel) _________________ to Germany to spend six months working there, I (live, never) _________________

outside my own country before. During my stay there, I (meet)

_________________ many interesting people form several different countries. Before that time, I (meet, never) _________________ many people from other countries. 4. Last Saturday night, I (go) ______________ to a professional tennis match. _________________ to a pro tennis match before.

I (be, never)

I (have, never) _________________

the

opportunity before.

Exercise 2: Use the present perfect continuous or the past perfect continuous to complete the following sentences. 1. We (wait) _________________ for my brother for the more than an hour, but he still hasn’t got here yet. 2. We (wait) _________________ for my brother for more than an hour last night before he finally came. 3. Juan Carlos (train) _________________ for the Davis Cup match with Australia for several months before the match. 4. My sister (train) _________________ very hard for the past two years. She wants to be on the next national team. 5. My wife found it very difficult to find a god job when she graduated from university. She (send) _________________ CVs to many companies before she was finally hired by a large pharmaceutical firm. She (work) _________________ there for only a couple of weeks, but she likes the job very much so far. 6. The company William works for (open) _________________ new offices all over Europe. Before, they (market) _________________ their products only in Spain, but now they would like to find new markets for their products and services in Europe. 7. Marsha, we (drive) _________________ for over three hours. Don’t you think it’s time we stopped to have something to eat? 8. We (drive) _________________ for three hours, so we decided to stop to have something to eat. 9. There were more than five hundred people standing in the queue waiting to buy tickets to the concert. Some of them (stand) _________________ in the queue since early morning. 10. There are more than five hundred people waiting to buy tickets. It looks as if some of them (stand) _________________ here for hours.

Exercise 3: Use the simple past or the past perfect simple to complete the following sentences. 1. The meeting (begin, already) _________________ by the time I (arrive)______________, so I (take, quietly) _________________ a chair at the end of the long conference table. Page 2

2. I (be, never) _________________ to York before my wife and I (go) _______________ there last summer. 3. We almost (miss)_________________ the plane. All of the other passengers (board, already) ____________ by the time we (get) _________________ there. 4. Many years ago, students at the University Jaume I, had to attend classes at three different campuses. But by the time I (become) _________________ a student there, the university (build) _________________ a beautiful new campus. 5. Last Friday at the meeting, I (see) _________________ an old friend of mine. I (see, not) _________________ her since we (be) _________________ in high school together. At first, I (recognise, not) _________________ her because she (put on)______________ over twenty kilograms.  Adjectives ending in –ing Adjectives ending in –ing describe the person, animal or thing and tell us how another person feels about them. The noun that an –ing ending adjective modifies does something; it conveys an active meaning. In the first example, the noun problem does something – it confuses. In the second example, the book interests the students, in the third example, Bob bores Tracey, etc. It is a confusing problem. “The Catcher in the Rye” was an interesting book for my students. Tracey thought Bob was very boring. Stephen King produces frightening movies.  Adjectives ending in –ed Adjectives ending in –ed can only be used for people or animals. They show how a person or animal feels towards someone or something else: The girls were frightened spectators when they were watching the Stephen King film. This Tracey was bored when she went out to dinner with Bob. This shows how Tracey felt about Bob. We could say this in another way: For Tracey, Bob was a very boring person. Here is a picture of a frightened little girl. The little girl was frightened by the dog. The dog is frightening to the little girl. Sometimes adjectives ending in –ed ate followed by a preposition: The little girl was frightened by the dog. He was interested in learning more about her. Some more examples: I was confused by the problem. The students were interested in the book. Tracey was bored because Bob didn’t know what to talk about. The people in the cinema were frightened by the film. The following table show the prepositions that usually follow adjectives ending in –ed.

amazed amused annoyed astonished bored

At √ √ √

By √ √

In

Of

With

About

√

√

√ √

√

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confused depressed disappointed disgusted embarrassed excited fascinated frightened horrified interested involved satisfied shocked surprised terrified tired worried

√ √

√ √

√ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √

√ √

√ √

√ √ √ √

√ √ √

√ √

√ √

√ √ √ √

√ √ √ √

√ √

√ √

√

√ √

Exercise 4: Complete the following sentences with –ing or the –ed form of the verbs in italics: 1. The news surprised my parents. It was _________________ news. 2. My parents were surprised by the news. They were _________________ parents. 3. The little boy was frightened by the loud noise. The _________________ little boy ran to his mother. 4. The story amused the children. It was an _________________ story. 5. The professor’s lecture bores the students. It is a _________________ class. 6. The students are bored by the lecture. They are _________________ students. 7. The crime confused the police. It was a _________________ crime. 8. The boys are very excited by the football game. They are _________________ boys. 9. The football game excites the boys. It is an _________________ game. 10. The results disappointed the fans. They were _________________ fans.

Exercise 5: Choose the correct form of adjective in the following sentences: 1. That (annoy) _________________ sound is coming from the flat across the hall. 2. A (grow) _________________ child needs a (balance) _________________ diet. 3. My boss gave me a very (challenge) ________________ assignment, but I know I will enjoy doing it. 4. I had a (bore) _________________ time I the party last night. It was a (bore) _________________ party. I was (bore) _________________ the whole time. 5. The end of the film was (surprise) _________________. 6. Any (think) _________________ person knows that smoking is bad for you. 7. While we were camping out on the desert, we saw an unidentified (fly) _____________ object. 8. Larsen draws very (amuse) _________________ cartoons. 9. The (worry) _________________ mother called the police when her son didn’t come home. Page 4

10. I really enjoy being with her. She is a very (interest) _________________ person. I am always (interest) _________________in what she has to say.  So / Such / Such a…………..that The main difference between these two phrases is the word that comes between them, or is enclosed between them: Such/such a……that encloses a modified noun: Form: such/such a + adjective + noun + that She is such a nice girl that I wish I knew her better. (singular noun = girl) They are such nice girls that I wish I knew them better. (plural noun = girls) It was such good coffee that I had another cup. (non-count noun = coffee) It was such a beautiful day that we went to the park. (singular noun= day) So…….that encloses an adjective or adverb: Form:

so +

adjective or + that adverb

She is so nice that I wish I knew her better. They are so nice that I wish I knew them better. The coffee is so hot that I can’t drink it. I am so angry that I am going to write a letter to the editor.

(adjective = nice)

You ran so fast that I couldn’t keep up with you. He worked so well that he was given a promotion. Ferrero played so superbly that Spain won the Davis Cup.

(adverb = fast) (adverb = well) (adverb = superbly)

(adjective = hot) (adjective = angry)

So…….that is also used with many, few, much, and little.

Exercise 6: Complete the following sentences with so, such, such a. 1. The door was __________ heavy that the child couldn’t open it. 2. It was __________ heavy door that the child couldn’t open it. 3. The sea was __________ stormy that the ferry was unable to make the crossing. 4. It was __________ a stormy day that the ferry couldn’t make the crossing. 5. The hotel room was __________ cold that we couldn’t sleep. 6. It was __________ rainy day that we decided to stay home and cook a nice meal. 7. They were __________ noisy girls that the librarian had to ask them to leave. 8. The girls made __________ lot of noise that the librarian asked them to leave. 9. The lady had __________ many cats that the whole house smelled bad. 10. This is __________ dirty restaurant that I think we should leave. 11. She was __________ embarrassed about her mistake. 12. It was __________ boring film that my girlfriend fell asleep halfway through. 13. The lecturer was speaking __________ slowly that we got terribly bored. 14. He is __________ nice man. I’m sure you will like him.

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Exercise 7: Rewrite each pair of sentences as one sentence twice, once with so, and once with such a, making any other necessary changes. 1. This movie is good. I would hate to miss it. a) SO _________________________________________________________ b) SUCH A _____________________________________________________ 2.

My headache was bad. I needed two aspirins. a) SO __________________________________________________________ b) SUCH________________________________________________________

3.

The day was nice. We didn’t want to go home. a) SO __________________________________________________________ b) SUCH ________________________________________________________

4.

The concert was outstanding. I shall never forget it. a) SO __________________________________________________________ b) SUCH ________________________________________________________

5.

The animal was tame. The lion tamer could enter its cage. a) SO ___________________________________________________________ b) SUCH _________________________________________________________

Exercise 8: Combine the following sentences by using so…that or such …. that. 1. The tickets to the game were expensive. We couldn’t afford to buy them.  The tickets to the game were so expensive that we couldn’t afford to buy them. 2. I had to wear my heavy coat and gloves. It was a cold day.  It was such a cold day that I had to wear my heavy coat and gloves. 3. I don’t feel like going to work. We’re having beautiful weather.

4. I couldn’t understand him. He talked too fast.

5. We left the cinema. It was a bad film.

6. There were few people at the meeting. It was cancelled.

7. Robert couldn’t get to sleep last night. He was worried about the meeting tomorrow.

8. Richard has too many girlfriends. He can’t remember all of their names.

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9. I have many problems. I can use all the help you can give me.

10. We had a good time in Paris. We want to go back.

READING COMPREHENSION I I came across an old colleague of mine yesterday. His name is Oliver Knight, but he was always known as 'OK' to his colleagues. I saw him buying liver in a shop down the road. Now this was surprising because OK is a strict vegetarian and has always felt that liver is disgusting. 'It's for the kids,' he said by way of explanation. This too was surprising because OK had always been a bachelor and certainly hadn't had time to become a father since I last saw him. 'They are my wife's from a previous marriage,' he said shyly. It turned out that he had married someone called Petra, and she had come complete with a family -a boy and a girl, and a dog. I knew that OK was scared of dogs, so I asked him how he managed. It turned out that he had been scared at first, but now they were the best of friends; in fact, the huge dog I had seen waiting outside the shop was the dog in question. It must have affected your finances, taking on a family,' I said. You see, OK wasn't a wealthy man. He looked a little shy for a moment. 'Finance isn't a problem. Petra is rather wealthy, you see, and she's got a very good job,' he said. 'The, problem is that I stay at home and have to cook all this disgusting meat for the kids.'

FIND WORDS IN THE TEXT THAT MEAN THE FOLLOWING: 1. Met: ______________________________ 2. Frightened: ______________________________ 3. Repulsive: ______________________________ 4. Big: ______________________________ 5. Rich: ______________________________

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CHOOSE THE CORRECT ANSWER A, B, C. 6. The narrator's colleague A. was old. B. looked old but was O.K. C. had know the narrator for a long time. 7. The children... A. are Oliver Knight's only. B. are his wife's only. C. are Oliver's and his wife's. 8. The narrator was surprised because... A. he didn't know OK was a vegetarian. B. OK liked liver now. C. he found OK at the butcher's. 9. OK... A. was now fond of the dog. B. had never been afraid of dogs. C. and the dog weren't good friends. 10. After OK and Petra got married... A. they had economic problems because he was not rich. B. he had to do the housework. C. Petra got a very good job.

READING COMPREHENSION II Pollution is one of the greatest problems facing mankind. The nuclear accident at Chernobyl and the poisoning of the river Rhine by chemicals are just two recent examples of disasters affecting the environment. What can be done? Some people say there is no practical solution. However, I believe the problem can be dealt with on three levels: internationally, nationally, and, last but not least, on a personal level. Let us begin by looking at the type of international action that can be taken. The first point I would like to make is that, when a disaster such as that at Chernobyl occurs, it affects millions of people. Radiation does not respect international borders. In my opinion, there should be strict safety regulations governing the construction of reactors. Furthermore, reactors should be regularly inspected by teams of international experts. Similarly, if a country wishes to get rid of nuclear waste by dumping it at sea, it should only be allowed once the matter has been thoroughly discussed by all the countries that would be affected. Environmental disasters can be avoided. Let us now look at what can be done on a national level. Governments must be prepared to take action against pollution. For instance, air pollution could be reduced if car manufacturers and companies were made to fit effective filters on car exhausts and factory chimneys. These measures would in turn help to reduce the damage caused to lakes and forests by acid rain. Last of all, what can we do as individuals? First, I believe we should all be prepared to make changes in our lifestyles. Personally, I try and use public transport or my bicycle as much as possible. When I buy petrol, I make sure that it is the lead free variety. Second, we can protest against companies responsible for pollution by making our opinions known and hitting them in the pocket. For example, if the public boycotted products such as aerosols, which damage the ozone layer, then manufacturers would have to change their packaging policies. We would show them that we are not prepared to let them get away with destroying the environment.

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To sum up, I have tried to show that there are steps that can be taken in the fight against pollution. It is a problem that can be solved given the right levels of commitment. However, only by acting as individuals first, can we expect governments to act in their turn.

FIND WORDS IN THE TEXT THAT MEAN: 1. Throwing something carelessly: ______________________________ 2. Controlling: ______________________________ 3. Type: ______________________________ 4. Ideas: ______________________________ 5. To escape unpunished: ______________________________

CHOOSE THE CORRECT ANSWER A, B or C. 6. According to the text, pollution... A. gets a lot of publicity. B. is nobody's fault. C. is accepted as part of life by many people. 7. The writer... A. is a pessimist. B. can't afford to use his car all the time. C. takes action against pollution. 8. Consumers... A. have no power to fight pollution. B. can fight pollution. C. can do more important things than governments do. 9. We should... A. not leave all the measures to fight pollution to the government. B. be careful with the products we buy. C. make sure radiation doesn't cross borders. 10.-

A. The sea is a good place to dispose of nuclear waste. B. Nuclear waste should be inspected by international experts. C. The disposal of nuclear waste in the sea should be a decision of more than one country.

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