Mixed tenses: letters

Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense. (A variety of tenses will be needed, as well as some conditionals and imperative for be able use can/could where possible.) Part 1 Dear Hilda 1 !ust (hear) that my mother isn"t very well, and (like) to #o am see her. $he trouble is can"t take my do# $im with me. % &ou (think) you (be able) possibly look after him for a week' ( &ou (have) him for a week last year, you (remember), and you (say) he (be) no trouble, and (#et) on well with your do#. ) f you (be able) have him, (be able) brin# him alon# any time that (suit) you. * He (have) his own bed and bowl, and (brin#) enou#h tinned do# food to last him a week. + ,ut if it (not be) convenient, (not hesitate) to say so. - $here (be) .uite #ood kennels near here, and they (take) him if (ask). / He (be) there once before and (seem) to #et on all ri#ht. 0ove 1arah Part 2 Dear 1arah 2 (be) very sorry to hear about your mother"s illness, and (be) #lad that you (#o) to 1cotland to see how she is. 13 t (be) nice for her see you. 11 4f course (look) after $im. 1% 5e thorou#hly (en!oy) havin# him last year and my do# (miss) him when he (leave) and (look) for him everywhere. 1( "m sure he (be) deli#hted to see him a#ain. 1) &ou (brin#) him on $uesday afternoon' 4r, if that (not suit), an time on 5ednesday. 1* (not bother) to brin# do# food6 (have) plenty. 1+ hope you (have) time to have tea with me when you (brin#) $im, and that by then you (have) better news of your mother. 0ove Hilda Part 3 Dear Peter 1- &ou by any chance (know) where ,ob is' 1/ (like) to find out because !ust (hear) of a !ob that e7actly (suit) him, but if he (not apply) fairly soon of course he (not #et) it. 12 last (see) him about a month a#o, when he !ust (leave) his !ob with the film company. %3 He (say) he (#o) to 8rance {had decided to go to France) for a holiday and (promise) to send me a postcard with his 8rench address as soon as he (find) a place to stay. %1 ,ut (hear) nothin# since then and (not know) even whether he (#o) to 8rance or not. %% f you (know) his address (be) very #rateful if you (phone) me. %( (try) 9:o phone you several times but your phone (not seem) to be workin#. &ours ;ack Part 4 Dear 1ir

%) (be) interested in the furnished cotta#e near Dedham which you (advertise) in yesterday"s Telegraph, for my husband and (come) to <n#land in ;une and (re.uire) accommodation for three months. %* &ou please (tell) me e7actly where it (be) and #ive me details of bus and train services in the area. %+ also (like) to know about the local shops. %- (be able) to shop without a car' %/ =y husband (hope) to hire a car, but (not drive) and he (not be) free very often to take me shoppin#, so we (need) a cotta#e on a bus route. %2 $he local shops still (deliver)' (know) they (do) ten years a#o. (3 (be) #rateful also if you (tell) me whether you supply sheets etc. and whether a laundry (call) at the house. (1 $he rent you (ask) (sound) reasonable for the si>e of the cotta#e. How you (like) it paid' 5eekly, monthly or in advance' (% =y husband and (be) abroad for ten years, but before that we (live) near Dedham, which is why we (want) to spend our holidays there. (( =y husband also (write) a book about ?onstable and (like) to finish it in the area where he, ?onstable, (paint) most of his pictures. () =r ;ones, the bank mana#er, (know) us since we (live) in the area and (be) sure he (recommend) us as suitable tenants. (* of course (be willin#) to send a deposit. (+ (be) #rateful for an early reply and (enclose) a stamped addressed envelope. &ours faithfully Pamela 1mith

130 Mixed tenses: letters

Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense (some present participles will be re.uired). Part 1 Dear 1ir 1 (write) to you three weeks a#o, (ask) about conditions of entry into your colle#e. % &ou (reply), (enclose) an enrolment form, which (fill up) and (return) without delay. ( 1ince then, however, (hear) nothin# and (be#in) to wonder if my application (#o) astray. ) &ou please (check) that you (receive) it and if you haven"t, please send me another enrolment form. * f, on the other hand, you (receive) my application but (not decide) whether to accept me as a student or not, (be) very #rateful if you (tell) me when may e7pect to hear your decision. + 8inally, if my application already (be) refused, (like) to be informed as soon as possible because if do not #et into your colle#e (have) to apply to another and the sooner (do) this, the better chance (have) of bein# accepted. &ours faithfully P. 1mith Part 2 Dear =r ;ones - =y family and (suffer) a #ood deal lately from the noise made by your #uests when they (leave) your house on 1aturday ni#hts. / $hey (stand) in the street, (lau#h) loudly and (call) #oodbye to you and to each other. 2 $hen they (#et) into their cars, (ban#) the doors loudly, and finally they (reverse) their cars on to the road. 13 $his (sound) a fairly simple manoeuvre, but there is always at least one of your #uests who (find) it almost beyond him@whether because he (have) too much to drink or still (learn) to drive (not know)@but (know) that it (take) him a#es to #et out, and all the time we hear his en#ine (roar) and his friends (shout) advice.

11 ,y the time all your #uests (#o) and the road is .uiet a#ain, my family all (be) wakened up, and the children often (find) it very hard to #et to sleep a#ain. 1% (be) very #rateful if you (ask) your #uests to leave more .uietly, and perhaps you (be able) persuade any learner drivers to come by ta7i. &ours sincerely Andrew ,rown Part 3 Dear Ann 1( &ou (be) free to come to dinner here on 1aturday ne7t at /.33' 1) =y brother Paul (come) and (brin#) a friend of his called $om <dwards. 1* &ou (not meet) $om but (think) you (like) him. 1+ He is an assistant sta#e mana#er at the Aate $heatre and (be able) to tell you about the actors. 1- Paul says $om (receive) hardly any salary and often (not #et) enou#h to eat, so he (ask) me to have roast beef and &orkshire puddin# for dinner, with apple dumplin# to follow. 1/ He probably (rin#) up between now and 1aturday, to say that it (be) a #ood idea to start with a substantial soup, such as o7BtailC 12 (know) you not usually (eat) heavy threeBcourse meals of this type, but (hope) the conversation (not be) so heavy. Anyway, come if you (be able). 0ove =ary %3 P1. $he 1) bus (pass) the door as you probably (remember), and Paul (#ive) you a lift home.

131 Mixed tenses: telephone conversations

( Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense and fill the spaces with suitable forms. Part 1 1 ?aller: this is =rs ;ones at %% Hi#h 1treet. ... have an appointment for a shampoo and set, please' % Deceptionist: &es, =rs ;ones. 5ho usually (do) your hair' ( ?aller: Peter usually (do) it, but the last time (come) he (be) on holiday and Ann (do) it. 1o if Peter (be) not available, Ann (do) very well. ) Deceptionist: 5hen you (want) to come, =rs ;ones' * ?aller: (like) to come tomorrow afternoon if possible. + Deceptionist: "m afraid that that afternoon is full. $hursday afternoon at ).33 (suit) you' - ?aller: "m afraid it .... =y motherBinBlaw (come) to tea. / Deceptionist: $hen what about 8riday afternoon' Peter (be able) (do) you at ).33. 2 ?aller: $hat (be) splendid. $hank you very much. 13 Deceptionist: $hank you, =rs ;ones. 5e (e7pect) you at ).33 on 8riday then. Aoodbye. Part 2 11 $om: . . . speak to Ann, please' 1% Ann: Ann (speak). 1( $om: $om here. 5here you (be), Ann' (try) to #et on to you for the last half hour. &ou (not leave) your office at *.33' 1) Ann: &es, ..., but today (#o) shoppin# and only !ust (#et) in. t (be) nice to hear your

voice, $om. (not know) you (be) in 0ondon. 1* $om: only (arrive) this mornin#. (rin#) you before but (be) terribly busy all day coverin# a conference. t only !ust (end). &ou (do) anythin# toni#ht, Ann' 1+ Ann: &es, (#o) to the theatre. 1- $om: ,ut that (be) terribleC (be) only here for one ni#htC 1/ Ann: (be) sorry, $om. f you (tell) me you were comin# up, (keep) the evenin# free. ,ut you didn"t tell me. 12 $om: (not know) myself till this mornin# when the boss suddenly (dash) into the office and (tell) me to rush up here to cover the conference. %3 Ann: thou#ht Peter usually (do) the conferences. %1 $om: &es, he (do) but when he (drive) up here last ni#ht he (have) accident and (take) (passive) to hospital. 1o (do) it instead. Ann, you really (#o) out toni#ht' . . . (negative interrogative) you #et out of it' %% Ann: Eo, . . . (negative). "m free tomorrow but (suppose) that (be) too late. %( $om (suddenly chan#in# his plans): Eo, (stay) another day. daresay the boss (#et) over it. &ou (like) to meet me for dinner tomorrow' %) Ann: (love) to. ,ut $om, you (be) sure it (be) all ri#ht' (hate) you to lose your !ob. %* $om: t (be) all ri#ht. (rin#) the boss and tell him (stay) another ni#ht. (stay) an e7tra ni#ht in &ork last month and he (not seem) too put out about it. %+ Ann: 5hy you (stay) an e7tra ni#ht in &ork' $om: (tell) you tomorrow. Aoodni#ht, Ann.

Conditional sentences: mixed types P<A %%1B/ Put the verbs in brackets into the correct forms. 1 "ve hun# out the clothes. t"s lovely and sunny6 if it (stay) like this they (be) dry in two hours. % 8rench is essential in this !ob. All the telephonists speak it. f they (not know) 8rench they (not understand) half the callers. ( How did you do in the car rally' F 5e came in last actually6 but only because we #ot lost. f we (not #ot) lost we (come) in somewhere in the middle. 5e certainly (not be) last. ) wasn"t really surprised that we #ot lost because knew that the navi#ator couldn"t mapB read. F ,ut if you (know) that why you (take) him as navi#ator' * $his flat would be all ri#ht if the people above us (not be) so noisy. + A #roup of spectators, includin# myself, left the stand !ust before the end of the #ame. 5hen we were half way down the stairs a #oal was scored and there was a #reat cheer from the spectators. f there (not be) a #oal the crowd (not cheer). - f the crowd (not cheer) we (not run) back up the stairs to see what had happened. / f we (not run) back we (not crash) into the rest of the spectators on their way down, and there (not be) this fri#htful accident. 2 f the pain (return) you"d better take another pill. 13 f you aren"t #oin# to live in the house why you (not sell) it' f (have) a house couldn"t use (sell) it at once. 11 Eo, didn"t know any Dussian at that time. F ,ut if you (not know) Dussian why you (offer) to #ive him Dussian lessons' F ,ecause knew that he (refuse). He always re!ected my offers.

1% $ell him to brin# his bicycle inside. f he (leave) it outside someone (steal) it. 1( 5hy do people always wear dark clothes at ni#ht' f pedestrians (wear) li#ht coloured clothes drivers (see) them much more easily. 1) 1he must have loved him very much because she waited for him for fifteen years. f she (not love) him she (not wait) so lon#. 1* He looked so small and weak that nobody asked him to do anythin#. f he (look) stron# he (be) e7pected to di# all day like everyone else. 1+ $he #overnment are talkin# of pullin# the villa#e down to make room for an airport. F f they (start) doin# it the villa#e people (resist)' 1- f you are catchin# an early train tomorrow you (like) to have breakfast at -.33' 1/ 5e"ll have to break the ice on the pond6 otherwise the ducks (not be able) to swim. And if they (not be able) to swim they (not be able) to #et food. (Use canGcould forms where possible.) 12 5hen he left school he became a fisherman. His family didn"t like it at all. $hey (be) much happier if he (become) a #reen#rocer like his father. %3 $hey still say that if he (#o) into the #reen#rocery business when he left school he (be) comfortably off now instead of bein# poor. %1 ,ut he says that if he (have) his life a#ain he (make) the same choice. %% 1o many parcels and no basketsC f (know) that we were #oin# to buy so much (brin#) a basket. %( Eo one bathes here. $he water is heavily polluted. f you (bathe) in it you (be) ill for a fortni#ht. %) can hear the speaker all ri#ht but wish could see him too. F f he (stand) on a barrel we all (see) him and that (be) much better. %* 0ook at poor $om tryin# to start his car by hand a#ainC f (be) $om (#et) a new battery. %+ e7pect you"ll see ;ack at the lecture toni#ht. f you (do) you please (remind) him about tomorrow"s meetin#' %- $he headmaster decided that Peter was the culprit and e7pelled him from the school. A more intelli#ent man (reali>e) that Peter couldn"t have been #uilty. (If the headmaster had been more intelligent he . . . .) %/ ,ut blame the real culprit even more. f he (admit) his #uilt Peter (not be) e7pelled. %2 $he only thin# haven"t #ot is a balcony. f (have) a balcony (#row) plants in pots. $hen my flat (be) perfectC (3 ;ack ran# while you were out. F 4h dearC f (know) he was #oin# to rin# (stay) at home. (1 =y unmarried friends are always tellin# me how to brin# up my children. sometimes think that if they (have) children they (make) !ust as many mistakes as do. (% (At a cinema) Ann: Don"t worry. $hey #et married in the end. =ary: $hen you"ve seen it before" f you (tell) me that we (#o) to somethin# elseC (( ,e careful about the time. f you (spend) too lon# on the first .uestion you (not have) enou#h time to do the others properly. () 5e had a lot of trouble puttin# the tent up. f it (not be) so windy perhaps it (not be) .uite so difficult. (* Ann (sittin# beside her open fire): love open fires6 if (have) nothin# but a radiator to sit beside (#et) .uite depressed. (+ 0ucy, a student at a residential colle#e: ?ouldn"t leave the hostel and #et a flat, mother' =other: Eo, you couldn"t. know very well what (happen) if you (have) a flat. &ou (play) the #uitar all ni#ht and (miss) your classes in the mornin#6 then you (fail) your e7ams and (have) to repeat the year. And you (not feed) yourself properly and (#et) run down. And then you (catch) some infection and (die) of it, and we (have) to leave

this district as the nei#hbours (keep) sayin# that we had caused you death by lettin# you have your own wayC Unreal pasts and subjunctives P<A %%/, %2%, %2-B/, (33 Put the verbs in brackets into the correct forms. 1 % ( ) * + t"s !ust struck midni#ht. t"s hi#h time we (leave)C f only we (have) a phoneC "m tired of .ueuin# outside the public phone bo7. &ou (have) better take off your wet shoes. He walks as if he (have) a wooden le#. He talks as if he (do) all the work himself, but in fact $om and did most of it. 8ather: "ve supported you all throu#h university. Eow think it"s time you (be#in) to support yourself. - wish (know) what is wron# with my car. / t looks like rain6 you (have) better take a coat. 2 wish (ask) the fishmon#er to clean these fish. (I'm sorry I didn't as him.) 13 t"s time we (do) somethin# to stop road accidents. 11 $he cheese looks as if rats (nibble) it. 1% t"s hi#h time they (mend) this road. 1( He always talks as thou#h he (address) a public meetin#. 1) He treats us as if we (be) all idiots. 1* 5ife: "d like to #et a !ob. Husband: "d much rather you (stay) at home and (look) after the house. 1+ f you (tie) the boat up it wouldn"t have drifted away. 1- wish you (not #ive) him my phone number. (- 'm sorry yo! gave it to him. ) 1/ f only he (know) then that the disease was curableC 12 1uppose you (not know) where your ne7t meal was comin# from' %3 &ou talk as thou#h it (be) a small thin# to leave your country for ever. %1 hate drivin#. "d much rather you (drive). %% f only (be) insuredC "#!t I wasn 't ins!red.) %( f you (not take) those photo#raphs we wouldn"t have been arrested. %) wish transistor radios never (be) invented. %* f only (keep) my mouth shutC (G said something which made matters m!ch worse. ) %+ "ll pay you by che.ue monthly. F "d rather you (pay) me cash weekly. %- 5hen someone says somethin# to me, translate it into 8rench, and then think of a reply in 8rench, and then translate it into <n#lish and say it. F t"s hi#h time you (stop) doin# all this translation and (start) thinkin# in <n#lish. %/ said "1unday". F wish you (not say) 1unday. 5e"ll never be ready by then. %2 ,ut told you what to do. F know you did. f only (take) your adviceC (3 A flower pot fell off the balcony on to the head of a man who was standin# below. t was most unfortunate that he happened to be standin# !ust there. f he (stand) a foot to the ri#ht or left he"d have been unharmed. (1 $hat man has brou#ht us nothin# but trouble. wish never (set) eyes on him. (% ?an take your best umbrella' $ "d rather you (take) the other one.

(( f you (have) a peep hole in your door you would have seen who standin# outside and kept the door shut. () wish (not try) to repair it. only made it worse. (* f (not have) rubber #loves on would have been electrocuted. (+ He looks as thou#h he never (#et) a s.uare meal, but in fact his wife feeds him very well.