GRAMÁTICA INGLESA: SINTAXIS Y SEMÁNTICA Topic 2: Sample texts

'I guess you must've visited England many times, Professor Zapp,', says the blonde, whose name is Mary
Makepeace.
'Never.'
'Really? You must be all excited then. All those years of teaching English Literature, and now you finally get to
5 see where it all happened.'
'That's what I'm afraid of,' says Morris Zapp.
'If I get the time I'm going to visit my great-grand-mother's grave. It's in a village churchyard in County
Durham. Don't you think that sounds idyllic?' [...]
Mary Makepeace turns her head away and looks out of the window. The word 'Sorry' rises to Morris's lips, but
10 he bites it back. 'You don't want to face facts, do you? [...]
Mary Makepeace turns her head back in his direction. 'What's eating you, Professor Zapp? Don't you want to go
to England?'
'You guessed it.'
'Why not? Where are you going?'
15 'A dump called Rummidge. You don't have to pretend you've heard of it.'
'Why are you going there?'
'It's a long story.'
It was indeed, and the question put by Mary Makepeace had exercised many a group of gossiping faculty [...]
Why did a man who could have gotten a Guggenheim by crooking his little finger, and spent a pleasant year
20 reading in Oxford, or London if he chose, condemn himself to six months' hard labour at Rummidge?
Rummidge. Where was it? What was it? [...]
[...] hearing the footsteps of the outraged paterfamilias approaching, Zapp scuttled back to his chair and turned
on the TV.
'Mr Zapp!' said O'Shea, bursting into the room and taking up his stand between Morris and the TV.
25 'Come in,' said Morris.
'Mr Zapp, it's no business of mine what you choose to read -'
'Would you mind raising your right arm just a little?' said Morris. 'You're cutting out part of the screen.' [...]
'Can I have it back, please,' said Morris. 'The magazine.'
'I have destroyed it, Mr Zapp,' O'Shea declared severely. [...]
30 'Why don't you siddown and watch?' said Morris.
O'Shea subsided slowly into his customary chair. [...]
'That's natural,' Morris said soothingly. 'Scotch or Bourbon?'
'A little drop of Scotch would be very welcome, Mr Zapp. [...]
She flashed him her toothless grin and looked yearningly into his eyes.
35 'Shall I come to ye tonight?'
'No, no.' He shook his head in alarm. [...]
'What's a nice girl like you doing in a joint like that?' he said. 'To coin a phrase.'
'I hope it's understood I'm just having a drink with you, Professor Zapp?' [...]
'I'm very glad to hear it,' Morris said flatly, removing his arm.
40 'I thought you would be. But there was nothing ethical about my decision, you understand?' [...]
'But what about the stripping bit? Isn't that exploitation?'
'Sure, but I desperately need the bread.'
(D. Lodge, Changing Places. Penguin Books).