A Mixed Bag of Grammar

1. Mixed tenses –
Fill in the gaps using the verbs in brackets. Change the word order if necessary.
“So, you 1 (think) it is alright to ask her? I mean, just like that?”
“But of course, Tom,” Peter 2 (reply), “there is nothing about it. All you have to do is walk up
to her and ask her if she would like to go to the dance with you.”
Tom 3 (be troubled) by the idea of asking the beautiful young girl that he 4 (watch) for so
long from his seat in the backrow of the classroom. It 5 (not be) too long ago that Jane 6
(joke) in class about his glasses, calling him ‘four-eyes.’ And when he 7 (pick up) the book
she 8 (drop) while walking up the stairs to the chemistry-lab, Jane 9 (just look) at
him, saying nothing.
“But, Peter, what if she 10 (say) she 11 (not want to go)?”
“What about it? Then at least you’ll stop being such a mind-blown fool. And if she 12 (do
want to go) ...”
“If she 13 (do want to go),” Tom interrupted him, because, obviously, he didn’t think she
would. “Just imagine, maybe if I 14 (ask) her, she 15 (laugh) in my face! And then, later on,
I 16 (not be able to) show my face at school again. But, if I never 17 (ask) her, I 18 (at
least be) able to go to the dance and maybe even enjoy it.”
“Tom – if your parents 19 (never talk) to each other, you 20 (not be) here, right? And if you
21 (not be) here, you 22 (not be) able to ask her. But your parents 23 (do talk) to each
other and you 24 (be) able to talk to her. Go, do it now!”
Tom 25 (not be) quite sure what to do. Hope and fear 26 (run) a race inside of him. He 27
(blush) and knew he couldn’t possibly do it.
“You 28 (be) such an absolute teenager, Tom, it is hard to believe you 29 (be) out
of school in two months. Come on, 30 (be) brave for once in your life and do it.”
Peter 31 (be) Tom’s best friend, but even he was tired of Tom’s shyness every now and
then.
“You know,” Peter said, “I 32 (believe) that one should do one thing every day that is scary.
That way one 33 (realize) how much one really is alive. And, besides, you 34 (feel) better
afterwards.”
“Yeah, sure,” Tom agreed, “just like when you go to the dentist’s and have a tooth pulled out.
First you 35 (feel) nothing, then you 36 (feel) pain and in the end you realize that you 37
(lose) something.”
“You are sick, really sick, Tom.”
Jane, by the way, went to the dance alone, sad that she 38 (not be asked) by the most
charming boy in her class.
2. Reported Speech –
It is the night of the dance. Jane and Mary are sitting at a table, watching the dancefloor.
“So, Jane, why are you here all by yourself?”
“Oh, Mary, I wish I wasn’t! I was hoping that Tom would ask me out to this dance, but I think I
didn’t make it clear to him that I like him so much.”
“How did you try to let him know?”
“Well, it all sounds very stupid now, but I thought he would catch on. During the last few
weeks I tried to sit so that he could always see me. Once, in class, I made a remark about his
glasses. You know, I really like the way he wrinkles his nose to keep his glasses up. And
then, one day while walking up to the chemistry-lab, I dropped one of my books on purpose.
He picked it up but didn’t say a word. I looked him deep in the eyes and still – he said
nothing. I am sure he doesn’t even like me.”
“Come on, Jane, he is just too shy.”
“No, I can feel he doesn’t like me. Oh, Mary, what can I do?”
“Well, if I were you I would just walk up to him and ask him to dance. There is nothing wrong
with that. And if he doesn’t want to, well, at least then you know.”

Five years later, at Jane and Tom’s wedding, Mary tells all the friends about the night at the
dance and how she made Jane go to Tom:

– continue the story:

“Well, it was the night of the dance and Jane and I ...

3. Adjective or Adverb?
It was 1 (wonderful)! Tom was sitting 2 (quiet) at his table, looking 3 (absent-minded)
around the room, when 4 (sudden) he saw Jane walking 5 (slow) across the dancefloor.
She was walking 6 (straight) towards him. His heart was beginning to beat 7 ( wild),
thumping 8 (hard). Oh, she looked 9 (beautiful) in her flowing black evening dress. When
she stood before him, smiling 10 (friendly) at him, Tom stood up 11 (slow) and 12 (timid)
held out his hand. Their hands touched 13 (light) as Jane asked him for the next dance. Her
voice sounded 14 (soft), she seemed so 15 (beautiful) that moment, Tom could have cried
for joy. When they were dancing 16 (quiet) in small circles, Tom smelled Jane’s hair and
neck 17 (deep) – it smelled so 18 (good) of everything that was fresh and exciting. He held
her 19 (close), becoming 20 (brave), growing 21 (strong) and almost getting 22 (high) with
happiness. They looked 23 (long) into their eyes and without saying a word both knew that
they were made for each other.