GRAMMAR SECTION

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Irregular verbs
Infinitive pasttense pastparticiple Infinitive pasttense pastparticiple Infinitive pasttensepastparticiple
arise arose arisen Input input, input, shrink shrank shrunk
awake awoke awoken inputted inputted shut shut shut
Be was/were been Keep kept kept sing sang sung
bear bore borne Kneel knelt, knelt, sink sank sunk
beat beat beaten kneeled kneeled sit sat sat
become became become Know knew known sleep slept slept
befall befell befallen Lay laid laid slide slid slid
begin began begun Lead led led sling slung slung
bend bent bent Lean leaned, leaned, slink slunk slunk
beset beset beset leant leant slit slit slit
bet bet bet Leap leapt, leapt, smell smelt, smelt,
bid bid bid leaped leaped smelled smelled
bind bound bound Learn learnt, learnt, sow sowed sown
bite bit bitten learned learned speak spoke spoken
bleed bled bled Leave left left speed sped sped
blow blew blown Lend lent lent spell spelt, spelt,
break broke broken Let let let spelled spelled
breed bred bred Lie lay lain spend spent spent
bring brought brought Light lit lit spill spilled, spilled,
broadcast broadcast broadcast Lose lost lost spilt spilt
build built built Make made made spin spun spun
burn burnt, burnt, Mean meant meant spit spat spat
burned burned Meet met met split split split
burst burst burst Misled misled misled spoil spoiled, spoiled
buy bought bought Mistake mistook mistaken spoilt spoilt
cast cast cast misunderstand misunderstood misunderstood spread spread spread
catch caught caught Mow mowed mown, spring sprang sprung
choose chose chosen mowed stand stood stood
cling clung clung Outdo outdid outdone steal stole stolen
come came come Outgrow outgrew outgrown stick stuck stuck
cost cost cost overcome overcame overcome sting stung stung
creep crept crept Overdo overdid overdone stink stank stunk
cut cut cut Overeat overate overeaten stride strode strode
deal dealt dealt overhang overhung overhung strike struck struck
dig dug dug Overhear overheard overheard strive strove striven
do did done Oversee oversaw overseen swear swore sworn
draw drew drawn Overtake overtook overtaken sweep swept swept
dream dreamed, dreamed, overthrow overthrew overthrown swell swelled swollen,
dreamt dreamt Pay paid paid swelled
drink drank drunk Prove proved proved, swim swam swum
drive drove driven proven swing swung swung
dwell dwelt, dwelt, Put put put take took taken
dwelled dwelled Quit quit quit teach taught taught
eat ate eaten Read read read tear tore torn
fall fell fallen Rebuild rebuilt rebuilt tell told told
feed fed fed Redo redid redone think thought thought
feel felt felt Repay repaid repaid throw threw thrown
fight fought fought Rerun reran rerun thrust thrust thrust
find found found Rethink rethought rethought tread trod trodden
fit fitted fitted Rewind rewound rewound undergo underwent undergone
flee fled fled Rewrite rewrote rewritten understand understood understood
fling flung flung Rid rid rid undertake undertook undertaken
fly flew flown Ride rode ridden undo undid undone
forbid forbade forbidden Ring rang rung unwind unwound unwound
forecast forecast forecast Rise rose risen uphold upheld upheld
foresee foresaw foreseen Run ran run upset upset upset
forget forgot forgotten Saw sawed sawn wake woke woken
forgive forgave forgiven Say said said wear wore worn
forsake forsook forsaken See saw seen weave wove woven
freeze froze frozen Seek sought sought weep wept wept
get got got, US gotten Sell sold sold wet wet,wetted wet,wetted
give gave given Send sent sent win won won
go went gone Set set set wind wound wound

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grind ground ground Sew sewed sewn, withdraw withdrew withdrawn
grow grew grown sewed withhold withheld withheld
hang hung hung Shake shook shaken withstand withstood withstood
have had had Shear sheared shorn, wreak wreaked, wreaked,
hear heard heard sheared wrought wrought
hide hid hidden Shed shed shed wring wrung wrung
hit hit hit Shine shone shone write wrote written
hold held held Shoot shot shot
hurt hurt hurt Show showed shown

Before you start studying the grammar section, make sure that you remember the irregular
verbs. Without knowing them you will be unable to do most of the exercises that follow below
therefore it is a good idea to check whether you really know also how to spell them.

THE PRESENT TENSES

There are four present tenses: present simple, present continuous, present perfect simple and
present perfect continuous. All of them are used to refer to a time which includes the present,
although some of them can also be used to refer to future events (see grammar section Unit 3).

Present simple tense

The present simple tense is used when we speak about the general present, general truths, and
habitual actions.

My aunt works in the hotel. She doesn't like her job very much. When does she have a holiday?

Money makes the world go round, they say. I don't agree with it. What do you think?

My friend is a vegan. She doesn't eat the same food as me. What does she cook?

Present continuous tense

The present continuous tense is used for something happening now and for temporary
situations going on in a limited period of time around the moment of speaking.

At the moment the hotel manager is talking on the phone. He isn't having a meeting now. What
are you trying to do at present?

The employees of this restaurant are working long hours this month. They aren't staying at
home this high season. What are you doing this week?

REMEMBER that there are a number of verbs which are used in the present simple tense even
when we are talking about the present moment. They are normally not used in the present
continuous or any other continuous tense (present perfect continuous, past continuous, past
perfect continuous and so on). These verbs usually refer to thinking (know, believe, forget,
think, understand and similar verbs), liking and disliking (love, like, hate, dislike, admire and

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similar verbs), appearance (seem, appear, resemble...), possession (have, own, belong to....),
perception (hear, see, smell, taste), being (be, consist of, exist).

However, there are some exceptions when the mentioned verbs are used in continuous tenses:
I think the hotel is too expensive for us. (it expresses opinion and cannot be used in the
continuous tense)
I'm thinking of moving to another town. (it expresses activity and can be used in the continuous
tense)
I have a yacht. (possession - not used in the continuous tense)
I'm having a meeting at the moment and my colleagues are having dinner. (activity - used in the
continuous tense)

Present perfect simple tense

The present perfect simple tense relates the past to the present. We use it when we want to
stress the present result of something which happened at an indefinite time in the past.

I'm afraid I've left the voucher at the travel agency. (I don't have it at the moment.)

Have you already booked your holiday? (Do you have a reservation now?)

I haven't found anything yet. (I don't have it)

We use the present perfect simple tense with recent events.

They have built an indoor swimming pool. (recent news)

The present perfect simple tense is also used when we think of a time which started in the past
and is still continuing.

I have worked for the same tour operator for five years. (I started working there five years ago
and I still do)

Present perfect continuous tense

The present perfect continuous tense also relates the past to the present and it stresses the
fact that a recent event continued to happen for some time.

I've been working hard all day. (the action continued for some time)

Have you been crying? Your eyes are red. (the action continued for some time and now I see
the result)

I have been living in this town all my life. (the action started when I was born and is still going

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on; in this particular case we can also say "I have lived in this town all my life." and it means
exactly the same.)

How long have you been peeling onions? (the action has been repeated in the period of time
starting in the past and continuing up to the present moment.)

Pay attention to a difference between the present perfect simple and present perfect
continuous tense in some sentences.

The marathon runners have been running for three hours. (we stress the duration of the
activity)
The marathon runners have run five miles. (we stress the distance they have covered)
She has been studying for weeks. (we stress time)
She has studied everything she needs to know. (we stress the result)

Progress test 1

Your father is writing an email from his holiday on the Canary Islands. Read the text and then
put the verbs in the most suitable form.

Hi Lana

We (just, arrive) _________________________ in the hotel. Your mother (have)

_________________________ a shower at the moment and I (try)
_________________________ to call you on the phone for half an hour. Unfortunately the line
(be) _________________________ engaged. I (particularly, not like)
_________________________ the hotel room. It (not have) _________________________ any
air conditioning and I (hate) _________________________ the view. I (think)
_________________________ of asking the receptionist if there (be)
_________________________ any other rooms available. It's the high season but maybe
somebody (cancel) _________________________ their reservation.
Regards,
Dad.

THE PAST TENSES

There are four past tenses: past simple, past continuous, past perfect simple and past perfect
continuous. All of them are used to refer to past time. They are often used as polite forms and
to refer to imaginary situations (see grammar section Unit 6).

Past simple tense

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The past simple tense is used when we speak about events which happened in the past.

They went to the travel agent, booked a holiday, but didn't pay a deposit.

We use the past simple tense when we speak about the general past or about habitual actions
in the past.

Most people travelled by train in the past. They didn't have enough money to fly.

Past continuous tense

The past continuous tense is used when we talk about something going on around a particular
time in the past.

While they were checking in the hotel their luggage disappeared.

We also use the past continuous tense to refer to a temporary situation in the past.

That summer my father was working as a concierge and wasn't earning much.

Past perfect simple tense

The past perfect simple tense is used when you are talking about something that happened
before another action in the past.

I had heard about that health resort before so we decided to go there.

Past perfect continuous tense

The past perfect continuous tense is used when we speak about an action going on before
another action in the past.

They were angry because they had been expecting the guests to arrive since the morning.

Progress test 2

Read the following text and put the verbs in the suitable form.

The passengers at the airport (be) __________________________ tired and impatient because
they (wait) __________________________ for the fog to lift since that morning. Many of them
(lie) __________________________ on the floor and (try) __________________________ to
rest. Some children (sit) __________________________ at a table and eating sandwiches their
parents (buy) __________________________ in the cafe. Suddenly the loudspeaker
(announce) __________________________ that the weather conditions (improve)

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__________________________ and that the passengers on the flight to Rome who (already,
check in) __________________________ could approach the gate. The airport (spring)
__________________________ to life again.

TALKING ABOUT THE FUTURE

There are several tenses used when we talk about the future. We may use ‘will future’, ‘going
to future’, the future continuous, or the future perfect tense. Apart from the mentioned future
tenses we use the present simple and the present continuous tense to talk about the future.

Will future

We use ‘will future’ when we are making predictions about the future.

The weather tomorrow will be warm but cloudy. Children will enjoy the visit to the fun park and
they won’t be hot.

When we are announcing a decision we have just made, we use ‘will future’.

I’m tired and I’ll go to my room now. I won’t wait for the end of the show.
‘Will future’ is also used in promises and offers relating to the future. It means ‘be willing to’.

I’ll do what I can to help you find your passport. I’ll check your luggage first.
Going to future

We use ‘going to’ when we are making predictions based on the present evidence.

Look at those black clouds. It’s going to rain. (It’s evident.)

We use ‘going to’ also when we are talking about intentions and decisions about the future that
were made before the moment of speaking.

I’m not feeling well today. I’m going to stay at home. What are you going to do?

REMEMBER that we do not normally say I’m going to go but rather I’m going:
What are you going to do this weekend? I’m going to the cinema.

Future continuous

We use the future continuous tense when we want to say that something will happen because
arrangements have already been made.

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I’ll be seeing the hotel manager when I’ve finished with you.

The future continuous tense is also used when we are talking about an action that will be in
progress at a certain point in the future.

This time tomorrow I’ll be sitting on an airplane. I won’t be talking to you.

When we want our questions to be very polite, we use the future perfect tense.

Will you be having coffee or tea, madam? How will you be paying, sir?

Future Perfect Simple

We use the future perfect simple tense when we want to say that an action will be finished
before a certain point of time in the future.

I will have finished the report by five. (At five it will be finished.)

Future Perfect Continuous

The future perfect continuous tense is used when we are talking about a period of time that will
be concluded before a certain point of time in the future.

By the end of September I will have been working here for ten years. (The period of ten years
will be completed.)

Present simple for the future

We use the present simple tense to refer to the future when speaking about timetables and
calendar.

The train sets off in the morning, arrives in Paris on Monday evening and we meet on Tuesday
morning. Do you work on Wednesday?

The present simple tense is also used when we speak about fixed dates.

Tomorrow is Tuesday. Wednesday is the seventh.

REMEMBER that we normally use the present simple tense to refer to the future in time clauses
starting with when, as soon as, before, until, after and similar words.

The meeting won’t start until everyone arrives. It’ll take ages before we finish.

Present continuous for the future

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The present continuous tense is used when we want to talk about arrangements for the future.

I’m meeting the representative tomorrow and we’re having dinner later.

Progress test 3

Read the following text and put the verbs in the suitable form.

Mark and Alice are students who have been sharing a flat. Alice is leaving to study abroad.

Mark: It’s hard to say goodbye after so long.

Alice: Yes.
Mark: Remember to send me an email when you (arrive) ___________________________.
Alice: Sure. The course (start) ___________________________ the day after so I (have)
___________________________ plenty of time to do that.
Mark: Where (you, stay) ___________________________ ?
Alice: With some friends of my father’s. It’s strange to think that this time next week I (speak)
___________________________ French. What (you, do) ___________________________
during the holiday?
Mark: First I (go) ___________________________ on holiday with my nephew and niece. As
soon as I (return) ___________________________ home, I (start)
___________________________ working in the summer camp.
Alice: Sounds interesting. What about your project?
Mark: Oh, you mean the research. I (finish) ___________________________ by the end of the
month. By that time I (work) ___________________________ on it for one year. I (hand in)
___________________________ the report before going on holiday. That (be)
___________________________ a relief.
Alice: Great. So, we (keep) ___________________________ in touch.
Mark: Sure.

MODAL VERBS

Modals are always the first word in a verb group and are followed by different infinitives.

I must leave at once. I mustn’t be late again. I should be working now. The secretary is upset;
there must have been some problems in the office yesterday.

Possibility

Can, could, may and might are used to express possibility.

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You can’t be serious (now). Somebody could have made a mistake (in the past).
The police may help us (now). There might have been a false alarm (in the past).

Probability and certainty

Cannot, can’t, must, ought, should and will express probability and certainty.

The guests should arrive by dinner time. They should have come earlier.
They must be tired after a long journey. They ought to rest when they arrive.

Ability

Can, could and be able to are used to express ability.

Most of us can read and write today. A lot of people couldn’t read or write in the past.

The tour guide was able to read the address in the dark. I have never been able to do that.

Permission

Can, could and may express permission. May is more polite and formal than the first two.

Students can take a rest. They cannot swim in the sea. They are not allowed to smoke, but they
may have a drink.

Instructions and requests

Can, could, will and would are used to speak about instructions and requests. Imperatives are
not considered polite, it is better to use ‘could you’ to ask someone politely for help. We use ‘I
would like’, ‘Would you mind’, ‘Do you think you could’, and ‘I wonder if you could’ to make
polite requests.

Could you make out the bill, please?

Would you mind waiting a moment?
Will you please leave the room?
I’d like you to finish this work by Monday.

Suggestions

Could, may, might, shall are used to make suggestions.

You could phone the hotel. Couldn’t we do it at the weekend? Shall we go there in person?
You might like to come along with me. You may as well go on your own.
Offers and invitations

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We use can, could, shall, will, would to offer something or to invite them to do something.

Can I help you with the receipts? I could do that for you.
Will you come to the party on Sunday? Would you like me to give you a lift?

Wants and wishes

Would like, would rather, wouldn’t mind are used to speak about wants and wishes.

I would like to know the date of the departure. I wouldn’t like to miss the date.
I wouldn’t mind being the manager of this hotel. I’d rather like to change my job.

Obligation and necessity

Have to, not have to, have got to, haven’t got to, must, mustn’t, need to, and needn’t are used
to express obligation and necessity.

They have to pay the bill by Thursday. They don’t have to pay the commission.
You must come to the meeting tomorrow. You mustn’t be late.
You haven’t got to work today. You’ve just got to make sure you go to the post office.
A number of questions need to be asked. You needn’t say anything if you don’t want to.
They didn’t have to go to the police. They didn’t need to bother.
They went to the embassy, but later discovered it wasn’t necessary. They needn’t have
bothered.

Mild obligation and advice

Should, should have, ought to, ought to have, and had better are used to talk about mild
obligation and to give advice.

You should be paid more for this work, but you shouldn’t have complained to the manager; she
was angry.
They ought to buy a new TV. They ought not to have spent so much on the new computer; it
cost too much.
I think I had better show you how to use the new computer. You’d better listen carefully.

Progress test 4

Fill in the blanks with suitable modals. Sometimes there is more than one correct answer.

Hi Anna
I know you haven’t travelled in this part of the world before, so I
__________________________ give you a few tips to save you time and trouble. First, you

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__________________________ make sure you get to the airport really early because you
__________________________ wait for ages at check in. Last time I arrived late and then I
__________________________ queue for ever. I nearly missed my plane and I realized I
__________________________ arrived earlier.
You __________________________ take something good to read because you’ll have quite a
long wait in the departure lounge. When your flight’s called, you
__________________________ follow an official out to your plane. You
__________________________ take any heavy hand luggage because you
__________________________ carry it yourself. Once my luggage was so heavy I
__________________________ lift it. Don’t forget you __________________________ put any
scissors in your onboard luggage or you __________________________ leave them at the
airport. If you don’t put anything suspicious in your bag you __________________________
worry. The flight is quite short, but you __________________________ eat the meal on the
plane because there is quite a long bus journey afterwards.
If you have any questions, email me and I’ll get back to you as soon as I
__________________________ .
See U, Gary.

THE PASSIVE VOICE

When we talk about the person or thing that performs an action, we use the active voice.

The receptionist sells tickets for the swimming pool. You can buy drinks in the pool bar.

When you want to focus on a person or a thing that is affected by an action, rather than a
person or a thing that performs an action, you use the passive voice.

Tickets for the swimming pool are sold at the reception. Drinks can be bought in the pool bar.

The passive is formed with an appropriate form of the auxiliary verb ‘be’, followed by the past
participle of the main verb.

The Present Simple Tense

(We use only best ingredients in our kitchen.) Only best ingredients are used in our kitchen.

The Present Continuous

(Someone is writing the reply now.) The reply is being written now.

The Past Simple

(The police arrested the thief.) The thief was arrested.

The Past Continuous

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(The accident happened when they were checking the fuse.) The accident happened when the
fuse was being checked.

The Present Perfect Simple

(They have just sent the confirmation.) The confirmation has just been sent.

The Past Perfect Simple

(She had given me the voucher before she left.) I had been given the voucher before she left.

The Will Future

(The driver will tell you where to get off.) You will be told where to get off.

The ‘Going to’ Future

(We are going to finish the report soon.) The report is going to be finished soon.

The Future Perfect Simple

(I will have returned the car by Monday.) The car will have been returned by Monday.

Structures with Modal Verbs

(I must send the letter immediately.) The letter must be sent immediately.
(We should not postpone the departure any longer.) The departure should not be postponed
any longer.
(It was cold and we had to find the missing tourist that night.) It was cold and the missing
tourist had to be found that night.
(The receptionist could not reduce the price.) The price could not be reduced by the
receptionist.
(You may have given the passport to me.) The passport may have been given to me.

REMEMBER that we usually do not mention the person or thing that performs an action, but if
you want to mention the person or thing performing an action in the passive sentence, you use
‘by’. When there are two objects in the active sentence, there are also two passive sentences.

They have just offered me a new job. I have just been offered a new job. A new job has just
been offered to me.

Progress test 5

Fill in the blanks with the suitable verb forms.

A Theft in the Local Hotel

It (report) ________________________________ that the police (call)

________________________________ to the local hotel this morning. When they (arrive)
________________________________ they (realize) ________________________________

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that the hotel (rob) ________________________________ . The safe (empty)
________________________________ and all the jewelry (miss)
________________________________ . The reception desk (check)
________________________________ for fingerprints and the computer (identify)
________________________________ the suspect. A man (already, arrest)
________________________________ and (question) ________________________________
at the moment. The robber (must, be) ________________________________ a local who
(know) ________________________________ the hotel very well. When the investigation
(finish) ________________________________ the statement (give)
________________________________ by the police constable.

Conditionals, time clauses, structures with wish

Conditional clauses using if or unless are used to talk about a possible situation and its result.
There are different types of conditional clauses, we usually divide them into five groups. There
are two parts of a conditional sentence, a conditional clause starting with if or unless (if not),
and the main clause. The conditional clause may come before or after the main clause.

If the tourist asked me for help, I would immediately do that. I won’t interfere unless you want
me to.

The first type of conditional sentence is used when we speak in general and they refer to
something that is always true. We use the present tense in both clauses, the conditional and
the main clause. We very often use modal verbs.
If you drink plenty of water, you are not thirsty. You must eat unless you want to die.

The second type of conditional sentence is used when we speak about the present time and the
near future and it is possible and probable that what we are talking about will actually happen.
We use the present or present perfect tense in an if-clause and the future tense in the main
clause. Modal verbs are often used.
I’ll call you if I need your help. If you have already finished, you can wait for me.

The third type of conditional sentence is used when we speak about the present time, but what
we are talking about is not likely to happen or maybe we are just imagining something. That is
why we use the past tense in an if-clause in spite of the fact that we are talking about the
present. Would and the infinitive is used in the main clause. Again we can use modal verbs.
If I had a lot of money, I would travel around the world. I’d be happier if I could have more free
time now.

The fourth type of conditional sentence is used when we speak about the past time, but what
we are talking about did not happen. It is just our imagination about the past. This is also

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indicated by the use of the past perfect tense in the if-clause and would with the perfect
infinitive (would and have and the past participle of the verb, which is the third form of the
irregular verbs or -ed of regular verbs) in the main clause. Modal verbs can be used.
If I had had more time yesterday, I would have phoned you. You should have told me yesterday
if you had expected me to help you.

The fifth type is used when we talk about the present time and the past time in the same
sentence. That is why this type of conditional sentence is a combination of the previous two
types.
I did not go on an excursion yesterday. We just imagine the opposite and use the fourth type
because we are talking about the past time: If I had gone on the excursion yesterday.
I do not feel tired today. We imagine the opposite and use the third type because we are
talking about the present time and it is just our imagination. I would feel tired today.
And now we can put the two pieces together:
If I had gone on excursion yesterday, I would feel tired today.

REMEMBER that these types are not the only conditional sentences used in English. If you listen
to native speakers using them, you will realise that they use many more structures to express
different meanings.

Time clauses are used to say when something happens and are introduced by words such as
‘when’, ‘before’, ‘after’, ‘while’, ‘as soon as’. They can refer to the past, present or future time.
You have to remember that we never use the future tense in a time clause referring to the
future time, but we use one of the present tenses instead (the present and the present
perfect). However, we can use the future tense in the main clause.

I’ll wait here while the tour guide goes to the hotel to fetch the documents. When she has
returned, we’ll go to London. I’ll give you a ring as soon as we have arrived. When I see you,
we’ll have enough time to catch up on the news.

Structures with wish are used when you want to express what you want to happen.

We use wish and the past tense when we speak about the present time to indicate that what
we want to happen is just our imagination.

I wish the weather was not so bad today. (Unfortunately, the weather is bad today.)

In the same way we use the past perfect tense when speaking about the past time to indicate
that what we wish or wished did not happen.

I wish I had not gone on holiday to that shabby hotel last month. (Unfortunately, I went.)
When I bought the ticket I realised it was too expensive for me. I wished I hadn’t done that.

Wishes can also refer to the future time and we use wish and would with an infinitive to

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express something we would like to happen.

I wish the sun would shine tomorrow when we travel to that island by boat.

Wish can also be followed by an infinitive.

I wish to go to the airport a bit earlier. I wish to check in on time.

Progress test 6

Fill in the blanks with the suitable verb forms.

Guest: I’d like to complain about a terrible noise in my hotel room.
Receptionist: Could you tell me the room number, please.
Guest: 13
Receptionist: Oh, I (see) _____________________________. Unfortunately, this room (locate)
_____________________________ next to the bowling alley.
Guest: I wish I (tell) _____________________________ that before I (check)
_____________________________ in. If I (know) _____________________________ that, I
(never, take) _____________________________ this room.
Receptionist: I’m sorry sir, but if you (find) _____________________________ the room too
noisy yesterday evening, you (can, come) _____________________________ back to me
immediately. We (can, find) _____________________________ another room yesterday.
However, I’m sorry to tell you that the hotel is full today.
Guest: I wish I (do) _____________________________ that, but yesterday I (not notice)
_____________________________ anything because I was too tired on arrival and I
immediately (fall) _____________________________ asleep. Is there anything that (can, do)
_____________________________ today?
Receptionist: Not much, I’m afraid. If I (have) _____________________________ a free room, I
(immediately, give) _____________________________ it to you.
Guest: We must find some solution. Tomorrow I (have) _____________________________ an
important conference. If I (not sleep) _____________________________ well tonight, I (find)
_____________________________ it very difficult to talk tomorrow.
Receptionist: As I said before, I wish I (can, do) _____________________________ something
for you, but at the moment nothing (can, do) _____________________________. If you
(complain) _____________________________ yesterday, you (have)
_____________________________ a quieter room now.
Guest: I wish I (never, come) _____________________________ to this hotel.
Receptionist: I’m really sorry.

UNIT 7

Gerunds and infinitives

Gerunds are formed by adding –ing to the base form of the verb (risk - risking). Some of the

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verb forms change when we add –ing. Verbs ending in –e, drop final –e when we add –ing (for
example, come – coming, have – having, make – making). There are some exceptions when
final –e of the base form of the verb remains when we add –ing (for example, be – being, agree
- agreeing, see – seeing). The spelling of verbs ending in –y does not change when we add –ing
(for example, try – trying, play – playing). In short verbs ending in a consonant which is
preceded by a short vowel the final consonant is doubled (for example, sit – sitting, swim –
swimming, get – getting, set – setting). There are also verbs where the base form is changed to
a greater extent (for example, die – dying, tie – tying, lie – lying).

There are many verbs that are followed by a gerund:

- verbs of saying and thinking (for example, admit, consider, deny, describe, imagine, mention,
recall, suggest).
He suggested meeting for a cup of coffee in the lobby. He denied being involved in crime.

- verbs of liking and disliking (for example, adore, detest, dislike, enjoy, fancy, like, love, mind,
resent).
Do you mind waiting in the lounge? I enjoy talking to you.

- some other verbs (for example, avoid, commence, delay, finish, involve, keep, miss, postpone,
practice, resist, risk, stop).
I’ve just finished reading the newspaper. I can’t resist having a look at the morning paper.

- some phrasal verbs (for example, burst out, carry on, end up, give up, go round, keep on, put
off, set about).
I wish I could give up smoking. I keep on having problems in restaurants.

- some phrases (for example, can’t help, can’t stand, feel like, it’s worth, it’s not worth).
I can’t help thinking that maybe it’s not worth trying to find the gallery. I feel like going to the
hotel now.

- some verbs can be followed by the phrase having and a past participle (for example, admit,
deny, mention, recall).
He admitted having taken the room key, but he denied having stolen the mobile.

Gerunds are often used after prepositions and as subjects or objects of a sentence.
Before leaving the room he checked the mini bar. After making sure it was full he left. He was
looking forward to going home. Working was not his favourite task of the day.

We use different infinitives, for example, ‘to do’, ‘do’, ‘to be doing’, ‘be doing’, ‘to have done’,
‘have done’, and passive forms ‘to be done’, ‘be done‘, ‘to have been done’, ‘have been done’.

There are different groups of verbs that are followed by infinitives with ‘to’:
- verbs of saying and thinking (for example, advise, agree, ask, choose, decide, encourage,
expect, hope, intend, invite, learn, mean, offer, order, persuade, plan, promise, refuse, remind,

17
teach, tell, threaten).
We agreed to go Dutch. Everybody promised to pay their share because the restaurant was
very expensive.

- some other verbs (for example, appeal, appear, arrange, fail, long, make - in the passive form,
manage, pay, pretend, seem, tend, wait, want, wish).
The tour operator failed to make a deal. They were made to go to other destinations. They
wanted to offer a new destination. Hoteliers appear to be negotiating with somebody else.
They pretended to have signed the contract.

- some modal verbs (for example, ‘have to do something’ and ‘ought to do something’):

Infinitives are often used:

- after some question words:
We didn’t know where to look for the hotel and how to call a taxi.

- after some adjectives:

It’s easy to buy a ticket at the travel agent, but it’s more difficult to make a reservation.

- to indicate the aim of an action or the purpose of an object:

We have come to discuss the contract, but we have nothing to write with.

- after some expressions, such as next, only, superlatives (the biggest) and ordinal numbers (the
first):
She is the first woman to be elected to the parliament and the only to be respected.

There are several verbs followed by an infinitive without ‘to’:

- the active verbs ‘make’ and ‘let’:
The tour guide made us wait in the hotel. He didn’t let us go on our own.

- some modal verbs (for example, can, should, must):

We should have got in touch with the tour operator earlier and now we must decide quickly.

- some verbs, help for example, can be followed either by an infinitive with ‘to’ or without ‘to’:
Could you help me design the brochure? I’ll help you to translate the text into German.

A lot of verbs can be followed either by a gerund or an infinitive:

- with some verbs there is no difference in the meaning when we use a gerund or infinitive (for
example, start, continue, begin).
It started to rain and we started running to the hotel.

- with some verbs there is a slight difference in the meaning, the gerund is more often used

18
when we speak in general (for example, like, love, dislike, hate).
I love dancing in general, but I don’t love to dance in hotels with live music.

-with some verbs there is an important difference in the meaning of verbs followed by gerunds
and those followed by infinitives.
For example the verb ‘stop’: I have stopped smoking. (I don’t smoke anymore)
I have stopped to smoke. (I was working and I stopped to have a smoke)
The verb ‘try’ can also be followed by both: I tried to open the door. (My goal was to open it)
I tried using the screw driver. (My method was using the screw driver)
The verbs ‘remember’, ‘forget’ and ‘regret’ can be followed by both, gerunds (when looking
back in the past) and infinitives (when looking ahead in the future):
I remember giving you the voucher. (Now I remember that I gave it to you before, I’m talking
about the past)
Remember to give me the voucher. (I’m asking you now to do that later)
I regret saying that to you. (Now I regret that I said that before)
Don’t forget to post the letter. (Now I’m asking you to do that later)

Progress test 7

Ann: I don’t know what (do) ________________________ about the new trainee hotel
manager. She’s so difficult (work) ________________________ with. She keeps (forget)
________________________ important arrangements. And she won’t let me (help)
________________________ her when she is in a rush.
Andy: Have you actually talked to her about all this?
Ann: I’ve tried (discuss) ________________________ the problem, but she kept (change)
________________________ the subject. I’ve even tried (ask) ________________________ her
(have) ______________________lunch with me (find) ________________________ time to
talk. I’m wondering whether (say) ________________________ something to the manager.
Andy: Perhaps she’s just been learning how (cope) ________________________ with the
problems and we should (give) ________________________ her enough time.
Ann: I don’t mind (wait) ______________________. The only trouble is that some suppliers
have threatened (find) ______________________ other hotels. I’m afraid of (lose)
______________________ them. I regret (give) ______________________ her so much
responsibility.
Andy: I agree. We should (know) ______________________ better. I hate (be)
______________________ nasty to colleagues, but if she doesn’t improve, she’ll have (sack)
______________________.
Ann: You are absolutely right, but before (do) ______________________ that we have (give)
______________________ her another chance. I mustn’t put off (talk)
______________________ to her any longer.

19
Reported speech

We usually use our own words to report what someone said. Reported sentences consist of a
reporting clause and a reported clause. When the reporting clause is in the present or present
perfect tense, we do not need to change the tenses in the reported clause. However, when the
reporting clause is in the past tense, we need to go one tense back (from the present tense to
the past tense, from the present perfect tense to the past perfect tense. The past perfect tense
remains unchanged, from ‘will future’ to the structure with ‘would’, from ‘am going to’ to ‘was
going to’, and we have to change modal verbs, for example, ‘must’ changes to ‘had to’, ‘can’
changes to ‘could’, ‘am able to’ to ‘was able to’). As usual, there are numerous exceptions to
this rule and they are going to be mentioned at the end of this section.

Sentences are reported by changing tenses if the reporting clause is in the past tense. We also
need to change some other expressions in the sentence (for example, ‘today’ to ‘that day’,
‘yesterday’ to ‘the day before’, ‘tomorrow’ to ‘the next day’).
Some examples:
‘I need to pay the invoice today.’ She says (that) she needs to pay the invoice today.
She has said (that) she needs to pay the invoice today.
She said (that) she needed to pay the invoice the next day.

‘I needed to pay the invoice yesterday.’

She says (that) she needed to pay the invoice yesterday.
She has said (that) she needed to pay the invoice yesterday.
She said (that) she had needed to pay the invoice the day before.

‘I will need to pay the invoice tomorrow.’

She says (that) she will need to pay the invoice tomorrow.
She has said (that) she will need to pay the invoice tomorrow.
She said (that) she would need to pay the invoice the next day.

‘I must pay the invoice now.’ She says (that) she must pay the invoice now.
She has said (that) she must pay the invoice now.
She said (that) she had to pay the invoice at that moment.

Questions are reported by changing tenses (if necessary, according to the rule explained
before) and by changing the word order of a question back to the word order of an ordinary
affirmative sentence.
Some examples:
‘What do you think about the hotel?’ She asks me what I think about the hotel.
(after the question word - the affirmative word order)
She has asked me what I think about the hotel.
She asked me what I thought about the hotel.

20
‘What did you think about the hotel?’ She asks me what I thought about the hotel.
She has asked me what I thought about the hotel.
She asked me what I had thought about the hotel.

‘Will you do me a favour?’ She wants to know if I will do her a favour.

She has asked me if I will do her a favour
She wanted to know if I would do her a favour.

Commands are always reported by using the infinitive, no matter whether the reporting clause
is in the present or in the past tense. We do not normally use the verb ‘say’ in the reporting
clause, but verbs like ‘ask’, ‘order’, remind’, ‘remember’, ‘tell’, and similar verbs.
Some examples:
‘Do not leave any valuables in the hotel room.’
She tells me not to leave any valuables in the hotel room.
She has told me not to leave any valuables in the hotel room.
She told me not to leave any valuables in the hotel room.

‘Leave your valuables in the hotel safe.’

She reminds me to leave my valuables in the hotel safe.
She has reminded me to leave my valuables in the hotel safe.
She reminded me to leave my valuables in the hotel safe.

Some exceptions where it is not necessary to change the tense in the reported sentence in spite
of the past tense in the reporting sentence are:
Some examples:
‘I love (hate, admire) this beautiful hotel.
She says she loves (hates, admires) that beautiful hotel.
She has said she loves (hates, admires) that beautiful hotel.
She said she loves (hates, admires) that beautiful hotel.
(We presume she still feels the same.)

‘I was born on 8th October.’ She says she was born on 8th October.
She has said she was born on 8th October.
She said she was born on 8th October.

Progress test 8

Put the verbs in brackets in the most suitable form.

Alice: Yesterday I had a job interview.

Ben: Really, how did it go?
Alice: Quite well, actually. I (ask) _____________________________ where I (live)

21
_____________________________ and whether I (work) _____________________________ at
the moment.
Ben: Did you tell them that you (sack) _____________________________ form the previous
company?
Alice: Sure. They (find out) _____________________________ anyway. It (not make)
_____________________________ any sense to hide that. They also wanted (know)
_____________________________ if I (finish) _____________________________ school.
Ben: Did you say that you (work) _____________________________ for two years as a tour
guide. Do you still remember that we (attend) _____________________________ the course
together? I regret I (not able) _____________________________ to have any experience so far.
Alice: Of course I told them that I (have) _____________________________ some experience.
They also wanted to know if I (be) _____________________________ married. And not only
that, they asked me if I (get married) _____________________________ in the near future.
Ben: Did they remind you (say) _____________________________ something about your
hobbies?
Alice: Yes, they wanted to know more about that. They asked me whether I (ever, be)
_____________________________ abroad and if I (speak) _____________________________
any foreign languages.
Ben: Do you know that they (take over) _____________________________ by a big hotel chain
last week?
Alice: I didn’t know, but they told me that they (belong) _____________________________ to
this hotel chain for a week. They spoke a lot about (expand) _____________________________
their business and (hire) _____________________________ some more staff.
Ben: I hope you (invite) _____________________________ for the second interview which is
usually a week or so later. You will have (prepare) _____________________________ for some
unpleasant questions. I (tell) _____________________________ by my colleague that they
asked her whether she (intend) _____________________________ to have any children.
Alice: I (hear) _____________________________ the same. They are a curious bunch, aren’t
they.

Articles and some determiners

Main uses of ‘the’

We can use ‘the’ in front of any noun, a noun that can be counted (the book, the books) and a
noun that cannot be counted (the happiness).

‘The’ is used when we are referring back to someone or something:

I called for a waiter… After a while the waiter finally came.

We use ‘the’ when we are specifying which person or thing we are talking about:
Our tour guide had no idea whatsoever about the geography of Slovenia.

22
‘The’ is also used when we are referring to something that is unique:
The sky was a brilliant blue and we all sat in the sun.

We use ‘the’ when we want to use one thing as an example to say something about all things of
the same type:
The computer allows us to deal with a lot of data very quickly.

‘The’ is used with some adjectives to talk about a general group of people:
Only the rich can afford such trekking holidays.

‘The’ is used with some nationality adjectives to talk about the people who live in a country:
The British are worried about the terrorist attacks’ influence on terrorism.

‘The’ is used when we are talking with the name of a musical instrument when talking about
someone’s ability to play it.
The owner of the hotel plays the piano very well.

‘The’ is used with a surname to refer to a family:

The Wallers are on a trip to Scotland.

‘The’ is also used with some proper nouns referring to geographical places:
The cruiser was not allowed to the Arabian Gulf.

‘The’ is used with countries whose names include words such as ‘kingdom’, ‘states’, ‘union’, or
‘republic’:
This travel agent operates only in the United Kingdom.

‘The’ is also used with countries that have plural nouns as their names:
This year we have decided to travel to the Netherlands.

We use ‘the’ with the names of mountain ranges and groups of islands:
First they climbed some mountains in the Alps and then flew straight to the Bahamas.

We use ‘the’ with regions that include the words ‘north’, ‘south’, ‘east’, or ‘west’:
Next year the travel agent does not intend to offer trips to the north of England.

We use ‘the’ with seas, oceans, rivers, canals, gulfs, and straits:
The cruise included travelling in the Mediterranean Sea and up the river Nile.

‘The’ is used with superlatives:

This was the most exciting holiday of their lives although they had expected it to be the worst.

Main uses of ‘a’ and ‘an’:

23
We use ‘a’ or ‘an’ only with singular count nouns.

We use ‘a’ or ‘an’ to talk about a person or thing for the first time:
First I got an email and then a postcard from Switzerland.

We use ‘a’ or ‘an’ when talking about a job:

She is going to become a tour guide when she finishes the course.

‘A’ or ‘an’ can be used with some nouns instead of the number ‘one’:
I paid a hundred for the ferry and a thousand for the hotel.

We use ‘a’ or ‘an’ when we want to give more information about someone or something:
This hotel is a really beautiful building.

No article

No article is used when we speak about lakes, continents, countries (except for those used with
‘the’), cities (there are some exceptions – the Hague), streets (there are some exceptions – the
Mall) or addresses:
This is a wonderful trip to_Lake Geneva. I’ve never been to_Egypt, Asia or_Moscow.
They live in_Oxford Street.

No article is used with the names of individual mountains and individual islands:
This year we intend to travel to_Etna and_Sicily.

We do not use any articles with plural nouns when speaking in general:
I love_cats and also_dogs, but we do not allow_pets in the rooms.

We do not use any articles when we speak generally about nouns that cannot be counted:
We wish you_happiness and_love.

We use no article in many prepositional phrases:

We did not want to travel by train because it was too slow.

The use of ‘much’, ‘little’, ‘many’ and ‘few’

We use ‘much’ and ‘little’ with nouns that cannot be counted:

I haven’t got much time left and I’ve made little progress so far.

‘Many’ and ‘few’ are used with nouns that can be counted:
Many tourist destinations have few visitors in the low season.

24
‘A little’ and ‘a few’ are used when we are positive about something:
I usually do a few jobs at the hotel and earn a little money for some travelling.

Progress test 9

Fill in the blanks with ‘a’, ‘an’, ‘the’, determiners or nothing.

We are offering ___ holiday flat to rent. It is located in ___ very quiet street in ___ Koper, in
____ south of ___ Slovenia. In ___ bedroom of ___ flat there are ___ twin beds, ___ cupboard,
and ___ armchair. In ___ corner of ___ room there is ___ washbasin.
There is also ___ bathroom next to ___ bedroom. In it you’ll find ___ shower, ___ washbasin
and ___ shelf for towels.
This flat has ___ modern kitchen. In ___ middle of ___ room is ___ table with ___ chairs. There
are ___ few pots in ___ cupboards, just enough to cook ___ simple meal. There is ___
wonderful view of ___ old palace from ___ kitchen window.
It takes about 10 minutes to come from ___ railway station to ___ flat ___ by bus, or about half
___ hour on ___ foot. There are ___ buses available and they are running regularly.
We do not allow ___ pets in ___ flat. ___ visitors are allowed, but no too ___ .
___ flat is ideal for ___ students, it is quiet because there is not ___ traffic in the street.

Word formation and word combinations

Word formation
Whenever we want to complete the text by adding the right word, we first have to discover
which word in the sentence is missing, is it a verb, a noun, an adjective, an adverb and so on.
When thinking of how to form a correct word from the base form, we have to be aware that
there are some rules, but unfortunately almost as many exceptions to them.

Verb formation
The endings -ize and -ify can be added to many nouns and adjectives to form verbs, like this:

American Americanize
legal -ize legalize
modern modernize
popular popularize

They want to make the factory more modern. They want to modernize the factory.

beauty beautify
liquid -fy liquefy
pure purify
simple simplify

25
These tablets make the water pure. They purify the water.

Adverb formation
The ending -ly can be added to most adjectives to form adverbs, like this:

easy easily
main -ly mainly
quick quickly
stupid stupidly

His behaviour was stupid. He behaved stupidly.

Noun formation
The endings -er, -ment, and -ation can be added to many verbs to form nouns, like this:

drive driver
fasten -er fastener
open opener
teach teacher

John drives a bus. He is a bus driver. A can opener is a tool for opening cans.

amaze amazement
develop -ment development

pay payment
retire retirement

Children develop very quickly. Their development is very quick.

admire admiration
associate -ation association
examine examination
organize organization

The doctor examined me carefully. He gave me a careful examination.

The endings –ity, -ty and -ness can be added to many adjectives to form nouns, like this:

cruel cruelty
odd -ity oddity

26
 pure -ty purity
stupid stupidity

Don't be so cruel. / hate cruelty

dark darkness
deaf -ness deafness
happy happiness
kind kindness

It was very dark. The darkness made it impossible to see.

Adjective formation
The endings -y, -ic, -ical, -ful, and -less can be added to many nouns to form adjectives like this.

bush bushy
dirt -y dirty
hair hairy
smell smelly

There was an awful smell in the room. The room was very smelly.

atom atomic
biology -ic biological
grammar -ical grammatical
poetry poetic

This book contains exercises on grammar. It contains grammatical exercises.

pain painful
hope -ful hopeful
care careful

His broken leg caused him a lot of pain. It was very painful.

pain painless
hope -less hopeless
care careless

The operation didn't cause her any pain. It was painless.

The ending -able can be added to many verbs to form adjectives, like this:

wash washable

27
 love -able lovable
debate debatable
break breakable

You can wash this coat. It's washable.

Opposites
The following prefixes can be used in front of many words to produce an opposite meaning.
Note, however, that the words formed in this way are not always EXACT opposites and may have
a slightly different meaning.

happy unhappy
un- fortunate unfortunate
wind unwind
block unblock

I'm not very happy. In fact I'm very unhappy.

in- efficient inefficient

im- possible impossible
il- literate illiterate
ir- regular irregular

It's just not possible to do that, it's impossible.

agree disagree
dis- approve disapprove
honest dishonest

/ don't agree with everything you said. I disagree with the last part.

centralize decentralize
de- increase decrease
ascend descend
inflate deflate

Increase means to make or become larger in amount or number. Decrease means to make or
become smaller in amount or number.

sense nonsense
non- payment nonpayment
resident nonresident
conformist nonconformist

28
The hotel serves meals to residents (= people who are staying in the hotel) only. Nonresidents
are not allowed in.

Progress test 10

WORD FORMATION
1 How I became a writer
Throughout my (0) ........ I wanted to be a writer CHILD
when I grew up but I lacked (1)....................in myself. I CONFIDENT
knew I had the technical (2)....................and even the ABLE
(3)....................and encouragement of my parents but I was APPROVE
afraid that I had a serious (4)....................that would be WEAK
difficult to overcome, not enough (5).....................What IMAGINE
changed everything was my first (6)....................with MEET
Eric. I had always had a great (7)....................for his ADMIRE
novels, and the (8)....................he gave me that day, at ADVISE
the (9)....................of my writing career, was of great BEGIN
(10).....................He just said: 'Think of the characters IMPORTANT
and then let them tell the story.'

2 Selling our house

I have just put our house on (1)....................because we SELL
are moving out of the (2)....................and going to live NEIGHBOUR
elsewhere. We have put an (3)....................in the local ADVERTISE
newspaper and hope that we will be (4)....................enough LUCK
to sell it quickly. The house is a new (5).................... BUILD
and so the (6)....................costs are not very high, and MAINTAIN
it has plenry of (7)....................space, which many people STORE
look for these days. The only (8)....................is that ADVANTAGE
people are short of money and this (9)....................our LESS
chance of selling quickly. The agent's (10).......'............. RECOMMEND
is to accept the first reasonable offer we get.

3 Moving to the country

I have spent most of my (1)....................in cities so LIVE
I'm still not sure if I made the right (2).................... DECIDE
in moving to the village. The people are (3).................... FRIEND
enough but I find the lack of (4)....................a little ENTERTAIN
boring. The only (5)....................here are the ones you ACT
expect to find in a (6)....................farming community - TYPE
agricultural shows and so on. Still, I (7).................... BREATH
the fresh air, and a friend has just opened a
(8)....................shop in a small town not very far away. GIVE
I already do my (9)....................there and if I see her SHOP

29
quite often I may be able to enjoy the (10).................... MIX
of town and country.
4 A weekend course
Veronica is on a (1)....................course this weekend in RESIDENT
Devon. She got the (2)....................a few days ago and INVITE
accepted immediately. The course is for (3).................... PROFESSION
people from different (4)....................backgrounds, such EDUCATION
as (5)....................and economists, and there are a number LAW
of (6)....................representing different disciplines. SCIENCE
The idea in itself is (7)....................- they're going to ATTRACT
discuss a series of (8)....................to improve the use of PROPOSE
resources in society- but the (9)....................of the TRUE
matter is that once the (10)....................get involved, POLITICS
they'll turn everything round to suit themselves.

5 My first job interview

I left university with good academic (1)....................but QUALIFY
writing out my first (2)....................for a job was very APPLY
difficult. I was not very (3)....................so I could not AMBITION
see myself as a successful businessman: I was
looking for something quieter, (4)....................related to PREFER
my studies, but there was little (5)....................in my CHOOSE
field. Still, I had to earn my (6)....................somehow. LIFE
So I applied for the post of (7)....................to the press ASSIST
officer of a company. As I stood at the (8).................... RECEIVE
desk before the interview I knew I had nothing to
recommend me but a reasonably pleasant (9).................... APPEAR
and a good (10)....................from my tutor at university. REFER

Word combinations
Word combinations are words that are commonly used together in a way belong together.
There are a lot of types of word combinations with which we are not going to deal in this
grammar section. At this point you just have to be aware of the fact that some word
combinations are more fixed (it’s raining cats and dogs – we cannot say that it’s raining cats and
mice) than the others (we can do housework, we can share housework, but we cannot say that
we make housework). In order to remember the word combinations always say the group of
words together. The best way to find them is to consult a collocation dictionary.

Some word combinations of adjectives with prepositions

Some adjectives must be followed by particular prepositions:

We are afraid of (ashamed of, aware of, convinced of, critical of, envious of, fond of, frightened
of, jealous of, proud of, scared of, suspicious of, terrified of, tired of, unaware of) something.

30
You are close to (equal to, identical to, related to, similar to, married to, engaged to, dedicated
to, devoted to, loyal to, junior to, senior to, used to) something.

You are bored with (content with, displeased with, dissatisfied with, impatient with, impressed
with, pleased with, satisfied with) something.

You are amazed at (astonished at, shocked at, surprised at, bad at, excellent at, good at,
hopeless at, useless at) something.

It was difficult for (easy for, important for, necessary for, possible for, usual for, unusual for)
me.

You are angry with (annoyed with, delighted with, disappointed with, fed up with, furious with,
happy with, upset with) somebody.

Some word combinations of nouns with prepositions

Some nouns are followed by particular prepositions:

Something is made of (consists of) something.

There was an account of (picture of) something.
She was the daughter of (the friend of) somebody.
They speak about the arrival of (the destruction of) the bus.
She is a supporter of (a student of) something.
He was a man with red hair.
She is a grey-haired man in a raincoat.
There is no alternative to (answer to, approach to, attitude to, devotion to, introduction to,
invitation to, reaction to, reference to, return to) something.
There is no admiration for (desire for, dislike for, need for, reason for, respect for, responsibility
for, search for, substitute for, taste for) something.
There is no agreement on (attack on, comment on, effect on, tax on) something.
There is a connection with (contact with, link with, relationship with) something.
There is a decrease in (difficulty in, fall in, increase in, rise in) something.

Some combinations of verbs with nouns:

You have breakfast (have dinner, have a chat, have a bath, have a break, have a fight).
You give a laugh (give a smile, give a push, give an answer, give advice).
You make a comment (make a remark, make arrangements, make a trip).
You take care (take a chance, take a risk, take time, take turns, take responsibility).
You go climbing (go jogging, go for a run, go skiing, go swimming).
You do the cooking (do the shopping, do the job, do hard work, do your hair).

Some combinations of verbs with prepositions:

You care about (complain about, dream about, hear about, know about, speak about, talk

31
about, think about, write about) something.
You glance at (grin at, laugh at, look at, shout at, smile at) something.
You apologize for (apply for, ask for, look for, wait for) something.
You bump into (crash into, drive into, run into) something.
You hear of (know of, speak of, talk of, think of) something.
You count on (depend on, plan on, rely on) something.
You listen to (complain to, speak to, talk to, write to) somebody.
You agree with (argue with, disagree with, side with) somebody.

Some combinations of prepositions with nouns:

- on holiday, on business, on a journey / a trip / a tour: I’m travelling on business.
- in cash, by cheque, by credit card: Can I pay by credit card?
- in writing, in pen, in pencil: I’ll write the names in pencil.
- on television, on the radio, on the phone: I was on the phone to the receptionist.
- for sale, on the market: The hotel is for sale and it’s the best on the market.
- on the whole, in general: On the whole it’s a good idea, but there is a problem.
- in advance, out of date, up to date: You’ll pay in advance. The figures are up to date.
- in my opinion, from my point of view: Try to see things from my point of view.
- on purpose, by mistake, by chance, by accident: He broke the window on purpose.
- on the way (during the journey), in the way (blocking the way): I’ll get some petrol on
the way. We couldn’t walk along the path because there was a pile of stones in the way.
- in the end (finally), at the end of something: In the end everybody was happy. At the
end of the journey everybody was happy.
- by bus, by car, by taxi, by train, by sea, by ship, by plane, by air: He travelled by train.
- on foot(walking), on my bike, on the bus, on the plane: I came on foot, but it would be
faster to come on my bike or in the car.

It has to be added that the examples listed here are just some of the numerous word
combinations. Find a collocation dictionary and write down some more useful expressions that
you would like to remember.

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GRAMMAR SECTION KEY

Progress test 1

Hi Lana
We have just arrived in the hotel. Your mother is having a shower at the moment and I have
been trying to call you on the phone for half an hour. Unfortunately the line has been engaged.
I don't particularly like the hotel room. It doesn't have any air conditioning and I hate the view.
I'm thinking of asking the receptionist if there are any other rooms available. It's the high
season but maybe somebody has cancelled their reservation.
Regards,
Dad.

Progress test 2

The passengers at the airport were tired and impatient because they had been waiting for the
fog to lift since that morning. Many of them were lying on the floor and trying to rest. Some
children were sitting at a table and eating sandwiches their parents had bought in the cafe.
Suddenly the loudspeaker announced that the weather conditions had improved and that the
passengers on the flight to Rome who had already checked in could approach the gate. The
airport sprang to life again.

Progress test 3

Mark: It’s hard to say goodbye after so long.

Alice: Yes.
Mark: Remember to send me an email when you arrive.
Alice: Sure. The course starts the day after so I’ll have plenty of time to do that.
Mark: Where are you going to stay?
Alice: With some friends of my father’s. It’s strange to think that this time next week I’ll be
speaking French. What are you doing during the holiday?
Mark: First I’m going on holiday with my nephew and niece. As soon as I return home, I’ll start
working in the summer camp.
Alice: Sounds interesting. What about your project?
Mark: Oh, you mean the research. I’ll have finished by the end of the month. By that time I’ll
have been working on it for one year. I’m going to hand in the report before going on holiday.
That’ll be a relief.
Alice: Great. So, we’ll keep in touch.
Mark: Sure.

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Progress test 4

Hi Anna,
I know you haven’t travelled in this part of the world before, so I’d better give you a few tips to
save you time and trouble. First, you have to make sure you get to the airport really early
because you’ll have to wait for ages at check in. Last time I arrived late and then I had to queue
for ever. I nearly missed my plane and I realized I should have arrived earlier.
You should take something good to read because you’ll have quite a long wait in the departure
lounge. When your flight’s called, you’ll have to follow an official out to your plane. You
shouldn’t take any heavy hand luggage because you’ve got to carry it yourself. Once my luggage
was so heavy I wasn’t able to lift it. Don’t forget you mustn’t put any scissors in your onboard
luggage or you’ll have to leave them at the airport. If you don’t put anything suspicious in your
bag you don’t have to worry. The flight is quite short, but you should eat the meal on the plane
because there is quite a long bus journey afterwards.
If you have any questions, email me and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
See U, Gary.

Progress test 5

It has been reported that the police were called to the local hotel this morning. When they
arrived they realized that the hotel had been robbed. The safe had been emptied and all the
jewelry was missing. The reception desk was checked for fingerprints and the computer
identified the suspect. A man has already been arrested and is being questioned at the
moment. The robber must have been a local who knew the hotel very well. When the
investigation is finished the statement will be given by the police constable.

Progress test 6

Guest: I’d like to complain about a terrible noise in my hotel room.

Receptionist: Could you tell me the room number, please.
Guest: 13
Receptionist: Oh, I see. Unfortunately, this room is located next to the bowling alley.
Guest: I wish I had been told that before I checked in. If I had known that, I would never have
taken this room.
Receptionist: I’m sorry sir, but if you had found the room too noisy yesterday evening, you
could have come back to me immediately. We could have found another room yesterday.
However, I’m sorry to tell you that the hotel is full today.
Guest: I wish I had done that, but yesterday I didn’t notice anything because I was too tired on
arrival and I immediately fell asleep. Is there anything that can be done today?
Receptionist: Not much, I’m afraid. If I had a free room, I would immediately give it to you.
Guest: We must find some solution. Tomorrow I’m having an important conference. If I don’t
sleep well tonight, I’ll find it very difficult to talk tomorrow.
Receptionist: As I said before, I wish I could do something for you, but at the moment nothing

34
can be done. If you had complained yesterday, you would have a quieter room now.
Guest: I wish I had never come to this hotel.
Receptionist: I’m really sorry.

Progress test 7

Ann: I don’t know what to do about the new trainee hotel manager. She’s so difficult to work
with. She keeps forgetting important arrangements. And she won’t let me help her when she is
in a rush.
Andy: Have you actually talked to her about all this?
Ann: I’ve tried to discuss the problem, but she kept changing the subject. I’ve even tried asking
her to have lunch with me to find time to talk. I’m wondering whether to say something to the
manager.
Andy: Perhaps she’s just been learning how to cope with the problems and we should give her
enough time.
Ann: I don’t mind waiting. The only trouble is that some suppliers have threatened to find other
hotels. I’m afraid of losing them. I regret having given her so much responsibility.
Andy: I agree. We should have known better. I hate being nasty to colleagues, but if she doesn’t
improve, she’ll have to be sacked.
Ann: You are absolutely right, but before doing that we have to give her another chance. I
mustn’t put off talking to her any longer.

Progress test 8

Alice: Yesterday I had a job interview.

Ben: Really, how did it go?
Alice: Quite well, actually. I was asked where I live(d) and whether I work(d) at the moment.
Ben: Did you tell them that you had been sacked form the previous company?
Alice: Sure. They would find out anyway. It doesn’t make any sense to hide that. They also
wanted to know if I had finished school.
Ben: Did you say that you had worked for two years as a tour guide. Do you still remember that
we attended the course together? I regret I haven’t been able to have any experience so far.
Alice: Of course I told them that I have (had) some experience. They also wanted to know if I
am (was) married. And not only that, they asked me if I was going to get married (would get
married) in the near future.
Ben: Did they remind you to say something about your hobbies?
Alice: Yes, they wanted to know more about that. They asked me whether I had ever been
abroad and if I speak (spoke) any foreign languages.
Ben: Do you know that they were taken over by a big hotel chain last week?
Alice: I didn’t know, but they told me that they had belonged to this hotel chain for a week.
They spoke a lot about expanding their business and hiring some more staff.
Ben: I hope you will be invited for the second interview which is usually a week or so later. You
will have to be prepared for some unpleasant questions. I have been told by my colleague that

35
they asked her whether she intended to have any children.
Alice: I have heard the same. They are a curious bunch, aren’t they.

Progress test 9

Fill in the blanks with ‘a’, ‘an’, ‘the’, determiners or nothing.

We are offering a holiday flat to rent. It is located in a very quiet street in Koper, in the south of
Slovenia. In the bedroom of the flat there are twin beds, a cupboard, and an armchair. In the
corner of the room there is a washbasin.
There is also a bathroom next to the bedroom. In it you’ll find a shower, a washbasin and a
shelf for towels.
This flat has a modern kitchen. In the middle of the room is a table with chairs. There are a few
pots in the cupboards, just enough to cook a simple meal. There is a wonderful view of an old
palace from the kitchen window.
It takes about 10 minutes to come from the railway station to the flat by bus, or about half an
hour on foot. There are many buses available and they are running regularly.
We do not allow pets in the flat. Visitors are allowed, but no too many.
The flat is ideal for students, it is quiet because there is not much traffic in the street.

Progress test 10

1 How I became a writer

Throughout my (0) childhood I wanted to be a writer CHILD
when I grew up but I lacked (1) confidence in myself. I CONFIDENT
knew I had the technical (2) ability and even the ABLE
(3) approval and encouragement of my parents but I was APPROVE
afraid that I had a serious (4) weakness that would be WEAK
difficult to overcome, not enough (5) imagination. What IMAGINE
changed everything was my first (6) meeting with MEET
Eric. I had always had a great (7) admiration for his ADMIRE
novels, and the (8) advice he gave me that day, at ADVISE
the (9) beginning of my writing career, was of great BEGIN
(10) importance. He just said: 'Think of the characters IMPORTANT
and then let them tell the story.'

2 Selling our house

I have just put our house on (1) sale because we SELL
are moving out of the (2) neighbourhood and going to live NEIGHBOUR
elsewhere. We have put an (3) advertisement in the local ADVERTISE
newspaper and hope that we will be (4) lucky enough LUCK
to sell it quickly. The house is a new (5) building BUILD
and so the (6) maintenance costs are not very high, and MAINTAIN
it has plenty of (7) storage space, which many people STORE

36
look for these days. The only (8) disadvantage is that ADVANTAGE
people are short of money and this (9) lessens our LESS
chance of selling quickly. The agent's (10) recommendation RECOMMEND
is to accept the first reasonable offer we get.

3 Moving to the country

I have spent most of my (1) life in cities so LIVE
I'm still not sure if I made the right (2) decision DECIDE
in moving to the village. The people are (3) friendly FRIEND
enough but I find the lack of (4) entertainment a little ENTERTAIN
boring. The only (5) activities here are the ones you ACT
expect to find in a (6) typically farming community - TYPE
agricultural shows and so on. Still, I (7) breathe BREATH
the fresh air, and a friend has just opened a
(8) gift shop in a small town not very far away. GIVE
I already do my (9) shopping there and if I see her SHOP
quite often I may be able to enjoy the (10) mixture MIX
of town and country.

4 A weekend course
Veronica is on a (1) residential course this weekend in RESIDENT
Devon. She got the (2) invitation a few days ago and INVITE
accepted immediately. The course is for (3) professional PROFESSION
people from different (4) educational backgrounds, such EDUCATION
as (5) lawyers and economists, and there are a number LAW
of (6) scientists representing different disciplines. SCIENCE
The idea in itself is (7) attractive - they're going to ATTRACT
discuss a series of (8) proposals to improve the use of PROPOSE
resources in society- but the (9) truth of the TRUE
matter is that once the (10) politicians get involved, POLITICS
they'll turn everything round to suit themselves.

5 My first job interview

I left university with good academic (1) qualifications but QUALIFY
writing out my first (2) application for a job was very APPLY
difficult. I was not very (3) ambitious so I could not AMBITION
see myself as a successful businessman: I was
looking for something quieter, (4) preferably related to PREFER
my studies, but there was little (5) choice in my CHOOSE
field. Still, I had to earn my (6) living somehow. LIFE
So I applied for the post of (7) assistant to the press ASSIST
officer of a company. As I stood at the (8) reception RECEIVE
desk before the interview I knew I had nothing to

37
recommend me but a reasonably pleasant (9) appearance APPEAR
and a good (10) reference from my tutor at university. REFER

38