UNIT 15

UNIT 15

Grammar:

Texts:

1. Formulas of Politeness

2. Conditionals

3. Ing-forms: Gerund and Present Participle

4. Pronouns both, either, neither

1. «Polite Conversation»

2. «The Smugglers» Dialogue

Text One

«Polite Conversation»

Today on my home for lunch, I met one of my neighbours in the lift. “How are you?” he asked. As I had just spent four hours waiting to get into the dentist’s surgery, I smiled and said, “Terrible, thank you.” The man returned the smile, said, “That’s nice,” and stepped out of the life on the seventh floor.

At first, I suspected that the man had either misunderstood me or was being sarcastic. On my way to the office I passed the postman on his afternoon round. He waved and called across the street, “How are you?” “I’m going to kill myself,” I shouted back. “That’s the right spirit!”

Now then, neither the man in the lift nor the postman has anything against me, as far as I know. I reached this conclusion: If you are well enough to be on your feet and talking, everybody takes for granted that there is nothing wrong with you. When they ask you how you are, the last thing in the world they want is an answer. They are just making ‘polite conversation’.

My secretary didn’t even know I had been to the dentist’s. “How was it at the doctor’s?” she asked. “I’ll be dead in a week,” I explained putting a brave smile on my face. “Glad to hear it. I don’t know what we’d do in the office without you.”

There is no way to reply to polite enquiries about your health. Nobody really wants to know. You can save a lot of time by learning the following conversations by heart. They are suitable for every occasion.

If Somebody is Looking Well

If Somebody is Looking Ill

How are you today?

Glad to hear that.

That’s the spirit!

Lucky you!

Nice seeing you again.

You do look ill. How are you?

Really?

Too bad.

Keep smiling!

Take care!

Actually, it doesn’t really matter if you mix up these two lists. The main thing to remember is this: Avoid at all costs actually listening to the other person. You may become involved in a long boring conversation, and that is very dangerous.

The other day, I managed the following conversation on the Underground.

- Mike! Is that really you? I haven’t seen you for ages.

- No, I’ve been in hospital for six months.

- Glad to hear that. I hope the wife’s well, too.

- She was knocked down by a bus yesterday.

- Oh, she’s a lucky girl. Children okay?

- I lost the baby in the zoo this morning. The girl’s in prison.

- Wonderful kids you’ve got. You’ll have to come round with the whole family one evening.

- They’ve all run away. There’s only me left.

- Yes, we just have to get together again some day soon.

- I said I was the only one left and I hate you.

- That’s the spirit. Call me at the office. Here’s my card.

- I’m going to kill myself.

- Take care now! Next week maybe?

Text Two

«The Smugglers»

Nancy: Harold!

Harold: Yes?

Nancy: Look! There are two men on the beach.

Harold: Yes, you are right. Goodness, they are climbing up to the castle..

Nancy: Come on, Harold. Let’s get away from here.

Harold: It’s too late. We must hide somewhere. There, behind that wall. Come on, quick.

Nancy: Do you think they are smugglers?

Harold: Yes, I think so.

Nancy: Look, they are coming. Oh, Harold.

Harold: Keep quiet and don’t talk. Shhsh.

Smuggler 1: Well, Jack, where are those boxes?

Smuggler 2: This way. Come along.

Smuggler 1: It’s a good place to hide the drugs.

Smuggler 2: Yes, nobody knows this place. This way. Come along.

Nancy: What are they doing?

Harold: I can’t see them. They are in the cellar.

Nancy: Good, let’s run down to the farm now.

Harold: No, we must wait. If we run away now, they’ll hear us.

Nancy: Oh, Harold. I’m really afraid.

Harold: Keep quiet, Nancy. Don’t worry. There they are again.

Nancy: And with the drugs.

Harold: Hush.

Smuggler 1: Are these all the boxes, Jack?

Smuggler 2: Yes, that’s the lot. Let’s take them to the boat. We haven’t got much time.

Smuggler 1: Yes, the captain of «The Dolphin» doesn’t like waiting.

Nancy: What are they doing with the boxes?

Harold: They are carrying them to the beach.

Nancy: What shall we do?

Harold: I’ll have a look. Stay here, Nancy.

Nancy: Oh, no. I’m coming with you. I don’t want to stay here alone. Can you see anything?

Harold: Yes, there’s a boat down there. It looks like a speed-boat. There she goes. The police are too late.

Nancy: One of the smugglers was talking about the captain of «the dolphin».

Harold: The dolphin? Wait, that must be the name of the smuggler’s ship.

Nancy: They must be taking the drugs to that ship then.

Harold: Right. Come on, Nancy, to the farm. The police must be there by now. There’s the farm.

Peter: Hello.

Nancy: Oh, at last. Peter and Uncle David.

David: Hello, Nancy! Hello, Harold! What’s happening?

Harold: The smugglers were in the castle.

David: The smugglers?

Harold: Yes, they went away by speed-boat.

David: By speed-boat, of all the bad luck.

Nancy: And with the drugs.

David: Oh, blast!

Nancy: What about the hovercraft? Father is on duty this afternoon.

Peter: And he has got a radio on board.

David: That’s a good idea. Back to the car.

Notes. Forms and Patterns.

1. Formulas of Politeness.

2. The Conditionals.

1.The First Conditional

e.g. I’ll come at 8.00 if you phone me.

(a) Form:

√	If it rains, I’ll stay at home.
?	What will you do if you don’t find a job?
x	If I don’t find it, I’ll phone you.

(b) Meaning: We use the first conditional to express a possible condition and a probable result.

B. The Second Conditional

e.g. If I had enough money, I’d eat in restaurants all the time.

If I saw a ghost, I’d run away.

(a) Form:

√	If I won some money, I’d travel around the world.
?	What would you do if you had £1,000?
x	If I saw a ghost, I wouldn’t talk to it.

(b) Meaning: We use the second conditional to talk about things that are not real or not probable now.

B.The Third Conditional

e.g. If you had asked me, I would have helped you.

(But you didn’t, so I didn’t)

(a) Form:

√	If the weather had been better, we would have gone to the sea.
?	What would you have said, if Mary had seen you?
x	If she hadn’t gone skiing, she wouldn’t have fallen and broken her leg.

(b) Meaning: We use the third conditional to talk about unreal past events – things that didn’t happen.

3. Ing-forms: Gerund and Present Participle.

A. We use Participle I (e.g. playing, walking, worrying) as a verb in the continuous forms.

e.g. Where is Sally? – She’s playing tennis.

We also use Participle I in the function of an attribute.

e.g. It’s a worrying problem.

We can use participle I in the function of an adverbial modifier.

e.g. I hurt my leg playing tennis.

We also use Participle I as a part of complex object after the verbs

see, hear, feel, watch, listen to, notice

e.g. I heard them going out.

B. We use Gerund (e.g. talking, drinking, reading) as subject of the sentence or as object of the sentence.

e.g. Skiing can be dangerous.

I enjoy walking in the countryside.

4. Pronouns both, either, neither.

e.g.	Rosemary has two children. Both are married. Would you like tea or coffee? You can have either. Neither of my parents is English.

Drills

Drill 1. Could you switch on the light, please?

Certainly. (Of course)
Sorry, I’m afraid I can’t at the moment.

post this letter for me
switch on the TV for me
answer the phone
pass the menu
tell me where the hospital is
hold the door open for me
dial a number for me
translate a letter for me
deliver some flowers for me
show me how to do this
make me a copy of that
do the cooking tonight

Drill 2. Can I have a sandwich, please?

Of course you can.
No, you can’t I’m afraid.

a look at your newspaper
a slice of toast
some potatoes
an orange
some fruit
something to eat
another cup of coffee
one of those biscuits
a bit of advice
a little more time

Drill 3. Would you mind doing the washing up, please?

Not at all.
Of course not.

waiting a moment
coming back later
helping this lady with her bags
paying cash
telling them that I called
closing the door behind you
doing the shopping on your way home
helping me
coming ten minutes before the we leave
telling me when you’re ready

Drill 4. Do you mind if I wash the car?

No, I don’t mind if you wash the car.

Do you mind if he writes letters?
Do you mind if they paint the door?
Do you mind if she reads a book?
Do you mind if I carry the suitcase?
Do you mind if he builds the house?
Do you mind if they sweep the floor?

Drill 5. Shall we go for a swim?

Yes, let’s.
No, I’d rather we didn’t.

drive to the coast
have a meal out this evening
travel first class
have a holiday in Egypt
talk about something different now
borrow the money from the bank
take a later train
call a taxi
go and see a film
ask Bill to help
take a winter holiday for a change
take a week off in July

Drill 6. Do you want to stay?

Yes, let me stay please?

Do you want to sit down?
Do you want to go?
Do you want to wash?
Do you want to sleep?
Do you want to eat?
Do you want to drink?

Drill 7. You will tell Tom, won’t you?

Well, if I see him I’ll tell him.
Yes, I’ll tell him as soon as he comes in.

ask Peter
thank John
pay Ann
remind Mary
invite her
congratulate them
discuss it with George
explain the situation to Nancy
speak to Harold
warn the children
apologize to George
kiss him

Drill 8. I want to go to Ascot.

I shouldn’t go to Ascot if I were you.

I want to tell the truth.
I want to come back.
I want to join the club.
I want to stay here.
I want to leave immediately.
I want to smash his face.

Drill 9. Tom is on holiday now. I expect he is sitting on the beach.

If I were on holiday, I would be sitting on the beach too..

Sailing
Gardening
Lying in a hammock
Fishing
Camping
Sight-seeing
playing tennis
swimming
painting pictures
watching a football match
sun-bathing
taking photographs

Drill 10. I think I’ll have to ask someone else to help me.

I’m afraid so. I would help you if I could.

Meet me
See me off
Wait for me
Show me the way
Fix it for me
Translate it
Give me a lift
carry it for me
find me a job
babysit
do it
drive me
show me how to do it
explain it to me

Drill 11. I was sitting in the park. I was writing a letter.

I was sitting in the park writing a letter.

The woman was driving along. She was listening to her car radio.
I arrived at the examination hall. I was feeling very nervous.
He came into the room. He was carrying a suitcase.
They were walking down the street. They were holding a book.
She was sitting in an armchair. She was reading a book.
Jill was lying on the bed. She was crying.
I got home. I was feeling very tired.
The old man was walking along the street. He was talking to himself.

Drill 12. Jim was playing tennis. He hurt his arm.

Jim hurt his arm playing tennis.

Ann was watching television. She fell asleep.
The man slipped. He was getting off the bus.
The boy was crossing the road. He was knocked over.
He fell off a ladder. He was changing a light bulb.
Dick burnt himself. He was cooking his dinner.
He broke a cup. He was doing the washing-up.
He ran out of petrol. He was driving to work.
She lost her keys. She was getting out of her car.

Drill 13. He reads a lot.

He likes reading.

We play a lot.
She dances a lot.
I swim a lot.
They sing a lot.
You sleep a lot.
He drives a lot.
I sail a lot.

Drill 14. He left school and went to university.

After leaving school he went to University.

He studied for three years but failed his exams.
He worked in an office for a while and then emigrated to Australia.
He tried several jobs and then he became a farmer.
He made a lot of money and decided to go home for a holiday.
He arrived in England and married an old girlfriend.
He met his old friends and didn’t want to go back again.
He left school and went to university.
He sold his farm and bought a business in England.

Vocabulary and Comprehension Exercises

Exercise 1. (Text 1) Answer the following questions.

Where did the man meet his neighbour?
Why did he say that he felt terrible?
What did he suspect at first?
Who did the man pass on his way to the office?
What conclusion did the man reach?
Did his secretary know where he had been?
How can you save much time?
What should one avoid at all costs? Why?
What had happened to “Mike’s family”?

Exercise 2. (Text 2. Dialogue) Answer the following questions.

What are the two men on the beach doing?
What does Nancy want to do?
Why can’t they get away?
Where do they hide?
Where do the smugglers hide the drugs?
Where do the smugglers take the boxes with drugs?
What is the name of the smuggler’s ship?
Where do Harold and Nancy decide to go?
How did the smugglers go away?
Who can help them to catch the smugglers?

Exercise 3. Dictation-translation.

По пути домой на обед я встретил в лифте соседа.
Я улыбнулся и сказал: «Ужасно, спасибо».
Сосед тоже улыбнулся и сказал: «Прекрасно».
Он вышел из лифта на 8-ом этаже.
Сначала мне показалось, что он или не понял меня, или съязвил.
Я пришел к такому выводу: если вы держитесь на ногах и разговариваете, все считают, что у вас все в порядке.
Они просто ведут «вежливую беседу».
«Я умру через неделю», объявил я, “приклеив” на лицо храбрую улыбку.
Я знаю, что ни сосед, ни почтальон ничего не имеют против меня.

Grammar Exercises

Exercise 1. Give 4 possible forms of polite requests and an answer for each of the following sentences.

to correct / this paper
to answer / the telephone
to pay / this bill

Exercise 2. Turn these instructions into polite requests by starting with the words given.

e.g. I can’t hear very well. Speak up.

I can’t hear very well. Do you think you could speak up? (I wonder If you could speak up.)

Give Joan a message. I wonder if …
Repeat that. Do you think …
Stand up. I wonder if …
Give me your full name.
Hold this for me.
Open the door.
Do it again.
All of you sit down quietly.
Give me a little more time.

Exercise 3. Change the following sentences according to the model.

e.g. Ann thinks Paul will probably start tomorrow.

But if he starts tomorrow he’ll be too late.

come
begin
decide
sign
apply
leave
send it
post it
tell us
pay

Exercise 4. Make sentences with if.

e.g. Ü get to work late again

If the bus is late, I’ll get to work late again.

Ü lose my job

If I get to work late again, I’ll lose my job.

Ü not find another job
Ü lose my flat
Ü move back to my parents’ house
Ü get very bored
Ü go swimming every day
Ü look very good
Ü meet interesting people
Ü go to lots of parties
Ü have a wonderful time

Exercise 5. Recall the superstitions you know and finish the following sentences.

e.g. If you talk of the Devil he will … .

If you talk of the Devil he will appear.

If you walk under a ladder you will … .
If a girl catches the bride’s bowquet after a wedding she will … .
If you break a mirror you will … .
If you see a small spider you will … .
If you scratch your left hand you will … .
If you touch wood … .
If you hear an owl in the night … .
If a black cat crosses your path … .

Exercise 6. Rewrite the following sentences using the Second Conditional.

e.g. He lives near his work so he’s always in time.

If I lived near my work I would always be in time too.

His case is light so he carries it himself.

If my case were light I would carry it myself too.

She is nice and slim, so she looks marvellous in tight jeans.
He has plenty of money, so he spends the winters abroad.
He works overtime, so he earns a lot of money.
His garden gets a lot of sun, so he can grow peaches.
He can ski, so he goes skiing at Christmas.
She knows a film director, so she gets good parts.
He runs round the park every morning, so he keeps very fit.
He travels first class, so he enjoys travelling.

Exercise 7. Put in the correct forms of the verbs..

e.g. If people … four arms, life … easier. (have; be)

If people had four arms, life would be easier.

If dogs … talk, they … some interesting stories. (can; tell)
If I … the answer, I … you. (know; tell)
If my cat … open the fridge, it … all my food. (can; eat)
If Ann and Bill … here, they … what to do. (be; know)
If you … read people’s thoughts, what … you …? (can; do)
If the programmes … better, I … more TV. (be; watch)
This … a nice country if it … so much. (be; not rain)
If I … you to marry me, what … you …? (ask; say)

Exercise 8. Which Service would you call? The Fire Brigade, the Ambulance Service or the Police?

e.g. An old man falls in the street. He can’t get up. He is seriously hurt.

If an old man fell in the street, and he couldn’t get up, I would call the Ambulance.

1. A lorry drives into a shop window. Nobody is hurt.
A little boy has been playing with matches. The whole house is on fire.
There has been a robbery in the bank. The robbers are just driving away.
There has been an accident outside the school. Two pupils are lying in the street.
The bank is burning. Everybody is running out into the street.
You come home late at night. You see somebody smashing a window at the back of your house.
You wake up in the middle of the night. You think you can hear somebody in the house. You are afraid.
You come into the house. You can smell smoke. The rest of the family is sleeping.
Smoke is coming from the motor of your car. You stop at a garage. You go into the garage. When you come out of the garage your car is not there. Perhaps it is stolen!

Exercise 9. Fill in the blanks in each sentence with the appropriate tense forms.

e.g. Peter ___ go to the cinema every week if he ___ (have) enough money.

Peter would go to the cinema every week if he had enough money.

If he ___ (be) rich, he ___ never cook at home, and he ___ always go out to eat.
He ___ buy anything he wanted if he ___ (be) rich.
If he ___ (have) a girlfriend, he ___ also buy her whatever she wanted.
If he ___ (buy) his girlfriend whatever she wanted, she ___ want to buy more and more.
If she ___ (buy) more and more, she ___ eventually run out of things to buy.
She ___ fall out of love with Peter if she ___ (run out) of things to buy.
If she ___ (fall) out of love with him, he ___ be miserable.
If he ___ (be) miserable, he ___ go to the cinema every week to forget about his troubles.

Exercise 10. Put in the correct verb forms.

e.g. If you … me, I would have helped you. (ask)

If you had asked me, I would have helped you.

If I … here yesterday, I would have come to see you. (be)
If Joe … harder, he would have passed his exams. (work)
If you … a map with you, you wouldn’t have got lost. (take)
We would have won the game if we … so badly. (not play)
If I had gone to university, I … medicine and become a doctor. (study)
… you … if you had driven more slowly? (crach)
You … badly if you hadn’t drunk all that coffee. (not sleep)
If you … on holiday with us, you … a wonderful time. (come; have)
If my car …, I … here at 8 o’clock. (not break down; be)
… you … harder at school last year if you … the teachers? (study; like)

Exercise 11. Read the expressions in the box and complete the sentences.

e.g. If I had got up early, I would have caught the 8.15 train.

If I had caught the 8.15 train, I would have sat by a beautiful foreign girl.

………. and married her.
………. in her country.
………. diamond business.
………. very rich.
………. in a revolution.

So getting early is bad for me.

Exercise 12. Read the text and complete the sentences.

e.g. If it hadn’t been hot, my mother wouldn’t have opened the door.

It was hot, so my mother opened the door. A cat came in and ate her supper, so she went to the shop to buy food. In the shop she saw an advertisement for a secretary. So she got a new job, and met my father. I’m glad it was a hot day!

If she hadn’t opened the door, the cat ………. her supper.
………. her supper, ………. the shop.
………. the shop, ………. the advertisement.
………. the advertisement, ………. a new job.
………. a new job, ………. my father.

Exercise 13. Rewrite the following sentences.

e.g. He left his suitcase unattended at an airport. It got stolen.

If he hadn’t left his suitcase unattended, it wouldn’t have got stolen.

She forgot to lock the car. Her camera got stolen. (If she hadn’t forgotten …)
He left his wallet in a restaurant. It disappeared.
She left her watch lying about. It got broken.
He didn’t lock the door of his flat. Thieves broke in.
She knocked her glasses off the table. They broke.
She didn’t put her name on her suitcase. Someone took it by mistake.
He parked his car without lights. Another car ran into it.
He didn’t look after his bicycle. It went rusty.
She left her parcels on a bus. Someone took them.
He didn’t keep his passport in a safe place. It got lost.

Exercise 14. Complete the sentences putting the verbs in the correct form.

If I ….. coffee last night, I ….. better. (not drink; sleep)
I ….. Mary you ….. if I ….. her this afternoon. (tell; call; see)
If you ….. to my party next Saturday I ….. to introduce you to our new neighbours. (come; be able)
It was a pity you ….. on Saturday. If you ….. I ….. introduce you to our new neighbours. (not come; come; introduce)
If my parents … more money, I .... to university after I left school. (have; go)
Your radio is very old. I’m sure you ….. better reception if you ….. a new one. (get; buy)
Annie ….. to Brazil last year if she ….. Pete. (go; not meet)

Exercise 15. Give attribute phrases using Participle I and explain them according to the model. Translate the phrases into Russian.

e.g. a child; to sleep

a sleeping child (a child that is sleeping)

a fish; to fly

a flying fish (a fish that can fly)

a woman; to smile
children; to laugh
a look; to understand
a building; to burn
a lamp; to stand
a man; to know
a ship; to sink
a story; to touch
winter; to come
a bus; to pass
a thought; to disturb
interest; to grow
a page; to miss
light; to blind

Exercise 16. Replace the parts in bold type by Participle I.

e.g. She looked down at her son who was sleeping on the sofa.

She looked down at her son sleeping on the sofa.

They passed a group of workers who were repairing the road.
The windows that face the garden were open.
He couldn’t fall asleep because of the noise that was coming from the street.
She got on the train that was going to London.
We drove up to the front door of a tall house which stood a little back from the road.
Near the dock he ran into a sailor who was returning from town.
He threw aside the letter that was lying on top and picked up the next.
The plane which is flying overhead is travelling north.
What can you do about a dog which is barking all night?
The candidates who are sitting for this examination are all graduates.
The woman who is waiting to see you has applied for a job here.
Trains which leave from this station take an hour to get to London.
Passengers who travel on planes shouldn’t smoke.
There’s someone who is knocking at the door.
Customers who complain about the service should see the manager.
There’s a pension scheme for people who work for this company.

Exercise 17. Join each of the following pairs of sentences using constructions with Participle I.

e.g. We smiled and drove away.

Smiling, we drove away.

I paused, I didn’t quite know how to express myself.
She lifted the telephone, she answered, “Yes?”
I didn’t hear what he said and asked him to repeat it.
I’m not a lawyer, so I can’t give
I was short of money, I couldn’t afford to buy it.
She got worried and thought we had had an accident.
He went to his room and closed the door behind him.
After we looked at the map, we tried to find the right street.
I found the front door locked and went round the back.

Exercise 18. Join the sentences using an –ing clause, as in the examples.

A. e.g. Who is that man? He’s playing tennis with Maria.

Who is that man playing tennis with Maria?

That woman is my boss. She’s talking to Peter.
That woman is Kate Robinson. She’s wearing the green coat.
That boy is Sally’s brother. He’s sitting over there.
Who is that girl? She’s looking at us.
All those people want to see you. They’re waiting outside.

B. e.g. I was sitting in the park. I was writing a letter.

I was sitting in the park writing a letter.

The woman was driving along. She was listening to her car radio.
I arrived at the examination hall. I was feeling very nervous.
He came into the room. He was carrying a suitcase.
They were walking down the street. They were folding hands.
I walked out of the room. I was smiling to myself.

Exercise 19. Join the sentences using the words in brackets.

e.g. Fred doesn’t like lemonade. Bill doesn’t like lemonade. (neither…nor)

Neither Fred nor Bill likes lemonade.

It’s very expensive. It’s very poor quality. (not only … but … as well)
He doesn’t drink a lot. He doesn’t eat a lot. (neither … nor)
They would like fruit. They would like ice-cream. (both … and)
John will give you the book. John will lend you the book. (either … or)
She doesn’t eat bread. She doesn’t eat potatoes. (neither … nor)
John will help you. Mary will help you. (either … or)
They understand Chinese. They speak Chinese. (both … and)
I don’t know Peter. I don’t know John. (either … or)

Exercise 20. Translate into English.

1. Вы могли бы передать мне меню? – Конечно. 2. Вы могли бы перевести письмо для меня? – Извините, сейчас не могу. 3. Можно мне взглянуть на вашу газету? – Боюсь, что нет. 4. Вы не против подождать немного? – Конечно, нет. 5. Давайте пойдем искупаться. – Давайте. 6. Может мы проведем отпуск в Египте? – Лучше бы нет. 7. На твоем месте я бы не поехал в Африку. 8. Если бы я был в отпуске, я бы сидел сейчас на пляже. 9. Они говорят и на английском, и на немецком. 10. Она не ест ни хлеба, ни картошки.