UNIT 9

UNIT 9

Grammar:

Texts:

1. The Past Simple Tense and the Present Perfect Tense

2. Prepositions «since/ for/ ago»

3. Adjectives and adverbs

1. «Life in the Past»

2. «A Gap Year»

3. «Happy Birthday» Dialogue

Text One

«Life in the Past»

My name is Sarah Jones. I was born in 1938. I lived with my parents, my three brothers and two sisters. We weren’t very rich but we were a happy family. My sister Helen was the oldest child and she left school when she was only fourteen to help my mum at home.

Families have changed a lot since I was young. They were much bigger then. Most of my friends had lots of brothers and sisters. Today, many people think three is a lot.

Dad went out to work and mum stayed at home and looked after us. Today it’s normal for married women to go out to work but it wasn’t in those days. Anyway, my mum was too busy at home with her six children.

My grandad came to live with us in 1947 when grandma died. It was common then. Old people often lived with their children. It’s different today. Many old people live alone now or go into old people’s homes.

I first met my husband in 1958. We got married in church a year later when I was twenty-one. It was an important day and my parents invited all our relatives to the wedding. Couples didn’t live together before they got married and they got married younger. Today many couples don’t get married at all or they get married much later when both partners have started their career.

The number of divorces has increased a lot. Today, one marriage in three in Britain ends in divorce. It wasn’t common at all when I was young. And many people stayed together even if they were very unhappy.

Text Two

«A Gap Year»

Today, many British students take a year out between school and higher education. Most people use their gap year to travel or to work in a foreign country. Others choose to work for the whole year at home and save their money to help them pay for their university education. A gap year helps young people to improve their self-confidence and get on with other people. Many universities like students to have a gap year. Research has shown that students who take a year out are more likely to finish their university course than students coming straight from school. Many employers also often prefer job candidates who have taken a year out because they have more experience than other graduates.

Prince William did not take things easy during his gap year in 2001. After doing a six-week army survival course in Belize, Central America, the young prince took part in a ten-week educational project on the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. William is keen on swimming and diving and he went scuba-diving on the magnificent coral reefs. He studied the ocean plant and animal life around the island.

In July, he stayed for ten weeks at a working camp in Chile. One hundred and ten young people participated in it. About twenty per cent of these young people were in the project because they had serious personal problems such as drugs and crime.

The Prince said he enjoyed every minute of the experience although he found living conditions in the Chilean countryside quite tough. At night, he slept in a sleeping bag on the floor. Every morning, he got up at five o’clock and he had to share domestic chores such as cooking and cleaning the toilet. The Prince lived in the remote village of Tortel. The community work included helping local people build a wooden footbridge and a new fire station. William also taught English to schoolchildren.

A project organizer said that William was just modest and relaxed and he enjoyed doing the same things as the other team members. When William was back home again he said that the trip to Chile was the experience of a lifetime.

During the last stage of his gap year, he went to Africa for three months. He visited a number of countries and he worked in a wildlife park. He finally returned home to celebrate his 19^th birthday on June 21^st and prepare for the next stage of his education, a History of Art degree at St AndrewsUniversity in Scotland.

Text Three

«Happy Birthday»

Father: Where is Peter?

Mother: He is upstairs. He was playing football.

Father: Well, it’s his birthday. He is very happy today.

Mother: Yes, very happy and very dirty, too.

Father: Do you like football, Harold?

Harold: Oh, yes. I like it very much.

Nancy: Do you want a piece of cake?

Harold: Oh, that square one looks nice.

(TOOT)

Nancy: That’s uncle David’s car.

Father: Let uncle David in, Nancy.

Uncle: Good morning, Nancy.

Nancy: Hello, Uncle David. How nice to see you.

Uncle: Good morning, everybody.

Mother: Hello, David.

Father: Hello, David. This is Harold, Nancy’s friend. He’s a reporter.

Uncle: How do you do.

Harold: How do you do.

Mother: Have a cup of tea, David?

Uncle: Yes, please. I’m rather thirsty.

Harold: Did you read in the newspaper about the drugs?

Uncle: Yes, I did. We think those smugglers are around here somewhere on the southcoast. But it’s very difficult to catch them.

Mother: I’ll call Peter down. Peter! Are you ready?

Peter: Yes.

Mother: Come downstairs then. We’re all waiting for you.

Peter: Hello, uncle David.

Uncle: Hello, Peter. Many happy returns. I’ve got a small present for you.

Peter: Thank you, Uncle David. Look, a fountain-pen! Thank you.

Uncle: How old are you today?

Peter: I’m thirteen!

Uncle: Well, you’re a big boy now!

Nancy: Peter, this is Harold.

Peter: Hello, Harold.

Harold: Hello, Peter. Here’s a present for you.

Peter: A cowboy book! Marvellous! Thank you, Harold!

Father: Now, what about a song?

Nancy: Yes, yes!

Harold: Hear, hear!

Mother: Yes!

Uncle: Quite right!

Nancy: «Happy birthday to you!»

Father: All right then. Everybody ready? Here goes!

«Happy Birthday to You,

Happy Birthday to You,

Happy Birthday, dear Peter,

Happy Birthday to You!»

Peter: Thank you all very much.

Notes. Forms and Patterns.

1. The Simple Past and the Present Perfect

(a) We use the Present Perfect:

1. when we are thinking of a period of time that is not finished

(this week/ month/ year, since ....)

e.g.	I’ve changed my job three times this year.

2. when we mean ‘at any time up to now’ (ever, never, before)

e.g.	She has never learnt to drive.

(b) We use the Simple Past:

1. when we are thinking of a period of time that is finished

(ago, yesterday, last week/ month/ year etc., then, when)

e.g.	I changed my job last week. She learnt to fly when she was eighteen.

2. Prepositions «since/ for/ ago»

(a) We use «since» with the Present Perfect.

e.g.	We haven’t seen John since Saturday.

(b) We use «for» with the Present Perfect when the period of time is up to now, and with the Past Simple when the period finished in the past.

e.g.	He has lived in France for two years. (He is still there.) He lived in Spain for two years from 1990 till 1992. (He is no longer there)

(с) We use «ago» with the Past Simple.

e.g.	I’m afraid he left five years ago.

3. Adjectives and adverbs

a) Formation of adverbs:	Adjective	Adverb
	quick beautiful happy true	quickly beautifully happily truly

b) Irregular form:	good	well

c) Some adjectives ending in -ly	A friendly girl. Her songs are lovely. Rain is likely.	She smiled in a firendly way. She sings in a lovely way. It’s probably going to rain.

d) Adjectives and adverbs with the same form:	daily, deep, early, fast, hard, high, late loud low, pretty, straight, etc.
	A daily newspaper. A hard worker. A fast car.	It arrives daily. He works hard. He drives fast.

e) Note the different meaning:	He’s a hard worker. He was late for work. The end was near.	He hardly works. I haven’t seen her lately. He was nearly killed.

f) Adjectives are used instead of adverbs after: feel, look, seem, sound, taste.

e.g.

That picture looks very nice.

I feel thirsty.

Drills

Drill 1. - do the washing-up

Have you done the washing-up yet? - Yes, I’ve just done it.

1. finish your homework

2. wash your hair

3. clean the car

4. meet the new student

5. make the dinner

6. do the shopping

7. talk to the teacher

8. buy your plane ticket

9. speak to the bank manager

10. make a cup of tea

11. do your homework

12. read the report

13. call a taxi

14. do the room

Drill 2. Have you ever been to England? (last year)

Yes, I have. I was there last year.

1. Has he seen Maggie and Jane today? (in the morning)

2. Has your cousin returned? (last week)

3. Have you seen that new French film? (last night)

4. Has it rained here lately? (yesterday morning)

5. Has your little brother watched TV this week? (yesterday)

6. Has the concert begun? (ten minutes ago)

7. Has your friend already moved to a new flat? (a month ago)

8. Have you given them my new address? (yesterday)

Drill 3. I have seen the film before. And Fred? (last night)

Fred saw it last night.

1. Kate has been to London this month. And Mary? (last month)

2. They’ve lived in Scotland for five years. And you? (in 1980)

3. I haven’t seen his cousin for ages. And Helen? (last summer)

4. We haven’t got any letters from Bob for a long time. And Ned? (yesterday)

5. Mary has given a talk this term. And Nina? (last term)

6. My nephew has left school this year. And your niece? (last year)

7. Peter has played football all his life. And Tom? (only in his schooldays)

8. My son has graduated from the University this year. And your daughter? (last year).

Drill 4. Nancy has opened a box.

When did she open it?

1. Peter has learned his lessons.

2. Mr Emmons has left the house.

3. She has made a cake.

4. The car has stopped at the edge of the cliff.

5. They have had their coffee.

6. Harold has bought a new flat.

7. The children has built a bonfire in the garden.

8. The class has begun.

9. She has learned a poem.

Drill 5. I last smoked a cigarette a month ago. (for)

You haven’t smoked a cigarette for a month.

1. They last came to see us at Christmas. (since)

2. I last played football ten years ago. (for)

3. He last ate at six o’clock this morning. (since)

4. We last had a holiday three years ago. (for)

5. John last saw Mary on Monday evening. (since)

6. I last had a bath a week ago. (for)

7. It last rained three months ago. (for)

8. I last wrote a letter two weeks ago. (for)

Drill 6. That’s a beautiful girl.

She sings beautifully.

That’s a quick answer. He answers _____ .
That’s a sweet smile. She smiles _____ .
That’s a quiet boy. He speaks _____ .
That’s a bad player. He plays _____ .
That’s a careful driver. He drives _____ .
That’s a slow thinker. He thinks _____ .
That’s a perfect pronunciation. She speaks _____ .
That’s a good book. She writes _____ .

Drill 7. Ben is quick. How does he play?

He plays quickly.

Dolly is quiet. How does she dress?
Lorna is angry. How does she speak?
Peter is sad. How does he look?
They are happy. How do they talk?
Peter is quick. How does he stop?
They were quiet. How did they speak?
Mother was angry. How did she help?

Vocabulary and Comprehension Exercises

Exercise 1. (Text 1) Answer the questions:

When was Sarah Jones born?
Who did Sarah live with when she was a child?
Who was the oldest child in the family?
Who left school early to help in the house?
Have families changed much since she was young?
Did her mum have a job?
Is it normal today for married women to stay at home?
Who came to live with the family in 1947?
Who did Sarah meet in 1958?
Who did Sarah’s parents invite to the wedding?
When do many couples get married today?
Has the number of divorces increased?
Which five things have changed since Sarah was a child?
How have they changed?
Which things are similar in your country? Which things are different?

Exercise 2. (Text 2) Answer the questions:

What is a gap year?
How does it affect students’ personal development and future studies?
Why do employers prefer job candidates who have taken a year out?
How long did William stay in each of the places during his gap year?
What did he do there?
How did he describe his trip to Chile?
Should Belorussian students take a gap year?

Exercise 3. (Text 3. Dialogue) Answer the questions:

1. Where is Peter?

2. Does Harold like football?

3. Who comes next?

4. What is the news about the smugglers?

5. What present does uncle David have for Peter?

6. How old is Peter?

7. What present has Harold got for Peter?

Exercise 4. Dictation-translation.

1. Семьи сильно изменились с тех пор, как я была молодой.

2. У большинства моих друзей было много братьев и сестер.

3. Сегодня многие люди думают, что и трое – это много.

4. Мой дедушка переехал к нам жить в 1947 году, когда умерла бабушка.

5. Это был важный день, и мои родители пригласили всех наших родственников на свадьбу.

6. Число разводов значительно увеличилось.

7. Каждый третий брак в Великобритании заканчивается разводом.

В.

1. Сегодня многие британские студенты оставляют свободным год после школы и перед учебой в университете.

2. Большинство используют свой свободный год, чтобы путешествовать или чтобы поработать за рубежом.

3. Многие работодатели предпочитают тех кандидатов, которые оставляли один год свободным, так как они более опытные, чем другие выпускники.

4. Принц Уильям отнесся серьезно к своему свободному 2001 году.

5. Он прошел шестинедельный курс молодого бойца в Белизе, в Центральной Америке.

6. Он принял участие в десятинедельном образовательном проекте на острове Маврикий в Индийском океане.

7. Работа включала помощь местным жителям в строительстве пешеходного моста и новой пожарной станции.

8. Когда Уильям вернулся домой, он сказал, что поездка в Чили была самым важным событием в его жизни.

С.

1. Очень приятно видеть вас.

2. Познакомься, это Харольд, друг Нэнси. – Очень приятно.

3. Спускайся вниз. Мы ждем тебя.

4. Поздравляю с днем рождения.

5. Вот подарок для тебя.

6. Как насчет песни?

Grammar Exercises

Exercise 1. Here are the past participles of some verbs. Write the infinitive.

visited – visit

eaten – eat

drunk

stayed

won

made

seen

met

cooked

flown

written

sent

taken

driven

lived

bought

had

done

Exercise 2. Put one of the following auxiliary verbs into the gaps.

am/ is/ are do/ does/ did have/ has

1. Look at those children! They ..... smoking cigarettes!

2. ..... your daughter speak French well?

3. ..... you learn German when you were at school?

4. ..... Ben ever been to India?

5. We ..... never played volleyball.

6. I ..... going to give up smoking soon.

7. ..... Mark and Jane live near you?

8. When ..... you learn to drive? A long time ago?

9. ..... you written to thank Sue and Bill yet?

Exercise 3. Put the following sentences: а) in the Present Perfect tense b) in the Past Simple tense.

e.g.: I have cocoa for supper. (always/ last night)

a) I have always had cocoa for supper.

b) I had cocoa for supper last night.

1. I drink tea for breakfast. (always/ yesterday)

2. It rains here. (never/ last week)

3. They go to Monte Carlo. (recently/ for their last holiday)

4. That boy eats too much. (already/ at the party last night)

5. He smokes in bed. (never/ when he was ill)

6. Mother makes a nice cake. (often/ for tea yesterday)

7. These children lose their pencils. (often)

8. Do you write letters? (already/ while you were away)

9. Do you have coffee after dinner? (already/ at the Smiths)

10. He sleeps in the garden. (lately/ last night)

Exercise 4. Use the correct form of the Present Perfect or the Past Simple.

1. I (see) this film twice this month.

2. He (meet) his old friends last month.

3. My wife (not to go to see) her relatives a fortnight ago.

4. The children (go) to the stadium lately.

5. We (not to manage) to get the tickets for the match last time.

6. Tom (answer) just the teacher’s question.

7. .... they ever (read) books by Jack London in English before?

8. I (not to see) this film yet but I (hear) a lot about it.

9. I (have) no news from him since he (leave) home.

10. My friend (leave) London in 1995.

Exercise 7. Put the verbs in brackets into the Simple Past, the Present Perfect or the Present Perfect Continuous.

1. Mr Johnson (teach) in our school for 25 years now.

2. He (be) in prison since last October.

3. I (never see) her so angry.

4. I (meet) him only yesterday.

5. They (go) out five minutes ago.

6. Tom (write) letters the whole morning.

7. Mother (lose) her white gloves. (you see) them anywhere?

8. Who (write) «Hamlet»?

9. (you hear) anything of him lately?

10. She (write) me two letters this week.

Exercise 8. Use the correct tense form. Reproduce the dialogue.

A: Have you ever (be) to Great Britain?

B: I never (be) there before.

A: Have you ever (be) to the USA before?

B: I (be) to New York several times.

A: When you (go) there last?

B: Last time I (be) there two years ago.

A: Did you (enjoy) your stay there?

B: Yes, I (enjoy) every minute of it.

A: How you (like) the weather?

B: I (like) it very much.

Exercise 9. Complete the story. Put the verb in brackets into the Present Perfect or the Past Simple tense.

A Sad Story of a Sad Man

One Sunday evening two men ...(1)... (meet) in a London pub. One of them was very unhappy.

«Life is terrible, everything in the world is really boring», he said.

«Don’t say that», said the other man. «Life is marvellous! The world is so exciting! Think about Italy.It’s a wonderful country...(2).. you ever ....(be) there?»

«Oh, yes. I ..(3).. (go) there last year and I ..(4).. (not like) it.»

«Well, ..(5).. you ... (be) to Norway? ..(6).. you ever ... (see) the midnight sun?»

«Oh, yes. I ..(7).. (go) in 1984 and I ..(8).. (see) the midnight sun. I ..(9).. (not enjoy) it.»

«Well, I ..(10).. just ... (return) from a safari in Africa. ..(11).. you ... (visit) Africa yet?»

«Yes, I ..(12).. (go) on safari in Africa last year and I ..(13).. (climb) Mount Kilimanjaro. It was really boring.»

«Well», said the other man, «I think that you’re very ill. Only the best psychiatrist can help you. Go to see Dr Greenbaum in Harley Street.»

«I am Dr Greenbaum», answered the man sadly.

Exercise 10. Form an adverb.

e.g. eager – eagerly; easy – easily.

1. happy

2. perfect

3. frequent

4. sound

5. quick

6. possible

7. busy

8. good

9. full

10. terrible

11. true

12. enthusiastic

Exercise 11. Choose an adjective or an adverb.

Could I have a ….. word with you? (quick, quickly)
She walked away ….. . (quick, quickly)
This is a ….. train – it stops everywhere. (slow, slowly)
He talked very ….. about his work. (interesting, interestingly)
You’ve cooked the meat ….. . (beautiful, beautifully)
I’ve got an ….. job for you. (easy, easily)
She writes in ….. English. (perfect, perfectly)
I sing very ….. . (bad, badly)
I feel ….. today. (happy, happily)
You seem very ….. . (angry, angrily)
Anne’s a ….. swimmer. (strong, strongly)
Could you talk more ….., please? (quiet, quietly)

Exercise 12. Put in adjectives and adverbs from the box..

daily early fast friendly hard hardly late lonely silly

I don’t like getting up __early__ so I usually stay in bed too long, and then have to eat breakfast very _____ and run for my train.
On the train I read the _____ paper, because after I get to work there’s no more time for reading.
The boss is nice, but she makes us work very _____, and I often have to stay _____ to finish everything.
There’s a nice new secretary in the office. I _____ know her, but she always gives me a _____ smile when I arrive.
She hasn’t lived here long. Perhaps it’s a _____ idea, but I wonder if she’s _____ . I think I’ll ask her out.

Exercise 13. Form adverbs from the adjectives in brackets.

I miss you (terrible), my dear!
I think that (political) he’s a bit of a leftist.
He chatted (agreeable), but he looked a little impatient: he (probable) had to catch a train.
He looked (significant) at my briefcase.
He spoke (difficult) and very (nervous).
We’ve got to work (hard) and (fast).
She said she could (easy) do it.
You can’t say he speaks English (bad), he speaks it rather (good).
Tom is always up with the lark: he rises (early).
We must talk (quick), one never knows when they may cut the line.

Exercise 14. Translate into English.

1. Ты был когда-нибудь в Англии? - Да. Я был там в прошлом году 2. Джон последний раз видел Мэри в понедельник вечером. И с тех пор он ее не видел. 3. Дети только что развели костер в саду. 4. Последний раз я играл в футбол десять лет назад. Вот уже 10 лет, как я не играю в футбол. 5. Мой друг закончил школу 2 года назад. 6. Мальчик уже съел слишком много. 7. Мама вчера испекла вкусный торт. 8. Последнее время он спит в саду. 9. Том писал письма все утро. 10. Ты уже помыл посуду? 11. Я только что вызвал такси. 12. Я не видел его с тех пор, как он уехал из дома.