3A GRAMMAR narrative tenses

a Read the first part of the story and find examples of each tense below.
1 the past perfect had finished
2 the past perfect continuous
3 the past continuous

The most embarrassing moment of my life (Richard, Sussex)

Part 1
When I was about nine years old The man said that he was a store
I used to go to the cinema every detective. As I had been concentrating
Saturday morning – in those days it on the toys, I hadn’t noticed that he had
was very popular. After the film had been watching me. He made me empty
finished, I would go to a toy shop and my pockets and he went through my
look at model planes and trains, and coat, searching for stolen goods, even
sometimes I bought them with the though I told him very clearly that I had
pocket money that I had been carefully only been looking. Of course he didn’t
saving. One day after the film, I went to find anything, but by this time several
a big department store to have a look people had stopped to see what was
at the model planes they had. I didn’t happening. I felt very embarrassed and
buy anything, but as I was leaving a humiliated that so many people were
very large man grabbed my arm quite looking at me, and I was very glad to
violently and accused me of shoplifting. leave the shop when it was all over.

b Complete the second part of the story with the correct form of the verbs in brackets: past
simple, past continuous, past perfect, or past perfect continuous.

Part 2
An hour or so later, when I 1 was having (have) lunch
with my family at home, my father 2
(ask) me about the film. I then 3
(mention) that I 4 (look) at toys in a
department store when a store detective
5
(accuse) me of shoplifting and
6
(search) me in the middle of the shop. store detective. When the manager 15
My father 7 (make) me repeat what (come), my father 16 (start) shouting
I8 (say), and then immediately at him and he told him that I 17
9
(jump up) from the table. Without (never steal) anything in my life. He 18
either of us having finished our lunch, he (make) the manager and store detective apologize
10
(make) me get into the car. I to me for having accused me of shoplifting and for
11
(never see) my father so angry! embarrassing me. But the thing is, I 19
He 12 (drive) quickly to the store, (find) this scene even more embarrassing than
13
(park) outside, and took me to the first one, especially as I could see that a lot of
where the incident 14 (take place). customers 20 (stop) and 21
He then demanded to see the manager and the (watch) us!

activation
c Work with a partner.
Student A: Cover the text. Try to remember what happened to Richard in Part 1.
Student B: Cover the text. Try to remember what happened to Richard in Part 2.

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r Activity
KEY
Answers

3A narrative tenses
3 is five / five years old a 1 hadn’t noticed, had stopped
ldest / eldest child 6 He used to be 2 had been (carefully) saving, had been concentrating,
o meet 9 I’ve been learning had been watching, had (only) been looking
a waitress 12 very hard work / 3 was leaving, was happening, were looking
3 had improved 14 to be able to b 2 asked 3 mentioned 4 had been looking
reading 16 is good enough 5 had accused / accused 6 had searched / searched
18 I’d learn 7 made 8 had said 9 jumped up 10 made
11 had never seen 12 drove 13 parked
ation 14 had taken place 15 came 16 started
17 had never stolen 18 made 19 found
ho that woman is over there? 20 had stopped 21 were watching
going on their honeymoon? How
ng for? 3B adverbs and adverbial phrases
ome with? Why did she leave him? a 2 do you really mean that; were absolutely awful
Matt and Claire known each other? 3 England played well
meet? Who told you that? 4 Unfortunately, England never play well
hy Sarah didn’t come to the 5 were incredibly lucky
6 do you ever have
/ whether that tall woman over there 7 To be honest, England were quite lucky
er? 8 were extremely lucky
er what Molly’s husband does? 9 Personally, I thought both teams played badly;
y idea if / whether I can get a taxi England were a bit better, especially in the second
half
er if / whether Claire’s sister got 10 in Munich next, so let’s see how they do there
b 2 slowly 3 quickly 4 earlier that day 5 obviously
ey’ll be happy? 6 actually 7 angrily 8 a little 9 badly
here they put our coats? 10 incredibly 11 here 12 always 13 well
14 naturally 15 in quarter of an hour
ave 5 aren’t 6 do 7 Is 8 will 4A future perfect and continuous
/ did 5 Did 6 did 7 Couldn’t a 1 won’t be thinking
2 ’ll (still) be working; ’ll have been promoted
3 will have left
t simple and continuous 4 won’t be using
ting 3 haven’t had 4 haven’t 5 won’t have gone; ’ll (still) be watching
ou been having / Have you had 6 ’ll have graduated; ’ll be looking for
e you been working 8 have been 7 won’t have had
10 haven’t been sleeping 8 Will (you) be coming
rking 12 ’ve just been promoted 9 Will (you) be picking me up
en injured… 3 have you been 10 will (they) have visited
u missed 5 have you been living / 11 ’ll have finished; ’ll be celebrating
Have you ever studied… 12 won’t have saved

4B conditionals, and future time clauses

omeless people 4 Japanese girl a 2 a and b 3 a 4 b 5 b and c 6 c 7 a and c
h 7 the poor 8 ✓ 8 a and b 9 a 10 c 11 b 12 a and c 13 b and c
0 The young 14 a and b 15 c
wful modern 4 big dark
6 beautiful old wooden
er 8 delicious Thai
n 10 new striped

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