#murphygrammar

[ivanflame]

Additional exercises: -ing or to

26

1 How old were you when you learnt to drive?

2 I don't mind walking home, but I'd rather get a taxi.

3 I can't make a decision. I keep changing my mind.

4 He had made his decision and refused to change his mind.

5 Why did you change your decision? What made you change your mind?

6 It was a really good holiday. I really enjoyed being by the sea.

7 Did I really tell you I was unhappy? I don't remember saying it.

8 Remember to call Tom tomorrow. OK, I won't forget.

9 The water here is not very good. I'd avoid drinking it if I were you.

10 I pretended to be interested in the conversation, but really it was very boring.

11 I got up and looked out of the window to see what the weather was like.

12 I don't have far to go. It's not worth taking a taxi.

13 I have a friend who claims to be able to speak five languages.

14 I like to think carefully about things before making a decision.

15 I had a flat in the centre of town but I didn't like living there, so I decided to move.

16 Steve used to be a footballer. He had to stop playing because of an injury.

17 After being stopped by the police, the man admitted stealing the car but denied driving at one hundred miles an hour.

18 How do you make this machine work? I'm not sure. Try pressing that button and see what happens.

27

1 I can't find the tickets. I seem to have lost them.

2 I don't have far to go. It's not worth taking a taxi.

3 I'm feeling a bit tired. I don't fancy going out.

4 James isn't very reliable. He tends to forget things.

5 I've got a lot of luggage. Do you mind helping me?

6 There's nobody at home. Everybody seems to have gone out.

7 We don't like our appartment. We are thinking of moving.

8 The vase was very valuable. I was afraid to touch it.

9 I wanted to get to the station in plenty of time. I was afraid of missing my train.

10 I don't recommend the movie. It's not worth seeing.

11 I'm very tired after that long walk. I'm not used to walking so far.

12 Sue is on holiday. She called me yesterday and sounded happy. She seems to be enjoying herself.

13 Dan took lots of pictures while he was on holliday. He insisted on showing them to me.

14 I don't want to do the shopping. I'd rather somebody else did it.

28

1 I was surprised I passed the exam. I didn't expect to pass the exam.

2 Did you manage to solve the problem? Did you succeed in solving the problem?

3 I don'r read newspapers any more. I've given up reading newspapers.

4 I'd prefer not to go out tonight. I'd rather not go out tonight.

5 He finds it difficult to sleep at night. He has trouble sleeping at night.

6 Shall I phone you this evening? Do you want me to phone you this evening?

7 Nobody saw me come in. I came in without being seen.

8 Some people said I was a cheat. I was accused of cheating.

9 It will be good to see them again. I'm looking forward to seeing them again.

10 What do you think I should do? What do you advise me to do?

11 It's a pity I couldn't go out with you last night. I'd like to have gone out with you last night.

12 I wish I'd taken your advice. I regret not having taken your advice.

[ivanflame]

Additional exercises: reported speech

1 A woman phoned at lunchtime yesterday and asked if she could speak to Paul. I told her that he had gone out and I didn't know when he would be back. I asked if she wanted to leave a message, but she said she would try again later. But she never did.

2 I went to London recently, but my visit didn't begin well. I had reserved a hotel room, but when I got to the hotel they told me they didn't have a record of a reservation in my name. When I asked if they had any free rooms they said they were sorry, but the hotel was full. There was nothing I could do. I just had to look for somewhere else to stay.

3 After getting off the plane, we had to queue for ah hour to get through immigration. The immigration officer asked us why we were visiting the country, and we told him that we were on holiday. Then he wanted to know how long we intended to stay and where we would be staying during our visit. He seemed satisfied with our answers, checked our passports and wished us a pleasant stay.

4 What time is Sue arriving this afternoon? About three. She said she would phone me from the airport when she arrived. Aren't you going to meet her? No, she said not to come to the airport. She said that she would take the bus.

5 A few days ago a man phoned from a marketing company and started asking me questions. He wanted to know what my job was and asked how much I earned. I don't like people phoning and asking questions like that, so I told him to mind his own business and ended the call.

6 Sarah and Louise are in a restaurant waiting for Paul.

I wonder where Paul is. He said he would be at the restaurant at half past seven. Maybe he got lost. I don't think so. He said he knew where the restarant was. And I told him to phone me if there was a problem.

7 Is there anything to eat? You just said you weren't hungry. Well, I am now. I'd love a banana. A banana? But you said you didn't like bananas. You told me not to buy any.

[ivanflame]

Additional exercises: passive

22

1 There's somebody behind us. I think we're being followed.

2 A mystery is something that can't be explained.

3 We didn't play football yesterday. The game was cancelled.

4 The TV has been repaired. It's working again now.

5 The village church is being restored at the moment. The work is almost finished.

6 The tower is the oldest part of the church. It is believed to be over six hundred years old.

7 If I didn't do my job properly, I would be fired.

8 I left a newspaper on the desk last night and it isn't there now. It might have been thrown away.

9 Joe learnt to swim when he was very young. He was taught by his mother.

10 After being arrested, I was taken to the police station.

11 Have you ever been arrested? No, never.

12 Two people are reported to have been injured in an accident at a factory in Birmingham early this morning.

23

1 This house is quite old. It was built over one hundred years ago.

2 My grandfather was a builder. He built this house many years ago.

3 Is your car still for sale? No, I have sold it.

4 Is the house at the end of the street still fo sale? No, it has been sold.

5 Sometimes mistakes are made. It's inevitable.

6 It's not a good idea to leave your car unlocked. It might be stolen.

7 My bag has disappeared. It must have been stolen.

8 I can't find my umbrella. Somebody must have taken it by mistake.

9 It's a serious problem. I don't know how it can be solved.

10 We didn't leave early anough. We should have left earlier.

11 Very often when I travel by plane, my flight is delayed.

12 A new bridge is being built across the river. Work started last year and the bridge is expected to open next year.

24

1 Winton Castle was damaged in a fire last night. The fire, which was discovered at about nine o'clock, spread very quickly. Nobody was injured, but two people had to be rescued from an upstairs room. A number of paintings are believed to have been destroyed. It isn't known how the fire started.

2 In Paxham yesterday a shop assistant was forced to hand over five hundred pounds after being threatened by a man with a knife. The man ascaped in a car which had been stolen earlier in the day. The car was later found in a car park where it had been abandoned by the thief. A man was arrested in connection with the robbery and is still being questioned by the police.

3 Repair work started yesterday on the Paxham-Longworth road. The road is being resurfaced and there will be long delays. Drivers are asked to use an alternative route if possible. The work is expected to last two weeks. Next Sumday the road will be closed, and traffic will be diverted.

4 A woman was taken to hospital after her car collided with a lorry near Norstock yesterday. She was allowed home later after treatment. The road was blocked for an hour after the accident, and traffic had to be diverted. A police inspector said afterwards: 'The woman was lucky. She could have been killed.

[ivanflame]

Additional exercises: if (conditional)

19

1 If you found a wallet in the street, what would you do with it?

2 I'd better hurry. My friend will be annoyed if I'm not on time.

3 I didn't realise that Gary was in hospital. If I'd known he was in hospital, I would have gone to visit him.

4 If the doorbell rings, don't answer it.

5 I can't decide what to do. What would you do if you were me?

6 What shall we do tomorrow? Well, if it is a nice day, we can go to the beach.

7 Let's go to the beach. No, it's not warm enough. If it were warner, I'd go.

8 Did you go to the beach yesterday? No, it was too cold. If it had been warmer, we might have gone.

9 If you had enough money to go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

10 I didn't have my phone with me, so I couldn't call you. I would have called you if I had had my phone.

11 The accident was your fault. If you'd been driving more carefully, it wouldn't have happened.

12 Well, if I hadn't watched it, I wouldn't know what was happening in the world.

20

1 Lisa is tired all the time. She shouldn't go to bed so late. If Lisa didn't go to bed so late, she wouldn't be tired all the time.

2 It's getting late. I don't think Sarah will call me now. I'd be surprised if Sarah called now.

3 I'm sorry I disturbed you. I didn't know you were busy. If I had known you were busy, I wouldn't have disturbed you.

4 There are a lot of accidents on this road. There is no speed limit. There wouldn't be so many accidents if there were a speed limit.

5 You didn't tell me about the problem, so I didn't try to help you. If you had told me about the problem, I would have tried to help you.

6 It started to rain, but fortunately I had an umbrella. I would have got very wet if I hadn't had an umbrella.

7 Mark faild his driving test. He was very nervous and that's why he failed. If he hadn't been so nervous, he would have passed the test.

21

1 I'd go out tonight if it didn't rain.

2 I'd have gone out last night if I hadn't been so tired.

3 If you hadn't reminded me, I would have forgotten about Michael's birthday.

4 If I had more free time, I would learn Spanish.

5 If you give me the camera, I will take a wonderful picture of you.

6 Who would you phone if you were me?

7 We wouldn't have been late if we had taken a taxi.

8 If I'd been able to get a ticket, I would have been the happiest person in the world.

9 If I'd done better at the interview, I would have got the job.

10 You wouldn't be hungry now if you had had breakfast with me.

11 Cities would be nicer places if there were more parks in them.

12 If there were no internet, it would be much harder to get information.

[ivanflame]

Additional exercises: modal verbs

16

1 What time will you be home tonight? I'm not sure. I may be (might be) late.

2 I can't find the theatre tickets. They must have fallen out of my pocket.

3 Somebody ran in front of the car as I was driving. Luckily, I managed to stop just in time.

4 We have plenty of time. We don't have to (need to) go yet.

5 I didn't go out yesterday. I could have gone with my friends, but I didn't feel like it.

6 I looked everywhere for Helen, but couldn't find (wasn't able to find) her.

7 What do you think of my theory? You might (could) be right, but I'm not sure.

8 Our flight was delayed. We had to wait for two hours.

9 I'm not sure whether I'll be free on Saturday. I may (might) have to work.

10 At first they didn't believe me when I told them what had happened, but in the end I was able (managed) to convince them that I was telling the truth.

11 I promised I'd call Amy this evening. I mustn't forget.

12 Why did you leave without me? You should have waited for me.

13 Lisa called me this morning. She suggested we (should) have lunch together.

14 That jacket looks good on you. You should (ought to) wear it more often.

15 Do you think I should buy a car? What would you do in my position?

17

1 Don't phone them now. They might be having lunch.

2 I ate too much and now I feel sick. I shouldn't have eaten so much.

3 I wonder why Tom didn't call me. He must have forgotten.

4 Why did you go home so early? You needn't have gone home so early.

5 You've signed the contract. It can't be changed now.

6 I'm not sure where the children are. They may be watching TV.

7 I saw Laura standing outside the cinema. She must have been waiting for somebody.

8 He was in prison at the time that the crime was commited. He couldn't have done it.

9 Why are you so late. You should have been here an hour ago.

10 Why didn't you contact me. You could have phoned me.

11 I'm surprised you weren't told that the road was dangerous. You should have been warned about it.

12 We had a great day at the beach yesterday. You ought to have come with us.

18

1 I'm hungry. But you've just had lunch. You can't be hungry already.

2 I haven't seen our neighbours for ages. No. They must have gone away.

3 What's the weather like? Is it raining? Not at the moment, but it might (could) rain later.

4 Where's Julia? I'm not sure. She might (could) have gone out.

5 I didn't see you at Michael's party last week. No, I had to work that night, so I couldn't go.

6 I think I saw Ben in town this morning. No, you couldn't (can't) have seen him this morning. He's away on holiday.

7 What time will we get to Sue's house? Well, it takes about one and a half hours, so if we leave at three o'clock, we should get there by half past four.

8 When was the last time you saw Max? Years ago. I might not (wouldn't) recognise him if I saw him now.

9 Did you hear the explosion? What explosion? There was a loud explosion about an hour ago. You must have heard it.

10 We weren't sure which way to go. In the end we turned right. You went the wrong way. You should have turned left.

[ivanflame]

Additional exercises: past, present and future

14

1 How did the accident happen? I was going too fast and couldn't stop in time.

2 Is that a new coat? No, I have had it a long time.

3 Is that a new phone? Yes, I bought it a few weeks ago.

4 I can't talk to you right now. You can see I'm very busy. OK. I'll come in about half an hour.

5 This is a nice restaurant. Do you come here often? No, it's the first time I have come here.

6 Do you do any sport? No, I used to play football, but I gave it up.

7 I'm sorry I'm late. That's OK. I haven't been waiting long.

8 When you went to the US last year, was it your first visit? No, I had been there twice before.

9 Do you have any plans for the weekend? Yes, I'm going to a party on Saturday night.

10 Do you know what Steve's doing these days? No, I haven't seen him for ages.

11 Will you still be here by the time I get back? No, I will have gone by then.

15

Hi

I've just arrived in Minneapolis. I've been travelling for more than a month now, and I'm beginning to think about coming home. Everything I've seen so far has been really interesting, and I've met some really kind people. I left Kansas City a week ago. I was staying there with Emily, the aunt of a friend from college. She was really helpful and hospitable and although I was planning to stay only a couple of days, I ended up staying more than a week. I enjoyed the journey from Kansas City to here. I took the Greyhound bus and met some really interesing people - everybody was really friendly. So now I'm here, and I'm going to stay here for a few days before I continue up to Canada. I'm not sure exactly when I('ll) get to Winnipeg - it depends what happens while I am here. But I'll let you know as soon as I know myself. I am staying with a family here - they're friends of some people I know at home. Tomorrow we're going to visit some people they know who are building a house by a lake. It isn't finished yet, but it will be interesting to see what it's like. Anyway, that's all for now. I'll be in touch again soon.

Robert

[ivanflame]

Additional exercises: The future 2

12

1 I've decided to try and learn a foreigh language. Have you? What language are you going to learn? Spanish. Are you going to do a course? Yes, it starts next week. That's great. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I hope so. But I think it'll be difficult.

2 I hear you're going on holiday soon. That's right. We're going to Finland. I hope you'll have a nice time. Thanks. I'll get in touch with you when I get back and maybe we can meet sometime.

3 I'm going to have a party next Saturday. Can you come? On Saturday? I'm not sure. Some friend of mine are coming to stay with me next week, but I think they'll have left by Saturday. But if they are still here, I won't be able to come to the party. OK. Tell me as soon as you know. Right. I'll call you during the week.

4 Well, what time shall we meet? Come to the cafe by the station at four o'clock.I'll be waiting for you when you arrive. I'll be sitting by the window and I'll be wearing a bright green sweater. OK. Is Agent 306 going to come too? No, she can't be there. Oh. Shall I bring the documents? Yes. I'll explain everything when I see you. And don't be late. OK. I'll try to be on time.

13

1 I feel a bit hungry. I think I'll have something to eat.

2 Why are you putting on your coat? Are you going somewhere?

3 What time shall I phone you tomorrow? At half past ten?

4 Look! That plane is flying towards the airport. It's going to land.

5 We must do something soon, before it is too late.

6 I'm sorry you've decided to leave the company. I'll miss you.

7 Shall I give you my phone number? If I give you my phone number, will you call me?

8 Are you still watching that programme? What time does it finish?

9 I'm going to a wedding next weekend. My cousin is getting married.

10 I'm not ready yet. I'll tell you when I am ready. I promise I won't be very long.

11 I'm going to have my hair cut tomorrow. I've just made an appointment.

12 She was very rude to me. I won't speak to her again until she apologises.

13 I wonder where you will be living ten years from now.

14 What are you planning to do when you finish your course at college?

[ivanflame]

Additional exercises: The future 1

10

1 Have you decided where to go for your holiday yet? I'm going to Jamaica.

2 Shall we meet on Friday morning? I can't on Friday. I'm going to the dentist.

3 How do you plan to travel round Spain? By train? No, we're going to rent a car.

4 Did you call your sister? No, I forgot. Thanks for reminding me. I'll call her now.

5 Are you free at lunchtime tomorrow? No, I'm having lunch with Sue.

6 What are you going to have? I don't know. I can't make up my mind.

7 It's getting dark and it's hard to read. Yes, I'll turn on the light.

8 What are you doing? I'm going to close the window.

11

1 Are you doing anything tomorrow evening? No, why?

2 I can't open the bottle. Give it to me. I'll open it.

3 Is Emily here yet? Not yet. I'll let you know as soon as she arrives.

4 Are you free tomorrow afternoon? No, I'm working.

5 What time is the film tonight? It starts at twenty to nine.

6 Are you going to the beach tomorrow? Yes, if the weather is good.

7 What time shall we meet? How about half past eight.

8 When does the festival finish? Tomorrow.