c. Someone usually shows airline passengers how to use a life jacket at the beginning of the flight.

d. If somebody offers you a cheap camera, don’t buy it. It’s probably stolen.

e. Doctors have given him six months to live.

f. Someone will tell you what you have to do when you arrive.

g. My parents advised me to spend some time abroad before looking for work.

h. Pleased to meet you. People have told me a lot about you.

i. At interviews, people ask you quite searching questions.

j. In a few years’ time, my company will send me to our New York office.

4 Tense review (1)

Put the verb in brackets in an appropriate tense. When there is no verb ( __ __ __ ), insert an auxiliary verb.

I. My wife and I (a) ________ (live) in our present house in the country for five years. We (b) ________ (move) here after our second child (c) ________ (be) born. We (d) ________ (live) in town for ten years , and (e) ________ (decide) that as soon as we (f) ________ (can) afford it, we (g) ________ (move) away from the smoke and the noise of the city centre, which we finally (h) __ __ __ in 1985. We (i) ________ never (regret) it. We (j) ________ (be) reminded of the wisdom of our decision every morning when we (k) ________ (draw) the curtains to see the open fields stretching before us. When the children (l) ________ (have) breakfast, they (m) ________ (rush) outside to play, which they (n) __ __ __ whatever the weather. Whilst they (o) ________ (play) outside, we somehow manage to start the day.

II. Actually, we (a) ________ (think) of moving. My wife (b) ________ (accept) a new job, which she (c) ________ (start) next month. As soon as she (d) __ __ __ , she (e) ________ (have) a journey of fifty miles there and back, and I (f) ________ (not think) that she (g) ________ (realise) just how tiring this (h) ________ (be). I (i) ________ (go) away on business for a few days next week, and while I (j) ________ (be) away, my sister (k) ________ (come) to stay, which she (l) __ __ __ quite often. Once I (m) ________ (be) back, I (n) ________ (decide) that I (o) ________ (get) in touch with some estate agents. I (p) ________ (not feel) happy until we (q) ________ (find) a house closer to my wife’s job. I wonder what the children (r) ________ (say) when they (s) ________ (hear) that we (t) ________ (move). This is the first time they (u) ________ (live) in the country, and they (v) ________ (hate) to move back to town.

5 Tense review (2)

Put the verb in brackets in an appropriate tense.

Junk story that beat the experts

The strangest story I (a) _____ ever _____ (report) began one Spring morning in Hong Kong. I was born and brought up in Hong Kong and I (b) _______ just _______ (start) working as a radio reporter there.

In March 1981, ninety-five fishing junks (c)_______ (spot) sailing over the horizon. Immediately they (d) _______ (surround) by police launches who thought they were trying (e) _______ (sneak) into Hong Kong against the law.

One of Hong Kong’s greatest problems is trying to keep out thousands of people who think life there (f) _______ (be) better than in China, and try to smuggle themselves in. Hong Kong is already the most crowded place in the world, and there’s no room for more people.

But when the police asked the junk people why they (g) _______ (come) they (h) _______ (get) a shock. They said they (i) _______ (stay) for a few days (j) _______ (escape) the terrible calamity that was about (k) _______ (strike) their villages in China.

They said there was complete panic at home because everyone (l) _______ (believe) an earthquake (m) _______ (come).

Throughout its history China (n) _______ (suffer) terrible earthquakes, cities (o) _______ (destroy) and thousands killed. Nowadays, all over the country there are seismographic centres where earthquakes can easy (p) _______ (predict).

The Hong Kong authorities phoned one of these centres in China to find out whether they (q) _______ (warn) about a forthcoming earthquake, but the answer was no. Experts in Hong Kong agreed that there was no reason for the junk people’s fears.

Consequently the junk people (r) _______ (send) home. On their way back an earthquake did indeed (s) _______ (strike) their village. No-one was hurt but the mystery (t) _______ (remain). How did the junk people know, when the scientists and experts with all their sophisticated machines didn’t?

Unit 4 Modal verbs

Introduction to modals

can, could, may, might, must, ought, shall, should, will, would

Main points

¨ Modals are always the first word in a verb group.

¨ All modals except for ‘ought’ are followed by the base form of a verb.

¨ ‘Ought’ is followed by a ‘to’-infinitive.

¨ Modals have only one form.

1 Modals are always the first word in a verb group. All modals except for'ought'are followed by the base form of a verb.