TESTS

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Grammar in Situations

English grammar is one of the most difficult aspects in learning this language. I’m always trying to come up with new ways to get students excited about learning grammar. Here is one of them I’d like to introduce.

Situation: Frank Bruce is a surgeon.

Response: He operates on patients.

Situation: Frank Bruce is in an operating-room.

Response: He is operating on a patient.

1. Mr. Collins is a businessman. He gets “The Financial Times” every day and always finds it very interesting. At the moment he is in his office. The paper is on the table.

a. Where’s Mr. Collins?
b. What does he do?
c. Does he read “The Financial Times”?
d. Is he reading it now?

2. Jack Cariton’s a famous football-player. At the moment he is at the dinner table. There’s a large beefsteak in front of him.

a. Who is Jack Cariton?
b. Where’s he?
c. Does he play football?
d. What is he doing now?

3. John Dallas is a film director. At the moment he is in a plane over the Atlantic. He is on his way to Hollywood. There’s a glass of champagne in his hand, a smile on his face, and a pretty girl opposite him.

a. What does he do?
b. What is he doing now?

4. Arthur Docker is on the same plane. He’s a very rich man. He drives a Rolls Royce, often eats caviar, plays roulette at Monte Carlo, hunts lions and elephants in Africa, and smokes large Havana cigars. At the moment he is having a nap.

a. What does he do?
b. What is he doing now?

5. Tom Cheave is a great footballer. He is on the field now, and everyone’s eyes are on him.

6. Howard likes Coca-Cola. There’s a glass of it in his hand and he is drinking.

7. Arthur has a job in a bank from 9 to 5. It’s 6 o’clock.

8. It’s 9. 30 and Arthur is in his office now.

9. Tom and Mary like plays very much. They are at the theatre now, and the actors are on the stage.

10. Tito Golo and Caria Morass are famous opera singers. They are on the stage now in the last act of “Mazepa”.

11. I like golf. You can see me at the golf club every Sunday. But I’m in the classroom now, where I teach.

12. My bank manager thinks golf is a wonderful game, too. It’s the weekend and he is now on the golf-course.

13. His wife is at home. The television is on, and she is in front of it.

14. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are at the dinner table. The steak is very good. So is the wine.

15. Bert has a fast sports car. He is in it now, on the motorway.

16. Mr. Johnson has a family car. It’s outside now, because he’s in bed with a cold.

Situation: Mary got to the station at 9. The train came at 10.

She waited for an hour.

Situation: Peter got to the station at 9. It’s 12 now and the train hasn’t come yet.

He has been waiting for three hours.

1. Mary got a job in the bank 5 years ago. She left the job last week.
2. Tom got a job in the bank 10 years ago. He’s still there.
3. I started teaching 30 years ago. As you can see, I’m still a teacher.
4. Mr. Collins should be a good driver! He got his first car 30 years ago.
5. Mrs. Mavins started gossiping at 10 a.m. It’s noon now and she hasn’t stopped yet.
6. One woman listened to her when she met her at 10, and then went home at 11.
7. John Graine became a printer when he was 20. He retired 45 years later.
8. Laura Pett acted in her first film 5 years ago. She’s still an actress.
9. You sat down more than 30 minutes ago and you are still here.
10. That man started staring at me 5 minutes ago and he hasn’t stopped yet.
11. Betty opened the book at 6. She put it down again at midnight.
12. Peter opened that book 6 hours ago and he hasn’t closed it yet.
13. My brother started coughing at this time last year. He still has the same cough.
14. The baby started crying and stopped an hour later.

Situation: “I know 10 languages,” Ted said, and the export company gave him the job. Why?