GRAMMAR Exercise 1 Correct any verb forms which are impossible or inappropriate 1. A lot of homes in the area have been being broken into by burglars. 2. As I drove south, I could see that the old road was rebuilding. 3. There is nothing more annoying than been interrupted when you are speaking. 4. Somehow without my noticing my wallet had been disappeared. Exercise 2 Both sentences in each pair have the same meaning. Complete the second sentence. a) The inventor of the computer simplified the work of the accountants. Since the computer ………………………..the work of accountants ……………………simplified. b) 'I'd take out some travel insurance if I were you, Mr Smith.' Mr Smith ………………………………….take out some travel insurance. c) You will hear from us when we have finished dealing with your complaint. After your complaint………………………………….. , you will hear from us. d) Nobody ever heard anything of David again. Nothing …………………………. David again. Exercises 3 Put each verb in brackets into an appropriate passive verb form. 1. Nothing…………………….(see) of Pauline since her car ………………………….(find) abandoned near Newbury last week 2. As our new furniture …………………(deliver) on Monday morning I'll have to stay at home to check that it ……………………………(not/damage) during transit. 3. A major new deposit of oil ………………….. (discover) in the North Sea. It ………………….(think) to be nearly twice the size of the largest existing field. 4. A large sum …………………… (raise) for the Fund by a recent charity concert but the target of £250,000 …………………………….. (still/not/reach). Exercise 4 Underline the correct words in the article Governments across Europe are already (1) starting/being started to worry. Why? Because low birth rates combined with longer life expectancy (2) mean/are meant that the Continent will soon have fewer people working and fewer people paying taxes. As a result, a whole range of measures must (3) take/be taken to deal with the problems that this change in demographics (4) will bring / will be brought. At the recent Annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, a session called 'Reforming Pension Systems' (5) took place/was taken place. The speaker, director of the population division of the United Nations, (6) highlighted / was highlighted that this is a global problem, not just a European one. However the facts cannot (7) ignore/be ignored: the situation in Europe is particularly serious. Look at the findings of a recent European Commission study: Italy's population (8) expects/is expected to drop from 58 million to 48 million by 2050, Spain's (9) will fall / will be fallen from 40 million to 35 million, and Germany's from 82 million to 76 million. Sweden is one of the few countries where the population will probably (10) increase/be increased. And as the populations get smaller, they are also getting older. From 2007 onwards an enormous part of Europe's population (11) will start / will be started to retire. Solutions will have (12) to find / to be found to deal with the problems that this will (13) create/be created. Certainly governments must (14) encourage / be encouraged private pension plans, and old-fashioned tax and social security models must (15) look at/be looked at in a completely new way. Exercise 5 Complete the second sentence so it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. 1 Your hair needs cutting. get You ……………………………….. cut. 2 Jill's parents are making her study hard. made Jill ……………………………………………. her parents 3 Apparently the ship did not sustain any damage. appears The ship ……………………………………………….. any damage 4 There is a rumour that the escaped prisoner is living in Spain. be The escaped prisoner ………………………………………. living in Spain. Exercise 6 Rewrite each sentence so that it ends with the word underlined a) Another company has taken over our company. …………………………………………………………………………………………. b) We are dealing with your complaint …………………………………………………………………………………………. c) We have not accounted for all the missing passengers …………………………………………………………………………………………. d) We are looking into this allegation. …………………………………………………………………………………………. e) We will frown upon any attempts to cheat in the exam. …………………………………………………………………………………………. Exercise 7 Put each verb in brackets into a suitable active or passive verb form. Dear Mrs Patel, We are delighted to inform you that you (1) ……………………………(select) for a free holiday. According to our information, you (2)…………………………. (answer) a telephone survey last month, as a result of which your name (3) …………………………… (enter) in the holiday draw. Now our computer (4) ………………………. (choose) your name, so you and your family (5) ………………………….. (invite) to spend a week in a European destination of your choice. This offer (6) ……………………………….. (make) on the condition that you attend a special promotions day with other lucky families in your region who (7) ………………………….. (offer) a similar deal. You (8) ………………………….. (ask) to attend on any Saturday next month at the Royal Hotel, Manchester. If you (9) ……………………………… (interest) in attending and taking up this offer, please (10) ………………………… (detach) the slip below and return it to us as soon as possible. Dependent prepositions – exercise 1. A French firm will be bidding ………….. the contract. 2. I need to consult …….. my colleagues …….. the proposals. 3. How much time would you allow ……… the trip? 4. You should make provision ….. things going wrong. 5. We apologize ……… the delay ……. answering your letter. 6. After graduating she opted ……. a career in PR. 7. People in the Third World are very often not provided …….water and power. 8. We won’t charge you ……. delivery. 9. The government has invested heavily …….public transport. 10. They are researching …… ways of improving people’s diet.