Maxim Grammar &Composition Book 9

Study the following examples. singular subject + singular verb plural subject + plural verb A boy is there. Some boys are there. The girl was dancing. The girls were dancing. Anu plays basketball. Anu and Mona play basketball. Tina does not eat meat. Tina and her sister do not eat meat. He has applied to join the army. They have applied to join the army. There is a cow in the shed. There are six cows in the shed. Has she come? Have they come? What does this animal eat? What do these animals eat? Either the dog or the cat has done it. Either the dogs or the cats have done it. Ü Subjects and verbs must agree with one another in number (singular or plural). Ü If a subject is singular, its verb must also be singular; if a subject is plural, its verb must also be plural. A girl wears a skirt. Girls wear skirts. singular singular plural plural The dog chases the cat. verb subject singular singular What is the problem? The dogs chase the cat. singular plural plural verb subject He does not work here. What are the problems? singular + singular plural They do not work here. plural + plural be verb Subject Present Past have I am was verb he/ she/ it/ singular noun is was you/ we/ they/ plural noun are were I/ you/ we/ they/ plural noun have had he/ she/ it/ singular noun has had Book 9 51

Rules for Subject Verb Agreement Singular nouns/pronouns + singular verbs (is, was, has, goes) Plural nouns/pronouns + plural verbs (are, were, have, go) She goes out a lot. They go out a lot. Are they afraid of spiders? Is he afraid of spiders? His bag was heavy. Their bags were heavy. This is my book. These are my books. The boy has left the place. The boys have left the place. An apple grows on a tree. Apples grow on trees. Does the bus stop here? Do the buses stop here? His name comes after mine. Their names come after mine. M Here is the list of some singular and plural nouns: Regular plurals books, cats, balls, boys, dogs, buses, benches, bushes, boxes, babies, diaries, leaves, knives, wives, thieves, Irregular plurals tomatoes, heroes, photos, radios, pianos, zoos,… feet, teeth, mice, lice, oxen, geese, children, men, Some nouns are always women,… plural and they do not pants, shorts, trousers, scissors, tongs, forceps, have singular forms. intestines, goods, clothes, thanks, stairs, spectacles, Some nouns look like binoculars, ….. singular but they are always plural. police, people, cattle, gentry, public, vermin, poultry,… Some nouns end with -s but are usually singular. Diseases: measles, rabies, shambles Fields of study and occupation: economics, ethics, Some nouns have same linguistics, politics, physics, gymnastics, news singular and plural forms. Games: darts, cards, billiards barracks, means, headquarters, crossroads, species What is the news? Mathematics is difficult for me. Acoustics is the study of sounds. A shambles is a state of total disorder. The police are looking for the robbers. Binoculars are stronger than any glasses. Measles is spread through respiration. Billiards is a game which connects mathematics and football. This is a good TV series. There are many TV series that talk about family life. Newspapers and TV are means of mass-communication. There is one species of humans but many species of cats. Book 9 52

Indefinite pronouns • Indefinite pronouns that end in -one or -body are always singular. • The indefinite pronouns both, few, many, others and several are always plural. • The indefinite pronouns all, any, more, most, none, and some can be singular or plural, depending on how they are used. Always Singular Always Plural Either Singular or Plural anyone, everyone, someone, no one both some everybody, anybody, nobody, somebody few all everything, nothing, anything, something many any each, every, either, neither, much, little, several more, most one, another, enough, other others none Always singular Everybody is busy finishing the quiz. Someone has gone out. Everyone is late for breakfast today. Nobody was waiting for me. Is everyone happy with their new school? Somebody has to fix this tap. If anybody wants this, he can have it. Nothing is true. One of the books is missing. Either of the boys was missing. Either is fine with me. Neither of the boys has gone out. Each of the members has gone out. Neither book has been torn. Each has his own thoughts. In the end, neither was selected. Each and every boy has a textbook. One of them was very sick. One was cooking while the other was eating. Enough is enough. Little is known about his family. Less is known about this creature. Much was discussed at the meeting. Choose whichever is better. Always plural Both teams are ready to face off. Both of the books are torn. Both are acceptable to me. Both of us were tired. Few homes in the area have electricity. Few people live to be 100. Few of these monkeys still exist in the wild. Fewer are smoking these days. Many families struggle to make ends meet. Many items are at half price. Many classmates are attending the party. Many have come already. Several couples were on the dance floor. Several houses have been damaged. Several students are joining this programme. Others have met similar problems. Either singular or plural Some students are leaving. All the seats were occupied. Some juice is left. More details are given in this leaflet. All the water was dirty. None of the songs are any good. More money is needed for this project. None of the cake is left for dessert. Book 9 53

Here are some singular subjects: Gerund as the subject Walking is good for health and fitness. Reading books is of vital importance. Eating between meals spoils our appetite. Starting a sentence with a gerund sounds fun. To-infinitive as the To walk is good for health. subject To err is human. To explore the web is exciting. To tell the truth is an art. Certain amount, Ten kilometers is too far to walk. distance, measurement Five hours is the time limit for the race Six weeks is not long enough. Six months is not enough time to do this project. Two kilos of rice costs about two hundred rupees. Arithmetic sums Two plus two is four. Three plus three equals six. Ten minus four is six. Two times six is twelve. Uncountable nouns are always singular. Water freezes at 32°F. Air is a mixture of gases. Salt dissolves in water. Gold is very expensive. Measles is a serious illness. Education is a top priority. Physics is a difficult subject. Politics doesn’t interest me. Linguistics is my favourite subject. All his luggage was lost. Our baggage has been packed. The traffic here is very busy. All the equipment is cleaned regularly. Good news has pleased them. All the furniture was made of wood. The weather was awful last year. All the information is available at the website. The apparatus does not work well for the experiment. The homework for the winter vacation was on the blackboard. A list of uncountable nouns: Liquids: juice, water, coffee, milk, …. Gases: oxygen, air, carbon dioxide, …. Foods: cake, bread, meat, fruit, rice, …. Particles: dust, salt, sand, sugar, …. Solid elements: gold, iron, silver, metal,... Diseases: malaria, cancer, measles, mumps, …. Abstract ideas: education, truth, honesty, music,… Subjects: physics, mathematics, athletics, politics, statistics, linguistics, ethics,…. Others: luggage, baggage, furniture, equipment, scenery, traffic, weather, information, apparatus, dust, machinery, money, advice, news, homework, … Book 9 54

Expressions that separate subjects and verbs Sometimes the subject is separated from the verb by words such as ‘as well as, along with, besides, with, together with and some other prepositional phrases’, in that condition choose the verb according to the number of the first subject. Riya as well as her sisters knows this very well. The daughters as well as their mother have arranged a party. The students along with their teacher were in the classroom. The politician, along with the newsmen, is expected shortly. The chair, together with the tables, is new. The apples in this basket are ripe. All the songs on this CD are pretty good. The boy at the door is waiting for somebody. The workers, rather than the manager, have done it. The condition of these villagers is pitiable. Subjects with ‘and’ A compound subject whose parts are joined by ‘and’ normally takes a plural verb. Riya and Mona are in the park. Father and son have dug the field. Blue and pink are my favourite colours. Dogs and cats are pet animals. My brother and sister study in Grade VII. He and I have planned a surprise party for Tina. Both he and his wife are vegetarians. Milk, juice and bread are available in this shop. My friend and my cousin are in the hall. The writer and the editor were in the park. M When two nouns together joined by ‘and’ form a phrase which expresses a single idea, the subjects agree with singular verbs. Truth and honesty is a good virtue. Slow and steady wins the race. Time and tide waits for none. Bread and butter is a good breakfast. Whisky and soda is only his food. The crown and glory of life is character. Rice and curry is my favourite dish. A horse and carriage is ready for us. Law and order is the government’s main concern. Book 9 55

M When two nouns are joined by ‘and’ and refer to the same person or thing, the subjects agree with singular verbs. In such case, the article or determiner comes with only one noun. The writer and Principal is sitting on the sofa. (same person) The teacher and editor was in the classroom. (same person) The poet and mayor has passed away. (same person) My guardian and uncle is coming to see me today. (same person) M When they refer to two persons or things, the subjects agree with plural verbs. In such case, the article or determiner comes with only one noun. The writer and the Principal are sitting on the sofa. (two persons) The teacher and the editor were in the classroom. (two persons) The poet and the mayor have passed away. (two persons) My guardian and my uncle are coming to see me today. (two persons) Subjects with ‘either…or, neither…nor, or’ When nouns or pronouns are joined by ‘or, nor, either...or, neither...nor’ the verb often agrees with the number of the noun or pronoun nearest to the verb. • singular noun + singular noun Grammar Review Either the boy or the girl has done it. When a singular and a plural subject Either Amit or Mona likes to play badminton. are connected by ‘or, either...or, Neither the dog nor the cat was in the hall. neither...nor’, put the plural subject Neither Suman nor his sister is aggressive. last and use a plural verb. Tony or Seema has gone out. • plural noun + plural noun Either the boys or the girls have done it. Neither the dogs nor the cats were in the hall. The teachers or the students are in the canteen. Either the men or the women are right. • singular noun+ plural noun Neither the dog nor the puppies are in Either the boy or the girls have done it. the kennel. Neither the dog nor the cats were in the hall. You or he was there. The teacher or the students are in the park. Were you or he there? Either the workers or the boss is happy. Anu or her brothers have gone away. • pronoun + pronoun Has Anu or her brothers gone away? Either you or I am selected for the contest. Neither you nor he is interested in acting. When pronouns are connected by Neither he nor she has passed the test. ‘or, either...or, neither...nor’, put Either he or they were dancing in the room. the pronouns in the order of ‘third- • noun + pronoun second-first’. Either Anu or I am decorating the room. Either you or I was busy. Neither Kunal nor they have won the match. Neither he nor we have done it. My father or I was watching TV. You, she or I am right. Neither my father nor I eat meat. Book 9 56

Subjects with ‘apostrophe, not only…but also’ M When nouns are joined by ‘not only...but also, apostrophe’ the verb often agrees with the number of the noun or pronoun nearest to the verb. Not only Riya but also her brothers know the answer. Not only the students but also their teacher was in the park. Riya’s brothers are intelligent students. The boys’ school is very far from here. Collective nouns M Collective nouns may agree with either singular or plural depending on whether we are thinking of them as a single body or a number of individuals. The family comes from India. The family are always quarrelling. The committee consists of eleven members. The committee disagree about everything. The choir has won the competition. The choir disagree among themselves. The team is in a meeting. The team are in disagreement about the findings. The government has been in power for too long. The government are clearly in disarray. The crowd waiting outside was causing a commotion. The crowd were murmuring in appreciation. The audience was nearly all men. The audience were laughing and shouting. M Collective nouns with the structure ‘collective noun + of + plural noun’ usually agree with singular verbs. His bunch of keys was lying on the floor. A kilo of apples is required for this recipe. A team of players was welcomed at the airport. A series of books has been published on oil. A bouquet of flowers was given to the patient. That pile of books on the floor looks untidy. A fleet of ships has been destroyed. M But quantifying expressions such as ‘a lot of, a number of, the majority of, the rest of, etc’ are plural determiners and agree with plural verbs. A lot of students were there. A number of letters were written to her. The majority of students have failed in Science. The rReesltaotfivtehperwonooruknesrs were allowed to go home. M The relative pronouns ‘who, that, which, etc’ become singular or plural according to the noun directly in front of them. Prem is the journalist who writes this report. He is one of the men who were invited to the party. The boy who has done this work is intelligent. The boys who have done this work are intelligent. Book 9 57

Agreement in these structures There is a boy in the room. Was there a dog in the kennel? There + singular verb + singular noun +…… There isn’t much milk left. There are six boys in the room. Were there any dogs in the kennel? There + plural verb +plural noun+…… There aren’t many books left. Here + singular verb + singular noun +…… Here is the money I owe you. Here comes the boy. Here are some posters. Here + plural verb +plural noun+…… Here are some English books. The following + singular verb + singular noun +…… The following is the winner of the competition. The following is the news report. The following + plural verb +plural noun+…… The following are the winners of the competition. The following are the news reports. The number of + plural noun + singular verb +…… The number of girls for this course is eighty. The number of villages in this district is fifteen. A number of students have joined this course. A number of + plural noun +plural verb+…… A number of villages were affected by the flood. Many a + singular noun + singular verb Many a worker has rejected the proposal. Many a boy is interested in basketball. Many workers have rejected the proposal. Many + plural noun + plural verb Many boys are interested in basketball. More than one + singular noun + singular verb More than one boy has submitted the application. More than one worker is right. More than two boys have submitted the paper. More than two + plural noun + plural verb More than ten workers are right. Pair+ singular noun + singular verb The pair of glasses is missing. A pair of shoes belongs to me. The couple are going out for dinner. Couple + plural noun + plural verb A couple of dresses need to be washed. No + singular noun/uncountable + singular verb No book is needed for it. No student of that name has come. No books are needed for it. No + plural noun + plural verb No students of such names have come. WH+ singular verb + singular noun/no noun What has happened to these old boots? Who makes that noise? Who was responsible for it? WH + plural verb + plural noun What are these books about? Where are they going? Who were the boys? Book 9 58

1Test Yourself Choose the correct verb for each blank space: 1. The news ………. on at 6:00. (is, are) 2. One of the books ………. missing. (was, were) 3. Fifty years ………. half a century. (is, are) 4. All children ………. stories. (love, loves) 5. All junk food ………. bad for you. (is, are) 6. ………. both your parents going to China? (Is, Are) 7. Both ………. happy with the grades they got. (is, are) 8. A large number of tourists ………. Lumbini every year. (visit, visits) 9. The people who ………. to that music are few. (listen, listens) 10. Disease often ………. with poverty. (go, goes) 11. ………. anybody have a clue where the dog went? (Do, Does) 12. Each student and teacher ………. aware of the difficulty. (was, were) 13. Either of the books ………. been bought. (has, have) 14. Everything ………. fine between Numa and Pemba. (is, are) 15. ………. you told anyone about the treasure map? (Has, Have) 16. Somebody ………. eaten my lunch. (has, have) 17. Helping the poor ………. always been his main goal. (has, have) 18. Most of the books ………. out of date. (is, are) 19. My two best friends ………. Nisha and Gopal. (is, are) 20. Neither my uncle nor my aunt ………. gone out. (has, have) 21. A significant number of people ………. ill with flu. (is, are) 22. All animals ………. to eat in order to live. (has, have) 23. One ………. space to be oneself. (need, needs) 24. Everybody ………. to harm him. (try, tries) 25. Everybody ………. the fool sometimes. (play, plays) 26. ………. Riya’s brothers study well nowadays? (Does, Do) 27. A car and a bike ………. his means of transportation. (is, are) 28. Everyone ………. happier in times of plenty. (is, are) 29. Each of the divers ………. an oxygen tank. (has, have) 30. Most of the land in the Terai………. fertile. (is, are) 31. Fifty percent of the pie ………. disappeared. (has, have) 32. Forty percent of the trees ………. in blossom. (was, were) 33. A number of books ………. required for that course. (is, are) 34. There ………. too much crime in this world. (is, are) 35. Blowing bubbles on a windy day ………. a fun activity for children. (is, are) 36. More of the rules ………. to me than to you. (apply, applies) 37. Neither he nor his sister ………. meat. They are vegetarians. (eat, eats) 38. Here………. some money. Get yourself something if you are hungry. (is, are) Book 9 59

2Test Yourself Choose the correct verb for each blank space: 1. A number of people ………… sitting on the grass. (is, are) 2. The committee ………… how to proceed. (decide, decides) 3. …………these trousers come in a larger size? (Does, Do) 4. Some of the votes ……….to have been miscounted. (seem, seems) 5. Neither John nor Maya ………. what happened. (know, knows) 6. Three-quarters of the students ……….against the tuition hike. (is, are) 7. Some of the water ……….already gone bad. (has, have) 8. All ……….. welcome to my house for my birthday party. (is, are) 9. Most of the time ……….. spent looking around the house. (was, were) 10. Mumps ……….. a serious illness for grown-up people. (is, are) 11. My aunt or my uncle ……….. arriving by bus today. (is, are) 12. Either of the two boys ……….. the ability to make the team. (has, have) 13. Nine thousand miles ……….. too far to travel by car. (is, are) 14. Nobody ever ……….. to see me. (come, comes) 15. None of my friends ……….. there. (was, were) 16. Not only Mohan but also his parents ……….. to come. (want, wants) 17. Reading this novel ……….. an elevating experience. (was, were) 18. Riya’s parents ……….. changed a lot since I last met them. (has, have) 19. There ……….. ample time to get to the station. (was, were) 20. Someone ………..left the tap running. (has, have) 21. Statistics ……….. a branch of mathematics. (is, are) 22. Television news ……….. frequently filled with vacuous nonsense. (is, are) 23. Ten thousand rupees a month………rather high rent for this building. (is, are) 24. Half of the candy bars ………. eaten by the children before dinner. (was, were) 25. Fifty minutes ……the maximum length of time allowed for the exam. (is, are) 26. Everybody in the class………..done the homework well in advance. (has, have) 27. Gold, as well as platinum, ………..recently risen in price. (has, have) 28. Half of the food ………..already been eaten. (has, have) 29. One of the Seven Wonders of the World ………..the Taj Mahal. (is, are) 30. The books borrowed from the library ……….. on my desk. (is, are) 31. That man and his friends …………for coffee in the canteen. (meet, meets) 32. The average worker’s earnings ………… gone up dramatically. (has, have) 33. All our luggage………… kept in the room. (was, were) 34. Almost two-thirds of the land …………on sale. (is, are) 35. The books in this bag …………to Mona. (belong, belongs) 36. The boy who won the two medals ………… a friend of mine. (is, are) 37. The children ………… their new toy. (likes, like) 38. My glasses……….on the bed. (was, were) Book 9 60

3Test Yourself Choose the correct verb for each blank space: 1. Every book ………. checked out. (is, are) 2. There ………. the dog. (go, goes) 3. I hope all ………. well with you. (is, are) 4. Somebody ………. in the room. (was, were) 5. All living things ………. water. (need, needs) 6. Someone special ………. about to arrive. (is, are) 7. Neither of the girls ………. at home. (is, are) 8. Both Numa’s parents ………. farmers. (is, are) 9. Does anybody ………. the time? (set, sets) 10. There ………. a big tree in the garden. (is, are) 11. Either restaurant ………. fine with me. (is, are) 12. Millions of people ………. in poverty. (live, lives) 13. Our team ………. won every game this year. (has, have) 14. There ………. many trees in the garden. (is, are) 15. The average number of students in a class ………. 35. (is, are) 16. A lot of the equipment in this factory ………. new. (is, are) 17. My neighbour’s dog ………. all night long. (bark, barks) 18. Everyone ………. his own ideas. (has, have) 19. My trousers ………. getting stiff with mud. (was, were) 20. Eight hours of sleep ………. enough. (is, are) 21. Each of the workers ………. given new safety equipment. (was, were) 22. Playing badminton ………. good for your health. (is, are) 23. Politics………. sometimes a dirty business. (is, are) 24. Somebody ………. beating at the door. (was, were) 25. Three plus three ………. six. (equal, equals) 26. The books ………. on the table yesterday. (was, were) 27. Whatever you want to do ………. fine with me. (is, are) 28. Twenty kilos………. too heavy a weight for her to carry. (is, are) 29. Two-fifths of the troops ………. lost in the battle. (was, were) 30. Your pants ………. at the cleaner’s. (is, are) 31. Either Kumar or I ………. responsible for allocating the funds. (is, am) 32. Eighty rupees ………. the price of a movie these days. (is, are) 33. ………. there any inexpensive hotels in the area where you live? (Is, Are) 34. One of these students ………. obviously cheated in the exam. (has, have) 35. The children’s new toy ………. already broken. (is, are) 36. Measles ………. a dangerous disease for pregnant women. (is, are) 37. Here ………. a list of the names of the guests to be invited. (is, are) 38. Someone ………. dumped their rubbish by the road. (has, have) Book 9 61

4Test Yourself Choose the correct verb for each blank space: 1. His shorts ………. torn. (is, are) 2. All of the rooms ………. clean. (is, are) 3. Politics ………. power in action. (is, are) 4. There ………. nothing in this bag. (is, are) 5. All the money ………. been spent. (has, have) 6. ………. no one helped them? (Has, Have) 7. ………. there scissors beside the glue? (Is, Are) 8. Five miles ………. an average distance for me to run. (is are) 9. No one in my family ………. right-handed. (is, are) 10. More of those apples ………. coming tomorrow. (is, are) 11. There ………. many species of monkeys. (is, are) 12. Both of them ………. coming home tonight. (is, are) 13. Knowing the truth ………. helped them a lot. (has, have) 14. There ………. elephants in Africa and Asia. (is, are) 15. It………. happened hundreds of times. (has, have) 16. Over half of the students ………. in this hostel. (live, lives) 17. Neither of these movies ………. very entertaining. (is, are) 18. Here……….. some news you might be interested in. (is, are) 19. His name is Birendra but everyone ………. him Bire. (call, calls) 20. Both her brothers ………. studying in Grade ten. They are twins. (is, are) 21. Each of the scientists ………. experiments. (perform, performs) 22. Either the children or the man ………. the answer. (know, knows) 23. Many of our young people ………. to larger cities to find work. (go, goes) 24. Neither one of us ………. particularly interested in gardening. (is, are) 25. Rosy is the kind of person you either ………. or hate. (loves, love) 26. Several of the students of this school ……. basketball after school. (play, plays) 27. The colours of the rainbow ………. beautiful. (is, are) 28. The first person on my list ………. Miss Rai. (is, are) 29. Either scissors or nail clippers ………. in the drawer. (is, are) 30. Neither of my sisters ………. this type of movie. (like, likes) 31. Neither of the birthday cards ………. nice. (was, were) 32. Mathematics ………. a difficult subject for many students. (is, are) 33. Each person who joins this club ………. a T-shirt free. (get, gets) 34. ………. there four or five people living in that house? (Is, Are) 35. Several candidates ………. called for a second interview. (was, were) 36. Both men and women ………. complained about this product. (has, have) 37. Rosy loves animals and…..…two dogs, three cats and one rabbit. (has, have) 38. Few of the students in the school ………. joined this course. (has, have) Book 9 62

5Test Yourself Choose the correct verb for each blank space: 1. My jeans ………. old. (is, are) 2. Most of the work ………. finished. (is, are) 3. Mumps ………. an infectious disease. (is, are) 4. There ………. nothing new about this. (is, are) 5. My family ………. in Kathmandu. (live, lives) 6. ………. the situation improved at all? (Has, Have) 7. Much ………. happened since we met. (has, have) 8. No one told me she ………. waiting for me. (was, were) 9. More of that fruit ………. coming tomorrow. (is, are) 10. Nobody ………. Chinese here. (speak, speaks) 11. Everybody ………. the answer. (know, knows) 12. Nothing ………. missing in the hall. (was, were) 13. All of the milk ………. spilled on the table. (has, have) 14. The number of inches in a foot ………. 12. (is, are) 15. The pain in my leg ………. and goes. (come, comes) 16. Both of them ………. the flute very well. (play, plays) 17. All of the books ………. sold last week. (was, were) 18. I’m sure that others ………. tried before us. (has, have) 19. Nothing ever ………. in this park. (happens, happen) 20. One was tall and the other ………. short. (was, were) 21. Only half the guests ………. arrived till now. (has, have) 22. All of the people ……….. clapping their hands. (was, were) 23. The team captain as well as his players ………. sad. (was, were) 24. There ………. a number of things we need to discuss. (is, are) 25. Every man and woman ………. the right to vote. (has, have) 26. How many of these boxes ………. you going to need? (is, are) 27. I opened the door but there ………. no one at home. (was, were) 28. Several programmes ………. scheduled for next week. (is, are) 29. Some of our nurses ………. the midnight shift. (work, works) 30. Social workers ………. to deal with all kinds of problems. (has, have) 31. The village ………. about a hundred kilometres from the capital. (is, are) 32. Both the teacher and the student ………. surprised. (was, were) 33. Either the man or his wife ………. the answer. (know, knows) 34. The teacher as well as the students ………. sitting in the hall. (was, were) 35. Miss Rai has two kids; both of whom ……….in SB Academy. (study, study) 36. All information about the new product ………. confidential. (is, are) 37. I keep telling Rosy and Sony but neither ………. me. (believe, believes) 38. Large numbers of birds………migrated because of the cold winter. (has, have) Book 9 63

6Test Yourself Choose the correct verb for each blank space: 1. ………. any left? (Is, Are) 2. Anything ………. possible if you believe. (is, are) 3. ………. anybody inside? (Is, Are) 4. It is my cats which ……….. the trouble. (cause, causes) 5. Three miles ………. too far to walk. (is, are) 6. All your clothes ………. clean. (is, are) 7. Anyone can see what………. going on here. (is, are) 8. Everybody ………. to be loved. (want, wants) 9. Everywhere ………. so crowded. (was, were) 10. No one ………. being criticized. (like, likes) 11. Some of the cake ………. eaten. (was, were) 12. All of the newspapers ………. soaked. (was, were) 13. Everybody ………. the truth. (know, knows) 14. Somebody ………. forgotten the purse. (has, have) 15. Either of the choices ………. its disadvantages. (has, have) 16. Neither of his brothers ………. any. (has, have) 17. Someone………. taken all my books. (has, have) 18. There………. something in my eye. (is, are) 19. These dolls ………. to my sister. (belong, belongs) 20. All I need ………. a hammer to fix this table. (is, are) 21. All you need ………. a roof over your head and a decent meal. (is, are) 22. If you look at our participants, at least half ………. women. (is, are) 23. In all, there ………. forty students in Grade ten. (is, are) 24. All you need to do ………. complete this form. (is, are) 25. Everyone ………. a right to basic freedoms. (has, have) 26. It is my sister who ……….. in the hospital. (work, works) 27. I don’t have any, but my brother ………. some. (has, have) 28. Almost half of us ………. not allowed to use this room. (was, were) 29. My sister and brother ………. in Kathmandu. (live, lives) 30. Ironing shirts ………. more complicated than washing them. (is, are) 31. My shoes look great but ………. not very comfortable. (is, are) 32. Breathing the polluted air ………. your health. (damage, damages) 33. Each and every one of the flowers…….its own colour and smell. (has, have) 34. Either the man or his friends ………. the answer. (know, knows) 35. Everyone knows who stole it, but they……….all afraid to tell anyone. (is, are) 36. Televisions and computers ………. dominating our daily life. (is, are) 37. All the workers ………. given a pay-rise at the end of the year. (was, were) 38. She has written two novels; both of which ………. worth reading. (is, are) Book 9 64

7Test Yourself Choose the correct verb for each blank space: 1. Where ………. my scissors? (is, are) 2. There ………. problems. (arise, arises) 3. There ………. a problem. (arise, arises) 4. All of the students ………. the answer. (know, knows) 5. Three weeks ………. a long time. (is, are) 6. There ………. a fire somewhere. (was, were) 7. Some of the books ………. very old. (is, are) 8. All of us ………. hoping for good news. (was, were) 9. Two thousand rupees ………. a lot of money for me. (is, are) 10. Everything ………. ready for the party. (was, were) 11. The kids all ………. to school on the same bus. (go, goes) 12. Two hours ………. a long time to wait to see a doctor. (is, are) 13. Everything ………. going as planned. (is, are) 14. There………. some cake in the kitchen if you’d like it. (is, are) 15. There………. someone waiting for me outside the temple. (is, are) 16. No one ………. that you are mean. (think, thinks) 17. There ………. something rather odd about him. (was, were) 18. Which one of the bikes………. your brother going to buy? (is, are) 19. There are twenty students. Few ………. done their homework. (has, have) 20. Two minutes ………. the time needed to answer each question. (was, were) 21. There ………. about two hundred people at the meeting. (was, were) 22. We’ve got two laptops, but neither ………. properly. (work, works) 23. The mother together with her daughters ………. working in the field. (is, are) 24. The equipment in this room ………. neither accurate nor safe. (is, are) 25. Neither Aryan nor his sister ………. watching TV to reading. (prefer, prefers) 26. The earthquake victims urgently……tents, blankets and water. (need, needs) 27. Our thanks………. to the workers who supported the union. (go, goes) 28. A number of students from this school ………. planning to go hiking. (is, are) 29. Either Lisa or Alisha always ………. money on wrong things. (spend, spends) 30. A high percentage of the population ………. voting for the new school. (is, are) 31. There ………. some cakes left but not enough for everyone. (was, were) 32. At the foot of the mountain, ………. two enormous coconut trees, both owned by the same man. (was, were) 33. Anyone who ………. this new rule will be effective is living in cloud-cuckoo- land. (think, thinks) 34. The United Nations ………. an organization of countries that agree to cooperate with one another. (is, are) Book 9 65

8Test Yourself Choose the correct verb for each blank space: An Ideal Student Boys and girls who .............(study, studies) in schools and colleges ............ (is, are) all called students. If all of them ............ (is, are) students, what type of student ............ (is, are) called an ideal student? An ideal student ............ (is, are) the one who ..............(devote, devotes) his whole time and energies to the acquisition of knowledge and the formation of good habits and character. An ideal student ............... (enjoy, enjoys) learning, and ............ (is, are) studious and hardworking. He .............. (go, goes) deep and deep in search of knowledge. The pursuit of knowledge demands hard work and full devotion. He is not a bookworm. He ............ (study, studies) to gain practical knowledge about things. He ............... (take, takes) part in all kinds of sports and extra-curricular activities. He ............ (is, are) very attentive in the classroom and works hard to get good grades in exams. He ..............(go, goes) through a variety of books, magazines, newspapers to enlarge his vision of knowledge. Moreover, an ideal student never ................ (neglect, neglects) the opportunities of forming good habits under the guidance of his parents and teachers. He ............ (is, are) disciplined and punctual. He is humble and obedient. He ................. (do, does) all his work on time. He ................... (confine, confines) himself to his studies and task. He ................ (do, does) not waste his time in useless deeds. He does not put off any piece of work till tomorrow which he can do today. The more he learns from his teachers, the more grateful he ............ (is, are) to them. Furthermore, an ideal student .................. (try, tries) his best to become a useful member of society. He ................ (believe, believes) in simple and plain living. He is kind and generous. He always ................... (think, thinks) of the well being of others. He wins the heart of others by his gentleness and politeness. To sum up, since our country ............ (is, are) passing through a difficult period of struggle, it ............ (is, are) in need of ideal students and citizens. The nation can reach the zenith of glory if our students ................ (become, becomes) ideal and participate in the task of national reconstruction. An ideal student ............ (is, are) the real property of his country. Every student should, therefore, try to become an ideal student. Book 9 66

Tense Read the essay and underline the verbs. My Favourite Football Player I love football very much. Six years ago, my father asked me to watch a football match. After that match, I became interested in this game. Since then, I have been watching and playing football. I admire a number of footballers who have dazzled the world with their soccer skills. Among them, I like Cristiano Ronaldo the most. Cristiano Ronaldo was born in 1985 in Portugal. His parents named him after the former US president Ronald Regan. He started playing soccer at a very young age. He had been playing football for other clubs before he joined Spanish club Real Madrid in 2009. He has played a number of international matches and won several honours and awards. He won the FIFA World Best Player of the Year award in 2008. He is my favourite player because he encourages me to play football. I often watch his old matches on TV and practise some of his tricks like scissors or nutmeg. There are many young players like me who love his footwork. Next week, our school team is participating in an inter-school tournament. I will be playing as a forward. The tournament will start from 2 pm. At this time next week, we will be playing the tournament. In fact, we will have been playing the game for forty minutes at this time next week. I have been practising a lot for this tournament for two weeks. Yesterday I was playing football with my friends on the school ground. I had scored two goals before halftime. By next week, we will have played two other football matches with Grade nine students so that we can get enough practice. I hope our team will win the tournament. In the above essay, the different forms of verbs express different tenses.The tenses of verbs indicate two different things about the action concerned: the time of the action- present, past and future. the kind of the action- single, repeated, continuous, completed, incomplete, etc. I love.... My father asked...... The tournament will start...... present past future Book 9 67

Generally there are three main time tenses. Each time tense has four sub-tenses and aspects that indicate the kind of action concerned. So there are twelve tenses of the verbs. simple continuous perfect perfect continuous Present I play. I am playing. I have played. I have been playing. He plays. He is playing. He has played. He has been playing. They play. They are playing. They have played. They have been playing. Past I played. I was playing. I had played. I had been playing. He had been playing. He played. He was playing. He had played. They had been playing. They played. They were playing. They had played. Future I will play. I will be playing. I will have played. I will have been playing. He will play. He will be playing. He will have played. He will have been playing. They will play. They will be playing. They will have played. They will have been playing. Grammar Practice: Read the essay once again and find the sentences for the following types of tenses. Tenses Structures Examples from the essay Simple present sub + v1/v5 + obj He plays. Present continuous sub + is/am/are + v4+ obj Present perfect He is playing. Present perfect continuous sub + has/have +v3+ obj He has played. sub + has been/have been + v4+ obj He has been playing. Simple past sub + v2+ obj He played. Past continuous sub + was/were +v4+ obj Past perfect He was playing. Past perfect continuous sub + had +v3+ obj He had played. sub + had been +v4+ obj He had been playing.. Simple future sub + shall/will + v1+ obj Future continuous He will play. Future perfect sub + shall be/will be + v4+ obj He will be playing. sub + shall have/will have +v3+ obj He will have played. Future perfect continuous sub+shall have been/will have been+ v4+ obj He will have been playing. Book 9 68

GRAMMAR STUDY: Present Tense Structures Simple present He writes a letter. He does not write a letter. Affirmative : sub + v1/v5 + obj Does he write a letter? Negative : sub + does not/do not + v1 + obj When does he write a letter? Questions : Do/Does + sub + v1 + obj +? He writes a poem. WH + do/does + sub + v1 + obj +? A poem is written by him. Active : sub + v1/v5 + obj Passive : obj + is/am/are + v3+ by + sub Present continuous He is writing a letter. He is not writing a letter. Affirmative : sub +is/am/are + v4 + obj Is he writing a letter? Negative : sub + is/am/are + not + v4 + obj Why is he writing a letter? Questions : Is/am/are + sub + v4+ obj +? He is writing a poem. WH + is/am/are + sub + v4+ obj +? A poem is being written by him. Active : sub +is/am/are + v4+ obj Passive : obj + is/am/are+being+v4+ by+sub Present perfect He has written a letter. He has not written a letter. Affirmative : sub + has /have + v3 + obj Has he written a letter? Negative : sub + has not /have not + v3 + obj Why has he written a letter? Questions : Has/have + sub + v3 + obj +? He has written a letter. WH + has/have + sub + v3 + obj +? A letter has been written by him. Active : sub +has/have + v3 + obj Passive : obj + has/have + been + v3+ by+sub Present perfect continuous Affirmative : sub+has been/have been+v4+obj He has been writing a letter. Negative : sub+has not been/have not been+v4+obj He has not been writing a letter. Questions : Has/have + sub + been + v4 + obj + ? Has he been writing a letter? WH+has/have+ sub+been+v4+obj+? Why has he been writing a letter? Active : sub + has been/have been + v4 + obj He has been writing a letter. Passive : (no passive construction in use) Simple present : She cooks food. Present continuous : She is cooking food. Present perfect : She has cooked food. Present perfect continuous : She has been cooking food. She cook food. She is cook food. She has cooking food. She has been cooked food. Book 9 69

Grammar Practice: Study the examples and change the sentences. Simple Present He (play) cricket. They (play) cricket. He plays cricket. They play cricket. Affirmative Statement He does not play cricket. They do not play cricket. Negative Statement Does he play cricket? Do they play cricket? Yes/No Question What does he play? What do they play? WH Question Present Continuous He (play) cricket. They (play) cricket. Affirmative Statement Negative Statement Yes/No Question WH Question Present Perfect He (play) cricket. They (play) cricket. Affirmative Statement Negative Statement Yes/No Question WH Question Present Perfect Continuous They (play) cricket. He (play) cricket. Affirmative Statement Negative Statement Yes/No Question WH Question Now write two sentences for each type: Simple present: ........................................................................... ........................................................................... Present continuous: ........................................................................... ........................................................................... Present perfect: ........................................................................... ........................................................................... Present perfect continuous: ........................................................................... ........................................................................... Book 9 70

GRAMMAR STUDY: Present Tense The simple present tense is used to show: Present affairs Suman drives a car nowadays. His father works in a bank. These shops sell beautiful toys. They play cricket. Habitual actions I always take tea without sugar. I always get up early. Repeated actions They play basketball every Saturday. She often visits her grandmother. Truths or facts true of The sun rises in the east. Wood floats on water. all times Water boils at 100 °C. Ice melts above 0 °C. Sayings and proverbs Slow and steady wins the race. Honesty is the best policy. Fixed time table The meeting starts sharp at 4 pm. My exam starts from Sunday. Works A doctor treats patients. A nurse works in a hospital. With verbs of I smell something burning. She seems tired today. sensations The cake tastes delicious. Likes and dislikes He likes dancing. I do not like bungee jumping. The present continuous tense is used to show: Progressive actions Anu is writing a letter now. She is still watching TV. What are they doing now? I’m not watching TV. I am visiting Pokhara tomorrow morning. Everything Fixed and decided future has been ready. planning or arrangements Deepa is flying to Switzerland next week. She has bought a ticket. The present perfect tense is used to show: Recently finished action with the result They have already invited me. in the present situation She has just brought some water. They have not completed the work yet. Duration of an action with ‘for/since + time’ He has not met his wife for a long time. Rahul has been sick since last Monday. Experiences He has had guitar lessons for two months. I have never climbed Mt. Everest. Have you ever seen a kangaroo? They have not taught in any schools. The present perfect continuous tense is used to show: M An action that has already been started in the past, but it is still going on in the present time. She has been walking in the rain for four hours. My brother has been reading this novel since 2 o’clock. M A prolonged action with ‘for/since + time or all + period of time’. They have been working in this factory since 2001. What have they been doing for six hours? They have been watching TV all this afternoon. Book 9 71

Grammar Practice: Supply the tenses as indicated in the brackets. 1. The sun (rise) in the east. (simple present) …………………………………………………………………………………… 2. The children (play) outside now. (present continuous) …………………………………………………………………………………… 3. The boys (write) eight pages already. (present perfect) …………………………………………………………………………………… 4. Deepa always (walk) to school. (simple present) …………………………………………………………………………………… 5. I can’t get in. I (lose) the key. (present perfect) …………………………………………………………………………………… 6. Anil can’t walk very fast. He (hurt) his leg. (present perfect) …………………………………………………………………………………… 7. How often you (go) to the movies? (simple present) …………………………………………………………………………………… 8. At the moment Sudha (make) a dress for herself. (present continuous) …………………………………………………………………………………… 9. Pemba (write) letters all morning. (present perfect continuous) …………………………………………………………………………………… 10. Mohan can’t stand up because he (eat) too much. (present perfect) …………………………………………………………………………………… 11. His father (work) in this factory for ten years. (present perfect continuous) …………………………………………………………………………………… 12. How long you (learn) English? (present perfect continuous) …………………………………………………………………………………… 13. Mina (eat) lunch in the school canteen every day. (simple present) …………………………………………………………………………………… 14. I’m tired, because I (work) very hard. (present perfect continuous) …………………………………………………………………………………… 15. Madan is getting fatter because he (eat) too much. (present perfect continuous) …………………………………………………………………………………… 16. My mother (peel) the potatoes all afternoon. (present perfect continuous) …………………………………………………………………………………… 17. Sohan is a vegetarian, so he (not eat) meat and fish. (simple present) …………………………………………………………………………………… 18. The children (play) in the park every afternoon. (simple present) …………………………………………………………………………………… Book 9 72

Grammar Practice: Supply correct present tenses. 1. They (dance) in the hall for an hour. …………………………………………………………………………………… 2. Rosy’s father (live) in a hotel until he can find a house to buy. …………………………………………………………………………………… 3. We (read) the newspaper in class every day. …………………………………………………………………………………… 4. What’s that smell? Something (burn) in the kitchen. …………………………………………………………………………………… 5. We can go out now. It (not/rain) any more. …………………………………………………………………………………… 6. I (get) hungry. Let’s go and have something to eat. …………………………………………………………………………………… 7. Robin (attends) guitar classes every Saturday. …………………………………………………………………………………… 8. The park (be) usually noisy on Saturday morning. …………………………………………………………………………………… 9. The nurse (already/inject) the baby. …………………………………………………………………………………… 10. Alina (wash) her clothes for the past hour. …………………………………………………………………………………… 11. The milkman (come) to our house every morning. …………………………………………………………………………………… 12. Nikhil (play) cricket since he was ten. …………………………………………………………………………………… 13. It’s usually dry here at this time of the year. It (not/rain) much. …………………………………………………………………………………… 14. What (you/do) in your spare time? Have you got any hobbies? …………………………………………………………………………………… 15. Oh, no! There’s nothing to eat. My sister (eat) everything I left in the kitchen. …………………………………………………………………………………… 16. Kumar often reads in bed, but today he is very tired and he (not read). …………………………………………………………………………………… 17. Where you usually (meet) Anu after school? …………………………………………………………………………………… 18. Your mother (wait) for you for ages. …………………………………………………………………………………… Book 9 73

GRAMMAR STUDY: Past Tense Structures Simple past He wrote a letter. He did not write a letter. Affirmative : sub + v2 + obj Did he write a letter? Negative : sub + did not + v1 + obj Why did he write a letter? Questions : Did + sub + v1 + obj +? He wrote a letter. WH + did + sub + v1 + obj +? A letter was written by him. Active : sub + v2 + obj Passive : obj + was/were + v3+ by + sub Past continuous Affirmative : sub + was/were + v4 + obj He was writing a letter. Negative : sub + was/were + not + v4 + obj He was not writing a letter. Questions : Was/were + sub + v4 + obj +? Was he writing a letter? WH + was/were + sub + v4 + obj +? Why was he writing a letter? Active : sub + was/were + v4 + obj He was writing a letter. Passive : obj + was/were +being + v3+ by + sub A letter was being written by him. Past Perfect He had written a letter. He had not written a letter. Affirmative : sub + had + v3 + obj Had he written a letter? Negative : sub + had not + v3 + obj Why had he written a letter? Questions : Had + sub + v3 + obj +? He had written a letter. WH + had + sub + v3 + obj +? A letter had been written by him. Active : sub +had+ v3 + obj Passive : obj + had+ been + v3 + by + sub Past perfect continuous Affirmative : sub + had been + v4 + obj He had been writing a letter. Negative : sub + had not been+ v4 + obj He had not been writing a letter. Questions : Had + sub + been + v4 + obj +? Had he been writing a letter? WH + had + been + sub + v4 + obj +? Why had he been writing a letter? Active : sub + had + been + v4 + obj He had been writing a letter. Passive : (no passive structure) Simple past : She cooked food. Past continuous : She was cooking food. Past perfect : She had cooked food. Past perfect continuous : She had been cooking food. She cook food. She was cook food. She had cooking food. She had been cooked food. Book 9 74

Grammar Practice: Study the examples and change the sentences. Simple Past Affirmative Statement He (play) cricket. They (play) cricket. Negative Statement He played cricket. They played cricket. Yes/No Question He did not play cricket. They did not play cricket. WH Question Did he play cricket? Did they play cricket? What did he play? What did they play? They (play) cricket. Past Continuous He (play) cricket. They (play) cricket. Affirmative Statement Negative Statement They (play) cricket. Yes/No Question WH Question Past Perfect He (play) cricket. Affirmative Statement Negative Statement Yes/No Question WH Question Past Perfect Continuous He (play) cricket. Affirmative Statement Negative Statement Yes/No Question WH Question Now write two sentences for each type: Simple past: ........................................................................... ........................................................................... Past continuous: ........................................................................... ........................................................................... Past perfect: ........................................................................... ........................................................................... Past perfect continuous: ........................................................................... ........................................................................... Book 9 75

GRAMMAR STUDY: Past Tense Uses Simple past M The simple past tense is used to show past actions. It is generally used with ‘yesterday, ago, last, those days, in + past time, etc’. He came here yesterday. Two days ago, I met a strange man. She did not buy anything last week. They gave me a book two weeks ago. Anu visited Pokhara in 1987. We completed the work in three days. Past Continuous M The past continuous tense is used to show the action that was going on for some time in the past time. She was reading a novel all day yesterday. They were running here and there all day yesterday. He was watching TV at this time last week . Past Perfect M The past perfect tense is used to show the occurrence of two past actions in a sequence in which one action had already completed before another action started. This tense is generally used with the time clauses like ‘when’, ‘after’, ‘before’, ‘by the time’, ‘as soon as’, etc. When the doctor came, the patient had already died. He met me after his father had gone away. She had finished all her work before she went out. As soon as I had written the letter, I posted it. Before the sun sank behind the horizon, we had completed our work. My sister had cleaned the room before the guests entered. By the time we reached home, it had been dark. Past Perfect Continuous M The past perfect continuous tense is used to express the action which had been going on some time in the past before another action started. He had been ringing the bell for five minutes but no one opened the door. She had been working on computer before I phoned her. When we woke up, it had been snowing for two hours. At 3 pm yesterday, I had been watching TV for two hours. I had been staying in a school hostel until my tenth year. Book 9 76

Grammar Practice: Supply the tenses as indicated in the brackets. 1. Last year my family (go) to India for my holidays. (simple past) …………………………………………………………………………………… 2. When I came in, she (read) her book. (past continuous) …………………………………………………………………………………… 3. All the lights went out while we (have) dinner. (past continuous) …………………………………………………………………………………… 4. While I (peel) potatoes, I cut my thumb. (past continuous) …………………………………………………………………………………… 5. The old lady fell as she (get off) the bus. (simple past) …………………………………………………………………………………… 6. When I saw the old man, he (lie) on the ground. (past continuous) …………………………………………………………………………………… 7. On that day, it was very cold. The sun (not / shine). (past continuous) …………………………………………………………………………………… 8. Mina was waiting for me when I (arrive). (simple past) …………………………………………………………………………………… 9. What speed the car (do) at the time of the accident? (past continuous) …………………………………………………………………………………… 10. Rosy (study) for three hours when her mother arrived. (past perfect continuous) …………………………………………………………………………………… 11. Miss Rai was busy when we (go) to see her yesterday. (simple past) …………………………………………………………………………………… 12. The farmer was very tired. He (dig) the field for two hours. (past perfect continuous) …………………………………………………………………………………… 13. I (work) on my house all day before I sat down to play my guitar. (past perfect continuous) …………………………………………………………………………………… 14. Her family (live) in Kathmandu for ten years before they moved to Biratnagar. (past perfect) …………………………………………………………………………………… 15. My uncle usually phones me on Saturdays but he (not phone) last Saturday. (simple past) …………………………………………………………………………………… 16. Yesterday evening the phone rang three times while we (have) dinner. (past continuous) …………………………………………………………………………………… 17. When I first told my friends about my first term result, they did not believe me. He thought that I (joke). (past continuous) …………………………………………………………………………………… 18. My friend was angry. She (wait) for two hours when I arrived there. (past perfect continuous) …………………………………………………………………………………… Book 9 77

GRAMMAR STUDY: Future Tense Structures Simple future He will write a letter. He will not write a letter. Affirmative : sub +shall/will + v1 + obj Will he write a letter? Negative : sub +shall/will + not +v1 + obj When will he write a letter? Questions : Shall/will + sub + v1 + obj +? He will write a poem. WH + shall/will + sub + v1 + obj +? A poem will be written by him. Active : sub +shall/will + v1 + obj Passive : obj + shall be/will be + v3+ by + sub Future continuous He will be writing a letter. He will not be writing a letter. Affirmative : sub + will be/shall be + v4 + obj Will he be writing a letter? Negative : sub + will not be/shall not be+ v4 + obj Why will he be writing a letter? Questions : Will/shall + sub + be +v4 + obj +? He will be writing a letter. WH + will/shall + sub + be+ v4 + obj+? Active : sub + will/shall + be + v4 + obj Passive : (no passive structure) Future perfect Affirmative : sub + will have/shall have + v3 + obj He will have written a letter. Negative : sub+will not have/shall not have+v3+obj He will not have written a letter. Questions : Will/shall + sub + have + v3 + obj +? Will he have written a letter? WH + will/shall + sub +have + v3 + obj +? Why will he have written a letter? Active : sub + will have/shall have + v3 + obj He will have written a letter. Passive : obj + will have/shall have + been + v3 + sub A letter will have been written by him. Future perfect continuous Affirmative : sub + will have been/shall have been+ v4 + obj He will have been writing a letter. Negative : sub + will not have been/shall not have been+ v4 + obj He will not have been writing a letter. Questions : Will/shall + sub + have been + v4 + obj +? Will he have been writing a letter? WH + will/shall + sub + have been + v4 + obj +? Why will he have been writing a letter? Active : sub + will have been/shall have been + v4 + obj He will have been writing a letter. Passive : (no passive structure) Book 9 78

Grammar Practice: Study the examples and change the sentences. Simple Future Affirmative Statement He (play) cricket. They (play) cricket. Negative Statement He will play cricket. They will play cricket. Yes/No Question He will not play cricket. They will not play cricket. WH Question Will he play cricket? Will they play cricket? What will he play? What will they play? Future Continuous He (play) cricket. They (play) cricket. Affirmative Statement Negative Statement Yes/No Question WH Question Future Perfect He (play) cricket. They (play) cricket. Affirmative Statement Negative Statement Yes/No Question WH Question Future Perfect Continuous He (play) cricket. They (play) cricket. Affirmative Statement Negative Statement Yes/No Question WH Question Now write two sentences for each type: Simple future: ........................................................................... ........................................................................... Future continuous: ........................................................................... ........................................................................... Future perfect: ........................................................................... ........................................................................... Future perfect continuous: ........................................................................... ........................................................................... Book 9 79

GRAMMAR STUDY: Future Tense Uses e The simple future tense is used to express the action which takes place at a time in the future. It is generally used with ‘tomorrow, next, soon, tonight, etc’. They will buy a house next year. What will you do tomorrow? I shall help them next week. We shall give you some books. They will soon be back. Will you help me tomorrow? They won’t come here next month. Shall I buy you an ice-cream? e We generally use ‘shall’ or ‘will’ with the pronouns ‘I’ and ‘we’ when we promise to do something. I shall take you to the zoo. We shall help you complete your project. I will return your book tomorrow. They will see you next month. e The future continuous tense expresses the action that will be going on at some time in the future. She will be visiting Pokhara at this time tomorrow. They will be playing the tournament at 6 o’clock tomorrow. I will be watching at the gate when they come out of the hall. This time tomorrow Mina will be sitting in the park. When I reach there next month, it will be raining a lot. What shall I be doing at this time tomorrow? Right now, I am watching TV. Tomorrow at this time, I will be watching TV as well. e The future perfect tense is used to express the action that will be completed before a certain action or period of time in the future. This tense is generally used with ‘by + point of time, in + period of time, before + point of time’. They will have completed their work by July. I will have settled in America before 2018. By 2016, he will have taught here for two decades. I will have gone out before my friend comes here. By Sunday, they will have shifted the place. How many books will you have read by next month? By 2050, scientists will have found the cure for many deadly diseases. e The future perfect tense is used with ‘by the time+ simple present tense’. By the time he goes there, his friend will have gone out. The train will have left the station before they reach there. e The future perfect continuous tense is used to express the action that will have been going on for a certain time in the future. This tense generally comes with ‘by + time with for+ period of time’. Mr Gurung will have been teaching us for two years by the end of next month. By the next year, they will have been working with us for two years. By 5 o’clock, your friend will have been waiting for you for two hours. e We use ‘be going to + v1’ when we predict or imagine some future actions on the basis of some proof. The plane is going to crash. We can see the fire burning. It is going to rain soon. There are black clouds in the sky. Book 9 80

Grammar Practice: Supply the tenses as indicated in the brackets. 1. I (phone) you back in a minute. (simple future) …………………………………………………………………………………… 2. I think Liverpool (win). (simple future) …………………………………………………………………………………… 3. By the time you get home, I (clean) the house. (future perfect) …………………………………………………………………………………… 4. On Sunday, we (live) in the house for a year. (future perfect continuous) …………………………………………………………………………………… 5. A: Did you get that novel? B: No, I forgot all about it. I (bring) it tomorrow. (simple future) …………………………………………………………………………………… 6. After school on Friday, I (visit) the park with my friends. (future continuous) …………………………………………………………………………………… 7. The phone is ringing. It (be) for me. (simple future) …………………………………………………………………………………… 8. Most people (forget) about the incident by now. (future perfect) …………………………………………………………………………………… 9. What you (do) tomorrow? (simple future) …………………………………………………………………………………… 10. Rahul says he (be) a politician when he grows up. (simple future) …………………………………………………………………………………… 11. Where you (go) for your next holiday? (simple future) …………………………………………………………………………………… 12. Next Sunday I (celebrate) my birthday with my friends. (future continuous) …………………………………………………………………………………… 13. Where we (eat) out tonight? (simple future) …………………………………………………………………………………… 14. I (learn) a lot about English grammar when I finish school. (future perfect) …………………………………………………………………………………… 15. Where I (put) this packet? (simple future) …………………………………………………………………………………… 16. You (wait) for more than two hours when her plane finally arrives. (future perfect continuous) …………………………………………………………………………………… 17. The children (discuss) about the topic for over an hour by the time their teacher arrives. (future perfect continuous) …………………………………………………………………………………… 18. Miss Rai (teach) in this school for more than a year by the time she gets retired. (future perfect continuous) …………………………………………………………………………………… Book 9 81

Tense Chart Tenses Time adverbials and other Examples Simple structures present They always drink pure water. • habits/frequent activities Anu has a shower every morning. Present • universal truths/facts/ Tina likes dancing. continuous The earth moves round the sun. proverbs He usually catches the bus. Present • likes/dislikes repeated Time and tide waits for none. perfect They do not work at weekends. Present actions We watch much TV. perfect • time adverbials - always, They drive on the right in Britain. continuous Simple past never, often, seldom, Her mother is making supper now. sometimes, nowadays, They are working in a factory at present. usually, generally, daily, They are still reading the same book. hardly, etc. Look! It’s raining. • ongoing actions I’m going out tonight. • future arrangements Listen! Someone is beating the table. • time adverbials - now, still, Keep quiet! The baby is sleeping. at present, at this moment, Wait! The bus is coming. • Time expressions - Look!, I’ve cut my finger. It is bleeding. Listen!, Don’t………! Keep They have just gone out. quiet!, Wait!.....etc I have already phoned them. They have visited Pokhara twice. • finished actions with present She has recently bought a dress. results I have been ill since Monday. She has not talked to me for three days. • recently finished actions They have not come here since June. • travelling and personal She has not cooked food for two weeks. Where have you been since 2 o’clock? experience Her eyes are red. She has been watching TV • time adverbials- already, for five hours. I have been waiting for my friend for two yet, just, recently, ever, etc hours. • “for/since + time “ with I came here yesterday. I saw her two days ago. negative verbs/be and have I broke my leg in my childhood. verbs She went to London in 2004. • “for/since + time” with He completed this work in three days. verbs that express prolonged When he saw the house, he decided to buy actions it. • yesterday, ago, last, in+ past point of time, etc. • past time expressions like in my childhood, in ancient time, long ago, etc. • two actions in the past that occurred almost at the same time Book 9 82

Past • ongoing actions in the past They were playing cricket all yesterday. continuous • (all + past time) When I came, she was dancing. • with simple past tense I wrote this poem while she was sleeping. simple past+ past perfect When they came, I had gone out. Past perfect (one action had been already By the time I reached the station, the train completed before another had left. started) After I had read the letter, I tore it out. • two past actions in a They had been watching TV before the Past perfect continuous sequence (one action had teacher arrived there. already completed before What had they been doing when they heard another action started) a strange noise? Simple • actions that will take place in I will meet my uncle next week. future • future What will you eat tonight? time adverbials - tomorrow, They will start a new business soon. next, soon, tonight, etc. Will you meet me tomorrow? • ongoing actions in the future They will be visiting a park at this time Future continuous tomorrow. What will you be doing at this time tomorrow? Future • by + time, in + period of They will have passed the SEE in two years. perfect • time, before + time In three years, they will have completed this by the time + simple present, project work. Future • future perfect perfect continuous by + time…………….for + By the next week, they will have been time visiting Lumbini for two weeks. Tense uses in brief: Ü Simple present: It implies the present action that can be a habit, a hobby, a daily event, or something that often happens. Ü Present continuous: It describes an action going on right now. Ü Present perfect: It implies that the action happened in the very recent past and has the result left in the present situation. Ü Present perfect continuous: It expresses the action that began in the past, continued for a while in the past, and is still going on now. Ü Simple past: It expresses an action completed at a specific time in the past. Ü Past continuous: It shows an action that began in the past and continued for a while. Ü Past perfect. It describes a past action that was completed before another action in the past. Ü Past perfect continuous: It expresses the action that began in the past, went on for a while, and ended in the past. Ü Simple future: It describes something that has not happened yet but will happen at some point. Ü Future continuous: It indicates an action that will going on for a while in the future. Ü Future perfect: It expresses the idea that something will occur before another action in the future. It can also show that something will happen before a specific time in the future. Ü Future perfect continuous: It shows that something will continue up until a particular event or time in the future. Book 9 83

Grammar Practice: Supply the tenses as indicated in the brackets. play They…………………………….games every Friday. (simple present) They…………………………basketball last Friday. (simple past) They ……………………..Football next Friday. (simple future) plant The farmer…………………………….potatoes right now. (present continuous) He…………………………tomatoes at this time last year. (past continuous) He ……………………..pumpkins next Sunday. (future continuous) read I …………………………..a newspaper now. (present continuous) I …………………………..a newspaper when you saw me. (past continuous) I …………………………..a newspaper in the park. (future continuous) learn I ………………………….. English at my desk. (present continuous) I …………………………..English the last two years. (past continuous) I ………………………….. English then. (future continuous) cook Sony………..………….breakfast every morning this week. (present perfect) She…………………….. breakfast every morning until her sister was with her. (past perfect) She……………………… breakfast every morning by the time her sister goes to Pokhara. (future perfect) run I ………………………….. several marathons this year. (present perfect) I ………………………….. many marathons in the past. (past perfect) I ………………………….. a marathon by the time I turn 30. (future perfect) wait I …………………………..…for you more than two hours. I’m tired now. (present perfect continuous) I …………………………. for you more than two hours when you arrived there. (past perfect continuous) I ……………….………. for you more than two hours when you arrive there. (future perfect continuous) Book 9 84

1Test Yourself Supply the correct tenses and write the correct verb forms: 1. Hurry up! The bus (come). 2. A good player (practise) every day. 3. Alfred Nobel (establish) the Nobel Prizes. 4. His brother (help) me since I first met him. 5. Leap year (occur) every four years. 6. Don’t open the door. She (have) a shower. 7. I expect that it (rain) this afternoon. 8. You (enjoy) the movie. I’m sure you’ll. 9. Mina is not in. She (eat) lunch in the canteen. 10. Rojan (go) to the dentist every Saturday. 11. At 2 pm tomorrow, I (perform) a song on the stage. 12. I (finish) cooking breakfast by the time you come home. 13. I (not know) him very well. 14. My brother (like) bread and butter for breakfast. 15. Yesterday I (go) to school at 8 am. 16. His brother (never work) so far, he is very motivated for this job. 17. You are late. The bus (already/leave). Now you have to take a taxi. 18. Gopal usually (drink) juice in the morning, but today he (drink) milk. 19. “What did you do last night?” “We (not go) anywhere. We stayed at home.” 20. I (be) ready for two hours when he finally phoned me to tell me he wasn’t coming. 2Test Yourself Supply the correct tenses and write the correct verb forms: 1. It (rain) all day yesterday. 2. Right now, we (work) on a very interesting project. 3. I promise I (not tell) anyone about the surprise party. 4. When I saw them yesterday, they (play) football. 5. Yesterday at two o’clock Pukar (have) lunch. 6. When you come to the library, I (sit) by the central window. 7. It is the first time she (wear) such a modern dress. 8. This time next week I (visit) Pokhara. 9. Ishan (live) in New York ever since his wife sent him there on business. 10. Where are Kumar and Gopal?” “They (watch) TV in the bedroom.” 11. Before the teacher came to class, the students (complete) their assignments. 12. She (cook) food when her father called her. 13. Don’t call me after midnight tonight because I (sleep). 14. He did not laugh at the joke last night because he (hear) it before. 15. I (watch) TV when he arrives tonight. Book 9 85

16. His father’s car (break) down three days ago. 17. By the time the teacher comes to class, the students (complete) their assignments. 18. His sister (write) a novel for five months last, and she is about to finish it. 19. Nikita looks upset; she (look) for her purse for over three quarters of an hour. 20. Ramita (come) to school on time every day. She is a disciplined student. 3Test Yourself Supply the correct tenses and write the correct verb forms: 1. That soup (taste) good. 2. Listen! Somebody (play) the keyboard. 3. Suman (be) tired. So, he went to sleep. 4. Look! They (play) football now. 5. After school on every Friday, I (visit) the park with my friends. 6. By this time next year he (complete) the construction of his house. 7. Heat (expand) and cold (contract). 8. What Lopsang usually (have) for breakfast? 9. Listen! The phone (ring) in the other room. 10. He is thirteen years old now, and his voice (change). 11. Tomorrow, Lisa’s brother (start) his new job. 12. We (do) an English exercise at the moment. 13. The child (suffer) from pneumonia since last week. 14. My uncle (come) to see us next month. He (not visit) us for six months. 15. They (complete) the project before the deadline. The deadline is next Friday. 16. When do you think (you/finish) your project work? 17. His father frequently travels to India. He (fly) to Delhi twice a month. 18. We (not hear) from them for quite a long time, I hope there is nothing wrong with them. 19. The children (play) outside when their mother called them for dinner, so they stopped and went home. 20. My best moment in the match was when I realized that the game (finish) and I (become) the champion. 4Test Yourself Supply the correct tenses and write the correct verb forms: 1. Manoj (play) the guitar two hours a day. 2. Tonight we (attend) a birthday party. 3. Who (you/speak) to just now? 4. Manisha (be) sleepy yesterday. Book 9 86

5. It (rain) hard, and I do not have an umbrella. 6. How long ago (you/call) your friend? 7. The weather (be) sunny tomorrow. 8. Mom is in the kitchen. She (make) breakfast for us. 9. My brother (not like) vegetables. 10. Hurry up, or you (miss) the bus. 11. I know this story very well. I (already see) the film. 12. Last week, it (be) my birthday. 13. By this time next week, I (live) here for 2 years. 14. His father sometimes (have) dinner at nine o’clock. 15. Look! Those bees (buzz) round the flowers. 16. The children (go) for school right now. 17. His father (grow) tomatoes in his garden every summer. 18. I (never come) across such a big snake in my life. What about you? 19. Mina is not going to eat lunch with us today. She (eat already). 20. By Saturday next week, I (work) on this painting for exactly one month. 5Test Yourself Supply the correct tenses and write the correct verb forms: 1. I (not meet) Anita yet. I’ll meet her tomorrow. 2. Anu (walk) to school every day. 3. At 8 pm tonight, Sita (wash) the dishes. 4. At this time tomorrow, they (study) at the library. 5. Biva (wait) for two hours when his uncle finally arrived. 6. By 2020, she (live) in Canada for ten years. 7. Mina usually (go) to school by bus, but now she (go) to school by train. 8. I (look for) my diary for two hours when I found it under the bed. 9. The policeman (catch) the thief red-handed last week. 10. Riya and her mother (go) shopping last weekend. 11. The programme (cost) more than fifty thousand rupees since it started. 12. When I got home, he (already/leave). So I didn’t see him. 13. They usually (finish) school at 4 o’clock. 14. We usually go to India on a holiday, but this year we (go) to China. 15. What you (do) now? 16. I (read) an article in the Kantipur now. 17. By the time I finish this course, I (take) three term exams. 18. By the time we arrive, everybody (go). 19. I (wait) for you at the bus stop when your bus arrives. 20. I (walk) along the street one day when I saw something strange. Book 9 87

6Test Yourself Supply the correct tenses and write the correct verb forms: 1. By the year 2020, the population of every country (grow) substantially. 2. (you /ever/be) to Lumbini? 3. By six o’clock, the sun (set). 4. We (not finish) our project work yet. 5. They (talk) for over an hour by the time Tina arrives. 6. We (finish) five lessons of the book by the time this course is over next month. 7. They (play) football for two hours. They are still playing. 8. Yesterday at a quarter past two, my sister (listen) to music. 9 We have only been to the lake once since we (move) to Pokhara last year. 10. When he finally reaches Dharan, Manish (drive) for 10 hours. 11. They were very tired in the evening because they (help) on the farm all day. 12. Where (be) you last night? 13. They (usually / write) in blue ink. 14. I’m sorry. I cannot walk anymore. I (walk) for an hour. 15. This dog (bite) the beggar yesterday. 16. We (paint) this wall a couple of weeks ago. 17. By the time you return, I (wait) here for 3 days. 18. When they visit here, they (find) the place worth visiting. 19. While they (have) a picnic, it started to rain. 20. Yesterday at ten to four, she (read) a book. 21. We (work) together for a long time now. 22. By the time we meet again, we (move) to a new area. 23. You can’t use my laptop at the moment because my brother (use) it. 24. When I was in Kathmandu, I (play) football every day. 25. When the earthquake occurred, most people (sleep). 26. When you get this message, I (leave) for Singapore. 27. In the future, I am sure people (live) on the moon! 28. A: ……………… (you/meet) your neighbour last night? B: No, but I …………. (just come) from his house. He’s in bed. He …………. (be) very ill for the last three days, actually. 29. Last week I………………............... (wait) for my friend inside the bank when suddenly the door…………….. (open) with a bang. A man wearing a black mask and carrying a gun……………..(come) in. He………….. (go) to the counter and…………… (shout) “Hands up! Give me the money or I’ll shoot.” The cashier was very frightened and …………… (give) him some money. The masked man stuffed the money into his jacket pocket and ran out. His friend ……………… (wait) for him outside with a motorbike. The bank manager…………. (call) the police but it was too late. Before the police came, the thief………… (already/escape). Book 9 88

7Test Yourself Supply the correct tenses and write the correct verb forms: 1. I promise you that I.........................your secret to anybody. (not tell) 2. We.........................our holidays by the sea this winter. (spend) 3. Binay ..........never............a competition in his life, but he always tries hard. (win) 4. By the next year, they.........................with us for two years. (work) 5. David is a good friend of mine. I.........................him since I was six years old. (know) 6. From time to time my family...................for a picnic in the forest. (go) 7. Where......................... (you/sit) when the show......................... (begin)? 8. Where’s the magazine I gave you? What....................you..................with it? (do) 9. Suraj..........................in the rain for four hours. (walk) 10. Yesterday I ................... a terrific talk show from 11:00 pm to 12:00 am. (watch) 11. Where.........................you usually......................... for your holidays? (go) 12. She .........................anything tomorrow. (not do) 13. Please be quiet. I .........................to the radio. (listen) 14. Atul ......................... very fast when the car crashed. (drive) 15. Pollution in the Kathmandu valley......................... day by day. (increase) 16. My friend.........................me tonight. (meet) 17. “Where is John?” “He ......................... his car in the garage.” (repair) 18. My brother Tony.........................on an excursion twice before. (go) 19. Tina .........................all pages of the report by 10 o’clock yesterday. (type) 20. This is the first time I......................... in a jumbo jet. (fly) 21. I ......................... old movies and listened to music yesterday. (watch) 22. Where have you been? I.........................for you since 3 o’clock! (wait) 23. I’ll show you my new camera or.................................. (you/already/see) it? 24. This month Tom ......................... for his exams. (revise) 25. Thomas and his friends .........................TV for two weeks. (not watch) 26. Some people never.........................the truth. (tell) 27. The police.........................the criminal last month. (catch) 28. Sunita is my best friend. I.........................her for five years. (know) 29. She.........................the SEE exam in three years. (pass) 30. Tomorrow after school, I.........................to the zoo. (go) 8Test Yourself Supply the correct tenses and write the correct verb forms: 1 Mina: Hello Sony, what……………. (you/do) these days? Sony: Nothing much. I………………. (learn) how to dance in a dancing v Mina: Me? I…………………. (learn) computer. My uncle is teaching me. Book 9 89

Sony: What…………………………………. (your uncle/do)? Mina: He’s a computer engineer. 2 Kumar: What are these people doing here? What………………. (happen)? Pemba: There……… (be) an accident. Kumar: An accident? What……………….. (happen) exactly? Pemba: A cat…………………….. (run) across the road in front of a car. The driver (try) to apply the brake and…………………(hit) the tree on the side of the road. Kumar: When……………….(it happen)? Pemba: About ten minutes ago. Kumar: Is there any injury? Pemba: Yes, the driver is injured. He……………(get) some cuts and bruises. Kumar: Have the police come? Pemba: No, they ……………………(not arrive) yet. 3 Amina: Would you like to come to watch a movie this weekend? Deepa: I’d like to, but I’m afraid I…………….……(not/have) time. Amina: Why? What…………………..(you/do)? Deepa: Well, my uncle is arriving from Kathmandu on Friday after a long time. He …………… (stay) with us for a week. We are going to make a lot of fun. Amina: What are you going to do? Deepa: We …………………..(have) a big party to celebrate. Amina: Will he not be too tired for a party after his long journey? Deepa: Yes and no doubt he…………..(have) no proper food during the journey. So, on Friday he can take it easy. But on Saturday, all the family…………… (come) on a picnic. I ……………. (prepare) things all day on Saturday. On Sunday onwards, we ……………….(visit) our relatives. By the end of the next weekend, we…………………….. (visit) more than ten relatives. Amina: Sounds good! Good luck! Deepa: Thanks. Book 9 90

If Sentence Read the conversation and act it out. A : Good afternoon. B : Good afternoon. May I help you? A : It’s my friend’s birthday next week. I want to give him a nice gift. Would you suggest a good one? B : Of course. Em, if your friend is fond of music, buy him a nice guitar. Well, if you buy this guitar for him, he’ll be very happy. A : Actually I gifted him the same guitar on his last birthday but he didn’t like it much. It’s because he had already got a better guitar than that. B : Oh, really! A : Then I realized I should have asked my friend about what he would like to have. If I had asked my friend, I wouldn’t have done that mistake. B : If I were you, I would call my friend. A : Oh, I did. He’s gone to India and he’ll come back only on the day of his birthday. If only he were here, I would surely try to know about his interest. B : Why don’t you buy this flute for him? I’m sure he doesn’t have this kind of flute because it’s new in the market. And if he doesn’t like this flute, you may return it and exchange with a musical instrument that he likes. A : That’s a good idea. Now underline the sentences with if in the above conversation. And then separate the sentences as shown in the example. If clause Main clause if your friend is fond of music, buy him a nice guitar. The above sentences are called conditional sentences or if sentences. Generally conditional clauses contain if, unless or provided that. M A conditional sentence expresses the idea that the action in the main clause (the result clause) can only happen when a certain condition (the clause that begins with if) is fulfilled. The if clause states the condition, and the main clause states the result. Book 9 91

Grammar Practice: Read the examples and underline the main clauses in the following sentences. If you go to Pokhara, you’ll have a wonderful time. if clause main clause You’ll have a wonderful time if you go to Pokhara. main clause if clause a. Anup will dance if we request him. b. He would have danced if we had requested him. c. If you heat water, it boils. d. I wouldn’t have phoned him unless you’d suggested it. e. Ice floats if you drop it in water. f. If he meets me, I will help him. g. Mohan would visit this place if his parents allowed him. h. If they invited me, I could come. i. If you wake up before me, give me a call. j. Press the button if you want a receipt. k. If we had caught the first bus, we’d have arrived on time. Now study the examples and group the above sentences in the correct columns. simple present, imperatives If you want to pass the test, work hard. simple present, simple If you hit ice, it melts. present simple present, will//shall/can/ If I have enough money, I will buy a new dress. may +v1 simple past, would//could/ If I were hungry, I would eat a sandwich. might + v1 past perfect, would//could/ If he had met me, I would have helped him. might + have+ v3 Book 9 92

GRAMMAR STUDY: Structures of Conditional Sentences Real Conditionals in the Future Real conditions express situations that can happen in the present or future. They are often used when stating facts, general knowledge, habits, predictions, advice, or instructions. simple present + simple present If you heat water, it boils. factual If you freeze water, it becomes a solid. Plants die if they don’t get enough water. simple present + imperatives instruction for If it rains, stay inside. the future If the phone rings, please answer it. If the baby is hungry, give him some food. If the dog is angry, don’t go near it. simple present + (subject + should + v1 + …..) advice/ If you have time, you should visit this place. suggestion/ If you want to pass the test, you should study hard. warning for You should not go outside if you want me to buy a new dress. the future If you behave like this, I am going to call your parents. If you want to pass the exam, you have to work hard. simple present + (subject + shall/will/may/can + v1 +...) If I miss the bus, I will take a taxi. certainty/ If it snows a lot tonight, they will call off school tomorrow. prediction If the weather is fine next week, I may go for a picnic. for the If she works hard, she can pass the test. future I shall help you if you do your work properly. Common Errors Explanation 1. If it will rain tonight, I will call you Do not use ‘will’ or ‘be going’ to in the for a ride home. if clause. If it rains tonight, I will call you for Do not use a comma after the result a ride home. clause. Use a comma after the if clause. 2. Tornadoes can cause severe damage to a building, if they touch down. Tornadoes can cause severe damage to a building if they touch down. Book 9 93

Unreal Conditionals in the Present or Future Unreal conditions in the present or future express situations that are untrue, not possible, or imaginary in the present and that probably will not happen in the future. Although it is possible that the situation could change and become true in the future, it probably will not. structures and examples meaning instruction for the future simple past + would/could/might + v1 I’m not you. (present) If he worked hard, he could pass the exam. A hurricane will probably not hit If I were you, I would plan the picnic for the town. (future) Saturday. She has not joined a school club yet. (future) If a hurricane hit the town, it would destroy everything. If she joined a school club, she might not feel so lonely. Common Errors Explanation Use the past tense for unreal conditions 1. If I know the answer right now, I in the present. would tell you. Use were instead of was for the verb If I knew the answer right now, I ‘be’ for all persons, singular and plural, would tell you. in unreal conditions in the present or future. Was is used only in very informal 2. If I was you, I would memorize this language. rule about unreal conditions. 2. If I were you, I would memorize this rule about unreal conditions. Some examples: If the weather wasn’t so bad, we would go to the park. I would visit her if I had time. If I were a plant, I would love the rain. If I knew where she lived, I would go and see her. Would he go to the concert if I gave him a ticket? They wouldn’t invite her if they didn’t like her. We would be able to buy a larger house if we had more money. What would you do if I gave you five lakh rupees? If they did not come here, I would find some other people to do my work. If she had enough time, she would visit this park. Would you work for him provided that he gave you enough money? Book 9 94

Unreal Conditionals in the Past Unreal conditions in the past express situations that did not happen. Consequently, it is impossible for the results of the situations to happen. Unreal conditions in the past are often used to express a regret about the situation. structures and examples meaning past perfect + would have/could have/might He didn’t save money, so he was not have + v3 +…. able to buy a house. If he had saved more money, he would have bought a house. If she had been on time, she would not have She wasn’t on time, so she missed the missed the bus. bus. If it hadn’t rained so hard, it would have It rained hard, so it was not a perfect been a perfect day. day. I could have gotten the job if I had sent my I didn’t get the job because I didn’t resume on time. send my resume on time. He might have won the tournament if he had He didn’t win the tournament trained harder and more often because he didn’t train hard or often. Common Errors Explanation 1. If I studied more last night, I could The conditional sentence is talking about have done better on this morning’s an unreal past event. Do not use simple test. past tense. Instead, you must use past If I had studied more last night, perfect tense. I could have done better on this morning’s test. 2. If he’d had more time, he’d have Do not get confsed by the contracted ’d taken up a new sport. form used with conditionals. The ’d can be either had or would. he’d had = he had had he’d have taken up = he would have taken up Some examples: If they had invited me, I could have come. If she’d taken the medicine, she’d have felt much better sooner. If she had studied for exams, she would have got better grades. If you hadn’t come to Kathmandu, where would you have studied? If you hadn’t done your homework, what would your teacher have said to you? If you had passed that exam, what would you have done to celebrate? Would you have finished if you had had more time? Book 9 95

Inverted Conditionals It is possible to make unreal conditional statements about the present, future, or past without using if. These conditional statements, used only with to be, should, and past perfect tense, are called inverted conditionals because the subject and verb are inverted. Notice that if is omitted in these inverted conditionals. Without If With If Were he here, he would lead the If he were here, he would lead the discussion skillfully. discussion skillfully. (present) Had they known about the fundraiser, If they had known about the fundraiser, they would have made a donation. they would have made a donation. (past) Had I not played so badly, I could have If I had not played so badly, I could have won that match this afternoon! won that match this afternoon! (past) Common Errors Explanation 1. If had I studied more, OR If I had If you invert the subject and verb, you studied more, I would have gotten a must omit if. higher score on the test. Had I studied more, OR If I had studied more, I would have gotten a higher score on the test. 2. Worked I at two jobs, I'd have a much Use the inversion structure only with better salary. to be, should, or past perfect. If I worked at two jobs, I’d have a much better salary. Grammar Practice: Study the examples and change the following sentences in a similar way. 1. If he (work) hard, he (pass) the exam. If he works hard, he will pass the exam. If he worked hard, he would pass the exam. If he had worked hard, he would have passed the exam. 2. If I (be) you, I (take up) karate. 3. If he (change) his job, he (be) happier. 4. If she (go) to the store, she (buy) an ice-cream. 5. If she (want) my help, she (call) me. 6. If I (have) enough money, I (go) to Japan. 7. If I (not move) to China, I (not have) Chinese. 8. If I (know) about the party, I (go). 9. If you (go) to the party, you (meet) him. 10. You (catch) a cold if you (not wear) a jacket. Book 9 96

1Test Yourself Write the correct forms of the verbs: 1. If the weather ………………… suddenly, I get a headache. (change) 2. If it…………………., don’t open the windows. (rain) 3. If you …………………any help, meet me tomorrow. (need) 4. If he …………………..me, I would help him. (meet) 5. If I were a bird, I ………………..high in the sky. (fly) 6. Unless he ………………..very ill, he would be at work. (be) 7. If I were you, I …………………..that. (not do) 8. If she ……………for exams, she would get better grades. (study) 9. If we recycled these cans, we ……………… rubbish. (reduce) 10. My grandfather wouldn’t be happy if he ……………… in a city. (live) 11. If you ……………… a pencil, the drawing would be perfect. (use) 12. They ………………if nobody had reminded them. (forget) 13. Reeta ……………… better marks if she improved her grammar. (get) 14. If you dive into this river, you ……………… yourself. (hurt) 15. If we ………………the town map, we would not have got lost. (use) 16. If she goes to the birthday party, she ……….. a present. (take) 17. I ………….. the doctor if my stomach still hurts tomorrow. (call) 18. She will do the exercise again if she …………. a lot of mistakes. (make) 19. If they practice a lot, they …………….. the game. (win) 20. I will take my umbrella if it …………….. tomorrow. (rain) 2Test Yourself Write the correct forms of the verbs: 1. Kailash would arrive safe if he ……………… slowly. (drive) 2. Kunal ……………… you if you whisper. (not understand) 3. Lisa would find the milk if she ………………in the fridge. (look) 4. Mandira ……………… me if she could. (help) 5. If you ……………… a camera, what would you do? (not have) 6. Metal ………………if you heat it. (expand) 7. If you wear sandals in the mountains, you ………………on the rocks. (slip) 8. Would you have finished if you ………………. more time? (have) 9. If I were you, I ……………….. to that place. The food is terrible. (not/go) 10. She comes at work today if she ……………… such a bad headache. (not/have) 11. I would buy a new car if I ………………… more money. (have) 12. If he ……………. his homework everyday, he would get better marks. (do) 13. If our parents were here, they …………………. us what to do. (tell) Book 9 97

14. It’s Monday today, but if it was Saturday, I ……………. for a picnic. (go) 15. If he didn’t go to bed so late every night, he ………………..so tired every day. (not/be) 16. She will marry him if he ………….. her. (ask) 17. If we go out tonight, we ………….. the door. (lock) 18. I will make a sandwich if I …………. hungry. (be) 19. If Robert went to bed late, he…………………(sleep in). 20. If he …………..…….., he would miss his bus. (sleep in) 3Test Yourself Match the first part of the sentence on the left with the correct ending on the right: 1. If you eat too much candy, ...the teacher will keep you in after class. 2. If you don’t study, ...I won’t let you have any dessert. 3. You will have bad dreams ...I will buy you a treat. 4. If you eat lots of vegetables, ...You will be healthy. 5. You will burn yourself ...you will play beautifully. 6. If you are late for school, ...you will fail your exam. 7. If you practise the piano every night, ...your teeth will hurt. 8. If you don’t finish your dinner, ...if you watch a scary movie before bed. 9. If you behave nicely, ...if you play with matches. 4Test Yourself Complete the following sentences using your own words: 1. If you don’t water the plants, ________________________________________. 2. If you wash your wool clothes in hot water, _____________________________. 3. If you eat too many sweets, ____________________________________. 4. If you don’t wear sunscreen, ______________________________________ . 5. I will read you a bedtime story if _________________________________ _. 6. You will be punished if ________________________________________. 7. If you drive too fast, _____________________________. 8. You’ll be tired in the morning if __________________________________. Book 9 98

5Test Yourself Choose the correct answer: 1. Had he come in time, he………………the bus. (will catch, would catch, would have caught) 2. My students ………………me by any means if I had asked them. (help, would help, would have helped) 3. Nitu would have written the letter if she ………………how to write. (know, knew, had known) 4. If I had laid down on the sofa, I ……………… fallen asleep. (will have, would have, have had) 5. If Kiran did not print the document, I ………………correct it. (will not, would not, do not) 6. I will be very angry with Pukar if he ………………my camera again. (forgot, forgets, had forgotten) 7. If Goma ……………… the meal, I would not come for dinner. (prepare, prepared, had prepared) 8. If you go boating, you………………a life-jacket. (will need, would need, would have needed) 9. If he ……………… his own vegetables, he wouldn’t have to buy them. (grow, grew, had grown) 10. ………….............................……us if we requested? (Will you help, Would you have helped, Would you help) 11. If the phone rings, I………………them. (will answer, would answer, would have answered) 12. If the sun shines, the children ………………outside. (will play, would play, would have played) 13. If I ………………Atul today, I will phone him this evening. (don’t see, didn’t see, wouldn’t see) 14. If you ……………… this dress at the party, the guests will laugh at you. (wear, wore, had worn) 15. Provided that you were the minister, what ………………you do? (will, would have, would) 16. If I go to Janakpur, I………………the Janaki Temple. (will visit, would visit, would have visited) 17. If the boys win this match, their coach ……………… a party. (will give, would give, would have given) 18. If I do not feel well tomorrow, I……………… at home. (will stay, would stay, would have stayed) 19. If I have time, I………………the library today. (will visit, would visit, would have visited) 20. If she finds my dictionary, she ……………… it back to me. (give, will give, would give) Book 9 99

6Test Yourself Choose the correct answer: 1. If she had realized the red traffic light, she ……………… stopped. (will have, would have, had) 2. I ………………you an ice-cream if you help me with this packing. (would buy, shall buy, bought) 3. If Susan ……………… harder, she would be better at school. (study, studied, had studied) 4. If you are my real friend, you …………help me in trouble. (had to, would, must) 5. If he had a problem, he………………me about it. (would tell, would be told, would have told) 6. If the teacher had explained the homework, I ……………… it. (will have done, would have done, had done) 7. If the weather had been nice, they ………………football. (will have played, would have played, had played) 8. If there was a good programme on TV tonight, we………………out. (won’t go, wouldn’t go, didn’t go) 9. If you ………………, you will not catch the bus. (do not hurry, did not hurry, will not hurry) 10. If she had two hundred more, she ………………herself this T-shirt. (will buy, would buy, would have bought) 11. If Suman ………………Mona, he would not buy her an ice-cream. (did not like, do not like, had not liked) 12. If she did not bully her classmates, she………………more friends. (will have, would have, had) 13. If she tidies up her room, she ……………… the receipt. (may find, had found, would have found) 14. Radha would have been happy if Krishna………………the flute. (plays, played, had played) 15. If my parents had not been so tired, they ……………… watched the film on TV. (will have, would have, had) 16. If the police ……………… earlier, they would have arrested the burglar. (come, came, had come) 17. If I had not switched off the radio, I ………………about the accident. (would have known, will have known, knew) 16. I could have found more mistakes if I ……………… the essay again. (read, will read, had read) 18. His father ………………longer in Pokhara if he had more time. (would stay, will stay, would have stayed) 19. The zookeeper would have punished her with a fine if she ………………the animals. (fed, had fed, had feed) 20. I will lend you my camera if you ……………… to be careful with it. (promise, had promised, promised) Book 9 100