A Workbook to Communicative Grammar of English (11 page)

(
Newsweek
, 19 July 1999, p. 58)

5.8. The progressive aspect

Sections 132–139

The progressive aspect refers to activity in progress and therefore suggests that the activity is of limited duration and that it need not be complete.
The verbs which typically take the progressive are verbs denoting activities or processes. With verbs denoting momentary events the progressive suggests repetition.

State verbs often cannot be used with the progressive at all and include verbs of perceiving, verbs referring to a state of mind or feeling, and verbs referring to a relationship or a state of being.

Verbs referring to an internal sensation can be used with either the progressive or the simple form with little difference of effect. Some state verbs can also refer to an active form of behaviour and be used with the progressive.

Task one **

Use the most appropriate simple or progressive form (present, past or perfect) of the verb in brackets.

1.
We (have) _______________ dinner last night when Alice (burst in) ________________ to tell us about her latest conquest.

2.
I (search) _______________ for the missing documents all day … and look: I (only find) _______________ this draft contract.

3.
(you still consider) ____________________ sacking your secretary or (you want) ____________________ to give her a second chance?

4.
When I (come in) _______________ a few minutes ago the two little boys (punch) ______________ each other in the face.

5.
More and more people (get) ______________ tired of the way the government (handle) _______________ the country’s economic problems these days.

6.
How (you normally react) __________________________________ when someone (call) _______________ you an incompetent teacher?

7.
What (you whisper) ____________________ into Amanda’s ear when I (see) ________________ you in that dark alley the other day?

8.
A: (you finish) ____________________ those two book reviews yet?
B: No, I (work) ______________ on various other things lately.

9.
Why (you complain) ____________________ about the food all the time? You (eat) _______________ five big meals today.

10.
After conquering Mount Everest the mountaineers (fast run) _______________ out of oxygen but fortunately a helicopter (come) _______________ to their rescue.

11.
We (send) _______________ an urgent message but (still wait) ____________________ for a response.

12.
The prison population (rise) _______________ by more than 2,000 in the five months since Mr Blunkett (take over) _______________ at the Home Office after three years during which it (stabilise) _______________ at around 66,000. (
The Guardian
, 15 November 2001, p. 12)

Task two **

Rewrite the following text, replacing the underlined parts by one of the state verbs listed below and making any other changes which are necessary.

Not many people
are acquainted with
the name of William Campbell, but I still
have a vivid memory of
reading his biography. The book
is divided into
five chapters,
in
the first of which
there are
a lot of anecdotes about William’s early years at Moorcock Manor. This
had been in the possession of
the Campbell family for centuries.

William
was
really
fond of
life in the open and at the age of 18
had the appearance of
a young country squire. However, as a result of some very risky investments, his father one day
was in debt to
the local bank
for
a huge amount of money. After the sale of vast tracts of land, little
was left
of the original estate.

It was clear to William
that his future
was
now
dependent
on his own resourcefulness. Fortunately, he
was like
the very first Campbell in many ways: he
had faith
in himself and
was
never
without
the resolve to do what the situation
made necessary
.

Task three **

Complete the following sentences, using both the simple and the progressive form of each of the verbs listed below at least once. Also pay attention to tense.

1.
We _______________ rumours about a possible coup for quite some time now.

2.
A: It’s hard to say what this cake _______________ like.

B: Well, I would say it _______________ like cardboard.

3.
Karen hadn’t been in the job long and (still) ________________ her way.

4.
I _______________ no reason why you _______________ such a nuisance again!

5.
The dog _______________ the lamppost and when I bent down I _______________ a half-eaten hamburger, which really _______________ awful.

6.
The chef _______________ the sauce when I entered the kitchen.

7.
I _______________ you _______________ no longer interested in buying a second home.

8.
Stop it, Billy, you _______________ very unpleasant to me. I really _______________ like throwing you out.

9.
Carol and David _______________ a lot of each other lately.

10.
When he slipped into the pantry Andy _______________ a piercing scream, followed by a thud. Seconds later he _______________ a droplet of sweat trickling down his neck.

5.9. Future time 1

Sections 140–146

There are five chief ways of expressing future time in the English verb phrase:

Some less common ways of expressing the future:
be to
+
infinitive, be about to
+
infinitive, be on the point of
+ -
ing form
.

Task one *

Identify the verb phrases referring to future time, specifying which of the above types of future meaning is involved.

1.
Alan tried to start the car and failed as she had failed. (…) Alan got out of the car.

“It’s not going to start,” he said. “I’ll drive you home and we’ll phone someone to see to your car.”

(from Barbara Vine,
The Brimstone Wedding
, p. 283)

2.
Her mother accepted the lie. She said:

“I shall be an embarrassing flat mate. How will you explain me to your friends?”

“We shan’t be seeing my friends. If we do run into them, I shall explain that you’re my mother.”

(from P.D. James,
Innocent Blood
, p. 85)

3.
It’s ten o’clock on a Friday morning, and Helen is about to celebrate her seventeenth wedding anniversary with a visit to the hairdresser’s. She and Daniel will, as usual, be going out tonight and she wants to look her best.

4.
Sagittarius: Encouraging news will reach you soon but not before you’ve been through a period of anxious anticipation. Don’t over-react to this week’s drama and it will soon pass.

5.
“Penny and I have lived with my parents since the divorce,” she said. “I left her with them this week as it was half-term but she’s starting at the village school tomorrow.”

Again I nodded. “What will she do when school finishes?”

Marietta smiled. “Mrs Jones in the village has offered to look after her.

I finish work at five, so we’re well organized.”

(3–4–5: from various issues of
Woman’s Weekly
)

Task two **

Complete the following sentences using the most appropriate form to express the future.

1.
Our neighbours’ silver wedding anniversary (be) ______________ on 1 April.

2.
(you stay) ____________________ here for another day, sir?

3.
If Barbara (not take) ____________________ her pills, she (get) _______________ very ill.

4.
I’ve had far too much whisky, I (throw up) _______________.

5.
I (see) _______________ a specialist tomorrow to discuss my backache.

6.
The Joneses (cruise) _______________ in the Mediterranean this time next week.

7.
We (win) _______________ this election: we are already 7 per cent ahead in the polls.

8.
The conference (begin) _______________ at 10 a.m. tomorrow.

9.
(you buy) _______________ a new video recorder after all?

10.
We (leave) _______________ for the States in a few hours and (probably return) _________________________________ at the end of summer.

11.
I hope this war (not last) _______________ too long, otherwise it (take) _______________ ages to rebuild the country.

12.
Stay away from that landmine! It (blow up) _______________ !

13.
Dan and Ruth (come) _______________ over for Christmas Eve, so we (be) ____________ able to tell them the great news at last.

14.
When the ship (enter) _______________ the harbour, you (see) _______________ the old customs house on your left.

15.
Politicians (complain) _______________ about the low turn-out again but they only have themselves to blame for it.

Task three **

Use an appropriate form of the verb in brackets to refer to future time in the following dialogue.

5.10. Future time 2

Sections 147–148

The ‘future in the past’ is the future seen from a viewpoint in the past. It is expressed by future constructions whose first verbal element is a past tense:

The ‘past in the future’ is expressed by
will
+
perfect infinitive
. In subordinate clauses it is often replaced by the ordinary
present perfect
.

Task **

Use one of the above constructions with the verb in brackets to express future in the past or past in the future as required by the context.

1.
If we don’t reach an agreement soon, all our efforts (be) __________________ in vain.

2.
We thought they (not cancel) __________________ the fireworks but in the end they did.

3.
Firefighters continued to work frantically and (rescue) __________________ two more trapped residents later that afternoon.