Time Travel with Verbs
Correct the error: "By next year, she will have been finish the report."
will have finished
Rewrite using subject raising: "It appears that the negotiations have collapsed."
The negotiations appear to have collapsed.
Fix the error: "She's owning three houses in London."
She owns three houses in London (permanent state, so simple present).
Insert the correct adverbs: "It's ______ certain that he'll resign" / "It's ______ impossible for him to win."
pretty/absolutely certain / absolutely/utterly impossible
Convert into an It-cleft emphasizing the time: "She discovered the error yesterday."
It was yesterday that she discovered the error.
Explain the difference: "I haven't been running" vs. "I haven't run."
The first denies an ongoing/recent activity (continuous, temporary focus); the second denies that the action ever happened (simple, complete event).
Give both valid negative versions: "It seems that he isn't trying very hard."
He doesn't seem to be trying very hard. / He seems not to be trying very hard.
Explain the difference: "He's selfish" vs. "He's being selfish."
The first describes a permanent character trait; the second describes temporary behavior right now.
Explain why one adjective allows subject-raising and the other doesn't: "It's bound to rain" vs. "It's impossible that he'll come."
"Bound" allows subject + to-infinitive ("He's bound to rain" pattern with real subjects); "impossible" only works with the It + be + adjective + that-clause pattern, not subject + to-infinitive.
Combine using a formal reason connector: "The results are inconclusive. We cannot draw firm conclusions."
Insofar as/Inasmuch as the results are inconclusive, we cannot draw firm conclusions.
Which category of verbs resists the perfect continuous even with duration, as in "I've known him for years" (not "I've been knowing him")?
State/stative verbs.
Rewrite using the correct infinitive form: "It turned out that they had been arguing for hours before we arrived."
They turned out to have been arguing for hours before we arrived.
Explain the nuance: "I'm reading that book you recommended."
Continuous aspect implies the reading is unfinished/in progress, unlike "I read that book," which implies completion.
Explain why "will" is acceptable here, despite normally being avoided in if-clauses: "If you will just listen for a moment, I'll explain everything."
It expresses willingness/a request, not a simple future prediction.
Identify and fix the error: "This is a very daily newspaper."
Classifying adjectives like "daily" can't normally be modified this way — correct version: "This is a daily newspaper."
Explain the difference: "My brother will leave the tap running" vs. "My brother WILL leave the tap running" (stressed).
The unstressed version is a simple prediction; stressing "will" turns it into a complaint about an annoying, repeated habit.
Fix the error: "She seems to being unhappy about the decision she made yesterday."
She seems to be unhappy about the decision she made yesterday.
Explain the shift in meaning: "I see what you mean" vs. "I'm seeing someone."
"I see" (stative) means understand; "I'm seeing" (dynamic) means dating someone.
Correct the error and name the conditional type: "If it's rain tomorrow, we cancel the picnic."
If it rains tomorrow, we'll cancel the picnic. — Likely future (first conditional).
Convert to a What-cleft, using a special substitute for "what": "Above all, he wanted peace of mind."
All he wanted was peace of mind.
Choose the correct form: "As a child, he ______ (be) terrified of thunderstorms and always ______ (hide) under the bed."
used to be / would hide
Raise the subject, preserving the past time reference: "It is believed that the suspect fled the country months ago."
The suspect is believed to have fled the country months ago.
Explain the function of continuous aspect: "The company's market share is gradually shrinking."
It emphasizes a gradual, ongoing change or trend, rather than a single completed event.
Each sentence uses the same "if + past simple" structure but means something different. Identify which type of conditional each one is:
a) "If she called him, he always answered straight away."
b) "If she called him right now, he would answer immediately."
c) "If she called him tomorrow, he would probably answer."
a) Real past (habitual past action)
b) Unreal present (hypothetical, contrary to the actual present situation)
c) Unlikely future (a possible but improbable future event)
Combine using an -ing reason clause, and explain how it differs from "for fear of"/"at the risk of": "He left the party early. He wanted to avoid an awkward conversation."
Wanting to avoid an awkward conversation, he left the party early. — This -ing clause states a general/actual reason for a past action, unlike "for fear of" or "at the risk of," which frame a possible negative outcome being risked.