HKU School of Professional and continuing Education xx

Active Grammar 1
End-of-course test (90 minutes)

Part 1 - Present tenses  (15 marks)

Choose the correct form of the present simple or present continuous tense for each of the gaps

I usually (1)__________(work) in our Central office but this week I (2)_________________(work) in the Wan Chai office 
as the Central office is being redecorated.

More and more people (3)_________________ (buy) retirement homes in China as it (4)_________________(get) too expensive in Hong Kong.

I (5)__________________ (hate) my sister! She (6)______________(always/ take) my clothes without asking.

She doesn't usually (7)___________________(go) out on Saturdays but this Saturday she (8)_____________(meet) some friends for dinner.

In addition to this course, I (9)___________ (take) a part-time course in Japanese. It (10)_____________ (finish) in September.

The company I work for (11)_______________ (build) roads. 
At the moment we (12)__________________ (build) an expressway in the north of China.

She can't come to the phone as she (13)_________________(have) a bath.

This soup (14)________________(taste) delicious. 

You look very serious. What (15)_________________(you / think) about? 

Part 2 - Past simple, past continuous and past perfect (15 marks)

Read the story below. Underline the verb which is the correct choice in each of the bold sections. The first one, happened, has been done for you as an example.

Last summer, an unusual thing happened / was happening / had happened to me and my girlfriend, Angie, while we were on holiday in England. It was a Sunday morning and I (1) sat / was sitting / had sat in the coffee shop of the hotel where we (2) stayed / were staying / had stayed. While I was drinking my coffee, I suddenly (3) saw / was seeing / had seen someone who I (4) thought / was thinking / had thought I recognized. However, I wasn’t sure because I could only see the back of her head. At the time, she (5) talked / was talking / had talked to the receptionist.

I (6) finished / was finished / had finished my coffee, (7) paid / was paying / had paid the bill and (8) walked / was walking / had walked towards her. I (9) wanted / was wanting / had wanted to find out if it really was my old friend, Ruth. Just as I got to the reception desk, she (10) turned / was turning / had turned her head and straightaway I knew it was Ruth! We had been at university together.

“Hello,” she said. “What are you doing here?”

I said Angie and I were taking a short holiday in London. Then I (11) explained / was explaining / had explained why Angie wasn’t with me. She (12) went / was going / had gone off the day before to visit some friends in Oxford, but I had decided not to go with her because I wanted to spend time in the bookshops in London.  

We arranged to meet for a drink in a pub two days later, by which time Angie would be back in London. On Tuesday, Angie and I arrived at the pub at about 7:30. As soon as Ruth (13) came / was coming / had come into the pub a few minutes later, the two women (14) recognized / were recognizing / had recognized each other immediately. This is the strange thing. Ruth wasn’t just my old friend. She and Angie (15) met / were meeting / had met twenty three years before in Primary School. 
Part 3 - Conditional sentences (10 marks)

Choose the correct alternative to complete each sentence.

1 - If I were you, (a) I look for a new job.
                             (b) I will look for a new job.
                             (c) I would look for a new job.

2 - As soon as I finish work tomorrow, (a) I phone you.
                                                                (b) I will phone you.
                                                                (c) I would phone you.

3 - I always pay my bills (a) as soon as I receive them.
                                         (b) as soon as I received them.
                                         (c) as soon as I will receive them.  

4 - What do you think Suzie will say (a) if I ask her to marry me?
                                                            (b) if I will ask her to marry me?
                                                            (c) if I asked her to marry me?  

5 - What would you do (a) if you lose your ID card?
                                       (b) if you are losing your ID card?
                                       (c) if you lost your ID card?

6 - I can’t sleep (a) if I drink too much coffee.
                           (b) if I drank too much coffee.
                           (c) if I drunk too much coffee.

7 - If I lived in Australia, (a) I need a car.
                                          (b) I will need a car.
                                          (c) I would need a car.

8 - If I see Maggie this weekend, (a) I tell her you want to speak to her.
                                                       (b) I will tell her you want to speak to her.
                                                       (c) I would tell her you want to speak to her.

9 - If you want, (a) I cook dinner tonight.
                          (b) I will cook dinner tonight.
                          (c) I would cook dinner tonight.

10 - I wouldn’t travel to London (a) if I will want to have a cheap holiday.
                                                      (b) if I want to have a cheap holiday.
                                                      (c) if I wanted to have a cheap holiday. 

Part 4 - Present perfect and past simple (15 marks)

Underline the verb which you think is correct in each of the bold sections.

Dear Daisy,

Great to hear from you. I'm sorry I (1) did not write / have not written for ages, but I (2) was / have been busy studying for my exams which start next week.

I'm delighted to hear that you (3) have passed / passed your accountancy exams. You must be really pleased. 

Let me bring you up to date with all the gossip here. I (4) didn't see / haven't seen Clara and Doris since we (5) have had / had dinner together at Christmas. However, I heard that Clara (6) has changed / changed her job but I don't know any more than that. 

I (7) have seen / saw Hoppy Kwok in the shopping centre the othe day and guess what?  She (8) has told / told me she (9) was / has been married!  In fact she's (10) got married / been married for six months now and seems very happy. 

I suppose you (11) heard / have heard the news about Gilbert Chau. He's (12) gone / been to South Africa to work for his uncle. He emailed the other day and invited me to visit.  I (13) have never been / never went there and have no idea what it's like. I (14) haven't written / didn't write back to him yet as I can't make up my mind whether to go or not.  Have you (15) ever gone/ever been there? Let me know if you have. 

Anyway, I must go as I have to finish revising

Write again soon,

Love

BoBo

Part 5 - Future verb forms (15 marks)

Read this conversation between two friends and then put the verbs in brackets into an appropriate future form. The first one has been done for you as an example.

Paul : Hi, Annie. What __are__ you __doing__ (do) this weekend?
Annie : I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it. Maybe I (1)_______________ (go) to the cinema.
Paul : Well, Jessie and Kimmy and me (2)_______________ (watch) Spiderman 6 on Saturday evening. We haven’t bought the tickets yet. Would you like to come with us? 
Annie : Yes, that sounds great. What time (3)______ you _______________ (meet) them?
Paul : At about six in the IFC. The film (4)_______________ (start) at seven thirty.
Annie : I’d love to come, but I (5)_______________ (not/be) able to meet you until about half past six. I (6)_______________ (work) on Saturday until six.
Paul : Oh, okay. Where shall we meet you you, then?
Annie : How about in Pacific Coffee at about six thirty?
Paul : Okay, we (7)_______________ (wait) for you there.
Annie : Great. (8)______ we _______________ (buy) the tickets on Saturday evening?
Paul : No, Jessie (9)_______________ (get) them on the Internet so that we can choose good seats.
Annie : That’s a good idea. How do feel about going for a meal after the film?
Paul : That sounds good. I (10)_______________ (phone) Jessie and suggest it to her. But I don’t think Kimmy (11)_______________ (have) dinner with us. She (12)_______________ (meet) her boyfriend at ten o’clock.
Annie : Oh, okay. How’s your course going by the way?
Paul : Very well, I think. It (13)_______________ (finish) next Thursday.
Annie : Do you think you (14)_______________ (get) a distinction in your final exam?
Paul : I don’t know. I hope so. I (15)_______________ (let) you know when I get my results.
Annie : Well, good luck. Anyway, see you on Saturday. Bye.
Paul : Bye, Annie.

Part 6  - Passive and active  (10 marks)

Read the passage about the MTR and write the verbs in brackets in a suitable tense. Use the passive voice where you think it is necessary.

Hong Kong's main mass transit railway system, the MTR, (1) ___________ (operate) by MTR Corporation Limited and (2) _________(carry) over two million passengers every day.  

The main part of the system (3) __________ (construct) in the 1970s.  The first line was openend in 1979 and (4)___________(become) immediately popular with Hong Kong people. As a result, more lines (5)___________________(build) since then. The system currently  (6) _______________ (include) 53 stations and 91 kilometers of track.

There is a continuous programme of improvements. New entrances to the stations are currently (7)_______________(build)  and sliding doors between the platforms and the trains (8)_______________(recently / install) in all stations to improve safety.

Projects to build new lines - The West Island Line and the South Island Line - (9)________________(approve) by the government in June 2006. Work on these lines is expected to begin soon and (10)______________ (complete) by 2012.