6. Solved exercises

Icono IDevice Reading activity
Paco is sleeping in his bed. He feels very tired but, at the same time, he is looking forward to getting up in the morning in order to begin his visit in South Africa. At this very moment, he doesn't remember where he has planned to go tomorrow, but he doesn't care. In the morning he'll have a look at the agenda and he'll know where he has to go. Now, sleep overcomes him and he dreams. He tells us his dream:
By c3896. C. Commons

I am in a really big aeroplane with my friend Andrés. I don't like flying. In fact, I hate flying. I feel nervous whenever I have to fly, do you remember? On the contrary, Andrés loves flying. He is more courageous than me and he isn't afraid of planes. However, on this occasion, I notice, in my dream, that we are both wearing parachutes. Something has happened and we are going to parachute. There is nobody else on the plane, just Andrés and me. I am getting more and more nervous and I feel like screaming. Andrés is trying to calm me down.

The door of the plane is open and we feel the wind rushing by. I see how Andrés is looking outside. I can only see clouds and the ground which is far, far below. We can barely see it. I am frightened, yet at the same time I feel I must get out there. I look at Andrés who is grinning from ear to ear. Andrés says, "Don't worry, Paco. It's very easy. Follow me." He crouches in the doorway and leaps out. I feel how I start to move nervously in the bed because I am falling through the sky. I can see Andrés below me and how his parachute opens up around him. However, mine does not open up. I continue falling and falling. The sweat is streaming off me. The ground is getting closer and closer. Suddenly, I close my eyes when I am about to crash into the ground... I wake up out of breath... A stream of sunlight is entering the room.


Read the passage paying special attention to the tenses used. Underline the verbs in the Present Simple and those in the Present Continuous. If you click below, you'll find out some expressions used in the passage.


As you can see, most of the verbs in the Present Simple are stative verbs. On the contrary, the verbs in the Present Continuous tense are dynamic verbs and are used to refer to actions happening at the moment of speaking. Remember that these are two of the main uses of these tenses in English.
Paco uses the Present Simple and the Present Continuous to narrate his dream because in this way the dream is closer to us.
Icono IDevice Writing activity
By Leo Reynolds. C. Commons

When using the Present Simple tense, we must take into account that most verbs add -(e)s to the third person singular (he, she, it). It is a common mistake not to add it. We encourage you not to forget the third person singular -s!


Imagine that you are narrating Paco's dream to a friend of yours. In order to do so, you need the third person singular. Rewrite the passage using the third person singular. Remember to use he, his, him in the place of I, my, me and their correspondent plural forms.


Icono IDevice Writing activity

It is also very important that you remember that in English the order of the words in the sentence is more fixed than in other languages. This makes English far easier than those languages in which the position of the words is less fixed. Remember:

 

Subject Verb (Indirect Object) (Direct Object) (How) (Where) (When)
Paco
 goes       to bed  
We
 are wearing   parachutes      

Draw a chart similar to the one above and fill in the correspondent boxes with the following sentences from the passage.

I am in a really big aeroplane / I am getting more and more nervous / I start to move nervously in the bed / I close my eyes / A stream of sunlight is entering the room



By Kevin Steele. C. Commons

By Torley. C. Commons
How about the interrogative and negative forms of both tenses? We must also master how to form negative statements and questions with all the verb tenses in English. In fact, up to now, one of the questions in the PAU (Pruebas de Acceso a la Universidad) has to do with grammar. Very frequently these questions are closely related to changing one or more sentences from the passage given into negative or affirmative statements or questions. Let's see an example:
Rewrite the following sentence in the interrogative form: I feel nervous whenever I have to fly.
Answer: Do I feel nervous whenever I have to fly?
Remember that to form questions and negatives in the Present Simple tense we use the verb to do (3rd. person singular does), except with modal verbs and the verb to be. E.g.: Does he feel nervous whenever he has to fly?, but, I can't stand planes.
Icono IDevice Exercise

Let's improve these changes. This will be very helpful and useful for your English.

 

Sentence
 Negative Interrogative
Andrés is more courageous than me
    
I notice we are both wearing parachutes
    
I can see Andrés below me
    
A stream of sunlight is entering the room
    
He crouches in the doorway and leaps out
    

 

How about the interrogative negative forms?

Short negative interrogative Long negative interrogative
...
 ...

As you can see, the long form of the negative interrogative sentences in English is far more difficult than the short forms. So, when using negative interrogatives, try to use short forms!


Fill in the chart rewriting the sentences as it corresponds.


Icono de iDevice Example activity

Another question in the PAU is, up to now, related to pronunciation. In it, you are asked to find out in the text two words which contain the same sound as a word which is provided. Normally, the sounds asked are long vowels, short vowels, diphthongs, and, more oddly, triphthongs.

Let's see and example and later we will briefly see how it works.


Find two words in the text containing vowels that are pronounced in the same way as i in big, ea in dreams, and y in fly. (Underline the part of the word that contain the sound).

To complete this exercise, it is essential that you recognize how the vowels in the examples given are pronounced. This is the reason why we will study the vowel sounds and the diphthongs more deeply in the following sections and units. Let's concentrate for a while on diphthongs and triphthongs.

Find as many words as you can in the text containing vowels that are pronounced in the same way as

o in moment
 ... ... ... ... ...
ea in ear
 ... ... ... ... ...
a in same
 ... ... ... ... ...
ou in South
 ... ... ... ... ...
i in time
 ... ... ... ... ...
a in care
 ... ... ... ... ...

(Underline the part of the word that contain the sound).

Don't you worry if you find it difficult now. When you get used to this exercise you'll find it easy and simple.


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