Answers and explanations for

Intermediate grammar review

1. I was watching TV when the telephone rang.

Use the past continuous to express an interrupted action in the past

2. I'm afraid I'm not hungry. I've already eaten lunch.

Use "already" in positive sentences to express something done recently. Use "yet" in the question and negative forms.

3. My mother let me stay out late when I was a child.

With the verbs "let, make and help" we use the following structure: S + let, make or help + object + verb without to For other verbs that take this structure we use: S + verb + object + verb with to - for example: She asked me to help her.

4. Would you like some chicken?

We usually use "any" in the question form except when offering or requesting something which is present - in this case we use "some"

5. He has few friends in Chicago.

We use "few" in a negative sense.

6. She had finished lunch by the time we arrived.

Use the past perfect - had + participle - to express an action finished before another action in the past.

7. What shall we do tonight? How about seeing a film?

Always use the gerund when the verb is the object of a preposition.

8. Have you ever gone to Hollywood?
Use the present perfect to inquire about life experiences.

9. Have you finished your homework yet?

Use "already" in positive sentences to express something done recently. Use "yet" in the question and negative forms.

10. Jack is really interested in history, especially Japanese history.

The correct usage of this passive infinitive is "to be interested in".

11. These images were photographed by an artist named Phil Thomsen.

This is the correct usage of the past passive voice. The passive voice is formed: Passive Subject + to be (conjugated) + participle

12. If I were you, I would wait a while to begin investing.

Use "were" in the second conditional if clause for all subjects.

13. He'll give you a call as soon as he arrives.

In a future time clause use the present simple - the construction is the same as for the first conditional.

14. He found his watch among the papers on his desk.

Use the preposition "among" to mean "in the middle of many" and "between" to mean "in the middle of two".

15. Would you mind giving me a hand?

The verb "to mind" is followed by the gerund.

16. I think San Francisco is as exciting as New York.

Use "as ... as" to express comparative equality.

17. If she had known that he was coming, she would have prepared the guest room.

Use the past perfect in the if clause of conditional 3 sentences that concern the past.

18. She told me she wanted to come.

Use "to tell" with an object, use "to say" without an object.

19. What do you have to do at work?

Use the modal "have to" to express everyday responsibilities and obligations. "Must" is used for strong personal obligation.

20. I wonder if the letter has arrived yet.

Indirect questions require the question phrase be put into regular statement order. Direct questions are inverted. Indirect questions begin with phrases such as "Do you know if..., Would you mind if..., Do you think that..."

21. Do you really want to put off that meeting until tomorrow?

The phrasal verb "to put off" means "to postpone".

22. I'm hungry! Just a moment, I'll make you a sandwich.

Use the future with "will" for spontaneous reactions - or decisions made at the moment of speaking.

23. Unless he comes, we won't have much to talk about.

Use "unless" to mean "if not" in the first conditional.

24. Oh, look at those clouds! It's going to rain.

Use the future with "going to" to make predictions about an event about to happen based on physical evidence that you can see. Use "will" to make future predictions for events that are farther in the future i.e. "It will rain tomorrow."

25. How is he? - Frank? He's fine.

"How is he?" is the standard "How are you?" in the third person singular and asks about his general well-being.

26. Jack told her that he was going to come the next day.

In reported speech go one step back into the past and change the time signifier as well as the pronoun. The original sentence is: Jack told her, "I'm going to come tomorrow."

27. He will meet you in front of the station at seven o'clock sharp.

"in front of" is the correct prepositional phrase.

28. If you want to be healthy, you shouldn't smoke.

Use "should" or "shouldn't" as a modal verb to give advice.

29. He's bored by politics.

Remember to use the "-ed" form of the adjective to describe how people are affected. In this case, "bored by" is the only correct combination of adjective and preposition.

30. Where was Jack yesterday? - I don't know. He might have been seeing the doctor.

Use "might have + participle" for a past modal verb of probability. The other forms include "could have + participle - possibility, must have + participle - almost certain, can't have + participle - almost certain in a negative way".

31. Yes, that is the woman whose horse almost trampled her!

"whose" is the possessive relative pronoun referring to "the woman" in this case.

32. Would you like me to look after the children next week?

"look after" is a phrasal verb which means "to take care of".

33. I missed the train, so I had to take the next one.

Past obligation is always "had to". There is no "must" in the past.

34. Why are your hands so dirty? - Well, I have been working in the garden for the last two hours.

Use the present perfect continuous to state a recent continuous action in the past causing a present result

35. Let me explain! I didn't really want to eat all the cookies, I just couldn't help myself.

"Let" takes an object followed by a verb without "to".