Prepositions

Modal Verbs

Question Tags

1. Fill in each space in the following sentences with the correct preposition.

1.      I was tired……… being an accountant – I needed a change.

2.      The Government have known………. the scandal for months.

3.      Why are you staring…………me like that?

4.      On Friday we had a nice long discussion…………the wording of the proposal.

5.      We’d like to discuss our contract with you and agree…………new terms, if possible.

6.      It’s hard to see the difference………….the center and the liberal party.

2. Fill the gaps with the correct preposition from the list below.

_Learning is fun

    A lot_____people in Britain really do think that learning is one of the best ways to spend theit spare time. Ask a friend________the cinema, and you will quite probably get the reply, "Sorry, that’s my judo evening”, or "I can’t go_______Thursday, I’ve got to finish my sculpture”.

     But where do they do these things?

     Almost every town________Britain has classes for adults, most of them held in the afternoons and evenings. Of course, the bigger the town the more classesit has and the greater the variety of subjects it can offer. Often the classes are held in the local schools, ______school hours. In London, there are more than thirty Adult Education Institutes; 260,500 students attend classes_________them – that’s more than 15 million student hours spent in class learning a craft, a skill, a language or a sport. The more classes you join, the less you pay_________ each one.

     For many office workers, their local institute is a place where they can do something active or creative after a day sitting________a desk. For some people it is almost like a club.

They make friends, have coffee together in the canteen and go ______outing together. Learning is only part of the fun!

      ________________________________________________________________

                 behind         to        for(2)           in         of          on          after           at

3. In each item below one or two options may be possible to complete the sentences. Underline those that are possible.

1. Might/ Can/ Would you mind lifting your feet for a moment while I hoover?
2. May/ Could/ Would you be so kind as to give me some advise?
3. Shall/ Will/ Can I carry that rather heavy-looking case for you?
4. Will/ Could/ Can you possibly come back a little later?
5. May/ Would/ Might you be willing to refund the money we have already paid you?
6. Do you think you will/ may/ could stand a little further away?

4. Complete the dialogues by filling in must, mustn’t, can, can’t, needn’t or have to.

1. A: Do I need to buy a ticket in advance?

      B: No, you ________ buy one there, if you like.

2. A: I haven’t eaten anything all day.

      B: Really? You ________ be starving.

3. A: Are you working late again tonight?

      B: Yes we ________ finish the project by the weekend.

4. A: Would you like me to cook dinner tonight?

      B: Oh you ________ do that. I’ll make something when I get back.

5. A: Have you seen this note I got from Alex? I ________read any of it.

      B: Oh, I know. His handwriting is awful, isn’t it?

6. A: So we’ll meet at the station at six o’clock.

      B: OK, fine. You ________ forget to call Adam to let him know what time we’re arriving.

7. A: It’s a shame we didn’t book that holiday, isn’t it?

      B: Yes, but there’s nothing we ________ do about it now, I’m afraid.

8. A: You look happy. What did the doctor say?

      B: Oh, he said my knee is much better and I ________ go back and see him again.

9. A: Do you think that’s Paul’s sister?

      B: No, it ________ be. He said she would be in Rome this week.

10. A: Is Jane home yet?

      B: No, she ________ still be at work. She said she would be late today.

5. Underline the correct modal verb, then explain its use.

1. Excuse me, will/could you tell me how to get to Oxford Street, please?
2. You needn’t/shouldn’t pick up the children from school, I’m leaving work  early today so I can do it.
3. The doctor said I can’t/mustn’t eat too much red meat.
4. He’s got a terrible toothache. He really should/could go to the dentist.
5. I mustn’t/might go out tonight, if I finish this project.
6. You must/ought to eat at least three pieces of fruit each day.
7. You mustn’t/ shouldn’t forget to pay the phone bill today.
8. You must/ought to wear a helmet when you ride a motorbike, it’s against the law not to.
9. You might/may borrow my new earrings, as long as you don’t lose them.
10. You shouldn’t/can’t have eaten so many sweets. No wonder you’ve got stomach ache!

6. Fill in needn’t have/didn’t need to and the correct form of the verb in brackets to complete the sentences.

1. Luckily I _____________ (do) all of the work again because I had a back up copy on disk.
2. It turned out that I ___________________(call) Jo because Ian had already told her the news.
3. I ____________________(buy)  more milk because Mum had already bought some.
4. She ___________________(dress) smartly for the party, so she wore her jeans.
5. John ___________________(go) into the bank, he could have closed his account over the phone.
6. They ___________________(walk) to the supermarket because Simon gave them a lift.

7. Fill in the correct question tags.

1. Let’s go for a walk, __________?
2. He rarely goes out on a week night, __________?
3. She lives near me, __________?
4. This is you newspaper, ___________?
5. You haven’t finished you homework, __________?
6. The children are very quiet today, __________?
7. He is a good cook, __________?
8. You haven’t got a CD player, __________?
9. Tony loves Italian food, __________?
10. You will come to the party, __________?

 8. Read the text. Make the literary translation of the text in writing.

Choice of a job

     Before taking a job, a young person should ask himself two simple questions: "What kind of work do I like?” and "What kind of work can I do well?” These questions are important for several reasons. First of all, we will spend most of our adult life working; and we should settle on a job in which we will be reasonably successful and happy. For if we are frustrated and discontented with our work, we will be irritable and annoyed not only with ourselves, but also with friends, associates, and family.

     Also, except for the few of you who will have independent incomes, your livelihood will depend on your job. The kind of job you take determine your standard of living, the things you will be able to afford beyond the mere necessities of life. Frequently one of the first questions we ask about another person is: ”What does he do? What is his job?”

     And a person’s job is most important to his self-concept, to the image he forms of himself. If he is successful in his work, he will be confident and self-assured.

     Our job, then, performs various complex functions in our lives and serves many different needs. Consequently, a person should consider and weigh all factors carefully down to a specific occupation. If possible, he should try a few different jobs in an effort to find one that will satisfy at least some of his needs.

     During our adolescence we have had a chance to discover some of our interests and to explore our abilities. We have found our own preferences and have learned what others expect of us. Many of us, perhaps, have already held part-time jobs during the school years or have worked full time during the summer vacations. And if these jobs have been varied, we have had a chance to discover some of the things we can or cannot do well and the sort of frustrations and satisfactions each job has to offer. Though all these influences and experiences we become oriented in the occupational field. By the time we reach the point where we must decide on a full-time job, we may not know exactly which job to choose but we may at least have eliminated those we feel would definitely not suit us.

 9.  Make up questions to each paragraph of the text.