Date answers alle seguenti domnde usando il simple past. Se volete, potete seguire le indicazioni date.

QUESTIONS	ANSWERS	NOTES ABOUT GRAMMAR, PHRASES, VOCAB...
When was the last time you went on holyday?	I was.....	Last... two, three....ago
Where did you go for your last holiday?	To....
Who did you go with?	I went with...	Some friends, my family, my partner..., alone
How did you get there?	By.........	By plane, by train, by car .....
How did you book the tickets?	I booked them at a travel agency/on the internet
How long did you stay?	I/we stayed there (for) a ....	Week, month, day...
Where did you stay?	I/we stayed in ...	In a hotel, at a campsite, in a country house...
What did you do?	We.....	Walked around/took photos.... went swimming, sunbathed.... We saw a museum, a famous place, a cathedral... During the day... At night... In the morning, afternoon/evening
What did you like about .............?	I liked.......... a lot because .....
Did you like the food?	Yes, it was delicious. No, (not much). It was horrible/awful
Did you buy anything?	Yes, I did... No, I didn't..	postcards, a mug, some shirts  ... for my ... We spent a lot of money. Everything was expensive/cheap
Did you have a good time?	Yes, I did... No, I didn't..	the weather was awful...
Did you have any problems?	Yes, I did... No, I didn't..	Lost our baggage, were robbed, lost the camera
Would you like to come back?	Yes, I would/No, I wouldn't. It's ...It was ...

 

Brighton in the rain

I’ve never been to Athens and I’ve never been to Rome

I’ve seen only the Pyramids in picture books at home

I’ve never sailed across the sea or been inside a plane

I’ve always spent my holidays in Brighton in the rain

I’ve never eaten foreign food or drunk in a foreign bar

I’ve never kissed a foreign girl or driven a foreign car

I’ve never had to find my way in a country I don’t know

I’ve always known just where I am and where I’ll never go

I’ve read travel books by writers who have been to Pakistan

I’ve heard people telling stories of adventures in Iran

I’ve watched TV documentaries about China and Brazil

But I’ve never been abroad myself; it’s making me feel ill

I’ve studied several languages like Hindi and Malay

I’ve learnt lots of useful sentences I’ve never been able to say

The furthest place I’ve ever been was to the Isle of Man

And that was full of tourists from Korea and Japan

I’ve been never to Athens and I’ve never been  to Rome

I’ve only seen the Pyramids in picture books at home

I’ve never sailed across the sea or been inside a plane

I’ve always spent my holidays in Brighton in the rain

Use the verbs to complete the lyrics. You can use each one more than once.

be/ drive/drink/eat/go/have/hear/kiss/know/learn/read/sail/see/spend/study/watch

I’ve never ____________ to Athens and I've never ____________ to Rome

I've only ____________ the Pyramids in picture books at home

I've never ____________ across the sea or ____________ inside a plane

I've always ____________ my holidays in Brighton in the rain

I've never ____________ foreign food or ____________ in a foreign bar

I've never ____________ a foreign girl or ____________ a foreign car

I've never ____________ to find my way in a country I don t know

I've always ____________ just where I am and where I'll never go

I've ____________ travel books by writers who have ____________ to Pakistan

I've ____________ people telling stories of adventures in Iran

I've ____________ TV documentaries about China and Brazil

But I've never ____________ abroad myself; it s making me feel ill

I've ____________ several languages like Hindi and Malay

I've ____________ lots of useful sentences I've never ____________ able to say

The furthest place I've ever ____________ was to the Isle of Man

And that was full of tourists from Korea and Japan

WHEN TWO BECOME THREE

After two weeks of zero contact with Concettina, she surprisingly came to see me. She said she had something very important to say. ‘I did a pregnancy test!" she said.

Conci looked at the floor. The suspense was terrible.

“What was the result? I asked.

"It was positive," she replied.

“Aah! So you’re not pregnant” I said.

“Yes I am, you idiot!” said Conci. Positive isn’t an opinion! It indicates that I am pregnant!”

We remained in silence for a few minutes then I said: Conci, I don’t know what you will think about this, but I am very happy.’ She smiled immediately and embraced me. ‘Really? she said. When she embraced me I understood that I had missed her very much.

"So what about the sex?" I asked.

"John!" she shouted. “We’ve only been back together forty five seconds, be patient, please!"

“No!" I said. I am talking about the sex of the baby! Is it a boy or a girl?"

Concettina laughed. “It’s a little early to know that, Darling." To celebrate the good news we ordered pizza.

Pregnant women and Englishmen have something in common. We order very similar types of pizza.

I had a tuna fish and pineapple pizza and Conci had melon and chocolate.

We ate our pizza in silence. Both dreaming our dreams.

lf you live in Milan and you didn’t receive a telephone call from Concettina announcing her pregnancy, you are one of the very, very few. My mother instantly asked me when we intended to marry. “She’s right, we should marry,"  I decided.

I called Conci and asked her to meet me at her favourite restaurant. After the grappa at the end of the meal, I asked her to marry me. “Why do you want to marry me? she asked.

Well, because I love you and now we’re having a baby.”

Conci looked confused. “Wait a minute! Who told you that you are the father?!’

“What?! You mean you frequented another man?’

“We weren’t together, John! I was lonely!”

"It was two weeks!” I shouted. I saw that the people around us were listening intently to what we were saying, so I decided to be a hero. "Conci I love you anyway, so, if it’s ok, I want us to marry anyway.” Conci embraced me, which was her answer.

Back at the apartment I needed to talk to Dave.

"Conci is pregnant"  I announced.

Dave started to panic. “Did she... did she tell you who the father is?” he asked. He was so agitated.

“How did you know it is someone else?!” I asked. “Anyway we are going to be married!”

“I have to go!” Dave shouted, and ran out of the room.

Now, I am not stupid, and I know Dave better than his mother and I know why he ran out of the room so fast.

In this moment he is out in the city buying us a gift for our wedding. My God, he’s so predictable, that man!

Rispondi alle domande

1. What was the result of the pregnancy test?

.......................................................................
2. How did they celebrate the good news?

.......................................................................
3. What did Conci have on her pizza?

.......................................................................
4. What did John drink before asking Conci to marry him?

......................................................................
5. How long had John and Conci been separated?

......................................................................
6. What was Dave’s reaction to the news?

.....................................................................

7. How did Dave leave the room?

........................................................................
8. Where was Dave going? (according to John)

.......................................................................

Exercises

IN MEMORY OF DAVE

Today was a bad day.

This morning I made a terrible error. I was sincere with an Italian woman.
Concettina asked me if her bottom looked big in her new jeans. She asked me to be totally honest with her. So I was.
“Yes,” I told her, “very big.”
She didn’t talk to me again after that. This is usually a sign that I am in big trouble.
So I went to Dave’s house to talk to another Englishman about it and that’s when I made the shocking discovery.
Ladies and gentlemen, Dave is English no more, he has transformed into an Italian.
There were many signs. Last week he moved his hands around while on the telephone, he even said “Mamma mia!” at the end of the call. Then last night he arrived at the restaurant 15 minutes late!
At the restaurant he then refused to put ketchup on his pasta and ordered water with his dinner which was fish with a piece of lemon!
Then, when I asked him how he was, he answered: "Tired.” But then the worst thing of all happened. Our friend Marco came and I said hello as always, but Dave embraced him, and then he kissed him on the face!
When I asked Dave about this, he told me to “Stai calmo” then he ordered tea but not ordinary tea, no, cold tea with lemon!
That’s when I knew we had to talk.
“Dave, have you told your mother?”
‘Told her what?”
“Have you told her that you are Italian now? I think she should know.” “What are you talking about?” he said.
“Dave, listen,” I said, “I am still your friend; you don’t have to hide these things from me! But, please, be open and face reality... Do you want me to call you Davide?”
Returning home, I saw that he has also started to drive like an Italian, which means now I have to take the bus to work.
Back at home, I didn’t feel well.
“Are you ok? Davide asked.
“No,” I answered.
Then he started asking me strange questions.
“Did you sleep with the window open?” he asked.
I didn’t answer. “I’m having a bath I told him.
“You can’t!” he shouted.
“I can’t have a bath?” I asked.
“No!” he said. “You just ate dinner!”
I sat down again. I wanted this explained.
“What are you saying Dave?”
"If you eat, then have a bath with the window open, you’ll sweat and die.”
“Dave?” I said. “So are you saying that on some death certificates in Italy you can find ‘had a bath with the window open’ under ‘cause of death’?”
‘Probably, he answered.
Well,” I said, “call me crazy, call me a mad hero... but I will take the risk, Dave, I’m going to have a bath... and if  I don’t come back into this room alive, please tell my mother I loved her. Tell Concetta that I’m sorry about being sincere about her gigantic bottom and tell her I loved her too.”
And before I had a bath, I went running for half an hour to get nice and sweaty, then I opened all the windows and had my bath.
This was suicide according to Dave... but I survived.  Maybe an Italian would be dead after five minutes, we will never know.

 Rispondi alle domande

1. What was “very big”?

.................................................................................................

2. What did Dave say at the end of a telephone conversation?

................................................................................................

3. How late was Dave at the restaurant?

................................................................................................

4. What did Dave refuse to put on his pasta?

..............................................................................................

5. Where did Dave kiss Marco?

.............................................................................................

6. Who does Dave drive like now?

............................................................................................

7. Why couldn’t John have a bath?

.............................................................................................

8. What will happen to John if he has a bath?

.............................................................................................

9. For how long did John run before his bath?

.............................................................................................

10. What would possibly happen to an Italian in the same situation?

.............................................................................................

Exercises

9.4 Date short answers alle seguenti domande, seguendo le indicazioni tra parentesi.

1 Have you ever tried Indian food? (yes)

2 Has she ever been here before? (no)

3  Have you ever done any horse-riding? (yes)

 4 Have they spoken to you? (yes)

5 Have you washed your hands, children? (no)

6 Have you fed the cat? (yes)

7  Has he told you the news? (no)

8 Have you found the place? (yes)

9 Has your father ever played polo? (yes)

10 Have you ever listened to jazz music? (no)

9.5 Riscrivete le seguenti frasi come negli esempi.

I’ve never played bridge before.
It’s the first time I’ve played bridge.
It’s the first time I have been here.
I’ve never been here before.
It’s the second time I’ve met her.
I’ve met her twice.

 
1 She’s never been to Sicily before.

2 It’s the first time she’s eaten snails.

3 They’ve never done any sailing before.

4 He’s never told me a lie before.

5 It’s the first time George has been to the mountains.

6 It’s the second time they’ve been here.

7 My friend has never seen the sea before.

8 I’ve never driven a car before

9 We’ve never had curry before

10   It’s the third time she’s written to me this month.

9.6  Costruite frasi di senso compiuto aggiungendo gli elementi necessari e usando il present perfect

1 you / ever / learn / anything / by heart / ?

2 the waiter/ just / bring / me / glass / beer

3 up to now / I / not meet / ideal man

4  they / not / arrive / home / yet

5 she / almost / finish / housework

6 she / ever / drive / car / ?

7 the plane / just I land

8 they / travel / lot / this year

9 you / ever / think / leaving / your job / ?

10 I / just / have / shower

Completa le seguenti frasi con il present perfect simple o il past simple nella forma corretta.

1) We (come) ........... to live here ten years ago.

2) “Where (you/be) ...................?“. “I (just/be) ......................to the bank”.

3) Last week I (buy) ....................a dishwasher.

4) Columbus (discover) ...................... America in 1492.

5) “(the postman/come) ...............?”. - “‘Yes, he (deliver)  ............. a few letters a few minutes ago".

6) Our reporter from the war area (jus/telephoned) .....................about an attack from the rebels.

7) There (be) ........... several accidents in this street in the last few months.

8) Nobody (manage) ..............to find the tiger which (escape) ................. from the zoo two days ago.

9) I (never/be) ......................... there.

10) David (just/go) ................... to the library

11) (you/be) ......................here before? - Yes, many times.

12) The phone (ring) ....................many times yesterday afternoon but I didn't answer it

uso dei pronomi relativi

Cerchia l’alternativa corretta.

1) Antonio Meucci, ....who was the inventor of the telephone, died in poverty.

a) who b) which

2) Peter, ......had left England three days before, received the telegram too late.

a) which b) who

3) That’s the woman ... son Is an extreme skier.

a) whose b) who

 
4) That’s the dog . . rescued me from the fire.

 a) who b) which

5) That man, ... original intention was to become a piano player, is now a famous writer.

a) which b) whose

Inserisci correttamente who, which, whose.

 
1) The woman             was at the traffic lights saw the accident.

2) The car                    is parked over there is Tom’s.

3) Mr Pearson is the person                 was involved in that project.

4) That girl               father is a famous opera singer, is one of my students.

5) Where Is the beer               was in the fridge?

6) That woman                    name don’t remember, is John’s mother.

7) The knight rescued the princess                 was imprisoned in the tower.

8) Last night I watched a film                    was very frightening.

9) A bee is an insect                   makes honey.

10) I can’t find the ring                      Bob gave me.

Elimina con una crocetta il pronome relativo quando può essere omesso.  

1) Mr Scott, who died while trying to rescue his son, could not swim very well.

2) This is the car which we would like to buy.

3) Unfortunately the girl that I met at the party last night didn’t give me her phone number.

4) Mr Read, who I thought didn’t have any children, has got three daughters.

5) A hanger Is something which you use to hang clothes on.

6) Tom, whose family had moved to London when he was a young boy, was born in York.

7) Mrs Gray is the person who we should talk to.   

Unisci le frasi con who, which o whose, come nell’esempio.

Effettua tutti i cambiamenti necessari.

John is an architect. He works for a big building firm.
John Is an architect who works for a big building firm.

1) Green Peace Is an association. It fights for the protection of the environment.

2) Whales are mammals. They live in the sea.

3) The Daily Telegraph is a newspaper. It sells lots of copies.

   

4) That is the woman. Her  daughter is a professional dancer.

5) That is the man. He was prosecuted for terrorism.

Trasforma le frasi come nell’esempio.
Which is the book in which you are interested?

Which is the book you are interested in?

1) Which of them is the girl to whom you are engaged?

2) These are the papers for which I was looking!

 

3) Mr Jordan is the man about whom they were talking.

4) This is the beautiful song to which we used to listen when we were engaged.

 

5) The princess married the prince to whom she had been promised.

Exercises: off, out of, in, across, outside, from ......

Inserisci correttamente le preposizioni di luogo fornite.
off, out of, in, across, outside, from, under, into (2), through, on (2), below

1) She left her son             the car and went               the supermarket.
2) We live          the third floor.
3) It’s very cold today. The temperature is 5 C°                       zero.
4) He is Greek. He comes                    Athens.
5) There are some tramps sleeping                     the bridge.
6) Suddenly someone broke                        the room                   the window.
7) It takes a long time to drive                       the desert.
8) The glass fell                            the table.
9) They had to wait for a long time but finally they managed to get                   the bus.
10) The woman took some money                                          her purse.
11) They live just                            Manchester.

Inserisci correttamente le preposizioni di tempo fornite.
in (3), within, for, throughout, during, until, since, between, by, on.

1) If it gets too cold                  the night, the roads will be icy tomorrow morning.
2) The weather has been awful                    the week.
3) I haven’t heard from Peter                    a long time.
4) We haven’t seen him                         Christmas day.
5) I usually work                            5.00 pm. After that I go home.
6) The robbery occurred                              10.00 and 10.30 am.
7) They will send us a fax                                  a week.
8) I will have finished reading this book                            the end of the day.
9) He left                            Monday morning.
10) Shakespeare lived                         the 16 th century.
11) Mary was born                      November
12) I think our lives will be very different                               fifty years.