English Today

Merry Christmas!

This page is on holiday for the Christmas break from December 24th 2009 to January 11th 2010. I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year!
 

IGCSE Past Exam Papers - Listening May / June 2006

You can download the recording for IGCSE_ Listening May / June 2006 from the sidebar of my page under Podcast.

Here is the test

Download IGCSE_Listening_June2006 

The Past Perfect Simple and the Past Perfect Continuous

The Past Perfect Simple and the Past Perfect Continuous in Contrast

 

A. Structure

 

Past Perfect Simple	Past Perfect Continuous
Affirmative Had + past participle She had eaten. We had worked. They had written.	Affirmative Had been + verb-ing She had been eating. We had been working.  They had been writing.
Negative Had not (hadn’t) + past participle She hadn’t eaten. We hadn’t worked. They hadn’t written.	Negative Had not (hadn’t) + been + verb-ing She hadn’t been eating. We hadn’t been working. They hadn’t been writing.
Interrogative Had + subject + past participle Had she eaten? Had you worked? Had they written?	Interrogative Had + subject + been + verb-ing Had she been eating? Had you been working? Had they been writing?

 

B. Use

Past Perfect Simple	Past Perfect Continuous
Past action which happened before another past action or before a stated past time. He had already left when I got there. She had finished lunch by 1:30.	Past action of a certain duration continuing up to a specific time in the past.   She had been working in a bank for three years before she got fired.   I had been doing my homework for an hour before the phone rang.
Completed past action with visible results in the past. She was sad because she had failed her exam.   She was upset because she had lost her watch.	Past action of a certain duration with visible results in the past.   They were wet because they had been walking in the rain.   Her eyes were red because she had been crying.
Past Equivalent of the Present Perfect Simple   Now: He can’t find his wallet. He has lost it.   Yesterday: He couldn’t find his wallet. He had lost it.	Past Equivalent of the Present Perfect Continuous.   Now: He is going to the doctor. His leg has been hurting him for two days.   Yesterday: He went to the doctor. His leg had been hurting him for two days.
TIME EXPRESSIONS   By the time By + time (by 5 o’clock) Before After When As soon as No sooner….than Since	TIME EXPRESSIONS   For Since All day /night / week etc

 

COMPARE!

(a) I was eating dinner when my friends arrived. (I was still eating when they arrived)

Past Continuous = past action in progress at a certain past time 

(b) I had been eating dinner when my friends arrived. (I had already finished my meal when they arrived)

Past Perfect Continuous = past action of duration continuing up to a certain time in the past.  
 

Source: Mastering Use of English by Georgia Graham (Burlington Books)

IGCSE-Reading and Writing May/June 2009 - Answer Key

Download Igcse-esl-may090001 

Exercise 1

(a) rice, wheat, maize

(b)

• more hygienic
• can be disposed of in a more environmentally friendly way

(c) oil

(d) adds a distinct flavour to the food

(e) they provide shade

(f) Any two: retain the freshness of the fruit / eco-friendly / stop them from being squashed

(g) They bring good luck and prosperity to the couple getting married.

Exercise 2 

(a) It has almost doubled.

(b)

• growing new teeth
• developing drugs to imitate the effects of eating less

(c) largest recorded life span / lived to be more than 122 years old / lived from 1875 to 1997

(d)

• cleaner living conditions
• discovery of life-saving medicines

(e) They slowly stop repairing themselves.

(f) five years

(g) Cancer, heart diseases, major health problems, complete removal of major diseases is slow

(h) Do something more with our lives / achieve more of our dreams / achieve more of our potential

(i)

Predictions:

• average life expectancy to 200 years
• start middle age on 100th birthday / double life span

Effects of changes in eating habits:

• reduce calorie intake
• people stay healthier / fewer overweight

Exercise 3

Section A

• Family Name: Smithson    First Name: Julian
• Address: 75 Grangeholme Road, Bristol
• Contact Details: 037652912

Section B

• Course title and start date: Diploma in Education - September 2008
• First Year Accommodation:
  1. Hall of Residence (near University)
  2. Rent subsidised / paid 50% of total amount

  Section C

• • Delete NO
  • Saveright Supermarket - cashier
  • Circle 9-16 hours
  • 60 pounds

Section D

• Tick University Personnel
• Margaret Thompson - marthom@planet.co.uk

Section E

• I no longer have a reduction on my rent this year and will have to pay a lot more.

or

• I am living in a different house this year and the bus journey to the University is more expensive.

Exercise 4

Factors for sports organisations when selecting sportspeople:

• aged between 16 and 18
• biological make-up / genetic factors
• height
• strength / endurance / mental application / how individual reacts under pressure /medical evidence

Examples of sports star AND his/her specific physical advantage:

• David Beckham - bandy legs
• Andy Raddick - arched back / increased arm rotation
• Michael Phelps - oversize feet
• Mia Hamm - sweats half the human average / less than 1 litre an hour
• Liz Halliday - quickest reactions when making decisions

Exercise 5

You will get 6 marks for content and 4 marks for language ( no marks for langauage if there is no content).  

1. stunts the development of the brain
2. cause of depression
3. become overweight due to inactivity
4. sets a pattern for life
5. makes it difficult to concentrate
6. provides unnatural levels of excitement / sensory stimulation
7. lose ability to entertain themselves
8. lose ability to use imagination
9. don't talk to other children and adults