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    Learn English > English lessons and exercises > English test #107003: From Kansas City toTulsa: towards Happiness ? (2/2)
    > Other English exercises on the same topics: Tales | Literature | Find the correct tense [Change theme]
    > Similar tests: - Past tenses - Present simple and habits - Gerund - Fairy tales and legends-Vocabulary - May, Might, Should... what they mean... - A/An-how to use - Around the world in 80 days - Preterite or Present Perfect
    > Double-click on words you don't understand


    From Kansas City toTulsa: towards Happiness ? (2/2)


    After working a lot on the past tenses (especially the past perfect) and futures et conditionals, in the first part of this text test, we are, of course, going to revise these notions. Today, we'll work on the infinitive clause expressing wishes and will power.

     

    1) The tenses of the past : Remember, the tense of narration is the  simple past  

    ex : Jesse tried to persuade his brother-in-law to give him a well-paid job.

        * If an action took place  before a simple past, it must be in the past perfect simple (or in the past perfect en -ing if we insist on the duration of the action ) :

              

         had + verb in the past participle   or had + been + verb + ing  

    ex: Jesse had been walking for more than two weeks to finally find a job.

     

         

     

     

    *      If you need to use a future, remember that it doesn't get on well with the past   ... 

        If we must use it, or the conditional, anyway  BEWARE ! After a temporal conjunction (after, before, when, while, once, as long as, as soon asthe future is impossible : the future is replaced by the present (and the conditional is replaced by the preterite.)

    ex : As soon as he arrived in Tom's office, Jesse knew that Tom would be difficult to persuade ... 

     You'll have to use the conditional : would + verb

        ex : Jesse would be happy if Tom accepted !

     

    2) To express a desire, a wish, or a willpower, when 'to want'  applies to  an only person, you must remember that it is directly followed by the infinitive.

    ex : Jesse wants to have a job at all cost!

    ex : Jesse doesn't want to feel humiliated any longer...

     *  It becomes a little more 'complicated' when another person is involved !

    ex : Jesse would want his kids to have opportunities in life!

    The word separating the 2 verbs is the subject of the second verb (his kids) but takes the form of a complement ( 'them' and not 'they'!)  

    In English, 'the infinitive clause' MUST be used after the verbs expressing  a will power, a refusal;

    A subordinate introduced by 'THAT' is IMPOSSIBLE: ( hate, like, love, prefer, wish). ('I want that ...' est impossible.) 

    ex : I want you to put a part of the money I'll earn aside for my family, and I wish you not to give details about my job ...

     

     

                                                               

     

     

    We have left Jesse battling for a job, and Tom, his brother-in-law, slowly realizing what Jesse was planning ... Tom was torn between Jesse's craving for this deadly job and his love for his sister and nephews ... He was at a loss, facing a dilemma ...

    This terrible story was inspired to me by The Happiest Man in the World by Albert Maltz.

    BE CAREFUL ! It would be a good idea to have a pause ( don't forget to save what you've done ! ) in the middle of this test! It's not difficult, but it's long !

     





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    Tom exclaimed: 'Do you mean that you want a job in MY department?! Oh NO ! You CAN'T HAVE ONE!'
    'Come on, Tom! You send the dynamite trucks out, I'm ready to drive!' 'Jesse, you me before walking all that distance ! I’ll never give you a job in my department ! Ella will never forgive me when .'
    Jesse began : 'Egbert told me... ' 'Sorry, Jesse, but Egbert on the job yesterday... They don't use dynamite to drill oil-wells... They use nitroglycerin, 'Soup'!... If you cough, it ! There’s a stone on the road, and off it goes... They have to drive at night, with containers which have special compartments and follow a special route. They can’t stop except in special garages... They can hardly breathe...
    'Come on, Tom ! I have my mind set on this job... I have no choice ! I for one dollar a mile ! This is the only chance I have to give my family the possibility to live... You understand !?'
    'I want to lift my head up ! I her sadness, wear nice dresses, take the kids out ! I his brace and be able to walk! I want to be a real family man, providing for his loved ones. candy ! I am a man again and to have a glass of beer from time to time ! I want Ella to have money for the kids’ education ...
    ' it all figured out... Maybe I won’t die ! Maybe I’ll last ! If I last only 3 months, up for life! Tom asked : 'Do you think you’ll enjoy living when on a job like that, Jesse ?’ ' happy ! I'll be singing ! I'll be dancing ! You'll put the money I save aside for my family and I'll be proud of myself for the first time in 6 years ! on his desk, his head in his hands, sighing, thinking... torn between antagonistic feelings... He looked at Jesse who had tears streaming down his skinny face...
    'Alright ! Go to my place, have a bath and take a good rest... tonight !' Tom looked devastated... Jesse looked down ! now, with the tears in his eyes, he looked radiant and beaming...
    'Thank you, Tom ! I'm the happiest man on the whole earth !'








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