> Other English exercises on the same topics: Tales | Find the correct tense [Change theme]
	> Similar tests: - Past tenses - Present simple and habits - Fairy tales and legends-Vocabulary - Gerund - A/An-how to use - May, Might, Should... what they mean... - Preterite or Present Perfect - Expressing Uncertainty : may-might-must...
	> Double-click on words you don't understand

Rescue ....... 1/2

Once again, I'll be telling you a story : Remember, the tense of narration is the  simple past.

ex : Around him everything was illuminated by innumerable lights.

ex : He looked around and saw the neon lights against the darkening sky.

  * As usual, if  two simultaneous past actions happened at the same time, then : 

   the long (and important one) is in the -ing preterite and the short action interrupting it , is in the  simple past.

     ex: The standing man was looking down while a crowd gathered and the traffic was stopped..

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

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

ex: The man had been up there for long hours.

ex : The rescuers had been trying to help him for long minutes ...

  *  The - ing forms express :

-  an action in the making, whether it is in the present ( present in -ing), or in the past ( -ing preterite or past perfect)

ex : The suicidal man was looking down, tempted to jump down into the void ...

  * the postures of the body :

ex : The policeman was leaning against the wall while the man was sitting on the edge  ...

 

 *   If you have to use the simple future, remember that it doesn't get on well with the past ...Rather use the 'conditional' would + verb

ex : If the man jumped, he would kill himself in the middle of the crowd down below ...

*  If you need to use a  modal auxiliary  can => could and  may=> might    and  must => have to

* or modal forms  : as if/ as though +  modal pasts  (indicating what's unreal, what doesn't exist in the present reality and is imagined.)

ex : He was standing as if he had nothing to lose in the world ...

* In the test, you will meet idioms : To talk somebody into doing something = To persuade somebody to do something - or not to do it  -  To talk somebody out of doing something.

                                                                               
... and now, ...you're ready for your test ! In spite of the suspense ... keep calm !

Twitter Share
English exercise "Rescue ....... 1/2" created by here4u with The test builder. [More lessons & exercises from here4u]
Click here to see the current stats of this English test

Please log in to save your progress.

Imagine a crowded American city, a despaired man standingstandto standstoodI don't know on the top ledge of a seventy-story luxury hotel, his back to the wall, peering downpeersis peeringhas peeredpeeredI don't know at the ant-like traffic below with a crowd of people looking up and fearing (or expecting) he might jump ...
Adams was standingstoodhad been standingis standinghad standedI don't know there for hours now. The policemen and firemen were tryinghad been tryinghad tryingwould be tryingI don't know to talk him out of jumping for a long time, to calm him and giving himhas given himhad gave himgives himgive himI don't know reasons to live ....
A policeman, Steve startingwill starthad startedwas to startwould have startedI don't know a dialogue with the suicidal man : Adams was alone in life : he refused to go home to an empty house where nobody would welcomewill welcomehad to welcomeI don't know him and love him ... He wanted to die, and too bad pleasingit had pleasesit had pleasedif it would pleaseif it don't pleaseI don't know the blood-thirsty crowd down below ... A pack of wolves longing for blood ... and thrill ...
Steve the policeman became confident and quite sure he was talking Adams inhe could talk Adams intohe will talk Adams out ofI don't know living. He had already gained some of his confidence as if the despaired man had knownis knowingknewto knowknowsI don't know him for months ... Adams was leant backwas leaned backleans backwas leaning backI don't know on the wall, feeling dizzy ...
Carefully, Steve climbed out onto the ledge and started walkingstarted to walkingstarting walkingstarted walkedI don't know towards Adams. He was very professional ... He sat down near Adams,the legs in the voidthe legs in voidlegs in the voidhis legs in the voidI don't know, trying to resume his dialogue with the man ....

---

End of the free exercise to learn English: Rescue ....... 1/2
A free English exercise to learn English.
Other English exercises on the same topics : Tales | Find the correct tense | All our lessons and exercises