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Rescue ....... 1/2 - English lesson

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 !

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Imagine a crowded American city, a despaired man standingstoodstandto standI don't know on the top ledge of a seventy-story luxury hotel, his back to the wall, peerspeering downhas peeredpeeredis peeringI don't know at the ant-like traffic below with a crowd of people looking up and fearing (or expecting) he might jump ...
Adams had been standingwas standinghad standedis standingstoodI don't know there for hours now. The policemen and firemen had tryingwould be tryingwere tryinghad been tryingI don't know to talk him out of jumping for a long time, to calm him and gives himhas given himgive himhad gave himgiving himI don't know reasons to live ....
A policeman, Steve startinghad startedwas to startwould have startedwill startI 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 will welcomewould welcomehad to welcomeI don't know him and love him ... He wanted to die, and too bad it had pleasespleasingit had pleasedif it don't pleaseif it would 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 will talk Adams out ofhe could talk Adams intohe was talking Adams inI don't know living. He had already gained some of his confidence as if the despaired man knowsto knowhad knownknewis knowingI don't know him for months ... Adams was leaned backleans backwas leant backwas leaning backI don't know on the wall, feeling dizzy ...
Carefully, Steve climbed out onto the ledge and started walkedstarted walkingstarted to walkingstarting walkingI don't know towards Adams. He was very professional ... He sat down near Adams,legs in the voidhis legs in the voidthe legs in voidthe legs in the voidI don't know, trying to resume his dialogue with the man ....

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