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3.1 Present and Past Simple and Continuous Tenses

The passage describes the envisioned car of the future in 2100. This future car will be silent, clean, and wheel-less. It will run on electricity from batteries that can be instantly recharged from the road. Most importantly, the car will drive itself automatically on command without needing a human driver. The technology for such a future car is still experimental but continuing to develop, potentially changing the transportation landscape in the 22nd century through pollution-free and stress-free self-driving vehicles. However, reaching that future is uncertain given today's environmental challenges.

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28 views

3.1 Present and Past Simple and Continuous Tenses

The passage describes the envisioned car of the future in 2100. This future car will be silent, clean, and wheel-less. It will run on electricity from batteries that can be instantly recharged from the road. Most importantly, the car will drive itself automatically on command without needing a human driver. The technology for such a future car is still experimental but continuing to develop, potentially changing the transportation landscape in the 22nd century through pollution-free and stress-free self-driving vehicles. However, reaching that future is uncertain given today's environmental challenges.

Uploaded by

Affa AZ
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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3.

1 Present and past; simple and continuous tenses


Complete each sentence with a positive or negative form of the same verb from
the box. Use the present simple, present continuous, past simple or past
continuous.

consider expect own phone prefer


promise put read tell weigh

1. If I’m not too busy, I promise to help you in the garden later today.
2. I made a cup of coffee while she was reading the letter.
3. They expected to reach the mountain summit by evening, but the weather
was too bad.
4. Over 90% of the population now owns a mobile phone.
5. I consider selling my house and buying a flat.
6. Bobby told me that you’re getting married. Congratulations!
7. I phoned the theater four times this morning, but there was no answer.
8. He always puts his feet up on the chairs. It’s really unhygienic.
9. A survey has found that, surprisingly, mot children prefer to walk to
school than be taken by car.
10. Lucian weighs over 100 kilos and really needs to take more exercise.
3.2 Present perfect, past simple, and present perfect continuous
Match the beginnings and endings. Sometimes there is more than one possibility.

1. I haven’t had time to phone Hugo today,


(a) but I’ll certainly contact him before I leave work.
(b) but I’ll certainly contact him some time tomorrow.
2. When she was prime minister, Mrs Perez
(a) has ofter been accused of ignoring the advice of her colleagues.
(b) was ofter accused of ignoring the advice of her colleagues.
3. I’ve watched Mamma Mia
(a) and now I keep humming the songs to myself.
(b) at least ten times already.
4. I’d always wanted to own a Porsche
(a) until I’ve found out how uch they cost.
(b) until I found out how much they cost.
5. Unemployment has risen
(a) by 58% since the present government came to power.
(b) ever since the present government came to power.
6. As soon as I’ve finished the book
(a) I’m going to have a holiday.
(b) I started writing another one.
7. I’ve been playing squash
(a) since my doctor advised me to lose weight.
(b) a couple of times before, but I can’t get the hang of it.
8. I haven’t been back to London
(a) since I lived in Italy.
(b) since I’ve lived in Italy.
3.3 Past perfect, past perfect continuous, and past simple
Complete each sentence (b) so that it has a similar meaning to sentence (a). Use a
verb relatedto the italicised word in an appropriate tense (active or passive): past
perfect, past perfect continuous or past simple. The answer to the first question is
given as an example.
1. The proposed new library had been under discussion for almost three years
at the time an appropriate site became available.
(b) At the time an appropriate site became available, they had been
discussing the proposed new library for almost three years.
2. (a) There had been a considerable improvement in his condition when I
saw him in hospital last night.
(b) His condition had been improving last night.
3. (a) It was announced that there was a ten-minute delay to the Toulouse
train.
(b) It was announced that the Toulouse train had delayed for ten-
minutes.
4. (a) Thomas had been on a diet for a month when he came to stay with us,
and we noticed immediately that he had already lost a lot of weight.
(b) Thomas had been dieting for a month and he had already lost a lot of
weight
5. (a) There was an expectation that Victoria would win comfortably, but
she finished third.
(b) Victoria was expected to win comfortably, but she finished third.
6. (a) When I reversed the car out of the garage, I did some damage to the
rear number plate.
(b) When I reversed the car out of the garage, I damaged the rear
number.
7. (a) Andrei received a promotion last week.
(b) Andrei was promoted last week.
8. (a) Rentpool had been under investigation by the tax authorities for a
number of months when they arrested the chairman.
(b) The tax authorities had been investigating rentpool for a number of
months when they arrested the chairman
9. (a) The Minister made her colleagues angry when she criticised them
during her speech
yesterday.
(b) The Minister criticised her colleagues during her speech yesterday
which made her colleagues angry
10. (a) There had already been a suggestion from Emilia that the money
should be spent
on new tablet computers for the school.
(b) Emilia had been suggesting to spend the money on new tablet
computers for the school.
4 Reading
Read the paragraph below and write a short summary with a maximum of 50
words or 500 characters. Send the answer to your lecturer no later than April 8,
2020.

The car of the future?

Here is the car of the future! This car is the opposite of todays’ cars; today’s cars
are noisy and dirty, this one is silent and clean. Today’s cars have wheels, this one
does not. It moves like a snail, but much faster than a snail! This car will use
electric energy, not petrol or gasolene; it will have batteries that can be recharged
instantly from chargers in the road. It will also be very easy to drive. In fact, you
won’t need to drive it; it will drive itself. You will just need to tell the computer:
”Go to X” and the car will go there. Also, it will reach X very quickly,much faster
than today’s cars. It will also be very safe and comfortable.
A lot of the technology already exists, but it is very experimental. Already to day
scientists are developing new materials for the surface of roads: In fifty years
from now, perhaps sooner, some new roads will capture solar energy; they will
store this energy under the road, and some cars will be able to use it. However you
probably won’t ever drive a ”snail car”, even if you’re under 20 to day. This,
perhaps, is the car of the year 2100, the car that your grandchildren will maybe
drive. Driving will be nice in the 22nd century! No pollution, no traffic-jams, no
stress.
If, of course, we reach the 22nd century.... With all to day’s problems of global
warming,
pollution, and natural resources, nothing is certain any more. Scientists have lots
of ideas about the car of the future: but the future itself is p erhaps less sure.....
Answer

The future car is very sophisticated. This car has no wheels, does not use
gasoline, but instead uses electrical energy that can be charged. This car can drive
by itself. Future cars are very clean and have very high speeds. It’s estimated that
future cars will emerge in 2100.

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