Unit 1: The Best Christmas Present in the World

A man got on the train and sat down. The compartment was empty except for one lady. She took her gloves off. A few hours later the police arrested the man. They held him for 24 hours and then freed him.

Now look at these sentences.

The veneer had lifted almost everywhere. Both fire and water had taken their toll on this desk.

Notice the verb forms had lifted, had taken (their toll).

The author found and bought the desk in the past.

The desk was damaged before the author found it and bought it.

Fire and water had damaged the desk before the author found it and bought it.

We use verb forms like had damaged for an event in the ‘earlier past’. If there are two events in the past, we use the ‘had…’ form for the event that occurred first in the past.

We also use the past perfect tense to show that something was wished for or expected before a particular time in the past. For example, I had always wanted one…

Discuss with your partner the difference in meaning in the sentences below.

When I reached the station, the train left.

When I reached the station, the train had left.

(ii) Fill in the blanks using the correct form of the verbs in brackets.

My little sister is very naughty. When she __________ (come) back from school yesterday, she had __________ (tear) her dress. We __________ (ask) her how it had __________ (happen). She __________ (say) she __________ __________ (have, quarrel) with a boy. She __________ __________ (have, beat) him in a race and he __________ __________ (have, try) to push her. She __________ __________ (have, tell) the teacher and so he __________ __________ have, chase) her, and she __________ __________ (have, fall) down and __________ __________ (have, tear) her dress.

My little sister is very naughty. When she came back from school yesterday, she had torn her dress. We asked her how it had happened. She said she had quarrelled with a boy. She had beaten him in a race and he had tried to push her. She had told the teacher and so he had chased her, and she had fallen down and had torn her dress.

(iii) Underline the verbs and arrange them in two columns, Past and Earlier past.

1. My friends set out to see the caves in the next town, but I stayed at home, because I had seen them already.
2. When they arrived at the station, their train had left. They came back home, but by that time I had gone out to see a movie!
3. So they sat outside and ate the lunch I had packed for them.
4. By the time I returned, they had fallen asleep!

1. My friends set out to see the caves in the next town, but I stayed at home, because I had seen them already.
2. When they arrived at the station, their train had left. They came back home, but by that time I had gone out to see a movie!
3. So they sat outside and ate the lunch I had packed for them.
4. By the time I returned, they had fallen asleep!

• Burn out: “House number 12 turned out to be nothing but a burned-out shell, the roof gaping, the windows boarded-up.” – This line implies that the house was destroyed by fire.
• Light up: “That was the moment her eyes lit up with recognition and her face became suffused with a sudden glow of happiness.” – This line implies that Connie’s face brightened up with happiness.
• Look on: “Hans Wolf and I looked on and cheered, clapping our hands and stamping our feet, to keep out the cold as much as anything.” – This line implies that both Jim and Hans watched and cheered each other while playing a football match.
• Run out: “The time came, and all too soon, when the game was finished, the schnapps and the rum and the sausage had long since run out, and we knew it was all over.” – This line implies that the game was over and so was the fun and food that was all used up.
• Keep out: “Hans Wolf and I looked on and cheered clapping our hands and stamping our feet, to keep out the cold as much as anything.” – This line implies that they tried to avoid the cold by clapping their hands and stamping their feet.

Check the question properly and try to understand the placement of noun phrase and adjectives in it.