Читать книгу English Grammar with Kudjo. Part 3. Понятная и забавная грамматика для детей и взрослых. - - Страница 7

IT’S TIME…

We use it’s time + somebody + Past Simple (Past Continuous) when they should have already done it or started it. We often use this structure to criticise or complain:

It’s time Kudjo stopped barking at unknown dogs.

You can also say It’s about time …. or It’s high time ….

This makes the criticism stronger:

It’s about time they were sleeping. It’s midnight.

It’s high time Luna’s parents told her about all the family skeletons.

Remember to use only Past Simple or Past Continuous in this construction, which refers to unreal present or future.

EXERCISE 1

Find the proper verb and put it into the correct form: eat, teach, come, return, remember, give up, become, stop, have

1 It’s time Chilly ***** to Kudjo.

2 It’s high time Kudjo and Luna ***** believing in ghosts.

3 It’s about time Luna ***** a heart-to-heart with her parents.

4 It’s high time Kudjo ***** serious and responsible.

5 It’s time they *****. It’s lunchtime.

6 It’s time they ***** home from walking. It’s very late.

7 It’s about time parents ***** that they used to be children too.

8 It’s high time Kudjo ***** Luna to speak the Humanish language.

9 It’s high time Luna ***** flirting with other dogs.

EXERCISE 2

Look at the situations and make sentences using it’s /about /high/ time:

For example,

Luna always has filthy paws after walking, even in dry weather. — It’s time she became tidier.

1 The weather is chilly and gloomy. It has been drizzling since yesterday.

2 Kudjo looks sleepy. He has spent all night doing puzzles.

3 Luna refuses to eat healthy dog food. She prefers pasta and pizza.

4 Kudjo and Luna aren’t talking to each other. They have argued over trifles.

5 Luna is in panic. Her dad is looking for the saw!

6 Kudjo has forgotten to return the saw. He always forgets important things!

7 Luna is cooking today. The dish smells and looks disgusting.

8 Luna is waiting for Kudjo with the saw. He is late, as usual!

9 The spring has come and cats are caterwauling!

WOULD RATHER

Would rather (do) = would prefer (to do).

We use would rather («d rather) + V0 to express preference: He’d rather stay at home today.

The negative form is: I’d rather not + V0

He’d rather not go out tonight.

We say ’would rather do something than do something else’:

He’d rather stay at home than go out.

When the subject of would rather is different from the subject of the following verb, we use another structure: I’d rather somebody + Past Simple

In this structure we use the past, but the meaning is present not past.

He’d rather Luna stayed with him at home and cooked something tasty.

EXERCISE 3

Answer these weird questions using «d rather or «d rather not:

1 Would you rather eat a spider or a snail?

2 Would you rather be invisible or have the ability to fly?

3 Would you rather get lost in the jungle or on an island?

4 Would you rather get stuck on a deserted island alone or together with 4 annoying people?

5 Would you rather be able to teleport anywhere you want or be able to read minds?

6 Would you rather be good-looking but stupid or intelligent but ugly?

7 Would you rather move to a new city every week or never be able to leave the city where you were born?

8 Would you rather be talked about by everybody or ignored by everybody?

9 Would you rather be able to disappear or make other people disappear?

EXERCISE 4

Look at the situations and make sentences using «d rather + someone + Past Simple:

Kudjo is talking to Luna. Complete the sentences, as in the example:

– I’ll cook dinner if you really want me to, but ….I’d rather you cooked something delicious tonight.

1 I’ll go to the market if you really want me to, but ….

2 I’ll tidy the room if you really want me to, but ….

3 I’ll empty the rubbish bin if you really want me to, but ….

4 I’ll hoover the flat if you really want me to, but ….

5 I’ll make coffee if you really want me to, but ….

6 I’ll wash the bowls if you really want me to, but ….

7 I’ll throw a party this weekend if you really want me to, but ….

8 I’ll find your favourite toy if you really want me to, but ….

9 I’ll fight with that nasty Dane if you really want me to, but ….

EXERCISE 5

Put the verb in brackets in the correct form and guess the last word of the sentence:

1 Kudjo would rather Luna /not communicate/ with her neighbour so *****.

2 It’s high time Luna /behave/ herself in *****.

3 Kudjo would rather /live/ in the country and /eat/ natural *****.

4 Luna would rather /not go/ to the country at all. She is afraid of pigs and *****.

5 Luna’s parents would rather Luna /know/ nothing about their skeletons in the *****.

6 It’s about time they /stop/ considering Luna to be little and *****.

7 Luna would rather /have/ long blonde hair than short brown *****.

8 Kudjo would rather /not have/ any hair in the hot *****.

9 It’s time Kudjo and Luna /find/ a new hobby (for example, fishing) and /forget/ about *****.

EXERCISE 6

Change the sentences using the constructions in brackets:

For example,

Luna’s parents are too fussy and it irritates Luna. («d rather) – Luna would rather her parents were not so fussy.

1 Kudjo and Luna didn’t understand what the bats were trying to tell them because they didn’t know their language. (unreal of past)

2 Kudjo has been meaning to learn different languages of birds and mammals. («d rather)

3 Anyway, Kudjo and Luna guessed that the bats wanted to show them something important. (unreal of past)

4 The dogs agreed to follow the bats because they believed them. (unreal of past)

5 The bats would like Kudjo and Luna to go into the forest. («d rather)

6 Luna is a bit scared of going to the middle of nowhere especially after midnight. (unreal of present)

7 Moreover, Luna’s parents are in a twit because it’s too late and Luna hasn’t come home yet. (it’s high time)

8 On the other hand, the bats may know something that can help the dog find the truth. (real condition)

9 Kudjo prefers to follow the bats anywhere in spite of the night time. («d rather)

EXERCISE 7

Enlarge the sentences by using the constructions in brackets:

For example,

Kudjo wants Luna to go with him.

«d rather… – Kudjo would rather Luna went with him to see what the bats have decided to show them.

It’s time… — It’s time Luna stopped being such a coward.

If … – If Luna were not so cowardly, she’d risk going with Kudjo.

1 Luna’s parents are worried a lot.

«d rather… —

It’s time… —

If … —

2 The bats are still fluttering their wings around Kudjo and Luna.

«d rather… —

It’s time… —

If … —

3 The little pup is feeling much better now.

«d rather… —

It’s time… —

If … —

4 Luna has agreed to follow the bats but only in the morning.

«d rather… —

It’s time… —

If … —

5 The first problem is how to explain it to the bats.

«d rather… —

It’s time… —

If … —

6 The next problem is that bats are nocturnal animals.

«d rather… —

It’s time… —

If … —

7 Kudjo can see only one option now- he’ll follow the bats alone.

«d rather… —

It’s time… —

If … —

8 Luna doesn’t want to let him go without her.

«d rather… —

It’s time… —

If … —

9 Finally, Kudjo has made up his mind to go there on his own.

«d rather… —

It’s time… —

If … —

⠀

EXERCISE 8

Fill the gaps in the story with missing words:

Kudjo said ***** to Luna and gestured for the bats to start flying. They flew up immediately and moved very slowly and so low that nearly parted Kudjo’s hair. It looked uncanny. A cloud of ***** and a running ***** under the screen of night. Kudjo had been following the bats for ***** minutes when suddenly he felt somebody else running behind him. He stopped, turned around and sighed with relief. It was Luna. She got scared stiff when she was ***** alone and decided that she would be safer with Kudjo in the middle of nowhere than running alone to her *****.

Kudjo felt relieved of a great weight to see Luna. If she had run on her own to her parents’ house, he’d have worried a lot.

The cloud of bats was circling around impatiently over their *****. Their screeching sounds were getting louder and louder and their ***** were fluttering faster and faster. The dogs realised that they were very ***** to the place the bats wanted them to see. The bats were gesturing for them «It’s high time we continued». Kudjo and Luna yipped with agreement and ***** after the cloud of bats.

(to be continued)

EXERCISE 9

Find and correct 17 mistakes in the sentences:

1 Ten minutes later they ran to a weird place. If they wouldn’t have seen it with their own eyes they wouldn’t believed that such a place could be so close to their country house.

2 It looked as if spring didn’t come there yet. They could still see snow here while everywhere around the trees and grass are turning green.

3 Suddenly the dogs felt that something changed. Luna and Kudjo turned around and didn’t see any bats. They vanished into thin air.

4 Kudjo and Luna turned out to be in the middle of nowhere without any help and support. If they wouldn’t have believed the bats, they would have already came home.

5 What would you done if you had been them? Would you had tried to find the way home or would you continued exploring the place?

6 Of course, Luna would rather Kudjo find the way back home, but Kudjo thinks it’s about time they find the answers to all their questions in this particular place.

7 They checked every stone, every bush and every tree, but hadn’t found anything special.

8 They couldn’t understand why the bats wanted them to come here.

9 If the bats can speak Doggish or Kudjo and Luna can speak Battish, everything would be much simpler.

EXERCISE 10

Choose the correct option:

1 It’s high time they ***** back home.

a come

b came

c would come

2 Luna’s parents would rather Luna and Kudjo ***** at home now.

a were

b are

c would be

3 They ***** more worried if they ***** where Luna is now.

a will be / know

b would be / would know

c would be / knew

4 Luna would rather ***** at home in her bed now, But not in this weird place.

a be

b would be

c is

5 If they ***** those bats, ***** them, they ***** this night in their warm and soft beds.

a wouldn’t have believed / wouldn’t have followed / had spent

b hadn’t believed / hadn’t followed / would have spent

c didn’t believe / didn’t follow / would spend

6 Luna started whimpering and Kudjo decided to go back home. But he didn’t remember the way they ***** here.

a had come

b came

c have come

7 If he ***** the bats but had run on his own, he would definitely ***** the way here.

a wouldn’t have followed / had remembered

b hadn’t followed / remembered

c hadn’t followed / have remembered

8 While Kudjo ***** to find the way back, Luna ***** and running around him.

a had been trying / had been still whining

b was trying / was still whining

c tried / was still whining

9 Suddenly she ***** whining and started digging out something very fast.

a stopped

b had stopped

c would stop

EXERCISE 11

Translate the story:

Куджо подбежал к ней и увидел, что она раскапывает какой-то небольшой холмик, покрытый зеленой травой и желтыми цветочками мать-и-мачехи. Это было так удивительно видеть кусочек весны посреди зимы. Странно, почему они раньше не заметили этот бугорок? Если было бы светлее, когда они прибежали на это место, они бы, наверное, его сразу увидели. Давно было бы им пора вернуться домой и они не стали терять время на раздумья и оба принялись раскапывать этот холмик. Если он отличается так сильно от всего этого места, значит, там что-то есть особенное. Что-то, что привело их сюда. Что-то, что летучие мыши хотели, чтобы они нашли.

Луна вдруг взвизгнула, потому что ее лапа наткнулась на что-то твердое и теплое. Она расчистила это место получше и собаки увидели квадратную кожаную коробку, которая, действительно, была очень теплой на ощупь. Как только Луна положила на нее свою лапу, коробка медленно открылась сама. Внутри ничего не было. Только какая-то квадратная выемка на самом дне. Куджо и Луна вздохнули разочарованно, закрыли коробку и побежали домой со всех лап. Самое странное было то, что сейчас они четко знали, куда бежать и где их дом. Им давно бы уже пора сидеть дома и получать нагоняй от родителей Луны.

(продолжение следует)