I.Grammar Points

A tense system is a system associated with the verb where the basic contrasts in meaning have to do with the location in time of the situation,or the part of it under consideration.This clearly applies to the system illustrated in [1].The clauses are interpreted imperfectively,and the was in [1a] indicates that the state in question obtained at a time in the past,while the present tense in [1b] indicates that it obtains in the present.Past and present time are relational concepts.Usually past time is understood as time preceding the time of speaking,and present time is time simultaneous with the time of speaking.The examples in [1] illustrate the most central use of the two primary tenses,but both have a range of other uses too:the relation between tense and time in English is not at all straightforward.

[1] a.She was in Bonn.b.She is in Bonn.

1.The present tense

(a) Present time

The most basic use of the present tense is to indicate present time more specifically,time that coincides with the time of utterance,as in [2b].

But the time of utterance is of course very short.It often takes only a second or two to utter a sentence.So naturally there are severe restrictions on the use of the present tense in clauses with perfective interpretations.Compare these two examples:

[2] a.I promise to be back for lunch.b.Sue mows the lawn.

The salient interpretation of [2a] is perfective:there is a single act of promising which is performed by uttering the sentence.The act of promising and the uttering of the sentence thus occupy the same brief period of time (two or three seconds).

But [2b] cannot under any normal circumstances be interpreted in terms of a single act of mowing the lawn at the time of speaking.It takes much longer to mow a lawn than to utter a sentence,so the present time cannot be the time of the situation considered as a totality.The natural interpretation,then,is an imperfective one:we take the sentence to describe a state of affairs where Sue regularly or habitually mows the lawn.This state—like that in [1b]—holds at the time of speaking,but began before then and will (presumably) continue after it.

(b) Future time

The present tense is often used for situations located in future time.In main clauses this is restricted to cases where it can be assumed that we have present knowledge of a future event,as in:

[3] a.The next high tide is at 4 o'clock.The sun rises tomorrow at 6:10.

b.Exams start next week.We arrive home two days before Easter.

(c) Past time

In certain types of narrative,especially in informal style,the present tense is used instead of the past time events,even in discourses that have begun in the past:

[4] I was waiting at the bus-stop when this guy drives up and offers me a lift in his BMW so I say"Well,I don't know,"and he says"You can trust me,I'm a grammarian,"so I get in,and we go.

2.The past tense

(a) Past time

The central use of the past tense is to locate the situation,or the part of it under consideration,in past time.Compare the present tense examples in [3a] with their past counterparts:

[5] a.I promised to be back for lunch.b.Sue mowed the lawn.

Here [5a] again has a perfective interpretation:it reports a promise made in the past.Example [5b],however,can be interpreted either imperfectively or perfectively.In the former case it is the past time analogue of [2b],with Sue habitually or regularly mowing the lawn.This state of affairs held at the time that's being referred to.

Perfective interpretations of present tense clauses with present time reference are restricted to situations of very short duration,since they have to be co-extensive with the act of utterance.No comparable constraint applies with the past,however,and thus [5b],unlike [2b],can readily be used perfectively to denote a single act of mowing the lawn located as a whole in past time.

(b) Modal past

There is a second important use of the past where the meaning has to do not with time but with modality.We call this the modal past use.Modality is a type of meaning that is characteristically associated with mood rather than tense.At this point it's enough to say that it covers various kinds of cases where the situation described in a clause is not presented as factual.The modal past is used to present the situation as,in varying degrees,modally remote.What this means can best be understood by comparing the modal past with the present tense in such examples as those in [6],where in each pair the time is the same in [b] as in [a].

Because of the contrasting meanings of glad and wish,we understand from [(1) a] that they do in fact live nearby,and from [(1) b] that they don't.In [(1) b] they lived nearby is thus interpreted counterfactually,i.e.as contrary to fact,or false:this is the highest degree of modal remoteness.

A lesser degree of modal remoteness is seen in [(2) b]:this doesn't imply that she definitely won't arrive tomorrow,but it suggests that it may well be that she won't (perhaps I'm proposing a change to current arrangements where she's arriving at some other time).In these two examples the modal past is grammatically obligatory,for wish requires a past form of the verb in a finite complement,and so does the idiom would rather.

In [(3)-(4)],we find something different again:here there is a choice between present tense and past.These examples illustrate an important distinction between two kinds of conditional constructions,open,as in [(3) a/(4) a],vs.remote,as in [(3) b/(4) b].

The open type characteristically leaves it open as to whether the condition is or will be fulfilled:he may love her or he may not;you may leave now or you may not.

The remote type,by contrast,generally presents the fulfillment of the condition as a more remote possibility.So [(3) b] suggests a readiness to believe that he doesn't love her;this is the version I'd use,for example,in a context where he's not planning to change his job and I'm arguing from this that he doesn't love her.Similarly,[(4) b] presents your leaving now as somewhat less likely than in the case of [(4) a]:it would generally be preferred,for example,in a context where your current plans or inclinations are to leave later.

(c) Reporting

A third use of the past shows up in indirect reported speech.Notice the contrast between has and had in this pair:[7] a.Kim has blue eyes.b.I told Stacy that Kim had blue eyes.

If I say [7a] to Stacy,I can use [7b] as an indirect report to tell you what I said to Stacy.I'm repeating the content of what I said to Stacy,but not the exact wording.My utterance to Stacy contained the present tense form has,but my report of it contains past had.Nonetheless,my report is entirely accurate.This kind of change in tense is referred to as reporting.

The most obvious verbs of reporting are in the past,like told or said.It would not occur with present tense verbs of saying;in the present tense,my report would have been I tell Stacy that Kim has blue eyes.In fact,even with past reporting verbs backshift is often optional:you can keep the original present tense instead of reporting it.Instead of [7b],therefore,we can have:

[8] I told Stacy that Kim has blue eyes.

Although indirect reported speech represents the most obvious case,backshift also happens quite generally in constructions where one clause is embedded within a larger one containing a past verb:

[9] a.Stacy didn't know that Kim had blue eyes.

b.I wondered at the time whether they were genuine.

c.I wish I knew if these paintings were genuine.

All the underlined verbs have reported tense.Notice in particular that the knew of [9c] is actually a modal past,and doesn't refer to past time at all;but it still provides a context in which backshift can take place.So reporting can't be understood at all on the basis of some simple ideas about past tenses referring to past time;it's a special grammatical principle about the use of the past tense infection.

3.Verb Groups

Quite often,verbs in English occur in groups rather than singly.Each group consists of a main verb,which is always at the end of the group,preceded by one or more auxiliary verbs ("helping verbs"),as in He could have been crying.Look at the sentences below [10-20].Each of them contains a verb group:

[10] He is washing his dog.

[11] He was washing his dog at that time.

[12] He has taken his dog for a walk.

[13] He had taken his dog for a walk when I called.

[14] He can jump over this fence easily.

[15] He could jump over this fence when he was slimmer.

[16] He should have taken his job more seriously.

[17] He has been arrested many times.

[18] He had been waiting for two hours when she finally arrived.

[19] He did not say that he was unhappy.

[20] Did he say that he was unhappy?

II.Grammar Exercises

1.A number of verbs with all their different forms are given below.In each of the following sentences,fill in the blanks with the correct forms of any of the verbs given.NB:In some cases more than one answer is possible.

VERBS:

eat,eats,eating,ate,eaten,to eat

see,sees,seeing,saw,seen,to see

live,lives,living,lived,to live

write,writes,writing,wrote,written,to write

break,breaks,breaking,broke,broken,to break

hear,hears,hearing,heard,to hear

(1) He____the new James Bond movie last week.

(2) She____letters to her parents very often.

(3) He____the door with his hands.

(4) Tom____the news on the radio.

(5) He____nothing but boiled vegetables.

(6) He____in Repulse Bay,but his wife____in Ma On Shan.

2.Correct the errors in the tense of the verbs.

(1) Half of the respondents being neutral with that question.

____________________________________________________________________

(2) Millions of years ago,some of the lands become seas,and some becomes rivers.

____________________________________________________________________

(3) The vegetation was covered by a layer of mud which consist of sand and small rocks.

____________________________________________________________________

(4) I went to the park and watch the kids play football.

____________________________________________________________________

3.Fill in the blank in each of the following sentences with the correct form of the verb in brackets.

(1) Though I asked him many times,he would not　(tell) me the answer.

(2) When the bill came,he suddenly realized that he did not　(have) enough money.

(3) Do you think he should　(apologize) for what he said?

(4) How could he possibly　(know) what we were planning?

(5) I did not deliberately　(step) on your toes.

(6) Whenever it rains,the temperature always　(drop).

(7) When the enemy advanced,they　(retreat),and when the enemy retreated,they　(advance).

(8) His wife told him to　(buy) a watermelon,but he　(buy) a durian instead.

(9) Though he is very rich,he never　(show) it.

(10) Though he was poor,he　(pretend) to be rich.

4.Underline all the verbs in the following text,and say whether it is in the present or past tense.

There is something about lying on your back in a hospital bed with half a dozen needles poking out of your skin that makes you really ponder your health,and how to maintain it.

The sound of the old man in the next bed snoring loudly is testament to just how relaxing acupuncture really can be.But being the youngest patient in the clinic by at least two generations did make me wonder whether acupuncture and its associated traditional therapies are strictly for the old.

III.TEM-4 Exercises

1.Look at these clouds.____.

A.It will rain　B.It's going to rain　C.It will be raining　D.It is to rain

2.Our boss,Mr.Thompson,____a raise in salary for ages,but nothing has happened yet.

A.was promising　B.has been promising

C.has promised　D.is promising

3.By the end of next month we____this assignment.

A.will finish　B.will be finishing　C.will have finished　D.have finished

4.We will be losing money this year unless that new economic plan of yours____miracle.

A.is working　B.works　C.will be working　D.worked

5.The last half of the nineteenth century____the steady improvement in the means of travel.

A.is witnessed　B.was witnessed　C.witnessed　D.has witnessed

6.It's quite late now and Mr.White____hasn't left his office.

A.still　B.already

C.since

D.yet

7.I still remember the day I first met her,she____.

A.had long hair　B.has long hairs　C.had long hairs　D.has long hair

8.It is said that his father____for several years.

A.had died　B.has been dead　C.died　D.has dead

9.The government____to approve the use of wide-spread surveillance when the Justice Department took

objections.A.is going　B.had been

C.was about

D.is coming

10.You should have put the milk into the ice-box;I expect it____undrinkable.

A.became　B.had become　C.has become　D.becomes

IV.Key Words of TEM-4

Group 1 service scope charge maintenance

service n.work done by people that does not involve producing goods

The supermarket provides free delivery service.

The lawyers offer their services for free to those who cannot afford to pay.

serve v.

(1) to give (food or drink) to someone at a meal,in a restaurant,etc.

The restaurant serves excellent Italian food.

The waiter served our meals quickly.

(2) to provide service to

What can we do to serve our customers better?

serve as to be used or seen in a particular way

The trees can serve as shelter from the rain.

scope n.

(1) the area that is included in or dealt with by something

The essay is comprehensive in scope.

The law is of limited scope.

That problem is somewhat beyond the scope of this discussion.

(2) space or opportunity for action,thought,etc.

A bigger budget will allow more scope for innovation.

The work has been good,but there's still some scope for improvement.

charge v.

(1) to put electricity into a battery so that a machine or device will run

My cell phone needs to be charged.

(2) to give a job or responsibility to

The board was charged with deciding where to build a new school.

(3) to formally accuse (someone) of a crime

He's been charged with possessing guns and attempting to attack the police.

(4) to ask for money in return for providing or doing something

Agencies are allowed to charge a fee,usually the equivalent of the first week's rent,if you take accommodation they have found for you.

(5) to rush toward (a person,place,etc.)

Fans charged the stage but were stopped by the security guards.

charge n.

(1) the responsibility of managing or watching over something

He wanted to take charge of the organization.

(2) an amount of money that someone asks for in return for doing something

There is a charge for the use of the locker.

(3) a formal accusation that someone committed a crime

They dropped the charges against him.

He decided not to bring charges.

in charge having control of or responsibility for something

She is in charge of hiring new employees.

I am not sure who is in charge at the restaurant.

maintenance n.

(1) the act of keeping things in good condition

The building has suffered from years of poor maintenance.

(2) the act of providing support for someone or something

He had to work hard for the maintenance of his family.

maintain v.keep things in good condition,provide support

The idea is to maintain the regularity of the heartbeat.

He has to maintain a large family on a small salary.

TEM-4 Question 1

The food is good at this hotel,But the____is poor;The waiters don't seem to be well trained.

A.service　B.repair　C.charge　D.maintenance

Group 2 accommodate defeat reduce indulge

accommodate v.

(1) to provide a place to stay and sleep for (someone)

Students are accommodated in homes nearby.

(2) to have room for (someone or something)

Are there enough shelves to accommodate all our books?

(3) to provide what is needed or wanted for (someone or something)

New facilities are being added to accommodate the special needs of elderly residents.

(4) to get used to or become comfortable with something

Some animal and plant species cannot accommodate to the rapidly changing conditions.

accommodation n.

When traveling with family or friends,make sure that the accommodation you select allows you

to spend quality time together.

defeat v.to win a victory over (someone or something) in a war,contest,game,etc.

We lost to their team last year,but this year we're going to defeat them.

Our candidate defeated him in the last election.

n.failure to succeed or to win

We weren't prepared for defeat.

One small error could make the difference between success and defeat.

reduce v.

(1) to make (something) smaller in size,amount,number,etc.

Exercise can also lower blood pressure,and reduce your risk of heart disease.

Countries such as India have made joint efforts to reduce birth rates.

(2) to cause (someone) to be in a specified state or condition

The movie's ending reduced them to tears.

The city was reduced to ruins by the bombing.

(3) to force (someone) to do something that causes shame,embarrassment,etc.

The museum has been reduced to begging for funding.

(4) to describe (something) in a way that includes only some of the facts and details

Her argument can be reduced to a few essential points.

reduced circumstances a situation in which you have less money

We will have to adjust to our reduced circumstances.

indulge v.

(1) to yield to the desires,especially to an excessive degree

It's my birthday.I'm going to indulge myself and eat whatever I want to eat.

For our anniversary,we indulged in an expensive dinner.

(2) to patiently allow (someone) to do or say something

Please indulge me while I review the topics we covered yesterday.

indulge in to become involved in (something,especially something that is considered wrong or improper)

Both candidates have promised not to indulge in further personal attacks for the remainder of the campaign.

indulgence n.

They treated their grandchildren with fond indulgence.

Ladies and gentlemen,I ask your indulgence for a moment while my assistant prepares the next act.

TEM-4 Question 2

His____in gambling has eventually brought about his ruin.

A.indulgence　B.accommodation　C.reduction　D.engagement

Group 3 audience participant spectator observer

audience n.people who gather together to listen to or watch something

His speech failed to arouse the audience's interest.

But what really distinguished Disney was his ability to identify with his audiences.

participant n.a person who participates in an activity or event

The machine would not be a passive participant but would add its own suggestions,information,and opinions.

participate v.to take part in

On average,American kids did household work and participated in such organized activities as soccer and ballet.

participation n.

I think I'm going to try to count five percent for class participation.

spectator n.a person who watches (an event,show,etc.) often as part of an audience

Now she can leave her house and be a participant in life rather than a spectator.

In the Dragon boat racing all of the noise creates an atmosphere of delight and excitement for the participants and spectators alike.

spectator sport n.a sport that attracts a large number of spectators

Although professional football is the nation's favorite spectator sport,professional baseball is also very popular.

observer n.a person who sees and notices something

He is a good observer,accurate,patient and objective and applies logical thought to the observations he makes.

observe v.see and notice something

He utilizes the facts he observes to the fullest extent.

observation n.the act or faculty of observing

Accurate identification of birds is usually the first goal.But observations that an amateur bird-watcher can make are really limitless.

TEM-4 Question 3

Thousands of____at the stadium came to their feet to pay tribute to an outstanding performance.

A.audience　B.participants　C.spectators　D.observers

Group 4 determine defensive demanding decisive

determine v.

(1) to decide or settle (a dispute,etc.) conclusively and authoritatively

The new policy will be determined by a special committee.

The taste of a French fry is largely determined by the cooking oil.

(2) to learn or find out (something) by getting information

Scholars have determined that the book was written in the late 16 ^th century.

a determining factor a reason to make a particular choice or decision

Price was the determining factor in their decision.

determination n.the quality that you show when you have decided to do something and you will not let anything stop you

His cooking reflects a determination to acknowledge his northern roots.

defensive a.

(1) protecting something from attack;helping to keep something safe

China's sharp increases in military spending in recent years are defensive in nature,and still leave its spending and military capability far behind the United States.

We have taken many defensive measures against terrorist attacks.

(2) behaving in a way that shows that you feel people are criticizing you

When we asked her about the mistakes,she became defensive.

demanding a.

(1) requiring much time,attention,or effort

Even dinner parties have gone casual.In a time of long work hours and demanding family schedules,busy hosts insist that it's better to share a takeout pizza on paper plates in the family room than to wait for a"real"dinner party.

Factory work can be physically demanding.

I have heard it is one of the most demanding courses at the university.(2) hard to satisfy

Their boss was really demanding,often expecting them to work long into the night.

decisive a.

(1) able to make choices quickly and confidently

Staff like a boss who is decisive above all things,so they understand the direction of travel.

Roosevelt's ambitious legislative program aimed at reviving the economy and his decisive leadership style remain the gold standard for how a new president takes charge in the first 100 days in office.

(2) characterized by decision and firmness;resolute

We won't rule out any measures and will take decisive action when necessary.We see this as a decisive shift in policy stance from China.

TEM-4 Question 4

In the face of unexpected difficulties,he demonstrated a talent for quick,____action.

A.determining　B.defensive　C.demanding　D.decisive

Group 5 rather than instead of other than in line with

rather than and not

Complaining is usually most effective when the consumer presents specific information as to what is wrong,rather than make general statements.

Music is important to us,but most of us can be considered consumers rather than producers of music.

instead of in the place of something

These young people focus their attention on other forms of celebration instead of immersing themselves in TV.

Instead of staring at a blank start filling it with words no matter how bad.

other than not including,except

It is said that in no country other than Britain can one experience four seasons in the course of a single day.

We missed the last bus,so there was no choice other than to walk home.

in line with in agreement with

I think it's broadly in line with what we expected.

The new policy is in line with the plans that were discussed last year.

TEM-4 Question 5

Iron,in lumps,bars or rings,is still used in many countries____paper money.

A.rather than　B.instead of　C.other than　D.in line with

V.Working with Words and Expressions

Complete the following sentences with a word or an expression from the box.Change the form if necessary.

service　scope　charge　maintenance　serve　maintain

accommodate defeat　reduce　indulge　indulgence　accommodation

audience　participant　spectator　observer　participate　participation

observation　determine　defensive　demanding　decisive　determination

rather than　instead of　other than　in line with

1.The West German scientist is in____of the Community's solar energy program.

2.Scientists from around the world are working to____the disease.

3.There were 150____at the international conference this summer.

4.It makes sense for people to sing____say these words,because the emotions are so huge,the conflicts are so large and so real.

5.Psychologists agree that I.Q.contributes only about 20 percent of the factors that____success.

6.Exercise is one of the few factors with a positive role in long-term____of body weight.

7.The discovery of the black box marked a huge step toward____the cause of a tragedy in which 152passengers were killed.

8.The chairman strictly prelimited the____of the committee's function.

____9.Yet the loss of formality has its down side.The fine points of etiquette that children might once have learned at the table by____or instruction from parents and grandparents must be picked up elsewhere.

10.This restaurant can____two hundred people at a time.

11.The organization____as a model of social responsibility.

12.The mother's role seems to require a complete transformation in daily routine and highly innovative adaptation,on the other hand,the father's role is less____and immediate.

13.Some regard it as an effective way to control the number of cars and____pollution in the city.

14.His shield,in addition to being a____thing,is also potentially an offensive weapon.

15.The museum is an excellent place to let children____their curiosity about dinosaurs. zSm5VSI4BUxcDFJZEojvNkvuWcsrvZ7qjaA3XaWYbvhDh6yZwguwMvGko8GbNI5O