SOLUTIONS

ADVANCED
Unit 1: Beginnings

Grammar
 UNIT MAP
VOCABULARY &
01. WORD SKILLS
02. GRAMMAR 03. LISTENING
Remembering and forgetting Question forms Designer babies
Idioms: memory Habitual actions
Personality

04. READING 05. SPEAKING 06. WRITING

Bad beginnings Interview Opinion essay
Task 1. Discuss which of these you find the easiest and most
difficult to remember.
people's names

people's faces

birthdays

appointments

new words in English

what you did last weekend

 Task 2. Complete the
dialogue below. Write one
words in each gap. Then
Didn’t
Didn’t listen and check your
answers.

why
did
Don’t
happened
Did
Why
LEARN THIS! Question forms
1. In ‘subject questions’, where who or what replaces the subject, we:
a. Do not normally use an auxiliary (do, did, etc.).
wrote Hamlet? Shakespeare wrote it.
Who ________
b. Can sometimes include the auxiliary for emphasis.
did ______
‘I didn’t send that text.’ ‘Well, who ______ send it?’
2. A reply question is used to question another speaker’s statement. A
reply question can be affirmative or negative.
Were
a. ‘I was sitting in the corner’. ‘ _____________ you?’
Didn’t _________?’
b. ‘I didn’t see you.’ ‘_________ you
LEARN THIS! Question forms
3. A negative questions can be used:
a. to ask for confirmation. We expect the answer ‘yes’.
Wasn’t it Jack’s birthday yesterday?
_________
b. to express surprise that something did not happen.
Didn’t you get it? (= I’m surprised that you didn’t get it.)
I sent you an email. ________
4. Questions beginning why or why not can sometimes contain only a base form.
The exact meaning is implied.
Why _______
a. _______ not study abroad? It would be great experience.
why bother to revise?
b. It isn’t an important exam. So ________
 Task 3. Find one more
example of each point in the
dialogue in task 2.
Didn’t 1. In ‘subject questions’, where who or
Didn’t what replaces the subject, we:
7 a. Do not normally use an auxiliary (do,
did, etc.).
4 b. Can sometimes include the auxiliary
for emphasis.
why
did 2. A reply question is used to question
Don’t another speaker’s statement. A reply
happened question can be affirmative or
Did negative.
Why 6 a. affirmative
1 b. negative
 Task 3. Find one more
example of each point in the
dialogue in task 2.
Didn’t 3. A negative questions can be used:
Didn’t 2 a. to ask for confirmation. We expect
the answer ‘yes’.
5 b. to express surprise that something
did not happen.

why 4. Questions beginning why or why not

did can sometimes contain only a base
Don’t form. The exact meaning is implied.
happened 8 a. why not
Did 3 b. why
Why
Task 4. Write subject questions beginning Who ... ? or What ... ? in response
to the statements below. Use an auxiliary verb (does, did, etc.) for emphasis
if appropriate.
1. I didn't borrow your laptop. (borrow?)
Who did borrow it?
2. I've got four tickets for a Jay Z gig in London. (pay for?)
Who’s paying for them? / Who paid for them?
3. We didn't order a taxi. (order?)
Who did order it?
4. Music doesn't help me concentrate. (help?)
What helps / does help you concentrate?
5. Ed Sheeran wrote the song. (perform?)
Who performed it?
6. Chelsea have just got a goal. (score?)
Who scored?
7. 'Believe' doesn't rhyme with 'sieve'. (rhyme?)
What does rhyme with ‘believe’ / ‘sieve’?
Task 5. Complete the negative questions. Then listen
and check your answers.
Weren’t you sitting next to me in our first English class?
1. _________
Weren’t you with a friend?
2. _________
Couldn’t you find two seats together?
3. _________
Didn’t I say anything to you at all?
4. _________
Wasn’t I listening to music?
5. _________
Weren’t you talking to your brother?
6. _________
Hadn’t you had a big argument with him earlier that morning?
7. _________
 Task 5. Use the context to say whether each question is
a) asking for confirmation or b) expressing surprise.
Weren’t you sitting next to me in our first English class?
1. _________ • confirmation
Weren’t you with a friend?
2. _________ • confirmation
Couldn’t you find two seats together?
3. _________ • confirmation
Didn’t I say anything to you at all?
4. _________ • surprise
Wasn’t I listening to music?
5. _________ • surprise
Weren’t you talking to your brother?
6. _________ • confirmation
Hadn’t you had a big argument with him earlier that morning? • confirmation
7. _________
Transcript
Girl: Do you remember the first time we met?
Boy: Yes, I think so. Weren’t you sitting next to me in our first English class?
Girl: Yes, I was. But that wasn’t the first time we met.
Boy: Wasn’t it? But I didn’t know you before I started at this school.
Girl: No, but we sat next to each other on the bus on the way to school on that first morning.
Boy: Oh yes, now I remember. Weren’t you with a friend?
Girl: I was with my brother, actually.
Boy: Why did you sit next to me, instead of your brother? Couldn’t you find two seats together?
Girl: No, we couldn’t. The bus was really full that morning. So I sat next to you. I said ‘hi’ when I sat down.
Boy: And what did I say?
Girl: Nothing!
Boy: Didn’t I say anything to you at all?
Girl: No, not a word.
Boy: Maybe I had my headphones in and didn’t hear you.
Girl: You weren’t wearing headphones.
Boy: Wasn’t I listening to music? That’s odd. I always used to listen to music on the way to school.
Girl: Well, you definitely didn’t have headphones on.
Boy: You seem to remember a lot about me. Weren’t you talking to your brother?
Girl: No, we weren’t speaking to each other.
Boy: Now I remember! Hadn’t you had a big argument with him earlier that morning? I’m sure you told me
about that later.
Task 6. Listen to four people talking about their siblings.
Complete the extracts.
1. Of course we ______________
‘d fall out occasionally, over little things.
2. We ___________________
didn’t use to have our own separate books or toys even.
3. She ______________
will call round just as I'm in the middle of something!
4. We ______________
’d play four hours in the park every Saturday.
5. He ______________
usually won because he was older, but I didn't mind.
6. He __________________
was always teasing me about my appearance.
7. Our parents ______________
used to tell me to ignore him.
8. We ______________
’ll see each other once or twice a year, I guess.
9. She ______________
kept having me nasty text message.
Transcript
Speaker 1: I was really close to my sister for most of our childhood. Of course, we’d fall out occasionally, over little things.
Siblings always do, don’t they? But I don’t remember many arguments. We spent a lot of time together, just the two of us, and we
shared everything. We didn’t use to have our own separate books or toys even. We just shared because we wanted to! But I have to
say, our relationship isn’t like that now. We have a good relationship but not a particularly close one. We talk on the phone about
once a week and she calls round sometimes – usually without any warning, which I hate! She will call round just as I’m in the
middle of something!
Speaker 2: I suppose I had a pretty good relationship with my brother when we were younger. Most of my memories are fairly
positive. We fought quite a bit, but no more than other brothers that we knew! We were both crazy about football. We’d play for
hours in the park every Saturday. He usually won because he was older, but I didn’t mind. Now that we’re older, we still share an
interest in football and we often go to matches together. In fact, we do a lot of things together. We go on holidays together – with our
wives and kids. We’re like best friends, as well as brothers.
Speaker 3: I didn’t get on at all well with my older brother when we were kids. He was always teasing me about my appearance. He
had so many nicknames for me, and they weren’t very pleasant. In fact, Big Ears was probably the one I minded least! Our parents
used to tell me to ignore him. But that’s easier said than done when you’re eight years old. I can honestly say he made my childhood a
misery and I was glad when he left home to go to university. We get on OK now, I suppose. We’ll see each other once or twice a year, I
guess. It’s mostly at family gatherings. I certainly wouldn’t say that we’re close.
Speaker 4: I don’t remember getting on badly with my sister when we were kids. We didn’t play together that much but I don’t think
we argued much either. And then things started to go wrong when I was about fourteen and she was sixteen. She kept having massive
rows with our parents. And often, she’d have a go at me as well – although I just wanted to keep out of it. Then she left home for
good. For a few years, we didn’t have any contact. Then somehow she got my mobile number – unfortunately. She’s always sending
me
LEARN THIS! Talking about habitual actions
1. To talk about habitual actions in the present, we can use the
present simple or will.
We often / We’ll often go out at weekends.
2. To talk about habitual actions in the past, we can use the past
simple, would or used to.
She always got / She’d always get / She always used to get better
grades than me.
NOTE: With state verbs, we do not use would.
I didn’t use to like tea. NOT I wouldn’t like tea.
LEARN THIS! Talking about habitual actions
3. To express annoyance at habits, we use:
a. the present or past continuous, often with adverbs like always,
forever and continually.
He’s always forgetting my birthday. They were always arguing.
b. Will or would for emphasis. Will and would are often stressed
when spoken.
He will phone me when I’m asleep. She would talk about me with
her friends.
Task 7. Say which of the extracts in task 6 express annoyance.

1. Of course we ______________
‘d fall out occasionally, over little things.
2. We ___________________
didn’t use to have our own separate books or toys even.
3. She ______________
will call round just as I'm in the middle of something!
4. We ______________
’d play four hours in the park every Saturday.
5. He ______________
usually won because he was older, but I didn't mind.
6. He __________________
was always teasing me about my appearance.
7. Our parents ______________
used to tell me to ignore him.
8. We ______________
’ll see each other once or twice a year, I guess.
9. She ______________
kept having me nasty text message.
Task 8. Rewrite the sentences in task 6 using a different structure from
the Learn this! box.
1. Of course we ‘d fall out occasionally, over little things.
Of course we used to fall out occasionally, over little things.
2. We didn’t use to have our own separate books or toys even.
We didn’t even have our own separate books or toys.
3. She will call round just as I'm in the middle of something!
She’s always calling round just as I’m in the middle of something!
4. We ’d play four hours in the park every Saturday.
We used to play for hours in the park every Saturday.
5. He usually won because he was older, but I didn't mind.
He used to win because he was older, but I didn’t mind.
Task 8. Rewrite the sentences in task 6 using a different structure from
the Learn this! box.
6. He was always teasing me about my appearance.
He would always tease me about my appearance.
7. Our parents used to tell me to ignore him.
Our parents told me to ignore him.
8. We ’ll see each other once or twice a year, I guess.
We see each other once or twice a year, I guess.
9. She kept having me nasty text message.
She will send me nasty text messages.
Task 9. Compare the sentences. What is the difference in meaning?
1. a. My sister always left her phone at home when she went out.
b. My sister was always leaving her phone at home when she went out.
Sentence b emphasises that the sister forgot habitually and shows annoyance

2. a. I used to hate swimming lessons at school.

b. I'd hate swimming lessons at school.
In sentence a, the person is remembering swimming lessons that actually
happened. / Would shouldn’t be used with the state verb hate to talk about a
habitual state. In sentence b, the speaker is imagining what it would be like to
have swimming lessons
3. a. I'll meet my sister on Sunday mornings for a coffee.
b. I'll meet my sister on Sunday morning for a coffee.
Sentence a describes a repeated action. Sentence b refers to a single event.
Task 9. Compare the sentences. What is the difference in meaning?
4. a. My brother is always phoning me at midnight.
b. My brother is phoning me at midnight.
Sentence a describes a repeated action that is annoying.
Sentence b describes an arrangement.
5. a. My brother was always wearing my coat to school.
b. My brother always used to wear my coat to school.
Sentence a expresses annoyance with the situation.
Sentence b describes a repeated action.
6. a. She'll spend most evenings chatting to her friends online.
b. She will spend most evenings chatting to her friends online.
Sentence a describes a repeated action.
Sentence b uses will for emphasis to express annoyance.
LOOK OUT!
We can also use these expressions to talk about habits:

• keep doing something = tend to do something

• have a habit of doing = have a tendency to do something

• be apt to do something = be prone to do something

 Task 10. Choose three sentences from task 9 and
rewrite them using a phrase from Look out! box.
1. a. My sister always left her phone at home when she went
keep doing something out.
b. My sister was always leaving her phone at home when she
tend to do something went out.
2. a. I used to hate swimming lessons at school.
b. I'd hate swimming lessons at school.
have a habit of doing 3. a. I'll meet my sister on Sunday mornings for a coffee.
b. I'll meet my sister on Sunday morning for a coffee.
have a tendency to do something 4. a. My brother is always phoning me at midnight.
b. My brother is phoning me at midnight.
be apt to do something 5. a. My brother was always wearing my coat to school.
b. My brother always used to wear my coat to school.
be prone to do something 6. a. She'll spend most evenings chatting to her friends online.
b. She will spend most evenings chatting to her friends online.
Task 11. Complete the second sentence so that it means the same
as the first. Write no more than six words, including the word in
brackets.
1. My sister kept falling out with our dad. (always)
was always falling out with our dad.
My sister ___________________________
2. Our parents would rarely get involved in our rows. (use)
didn’t use to get involved
Our parents ___________________________ in our rows very often.
3. My twin brother keeps making up stories about me. (will)
will make up stories
My twin brother ___________________________ about me.
4. My sister doesn't get in touch with me very often. (won’t)
won’t get in touch (very often) with me.
My sister ___________________________
Task 11. Complete the second sentence so that it means the same
as the first. Write no more than six words, including the word in
brackets.
5. My mum would always side with my sister. (used)

always used to side

My mum _________________________ with my sister.

6. My brothers will keep upsetting my sister. (continually)

are continually upsetting my sister.

My brothers _________________________

7. My dad often used to get lost when he was driving. (tendency)

had a tendency to get lost when he was driving.

My dad _________________________
 PANTADO
See you next time!