Talking about past abilities 554
12
What could/couldn't your partner do at
the age of seven? Use the phrases to find out.
• speak English. read • swim . ride a bicycle
• draw.cook play football dive dance
A: Could you speak English at the age of seven?
B: Yes, I could No, I couldn't
!
А: Do you listen tomu sic yes terday aftern oon?
B: No; i didn t.
2. Is there white bread on the plate? - There is no white bread on the table.
3. Are there books on the shelf? - There are no books on the shelf.
4. Were there blue curtains on the window of his study? - There were no blue curtains on the window of his study.
5. Was there a picture on the wall of their sitting-room? - There was no picture on the wall of their sitting-room.
6. Is there big shop on this street? - There is no big shop on this street.
7. Are there only newspapers on this table? - There are not only newspapers on this table.
Practise 1 Choose the correct alternatives to complete the sentences.
1 I'm afraid I've had some bad news. My cousin has been in an accident.
2 My eyes are hurting a bit because l've been reading this book for over two hours.
3 I really enjoyed the new drama series on TV last night. I hadn't seen it before.
4 I'm so glad Katya texted me from her holiday this morning. I'd been waiting to hear from her all week.
5 No, I don't need to tidy my room because I've already tidied it. I did it last night.
6 I've been getting a lot of headaches recently. I think I need to see the doctor.
7 We've been working on this for ages. Let's have a break.
8 Leo has broken up with Helena and she's feeling very sad.