Focus on Words

MIXED TENSES
5. Fill in the correct tense forms.
A man is asking people in the street about his company’s new washing powder,
Dreamwash. Here is one of these conversations.
A: Excuse me, Madam. Have you been to Parkers’ Supermarket today?
B: Yes, I ... (be) there at about ten o’clock this morning. Why?
A: ... (buy) any washing powder when you were there?
B: Yes, I ... (buy) my usual powder. Why ... you (want) to know?
A: I’d like to talk to you about our new washing powder Dreamwash. ... (see) it this
week?
B: Oh, yes, I ... (notice) it in a lot of stores this week. I ... (see) a funny advertisement
on TV this week.
It ... (show) a lady who was doing the washing at Buckingham Palace in London. I
... (buy) it and I ... (like) it.
A: What about you, Madam? ... (buy) it too?
C: I ... (use) it on Monday this week - but I never .... (buy) it again. I ... (feel)
disappointed with the results. I ... (try) a few new washing powders this year. In
March this year I ... (try) Superwave and the clothes ... (not look) very clean. Then
I ... (buy) Bio-White. It ... (make) everything white, even the coloured things. So I
... (have) enough of new powders for one year.
A: Thank you.
Connecting sentences
Explanation: Indicating Cause (Reason)
ADVERB + CLAUSE
Cause
Because a natural
gas pipeline
exploded,
Since gas flowed
freely from the gas
pipe,
Expected
outcome
several homes
burned down.
water could not
put out the fire.
ADVERBIAL PREPOSITION + NOUN
PHRASE
Cause
Because of the gas line
explosion,
Because of an
exploding gas line,
Due to/on account of/
owing to the free flow
of gas,
Due to/on account of/
owing to free-flowing
gas,
Expected
outcome
several homes
burned down
water could not
put out the fire.
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