Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[hela]

Dear teachers,

I hope that one of you will be able to have a look at my exercise. I thank you in advance for your correction.

1) Elle travaille � son examen depuis pr�s de dix mois et il est probable qu�elle r�ussira.
a) She has been working for (?) her exam for ten months and it is likely that she will succeed.
b) It has been ten months since she has been working for her examination and she will...

2) A quelle vitesse conduisait-il quand il fut arr�t� par l�agent de police ?
How fast was he driving when he was arrested by the policeman?

3) Nous venons de leur envoyer un colis mais je ne sais pas s�ils le recevront avant la semaine prochaine.
We have just sent him a parcel but I don�t know if they will get it before next week.

4) Il a compl�tement oubli� ce que je lui ai dit il y a trois jours.
He has totally forgotten what I told him three days ago.

5) L�ami dont je t�ai parl� a finalement r�ussi � trouver un emploi.
The friend a) that / b) whom / c) 0 I told you about / d) has managed to find / e) has succeeded in finding / f) has been able to find job at last.

6) Je n�ai pas vu Paul depuis les vacances de No�l.
I haven�t seen Paul since Chritsmas holidays. [no article before "Christmas" ?]

7) Je me demande ce qui a bien pu lui arriver car il a de moins en moins d�amis.
I wonder what has happened to him for he has fewer friends. [is there anythg missing?]

Trois jours apr�s l�accident de Tchernobyl, l�Union sovi�tique n�avait pas officiellement inform� les populations locales des dangers de pollution radioactive et elle n�avait pas davantage pr�venu ses voisins � Finlande et Norv�ge.
Three days after the Tchernobyl disaster, the Soviet Union a) had not informed / b) did not inform the local population of the dangers of the radioactive pollution and it a) had not even warned / b) did not even warn its neighbours � Finland and Norway.

9) Les �l�ves, dont la plupart des parents vivent en province, restent � Paris le week-end.
The puplis, whose parents live in the provinces, stay in Paris at the weekend.

10) Peu importe ! Qu�il ait tort ou raison, il n�y a plus rien � faire.
It doesn�t matter ! Whether he is right or wrong, a) there�s nothing one can do / b) it's done! [isn't there sthg more idiomatic for the last clause?)

11) Cela fait au moins six mois qu�elle a quitt� l�appartement dans lequel elle habitait.
It has been six months at least since she left the flat in which / where she was living.

12) J�ai de plus en plus de mal � supporter le fait qu�il soit toujours en retard.
I can�t stand the fact that he is always late any longer.
[I know it's not the same as in French but I haven't a clue!]

13) Les trois enfants de mes voisins prennent tous des cours de russe. Il semble que c�est la langue maternelle du p�re mais que celui-ci refuse de la parler depuis que sa propre m�re est morte.
My neighbours' three children (??) take Russian classes. It may be that the language (?) is the father�s mother tongue and that he has been unwilling to speak it since his mother�s death.

All the best

[pugachevV]

Hi Hela - long time no see. I hope everything is going well for you.
I must warn you up front that French is my third language, but I hope these suggestions help you.

1) She has been working towards her exam for almost ten months and she will probably pass.
2) How fast was he driving when he was stopped by the police(man)? We are usually "stopped by the cops". or more formally, the police - even if there's only one of them.
3)We have just sent them a parcel (USA package) but I don�t know if they will get it before next week.
4).He has completely forgotten what I told him three days ago.
5).The friend about whom I told you, has finally succeeded in finding a job.
6). I haven't seen Paul since the Christmas holidays.
7) I wonder what could have happened to him because he has fewer and fewer friends.
8)Three days after the Chernobyl accident, the Soviet Union had not informed the local population of the dangers of radioactive pollution and furthermore it had not even warned its neighbours � Finland and Norway.
9)The pupils, most of whose parents live in the provinces, stay in Paris at the weekend.
10) It's of little importance whether he's right or wrong there's nothing more to do. (We can't do anything about it).
11). It's at least six months since she left the apartment in which she was living.
12). I am getting more and more sick of putting up with the fact that he's always late.
13). My neighbours' three children are all taking Russian courses. It seems that it is their father's mother tongue, but he has refused to speak it since his real mother died.

[hela]

Hello pugachevV,

Thank your for your answer. May I ask you a few more questions, please?

1/ Why is it necessary to put an article before "Christmans holidays"? Is is because the noun is preceded by an adjective ?
6) I haven�t seen Paul since the Christmas holidays.

2/ Do the three prepositions fit here? Is there a difference between them?
9) The pupils, most of whose parents live in the provinces, stay in Paris at / for / over the weekend.

3/ what do you think fo the following sentence ? Does it fit?
12) I find it harder and harder to stand his always being late.

4/ In the following structure are both tenses possible or is there one more "American" than the other?
11) It has been / is at least six months since she left the flat.

All the best

[pugachevV]

1.)You need the definite article because it is a specific holiday (Christmas).
2.)At, for and over are all correct, but I prefer at for a general statement such as this.
3.) Your sentence is correct. You can replace stand with tolerate, if you wish.
4.) You can say it has been or it is and the sense in English is the same, however, in the original French, Cela fait is present tense, and so I have preferred to keep the present tense in the English translation.

Regards,
Vladimir.

[hela]

Thank you very much pugachevV Have a nice day.

[pugachevV]

You're welcome, Hela.