Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[hela]

Dear teachers,

Would you please check if I put the verbs in the right tense ?

When I 1 WAS a little boy, I 2 SMOKED / USED TO SMOKE (can we say �was smoking�?) cigarettes occasionally.

I 3 HAD STOPPED / STOPPED smoking completely before I 4 REACHED the age of 15.

We 5 LIVED / WERE LIVING / USED TO LIVE by the sea in those days and my brother and I often 6 WALKED / USED TO WALK along the beach to a deserted spot where we 7 SMOKED / USED TO SMOKE our cigarettes in secret.

My big brother 8 USED TO STEAL cigarettes from my father�s pocket while he 9 WAS SLEEPING.

At that time, my father 10 SMOKED / USED TO SMOKE / WAS SMOKING more than 40 cigarettes a day and he never 11 NOTICED / USED TO NOTICE when Jack 12 TOOK a few from one of his pockets.

One day my father 13 SAW us while we 14 WERE SMOKING on the beach, but to our surprise, he only 15 SMILED and 16 SAID nothing.

After that we 17 BOUGHT / USED TO BUY cigarettes from time to time and although our smoking 18 WAS no longer a secret, we still 19 WENT / USED TO GO to our favourite spot to smoke them.

A few months later, however, we 20 LOST interest and I have never smoked since then.

Thank you very much indeed.
Hela

[bud]

This test, I assume, was made for the purposes of teaching grammar. Thus, I assume there should only be one correct answer in each case. The problem is that in everyday language, at least in the US, we are not so precise about the fine points of grammar. That is, unlike many ESL speakers, we do not stop to think about what is precisely the correct way to say something. The rules work on a subconscious level. That makes it difficult to comment on a test like this, as in many cases it seems that 2 or 3 answers are correct. With that said, I'll do my best...

1. Yes
2. Both seem good to me (but not "was smoking"). I think a grammar teacher wants "smoked." "Used to smoke" by itself indicates a repeated action, so it is probably redundant to use this with "occasionally." Even so, you will hear people use this kind of contruction all the time.
3. Had stopped. (further past in relation to the more recent past of #4)
4. Yes
5. Hmm... were living? All seem ok to me.
6. Walked. (same comment as #2)
7. Smoked. (because this subclause also has a connection to "often")
8. I think "used to..." is technically the best choice here - a repetitive action.
9. Yes
10. As with #5, a tough choice... was smoking?
11. Noticed
12-16. Yes
17. Bought
18. Yes
19. Hmm... used to?
20. Yes

Take these answers with a grain of salt (don't put much faith in them = don't trust them very much).

[hela]

Thanks Bud,

See you,
Hela