Page 169 - Close-Up B1 Students Book Form 3

Grammar Reference

7.3 Past Perfect Continuous Be careful, w o n 't you?
This/That is so dangerous, isn't it?
Affirmative These/Those are brave men, aren't they?
l/he/she/it/we/you/they had ('d) been climbing
7.5 Subject & Object Questions
Negative
When who, what, or which asks about the subject of
l/he/she/it/we/you/they had not (hadn't) been climbing a question, the word order stays the same as in an
affirmative sentence.
Questions
Who survived yesterday's climbing accident?
Had l/he/she/it/we/you/they been climbing? (Everyone survived.)
Short Answers When who, what, or which are the object of a question,
the word order changes in the question form.
Yes, l/he/she/it had. No, l/he/she/it hadn't. Who did the rescue team save?
Yes, we/you/they had. No, we/you/they hadn't.
(They saved the captain.)
Spelling: make making, swim —► swimming,
7.6 Negative Questions
study -> studying
We use the Past Perfect Continuous W e use negative questions
• for actions that started in the past and were still • to express surprise.
in progress when another action started or when 'D id n 't Jamie finish the race?' 'No, he collapsed before
something happened. the finish line.'
He had been free falling for several seconds before he • in exclamations.
opened his parachute. Isn't bungee jumping one o f the most thrilling extreme
• for actions that were in progress in the past and had an sports?
effect on a later action. • when we expect the listener to agree with us.
The hiker had been walking for days and collapsed just W asn't that such an interesting documentary?
before reaching his destination. To answer negative questions we just use a Yes or No
answer depending on what we think. A Yes answer
Note: Some common time expressions that are often confirms a positive opinion, whereas a No answer confirms
used with the Past Perfect Continuous are all day/night/ a negative opinion.
week, for years/a long time/ages, since. W e can use How Isn't it a lovely day today?
long ...? with the Past Perfect Continuous in questions and Yes. / Yes, it is. (=agreement)
for (very) long in questions and negative sentences. No. / No, it isn't. (= disagreement)
Ben had been climbing mountains fo r years.
How long had you been competing in races?
(Ari\+ £>
7.4 Question Tags
Modals & Semi-modals
Question tags are short questions at the end of a positive 8.1 Can & Could
or negative sentence. They are formed with a modal or an
auxiliary verb + a personal pronoun. We use can + bare infinitive
We usually use an affirmative question tag after a negative • to talk about general ability in the present and the
sentence, and a negative question tag after an affirmative future.
sentence. He can make beautiful things out o f stone.
You haven't competed in a marathon, have you? • for requests.
The athletes are training hard, aren't they? Can we go to the concert tonight?
When an affirmative sentence contains a verb in the • for permission.
Present Simple or the Past Simple we use do/does, d o n 't/ People can enter this cave and explore if they like.
doesn't and did/didn't in the question tag. We use can't + bare infinitive to show that we are sure
You go swimming every day, d on 't you? that something isn't true.
You went swimming yesterday, d id n 't you?
That can't be Jane! Isn't she away on a trip?
We use question tags when we want
We use could + bare infinitive
• someone to agree with what we are saying. • to talk about general ability in the past, (past form
It's a beautiful day, isn't it?
of can)
• to make sure that what we are saying is right. I could ski when I was only seven years old.
The tennis match starts at 3 o'clock, doesn't it?
• to talk about possibility.
We could go sailing if the wind went down by
Note: Some question tags are irregular. Notice the way
tomorrow.
these tags are formed. • for polite requests.
I am lucky to be alive, aren't I? Could you please give me that magazine?
Everyone is looking forward to the trip, aren't they?
Let's hike in the mountains, shall we? • to make suggestions.
We could go to the cinema.
D on't forget to let me know you've arrived safely,
will you?

168