Advanced verb structures

I h e a rd a k ey tu rn in th e lock.

I was driving through the forest when suddenly

my car stopped for no reason. I tried to start it
again, but nothing happened. I got out, but as I
stood up I dropped my phone and it shattered on
the road. I left the car by the road and decided to
walk the two kilometres back through the forest
to where I’d noticed a house. As I walked, I tripped
on a piece of metal that had been left in the road
and fell and hurt my ankle. I thought I’d twisted
it, but although it hurt, I could still walk - just
about!
Reaching the house, I rang the doorbell. I heard
it ring, but there was no answer. My ankle was
hurting badly now, and my hands were shaking.
I looked through the kitchen window; a large
pan stood on the stove with something boiling
in it, and there was something baking, or rather
burning, in the oven. I pushed the door. It opened,
and I stepped inside. ‘Hello? Anyone home?’ I
stared at the strange pictures hanging on the
walls, and the dirty carpet that lay on the floor. I
turned round as the door slammed shut behind
me. The candles blew out. Then I heard a key turn
in the lock outside. I was trapped!
gp 1 W h at three things w ent wrong in the forest?
• 2 W h ere was the ow ner o f the house waiting?
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1 Verbs like ring, close and stop can be used in two Other verbs that can be used in these two ways include:
ways. They can have a subject (usually a person) begin decrease improve stand
and an object or they can have only a subject bend double increase star
(usually a thing). break drop move start
I rang the bell. The bell rang. burn dry open stop
change finish ring trip
Joe closed the door. The door closed.
close grow shake turn
I stopped the car. My car stopped for no reason. cook hurt sit work
The boy opened the door. The door opened.
He shook my hand when he came in. My hands were shaking.
The film starred Alex Black. Alex Black starred in the film.

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2 Many phrasal verbs can be used in the same two ways. Some verbs, e.g. go, cry, walk and live, are normally
These include: không có tân ngữ intransitive but can have objects in idioms and fixed
blow up melt down spin around collocations.
break up move on stand up go the extra mile die a death
close down shut up trip over go the whole hog run / walk / swim, etc. (+ a distance)
dry o ff sit down turn over walk a dog speak a language
VJe moved on after the concert had finished. live (a) life want / live / sleep (+ a time)
The policeman moved us on. When I ask her for help, she always goes the extra mile
and does more than she needs to.
Ralph tripped Frank over. (= It was Ralph’s fault that
I walk my dog every evening.
Frank fell.)
Ralph tripped over. (= Ralph fell.)
When run has an object, it often means'manage’ or
3 Some pairs o f similar verbs work in the same way, e.g. ‘lead’.
lay / lie, raise / rise and fe ll / fa ll. W ith the first verb in
Who would like to run this meeting?5
6
each pair, a person causes an action to happen; with the
second verb, the action ju st happens.
He laid the map on the table. 5 The verbs read, sell and keep are normally transitive,
lay -> laid -> laid but can be intransitive in certain structures.
The map lay on the table.
lie -> lay -> lain
Your essay doesn't read well. (= It doesn’t sound natural.)
She raised her eyes.
Her books always sell well.
The sun rose. rise -> rose -> risen/rosen Bananas keep longer in the fridge. (= They last longer.)
We asked some men to fe ll our old apple tree (= cut
it down) because we were worried it might fa ll on our 6 The verbs meet, m arry and divorce are normally
house. transitive, but we can omit the object if it is each other.
They m et when they were 17, married at 18 and
divorced when they were 19.
Don’t confuse the irregular verbs lie (past: lay, past
participle: lain) and lay (past: laid; past participle:
laid).
... and the filthy carpet that lay on the floor.
He laid the box carefully on the table.

4 Some verbs can be transitive (they have an object

[usually a thing]) or intransitive (they have no object)
with no change o f meaning. These include:
eat lose sing
drink play win
drive read write
She sang a beautiful song.
She sings beautifully.

Leave can be used with or without an object, but

with a change in meaning. When it has no object, it
often means‘leave home’ o r‘leave this place’.
I le ft the car by the road.
What time did you leave ?

► See Unit 28 for play, leave, write, read, sing and win +two
objects.

Advanced verb structures 125

P r a c tic e
A Rewrite each sentence, using the word in brackets as 6 I the tablet in a glass o f water, then
the subject. drank it all in onego.
7 Suzie the elastic too much, causing it to
1 Some bread was baking in the oven. (I)
break.
I was bating seme bread in the oven.
8 The plate when it fell, leaving small
2 The weather was starting to worry me. (I)
pieces all over the floor.
9 In the sales, they the price o f the ring
from €100 to only €50.
3 He was moving his arms and legs in time with the
10 His hands as he nervously tried to turn
music, (his arms and legs)
the key in the lock.

C Complete the description o f the graph, using verbs

4 These tomatoes grew in my garden. (I)
from the box in the past simple. Use each verb no more
than twice. Sometimes there is more than one possible
5 I usually dry my hair in the sunshine, (my hair) answer.

6 When you’ve melted the butter, you can fry the

mushrooms, (the butter)

7 They open their shop at 6 am and close it at 11 pm.

(their shop)

8 How do I work this computer? (this computer)

9 Your work needs to improve before you’re ready for

the exam, (you)

10 The window broke while we were playing football,

(we)

decrease double drop fall halve increase

raise rise stand
B Complete the sentences, using verbs from the box in
the past simple form. Use a dictionary if necessary. In January, the price o f a ticket to the swimming pool
1 StOOa at £2. In February it
bounce dissolve drop halve melt rose slightly to £2.50. They
shake shatter slam stretch twist increased it again in March, to £2.80. In April, it
, to £5.60. T h e y5
1 Everyone jumped when the door suddenly slammed . it again in May, to £11.20. I t 1 again
2 The ice cream quickly in the sun. slightly in June, but only by £1. They
3 As she spoke she her hair around her it to £15 in July. Then in August, they 8
fingers in a shy, self-conscious way. the price by £1. In September the price
4 The cat bit me when I picked it up, so I it halve to £7. Finally, they
straight away. it again, to £3.50, in October.
5 Mike walked across the sports hall and a
basketball on the floor.

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D Complete each sentence b so that it has a similar E Tick the sentence that has a different meaning.
meaning to sentence a, using the word in brackets.
1 a I landed at 8 pm.
1 a Someone had laid some old clothes on the bed. (lay) b My plane landed at 8 pm.
b Some old ctotlves tcuj on the bed c I landed my plane at 8 pm. S
2 a The star o f the film was Frank Ellis, (starred) 2 a We met last year.
b The b We had a meeting last year,
3 a The little dog ran in front o f David and tripped him c We met each other last year.
up. (over) 3 a His car drove 5 km.
b
b He drove his car 5 km.
when it ran in front o f him.
c He drove 5 km.
4 a I went for a 10 km run this morning, (ran)
4 a I worry about you.
b I
b You worry.
5 a We had to cut down our old tree, (fell)
c You worry me.
b We
6 a Don’t keep this juice for more than two days after 5 a The party starts at 7. What time do you want to
you open it. (keep) leave home?
b This juice b The party starts at 7. What time do you want to
leave it?
7 a No one w ill ever buy these new machines - they’re c The party starts at 7. What time do you want to leave?
too expensive, (sell) 6 a Alan tripped over the other player,
b These new machines b Alan tripped over.
- they're too expensive. c Alan tripped the other player over.
8 a I want to live a long time and die peacefully when I’m 7 a Liliana walks her dog twice every day.
old. (life) b Liliana takes her dog for a walk twice a day.
b I c Liliana’s dog goes for a walk two times every day.
death, when I’m very old.
8 a An invention like this won’t sell itself,
b An invention like this won’t sell at all.
c We won’t be able to sell an invention like this.

fJlIU lU -.
W rite the next part o f the story from page 124 in
your notebook. Try to use at least five o f the verbs
from this unit.

______________________________________________________________

| Circle the correct option.

| 1 On the way back to my car I accidentally my keys. a fell b felled c dropped
I 2 After our swim, we lay in the sun to . a meltdown b dry off c trip over
3 An enormous dog sleeping on the floor in the corner o f the kitchen.
1 a laid b lay c lied
I 4 How long do these yoghurts ? a keep b stay c remain
I 5 The balloon filled with air and gradually into the sky. a raised b increased c rose

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Advanced verb structures 127