Many people have tried giving up-to put down-to give up-putting down smoking at

some point in their lives, and these days, many of us attempt-were

attempting-are attempting to stop taking another substance, which is not
cigarettes, but which can kill the same number of people, or even more. I am
talking about sugar.
When I went to the doctor five years ago, he told me that sugar 6
would-was-will kill me one day if I didn’t stop7 eat-to eat-eating it. He said that
my only chance to survive was cutting out all sugar from my diet. Before that
day, I have never tried-was never trying-had never tried to quit anything.
Although-So-However, I didn’t think it would be too difficult. “I have achieved
difficult things in my life, much more difficult than that,” I thought. It wasn't true.
I didn't know how difficult it was to stop smoking or drinking alcohol, because I
wasn't ever-was never-had never been addicted to anything, but when I stopped
eating sugar, I realized it is as addictive as any-some-an other substance.
The first few weeks or months I was dreaming-used to dreaming-used to dream
that I was eating chocolate or cakes, and then I woke up in the morning and
my body was crying for sugar.
It is-was-has been 3 months since I started, and I had eaten-ate-have eaten very,
very little-few-enough sugar; only the added sugar that food manufacturers put
in some of their processed products, like bread, tinned tomato, etc. I am very
happy because I am not desperate for sweet things anymore.
I have a friend, Peggy, who is going through the same situation. “I feel more
healthy-healthier-healthiest and more energetic than a few months ago.”
said-told-asked Peggy, and I strongly agree.
KEYS

Correct answer: to give up

➪ When you try to do something, you make an effort to do something.

Maybe you will be able to do it or maybe not: I tried to lift the box, but it was
too heavy. I tried to find my lost keys but I couldn’t.
➪ When you try doing something, you do something as an experiment to
see if it works or if it's effective for achieving certain result: ‘I need to relax’
‘Why don’t you try doing some relaxation exercises?’
➪ Give up is a phrasal verb that means 'to stop doing something or having
something'.

Correct answer: are attempting

➪ We use the present continuous for actions in progress now or ‘around now’.

Correct answer: would

➪ Will (direct speech) ⇒ would (reported speech).

Correct answer: eating

➪ We say stop + verb with ing

Correct answer: had never tried

➪ We use past perfect to talk about an event that happened before another
event in the past.

Correct answer: however

➪ We always use a comma after however, and there is never a comma after
although.
Correct answer: had never been

➪ We use past perfect to talk about an event that happened before another
event in the past.
➪ Besides, in this case, the auxiliary (had) is not in the negative form because
never is already negative.

Correct answer: any

➪ Although any is usually used with negative structures, we can also use
any + positive to express “it doesn’t matter what, who, etc”.

“I am hungry. I could eat anything” (it doesn’t matter what)

“We can go anywhere you want” (I don’t care where. All places are ok)

Correct answer: used to dream

➪ We can say used to + infinitive to talk about past habitual actions we don’t
do anymore, or past states which aren’t true anymore.

Correct answer: has been

➪ We use the present perfect with since to talk about something that
started in the past and still continues.

*Remember that after since, if we use a verb, it goes with the past simple.

“It has been 3 months since I started”

Correct answer: have eaten

➪ We can use the present perfect simple when we talk about how many
times, how many things, how much of something we have done, referring to
an activity that started in the past and still continues.

Correct answer: little

➪ We use little + uncountable nouns to indicate a small quantity.

Correct answer: healthier

➪ The correct comparative form of healthy is healthier.

Correct answer: said

➪ In direct speech, we can use the person who said something + said, or
said + the person who said it.
For example: “I don’t love you anymore”, said the man.
or
“I don’t love you anymore”, the man said.
We can also introduce the words with “the man said:”
Hi Mum,

We’ve since-yet-just arrived at the caravan park. We stopped at a few places

on the way here, including a castle and a hill with beautiful views. I thought the
castle was amazing, but the kids 2 were bore-boring-bored there. They didn't
consider the castle interested-interest-interesting. They just wanted to run
around.

We had a few problems getting through the main gates. The owners of the
caravan that we’ve rented told us that they will leave-left-would leave a key for
us at reception, but when we arrived, the reception was closed and there
wasn’t anyone-no one-someone there. We had to call the owners and ask them
where they left-they would leave-they had left the key. In the end, someone from
the shop helped us get into reception and pick up the key.

Well, the caravan park is very different from how I remember it. Since the last
time we were-have been-are here, it has doubled in size! A new swimming pool
has been built-is building-has built, and there is also another bar. I am not happy
about that. We’re really close to it and it is too-much-enough noisy, so I don’t
think I will sleep good-well-nice tonight. I should buy some earplugs when I get
the chance, or I’m going to be very grumpy this trip. If I could choose again, I
will not-would not-didn’t rent this caravan.

I haven’t seen-am not seeing-didn't see Aunt Jane and Uncle Robert yet, 13
although-because-however I know they are somewhere in the caravan park!
Their caravan is number 73, aren’t they-isn’t it-doesn’t it? I’ll probably look for
them tomorrow and invite them to dinner while we are here.

Take care,

Love from Susie

KEYS

Correct answer: just

➪ We use just in affirmative sentences with present perfect to say that
something has happened very recently.

Correct answer: bored

➪ -ed adjectives are used to describe how we feel, and -ing adjectives are
used to talk about the things that produce these feelings.

Correct answer: interesting

➪ -ed adjectives are used to describe how we feel, and -ing adjectives are
used to talk about the things that produce these feelings.

Correct answer: would leave

➪ In reported speech, i.e. when we say what another person said, we use
would instead of will.

Correct answer: anyone

➪ In negative sentences, any is used with negative structures.

Correct answer: they had left

➪ Past perfect is used to describe an action that happened before another
past action.

Correct answer: were

➪ In present perfect sentences, we use since + past simple to describe the
moment in the past when something started.

Correct answer: has been built

➪ In this sentence, we need passive voice because the subject (a swimming
pool) is the receiver of the action (build). They have built a swimming pool, so
a swimming pool has been built.

Correct answer: too

➪ We use too to express that something is more than enough, or that there is
more than enough, usually with a negative connotation.

Correct answer: well

➪ When describing an action, we need an adverb, not an adjective.

Correct answer: would not

➪ In second conditional sentences, the imaginary result is would / would not
+ verb in infinitive.

Correct answer: haven't seen

➪ We use the present perfect negative with yet to talk about things that have
not happened but that we expect to happen soon.

Correct answer: although

➪ We can use although + subject + verb vwithout a comma after it, to
introduce contrasting ideas.

Correct answer: isn't it

➪ In a question tag, we must use the same auxiliary verb as in the main
clause (in this case, be).