) Exercise 10. Use had or hadn't to complete the following:
1. When her daughter arrived home from a party, Mrs Thompson asked her if she
(thank) her hostess. “No,” she said. “The girl in front of me thanked her and
the lady said ‘Don't mention it’ so I didn't.”
2. “Here's your coffee, madam. It's a special coffee all the way from Brazil.” – “Oh, I was
wondering where you (go).”
3. A stressed managing director went to his doctor for help in getting to sleep. The workers at his
factory (go) on strike. They wanted better pay and conditions. The director
(try) sleeping pills but they (not work). The doctor asked the
director to lie quite still in bed at night and to count sheep. The following day the director
returned to the doctor's surgery. “Well,” said the doctor. “Any success?” – “I'm afraid not”, he
said. “By the time I (count) the thirty-first sheep they (all go)
on strike for shorter hours and lower fences.”
4. Kenneth is so stupid. He phoned his teacher at school yesterday to say he couldn't come to
school because he (lose) his voice!
5. A doctor (just give) a boy an injection in his arm. He was about to put a
bandage on his arm when the boy said, “Would you mind putting the bandage on my other
arm, doctor?” – “Why? I'm putting it over your vaccination so that the other boys will know
not to bang into it.” – “You don't know the boys in my school, doctor!”
6. “Mum! Mum! Dad's fallen over a cliff.” – “Is he okay?” – “I don't know. He
(not stop) falling when I left.”
7. “A beggar stopped me the other day and said he (not have) a bite for days.”
“What did you do?” – “I bit him!”
8. It was my grandmother's birthday yesterday. “Is she old?” – “Well, by the time we lit the last
candle on her birthday cake, the first one (go) out!”
9. Harry Smith was sent to Central Africa by his company. He sent a postcard to his wife as soon
as he arrived. Unfortunately it was delivered to another Mrs. Smith whose husband
(die) the day before. The postcard read: “ARRIVED SAFELY THIS
MORNING. THE HEAT IS TERRIBLE.”
2. had gone
3. had gone; had tried; hadn’t worked; had counted; all had gone
4. had lost
5. Had just given
6. Hadn’t stopped
7. Hadn’t had
8. Had gone
9. Had died