Verb patterns (C1 advanced)Online version Choose the correct options for each of these verb patterns. Make sure you check out the feedback if you make any mistakes. by ADR Formación 1 A painter? No, I couldn't possibly afford that, so I painted it all _____. a myself b me c each other d 2 The agent was talking _____ while he showed us around the flat. We found it quite creepy! a to us b us c himself d to himself 3 We only have _____ to blame for missing out on that amazing opportunity. But don't worry, I'm sure we'll both be on the ball next time! a ourselves b each other 4 Apparently they were furious with _____ for losing the key. He insists she had it, while she says she distinctly remembers giving it to him. a themselves b each other c d 5 We're waiting _____ through before we can get the keys. a the paperwork to go b for the paperwork to go c the paperwork going d for the paperwork going 6 They've arranged _____ valued by the bank. a for the flat to be b the flat to be c for the flat be d the flat being 7 It'd be nice if you could let _____ it on Saturday morning. a us see b us to see c us seeing d 8 It was unbelievable; we were made _____ for nearly two hours before the notary would see us! a waiting b to wait c wait d 9 I hated _____ telling us about the house so quietly. She was lovely, but I couldn't hear what she was saying half the time! a the woman b the woman's 10 I couldn't stand _____ explaining the mortgage conditions in the bank. He was a real piece of work! a the man's b the man Feedback 1 Here the reflexive pronoun 'myself' is used to emphasise that it was that person who did the painting. 2 Some verbs (like 'to') require a preposition afterwards (+'to' in this case). Here the reflexive pronoun 'himself' is necessary to clarify to whom the agent was talking. If you didn't use it, it wouldn't be clear to whom, or why the situation was so creepy. 3 In the context it is clear that the two people feel united. They feel that the missed opportunity was both of their doing. So you need a reciprocal pronoun (ourselves) to reflect this shared guilt. 4 In this context we need 'each other' to highlight that each person felt angry at the other person. If, in contrast, you said 'furious at/with themselves', it would mean that they both felt guilty and shared the blame. 5 Certain verbs (like 'wait') need to be followed by (an object and) the infinitive. Furthermore, there are verbs - such as 'wait' - which require the use of the preposition 'for' before an object: wait FOR something/someone TO.... 6 Certain verbs (like 'arrange') need to be followed by (an object and) the infinitive. Furthermore, there are verbs - such as 'arrange' - which require the use of the preposition 'for' before an object: arrange FOR something/someone TO... 7 Specific verbs (like 'let') should be followed by the base infinitive - the infinitive without 'to'. 8 While the verb 'make' should be followed by the base infinitive in ACTIVE sentences, when it's used in PASSIVE sentences, it must go with the infinitive. 9 Did you hate the woman? No. You hated the fact that she was speaking in such a quiet voice. So by using the possessive form before the gerund (the woman's telling), you make it clear what you hated. 10 What couldn't you stand? The man! So you should simply use the object 'the man'. If, instead, you had used 'the man's explaining...', I would understand that for some reason you disliked the fact that he was explaining the conditions in the bank. Perhaps you would have preferred it to happen at the park? Or at a café? *Perhaps you didn't know the meaning of 'a real piece of work'? It means that you think this person is very unpleasant or unkind.
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