Lesson Six
PATTERNS IN ACTION
I. N (the belief/idea/news/fact…) + that + S +V
Examples
1. The idea that we take showers every day doesn’t work here.
2. Some Taiwanese still hold the belief that the number four is unlucky.
3. The news that Steve Jobs had passed away shocked Apple fans worldwide.
Practice A
Rewrite the following sentences using Pattern I. The first one has been done for you.
1. I don’t believe the theory.
(The theory: people will be able to travel in time someday)
→I don’t believe the theory that people will be able to travel in time someday.
2. Judy can’t accept the fact.
(The fact: she has been rejected by Harvard University)
→Judy can’t accept the fact that she has been rejected by Harvard University.
3. Sam’s classmates have a strong belief.
(The belief: Sam will win first place in the speech contest)
→Sam’s classmates have a strong belief that he will win first place in the speech
contest.
4. The idea has invited much debate.
(The idea: eating less meat is good for the environment)
→The idea that eating less meat is good for the environment has invited much debate.
5. The law has been passed.
(The law: anyone who rides in a car should wear a seat belt)
→The law that anyone who rides in a car should wear a seat belt has been passed.
Practice B
The election will take place ext week. Tony and Cathy are discussing the three
candidates running for President. Complete the following conversation using Pattern I
and the key words given. The first one has been done for you.
T : What do you think about John Louis?
C : I think he’s a nice guy.
T : Well, there is no 1 doubt that he is an honest man (doubt/he/an honest man).
But he’s simply too young.
C : So you hold the 2 belief that young people can’t make great presidents
(belief/young people/not/make/great presidents)?
T : Sort of. He’s only forty-five years old and has less experience than the others.
I can’t deny the 3 fact that he is honest and ambitious (fact/he/honest and
ambitious), but somehow I’m worried that he won’t be able to be a good president.
C : How about Tim Duncan? I think there’s a good 4 chance that he will get
elected (chance/he/will/get elected).
T : I don’t think so. Although he is experienced, he is boring. Besides, have you heard
the 5 rumor that he has been taking dirty money (rumor/he/has/be taking/dirty
money)?
C : Really? I had no 6 idea that he was such an evil guy (idea/he/such an evil guy).
T : Me, either.
C : So it looks like Albert James stands a very good chance.
T : Yes. He’s been working in the government for twenty years. He is honest and very
active. I think there’s a strong 7 possibility that he will win the election
(possibility/he/will/win/the election).
II. V-ing/p.p., S + V
Examples
1. Having gone through hundreds of hours of simulation during training down on
Earth, we are still amazed when we first get up here.
2. Having done a perfect job, Jane was praised by her boss and co-workers.
3. Not knowing where she was, the little girl began to cry.
4. Taken by surprise, Oliver cried with joy in his birthday party.
Practice A
Read each pair of sentences and choose the correct one.
__B___1. (A) Walking in the grass, a snake bit Jimmy.
(B) Walking in the grass, Jimmy was bitten by a snake.
__B___2. (A) Feeling very hungry, the cake made my mouth water.
(B) Feeling very hungry, I ate the cake in one bite.
__B___3. (A) Having arrived late for the meeting, a written excuse is needed.
(B) Having arrived late for the meeting, the man needed a written excuse.
__A___4. (A) Having read through the contract, I decided not to sign it.
(B) Having read through the contract, it wouldn’t be signed.
__B___5. (A) Pleased with her test results, a present will be given to Mary.
(B) Pleased with her test results, Mary’s parents decided to give her a
present.
Practice B
Complete the following passage using Pattern II and the key words given. The first
one has been done for you.
It was a long day at school. 1 Feeling tired (Because I felt tired), I walked slowly
toward the bus station. I found there was already a long line there, and it looked like
there would be no chance of getting a seat on the bus. After a long wait, the bus came.
As I stood on the packed bus, I felt someone touching my waist. I became angry and
grabbed the person’s hand right away. 2 Turning around (When I turned around), I
found that the hand belonged to a little boy who said he was looking for his mom.
3
Embarrassed by the situation (Because I was embarrassed by the situation), I patted
him on the head. To my surprise, he started to cry. Many other passengers turned and
looked at me. They seemed to blame me for making the little boy cry.
4
Not wanting to make things worse (As I didn’t want to make things worse), I got off
the bus right away at the next stop. 5 Having walked all the way home (Because I had
walked all the way home), I was covered in sweat and wanted to take a shower. But
when I went into the bathroom, I found that there was no water! Today was really not
my day.