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Unit 03
Grammar Questions (Questions 6–15)
tense pairs, modals, passive, conditionals, linkers and prepositions
Solving Double-Blank Questions
- Start with the easier blank. Usually one blank has a clear time clue (since, ago, by the time, next year). Eliminate options with that blank first.
- Check both parts together. An option is correct only if both words fit. Many distractors have one correct word and one wrong word.
- Tense agreement: past + past perfect (When I arrived, the film had started), present + future (If it rains, we will stay), present perfect + since + past simple.
- Remember the YDT rule: four wrong answers cancel one correct answer. Answer when you can eliminate at least two options; otherwise, move on.
Time Clues and the Tenses They Need
| Clue | Tense | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ago, last year, in 2010, yesterday | past simple | She moved to Ankara two years ago. |
| since, for, so far, yet, already, recently | present perfect | I have known him since 2015. |
| by the time + past, before + past, after | past perfect | By the time we arrived, the train had left. |
| by + future time, by the time + present | future perfect | By 2030, they will have built the bridge. |
| while, at that moment, when (interrupted) | past continuous | I was cooking when the phone rang. |
| now, at the moment, these days | present continuous | Prices are rising these days. |
Linkers by Meaning
A very common trap: despite and because of are followed by a noun or V-ing, never by a full clause.
| Meaning | + clause | + noun / V-ing |
|---|---|---|
| contrast | although, even though, while, whereas | despite, in spite of |
| reason | because, since, as | because of, due to, owing to |
| purpose | so that, in order that | in order to, so as to (+ V1) |
| condition | if, unless, as long as, provided that | in case of, without |
| time | when, while, as soon as, until, before, after | during, before, after |
| result | so … that, such … that | as a result of |