Ex.31/Vous avez dit vacances

Ex.31/Vous avez dit vacances
Message de here4u posté le 14-02-2015 à 21:14:36 (S | E | F)
Hello !

Vacances, en effet, pour beaucoup ... Je vous les souhaite excellentes !
Voici quand même "votre journal de Mickey" que certains attendent tant ! Je trouve cet exercice moins dur que le précédent, disons + et la correction sera postée le mardi 24 février (sauf si vous la voulez avant!) It's up to you!
Merci de ne pas mettre de bleu pour le moment. Il est réservé pour vos modifications à compter du 21 à 18h !
Amusez-vous, travaillez bien !

A) Rephrase the sentences : ( using the given elements or, simply, those which should be used to make sure the sentences are correct!)

-a) We’ll be pleased to see you on Saturday for Tom’s party. (to look forward)
-b) He was going to take her to a charming restaurant in the French district.
-c) He was on the point of asking her why she had left mysteriously when he stopped. (be about)
-d) She was very shy, yet she managed to speak in front of 50 specialists. (despite)
-e) The blue book has 300 pages, the red one has 600 and the black one has 1200. (I'm not interested in comparatives ... )

B) Translate into English: (Try not to give me elementary sentences… Please…)

1 - J’écoute la radio depuis une demi-heure, mais tu peux éteindre maintenant. Le programme ne m’intéresse plus.
2 - Il a déjà pris deux verres de whisky … Tu ferais mieux de ne pas lui en donner un troisième et de lui prendre ses clés de voiture …
3 – Jane est en train de randonner en Italie depuis depuis 10 jours ! Voilà pourquoi tu ne l’as pas vue récemment …
4 – Lorsque nous sommes arrivés, leur voiture n’était pas devant la maison ! On nous a dit qu’ils venaient de partir depuis 10 minutes …
5 – Il y a huit jours qu’elle porte la même robe … Lui arrive-t-il de se changer ?

C) Translate into French:

Sandy’s husband had been on the sofa ever since he’d been terminated three months ago. That day, he’d come home looking pale and scared and with all of his work things in a box. “Happy Valentine’s Day”, he said to Sandy and put a heart-shaped box of candy and a bottle of Jim Beam on the kitchen table. He took off his cap and laid that on the table, too. “I got canned today. Hey, what do you think is going to happen to us now?”

Raymond CARVER, Preservation, in Cathedral Stories (1981)

Those of you who are not feeling like translating into French may create 4 sentences using (different) modals and answering the final question of the text!


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Modifié par lucile83 le 15-02-2015 07:53

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Réponse : Ex.31/Vous avez dit vacances de maxwell, postée le 15-02-2015 à 09:56:19 (S | E)
Thanks Here4u, that was fun again

A)
a) We are looking forward to seeing you on Saturday for Tom's party.
b) He was (supposed) to take her to a charming restaurant in the French district.
c) He was about to ask her why she had left mysteriously when he stopped.
d) Despite her being very shy (or : despite her shyness), she managed to speak in front of 50 specialists.
e) The blue book has 300 pages whereas the red book has twice as many pages as the blue one, and the black one has (no less than) four times as many pages as the blue one!

B)
1. I've been listening to the radio for half an hour, but you can turn it off now, since I've lost interest in the program. (or : I'm no longer interested in the program)
2. He has already drunk two glasses of whisky. You'd better not offer him a third one and take his car keys away (or : confiscate his car keys)
3. Jane has been hiking in Italy for 10 days ! That's (the reason) why you haven't seen her lately (or : recently)
4. When we arrived, their car was not parked in front of the house ! We were told (that) they had just left 10 minutes before.
5. She has been wearing that dress for eight days ... Does she ever change ((her) clothes)?

C)
Le mari de Sandy n'a pas quitté le canapé depuis qu'il a été congédié il y a trois mois (de cela). Ce jour-là, il était rentré à la maison, l'air pâle et paniqué, rapportant toutes ses affaires de bureau dans un carton :

"Joyeuse Saint-Valentin" dit-il à Sandy, en posant sur la table de la cuisine une boîte de bonbons en forme de coeur et une bouteille de Jim Beam. Il retira son chapeau qu'il déposa aussi sur la table. "Je me suis fait lourder aujourd'hui. Dis, que va-t-il nous arriver maintenant ?"

D)
"But I don't understand it! How can you get fired when you have always given full satisfaction to your boss ?
There must be some good reason !
May you give me an explanation for it ?
All right, you couldn't avoid downsizing. At least, you were not sacked for (having made) any big mistake.
First, you'd better not panic : If I were you, I would calm down immediately !
Then, you should try and concentrate on your skills to regain confidence.
You may use your networking to improve your chances !
You might even call your colleagues and your boss to ask for a recommendation !
You ought to search for a new job as early as tomorrow !
Tell me you will, Max, tell me ! I know you can do it !
You must never forget that we won't be able to live in this house any longer if you don't bring money home each month."
"You're right Sandy but I do need a rest now. I can't think of finding a new job for the moment. I'd like some whisky. Fix me a drink, Sandy, will you ?"

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Réponse : Ex.31/Vous avez dit vacances de here4u, postée le 15-02-2015 à 12:49:44 (S | E)
Hello !

Maxwell ... you're killing me ! (You'd better not have made a single mistake !) (I've had a quick look ... I need more context in a sentence of A to give a form its real value ... and ... ARGHHHHHHH hhhh there's a horror in B ... and a repetition in the French translation !GRRRRRRRRRRRR !

What is sure, is that you need to be taught how to count from 1 to 4 (FOUR! ) not forty !

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Réponse : Ex.31/Vous avez dit vacances de maxwell, postée le 15-02-2015 à 12:51:48 (S | E)
I think I've corrected them all : A b), B2) and C) "quitté"

Oh, you were referring to the last exercise ! I was just dividing 1200 pages by 300 ... Yes, well ... I couldn't help it !

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Réponse : Ex.31/Vous avez dit vacances de taiji43, postée le 15-02-2015 à 16:44:18 (S | E)
Thank you Here4u for my Mickey's issue. It's great!

a) We are looking forward to seeing you on Saturday for Tom's party.
b).The question was being decided in his mind to take her to a charming restaurant in the French district
c) He was about to ask her why she had left mysteriously when he stopped.
He had almost the intention of asking her the reason of her mysterious departure,however he refrained from doing it.
d) Despite her shyness, she had had enough self-control to speak in front of 50 specialists
e) In on hand the blue book has 300 pages, whereas the red book has twice as many pages as the blue one, which means 600 pages, and on the other hand the black one has four times as many pages as the blue one, which means 1200 pages and only twice as many pages as the red one; which always means 600 pages... (that's all?)
Une autre idée sans comparatifs cette fois
On the shelves, if you want to choose books according to the number of their pages: The blue one  means a book with 300 pages, the red one means a book with 600 pages and the black one means a book with 1200 pages.

Après réflexions sur la forme et les temps en français, voici ma dernière traduction.
Depuis trois mois que le mari de Sandy avait perdu son travail, il n'avait pas délogé du canapé.Ce jour-là, il était rentré à la maison, l'air pâle et paniqué, avec toutes ses affaires de travail dans un carton en disant à Sandy 'Joyeuse Saint-Valentin', puis il déposa  sur la table de la cuisine une boîte de bonbons en forme de cœur et une bouteille de Jim Beam. Alors, il retira son chapeau et le déposa aussi sur la table puis dit ' Je me suis fait virer aujourd'hui' Hé!, que penses-tu qu'il va-t-il nous arriver maintenant ?'

Voilà la suite , je préfère la mettre maintenant. Ce n'est pas une correction
1. I've been listening to the radio for half an hour, but you can turn it off for the moment. For the time being, I have no longer impressed an interest in the program
2. He has already drunk two glasses of whisky . You'd better not suggest him a third one and hide his car keys .
3. Jane has been hiking in Italy for 10 days ! That's the main reason why you haven't seen her recently.
4. When we arrived, their car was not outside of the house ! We were told they had just left 10 minutes before.
5. She has been wearing that dress for eight days ... Does she ever have a share?

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Modifié par lucile83 le 19-02-2015 07:53
Bugs couleur et police réparés. Merci de ne pas passer par la mise en forme avancée.

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Réponse : Ex.31/Vous avez dit vacances de tereda, postée le 16-02-2015 à 19:22:21 (S | E)
Hello all of you, this is my contribution to this interesting exercise

-a) We’ll be pleased to see you on Saturday for Tom’s party. (to look forward)
we are looking forward to seeing you next Saturday for Tom’s party.
-b) He was going to take her to a charming restaurant in the French district.
He had decided to take her to a romantic restaurant in the French quarter.
-c) He was on the point of asking her why she had left mysteriously when he stopped. (be about)
He was about to ask her why she had left mysteriously, but he preferred not saying any more.
-d) She was very shy, yet she managed to speak in front of 50 specialists. (despite)
Despite her shyness, she found the strength to face and speak in front of 50 specialists.
-e) The blue book has 300 pages, the red one has 600 and the black one has 1200. (I'm not interested in comparatives ... )
On this shelf, you have different note books, with a blue cover : 300 pages, beside, in red : 600 pages, and the last one, in black : 1200 pages.

I have been listening BBC for a half- hour, but this new broadcast is boring, can you switch off now, please ?
He already has been having two glasses of Scotch, you'd better not to give him another, and try to keep his keys.
Jane is having a trekking in Italy since 10 days. Here is the reason why you haven't seen her recently.
When we were arriving, their car was not parked in front of the house ! we were told they had just left 10 minutes before.
she has been wearing the same dress for 8 days, does she sometimes change it ?

Cela faisait 3 mois que le mari de Sandy, restait là, assis toute la journée dans le canapé, depuis le jour où il avait été licencié.
Ce jour-là, il était rentré à la maison, pâle et défait, avec toutes les affaires de son bureau dans une boîte. "Joyeuse st Valentin", dit-il à Sandy, en posant une boîte de bonbons en forme de cœur, ainsi qu'une bouteille de Bourbon sur la table de la cuisine. Il enleva son chapeau et le posa lui aussi sur la table. - je me suis fait virer aujourd'hui, Hein, qu'est ce que tu crois qu'il va nous arriver, maintenant ?

Dear Here4u, I thank you for this new exercise.
I hope you take advantage of your holidays, have a good time;

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Réponse : Ex.31/Vous avez dit vacances de mamou3, postée le 17-02-2015 à 08:04:20 (S | E)
Hello Here4u, Hello everybody !

Thank you for this new exercise !

A. Rephrase the sentences
a) We look forward to seeing you on Saturday for Tom's party.
b) He decided on taking her to a charming restaurant in the French district.
c) He was about to ask her why she had left mysteriously when he stopped.
d) Despite being very shy, she managed to speak in front of 50 specialists.
e) The blue book has 300 pages, whereas the red one has 600 of it and for its part, the black one has 1200 of it.

B. In English
1. I've listened the radio for half an hour, but you can turn off now. The program doesn't interest me any more.
2. He has already had two glasses of whiskey... You had better not to give him a third one and take him his car keys.
3. Jane is going hiking in Italy for 10 days. That's why you haven't seen her recently.
4. When we arrived, their car wasn't in front of the house ! We were told that they had just left since 10 minutes.
5. She has been wearing the same dress for 8 days. Does she sometimes change it ?

C.1. En français
Le mari de Sandy était sur le divan depuis qu'il avait arrêté (de travailler) il y a 3 mois. Ce jour-là, il était arrivé à la maison pâle et effrayé, avec tous ses effets dans une boite. "Bonne St Valentin" a-il dit à Sandy, il déposa sur la table de la cuisine une boite de bonbons en forme de coeur et une bouteille de Jim Beam. Il ôta sa casquette et la laissa aussi sur la table. "J'ai été viré aujourd'hui. Hé, que crois-tu qu'il va nous arriver maintenant?".

C.2.
1. Sandy's husband must find another job !
2. Sandy has to find another job !
3. They should find both a job !
4. They could eat together the candies from the box!

Thank you again !

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Réponse : Ex.31/Vous avez dit vacances de jo06, postée le 17-02-2015 à 10:28:24 (S | E)
Hello Here4u,
Thank you for this exercise.I don't know why but in my opinion,it's a little bit more difficult than n°30 .

A/ Rephrase the sentences.

a)We look forward to seeing you on Saturday for Tom's party.
b)He was about to take her to a charming(or fancy)restaurant in the French district.
c)He was about to ask her why she had left(she had disappeared)mysteriously when he stopped.
d)She managed to speak in front of 50 specialists despite she was very shy.
e)The blue is a 300-page book,the red one is a 600-page and the black contains 1200 pages.

B/ Translate into English.

1)I have been listening to the radio for half an hour but you can turn it off( or switch it off)now I am no longer interrested in this programme(or broadcast).
2) He has already got two glasses of whisky(or drunk,swallowed)...You ought not to give him a third one and should take his car keys. (I am not sure)
3) Jane has been backjacking in Italy for ten days!It's why you haven't seen her recently...
4) When we arrived,their car wasn't parked in front of the house!We were told they just left 10 minutes ago.
5) She has been wearing the same dress for 8 days(during 8 days).Does she ever change clothes(get changed)?

C/ Translate into French.
Le mari de Sandy n'a pas décollé du sofa depuis qu'il a été congédié trois mois avant(ou il y a 3 mois ou auparavant).Ce jour là il était rentré d'un air pâle et apeuré avec toutes ses affaires de travail dans une boite."Joyeux St Valentin" dit-il à Sandy et posa une boite,de bonbons,en forme de coeur et une bouteille de Jim Beam sur la table de la cuisine.Il enleva sa casquette(chapeau)et la posa aussi sur la table. "J'ai été viré aujourd'hui.Hé,qu'est ce qu'on va devenir maintenant?"

Have a nice week.


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Modifié par lucile83 le 17-02-2015 10:36
Mise en forme standard.

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Réponse : Ex.31/Vous avez dit vacances de alpiem, postée le 17-02-2015 à 12:41:21 (S | E)
Hello again dear here4u :
A/

a/We are looking forward to seeing you on Sunday for Tom's party.

b/He meant (intended)to take her to a charming restaurant in the french district.

c/He was about to ask her why she had left misteriously when he stopped.

d/Despite being very shy she managed to speak in front of fifty specialists.

e/The blue book has 300 pages,the red one has twice as many and the black one four times as many.

B/I've been listening to the radio for half an hour but you can turn it off now.I'm no longer interested in the program.
2/He has already had two glasses of whisky....you'd better not give him a third one and keep his car key.
3/Jane has been trekking in Italy for ten days! That's why you didn't see her recently.
4/When we arrived, their car wasn't in front of the house! We were told that they had just left ten minutes ago.
5/She has been wearing the same dress for eight days......does she ever happen to change it ?

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Réponse : Ex.31/Vous avez dit vacances de icare29, postée le 18-02-2015 à 22:26:23 (S | E)
Hello Here4u, here is my work
A) Rephrase the sentences :

-a) We'll be pleased to see you on Saturday for Tom's party. (to look forward)
we will be looking forward to seeing you at Tom's party on Saturday

-b) He was going to take her to a charming restaurant in the French district.
he was to take her to a charming restaurant in the French district
he was bound to take her to a charming restaurant in French district

-c) He was on the point of asking her why she had left mysteriously when he stopped. (be about)
he was about to ask her why she had left mysteriously when he stopped

-d) She was very shy, yet she managed to speak in front of 50 specialists. (despite)
Despite her shyness, she was able to speak without any difficulties in front of 50 specialists

-e) The blue book has 300 pages, the red one has 600 and the black one has 1200.
In our Library we have a big black book of 1200 pages , a small blue book of 300 pages , but we have also an intermediate red book of 600 pages . Which one do you prefer ? you have the choice between the colour of the book or the number of the page


B) Translate into English: (Try not to give me elementary sentences? Please?)
1 - J'écoute la radio depuis une demi-heure, mais tu peux éteindre maintenant. Le programme ne m'intéresse plus.
I am been listening to the radio for a half an hour, you can take it off now. the program interests me any more
2 - Il a déjà pris deux verres de whisky ? Tu ferais mieux de ne pas lui en donner un troisième et de lui prendre ses clés de voiture
He has already drunk two glasses of whisky, , you had better not give him a third one and keep his car key
3 ? Jane est en train de randonner en Italie depuis depuis 10 jours ! Voilà pourquoi tu ne l'as pas vue récemment
Jane has been hiking for ten days in Italy . That's why you haven't seen her recently;
4 ? Lorsque nous sommes arrivés, leur voiture n'était pas devant la maison ! On nous a dit qu'ils venaient de partir depuis 10 minutes
When we arrived , their car wasn't in front of the house . We were told they had just left for ten minutes
5 ? Il y a huit jours qu'elle porte la même robe ? Lui arrive-t-il de se changer ?
she has been wearing the same skirt for eight days . Does it happen to change sometimes her clothes ?

C) Translate into French:
Sandy's husband had been on the sofa ever since he'd been terminated three months ago. That day, he'd come home looking pale and scared and with all of his work things in a box. ?Happy Valentine's Day?, he said to Sandy and put a heart-shaped box of candy and a bottle of Jim Beam on the kitchen table. He took off his cap and laid that on the table, too. ?I got canned today. Hey, what do you think is going to happen to us now??.

Depuis son licenciement survenu trois mois plus tôt , le mari de Sandy ne quittait plus son canapé . Ce jour funeste ,il était rentré à la maison le visage pâle et décomposé, avec toutes ses affaires de travail dans une boîte. Il s'adressa à sa femme et lui dit "Je te souhaite une Joyeuse fête Saint-Valentin mon épouse bienaimée " en déposant une boîte en forme de coeur et une bouteille de Jim Beam sur la table de la cuisine .Puis il ôta son chapeau qu'il déposa lentement sur la table .Et il poursuivit par ces mots simples mais terriblement angoissants " Je viens de me faire viré aujourd'hui . que crois-tu qu'il va nous advenir maintenant ?'
Raymond CARVER, Preservation, in Cathedral Stories (1981)

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Modifié par icare29 le 19-02-2015 23:18

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Réponse : Ex.31/Vous avez dit vacances de here4u, postée le 22-02-2015 à 11:16:23 (S | E)
Hello !
The sun seems to be back although it's very cold here ...
I'm starting my 'real' corrections today! From now on, don't forget to tell me if you change anything in your tries...
Have a wonderful Sunday !

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Réponse : Ex.31/Vous avez dit vacances de lakata, postée le 23-02-2015 à 18:30:40 (S | E)
Here I am, at last, dear Here4u!

A) Rephrase the sentences:

a) We'll be pleased to see you on Saturday for Tom's party.
We're looking forward to seeing you next Saturday at Tom's party.

b) He was going to take her to a charming restaurant in the French district.
He'd decided/planned to take her to a charming restaurant in the French area.

c) He was on the point of asking her why she had left mysteriously when he stopped.
He was about to ask her why she had unaccountably gone away when he stopped.

d) She was very shy, yet she managed to speak in front of 50 specialists.
Despite being very shy, she managed to speak in front of an audience of 50 specialists.

e) The blue book has 300 pages, the red one 600 and the black one 1200.
The blue book has 300 pages whereas the red one has twice as many and the black one four times as many. ( I didn't repeat "pages" after "many", but I may be wrong).

B) Translate into English :

1) J'écoute la radio depuis une demi-heure, mais tu peux éteindre maintenant. Le programme ne m'intéresse plus.
I've been listening the radio for half an hour now/ It's half an hour since I've been listening the radio now, but you may switch it off, as I'm not interested in the program any more.

2) Il a déjà pris deux verres de whisky...Tu ferais mieux de ne pas lui en donner un troisième et de lui prendre ses clés de voiture.
He has already had two glasses of whisky...You'd better not give him a third one and confiscate his car keys / you'd be well-advised not to give him a third one and to take his car keys away from him.

3) Jane est en randonnée en Italie depuis 10 jours ! Voilà pourquoi tu ne l'as pas vue récemment.
It's ten days now since Jane has been hiking in Italy and that's why you haven't seen her recently!

4) Lorsque nous sommes arrivés, leur voiture n'était pas devant la maison. On nous a dit qu'ils venaient de partir depuis 10 minutes.
When we arrived, their car wasn't parked in front of their house. We were told it was just ten minutes since they had left .

5) Il y a huit jours qu'elle porte la même robe...Lui arrive-t-il de se changer ?
It's one week she's got the same dress on...Does she happen to get changed?

C) Translate into French :

( Dans cet extrait, l'arrivée soudaine du preterit, sans doute de narration, faisant suite au pluperfect, m'a passablement tracassée, et j'ai fini par opter pour un présent de narration, bien qu'un plus-que-parfait semblât tout indiqué...Wait and see!)

Le mari de Sandy n'avait pas quitté le canapé depuis qu'il avait été licencié, trois mois auparavant. Ce jour-là, il était rentré à la maison, livide, les traits décomposés, avec toutes ses affaires dans un carton. " Bonne Saint Valentin", lance-t-il alors à Sandy, tout en déposant sur la table de la cuisine une boîte de bonbons en forme de cœur et une bouteille de Jim Beam. Puis il ôte sa casquette et la pose elle aussi sur la table." Je viens d'être viré. À ton avis, que va-t-il bien pouvoir nous arriver, maintenant?"

Raymond CARVER, Preservation, in Cathedral Stories (1981)

Thank you, dear Here4u!

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Réponse : Ex.31/Vous avez dit vacances de here4u, postée le 23-02-2015 à 19:37:20 (S | E)
Hello Lakata ! and all others !
You don't have to worry and/or to hurry! You have until tomorrow night to post the end of your try... I won't look at the beginning now! (as I have finished correcting all the other works... ) Really no need to rush!
Have all a wonderful evening!

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Réponse : Ex.31/Vous avez dit vacances de , postée le 24-02-2015 à 11:45:09 (S | E)
Hello here4u,

A) Rephrase the sentences:
-a) We’ll be pleased to see you on Saturday for Tom’s party.(to look forward)
We're looking forward to seeing you on Saturday at Tom's party

-b) He was going to take her to a charming restaurant in the French district.
He had decided to invite her to a charming restaurant in the French district.

-c) He was on the point of asking her why she had left mysteriously when he stopped. (be about)
He was about to ask her why she'd left so mysteriously when he stopped himself.

-d) She was very shy, yet she managed to speak in front of 50 specialists. (despite)
Despite being very shy, she managed to speak in front of 50 specialists.

-e) The blue book has 300 pages, the red one has 600 and the black one has 1200. (I'm not interested in comparatives ... )
-4 blue books = 2 red books = 1 black book. ( no comparative)
-The blue book is half as long as the red one, while the black one is four times longer.( with comparative...)

B) Translate into English:
1 - J’écoute la radio depuis une demi-heure, mais tu peux éteindre maintenant. Le programme ne m’intéresse plus.
I've been listening to the radio for half an hour, but you can switch it off now. I'm not interested in this programme anymore.

2 - Il a déjà pris deux verres de whisky... Tu ferais mieux de ne pas lui en donner un troisième et de lui prendre ses clés de voiture...
He's already had two glasses of whisky... You'd better not give him a third one and take his car keys off him...

3 – Jane est en train de randonner en Italie depuis depuis 10 jours ! Voilà pourquoi tu ne l’as pas vue récemment...
Jane's been rambling in Italy for the last ten days! That's why you haven't seen her recently.

4 – Lorsque nous sommes arrivés, leur voiture n’était pas devant la maison ! On nous a dit qu’ils venaient de partir depuis 10 minutes...
When we arrived, their car was not parked in front of the house. We were told they'd left just 10 minutes before.

5 – Il y a huit jours qu’elle porte la même robe... Lui arrive-t-il de se changer ?
She's been wearing the same dress for a week. Does she ever change her clothes?

C) Translate into French:

Le mari de Sandy n'avait pas quitté le canapé depuis qu'il avait perdu son emploi trois mois plus tôt. Ce jour là, il était revenu à la maison, effaré, le visage défait, avec toutes ses affaires de travail dans un carton. "Joyeux Saint Valentin " avait-il dit à Sandy, en déposant une boite de bonbons en forme de coeur et une bouteille de Jim Beam sur la table de la cuisine. Il avait enlevé sa casquette et l'avait aussi posée sur la table. " Aujourd'hui, j'ai été viré. Alors, maintenant, qu'est-ce qu'on va devenir ?"

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Réponse : Ex.31/Vous avez dit vacances de here4u, postée le 24-02-2015 à 22:25:45 (S | E)
Hello !
Merci à vous qui avez oublié un moment vos vacances pour faire mon exercice avec sérieux et compétence, comme d'habitude ! Vous devez tous, maintenant, avoir reçu votre correction ... et je sais que certains ont déjà lorgné vers le N° 32 ! Merci aussi de tous vos mp ... et

A) Rephrase the sentences :
-a) We’ll be pleased to see you on Saturday for Tom’s party. (to look forward)
We’re looking forward to seeing you on Saturday for Tom’s party.

To look forward + V + ing. = attendre avec impatience

-b) He was going to take her to a charming restaurant in the French district.
He intended to take her to a charming restaurant in the French District.
(going to ) = une intention ; => to intend to do ; to plan to do ;
'To be to ' convenait parfaitement à condition de contextualiser la phrase un peu plus afin de justifier le passé 'he was to take her...' but ...

-c)He was on the point of asking her why she had left mysteriously when he stopped. (be about)
He was about to ask her why she had left mysteriously when he stopped.

(to be about to + V = imminence de l’action)

-d) She was very shy, yet she managed to speak in front of 50 specialists. (despite)
Despite her shyness, she managed to speak in front of 50 specialists.
In spite of + V + -ing or Noun/ Despite + Noun

-e)The blue book has 300 pages, the red one has 600 and the black one has 1200.
The red book has twice as many pages and the black one has four times as many pages as the blue one.
Un rapport entre les 3 éléments était souhaité ; 4 fois plus = 4 times as many … as = 4 fois autant que ; once, twice, three times, four times, etc.

B) Translate into English:

1 - J’écoute la radio depuis une demi-heure, mais tu peux éteindre maintenant. Le programme ne m’intéresse plus.
I’ve been listening to the radio for half an hour, but you may turn it off now, I’m no longer interested in the programme.
L’action commencée il y a une demi-heure a duré (present perfect en –ing) et, pour le moment, continue dans le présent. Le programme ne l‘intéresse plus (comporte une idée de temps (et non de quantité) => ‘no longer’ )

2 - Il a déjà pris deux verres de whisky … Tu ferais mieux de ne pas lui en donner un troisième et de lui prendre ses clés de voiture …
He’s already had 2 glasses of whisky … You’d better not give him a third one, and should take his car keys …
Attention à la distinction entre contenant (coffee cups, wine glasses) et le contenu (cups of coffee, glasses of wine).
Tu ferais mieux = You’d better = (you had better)
C'était Bien de reprendre un auxiliaire, mais pas obligatoire.

3 – Jane est en train de randonner en Italie depuis depuis 10 jours ! Voilà pourquoi tu ne l’as pas vue récemment …
Jane has been hiking in Italy for ten days! That’s why you haven’t seen her lately …
Au début de phrase, l’action passée se prolonge dans le présent. Insistance sur sa durée => present perfect en –ing ; dans la seconde partie = bilan d’une action => présent perfect simple.

4 – Lorsque nous sommes arrivés, leur voiture n’était pas devant la maison ! On nous a dit qu’ils venaient de partir depuis 10 minutes …
When we arrived, their car wasn’t in front of the house ! We were told that they had just left ten minutes before…
Bravo à tous ceux qui ont bien pensé au passif qui vient naturellement …
Attention ! ‘We left 10 minutes ago’ = passé révolu (prétérit et ago) ; We had left 10 minutes before : car le repère passé a glissé vers l’antériorité.

5 – Il y a une semaine qu’elle porte la même robe … Lui arrive-t-il de se changer ?
She’s been wearing the same dress for a week … Does she ever happen to change clothes?

Elle porte la même robe (elle la portait il y a 8 jours et la porte encore.) action qui a une durée => present perfect en -ing.
Changer d’école = to change schools ; to change houses, to change plans. to change dresses, etc. (pas de ‘of’ et élément changé au pluriel – un avant, un après! -)

C) Translate into French:

Sandy’s husband had been on the sofa(1) ever since he’d been(2) terminated three months ago.(3) That day, he’d come home looking pale(4) and scared and with all of his work things in a box. “Happy Valentine’s Day”, he said to Sandy and put a heart-shaped box of candy and a bottle of Jim Beam on the kitchen table. He took off his cap and laid that on the table, too. “I got canned today(5). Hey, what do you think is going to happen to us now?”

Raymond CARVER, Preservation, in Cathedral Stories (1981)

Le mari de Sandy traînait sur le canapé depuis qu’il avait été licencié trois mois plus tôt. Ce jour là, Il était rentré à la maison, livide, le visage défait et portant toutes ses affaires personnelles dans un carton. ‘Joyeuse Saint Valentin’ dit-il à Sandy, en posant une boîte de bonbons en forme de cœur et une bouteille de Jim Beam sur la table de la cuisine. Il enleva sa casquette et la posa aussi sur la table. ‘J’ai été viré aujourd’hui ! Hé ? A ton avis, qu’est-ce qui va nous arriver maintenant ?’

1 = il traînait sur le canapé = action commencée il y a 3 mois, et qui se poursuit encore dans le présent.

2 = il avait été licencié = action antérieure à son 'séjour' sur le canapé = past perfect
Attention : Il y a de nombreux moyens d'exprimer 'renvoyer, licencier':UK: To dismiss ; (informal : to sack,to get the sack; to fire) ; plutôt US: to lay off; to make redundant ; to terminate)

3 = on doit dire 3 mois plus tôt. En toute orthodoxie, il devrait y avoir ‘3 months before' !)

4 = Dans la mesure du possible évitez le ‘visage pâle’ !

5 = ‘Me suis fait jeter’, ‘virer’ etc. (Niveau de langue beaucoup plus familier, voire argotique.)

Encore merci et

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Réponse : Ex.31/Vous avez dit vacances de tereda, postée le 25-02-2015 à 10:27:42 (S | E)
à toi!

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Réponse : Ex.31/Vous avez dit vacances de joe39, postée le 25-02-2015 à 13:10:36 (S | E)
Good evening, dear here4u.
Here is my try.
Exercise 31
A) Rephrase the sentences : ( using the given elements or, simply, those which should be used to make sure the sentences are correct!)

-a) We’ll be pleased to see you on Saturday for Tom’s party. (to look forward)
We’re looking forward to seeing you next Saturday at Tom’s party.
-b) He was going to take her to a charming restaurant in the French district.
A charming restaurant in the French District was where he had chosen to take her to dine.
-c) He was on the point of asking her why she had left mysteriously when he
stopped. (be about)
He was about to ask her the reason why she had mysteriously gone away when he stopped.
-d) She was very shy, yet she managed to speak in front of 50 specialists. (despite)
Despite her great shyness, she succeeded in speaking in front of 50 specialists.
-e) The blue book has 300 pages, the red one has 600 and the black one has 1200. (I'm not interested in comparatives ... )
With its 300 pages the blue book weighs half of the red one , whose weight is half of the black one. Provided that their covers weigh the same weight, how many pages have the last two books? Please forgive me for the joke, but I saw no other way to avoid comparatives.

B) Translate into English: (Try not to give me elementary sentences… Please…)

1 - J’écoute la radio depuis une demi-heure, mais tu peux éteindre maintenant. Le programme ne m’intéresse plus.
I have been listening to this program for half an hour; now you can turn off the radio, because I got sick and bored of it/because I’m no longer interested in it.
2 - Il a déjà pris deux verres de whisky … Tu ferais mieux de ne pas lui en donner un troisième et de lui prendre ses clés de voiture …
He has already had two glasses of whiskey/whisky…You’d better not give him a third one and convince him to take his car keys.
3 – Jane est en train de randonner en Italie depuis depuis 10 jours ! Voilà pourquoi tu ne l’as pas vue récemment …
Jane has been hiking in Italy for 10 days. This is the reason why you haven’t seen her recently.
4 – Lorsque nous sommes arrivés, leur voiture n’était pas devant la maison ! On nous a dit qu’ils venaient de partir depuis 10 minutes …
When we arrived, their car wasn’t parked in front of the house! We were told they had left after ten minutes.
5 – Il y a huit jours qu’elle porte la même robe … Lui arrive-t-il de se changer ?
She has been wearing the same dress for eight days. Doesn’t she realize she should change her clothes?

C) Translate into French:
Sandy’s husband had been on the sofa ever since he’d been terminated three months ago. That day, he’d come home looking pale and scared and with all of his work things in a box. “Happy Valentine’s Day”, he said to Sandy and put a heart-shaped box of candy and a bottle of Jim Beam on the kitchen table. He took off his cap and laid that on the table, too. “I got canned today. Hey, what do you think is going to happen to us now?”

Composition:
Sandy's husband was fired three months before and seemed not to be able to overcome that shock.
That day he came home bringing his work's tools stuffed in a box and put on the table a heart-shaped box of Valentine's candies and a bottle of Jim Beams, to announce the bad news to his wife, as if he would announce the end of a step of his life.
He then asked Sandy about what it would happen to them.
They talked about, trying to find out how to get over that predicament, but they didn't succeed in thinking up anything and since that day, he's been spending almost all of his time on the sofa.

I hope I was able to fulfil all the requirements related to this exercise, without making too many mistakes.
As usual, it was a very nice work to carry out, for which I thank you so much.
I wish you a pleasant evening.
Sincerely
Joe

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Réponse : Ex.31/Vous avez dit vacances de here4u, postée le 25-02-2015 à 23:26:35 (S | E)
Hello Joe!

Please ... Joe,(and everyone) when you post a second, or third ... draft, after the collective correction, do not delete the first one ...
If you do, when I start reading the new version, it really rings a bell, reads like 'déjà vu' ... then I have to go through my own copies to make sure I had done and sent your correction and that I haven't made another IT mistake, or simply, that I'm not losing my mind so much ...

When posting after correction, please, send only the 'faulty and corrected passages' in mps ...(You'll get your new correction by mp!)

I normally give my students 1 or 2 extra point(s) (after a simple indication of the mistakes they have made) if they can produce a really good text, free of any big mistake before the end of the session when I help the whole class correct their individual errors! (but no, Joe, you won't get this extra point! )
Have a good night!

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