Three Step English for Intermediate Learners - Practice #9 - Extended Apologies in English - Practice
13:42 Share

Do you know how to extend apologies in English? Welcome to 3-step English practice by EnglishClass101.com. In this lesson, you'll practice how to extend apologies in English. Let's look at the main dialogue. Two people are having a conversation. When I stepped out to meet you, it just started pouring. Think it's better just to stay in.

I'm sorry to hear that. No, I'm sorry, Jack. If I'd known it was going to rain like this, I would have told you I'd join another time. This last line with the apology is what's called a third conditional. She starts with an if followed by a past perfect verb phrase. After that is I would have followed by a past participle verb phrase.

In other sentences, I is replaced by the pronoun of whatever would take the action described in the past participle. Let's practice with this grammar more in this lesson. Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready? If I, a taxi, I wouldn't have missed the concert. If I, a taxi, I wouldn't have missed the concert. Had taken, had taken. If I had taken a taxi, I wouldn't have missed the concert.

While both options are past tense, we need the past perfect, which is had taken. Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready? If I, it would rain, I would have told you no. If I, it would rain, I would have told you no. Had known, had known. If I had known it would rain, I would have told you no. If I had known it would rain, I would have told you no.

To make a past perfect verb, you combine had with a past participle. Known is the past participle, so it's the correct choice. New is the first person singular past tense, so it's grammatically incorrect. Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready? If I, I would have passed the test. If I, I would have passed the test. Had studied, had studied.

If I had studied, I would have passed the test. If I had studied, I would have passed the test. While studied is the past participle, it needs had to be the past perfect. Just studied is not past perfect. Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready? If we'd another pizza, we wouldn't have gotten hungry. If we'd another pizza, we wouldn't have gotten hungry. Ordered. Ordered.

If we'd ordered another pizza, we wouldn't have gotten hungry. If we'd ordered another pizza, we wouldn't have gotten hungry. Here, ordered is correct because the sentence started with if we'd. We'd is a contraction of we had. So with just we'd ordered, the past perfect is formed. Otherwise, the sentence would start with if we had had ordered. Unscramble the words to make a sentence.

Ready? If I reservation. If I'd I reservation. If I'd known reservation. If I'd known it'd I reservation. If I'd known it'd be I reservation. If I'd known it'd be crowded I reservation.

reservation if I'd known it'd be crowded I would have reservation if I'd known it'd be crowded I would have made reservation if I'd known it'd be crowded I would have made a reservation if I'd known it'd be crowded I would have made a reservation unscramble the words to make a sentence if I'd I'd her

If I'd had, I'd her. If I'd had her number, I'd have called her.

Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready? If I'd left earlier, I would have joined or had joined you. If I'd left earlier, I would have joined or had joined you. Have joined. Have joined. If I'd left earlier, I would have joined you.

"Have joined" is used here because we need a past participle phrase, not a past perfect phrase. "Have joined" is past perfect and not appropriate here. Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready? If I'd bought more, we wouldn't have run or ran out. If I'd bought more, we wouldn't have run or ran out.

Have run. Have run. If I'd bought more, we wouldn't have run out. Have run is used here because it uses the past participle. Ran is just the singular past tense, not the past participle. Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready? If I had helped out more, we would have finished or finished on time.

If I had helped out more, we would have finished or finished on time. Have finished. Have finished. If I had helped out more, we would have finished on time. Have finished is used here because we need the have as part of the would have of the conditional statement. We would finished is not grammatically correct. Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready?

If I had helped out more, we would have finished or finished on time. If I had helped out more, we would have finished or finished on time. Have finished. Have finished. If I had helped out more, we would have finished on time.

Have finished is used here because we need the have as part of the would have of the conditional statement. We would finished is not grammatically correct. Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready? If I'd finished earlier, I would have helped or would help you. If I'd finished earlier, I would have helped or would help you.

Would've helped. Would've helped. If I'd finished earlier, I would've helped you. Would've helped is used here because it's in the correct tense. I would help you is grammatically fine on its own, but the tense doesn't match. Listen to what I say. What is the past perfect verb in the sentence? If I had known it would rain, I would've told you no. Listen one more time.

If I had known it would rain, I would have told you no. Did you hear "had known"? "Had known" is the past perfect here. How about, "If I had taken a taxi, I wouldn't have missed the concert." Let's listen one more time. If I had taken a taxi, I wouldn't have missed the concert. Did you hear "had taken"? "Had taken" is the past perfect here. Next.

If I had helped out more, we would have finished on time. One more time. If I had helped out more, we would have finished on time. Did you hear "had helped"? "Had helped" is the past perfect here. Next. If I'd finished earlier, I would have helped you. One more time. If I'd finished earlier, I would have helped you.

Did you hear "I'd finished"? "I'd" is a contraction of "I" and "had", so "had finished" is the past perfect here. And "If I had studied, I would have passed the test." One more time. "If I had studied, I would have passed the test." Did you hear "had studied"? "Had studied" is the past perfect here.

Thank you for watching! Now you know how to extend apologies in English. And now you can move on to the next lesson in the pathway on EnglishClass101.com.