Salesian English School

S3 English Language 2022-23

Unit 7 Whodunnit?
Unit Booklet

Name: _______Teachers’ copy________

Class: _________( )

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 Contents
Dictation Syllabus ............................................................................................................................................... 3
Part A: Vocabulary ...................................................................................................................................... 3
Part B: Passage ........................................................................................................................................... 4
Part C: Vocabulary from Challenging Text .................................................................................................. 4
Vocabulary map ......................................................................................................................................... 6
Grammar ............................................................................................................................................................ 7
Grammar Item (1) although, though, despite and in spite of.................................................................... 7
Grammar Item (2) – Revision of all tenses ............................................................................................... 13
Simple Present Tense ............................................................................................................................... 13
Present Continuous Tense........................................................................................................................ 15
Present Perfect Tense............................................................................................................................... 16
Simple Past Tense ..................................................................................................................................... 18
Past Continuous Tense ............................................................................................................................. 21
Past Perfect Tense .................................................................................................................................... 23
Simple Future Tense (will) ........................................................................................................................ 24
Simple Future Tense (be going to) ........................................................................................................... 25
List of irregular verb ................................................................................................................................. 27
Mixed Tenses ............................................................................................................................................ 29
Challenging Texts 1 & 2 .................................................................................................................................... 32
Challenging Text 3 ............................................................................................................................................ 37
A Famous Crime - TSA2017 R2P2 ..................................................................................................................... 42
Writing a mystery story .................................................................................................................................... 45

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 Dictation Syllabus
Part A: Vocabulary
Noun Verb Adjective Adverb
1. / solve / /
Text 2 2. / / hair-raising /
p.68
3. mystery / mysterious mysteriously
4. announcement announce / /
Text 3 5. notice notice / /
p.70 [noticed / past tense]
6. concentration concentrate on / /
7. observation observe / /
[observed / past tense]
8. details / detailed /
9. prevention prevent / /
[preventing]
Text 4 10. murder murder / /
p. 72 11. evidence / evident evidently
12. / pretend / /
[pretended / past tense]
13. qualities / quality /
14. victim victimize / /
p.75 15. detective detect / /
16. suspect suspect / /
17. arrest arrest / /
p.76 [arrested / past tense]
18. innocence / innocent innocently
19. / commit a crime / /
p. 77
20. / witness the accident / /

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Part B: Passage
Ms Hill replied, ‘That’s our class pet, Teddy. And that’s Cherry’s nail polish. I caught her painting her nails
during class. But please concentrate better on this case!’

‘I’d rather not run around looking for your ring. After all, it’s right here,’ Sherlock lifted the ring from the
hamster’s food dish.

‘How did you …?’ Ms Hill asked, shocked.

‘Well,’ Sherlock replied, ‘I observed some green paint on the hamster cage. And look, there’s green paint
on the ring as well. Therefore, we both know who the thief is!’

Part C: Vocabulary from Challenging Text

Noun Verb Adjective Adverb

Challenging 1. enthusiasm / enthusiastic enthusiastically

Text 1 & 2 2. / rely on reliable /

3. / / superior /

Challenging 4. impatience / impatient impatiently

Text 3 5. significance / significant significantly

6. culprit / / /

7. / contaminate / /

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Vocabulary Practice
Write the parts of speech of the words in brackets. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the words.
Your answers have to be grammatically correct.
1. observe ( v ) observation ( n )

a. Children learn by observing adults.

b. The book is full of interesting observations on the nature of musical composition.

2. detective ( n ) detect ( v )

a. Some sounds cannot be detected by the human ear.

b. He was a very intelligent and perceptive young detective.

3. prevention ( n ) prevent ( v )

a. You know what they say, prevention is better than cure

b. To prevent injuries you should always stretch before exercising.

4. mystery ( n ) mysterious ( adj )

a. He died in mysterious circumstances, and there is still a possibility that it was murder.

b. Twenty years after the event, his death remains a mystery.

5. Innocent ( adj ) innocence ( n )

a. She has such an innocent face that I find it hard to believe anything bad of her.

b. She has a child-like innocence which I find very appealing.

6. notice ( n/v ) notice ( n/v )

a. I hope you’ll take notice of what I’m going to tell you.

b. I noticed that her hands were shaking.

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 Vocabulary map
Organize the vocabulary and draw a vocabulary map below.

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 Grammar
Grammar Item (1) although, though, despite and in spite of

Text Grammar
Read the newspaper report and answer the questions.

BANK ROBBERY IN TAI KOK TSUI

Yesterday at around noon, three armed robbers broke into the Tai Kok Tsui branch of Lion Bank and
snatched $2 million cash. The police did not arrive until the robbers had gone though the bank staff
had notified the police immediately. The robbers managed to escape with a car despite the heavy
traffic.

Although the robbers escaped, their faces have been captured on CCTV. The police have released an
image of the suspects.

Despite the thorough search for the suspects, they were nowhere to be seen.

‘Though they managed to escape from the scene, we’re confident that they won’t be able to escape
from Hong Kong. We urge the general public to remain calm and stay alert,’ said Anthony Lau, the
police officer in charge of the case.

In spite of the police’s effort, the robbers still have not been arrested.

1 Look at the underlined words above. Circle the correct answers.

(i) After though, we use a (clause/noun phrase).
(ii) After although, we use a (clause/noun phrase).
(iii) After despite, we use a (clause/noun phrase).
(iv) After in spite of, we use a (clause/noun phrase).

2 Are the following sentences True (T) or False (F)? Write the correct letter(s) in the boxes.
(i) We can only use despite in the middle of a sentence. F

(ii) We can use though at the beginning or in the middle of a sentence. T

(iii)

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⚫ Besides but, we can use although or though to introduce contrast.
e.g. I told her to take a rest, but she wouldn’t listen. OR
Although/though I told her to take a rest, she wouldn’t listen.

⚫ Note we cannot use although/though and but together as we do in Chinese.

Although I told her to take a rest but she wouldn’t listen.

Exercise 1 Match the half-sentences in Column A with those in Column B. The first one has been done
for you.

Column A Column B
1. Although he knew her address, _e_. a. they still can’t catch the robbers
2. Though the police have been working on the b. she still failed
case for months, _a_.
3. It is November now, _h_. c. though he had a cold
4. He didn’t give up _g_. d. but still couldn’t find her
5. It was lunctime, _j_. e. he didn’t want to tell us
6. He still came to help us _c_. f. but she didn’t believe me
7. Though she tried hard, _b_. g. though he had failed twice
8. Although it was late at night _i_. h. but the temperature is as high as that in July.
9. We called her several times, _d_. i. there were still a lot of people in the streets
10. I told her the truth, _f_. j. but the restaurant was not full

Exercise 2 Rewrite these sentences. Use although or though instead of but. The first one has been
done for you.
1. I was tired, but I didn’t feel like sleeping.
Although _____I was tired, I didn’t feel like sleeping___________.
2. The weather wasn’t very good, but we enjoyed our picnic.
Though the weather wasn’t very good, we enjoyed our picnic.
3. It was raining, but she went out.
She went out although it was raining.
4. I have not seen her for a long time, but I can still recognize her from the photo.
Though I have not seen her for a long time, I can still recognize her from the photo.
5. I had met her twice before but I didn’t recognize her.
I didn’t recognize her though I had met her twice before.
6. John has a driving license, but he doesn’t have a car.
Although John has a driving license, he doesn’t have a car.
7. They were there, but they didn’t see what happened.
Though they were there, they didn’t see what happened.
8. Jane was angry, but she managed to keep her temper.
Jane wanted to keep her temper though she was angry.

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9. It was late, but they continued working.
Though it was late, they continued working.
10. She had invited me to her party, but we didn’t go.
Although she had invited me to her part, we didn’t go.

⚫ We can also use: in spite of / despite of + noun/verb-ing to describe a contrast.

e.g. In spite of/Despite my advice, she wouldn’t take a rest. OR

Noun
Compare: She refused to take a rest although/though she felt unwell.

Clause
⚫ A noun phrase is used after in spite of/despite while a clause is used after although/though.

e.g. In spite of/Despite being ill, she insisted on helping us.

She insisted on helping us. in spite of/despite being ill

She insisted on helping us. in spite of/despite of being ill

⚫ Note Despite is not followed by of.

Exercise 3 Circle the correct words.

1. Sylvia is still very thin (though / in spite of) she eats a lot every day.
2. David heard every word I said (although / despite) the noisy background.
3. (Though / Despite) it is late at night, my neighbours are still playing music loudly.
4. The shop owner did not blame us (although / in spite of) we broke some goods in the shop.
5. Joan Cheung finished university (though / in spite of) her physical disability.
6. (Although / Despite) the questions were difficult, the little boy answered all of them correctly.
7. (Though / Despite) the negative comments, the singer still sang confidently on the stage.
8. (Although / In spite of) their busy schedules, my parents celebrated my birthday with me.
9. My grandparents travel a lot (though / despite) their age.
10. The oranges are sour (although / in spite of) they look nice.

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Exercise 4 Read the situations and make sentences with the words given.
1. It was raining heavily. However, Pauline walked to school as usual.
Pauline walked to school as usual despite the heavy rain.
2. The weather is cold, but Jenny is only wearing a light jacket.
Despite the cold weather, Jenny is only wearing a light jacket.
3. Simon has a heavy workload, but he never complains.
Simon never complains in spite of the/his heavy workload.
4. There was a traffic jam, but they arrived at the airport on time.
In spite of a/the traffic jam, they arrived at the airport on time.
5. Julia lives near the school. However, she is always late.
Though Julia lives near the school, she is always late.

Exercise 5 Read the information below. Then make a sentence with in spite of or despite + the words in
the box. The first one has been done for you.

the rain the bad weather his poor health careful planning the heavy traffic
his age his wealth her illness my advice his help

1. I advised her not to go to the party, but she wouldn’t listen.

In spite of ___my advice, she went to the party________.
2. The traffic was heavy, but we arrived on time.
We arrived on time despite the heavy traffic.
3. He is young, but he knows a lot of things.
He knows a lot of things in spite of his age.
4. It rained that day, but we enjoyed our holiday.
In spite of the rain, we enjoyed our holiday.
5. She was ill, but she came to the meeting.
Despite her illness, she came to the meeting.
6. The weather was bad. He went for a swim.
He went for a swim in spite of the bad weather.
7. Though he helped us, we still couldn’t finish the work on time.
Despite his help, we still couldn’t finish the work on time.
8. Mr Chan is in poor health, but he always tries to help others.
In spite of his poor health, Mr Chan always tries to help others.
9. The old man is rich, but he is not happy.
The old man is not happy, in spite of his wealth.
10. We had planned everything carefully, but we did not succeed.
Despite careful planning, we did not succeed.

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Exercise 6 Complete these sentences. Use in spite of or despite instead of although. If you have
difficulty, you may use the words in the box. One has been done for you.
age efforts price advice
difficulties hobbies fever busy

1. Although they were very tired, they did not stop to rest.
___In spite of being tired___, they did not stop to rest.
2. Although it was raining, they went to the beach.
They went to the beach in spite of/despite the rain.
3. Although the watch was expensive, he bought it.
He bought the watch in spite of/despite its price.
4. Although the doctor had warned him, Mr Chan refused to take a holiday.
Mr Chan refused to take a holiday in spite of/despite the doctor’s warning.
5. We couldn’t finish the work although we tried very hard.
We couldn’t finish the work in spite of/despite of our efforts.
6. He succeeded although he had encountered a lot of difficulties.
He succeeded in spite of/despite of the difficulties.
7. Although Mr Wong is not very old, his hair has turned grey.
Mr Wong’s hair has turned grey in spite of/despite of his young age.
8. They are good friends although they have different hobbies.
In spite of/Despite their different hobbies, they are good friends.
9. Although she had a fever, she refused to stay in bed.
She refused to stay in bed in spite of/despite her fever.
10. Although she was busy, she took time to help her brother with his homework.
In spite of/Despite being busy, she took time to help her brother with his homework.

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Reflection

In each of these sentences, words, phrases or clauses are connected. Read each sentence and identify the
kind of connection being made. Then tick (✔) the correct box.

Additional Alternative Contrasting Cause and

ideas ideas ideas result

1. We couldn’t leave Hong Kong because of the

typhoon.
✔

2. I want to go to the party but I’m too busy.

✔

3. Peter studied diligently all term. Therefore, he

did very well in his exams.
✔

4. The air is clean and the sky is clear.

✔

5. Although she was very tired, she managed to

finish the race.
✔

6. My mother is a judge. She’s also a member of

LEGCO.
✔

7. Most tourists in Hong Kong are Chinese from the

Mainland or Taiwan.
✔

8. Martin, Mary and Sam all won awards at Speech

Day.
✔

9. Mr Chan is at a meeting. However, you can speak

to Miss Lee if you like.
✔

10. The traffic was really bad so I arrived late.

✔

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Grammar Item (2) – Revision of all tenses
Simple Present Tense
Usage
We use simple present tense to talk about
- facts (things that are true now or are always true)
- habits or repeated actions
-
Formation
Affirmative
Verb to be (am, are, is) Other Verbs (go, come, like etc.)
I am / I’m I
You are / You’re You like
We are / We’re We
They are / They’re happy. They Dogs.
He is / He’s He
She is / She’s She likes
It is / It’s It

Negative
Verb to be (am, are, is) Other Verbs (go, come, like etc.)
I am not / I’m not I
You are not / You’re not You do not /
We are not / We’re not We don’t
They are not / They’re not happy. They like Dogs.
He is not / He’s not He does not /
She is not / She’s not She doesn’t
It is not / It’s not It

Questions
Verb to be (am, are, is) Other Verbs (go, come, like etc.)
Am I I
you Do you
Are we we
they happy? they like Dogs.
he he
Is she Does she
it it

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Time Expressions
Time Expressions Examples
Every day, month, week, year; always; 1. I frequently go to the library to borrow
sometimes; never; frequently some books.
2. Lyon never does his homework.
3. Every year the school runs an open day

Exercise 1 Complete the descriptions about Ann’s daily routine with the correct form of the words
provided.

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Present Continuous Tense
Usage
We use present continuous tense to talk about
- an action which is at the moment of speaking
- an action which is happening around the time of speaking
-
Formation
Affirmative
I am
You are
We
They doing homework.
He is
She
It
Negative
I am not
You are not / aren’t
We
They doing homework.
He is not / isn’t
She
It
Questions
Am I
Are you
we doing homework?
they
Is he
she
it

Time Expressions
Time Expressions Examples
now, right now, at the moment, at present, 1. Look! Mr. So is having breakfast with his
currently, Look!, these days class.
2. We are finishing our homework now.
3. What are you doing these days?

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Exercise 2 Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in brackets.
1. I am having (have) lunch now.
2. You are doing (do) it wrongly at present.
3. They are chatting (chat) online at the moment.
4. He is playing (play) an online game right now.
5. You can turn the TV off. I am not/ ain’t watching (not watch) it.
6. My father is not/ isn’t working (not work) today. He has a bad cold.
7. You can borrow my camera if you want. I am not/ ain’t using (not use) it today.
8. Fred and George is not/ isn’t doing (not do) anything at the moment. You can ask them to help
you.

Present Perfect Tense

Usage
We will use present perfect tense to talk about
- an action in the past that has a connection to the present
- something that started in the past and continues up to or into the present
- a past event if the time it happened is not known or not important.

Formation
Subject + have / has + past participle (p.p.)

Subject have / has Past Participle

1 I
___have__ eaten lunch.
2 You

3 We
__have___ done any homework.
4 They

5 He / She / It __has__ gone to bed.

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Fill in the boxes with suitable past participles.

Affirmative
I __written___(write) a letter.
We have ___forgotten_____(forget) to bring the textbook.
You ___paid___(pay) for the movie tickets.
They
___invited_____(invite)
He some friends to his party.
___finished____(finish)
She has her homework.
___caught____(catch)
It a mouse.

Negative
I __learnt___(learn) how to write a poem.
We ___haven’t_____ __brought_(bring) enough money.
You __shouted__(shout) for help.
They
__had___(have)
He time for breakfast.
___seen___(seen)
She ___hasn’t____ that movie before.
___broken___(break)
It its leg.

Questions
I __washed__(wash) the car yet?
we __finished__(finish) making the scarf for the baby?
_Have_ you ____eaten__(eat) anything?
they
___met__(meet)
he somewhere before?
__been__(be)
she to New York before?
_Has_ ____seen__(see)
it the doctor?

Time Expression
Time Expressions Examples
for 3 years (period of time), since 2009 (a point in 1. We have held the charity dinner for three
time), already, so far years.
2. Chris has joined the charity walk since 2009.
3. Ben has already joined the charity dinner.
ever (used with yes/no questions) 4. Have you ever joined any charity work?
never (to give negative answers) 5. I have never joined the charity walk.
yet (used with yes/no questions & negative 6. Mary has not joined the charity dinner yet.
statements)
still (used with negative statements) 7. Mary still has not joined the charity dinner
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Exercise 3 Complete the following sentences with the Present Perfect Tense of the verbs in the
brackets.

1. We __have written__ to each other since early last year. (write)

2. We _have_ just _won__ the football match. (win)
3. __Have___ you ever _been_ inside the cargo compartment of an airplane? (be)
4. I _have worked_ here since I entered this school. (work)
5. I __have__ never __been__ to Victoria Park. (be)
6. I __have__ just ___got___ a ten-dollar note. (get)
7. I __have lived___ here for five years. (live)
8. The party _has_ already __begun_. (begin)
9. _Have__ you ever __eaten_ any golden delicious apple before? (eat)
10. They __have drunk__ a lot of wine recently. (drink)

Simple Past Tense

Usage
We use regular and irregular verbs in the simple past tense to talk about what happened at a time in the
past.

Formation

Most verbs add an ‘ed’ for the past tense forms, but some verbs do not follow the general rules for verb
forms (-ed, -d, -ied). They are called irregular verbs.

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Time Expressions:
Time Expressions Examples
yesterday, yesterday morning, last 1. The movie ended five minutes ago.
year/month/week/night, ago, in 1996 (past 2. I came to this city in 1990.
years, decades, and centuries), on 20th June 3. My parents traveled to Japan last month.
(on with specific past dates) 4. We got up early yesterday morning.

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Exercise 4 Jenny wrote an e-mail to her friend, Mimi to tell her a funny incident she saw in the park this
morning. Fill in each blank of her e-mail with the correct form of the verb in brackets.

saw

was
realized

began
started
did not want
ran reached

shouted was

ran showed
said

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Past Continuous Tense

Usage:
We use the Past Continuous Tense (e.g. was/were doing) to talk about actions that were in progress at a
certain time in the past.
e.g. A: Where were you at 12 o'clock yesterday?
B: I was seeing a movie with my friend.

Formation:
Affirmative
subject be verb + ing object
I was planning a story.
He / She / It was writing a story.
You / We / They were telling a story.

Negative
subject be + not verb + ing object
I was not / wasn’t planning a story.
He / She / It was not / wasn’t writing a story.
You / We / They were not / weren’t telling a story.

Question
be subject verb + ing object
Was I planning a story?
Was He / She / It writing a story?
Were You / We / They telling a story?

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We use while to join to two actions happening at the same time.
At nine last night

e.g. Mom was washing dishes while I was playing online games. or While I
was playing online games, Mom was washing dishes

I was playing online games.

NOW

Mom was washing dishes.

We use when to join two actions in a sentence, with Past tense for the shorter action and Past
Continuous Tense for the longer action.

ding
dong

e.g. Grandma was watching TV when the doorbell rang.

Past Continuous Tense Simple Past

Grandma was watching TV. (longer action) The bell rang. (shorter action)

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Exercise 5 Complete the dialogue below with the Simple Past Tense or the Past Continuous Tense of
the verbs in brackets.
Inspector: (1) Were you working (work) in the garden when you (2) heard (hear) the noises in

the house?

Witness: Yes, (3) I was (be). My wife (4) was working (work) in the garden too. We (5)

were planting (plant) flowers.

Inspector: When you (6) saw (see) the men in the house, (7) were they stealing (steal)

anything?

Witness: Yes, they (8) were (be). They (9) were carrying (carry) our television out of a

window.

Inspector: (10) Were they wearing (wear) masks?

Witness: No, they (11) were not (not be). I (12) saw (see) them clearly. It (13) was (be) my former

cook and one of his friends. I (14) knew (know) it was the cook because he (15) was

wearing (wear) his cook’s uniform!

Past Perfect Tense

Usage
We use this tense to talk about an action which took place before another past action.
The film started at 5:30 p.m. We arrived at the cinema at 5:40 p.m.

The film had started when we arrived at the cinema.

Formation
had + past participle (e.g. had gone)

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Exercise 6 Complete these sentences. Use the past perfect tense of the verbs in the box. In
some cases you have to use the negative form. One has been done for you.
see finish break into change stop go get return sell out

1. I went to see Peggy last night but she wasn’t at home. She had gone to the cinema with Fred.
2. I could not recognize Jane when I met her. She had changed so much.
3. When we got to the cinema, we found the tickets had been sold out.
4. They had finished dinner when we arrived.
5. I was very glad to see Janet again. We had not seen each other for ten years.
6. I asked Kate to lend me the book, but she said she had returned it to Paul.
7. I met Brian yesterday. He told me his brother had got a job.
8. Mr. and Mrs. Chan had a surprise yesterday. When they returned from their holiday, they found
9. that somebody had broken into their flat.
10. It has cleared up now, but when I left my house the rain had not stopped.

Simple Future Tense (will)

Usage
We use simple future tense to talk about
- things we think will happen
- unplanned actions in the future

Formation
Affirmative
I/You/We/They/ will (‘ll) have dinner at home tonight.
He/She/It

will + bare infinitive

Negative
I / We
You
will not (won’t) have dinner at home tonight.
He / She / It /
They

will not + bare infinitive

Question Form
I / we
Will you come back next year?
he /she / it / they

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 I / we I / we
will not
Yes, you will. No, you
(won’t).
he /she / it / they He / she / it / they

Time Expressions:
Time Expressions Examples
Tomorrow; in (future year, month, week); on 1. The movie will start 5 minutes later.
(future day); next (month, week, year, name of 2. We will be S3 students in September.
day); # days, months, weeks, years from now; 3. Someday, I will become a singer.
this month, week, afternoon, year; someday 4. We will have dinner soon.

Simple Future Tense (be going to)

Usage:
We use ‘be going to’ to talk about
- things that we are sure will happen
- planned action in the future

Formation:
Affirmative
Subject Verb to (be) going to (bare) infinitive
I am (‘m)
He / She / It is (‘s)
We (not) going to finish dinner soon.
You are (‘re)
They

Negative
Subject Verb to (be) going to (bare) infinitive
I am not
He / She / It is not / isn’t
We (not) going to finish dinner soon.
are not /
You
aren’t
They

Question

Am I
Is He / She / It
Are You going to stay in Hong Kong?
We
They
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Exercise 7
Choose the correct answers.
1. A: Tomorrow is a public holiday. Do you have any plans? will go / are going to
B: We are going to Cheung Chau for a day tour.
2. A: Would you like tea or coffee? will have / am going to
B: I will have coffee. have
3. Look! They are going to wash the car. will wash / are going to
wash
4. It’s already five o’clock. We are going to miss the bus. will miss / are going to
miss
5. We are going to have a barbecue tomorrow. It’s all planned, so I will have / are going to
hope it won’t rain. have
6. A: I have forgotten to bring my mobile phone. will lend / am going to
B: That’s ok. I will lend you mine. lend
7. I think Brazil _ will win_ the next World Cup. will win / is going to win
8. Billy has not studied for the test. He _ is going to fail_. will fail / is going to fail
9. Do you think it _ will rain_ this afternoon? will rain / is going to rain
10. In the future people will have bigger heads. will have / am going to
have

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List of irregular verb

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Mixed Tenses
Exercise 1 Choose the correct answers. The first one has been done for you.
1. It (is getting / has been getting) late. We'd better go now.

2. Ben isn't in Hong Kong. He (has gone / went) to Japan since last week.

3. Before Sarah became a tour guide, she (worked /had worked) in an office in Wanchai.

4. He is a famous director. He (has made/ had made) more than 50 movies in his life.

5. How many countries (did you visit / have you visited) this year?

6. Mrs Kwok (had left / left) her bag on a tram yesterday.

7. (I'll go /I'm going) to the library after school. I'll be home late.

8. I'm sorry I made a mistake. It (won't happen /is not happening) again.

Exercise 2 Fill in the blanks with the correct forms of the verbs in brackets.
1. This morning at 10 o’clock it was raining (rain).

2. Yesterday the chef made (make) a delicious pizza.

3. Listen! The teacher is saying (say) something important about the test.

4. Miss Lee has been (be) my piano teacher since I was (be) seven years old.

5. I have found (find) my lipstick already. It was (be) under the sofa.

6. I usually choose (choose) chocolate ice-cream but yesterday I wanted (want) to try the strawberry one.

7. While Mum was cooking (cook), I was sleeping (sleep) in my room last night.

8. I haven’t watched (watch) TV for the whole week.

9. I am sure Matthew didn’t steal (steal) your money because he was staying (stay) with me the whole

afternoon.

10. I am going to go (go) to Japan this summer. I have already started (start) preparing for the trip. I hope I

will have (have) fun there!

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Exercise 3 Complete the news report below using the correct form of the verbs provided.

Wind delays cable-car ride

Strong winds yesterday (1) disrupted (disrupt) the Ngong

Ping Cable Car on Lantau Island, less than a week after it
finally (2) opened (open) for passengers after a series of
delays.

Wind speeds in excess of 60 km/h in the morning (3) forced

(force) the Cable Car to start 10 minutes later than its
scheduled opening at 10am. It (4) was (be) a short delay but
enough to annoy many of those who were made to wait as the queue steadily (5) grew (grow).

‘I (6) arrived (arrive) early and (7) was standing / have been standing (stand) in the queue for more than
an hour,’ (8) said (say) one of the people waiting. ‘Now I (9) don’t know (not/know) whether I (10) will be
(be) able to go on the ride at all.’

Notices were posted outside Tung Chung terminal saying that operations had been suspended because of
high winds until further notice. Those who (11) do not / did not want (not/want) to wait were told that
they would be given refunds.

Exercise 4 Complete this story using the correct form of the verbs in the margin. Use each verb once
only.
It was already late when John and I (1) set (set) out for the next town, which according to the map was

about 15 km away on the other side of the hills. Darkness (2) fell (fall) soon after we left the village, but

luckily there were few cars as we (3) drove (drive) fast along the narrow winding road that (4) led (lead)

into the hills. As we (5) climbed (climb) higher, it (6) became (become) colder and rain (7) began (begin)

to fall, making it difficult at times to see the road ahead.

After we (8) had travelled (travel) about 20 km, there was still no sign of the town which was shown on

the map. We (9) started (start) to feel worried. Then, without warning, the car (10) stopped (stop). It (11)

had run (run) out of petrol. We (12) decided (decide) to spend the night in the car.

30
 After we (13) had finished (finish) the biscuits and chocolates we had with us, we (14) tried (try) to get

some sleep, but we couldn’t. The rain had stopped by then. John (15) got (get) out of the car and (16) went

(go) for a walk up the hill. Soon he came running back. ‘What (17) happened (happen)? I asked. From the

top of the hill, John (18) had seen (see) in the valley beyond the lights of the town we (19) were looking

(look) for.

Reflection Some of the sentences are wrong. Write the correct answer in the space provided if necessary.
If the sentence is correct, write a tick (✔). The first one has been done for you as examples.
e.g. Someone broke into Mr Chan’s flat last night and steal his money. stole

1 You are having a fever. You must stay in bed. have

2 We should did something before the virus transmits. do

3 Natalie was at home when we arrived, but she left soon. ✔

4 Kate was angry with me because I forgot to go to her party. ✔

(had forgotten also acceptable)

5 I didn’t know there was a fashion show at the shopping center yesterday. told

Nobody had told me about this.

6 My father returned home from work. He’s taking a shower now. has returned

7 Jason is our new classmate. He is coming from New Zealand. comes

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Challenging Texts 1 & 2

Your friend wants to be a detective in the future. She loves detective stories. She has given you a
crime riddle to solve and a TV programme review to read.

Text 1 Crime riddle

❶ Mandy, Jenny, Wendy and Penny are sisters. One night, after their parents
have gone out for the evening, they decide to settle down to a film night.
Just after sundown, Wendy and Penny are in the kitchen trying to decide
what to make for a sweet snack. The other two are arguing enthusiastically in
5 the other room about what film they should watch together.

❷ Penny’s eyes brighten. ‘Let’s make cupcakes!’ she says breathlessly,

clapping her hands together excitedly.

❸ ‘Although cupcakes sound tasty, I prefer the flavour of brownies. Plus,

that’s what I bought ingredients for earlier,’ Wendy replies.
10
❹ They mix together the flour, butter, chocolate and eggs then slide the
brownie dough into the oven. By the time they reenter the living room,
Mandy and Jenny have chosen the night’s entertainment, which is an old
black and white detective film. During the hour-and-a-half length of the film,
Mandy and Jenny each get up once to go to the bathroom.

15 ❺ Later, when Penny goes to check on the brownies, all she sees is an empty
baking tray. Penny shrieks in shock, and the others rush in.

❻ ‘What’s wrong, Penny?’ Mandy asks the most quickly while reaching for a
large carving knife for good measure, in case there is an intruder.

❼ ‘Did something happen to the brownies?’ Jenny asks in concern a second

20 later.

❽ Penny says, ‘They were stolen, but I already know who did it.’

 Who is the tasty treat thief?

25

32
Text 2 TV programme review

Sherlock: The Abominable Bride

❶ The Abominable Bride is a special holiday drama

from the popular British television series Sherlock.

It stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the eccentric

super sleuth Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman as Benedict

Cumberbatch
5 his reliable yet long-suffering sidekick Dr John Watson.

❷ Unlike the rest of the series, which takes place in modern day, this mystery is

set in the 1890s. Emelia Ricoletti commits suicide in public while wearing her

wedding dress. This horrific spectacle, of course, draws much attention. Despite

10 her death, several people witness her murder her husband later that evening. The

police are baffled by this seemingly impossible crime, as how could Emelia have

committed murder after she had already passed away? Soon even more men are

murdered and once again the witnesses earnestly swear that the ghost bride is
15
responsible for the deaths. Sherlock must try his hardest to solve this spine-

tingling mystery, for if he does not get to the bottom of it quickly, more men may

soon meet a grisly fate.

❸ Thanks to its superior filming quality and top-notch acting, this television
20
episode feels more like a film than a TV programme. You will find yourself on the

edge of your seat throughout the entire 90 minutes. I would rather watch this

drama than watch an action film. I heartily award it five stars!



33
 Comprehension 1 & 2 Your brother is asking you about the crime riddle and the TV
programme review. Answer his questions using information from the crime riddle and the TV
programme review. For multiple-choice questions, choose the best answer and blacken ONE circle
only.

Text 1

1 What are TWO reasons that Wendy wants to make brownies instead of cupcakes?

i) she prefers the taste of brownies

ii) she bought ingredients for brownies

2 What ingredients did Wendy buy for the brownies?

flour, butter, chocolate and eggs

3 How long is the detective film that the sisters watched?

an hour and a half/90 mins

4 Find a word in paragraphs 4–6 that has a similar meaning to ‘screams’.

shrieks

5 Why did Mandy reach for a carving knife?

because she thought there might be an intruder in the kitchen (any reasonable answer)

6 What does ‘it’ refer to in line 24?

stealing/the theft of the brownies

7 Find an example of alliteration in paragraphs 5–9.

tasty treat thief

🕮Complete the note sheet.

Crime (8) theft (of the brownies)

Main suspects (9) Mandy/Jenny

(10) Jenny/Mandy

Scene of the crime (11) the kitchen

34
12 i) Who is likely the thief? Provide evidence to support your answer.

Jenny. Jenny asks if something happened to the brownies, however, she should not
know what type of dessert Wendy and Penny made because she was in the living room
when they were baking. (any reasonable response)

ii) When did the crime occur?

when Jenny got up during the film to go to the bathroom

13 The main purpose of this text is to ________.

A determine which sister is guilty of a crime

B confuse readers and cause a discussion

C entertain readers with a challenging puzzle

D educate readers about how crimes are committed

Text 2

14 Who helps Sherlock Holmes solve crimes?

Dr Watson

15 What is the main difference between this holiday drama and the rest of the Sherlock series?

This holiday drama is set in the 1890s while the rest of the Sherlock series is set in
modern day.

16 i) Who is Emelia Ricoletti?

She is a bride who has killed herself in public.

ii) Why is it strange that ‘several people witness her murder her husband later that evening’
(lines 9–10)?

because she is supposed to already be dead at the time of the murder

35
 17 Complete the following sentence.

It is important for Sherlock to solve the mystery of the ghost bride quickly so that

more men do not die (any reasonable response)

18 Find words in paragraphs 2–3 that mean the same as the following.

i) confused baffled

ii) frightening spine-tingling/grisly

iii) high quality superior/top-notch

iv) feeling very excited on the edge of your seat

🕮 Complete the table.

Episode title (19) The Abominable Bride

Setting (20) 1890s

Length of episode (21) 90/ninety minutes/min.

Starring (22) Benedict Cumberbatch/Martin Freeman

(23) Martin Freeman/Benedict Cumberbatch

Genre (24) detective/drama/mystery

25 What was the reviewer’s overall opinion of The Abominable Bride? Use information from the
text to justify your response.

The reviewer’s overall opinion of The Abominable Bride is very positive. He/She gave it
a rating of five stars, which is the highest rating. (any reasonable response)

🕮 26 In line 26, what is the meaning of ‘get to the bottom of’ ?

A to go to the deepest part of something

B to discover the truth of something

C to protect someone’s life A B C D

D to walk on a long road    

🕮 27 What does ‘it’ refer to in line 20?

this drama/The Abominable Bride

36
Challenging Text 3
Your friend has written a detective story. She has given it to you to read. Read the detective story.
Text 3 Detective story

❶ Although school was over, Young Sherlock Holmes did not return home.

He had a matter to attend to before returning to his house and hitting the

books. There had been an announcement summoning him to Room 212.

5

These days, it felt like his name was called over the intercom at least once

per day. When he arrived, Ms Hill was there, tapping her foot impatiently.

❷ ‘How may I help you?’ asked Sherlock. He was already taking stock of the

room, trying to pick out any unusual details, though this would not be helpful
10
until he knew what the crime was.

❸ ‘My ring was stolen!’ Ms Hill said. ‘Though I searched everyone’s bags, I

couldn’t find it! I can’t believe that someone in my class would commit such

a cruel crime. They know that the ring was given to me by my late brother,

15 and that it has a great deal of significance to me.’

❹ Sherlock noticed a pet hamster in a cage in the corner. It looked uneasy,

not even nibbling on the fresh piece of cucumber in its food dish. Sherlock

also spotted a bottle of green nail polish on the teacher’s desk, as vivid as

radioactive slime. ‘Cute pet and nice nail polish. Whose nail polish is it?’

Sherlock asked.

37
20 ❺ Ms Hill replied, ‘That’s our class pet, Teddy. And that’s Cherry’s nail polish.

I caught her painting her nails during class, so I confiscated the bottle. But

please concentrate better on this case! Shouldn’t you be searching the

school for the stolen item and the culprit?’

❻ ‘I’d rather not run around aimlessly looking for your ring. After all, it’s right
25
here,’ Sherlock undid the latch on the hamster’s cage and lifted the ring

from inside the hamster’s food dish with the aid of a pen so as not to

contaminate any fingerprints on it.

❼ ‘How did you …?’ Ms Hill asked in shock, her mouth agape.

30 ❽‘Well,’ Sherlock replied, ‘I observed some green paint on the hamster

cage. And look, there’s green paint on the ring as well. Therefore, we both

know who the thief is! The thief must have slid the ring in there upon seeing

that you were searching the students’ bags. They had likely planned to

come back for it later.’

35
‘Well, I feel a tad foolish now that you’ve pointed out the obvious clues!
How could I have missed all that? However, I am very grateful to have my

prized possession back. Thank you, Sherlock. And now it’s time to

apprehend the tricky thief!’

38
 Comprehension 2
Your sister wants to know about the detective story. Answer her questions using information from the
detective story. For multiple-choice questions, choose the best answer and blacken ONE circle only.

1 Why did Sherlock stay behind at the end of the school day?
because there was an announcement calling him to Room 212

2 According to paragraph 1, what is Sherlock’s hobby?

reading/hitting the books

3 What was the purpose of Sherlock ‘taking stock of the room’ (lines 7–8)?
to look for clues that might relate to a crime

4 What does ‘this’ refer to in line 8?

taking stock of the room/picking out unusual details

5 Why is the ring important to Ms Hill?

because her late/dead brother had given it to her

6 Based on the information given in paragraph 4, fill in the blanks. Write ONE word in each blank.
The (i) hamster was behaving strangely, since it would not even
(ii) nibble on the fresh cucumber in its food dish. On Ms Hill’s
(iii) desk, Sherlock also saw some green nail polish. He
(iv) asked Ms Hill who it belonged to.

7 Find an example of a simile in paragraph 4.

(the green nail polish was) as vivid as radioactive slime

39
 8 According to paragraphs 4–6, are the following statements True (T), False (F) or Not Given (NG)?
Statements
i) Cucumber is the hamster’s favourite treat. NG
ii) The nail polish was a very bright shade of green. T
iii) Cherry often got in trouble for painting her nails during class. NG
iv) The ring was hidden under the hamster’s food dish. F

9 Why did Sherlock want to know whose nail polish it was?

because he thought it belonged to the thief

10 Find words in paragraphs 5 and 6 that mean the same as the following:
i) took away confiscated
ii) person responsible culprit
iii) mess up contaminate

11 When Ms Hill asks Sherlock to better concentrate on the case, he __________.

A already knows where the ring is
B is worried about finding the ring
C is making a list of suspects
D is holding the ring in his hand A B C D

 12 What does ‘it’ in line 25 refer to?

the ring

13 According to Sherlock, why did the thief put the ring in the hamster cage?
because he/she saw Ms Hill searching the students’ bags

40
14 What is the purpose of paragraph 8?
The purpose of paragraph 8 is to explain the answer to the mystery and show how Sherlock solved
the crime. (any reasonable answer)

15 What does ‘my prized possession’ refer to in line 36?

the ring

16 How does Ms Hill feel at the end of the story? Tick ( ) all that apply.
 curious  jealous  furious
✔ thankful ✔ silly ✔ joyful

17 Order the following events. Number the events (1–5).

Sherlock spotted a bottle of green nail polish. 3
Sherlock recovered the missing item. 4
Ms Hill searched all of the students’ bags. 1
Sherlock walked to Room 212. 2
Sherlock amazed Ms Hill with his reasoning skills. 5

18 i) Who is the thief?

Cherry
ii) Explain how Sherlock figured this out.
Sherlock found out that the green nail polish belonged to Cherry. This same green nail polish was on
the hamster cage and the ring. (any reasonable answer)

19 If Sherlock is incorrect, can you think of another explanation for the clues he found?
It is possible that Cherry did not mean to steal the ring. Perhaps Ms Hill dropped it and Cherry found
it, but she was afraid that Ms Hill would think she had stolen it, so she hid it in the hamster’s cage.
(any reasonable response)

41
A Famous Crime - TSA2017 R2P2
All Form 3 students have to write a story based on a famous crime. Your English teacher has given you an
article about a famous crime that happened a few years ago to help you prepare.
Read the article and answer the questions.

42
Circle the best answer.

43
44
Writing a mystery story
A. What is your favourite mystery movie/story? Share with your teachers and classmates.

My all-time favourite is….

It is a story about …

B. You have read The Landlady/The Lost Scout, how do you find this kind of story? Do you prefer
reading mystery stories or fairy tales? Why?

VS

C. How can we write a good and gripping mystery story?

The craft of writing a good mystery is similar to creating a

good puzzle – you need careful planning and presentation.

These help ensure that the end result is a gripping page-

turner that keeps your audience guessing all the way
through.

45
D. Here are 9 mystery writing tips.
1. Read other mysteries often.
• Read classic mystery books, short stories ad best-selling crime fictions.
2. Know every detail of the crime.
• Map out the who, what, where, when, why and how before writing your first draft.
3. Open with intrigue
• Start with red herrings and cliffhangers. Many crime stories open on the crime itself,
then move forward or use flashback.
4. Create convincing characters
• Your bad guys should be complex and have clear motives.
• Create your detective/sleuth.
5. Make a list of suspects
• A great mystery will introduce several potential suspects.
6. Lean into your locations
• Use the natural atmosphere. Think about the setting (when and where).
7. Let the readers play along
• Good mystery writing shows instead of tells. You should create scenes that allow your
readers to explore and discover clues.
• Give your readers a chance to put together the puzzle themselves.
8. Misdirect your readers
• Use false clues, and this is part of the fun. Your audience will run into sudden twists and
dead ends.
9. Rewrite, then rewrite some more
• Remember how you reread those mystery stories after you knew how they ended?

E. Watch the official trailer of Murder on the Orient Express. Share how this short trailer tells a
mystery story.

Teacher’s notes
Students can talk about the characters, suspects, setting etc.

46
Useful vocabulary and expressions:

Rearrange the following words and phrases to form meaningful sentences:

1. It was a dark and stormy night, and the thief crept into the house unnoticed.

2. She noticed a suspicious character lurking in the shadows.

3. The detective carefully examined the crime scene for clues, looking for any evidence that would lead to

the culprit.

4. Suddenly, a loud noise interrupted the silence, and the thief was caught red-handed with the stolen

goods.

5. The victim reported the theft to the police, who launched an investigation to find the culprit.

6. The thief had left a trail of clues behind, and the detective followed them diligently, determined to solve

the case.

7. The police interrogated the suspects one by one, trying to find any inconsistencies in their stories.

8. The thief had a clever plan, but the detective was even cleverer and managed to outsmart them in the

end.

47