400 headwords 4247726 Ibn Battuta fp indd 1

6 Write Ahmed’s questions in the Past Simple. Match the questions with Ibn Battuta’s 
answers (1–8).
a 
For how many / days / you / sail / to India?
…………………………………………………………… ……………
b 
How many / years / earlier / you / visit / Damascus?
…………………………………………………………… ……………
c 
Who / you / meet / in Damascus?
…………………………………………………………… ……………
d 
Where / he / from?
…………………………………………………………… ……………
e
What / he / tell / you?
…………………………………………………………… ……………
f 
When / you / say ‘Goodbye’ / to your father?
…………………………………………………………… ……………
g 
Why / people / in Syria / ill ?
…………………………………………………………… ……………
h 
How / you / travel / through Syria?
…………………………………………………………… ……………
1 
Tangier. 
5
A teacher.
2 
Forty. 
6
News from home.
3 
Twenty. 
7
They had the plague.
4 
Quickly. 
8
Twenty-four years before.
4247726 Ibn Battuta FP.indd 49
7/7/10 15:23:12

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50
G R A M M A R
GRAMMAR CHECK
Modal auxiliary verbs: can, can’t and must
We use 
can
+ 
infinitive without 
to
to talk about things that we are able to do or that
are possible.
You 
can 
easily
 forget 
your way in the desert.
We use 
can’t
+ 
infinitive without 
to
to talk about things that we are not able to do or 
that are not possible.
You 
can’t see 
hippopotamuses in Morocco.
We use 
must
+ 
infinitive without 
to
to talk about things that we think are necessary or 
very important, or that are an obligation.
You 
must 
never
 go 
into the desert alone.