English Grammar through Stories
by Alan Townend
Photocopiable
© www.english-test.net
60
took
him
aside
he
led
him to one side to talk to him privately
take up
much
of his time
occupy
much of his time
took up
a piece of paper
picked
up a piece of paper
take
the matter
up
discuss
the matter
take
the matter
further
discuss
the matter in greater detail
take
himself
off
dismiss
/fire himself
take in
the news
absorb/grasp
the news
taken up with
himself
preoccupied
with himself
sales would soon
take off
sales would soon
rise
considerably
take up
all those hobbies
start
doing all his hobbies
take to
his new life
enjoy
his new life
taken aback
by the news
shocked
by the news
take
Henderson
by
the throat
strangle
Henderson
he
took after
his father
he
was like
his father
take in
the possible advantages
comprehend
the possible advantages
taking it out on
Henderson
blaming
Henderson
taken up with
making preparations
preoccupied
with making preparations
what task he had
taken on
what task he had
committed
himself to
English Grammar through Stories
by Alan Townend
Photocopiable
© www.english-test.net
61
he
took out
a loan
he
negotiated
a loan
the bank manager
taken with
the bank manager was
impressed
by
took on
two of the fifty that applied
employed/hired two of the fifty that applied
taken on
another ten staff
employed/hired
another ten staff
taken over
a
local agency
become owner
of a local agency
they
took
him
for
they
regarded
him as
they
took back
all their critical remarks
they
retracted
all their critical remarks
take in
a large amount of business
generate
a
large amount of business
taken
the tax
away
from his earnings
deducted
the tax from his earnings
he didn't
take on airs
he didn't
behave
in a conceited way
taking off the boss
mimicking
the boss
he had
taken upon
himself to apply for a job
he had
decided
to apply for a job
take
Henderson
down
humiliate Henderson
as he
took down
Henderson's details
as he
wrote
down/
jotted
down Henderson's details
take on
a role
accept
a role
he
took to
the idea
immediately
he
liked
the idea immediately
Charlie
took out
a video
Charlie
removed
a
video
Henderson was
taking
everything
in
Henderson was
absorbing/grasping
everything
English Grammar through Stories
by Alan Townend
Photocopiable
© www.english-test.net
62
Here will see some sentences (
in italics
) as they occur in the story
with a re-written version below.
Some of the sentences
in italics
are abridged.
When he was forty-two, Charlie Banham was made redundant.
At the age of 42 Charlie Banham lost his job.
He didn't take to the idea at all.
He didn't like the fact that he had lost his job.
His boss, Angus Henderson, whom Charlie had not taken to the
moment he'd taken over from his previous boss eighteen months
before, took him aside early one Monday morning and asked him to
come to his office, assuring him as he did so that it wouldn't take up
much of his time.
Angus Henderson had been Charlie's boss for 18 months and
throughout that time Charlie hadn't really liked him.
Early one
Monday morning Angus wanted to talk to Charlie in private and told
him it wouldn't take long.
Henderson asked him to sit down, took up a piece of paper and
proceeded to read from it.
Henderson asked him to sit down, picked up a piece of paper and
started reading from it.
The content of the speech was that Charlie would have to go but of
course, if he wished, he could take the matter up with the managing
director and take the matter further.
In summary Charlie had to leave the company and he was told that if
he liked he could talk about this matter with the managing director
and have additional discussions.
In other words Charlie was being asked to take himself off as quickly
as possible.
In other words, Charlie was being asked to remove himself as quickly
as possible.
It took several minutes before Charlie could really take in the news.
It took several minutes before Charlie could really grasp what had
happened.
What really galled him was that Henderson was so taken up with
himself that he couldn't even be bothered to thank Charlie for his
services over the last ten years.
What really made him angry was that Henderson was so preoccupied
with himself that he couldn't even be bothered to thank Charlie for
his services over the last ten years.
Charlie was apparently being blamed for the drop in sales of his new
product which he had convinced everyone would soon take off
.
Charlie was obviously being blamed for the decrease in sales of his
new product which he had persuaded everyone would soon be
successful.
