Agreed. The blanks ask for tense/aspect/modality responses. TAM operates at the level of discourse, not sentence, and so without knowing the context of the sentences there can be some fairly wide variability in answers.

Herb

From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Bruce Despain
Sent: 2008-02-04 10:30
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: fill this in for me, will you please?

I think the semantics needs to be pinned down with more context, maybe.

>>> Brad Johnston <[log in to unmask]> 02/03/08 9:28 AM >>>

Hey, Grammarians,

(This may not work unless you're set for "color & graphics" instead of "plain text".)

Someone fill this in for me, will you please? I'll show you something that will interest you.

Let's say, "several someones", please fill this in for me; enough to get a fix, and send it back to [log in to unmask]. I'll sort 'em out and put it back on the listserv, without identifying who said what, although I'd be surprised if there is not unanimity. But anything's possible, so let's have a look.

.brad.sun.03feb08.

Fill in the blanks or else give me the words with the numbers, if you like.

They ______ (be) amazed. They _____ (hear, never) of this song.
[ ]

If only she (keep) quiet! (referring to the past)
[ ]

John _____ (be) upset because his application _____ (be) turned down.
[ ]

I ________ (never, eat) such a huge pizza before I ___________ (go) to Italy.
[ ]

By the time his heart _______ (be) transplanted, he ____________ (undergo) many medical procedures.
had been - had undergone ; is - will have undergone ; has been - will have undergone ; etc.

After I __________ (do) the washing-up, I _______ (watch) my favorite TV program.
do - shall watch ; have done - am going to watch ; did - watched ; etc.

The show _________ (already, start) when we ________ (arrive).
had already started - arrived ; has already started - arive (historical pres.) ; will already start - arrive ; etc.

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