Douze questions, douze minutes, au format de la partie Grammar in Context : une phrase ou un court texte, un trou, quatre formes. Certaines questions reprennent le même texte : chacune porte sur le trou marqué ______ ; les autres trous sont marqués […].
Dix bonnes réponses ou plus : c'est acquis. Huit ou neuf : relisez les corrigés de vos erreurs. Sept ou moins : revenez aux cours du chapitre.
À ce niveau, le repère est souvent loin du trou : en tête de phrase (Had, Seldom, No sooner) ou dans la phrase d'avant. Lisez tout le texte avant de choisir.
Exercices
Exercice 1
The expedition was a failure. Had the team listened to the local guides, they ______ the storm that destroyed their camp.
Voir la réponse et le corrigé
Réponse : (2) would have avoided
Corrigé :
Option 1 (would avoid, conditionnel présent) — Had … listened est un irréel passé : la conséquence doit aussi être passée.
Option 2 (would have avoided, conditionnel passé) — type 3 inversé : Had + participe, would have + participe.
Option 3 (had avoided, past perfect) — forme de la condition, pas de la conséquence.
Option 4 (will avoid, futur) — un futur ne répond pas à une condition passée irréelle.
L'indice : Had the team listened = If the team had listened. expedition = l'expédition ; guide = le guide.
Exercice 2
The negotiators are confident about the agreement. Provided that both sides ______ to the terms, the border will reopen next month.
Voir la réponse et le corrigé
Réponse : (1) agree
Corrigé :
Option 1 (agree, présent) — Provided that fonctionne comme if : présent pour un futur réel.
Option 2 (will agree, futur) — pas de will dans une condition introduite par provided that.
Option 3 (would agree, conditionnel) — la principale est un futur réel (will reopen).
Option 4 (agreed, prétérit) — un prétérit ferait un irréel, incompatible avec will reopen.
L'indice : Provided that (à condition que) et will reopen. terms = les conditions d'un accord.
Exercice 3
The minister denied the accusation. She insisted that she had never objected to ______ the report, and that the delay was purely technical.
Voir la réponse et le corrigé
Réponse : (3) publishing
Corrigé :
Option 1 (publish, base) — object to contient la préposition to : pas de base.
Option 2 (be published, passif) — le rapport est l'objet : la forme ne peut pas le suivre.
Option 3 (publishing, gérondif) — object to + -ing.
Option 4 (have published, infinitif passé) — to est une préposition, pas la marque de l'infinitif.
L'indice : objected to (s'opposer à), où to est une préposition. deny = nier ; purely = purement.
Votre enfant a-t-il compris ?
Sur elev psychos, chaque exercice est corrigé dès qu'il répond, et un indice arrive au moment où il bloque.
Pratiquer sur elev psychosExercice 4
The professor gave a brilliant lecture. Seldom ______ a speaker hold the attention of such a large audience for so long.
Voir la réponse et le corrigé
Réponse : (4) have I seen
Corrigé :
Option 1 (I have seen, ordre normal) — Seldom en tête impose l'inversion.
Option 2 (I saw, ordre normal) — ni inversion ni auxiliaire.
Option 3 (I had seen, ordre normal) — pas d'inversion non plus.
Option 4 (have I seen, inversion) — Seldom + auxiliaire + sujet : rarement ai-je vu.
L'indice : Seldom (rarement) en tête de phrase. lecture = le cours magistral (faux ami : pas « lecture ») ; audience = le public.
Exercice 5
Smallpox was once one of the deadliest diseases in human history. No sooner ______ a reliable vaccine been developed than doctors began to dream of eliminating the disease entirely. The task, […] took nearly two centuries to complete, required the cooperation of almost every country on Earth. By the time the last natural case was recorded, health workers […] hundreds of millions of people. Today, the virus survives only in a small number of laboratories, […] it is kept under strict security.
Voir la réponse et le corrigé
Réponse : (4) had
Corrigé :
Option 1 (did, auxiliaire du prétérit) — did ne se construit pas avec been developed.
Option 2 (was, auxiliaire be) — was … been est agrammatical.
Option 3 (has, present perfect) — le récit est passé (began).
Option 4 (had, past perfect inversé) — No sooner + had + sujet + participe … than.
Les indices : No sooner … than (à peine… que) et been developed. smallpox = la variole ; reliable = fiable.
Exercice 6
Smallpox was once one of the deadliest diseases in human history. No sooner […] a reliable vaccine been developed than doctors began to dream of eliminating the disease entirely. The task, ______ took nearly two centuries to complete, required the cooperation of almost every country on Earth. By the time the last natural case was recorded, health workers […] hundreds of millions of people. Today, the virus survives only in a small number of laboratories, […] it is kept under strict security.
Voir la réponse et le corrigé
Réponse : (2) which
Corrigé :
Option 1 (that, qui) — jamais that entre virgules.
Option 2 (which, qui) — relative entre virgules sur une chose (The task).
Option 3 (what, ce que) — what n'a pas d'antécédent ; ici il y a The task.
Option 4 (whom, que (personne)) — la tâche n'est pas une personne, et le trou est sujet.
L'indice : les virgules et l'antécédent The task, une chose. cooperation = la coopération.
Exercice 7
Smallpox was once one of the deadliest diseases in human history. No sooner […] a reliable vaccine been developed than doctors began to dream of eliminating the disease entirely. The task, […] took nearly two centuries to complete, required the cooperation of almost every country on Earth. By the time the last natural case was recorded, health workers ______ hundreds of millions of people. Today, the virus survives only in a small number of laboratories, […] it is kept under strict security.
Voir la réponse et le corrigé
Réponse : (3) had vaccinated
Corrigé :
Option 1 (have vaccinated, present perfect) — By the time + was recorded fixe un repère passé.
Option 2 (were vaccinated, passif) — les agents de santé vaccinent : le passif inverse le sens, et un objet suit.
Option 3 (had vaccinated, past perfect) — action antérieure au dernier cas enregistré.
Option 4 (vaccinate, présent) — aucun présent dans ce récit passé.
L'indice : By the time … was recorded. health workers = les agents de santé.
Exercice 8
Smallpox was once one of the deadliest diseases in human history. No sooner […] a reliable vaccine been developed than doctors began to dream of eliminating the disease entirely. The task, […] took nearly two centuries to complete, required the cooperation of almost every country on Earth. By the time the last natural case was recorded, health workers […] hundreds of millions of people. Today, the virus survives only in a small number of laboratories, ______ it is kept under strict security.
Voir la réponse et le corrigé
Réponse : (1) where
Corrigé :
Option 1 (where, où) — un lieu (laboratories) et une proposition complète après le trou.
Option 2 (which, lesquels) — which it is kept : il manque la préposition (in which).
Option 3 (when, quand) — l'antécédent est un lieu, pas un moment.
Option 4 (whose, dont le) — aucun nom possédé ne suit.
L'indice : un lieu (laboratories) et une proposition complète (it is kept) après le trou. strict security = haute sécurité.
Exercice 9
Before the pandemic, few companies allowed employees to work from home on a regular basis. Managers worried that staff ______ less productive without supervision. Studies conducted since then suggest the opposite: many employees report […] more done at home. Not all workers benefit, however. Those […] homes lack a quiet space often find it hard to concentrate, and many miss the informal exchanges […] once took place in the office.
Voir la réponse et le corrigé
Réponse : (2) would be
Corrigé :
Option 1 (will be, futur) — worried au passé fait reculer will en would.
Option 2 (would be, futur dans le passé) — une crainte passée sur l'avenir : would.
Option 3 (are, présent) — le récit est au passé, avant la pandémie.
Option 4 (have been, present perfect) — la crainte porte sur l'avenir, pas sur une période écoulée.
L'indice : worried au passé. supervision = la surveillance, l'encadrement.
Exercice 10
Before the pandemic, few companies allowed employees to work from home on a regular basis. Managers worried that staff […] less productive without supervision. Studies conducted since then suggest the opposite: many employees report ______ more done at home. Not all workers benefit, however. Those […] homes lack a quiet space often find it hard to concentrate, and many miss the informal exchanges […] once took place in the office.
Voir la réponse et le corrigé
Réponse : (4) getting
Corrigé :
Option 1 (to get, infinitif) — report + to signifie « se présenter à », pas « déclarer ».
Option 2 (get, base) — la base seule ne suit pas report.
Option 3 (got, prétérit) — deux verbes conjugués à la suite.
Option 4 (getting, gérondif) — report doing : déclarer faire.
L'indice : report (déclarer), suivi de -ing. get more done = abattre plus de travail.
Exercice 11
Before the pandemic, few companies allowed employees to work from home on a regular basis. Managers worried that staff […] less productive without supervision. Studies conducted since then suggest the opposite: many employees report […] more done at home. Not all workers benefit, however. Those ______ homes lack a quiet space often find it hard to concentrate, and many miss the informal exchanges […] once took place in the office.
Voir la réponse et le corrigé
Réponse : (1) whose
Corrigé :
Option 1 (whose, dont le) — les foyers appartiennent à ces travailleurs : possession.
Option 2 (who, qui) — who homes n'a pas de sens.
Option 3 (which, lesquels) — désigne une chose et ne marque pas la possession.
Option 4 (whom, que (complément)) — un complément, pas un possessif.
L'indice : un nom (homes) juste après le trou. lack = manquer de.
Exercice 12
Before the pandemic, few companies allowed employees to work from home on a regular basis. Managers worried that staff […] less productive without supervision. Studies conducted since then suggest the opposite: many employees report […] more done at home. Not all workers benefit, however. Those […] homes lack a quiet space often find it hard to concentrate, and many miss the informal exchanges ______ once took place in the office.
Voir la réponse et le corrigé
Réponse : (3) that
Corrigé :
Option 1 (what, ce que) — what ne prend pas d'antécédent ; ici, exchanges.
Option 2 (who, qui (personne)) — les échanges ne sont pas des personnes.
Option 3 (that, qui) — relative déterminative sans virgule, sujet de took place.
Option 4 (where, où) — le trou est sujet de took place : where laisserait le verbe sans sujet.
L'indice : le trou est le sujet de took place. informal exchanges = les échanges informels ; take place = avoir lieu.