'Because you didn't leave me the key of the letter-box,' was the reply. I was sure I could stand another one, and then the money would be mine.
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Упражнение 1. Определите форму и функцию герундия в следующих предложениях. Переведите их на русский язык:
1. He finished speaking and sat down. 2. Stop arguing and start working. 3. The children prefer watching TV to reading books. 4. Walking is very useful. 5. I had no hope of meeting her here. 6. On seeing her parents the girl laughed. 7. He is thinking of leaving his job and going to America. 8. Did you hear of John's having been sent abroad? 9. She is looking forward to seeing the film so widely advertized. 10. I don't enjoy going to the dentist. 11. Grammar is the art of speaking, reading and writing.
Упражнение 2. Закончите предложения, употребив герундий:
1.There are a lot of ways of (сделать это). 2. What is your idea of (обсудить этот вопрос сейчас)? 3. Do you have the opportunity of (посетить выставку)? 4. The film is worth (посмотреть). 5. I don't like (напоминать ему об этом). 6. It's no use (плакать). 7. Do you remember (что они уже рассказывали об этом). 8. He is busy (подготовкой к докладу). 9. There was no other way of (предупредить его).
Упражнение 3. Преобразуйте предложения, употребив герундий вместо инфинитива; расширьте ситуацию:
Образец: I like to read. I like reading.
1. I like to skate. 2. I hate to read detective stories. 3. I think to send him a telegram. 4. I remember to tell you about it. 5. They stopped to smoke. 6. They prefer to stay at home in the evening. 7. He continued to speak to his friends. 8. He kept to talk about the events.
Упражнение 4. Употребите одну из форм герундия или инфинитива:
1. I wish (see) the manager. 2. It's no use (wait). 3. I'm looking forward to (see) you. 4. Don't forget (lock) the door before (go) to bed. 5. My mother told me (not, speak) to anyone about it. 6. He tried (explain) but she didn't want (listen). 7. Would you mind (show) me how the lift works? 8. I'm beginning (understand) what you mean. 9. The boys like (play) tennis but hate (do) lessons. 10. He surprised us all by (go) away without (say) 'Good-bye'. 11. Please, go on (write), I don't mind (wait). 12. The doctor advised him (give up) (smoke). 13. I prefer (drive) not to (be driven). 14. I advise you (start) (look) for a flat at once. 15. After (discuss) the matter for an hour the committee left without (reach) any decision. 16. Most people prefer (spend) money to (earn) it. 17. It's not good for children (eat) too many sweets.
Letter Box On Door
Упражнение 5. Gerund/ Infinitive. Вставьте глагол, данный в скобках, в нужной форме герундия или инфинитива:
1. I'm thinking of (go) to Brazil. 2. You cannot live without (do) such stupid things. 3. He isn't good at (drive) his car. 4. Try to avoid (lose) your temper. 5. He seems (know) everything about it. 6. It's no use (cry) over spilt milk. 7. Would you mind (repeat) your threat? 8. You should practise (say), 'Red little lorry, yellow little lorry.' 9. It's useless (argue) with him. He won't listen to any reason. 10. They were advised (take) a packed lunch. 11. Do you think it's worth (see) this film? 12. If you want (lose) weight, try (eat) less. 13. It's forbidden (smoke) here. 14. I'm not keen on (work) late. 15. I'm not very fond of (shop). 16. He managed (calm) her by promising to return soon. 17. Mary is crazy about (take) photographs. 18. In Arabia the usual way of (travel) is by camel. 19. You needed (add) some more sugar to that.
Упражнение 6. Gerund/ Infinitive. Поставьте глагол, данный в скобках, в нужной форме:
1. Why don't you stop (watch) TV? I don't think it's harmless. 2. Please try (come) a little bit earlier next time. 3. I don't remember (see) Tom. 4. I've forgotten (buy) cheese. Let's go without it. 5. She regrets (tell) you that lie about John. 6. I don't think this work needs (correct). 7. They stopped (discuss) where to go now. 8. If you want to have a lot of money, try (rob) a bank. 9. The boys went on (look for) the money they'd lost. 10. I'll never forget (visit) Paris. 11. After describing the situation in general, he went on (talk) about details. 12. She regrets (say) she won't come to you. 13. Shall I help you (carry) that box? 14. Did you remember (say) good-bye to everybody? 15. He didn't need (be reminded) about his promise. 16. We can't help laughing (look) at them.
Antique Box On Stand
Упражнение 7. Образуйте герундий от данных глаголов и заполните пропуски в предложениях:
- do, swim, fly, play, run, try, travel, lie, get, ride;
1. She likes ... every morning before breakfast. 2. After ... my homework, I usually watch TV. 3. I enjoy ... on the beach. 4. She doesn't like ... with other children. 5.... is a fast way of .... 6. She likes sport, especially ... horses and .... 7. After ... several times, I finally passed my exams. 8. I lay in bed and thought about ... up.
Упражнение 8. Закончите предложения, образовав герундий от глаголов и используя предлоги из списка:
- about, of, for, in, on, to, at, after, by, without:
1. We talked ... (go) to France. 2. I look forward ... (see) you again next year. 3. She's tired ... (work) for the company. 4. I'm very happy ... my parents (come) home. 5. ... (open) the front door, I walked slowly through it. 6. We got into the house ... (climb) through a window. 7. Are you interested ... (join) the committee? 8. I'm looking forward ... (work) with you. 9. I'm tired ... (come) to the same place every week. 10. He's very keen ... (swim) at the moment. 11. I'm worried Jane ... (get) to the airport on time. 12. I'm not interested ... (hear) your excuses. 13. She's very good ... (listen) to what people say. 14. This is used ... (cut) metal. 15. The car drove off ... (stop).
Упражнение 9. Перепишите предложения, начиная их с герундия. Возможно, вам нужно поменять некоторые слова:
l. A good way of keeping fit is to swim every day. (Swimming every day is a good way of keeping fit). 2. It takes a long time to learn a foreign language. 3. Clean the machine more often — that will solve your problems. 4. Grow your own food. It's less expensive. 5. Give up smoking: it will make you feel better. 6. It is cheaper to go by rail than by air. 7. You are not allowed to smoke here. 8. It's not very pleasant to be in hospital. 9. It's very difficult to windsurf in such weather. 10. It's more difficult to speak a foreign language than to read it. 11. It's forbidden to walk on the grass. 12. One thing I can't do is to swim on my back. 13. It's difficult to be polite to someone you don't like. 14. It's not easy to change money here on a Saturday. 15. It is impossible to park your car during office hours.
Упражнение 10. Перепишите предложения, употребляя герундий. Там, где это возможно, напишите два варианта(infinitive/gerund):
1. Do you like (make) ... cakes? 2. I dislike (get up) ... at seven o'clock in the morning. 3. I started (work) ... here eight or nine years ago. 4. Do you prefer (travel) ... by plane or by ship? 5. I hate (write) ... «thank you» letters. 6. I gave up (drive) after I had a bad accident. 7. I miss (be) ... able to visit my family. 8. I love (sit) ... here by the sea in the evenings. 9.I think it's time to stop (play) ... football. 10. What time did you finish (read) ... last night? 11. Why don't you like (go) ... to discos? 12. I think I'll start (pack) ... my suitcase. 13. I enjoy (play) ... tennis, but I don't like (watch) ... it. 14. What time will you finish (study) ... today? 15. I can't understand people who don't like (dance) .... 16. We read this hovel last year. Do you remember (read) ... it? 17. Don't ask me to pay the bill again. I clearly remember (pay) ... it a month ago. 18. He forgot (bring) ... his passport. He left it on the table. 19. Stop (talk) ... , I'm trying to finish the letter. 20. We stopped there (buy) ... some biscuits. 21. I remember (meet) ... him last year. 22.I must remember (meet) ... him at the station tomorrow. 23. Did you remember (lock) ... the door? - No, I'll go back and do it now. 24. Do you remember (post) ... the letter? - Sure. I posted it in the letter-box near my house. 25. You should never forget (say) ... «Thank you».
Упражнение 11. Переведите предложения; определите, где герундий или причастие:
1. The furniture is polished with loving care. 2. Camping is an ideal way of spending a holiday. 3. She found it frightening and exciting. 4. There was no sign of a dog, no barking. 5. Beyond everything he hated interfering women. 6. Some folks can look so busy doing nothing. 7. Dick was aroused by policeman’s touching him on the arm. 8. We met there once before crossing a bridge. 8. And from staring at the framed brightening light, she fell asleep. 9. Father Brown went on speaking in a level voice, sitting solidly with his elbows on the table. 10. Jenny arrived home around three-thirty, looking innocent of any wrongdoing. 11. They exchanged words of greeting and pleasure, talking partly in German and partly in English.
Упражнение 12. Употребите герундий или инфинитив:
1. (fly) ... is really good fun. 2. We stopped at the motorway services (get) ... something (eat) .... 3. «What's this for?» — «It's for (cook) ... vegetables. 4. I can't get used to (get up) ... before the dawn. 5. I'm sorry about (not invite) ... you. 6. There's a lot of work (do) ... on the new building. 7. I really love (play) ... with the children. 8. (swim) ... is a good form of exercise. 9. There are some very interesting things (see) ... in the British Museum. 10. You're lucky you haven't got a child (look after). 11. We managed (pass) ... the exam by (copy) ... each other's answers. 12. Dave decided (not phone) ... Sheila for a week or two. 13 I can't stand (do) ... the washing-up. 14. I think I'm going to give up (play) ... football. 15. It really is time (go) 16. I've decided (not stay) ... here for another year. 17. I know the keys are here: I remember (put them down) ... somewhere. 18. We were getting tired, so we stopped (have) ... lunch. 19. I tried (add) ... some salt, but it didn't help. 20. I'm looking forward to (see) ... the programme. 21. I went home (check) ... that the children were all right. 22. You're much too young (go) ... in there. 23. I was surprised (not hear) ... about the new baby. 24. We're very keen on (join) ... the team. 25. It was a very odd thing (say) .... 26. We decided (not stay) ... until the end of the film. 27. I miss (be able) ... to see my parents every day. 28. They wouldn't let me (sit) ... in the driving-seat. 29. It's your last chance (say) ... you're sorry. 30. We agreed (not do) ... any more work.
Упражнение 13. Переведите предложения, используя инфинитив или герундий:
1.Майк отрицает, что видел Джейка в кино. 2. Он заслуживает, чтобы его наказали. 3. Ему удалось доплыть до берега. 4. Он решил не покупать билета. 5. Я надеюсь вскоре с вами увидеться. 6. Он притворялся, что он богат. 7. Майк отказался платить по счёту. 8. Я рекомендую отправиться туда завтра утром. 9. Джон получил удовольствие от просмотра фильма. 10. Я обещаю дать вам знать, как только решу. 11. Он отказался ехать на машине. 12. Я намеревался позвонить вам утром. 13.Джейк имел в виду поехать туда после обеда. 14. Мэри практикуется в игре на пианино в течение лет. 15. Я сожалею, что пропустил этот спектакль. 16. Я запрещаю оставаться в комнате после полуночи. 17. С нетерпением жду, когда увижу вас. 18. Он настаивал на том, чтобы пойти туда всем вместе. 19. Я рассчитываю на то, чтобы поехать в вашей машине. 20. Я не могу не взять ещё одно яблоко.
Упражнение 14. Употребите одну из неличных форм: инфинитив, герундий, причастие:
1. He offered (lend) me the money. I didn't like (take) it but I had no other way out. 2. What was in the letter? I don't know. I did not want (open) it as it wasn't addressed to me. 3. Try (avoid) (be) late. He hates (be) kept (wait). 4. He heard the clock striking seven and knew it was time for him (get) up. 5. I can hear the bell (ring) but nobody seems (be coming) (open) the door. 6. Did you advise him (go) to the police? - No, I didn't like (give) any advice on such a difficult matter. 7. I'm not used to (drive) on the left. 8. It's pleasant (sit) by the fire at night and (hear) the wind (blow) outside. 9. It's no use (write) to him, he never answers letters. The only thing (do) is (go) and (see) him. 10. Ask him (come) in. Don't keep him (stand) at the door.
The sun warms my shoulders as we navigate the trail leading to a park not far from our home in Maple Valley, Wash. Our dog pulls at her leash and sniffs the ground as my 6-year-old races ahead, dragging a stick behind him. My 10-year-old reads aloud from a list of clues I printed out from a letterboxing website, as my 14-year-old gets out her compass.
My husband and I walk more slowly, enjoying the spring afternoon. The air smells fresh from a recent rain shower, and it feels good to be outside with my whole crew.
When our family of five finally grabs a few hours together, I want our time to be meaningful. For the adults in the family, “meaningful” means no screens. For the kids, it means not being bored. One activity that satisfies all of our requirements is letterboxing.
Letterboxing Resources
• Tacoma Nature Center offers letterboxing tips, resources, workshops and links to local letterboxes.
• Atlas Quest is the world’s biggest letterboxing website, with a helpful set of icons (pet-friendly, bike-friendly, urban location) to help you find a hunt easily.
• Letterboxing North America is also a good source of clues and information and has a section just for kids.
Check out the ParentMap Starter Series on AtlasQuest, a letterbox adventure in Carkeek Park made just for our readers!
Letterboxing, the low-tech cousin of geocaching, is a fun, environmentally friendly hobby that combines rubber stamping, puzzle solving, hiking and navigational skills. The goal is to find a letterbox — small, weatherproof boxes that are hidden, or “planted,” by fellow enthusiasts — by following clues posted online. Once the box is found, you sign your trail name (a letterboxing nickname or handle that you choose) into the logbook inside the letterbox, and stamp the book with your personal stamp.
In contrast to geocaching, which gives GPS coordinates instead of clues, letterboxing requires more puzzle solving, is very inexpensive and can be adapted to any age and difficulty level. For example, I can choose a letterbox hunt that combines an easier hike for my 6-year-old with fun clues to engage my older children.
Brianna Charbonnel, education specialist for Tacoma Nature Center, which offers letterboxing workshops and resources, says, “Letterboxing is a great way to have a fun family adventure that gets you outside and exploring new places.”
On this particular quest, we follow clues that lead us to a lake. There, as instructed, we count the number of wood pilings that stick out of the water (the clue sheet says we will need it later) and write down the number. We head back up a grassy slope to a trail and eventually arrive at a designated stand of trees, where the kids multiply the number of pilings by 10, as instructed in our clue sheet. They use this number to point our compass in the correct direction. We identify the tree where the letterbox has been planted, and my 14-year-old daughter pokes around near the roots to find the sealed box under some leaves. Victory!
We gather around the treasure as she removes the logbook. After we each stamp a page, I write our trail name and use the hand-carved wooden stamp from the letterbox to stamp each of our own logbooks.
Letterboxing on the rise
The hobby of letterboxing is said to have begun in the mid-19th century, when a Victorian guide hid a bottle containing his calling card in the wilderness in Dartmoor, England. When others found the bottle, they left their own calling card. People eventually started leaving self-addressed postcards instead of calling cards, which the finder would then mail — thus the term “letterbox,” which is the British term for “mailbox.” The hobby evolved to using waterproof boxes as receptacles, and logbooks and rubber stamps eventually replaced the postcards.
Letterboxing in its current form reached the U.S. when an article describing it was published in Smithsonian Magazine in the late 1990s. It soon spread, and there are now an estimated 85,000 letterboxes scattered across the globe.
Letterboxing can be done anywhere, including cities, remote locations, even indoors. Washington state ranks number five in the U.S. as far as sheer numbers, with more than 4,000 active boxes in the state, according to letterboxing website Atlas Quest. A search on Atlas Quest for letterboxes hidden in Seattle shows a wide range of locations, from an urban game store to beach parks to a Downton Abbey-themed hunt in Washington Park Arboretum. There's even a starter series for ParentMap readers!
The possibilities for this hobby are as endless as your imagination. You could plant your own box with your family, or collect stamps from boxes around the country while on road trips or vacations. Letterboxing is even becoming popular as an unusual birthday party theme for kids.
How to get started
Your tools are easy to collect: a trail name, a family stamp, a logbook (notebook of some sort), inkpad, pen and optional compass. My kids each have their own logbook and a stamp they each chose from a set I bought at a craft store. For our family stamp, we made a simple stamp of our last initial from craft foam and a piece of wood (it’s also fine to buy a stamp).
To find your first quest, go to a letterboxing website such as Atlas Quest or Letterboxing North America, both of which list thousands of clues to letterboxes, as well as tutorials on everything from the basics of the hobby to safety to how to plant your own box. You can search for a letterbox to find by typing in the city or region; you can also add filters to find a hike that’s pet friendly, short or long, etc. Make sure that the hike length and terrain will work for your group and check to see if any tools, such as a compass, are required.
If you don’t find a letterbox on one site that sounds like a good hunt for your family, check the other, as each has different listings. Then print a copy of the clues to take with you on your adventure.
Wooden Stand Up Letters
Above all, have fun!
Speaking letterbox
As with any hobby, letterboxing has developed its own lingo. Here are a few terms you might encounter.
• Trail name. A letterboxer’s “handle” — as serious or as fun as you like. For safety reasons, don’t use any personal information.
• SPOR. “Suspicious Pile of Rocks,” the unnatural rock formations used to help mark the position of a letterbox when there aren’t clues in the natural environment.
• Muggle. A “Muggle” is a non-letterboxer who accidentally discovers a letterbox and moves or damages it. A damaged letterbox is said to have been “muggled.”
• PFX count. A letterboxer’s record of boxes planted, found or exchanged. On sites such as Atlas Quest, you can keep an online record.
• Mystery box. A clue that does not state where the starting point of the hunt is. You must figure it out from cryptic hints contained within the clue.
• Hitchhiker. A homeless letterbox hidden inside another letterbox. If you find one, remove it and plant it in a different letterbox.
Source: AtlasQuest
Tips for the perfect letterbox hunt
• When searching online for a hunt, look for a letterbox that has been found recently to ensure the box is still there. (Atlas Quest, for example, will note whether a box is active or inactive and when it was last found.)
• When you find a box, move away from the hiding spot to open it so you don’t spoil the hunt for others. Use the same caution when returning the box, and make sure that it is properly sealed and hidden.
• Letterboxing is intended to be environmentally friendly. Leave the area better than you found it, pack out any trash and be careful not to disturb animals or their habitats.
• If you find that the box is missing or damaged, or that the logbook is full, contact the planter through the website on which you found the clues.
Cover Letters That Stand Out
• Keep the secret! Don’t publish a letterbox’s hiding place or tell others its location.