Joy English · Level C1 · Short storiesjoy-english.com
A letter that arrived late
Name:Date:
Follow a narrative with passive forms, time clauses and a relative clause.
Listen to each sentence and write what you hear.
Audio and answer checking: https://joy-english.com/listening-lessons/a-letter-that-arrived-late
Words to know
- forwarded
- Sent on to a new address.
- postmark
- An official mark on an envelope showing where and when it was posted.
- handwriting
- The way a particular person writes.
- apology
- A statement saying you are sorry.
Answer key
- The envelope had been forwarded three times, so the postmark was almost impossible to read.'Had been' is reduced: 'd-been'. 'Postmark' has the stress on the first syllable: POST-mark.
- Mina knew the handwriting at once, and her hands began to shake before she had even opened it.'At once' links as 'a-twunce'. 'Had' is weak in 'she had even': 'she'd even'.
- It was from her sister, who had left home years earlier and never explained why she had stopped writing.'Who had' is weak, almost 'who'd'. 'Stopped' ends in a t sound: 'stopt-writing'.
- Rather than an apology, the letter offered a plain description of a quiet life by the sea.'Rather than' introduces a contrast. 'Description of a' links as 'descripshun-of-a'.
- Mina went through it twice, folded it carefully, and began to write a reply that would not be delayed.'Went through it' means read it carefully; it links as 'wen-throo-it'. 'That would not be delayed' is a relative clause with a passive verb.