Annales gratuites Bac ES : Compétence linguistique

Phil picked up a beer can from the coffee table in front of the settee. The table took up most of the space on the hearth and Lucy usually kept it in a corner out of the way during the day-time.

She had never cared for it, even though it had come free with the three-piece suite, but Phil said that it finished off the room and he liked the motif of vintage cars on the tiled surface.


"Our kids don't know how lucky they are", he said, shaking the can to liven up the drop of beer inside and looking about the room with obvious satisfaction. "It's a completely different world to what we were brought up in."
"Different perhaps, but not necessarily better."
"What do you mean ?"
"Well, when we grew up we could at least be sure of getting a job."
"I know, but it's only temporary. Things'll pick up. They always do."
"We'll have to wait and see about that, won't we ?"


As she was turning back to her novel, Phil said, "Anyway, what are you going to do now that you've passed your exams, enrol again in the autumn and take some more ?"

Lucy replaced her bookmark and closed the book as deliberately as if she was pressing a flower.

"I've been thinking of applying to university."

She tried to sound casual, as if such thoughts were commonplace, but her true feelings were revealed by her stillness and the intense way in which she appeared to be studying the picture on the cover of her book. Phil just stared at her, and after a while the force of his gaze made her look up. It was like the reverse of the game in which children stare each other out. Phil had stared Lucy in.

"What do you mean, go to university ? Which university ?"
"The university here, in the city, I could go as a day student. If they'd have me, that is."
"And how long have you had that idea ? You've never said anything about it before."
"I was waiting for my results. There was no point in saying anything until I knew how I'd got on."
"You could have said something though..."


Phil picked up a fresh can of beer from the table and opened it with a sharp pull of the ring, like someone necking a small animal. He stood there, drinking quickly and saying nothing, then he flopped down in an armchair and began to roll the can between his hands.

"Don't be like that, Phil. I'm only thinking about it."
"And what about me ? Don't I come into it ? It does affect me as well, you know."
"I know it does. We shall have to talk it over, I'm not sure about it myself yet."

She was just about to stand up and go and sit with him, when he said, "The best thing you can do is forget all about it. It's a ridiculous idea."

Lucy stayed where she was.
"Why is it ?"
"Well, because you're too old, for a start."

Lucy was so angry that for a few moments she did not know what to say.
"Too old ? Don't talk stupid. How can you be too old to study ?"
"You'll feel out of it amongst all them kids. You're old enough to be their mother."
"What, at twenty-nine ? I think it's you that could do with going to university to learn some maths."
"Don't be so smart. You know what I mean."
"What's age got to do with it, anyway ? There were pensioners taking courses at night school."
"That's different though, isn't it ? They've nothing better to do with their time."
"And have I ?"
"Of course you have. You've a house to run and a family to look after, for a start."
"Do you call that better ?"

Lucy shocked herself when she said it. But she had been hurt and she wanted to hurt back. It was Phil's turn to be angry now.


"Yes, I do ! Don't we mean anything to you then, me and the kids ?"
"Of course you do ! You're the most important part of my life, you and our Tracey and Mathew."

Barry HINES, Unfinished Business.

1 - Rephrase the following sentences with the prompts given.

1) "You've never said anything about it."
I wish
He reproaches her

2) You're too old to study.
You are not

3) He does not want her to leave.
He'd rather

4) It's pointless to argue.
It's no use

5) Someone made her repeat her questions.
She

6) She hasn't been to University for years.
It's

7) He's such a stubborn man !
What
How

8) "Don't we mean anything to you ?"
He wondered


2 - Fill in the blanks with the appropriate phrasal verbs from the list. Use them in the right form.

- to get on
- to talk over
- to pick up (two meanings)
- to bring up
- to grow up
- to finish off

1) He _____ the letter and started reading it.

2) Before making up your mind, you'd better _____ it _____ with your parents.

3) She _____ by her parents to accept her lot.

4) If you don't want to listen to me, how can we _____ ?

5) Don't worry, the situation _____ eventually.

6) If he _____ in an open-minded family, he would have understood.

7) He thought that a beer _____ his meal.


3 - Find nouns derived from the following verbs.

	Nouns		Nouns
to enrol	.	to appear	.
to apply	.	to bring up	.
to press	.	to know	.

4 - Complete with the appropriate question-tag.

1) Nobody will agree with you, _____ ?
2) Let's stop quarrelling, _____ ?
3) Don't talk stupid, _____ ?
4) You've a house to run, _____ ?
5) Our kids don't know how lucky they are, _____ ?


5 - Translate into English.

1) Depuis combien de temps as-tu cette idée ?

2) Ils se dévisageaient sans rien dire.

3) Regarde-toi ! Tu es bien trop vieille pour étudier.

1 - Rephrase the following sentences with the prompts given.

1) "You've never said anything about it."
I wish you had said something about it.
He reproaches her for saying nothing about it.

2) You're too old to study.
You are not young enough to study.

3) He does not want her to leave.
He'd rather she didn't leave.

4) It's pointless to argue.
It's no use arguing.

5) Someone made her repeat her questions.
She was made to repeat her questions.

6) She hasn't been to University for years.
It's years since she last went to University.

7) He's such a stubborn man !
What a stubborn man !
How stubborn this man is !

8) "Don't we mean anything to you ?"
He wondered whether they meant anything to him.


2 - Fill in the blanks with the appropriate phrasal verb from the list. Use them in the right form.

- to get on
- to talk over
- to pick up (two meanings)
- to bring up
- to grow up
- to finish off

1) He picked up the letter and started reading it.

2) Before making up your mind, you'd better talk it over with your parents.

3) She was brought up by her parents to accept her lot.

4) If you don't want to listen to me, how can we get on ?

5) Don't worry, the situation will pick up eventually.

6) If he had grown up in an open-minded family, he would have understood.

7) He thought that a beer would finish off his meal.


3 - Find nouns derived from the following verbs.

	Nouns		Nouns
to enrol	enrolment	to appear	appearance
to apply	application	to bring up	upbringing
to press	pressure	to know	knowledge

4 - Complete with the appropriate question-tag.

1) Nobody will agree with you, will they ?
2) Let's stop quarrelling, shall we ?
3) Don't talk stupid, will you ?
4) You've a house to run, haven't you ?
5) Our kids don't know how lucky they are, do they ?


5 - Translate into English.

1) Depuis combien de temps as-tu cette idée ?
How long have you had that idea ?

2) Ils se dévisageaient sans rien dire.
They stared at each other without saying anything.

3) Regarde-toi ! Tu es bien trop vieille pour étudier.
Look at yourself ! You are much too old to study.

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