Question

Hi Maisie, Guess what? My parents are away on holiday, and (1) are leaving / leave / have left / will leave my brother Rick and me in charge of the house! We’re not here by ourselves, of course. Our grandparents are here too. But grandma, (2) which / who / that / what has a very tidy house, has asked us (3) to tidy / tidy / tidying / to tidying practically the whole house! Well, that’s what it feels like, anyway. We (4) have cleared / had cleared / clear / have been clearing up the mess in our rooms all morning – exhausting! And they’re still a bit untidy! I’ve still got loads of music magazines under my bed. I’m sure there (5) can’t / might / must / will be over 100! Most of them (6) were given / gave / have been given / give to me by my brother when he got bored with them. Of course, if we always (7) keep / kept / were keeping / had kept our rooms tidy in the first place, we wouldn’t have so much work to do. Anyway, there have been lots of advantages. Grandma’s very kind, really, and a fantastic cook. She’s just made (8) the more big / the big / the bigger / the biggest chocolate cake I’ve ever seen – so now we’re off to eat it! Hope you’re OK. Send me some news! Much love, Lucy

Answer 1

have left;

who;

to tidy;

have been clearing;

must;

were given;

kept;

the biggest

Answer 2

Hi Lucy, it sounds like you and your brother Rick have quite the responsibility taking care of the house while your parents are away on holiday. And it's great that your grandparents are there with you too.

Grandma's Request to Tidy the House

You mentioned that your grandma has asked you to tidy practically the whole house. It must feel like a big task! The correct option to complete the sentence would be "has asked us to tidy the whole house." So, your grandma wants both you and your brother to tidy up the house. It's important to keep the house clean and organized.

Clearing Up the Mess in Your Rooms

You mentioned that you have been clearing up the mess in your rooms all morning, and it has been exhausting. It's always a good idea to keep your personal space clean and tidy. The correct option to complete the sentence would be "have been clearing up the mess in our rooms all morning." This implies that you have been actively working on cleaning up the mess.

Music Magazines Under Your Bed

You mentioned that you still have loads of music magazines under your bed, and you think there might be over 100 of them. The correct option to complete the sentence would be "there must be over 100!" This expresses a high probability or certainty. It seems like you have quite the collection of music magazines, many of which were given to you by your brother when he got bored with them.

Advantages and Grandma's Cooking

You mentioned that if you and your brother had kept your rooms tidy in the first place, you wouldn't have so much work to do now. It's true that maintaining cleanliness from the start makes cleaning up easier in the long run. However, there have been lots of advantages to the situation, including the fact that your grandma is kind and a fantastic cook. It's great that she made a big chocolate cake, and now you're off to eat it. Enjoy!

I hope this answers your questions and gives you a detailed explanation of the text you provided. If you have any more questions or need further clarification, feel free to ask.