English Grammar through Stories. Breakfast but the officer was empty-handed

by Alan Townend

breakfast but the officer was empty-handed. The new shift had just fallen inand it was made absolutely clear to me that I was to fall out. As I emerged blinking into the bright sunlight I felt like a prisoner being let out after a long sentence and as I did so bumped straight into my next-door neighbour about to start his early shift. I was so embarrassed I just wanted the ground to fall inand hide me from the shame of it all. From that day I fell downin her estimation as she was convinced I had been locked up for the night for criminal behaviour. I've tried to explain what happened but she merely falls aboutlaughing and refuses to believe me. It's her little joke now if anybody falls undersuspicion and their guilt is reported in the local newspaper to take me to one side and say: 'I see so and so missed the last train.'

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English Grammar through Stories

by Alan Townend

Phrasal verb get

I don't recommend it as it can getyou intoan embarrassing situation if you're not careful but then I was persuaded by a good friend of mine. I am referring to the time I returned to my old school some fifteen years after I'd left. The friend had been invited to speak as the guest of honour at some function or other at the school. He had been so insistent on my going that I couldn't really get out ofit. Mind you, I had got onquite well at school but I wasn't really looking forward to coming face to face again with certain of the teachers. There was one in particular who must have been getting onbecause he'd seemed pretty ancient when I was there. His name was Harrison and he and I just didn't get onat all. There was something about the way he looked at you or me, anyhow as if he was about to say something unpleasant about your hair, your shoes or the way you walked and he always passed derogatory comments. It began to get onmy nerves. I felt as I was being persecuted, being got at. Things had got tosuch a state that in my last few weeks at the school I'd written what I thought was a fairly satirical piece making fun of him without mentioning him by name. Nobody on the teaching staff made any mention about it before I left and so I imagined I had got away withit. The strange thing was that Harrison usually liked to have the last word and could not bear to be humiliated.

Apparently the function at the school was to be a formal affair and the men were supposed to wear dinner jackets, which I thought was a bit over the top. On the day of the function I was flying back from abroad and by the time I got backthere was only a couple of hours to change and drive to the school. I say 'change' but I had no formal clothes to change into because the case with my dinner jacket had gone missing. But I didn't let that getme downand thought the best thing was to get downto the school as quickly as possible. I arrived therefore dressed in my holiday attire, got roundthe doorman by explaining my predicament and sneaked into the back of the hall and sat down.

The proceedings got offto a good start and my friend gave a brilliant speech. The only worrying thing was that up on the platform sat the dreaded Harrison and I had the horrible feeling that he had spotted me and he had that strange look on his face as if he was up to something. From what I had heard from people around me , some of the former students had got upa collection in order to make a presentation to Harrison as he was retiring this term. There was I thinking I had got throughthe evening unscathed and now I had this presentiment that somebody was about to be got atand that somebody was going to be me. The presentation was made by the headmaster saying he didn't know how the school would get onwithout him and other complimentary things and then handed him his leaving present. Harrison rose with an evil smile on his face and assured the Head that the school would certainly get bywithout him. He only hoped he would be able to get byon his pension. It all seemed to be quite harmless but I just wished he would finish his speech and getit over. Then suddenly he made a comment about

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