buying a calf

Placez le pointeur de la souris sur les mots soulignés, sans cliquer.

A motoristautomobiliste, driving past a Tennessee ranchferme, not far from Seymour on the way up to Cades Cove, struck and killed a calfveau that was attempting to cross the road. The motorist approached the farmeragriculteur and explained the incident.

He then enquired what the animal was worthvalait. The farmer replied, “Well, about £700 today, but in six years, it would have been worth at leastau moins £1400. So £1400 is what I’m expectingm’attends à from you.”

The motorist sat down, wrote out a chequerédigea un chèque, and handed it to the farmer. “Here,” he said, “is a cheque for £700. It’s postdatedpostdaté six years from now.”

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Vocabulary

motorist: a person who drives a vehicle

ranch: a large farm for raising livestock

calf: a young cow or bull

postdated: dated for a future time

The motoristautomobiliste sped past the village.

The cattle grazed on the ranchferme.

The calfveau followed its mother.

He gave a postdatedpostdaté cheque.

Grammar

This anecdote uses reported speech and the future-in-the-past tense.

Reported speech: The motorist asked what the calf was worth.

Future-in-the-past: The farmer said it would have been worth £1400.

Synonyms & Alternatives

Motorist: driver, car owner, traveller

Ranch: farm, estate, homestead

Postdated: forward-dated, deferred, delayed

Mini Dialogue

Emma: Did you settle the invoice for the delivery?

Liam: Yes, but I issued a postdatedpostdaté cheque for next month.

Emma: Clever! What’s it worthvaut now?

Liam: About £500, but I’m expectingm’attends à more business soon!

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