15.1 Choose the form for this current news update: Past Simple for dated past facts; Present Perfect for results up to now.

Example: FlightAware ______ (record) 253 cancelations on September 26. → recorded

1. On September 26, FlightAware ________________ (record) 66 cancelations at Nantucket Memorial Airport.
2. The disruption ________________ (extend) beyond Boston, and now regional airports are also affected.
3. On Saturday, Delta ________________ (have) 95 canceled flights at Logan.
4. So far, several airlines ________________ (give) passengers additional flexibility because of the storm.
5. In its Saturday announcement, Delta ________________ (say) it expected a significant number of cancelations on Sunday.
6. Conditions ________________ (evolve) significantly since Friday, and the storm's impact is still being felt.
7. Cape Air ________________ (announce) on Saturday that it had canceled all North Region flights.
8. So far, the storm ________________ (develop) into a major disruption affecting the whole Northeast.

15.2 Read the text again. For each dated fact below, find a sentence elsewhere in the text that gives the related current/ongoing result, and explain in one short sentence why the Present Perfect is used there.

Example: "FlightAware recorded 253 cancelations and 36 delays at Logan in a report just after 11 a.m. on September 26, 2026." → "The disruption has extended beyond Boston." – Present Perfect, because it gives the overall, still-true result of the storm, with no single date attached.

1. "In the September 26 report, FlightAware recorded 66 cancelations at Nantucket Memorial Airport (ACK) and 44 cancelations at Martha's Vineyard Airport (MVY)."
2. "On Saturday, Cape Air had 115 canceled flights at Logan."
3. "Delta Air Lines said it expected a significant number of cancelations at Boston Logan on Sunday."
4. "Cape Air also announced that it had canceled all flights in its North Region because of the weather."

15.3 Write current summary sentences in Present Perfect using the prompts. These summaries add a present perspective; they are not exact paraphrases of dated statistics.

Example: disruption / extend / beyond Boston → The disruption has extended beyond Boston.

1. cancelations / continue / to affect air travel
2. disruption / extend / to Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard
3. storm's impact / extend / beyond Boston
4. flight situation / continue / to develop
5. weather conditions / evolve / since Friday
6. storm / develop / into a serious problem for travelers

16.1 Rewrite each sentence, expanding the reduced clause into a full relative clause with who or which + be.

Example: The flights operated between September 25 and 27 were covered by the JetBlue waiver. → The flights which were operated between September 25 and 27 were covered by the JetBlue waiver.

1. Cancelations recorded at Boston Logan on Saturday reached 253.
2. Airports affected by the storm include Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.
3. Passengers scheduled to travel on North Region routes could move their trips to alternative flights.
4. Flights covered by the policy have not all been canceled.
5. Data reported by The Boston Globe showed the scale of the disruption.
6. Customers able to change their bookings used the Delta waiver before Sunday.
7. Flights operated between JFK and Boston were delayed by up to three hours.

16.2 Compress these sentences into reduced relative clauses (participle only).

Example: Delta announced a waiver for flights which are operated between September 26 and 29. → Delta announced a waiver for flights operated between September 26 and 29.

1. Passengers who are scheduled to travel through Boston this weekend can rebook without a fee.
2. The cancelations which were recorded at Nantucket Memorial Airport reached 66 on Saturday.
3. The airports which are affected by the storm include Boston, New York and Philadelphia.
4. The data which was reported by FlightAware confirmed the scale of the disruption.
5. Flights which are covered by the policy can still operate as normal.
6. Customers who were warned about possible delays checked their flight status online.

16.3 Each sentence contains a reduced relative clause. Write the words (who/which + be) that have been omitted in each highlighted phrase.

Example: Flights operated between September 25 and 27 are included in the JetBlue waiver. → which are/were operated

1. Cancelations recorded at Logan on Sunday are expected to be significant.
2. Passengers scheduled to travel this weekend should check for updates.
3. Data reported by The Boston Globe came from FlightAware.
4. Airports affected by the storm include ACK and MVY, extending disruption beyond Boston.
5. Flights covered by the policy do not all appear canceled.
6. Customers able to change their bookings under the waiver's conditions did so without extra fees.

16.4 Complete the sentences with the correct reduced participle form of the verb in brackets.

Example: The flights ______ (operate) between Boston and New York are covered by this practice policy. → operated

1. Cancelations ________________ (record) at Logan on Saturday reached 253.
2. Passengers ________________ (schedule) to travel on North Region routes can rebook through October 2.
3. Airports ________________ (affect) by the nor'easter include Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.
4. Flights ________________ (cover) by the JetBlue waiver include routes to JFK, LGA and EWR.
5. Data ________________ (report) by FlightAware confirmed 95 cancelations at Delta.
6. Customers ________________ (warn) about Sunday's weather checked the Delta website for updates.
7. The ________________ (affect) wider Northeast, including Philadelphia and New York, also saw significant delays.

17.1 Rewrite the predictions in the passive, using the modal verb given. Keep 'by + agent' only where it adds real information.

Example: The storm may disrupt flights across the Northeast. (may) → Flights across the Northeast may be disrupted by the storm.

1. Heavy rain could delay several departures at Logan this evening. (could)
2. Airlines will adjust flight schedules throughout the weekend. (will)
3. The storm might affect regional operations at Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. (might)
4. The airline should modify affected bookings free of charge. (should)
5. JetBlue will cover flights operated between September 25 and 27 under its new policy. (will)
6. The nor'easter could affect airports beyond Boston. (could)

17.2 Complete the practice sentences with be expected, be affected, or be covered. Several predictions are hypothetical; the key gives one possible answer.

Example: A significant number of cancelations ______ at Boston Logan again on Sunday, Delta warned. → are expected

1. Operations at Logan ________________ to be disrupted further if the nor'easter continues into Monday.
2. Flights operated between September 25 and 27 involving Boston, JFK and Newark ________________ by JetBlue's Northeast weather waiver.
3. Regional airports ________________ by the storm's wider impact, though exact figures are not yet confirmed.
4. On Saturday, Cape Air's North Region routes ________________ heavily, with 115 flights canceled at Logan alone.
5. Not all flights ________________ by the airlines' policies have actually been canceled, despite the scale of the disruption.
6. Bookings for affected passengers ________________ to be modified free of charge under the new terms.

17.3 Using patterns from the text ('are expected', 'could be affected', 'have been canceled'), write three passive predictions about how the storm could affect airport operations this weekend. Try to use at least one of these words in each sentence: operation, booking, policy, modify, expected, affected.

Example: (Philadelphia airport / delay) → Flights at Philadelphia airport could be delayed because of the storm, and further cancelations are expected on Monday.

1. (JFK / cancel)
2. (bookings / modify)
3. (regional network / affect)

18.1 Combine each pair of sentences into one, using with + noun + -ing to show the accompanying circumstance.

Example: A powerful nor'easter is disrupting air travel across the U.S. Northeast. / Boston Logan International Airport is experiencing hundreds of flight cancelations. → A powerful nor'easter is disrupting air travel across the U.S. Northeast, with Boston Logan International Airport experiencing hundreds of flight cancelations.

1. Cape Air canceled all flights in its North Region. / Passengers are moving their trips to alternative flights through October 2.
2. The disruption has extended beyond Boston. / Regional airports are experiencing significant cancelations.
3. Delta expects a significant number of cancelations at Boston Logan on Sunday. / The storm's impact is continuing into the weekend.
4. Airlines continue to adjust their schedules heavily. / Weather conditions are evolving across the Northeast.
5. The September 27 operation is still developing. / Airports in New York and Philadelphia are also experiencing delays.
6. The scale of the disruption is particularly severe for Cape Air. / The airline is extending flexibility to affected passengers.

18.2 Choose but or while and explain the nuance. In some items both work with different emphasis; the key gives preferred examples: simple comparison (while) or contradiction of expectation (but).

Example: Cape Air had 115 canceled flights at Logan, ______ Delta had 95. → while — the two facts are simply placed side by side for comparison.

1. The waivers allow passengers to modify their bookings, ________________ they do not mean that all flights covered by the policy have been canceled.
2. Delta warned customers that cancelations were expected on Sunday, ________________ airlines continued to adjust their schedules as conditions evolved.
3. JetBlue's waiver covers flights operated between September 25 and 27, ________________ Delta's waiver covers eligible travel through September 29.
4. FlightAware recorded 253 cancelations at Logan, ________________ only 36 delays were reported there.
5. The storm has disrupted flights across the wider Northeast, ________________ Boston Logan has been hit particularly heavily.
6. Cape Air gave passengers extra flexibility because of the disruption, ________________ that does not mean every flight in the North Region was significantly delayed.

18.3 Rewrite each sentence from because-style into the more compact with + noun + -ing, keeping the events but making the cause less explicit.

Example: Cancelations increased because airlines were adjusting their operations around strong winds. → Cancelations increased, with airlines adjusting their operations around strong winds.

1. Flights were delayed because the storm's impact continued into Sunday.
2. Passengers faced disruption because weather conditions kept evolving.
3. Boston Logan reported hundreds of cancelations, while regional airports also experienced delays because of the storm.
4. The airline extended flexibility to customers because Cape Air was experiencing severe disruption in its North Region.
5. Airlines updated their schedules constantly because the exact number of cancelations kept changing.
6. Delta warned passengers about Sunday delays because the storm's impact was continuing beyond Saturday.

19.1 Rewrite these sentences without optional that. Then discuss whether keeping that would make the report clearer.

Example: JetBlue confirmed that the waiver covers flights operated between September 25 and 27. → that can be omitted: JetBlue confirmed the waiver covers flights operated between September 25 and 27.

1. Delta said that it expected a significant number of cancelations at Boston Logan on Sunday.
2. Cape Air announced that it had canceled all flights in its North Region.
3. Delta has warned customers that a significant number of cancelations are expected on Sunday.
4. FlightAware confirmed that 253 cancelations were recorded at Logan on Saturday.
5. The airline confirmed that passengers could move their trips to alternative flights without extra fees.
6. The waiver does not mean that all flights covered by the policy have been canceled.

19.2 Rewrite these airline statements as reported speech, following the pattern 'Delta said (that) it expected...' from the text. Keep or omit that as appropriate.

Example: Delta: 'We expect a significant number of cancelations at Boston Logan on Sunday.' → Delta said (that) it expected a significant number of cancelations at Boston Logan on Sunday.

1. American Airlines: 'We confirm that flights to Philadelphia are affected by the storm.'
2. United Airlines: 'We expect delays to continue into Monday.'
3. JetBlue: 'We warn customers that flights between Boston and New York could be canceled.'
4. Cape Air: 'We have canceled all flights in our North Region because of the weather.'
5. Delta: 'We confirm that the exact number of cancelations is still changing.'
6. American Airlines: 'We expect the disruption to extend beyond Boston.'

19.3 You are writing a news update about Nantucket Memorial Airport (ACK) and regional carriers. Use the verb given to write a reported statement, following the Delta/Cape Air pattern from the text ('Delta has warned customers that...').

Example: Cape Air / confirm / 44 cancelations were recorded at Martha's Vineyard on September 26. → Cape Air confirmed (that) 44 cancelations were recorded at Martha's Vineyard on September 26.

1. Cape Air / confirm / 66 cancelations were recorded at Nantucket on September 26.
2. Cape Air / warn passengers / delays could continue into Sunday.
3. Airport officials / say / they expect conditions to improve by Monday.
4. JetBlue / confirm / the waiver covers flights operated between ACK and Boston.
5. Delta / warn customers / a significant number of cancelations are expected at regional airports.

20.1 Read the short report. Find a non-finite phrase in each sentence and identify who or what performs its action. More than one phrase may occur.

Example: A powerful nor'easter continues to disrupt flights across the Northeast, forcing airlines to cancel hundreds of departures. → Clause: 'forcing airlines to cancel hundreds of departures' — omitted subject: the nor'easter.

1. Passengers scheduled to travel through Boston Logan this weekend are advised to check their flight status online.
2. Delta has issued a weather waiver, allowing eligible customers to change their bookings without a fee.
3. Cape Air, continuing to monitor the storm, canceled all North Region flights for safety reasons.
4. Many travelers, able to rebook without a change fee under the waiver, chose to wait until Monday to fly.
5. Airlines across the region are working to reduce the scale of the disruption.

20.2 Complete each sentence with the correct non-finite form (-ing or to-infinitive) of the verb(s) in brackets. Some items need several words, e.g. scheduled to travel.

Example: Passengers ______ (schedule / travel) through Boston Logan this weekend should check their flight status online. → scheduled to travel

1. Cape Air announced the cancelations, ________________ (allow) affected passengers to rebook without extra fees.
2. Eligible customers are ________________ (able / change) their travel under the waiver's conditions.
3. Airlines ________________ (continue / adjust) their schedules as weather conditions evolve.
4. JetBlue issued a Northeast weather waiver, ________________ (cover) flights operated between September 25 and 27.
5. The storm is ________________ (continue) to move across the Northeast, ________________ (affect) airports beyond Boston.
6. The flights ________________ (schedule / depart) from Logan on Sunday evening could be canceled.

20.3 Combine each pair of sentences into one, using an -ing or to-infinitive clause for the second (repeated) subject.

Example: Cape Air canceled its North Region flights. Cape Air allowed affected passengers to rebook without fees. → Cape Air canceled its North Region flights, allowing affected passengers to rebook without fees.

1. Delta expects a significant number of cancelations on Sunday. Delta continues to monitor the storm closely.
2. The passengers were scheduled to travel through Nantucket this week. The passengers can move their trips to October without extra fees.
3. JetBlue issued a Northeast weather waiver. JetBlue covers flights operated between September 25 and 27.
4. Eligible customers are able to change their travel. Eligible customers avoid a change fee under the waiver's conditions.
5. The storm is continuing to move across the Northeast. The storm is affecting airports beyond Boston.
6. Airlines continue to adjust their schedules. Airlines try to reduce the scale of the disruption.

20.4 Write a short news update (5–6 sentences) about a storm affecting flights at a different airport. Use at least three non-finite (-ing/to-infinitive) clauses with the same subject, and include at least two of these: scheduled to, continuing to, able to, allow.

Example: Opening sentence: 'A severe winter storm is continuing to disrupt flights across the Midwest...' → Model answer: A severe winter storm is continuing to disrupt flights across the Midwest, forcing airlines to cancel more than 300 departures at Chicago O'Hare. Passengers scheduled to travel through O'Hare this weekend are advised to check their flight status before leaving for the airport. United Airlines issued a winter storm waiver, allowing eligible customers to change their bookings without a fee. Southwest Airlines continues to adjust its schedule, trying to reduce the scale of the disruption. Many travelers, able to rebook without a change fee under the waiver, are choosing to wait until conditions improve.

1. Write your own mini-report (5–6 sentences) following the model above.

21.1 Write a short English definition for each word.

Example: disruption → a serious interruption to normal services or activity

1. nor'easter
2. scale
3. severe
4. significant
5. adjust
6. beyond
7. extend

21.2 Complete the summary of the storm report with the correct word from the lesson. Use the correct form (tense, -ing, -ed, etc.).

Example: The storm's impact is ______ into Sunday, and airlines are adjusting their schedules accordingly. → continuing

1. FlightAware ________________ 253 cancelations at Boston Logan on September 26.
2. The disruption was ________________ severe for Cape Air and Delta, the two most affected carriers.
3. Delta ________________ that a significant number of cancelations were expected on Sunday.
4. The disruption has now ________________ beyond Boston to regional airports such as Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.
5. A waiver does not ________________ that every flight on the route has been canceled.
6. Eligible passengers can ________________ their booking without paying a change fee.
7. The waiver's conditions ________________ customers to rebook on an alternative flight.
8. Regional airports were also ________________ affected, with dozens of cancelations recorded at Nantucket.
9. The ________________ Northeast, including New York and Philadelphia, has also experienced significant disruption.

21.3 Rewrite each sentence using a compressed form from Section C (a 'with + -ing' clause or a noun + participle phrase).

Example: Because conditions continue to evolve, dispatch keeps updating the flight plan. → With conditions evolving, dispatch keeps updating the flight plan.

1. Because the storm's impact continues, several airlines have extended their waivers into Monday.
2. Because Boston Logan is experiencing hundreds of cancelations, connecting passengers are being rebooked through New York.
3. The policy covers flights that are operated between September 25 and 27.
4. The figures are based on data that was reported by FlightAware.
5. Airports that were affected by the storm included Logan, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.

21.4 Report each practice statement using said, explained, warned or confirmed. Preserve the original meaning. The key uses backshift; an appropriate current-tense report can also be correct.

1. Airline spokesperson: "We are not sure yet how many flights will be canceled."
2. Cape Air: "Eligible passengers on affected North Region routes between September 25 and 28 can move to alternative flights through October 2 without additional fees."
3. JetBlue: "The waiver lets eligible customers change their booking, but their flight might still operate."
4. Airport operations team: "Conditions at the airport are changing fast. We will adjust the schedule as needed."

21.5 Speaking. Prepare and deliver each task using lesson vocabulary. Model answers give useful phrases, not a full script.

Example: In one sentence, state the main fact of the report as if opening a briefing. → A powerful nor'easter is causing significant disruption at Boston Logan and several regional airports, with hundreds of cancelations recorded since Saturday.

1. Retell the storm report as a 90-second professional briefing for a chief pilot: what is happening, the scale of the problem, which airports/airlines are most affected, and what to expect next.
2. Role-play: dispatcher briefs an inbound crew in a hypothetical weather-disruption scenario. State which information the crew must obtain from current weather reports and ATC.
3. Role-play: an airline agent informs a group of passengers that their flight is covered by a weather waiver.
4. Discussion: why do airlines issue weather waivers instead of simply canceling flights? Use at least four lesson words.