🕰️ The Time Machine – Chapter II: The Machine (Adapted for B2 Readers)

The Time Traveller was holding a small, shiny object in his hand. It looked like a machine made of metal, no bigger than a small clock. It had ivory parts and some pieces that looked like clear glass. The device was beautifully made, small and delicate.

He placed a small table in front of the fire and set the machine on top. Then he sat down in a chair. The only other thing on the table was a small lamp, shining brightly on the machine. Around the room, candles lit up the space, making it easy to see everything clearly.

We all watched carefully. I sat closest to the fire, almost between the machine and the Time Traveller. Filby was behind him, looking over his shoulder. The Medical Man and the Mayor sat on the right, the Psychologist on the left. The Very Young Man stood behind the Psychologist. We were all watching, ready to see something amazing.

“This is only a model,” the Time Traveller said, placing his hands above the small machine. “It’s a design for a real Time Machine. Look closely. You might notice that it doesn’t look quite normal. There’s something strange about that bar—it seems a little unreal.” He pointed to a part of the machine. “Here’s one white lever, and there’s another.”

The Medical Man got up to look more closely. “It’s beautifully made,” he said.

“It took me two years,” replied the Time Traveller. We all looked at the machine, just like the Medical Man had done.

He continued, “This lever will send the machine into the future. The other will bring it back. And here is the seat for the Time Traveller. In a moment, I’ll press the lever, and the machine will travel forward in time and disappear. Please look at the table and the machine carefully. I want to make sure you all know I’m not playing a trick.”

We sat silently. The Psychologist looked like he wanted to say something but changed his mind. Then the Time Traveller said, “No—let me borrow your hand.” He took the Psychologist’s hand and asked him to press the lever.

So it was the Psychologist who started the machine. We all saw the lever move. Then, a small wind blew. The lamp flame jumped, and one of the candles went out. The machine suddenly spun, became blurry—like a ghost made of light—and then disappeared!

The table was empty. The machine was gone.

No one spoke. We were all amazed. Finally, Filby said a curse word in shock.

The Psychologist bent down and looked under the table. The Time Traveller laughed and went to get some tobacco. With his back to us, he started filling his pipe.

We looked at each other in disbelief.

“Are you serious?” asked the Medical Man. “Do you really believe that machine went into time?”

“Of course,” said the Time Traveller, lighting his pipe. He looked at the Psychologist, who tried to act normal by taking a cigar—even though he forgot to cut it first.

“I also have a larger version of the machine in my lab,” the Time Traveller added. “It’s almost finished. Soon I’ll use it for my own journey.”

“You really think it went into the future?” asked Filby.

“Maybe into the future or the past. I don’t know for sure.”

The Psychologist suddenly had an idea. “It must have gone into the past,” he said.

“Why do you think that?” the Time Traveller asked.

“Well, if it had gone into the future, it would still be here in this room,” said the Psychologist. “It would have passed through all this time while we were watching.”

“But,” I added, “if it went into the past, we should have seen it earlier—like last week when we were here. We didn’t.”

“Good points,” said the Mayor. “Very logical.”

“Not at all,” said the Time Traveller. Then he turned to the Psychologist. “You should be able to explain it.”

“Ah, yes,” said the Psychologist, thinking hard. “It’s like something moving too fast for our eyes to see—like the spokes of a fast-moving wheel or a bullet. If the machine is moving through time 50 or 100 times faster than us, we wouldn’t be able to see it clearly. The image would be too faint.”

He passed his hand through the space where the machine had been. “See?” he said, laughing.

We stared at the empty table for a few moments. Then the Time Traveller asked what we thought.

“It sounds believable right now,” said the Medical Man. “But let’s see how it sounds tomorrow morning with some common sense.”

“Would you like to see the real Time Machine?” asked the Time Traveller.

He picked up the lamp and led us down a cold, dark hallway to his laboratory. I remember the flickering light, his head casting strange shadows on the walls, and all of us following, still unsure if we believed him.

Inside the lab, we saw a larger version of the small model. It was made of nickel, ivory, and crystal. Some parts were still unfinished. On the table were tools and drawings. I picked up one of the crystal bars. It looked like quartz.

“Are you serious?” asked the Medical Man. “Or is this another one of your tricks—like that ghost last Christmas?”

“I’m completely serious,” said the Time Traveller, holding up the lamp. “I plan to use this machine to explore time.”

None of us knew what to say.

I caught Filby’s eye and he winked at me.

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📖 Glossary

Word/Phrase	Meaning
Framework	A structure that holds something together
Ivory	A smooth, white material from elephant tusks
Crystalline	Clear like glass or crystal
Hearthrug	A small rug in front of a fireplace
Adroitly	Skillfully and cleverly
Quack	A person who pretends to have knowledge or skill
Stupor	A state of shock or not thinking clearly
Unhinged	Mentally unstable or confused
Threshold	The starting point or limit of perception
Silhouette	The dark outline of a shape, especially a person

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❓ Comprehension Questions

1. What does the Time Traveller place on the table?

2. How does the Time Traveller describe the small machine?

3. Who activates the model machine?

4. What happens to the machine after the lever is pressed?

5. What idea does the Psychologist suggest to explain why they can’t see the machine anymore?

6. What do the guests see in the laboratory?

7. What does the Time Traveller plan to do with the full-sized machine?

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✅ Answers

1. He places a small model of the Time Machine on the table.

2. He says it is a model for a machine that can travel through time, and it looks slightly unreal.

3. The Psychologist activates the machine by pressing the lever.

4. The machine spins, becomes blurry, and disappears.

5. He suggests the machine is moving through time too quickly to be seen, like a fast-moving wheel.

6. They see a larger version of the model, partly finished, made of metal, ivory, and crystal.

7. He plans to use it himself to explore time.

Here is a modernised adaptation of the first chapter of The Time Machine by H.G. Wells, rewritten for B2-level English readers. 

This version retains the original ideas but uses modern vocabulary and structure. 

It is approximately 1000 words, followed by a glossary and comprehension questions with answers.

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The Time Machine — Modern Adaptation 

(Chapter 1)

It was a cosy evening. A few of us were sitting comfortably in the Time Traveller’s home. He was an intelligent man, always curious and full of new ideas. That evening, he looked more excited than usual, his pale face glowing as he explained something mysterious.

We sat in his special chairs, which he had designed to be extra comfortable. The fire was warm, and the lights shone gently around the room. We had just finished dinner and were feeling relaxed and ready to listen.

“You must listen carefully,” he said. “What I’m about to say may sound strange. But give me a chance to explain.”

He pointed with his long finger as he spoke. “You all learned in school that the world has three dimensions—length, width, and height. But I will tell you that this idea is not complete.”

Filby, a red-haired man who liked to argue, asked, “Isn’t that a big claim to start with?”

“I’m not asking you to believe me without reason,” the Time Traveller replied. “You know that a line in mathematics with no thickness doesn’t exist in real life. The same is true for a flat surface.”

“That makes sense,” said the Psychologist.

“And what about a cube?” asked the Time Traveller. “Can it exist just for one moment and then disappear?”

Filby frowned. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

The Time Traveller explained, “Any real object must have not just size in space but also time. It must last for some period. That means there are not just three dimensions, but four: length, width, height, and time.”

He continued, “We often forget time is a dimension because we only move in one direction through it—from the past to the future.”

A young man, trying to light his cigar, nodded. “That makes sense.”

“People often misunderstand the idea of the fourth dimension,” said the Time Traveller. “But it’s really just another way to describe time. The only difference between time and space is that our minds move only one way in time.”

The Mayor, who had not heard this before, asked, “So time is like space?”

“Yes,” the Time Traveller said. “Space has three directions, and some scientists have asked, why not a fourth direction? They are working on the math to describe it. Just like you can draw a 3D object on a 2D piece of paper, we might be able to represent a 4D object using our three dimensions—if we understand how.”

The Mayor looked thoughtful, whispering to himself as he tried to understand.

“I’ve been studying this for a while,” said the Time Traveller. “Think about photos of a man at different ages—8, 15, 23. These are just moments, or ‘slices,’ of his whole existence across time. His full life is like a 4D object.”

He gave another example. “Look at this weather chart. The line shows how the air pressure changes. It moves across time, not space. But it’s still a real line in a different direction.”

The Medical Man asked, “If time is just another dimension, why don’t we move around like we do in space?”

The Time Traveller smiled. “Are you sure we can move in space freely? We walk forward and backwards, left and right, but up and down is harder. Gravity holds us down.”

“But we have balloons,” said the Medical Man.

“Yes, but before balloons, we couldn’t move up easily,” said the Time Traveller. “And just like that, maybe one day we will learn to move in time.”

“But we can’t move in time now,” said the Psychologist.

“That’s where everyone is wrong,” said the Time Traveller. “We are always moving through time, just slowly and only in one direction. When you remember something clearly, your mind goes back for a moment. That’s a kind of time travel. We can’t stay in the past, but maybe we will one day. Like balloons helped us go up, a machine may help us move in time.”

Filby laughed. “This is all nonsense!”

“Why not?” asked the Time Traveller. “Why should it be impossible?”

“It just doesn’t seem right,” said Filby.

“You can argue anything,” said the Time Traveller. “But I’ve been studying the geometry of four dimensions for years. I even had an idea for a machine—”

“A time machine?” asked the young man.

“Yes. A machine that can travel in any direction—through space or time.”

Filby laughed again.

“But I have proof,” said the Time Traveller.

The Psychologist smiled. “That would be useful for historians! You could go back and check the facts.”

“Or meet Homer and Plato,” said the young man.

“But you might not fit in,” said the Medical Man. “People from the past wouldn’t understand your clothes or language.”

“And what about the future?” said the young man. “You could invest your money and travel forward to see it grow!”

“Or see a world where everyone shares everything equally,” someone joked.

“Wild ideas,” said the Psychologist.

“Yes,” said the Time Traveller. “That’s why I haven’t spoken about it much—until now.”

“You have an experiment?” I asked.

“Yes,” said the Time Traveller.

“Let’s see it!” said the Psychologist.

The Time Traveller smiled and walked out of the room. We heard his slippers in the hallway.

“What do you think it will be?” the Psychologist asked.

“Probably a magic trick,” said the Medical Man. Filby began telling a story about a magician he saw, but before he finished, the Time Traveller returned—and everyone went silent.

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Glossary

Word	Meaning
Cozy	Warm and comfortable
Dimension	A direction or measurement (like length or height)
Frown	To look confused or unhappy
Existence	Being alive or real
Slice	A part or section
Air pressure	The force of air on something
Balloon	A flying object filled with gas, used to go up in the sky
Velocity	Speed and direction of movement
Savage	A person without modern knowledge (old-fashioned term)
Anachronism	Something out of place in time (e.g., a car in ancient Rome)

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Comprehension Questions

1. What is the Time Traveller trying to explain to his guests?

2. Why does the Time Traveller say a real object needs time to exist?

3. How does the Time Traveller describe our movement through time?

4. What idea does the Time Traveller introduce at the end of the chapter?

5. How do the guests react to his ideas?

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Answers

1. He explains that time is a fourth dimension, like length, width, and height.

2. Because it must last for some time, not just appear for one instant.

3. He says we are always moving through time from birth to death, like we move through space.

4. He suggests he has built a machine that can travel through time.

5. Some are curious, some are doubtful, and Filby laughs at the idea.

📘 10 Ways You Can Write Better Sentences in English

Writing great sentences doesn’t mean using big words or long phrases. In fact, short and clear sentences are often the most powerful. If you're studying English for IELTS, school, or just personal growth, improving your sentence writing is a smart place to start.

Here are 10 practical tips to help you write better, clearer, and more accurate sentences—plus a grammar quiz at the end to test your skills!

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✍️ 1. Use the Right Sentence Structure

Most English sentences follow this order:
Subject + Verb + Object

✅ I (subject) read (verb) books (object).

Make sure your sentences have all three parts when needed. Avoid starting with the object unless you’re using passive voice correctly.

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✍️ 2. Avoid Run-On Sentences

Don't push too many ideas into one sentence without proper punctuation.

❌ She likes reading she goes to the library every weekend.
✅ She likes reading. She goes to the library every weekend.
✅ She likes reading, and she goes to the library every weekend.

Use punctuation (like commas or full stops) or linking words (like “and”, “because”, “so”) to join ideas clearly.

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✍️ 3. Vary Your Sentence Length

Mix short and long sentences. It makes your writing more interesting and easier to follow.

✅ English is a global language. Millions of people use it every day to work, study, and connect online.

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✍️ 4. Watch Your Tense

Be consistent with verb tenses. If you’re writing about the past, stay in the past.

❌ Yesterday, I go to the park and met my friend.
✅ Yesterday, I went to the park and met my friend.

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✍️ 5. Use Linking Words

Linking words (also called conjunctions or transition words) help sentences flow logically.

Examples: and, but, because, although, however, therefore, in addition, for example

✅ I wanted to go out, but it was raining.
✅ She worked hard. Therefore, she passed the exam.

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✍️ 6. Avoid Repetition

Use synonyms or change sentence structure to keep your writing interesting.

❌ The room was small. The small room had a small window.
✅ The room was tiny, with only a narrow window.

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✍️ 7. Learn Common Collocations

A collocation is a group of words that naturally go together.

✅ make a decision, do homework, have lunch, take a break

Incorrect combinations sound awkward, even if they’re grammatically correct.

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✍️ 8. Use Modal Verbs Correctly

Modal verbs (can, should, must, may, might) express ability, advice, or possibility.

✅ You should revise before the exam.
✅ I might be late.
✅ We must wear a helmet.

Avoid double modals:
❌ You must should go now.

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✍️ 9. Include Adverbs to Add Detail

Adverbs describe how, when, or how often something happens.

✅ She speaks English fluently.
✅ I usually study at night.
✅ He answered quickly.

Place adverbs carefully. They usually come after the verb or before adjectives.

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✍️ 10. Read and Imitate Good Writing

Reading good English helps you learn natural sentence patterns. Try reading blogs, articles, or graded readers and notice how sentences are built. Copy a few and rewrite them using your own ideas.

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📝 Grammar Quiz: Can You Spot the Mistakes?

Choose the correct option for each question. Good luck!

1. She ___ to school by bus every day.
   a) go
   b) goes
   c) going

2. I ___ watched that movie last night.
   a) have
   b) has
   c) had

3. He is very tired, ___ he didn’t sleep well.
   a) but
   b) because
   c) so

4. They enjoy ___ football on weekends.
   a) play
   b) to play
   c) playing

5. I think it ___ rain tomorrow.
   a) will
   b) is
   c) must

6. If I were rich, I ___ travel the world.
   a) will
   b) would
   c) can

7. He speaks English very ___.
   a) good
   b) well
   c) better

8. We have lived here ___ five years.
   a) since
   b) for
   c) from

9. She ___ her homework when I called.
   a) did
   b) is doing
   c) was doing

10. I’ve never ___ such a funny story!
    a) hear
    b) heard
    c) hearing

11. There aren’t ___ apples left.
    a) some
    b) any
    c) much

12. He’s the ___ student in our class.
    a) more smart
    b) smartest
    c) most smart

13. My bag is ___ than yours.
    a) heavy
    b) heavier
    c) more heavier

14. Let’s meet ___ Friday afternoon.
    a) on
    b) in
    c) at

15. She asked me where I ___.
    a) live
    b) lived
    c) was live

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✅ Answers

1. b) goes

2. c) had

3. c) so

4. c) playing

5. a) will

6. b) would

7. b) well

8. b) for

9. c) was doing

10. b) heard

11. b) any

12. b) smartest

13. b) heavier

14. a) on

15. b) lived