Grammar Appendix
Grammar Appendix
Grammar Appendix
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Grammar Appendix
Present Simple and Continuous
FORM
USE
EXAMPLES
PRESENT SIMPLE
b. a general truth
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
am / is / are + verb-ing
(-) am / is / are + not + verb-ing
(?) Am / Is / Are + subject + verb-ing
Passive
They grow oranges here. Oranges are grown here.
The teacher is marking our tests now. Our tests are being marked by the teacher now.
Time Expressions
Present Simple: always, often, usually, occasionally, sometimes, rarely, hardly ever, scarcely, never, every week,
once / twice a year, on Monday
Stative Verbs
1. Stative verbs refer to the state of things rather than an action and are not usually used in the continuous form.
These verbs express:
mental activities: appear, believe, consider, depend, doubt, expect, feel, forget, forgive, guess, hope, imagine,
know, mean, mind, prefer, realise, remember, seem, suppose, think, understand
emotion: adore, desire, dislike, fear, hate, like, love, need, want, wish
2. Some of these verbs can be used in the continuous form when the meaning changes from a state to an
activity in progress.
I have a new bicycle. (possess)
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FORM
EXAMPLES
FUTURE SIMPLE
b. a spontaneous decision
d. a prediction or warning
e. willingness or refusal to do
something
f.
a. a plan or intention
FUTURE CONTINUOUS
will be + verb-ing
(-) will not be + verb-ing
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
Passive
The newspaper will publish your article. Your article will be published by the newspaper.
The police are going to question the suspect. The suspect is going to be questioned by the police.
By tomorrow, the cleaner will have washed the windows. By tomorrow, the windows will have been washed.
The Future Continuous and the Future Perfect Continuous have no passive form.
Notes
1. Be about to + bare infinitive can be used to express the future. It refers to something that will happen very soon.
I am about to leave for Paris.
2. Some words, such as time expressions (temporals) and conditionals, are followed by the present tense although
they have a future meaning.
Phone me if you need help tomorrow. (conditional)
Call me when Tom arrives. (temporal)
Take an umbrella in case it rains later.
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PAST CONTINUOUS
was / were + verb-ing
(-) was / were not + verb-ing
(?) Was / Were + subject + verb-ing
USE
EXAMPLES
d. background to a narrative
Passive
We bought the house a year ago. The house was bought a year ago.
The students were discussing the exam. The exam was being discussed by the students.
By 10 pm, we had collected 5,000. By 10 pm, 5,000 had been collected.
The Past Perfect Continuous has no passive form.
Time Expressions
Past Simple: a month / year ago, yesterday, last week / month, in 1963 / November, when, the other day
Past Perfect Simple: by the time, after, before, when, as soon as, already, for, no sooner than
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EXAMPLES
USE
a. an action that happened regularly in
the past but no longer happens
Note: Used to can be replaced by would for actions that happened regularly. We use it in positive sentences.
I would often play with imaginary friends when I was younger.
USES
EXAMPLES
Passive
Someone has found my book. My book has been found.
Time Expressions
Present Perfect Simple: just, yet, already, ever, never, lately, recently, so far, always, for, since, how long
Present Perfect Continuous: for, since, all day / morning, how long
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deny
discuss
dislike
end up
enjoy
fancy
feel like
finish
forget
go
have trouble
imagine
involve
its no use / good
its worth
keep
look forward to
mention
mind
miss
postpone
practise
recall
recommend
resent
resist
risk
spend (time)
stop
suggest
tolerate
understand
be ready
be willing
beg
care
claim
consent
decide
demand
deserve
expect
fail
forget
have a chance
hesitate
hope
its difficult
its easy
learn
manage
mean
need
offer
plan
prepare
pretend
promise
refuse
seem
struggle
swear
tend
threaten
volunteer
wait
want
wish
would like
Im afraid to tell Bill the truth.
challenge
convince
dare
enable
encourage
expect
forbid
force
help
hire
instruct
invite
need
order
permit
persuade
remind
require
teach
tell
urge
want
warn
continue
hate
intend
love
prefer
start
regret
remember
stop
try
as the subject
Sunbathing is unhealthy.
after prepositions
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ACTIVE
PASSIVE
PRESENT SIMPLE
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
PAST SIMPLE
PAST CONTINUOUS
FUTURE SIMPLE
BE GOING TO
MODAL
SEMI-MODAL
MODAL PERFECT
Notes
1. The following tenses do not have a passive form: Present Perfect Continuous, Past Perfect Continuous,
Future Continuous and Future Perfect Continuous.
2. The agent is not mentioned when it is obvious, unimportant or unknown.
Her baby was born last month.
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USE
EXAMPLES
b. a request
c. permission
cant
an impossibility or something hard to believe Jim cant be away; hes just called me.
could
e. a suggestion
a. a future possibility
I may go on a picnic.
may
might
will
would
should / ought to
must
c. permission (formal)
a. a future possibility
a. a certainty or prediction
c. a polite request
a. a polite request
a. an obligation
b. advice
d. logical probability
a. a strong necessity
b. a strong obligation
c. almost certainty
d. a strong recommendation
mustnt
prohibition
shall
neednt
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SEMI-MODAL
be able to
have / has to
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USE
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EXAMPLES
an obligation or necessity
(can be expressed in all tenses)
MODAL PERFECT
USE
EXAMPLES
Passive
They may sell their house. Their house may be sold.
You have to clean your room. Your room has to be cleaned.
They should have contacted us We should have been contacted.
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Relative Clauses
A relative clause gives information about a noun. It immediately follows the noun it describes and often begins
with a relative pronoun.
A defining relative clause identifies the noun it refers to. A non-defining relative clause gives additional
information about something that is already clearly identified. Non-defining relative clauses are separated by
commas from the rest of the sentence.
USE
RELATIVE PRONOUN
EXAMPLES
who
for people
which
that
whom
a.
b.
as the object
b.
after prepositions
whose
to show possession
where
for places
when
for time
Note
Who, whom, which or that may be omitted from a defining relative clause when it is the object of the verb in the
relative clause. (This is more common in spoken English.)
The play (that / which) we saw was excellent.
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INDIRECT
PRESENT SIMPLE
PAST SIMPLE
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
PAST CONTINUOUS
PAST SIMPLE
PAST CONTINUOUS
FUTURE
FUTURE PAST
IMPERATIVE
TO + BARE INFINITIVE
MODAL
TIME EXPRESSIONS
TIME EXPRESSIONS
now
then
today
that day
yesterday
tomorrow
a week ago
here
there
this
that
these
those
Notes
1. The Past Perfect Simple and Past Perfect Continuous do not change in indirect speech.
She said, I had expected a reply. She said she had expected a reply.
He said, I had been working there for a while He said he had been working there for a while
when they met.
when we met.
2. The modals should, could, would, might and ought to do not change in indirect speech.
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3. If the reporting verb is in the Present Simple, Present Perfect or Future Simple, the tense of the verb in the
main clause does not change.
He says, I can come next week. He says that he can come next week.
4. When we report something which is a fact, we do not need to change the tense of the verb.
She said, PETA is an international organisation. She explained that PETA is (was) an international organisation.
5. a. In indirect speech, the first conditional is often reported as the second conditional.
If I hear any news, I will tell you, she said. She said that if she heard any news, she would tell me.
b. The second and third conditionals require no change in indirect speech.
John said, If I won a trip, Id go to Thailand. John said that if he won a trip, hed go to Thailand.
6. When we report questions, we change the word order to that of a regular sentence. (This is the same rule
as for indirect questions.)
a. Wh- Questions
Why are you crying? he asked. He asked why I was crying.
b. Yes / No Questions
Do you play basketball? No, I dont. She asked whether / if I played basketball, and I replied that I didnt.
7. Different reporting verbs are followed by different structures.
a. Statements
say + (that) + sentence
He said, I found my key. He said (that) he had found his key.
tell + object + (that) + sentence
I said to John, Were watching a film. I told John (that) we were watching a film.
explain that + sentence
She said, You misunderstood the question. She explained that I had misunderstood the question.
b. Questions
ask, wonder, inquire, want to know, would like to know + whether / if + sentence
Mum asked, Will you be home for lunch? Mum asked whether I would be home for lunch.
c.
Commands
tell, order, instruct, ask, beg, invite, warn, command + object + (not) + infinitive
The officer ordered his soldiers, Stop here! The officer ordered his soldiers to stop there.
8. We can also report what someone said with certain verbs + gerunds without giving the exact words the speaker used.
suggest, accuse, apologise, deny + gerund
I said, Lets go to the beach. I suggested going to the beach.
He said, You stole my money. He accused them of stealing his money.
Im sorry Im late, she said.
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Conditionals
FORM
Conditional
Clause
EXAMPLES
USE
Main Clause
(Result)
ZERO
CONDITIONAL
If + present
Present Simple
FIRST
CONDITIONAL
If + present
Future
a. future possibility
If + present
Modal
If + present
Imperative
SECOND
CONDITIONAL
(unreal)
a hypothetical or imaginary
situation in the present or
future; also used to express
advice, hope or ambition
THIRD
CONDITIONAL
(past)
If + Past
Perfect
would / could /
might + have +
past participle
Notes
1. unless = if not
2. In formal English, we use were for all subjects in the second conditional.
If she were here, she would help us.
3. Other words can be used instead of if.
Suppose / Supposing used to ask What if ? These words are followed by a question.
Suppose / Supposing you had her phone number, would you phone her?
4. Other words that are not followed by will and would when referring to the future include: after, when, until / till, once,
as soon as, as long as, before, the moment that, whenever, by the time, while
When she gets to London, she will phone us.
We will wait here until the rain stops.
We decided that we would go out as soon as the rain stopped.
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Wish Clauses
There are three forms of wish sentences.
FORM
USE
EXAMPLES
Notes
1. Wish + would can only be used with different subjects.
I wish he would stop shouting. (not: I wish I would run faster. )
2. If only can replace wish and is often used to stress the wish or express deep regret.
If only she would phone me.
3. We use were as the form of the verb to be in wishes about the present (as in the second conditional).
I wish Mary were in our class.
The Causative
Have / Get
The verbs have and get can be used to express the idea that we cause or arrange for someone else to do something
for us. The causative can be expressed in different tenses.
do it yourself
I painted my nails.
I am polishing my floors.
let = allow
My sister let me borrow her jacket.
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Special Structures
FORM
so + adjective / adverb
EXAMPLES
The film was so exciting!
How did you get here so quickly?
such + noun
enough + noun
I insist on + gerund
I recommend + gerund
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