Moulay Ismail University

School of Arts & Humanities

English Studies Department

GRAMMAR

SEMESTER 2
Professor Driss Bouyahya
Course Description

In semester II, the grammar course recycles grammar items already covered in the

high school. The ultimate target of the course is to help students comprehend and practice

English grammar and gain confidence in their ability to speak and write English

accurately and fluently. It also aims to help students use grammar in context.

Learning Outcomes

1- Use the conditionals appropriately

2- Understand the difference between all types of conditional

3- Study models

4- Determine their usage and functions

5- Use the models in the past, present and future

6- Master the use of the passive

7- Understand the appropriate uses of the passive

8- Deconstruct the use reported speech

9- Understand all the changes and their rationale

1. MODELS

1.1 Ability

1.2 Permission

1.3 Request

1.4 Advice

1.5 Suggestion

1.6 Preference

1.7 Necessity

1.8 Obligation

1.9 Prohibition

1.10 Deduction

1.11 Possibility

1.12 Certainty

2. CONDITIONALS

2.1 Type Zero

2.2 Type One

2.3 Type Two

2.4 Type Three

3. PASSIVE VOICE

4. REPORTED SPEECH
 MODELS

Ability:

Can – Could – Be able to

1. Can/ be able to + verb

2. Could/was able to

3. They can be used with other tenses and forms

Permission:

May- Can- Could- Do you mind if

1. May/Could/Can are more formal. All requests for permission refer to the present

or future. “Could” is not in the past.

2. Use “please” when you ask for permission.

3. Do you mind if….? is used when the action or permission might bother someone.

The negative answer to this type of questions is either “No” or “Not at all”.

4. You use “may” or “can” in the answers not “could”. Do not contract “may not”.

Requests:

Will/Can/Would/Could/Would you mind

1. Could/Would are format and politer. Will/Can are informal

2. Please is used either at the beginning or at the end.

4. Answers can be: Not at all/ certainly/ I am sorry. I can´t

Advice:

Should/Ought to/Had better

1. Should/ought to + verb is to say that something is advisable.

Example: You should get a new job.

2. “Should” is more comment than “ought to”.

3. “Had better” is used for urgent advice, when you believe that something will

happen if the person does not follow the advice.

Example: You´d better apply for more than one job.

4. “had better” not + verb always refers to the present and future, not the past.

5. “Should” is used for questions.

6. You should not give advice to people of equal or higher status unless they ask for

it. We give unasked-for advice, we often soften it with: Maybe, perhaps or I think.

Suggestions:

Could/why don´t ...? /why not ….? / Let´s/ Shall we …? How about…?

1. Why not/ why don´t you visit

2. A. Why not and Why don´t/doesn´t: are used to make a suggestion, not

information questions.

Example: Why don´t we stay in an apartment, instead?

3. B: Shall and Let´s: they include the speaker. (you and me).

Example: Let´s have a break. / Shall we have a break?

Prefer, Would prefer, would rather

A. Use prefer, would prefer/rather to talk about things that you like more than

others.

Example: I prefer Spanish food to Italian/ I´d rather have fish than meat.

B. Prefer is used for a general preference;

Would prefer or would rather are for a preference in a particular situation.

Example: which do you prefer red or blue? Would you prefer the red or the

blue shirt?

C. Prefer may be followed by a noun, a gerund or an infinitive.

Example: I prefer reading/to read/hard-copy books.

- Would prefer may be followed by a noun or an infinitive.

Example: He would prefer the book to the watch.

She would prefer to eat out.

- Would rather can be followed by only the base form of the verb.

Example: I´d rather stay alone.

I would rather not be with noisy people.

D. For comparison, we can use to after prefer/ than after would prefer.

- we can use than after would rather.

Example: They prefer basketball to soccer

- We´d prefer swimming than hiking.

- I´d rather read than watch T.V.

Have to, Have got to, Must

A. Have to is the most common expression in everyday use.

Example: Everyone has to pass an entrance exam before joining a medical

school.

B. Have got to often expresses strong feelings in speaking and informal writing.

Example: He has to cut down on eating junk food.

C. Must is use in writing (forms, signs, notices)

Example. You must stop at the red light

- In spoken English when the speaker is in position of power.

Example: You must clean up the room. (mother to her son).

- When there is an urgent necessity.

Example: You must wash your hands every time shake hands with someone.

D. Don´t have to and Must not have vey different meanings.

Example: You don´t have to park here (It is not necessary)

- You must not park here. (You can´t here. It is not allowed)

E. Use the correct form of have to for all tenses and forms.

Example: He had to hurry

- She has had to wear a mask since she started to work in Intensive care unit.

- I´ll have to wake up early tomorrow.

F. Use have got to and must only for the present or future.

Example: I have got to wear gloves all the time.

- Everyone must take precautions in the coming days.

No Choice: Must not, Can´t

A. Don´t have to and Must not have very different meanings.

- Don´t have to expresses that something is not necessary. There is another

choice.

Example: You don´t have to come early. I can do it.

- Must not expresses prohibition. It means that something is not allowed. There

is no choice.

Example: Yo must not drive without a licence.

B. Can´t is use in spoken English when talking to an adult.

Example: We can´t park here. It is for the disabled.

C. We can use not have to for all tenses and forms.

- Had/didn´t have to: To refer to the past

Example: I didn´t have to stamp my passport

- Will/won´t have to: To refer to the future.

Example: You will/won´t have to renew the contract.

- Must not refers only to the present or future, not the past.

Example: The students must not forget to prepare in the coming days.

Expectations: Be supposed to

A. Be used to is used to talk about different kinds of expectations.

- Rules and usual ways of doing things.

Example: You are supposed to wash your hands before and after each meal.

- Predictions.
Example: It is supposed to rain tomorrow.

- Hearsay: what people say.

Example: Coronavirus is supposed to vanish if people stick to the precaution

measures.

- Plans or arrangements:

Example: Classes are not supposed to start until the risk is reduced.

B. Be supposed to is only used in the present simple or the past simple.

Example: They are supposed to arrive on time.

The classes were supposed to start two weeks ago

C. The present simple is used to refer to both the present and the future.

Example: I am supposed to attend a meeting next Friday.

Future Possibility

May, Might, Could

A. May, Might and Could are used to refer to future possibility.

Example: It may rain today/ It might get cold/ It could snow tomorrow.

B. May be and Maybe both express possibility.

May be is a modal + verb

Example. They may be absent

Maybe is an adverb.

Example: Maybe she will stay at home.

C. May not and Might not are used to express the possibility that something will

not happen.

Example: You may not need an umbrella / It might not rain

May, Might, Could, Must, Have to, Can´t

A. Deductions or “best guesses” are based on information we have a present

situation.

The modal we choose depends on how certain we are about our deduction.

They follow this order in the affirmative: must, have to, may, might/could.

They follow this order in the negative: can´t/couldn´t, may not, might not

B. When we are almost 100% certain that something is possible,we use must,

have to or have got to.

C. Have got to is used in informal speech and writing.

Example: he´s got to be talented.

D. May, might or could are used when we are less certain

E. When we are almost 100% that something is impossible, we use

can´t/couldn´t.

Example: She can´t be married. She is only 17.

F. May not or might not: are used when we are less certain.

Example: They may not know about the virus because they are little kids.

G. Have to and have got to are not used in negative deductions.

H. Use Could in questions.

Example: Could she be a doctor?

I. Might is rarely used in question but never May.

Example: Might he be at work?

Deduction in the past

situation.

The modal we choose depends on how certain we are about our deduction.

They follow this order in the affirmative: must have, have to have, may have,

might have /could have + verb in the past participle.

They follow this order in the negative: can´t have/couldn´t have, may not have,

might not have + V (past participle).

B. Could have is used in questions about possibility.

Example: Could he have lied?

Expressing regret about the past

A. Use should have, ought to have, could have and might have to talk about

issues that were advisable in the past but didn´t happen.

- These modals often express regret or blame.

Example: You should have applied for that school

- They ought to have been more careful.

- She could have chosen a better place.

- You might have warned him.

B. Should not have/ought not to have are the only forms used in negative

statements.

Example: They shouldn´t have missed that course.

Should have: is the most common form used in questions.

Example: Should we have told her about the plan?