Level 4 – grammar revision

Here is a summary of the main grammar points. Complete the gaps, and put examples where relevant.

Talking about the present

Use the present simple for things you do every day / usually / routines etc

Use the present continuous for things that are happening now / at the moment, or to emphasise that something is temporary

o Example: I’m from Madrid, but I’m living in Terrassa at the moment while I finish my thesis

Narrative tenses – talking about the past

Complete with these tenses: past continuous – past perfect continuous – past perfect simple – past simple

Use the _________________ to describe past events

o Example:

The _________________ describes actions that were in progress at the time that the main events happened

o Example:

The _________________ describes events that had happened before the main events in the past

o Example:

The _________________ is used to describe actions that had been in progress before another event in the

past. These actions are not necessarily finished when that event happened

o Example:

Used to

Used to + infinitive is used to talk about ____________________________________________________

Write some example sentences here:

o affirmative:

o negative:

o question:

Connecting the past to the present – the present perfect

We use the present perfect (simple or continuous) to connect the past and present.

We use the present perfect simple to talk about experience – something we have or haven’t done at an

unspecified time in the past.

o Example:

We can use the present perfect simple or the present perfect continuous to talk about the unfinished past,

something that began in the past and continues now. With some verbs, like work or live, there’s little

difference between the two.

o Example: I’ve lived here for three years / I’ve been living here for three years

o Translation:

o Example: How long have you worked here / How long have you been working here?

o Translation:

Note: If a verb describes a “state”, we don’t usually use a continuous form.

o Example: She has been a doctor since 2001

o Example: We’ve had our dog for 15 years

Note: If we want to emphasise the activity, we use the continuous form.

o Example: I’ve been waiting for you since 11 o’clock!

Past action or activity, with a consequence now. We use the present perfect simple when we want to

emphasise the completed action or we talk about how many. We use the present perfect continuous when

we want to emphasise the activity or duration (how long). In this case, the activity is not necessarily

complete.

o Example: I’ve been reading this book for three weeks and I’ve only read two chapters!

o Example: She’s really tired because she’s been studying all weekend. She’s studied for one exam but

not for the other one.

Note: This tense is often used to announce the headlines (new news)

o Example: A ban on smoking in public places has come into force in China

Future plans

Use be + going to + verb to talk about future intentions, something you have decided to do in the future. To talk about something you intend to do (like phone someone, buy something) but which doesn’t necessarily have a fixed time

o Example:

Use the present continuous to talk about fixed future plans. Something you write in your diary o Example:

Use will + verb to talk about spontaneous future decisions, made at the time of speaking. This includes: o promises

Example: You’ve been very good this week - we’ll go to the beach at the weekend o offers

Example: I’ll help you with your homework Note: We can also use shall for offers

Example: Shall I open the window?

The present simple can be used when the future action is part of a regular timetable. o Example: The plane takes off at 13.20

Making arrangements – invite, suggest, arrange

Think of some expressions and structures used to make arrangements:

Future predictions

Use be + going to + verb to talk about future predictions, something you can see is going to happen o Example:

Use will + verb to talk about future predictions, something you think, hope or calculate will happen. This is often used with I think… / I hope …

o Example:

Probability - degrees of probability

You can use adverbs of probability to say how probable you think it is that something will happen o will + adverb / adverb + won’t o adverbs of probability: definitely / probably / possibly

Example: He’ll definitely ask us to do this again Example: I probably won’t pass this exam

You can also use adjectives o It is + adjective (+ that) + subject + will / won’t + verb o adjectives of probability: inevitable / likely / possible / unlikely / impossible

Example: It’s likely that I’ll have to repeat this subject next year Example: It’s possible that she’ll move to another city

Future continuous + future perfect

We use the future perfect to talk about sth. that will be finished before a future moment. o Often used with in + period of time, or by + moment in time

Example:

The future continuous is used to talk about something that will be in progress at a certain moment in time Example:

Conditional sentences

We use the first conditional to talk about possible future situations

o Form = If + ________________ , ________________

o Example:

We use the second conditional to talk about a hypothetical, unlikely or imaginary situation in the present:

What the consequence would be if something in the present were different.

o Form = If + ________________ , ________________

o Example:

We use the third conditional to talk about a hypothetical situation in the past. What the consequence

would have been, if something in the past had been different.

o Form = If + ________________ , ________________

o Example:

The mixed conditional is used to talk about how if something had been different in the past, what the

consequence would be now in the present.

o Form = If + ________________ , ________________

o Example: If he had studied more at school, now he would have a better job.

As well as if, we can also use other conjunctions to express a condition: unless, as long as, provided, on

condition that

Obligation

Have to and must express obligation.

________________ expresses an obligation that comes from the speaker

________________ expresses an obligation that comes from outside/is imposed by someone else, for

example rules.

o Example: (father to child) You must finish your homework before you go out to play.

o (child to friend) My father says I have to finish my homework before I go out.

Note: For questions, other tenses, and structures that require using the infinitive, we use have to, not must.

Have to is a “normal” verb, and needs an auxiliary to make questions and negatives.

o Example: When you go to on your Erasmus next year, you will _________________ find a job.

o Example: ________ we __________ pass all parts of the exam?

o Example: When I was a child, I _________________ look after my little brother.

Negative form: use don’t have to to express lack of necessity, to say when something is NOT obligatory´

o Example:

Negative form: use mustn’t to express prohibition.

o Example:

Other structures to talk about obligation

Need to expresses an obligation that isn’t so strong. The negative form ________________ or

________________, expresses lack of obligation.

(be) supposed to is used to talk about things that should happen, but often don’t, or rules that are not

respected.

o Example: They’re supposed to close the windows before they leave (but sometimes they don’t)

o Example: Children are not supposed to take mobile phones to school (but they do)

(be) allowed to is used to express permission. It has a similar meaning to can. The negative form (not be)

allowed to is used to express prohibition.

make (s.o.) do refers to obligation, and let s.o. do refers to permission

o Example: My parents are really strict! They make me tidy my room every day, and they don’t let me

watch television. I’m not allowed to go out after 8pm – it’s not fair!

Advice, recommendations and suggestions

You can use should or ought to to give advice or recommendations. The negative form is ________________ or

________________.

o Example:

Regrets about the present

To express a regret about the present, we can use the following structures. We are wishing that sth. in the

present were different:

o I wish + past

Example:

o If only + past

Example:

Regrets about the past

To express a regret about the past, we can use the following structures:

o I wish + past perfect

Example:

o If only (subject) + past perfect

Example:

We can also use I should have + participle to express regret.

Example:

We can use you should have + participle to criticise someone

Example:

We often use the third conditional too.

Example: If I’d known what he was like, I wouldn’t have married him

Speculating – present / past

We use these modal verbs to speculate about the present:

o subject + must/might/may/could/can’t + verb

o Example:

We use this structure to speculate about the past:

o subject + must/might/may/could/can’t + have + participle

o Example:

Underline the correct verbs:

When we are sure that it is possible, we use: must/might/may/could/can’t

When we think it’s a possibility, we use: must/might/may/could/can’t

When we are sure that it’s not possible, we use: must/might/may/could/can’t

Making requests

To make requests, you can use structures such as:

o Can you … please?

o Could you … please?

o Could you possibly …?

o Would it be possible for you to …?

o Would you mind … - ing?

Possibility

We use can and could to talk about possibility

o Example:

For other tenses, and structures that require using the infinitive, we use be able to, not can

o Example:

We use could for general ability. But if we are talking about something that happened on a particular

occasion, we use “was able to...”. Example: Yesterday was the deadline for giving in my final project. I had

some problems with my computer but I was able to finish it on time.

We can also use manage to to convey the same idea: Example: ... but I managed to finish it on time.

Note: The negative couldn’t is possible in all situations

Passives

In passive sentences, the subject is not the agent of the verb. We use the passive when the agent (who did the action) is unknown, unimportant or obvious.

o Example: the child (subject) was rescued by the fire fighters (agent)

To form the passive use _____________ (in any tense or form) + _______________________ o Put examples of passive sentences in different tenses:

Have / get sth. done

We use this structure to talk about sth. that we don’t do ourselves – someone else does it for us

o Example: I’m getting my car repaired next week o Example: She had her eyes tested because she had had a lot of headaches.

Describing change

To describe changing situations, we can use structures such as be more and more + adj / be comparative +

comparative. It’s usual to use the present continuous and the present perfect when talking about changes and

tendencies. Look at your notes and write some example sentences here:

Reporting what someone has said: reported speech and reporting verbs

• The tenses change back one tense (present → past / present perfect → past perfect / past → past perfect …)

• will → would / can → could

• Change these sentences from direct speech to reported speech:

• “I’m feeling ill” – She said (that) she…

• “I didn’t have time to finish the report” -

• “They’ve never visited this country before” -

• “I’ll help you if you want” –

• “I’m going to sit at the front because I can’t hear the speaker” -

• If you report something that is still true now, it isn’t necessary to change the tenses

• Example: “I live in London” → She told me (that) she lives / lived in London

• In reported questions, the word order is the same as is an affirmative sentence

• Example: “Do you like rice?” → She asked me if I liked rice

• Example: “Where are you from?” → She asked me where I was from

• When reporting what someone has said, we can use say or tell s.o

• We can also use reporting verbs such as offer, promise, warn etc.

• Some of these verbs can be followed by that. In this case, we can change the tense (see above).

• Some verbs are followed by the infinitive

• Example:

• Some verbs are followed by the gerund

• Example:

Gerunds and infinitives

Complete the following rules with gerund or infinitive, and put the examples in the correct place:

Use the ________________ as the subject of a sentence o Example:

After a preposition, use a ________________ o Example:

After an adjective, use the ________________. o Example:

After verbs of likes and dislikes, use the ________________. o Example:

o but after would like, use ______________

Example:

Use the ________________ to explain the reason for something (the purpose). o Example:

Put these examples in the correct place ABOVE:

o He can’t stand driving in the rain. o I’d really love to study another degree o It’s easy to see why she’s so successful. o She’s gone out to buy a newspaper. o She’ s very good at organising things. o Sunbathing is bad for your skin.

Complete these rules with gerund or infinitive, and add some examples:

After certain verbs, such as deny, imagine, suggest, use the ________________. o Example: o

After certain verbs such as afford, manage, refuse, use the ________________. o Example: o

Some verbs can be followed by a gerund, or an infinitive, with a difference in meaning: remember, regret,

try, stop

be / get used to + gerund

be used to + gerund = ________________ (translation)

get used to + gerund = ________________ (translation)

be or get can be used in any tense

Note: do not confuse with used to (see past)

Talking about quantity

Make a list of quantifiers that can be used with countable and uncountable nouns: countable uncountable

Intensifiers, so + such

We can use adverbs of intensity to make adjectives stronger or weaker. Make a list of some adverbs of intensity:

We can use so or such to express emphasis: __________________ + adjective Example:

__________________ (+ adjective) + noun Example:

Other uses of so for emphasis:

o so + adverb Example: o so much / many + noun Example:

Do not confuse so / too / very : o She’s __________________ angry with you = she’s really angry with you. o She was __________________ angry that she smashed a glass on the floor. o I think she was __________________ angry – it wasn’t your fault!

Giving information - Relative clauses

A defining relative clause gives us essential information, defines or tells us what kind of … we are talking about. We don’t use commas with these clauses.

o Example:

A non-defining relative clause gives us non-essential, or extra information (the text makes sense without it). We use commas with these clauses.

o Example:

Relative pronouns:

o We use __________ for people (or that in defining relative clauses) o We use __________ for things (or that in defining relative clauses) o We use __________ for possession o We use __________ for places

Connecting ideas

Use linking words (connectors) to connect ideas. Make a list of linking words to express:

contrast

addition

consequence

giving examples

generalising

talking about exceptions

summing up

Agreeing – disagreeing

Which expressions do you remember for agreeing and disagreeing?