Mastering English Grammar: Conditionals, Gerunds, and Passive Voice
Conditional Sentences
Conditional sentences express situations where one action depends on another. Here are some examples:
- If the workers had worked harder, the building would have been finished this month. (Si los trabajadores hubieran trabajado más duro, el edificio se habría terminado este mes.)
- If I work, my project grows! (Si yo trabajo, ¡mi proyecto crece!)
- If I were a civil engineer, I would calculate the building’s structural measurements.
- If they had had some materials, they would have finished the house.
- If I were a civil engineer, I would have built a skyscraper.
- If I were a civil engineer, my work would have been modernized.
- If I build a building, it would be constantly maintained.
- If I were a hydraulic engineer, I would have built a pier.
Gerunds: Verbs as Nouns
Gerunds are verb forms ending in ‘-ing’ that function as nouns. They can act as subjects, objects, or follow prepositions.
Progressive/Continuous Tenses
The present progressive/continuous tense is formed using the verb ‘to be’ (am/is/are) + the ‘-ing’ form of the main verb. This corresponds to the ‘-ando’, ‘-endo’ endings in Spanish.
Examples:
- I am teaching grammatical structures in English now.
- You are studying a new English lesson today.
- She is reading the newspaper right now.
Gerunds as Subjects and Objects
When used as a subject or object, gerunds are translated as infinitives (‘-ar’, ‘-er’, ‘-ir’ in Spanish).
Examples:
- Reading is a good way of learning about everything (subject).
- Studying needs concentration and dedication (subject).
- Smoking is bad for health (subject).
- Antonio likes finishing with his friends (object).
- My favorite occupation is watching TV (object).
- She avoids writing text messages (object).
Gerunds After Prepositions
When a verb follows a preposition (for, of, after, before, etc.), it must be in the gerund form (‘-ing’).
Examples:
- I will call you after arriving at the office.
- Please take a break before leaving.
- She feels happy about getting better grades.
- The cell phone is also used for taking pictures.
Gerunds as Adjectives
Some words ending in ‘-ing’ function as adjectives, not verbs.
Examples:
- Titanic is a very interesting film.
- There are many living organisms in the environment.
- Pollutants can be found in the surrounding air.
Contracted Clauses
Relative clauses can be contracted by adding ‘-ing’ to the verb and removing the relative pronoun (that, who, which).
Examples:
- The man operating the tractor is a skilled person (who operates).
- The car passing along the bridge belongs to the company (which passes).
- A phone is a means of connecting two or more people (that connects).
Passive Voice
The passive voice is formed using a form of the verb ‘to be’ (am, is, are, was, were, being, be) + the past participle of the main verb.
Personal Pronouns:
- I/me
- You/you
- He/him
- She/her
- It/it
- You/you (plural)
- They/them
Usage of the Passive Voice
We use the passive voice when we want to emphasize the action rather than the actor.
Example: Her money was stolen (Su dinero fue robado).
We also use the passive voice to maintain the same subject across multiple sentences.
Example: I met that woman. I was surprised at how attractive she was. (Me encontré con esa mujer. Me quedé sorprendido de lo hermosa que era.)
Example: The water is heated to a temperature of from 60° to 80° C (El agua es hervida a una temperatura de entre 60° a 80° C).
Passive Voice Exercises
- They arrested her last week: She was arrested by them last week.
- John is writing a letter: The letter is being written by him.
- They invited ten friends to the party: Ten friends were invited to the party by them.
- They have just built a new house: A new house has just been built by them.
- The police caught the thieves yesterday: The thieves were caught by the police yesterday.
- The maid will clean the entire house for tomorrow: The entire house will be cleaned by her for tomorrow.
- My brother hits me: I am hit by him.
- They have removed two cars from the street: Two cars have been removed by them from the street.
- They have just cleaned the room: The room has just been cleaned by them.
- We build a new house: The new house is built by us.
Active vs. Passive Examples
Active: They built new houses. Passive: New houses were built by them.
Active: They built three palaces for the king. Passive: Three palaces were built for the king.
Active: They closed ten schools. Passive: Ten schools were closed by them.
Active: They spent a lot of money in restaurants. Passive: Much money was spent in restaurants by them.
Active: They make CDs in Japan. Passive: CDs are made in Japan.
Active: People use wallets for money. Passive: Wallets are used for money.
Active: He invented television in 1924. Passive: Television was invented by him in 1924.
Active: They sell cheese at that store. Passive: Cheese is sold at that store.
Active: They consume a lot of food. Passive: Much food is consumed by them.
Active: They build airplanes in that factory. Passive: Airplanes are built in that factory.
Active: They grow a lot of fruit in the region. Passive: Much fruit is grown in that region.
Active: They make the newspaper from recycled paper. Passive: The newspaper is made from recycled paper.
Active: Everyone celebrated the beginning of 2000. Passive: The beginning of 2000 was celebrated by everyone.