Mastering English Grammar: Passive Voice, Conditionals, and More

Mastering English Grammar

Passive Voice

Passive Voice:

  • Buy – is bought by
  • Are buying – is being bought
  • Bought – was bought
  • Were buying – was being bought
  • Have bought – has been bought
  • Had bought – had been bought
  • Will buy – will be bought
  • Will have bought – will have been bought
  • Are going to buy – is going to be bought
  • Can buy – can be bought
  • Has to buy – has to be bought
  • Should have bought – should have been bought

Conditionals

Conditionals:

  • Type 0: Present, Present
  • Type 1: Present + will + infinitive
  • Type 2 (Imaginary): If past simple + would, might, could + infinitive
  • Type 3: If past perfect (had lived) + would, could + past participle

Wishes

Wishes:

  • (Unhappy about) wish/if only + past simple = He wishes he took part in the experiment.
  • (Express regret about past actions) Wish/if only + past perfect simple = I wish NASA hadn’t cancelled the mission.
  • (Express a desire for something to happen in the future – impossible) Wish/if only + could/would + infinitive = I wish I could walk on the moon.

Have / Get

Have / Get:

  • The mechanic changed the oil in my car = I had the oil in my car changed by the mechanic.
  • My jacket is being cleaned at a specialist cleaner = I’m having my jacket cleaned by a specialist.

Reported Speech

Reported Speech:

  • Yes/no questions = Have you turned on the alarm? Frank asked. Frank asked if/whether I had turned on the alarm.
  • Tell, order, ask, begin, warn: Be careful with your bag, Amy said. Amy warned me to be careful with my bag.

Reported Suggestions

Reported Suggestions: Suggest, recommend, advise, invite.

  • That + subject + verb = Charge your password from time to time, Carol recommended. Carol recommended that I change my password.
  • No subject = -ing: Let’s buy a camera for his birthday, he suggested. He suggested buying a camera for his birthday.

Modal Verbs

Modal Verbs:

  • I’m sure it was Ana I saw in town as I recognized her coat – It must have been Ana I saw in town as I recognized her coat.
  • I told him he should go and speak to his mother – I told him he ought to speak to his mother.

Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal Verbs:

  • From happening
  • Wait for
  • Apply for a job
  • Run away from home
  • Give up smoking
  • Get on with your sister
  • Break up with your friend
  • Put on weight
  • Figure out a solution
  • Come down with a cold
  • Succeed in math
  • Argue with a friend
  • Drop out of school
  • Speak up at a meeting
  • Based on a novel
  • Get around by bus

Other Grammar Points

Other Grammar Points:

  • Places as; such as.
  • 2.500 – 2,500
  • … – etc, and so on.
  • Despite of; in spite of.
  • Didn’t; quitalo.
  • () – quitalo.
  • __, – Quita coma.
  • Despite tal tal; despite the fact that.
  • However, Due to; due to the fact that.
  • ,BUT – ,SO.

Verb Tenses

Verb Tenses:

  • Present Perfect Simple: have/has + 3rd column – Her English has improved since she joined EF classes. (te ha afectado en el pasado algo q sucede ahora)
  • Past Perfect Simple: (empieza y acaba en el pasado) Had + 3rd column. I had studied in India last year.
  • Present Perfect Continuous: Have/has + been + ing. (They have been talking for 3 hours – ellos estuvieron hablando 3h).
  • Past Perfect Continuous: Had + been + ing. (I had been studying for 2 years when I went to London – había estado estudiando durante 2 años ingles cuando fuí a Londres).
  • Future: Will / Future be going to