English Grammar Essentials: Modals, Passive, Reported Speech
Modal Verbs
Ability
- Can (Present)
- Could (Past)
Permission
- Can
- Could
- May
- Would (Used in polite requests, e.g., Would you mind…?)
Obligation
- Must (Internal obligation)
- Have to (External obligation)
- Didn’t have to (Expresses lack of obligation in the past)
Prohibition
- Mustn’t
- Can’t / Couldn’t
Deduction
- Must (Strong certainty, positive)
- Can’t (Strong certainty, negative)
Advice
- Should
- Ought to
- Had better (Stronger advice, often implies negative consequence)
- Shall (Often used in questions for suggestions/offers, e.g., Shall
Essential English Grammar and Usage: A Quick Reference
Essential English Grammar and Usage
We ate spicy food last night. Did you like it?
We saw Zack yesterday. We didn’t see him today.
She reads her book every night.
They’re shopping for clothes at the moment.
I’m having a coffee with my friend this afternoon.
I prefer chocolate ice cream.
Melon is sweeter than orange.
Curry is the tastiest food in the world.
Pizza is just as popular as pasta in our country.
This melon isn’t as sweet as the one I ate earlier.
Students have to use the teachers’ surnames.
They had
Read MoreEnglish Sentence Transformation Exercises
Sentence Rewriting Practice: Using Keywords
Rewrite these sentences using the words in brackets:
- It’s been a long time since I last saw Paul. (for) I haven’t seen Paul for a long time.
- I didn’t hear from him for ten years. I received his email. (when) I hadn’t heard from him for ten years when I received his email.
- She started studying Drama three years ago. (been) She has been studying Drama for three years.
- She studied German for three years. Then she moved to Berlin. (after) After she had studied
Mastering Possessive Adjectives and Question Words
Possessive Adjectives Practice
- Where is our classroom? We can’t find it.
- Susan, is that your pen on the table?
- A: What is your name? B: My name is Thomas.
- I think this is her book. She dropped it on the floor.
- Their names are Kevin and Stewart. They are my friends.
- He forgot to write his name on the test!
- A: What is your phone number? B: My phone number is 555-9826.
- Did the cat eat all of its food?
- The children are crying because they can’t find their toys.
- Mariam and Jennifer like their new teacher.
- I
London and Greenlake: A Traveler’s Review
I recently visited the beautiful city of London and the charming town of Greenlake, and I want to share my experiences with you.
London: A Vibrant Metropolis
I was impressed by how clean London was. The streets and parks were well maintained, and everything looked tidy. Furthermore, the food was also great! There were many interesting things to do.
Challenges in London
Even though I had a great time, some things were not perfect. The weather was very cold, and it rained a lot. This made it difficult
Read MoreSocial Media Impact, CA Rail Project & E-Cigarette Health Risks
Facebook’s Impact on Users
Questions and Answers
- Based on the text:
- a) False. “Facebook can be a fun, healthy activity…”
- b) False. “A second study, completely independent from the first…”
- c) True. “A second study, completely independent from the first… than close friends or family.”
- d) True. “People may choose… romantic partners.”
Synonyms
- a) jealous — envious
- b) entertaining — fun
- c) teammate — colleague
- d) forecast — predict
- e) exactly — accurately
Sentence Completion
- a) They asked us if we