Saturday, 18 May 2013

Conditionals

Each type of conditional contains a different pair of tenses. With each type certain variations are
possible.

TYPE O: GENERAL CONDITIONALS.   If  Present + Present

Use this structure to talk about  HABITS AND GENERAL TRUTHS.

If-clause............... Present Simple
Main-clause...…… Present Simple

Example:

  • If you don't eat, you get hungry.
  • I go to the doctor's if I'm sick.
  • If I don´t get enough sleep, I feel tired.
  • If you mix yellow and blue, you get green.


EXERCISE 1  Practice Zero Conditionals
EXERCISE 2  Choose the right option.
EXERCISE 3 Complete the sentences


TYPE 1: PROBABLE CONDITIONALS.     If  Present + Future


This type of sentence implies that the action in the If-clause is QUITE PROBABLE.

If-clause............... Present simple

Main-clause...…... Future (will + Infinitive)

Use this structure to talk about things that may happen in the future (there is a possibility that the situation in the if-clause will happen in the future)

Examples:

  • If it rains, I will stay at home.
  • If he runs, he will get there in time.
  • I will pass my exam if I study hard.



EXERCISE 1  Choose the correct form
EXERCISE 2  Connect the sentences
EXERCISE 3  Fill the gaps


TYPE   2:  IMPROBABLE CONDITIONALS.     If  Past +  Would 


This type of sentence implies that the action in the If-clause is UNREAL(IMPOSIBLE) OR IMPROBABLE



If-clause............... Past

Main-clause...…... Would + Infinitive



Examples:
  • If I were you, I would buy that car.
  • If she had more time, she would travel more often.
  • If they won the lottery, they wouldn't work any more.
  • If I didn't want to go, I would tell you.


Sometimes, we use shouldcould or might instead of would, for example: If I won a million dollars, I could stop working.

EXERCISE 1   Fill in.
EXERCISE 2  Connect the sentences halves.
EXERCISE 3  Complete the sentences.


TYPE   3: NO POSSIBILITY  CONDITIONALS.    

 If  Past Perfect +  Would have Past Participle 


We can use the Third Conditional to talk about 'impossible' conditions, impossible because they are in the past and we cannot change what has happened.


conditionresult
Past PerfectWOULD HAVE + Past Participle
Ifshe had studiedshe would have passed the exam.
If she had studied, she would have passed the exam (but, really we know she didn't study and so she didn't pass)

Sometimes, we use should havecould havemight have instead of would have, for example: If you had bought a lottery ticket, you might have won.

ExamplesExplanation
If you had driven more carefully, you would not have had an accident.Criticism: You had an accident because you didn't drive carefully enough.
If we had played a little better, we could have won the game.Regret: We didn't play well, so we lost the game.
If you had saved your money, you could have bought a computer.Criticism: You didn't save your money, so now you can't afford a computer.
If it had snowed, we could have gone skiing.Regret: It didn't snow, so we couldn't go skiing.


Exercise 1 Conditional sentences type III
Exercise 2 Multiple choice
Exercise 3 Conditional sentences, type III - Exercise Mix 1




Tuesday, 7 May 2013

Should - Must- Have to


SHOULD - MUST - HAVE TO

We can use have to + infinitivemust + infinitive and should + infinitiveto express obligation (something you have to do).

PresentPositiveNegative
have to /
don't have to
strong obligation (possibly from outside)
  • Children have to go to school.
(sometimes 'have got to')
no obligation
  • I don't have to work on Sundays.

  • You don't have to eat anything you don't like.
must / mustn'tstrong obligation (possibly based on the speaker's opinion)
  • I must study today.
negative obligation (VERY STRONG)
  • You mustn't smoke here.
should / shouldn'tmild obligation or advice
  • You should save some money.
mild negative obligation or advice
  • You shouldn't smoke so much.

Be careful about the difference between mustn't and don't have to!
Mustn't means it's not allowed, or it's a bad idea:
  • You mustn't eat so much chocolate, you'll be sick
Don't have to means you don't need to do something, but it's fine if you want to do it:
  • I don't have to get up early at the weekend(of course, if I want to get up early, that's fine, but I can stay in bed if I want).
PastPositiveNegative
had to / didn't have toobligation in the past
  • I had to wear a school uniform when I was a child.
no obligation in the past
  • We didn't have to go to school on Saturdays.
must*changes to 'had to'-
should have + pp / shouldn't have + ppa past action which didn't happen: the advice / regret is too late
  • You should have gone to bed earlier, now you have missed the train.
a past action which didn't happen: the advice / regret is too late
  • You shouldn't have taken that job., it was a bad idea.

* Remember 'must have done' is a modal verb of deduction or speculation, not obligation in the past. For example: Julie must have left. Her coat's not here.

Let´s practice now:
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Exercise 4

Passive Voice



WHAT IS PASSIVE VOICE?

English has two voices: active and passive

The active voice is used when the subject does the action of the sentence. 

Example: My son ate a big pizza.

The passive voice is used when the subject does not do the action of the sentence. 

Example: A big pizza was eaten by my son.


We can only form a passive sentence from an active sentence when there is an object in the active sentence (transitive verbs).

The passive is formed with any verbal tense of the verb TO BE + the PAST PARTICIPLE.

Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action. It is not important or not known, however, who or what is performing the action.
Example: My car was stolen.
In the example above, the focus is on the fact that my bike was stolen. I do not know, however, who did it.
Sometimes a statement in passive is more polite than active voice, as the following example shows:
Example: A mistake was made.
In this case, I focus on the fact that a mistake was made, but I do not blame anyone (e.g. You have made a mistake.).

Form of Passive

Subject + finite form of to be + Past Participle
                                                                              (3rd column of irregular verbs)

ExampleA letter was written.
When rewriting active sentences in passive voice, note the following:
  • the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence
  • the finite form of the verb is changed (to be + past participle)
  • the subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the passive sentence (or is dropped)

Examples of Passive

TenseSubjectVerbObject
Simple PresentActive:Ritawritesa letter.
Passive:A letteris writtenby Rita.
Simple PastActive:Ritawrotea letter.
Passive:A letterwas writtenby Rita.
Present PerfectActive:Ritahas writtena letter.
Passive:A letterhas been writtenby Rita.
Future IActive:Ritawill writea letter.
Passive:A letterwill be writtenby Rita.
ModalActive:Ritacan writea letter.
Passive:A lettercan be writtenby Rita.

Personal and Impersonal Passive

Personal Passive simply means that the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. So every verb that needs an object (transitive verb) can form a personal passive.
Example: They build houses. – Houses are built.
Verbs without an object (intransitive verb) normally cannot form a personal passive sentence (as there is no object that can become the subject of the passive sentence). If you want to use an intransitive verb in passive voice, you need an impersonal construction – therefore this passive is called Impersonal Passive.
Example: He says – It is said
Impersonal Passive is not as common in English as in some other languages (e.g. German, Latin). In English,Impersonal Passive is only possible with verbs of perception (e. g. say, think, know).
Example: They say that women live longer than men. – It is said that women live longer than men.
Although Impersonal Passive is possible here, Personal Passive is more common.
Example: They say that women live longer than men. – Women are said to live longer than men.
The subject of the subordinate clause (women) goes to the beginning of the sentence; the verb of perception is put into passive voice. The rest of the sentence is added using an infinitive construction with 'to' (certain auxiliary verbs and thatare dropped).
Sometimes the term Personal Passive is used in English lessons if the indirect object of an active sentence is to become the subject of the passive sentence.
Do you want to learn more?


Ciclo Superior (Questions - Negatives)



Change statements into questions 

sentence that tells us something is a statement. In modern English, auxiliaries are the only verbs which can be put before the subject of a sentence to form questions.
  • He is a good fellow.
  • Is he a good fellow?
  • They have won the race.
  • Have they won the race?
  • The cat will kill the mice.
  • Will the cat kill the mice?
In the case of other verbs, the auxiliaries do and its forms (does and did) have to be used before the subject.
  • John enjoys playing tennis. (statement)
  • Does John enjoy playing tennis? (question)
  • Sharon makes models from clay.
  • Does Sharon make models from clay?
  • Alice goes to school by train.
  • Does Alice go to school by train?
  • The children practise the violin each morning.
  • Do the children practise the violin each morning?
  • Our team played well yesterday.
  • Did our team play well yesterday?
  • He fell from the ladder.
  • Did he fall from the ladder?
  • They went to Mumbai.
  • Did they go to Mumbai?
  • She likes to see pictures.
  • Does she like to see pictures?
  • They make good cheese.
  • Do they make good cheese?


Exercise 1   Changing statements into questions

Exercise 2 Changing statements into questions

Exercise 3 Change the following sentences into Yes/No questions

Exercise 4 QUESTION WORDS - WH QUESTIONS

Exercise 5  Wh-questions An online exercise for practicing / revising the question words

Exercise 6   Ask for the underlined part



Rewrite in Negative.                                   


The following examples show some ways to make a sentence negative in the present tense.

  • Sentence: My guests are arriving now.   Negative: My guests are not arriving now.
The negative word no:
  • Sentence: Jennie has money.                 Negative: Jennie has no money.

The contraction n’t :

  • Sentence: Janetta kisses her mom.   Negative: Janetta doesn’t kiss her mom.

Notice that when forming a negative in the present tense, the helping verb does is what signals the 3rd person singular, and the main verb "kiss" does not have an -es ending.
The following sentences show you the ways to make a sentence negative in the past tense.
  • Sentence: Paul called me yesterday.         Negative: Paul did not call me yesterday.

  • Sentence: Jamilee went to the grocery store.  Negative: Jamilee didn´t go to the grocery store.

  • Sentence: Gina laughed when she saw the huge pile of laundry.  Negative: Gina did not laugh when she saw the huge pile of laundry.
Notice that when forming a negative in the past tense, the helping verb did is what signals the past tense, and the main verb "laugh" does not have an -ed ending.



Exercise 1  48 Sentences to rewrite in negative and interrogative

Exercise 2 Exercise on negative sentences Simple Past

Exercise 3 Exercise on negative sentences Present Simple

Exercise 4  Exercise on negative sentences Simple Past

There is / There are - Some / Any



There is / There are

Estas expresiones se utilizan para expresar la cantidad de objetos o personas que se encuentran en un determinado lugar.
Ambas formas significan "Hay". La diferencia es que la primera se utiliza para el singular y la segunda para el plural.

Singular:   There is a chair in the bedroom.                 Hay una silla en el dormitorio.

Plural:   There are two chairs in the bedroom.             Hay dos sillas en el dormitorio.
En el primer caso, se hace referencia a una silla, por lo que debe usarse la forma singular.
En el segundo caso, se hace referencia a más de una silla, por lo tanto se usa la forma plural.


Some / Any


Para referirse a sustantivos incontables directamente, se usan las palabras some y any.
Como norma general, some se aplica en las oraciones afirmativas, mientras que any se usa en las oraciones interrogativas y negativas.

Interrogativa:  Is there any sugar?                       ¿Hay azúcar?

Negativa:     No, there isn't any sugar.                  No, no hay nada de azúcar.
Afirmativa:   Yes, there is some sugar.                     Sí, hay algo de azúcar.
  • Estas palabras también pueden usarse con sustantivos contables...

Is there any pencil?Hay algún lápiz?

Yes, there are some pencils.Sí, hay algunos lápices.

No, there isn't any pencil.No, no hay ningún lápiz.



Exercise 1 
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Exercise 5

There is / there are Some/any


There is / There are - Some / Any



There is / There are

Estas expresiones se utilizan para expresar la cantidad de objetos o personas que se encuentran en un determinado lugar.
Ambas formas significan "Hay". La diferencia es que la primera se utiliza para el singular y la segunda para el plural.

Singular:   There is a chair in the bedroom.                 Hay una silla en el dormitorio.

Plural:   There are two chairs in the bedroom.             Hay dos sillas en el dormitorio.
En el primer caso, se hace referencia a una silla, por lo que debe usarse la forma singular.
En el segundo caso, se hace referencia a más de una silla, por lo tanto se usa la forma plural.


Some / Any


Para referirse a sustantivos incontables directamente, se usan las palabras some y any.
Como norma general, some se aplica en las oraciones afirmativas, mientras que any se usa en las oraciones interrogativas y negativas.

Interrogativa:  Is there any sugar?                       ¿Hay azúcar?

Negativa:     No, there isn't any sugar.                  No, no hay nada de azúcar.
Afirmativa:   Yes, there is some sugar.                     Sí, hay algo de azúcar.
  • Estas palabras también pueden usarse con sustantivos contables...


Is there any pencil?Hay algún lápiz?

Yes, there are some pencils.Sí, hay algunos lápices.

No, there isn't any pencil.No, no hay ningún lápiz.



Exercise 1 
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Exercise 5