Direct and indirect quiestion

Direct Quiestion
They are the commonest, often used in informal or daily life contexts.
Example
Where is the bus stop?
Do you have some money?
Is she married?
Indirect Quiestion
They are more polite than the direct. This questions are often used in formal contexts.
They are formed of 2 parts:
A polite expresion
A question
Example
Could you tell me your surname?
Do you know if he is single?
I wonder if you know where the stairs are?
PRESENT PERFECT
The present perfect is used to describe
An action or situation that started in the past and continues in the present.
I have lived in Bristol since 1984 (= and I still do.)
They haven't lived here for years.
She has worked in the bank for five years.
We have had the same car for ten years.
Have you played the piano since you were a child

An action performed during a period that has not yet finished.

She has been to the cinema twice this week (= and the week isn't over yet.)
I have worked hard this week.
It has rained a lot this year.
We haven't seen her today.
A repeated action in an unspecified period between the past and now.
We have visited Portugal several times.
They have seen that film six times
It has happened several times already.
She has visited them frequently.
We have eaten at that restaurant many times.
An action that was completed in the very recent past, expressed by 'just'.
I have just finished my work.
Have you just finished work?
 I have just eaten.
We have just seen her.
Has he just left?
An action when the time is not important.
He has read 'War and Peace'. (= the result of his reading is important)
Someone has eaten my soup!
Have you seen 'Gone with the Wind'?
She's studied Japanese, Russian, and English.
PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE AND CONTINUOUS
Present Perfect Simple
Positive negative Quiestion
I/you/we/they I have played/spoken I have not Have I
played/spoken played/spoken?
he/she/it he has played/spoken he has not Has he
played/spoken played/spoken?
The present perfect simple expresses an action that is still going on or that stopped
recently, but has an influence on the present. It puts emphasis on the result.
The present perfect simple (Ive read) gives the idea of completion while the
present perfect continuous (Ive been reading) suggests that something is
unfinished.
Shes been writing emails for 3 hours.
Shes written 10 messages.
Present perfect continuous

+ I 've/ha bee reading a book. playing the piano.

She ve n
's/has
- You haven't listening to me.

Hav you going there for a long time?

e

Use the present perfect simple or continuous for actions/ activities which started
in the past and continue until now.
Ive studied German for six years. Ive been studying German for six years.
Often, there is little change in meaning between the two tenses (especially for
verbs such as live, work, teach, study).
Ive lived here for years. Ive been living here for years.
Use the present perfect continuous to emphasise the length or duration of an
activity.
Ive been doing yoga for years. (but Im still not very good at it)
Hes been playing football since he was three.
 As with other continuous forms, do not use the present perfect continuous with
state verbs (e.g. love, hate, enjoy, know, etc.). With these verbs, use the present
perfect simple.
Ive known him for ages. NOT Ive been knowing him for ages.
We often use for, since and How long have you ...? with the present perfect simple
and continuous.
How long have you been waiting for? She's been working here since 2010.
The passive

active passive
Present simple The shop doesn't accept creditCredit cards aren't accepted
cards. here.
Present continuous Is anyone using that computer Is that computer being used
at the moment? at the moment?
Past simple Someone told us to be here at We were told to be here at
8.00. 8.00.
Present perfect No one has asked us about the We haven't been asked
date. about the date.
Will Someone will give me a car I'll be given a car on
on my next birthday. my next birthday.

Use the active voice to talk about the things people do, e.g. Sam ate the chicken.
To make the passive, use subject + be + past participle. Use the passive voice:

To talk about what happens to things or people. Khaled has been given a prize.
When we don't know the doer (the person or thing that does the action). The
film star was murdered.
When the identity of the doer of the action is not important. This cheese s
made in Italy. (It's not important who actually makes it.)
If the doer of the action is obvious. The thief was arrested. (The police are the
only people who could arrest the thief.)

If we want to say who does/did the action, we use by. The microwave oven was
invented by Percy LeBaron Spencer.

We sometimes use the passive to emphasise a particular part of the sentence.

Compare:
Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Guggenheim Museum of Art in New York, with
The Guggenheim Museum of Art in New York was designed by Frank Lloyd
Wright.
In the second sentence, the emphasis is on Frank Lloyd Wright.
The passive is often used in newspaper reports and other formal writing.
FUTURE FORMS
Predictions/statements of fact
The auxiliary verb will is used in making predictions or simple statements of fact
about the future.
The sun will rise at 6.30 tomorrow.
Lunch break today will be 10 minutes longer than usual.
In the year 2050 all students will have their own computers in school.
If you help me, I will help you.
Intentions
The auxiliary verb going to is used in talking about intentions. (An intention is a
plan for the future that you have already thought about.)
We're going to buy a new car next month.
I'm going to work in a bank when I leave school.
Are you going to play basketball after school?
What are you going to have for lunch today?

Going to is often used in the past tense to talk about an unfulfilled intention.
Examples: I was going to study for my grammar test, but I had no time. / He was
going to call you, but he couldn't find his mobile phone. / My grandmother was
going to visit us, but she fell and broke her arm.
Arrangements
The present continuous tense is used in talking about arrangements. (An
arrangement is is a plan for the future that you have already thought about and
discussed with someone else.)
I'm meeting my mother at the airport tomorrow.
My sister's going to the dentist tomorrow.
I'm not returning home for the holidays, so I can come to your party after all!
Are you doing anything on Sunday morning?
Scheduled events
The present simple tense is usually used to refer to future events that are scheduled
(and outside of our control).
Hurry up! The train departs in 10 minutes.
I leave Frankfurt at 5 o'clock in the morning and arrive in New York
When does the meeting begin?
OPINION
Below are some phrases that you can use to help express opinions. Some of these
phrases are more appropriate for written English such as giving your opinion in
an essay whereas some can also be used in spoken English.
General Point of View
We use these words and phrases to express a point of view that is generally thought
by people:
o It is thought that...
o Some people say that...
o It is considered...
o It is generally accepted that...
Agreeing with an opinion
We use these words and phrases to agree with someone else's point of view:
o Of course.
o You're absolutely right.
o Yes, I agree.
o I think so too.
o That's a good point.
o Exactly.
o I don't think so either.
o So do I.
o I'd go along with that.
o That's true.
o Neither do I.
o I agree with you entirely.
o That's just what I was thinking.
o I couldn't agree more.
Disagreeing with an opinion
We use these words and phrases to disagree with someone else's point of view:
o That's different.
o I don't agree with you.
o However
o That's not entirely true.
o On the contrary
o I'm sorry to disagree with you, but
o Yes, but don't you think
o That's not the same thing at all.
o I'm afraid I have to disagree.
o I'm not so sure about that.
 Narrative tenses

Narrative tenses are the tenses that we use to talk about past events and to tell stories.

The most common of these is the past simple. Three other tenses, past continuous, the
past perfect simple and the past perfect continuous can help us to say what we want more
effeciently. However, it should be remembered that almost any story can be told using
the past simple.
It is often useful to look at these tenses together within the context of the function
narrating, i.e. relating past events.

Past simple
Subject + past tense
He went to the station.
Past continuous
Subject + be (past) + verb -ing
He was going to the station.
past perfect simple
Subject + had + past participle
He had gone to the station.
past perfect continuous
Subject + had + been + verb -ing
He had been going to the station.

I Wish and If only

I Wish and If only are both used to talk about regrets things that we would like to
change either about the past or the present.
Talking about the present
If only I didnt have so much homework I could go to the concert tonight. She has a lot
of homework and she cant go to the concert.
I wish you didnt live so far away.
I wish I knew what to do.
When we talk about present regrets, both wish and if only are followed by the past simple
tense. The past tense emphasises that we are talking about something unreal.
Talking about the past
I wish Id studied harder when I was at school. He didnt study harder when he
was at school.
I wish I hadnt eaten all that chocolate. I feel sick.
If only Id known you were coming.
Both wish and if only are followed by the past perfect tense when we talk about past
regrets.
Wish/if only and would
We use wish + would to talk about something in the present that we would like to change
usually something that we find annoying.
I wish you wouldnt borrow my clothes without asking.
I wish it would rain. The garden really needs some water.
I wish youd give up smoking. its really bad for you.
Present habits
Present Simple:
for regular repeated actions or states. (usually, always, normally, often)
I usually go to the gym.
She always shout at her parents.
Always + Present Continuous:
for a habit that the speaker finds annoying.
My neighbour is always moving furniture at night.
My students are always chewing gum.
Will + Infinitive:
for regular habits.
On Mondays Ill go to the gym.
At the weekends Ill have a coffee with my sister.

Past habits
used to/would/past simple
When we talk about things that happened in the past but dont happen anymore we can
do it in different ways.
Used to
We used to live in New York when I was a kid.
There didnt use to be a petrol station there. When was it built?
We can use used to to talk about past states .
I used to go swimming every Thursday when I was at school.
I used to smoke but I gave up a few years ago.
or we can use used to to talk about repeated past actions
Remember that used to is only for past states/actions that dont happen now we cant
use it for things that still happen now. Also, used to + infinitive should not be confused
with be/get used to + ing form this is covered in a separate section.
Would
Every Saturday I would go on a long bike ride.
My teachers would always say Sit down and shut up!
We can use would to talk about repeated past actions.
Often either would or used to is possible. Both of these sentences are possible.
Every Saturday, I would go on a long bike ride.
Every Saturday I used to go on a long bike ride.
However, only used to is possible when we talk about past states.
We used to live in New York when I was a kid.
We would live in New York when I was a kid.
Past simple
We went/used to go/would go to the same beach every summer.
We can use the past simple in the same way as used to and would to talk about repeated
past actions.

I had/used to have a dog called Charlie.

We can also use the past simple for past states.
I went to Egypt in 1988.
However, if something happened only once we cant use used to or would we must
use the past simple.
Articles
Use a/an (indefinite article):
The first time something is mentioned. I saw a mouse in the kitchen.
Before singular nouns. She's watching a film.
With Jobs. I'm a doctor. He's an artist.
Use the (definite article):
When there is only one of something. I see the sun.
With seas, oceans, rivers and country names that are plural or use extra words like
Kingdom, e.g. the River Danube, the Pacific Ocean, the United Kingdom
Before the names of some areas, e.g. the south of France, the coast of Italy
With superlatives. Ali was the greatest boxer.
With some defining expressions, e.g. the first, the only
In some phrases with prepositions, e.g. in the morning, at the end, by the next day
Use no article (zero article):
To talk generally about things or people. Doctors make more money than nurses.
With most names of towns, cities, and countries.
Before plural nouns. I bought six bottles of water.
In some phrases with prepositions, e.g. on Monday, at work, for lunch, on foot
With sports. I like tennis. He plays football.
Real and hypothetical conditional
Real conditional
Zero and first conditionals
Zero and first conditionals are sometimes called real conditionals because they talk
about situations which are always true, or events which are possible or probable in the
future.
Zero conditional
if/when + Present simple + Present simple
If/When You* heat water to 100 Centigrade, it boils.
here you is a general subject meaning 'anyone' or 'people in general'
Use the zero conditional to talk about a general situation, or something which is always
true (a fact).
If plants dont have water, they die. Ice melts if you heat it. (you here refers to
anyone, or people generally, not you specifically).
If/when can come at the beginning or in the middle of the sentence.
If im not in the office by 8a.m., my boss gets angry. My boss gets angry if i'm not in
the office by 8a.m.
If and when have the same meaning in zero conditional sentences. In this case if
means when this happens or every time this happens
When i'm feeling stressed, i eat chocolate. If i'm feeling stressed, i eat chocolate.
First Conditional
if/when + present simple + will/could/might + verb
If you give me your phone number Ill call you when we're ready.
When you go into the kitchen you'll see the keys on the table.

When you go into the kitchen,you'll see the keys on the table.
Use the first conditional to talk about possible situations in the future and their
consequences. If you are sure about the result, use will/won't. If you're not sure, use
could/might.
Unreal conditional
if+ past simple + would clause
If
I lived to be 100, he was the President, we bought the house, I would probably be very tired. Hed
make a lot of changes. Wed need to
sell our car.
Use the second conditional to talk about an unreal or imaginary situation and its
consequences.
In spoken English, would is contracted in the positive and negative form. Id be there if I
had time. If she had enough food, shed feed us all. Would is not usually contracted in the
question form.
If you passed your exam, would you go to university? Would you help me if I paid
you?
It is common to use other expressions in the would clause: would be able to, would need
to and would have to.
If I lost my Job, Id need to find another one!
We would have to cancel the game if it rained.
If you bought a larger quantity, wed be able to offer you a better deal.