Category: Grammar

Level: Beginner-Intermediate

Form

article + countable / uncountable noun

I eat an apple for breakfast every day. (Apple is countable.)
I eat bread for breakfast every day. (Bread is uncountable.)

Usage

• You can use a/an/the with singular countable nouns.

I bought a car. (Not I bought car.)

The ostrich laid an egg.
Get the papers on my table.

• You cannot use a/an/the with uncountable nouns.

Sugar is used in making soda.

• But you can use a + ___ + of

a bottle of soda

• Generally, use (1) a definite article or (2) no article with plural nouns.

1. I like the animals at the aquarium. (animals specifically found at the aquarium)

2. I like animals. (Animals in general)

Read the text:

I saw a girl with long, curly hair. The girl is holding a box of chocolates. The girl was talking to herself while walking. I think the girl has mental issues.

• Take note that we use a/an if it is the first time we mention someone or something in a conversation. We use the if the listener already knows which specific object we are referring to in a conversation.

Other English grammar lessons can be found here.

Full infinitive: to + verb

Uses:

1. To express purpose

Example:  I eat to gain weight.

2. After the words: would + love/like/prefer

Example: I would love to go skiing with you.

3. After adjectives (angry, glad, happy, sorry, pleased, annoyed, etc.)

Example: I am pleased to see you.

4. With too or enough

He is too old to drive.

She is too young to stay home alone.

5. Repeated actions (like to +verb)

Example: I like to wash dishes.

Verb-ing

Uses:

1. Noun

Example: Walking is a good exercise.

2. After the verbs ; love, like, hate, enjoy, dislike

Example: I like washing dishes.

3. After the verbs start, begin, finish, stop

Example: You should start saving money for the trip.

4. After the verb “go” for physical activities

Example: Erin goes skiing on Sunday.

5. After certain verbs; admit; deny, mind, prefer, regret, risk, suggest

Example: I admit making a mistake of firing him.

Like to + verb VS like + verb-ing

Both can be used for repeated actions:

I like sewing baby clothes.

I like to sew baby clothes.

I don’t like being kept waiting.

I don’t like to be kept waiting.

Remember:

We use verb-ing when we talk about actions that already exist or existed.

1. I like being a mother. (I am a mother and I like it.)
2. Do you like living in Dusseldorf? (You live in Dusseldorf. Do you like it?)
3. The company I worked for was terrific. I liked working there. ( I worked there and I liked it.)

  There is a difference between like to + verb and like + verb-ing

A: I like doing something. = (I do it and I enjoy it.)

Example: I like training new employees. ( I enjoy it.)

I like giving presentations. (I enjoy giving presentations.)

B: I like to do something. = ( I think it is a good thing to do but I don’t necessarily enjoy it. )

Examples: I like to throw the trash on Fridays. (It is not a task I enjoy but I throw the trash on Fridays.)

I like to send my reports on schedule. (It is not my favorite task but I have to do it.)

The past perfect tense tells us that an action was finished at some point in the past before something else happened.

Form:

subject + had + past participle = past perfect tense

Examples:

• She had met him before the event.
• I had sent the email before he talked to me.

Usage:

There are many situations where the past perfect tense can be used, such as the following:

• To show that an action happened before something else in the past:

Example: Anthony had met Ryan before you introduced him to us at the party.

• To show that an action happened before a specific time in the past:

Example: They had gotten engaged before last year.

Remember that past perfect tense makes it clear that one thing happened before another in the past and that the order of events doesn’t matter because the tense already makes it clear which event happened first.

We use Wish and ‘If only’ when we talk about regrets – these are the things that we would like to change about the past or the present.

Usage:
There are three types of  I wish / if only  sentences:

1. Wish – wanting to change something about the present or future with the simple past.
2. Regret – used with the past perfect.
3. Complaints – used with would + verb.

Examples:

In expressing a wish:

• If only I knew how to use a smartphone.
• I wish I were a millionaire!

In expressing regret:

• If only I had gotten to work early.
• I wish I hadn’t eaten all that candy.

In expressing a complain:

• I wish you wouldn’t borrow my stuff without asking first.
• I wish you’d give up smoking soon.

We use the passive voice to show whether the subject of the sentence performs or just receives the action. If the subject does the action, it is in the active voice. On the other hand, when the subject isn’t the one performing the action and only receiving it, then the verb is in the passive voice.

Forming Passive Voice

The verb is in passive voice when it uses a verb to be and a past participle. 

Subject + Verb To Be + Past Participle

Passive Voice in Different Tenses

For this part, we will be using the verb “to do” as example and see how it is formed in passive voice in different verb tenses.

Uses

• The most important thing to remember here is to use passive voice when the focus of the topic is on the action. Consequently, it is not important or not known who or what is performing the action.

My bike was stolen.

In this sentence, the focus is that someone stole my bike and I don’t know who did it.

• Generally, a statement in the passive voice is more polite than the active voice.

A mistake was made.

In this sentence, I focused on the fact that a mistake was made, but I don’t blame anyone. Rather than saying, “You have made a mistake.”.

• Remember the following points when you are rewriting active sentences into passive voice.

1. First, the subject of the passive sentence is the object of the active sentence.
2. Secondly, the main verb is changed to: to be + past participle.
3. Lastly, the subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the passive sentence or is not included anymore.

Converting Active Voice into Passive Voice

Take a look at some examples of active sentences that are converted into passive.

Active: Andy sings the song.
Passive: The song is sung by Andy.

Active: They washed the dishes.
Passive: The dishes were washed by them.

Active: Alfred has bought a car.
Passive: A car has been bought by Alfred.

Active: Tomas will be fishing.
Passive: Fish will be caught by Tomas.

Active: Mary can ride bicycles.
Passive: Bicycles can be ridden by Mary.

Passive Voice Exercise

Answer this exercise on passive voice.

1. I will ________ by my sister.

a. accompany

b. be accompanied

c. accompanied

2. My mother ____________ an award by her company.

a. has been given 

b. has given

c. gave

3. The employees are waiting to ____.

a. promote

b. be promoted

c. be promote

4. She ________ to the hospital.

a. took

b. was taken

c. has taken

5. The rat _______ for the experiment.

a. was used

b. used

c. uses

6. The newly-elected officials _______ on 22 November 2019.

a. sworn

b. swore

c. were sworn

7. Mistakes ________.

a. have made

b. were made

c. were make

8. The door _______. 

a. been repaired

b. is been repaired

c. is being repaired

9. Some animals _______ on this road every year.

a. are kill

b. are killed

c. was killed

10. The earth ______ in gases.

a. wraps

b. is wrapped

c. are wrapped

Find the answers to this exercise here.

See also: Passive (is done/was done) and Passive (be done/been done/being done).

For additional information on this topic, check out this Grammarly Lesson.

For other English grammar lessons, go to this page.

A conditional consists of two clauses: first, is the condition or the if-clause and the main or result clause.

Mixed conditional combine elements from different types (e.g., a past condition with a present result). It is also where the tense in the main clause is different from the tense in the conditional-clause (also called if-clause).

Usage:

1. Past to Present
If I had taken an aspirin, I wouldn’t have a headache now.

2. Past to Future
If I had known that you are going to come by tomorrow, I would be in then.

3. Present to Past
If she had enough money, she could have done this trip to Hawaii.

4. Present to Future
If I were you, I would be spending my vacation in Seattle.

5. Future to Past
If I weren’t flying to Detroit, I would have planned a trip to Vancouver.

6. Future to Present
If I were taking this exam next week, I would be high-strung.

We use adverbial phrases of time, place, and frequency to describe where, when, or how often an action takes place.

Adverbial Phrases of Frequency

• In describing how often something happens, you need an adverbial phrase of frequency.

Form

• Adverbial phrases of frequency often go in present simple sentences.

He hunts rabbits every weekend.

They train every other day.

She takes classes five times a month.

Adverbial Phrases of Time

• To talk about when something happens, you need an adverbial phrase of time.

today; tomorrow; tonight; yesterday; nowadays; now; first of all; beforehand; soon; afterwards; later; next; then

Forms

• Adverbial phrases of time usually go either at the beginning or the end of a sentence or clause.

Tomorrow afternoon, I’m going to the free cities.

I’m going to the free cities tomorrow afternoon.

First of all, let’s have ale at an inn.

Let’s have ale at an inn first of all.

I’m going to the flea market and afterwards, I’m going to the citadel.

I’m going to the flea market and I’m going to the citadel afterwards.

• Use then at the beginning of a sentence or clause.

Then, we saw the pier.

She’s going to finish cooking and then she’s going to sew some dresses.

• Use soon and now at the end of a sentence.

She’s going to quit her job soon.

Arya is calling home now.

Adverbial Phrases of Place

• To describe where something happens, you need an adverbial phrase of place.

outside; inside; indoors; outdoors; upstairs; downstairs; (over) here; (over) there; abroad; overseas

Forms

• Adverbial phrases of place usually go after a verb.

They were exiled in another country.

Let’s keep them under this desk.

• They also go after the object of the sentence.

The maester works in the library upstairs.

Your horse is on the stable over there.

Adverbial Phrases Exercise

Answer this exercise on adverbial phrases.

1. She sees him ______.

a. always

b. once in a while

c. hardly

2. Jake plays football ______.

a. every week

b. all the days

c. Saturdays

3. His family lives ______.

a. in the flat upstairs

b. in the upstairs flat

c. in the above flat

4. Mrs. Jones ______ late for lessons.
a. never is

b. is never
c. always are

5. I hardly ever go shopping _______.

a. soon

b. these days

c. today

6. I _____ my homework on time. 
a. do always

b. always do

c. do never

7. She ______ her mobile phone.

a. almost always leaves

b. always almost leaves

c. leaves always

8. Tim always goes cycling ___ Sundays.

a. every

b. all the

c. on

9. I’m going to visit my family ______.

a. tomorrow tomorrow

b. the day after tomorrow
c. next next day

10. They only go out ______.

a. during occasions

b. on occasions

c. on special occasions

Find the answers to this exercise here.

See also: Adverbial Phrases of frequency, time and place and Inversion with Negative Adverbials.

For additional information on this topic, check out this Cambridge Grammar Lesson.

For other English grammar lessons, go to this page.

• who and whom for people
• which for things.
• that for people or things

Usage

• after a noun:

– The chapel that Baelor built.

– The person who discovered the prisoner’s secret .

– An eighth-grader who attempted to skip school.

• to tell more about a person or thing:

– My sister, who studied abroad, has always been insightful.

– Lord Frey, who was 98, has just died.

– We had lemon cakes, which are Sansa’s favorite.

• do not use that as a subject:

• whose as the possessive form of who:

– This is Gregor, whose brother went to war with me.

• whom / who as the object of a verb or preposition:

– This is Robb, whom you met at my daughter’s wedding. / This is Robb, who you met at my daughter’s wedding.

• whom or which after a preposition:

– I had an uncle in Westeros, from who[m] I inherited a castle.

– We brought an axe, with which we cut up all the firewood.

or

• preposition at the end of the clause:

– I had an uncle in Westeros who[m] I inherited a castle from.

– We brought an axe, which we cut all the firewood up with.

or

• that at the beginning of the clause:

– I had an uncle in Westeros that I inherited a castle from.

– We brought an axe that we cut all the firewood up with.