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Start Speaking in grammatically correct English

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Start Speaking in grammatically correct English

  •           This module mainly focuses on application of what we have learnt rather than theoretical study.  Here you start to speak with yourself first to break the ice in you and then start to converse in English with others.  Speaking in Grammatically correct English not means speaking Shakespearean English, the Exact motto is to make our words easily understandable by others.
  • There is no shortcut for learning grammatically correct English. It takes time to understand and put to use the rules of English grammar. But, there are ways to remember the grammar to help you speak correctly.
  • Try to speak English the way you write it. Spoken English is pretty relaxed and you can get away with grammatical errors most of the time, but it pays to speak correctly. Hence, the golden rule would be to talk just the way you would write it.

Tense

Start with working on the tense. Tense dictates the verb. It defines the timeline of action. You have to memorise the verb forms. Truth is we do not use all the tenses in spoken English. Interact with good English speakers to get the hang of which of the tenses are actually used.

Common Pronoun usage He/Him, She/Her, They/Them, We/Us, I/Me

 

I, He, she, they and we are subject pronouns. When the subject is doing the action you use these pronouns.

 

Example: I spoke to her.

 

Me, him, her, them and us are object pronouns. These pronouns do not do an action. They simply receive an action.

 

Example: Give it to me.

Never start a sentence with me. If there are two or more people involved, always start with other people’s name and end with referring you as ‘I’.

Example: Raj, Sanvi and I went to a movie.

 

 

Voice

  • Active voice is simple to frame and speak. Active voice has a subject as the doer of the action.
  • Remember that whenever you change a sentence from active to passive voice, the subject and the object swap. And if that involves the pronouns, they will swap to their relative object or subject pronoun form.

Example:

Wrong: The movie was gone to by Raj, Sanvi and me.

Right: The movie was watched by Raj, Sanvi and me.

 

Prepositions

  • Preposition brings out the relationship of an object to its surroundings. Preposition is always followed by the object of the sentence. So first the P and then the O.
  • Strictly speaking, you should never end a sentence in preposition. But spoken English is very forgiving in that regard. 

Few other miscellaneous tips

Questions tags are always opposite in sense to the question. If the question is positive, the tag will be negative.

Example:       You didn’t do it, did you?

                        He came last night, didn’t he?

 

  • ‘Does’ is answered by ‘s’ in the verb form. ‘Does’ is used for singular.
  • ‘Do’ is answered by the present tense of the verb and is used for plural.

Examples:

What does he do? He teaches.

What do they do? They dance.

 

 

The machine does the drying by spinning.

The machines do the drying by spinning.

These tips are just guidelines and not mathematical formulae where substituting one verb with another gives a new sentence. These rules are purely for understanding. Listening to native English is one of the proven ways to improve your grammar and spoken English.

10 tips to make your words and sentences in English flow like a charming river.

  1. Think in English


The mind is a powerful tool. Use it. Speak to yourself in English and let your thoughts about everything from the local train to the shopping list be in English. Even if you do nothing else, do this!

 

  1. Do not translate from your native language to English

If you do not know the correct sentence or phrase in English, do not ever translate from your native tongue. Doing this will not take you any further in your learning plus you end up becoming a joke. So, find out what the correct usage is by reading or asking someone.

 

  1. Speak English at every opportunity

 

Don’t worry if it doesn’t sound perfect at first. It’s like driving – initially, the traffic lights and other vehicles will give you a scare but after some practice, you can do it without thinking.

 

 

  1. Learn sentences or phrases – don’t concentrate on single words

Instead of concentrating on learning new words by themselves, try using them in a sentence. Learn as sentences, not single words. The aim is to get comfortable speaking; improving your vocabulary is a different lesson.

  1. Listen to others speaking English 

Listen, listen, listen. Whether it is the radio or the television or a movie. Or a colleague or teacher who speaks good English. Keep listening. This will help you improve pronunciation and accent. Do not imagine that your speaking skills can be enhanced through reading alone.

6. Learn how to say the same thing differently

As with other languages, so in English, one sentence can be framed in multiple ways, all conveying the same meaning. Learning these will help you form clearer and simpler sentences.

 

  1. Make sure there is someone to correct you if you go wrong


Making mistakes is natural. So there must be someone to correct your English. Speaking it incorrectly for a long time will imprint it in the brain and it’ll be hard to correct later.

  1. Do not lose confidence


It is common to lose your drive along the way but if you keep seeing results, no matter how tiny, it will keep up your motivation. So keep note of the little achievements and soon, they’ll add up to a big one – fluent spoken English!

 

  1. Keep it simple

Do not complicate your goals by trying to accomplish too much. Reading, writing, spelling, vocabulary – they will all come in due course. Your goal is to speak better English. Stick to it.

 

  1. And most of all, have fun!

If you imagine learning English as a fun contest or race, the sooner you will reach the end. So take joy in it and enjoy each moment of learning. If you look upon it as torture, that is what it will be and you wouldn’t make much progress.

 


Vocabulary

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Vocabulary

Vocabulary is defined as the amount of words we know in a particular language.  In particular, to improve vocabulary we must start learning the root words to develop more words.  As one root word gives rise to many different words with different meanings.  A person’s language skill can be measured by getting to know how strong your vocabulary is.

Why learn English vocabulary?         

  • There is no denying that English is the language of the world, its importance is such that it is linked to different areas of life. Whether for entertainment, communication simple or more serious issues such as science and business, English is present in every day of our lives, we know it or not there. It is for this reason to know or expand our vocabulary in this respect is of utmost importance, in the case of travelers, for example, they need to know basic terms to gain a understanding and to establish a communication, even rustic, with locals where to go, especially if it comes to countries like Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, where English is the native language or at least one of the most important.Globally, English happens to be the official language, which is why when you visit any other country using English is much more efficient than trying to communicate in the local language, provided that no one has a good flow of course. So now you know if you want to explore the world do it hand in hand with language that will help establish better communications.

 

English in England

Because England is the birthplace of English, no better place to learn this language, especially if one considers that English are people of great sense of humor and courtesy.

English in United States

United States is another good option to learn this language, although intonation may vary slightly from British English, the meaning is very similar.

  1. analysis:

    abstract separation of a whole into its constituent parts

  2. approach:

    move towards

  3. area:

    the extent of a two-dimensional surface within a boundary

  4. assessment:

    the act of judging a person or situation or event

  5. assume:

    take to be the case or to be true

  6. authority:

    the power or right to give orders or make decisions

  7. available:

    obtainable or accessible and ready for use or service

  8. benefit:

    something that aids or promotes well-being

  9. concept:

    an abstract or general idea inferred from specific instances

  10. consistent:

    the same throughout in structure or composition

  11. consistutial:

    existing as an essential characteristic

  12. context:

    the set of facts or circumstances that surround a situation

  13. contract:

    a binding agreement that is enforceable by law

  14. create:

    bring into existence

  15. data:

    collection of facts from which conclusions may be drawn

  16. definition:

    concise explanation of the meaning of a word or phrase

  17. derived:

    formed or developed from something else; not original

  18. distribution:

    the act of spreading or apportioning

  19. economic:

    of or relating to production and management of wealth

  20. environment:

    the totality of surrounding conditions

  21. established:

    brought about or set up or accepted

  22. estimate:

    judge tentatively

  23. evidence:

    knowledge on which to base belief

  24. export:

    sell or transfer abroad

  25. factor:

    anything that contributes causally to a result

  26. financial:

    involving fiscal matters

  27. formula:

    a group of symbols that make a mathematical statement

  28. function:

    what something is used for

  29. identified:

    having the identity known or established

  30. income:

    the financial gain accruing over a given period of time

  31. indicate:

    designate a place, direction, person, or thing

  32. individual:

    being or characteristic of a single thing or person

  33. interpretation:

    the act of expressing something in an artistic performance

  34. involved:

    connected by participation or association or use

  35. issue:

    some situation or event that is thought about

  36. labour:

    productive work (especially physical work done for wages)

  37. legal:

    established by or founded upon law or official rules

  38. legislation:

    the act of making or enacting laws

  39. major:

    greater in scope or effect

  40. method:

    a way of doing something, especially a systematic way

  41. occur:

    come to pass

  42. percent:

    a proportion in relation to a whole

  43. period:

    an amount of time

  44. policy:

    a plan of action adopted by an individual or social group

  45. principle:

    a basic generalization that is accepted as true

  46. procedure:

    a particular course of action intended to achieve a result

  47. process:

    a particular course of action intended to achieve a result

  48. required:

    necessary by rule

  49. research:

    a seeking for knowledge

  50. response:

    the speech act of continuing a conversational exchange

  51. role:

    the actions and activities assigned to a person or group

  52. section:

    one of several parts or pieces that fit with others

  53. sector:

    a particular aspect of life or activity

  54. significant:

    rich in implication

  55. similar:

    having the same or nearly the same characteristics

  56. source:

    the place where something begins

  57. specific:

    stated explicitly or in detail

  58. structure:

    a complex entity made of many parts

  59. theory:

    a belief that can guide behavior

  60. variable:

    something that is likely to change


Thorough knowledge about Grammar

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Thorough knowledge about Grammar

 1. Don’t study grammar too much

 

This rule might sound strange to many ESL students, but it is one of the most important rules. If you want to pass examinations, then study grammar. However, if you want to become fluent in English, then you should try to learn English without studying the grammar.

Studying grammar will only slow you down and confuse you. You will think about the rules when creating sentences instead of naturally saying a sentence like a native. Remember that only a small fraction of English speakers know more than 20% of all the grammar rules. Many ESL students know more grammar than native speakers. I can confidently say this with experience. I am a native English speaker, majored in English Literature, and have been teaching English for more than 10 years. However, many of my students know more details about English grammar than I do. I can easily look up the definition and apply it, but I don’t know it off the top of my head.

I often ask my native English friends some grammar questions, and only a few of them know the correct answer. However, they are fluent in English and can read, speak, listen, and communicate effectively.

2. Learn and study phrases

 

Many students learn vocabulary and try to put many words together to create a proper sentence. It amazes me how many words some of my students know, but they cannot create a proper sentence. The reason is because they didn’t study phrases. When children learn a language, they learn both words and phrases together. Likewise, you need to study and learn phrases.

If you know 1000 words, you might not be able to say one correct sentence. But if you know 1 phrase, you can make hundreds of correct sentences. If you know 100 phrases, you will be surprised at how many correct sentences you will be able to say. Finally, when you know only a 1000 phrases, you will be almost a fluent English speaker.

The English Speaking Basics section is a great example of making numerous sentences with a single phrase. So don’t spend hours and hours learning many different words. Use that time to study phrases instead and you will be closer to English fluency.

Don’t translate

When you want to create an English sentence, do not translate the words from your Mother tongue. The order of words is probably completely different and you will be both slow and incorrect by doing this. Instead, learn phrases and sentences so you don’t have to think about the words you are saying. It should be automatic.

Another problem with translating is that you will be trying to incorporate grammar rules that you have learned. Translating and thinking about the grammar to create English sentences is incorrect and should be avoided.

3. Reading and Listening is NOT enough. Practice Speaking what you hear!

 

Reading, listening, and speaking are the most important aspects of any language. The same is true for English. However, speaking is the only requirement to be fluent. It is normal for babies and children to learn speaking first, become fluent, then start reading, then writing. So the natural order is listening, speaking, reading, then writing.

First Problem
Isn’t it strange that schools across the world teach reading first, then writing, then listening, and finally speaking? Although it is different, the main reason is because when you learn a second language, you need to read material to understand and learn it. So even though the natural order is listening, speaking, reading, then writing, the order for ESL students is reading, listening, speaking, then writing.

Second Problem
The reason many people can read and listen is because that’s all they practice. But in order to speak English fluently, you need to practice speaking. Don’t stop at the listening portion, and when you study, don’t just listen. Speak out loud the material you are listening to and practice what you hear. Practice speaking out loud until your mouth and brain can do it without any effort. By doing so, you will be able to speak English fluently.

4. Submerge yourself

 

Being able to speak a language is not related to how smart you are. Anyone can learn how to speak any language. This is a proven fact by everyone in the world. Everyone can speak at least one language.                        Whether you are intelligent, or lacking some brain power, you are able to speak one language.

This was achieved by being around that language at all times. In your country, you hear and speak your language constantly. You will notice that many people who are good English speakers are the ones who studied in an English speaking school. They can speak English not because they went to an English speaking school, but because they had an environment where they can be around English speaking people constantly.

There are also some people who study abroad and learn very little. That is because they went to an English speaking school, but found friends from their own country and didn’t practice English.

You don’t have to go anywhere to become a fluent English speaker. You only need to surround yourself with English. You can do this by making rules with your existing friends that you will only speak English. You can also carry around an iPod and constantly listen to English sentences. As you can see, you can achieve results by changing what your surroundings are. Submerge yourself in English and you will learn several times faster.

5. Study correct material

 

A common phrase that is incorrect is, “Practice makes perfect.” This is far from the truth. Practice only makes what you are practicing permanent. If you practice the incorrect sentence, you will have perfected saying the sentence incorrectly. Therefore, it is important that you study material that is commonly used by most people.

Another problem I see is that many students study the news. However, the language they speak is more formal and the content they use is more political and not used in regular life. It is important to understand what they are saying, but this is more of an advanced lesson that should be studied after learning the fundamental basics of English.

Studying English with a friend who is not a native English speaker is both good and bad. You should be aware of the pros and cons of speaking with a non native speaking friend. Practicing with a non native person will give you practice. You can also motivate each other and point out basic mistakes. But you might pick up bad habits from one another if you are not sure about what are correct and incorrect sentences. So use these practice times as a time period to practice the correct material you studied. Not to learn how to say a sentence.

In short, study English material that you can trust, that is commonly used, and that is correct.


Antonyms & Synonyms

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Antonyms & Synonyms

In our school days we would have gone through words like meanings and opposites.  They have been updated with new terms like synonyms and antonyms.  But what’s the difference between synonym and meaning?  The answer is meaning gives you just the meaning in few describing words.  But synonyms gives you the exact equivalent word for the given word.  It applies for antonym too.

An antonym is a word that is the opposite meaning of another. It comes from the Greek words “anti” for opposite and “onym” for name. Since language is complex, people may at times, disagree on what words are truly opposite in meaning to other words.

  • Achieve x Fail
  • Idle x Active
  • Afraid x Confident
  • Ancient x Modern
  • Arrive x Depart
  • Arrogant x Humble
  • Ascend x Descend
  • Attack x Defend
  • Blunt x Sharp
  • Brave x Cowardly
  • Cautious x Careless
  • Complex x Simple
  • Compliment x Insult
  • Crazy x Sane
  • Crooked x Straight
  • Decrease x Increase
  • Demand x Supply
  • Destroy x Create
  • Divide x Unite
  • Drunk x Sober
  • Expand x Contract
  • Freeze x Boil
  • Full x Empty
  • Generous x Stingy
  • Giant x Dwarf
  • Gloomy x Cheerful
  • Guilty x Innocent
  • Hire x Fire
  • Include x Exclude
  • Individual x Group
  • Innocent x Guilty
  • Knowledge x Ignorance
  • Liquid x Solid
  • Major x Minor
  • Marvelous x Terrible
  • Mature x Immature
  • Maximum x Minimum
  • Noisy x Quiet
  • Optimist x Pessimist
  • Ordinary x Extraordinary
  • Partial x Complete
  • Passive x Active
  • Permanent x Unstable
  • Plentiful x Sparse
  • Positive x Negative
  • Powerful x Weak
  • Praise x Criticism
  • Private x Public
  • Problem x Solution
  • Professional x Amateur
  • Profit x Loss
  • Quality x Inferiority
  • Random x Specific
  • Rigid x Flexible
  • Segregate x Integrate
  • Shame x Honor
  • Simple x Complicated
  • Single x Married
  • Strength x Weakness
  • Sunny x Cloudy
  • Superb x Awful
  • Temporary x Permanent
  • Timid x Bold
  • Toward x Away
  • Tragic x Comic
  • Transparent x Opaque
  • Triumph x Defeat
  • Union x Separation
  • Unique x Common
  • Upset x Relaxed
  • Urge x Deter
  • Vacant x Occupied
  • Vague x Definite
  • Vertical x Horizontal
  • Villain x Hero
  • Visible x Invisible
  • Wax x Wane
  • Wealth x Poverty

Synonyms:

Synonyms can provide you with variety in speech or writing. There are endless examples of synonyms, making it easy for you to avoid overusing the same word and sounding repetitive. Some examples of synonyms include the following:

  • Amazing, astounding, surprising, stunning
  • Annihilation, destruction, carnage, extinction
  • Benefit, profit, revenue, yield
  • Brave, courageous, valiant, heroic
  • Center, middle, inside, midpoint
  • Cunning, keen, sharp, slick
  • Destitute, poor, bankrupt, impoverished
  • Deterioration, pollution, defilement, adulteration
  • Enormous, huge, gigantic, massive
  • Evil, bad, wicked, vile, malicious
  • Fertile, fruitful, abundant, productive
  • House, dwelling, abode, domicile
  • Hungry, ravenous, empty
  • Injured, damaged, wounded, harmed
  • Intelligent, clever, brilliant, knowledgeable
  • Look, glance, see, gaze, stare
  • Loyal, faithful, ardent, devoted
  • Old, elderly, aged, senior
  • Organization, institution, management
  • Partner, associate, colleague, companion
  • Polite, courteous, cordial, gracious
  • Quick, fast, swift, speedy, rapid
  • Risky, dangerous, perilous, treacherous
  • Sleepy, drowsy, listless, sluggish
  • True, correct, right, accurate, exact
  • Under, below, beneath, lower
  • Vacant, empty, deserted, uninhabited
  • Woman, lady, female, girl
  • Wet, damp, moist, soaked, soggy


Common Errors

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Common Errors

By learning some basic grammar one could easily spot some common errors in the sentence.  Once we get used to those rules we need not memorise everything and there is no need to refer it each and every time.

Below are some of the most common English mistakes made by ESL students, in speech and in writing. Go through the examples and make sure you understand the corrections. Then try the grammar test at the end to check your progress.

 

Wrong I have visited Niagara Falls last weekend.
Right I visited Niagara Falls last weekend.

 

Wrong The woman which works here is from Japan.
Right The woman who works here is from Japan.

 

Wrong She’s married with a dentist.
Right She’s married to a dentist.

 

Wrong She was boring in the class.
Right She was bored in the class.

 

Wrong I must to call him immediately.
Right I must call him immediately.

 

Wrong Every students like the teacher.
Right Every student likes the teacher.

 

Wrong Although it was raining, but we had the picnic.
Right Although it was raining, we had the picnic.

 

Wrong I enjoyed from the movie.
Right I enjoyed the movie.

 

Wrong I look forward to meet you.
Right I look forward to meeting you.

 

Wrong I like very much ice cream.
Right I like ice cream very much.

 

Wrong She can to drive.
Right She can drive.

 

Wrong Where I can find a bank?
Right Where can I find a bank?

 

Wrong I live in United States.
Right I live in the United States.

 

Wrong When I will arrive, I will call you.
Right When I arrive, I will call you.

 

Wrong I’ve been here since three months.
Right I’ve been here for three months.

 

Wrong My boyfriend has got a new work.
Right My boyfriend has got a new job. (or just “has a new job”)

 

Wrong She doesn’t listen me.
Right She doesn’t listen to me.

 

Wrong You speak English good.
Right You speak English well.

 

Wrong The police is coming.
Right The police are coming.

 

Wrong The house isn’t enough big.
Right The house isn’t big enough.

 

Wrong You should not to smoke.
Right You should not smoke.

 

Wrong Do you like a glass of wine?
Right Would you like a glass of wine?

 

Wrong There is seven girls in the class.
Right There are seven girls in the class.

 

Wrong I didn’t meet nobody.
Right I didn’t meet anybody.

 

Wrong My flight departs in 5:00 am.
Right My flight departs at 5:00 am.

 

Wrong I promise I call you next week.
Right I promise I’ll call you next week.

 

Wrong Where is post office?
Right Where is the post office?

 

Wrong Please explain me how improve my English.
Right Please explain to me how to improve my English.

 

Wrong We studied during four hours.
Right We studied for four hours.

 

Wrong Is ready my passport?
Right Is my passport ready?

 

Wrong You cannot buy all what you like!
Right You cannot buy all that you like!

 

Wrong She is success.
Right She is successful.

 

Wrong My mother wanted that I be doctor.
Right My mother wanted me to be a doctor.

 

Wrong The life is hard!
Right Life is hard.

 

Wrong How many childrens you have?
Right How many children do you have?

 

Wrong My brother has 10 years.
Right My brother is 10 (years old).

 

Wrong I want eat now.
Right I want to eat now.

 

Wrong You are very nice, as your mother.
Right You are very nice, like your mother.

 

Wrong She said me that she liked you.
Right She told me that she liked you.

 

Wrong My husband engineer.
Right My husband is an engineer.

 

Wrong I came Australia to study English.
Right I came to Australia to study English.

 

Wrong It is more hot now.
Right It’s hotter now.

 

Wrong You can give me an information?
Right Can you give me some information?

 

Wrong They cooked the dinner themself.
Right They cooked the dinner themselves.

 

Wrong Me and Johnny live here.
Right Johnny and I live here.

 

Wrong I closed very quietly the door.
Right I closed the door very quietly.

 

Wrong You like dance with me?
Right Would you like to dance with me?

 

Wrong I go always to school by subway.
Right I always go to school by subway.

 

Wrong If I will be in London, I will contact to you.
Right If I am in London, I will contact you.

 

Wrong We drive usually to home.
Right We usually drive home.

 

 


Active & Passive Voice

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Active & Passive Voice

A sentence is said to be in active form if it begins with a subject and ends with an object stating the verb directly.  In other words, the action is being directly said by whom it has been done.

In passive voice the statement appears as an instruction or order.  Like “let the rule be followed” in the above example it is just said as an order to be followed and not specifically by whom it has to be followed.

1. What is the “voice” in a sentence?

In English, we can use active or passive verbs to determine the focus of a sentence. These form the voices of a sentence: the active voice and the passive voice. Most of the time, we write and speak in the active voice because it is the clearest and easiest way to share information. In general, teachers encourage students to avoid the passive voice in their writing, though there are exceptions.

 

2. Active and Passive Verbs

Voice is determined by the way that a verb is used in a sentence- its active form or its passive form.

  • An active verb results in the subject doing the action in the sentence
  • A passive verb results in the subject being acted upon, formed by the verb “to be” and the past participle form of the main verb in the sentence.

 

 

Here is a chart to help you see the difference between the use of active and passive verbs.

Sentences with ACTIVE VERBS Sentences with PASSIVE VERBS
The fox ate pancakes. Pancakes were eaten by the fox.
He is eating dinner. Dinner is being eaten by him.
Today the fox took a test. Today a test was taken by the fox.
Many foxes can speak Spanish. Spanish is spoken by many foxes.
I made the cookies. The cookies were made by me.
Very few people own pet foxes Pet foxes are owned by very few people.
You can cook popcorn on the stove. Popcorn can be cooked on the stove.

 

As you can see, all of the passive sentences include the verb “to be” and the past participle form of the main verb. The active sentences only have the active form of the main verb.

 

3. Types of Voice

As you now know, a sentence’s verb determines which type of voice it will use: the active or the passive.

a. Active Voice

  • In English, the best way to write and speak is almost always with the active voice. Basically, the active voice puts emphasis on the most important part of the sentence, so it’s the clearest, most direct way to share information.

 

  • With the active voice, the subject acts, so we can say that the subject is being “active.”

 

  • In other words, the subject does the action to the object: A does B to C. Like this:
          • The dog burned the popcorn.

Active Voice

 

Here, the dog (S) burned (V) the popcorn (O). You can see that the verb comes immediately after the subject. Let’s try another:

 

  • He bit my hand. Active Voice

 

Here, he (S) bites (V) the hand (O); “he” does the action “bite.”

b. Passive Voice

  • Since we usually write and speak using the active voice, it’s important to know about its opposite: the passive voice. You’ve probably heard that the passive voiceis “bad,” but may not know why. The main reason is that the passive voice changes the focus of a sentence by stating its meaning in a less direct way.

 

  • With the passive voice, the subject is acted upon, so we can say that the subject is being “passive”in the sentence. It receives the action instead of doing it and “gets” the verb from the object: A gets B by C. Look at these sentences:

 

Eg:

  • The popcorn was burned by the dog. Passive voice

 

  • The dog burned the popcorn. Active Voice

 

 

Here, “popcorn” is the focus because it’s the subject in the sentence: “popcorn” gets “burned” by the dog. But the second sentence is the clearer way to share this information, directly telling who did what.

With the passive voice, sometimes the subject is undefined, so it’s unclear what is “doing” the verb in the sentence, like this:

  • My hand was bitten. Passive voice

 

Here, we don’t know who or what does the biting in the sentence, just that the hand “gets” bitten. This also puts the emphasis of the sentence on “bitten.” Really, the writer wants to say that the hand was bitten by someone. So let’s add an object:

 

  • My hand was bitten by the dog. Passive voice

 

  • The dog bit my hand. Active Voice

 

Here, we know who did the biting, but it’s still an indirect way of sharing the situation because the hand “gets” bitten by the dog. We can avoid this type of problem by using the active voice.

 

4. How to Avoid the Passive Voice

As a rule, the best way to form a successful sentence is by using the active voice. While the passive voice is grammatically correct, most of the time you should avoid it because there is a clearer way to write your sentence.

 

Sometimes, people think that the passive voice sounds more elegant or formal, since the active voice is the most direct (and usually shortest) way to say something. But, making a sentence longer doesn’t always make it better— in most cases, it’s unnecessary and can make your writing:

 

  • unclear or harder to follow
  • focus on the wrong part of a statement or
  • sound strange.

An easy way to identify the passive voice is by finding the verb in the sentence and looking at its form. With the passive voice, the verb is combined with “to be,” like this:

 

  • The popcorn was eaten by the dog (was + eaten) = PASSIVE VOICE

 

  • The popcorn has been eaten by the dog (has been + eaten) = PASSIVE VOICE

To make the sentence active, we want to remove the passive version of the verb and “to be,” and be more direct, like this:

  • The dog ate the popcorn(ate, no verb “to be”) = ACTIVE VOICE

 

By using the active voice instead of the passive voice, your writing will be clearer, more concise, and overall more effective.

 

5. When is it Okay to Use the Passive Voice?

You may be wondering: if the passive voice is so bad, why does it even exist? The passive voice may have a bad reputation in English writing, but the truth is there are some cases where the passive voice is a better choice. For example, in formal documents, research reports, and other similar works, the action or the object is often the most important thing in the sentence. In those cases, the passive voice expresses meaning better, since the active voice focuses on whom or what does the action. Imagine a report discussing new discoveries about trees:

 

  • Other scientists reviewed the research about trees. Active voice: wrong emphasis

 

  • The research about trees was reviewed by other scientists. Passive voice: better choice

 

The important information here is that the research was reviewed. Because the report is about trees, NOT about the “other scientists,” “other scientists” shouldn’t be the focus of the sentence. Since the passive voice puts the emphasis on “research about trees” and the verb “reviewed,” it is the better choice for this situation.

Furthermore, we sometimes use the passive voice when we want to emphasize an object (what) rather than a subject (who). Read these examples:

  • The fox’s cozy home was visited by many of his friends. Passive Voice        

 

  • Many friends visited the fox’s cozy home. Active voice

 

Depending on the author’s intentions, both of these sentences are correct. In the first sentence, the focus is on the underlined phrase, “the fox’s cozy home.” If the author wants the focus to be about “the fox’s cozy home” (what), then the passive voice is the better choice. But, if the author wants to focus to be on the “many friends” that visit the home (who), then the active voice is the right choice.

 

Let’s add to these sentences to make it clearer:

 

  • The fox’s cozy home was visited by many of his friends. It was filled with comfortable chairs, there was always a warm fire, and it smelled like cookies.

 

  • Many friends visited the fox’s cozy home. Badgers, rabbits, hedgehogs, field mice, and even frogs went there to hang out.

 

So, as you can see, in the first sentence the author uses the passive voice to focus on the cozy home, because the overall focus of the writing is the home. In the second sentence, we need the active voice because the focus should be on the friends.

 

 


Direct and Indirect Sentences

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Direct and Indirect Sentences

DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH

We often have to give information about what people say or think. In order to do this you can use direct or quoted speech, or indirect or reported speech.

Direct Speech / Quoted Speech

  • Saying exactly what someone has said is called direct speech (sometimes called quoted speech)
  • Here what a person says appears within quotation marks (“…”) and should be word for word.

For example:

She said, “Today’s lesson is on presentations.”

or

“Today’s lesson is on presentations”, she said.

Indirect Speech / Reported Speech

  •  Indirect speech (sometimes called reported speech), doesn’t use quotation marks to enclose what the person said and it doesn’t have to be word for word.
  • When reporting speech the tense usually changes. This is because when we use reported speech, we are usually talking about a time in the past (because obviously the person who spoke originally spoke in the past). The verbs therefore usually have to be in the past too.

For example:

Direct speech Indirect speech
“I’m going to the cinema”, he said. He said he was going to the cinema.

 

Tense change

As a rule when you report something someone has said you go back a tense: (the tense on the left changes to the tense on the right):

Direct speech   Indirect speech
Present simple 
She said, “It’s cold.”		 Past simple 
She said it was cold.
Present continuous 
She said, “I’m teaching English online.”		 Past continuous 
She said she was teaching English online.
Present perfect simple 
She said, “I’ve been on the web since 1999.”		 Past perfect simple
She said she had been on the web since 1999.
Present perfect continuous 
She said, “I’ve been teaching English for seven years.”		 Past perfect continuous 
She said she had been teaching English for seven years.
Past simple 
She said, “I taught online yesterday.”		 Past perfect 
She said she had taught online yesterday.
Past continuous 
She said, “I was teaching earlier.”		 Past perfect continuous 
She said she had been teaching earlier.
Past perfect 
She said, “The lesson had already started when he arrived.”		 Past perfect 
NO CHANGE – She said the lesson had already started when he arrived.
Past perfect continuous
She said, “I’d already been teaching for five minutes.”		 Past perfect continuous 
NO CHANGE – She said she’d already been teaching for five minutes.

 

Modal verb forms also sometimes change:

Direct speech Indirect speech
will
She said, “I’ll teach English online tomorrow.”		 would
She said she would teach English online tomorrow.
can
She said, “I can teach English online.”		 could
She said she could teach English online.
must
She said, “I must have a computer to teach English online.”		 had to 
She said she had to have a computer to teach English online.
shall
She said, “What shall we learn today?”		 should
She asked what we should learn today.
may
She said, “May I open a new browser?”		 might
She asked if she might open a new browser.

 

Note – There is no change to; could, would, should, might and ought to.

Direct speech Indirect speech
“I might go to the cinema”, he said. He said he might go to the cinema.

 

 

You can use the present tense in reported speech if you want to say that something is still true i.e. my name has always been and will always be Lynne so:-

Direct speech Indirect speech
“My name is Lynne”, she said. She said her name was Lynne.

or

She said her name is Lynne.

 

You can also use the present tense if you are talking about a future event.

Direct speech (exact quote) Indirect speech (not exact)
“Next week’s lesson is on reported speech”, she said. She said next week’s lesson will be on reported speech.

 

Time change

If the reported sentence contains an expression of time, you must change it to fit in with the time of reporting.

For example we need to change words like here and yesterday if they have different meanings at the time and place of reporting.

Now + 24 hours – Indirect speech
“Today’s lesson is on presentations.” She said yesterday’s lesson was on presentations.

or

She said yesterday’s lesson would be on presentations.

 

 

Expressions of time if reported on a different day

this (evening)                                         that (evening)

Today                                                       yesterday …

these (days)                                            those (days)

Now                                                                then

(a week) ago                                                 (a week) before

last weekend                                                the weekend before last / the previous weekend

Here                                                               there

next (week)                                                   the following (week)

Tomorrow                                                      the next/following day

 

In addition if you report something that someone said in a different place to where you heard it you must change the place (here) to the place (there).

For example:-

At work At home
“How long have you worked here?” She asked me how long I’d worked there.

 

 

Pronoun change           

In reported speech, the pronoun often changes.

For example:

Me You
“I teach English online.” Direct Speech

She said, “I teach English online.”

“I teach English online”, she said.

Reported Speech

She said she teaches English online.

or

She said she taught English online.

 

Reporting Verbs

Said, told and asked are the most common verbs used in indirect speech.

  1. We use asked to report questions:-

For example: I asked Lynne what time the lesson started.

  1. We use toldwith an object.

For example: Lynne told me she felt tired.

Note – Here me is the object.

  1. We usually use saidwithout an object.

For example: Lynne said she was going to teach online.

  1. If said is used with an object we must include to ;

For example: Lynne said to me that she’d never been to China.

Note – We usually use told.

For example: Lynne told me (that) she’d never been to China.

 

There are many other verbs we can use apart from said, told and asked.

These include:-

accused, admitted, advised, alleged, agreed, apologised, begged, boasted, complained, denied, explained, implied, invited, offered, ordered, promised, replied, suggested and thought.

 

Using them properly can make what you say much more interesting and informative.

For example:

He asked me to come to the party:-

He invited me to the party.
He begged me to come to the party.
He ordered me to come to the party.
He advised me to come to the party.
He suggested I should come to the party.

 

Use of ‘That’ in reported speech

In reported speech,  the word that is often used.

For example:

 He told me that he lived in Greenwich.

However, that is optional.

For example:

 He told me he lived in Greenwich.

Note – That is never used in questions, instead we often use if.

For example:

He asked me if I would come to the party.


SENTENCE CONSTRUCTION

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SENTENCE CONSTRUCTION

BUILDING A SENTENCE

A sentence has various parts in it like subject, verb, object, complement and adjunct which can be combined to get a new sentence in proper format.  Thus to get that format we must know what meaning these words give and where to use them and relating each with proper grammar rules.  They are stated below.

A sentence is a group of words which starts with a capital letter and ends with a full stop (.), question mark (?) or exclamation mark (!). A sentence contains or implies a predicate and a subject.

Sentences contain clauses.

Simple sentences have one clause.

Compound sentences and complex sentences have two or more clauses.

Sentences can contain subjects and objects.

The subject in a sentence is generally the person or thing carrying out an action. The object in a sentence is involved in an action but does not carry it out, the object comes after the verb.

For example:

The boy climbed a tree.

If you want to say more about the subject (the boy) or the object (the tree), you can add an adjective.

For example:

The young boy climbed a tall tree.

If you want to say more about how he climbed the tree you can use an adverb.

For example:

The young boy quickly climbed a tall tree.

The sentence becomes more interesting as it gives the reader or listener more information.

 

There are more things you can add to enrich your sentence.

Parts of a sentence

 Description
Adjective Describes things or people.
Adverb Alters the meaning of the verb slightly
Article a, an – indefinite articles
the – definite articles
Conjunction Joins words or sentences together
Interjection A short word showing emotion or feeling
Noun Names things
Preposition Relates one thing to another
Pronoun used instead of a noun to avoid repetition
Proper noun (subject) The actual names of people or places etc.
Verb Action or doing word

 

 

WHAT MAKES A COMPLETE SENTENCE?

If it helps you, think about a sentence as if it were a skeleton, the skeleton contains various bones and these bones are put together to form different parts of the body. So are sentences formed by words, the words are the bones and they are put together in different ways to form sentences.

But just because you put words together in the right order, it doesn’t mean you will have a sentence that makes sense.

Try this fun sentence generator (it’s a computer programme, so there may be some issues. What the heck, it’s clever stuff – see if you can spot them:-

Simple Sentences

A simple sentence contains a single subject and predicate. It describes only one thing, idea or question, and has only one verb – it contains only an independent (main) clause.

Any independent clause can stand alone as a sentence. It has a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought.

For example:

  • Jill reads.

Even the addition of adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases to a simple sentence does not change it into a complex sentence.

For example:

  • The brown dog with the red collar always barks loudly.

Even if you join several nouns with a conjunction, or several verbs with a conjunction, it remains a simple sentence.

For example:

  • The dog barked and growled loudly.

Compound Sentences

Compound sentences are made up of two or more simple sentences combined using a conjunction such as and, or or but. They are made up of more than one independent clause joined together with a co-ordinating conjunction.

For example:

“The sun was setting in the west and the moon was just rising.”

Each clause can stand alone as a sentence.

For example:

“The sun was setting in the west. The moon was just rising.”

Every clause is like a sentence with a subject and a verb. A coordinating conjunction goes in the middle of the sentence, it is the word that joins the two clauses together, the most common are (and, or, but)

For example:

  • I walked to the shops, but my husband drove.
  • I might watch the film, or I might visit my friends.
  • My friend enjoyed the film, but she didn’t like the actor.

Complex Sentences

Complex sentences describe more than one thing or idea and have more than one verb in them. They are made up of more than one clause, an independent clause (that can stand by itself) and a dependent (subordinate) clause (which cannot stand by itself).

For example:

“My mother likes dogs that don’t bark.”

Dependent clauses can be nominal, adverbial or adjectival.

THE ANATOMY OF A SENTENCE

The Verb

  • The verb is the fundamental part of the sentence. The rest of the sentence, with the exception of the subject, depends very much on the verb. It is important to have a good knowledge of the forms used after each verb (verb patterns), for example: to tell [someone] TO DO [something]
  • Here we can see that the verb to tell is followed immediately by a person (the indirect object, explained later), an infinitive with ‘to’, and, possibly, an object for the verb you substitute for DO.
  • Verbs also show a state of being. Such verbs, called BE VERBS or LINKING VERBS, include words such as: am, is, are, was, were, be, been, being, became, seem, appear, and sometimes verbs of the senses like tastes, feels, looks, hears, and smells.

For example:

  • “Beer and wine are my favourite drinks.” The verb “are” is a linking (be) verb.

Fortunately, there are only a limited number of different verb patterns. Verbs can describe the action(something the subject actually does) or state (something that is true of the subject) of the subject.

For example:

  • ACTION: I play football twice a week.
  • STATE: I’ve got a car.

Some verbs can represent both actions and states, depending on the context.

For example work:

  • ACTION: David’s working in the bank.
  • STATE: David works in a bank.

Finding the Verb

When you analyze a sentence, first identify the verb. The verb names and asserts the action or state of the sentence.

For example:

  • “Working at the computer all day made David’s head ache.”

The main verb of the sentence is “made“, not working.

Verbs identify our activity or state.

For example:

  • eat, sleep, run, jump, study, think, digest, shout, walk ….

The Subject

The subject is the person or thing the sentence is ‘about’. Often (but not always) it will be the first part of the sentence. The subject will usually be a noun phrase (a noun and the words, such as adjectives, that modify it) followed by a verb.

Finding the Subject

Once you determine the verb, ask a wh…? question of the verb. This will locate the subject(s).

For example:

  • David works hard.
    • Who “works hard”?=David does=the subject.
  • Beer and wine are my favourite drinks.
    • What “are my favourite drinks”? Beer and wine are=the subjects.

The subject(s) of a sentence will answer the questions, “who or what.”

The Predicate

Once you have identified the subject, the remainder of the sentence tells us what the subject does or did. This part of the sentence is the predicate of the sentence.

The predicate always includes the verb and the words which come after the verb. For example:

  • Michael Schumaker drove the race car.
    • “Michael Schumaker” is the subject; “drove the race car” is the predicate.

MORE ADVANCED TERMINOLOGY

The Object

  • Some verbs have an object (always a noun or pronoun). The object is the person or thing affected by the action described in the verb.
  • Objects come in two types, direct and indirect.
  • The direct object refers to a person or thing affected by the action of the verb.

For example:

  • “He opened the door. “- here the door is the direct object as it is the thing being affected by the verb to open.

The indirect object refers to a person or thing who receives the direct object.

For example:

  • ” I gave him the book.” – here him (he)is the indirect object as he is the beneficiary of the action.

Transitive / Intransitive verbs

Verbs which don’t have an object are called intransitive. Some verbs can only be intransitive (disagree). In addition they cannot be used in the Passive Voice e.g. smile, fall, come, go.

For example:

  • David disagreed. – intransitive.

Verbs that have an object are called transitive verbs e.g. eat, drive, give.

For example:

  • David gave her a present.

Some verbs can be transitive or intransitive e.g. sing

For example:

  • Xavier Nadu sings. – intransitive.
  • Xavier Nadu sings pop songs. – transitive.

You can read more about transitive and intransitive verbs here.

Adverbials

An ‘adverbial’ or ‘adverbial phrase’ is a word or expression in the sentence that does the same job as an adverb; that is, it tells you something about how the action in the verb was done.

For example:

  • I sometimes have trouble with adverbs.
  • He spoke very quietly.
  • I’ve read that book three times.
  • She’s gone to the bank.

The first tells us the frequency of the action (sometimes), the second how he carried out the action (quietly), and the third how many times the action has happened (three).

The fourth is a little different, as in this case the adverbial (gone to the bank) is more or less demanded by the verb (has).

To remember the form of such verbs use your notebooks to write down the different forms.

For example:

  • to go [somewhere]
  • to put [something][somewhere]

This information is also useful when deciding the order of adverbials in a sentence. Unlike the previous parts of the sentence, a sentence can contain an indefinite number of adverbials, although in practice it’s a good idea to keep them few in number.

Complement

A complement is used with verbs like be, seem, look etc. Complements give more information about the subject or, in some structures, about the object.

There are various definitions of ‘complement’, which range from the very general (anything in the predicate except the verb, including the direct object and adverbs) to the much more restrictive one used here.

A complement is the part of the sentence that gives you more information about the subject (a subject complement) or the object (an object complement) of the sentence.

The complement to be used, if any, is dependent on the verb used in the sentence. Subject complements normally follow certain verbs.

For example:

  • He is Spanish.
  • She became an engineer.
  • That man looks like John.

Object complements follow the direct object of the verb-

For example.

  • They painted the house red.
  • She called him an idiot!
  • I saw her standing there.

The complement often consists of an adjective or noun phrase, but can also be a participle phrase, as in the last example. It is often not very clear whether a phrase is a complement or an adverbial.

 


Verbs Vs Tenses

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Verbs Vs Tenses

Verbs are action words or in other terms verbs could be defined as the word which does the work of a noun or pronoun.  In this module we can see the basic differences between a verb and how these tenses modify the verbs.

The Twelve Tenses of English

  1. PRESENT (main verb)
     Eg:

I study English.
He studies English.

  1. PAST (past tense of main verb)
     Eg:

I studied English.
He studied English.

  1. FUTURE (will or shall + main verb)
     Eg:

I will study English.
He will study English.

  1. PRESENT PERFECT (have or has + past participle of verb)
    Eg:

I have studied English.
He has studied English.

  1. PAST PERFECT (had + past participle of verb)
    Eg:

I had studied English.
He had studied English.

  1. FUTURE PERFECT (will or shall + have + past participle of verb)
     Eg:

I will have studied English.
He will have studied English.

  1. PRESENT PROGRESSIVE (form of “be” verb + “ing” form of main verb)
     Eg:

I am studying English.
He is studying English.

  1. PAST PROGRESSIVE (past tense of form “be” verb + “ing” form of main verb)
     Eg:

I was studying English.
He was studying English.

  1. FUTURE PROGRESSIVE (will or shall +be + “ing” form of main verb)
     Eg:

I will be studying English.
He will be studying English.

  1. PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE (have or has + been + “ing” form of main verb)
     Eg:

I have been studying English.
He has been studying English.

  1. PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE (had + been + “ing” form of main verb)
     Eg:

I had been studying English.
He had been studying English.

  1. FUTURE PERFECT PROGRESSIVE (will or shall + have + been + “ing” form of main verb)
     Eg:

I will have been studying English.
He will have been studying English.


Modals

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Modal Verbs

Modals are defined as auxiliary verbs that give additional meaning to the sentence.  Some examples for modals are will, Would, shall, should, could, must, might etc.  Sentences framed from these words help in creating more meaning than with sentences without modal verbs give some additional meaning to sentence by using them correctly by knowing their meanings.

Modal and Modal Phrases (Semi-Modals)

A modal is a type of auxiliary (watching) verb that is used to express: ability, possibility, permission or obligation. Modal phrases (or semi-modals) are used to express the same things as modals, but are a combination of auxiliary verbs and the preposition to. The modals and semi-modals in English are:

  1. Can/could/be able to
  2. May/might
  3. Shall/should
  4. Must/have to
  5. Will/would

Can, Could, Be Able To

Can, could and be able to are used to express a variety of ideas in English:

Ability/Lack of Ability

Present and Future:

can/can’t + base form of the verb

  1. Tom can write poetry very well.
  2. I can help you with that next week.
  3. Lisa can’t speak French.

am / is / are / will be + able to + base form of the verb
am not/ isn’t / aren’t/ won’t be + able to + base form of the verb

  1. Mike is able to solve complicated math equations
  2. The support team will be able to help you in about ten minutes.
  3. I won’t be able to visit you next summer.

Past:

could / couldn’t + base form of the verb

  1. When I was a child I could climb

was / were + able to + base form of the verb
wasn’t / weren’t + able to + base form of the verb
hasn’t / haven’t + been able to + base form of the verb

  1. I wasn’t able to visit her in the hospital.
  2. He hasn’t been able to get in touch with the client yet.

Note: Can and could do not take an infinitive (to verb) and do not take the future auxiliary will.

  • Incorrect: I can to help you this afternoon.
  • Correct: I can help you this afternoon.
  • Correct: I will (I’ll) be able to help you this afternoon.

Possibility / Impossibility

can / can’t + base form of the verb

  1. You can catch that train at 10:43.
  2. He can’t see you right now. He’s in surgery.

could + base form of the verb

  1. I could fly via Amsterdam if I leave the day before.

Ask Permission / Give Permission

Can + Subject + base form of the verb (informal)

  1. Can you lend me ten dollars?

Can + base form of the verb (informal)

  1. You can borrow my car.

Could + subject + base form of the verb (polite)

  1. Could I have your number?
  2. Could I talk to your supervisor please?

Make a suggestion – To make a suggestion use:

Could + base form of the verb (informal)

  1. You could take the tour of the castle tomorrow.

Exercises: Can, Could, Be able to

Fill in the correct form of can, could or be able to as in the examples.

  1. Ben could not help his little brother with his homework yesterday.
  2. Can I call you later tonight?
  3. _______ Tony run long distances when he was a boy?
  4. ______ you please call a tow truck for me? My car broke down. (polite)
  5. The students _______ to buy their textbooks today. The bookstore is all out of them.
  6. ______ you teach me how to fix my computer? You’re so good at it.
  7. ______ you ______ reach the customer if you call him at 4:00 his time?

Answers:

  1. Could
  2. Could
  3. aren’t able
  4. Can
  5. Will/be able to

May, Might

Formal Permission / Formal Prohibition

may / may not + base form of the verb

  1. You may start your exam now.
  2. You may not wear sandals to work.

Polite Request

May + subject + base form of the verb

  1. May I help you?

Possibility / Negative Possibility

may/ might + base form of the verb

  1. We may go out dinner tonight. Do you want to join us?
  2. Our company might get the order if the client agrees to the price.

may not / might not + base form of the verb

  1. Adam and Sue may not buy that house. It’s very expensive.
  2. They might not buy a house at all.

To Make a Suggestion (when there is no better alternative)

may as well / might as well + base form of the verb

  1. You may as well come John will be home soon.
  2. We might as well take Friday off. There’s no work to be done anyway.

Polite Suggestion

might + base form of the verb

  1. You might like to try the salmon fillet. It’s our special today.

Exercises: May / Might

Fill in the correct form of may or might as in the example.

  1. May I sit here?
  2. They ______ finish the project on time. The main engineer is ill.
  3. You _____ want to stop by the museum gift shop on your way out.
  4. _____ I have your autograph?
  5. He _______ visit the Louvre. He’s in Paris anyway.
  6. You ______ park your car here. It’s reserved for guests of the hotel only.

Answers:

  1. might not
  2. might
  3. May
  4. may as well
  5. may not

Shall, Should, Ought to

To Offer of Assistance or Polite Suggestion (When you are quite sure of a positive answer)

Shall + subject + base form of the verb

  1. Shallwe go for a walk?

Note: Shall is only used with I or we. It is used instead of will only in formal English.

To Offer of Assistance or Polite Suggestion (When you are not sure of a positive answer)

Should + subject + base form of the verb

  1. Should I call a doctor?

A Prediction or Expectation that Something Will Happen

should/shouldn’t + base form of the verb

  1. The proposal should be finished on time.
  2. I shouldn’t be The train usually arrives on time.

To Give Advice

should / ought to + base form of the verb

  1. You should check that document before you send it out.
  2. You ought to have your car serviced before the winter.

To Give Advice (about something you think wrong or unacceptable)

shouldn’t + base form of the verb

James shouldn’t teach him words like those.

Exercises: Should, Shouldn’t, Ought To

Fill in should, shouldn’t or ought in the following sentences as in the example.

  1. He shouldn’tencourage such bad behavior.
  2. You _____ get your teeth cleaned at least once a year.
  3. The house ______ be ready to move into by next month. It’s almost finished.
  4. Ron ________ to improve his attitude. If he doesn’t, he might get fired.
  5. ________ I get your jacket? It’s cold in here.
  6. You ________ put your feet on the table. It’s not polite.

Answers:

  1. should
  2. should
  3. ought
  4. shall
  5. shouldn’t

Must, Have to, Need to, Don’t have to, Needn’t

Necessity or Requirement

Present and Future:

must / have to / need to + base form of the verb

  1. You must have a passport to cross the border.
  2. Elisabeth has to apply for her visa by March 10th.
  3. I need to drop by his room to pick up a book.

Past:

had to / needed to + base form of the verb

  1. I had to work late last night.
  2. I needed to drink a few cups of coffee in order to stay awake.

Note: have to and need to are often used in the same context, but many times, need to is used to express something that is less urgent, something in which you have a choice.

Almost 100% Certain

must + base form of the verb

  1. Thomas has lived in Paris for years. His French must be very good.

To Persuade

must / have to + base form of the verb

  1. You must try this wine. It’s excellent.
  2. You have to visit us while you’re in town.

Prohibited or Forbidden

must not / mustn’t + base form of the verb

  1. You must not drive over the speed limit.
  2. You mustn’t leave medicines where children can get to them.

Lack of Necessity

don’t /doesn’t /didn’t + have to + base form of the verb

  1. You don’t have to park the car. The hotel valet will do it for you.
  2. Tim doesn’t have to go to school today. It’s a holiday.
  3. You didn’t have to shout. Everyone could hear you.

needn’t + base form of the verb

  1. You needn’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.

Exercises: Must, Have to, Need to, Don’t Have to, Needn’t

Fill in the blanks with one of these modals:
must, must not, have to, has to, don’t have to, doesn’t have to, needn’t as in the examples.
There may be more than one correct answer.

  1. Shira doesn’t have to drive to the airport. She’s going by taxi.
  2. You must speak politely to the customers.
  3. You ______ tell Anna about the party tomorrow night. It’s a surprise! (must not, need to, doesn’t have to)
  4. Tina _______ register for her classes on Monday, otherwise she won’t get a place in them. (doesn’t have to, mustn’t, has to)
  5. You ________ send that fax. I’ve already sent it. (must, will have to, don’t have to)
  6. A dog ______ get special training in order to be a guide dog. (must, need to, don’t have to)
  7. Jeremy _______ get up early tomorrow. His class was cancelled. (mustn’t, doesn’t have to, don’t need to)

Answers:

  1. must not
  2. has to
  3. don’t have to
  4. must
  5. doesn’t have to

Modals: Will / Would

will / won’t + base form of the verb

  1. John will pick you up at 7:00 am.
  2. Beth won’t be happy with the results of the exam.

Polite Request or Statement

Will / Would + base form of the verb

  1. Will you please take the trash out?
  2. Wouldyou mind if I sat here?
  3. I’d (I would) like to sign up for your workshop.

Habitual Past Action

Would/Wouldn’t + base form of the verb

  1. When I was a child, I would spend hours playing with my train set.
  2. Peter wouldn’t eat broccoli when he was a kid. He loves it now.

Exercises: will, would

Fill in the blanks with one of the following words: will, won’t, would, wouldn’t.

  1. Will you please help me lift this box?
  2. I ______ like to order the onion soup please.
  3. The manager _______ be pleased to hear that a customer slipped on the wet floor.
  4. _______ it be okay if I slept here tonight?
  5. When I go and lived in Russia, he ________ call his mother as often as he does now.
  6. I can assure you sir, the order ______ be shipped out tonight.

Answers:

  1. would
  2. won’t
  3. would
  4. wouldn’t
  5. will

Exercises – All Modals

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the following modals:
can, could, be able to, may, might, shall, should, must, have to, don’t have to, need to
You may have to make the modals negative according to the context of the sentence.
There may be more than one possibility.

  1. He has to take his car to be serviced. The brakes are squeaking.
  2. Would you please save me a seat at the dinner event.
  3. If you are sick, you ________ go to work. You’ll infect everyone there.
  4. Drivers _______ stop at red lights.
  5. You _______ finish the proposal today. You can finish it tomorrow.
  6. She ______ hear much better with her new hearing aids.
  7. ______ I order us a bottle of wine?
  8. Sam ______ pick his daughter up from school. She’s taking the bus home.
  9. You _____________ smoke here. It’s a smoke-free building.
  10. You ________ eat so many sweets. They are bad for you.
  11. _________ you mind walking a little faster? We’re going to be late.
  12. I’m sorry. I _______ help you. I don’t know how to do it.

Answers:

  1. shouldn’t
  2. must
  3. don’t have to
  4. can
  5. shall
  6. needn’t
  7. mustn’t
  8. shouldn’t
  9. would
  10. can’t