Supplementary support for language you've already met in the course. Nothing here is a required stage — use it whenever a point needs more work.
Quick checks drawn from the Grammar Bank. Try it, then reveal.
Simple = stable habit or identity. Continuous = current, temporary phase. Perfect (continuous) = started in the past, still relevant now.
I ___ (live) in Madrid for three years now.
She usually ___ (take) the bus, but today she ___ (drive).
Sorry — I ___ (not / understand) the question.
Past simple = the events in order. Past continuous = the background scene. Past perfect = the earlier event behind the story.
I ___ (read) when the lights ___ (go) out.
She couldn't get in because she ___ (lose) her key.
will = decide/predict now. going to = plan or visible evidence. present continuous = fixed arrangement. future perfect = finished by then. future continuous = in progress then.
By next year, I ___ (finish) my degree.
A: The bag looks heavy. B: I ___ (carry) it for you.
Soft → strong: might want to / could · it's worth -ing · should / ought to · had better · need to · must / have to.
Soften: 'Book the tickets now.'
No obligation: 'You ___ pay in advance.'
must = I'm sure it's true. might / may / could = it's possible. can't = I'm sure it's not true. Add 'have + participle' for the past.
Deduce: 'His car isn't here.' (sure he left)
Deduce: 'She's fluent at nine years old.' (impossible she studied 20 years)
0 = always true. 1 = real future. 2 = unreal present. 3 = unreal past. Mixed = past cause, present result.
If she ___ (ask), I would have helped.
Advise: 'I'd ___ (be) you, I'd wait.'
wish + past simple = present regret. wish + past perfect = past regret. wish + would = annoyance at someone else's habit.
Regret now: 'I don't have a car.'
Regret past: 'I didn't take the job.'
be + past participle. Use it when the action or the receiver matters more than the doer — or when the doer is obvious, unknown or best left out.
Passive: 'Someone has cleaned the office.'
Passive: 'They are testing the software.'
Shift the tense one step back, change pronouns and time/place words, and drop question word order.
Report: "I'll call you tomorrow." (said, on Monday about Tuesday)
Report: "Have you finished?"
Choose the verb that carries the speaker's intention, then use its pattern: suggest -ing, offer to, accuse sb of, insist on, admit -ing, refuse to.
Report with 'refuse': 'No, I won't sign it.'
Report with 'admit': 'Yes, I broke it.'
Defining = essential, no commas, 'that' allowed. Non-defining = extra information, commas, never 'that'.
Join: 'This is the flat. We rented it last year.'
Add extra info: 'Our CEO started here as an intern.' (non-defining)
Drop the relative pronoun + be: '-ing' for active meaning, past participle for passive meaning.
Reduce: 'The man who is standing by the door…'
Reduce: 'The files that were deleted yesterday…'
although/though + clause · despite/in spite of + noun or -ing · however/nevertheless start a new sentence · whereas contrasts two facts.
Rewrite with 'despite': 'Although he was ill, he came.'
Link with contrast: 'Sales rose. Profits fell.'
Reason: because / since / as / due to + noun. Purpose: to / in order to / so that. Result: so / therefore / consequently / such … that.
Purpose: 'I called him ___ confirm the time.'
Result: 'It was ___ a good film ___ we watched it twice.'
-er / more … than, the -est / the most. Soften with slightly, a bit; strengthen with far, much, considerably, by far.
Soften: 'This one is better.' (slightly)
Parallel: 'You practise more → you improve faster.'
Put a negative or restrictive adverbial first, then invert subject and auxiliary: Not only did she…, Rarely have I…, No sooner had we….
Invert: 'I have never seen anything like it.'
Invert: 'She not only writes, she also illustrates.'
have / get + object + past participle = someone else does it for you (or it happens to you).
Rewrite: 'A mechanic fixed my car.'
Rewrite: 'Someone stole her phone.'
used to + base = past habit or state. would + base = repeated past action (not states). be used to + -ing = already familiar. get used to + -ing = becoming familiar.
Becoming familiar: 'I ___ the new schedule.'
Past state: 'There ___ be a cinema here.'
Gradable adjectives take very / quite / a bit. Non-gradable (extreme) adjectives take absolutely / completely / utterly — not 'very'.
Fix: 'The film was very fantastic.'
Soften: 'I don't like it.' (particularly)
Add a distancing layer: tend to, seem to, might, I'd say, it appears that, somewhat, to some extent.
Hedge: 'People buy less in January.'
Hedge: 'This is the cause.'
Countable: many, a few, several, plenty of. Uncountable: much, a little, a great deal of. Both: some, any, a lot of, hardly any, no.
Uncountable: 'There isn't ___ time left.'
Positive small number: 'I've got ___ ideas.'
One-word adverbs go before the main verb but after 'be'. Longer phrases (every so often, twice a week) go at the start or end.
Place the adverb: 'I (usually) work from home.'
Place the adverb: 'She is (never) late.'
enjoy/avoid/mind + -ing · decide/manage/hope + to · stop/remember/try change meaning · prepositions always take -ing.
'She refused ___ (comment).'
'I don't mind ___ (wait).'
seem/appear + to-infinitive · suggest/indicate/imply (that) + clause · This points to + noun.
Rewrite carefully: 'He's lying.'
Rewrite: 'People think the site is closing.'
