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Used to

Used to

 

We use noun/pronoun + ‚used to‘ to talk about past habits and past states of things

Examples:

I used to live in Bristol but now I live in London.

You used to call me every weekend but not any more and I miss you.

He used to go school in Manchester but now he attends university in Leeds.

She used to go out with her friends every Friday night before she had children.

We used to meet every other Saturday (every 2 weeks) for a drink in our local pub but some people have moved out of town or got married and so on.

I remember that couple. They used to live in a house across the street but now they live in other part of town.

Negative sentences:

I didn’t use(d) to like Marmite when I was a little boy.

You didn’t use(d) to smoke when you were at university.

He didn’t use(d) to wear glasses but now he has to.

She didn’t use(d) to like watching football as far as I can remember.

We didn’t use(d) to go to work by public transport but the price of petrol is so high these days that we were forced to reconsider.

They didn’t use(d) to like classical music but now they even go to opera from time to time.

Questions:

Did you use(d) to play football as a child? No, I didn’t.

Did he use(d) to like death metal music when he was a teenager. Yes, he did.

Did she use(d) to go out with him? (meaning: they were a couple)

Did we use(d) to visit our in-laws every Easter?

Did they use(d) to live next door to Paul?

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Who, Which, That, Whom, Whose, When, Where

Relative pronouns:

Who, Which, That, Whom, Whose, When, Where

Who – we use for people

That’s the man who I saw outside your flat last week. ( – I saw him and I told you about him)

She was the one who looked strange to me. ( – I thought she looked strange.)

They are the couple who is getting married next month. ( – I told you that these people are getting married.)

Which – we use for animals and things

That was a lovely dog which I saw you with yesterday. ( – I saw you with a lovely dog.)

He had a car accident in the car which he bought last year. ( – He bought a car last year and has had an accident recently.)

The cake which you brought with you was very nice. ( – You brought a very nice cake.)

That – both people and things

He’s the man that won the race. ( – I told you about him winning the race.)

I lost the mobile phone that I got for Christmas. ( – I got a phone and I lost it.)

She married a man that she met at university. ( – She met him at university.)

Whom – same as ‚who‘ but formal

You should call the man to whom I told about your special skills. ( – I told him about your skills and you should call him.)

Meet Jack, my boss, whom I told you about earlier. ( – I told you about him earlier.)

Whose – use as his, her, its, their

Come and meet John whose sister is my colleague. ( – John’s sister is my colleague.)

I apologised to Mary whose car I crashed. ( – Mary’s got a car, I crashed it and I apologised.)

He fell in love with Jane whose father is a doctor. (- father of Jane is a doctor.)

When – we use it for time

It happened when I drove to work this morning.

We met when on holiday in Spain.

I played tennis a lot when I was at secondary school.

Where – we use it for place

This is the house where I spent most of my childhood.

Don’t tell him where you live.

We like going to the bar where we met for the first time.

Why – after reason

That’s the reason why I have never got married.

He’s the reason why we moved out of Bristol.

When an object in a main clause is the subject in the subordinate clause we can not omit who, which, that.

Whose and where are normally not omitted from a sentence.

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When, unless, till/until, once, after

Conjunctions of time

Despite talking about future, we never use future tenses in time clauses (sentences after the conjunctions).

For talking about past events, we often use perfect tenses (past and present).

Usage:

We use them to talk about future or past events.

When

We use when to say that something will happen after previous action is over.

Examples:

When I get home, I’ll take a shower and go shopping.

When I finish my shopping, I’ll cook my dinner and I’ll go to the pub.

When you come and join me in the pub, we’ll discuss your intentions to get married.

When we finish discussing that, you will not want to get married.

Unless

(= if + negative)

Examples:

You won’t get married, unless you really have to.

Unless you were completely stupid, you took precautions to stay out of trouble.

We will not help you unless you ask for our intervention.

Do not bother me with your complains unless you want me to sort them out for you.

Till/until

Meaning: ‚up to the moment specified‘

Examples:

I’ll wait here until you come and pick me up, OK?

He won’t move till the end of the tenancy agreement.

We’ll keep walking until we drop dead from exhaustion.

She likes to shop till she drops.

Once

Meaning: when, as soon as, immediately after one action

Examples:

We’ll open the champagne once you arrive.

He dropped his bags once he had walked through the door.

She took off her dress once he had walked in.

You’ll be fine once you get used to the new rules imposed by the manager.

Hardly………when/ no sooner………..than

We use these to say one action started just when the first one had finished

Examples:

The show had hardly begun when my phone went off (started to ring).

I had hardly sat down when my wife arrived.

No sooner had the door shut than I realised I had forgotten my keys inside. (I locked myself out)

We had no sooner walked into the shop than the fire alarm went off.

After

Meaning: One action followed by another

Examples:

When/After you have finished with the essay, you will have to leave the classroom.

When/After you have finished with your task, hand it over to your supervisor.

  • both these sentences relate to the future

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Must not & need not

Must not

We say ‚must not‘ when there is an OBLIGATION NOT to do something. It is wrong to do something.

It is also possible to use ‚can’t‘.

Must not is very formal and is used in public notices, e.g. Passengers must not eat on the bus.

Examples:

You must not do it! = You can’t do it. (I strongly advice you NOT to do it)

You mustn’t smoke here! (it is forbidden to smoke here)

She mustn’t tell her parents about that. (I feel strongly that she shouldn’t tell them)

Customers must not take more than 3 items at the time into the fitting rooms. (notice in a shop)

For past and future tenses we use ‚have to‘

Need not

We use ‚ need not/ don’t need to‘ when there is NO OBLIGATION to do something.

Also, when we say ‚ needn’t, we emphasise the fact that it’s not necessary to do something.

Present tense

Speaker’s authority:

You needn’t tell me straight away. It can wait.

I needn’t go there tomorrow. I can go there some time next week.

External authority:

You don’t need to decide right now because the boss said it could wait a bit longer.

He doesn’t need to get up early tomorrow because it’s Saturday.

Past tense

We use only one form: didn’t need to .

Examples:

We were told we didn’t need to pack a sunscreen when going to Norway for our holiday.

He didn’t need to send me all the relevant details immediately but he did so. (it wasn’t urgent to do so)

We didn’t need to look for a hotel in London because we stayed with our friends there.

Future tense

Speaker’s authority:

We use ‚needn’t‘ form also for the future

Examples:

You needn’t go there next week. I’ll go there instead.

You needn’t turn off your mobile during the exam but you’ll have to hand it over to the examiner.

External authority:

We use ‚ won’t need to‘ when talking about future.

Examples:

You won’t need to come in and sign the contract, they’ll post it to you.

People won’t need to worry about the global warming if they reduce the output of CO2 dramatically very soon.

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Publikováno

Reported speech

Reported speech

In English we change the main verb in the sentence when we use reported speech (someone said something).

Example:

She says she likes olives …………………. She said that she liked olives.

List:

Present simple ………………………………………………………………..Past simple

She lives in Prague…………………………………………………She said she lived in Prague.

Present continuous……………………………………………………………….Past continuous

I’m working hard today……………………………………He said (that) he was working hard today.

Present perfect …………………………………………………………………Past perfect

I haven’t seen him for ages………………………..She said (that) she hadn’t seen him for ages.

Present perfect continuous…………………………………………Past perfect continuous

I’ve been living here for a while now…………He said he had been living here for a while now.

Past simple………………………………………………………………………Past perfect simple

We loved the show!………………………………….They said (that) they had loved the show.

Past perfect = no change

am going to ………………………………………………………………………was going to

I’m going to fly to Paris some time this year……………..He said he was going to fly to Paris…..

Will ………………………………………………………………….would

I’ll do it!……………………………………………………………..She said (that) she would do it.

Can ……………………………………………………………………………….could

I can be there at 5pm……………………………………………She said she could be there at 5pm.

May …………………………………………………………………..might

You may see the Lunar eclipse this month……………….You might see the Lunar eclipse….

Might = no change

must …………………………………………………………………..had to

You must do it now……………………………………………He said we had to do it now.

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Must, have to

Must & have to

Must – I feel strongly about that; speaker’s authority

I must get up early tomorrow. (= I feel that it is necessary for me to get up; I decided)

You must go there. (= I advice you strongly that you go there; I’m telling you to go)

The government must stop wasting taxpayers‘ money! (= I feel very strongly about that but I can’t order the government to stop spending)

They must tell their boss about that costumer complaint. (= It is only my opinion; I can’t make them tell the boss about the problem)

Passengers must travel with the valid ticket only.

Visitors must refrain from smoking inside the museum. (= ‚must‘ in 3rd person is used mainly in written notices and instructions)

Must not – 1) negative obligation imposed by the speaker

2) emphatic advice

You must not smoke here. (= it is banned to smoke here)

also possible: You can’t smoke here.

She mustn’t tell it to anyone. (I feel strongly about that)

We must not go in while the boss is angry. (= it’s a good idea to wait outside; giving the advice)

Have to – external authority, outside influence

I have to work late today because my boss told me to. (I have no control over the situation)

You have to drive carefully because there’s black ice on the roads. (= I’m just saying that, not ordering you)

He has to take an over-night flight to Dubai because there’s no other. (= making a statement about the outside influence)

She has to take her children to school every morning. (= no one else will do it for her; it’s her duty)

We have to stop at Oxford on our way to London. (= statement about the situation)

They have to walk 3 miles to work every day. (= nothing I or them can do about it)

Don’t have to – not obligation; it is not necessary to do it but it is allowed to do it (you have a choice)

I don’t have to write the report tonight. (= I can write it tomorrow; there is no rush)

You don’t have to call me every day. (= It is not an imperative to call me so often)

She doesn’t have to make a coffee for her boss. (= she can do it if she wants BUT it is not in her job description)

We don’t have to drive to work. (= We can but it is not an order)

They don’t have to keep their bedrooms tidy all the time. (= a bit of mess does no harm; their parents are benevolent)

For questions: Do you have to…..?

Examples:

Do I have to do my homework now? Yes, you do.

Do you have to wear glasses all the time? No, I don’t.

Does he have to work night? Yes, he does.

Does she have to stay at home with their kids? No, she doesn’t.

Do we have to go there tomorrow? Yes, we do.

Do they have to get married? No, they don’t.

Had to – obligation in the past, both speaker’s and outside influence

I had to get up early to catch a bus to school when I was a little boy. (= it was necessary for me to do so; I had no choice)

You had to tell your mother when you will be back tonight. (= her mother wanted to know the time of your arrival)

He had to cancel his holiday because he got a flu. (= outside influence)

She had to go to the dentist last week. (= she had no choice but go)

We had to order a taxi last night. (= there were no buses at night)

They had to go shopping on Sunday. (= they had no food at home)

For future we use ‚ will have to‘

Examples:

I’ll have to call you tomorrow because I haven’t got that information yet.

You’ll have to book your holiday by Monday. (=Monday is the deadline)

He’ll have to go for a knee operation soon. (=his knee hurts and doctor says he needs an operation)

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Past continuous

Past continuous (progressive) tense

We use past continuous tense to say that something was going on at a specific time in the past and it is over now, short term situations only.

Form:

was/were + verb+ing

Examples:

I was playing a computer game all day yesterday.

What were you doing last night?

You were talking on the phone when I tried to call you.

He was learning to drive on Monday morning when I saw him.

She was sitting her maths exam on Friday afternoon.

Was she working when you came to see her?

It was raining when I got up this morning.

We were driving to Wales when our car broke down.

They were getting ready for the party when I called.

Past simple vs Past continuous

We use combination of these two tenses when we want to descrive to events happening at the same time. We use past simple for a one-off action (e.g. I called) and past continuous tense for an ongoing activity (e.g. They were getting ready).

Some more examples:

I was having a bath when I heard a loud bang.

You were cooking when I came home.

She met her last husband when she was working as an estate agent.

Verbs NOT used in continuous tenses:

  • verbs of senses: feel, hear, see, smell, sound, taste
  • verbs of feelings: love, hate, like, want, fear, respect, admire, adore, dislike, wish, prefer, impress, concern
  • verbs of mental activity: agree, believe, expect, know, mean, remember, trust, understand, recognise, realise, suppose, imagine, doubt
  • verbs of possession: belong, own, owe, possess
  • other verbs: astonish, appear, deny, seem, surprise, consist, include, fit, involve

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Passive

Passive (advanced forms)

Present perfect

Active: The city council has recently announced an increase in the council tax.

Passive: An increase in the council tax has been announced by the city council.

Form:

have/has + been + past participle or regular verb + ed

Examples:

Active: Someone has told us to wait here until further notice.

Passive: We have been told to wait here until further notice.

Active: They haven’t repaired my car yet.

Passive: My car hasn’t been repaired yet.

Active: They have cancelled the concert.

Passive: The concert has been cancelled.

Past perfect

Active: They had done it before we arrive to the cottage.

Passive: It had been done before we arrived to the cottage.

Form:

had + been + past participle or regular verb +ed

Examples:

Active: He had finished cooking before the game started on TV.

Passive: The cooking had been finished before the game started on TV.

Active: I had sent that email before I left work yesterday evening.

Passive: That email had been sent before I left work yesterday evening.

Active: We had asked you for your opinion before we distributed this report.

Passive: You had been asked for your opinion before we distributed this report.

Future perfect

Active: Our team will have finished this report by the end of next week.

Passive: This report will have been finished by the end of next week.

Form:

will + have been + past participle or regular verb +ed

Examples:

Active: I will have ordered it before you come back from your holiday.

Passive : It will have been ordered before you come back from your holiday.

Active: It will have been 13 years this year since we got married.

Passive: We will have been married for 13 years this year.

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Have (got)

Have and have got – other uses

‚have‘ for actions

We often use have + object to talk about actions and experiences.

In these expressions, have can be the equivalent of other verbs; the meaning of ‚have‘ depends on the following noun, e.g.:

have breakfast/ lunch/ dinner etc. (= eat, drink)

have a bath/ a shower/ a wash (= take)

have a rest/ a dream

have a good time/ a day off/ a holiday

have a chat/ a fight/ an argument/ a conversation etc.

have a look (=take)

have a walk/ a swim/ a dance

Example sentences:

I have breakfast at work every day.

He had a bath after he came from the gym.

She likes to have a rest after lunch at weekends.

Peter has lunch in his office every day.

Tom and Melanie had an argument last night.

I had a nice chat with my brother on Skype last Sunday.

Let’s have a walk in the park!

‚have (got)‘ for possessions, illnesses, the characteristics of people and things

Examples:

I have a cold.

My mother has got a bad back these days.

My sister used to have epileptic fits when she was little.

My parents have (got) a dog.

He has (got) an old rusty car.

His wife has (got) black hair.

He had a good stamina when he was younger.

Our house hasn’t got an air-conditioning.

Repetition usually without got

I have got flu today.

BUT I often have flu.

Have you got time to call your parents tonight?

BUT Do you have time to call your parents every week?

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Active to Passive test

Active to passive Test

Change the following sentences into passive:

1) Tom drives a car.

The car ……………………………..

2) Many people in the UK watch football.

Football is ………………………..

3) They told us to clear the road.

We …………………………………

4) The minister delivered a speech in the Parliament.

The speech …………………………..

5) Many people read that book.

The book was …………………………..

6) I found his presentation boring.

I was ………………………………

7) The company hired a new manager last month.

A new manager ………………………………

8) Police will inform you about the progress in your case.

You will …………………………………………………

9) My grandfather built this house.

The house ……………………………………………

10) We will remove all unattended luggage without prior notice.

All unattended luggage will …………………

11) Pete borrowed my bicycle.

My bicycle ……………………….

12) Somebody will tell us when we arrive to the hotel.

We …………………………

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RESULTS:

1) Tom drives a car.

The car is driven by Tom.

2) Many people in the UK watch football.

Football is watched by many people in the UK.

3) They told us to clear the road.

We were told to clear the road.

4) The minister delivered a speech in the Parliament.

The speech was delivered by the minister in the Parliament.

5) Many people read that book.

The book was read by many people.

6) I found his presentation boring.

I was bored by his presentation.

7) The company hired a new manager last month.

A new manager was hired by the company last month.

8) Police will inform you about the progress in your case.

You will be informed by the police about the progress in your case.

9) My grandfather built this house.

The house was built by my grandfather.

10) We will remove all unattended luggage without prior notice.

All unattended luggage will be removed without prior notice.

11) Pete borrowed my bicycle.

My bicycle was borrowed by Pete.

12) Somebody will tell us when we arrive to the hotel.

We will be told when we arrive to the hotel.

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