Tenses from Esther M

A workmate has shared with me an interesting text on accidental inventions. Have a look at this vid before reading the text.

When do we use the passive voice?

We use the passive when we don’t know, we don´t want to reveal it, it is evident, or it isn’t important, who does the action. We also use it when we want to give prominence to the ACTION rather than the verb. The passive is much more frequently used in English than in Spanish.

1. BASIC FORMATION: What is the form of the passive voice?

To change an active sentence to a passive one we have to follow three easy steps:

STEP 1:The object of the active becomes the SUBJECT of the passive.
e.g.  My father cleaned the car.
       The car was cleaned by my father.

STEP 2: The subject of the active becomes the AGENT of the passive preceded by the preposition "by"
 e.g. The manager fired the cleaner.
        The cleaner was fired by the manager.

STEP 3: To form the passive we need to emphasize the object and NOT the subject. To do this we need the VERB "TO BE" in the same tense that the verb in the active( i.e. if the ctuve verb is in the present perfect we put the verb "to be" in this same tense) and the past participle of the main verb.

form of "to be" + past participle = passive voice

e.g.  Carlos writes a letter. (present simole)
       The letter is written  ( to be in the present simple + past participle of "write")


The following tenses do not have a passive form: Present perfect continuous, Past perfect continuous, Future continuous and Future Perfect continuous, and, therefore, in the passive we will use their simple forms.


Now, why don´t you check these links?


Explanation
More explanations
Advanced tenses
Practice



2) Active sentences with two objects in passive.

When there are two objects in an active sentence, there are two possible active sentences and two possible passive sentences.
Possibility 1: The professor gave the students the books.
Possibility 2: The professor gave the books to the students.

There are two objects in each of the following sentences:
object 1 = indirect object: the students
object 2 = direct object: the books

An indirect object is very often a person, a direct object a thing. When a direct object is followed by an indirect one, we put "to" in front of the indirect object.

3. Impersonal Passive - It is said ...

Verbs without an object (intransitive verb) normally cannot form a personal passive sentence (as there is no object that can become the subject of the passive sentence). If you want to use an intransitive verb in passive voice, you need an impersonal construction – therefore this passive is called Impersonal Passive.

Plus, sometimes when you are reporting what people say or believe, you don ́t know, or you don ́t want to say, who exactly the `people ́ are. So you use an impersonal construction:

People believe that thousands of birds died.

The same idea can be expressed by using the passive in two different ways:

a) subject + passive of reporting verb + `to ́ infinitive

Hundreds of thousands of birds are believed to have died.

b) It + passive of reporting verb + that + clause

It is believed that hundreds of thousands of birds died.

Some other reporting verbs that can be used in this way are:

calculate, claim, consider, discover, estimate, expect, feel, hope, know, prove, report, say, show, think, understand, etc.

- With present t reference, the passive is followed by the present infinitive:

People think that Johnson is in Cardiff.

Johnson is thought to be in Cardiff.

- With past reference, the passive is followed by the pas t infinitive:

People believe that Johnson left Cardiff last month
Johnson is believed to have left Cardiff last month

- Present and past continuous infinitives are also used:

They think that the forger is living in Florence.

The forger is thought to be living in Florence.

People know that the suspect has been dealing with drugs.

The suspect is known to have been dealing with drugs.

- Passive infinitives can also appear:

 People believe that the portrait was painted by Vermeer.

The portrait is believed to have been painted by Vermeer.   

They think that the staff are given a bonus whenever they have to work overtime.

The staff are thought to be given a bonus whenever they have to work overtime.

- The reporting verb can also be past:

People considered the government had spent too much.

The government was considered to have paid too much.

Reported and impersonal passive structures from Sandra Àlvarez

4. Verbs with prepositions in passive

When we put an active sentence, where a preposition follows after the verb (e.g. break into, look after), into passive - the preposition remains immediately after the verb.
Someone broke into the pet shop.
The pet shop was broken into.

5. Causative Passive. Have/get something done

Used to refer to actions that are done FOR the subject rather than by the agent.

a.Have something done

I  don ́t know how to repair cars, so I ́m having mine repaired at the garage round the corner.

b. Get something done

I really must go to the hairdressers´ to get my hair cut

Modales y películas

HABILIDAD:

- CAN expresa habilidades en el presente:

           I can swim

              Yo sé nadar

-COULD expresa habilidades en el pasado:

           I could jump when I was 8 years old

               Yo podía/sabía saltar cuando tenía 8 años

-BE ABLE TO expresa habilidades en otros tiempos verbales (ni presente ni pasado, ya que para eso utilizamos can y could), como por ejemplo en futuro:

            I won't be able to walk in a few weeks

           No podré andar en unas semanas

O en presente perfecto:

            I have been able to do my homework

           Yo he podido hacer mi tarea

A continuación veremos aquellos de PERMISO:

-CAN se utiliza para pedir permiso, normalmente a alguien conocido*

            Can you repeat, please?

              ¿Puedes repetir, por favor?

-COULD se utiliza para pedir permiso, de manera educada:

            Could you repeat, please?

           ¿Podrías repetir, por favor?

-MAY se utiliza para pedir permiso, de forma aún más educada:
      

            May I go out? 

           ¿Podría salir?

-MIGHT se utiliza igualmente para pedir permiso, pero de manera excesivamente educada (es muy poco común), aunque al traducirlo al español no se aprecia la diferencia:

            Might I go out?

              ¿Podría salir?

* Los verbos modales de permiso significan todos lo mismo, en lo que se diferencian es en queunos expresan más educación y otros menos. Los más comunes son could y may, pero might al ser excesivamente educado, no se utiliza apenas.


Los siguientes son los de OBLIGACIÓN:

En ellos hay mucha variedad. Cada tipo de verbos modales de obligación dependerá de si ésta esmoral (es decir, por voluntad propia) o impuesta. Dentro de este tipo también se encuentran aquellos de prohibición.

-MUST expresa un deber muy fuerte o que sale de uno mismo:

           I must stop smoking

            Debo dejar de fumar

-HAVE TO/HAD TO (según sea presente o pasado) expresa una obligación que se me ha impuesto:

           I have to clean my bedroom

              Tengo que limpiar mi habitación

                 He had to work last Saturday

                   Tuvo que trabajar el sábado pasado

-MUSTN'T expresa prohibición:

           You musn't eat in class

             No debes comer en clase

-DON'T HAVE TO/ DIDN'T HAVE TO (Según sea presente o pasado) expresa algo que no es obligatorio:

           You don't have to tell this to Sara

          Tú no tienes que decírselo a Sara

-NEEDN'T* expresa que algo no es necesario (al igual que don't have to):

           I needn't clean the carpet

                    No es necesario que limpie la alfombra

 * También hay otra forma de decir que algo no es necesario con need: don't need. La diferencia entre uno y otro es que cuando utilizas needn't el verbo de a continuación debe ir con infinitivo sinto, como en el ejemplo anterior, pero si utilizas don't need el verbo que le sigue debe llevar to, al igual que pasa con don't have to.

También podemos emplear won't need para expresar futuro:

           I won't need these books next year 

                No necesitaré estos libros el año que viene

O needn't have + participio para referirnos a una acción del pasado que no era necesaria, aunque sí ocurró:

          We needn't have travelled by plane

            No hacía falta que viajáramos en avión

Para indicar que un objeto no es necesario, utilizamos don't need, ya que needn't solo se puede utilizar seguido de un verbo:

          You don't need potatoes

         No necesitas patatas

-NEED expresa que algo hace falta o se necesita, coincidiendo también con el significado dehave to. Necesita el auxiliar do/did para formar preguntas en presente y pasado, y con willpodemos referirnos al futuro.

          I will need you help

          Necesitaré tu ayuda

Need va seguido de infinitivo con to para indicar la necesidad u obligación de hacer algo, y no va seguido de infinitivo sin to cuando se indica la necesidad de un objeto:

          Mary needs to buy some potatoes

          Mary necesita comprar patatas

         Mary needs some potatoes

           Mary necesita patatas

También tenemos los de CONSEJO o RECOMENDACIÓN:

-SHOULD/OUGHT TO expresa una obligación moral en forma de consejo, opinión u advertencia. La diferencia entre uno y otro es que ought to es más formal que should, pero éste último se utiliza más.

          You should be more responsible

          Deberías ser más responsable

           You ought to be more responsible

           Deberías ser más responsable

-SHOULD HAVE expresa el arrepentimiento por una acción pasada que ahora se considera errónea o poco apropiada, o para criticar las acciones pasadas de otras personas.

          We shouldn't have travelled by plane. We needed the money

            No deberíamos haber viajado en avión, nos hacía falta el dinero

        You should have helped them

         Deberías haberles ayudado

-HAD BETTER sirve para dar consejos a una persona en un caso concreto, no en general, y para decir lo que es preferible hacer en él. Su negativa es had better not + infinitivo:

          They had better not ring up after 11 p.m.

            No deberían llamar después de las 11 de la noche

               You had better ask the doctor about the pain

                Sería mejor que le preguntaras al médico por tu dolor

Por último, veremos los de POSIBILIDAD:

-MUST expresa estar totalmente seguro sobre que algo es posible:

          She must be Jane's sister, she looks like her

           Ella debe ser la hermana de Jane, se parece a ella

-CAN'T expresa estar totalmente seguro de que algo NO es posible:

          It can't be your brother, ¡he is in Madrid!

             No puede ser tu hermano, ¡él está en Madrid!

-COULD expresa posibilidad en el presente y en el futuro:
         

          I could go to your house

         Podría ir a tu casa

-MAY expresa lo mismo*:

          I may go to you house

            Puede que vaya a tu casa

-MIGHT expresa lo mismo*

* La diferencia entre could, may y might no se nota apenas. De could a may hay un pequeño matiz en cuanto a más posibilidad, y de may a might pasa exactamente lo mismo, por lo que los más comunes son could y may.

Modals from Esther M

Modals outline from Esther M

Conditionals or 'if clauses' describe the result of something that might happen (in the present or future) or might have happened but didn't (in the past) . They are made using different English verb tenses.

There are four kinds summarized as follows:  

The Zero Conditional: ALWAYS TRUE / SCIENTIFIC FACTS   (SEGURO 100 %)
 CONDITION                    RESULT
  If + present simple             present simple

  If you heat water to 100 degrees, it boils.
  
The First Conditional: HIGHLY PROBABLE  (MUY PROBABLE 75 %)
CONDITION                    RESULT
  If + present simple             will + base

If it rains tomorrow, we'll go to the cinema.

The Second Conditional: UNLIKELY, UNREAL, WISH     (IMAGINARIO, HIPOTÉTICO, IMPROBABLE 25 %, IRREAL, DESEO, SUEÑO)

CONDITION                    RESULT
  If + past simple            would + base

If I had a lot of money, I would travel around the world.
   
The Third Conditional: IMPOSSIBLE, REGRETS   (IMPOSIBLE 0 %, LAMENTOS)

CONDITION                    RESULT
  If + past perfect           would have + past participle

If I had gone to bed early, I would have caught the train.

We can put 'if' at the beginning, or in the middle. It doesn't matter at all. Notice that if we put "if" at the beginning we need to write a comma before the next sentence.

 

Source http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/conditionals.html

 

Conditionals night from Esther M

EXERCISES HERE 
EGU4U 

 

Conditionals from Esther M

Conditionals exercises night from Esther M

 

Formal Letter from rrrosaco

Letter of application for a job from Mercedes Kamijo

Directions from Esther M

Asking for and Giving Directions 

 

How do I get to …?

What's the best way to …?

Where is …?

Go straight on (until you come to …).

Turn back./Go back.

Turn left/right (into …-street).

Go along …

Cross …

Take the first/second road on the left/right

It's on the left/right.

straight on

opposite

near

next to

between

at the end (of)

on/at the corner

behind

in front of

(just) around the corner

traffic lights

crossroads, junction

signpost  

Giving directions vocabulary from Esther M

Spanish You need a blank piece of paper and a pencil.
Listen to the text and draw a simple map on the piece of paper according to what you listen.
Check with your partner   LISTEN.

Listen 

El Future Progressive ( o Continuous) se utiliza:

1. Como todas las formas progresivas, para hablar de situaciones en “curso” en un momento específico del futuro. Normalmente, suelen ser situaciones que resultan de una decisión o programación previa:

This time next year, we will be refurnishing the house.

Con este significado, el Future Progressive se parece mucho al Present Progresive con valor de futuro porque se trata de situaciones de las que estamos seguros que tendran lugar:

This time tomorrow, I’ll be flying to Paris /I’m flying to Paris.

Fijaros también en los adverbios de tiempo que acompañan al Future Progressive.

2. Para hablar de una actividad que forma parte de un programa o una planificación:

The Dean will be welcoming the freshers next Monday.

3. Para especular sobre una situación presente:

You can take Mike’s car. He won’t be using it today- he’s got the flu.

El Future Perfect se utiliza para:

1. Hablar de una situación que estará acabada antes de un momento específico en el futuro:

By the time you get home, I will have emptied the cupboards.

Se utilizan adverbios de tiempo.

2. Especular sobre una situación presente:

Most employees will have left the office by now.

Existe también una forma de Future Perfect Progresive que se utiliza para subrayar la duración de una actividad en curso en un momento específico del futuro:

Next year, I will have been working in the company for 10 years.

Exercise 1

 WILL / SHALL

1. Usamos el "will" cuando predecimos acontecimiento o situaciones futuras (pero no tenemos pistas en el presente, es una opinion) Predictions.

You´ll love the film.
 
2. Cuando decidimos algo en el momento de hablar. (Instant decision)

I've left the door open. I'll go and shut it.

I´ll have the steak. 

3. Ofrecimientos (Offers)

I´ll carry that bag for you. 

  - También podemos expresar ofrecimientos con "Shall" . Deben ser en forma de pregunta y con "I" .

Shall I help you with your homework?

- "Shall" también nos sirve para hacer sugerencias. También en forma de pregunta pero con "We".(Suggestions)

Shall we go to the cimena tonight? 



4. Promesas (Promises)

I will always love you.

5. Eventos que ocurrirán con seguridad.

I will do an exam on November 18th.

BE GOING TO

  2.− Predicciones en las que tenemos la certeza de que algo va a ocurrir en el futuro porque tenemos pruebas o indicios. (Predictions)

I think they´re going to win. (They´re playing very well)

It´s going to rain. (The skiy is very dark)

The man can't see where he is going. There is a hole in front of him. He is going to fall into the hole.

 2.− Planes e intenciones.(Future plans and intentions)

My sister is going to adopt a child.

I´m tired. I'm going to have an early night.

With the verb "GO" you can leave out the infinitive.

I´m not going (to go) to New York.

PRESENT CONTINUOUS 

1.− Usamos " present continuous" o "be going to"  para planes e intenciones de un futuro más o menos inmediato y planeado con anterioridad.(Pre-arranged future plans and intentions)

They are meeting at 10am.

She´s leaving on Friday.

- "be going to" se usa para mostrar que ya hemos tomado la decisión.

We´re going to get married in the summer.


- el "presente continuous" enfatiza que ya hemos hecho los preparativos.

We´re getting married on July the 5th (we´ve  booked the appointment at the city hall)

Exercises

More exercises

Will /be going to

Quiz

The future from mispptaop

Tenses from Esther M

Follow these steps to write a book or film review.

Pre writing

Remember and take notes of the plot of the story. What impression did it produce on you?

Writing

• Introduction: give the title and author of the book. If you're reviewing a film mention the director or actors.
• Body:
  1. Summarize the plot in a few sentences.
  2. Mention the setting: the place and time of the plot.
  3. Say something about the main characters.
  4. Say something about the content.
• Conclusion:
  1. Comment on the book or film.
  2. Let others know whether or not you liked the book/film.
  3. Why do you like it? Why don't you like it?
  4. Is the author's style good or bad, is the book / film interesting or boring etc.
  5. Do you want to recommend the book/film?

Post writing

Edit your writing.

Useful Expressions:

  Title, Author / Director, Actors

The film is directed by
The film is produced by..
It is starred by...
The book is written by ...

Setting

The action takes place in ... (setting)
The action of the film is set in ...
The story takes place in...

Characters and Plot

The main characters are ...
The story is about ....
The novel tells the story of ...
In the course of the novel the action develops dramatically.
The novel / film begins with...
The novel has an unexpected ending.
The end of ... is ...

  Reaction  

I am impressed by
I think ....
The book is terribly / beautifully written
The film is terrible / exciting.
What surprised me is ...
What I liked is...
What I didn't like is...
I liked/didn't like the film / novel because ...

 

Writing a review from rrrosaco

 

Doc2 from Esther M

 

Doc3 from Esther M

 

Speaking film from Esther M

Relative clause from Esther M

Relatives from Esther M

Las ‘relative clauses’  (oraciones de relativo) se usan para definir  o aportar más información sobre que persona, lugar o que cosa estamos hablando.

I bought a new car. It is very fast.
→ I bought a new car that is very fast.

She lives in New York. She likes living in New York.
→ She lives in New York, which she likes.

Las oraciones de relativo van introducidas por un pronombre o un adverbio relativo:
who, which, that, whose, when, where.

The woman has gone to the beach. La mujer ha ido a la playa. (¿qué mujer?)
The woman who lives in the blue house has gone to the beach. La mujer que vive en la casa azul ha ido a la playa.

Se usa who para referirse a las personas.

En la primera frase no se sabe qué mujer ha ido a la playa y  se usa la clausula ‘who lives in the blue house’ para definir qué mujer.

The book is very expensive. El libro es muy caro. (¿qué libro?)
The book that is on the table is very expensive. El libro que esta encima de la mesa es muy caro.

Se usa which para referirse a las cosas.

En la primera frase no se sabe qué libro es muy caro y se usa la clausula ‘which is very expensive’ para definir qué libro.

This is a picture of the cinema. Esto es un dibujo del cine. (¿qué cine?)
This is a picture of the cinema where we met. Esto es un dibujo del cine donde nos conocimos.

Se usa where para referirse a los lugares.

En la primera frases no sabemos qué cine esta en el dibujo se usa la clausula ‘where we met’ para definirlo.


Tambien se puede usar that para hablar de personas o cosas.
The woman that lives in the blue house has gone to the beach.
The book that is on the table is very expensive.


 

Relative clauses from carmenglish

Muchos hispanohablantes cometen el error de repetir el sujeto en frases de este tipo. Por ejemplo,
The girls who they work at that shop are really friendly. X
Does the bus that it goes to the airport stop here? X
Aquí van más ejemplos de este error, y cómo corregirlo:
I have a friend who he works at the airport. X–> I have a friend who works at the airport.
Where are the flowers that they were on the table? X–> Where are the flowers that were on the table?
Estas frases son otra variación sobre este tema:
Did you see the gift that I bought it for your mother? X –> Did you see the gift that I bought for your mother?
There are red wines that you should drink them cold. X –> There are red wines that you should drink cold. 

1. Realiza estos ejercicios: AQUÍ  y aquí
 Más

2. Combine the sentences into one single sentence using relative clauses. 

1 My flat is in an old part of the city. It was built in the 1920s.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
2 There are lots of bars and restaurants in the neighbourhood. I live in the neighbourhood.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
3 My neighbour comes from Ecuador. He works on the fruit farms around the city.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
4 The neighbour makes a lot of noise walking around. His flat is above mine.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
5 The traffic is also very noisy. It passes my flat.
_______________________________________________________________________________________

3. Complete these sentences with the correct relative pronoun.
1. Brigitte Bardot is a French actress who/that has protested against the slaughter of seals.
2. The fox is an animal .……………….. can be seen in many British cities.
3. Kate is the girl .……………….. father bought a baby crocodile.
4. The office .……………….. I work is a branch of the RSPCA.
5. Charlie is the hamster .……………….. is fatter than all the rest.
6. Mr Forrester is the butcher .……………….. had his shop window smashed by ALF
members.

  4. Circle the relative pronouns you could omit in these sentences.

1. The girl that we were talking to loves snakes.
2. Is that the woman who threw acid at the horses?
3. The book which I bought yesterday is about training dogs.
4. My friend Simon is the boy whose mother is a professor of zoology.
5. Do you know the people who made so much noise at the party last night?
6. Have you seen the bag where I keep my football kit?

5. Join each pair of sentences with a defining relative clause. Omit the
pronoun where possible. 
 
1. Last week I bought a book. It’s a best-seller.
Last week I bought a book which/ that is a best–seller.

2. Have you seen the biscuits? They were on the top shelf.
..............................................................................................
3. A woman gave me the application form. She told me how to fill it out.
...............................................................................................
4. The novel is about a child. Her parents die in the jungle.
..............................................................................................
5. Charles Chaplin was a famous comedian. He directed well-known films.
...............................................................................................
6 You are going to meet a girl tomorrow. She is intelligent and pretty, too.
...............................................................................................
7 I bought a new CD. Its songs are by different country music singers.
..............................................................................................

RESUMEN