Wishes and Hypotheses

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In English, you can use “wish” and “if only” to talk about wishes and hypotheses.[1]https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/intermediate-to-upper-intermediate/wish-and-if-only

The main difference is that “if only” is a stronger expression for wishes and hypotheses.  

Wishes in the Past

You can use “wish” or “if only” with the past perfect tense to talk about what you would like to change about the past.

For example:

  • They wish they had studied more for the test.
  • If only I had closed my window before I left, then the robbers wouldn’t have been able to get into the house.
  • She wishes that she had prepared more for the driving test.

Wishes in the Present

You can use “wish” or “if only” with the past simple and past continuous to talk about what you would like to change in the present.[2]https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/english-grammar-reference/wishes-and-hypotheses

For example:

  • I don’t like this food. I wish I chose something different.
  • I don’t like this seat in the car. If only I were sitting in the front seat.
  • I’m dying here. If only it was not so hot here!

Wishes in the Future

You can use “wish” or “if only” with the modal verbs “would” and “could” to talk about what you would like to do in the future.

For example:

  • I don’t like my job. I wish I could quite, but if I quite then I won’t have any money!
  • If only I would have studied more, then I would have easily passed the test.
  • I wish I could stop smoking. It is a very bad habit.

References[+]

Expressing Past Habits

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In English, you can use both “used to” and “would” for expressing past habits to emphasize that they are not true anymore.[1]https://blog.off2class.com/habits-and-repeated-actions-past/

Because they are used to talk about habits, it is slightly different than the past simple tense or the past continuous tense.

expressing past habits

Would

You can use the word “would” to talk about repeated actions in the past. A repeated action is an action that happens at a specific moment in time in the past.

You can use “would” for:

  • Moral formal situations
  • Events that happen many times

Examples include:

  • I would practice the piano every day.
  • She would hide every time I tried to find her.
  • They would have loud parties every Friday evening.

Used to

You can use the words “used to” to talk about states in the past. A state is a condition that happens over a period of time in the past.

You can use “used to” for:

  • Questions
  • Negatives
  • Stative verbs

Examples include:

  • We used to live in Paris when I was younger.
  • He didn’t use to be shorter than me.
  • Did she use to go to school with us?

Expressing Past Habits Practice Exercises

Choose the correct the correct form between “would” and “used to” for expressing past habits.

 13%

Question 1 of 8

1. She ________ like dancing.

Question 1 of 8

Question 2 of 8

2. When he was younger, he ________ play baseball with his friends.

Question 2 of 8

Question 3 of 8

3. My dog ________ chew on everything in the house.

Question 3 of 8

Question 4 of 8

4. When I was a child, I ________ often dream of becoming an actor.

Question 4 of 8

Question 5 of 8

5. When I was younger, I ________ go surfing during the summer.

Question 5 of 8

Question 6 of 8

6. They ________ live in Los Angeles.

Question 6 of 8

Question 7 of 8

7. Susie ________ to live in New York City.

Question 7 of 8

Question 8 of 8

8. They ________ have a dog.

Question 8 of 8


 

References[+]

Narrative Tenses

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Narrative tenses are verb tenses used to talk about things in the past.

Normally you can use them in stories, descriptions of past events, and personal anecdotes.[1]https://prezi.com/ja2fl95x7feq/narrative-tenses/

Some common narrative tenses that are used in the narrative tense are the past simple, past continuous, and past perfect.[2]https://www.test-english.com/explanation/b1/past-simple-past-continuous-past-perfect/

Present Tenses

Do not mix the present and past tense when narrating past events.

This will only confuse the reader or listener as to when an event happens.[3]https://www.slideshare.net/marolmedo/narrative-tenses-10054596

For example, avoid using the present simple, present continuous, or the present perfect.

Past Simple

For regular verbs, the past simple is formed by adding –ed to the end of a verb such as talked, walked, and played.[4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYVfYRzdTF0

For irregular verbs, you must memorize the past simple such as for eat (ate), go (went), and buy (bought).

If you would like to learn more about the past simple tense, check out:

Past Continuous

The past continuous tense is formed in the following way.[5]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYVfYRzdTF0

Was/were + verb – ing

For example:

  • They were walking.
  • She was eating.
  • I was sleeping.

If you would like to learn more about the past continuous tense, check out:

Past Perfect

The past perfect is formed in the following way.

Had + past participle

For example:

  • I had eaten breakfast.
  • Susie had studied for the exam.
  • We had lived there for 5 years.

If you would like to learn more about the past continuous tense, check out:

References[+]

Modals – Can’t Have/Needn’t Have

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Modal verbs are a type of verb that allows the speaker to express things such as advice, obligation, order, suggestions, capacity, request, permission, ability, and likelihood. Two important ones are “can’t have” and “needn’t have”.[1]https://phoneenglish.es/blog/2017/04/modals-cant-have-and-neednt-have/

While they seem similar they actually express quite different things.

Can’t Have

This modal verb expresses something that you are very sure didn’t happen in the past or when you believe something was impossible in the past.

When using this modal verb, it follows the following formula:

  • Can’t have + Past Participle

For example:

  • The prisoner can’t have escaped through that window because it is too small.
  • The kid can’t have been at the movie theater. He was at home all weekend studying for the exam.
  • Susie can’t have said that. She is too nice and wouldn’t say such mean things.

Needn’t Have

“Needn’t have” expresses when an action was done but was most likely a waste of time and unnecessary.

When using this modal verb, it follows the following formula:

  • Needn’t have + Past Participle

For example:

  • You needn’t have cooked so much food. We already ate before we came here.
  • She needn’t have bought a new car. I was going to give one to her for her birthday.
  • We needn’t have studied so hard for the test. It ended up being canceled.

References[+]

Relative Clauses

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Relative clauses give extra information about a noun or pronoun in a sentence.[1]https://www.st-agnes.manchester.sch.uk/year-6-circles/relative-clauses/https://www.st-agnes.manchester.sch.uk/year-6-circles/relative-clauses/

They usually start with a relative pronoun.

Who

“Who” is a relative clause used as the subject or object pronoun for people.[2]https://englishstudyhere.com/grammar/relative-clauses-detailed-expressions/

For example:

  • People who do sports are fit.
  • The student who studies in the library will do well on the test.
  • The person who does yoga is flexible

Whom

“Whom” is a relative clause that refers to the people used as the object of a sentence.[3]https://www.slideshare.net/Ifahanwar/passive-voice-relative-clauses-causative-and-subordinating-conjungtion

For example:

  • He is the person whom I told you about.
  • From whom did you receive this present?
  • To whom did you give the cake?

Which/That

“Which” or “that” is used as the subject or object pronoun for animals or things.

For example:

  • The car that I was driving is very old.
  • The horse, which you were feeding, was very hungry.
  • The house that she lives in is very big.

Where

“Where” is used to refer to a place.

For example:

  • I found the house where I used to live when I was little.
  • The school where I went to is very small.
  • The town where she lives is very far away.

When

“When” is used to refer to time.

For example:

  • I will never forget the day when I first met you.
  • When I was young, I used to go to the beach every summer.
  • She was very short when she was young.

Whose

“Whose” is used for possession for things, animals, and people.

For example:

  • The dog whose master is not home is very sad.
  • The little girl whose birthday is today is very happy.
  • The father whose son is graduating today from university is very proud and happy.

Example Exercises

Choose the proper relative clauses to complete the sentences.

Please go to Relative Clauses to view this quiz

References[+]

Future Perfect Continuous Tense

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In English, the future perfect continuous tense is used to talk about actions that will continue up until a point in the future.[1]https://7esl.com/future-perfect-continuous-tense/

Conjugation

The tense uses the verbs “will”, “have”, “been”, and the present participle (+ing).

future perfect continuous

When to Use the Future Perfect Continuous Tense

Event that continues up to a specific time in the future

You can use this tense to talk about an event in the future that will continue up to a particular time or event.

For example:

  • Susie will have been working at this company for 5 years by December of this year.
  • I will have been studying English for 6 months by the end of this month.
  • We will have been living in the same apartment for 3 years by the time we finally fixed the leak in the ceiling.

Event that just finished before another action or event

You can use this tense to talk about an event in the future that has just finished before something else.

For example:

  • I will be tired when I get home this evening because I will have been working nonstop for 36 hours.
  • Susie will be energized on Monday because she will have been relaxing for the previous week on vacation.
  • He will be sad because he will have been studying all weekend and not had any time to relax.

Example Exercises

Fill in the blanks with the future perfect continuous tense of the verbs.

Please go to Future Perfect Continuous Tense to view this quiz

References[+]

Future Perfect Tense

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In English, the future perfect tense describes an event that is planned or expected to happen before something else that is coming.[1]https://7esl.com/future-perfect-tense/

Conjugation

This tense uses the verb “will” to indicate the future and the verb “have” to indicate the perfect tense.

future perfect tense

When to Use the Future Perfect Tense

Action that will finish before a certain time in the future

You can use this verb tense to talk about an action that will finish before a specific time in the future.

For example:

  • By 10:30 am tomorrow, I will have completed my final test.
  • By 8 pm tomorrow, she will have already departed on her vacation.
  • By 7:30 am tomorrow, we will have finish the project.

Action that will be done before a certain event in the future

You can also use this tense to talk about actions that will take place before another event in the future.

For example:

  • I will have learnt French before I move to France.
  • They will have finished the project before they leave to go home.
  • Susie will have eaten dinner before she cleans the dishes.

To express belief that something happened in the near past

You can also use this tense to talk about the near past when you are convinced something has happened.

For example:

  • They will have arrived by now. (I am sure that they have arrived by now)
  • Frank will have finished his test already. (I am sure that Frank has already finished his test)
  • Elisabeth will have cleaned the dishes by now. (I am sure that Elisabeth has cleaned the dished by now)

Example Exercises

Fill in the blanks with the future perfect conjugation of the verbs.

Please go to Future Perfect Tense to view this quiz

References[+]

Travel Guide

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Look at this travel guide for tourists visiting Los Angeles and do the exercises to improve your English reading skills.

Preparation

Match the vocabulary words with their definitions.

pier/rollercoaster/gym/amusement park/museum

  1. a fairground attraction that consists of a light railway track which has many tight turns and steep slopes on which people ride in small, fast open carriages
  2. a building in which objects of historical, scientific, artistic, or cultural interest are stored and exhibited
  3. a platform on pillars projecting from the shore into the sea, typically incorporating entertainment arcades and places to eat
  4. a room or building equipped for gymnastics, games, and other physical exercise
  5. a large outdoor area with fairground rides, shows, and other entertainments
1. rollercoaster 2. museum 3. pier 4. gym 5. amusement park

Reading

Discover Los Angeles

Universal Studios Hollywood

travel guide

Universal Studios Hollywood is the ultimate Hollywood experience. This place is a mix of amusement park, movie studio, restaurants, and stores. It is a great place for the entire family to spend the day together. Rides include a variety of rollercoasters with virtual reality elements. In addition, you can explore the Universal Studios blacklot where some of the most famous movies such as Jaws, Mission Impossible III, and Pirates of the Caribbean were shot! You can end your day on Universal CityWalk which is filled with additional entertainment, dining, and shopping.[1]https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g32655-d104417-Reviews-Universal_Studios_Hollywood-Los_Angeles_California.html

The Getty Center

travel guide

The Getty Center is one of the most popular museums to visit in Los Angeles. It features an impressive collection of art work from artists such as Cezanne, Monet, and Van Gogh. In addition, its buildings and gardens are great examples of beautiful architecture. To top it all off, it sits perched on the Santa Monica hills, where you can get a great look of the rest of Los Angeles.[2]https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g32655-d147966-Reviews-The_Getty_Center-Los_Angeles_California.html

Santa Monica Pier

travel guide

The Santa Monica Pier is one of the most iconic beach locations to visit in Los Angeles. One of the most famous parts of the piers is Pacific Park, a family amusement park famous for its Ferris Wheel, roller coaster, and other small rides. In addition, there are many other things to do on the pier such as go to the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, shop, eat, fish, and look at the beautiful Pacific Ocean sunset.[3]https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g33052-d104238-Reviews-Santa_Monica_Pier-Santa_Monica_California.html

Venice Beach

travel guide

Venice Beach, not to be confused with Venice, Italy, is an area of Los Angeles that is very unique, bohemian, and artistic. It is famous for its canals, Ocean Front Walk, and multitude of performers and personalities. One of the most famous locations on Venice Beach is Muscle Beach where you can see perform great acrobatic and bodybuilding feats outdoors on the beach.[4]https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g32655-d104591-Reviews-Venice_Beach-Los_Angeles_California.html

The Grove

travel guide

If shopping is more your style, then look no further than the iconic Grove! Shop at famous stores such as Nordstrom, DvF, and even take a look at Tesla cars! In addition, the place is stylish with great restaurants to eat at as well as the popular water fountain that places a choreographed water show to music every hour. This place is also a great place to go people watching. There is even a great chance that you will get to see some famous stars walking around and shopping! [5]https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g32655-d547175-Reviews-The_Grove-Los_Angeles_California.html

Hollywood Walk of Fame

travel guide

While locals may avoid it, as a tourist, the Hollywood Walk of Fame is a must on any Los Angeles bucket list. With more than 2,600 stars commemorating directors, musicians, and actors, it is one of the greatest memorials to Hollywood history in the world. One of the best things to do is walk around and try to find your favorite stars on the walk.[6]https://www.thecrazytourist.com/top-25-things-to-do-in-los-angeles/

El Matador State Beach

travel guide

If you are looking to “get out” of Los Angeles and experience a little bit of that famous California nature and weather, look no further than El matador State Beach located in Malibu, California! Due the magnificent rocks and caves along the beach, this spot is popular for photographers to take photos of models. If you would like to walk along the beach, the best time is at low tide.[7]https://www.californiabeaches.com/beach/el-matador-state-beach/

Dodger Stadium

travel guide

No trip to Los Angeles is complete without visiting a shrine to America’s pastime, baseball. Dodger Stadium is the 3rd oldest baseball stadium in the US as well as the largest one with a capacity of 56,000 people! While seeing a game eat some popular baseball game foods such as hot dogs and nachos while you root for the home team! If you would like to learn more about the stadium, there are even tours offered that let you get in the dugout and walk on the field.((https://www.thecrazytourist.com/top-25-things-to-do-in-los-angeles/))

True or False

Select true or false for each statement about this travel guide.

  1. Dodger Stadium is the 2nd biggest baseball stadium in the USA. True/False
  2. El Matador State Beach is located in Santa Monica, CA. True/False
  3. The Grove is a great place to see movie stars. True/False
  4. There are rollercoasters at Universal Studios. True/False
  5. The Hollywood Walk of Fame is popular with locals. True/False
  6. Venice Beach is famous for its canals. True/False
1. False 2. False 3. True 4. True 5. False 6. True

Matching

The following are several people who want to visit Los Angeles, but don’t know what to do or see. Match each person with the place that they would like most based on what they say using the information from the travel guide.

  1. “I don’t really like the big city, but I love nature and the ocean.”
  2. “Movies are my passion. Some of my favorite actors are Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Brad Pitt.”
  3. “I love sports, especially baseball.”
  4. “I’m not really into sports. I consider myself more of an artistic, alternative type.”
  5. “Shopping, shopping, and more shopping. I love shopping!”
  6. “Rollercoasters are my jam, I especially like it when they incorporate virtual reality elements!”
1. El Matador State Beach 2. Hollywood Walk of Fame 3. Dodger Stadium 4. Venice Beach 5. The Grove 6. Universal Studios Hollywood

Discussion

Which of these places for this travel guide in Los Angeles is the most interesting to you? Why?

If this is too difficult to understand, check out the B1 grammar points to help out!

References[+]

Reported Speech

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Reported speech is when tell what someone else said.[1]https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/reported-speech.html

Direct vs. Indirect Speech

There are two ways to use reported speech.

Direct speech: “I am a teacher,” Fred said.

Indirect speech: Fred said that he was a teacher.

Depending on the original tense, we must change the tense in the indirect reported speech. This is called a backshift.

reported speech

Present Simple

When using reported speech, we must backshift from the present simple to past simple.

For example:

  • I work a lot. → He said that he travelled a lot.
  • Susie is a teacher. → Susie said that she was a teacher.
  • We are sick. → They said that they were sick.

Present Continuous

For the present continuous, we must backshift to the past continuous.

For example:

  • They are talking very loudly. → She told me that they were talking very loudly.
  • We are singing. → She said that we were singing.
  • I am studying for the test. → He said that I was studying for the test.

Present Perfect

For the present perfect, we must change to the past perfect.

For example:

  • She has hurt her arm. → She said that she had hurt her arm.
  • I have studied for the test. → He said that he had studied for the test.
  • We have lived in the house for a long time. → They said that they had lived in the house for a long time.

Past Simple

For the past simple, we must change to the past perfect simple.

For example:

  • We lived in Paris for 2 years. → They said that they had lived in Paris for 2 years.

Past Continuous

For the past continuous, we must change to the past perfect continuous.

For example:

  • It was snowing all day. → The weatherman said that it had been snowing all day.
  • We were working hard yesterday. → They said that they had been working hard yesterday.
  • Susie was studying last night. → She said that she had been studying last night.

Past Perfect

The past perfect does not change when using reported speech.

Example Exercises

Change the following sentences into the reported speech.

Please go to Reported Speech to view this quiz

References[+]

Linking Words – Cause and Effect

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In English, linking words help to express cause and effect between different actions or events.

There are three main linking words categories.[1]https://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/courses/elc/studyzone/570/pulp/hemp5.htm

  • Conjunctions
  • Prepositions
  • Transitions

They can be used with all the different verb tenses in English.

Conjunctions

Conjunctions can be used to both express cause and effect. They link two complete thoughts together.

The most important linking words for cause are “because” and “since”.

For example:

  • I am going to eat because I am hungry.
  • Since it is late, she is going to sleep.

As you can see, if the conjugation is in the beginning of the sentence, you must use a comma to separate the two clauses.

The most important linking word for effect is “so”.

For example:

  • It was raining outside, so I brought an umbrella.
  • They test is tomorrow, so I can’t go out to the party. I must study instead.

As you can see, with the conjunction “so”, you must always use a comma to separate the first and second clauses.

Examples of other linking word conjugations include[2]https://writesite.elearn.usyd.edu.au/m3/m3u5/m3u5s6/m3u5s6_3.htm

  • As
  • Thus
  • Hence

Prepositions

Linking words can form a noun phrase in order to talk about cause.

The most important ones are “due to” and “because of”.

For example:

  • Because of the snow, all the roads were closed.
  • I didn’t go to school due to my flu.

Transitions

Linking words can be used in transitions to express effect.

When doing so, you are joining two complete sentences together.

The most important ones are “therefore”, “consequently”, and “as a result”.

For example:

  • There is a test tomorrow; therefore, I need to study tonight.
  • It snowed a lot last night. Consequently, school was canceled today.
  • We didn’t study for the test. As a result, we all failed.

As you can see, you can use the transition linking words in one of two ways:

  • 1st sentence; transition word, 2nd sentence.
  • 1st sentence. Transition word, 2nd sentence.

References[+]