SELECTED PARTS OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR

SELECTED PARTS OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR

The English Tenses

Modal Auxiliaries
Passive Voice
Conditional Sentences
Indirect Speech
Articles

SELECTED PARTS OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR

THE PRESENT SIMPLE TENSE

Formation
Affirmative
The third person singular of the Present Tense is distinguished from the other persons
of the Present Tense by the ending s or es
I / we / you / they drive / work / do etc.
he / she / it
drives / works /does etc.
Interrogative and Negative
The interrogative, the negative , and the negative-interrogative forms are formed by
the aid of the auxiliary verb TO DO.
do
I / we / you / they drive / work / do etc.
does he / she / it
drive / work / do etc.
I / we / you / they do not ( dont ) drive / work / do etc.
he / she / it
does not ( doesnt ) drive / work/ do etc.
do I / we / you / they not drive / work / do etc. ( dont I drive )
does he / she / it not drive / work / do etc. ( doesnt he drive .)
The verb TO BE IRREGULAR and an EXCEPTION
Affirmative:
I
am
You
are
He, She, It is

We are
You are
They are

Interrogative : Am I , Are you etc.- INVERSION

Negative : I am not, You are not ( arent ) , He is not ( isnt) etc.

Adding of s or es in the 3rd person

We usually add an s in the 3rd person of the singular, which is pronounced either /s/
or /z/. It is pronounced /s/ when the preceeding letter is a VOICELESS consonant. It
is pronounced /z/ when the preceeding letter is either a vowel (or a diphthong), or a
VOICED consonant.

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e.g. he stop /stops/ preceeding VOICELESS CONSONANT

he begs /begz/

VOICED CONSONANT
he plays /pleiz/

VOWEL (diphthong)
she says /sez/

VOWEL
We sometimes add an es in the 3rd person of the singular which is then pronounced
/iz/:
1. Verbs ending in -s ss, -sh, -x, ch,
e.g. he watches /wot iz/
she pushes /pu iz/
he kisses /kisiz/
2. Verbs ending in y preceeded by a consonant change -y into -i and add es
pronounced / iz /
e.g. I carry He carries
BUT I play He plays
EXCEPTIONS : TO DO and TO GO:
e.g. he goes
she does
Usage
1. For expressing general truths.
e.g. The Earth moves around the Sun.
The Sun rises in the East.
It rains a lot in Britain.
2. For things which happen repeatedly. We usually employ adverbs of frequency
such as: ALWAYS, NEVER, OCCASIONALLY, OFTEN, SOMETIMES,
USUALLY, EVERY WEEK, ON MONDAYS, TWICE A YEAR etc.
e.g. He wakes up every morning at 7 a.m.
I go to church on Sunday.
She often visits her Granny.
These actions may also be called HABITUAL ACTIONS.
3. Historical present occurs in novels to make an action more vivid
e.g. John enters the room, draws the revolver and shoots. Tom falls down. Dead!
He jumps into the car,takes the box and flings it out.
4. For fixed planned future action (in timetables, brochures, etc.)
e.g. The train leaves tomorrow at 8 a.m.
The film starts at 8 p.m.
5. In temporal clauses with adverbs of time like WHEN, AS SOON AS, as well as in
the IF-clause of the FIRST type in combination with alike Present Simple, Simple
Future, and The Imperative.
e.g. As soon as he finishes his studies hell go abroad.
When he arrives well go out.
If he wants to go out take him with you.
EXCERCISES:
John usually (stay up) late. Mary often (watch) .TV.( You
play) tennis? (Be) ..you a good student? Mike (obey)
..his parents. What time( the film begin)? My daughter
(kiss).
me
whenever
she
(leave).
home.
(John
like)..classical music? Every morning a strange lady (beg). in front of
our house. (not be he). a musician?

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THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE

Formation
Affirmative
We form the Present Continuous Tense with the Present Simple of the auxiliary TO
BE and the present participle of the main verb (-ING form)
e.g.
I am
speaking
Pres. Simple
Present Participle
of TO BE
+
The interrogative, the negative and the negative interrogative forms are formed by
using the respective forms of The Simple Present tense of the auxiliary verb - to be
and the Present Participle of the main verb ( the verb required ).
e.g. Am I sleeping ?
You are not sleeping.
Isnt he sleeping?
Usage
1. For an action which is happening at the actual time of speaking (NOW, RIGHT
NOW, JUST NOW, AT THE MOMENT)
e.g. What are you doing right now? I am preparing something to eat!
2. For an action which is happening AROUND this moment.
e.g. My friends are building a new house.
I am reading a good book.
3. When we express a change of happening around now.
e.g. The population is rising very fast.
4. When we express temporary situations.
e.g. Im living with some friends until I find a flat.
5. With ALWAYS meaning TOO OFTEN, more often than normal. This is a
frequently repeated action which usually annoys the speaker.
e.g. My wife is always nagging me.
He is always losing his keys.
6. The Present Continuous with the future meaning used for near, planned
arrangements.
e.g. What are you doing on Saturday evening?
What time is Cathy arriving tomorrow?
Are you taking a holiday this year? Yes, weve just arranged a holiday. We are
spending ten days in Spain.
VERBS NOT NORMALLY USED IN THE CONTINUOUS TENSES
1. Verbs of the SENSES: feel, hear, see, smell, notice, observe BUT: Im seeing my
solicitor tomorrow. (meaning meet by appointment).
2. Verbs expressing FEELINGS and EMOTIONS: admire, adore, appreciate desire,
detest, deslike, fear, hate, like, love, mind, respect

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3. Verbs of MENTAL ACTIVITY: agree, understand, assume, believe, expect

(=think), feel (=think), forget, know, mean, perceive, realize, recognize,
remember, see (=understand), suppose, think (=have an opinion)
4. Usually the verb TO BE, but when meaning- to act or- to behave it can also have
continuous.
e.g. He is being selfish.
EXCERCISES:
1. We can go out. It (not rain).
2. (you listen). to the radio? No, you can turn it off!
3. What (you think) about the Titanic? I (think). it (be)
a great movie.
4. My parents (buy) a new car.
5. She always (come). late to work.
6. This coffee (taste).. bitter.
7. I (see).. the manager tomorrow morning.
8. Where is Mary? She (have) a bath!
9. The prices (rise). very fast.
10. I (realize) that Granny (leave). tomorrow.

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THE SIMPLE PAST TENSE

Formation
REGULAR verbs get an ending ED, and IRREGULAR verbs have a special form
(e.i. become-became)
e.g. I workED
I LOST
He workED
He LOST etc.
Spelling notes
FINAL CONSONANT is DOUBLED in:
1. One syllable words (with one written vowel and one written consonant)
e.g. stopped, planned grabbed, rubbed
BUT cooked, looked
2. Polysyllabic words when the final syllable is STRESSED
e.g. preferred, regretted, permitted
BUT visited, happened etc.
FINAL CONSONANT is NOT DOUBLED if
1. It is Y or W
e.g. stayed, showed etc.
2. The word ends in consonant cluster (-RT, -LP, NG)
e.g. started, helped, longed
NOTICE the change of Y into I + ED when preceeding consonant
e.g. carried, tried etc. BUT obeyed, played etc.
The pronunciation of the final ED
The final ED can be pronounced /t/, /d/ or /id/.
It is pronounced /t/, when the preceeding consonant is VOICELESS
It is pronounced /d/, when the preceeding consonant is VOICED.
It is pronounced /id/, when the final consonant is either /t/ or /d/.
e.g. stopped /stopt/ - /p/ VOICELESS CONSONANT
begged /begd/ - /g/ VOICED CONSONANT
wanted /wontid/ - /t/
mended /mendid/ - /d/
Affirmative
Regular verbs get ED , and irregular have a special form
e.g. He played
She saw
Interrogative

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It is formed by the Simple Past Tense of the auxiliary TO DO + subject + the

INFINITIVE of the main verb without to
.
e.g. DID I WORK?
DID She SEE ?
Negative I DID NOT ( DIDNT) WORK,SEE etc

THE SIMPLE PAST TENSE of THE VERB TO BE

Affirmative
e.g. I WAS
We WERE
You WERE
You WERE
He, She, It WAS
They WERE
Interrogative
e.g. WAS I?
WERE You? etc.
Negative
e.g. I was NOT
You were NOT

(wasnt short form)

(werent)

Usage
1. It is used for PAST EVENTS which have no connection with present moment e.i.
for actions completed in the past at a definite time. This past event can be
expressed either by an adverb of time (e.g. YESTERDAY, LAST YEAR, IN
1983. etc.) or by the CONTEXT.
e.g. Peter broke the window yesterday. (adverb of time)
W.A. Mozart wrote more than 600 pieces of music. (context)
William Shakespeare wrote many plays.
2. It is also used in INDIRECT SPEECH introduced by the past tense as a substitute
for the present tense in Direct Speech.
e.g. He said: A man runs down the street.
He said that a man ran down the street.
3. In the IF- CLAUSE of the 2nd type in combination with the Present Conditional
and as the SUBJUNCTIVE type of the verb after (I wish, as if, as though,
suppose, Its high time etc.)
e.g. If I had money I would buy a new car.
I wish I had a friend.
Suppose you knew English.
Its high time the children went to bed.
EXCERCISE:
George
Stephenson
(build)..
the
first
locomotive.
They
(meet).. us when we (be).. in Rijeka last summer. Where
(happen the accident)? He (be).. in Wien
last week. William the Conqueror (defeat). King Harold in 1066.
Johns parents (buy).. a sewing-machine two years ago. I (intend)
..to call on you yesterday. The students (visit). the

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British Museum when they were in London. I wish I (have) ..a bigger
flat. My aunt (die). in 1995.

THE PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

Formation
The Past Continuous Tense is formed by The SIMPLE PAST TENSE of the auxiliary
TO BE and the PRESENT PARTICIPLE of the main verb.
e.g.

I WAS
Simple Past T.
of the aux.
TO BE

SPEAKING

the Present
Participle
of the main verb

Interrogative
e.g.

Was I speaking?
Were you speaking?
Was he, she, it speaking? etc.

Negative
e.g.

I was NOT speaking (wasnt)

Your were NOT speaking ( werent) etc.

Usage
1. It is used chiefly for past actions which continued for some time in the past.
e.g. It was raining yesterday.
2. It is used to express an activity happening at a particular time in the past, or that
someone was in the middle of doing sth. in the past.
e.g. What were you doing at 8.00 last night? I was watching TV.
This time last year I was living in Brasil.
3. It is used for the two simultaneous actions in the past.
e.g. While we were having bath they were sun-bathing.
4. It is used to express an action in the past which lasted for some time and which
was interrupted by another action (expressed by the Simple past Tense)
e.g. When Tom was cooking he burnt his hand.
EXCERCISES:
Ann (wait). for me when I (arrive) What speed( the car
drive) .at the time of the accident? Mary usually
(phone) me on Fridays, but she (not phone). me last
Friday. When I last (see) you, you (think).. of moving
into a new flat. Thats right, but in the end I (decide) to stay where I
was. Yesterday evening the phone (ring) three times while we

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(have) dinner. Linda (be). busy when we

(go)to see her yesterday. She (study).. for an exam. We
(not want).. to disturb her, so we (not stay). very long. When I first
(tell) Tom the news, he (not believe)me. He
(think) that I (joke)

THE PRESENT PERFECT TENSE

Formation
Affirmative
It is formed by the Present Simple Tense of the auxiliary TO HAVE and the PAST
PARTICIPLE of the main verb.
e.g.

I
He

HAVE
HAS

Pres. Simple
of the aux.
TO HAVE

WORKED
WRITTEN

PAST PARTICIPLE
of the main verb

PAST PARTICIPLE Regular verbs get an ED, while irregular verbs have a special
form (e.g. be-was-been, catch-caught-caught, have-had-had, give-gave-given etc.)
Interrogative
e.g. Have I done?
Has he written? etc.
Negative
e.g. I have NOT done ( havent)
He has NOT done (hasnt)
Usage
1. It is used to denote an action or a state beginning in the past and continuing up to
the moment of speaking. That period can be expressed with the following:
RECENTLY, IN THE LAST FEW DAYS, SINCE BREAKFAST, EVER SINCE
etc.
e.g. I havent heard form George recently.
Ive met a lot of people in the last few days.
I havent eaten anything since breakfast.
I have lived in Zagreb ever since I was born.
2. When the action in the past has a result NOW. The FACT is important not the
time when sth. happened.
e.g. Ive lost my key.
Peter has broken the window.
3. When we give new information or announce a recent happening.
e.g. Ive cut my finger.

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There has been an accident.

4. When the periods of time are not finished at the time of speaking (e.g. today, this
morning, this evening etc.)
e.g. I havent been to the market today.
He hasnt passed a single exam this semester.
5. With the expressions (Its the first time, the second time etc. that sth. has
happened)
e.g. Its the first time Ive been to Osijek.
Its the second time he has driven a car.
6. With the following: JUST, ALREADY, YET
JUST meaning a short time ago
e.g. Ive just had my lunch.
ALREADY meaning sooner than expected
e.g. Ive already posted the letter.
YET meaning until now (in questions and negatives)
e.g. Has it stopped raining yet?
I havent finished my book yet.
7. When we ask or say HOW MANY or HOW MANY TIMES (completed actions )
e.g. How many pages of that book have you read?
EXCERCISES:
He (visit). us many times. I (be) in London twice. I
(intend). to ask you for dinner but I (be) too busy
recently. My friend (see)..that film several times. I (not see)
you for ages. How are you? I (lose) ..my necklace.
I hope Ill find it. Im not hungry. I just (have)my lunch. I (not be)
.to the faculty today. This is the third time my servant
(break). a plate.
THE PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE
Formation:
Affirmative
The Present Perfect Continuous Tense is formed by the PRESENT PERFECT Tense
of the auxiliary TO BE and the present participle of the main verb.
e.g.
I HAVE BEEN
DOING
The pres. Perfect Tense
of the aux. TO BE

Present Participle
of the main verb

I have been doing (Ive been doing short form)

He, She, It, has been doing (Hes been doing etc.)
Interrogative
e.g.

Have I been doing?

Has, He, She, It, been doing? etc.

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SELECTED PARTS OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR

Negative
e.g. I have not been doing ( havent)
he has not been doing ( hasnt )
Usage
1. It is used for an action which started some time before the present moment and is
still continuing or has just finished.
e.g. Ive been learning this unit for a long time.
Have you been running? Your are out of breath!
2. It is used to ask or say HOW LONG for an activity that is still happening.
e.g. How long have you been reading that book?
Shes been writing letters all day.
NOTE THE DIFERENCE
I have been repairing my car for weeks.
I have repaired my car.
She has been smoking too much.
Someone has smoked all my cigarettes.
Ive been reading this book for several months.
Ive just read a good book.
He has been writing letters all morning.
She has written all postcards.
BUT
I have been living in Zagreb ever since I was born.
I have lived in Zagreb ever since I was born.
He has been waiting for the manager the whole morning.
He has waited for the manager the whole morning.
EXCERCISES:
- Hello! I (try) to telephone you all week. Where( you be)?
How long (study) you mathematics with your present
teacher? He (write) already the letter. He (write)..that
piece of music for too long. I (not see).. him since last Monday.
She (be) ..busy recently. (you be). to the market
today? I (paint).. the ceiling for two hours and I (not finish)
..it yet. Why are you so tired? (you run)?
This is the worst wine I (ever taste).. How long (you
learn).. English? Why are you dressed like that? (you play)
..tennis? I (smoke) .ever since I left
Dubrovnik. I (visit) many beautiful towns, but unfortunately
I(never
be)
to
Venice.
How
long
(you
prepare) for the English exam? I (play).
the piano since I was 9 years old.

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THE PAST PERFECT

Formation :
Affirmative
We form the Past Perfect Tense with the Simple Past Tense of the auxiliary TO
HAVE and the past participle of the main verb.

e.g.

I HAD

Simple Past
Tense of the
aux. TO HAVE

DONE

Past Participle
of the main verb

Interrogative
e.g. Had I done?
Had he done? etc.
Negative
e.g. I had NOT done
He had NOT done etc. (hadnt short form)
Usage
1. It is used to express an action that happened before a definite time in the past.
e.g. When I entered the classroom the students had already been there.
I arrived at midday to give Peter a lift, but he had already left.
2. It occurs in Indirect Speech as a substitute for Simple Past Tense and The present
Perfect Tense because of Sequence of Tenses.
e.g. He said: Yesterday I didnt go out.
He said that the previous day he hadnt gone out.
He said: Ive just cut my finger.
He said that he had just cut his finger.
3. In the Conditional Sentences of the 3rd type in combination with the Past
Conditional and as a Subjunctive type of the verb when expressing wishes, desires
etc. for the past.
e.g. If I had arrived earlier I would have seen Mary.
If only I had gone to Italy last year.
THE PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE

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Formation
Affirmative
It is formed by The Past Perfect Tense of the auxiliary TO BE and the present
participle of the main verb.
e.g.

I HAD BEEN

The Past Perfect

of the aux. TO BE

DOING

Present Participle
of the main verb

Interrogative
e.g. Had I been doing?
Had he been doing? etc.
Negative
. I had NOT been doing , You had not been doing etc.
Usage
1. It is used for activities in progress up to a definite time in the past.
e.g. He had been learning English before we entered this classroom.
He looked filthy! He had been sleeping under bridges for a month and had been
drinking far too much.
2. It is used as a substitute for The Past Continuous and The Present Perfect
Continuous in Indirect Speech because of Sequence of Tenses.
e.g. He said: I was playing the piano yesterday evening.
He said that he had been playing the piano the previous evening.
He said: Ive been learning English all my life.
He said that he had been learning English all his life.
EXCERCISES:
When Sarah (arrive). at the party Paul wasnt there. He (go)
..home. I was very tired when I (get)home. I
(work) .hard all day. Before I came here I (visit)
..the museum. They (spend).. all their money
before their parents sent them more. Mr Smith (listen).. to the
wireless a long time before the roof fell in. (Be you ever)to
the seaside before you went with us last week? He (live).. in
Zagreb six years when the war broke out. They (talk). for an
hour when the train arrived. Mr Davis (practise) ..the violin before
his sister rushed into his room. When we reached the town we (notice)
that we (lose). a spare tyre on the way.

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FUTURE TENSES
The are several ways of expressing the future in English:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.

The Simple Future (shall, will)

Going to Future
Future Continuous (will be doing)
Future Perfect (will have done)
Future Prefect Continuous (will have been doing)
Future in the Past (should do, would do)
Present Continuous
Present Simple

Examples:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.

I feel a bit hungry. I think Ill have something to eat.

She is going to buy a new car.
This time next year Ill be lying on he beach of Dubrovnik.
By next month I shall have finished my book.
By 5 p.m well have been sight-seeing for 8 hours.
He said that he would come to see you soon.
Tom is taking me to the Opera tonight.
The train leaves Zagreb at 11.30.

I.

THE SIMPLE FUTURE TENSE

Formation:
Affirmative
It is formed by shall and will and the infinitive without to.
e.g.

I shall go
You will go
He, She, It will go

We shall go (Ill go short form)

You will go (Youll go )
They will go

Interrogative
Shall I go?
Will you go? etc.
Negative

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e.g. I shall not go (shant)

You will not go (wont
NOTE THE DIFFERENCE DETWEEN WONT AND WANT !
e.g. I wont come!
I want to come!
Usage
1. When we DECIDE to do something AT THE TIME OF SPEAKING.
e.g. Oh, Ive left the door open. Ill go and shut it.
2. When offering, agreeing, promising and asking to do something.
e.g. That bag looks heavy. Ill help you with it. (OFFER)
- You know that book I lent you. Can I have it back? Of course. Ill give it to
you this afternoon. (AGREEMENT) I wont tell anybody what happened. I
promise (PROMISE) Will you please be quiet? (ASKING)
3. When somebody or something REFUSES to do something (negative).
e.g. Ive tried to advise her, but she wont listen!
The car wont start.
4. When PREDICTING the future e.i. when you say something you know or think
will happen.
e.g. Yes, Ann will pass her exam.
5. Very often with I THINK or I DONT THINK
e.g. I dont think Ill go out tonight. Im too tired.
6. Often with PROBABLY, I EXCEPT, IM SURE, I WONDER
e.g. Ill probably be late this evening.
I wonder what will happen?
II. GOING TO Future
Formation:
Affirmative
It is formed by the Present Continuous Tense of the verb TO GO and to infinitive of
the main verb.
e.g. I am going
to watch
Pres. Cont. of
to infinitive
TO GO
+ of the main verb
Interrogative
Am I going to watch?
Are you going to watch?
Is He, She, It going to watch? ...
Negative
I am not going to watch (Im not going ...)

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You are not going to watch (You arent going ...)

He is not going to watch (He isnt going to ...)
Usage
1. It expresses future INTENTION, PLAN or DECISION, thought about before the
moment of speaking (some preparation for the action has already been made).
e.g. She s going to buy a new car.
Sue and I have decided to have a party. Were going to invite lots of people.
2. It expresses PREDICTION e.i. an action which is expected to happen in the near
future. The situation NOW makes us believe sth is going to happen.
e.g. My wife is going to have a baby. (She is pregnant.)
The man is going to fall into that hole. (I can see the hole.)
Look at the clouds! Its going to rain.

III. FUTURE CONTINUOUS /will be doing

Formation:
Affirmative
It is formed by the Simple Future of the auxiliary TO BE and the present participle of
the main verb.
e.g. I will be

doin

Simple Future
Present Participle
of the aux. TO BE + of the main verb
I will be doing (Ill be doing)
You will be doing (Youll be doing etc.)
Interrogative
Will I be doing?
Will you be doing? etc.
Negative
It is done by adding a negation NOT next to the first auxiliary
I will not be doing (I wont be doing)
You will not be doing (You wont be doing)

Usage:
1. It is used with a point of time to express an action which starts before that time
and probably continues after it. It is an action in progress at a specific time.
e.g. Tomorrow night at 8.30 Ill be watching the football match.
This time tomorrow Ill be sitting in front of my beautiful house in Dubrovnik.
2. This tense usually implies an action which will occur in the normal course of
events. It is therefore less definite and more casual than the present continuous.

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SELECTED PARTS OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR

e.g. COMPARE:
Ill be seeing Tom tomorrow. (Perhaps they work together)
Im seeing Tom tomorrow. (Arranged meeting)
N.B. While The Present Continuous can only be used with a DEFINITE time and for
NEAR future, The Future Continuous can be used with or without a definite time and
for near or distant future.
e.g. He is taking his exam next week.
Hell be taking his exam next week.
Ill be meeting him next year.
QUESTIONS ABOUT INTENTIONS
They are usually expressed in the following ways:
1. The Present Continuous
e.g. Where are you playing golf?
2. Going to Future
e.g. Where are you going to play golf?
3. The Future Continuous considered MORE POLITE
e.g. Will you be playing golf?

IV. THE FUTURE PERFECT (will have done)

Formation
Affirmative
It is formed by the auxiliary WILL and the perfect infinitive without to of the main
verb.
e.g. I will
the auxiliary
WILL

have done
perfect infinitive without to
+

PERFECT INFINITIVE is formed by the present infinitive of the auxiliary TO HAVE

and the past participle of the main verb.
p r e s e n t infinitive
TO GO
TO SEE
TO CATCH
TO ARRIVE
TO HAVE

p e r f e c t infinitive
TO HAVE GONE
TO HAVE SEEN
TO HAVE CAUGHT
TO HAVE ARRIVED
TO HAVE HAD

Interrogative
. Will I have done?

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Will you have done? etc.

Negative
.
I will not have done (wont short form)
You will not have done. etc
Usage:
1. It is used for an action which at a given time will be in the past, or will just have
finished. It is normally used with a time expression beginning with BY.
e.g. (Imagine that it is 3 December and David is very worried about an exam that he is
taking on 13 December. Someone planning a party might say): Wed better wait till
14 December. David will have had his exam by then, so hell be able to enjoy himself.
Sally will have gone to work by nine.
Mary will have spent all her salary by next week.

V. THE FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS (will have been doing)

Formation
It is formed by the future perfect of the auxiliary TO BE and the present participle of
the main verb.
e.g. I will have been
the future perfect
of the aux. TO BE

doing

present participle
of the main verb

Interrogative
Will I have been doing? etc.
Negative
I will not have been doing (wont short form) etc.
Usage :
1. For an action which will continue for a certain period in future and by certain
moment will have finished.
e.g. By the end of this month he will have been climbing mountains for twenty years.
By 2p.m. Sally will have been sight-seeing for 8 hours.

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SELECTED PARTS OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR

VI. FUTURE IN THE PAST (should do, would do)

Formation
Affirmative
It is formed by the Simple Past Tense of the auxiliaries SHALL and WILL e.i.
SHOULD and WOULD and the infinitive of the main verb without to.
e.g. I should
Simple Past
Tense of the
aux. shall

go

the present infinitive

of the main verb
without to

I should go (Id go )
You would go (Youd go -)
He, She, It would go (Hed go etc.)
NOTA BENE:
It is interesting to notice that this tense has IDENTICAL form with The Present
Conditional :
e.g. He said: I will come soon.
He said that he WOULD COME soon. The Future in the Past
He whould come if he had time. The Present Conditional
He would gladly come, but he cant. The Present Conditional
Interrogative is done by inversion of the auxiliary WOULD and the subject.
e.g. Would I come)
.
e.g. He said that he would not come soon. (wouldnt )
VII. THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS
The Present Continuous with the future meaning is used for PLANNED
ARRANGEMENTS e.i. for a near planned action which is already arranged.
e.g. Im leaving tomorrow.
- When are they getting married? Next month.
- Are you taking holidays this year? Yes, weve just arranged a holiday. We
are spending ten days in Spain.

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SELECTED PARTS OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR

IX.

THE PRESENT SIMPLE

This tense is used to express a future meaning in TIMETABLES, PROGRAMMS, e.i.

in tourist brochures, in TV- programs etc.
e.g. My train leaves at 9.30. (according to the timetable)
EXERCISES:
Rebecca and Arnold are leaving the office when they work.
Arnold: Would you like to come to a film this weekend?
Rebecca: Id like to, but Im afraid I (not have). time.
Arnold: Why? What (you do).?
Rebecca: Well, my father (arrive) back from Australia. Hes been
there for six months and we (have). a big party to celebrate.
Arnold: (he not be)too tired for a party after his flight?
Rebecca: Yes, and no doubt he (suffer). from jetlag. So, on
Saturday he can take it easy. But on Sunday, all the family (come).
for a big barbecue. I (prepare). things all day on Saturday.
Arnold: What a lot of work for you.
Rebecca: I dont mind. My sisters are very helpful and were well organized. In fact, I
(see)..someone about hiring a band this afternoon. So I must go
now or I (not get) ..to their office before they
(close)...
Arnold: I hope everything (go) ..well for you.
Rebecca: Im sure it (be) a great day. Provided that the sun
(shine).., that is.
PRESENT CONDITIONAL (would come)
It has the same form as The Future in the Past
Usage
1. In the Conditional Sentences to express unfulfilled condition in the present. It
occurs in the combination with Simple Past Tense in the if-clause.
e.g. If I had money I would buy a new car.
2. When we imagine a situation or action
e.g. It would be nice to have a holiday but we cant afford it.
Im not going to bed yet. Im not tired and I wouldnt sleep.
I would stay longer but I really have to go now.
I wish it would stop raining.
PAST CONDITIONAL (would have come)
Formation
It is formed with WOULD and the perfect infinitive without to in all persons
e.g. I would have come etc.
Would I have come? etc.
I would not have come

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SELECTED PARTS OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR

Usage
1. It is mostly used in the Conditional sentences of the THIRD type in combination
with The Past Perfect Tenses. With this Tense we express Unfulfilled condition
for the past time.
e.g. If I had come earlier I WOULDNT HAVE MISSED our teacher.

PASSIVE VOICE
e.g. Somebody built this house in 1980.
S
V
O
A
SUBJECT VERB OBJECT ADVERB OF TIME
We use an ACTIVE verb to say WHAT THE SUBJECT DOES!
We use a PASSIVE VERB to say WHAT HAPPENS TO THE SUBJECT.
In passive who or what causes the action is often UNKNOWN or UNIMPORTANT.
But if we want to say who or what causes the action, we introduce BY.
e.g. My grandfather built this house.
This house was built by my grandfather.
SHIFTING FROM ACTIVE TO PASSIVE VOICE
1. The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence.
2. We have to find out the tense of the active verb and put the verb TO BE exactly
into that tense with the necessary changes (subject-verb)
3. The main verb e.i. the active verb gets the form of the PAST PARTICIPLE.
4. The subject of the active sentence may but need not always be introduced with
BY. If the subject of the active sentence is SOMEBODY, SOMETHING, THEY
etc., e.i. if it is not important or sometimes not known, there is no need to
introduce it.
e.g.

Somebody cleaned the room.

The room was cleaned.
They followed him.
He was followed.
John switched off the light.
The light was switched off by John.
Mary gave me the money.
I was given the money by Mary.

PASSIVE IN ALL TENSES

Somebody cleans the room.
The room is cleaned.
Somebody cleaned the room yesterday.
The room was cleaned yesterday.
Somebody has just cleaned the room.

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SELECTED PARTS OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR

The room has just been cleaned.

Somebody had cleaned the room before they...
The room had been cleaned before they...
Continuous Tenses
Somebody is following us.
We are being followed.
Somebody was following us.
We were being followed.
Somebody will be following us.
We will be being followed.
PASSIVE WITH MODAL AUXILIARIES
Modal auxiliaries always come with another verb which is either in present or perfect
infinitive with or without to.
e.g. must do, need have come, ought to go, might see etc.
In passive voice the verb TO BE must be in the INFINITIVE present or perfect,
with or without to.
e.g. They ought to wake him up.
He ought to be waken up.
You must have seen her.
She must have been seen.
People need not give her the money.
She need not be given the money.
NOTA BENE: Modal auxiliaries are rewritten in the passive voice in the same form
as they are in active.
VERBS WITH TWO OBJECTS TWO PASSIVES

Some verbs can have two objects: indirect object and direct object. Such verbs are:
GIVE, OFFER, PAY, SHOW, TEACH, TELL
e.g. We gave the police the information.
S.
V.
I.O.
D.O.
Sentences with such verbs can make passive in two ways.
e.g.
I.
II.
e.g.

The police was given the information.

The information was given to the police.
He showed me the way.
I was shown the way.
The way was shown to me.

SOME SPECIAL STRUCTURES:

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SELECTED PARTS OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR

It is said (or People say) that he is (or he was) a spy. have the following passive
structure:
He is said to be (to have been) a spy.
The following is possible:
It is believed (people believe) that he is (he was) ...
It is expected (we expect) that he is (he was) ...
It is alleged that he is (he was)
It is reported that he is (he was)
It is supposed that he is (we was)
He is believed to be (to have been) ...
He is expected to be (to have been) ...
He is alleged to be (to have been) ...
He is reported to be (to have been) ...
He is supposed to be (to have been) ...
OR It WAS supposed that he was a good man.
He was supposed to have been a good man.

EXCERCISES:
Turn from Active into Passive:
1. The milkman brings the milk to my door but the postman leaves the letters in the
hall.
2. In future, perhaps, they wont bring letters to the houses, and we shall have to
collect them from the Post Office.
3. People steal things from supermarkets every day. Someone stole 20 bottles of
whisky from this one last week.
4. Normally men sweep this street but nobody swept it last week.
5. Someone turned on the light in the hall and opened the door.
6. An ambulance took the sick man to hospital.
7. They are demolishing the entire block.
8. Why did noone inform about the change of the plan?
9. They invited Jack but they didnt invite Tom.
10. They are repairing my piano at the moment.
11. Has someone posted my parcel?
12. You must keep dogs on leads in the gardens.
13. You neednt have done this.
14. People know that he is armed.
15. He likes people to call him sir.
16. Someone is following us.
17. Someone saw him pick up the gun.
18. People believe that he was killed by terrorists.
19. We know that you were in town on the night of the crime.
20. Someone seems to have made a terrible mistake.

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SELECTED PARTS OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR

CONDITIONAL CLAUSES (IF- CLAUSES)

Conditional sentences are compound sentences. They are composed of the IF clause
and the MAIN clause. They express condition. They may express either fulfilled
condition or unfulfilled condition. The First Conditional Clause expresses the
FULFILLED CONDITION and the conjunction IF is translated in Croatian with
AKO. In the IF clause we may have either the Present Simple or sometimes The
Present Perfect Tense, while in the main clause we may have the following tenses:
either The Present Simple, The Future or The Imperative.
The Second Conditional Clause expresses the UNFULFILLED CONDITION for the
present moment and the conjunction IF is translated with DA (da znam, da imam,
etc.) In the IF clause we have The Simple Past Tense of all the verbs except the verb
TO BE which gets the SUBJUNCTIVE form of the verb e.i. (If I were = Da sam). In
the main sentence we have The Present Conditional.
The Third Conditional Clause expresses the UNFULFILLED CONDITION for the
past and the conjunction IF is again translated with DA (da sam znao, da sam imao
etc.) In the IF-clause we have The Past Perfect Tense and in the main clause we have
The Past Conditional. IF can be sometimes omitted and then there is an INVERSION
of the subject and the verb in the IF clause.
e.g. Were I his brother I would help him. (If I were his ...)
Had I seen him I would have told him. (If I had seen him ...)
Clause of negative condition e.i. IF NOT may be introduced by UNLESS.
e.g. He wont come unless you give him a lift.
You would fail unless you worked hard.
CONDITIONAL SENTENCES
IF CLAUSE
MAIN CLAUSE
I. type
PRESENT SIMPLE
PRESENT SIMPLE
If you heat water
it boils.
PRESENT SIMPLE
FUTURE SIMPLE
If you come on time
well go to the cinema.
PRESENT SIMPLE
IMPERATIVE
If you want
join us!
II. type
PAST TENSE
PRESENT CONDITIONAL
+ Subjunctive
WERE
If I had money
I would buy a new car.
If I were in your shoes I wouldnt worry.
III. type
PAST PERFECT
PAST CONDITIONAL
If the train had arrived on time I wouldnt have missed the lecture.
Had I missed the plane I wouldnt have been in Split
Note that IF can sometimes be expressed with SUPPOSE or SUPPOSING.

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SELECTED PARTS OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR

EXCERCISES:
Translate:
Ako doe u 5 sati ii emo u etnju. Da si mi vjerovala ne bi sada bila tuna. Da je
avion doao na vrijeme stigli bismo na veeru. Da imam novaca kupio bih dobar auto.
Ako me ne ostavi na miru pozvat u policiju. Da sam na tvom mjestu, bila bih
sretnija. Ako pije ne vozi!
INDIRECT SPEECH
When we report something said before, we can do it in two ways:
I.
In DIRECT SPEECH when the words are repeated as they were said.
e.g. He said: Ill come soon.
II.
In INDIRECT SPEECH when the words used by the speaker are not given
as they were said, but with some change of construction.
e.g. He said that he would come soon.
When changing from Direct into Indirect Speech the following changes take place:
1. Quotation marks ( ) are omitted and the conjunction THAT (which can be
omitted) is introduced.
2. The person is changed according to the meaning.
3. The words denoting NEARNESS in TIME and SPACE (adverbs of time and
place) are changed into corresponding words denoting distance.
THIS THAT
TODAY THAT DAY
HERE THERE
YESTERDAY THE PREVIOUS DAY, THE DAY
BEFORE
NOW THEN
TOMORROW THE NEXT DAY, THE
FOLLOWING DAY
LAST NIGHT THE PREVIOUS NIGHT
AGO BEFORE etc.
4. SAID TO from Direct Speech becomes TOLD in Indirect Speech.
e.g. He said to me: I am not going.
He told me that he was not going.
5. QUESTIONS are turned into Indirect Speech by using the verbs TO ASK, TO
INQUIRE etc.
If the question does not begin with a question word (WHO, WHAT, WHERE,
WHY etc.) WHETHER or IF is introduced in Indirect Speech. INDIRECT
QUESTIONS HAVE NO INVERSION!
6. ORDERS or REQUESTS are introduced by verbs TO TELL, TO ASK, TO BEG,
TO ORDER, TO COMMAND, TO ADVISE etc.
7. The Imperative is changed into the INFINITIVE.
8. The VERB in Indirect Speech follows the rule of THE SEQUENCE OF TENSES.
SEQUENCE OF TENSES
When the reporting verb is a Present or a Future Tense, the tense of the verb in
Indirect Speech remains unchanged.
When the reporting verb is in the past e.i. The Simple Past Tense or any other past
tense, the verb in Indirect Speech is changed according to the rule of sequence of
tenses:
DIRECT SPEECH

INDIRECT SPEECH

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SELECTED PARTS OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR

Simple Present Tense

Present Continuous
Present Perfect
Perfect Continuous
Simple Past Tense
Past Continuous
Simple Future
Future Continuous
Going to Future
Future Perfect

Simple Past Tense

Past Continuous
Past Perfect
Past Perfect Continuous
Past Perfect
Past Perfect Continuous
Future in the Past
Future Continuous in the Past
Going to Future in the Past
Future Perfect in the Past

Examples:
He said:

I learn English.
I am learning English.
I have learnt English.
I have been learning English.
I learnt English last year.
I was learning English.
I will learn English.
I will be learning English.
I am going to learn English.
I will have learnt English.
Indirect Speech:
He said that he learnt English.
He said that he was learning English.
He said that he had learnt English.
He said that he had been learning English.
He said that he would learn English.
He said that he would be learning English.
He said that he was going to learn English.
He said that he would have learnt English by ...

EXCERCISES:
Change from Indirect into Direct Speech:
1. She asked if hed like to go to the concert and I said that I was sure he would.
2. She told me to look where I was going as the road was full of holes and was very
badly lit.
3. I asked if she had looked everywhere and she said that she had.
4. He said that two days previously an enormous load of firewood had been dumped
at his front gate and that since then he hadnt been able to get his car out.
5. He suggested going down to the harbour and seeing if they could hire a boat.
6. He said that if war broke out he would have to leave the country at once.
7. I asked if he had enjoyed house-hunting and he said that he hadnt.
8. My employer hoped I would not be offended if he told me that, in his opinion, I
would do better in some other kind of job.

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SELECTED PARTS OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR

ARTICLES
In English there are two articles: the definite article THE which is pronounced / / in
front of the consonants and / / in front of the vowels, and the indefinite article A or
AN in front of the vowels.
e.g. the house /
/
the university /
/
the aunt /
/
a man /
/
a unit /
/
an aunt /
/
an hour /
/
an M. P. /
/
NOTE that the vowels count only in the pronunciation and not necessarily in writing.
THE DEFINITE ARTICLE
By its origin the definite article is a demonstrative and it still has this meaning.
e.g. Give me the pen that pen you have in your hand.
We lived in this house at the time.
Usage
1. The definite article is used if the noun is determined or defined. The noun can be
defined by the situation or by the context. If a person or a thing is the only one of
its kind in the situation with which we are dealing at the moment of speaking, we
use the definite article.
e.g. The floor is black.
The ceiling is white.
The door is shut.
The blackboard is wet.
The teacher is teaching his class.
BUT Open that window. (There are more windows in one room.)
2. If a person or a thing is the only one of its kind, it is defined by itself and the
definite article is used.
e.g. The sun is in the sky.
The moon goes round the earth.
The President is in Zagreb.
3. The definite article is used with a noun that is well known both to the speaker and
the person spoken to.
e.g. The head-master wants to see you.
The river is very deep under the bridge.
4. The definite article is used with a previously mentioned noun (which is introduced
by an indefinite article).
e.g. He was born in a village. The village lies on the border of a dense forest.

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SELECTED PARTS OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR

5. The definite article is used when the noun is determined by an adjective in front of
it or by a prepositional phrase (of-phrase, etc.), or by a relative clause. In general,
whenever it is possible to answer the question WHICH or WHOSE.
e.g. They use the black pencil.
Mr. Brown is the teacher of English.
The house at the corner is our school.
The pupil that was late was punished.
6. It is also used with the Saxon Genitive.
e.g. The butchers shop.
The fathers job.
BUT Johns book.
7. The definite article is used with a singular noun to denote a whole class.
e.g. The horse is a domestic animal.
The aeroplane is a modern means of transport.
8. The definite article is used when we refer to an object not in its concrete form but
as an invention.
e.g. Tesla invented the electro-motor.
9. The definite article is used with the adjectives which are used as nouns in the
plural.
e.g. The sick, the learned, the rich etc.
10. The definite article is used with family names in the plural to denote the whole
family.
e.g. The Browns will come to spend the week-end with the Robinsons.
11. With the names of the BUILDINGS, INSTITUTIONS, ASSOCIATIONS,
CINEMAS, THEATRES, HOTELS, SHIPS, TRAINS and LOCALITIES.
e.g. The Houses of Parliament
The Odeon
The Palace Hotel
The Istra Hall
The Britannic
The Golden Arrow
The Panama Canal
The Sava Valley
EXCEPTIONS: Buckingham Palace
Windsor Castle
Hyde Park
12. With the names of NEWSPAPERS, MAGAZINES etc.
e.g. The Times, The Observer, The Cornhill Magazine, The Quarterly Review etc.
13. With geographical common nouns connected with proper names.
e.g. The river Thames
The Republic of Croatia
The Kingdom of Holland
14. With geographical proper names in plural.
e.g. The Andes (mountain ranges)
The Alps
The East Indies
The United States
The Netherlands.
15. With the names of rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, gulfs, bays.
e.g. The Sava, The Thames, The Adriatic, The Pacific.
16. With the names of nations in the plural.

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SELECTED PARTS OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR

e.g. The Croats, the English, the Americans etc.

17. With the names of the points of the compass.
e.g. Austria is to the east of Croatia.
France is in the west of Europe.
18. With the parts of the day.
e.g. They arrived in the morning.
The meeting will take place in the evening.
19. The definite article is used before SAME and before ORDINAL NUMBERS.
e.g. We arrived by the same train.
The second day ...
20. With the comparative in the correlative group.
e.g. The sooner the better.
The more one knows the more one wants to know.
21. With the superlatives.
e.g. This is the best way.
22. After ALL and HALF
e.g. All the time she was abroad her mother looked after her children.
Half the people I met did not speak French.
23. The definite article is also used in some set phrases:
e.g. to play the piano (the violin, the organ, the guitar etc.)
to stand the chance
to run the risk etc.
INDEFINITE ARTICLE
The indefinite article is a numeral by its origin and still has a numerical meaning.
e.g. A stitch in time saves nine.
Zagreb was not built in a day.
I never said a word.
It can also mean the SAME and ANY ONE, without choice.
e.g. They are of an age.
Birds of a feather flock together.
Take a chair.
Usage
1. It is used with singular COUNTABLE nouns. (It is not used with uncountable
nouns.)
e.g. There is a pencil on the table.
The indefinite article has no plural and it is not used with countable nouns in the
plural. In this case SOME, ANY, SEVERAL etc. are used with countable nouns in the
plural.
e.g. There are pencils in the box.
There are some pencils in the box.
2. The Indefinite article is used with a noun to denote a SORT OF THING CALLED
A ..., or being characteristic of all others.
e.g. This is a tree (meaning: the thing called a tree; the sort of thing called a tree).
NOTE: This A sometimes means EVERY!
e.g. An ox is an animal (meaning every ox is an animal).
3. It is used before singular PREDICATIVE nouns with the verb TO BE.
e.g. He wants to be a teacher.
You are a pupil.
He will be a specialist.

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SELECTED PARTS OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR

4. The indefinite article may be used with a persons name and it means a
CERTAIN.
e.g. A Mr. Pitt rang you up.
5. The indefinite article has a distributive meaning in phrases:
e.g. Once a week, twice a year, five shillings a yard etc.
6. The indefinite article is used with FEW and LITTLE to denote SOME:
e.g. A few people (= some persons)
A little time (= some time)
7. It is used after MANY, SUCH, QUITE, RATHER, WHAT (exclamatory), NO
LESS, SO (+ adj.), TOO (+ adj.) with a singular noun.
e.g. Many a visitor is disappointed with the show.
No less a person than the inspector came in.
He is too bad a photographer.
Such a driver is never safe.
What a nice fellow he is!
8. It is used with DOZEN, SCORE, GROSS, HUNDRED, THOUSAND, MILLION.
e.g. a dozen houses
9. It is used with fractional numbers:
e.g. a third, a half, a fifth
NOTE: The expression HALF A is very common.
e.g. Half a pound of sugar.
10. It is also used in some set phrases:
e.g. I have a headache.
He is in a hurry.
Give a guess.
Take a seat.
BUT: I have toothache.
OMISSION OF THE ARTICLES
The Article is omitted:
1. With proper names names of persons, towns, countries, continents, streets,
squares, parks, etc.
e.g. London is the capital of England.
2. With abstract nouns used in a general sense: beauty, music, art.
e.g. Beauty is only skin-deep.
3. With material nouns (mass nouns): wood, iron, butter, milk, etc.
e.g. Butter is made from cream and milk.
Iron is the commonest and most important metal.
4. With the plural of common nouns used in a general sense.
e.g. Boots and shoes are made of leather.
5. With regular meals
e.g. Breakfast is at seven in the morning, and dinner is at seven in the evening.
BUT The dinner was very good. (meaning the food)
6. With the names of seasons, months and days.
e.g. In summer, in January, on Friday
BUT It was in the summer of 1951. (because of OF phrase)
7. With the parts of day when they are used with BY and AT
e.g. By day, at night, at noon
BUT In the spring, During the day etc.
8. With MAN when it denotes the human race and WOMAN when it denotes all
women.

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SELECTED PARTS OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR

e.g. Man is mortal.

Woman is tenderer than man.
9. With some common nouns if they express a collective sense.
e.g. A small heap of coin.
10. Before the names of single mountains (the peaks of mountains)
e.g. Triglav is the highest mountain in Slovenia.
Mt. Everest is the highest mountain in the world.
11. With some common nouns denoting places when the use of the places is referred
to (especially after the prepositions: AT, IN, AFTER, TO, FROM)
e.g. School begins at eight oclock (meaning a session of school, the time of
attendance at school, the teaching).
Children go to bed very early (to sleep)
John never speaks at table (while eating)
His friend is in prison.
Every Sunday we go to church (to pray)
He is in hospital (to be cured) etc.
12. With the names of diseases.
e.g. He suffers from measles.
The deaths from influenza during this week total 446.
13. With adjectives used as nouns to denote languages or colours
e.g. We learn English and French.
Miss Brown was dressed in black.
14. With the vocative case (in direct address)
e.g. Come along, boys!
When could I see you, Professor?
Porter, open the door, please!
15. With the names of the relationships also in the nominative.
e.g. Father comes home late in the evening.
16. With the adjective and the noun which present one idea.
e.g. English literature.
17. With familiar titles and names expressing relationship
e.g. Professor Jones
Mr. Brown
Miss Robinson
Uncle John
Cousin Peter
18. With appositions (in titles especially)
e.g. President of the Republic Croatia
19. With the superlatives of adverbs
e.g. He speaks most cleverly.
Dick runs quickest.
Who pronounces English best?
20. With NEXT, MOST, LAST
e.g. Most people know the news.
We had a meeting last Tuesday, and we shall have another one next Friday.
21. In newspaper headlines or titles of books and articles for the sake of space.
e.g. Fish and fruit at Pre-war Prices.
Escaped convict captured.
22. In some set-phrases:
e.g. By way of ...

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SELECTED PARTS OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR

For instance ...

By accident ...
On purpose ...
On top of ...

32