1. Francesca Mastracci Università degli Studi Roma Tre
Grammar review
Francesca Mastracci
Università degli Studi Roma Tre

2. Verbs
Modal Verbs
Conditionals
Verbs followed by infinitive or -ing

3. Verbs Present Tenses Present Simple Present Continuous
-routine actions or habits
Before breackfast, I go online to check my s.
-permanent situations
My grandparents live just around the corner from here
-something always true/definite
In Autumn, the trees in my garden lose their leaves
Present Continuous
-actions that are happening
The children are sleeping, so we can’t talk too loudly
-gerund actions
Shoping online is becoming the most popular way to buy books.
-for future arrangement
I’m having dinner with Amy tomorrow night.
-emphasis for actions that keep on happening
My brother is always borrowing my laptop without asking.
 It cannot be used with stative verbs*:
eg. agree, believe belong consider, consist, cost, disagree, exist, hate, have, know, like, love, matter, mean, need, own, prefer, realise, remain, seem, suppose, understand, want.

4. Be
be is usually a stative verb, but when it is used in the continuous it means ‘behaving' or ‘acting’
You are stupid = it's part of your personality
You are being stupid = only now, not usually
Think
think (stative) = have an opinion I think that coffee is great.
think (dynamic) = consider, have in my head What are you thinking about? I'm thinking about my next holiday.
Have
have (stative) = own I have a car.
have (dynamic) = part of an expression I'm having a party / a picnic / a bath / a good time / a break
See
see (stative) = see with your eyes / understand I see what you mean. I see her now, she's just coming along the road.
see (dynamic) = meet / have a relationship with I've been seeing my boyfriend for three years. I'm seeing Robert tomorrow.
Taste
taste (stative) = has a certain taste This soup tastes great. The coffee tastes really bitter.
taste (dynamic) = the action of tasting The chef is tasting the soup.

5. Past Tenses Past simple Past continuous Present perfect
-past events/actions
He closed the front door, locked it, and set off to work.
Past continuous
-continous actions happening in the past
When he called, I was watching the television.
Present perfect
-actions started in the past but still permanent in the present or has connections with the present
I’ve known Stephen since our university days.
We haven’t seen each other for monts.
Present perfect continuous
-to emphasise that the action is still happening now
It has been raining since this morning.
(for, since, already, yet, just, ever, never)

6. Past perfect continuous
-actions happened earlier than others in the past
The police weren’t aware that the attacker had already escaped.
Past perfect continuous
-actions happened in the past with continuation on the past of the tense
We had been working so hard that we decided to take a break.

7. Future Tenses Will -future actions/predictions
I will call you if I need your help.
To be going to
-intentions/predictions with evidence
I’m going to call you this afternoon.
Present continuous
-future arrangements
I’m calling you in a moment.
+Simple present
-scheduled programs
The last bus leaves at midnight.
Future perfect
-actions completed before a certain moment
The students will have finished their courses by the end of July.
Future continuous
-actions in progress in the future
-expected future actions
This time next week we’ll be sunbathing by the pool.

8. Modal Verbs
can
could
may
might
shall
should
will
would
must

9. Can ability to do sth. in the present (substitute form: to be able to)
Use
Examples
ability to do sth. in the present (substitute form: to be able to)
I can speak English.
permission to do sth. in the present (substitute form: to be allowed to)
Can I go to the cinema?
request
Can you wait a moment, please?
offer
I can lend you my car till tomorrow.
suggestion
Can we visit Grandma at the weekend?
possibility
It can get very hot in Arizona.

10. Could ability to do sth. in the past (substitute form: to be able to)
Use
Examples
ability to do sth. in the past (substitute form: to be able to)
I could speak English.
permission to do sth. in the past (substitute form: to be allowed to)
I could go to the cinema.
polite question
Could I go to the cinema, please?
polite request
Could you wait a moment, please?
polite offer
I could lend you my car till tomorrow.
polite suggestion
Could we visit Grandma at the weekend?
possibility
It could get very hot in Montana.

11. May Might Must Use Examples possibility It may rain today.
permission to do sth. in the present (substitute form: to be allowed to)
May I go to the cinema?
polite suggestion
May I help you?
Might
Use
Examples
possibility (less possible than may)
It might rain today.
hesitant offer
Might I help you?
Must
Use
Examples
force, necessity
I must go to the supermarket today.
possibility
You must be tired.
advice, recommendation
You must see the new film with Brad Pitt.

12. Musn’t Needn’t Ought to Use Examples
prohibition (must is a little stronger)
You mustn't work on dad's computer.
You may not work on dad's computer.
Needn’t
Use
Examples
sth. is not necessary
I needn't go to the supermarket, we're going to the restaurant tonight.
Ought to
simliar to should – ought to sounds a little less subjective
Use
Examples
advice
You ought to drive carefully in bad weather.
obligation
You ought to switch off the light when you leave the room.

13. Shall Should Use Examples suggestion Shall I carry your bag? Use
advice
You should drive carefully in bad weather.
obligation
You should switch off the light when you leave the room.

14. Will Would Use Examples
wish, request, demand, order (less polite than would)
Will you please shut the door?
prediction, assumption
I think it will rain on Friday.
promise
I will stop smoking.
spontaneous decision
Can somebody drive me to the station? - I will.
habits
She's strange, she'll sit for hours without talking.
Would
Use
Examples
wish, request (more polite than will)
Would you shut the door, please?
habits in the past
Sometimes he would bring me some flowers.

15. Conditional forms Zero First Second IF Simple present / Simple present
If you study hard, you pass the exams.
First
IF Simple prsesent/Future
If you call me tomorrow, I’ll give you the informations.
Second
IF Simple past/ conditional (would, could, might)
If she found out where he was, she would try to find him.
unlikely, imaginable or impossible events

16. Third Mixed IF Past perfect / would, could, might have + pp
If Mike had studied more, he could have passed the exams.
 imaginary result of a situation in the past
Mixed
IF Past perfect / conditional (would)
If Jim hadn’t been a careless driver, he would’t be injured now.
 when we imagine the hypothetical present result of a situation happened in the past
IF Simple past/ would have + pp
If he wasn’t a doctor, he wouldn’t have been able to help you.
 when we imagine a result of a permanent situation

17. Verbs followed by to + infinitive or -ing
agree, appear, choose, decide, expect, hope, learn, manage, offer, promise, refuse, seem, tend, threaten, want
-ing
admit, avoid, bother, deny, dislike, enjoy, finish, get round to, imagine, insist on, keep (on), mind, miss, suggest
either forms
eg. begin, continue, start
either forms but change of meaning
eg. forget, go on, remember, stop, try
I forgot to talk to her about it.
I’ll never forget talking to her.
Go on reading the text.
Go on to read the text.

18. to followed by -ing
if  to is part of a phrasal verb or is in a preposition combination:
I look forward to meeting your parents tonight!
He confessed to eating all the chocolate.
She adjusted to living on her own.
He objects to spending so much money on a T.V.
She devoted her life to helping poor people.