Wish situation The structure Examples

Present and Future Wish Wish + would or could I wish I could be at home.

She wishes she would be there.

Present Wish Wish + past form of the verb

He wishes people did not cry a lot.

Present Wish (verb to be) Wish + were

She wishes he were with her.

Past Wishes Wish + had + past participle

They wish she had gone at nine.

Past Wishes: could Wish + could have + past

participle

I wish She could have written the

English essay.

Degrees of certainty Structure Examples

Almost certain

Present must One of the guys must to be lying

Past must + have +past participle The boy must have lied on his

application

Almost certain, negative

(impossible)

Present/ Future can’t / couldn´t His excuse for missing the exam

due to illness cannot possibility

be true

Past couldn´t + have + past

participle

The university president could

not have committed plagiarism

Quiet sure

Future Should / ought to Brain scans should soon be able

to help us to detect liars

Past Should + have + past

participle

We should have read the

university´s Honor Code by now

Less certain

Present/ Future could / may / might He might be funding them to

make himself look like a better

teacher

Past could / may / might + have +

past participle

He might have cheated on the

exam

Type Description Examples

Identifying adjective clausesIt has a subject and a verb

We are living a fast life that is

worried for people to feel a

peaceful life.

Can be introduced by whom,

who, which, that, whose, where

and when

Nonidentifying adjective clausesIt has a subject and a verb

Their research which they have

been prepared since the past

year.

It is used with the relative

pronouns who, whom, which,

whose, where and when.

It cannot be used with that

Quantifying expressions it contains expressions like many

of, most of, some of, none of,

two of, several of, all ofMost of the children were in the

church during the pray.Its structure is: quantifier

+preposition +relative pronoun

(only who, whom, where, when

and which)

Structure Examples

Adverb clauses of result

Such +noun or noun phase + that +

clause of result

The subways were such a mess

that people hate to ride them

So + adjective +that + clause of

result

The shoe brand became so popular

that sales went through the roof in

only a few short months

So + adverb + that + clause of

result

The flu spread so quickly that 50

percent of Manhattanites were

sick on New Year’s Day

So is also used before: many, few, much and little

So + much/little + uncontable noun + that

So + many/few +count noun + that

Contrast Addition Result

(unexpected result)

But Plus So

However In addition As a result

On the other hand On the top of that consequently

Quantifiers before count nouns Quantifiers before non-count nouns

A lot of A lof of

Many/ a great many A great deal of

Quite a few Quite a bit of

A bunch of A large amount of

A (large) number of

certain

Not many Not much

Very few Very little

A few/ few A little/ little

fewer less

Some verbs must always be

followed by a gerund (base form of

the verb + ing)

Other verbs must be followed by an

infinitive (to + base form of the verb)

Rules Direct speech Indirect speech

Statements

Dunant remarked sadly

“Yesterday we lost another 50

soldiers right here”

Dunant reported, with sadness,

that on the previous day, they

had lost another 50 soldiers in

that place.

Questions

Yes / no questions Ignatieff asked the ICRC

representative. “Can I record my

interviews with the volunteers?”

Ignatieff asked the volunteer

how he had survived the tough

Red Cross training”

Do not use say

Use if or whether

Commands

Use not + infinitive with negative

commands or other imperative

verb forms

Dunant warned the soldier,

“don´t shoot!”

Dunant warned the soldier, not

to shoot

Subject Form of the verb

to be

Past participle Complements

Present

The students are given a well- education

Spatial reasoning is being improved

The pieces must be practiced before the

performance

Past

His self-esteem was enhanced by the new arts

curriculum

The neurons might have been stimulated

Future

Intervention will be needed If things don´t

improve

The curriculum is going to be improved

Real situation Conditional

If clause Result clause

If + subject + verb (past form) Subject +could+ verb (base form)

Real situation Conditional

If clause Result clause

If + subject + verb (past

form)

Subject +could+ verb

(past participle form)

Real situation Conditional

If clause Result clause

past Present

If+had+ verb (past participle) Subject +would+ verb (base

form)

Present past

If+ verb(past form) Subject+would+have+verb(pa

st participle)