Use+of+English

Direct and Reported Speech media type="custom" key="7334471" Conditionals media type="custom" key="6931779" The Passive Voice

The Present Perfect Tense

= Ability in the past, present and future = Use __//can//__ or __//be able to//__ to talk about //ability// in the present. Examples: She __//can//__ do computer graphics. She//__'s able to__// do computer graphics.

Use __//could//__ to talk about general ability in the past. Example: Sam could read when eh was four.

Use //__was/were able to__// to talk about a specific achievement in the past. Examples: He //__was able to__// win the tennis match. Use __//managed to//__ when something was difficult to achieve. Example: She __//managed to//__ delete the virus from her computer.

Use either //__could__// or __//was/were able to//__ in negative sentences about past ability. Examples: I __//couldn't//__ do spreadsheets. I __//wasn't able to//__ do one problem.

For forms and tenses other than the present or past, use be able to. Examples: Jen wants __//to be able to//__ write software. (infinitive) By June she __//will be able to//__ complete her computer class. (future)


 * Comparatives and Superlatives **

Form 1. One syllable adjectives: //cheap// Comparative: add **--er** //(cheaper)// Superlative: add **--est** //(the cheapest)//

2. One syllable adjectives ending in **'e'**: //nice// Comparative: add **--r** //(nicer)// Superlative: add **--st** //(the nicest)//

3. One syllable adjectives ending in consonant - vowel - consonant: //hot// Comparative: add consonant + **er** //(hotter)// Superlative: add consonant + **est** //(the hottest)//

4. Two syllable adjectives ending in **'y'**: //happy// Comparative: replace **y** with **--ier** //(happier)// Superlative: replace **y** with **--iest** //(the happiest)//

5. Two or more syllable adjectives: //beautiful// Comparative: add **more / less** //(more / less beautiful)// Superlative: add **the most / the least** //(the most / least beautiful)//

6. Irregular adjectives good - better - the best bad - worse - the worst far - further - the furthest

 Functions and examples  1. We use comparatives to compare two things. John is **thinner** than Bob. It's **more expensive** to travel by train than by bus. My house is **smaller** than my friend's house.

2. We use superlatives to compare one thing with the rest of the group it belongs to. John is **the tallest** in the class. He's **the best** football player in the team. This is **the most expensive** hotel I've ever stayed in.

 Important points  1. We use //as + adjective + as// to say that two things are equal in some way. He's **as tall as** me. Jim's car is **as fast as** mine.

2. We use //not as// to say that two things are not equal in some way. He's **not as tall as** me. Jim's car is **not as fast as** mine.

= Questions or Interrogative =

What is a question? A statement is a sentence that gives information. A question is a sentence that asks for information. Questions are also called "interrogative".

A written question in English always ends with a question mark: ?
 * **Statement: ** || I like learning English grammar. ||
 * **Question: ** || Do you like learning English grammar? ||

Basic Question Structure The **basic structure** of a question in English is very simple: auxiliary verb + subject + main verb
 * **auxiliary verb ** || **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">subject ** || **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">main verb ** ||  ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">Do || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">you || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">like || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">Mary? ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">Are || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">they || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">playing || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">football? ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">Will || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">Anthony || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">go || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">to Tokyo? ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">Have || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">you || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">seen || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">ET? ||

<span style="color: red; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Exception

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">! <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> For the verb **be** in simple present and simple past, we do not use an auxiliary verb. We simply reverse the positions of **be** and subject:

= Basic Question Types = There are 3 **basic types** of question:
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Statement: ** || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">He || **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">is ** || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">German. ||
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Question: ** || **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Is ** || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">he || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">German? ||
 * 1) **Yes/No Questions** (the answer to the question is "Yes" or "No")
 * 2) **Question Word Questions** (the answer to the question is "Information")
 * 3) **Choice Questions** (the answer to the question is "in the question")

1. Yes/No Questions

 * **auxiliary verb** || **subject** || **main verb** ||  || **Answer**Yes or No ||
 * **Do** || you || **want** || dinner? || Yes, I do. ||
 * **Can** || you || **drive**? ||  || No, I can't. ||
 * **Has** || she || **finished** || her work? || Yes, she has. ||
 * **Did** || they || **go** || home? || No, they didn't. ||
 * **Exception!** verb **be** simple present and simple past ||  ||
 * || **Is** || Anne || French? || Yes, she is. ||
 * || **Was** || Ram || at home? || No, he wasn't. ||

2. Question Word Questions

 * **question word** || **auxiliary verb** || **subject** || **main verb** ||  || **Answer**Information ||
 * Where || **do** || you || **live**? ||  || In Paris. ||
 * When || **will** || we || **have** || lunch? || At 1pm. ||
 * Who || **did** || she || **meet**? ||  || She met Ram. ||
 * Why || **hasn't** || Tara || **done** || it? || Because she can't. ||
 * **Exception!** verb **be** simple present and simple past ||  ||
 * Where || **is** |||| Bombay? || In India. ||
 * How || **was** |||| she? || Very well. ||

3. Choice Questions

 * **auxiliary verb** || **subject** || **main verb** ||  || **OR** ||   || **Answer**In the question ||
 * **Do** || you || **want** || tea || or || coffee? || Coffee, please. ||
 * **Will** || we || **meet** || John || or || James? || John. ||
 * **Did** || she || **go** || to London || or || New York? || She went to London. ||
 * **Exception!** verb **be** simple present and simple past ||  ||
 * || **Is** || your car || white || or || black? || It's black. ||
 * || **Were** || they || $15 || or || $50? || $15. ||