GRAMMAR - MODAL VERBS

1.  CAN, CAN’T (CANNOT) -  ABILITY/POSSIBILITY/PERMISSION/REQUESTS

AFFIRMATIVE	NEGATIVE	INTERROGATIVE
I can read.	I can’t / cannot  swim.	Can I go to the toilet?
You can read.	You can’t / cannot  swim.	Can you go to the toilet?
He /she /it can read.	He /she /it can’t / cannot  swim.	Can he /she / it go to the toilet?
We can read.	We can’t / cannot  swim.	Can we go to the toilet?
You can read.	You can’t / cannot  swim.	Can you go to the toilet?
They can read.	They can’t / cannot  swim.	Can they go to the toilet?

               

SHORT ANSWERS (+, -)

Yes, subject + CAN.

No, subject + CAN’T.

"BE ALLOWED TO": Only form which is used to ask for permission in all tenses. "CAN" is only used in the Present Simple and "COULD" is only used in the Past Simple and in the Conditional tense.

"BE ABLE TO": Only form which is used to express ability in all tenses. "CAN" is only grammatically possible in the Present Simple and "COULD" is only grammatically possible in the Past Simple and in the Conditional tense.


2  MUST: OBLIGATION (Affirmative)   ≠  MUSTN'T: PROHIBITION (Negative) - RULES

I must study.	I mustn’t / must not smoke.
You must study.	You mustn’t / must not smoke.
He / she / it must study.	He / she / it mustn’t / must not smoke.
We must study.	We mustn’t / must not smoke.
You must study.	You mustn’t / must not smoke.
They must study.	They mustn’t / must not smoke.

MUST: 

- Formal writing.

- "Internal" obligation (personal opinion, family, friends). // Also: Strong recommendation.

- "Must" in questions: It is grammatically correct, but "have to" is more frequently used in interrogative sentences.

- Attention: It is only used in the Present Simple.  For the other tenses, use "HAVE TO".

HAVE TO: 

- More frequent in conversation.

- "External" obligation (somebody in authority, at work, law).

- Attention: "Have got to" is also possible, but it is more informal than "have to". 

3. HAVE TO, NEED TO (=MUST): OBLIGATION, NECESSITY ≠ DON’T HAVE TO/ NEED TO (“NEEDN’T”): NO OBLIGATION, NO NECESSITY 

HAVE TO / NEED TO	DON’T HAVE TO / DON’T NEED TO (NEEDN'T)
I have to / need to speak English in class.	I don’t have to pay. It’s free. I don’t  need to pay / I needn’t pay.
You have to / need to speak English in class.	You don’t have to pay. It’s free. You don’t  need to pay / You needn’t pay.
He/she/ it has to / needs to speak English in class.	He/she doesn’t have to pay. It’s free.  He doesn’t  need to pay / He needn’t pay.
We have to / need to speak English in class.	We don’t have to pay. It’s free. We don’t  need to pay / We needn’t pay .
You have to / need to speak English in class.	You don’t have to pay. It’s free. You don’t  need to pay / You needn’t pay
They have to / need to speak English in class.	They don’t have to pay. It’s free. They don’t  need to pay / They needn’t pay.

4.  SHOULD, SHOULDN’T (SHOULD NOT)- ADVICE

AFFIRMATIVE	NEGATIVE	INTERROGATIVE
I should do exercise.	I shouldn’t / should not eat a lot of sweets.	Should I go to the gym?
You should do exercise.	You shouldn’t / should not eat a lot of sweets.	Should you go to the gym?
He/she/it should do exercise.	He/she/it shouldn’t / should not eat a lot of sweets.	Should he/she/ it go to the gym?
We should do exercise.	We shouldn’t / should not eat a lot of sweets.	Should we go to the gym?
You should do exercise.	You shouldn’t / should not eat a lot of sweets.	Should you go to the gym?
They should do exercise.	They shouldn’t / should not eat a lot of sweets.	Should they go to the gym?

                                              

SHORT ANSWERS (+, -)

Yes, subject + SHOULD.

No,subject SHOULDN’T.

OUGHT (NOT) TO + INFINITIVE:

It has got the same meaning as "should", but it is much more formal and it is not frequently used in spoken conversations.

HAD BETTER (NOT) + INFINITIVE: ("más te vale")

It is slightly different to "should" and "ought to", because it implies there is a negative consequence to (not) performing the action.


5  MAY - POSSIBILITY, PERMISSION*        MIGHT- REMOTE POSSIBILITY

I may / may not come.	I might / might not come.
You may / may not come.	You might / might not come.
He / she / it may / may not come.	He / she / it might / might not come.
We may / may not come.	We might / might not come.
You may / may not come.	You might / might not come.
They may / may not come.	They might / might not come.

Also: Request ("May I ...?")

GRAMMAR - ADVERBS OF MANNER

USE: 

Adverbs of manner describe how actions happen or how things are done. But:

BE, BECOME, FEEL, GET, LOOK and SEEM are used with adjectives, not adverbs.

POSITION:

- We put adverbs of manner after the verb when there is no object: She runs rapidly.

 - We put them after the verb + object: Miguel speaks English perfectly.

- With verbs of movement we put them after adverbial phrases of place: I go home early.

- In questions, we put them at the end of the sentence: Doesn’t she play the piano beautifully?

FORMATION:

In general, we form adverbs of manner by adding –ly to the adjective: slow → slowly.

Adjectives ending in consonant + y, change y to i+-ly: happy → happily.

Adjectives ending in –e don’t omit it: brave → bravely. Except: true →truly, due → duly.

Adjectives ending in –able /-ible change the –e to –y: probable → probably.

IRREGULAR ADVERBS: fast → fast, far → far, hard → hard, high → high, late → late, good → well.

Nora drives fast. We travelled far. They work hard. The athlete jumped high. She never comes late. 

Attention! Adjective "good": My friend is a good football player. → Adverb "well": My friend plays football well.

COMPARISON OF ADVERBS:

- Adverbs ending in -ly form the comparative of superiority with MORE and the superlative of superiority with MOST:

slowly → more slowly →  most slowly

happily → more happily → most happily

carefully → more carefully → most carefully

- One-syllable adverbs form the comparative of superiority adding -ER and the superlative of superiority adding -EST:

fast→ faster →  fastest

late→  later → latest

hard→ harder → hardest

high → higher → highest

- Some adverbs form the comparative and superlative forms of superiority irregularly:

badly → worse →  worst

well →  better → best

far → farther /further→ farthest/furthest

- All the adverbs form the comparative of inferiority with LESS and the superlative of inferiority with LEAST:

slowly → less slowly →  least slowly

happily → less happily → least happily

carefully → less carefully → least carefully

fast → less fast →  least fast

- All the adverbs form the comparative of equality using AS... AS

late →  as late as 

badly → as badly as

SPEAKING SKILL - DESCRIBE THE PICTURES USING THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS

Picture 1

WHAT ARE THESE PEOPLE DOING? 

Use the Present Continuous form of the following verbs to describe their actions:

water the plants- read the newspaper - look at his dad - play with their dolls - swim in the water - listen to the radio - sleep - drink a cup of tea - clean the windows - climb the tree - sing

Example: Paul is watering the plants.

Picture 2

WHAT ARE THESE PEOPLE DOING? 

Use the Present Continuous form of the following verbs to describe their actions:

listen to music - lick an ice cream - talk to Bob - kick a ball - catch a ball - play beach paddle - cry - have lunch - read - inflate a plastic elephant - eat fruit - buy ice creams

Example: Lucy is listening to music.

GRAMMAR - PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE: FORMATION AND USES

AFFIRMATIVE SENTENCES	NEGATIVE SENTENCES	QUESTIONS
I WAS + V-ing* You WERE + V-ing He WAS + V-ing She WAS + V-ing It WAS + V-ing We WERE + V-ing You WERE + V-ing They WERE + V-ing	I WASN’T + V-ing You WEREN’T + V-ing He WASN’T + V-ing She WASN’T + V-ing It WASN’T + V-ing We WEREN’T + V-ing You WEREN’T + V-ing They WEREN’T + V-ing	WAS I + V-ing? WERE you + V-ing? WAS he + V-ing? WAS she + V-ing? WAS it + V-ing? WERE we + V-ing? WERE you + V-ing? WERE they + V-ing?

* SPELLING RULES:  

-       General rule: Add –ing at the end of the verb.  Do → doing, watch → watching, open → opening,  play → playing.

-       Verbs ending in mute -e: Omit –e before adding –ing. Make → making, write → writing, take → taking.

-       Monosyllabic verbs ending consonant + vowel + consonant: Repeat last consonant + –ing.  Run → running, sit → sitting.

-       Bisyllabic verbs with final stress: Repeat last consonant + -ing . Begin → Beginning. BUT: travelling.

1. USES:

- Long actions which were in progress when a short action happened.

-  Actions which were in progress at a concrete moment in the past.

- Various actions which happened simultaneously in the past.

2. TIME EXPRESSIONS:

- while + time clause (in the past)

- as + time clause (in the past)

- yesterday morning / afternoon / evening

- at + hour (past time)

- all day (yesterday)

3. CONTRAST PAST SIMPLE /PAST CONTINUOUS:

Temporal expressions for PAST SIMPLE (completed actions): Yesterday, last week/night…,

Temporal expressions for PAST CONTINUOUS (actions in progress at a concrete moment): at + hour, yesterday + moment of the day, all + moment of the day...

WHEN (“cuando”) + PAST SIMPLE (acción corta): When I called Mike, he was having a shower. / I was sleeping when I heard a terrible noise.

WHILE / AS (“mientras”) + PAST CONTINUOUS (acción larga o en progreso): While / As he was driving, he had an accident. 

WRITING SKILL - A BIOGRAPHY

- Complete the following biography with the PAST SIMPLE or the PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE forms of the verbs in brackets:

William Bradley "Brad" Pitt ____________ (be) born in Oklahoma on December 18, 1963.   He is an American actor and film producer. Some people say he is one of the world's  most attractive men. Pitt ____________________________ (receive) two Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations. He  ________________ (be) awarded with one Golden Globe Award in 1995 and he ____________________ (win) an Academy Award in 2013.

Pitt ______________________ (begin) his acting career with television guest appearances in the 1980s, which __________________________ (include) a role on the CBS soap opera Dallas in 1987. He _____________________  (gain) recognition as the cowboy hitchhiker in the movie Thelma & Louise in 1991. In 1995, he _________________________ (give) critically acclaimed performances in the crime thriller Seven and the science fiction film Twelve Monkeys. He ______________________________ (have) his biggest commercial successes with Troy and Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Pitt ______________________ (receive) his second Academy Award nomination for his performance in the title role in the 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Pitt _____________ (be) married twice. His love relationships ________________ always _______________________ (attract) worldwide media attention. Pitt  _________________________________ (become) increasingly involved in social issues, both in the United States and internationally. 

Because of his social concerns and his professional career, most people consider him to be an admirable celebrity.

-  Write a BIOGRAPHY about a famous person you admire, following the model above (approximately 100 words).