Had they been allowed to cross the border here? Had the men not wanted to work all day? The Future and the Future Perfect The English future tense describes an action that will take place at some future time.
The English future perfect tense describes an action that will begin and be completed at some future time. The future and future perfect- tense conjugations consist of two forms that also exist in the present tense: 1. The simple future and future perfect, which indicate a habitual, repeated, or complete action 2.
But in less formal style, will is used with all persons and will be used here. Adverbs of frequency often accompany this tense: I will always help my friends. He will often pull her hair. They will be our new neighbors. Their habit will be to be neighbors of ours. A few transform com- pletely.
Where possible, they revert to another modal auxiliary with a syn- onymous meaning. In such cases, the simple future tense can replace it. Adverbs of frequency or that designate a time period in the future often accompany these tenses: He will have to explain his behavior.
Bill will usually want to sit on the porch after supper. No one will have been able to convince him in time. We will have had to surrender by dawn. When negating these tenses, the adverb not follows the auxiliaries will and shall. The same pattern is used when modal auxiliaries are in the future or future perfect sentences: I will not go out tonight. We will not have to work tomorrow. The Progressive Conjugation The progressive future and future perfect tenses are composed of will be or will have been and an accompanying verb formed as a present participle singing, making, talking, and so on.
It is often incomplete because of an interruption. My helping Tom will be an ongoing task. She will be running in a race. Bill will be putting milk in the glass but will drop the glass.
On Sunday I will have been living here for three months, but because of an illness I have to return home on Saturday. However, these tenses are full of verb forms and sound awkward. Therefore, the tendency is to use the simple tenses in place of the progressive tenses. For example: Awkward: He will have to be riding his bike home. Better: He will have to ride his bike home. Awkward: I will have been able to be perfecting the formula before spring.
Better: I will have been able to perfect the formula before spring. When negating progressive verbs with not, the adverb follows the auxil- iaries will and shall as with the simple future and future perfect tenses: I will not be joining you. We will not have traveled to Maine. If the question is in the negative, not will follow the subject. If not is formed as a contraction with will, not precedes the subject: Will John really learn a new language?
Will he not travel to Mexico City this year? Will they have completed the dam before the start of winter? If a modal auxiliary is part of the future or future perfect tense, the same pattern for questions occurs: Will you have to learn the rules of the road?
If the subject of a question in these tenses is I or we, shall is the prefer- red auxiliary unless the meaning implies that someone is wondering about the future: Shall I help you with that? Will I ever have a million dollars? The Imperative Most imperative statements, or commands, are given in the second-person singular or plural you. Have fun. Be happy. Drive slowly. If you change a statement to a command, the elements of the statement remain intact.
It is only the verb that is altered. The target of that verb will always be second person, but the pronoun you is understood and not spo- ken or written. Statement: We will help her look for her keys. Imperative: Help her look for her keys. Modal auxiliaries are not used in the imperative with the occasional exception of to be able to: Be able to recite the Greek alphabet by tomorrow evening.
Imperatives can be softened or made to sound more courteous by adding the word please to them. This word is placed most often at the very begin- ning or the very end of the command: Please stop by for a visit if you have time. Please be on your best behavior. Take a number and wait in line, please.
Have your tickets ready, please. Deer cross this road. Keep right except to pass. Cars enter the highway here. We should talk about it.
We should make some lunch. We should ask Mary to help. We should take a trip to Spain. Because the speaker or writer is included in the imperative, the tone of the command is softened.
The sound of the command is more courteous and less demanding. Even when the speaker or writer is aware that he or she is really not involved in the action of the verb, this form of command is used to sound more like a suggestion. Compare the following pairs of sentences: Standard command: Try to be a little quieter. The speaker or writer is only including himself or herself in order to make the command sound more like a suggestion. Another example: Standard command: Remember to send Aunt Jane a birthday card.
Let The verb let can also be used to introduce a command, but the speaker or writer is not included in the command. Instead, a direct object follows let. The verb that describes the action of the command then follows the direct object. For example: Let Jack cut the grass today.
For example: Positive: Stop the car in front of my house. Positive: Stand on the edge of the cliff. Negative: Do not stand on the edge of the cliff. Positive: Be a member of their club. Positive: Let his father shovel the snow from the driveway. Negative: Do not let his father shovel the snow from the driveway. Do for Emphasis To make an imperative sound emphatic or to implore someone to carry out the action of the verb, an imperative sentence can be introduced by do: Normal imperative: Come by for a visit some time.
Emphatic imperative: Do come by for a visit some time. Normal imperative: Let Mary try on the beautiful gown. Emphatic imperative: Do let Mary try on the beautiful gown. Suggestions and Recommendations It is possible to state an imperative sentence as a suggestion or recommenda- tion.
This usually occurs when the speaker or writer does not wish to make the imperative sound like a demand. The verb in the suggestion or recom- mendation looks like an imperative verb.
But it is not. In reality, the verb in the suggestion or recommendation is in the present subjunctive. Since the verb in the suggestion is a conjugated verb, the sentence must include a sub- ject for that verb. See Chapter 10 for the form and use of the English sub- junctive. Compare the following pairs of sentences: Imperative: Be on time tomorrow.
Suggestion: I suggest you be on time tomorrow. Suggestion: We recommend she take a couple days off from work. Suggestion: Dr. Jones suggested he have the operation soon. Suggestion: Ms. Smith recommended Tom memorize the poem. But that tendency must be avoided. For example: Typical statement: He has the operation. Suggestion: The doctor suggested he have the operation. Typical statement: She arrives on time. Suggestion: I suggest she arrive on time. This can be further illustrated with the verb to be: Typical statement: She is more diligent.
Suggestion: I suggest she be more diligent. Typical statement: I am less argumentative. Suggestion: Tim suggests I be less argumentative. Typical statement: You are the new chairperson. Suggestion: She suggested you be the new chairperson.
Suggestion: I suggest you not be so angry. Suggestion: We recommend he not let Mary get sick. Linking Verbs Linking verbs link or connect the subject of a sentence with an adjective, noun, or pronoun that follows the linking verb. This occurs most frequently with the verb to be: I am lonely.
We are teenagers. You are correct. You are the winner. He is a soccer player. They are careful. She is a Baptist. The man is a doctor. It is you. The girls are talented. As the linking verb changes tenses, it has no effect on the other elements in the sentence: Present: He is spoiled.
Past: He was spoiled. Present perfect: He has been spoiled. Past perfect: He had been spoiled. Future perfect: He will have been spoiled. Future: He will be spoiled. In informal or casual style, it is common to use an objective-case pro- noun after to be. In formal style, subjective-case pronouns are used.
That will be him. It was I. It is me. Other linking verbs work in the same manner as to be: they combine the subject of a sentence with an adjective that follows the verb. Some of these linking verbs can also be combined with nouns and pronouns that follow the verb. She feels unhappy. The sky has grown dark. His skin will look better tomorrow. Their theory proves wrong. The man seemed impatient. The cookies smell so good. The piano will sound better after tuning.
She wants to stay young. The soup tasted delicious. Two linking verbs to become and to remain can be followed by adjec- tives, nouns, and on rare occasions pronouns and can be used in any tense and with auxiliaries.
For example: The weather became awful. Some of the linking verbs can also be used as transitive verbs. That is, they do not combine a subject with an adjective that follows them, but, instead, they take a direct object. She feels the fabric. They grow tropical plants. He sounds the alarm. She proved the theory. Mom tastes the soup. Replace the verb with an appropriate form of to be.
If the sentence still makes sense, the verb is a linking verb. If it makes no sense, the verb is a transitive verb. For example: Jim felt very lonely. Although it does not function as a transitive verb, it can be used as a verb that shows the action of appearing and is in such a case not a linking verb.
Compare the following pairs of sentences: She appeared refreshed and alert. A strange man appeared at the door. He appears stunned by the news. The same bird always appears at dawn. John stayed in the tent. We remained at home last night. When to be Is Not a Linking Verb It is important to remember that to be can act in several different ways: as an auxiliary of other verbs, as part of the tense change of other verbs, or as part of the passive voice.
Some of the verbs in those structures can be link- ing verbs, and others can be transitive verbs. When the progressive form of any tense of a verb is used, the presence of to be is not an automatic signal that it is a linking verb.
John is being annoying. I was being her friend. The leaves were turning red. The solution was proving wrong. She will be feeling better. Tom is growing vegetables. He was smelling her perfume. I have been appearing in a play. They will be helping us. Mike is speaking French. Therefore, linking verbs are not included in passive sentences, although a form of to be does occur: The soup is being served hot. Past perfect: He had appeared healthy just a week ago.
Future perfect: It will have grown dark by 7 P. Past perfect: I had been writing poems about her. Future perfect: He will have been studying literature for a year by then.
When modal auxiliaries are used together with linking verbs, it is only the nuance of the meaning obligation, desire, and so on of the linking verbs that changes. Present Participles, Past Participles, and Verbals Present Participles Present participles are formed by adding -ing to the base form of a verb helping, seeing, coming, and so on.
Present participles have two functions: 1 They are used together with a form of to be to form the progressive tenses. Present Participles in the Progressive Tenses I am going to the store. She was playing tennis with Tom. They have been working all day on that project. No one had been guiding them. Mark will be visiting Mexico next month. We will have been traveling four days by tomorrow. See Chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4 for details on the progressive tenses.
Her letter has a rather biting tone. If the present participle precedes a noun, the adverb will precede the present participle.
Irregular past participles are formed in a variety of ways. If the past participle precedes a noun, the adverb will precede the past participle. But gerunds do not func- tion in the same way as present participles. Gerunds are used as nouns that describe an action or a state of being. Compare the use of a gerund used as a noun and a standard noun: Gerund Noun Swimming makes me tired. Calisthenics make me tired. Smoking is bad for you.
Cigarettes are bad for you. Studying took effort. The solution took effort. Losing always hurts. An injection always hurts. Since gerunds are nouns, they can be used like any other nouns: as the subject, the direct object, the subject complement, or the object of a preposi- tion in a sentence. For example: Subject: Jogging can be a healthy form of exercise.
Direct object: My family enjoys camping. Subject complement: What Jane really likes is dancing. Object of preposition: James had to be punished for lying. Gerunds do not always stand alone as a single noun but can be part of a phrase. Because the gerund is derived from a verb, it can be the introductory element of a complete sentence, in which it replaces the subject and verb of the sentence. Consider how the initial sentence below is changed to become a gerund followed by the elements of the initial sentence: John watches a baseball game.
For example: Tina buys a new car. George gives her a ring. We speak angrily with the clerk. Do you like their dancing? His strongest event is his tumbling. The following sentences illustrate the appropriate use of adjectives with gerunds: Regular dating means developing a relationship. The coach demands rigorous training for the team. They are formed from the base form of the verb that is preceded by the particle word to: to have, to help, to see, and so on.
Since the function of this type of verb is to act as a noun, it can be the subject, the direct object, the subject complement, and even the adverb in a sentence.
A good book makes me happy. To argue helps no one. His attitude helps no one. I hate broccoli. My goal is a good job. Her only wish was to dance.
Her only wish was peace. Bill needs to practice regularly. We had to study to learn. We had to study hard. I really wanted to sing in our university choir. My only wish was to help her and her family. I hope to borrow enough money so I can buy a house. The girls pretended not to see the boys. The men play cards in the living room. The professor taught his students to think independently. I enjoyed myself. She considered herself lucky. The Passive Voice The passive voice is formed with the auxiliary to be and a past participle of either a regular or an irregular verb.
However, the participle can only be formed from a transitive verb. The auxiliary to be can be conjugated in any tense: Present: She is hired for the job. Past: She was hired for the job. Present perfect: She has been hired for the job. Past perfect: She had been hired for the job. Future: She will be hired for the job. Future perfect: She will have been hired for the job. The Active Voice A sentence in the active voice that has a transitive verb can be changed to the passive voice.
But the function of the elements of the active sentence are different from their function in the passive sentence. Consider how the fol- lowing active sentence changes to a passive sentence: Active: John developed a new plan for the project. Passive: A new plan for the project was developed by John. The active subject becomes the object of the preposition by: by John. The transitive verb in the active sentence is formed as a participle: developed.
The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sen- tence: a new plan for the project. The message will be delivered by Tom. Everyone has taken the oath. The oath has been taken by everyone. He punished the boy. The boy was punished by him. When a writer or speaker wishes to make the doer of an action anony- mous, he or she can change an active sentence to the passive and omit the prepositional phrase that is introduced by the preposition by: Active Sentence Passive Sentence The mayor began the project.
The project was begun by the mayor. The project was begun. The car was buried in the snow. Some vague entities are one, some, they, and people: Active Sentence Passive Sentence One needs money to travel. Money is needed to travel. They grow rice in this region.
Rice is grown in this region. People admire him greatly. He is admired greatly. Writers or speakers may wish to conceal the source of their information or make a generalization. In such cases, the impersonal pronoun it becomes the subject of a passive-voice phrase that introduces another clause.
For example: It has been stated that this company will not survive another month. It is sometimes said that money cannot buy happiness. Progressive Formation The progressive conjugation of the passive auxiliary to be indicates that the action of the passive verb is in progress, incomplete, or interrupted, just as it does with active verbs.
Mary arrived at the hospital. Progressive: Mary was being taken to the hospital. Complete: I was warned by my boss. Progressive: I was being warned by my boss. Note that the progressive forms of to be appear primarily in the present and past tenses. In other tenses, they sound awkward and should be avoided: Mary is being taken to the hospital. Mary was being taken to the hospital. I am being warned by my boss. I was being warned by my boss.
Auxiliaries Any variety of auxiliaries can be used together with the passive voice. There is no change to the past participle. Note how the auxiliary to be differs in each group: The text has to be corrected again.
Young William has never wanted to be made king. These scales must be practiced every day. His poems can be understood by any average person. If I had the right tools, the repair would be completed today. Was the addition to the school eventually built?
Have the men been instructed in the use of this machine? Had he been cared for by the nursing staff? Will the mortgage be paid off? If other auxiliaries are used together with to be and a past participle, the kind of auxiliary and the tense determine whether a form of to do is needed to ask a question. With the auxiliaries to have to, to want to, and to like to, a form of to do is used to ask a question in the present and past tenses.
With can, could, should, and would as well as with other auxiliaries that begin with to be to be able to, to be supposed to , a form of to do is not needed. Past Did Tina want to be promoted to manager? Present Perfect Have you really had to be helped with this easy task? Future Will Ms. Marsh want to be picked up by 9 A. Present Can our group be guided by that nice, young man over there? Past Could the text be translated into English by 3 P.
Present Perfect Have they been able to be treated by Dr. Future Will the patients be able to be removed safely during an emergency?
Note that to be supposed to can sound awkward in the perfect and future tenses and should be avoided. Stative Passive Another form of the passive is known as the stative passive. It is structurally the same as the passive described previously. For example: The clock is broken and useless to me. Both words modify clock. The passive voice and the stative passive are not always clearly differen- tiated. The toy is repaired. The toy is repaired by Mr.
Several soldiers were wounded. Several soldiers were wounded by shrapnel. This was an action in the past; it is the passive voice. The toy is being repaired now.
This is an action in the present; it is the passive voice. The addition of other auxiliaries does not make the difference between the passive voice and the stative passive much clearer.
It is still a matter of intent, but the tendency is to regard passive sentences with auxiliaries to be in the passive voice: She could not be promoted to manager without developing further skills. I want to be informed of every problem that takes place. You have to be treated by a specialist. The Subjunctive Mood The English subjunctive occurs in two forms: the present subjunctive and the past subjunctive. No distinctions are made between regular and irregular verbs. For example: to be to have to go to see to like I be have go see like you sing.
In the case of the verb to be, only the plural form were is used in the past subjunctive: to be to have to go to see to like I were had went saw liked you sing. Wade be transferred to another department. We regard it as important that he have full access to the documents. Other statements that are similar in meaning to those illustrated above can also introduce a present subjunctive clause, such as: It is imperative. It is vital. I believe it is urgent. Images Donate icon An illustration of a heart shape Donate Ellipses icon An illustration of text ellipses.
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Specially written with the English learner in mind, this writer's handbook contains all the information a writer needs to produce a correct and polished piece of writing Includes index. There are no reviews yet. The world's best-selling grammar series for learners of English. To accompany Essential Grammar in Use Fourth edition, Essential Grammar in Use Supplementary Exercises provides elementary-level learners with extra practice of the grammar covered in the main book. The easy-to-follow exercises and full answer key make this supplementary book ideal for independent study.
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This clear, straightforward guide to modern English grammar will help you to improve your knowledge of the language and perfect your grammar. One, five and ten-minute introductions to key principles to get you started. Ideal for native speakers and learners alike, this clear guide to the grammar of modern English will help students speak and write English with greater confidence. English: An Essential Grammar is written specifically for native speakers, beginning with the basics and going on to deal with phrase, clause and sentence structure, word formation and spelling.
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This book was first published in , Essentials of English Grammar is a valuable contribution to the field of English Language and Linguistics. Grammar is the system and structure of a language. The rules of grammar help us to decide the order we put words in and which form of word to use. Grammar is most important because it is the language that makes it possible for us to talk about language.
Grammar names the type of words and word groups that makes sentences. Correct grammar is key to speaking English fluently and confidently.
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