Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for English

Cleft Sentences and Their Structure

What is a Cleft Sentence?

A cleft sentence is one where a single message is divided (cleft) into two clauses.

Unmarked Word Order for Declarative Sentences

The unmarked word order for a declarative sentence in English is SVO (Subject-Verb-Object).

When Can Inversion Be Used?

Inversion can be used in clefts.

Usage of "Who"

The pronoun "who" is used for humans.

Defining Subordinate Clauses

Subordinate clauses are dependent clauses.

Types of Relative Clauses

• Restrictive
• Non-restrictive

Inversion with "Never" and "Rarely"

When "never" and "rarely" are in front position, they require subject-auxiliary inversion.

Characteristics of Existential Sentences

Existential sentences have an indefinite subject.

Forms of the Object Complement

The... Continue reading "Key Elements of English Sentence Construction" »

Titanic: A Timeless Romantic Drama Review

A Frightening Discovery at Home

This happened to me last winter. I had spent almost the whole afternoon at university, and my parents were still at work. When I arrived home, they weren’t there yet. As soon as I went inside, I noticed that one of the windows was broken. I got really scared because I immediately thought the worst, like someone had broken in.

So, I waited for my parents to arrive, and when they did, I explained everything to them. They told me that they had left the windows open, and because it was very windy, the wind had slammed the door really hard. The pressure caused the windows to break. Then, I realized it actually made sense, because it would be strange for someone to break the windows when it's not even easy to reach... Continue reading "Personal Stories of Unexpected Stress and Relief" »

Exercise 1: Logical Sentence Completion

Complete the sentences with a logical continuation. Write more than one word. Pay attention to the words in bold.

• My favourite time of the day is dawn because everything is quiet and peaceful then.
• The sea is very rough today because the wind is blowing strongly.
• The peak of the mountain was covered in snow.
• The soil here is good for growing vegetables.
• Poachers are unwanted in nature reserves because they kill protected animals.

Exercise 2: Phrasal Verbs

Complete the sentences with the correct phrasal verbs from the list:

1. I’m staying over at my friend Jenny’s house tonight.
2. The river has dried up.
3. The toad turned into a prince.
4. The congress has been brought forward by a year.
5. Tourists were turned away at the

Base Form         Past Simple         Past Participle         Meaning

• bring          brought          brought          traer
• build          built          built          construir
• buy          bought          bought          comprar
• catch          caught          caught          coger
• choose          chose          chosen          elegir
• come          came          came          venir
• cut          cut          cut          cortar
• do          did          done          hacer
• dream          dreamed          dreamed         

English Grammar Exercises

Exercise 2: Transforming Active to Passive Voice

Convert the following sentences from active to passive form:

• 1. Someone had stolen the school computers before everyone arrived.
  The school computers had been stolen before everyone had arrived.
• 2. Someone must have heard something.
  Something must have been heard.
• 3. Has a chef prepared all these desserts?
  Have all these desserts been prepared by a chef?
• 4. They won't give us a map, we'll have to manage by ourselves.
  Option A: We won’t be given a map, so we’ll have to manage by ourselves.
  Option B: A map won’t be given to us, so we’ll have to manage by ourselves.
• 5. They gave me the information very late, so I couldn't tell you.
  Option A: I was given the information very

Professional Cover Letter for Job Applications

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to apply for the position advertised on your website. I am very interested in this opportunity and I believe that I would be a suitable candidate for the job.

Personal Background and Education

My name is Nour Batassa Abidar and I am 17 years old. I am currently studying my first year of the science baccalaureate at Isabel la Católica High School. I am a hardworking and motivated student who enjoys learning new things and taking on new challenges.

Multilingual Communication Skills

One of my strongest qualities is my ability to communicate with different people, as I speak four languages:

• Spanish
• English
• French
• Arabic

At home, I usually speak French and Arabic, while I use Spanish... Continue reading "Professional Cover Letter and Persuasive Essay Examples" »

Irregular Verb Forms

A list of 100 common irregular verbs in English, showing the base form, past tense, and past participle.

1. Be - was/were - been
2. Beat - beat - beaten
3. Become - became - become
4. Begin - began - begun
5. Bend - bent - bent
6. Bet - bet - bet
7. Bite - bit - bitten
8. Bleed - bled - bled
9. Blow - blew - blown
10. Break - broke - broken
11. Bring - brought - brought
12. Build - built - built
13. Burn - burnt/burned - burnt/burned
14. Buy - bought - bought
15. Catch - caught - caught
16. Choose - chose - chosen
17. Come - came - come
18. Cost - cost - cost
19. Cut - cut - cut
20. Dig - dug - dug
21. Do - did - done
22. Draw - drew - drawn
23. Dream - dreamt/dreamed - dreamt/dreamed
24. Drink - drank - drunk
25. Drive - drove - driven
26. Eat - ate - eaten
27. Fall - fell - fallen
28. Feed - fed - fed
29. Feel - felt - felt
30. Fight - fought - fought
31. Find -

Conditional Sentences

First Conditional

Structure: If + Present Simple -> Future Simple or may/might + Imperative

Examples:

• If you are left-handed, you will face many disadvantages.
• You will meet a lot of people if you travel abroad.
• If she is free tomorrow, she may/might attend the concert too.

Second Conditional

Structure: If + Past Simple -> would + Base Form or could/might

Examples:

• If we had enough money, we would buy a new car.
• You could/might learn more this year if you studied harder.

Third Conditional

Structure: If + Past Perfect -> would have + Past Participle or could/might have

Examples:

• If I had phoned my parents, they wouldn't have been worried.
• He could/might have visited her if he had known she was ill.

Passive Voice

Present Simple

• Active:

1. Article Usage Rules

The article is a part of speech used before a noun, functioning as a noun determiner.

1.1. Names of Seasons

• Seasons are used without articles if they denote a general time of the year. Example: It was spring. I like spring.
• The definite article (the) is used when seasons are modified by a particularizing attribute or when the situation makes them definite. Example: It happened in the spring of 1930. The spring was cold and rainy.
• The indefinite article (a/an) is used when seasons are modified by a descriptive attribute. Example: It was a cold spring.
• When names of seasons are modified by the adjectives early or late, no articles are used. Example: It was early spring.

1.2. Parts of the Day

Parts of the day are used without articles:... Continue reading "Mastering English Grammar: Articles, Pronouns, Adjectives" »