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

Reported Speech

Statements

1. She said (that) he worked in a bank.
2. She told me (that) they went out last night.
3. She said (that) she was coming.
4. She told me (that) she had been waiting for the bus when he arrived.
5. She said (that) she had never been there before.
6. She told me (that) she didn't go to the party.
7. She said (that) Lucy would come later.
8. She told me (that) he hadn't eaten breakfast.
9. She said (that) she could help me tomorrow.
10. She told me (that) I should go to bed early.
11. She told me (that) she didn't like chocolate.
12. She said (that) she wouldn't see me tomorrow.
13. She said (that) she was living in Paris for a few months.
14. She told me (that) she visited her parents at the weekend.
15. She said (that) she hadn't eaten sushi before.
16. She said (that) she hadn't travelled

Understanding Business English Idioms

Many companies engage in responsible practices. Do you know of any companies that donate services or money? How can businesses act responsibly? Why should a company reduce and deal with any pollution? Does your company share the life of the local community? Should a company stay true to its principles and values? What companies in your country take the time to understand the impact of their operations?

Workplace Challenges and Concepts

• Burn-out: Exhaustion caused by working too hard.
• Juggling: Trying to manage your job or life when involved in several different activities, all demanding your time.
• Promotion: Moving someone up into a higher, more important, or better-paid position in a company or organization.

Present Continuous

The present continuous, also known as the present progressive, is a verb tense used to describe actions happening now, or around now.

Affirmative, Interrogative, and Negative Forms

• Affirmative: Subject + am/is/are + verb (present participle -ing)
• Interrogative: Am/Is/Are + subject + verb (present participle -ing)?
• Negative: Subject + am/is/are + not + verb (present participle -ing)

Common Regular Verbs in English

Regular verbs follow a consistent pattern when forming the past tense and past participle, typically by adding -ed or -d to the base form.

Essential

Adrienne Rich: Key Themes and Analysis

Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers

• “Bright topaz denizens of a world of green”: Vivid imagery symbolizes freedom, confidence, and strength, contrasting sharply with Aunt Jennifer’s oppressed reality.
• “The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band”: A metaphor suggesting patriarchal oppression, portraying marriage as a source of control and emotional burden.
• “Her terrified hands will lie still ringed with ordeals”: Implies that even after death, the trauma and oppression she experienced will remain with her.

Uncle Speaks in the Drawing Room

• “I have seen the mob of late”: Suggests social unrest and tension, hinting at political instability beyond the privileged setting.
• “Let us consider… frailties of

English Grammar Proficiency Exercises

Sentence Correction and Identification

1. By the time we got to the airport, the flight had already left. (C)
2. She went to the concert last night with her friends. (I)
3. The more you practice, the better you speak English. (C)
4. He was wearing a sleeveless blue French shirt and a pair of smart black shoes. (I)
5. They had been waiting for two hours before the airline announced the delay. (I)
6. I have known my best friend since elementary school. (C)
7. While the passengers were boarding, the crew was checking the cabin. (I)
8. If you heat water to 100 degrees, it boils. (I)
9. I will have been studying for three hours by 8 p.m. tonight. (C)
10. She had already left when I called her. (C)
11. She has been working at the airport for three years.

English Grammar Practice: Set 1

1. I’m looking forward to trying the new restaurant.
2. She asked me where I had bought that jacket.
3. When did you move to Spain?
4. We shouldn’t have left the house without a jacket.
5. I have my car revised every February.
6. The match was cancelled due to heavy rain.
7. That is the city where we lived for four years.
8. An event is being organized to raise money for charity.
9. She apologised for breaking my mug.
10. At 10:30, she will be playing football.
11. It is thought that she is one of the best actors in the world.
12. If you went to bed earlier, you wouldn’t always be tired.
13. I wish I had revised English grammar.
14. We have been sent an invitation.
15. She said that they were going to visit their grandparents the next day.

English Grammar Practice: Set

To Help and Grows

Out and How Much

• Cultivating your own vegetables, which is easier than it seems, is a healthy option.
• As long as you keep your promise, I will keep mine.
• How often do children help parents with chores?
• Does she want to come to the cinema with us on Sunday?
• In a democracy, a vote should be cast in an election by all citizens.

Done and To Meet

Along and A Little

• Who said that my teacher was wrong?
• The other passengers are asking me whose suitcase this is.
• The more books you read, the more knowledge you (will) gain.
• The tree under which we had a nap yesterday was very large.
• How did he persuade John?

Meeting and Haven’t Done

On and Up

• She will have her car repaired next Friday.
• Tom is the best chess player in his class.
• Queen Elizabeth spends

1. Passive Voice: Sentence Transformation

• 1. Julie taught me the grammar.
• 2. Sophia has told them the truth.
• 3. The baby loves being held.
• 4. People used to eat more meat in the past.
• 5. The company should have managed the situation differently.
• 6. They pick up the garbage early in the morning.
• 7. Someone was digging a hole in the garden.
• 8. People estimate the city had more than one thousand inhabitants in the 19th century.
• 9. I had my nails done.
• 10. People think pollution is not a minor problem.

2. Conditionals: Completion and Construction

• 1. If he didn't have to work late, he could go out with his girlfriend.
• 2. If we go out with friends, we normally go to a restaurant.
• 3. If you hadn't had experience working abroad, they wouldn't have hired you.
• 4. If