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

Infinitive - Past Simple - Past Participle - Spanish

English Grammar Practice Drills

1. Passive Voice: Modals and Tenses

• The electricity bill must be paid.
• Yesterday's assignment wasn't prepared.
• Your question was already answered by…
• The time of the meeting had been set before…
• How many people have been invited so far?
• The winners of the competition were chosen…

2. Active, Passive, and Causative Verbs

• People stood and watched as the building was being destroyed.
• I love this guitar. My father gave it to me.
• That man was driving… he should be blamed for the accident.
• Can we play, or is someone using the tennis court?
• My car isn't working. Will it be repaired soon?
• You don't need an operation; your leg isn't broken.
• Ingrid hasn't come… Is she still being examined?
• This is a great phone. You can download

STARTING EARLY

1-Ritesh Agarwal got the idea to start his own business à when he couldn’t enter his flat one night

2-Mr Agarwal’s Company à improves hotels and gives them its brand.

3-The beginning of Oyo Rooms was difficult because à few people thought this business had a future.

4-Which sentence is NOT true? In his first hotel, Mr Agarwal à had a team of people to work for him

5-The investors were convinced à when they compared an Oyo hotel to other, unimproved ones

6-Mr Agarwal admits that à his experiences with good people exceeded the bad ones.

7-At present, Mr Agarwal à hopes to expand in India thanks to the wider use of the internet.

8-His advice to other people is to start a business young because à if you fail,... Continue reading "True Airspeed ()" »

1. I wouldn't be able to eat. 2. I can't help but talk. 3. I was able to go. 4. I wouldn't have played.

2. English is spoken by many people all over the world. 3. The hamster can be kept in a cage. 5. The room hasn't been painted yet.

6. Your meal is being prepared by the chef. 7. When is the work going to be finished? 9. The doctor has ordered blood tests.

10. The door has to be locked before you leave.

3. 2. If I had studied more, I wouldn't have failed the test. 3. If I hadn't seen the stop sign, I wouldn't have had an accident. 4. If he could speak clearly, I could understand him.

5. I don't have to work, so I can meet you tomorrow.

4. 1. Get it cleaned. 2. Get it checked. 3. Get it marked. 4. Have you brought it? 5. I was having my hair cut.

Advanced English Grammar Guide

The Past Perfect Simple

The past perfect simple expresses an action taking place before a certain time in the past, putting emphasis only on the fact, not the duration.

Positive/Negative/Question

• I had spoken / I had not spoken / Had I spoken?

Example: Before I came here, I had spoken to Jack.

Usage with Time Expressions:

• Use after, as soon as, the moment that, until before using the past perfect simple.
  Example: After she had moved out, I found her notes. / I didn't say anything until she had finished talking.
• Use before, when, by the time before the past simple.
  Example: Before I knew it, she had run out the door. / By the time he phoned her, she had found someone new.

The Past Perfect Progressive

The past perfect progressive... Continue reading "Advanced English Grammar Guide: Mastering Complex Structures" »

My Cousin, Christopher

My cousin, Christopher, is the son of my father's brother. He's three years younger than me and we didn't know each other very well as children because he and his family lived on the other side of the country at that time. Since then, he's married and moved closer so we meet quite often and I've got to know him much better. There's nothing very remarkable about Chris's appearance. He's of average height and medium build, and he's got curly mousy hair and a fair complexion. As he's quite short-sighted like me, he wears glasses. The clothes he likes are mostly casual: jeans or shorts and a tee-shirt. I don't think I've ever seen him in a suit. He's a very active person who loves the outdoor life. He's extremely practical... Continue reading "Getting to Know My Cousin and Sister" »

Fairness in Hiring: Beyond Handwriting Analysis

It isn't fair to decide whether a person should get a job based on their handwriting, because, in my opinion, these studies are rarely accurate. I believe a person cannot be judged by their handwriting. For instance, someone with large handwriting might still be a shy person.

Archaeological Sites: Rules and Consequences

I think it's acceptable that the Greek authorities take measures when someone picks up an artifact at an ancient site. However, it must also be recognized that the tour guides did not warn Madeline about this. Therefore, arresting her and putting her in jail seems like a harsh measure, especially since she was unaware of the rules. Ultimately, I neither agree with her actions nor... Continue reading "Reflections on Modern Life: Society, Technology, and Personal Choices" »