English Conditionals, Passive Voice & Key Grammar Structures

3 & 4 — Zero Conditional

Structure: if + present simple, present simple

Example: If you mix blue and yellow, you get green.

First Conditional

Structure: if + present simple, will + infinitive (without to)

Example: She'll be very happy if you phone her.

Second Conditional

Structure: if + past simple, would + infinitive (without to)

Example: If I knew the answer to number six, I would tell you.

Third Conditional

Structure: if + past perfect, would/might have + past participle

Example: If we hadn't taken a map, we would have got lost.

Mixed Conditional

Structure: if + past perfect, would/might + infinitive (without to)

5 — Illness Vocabulary

Illnesses and injuries:

• nosebleed
• heart attack
• tooth decay
• stomach ache
• blood pressure
• ear infection
• black eye
• sore throat
• stiff neck
• runny nose
• sprained ankle

6 — Reporting Verbs and Backshifting

Backshifting patterns:

Present → Past / Present continuous → Past continuous / Present perfect → Past perfect / Present perfect continuous → Past perfect continuous / Past simple → Past perfect / Past continuous → Past perfect continuous

7 — So, Neither and Nor (Agreement)

Same feelings: so / neither / nor + (modal or auxiliary) + subject (noun or pronoun)

• She can't play a musical instrument and neither can I.
• I'll phone him tonight. So will I.
• My mum isn't working tomorrow. Neither is mine.

Different feelings: subject + (modal or auxiliary) or the verb to be

• He doesn't eat meat but I do.
• We're allowed to wear jeans to school. We aren't.

8 — Reported Questions

What do you want to do? → He asked me what I wanted to do.

Where have you been? → She asked him where he had been.

9 — Passive Voice

Formation: verb to be + past participle

• Present simple: are stolen
• Present continuous: is being questioned
• Present perfect: have been put
• Past simple: was taken
• Past continuous: was being filmed
• Past perfect: had been mugged
• Future simple: will be searched
• Infinitive: to be released
• Gerund: being hit
• Modal verbs: should be sentenced

10 — Question Tags

• He isn't married, is he?
• I'm late again, aren't I?
• You've been to Spain before, haven't you?
• You'd rather stay in tonight, wouldn't you?
• Open the window, will / can / would / could you?
• Let's go home, shall we?
• Nothing frightens you, does it?

11 — Wish and If Only

• wish / if only + past simple (present): I wish I were taller. If only I knew how to play the guitar.
• wish / if only + would (present): I wish you would turn the music down.
• wish / if only + would or could (future): I wish I could go on holiday with you in summer.
• wish / if only + past perfect (past): I wish I hadn't left school when I was 16.

12 — Contrasts and Conjunctions

Common contrast connectors: but, although, even though, however, nevertheless, in spite of, despite the fact, whereas, while.