English Grammar Essentials: Conditionals, Reported Speech, Verb Forms

English Grammar Essentials

First Conditional & Future Time Clauses

We use first conditional sentences to talk about a possible future situation and its consequence.

First Conditional Examples:

• If you work hard, you'll pass your exams.
• The boss won't be very pleased if we're late for the meeting.
• Come and see us next week if you have time.
• Allison won't get into university unless she gets good grades.
• I won't go unless you go too.

Rules for First Conditional:

• We use the present tense (NOT the future) after 'if' in first conditional sentences.
• We can also use an imperative instead of the 'will' clause.
• We can use 'unless' instead of 'if...not' in conditional sentences.
  • Example: She won't get into university unless she gets good grades / if she doesn't get good grades.

Future Time Clauses

Use the present tense (NOT the future) after 'when', 'as soon as', 'until', 'before', and 'after' to talk about the future.

Future Time Clause Examples:

• As soon as you get your exam results, call me.
• We'll have dinner when your father gets home.
• I won't go to bed until you come home.
• I'll have a quick lunch before I leave.
• After I finish university, I'll probably take a year off and travel.

Second Conditional Sentences

Second conditional sentences follow the structure: if + past simple, would / wouldn't + infinitive.

We use the second conditional to talk about a hypothetical / imaginary present or future situation and its consequence.

Second Conditional Examples:

• If I had a job, I'd get my own flat.
• If David spoke good English, he could get a job in that new hotel.
• I would get on better with my parents if I didn't live with them.
• I wouldn't do that job unless they paid me a really good salary.
• If your sister were here, she'd know what to do.
• If it was warmer, we could have a swim.
• If I were you, I'd buy a new computer.

Rules for Second Conditional:

• We can also use 'could' instead of 'would' in the other clause.
• After 'if', we can use 'was' or 'were' with I, he, and she.
• We often use second conditionals beginning "If I were you, I'd..." to give advice. Here we don't normally use "If I was you...".

First vs. Second Conditional

• If I have time, I'll help you. (This is a real situation, it's possible that I'll have time – first conditional)
• If I had time, I'd help you. (This is a hypothetical / imaginary situation, I don't actually have time – second conditional)

Reported Questions

When a question doesn't begin with a question word, add 'if' or 'whether'.

Reported Question Examples:

• Direct: "Are you married?"
  • Reported: She asked him if he was married.
• Direct: "Did she phone?"
  • Reported: He asked me whether she had phoned.
• Direct: "What's your name?"
  • Reported: I asked him what his name was.
• Direct: "Where do you live?"
  • Reported: They asked me where I lived.

Gerunds and Infinitives

The Gerund (Verb + -ing)

We use the gerund (verb + -ing):

• After prepositions and phrasal verbs.
• As the subject of a sentence.
• After some verbs, e.g., hate, spend, don't mind.

Gerund Examples:

• I'm not very good at remembering names.
• Katie's given up smoking.
• Driving at night is quite tiring.
• Shopping is my favourite thing to do at weekends.
• I hate not having time for things.
• I don't mind getting up early.

Common verbs which take the gerund include: admit, avoid, deny, dislike, enjoy, feel like, finish, hate, keep, like, love, mind, miss, practise, prefer, recommend, spend time, stop, suggest, and phrasal verbs, e.g., give up, go on, etc.

The negative gerund = not + verb + -ing.

The Infinitive with 'to'

We use the infinitive + 'to':

• After adjectives.
• To express a reason or purpose.
• After some verbs: (can't) afford, agree, decide, expect, forget, help, hope, learn, need, offer, plan, pretend, promise, refuse, remember, seem, try, want, would like.

Infinitive with 'to' Examples:

• My flat is very easy to find.
• Liam is saving money to buy a new car.
• My sister has never learned to drive.
• Try not to make a noise.

The negative infinitive = not to + verb.

More verbs take the infinitive than the gerund.

These common verbs can take either the infinitive or gerund with no difference in meaning: start, begin, continue. E.g., "It started to rain" or "It started raining."

The Infinitive Without 'to'

We use the infinitive without 'to':

• After most modal and auxiliary verbs.
• After 'make' and 'let'.

Infinitive Without 'to' Examples:

• I can't drive.
• We must hurry.
• She always makes me laugh.
• My parents didn't let me go out last night.