English Grammar: Passive Voice and Conditional Sentences
Classified in English
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Passive Voice
This shirt needs to be ironed
This shirt needs ironing
The house needs to be painted
The house needs painting
Both sentences are correct
Both sentences have the same meaning
Instances of Passive Voice
- When the agent is unknown
- When the agent is irrelevant
- When the agent is obvious from the context
Uses of 'Have Something Done'
- A service provided: I had my house painted
- Describe something unpleasant: John had his passport stolen
- Future statements (promises): I will have my homework done for tomorrow
Conditional Sentences
I went to the optician yesterday and I tested my eyesight because you do not test yourself, the optician does it.
Zero Conditional
Also called real factual, is used for general truths
IF + PRES SIMPLE + PRES SIMPLE
First Conditional
Also called real predictive, is used to talk about possible and probable things/actions
IF + PRES SIMPLE + WILL/GOING TO
Second Conditional
Also called unreal hypothetical, is used when we refer to past and impossible situations (possible but not probable situations)
IF + PAST SIMPLE + WOULD + INF
Third Conditional
Also called unreal counterfactual, refers to the past and it can't be changed
IF + PAST PERFECT + WOULD/SHOULD/MIGHT/COULD + HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE
Cases of Inversion
1st cond. predictive = replace if for SHOULD
Should you have more free time, give me a call
2nd cond = hypothetical replace IF for WERE
Were you to come, give me a call
3rd counterfactual = replace IF for HAD
Had I had more free time, I would have studied harder
We use WILL in the IF clause when we want to show willingness, refusal or annoying situation IF HE WILL CONTINUE EATING ALL DAY, HE WILL BE FAT.
Examples of Mixed Conditional
Past condition - effect in the present: If you hadn't been rude, she wouldn't be angry
Present action - effect in the past: If you weren't rude, she wouldn't have been angry
If I were younger I'd be more adventurous
I cannot be young again
Conditional Sentences Summary
- Factual cond express generalizations
- Second cond can refer to improbable and impossible situations
- Factual cond can only contain present tense and past tenses
- Hypothetical cond are referred to second conds
- Counterfactual refer to impossible and improbable situations
Expressions of Desire and Preference
It's high time is used to say that something is not happening and it should be
Always positive
2 uses of I WISH
To complain: I wish you would stop making noise
To express a desire: I wish you were here
When the subject is the same we use past simple, when we wish somebody to perform the action we use would.
We use would rather to express preference, followed by a verb in infinitive form when there's no change of subject. Would rather followed by a verb in the past simple when there are 2 different subjects. Would rather = would like.