English Grammar: Verb Phrases and Conditional Sentences

Verb Phrases

• Come up with
• Take up
• Set up
• Carry out
• Carry on
• Make up
• Put up with
• Put off
• Look forward
• Run out

Future Tenses

• Will: "I think they will be at that meeting tomorrow." Don't worry; Andrew won't be late. Here: Don’t panic; Andrew will be (here) on time.
• Will + be + ing: "I think I will be driving to Madrid at this time tomorrow." I’m going to have a meeting from 2.00 pm until 4 pm today. At 2.40 pm today, I will be having a meeting.
• Will + have + pp: "I will have finished that report by 14.00." I've been in this company for almost five years. By the end of this month, I will have been in this company for five years.

Present and Future Continuous

• Going to: "They are going to have a baby next month." I intend to apply for that job. I am going to apply for that job.
• Present Continuous: "She is going to a concert next Friday." Nerea and Steven’s wedding is next weekend. Nerea and Steven’s are getting married next month.

Contrasting Ideas

• Despite: Despite being younger than the others, she has no problem fitting in with the team.
• Although: Although it is a small office, it is big enough for our needs.
• In spite of: In spite of having very little time, he offered to help us.
• Nevertheless: Anna won the competition. Nevertheless, she didn't feel happy.
• Even: Even though revenues were very low last year, the company spent a lot of money.
• While: While we were going home, we had an accident.
• Besides: Besides buying a new computer for her secretary, Jen bought herself a laptop.

Conditional Sentences

• If + present simple, present simple.
• If + present simple, future simple.
• If + past simple, present conditional.
• If + past perfect, perfect conditional.

I might not manage to repair the leaking tap on my own, so I'll ask my sister for help. In case I don't manage to repair the leaking tap on my own, I’ll ask my sister for help.

I want to buy a big house with a swimming pool, but I can't afford it. If I could afford it, I would buy a big house with a swimming pool.

My husband encouraged and supported me after the accident, so I recovered quickly. If it hadn’t been for my husband’s encouragement and support, I wouldn’t have recovered quickly after my accident.