Essential English Grammar: Exercises and Rules

Missing Words

Each question has one word missing:

1. Where do you come from?
2. Where and when were you born?
3. Do you live in a house or a flat?
4. Why are you studying English?
5. Which foreign countries have you been to?
6. What did you do yesterday evening?
7. What are you going to do after this lesson?

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Mexican life is so hard.
• Can you walk slowly, please?
• Real Madrid is playing badly.
• Please, listen carefully.

Much (Uncountable) and Many (Countable)

• How much soda do we have left?
• How many students do you know?
• I have much money in the bank.
• How many children are there in the classroom?
• How much time do we have left?

Should and Shouldn't

• I've got a sore throat, so I should drink water.
• I've got the flu, so I shouldn't go to school.
• I've got diarrhea, so I must stay at home.
• I've got a twisted ankle, so I must stay in bed for a while.

Although and Other Expressions

• I like her, although she is really annoying.
• I won the lottery, so I'm going to buy a new car.
• I watched Dr. House until the last season.
• I'm not going because I have a headache.

Feelings

• She is jealous because I text my ex all the time.
• When I talk to her, I feel nervous.
• My son won a diploma; I'm so proud.
• Life in NY is great, but I miss tacos; I'm homesick.

1st and 2nd Conditional

First Conditional: If + Present Simple, ... Will + Infinitive

Used to talk about things which might happen in the future. These are possible things that could easily come true.

• If it rains, I won't go to the park.
• If I study today, I'll go to the party tonight.
• If I have enough money, I'll buy some new shoes.
• She'll be late if the train is delayed.
• She'll miss the bus if she doesn't leave soon.
• If I see her, I'll tell her.

Second Conditional: If + Past Simple, ... Would + Infinitive

Note: We can use 'were' instead of 'was' with 'I' and 'he/she/it', especially in formal writing.

This has two uses:

1. Hypothetical future: Things that are unlikely or imaginary.
   • If I won the lottery, I would buy a big house.
   • If I met the Queen of England, I would say hello.
   • She would travel all over the world if she were rich.
   • She would pass the exam if she ever studied.
2. Present impossibility: Something that is not true right now.
   • If I had his number, I would call him.
   • If I were you, I wouldn't go out with that man.

How is this different from the first conditional? This is much more unlikely or impossible compared to the first conditional.