Gramática inglesa: tiempos verbales, condicionales, comparativos y phrasal verbs explicados

Gramática inglesa: ejercicios y explicaciones

Present Perfect y Past Simple

After reading the book, she saw the film. Steve's been learning the violin for a month. It's ages since I haven't been to an Indian restaurant. Nancy hasn't come here since 1986. This is the first time I have visited Japan. When did Helen and Robert get married? It's the first time she has been to the club. It's the funniest story she has ever heard. She's never had such a bad headache. I haven't seen Jane for months. Since when has she been here? The last time I spoke to him was one week ago. When did she move here? I haven't been to Brussels for 2 years. It's the silliest story I have ever heard. When was your last visit/travel to London? I'm still doing my homework. It's the first time I have tasted muesli.

Questions

QUESTIONS

• Who congratulated him?
• Since when have you known them? / How long have you known them?
• Whose is that dictionary?
• How are her cousins?
• What do the English like to talk about?
• How much sugar do you need?
• How much does it cost?
• Where does Janet live?
• How often do you wash your hair?
• Who rented a new apartment?
• How is Ann?

Conditionals

CONDITIONALS

• If I had had an umbrella, I wouldn't have got wet.
• Unless you play, you can't win.
• If only we hadn't eaten all the food!
• I wish you wouldn't shout all the time!
• I wish I had warned her.
• If I were you, I would see a doctor.
• Unless you ask him, he won't help you.
• If she hadn't been exhausted, she wouldn't have gone home early.
• I wish I had a dictionary.
• If only I had phoned Fernando last night!
• I wish Cecilia wouldn't criticize everyone!
• If she could eat eggs, she would try that dish.
• If you finish your homework early, we will go for a walk.
• If I was/were rich, I would travel around the world.
• If we hadn't left early, we wouldn't have missed the plane.
• Unless the neighbours stop shouting, I'll call the police.
• I wish you worked more efficiently.

Comparisons

COMPARISONS

• Japanese isn't as difficult as Chinese.
• Bill was growing angrier and more angry.
• This is the bumpiest road I have ever seen.
• The faster you drive, the more petrol you will use.

Adverbials

ADVERBIALS

• The police locked the door so that no one could get in.
• The soldiers moved at night in order not to alarm the villagers.
• Helen's such a busy person that she never feels bored.
• The table wasn't heavy enough to lift.
• Although I invited her, she didn't come.
• Despite losing the match, we celebrated.
• As it was late, we decided to go home.
• In spite of being a millionaire, he hates spending money.
• Despite being ill, she attended the meeting.
• Debbie hid the diary so that no one could read it.
• The child is so sweet that everyone loves her.
• He isn't old enough to get married.
• It's such a good film that I want to see it again.
• The more you read, the more you'll know.
• Petrol is becoming more and more expensive every day.
• Rome isn't as old as Athens.
• She is the most graceful gymnast.
• Buy less cheese than before.
• She's a good cook.
• The harder you try, the better you'll do.
• She wrote to him in order to tell him the news.
• I'll help him so that he finishes early.
• She put on her raincoat in order not to get wet.
• It was such a bad flight that we'll never forget it.
• As/since there were no seats left, we came back early.
• Despite spending all afternoon on the project, she didn't finish it.
• Mr White is taller than his wife.

Relative Clauses

RELATIVES

• Mary, who has not been feeling very well lately, has gone to see the doctor.
• The school where we were educated was built in 1960.
• A waitress served them coffee, which was very hot.
• There was a man in the room whom we didn't recognize.
• Send me copies of the letters (which) your sister told me about.
• Those are the passengers whose passports disappeared.
• The wall which they built fell down after three weeks.
• That's the man who is going to buy the company.
• I love the countryside, where I want to go and live.
• They bought several cakes which were really good.
• We stayed at a small hotel, where we met Mrs Andersen.
• She did what I expected her to do.
• That's the boy (who) we gave the present to.
• That's the lady whose umbrella I lost.
• The 9:00 bus, which was full, arrived late.

Reported Speech

REPORTED SPEECH

• He told me that he would call the police if he saw me there again.
• They asked us when we would visit them again.
• They asked us if we were enjoying ourselves.
• Mrs Brown told her children not to spend all their money on sweets.
• The receptionist asked me to write my name and ID number on that card.
• He offered to buy me a drink if I liked.

Vocabulary

Exhibit - exhibir, prohibir; firm - firma, empresa; flavour - sabor; mood - estado de ánimo; odour - olor; pattern - diseño; purchase - compra; rhythm - ritmo; scent - perfume; approach - acercarse; remain - permanecer; stare - mirar fijamente; stink - apestar; store - guardar; stroke - acariciar; trigger - desencadenar; whisper - susurrar; adorable - precioso; bitter - amargo; bright - radiante; deafening - ensordecedor; disgusting - asqueroso; faint - desmayarse; nasty - cañero; pale - pálido; pleasant - placentero; rough - áspero; savoury - salado; smooth - liso; tasty - sabroso; tough - duro; weird - raro.

Phrasal Verbs

Bring back - traer de vuelta; bring along - traer consigo; set off - salir; setback - contratiempo; set up - instalar; start out - empezar; start over - empezar de nuevo; start up - encender.

Idioms

Have a sweet tooth - tener debilidad por lo dulce; give a taste of your own medicine - darle a alguien su propia medicina; common sense - sentido común; go in one ear and out the other - le entra por un oído y le sale por el otro; keep in touch - mantenerse en contacto; see eye to eye - estar de acuerdo.

Verbs with Prepositions and Collocations

Catch - catch abuse, a hold, fire, one's breath, sight of, someone's eye.

Take - take after, charge, for granted, one's time, pride in, someone by surprise.

Go - go abroad, bland, blind, mad, missing, wild.

ON - insist on, lean on, rely on, depend on.

Verb Tenses Review

Tenses - eat/ate; ate/had eaten; will eat/would eat; are eating/were eating; were eating/had been eating; have eaten/had eaten; have been eating/had been eating; had eaten/had eaten; had been eating/had been eating.

can/could, may/might, will/would

Passive Voice

Passive - (sells - are sold), (sold - were sold), (will sell - will be sold), (is selling - are being sold), (was selling - were being sold), (has sold - have been sold), (had sold - had been sold), (should sell - should be sold).

Conditional Structures

Conditionals - 0: if + present simple. 1: if + present simple + will. 2: if + past simple + would + infinitive. 3: if + past perfect + past perfect + would have + past participle.

Modal Verbs

Modal - subject + modal + infinitive (present); subject + modal + have + past participle (past). Possibility (may, could); obligation (must, have to); advice (should); logical deduction (must, can't); prohibition (mustn't); necessity (need); permission (may).

Useful Structures

How long - How long have you been working here?

I wish + subject + past simple (present); I wish + subject + past perfect (past); I wish + subject + would + infinitive.