Mastering English Grammar: Modals, Passives, Tags, Idioms, Relatives & Conditionals

Modals

Modal verbs do not have an 'S' in the third person singular.

They are followed by the infinitive without 'to'.

They do not have all tenses.

CAN

Possibility/ability – I can swim.

Asking for permission (INFORMAL)

CAN’T

Not possible (negative deduction)

COULD

Past tense of 'can' / Asking for permission (FORMAL)

BE ABLE TO

Used for tenses that other modals don't have.

MUST

Internal obligation

Something you have to do

Affirmative deduction

MUSN’T

Something forbidden

HAVE TO

External obligation (rule)

DON’T HAVE TO / NEEDN’T

Not necessary

MAY / MIGHT

Probability

Asking for permission

SHALL

Offering help

SHOULD / OUGHT TO / NOT OUGHT TO

Giving advice

WOULD / COULD

Making an offer

Passive Voice

ACTIVE - Subject + Verb + Object

PASSIVE - Subject + ‘be’ + past participle + agent

Example:

I eat an apple – An apple is eaten by me.

My father gave me a watch – I was given a watch by my father – A watch was given to me by my father.

Question Tags

RULE

This is new, isn’t it? // This isn’t new, is it?

EXCEPTIONS

There is a book there, isn’t there? // There isn’t a book there, is there? 'There' is answered with 'there'.

Let’s go to the cinema, shall we? Sentences without a subject use 'shall we'. Only positive.

Don’t touch that, will you? // Help me, won’t you? Imperatives and orders use 'will you'.

I’m too fat, aren’t I? 'I am' is contracted with 'aren’t'.

Idioms - Useful expressions

Pulling my leg – joking

Where there is a will, there is a way – if you want something enough, you can achieve it

Guinea pig – test subject

By heart – memorized

To each his own – everyone has different tastes

Hunt with cats and you catch only rats – you are known by the company you keep

Tech

Relative Pronouns

Omission of relative pronouns:

When the relative pronoun is an object and not the subject.

Example:

The book (that) I bought is very interesting.

When the relative pronoun has a preposition.

Example:

I bought the book (that) you told me about.

With the verb 'to be', the relative pronoun and the verb can be omitted.

Example:

The boy (who is) coming is my brother.

Conditionals