Grammatica inglese, Lingua inglese

CONSECUTIVE PAST

2) She stood up angrily and left the office ACTIONS

Past Continues – Form

Positive

Subject + was/were + ing form

Negative

Subject + was/were + not + ing form

Questions

Was/were + subject + ing form

Past Continues – Use ACTION IN PROGRESS AT A SPECIFIC

3) I was studying TIME

ACTION IN PROGRESS IN THE PAST

4) When he heard he got the job, INTERRUPTION BY ANOTHER

Carlo was checking his e­mail TEMPORY ACTION OR SITUATION IN

5) When he lived in London Carlo PROGRESS IN THE PAST

was working as a tourist guide

6) While the teacher was explaining SIMULTACIONS PAST ACTION

the lesson, some companions were

chatting others were daydreaming PLANS NOT CARRIED OUT

7) Before I chose to study economics

I was going to go abroad

Comparatives

Questions

• Which country has a lower cost of living, Ireland or Spain?

• Which country has a bigger population, Austria or Switzerland?

• Which investment is riskier, in bonds or stock?

• Which city is more expensive, Milan or Turin?

• Which country produces more rice, China or India?

• Which is the largest electronics company in Europe?

• Which is the biggest soft drink manufactures in the world?

• Which is the most beautiful city in Italy in your opinion?

• Which language has the most words?

ADJECTIVE 1 syllable = ADJ + ER + than

ADJECTIVE more than 1 or 2 syllable = MORE/LESS + ADJ + THAN

Answers

• Spain has a lower cost of living than Ireland

• Austria has a bigger population than Switzerland

• Investment in stocks is a riskier type of investment than in bonds

• Milan is more expensive than Turin

• China produces more rice than India

ADJECTIVE 1 syllable = the + ADJ + EST

ADJECTIVE more than 1 or 2 syllable = the MOST/LEAST + ADJ

Answers

• Nokia is the largest electronics company in Europe

• Coca­Cola is the biggest soft drink

• Venice is the most beautiful city

• English has the most words

Some Examples

• Walmost is the biggest business in the USA

A BIT MORE MUCH MORE

A LITTLE MORE A LOT MORE

SLIGHTLY MORE FAR MORE

• English is as difficult as German

NOT AS AS

NEARLY AS AS

ALMOST AS AS

NOWEARE AS AS

• There is more/less traffic in Milan than in Rome

AS MUCH AS

ALMOST AS AS

NEARLY AS AS

Questions

1) How long have you been a student of Economics?

2) What type of car has Fiat launched on the market this year?

3) Have you ever been to the USA?

4) How much money has Carlo lost on the stock exchange because of the crisis?

5) Why is the boss hungry?

6) How long have you been studying English?

7) Why is company closing its subsidiaries in Brazil?

Present Perfect – Form

Positive

Subject + have/has + past participle

Negative

Subject + have/has + not + past participle

Questions

Have/has + subject + past participle

Present Perfect – Use

1) I have been a student of Economics for 3 months

A SITUATION THAT BEGAN IN PAST AND CONTINUES IN PRESENT (for/since/how long)

2) Fiat has launched the Lancia on the market this year

FINISH ACTIONS WITH UNFINISHED TIME (this year/month/week/century/today/so far/up to now/in the

last few years)

3) I have never been to the USA

TO TALK ABOUT EXPERIENCE WITH ADVERBS (ever/never/just/already/yet/before/ recently)

4) Carlo has lost a lot of money on the stock exchange

REFERENCE TO QUANTITY

5) The boss is hungry because her secretary has arrived late for work again

FINISHED SITUATIONS WITH CONSEGUENCES IN THE PRESENT

Present Perfect Continues – Form

Positive

Subject + have/has + been + gerund

Negative

Subject + have/has + not + been + gerund

Questions

Have/has + subject + been + gerund

Present Perfect – Use

6) I have been studying English for 7 years

ON ACTIONS THAT BEGAN IN THE PAST AND CONTINUES IN PRESENT

7) The company is closing its subsidiaries in Brazil because it has been losing money

REPEATED PAST ACTION WITH CONSEGUENCES IN PRESENT

Questions

1) What type do you hope to do for the summer holidays?

2) Why are you studying economics?

3) What would you advice your friend to do about failing his maths exam?

4) What do some banks let you do if you want to buy a house?

5) What kind of job are you to young to do?

6) Have you got any English books to read at home?

7) Is the anything you can’t stand doing?

8) Why kind of hobbies are you interested in doing?

9) Is it cheaper to travel by train in England or Italy?

10) The last time you computer got blocked. What did you try doing?

Verbs + Imperative – Form

Verbs

Agree/guarantee/ask/attempt/can’t offered/can’t wait/choose/decide/expect/ fail/hesitate/turn

out/prove/aim/learn/train/manage/offer/promise/plan/arrange/

prepare/refuse/seen/appear/tend/threaten/want/waved like/help/would prefer

Verbs + Imperative – Use

1) I hope to go to the mountains

SUBJECT + VERB + INFINITIVE WITH TO

2) I’m studying economics to find an interesting job in the company

INFINITY OF PURPOSE

3) I’d advice him/her to study more

SUBJECT + VERB + OBJECT + INFINITIVE WITH TO

4) Some banks let you have a mortgage

SUBJECT + VERB + OBJECT + (let/help/make) + INFINITIVE WITHOUT TO

5) I’m too young to be a CEO

SUBJECT + VERB + ADJECTIVE + INFINITIVE WITH TO

6) Yes I’ve got lots of English books to read

SUBJECT + VERB + NOUN PHRASE + INFINITIVE WITH TO

Verbs + Gerund – Form

Verbs

Admit/deny/appreciate/avoid/resist/can’t face/can’t help/delay/detest/enjoy/ postpone/put off/finish/give

up/imagine/consider/involve/justify/keep/keepen/ miss/practise/mind/risk/suggest/include/to be used to mention

Verbs + Gerund – Use

7) I can’t stand queering

SUBJECT + VERB + GERUND

8) I’m interested to dancing, playing tennis, ecc.

SUBJECT + VERB + PREPOSITION

9) Travelling by train is cheaper in Italy than in England

GERUND AS SUBJECT

10) I tried switching it off

TRY + GERUND = IDEA (success)

10)I tried to switch it off but it didn’t work

TRY + INFINITIVE = IDEA (no success)

Questions

1) Which office jobs had John done when his colleague arrived?

2) How long had Mary been an assistant manager before she got a promotion?

3) Why did the bank return the cheque to John?

4) What had John intended doing before he decided to study medicine?

5) How long had John been working for IBM when he decided to resign?

6) What had John been doing when is colleague arrived?

7) What had Mary been expecting from the company for all the work she did?

8) Why was John fired?

Past Perfect – Form

Positive

Subject + had + past participle

Negative

Subject + had+ not + past participle

Questions

Had+ subject + past participle

Past Perfect – Use

1) When his colleague arrived John had checked the e­mail

A COMPLETED ACTION BEFORE A SECOND ACTION HAPPENED

2) Mary had been an assistant manager for 2 years before she got a promotion

A CONDITION OR SITUATION THAT BEGAN IN THE PAST AND CONTINUED UP

3) The bank returned the cheque to John because he had forgotten to sign it

A FINISH PAST ACTION WITH CONSEGUENCE IN THE PAST

4) Before he decided to study medicine John had intended studying law

TO SAY THAT SOMETHING WAS hoped for/intended/expected BUT DIDN’T HAPPEN

5) John had been working for IBM for 6 years when he decided to resign

AN ACTION THAT BEGAN IN THE PAST AND CONTINUED UP TO ANOTHER POINT IN THE PAST

Past Perfect Continues – Form

Positive

Subject + had + past participle + gerund

Negative

Subject + had+ not + past participle + gerund

Questions

Had+ subject + past participle + gerund

Past Perfect Continues – Use

6) When his colleague arrived John had been tidying up his desk

A CONTINUES PAST ACTION WHICH HAD STOPPED AT OR JUST BEFORE A POINT IN THE PAST

7) Mary had been expecting a bonus for all the work she did for the company

TO SAY THAT SOMETHING WAS hoped for/intended/expected BUT DIDN’T HAPPEN

8) John was fired because he had been giving confidential information

A LONG REPETED PAST ACTION WHICH HAD A CONSEGUENCE IN THE PAST

Some examples

WHEN/BY THE TIME

1) he got to the airport, the plan had left

AFTER/AS SOON AS/ONCE

2) Mary had given her presentation, she left less nervous

WHEN/AS SOON AS/ONCE

3) they had arrived the meeting started

STILL

4) We left the meeting after 4 hours and they hadn’t finished

Questions

1) If it is 5 p.m. in Milan what time is it in L.A.?

2) If the company goes bankrupt what will happen to the employees?

3) If you had your own company what type of company would it be?

4) If you hadn’t come to the Bicocca what would you have done?

Zero Conditional – Use and Form

1) If it is 5 p.m. in Milan it is 8 a.m. in L.A.

IF + Simple Present + Simple Present

GENERAL TRUTHS AND SCENTIFIC FACTS

Other present form

• If interest are rising, bank loans become more expensive

IF + PRESENT CONTINUES + SIMPLE PRESENT

• When you’re finished the course you get a certificate

WHEN + PRESENT PERFECT + SIMPLE PRESENT

• When you fly business class, don’t drink so much of the free alcohol

WHEN + PRESENT + IMPERATIVE

First Conditional – Use and Form

2) If the company goes bankrupt the employees will lose their job

IF + Simple Present + Will (not) + Infinitive (no to)

FUTURE EVENTS THAT BEGAN HAPPEN

Other form

• IF + PRESENT CONTINUES + FUTURE

• IF + PRESENT PERFECT + FUTURE

• IF + SIMPLE PRESENT + GOING TO (FUTURE)

Second Conditional – Use and Form

3) If I had my own company it would be a financial consular company

IF + Simple Past + Would (not) + Infinitive (no to)

FOR FUTURE EVENTS THAT ARE IMAGINARY OR UNLIKELY

Other form

• IF + PAST CONTINUES + WOULD

Third Conditional – Use and Form

4) If I hadn’t come to the Bicocca, I would have looked for a job

IF + Past Perfect + Would (not) + have + Past Participle

REFERS TO PAST TIME + CONDITIONS NOT FULFILED

Other form

• IF + PAST PERFECT CONTINUES + WOULD + HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE

Other Conditional – Use and Form

5) If you have any problem with this programme, call me

IF + Simple Present + Imperative

ADVICES/SUGGESTIONS/INSTRUCTIONS

If/Unless/When/In case/Suppose­Supposing/Imagine/as long as/Provided­Providing

Subject/Object Questions

1) Who wrote the book “The Da Vinci Code”?

2) Who did you come to the university with today?

3) What causes pollution?

4) What did you do yesterday evening?

5) How many students came to the English lesson today?

6) How many exams did you do last month?

Answers

1) Dan Brown (s