Mastering Advanced English Grammar and Word Formation

Posted on May 4, 2026 in English

Reported Speech Exercises

3. Rewrite the sentences in reported speech using one of the verbs below: (agree, explain, insist, refuse, order, warn)

1. Mum: “You’re going to drop those boxes, Anne!”
   Answer: Mum warned Anne that she was going to drop those boxes.
2. Ricky: “No, I won’t help you, Charlotte.”
   Answer: Ricky refused to help Charlotte.
3. Eleanor: “I didn’t copy Leo’s essay!”
   Answer: Eleanor insisted that she hadn’t copied Leo’s essay.
4. Tim: “I can’t finish the report because my laptop isn’t responding.“
   Answer: Tim explained that he couldn’t finish the report because his laptop wasn’t responding.
5. Doctor: “Stay in bed and relax, Simon.”
   Answer: The doctor ordered Simon to stay in bed and relax.
6. Dad: “OK, I’ll come to your class and talk about my job.”
   Answer: Dad agreed to come to our class and talk about his job.

Modal Verbs Transformation

5. Rewrite the sentences using the word(s) in brackets:

1. I’m sure Chris went all out to get on that course. (must)
   Answer: Chris must have gone all out to get on that course.
2. It’s a mistake to give up your clarinet lessons. (ought)
   Answer: You ought not to give up your clarinet lessons.
3. There’s no way that Kim and Toby broke up. (can’t)
   Answer: Kim and Toby can’t have broken up.
4. I’m warning you – don’t act out that scene. (you / better)
   Answer: You had better not act out that scene.
5. It’s possible that Jodie deleted these files. (may)
   Answer: Jodie may have deleted these files.

Common Grammar Error Correction

7. Correct the errors:

1. Taylor Swift may married Travis Kelce one day.
   Correction: Taylor Swift may marry Travis Kelce one day. (Después de modal va el verbo en infinitivo sin ‘ed’).
2. Jim is a great singer, but will he can produce an album?
   Correction: Jim is a great singer, but will he be able to produce an album? (No se pueden poner dos modales juntos; ‘can’ cambia a ‘be able to’).
3. The band should haven’t broke up after their tour.
   Correction: The band shouldn’t have broken up after their tour. (Estructura de modal perfecto: shouldn’t + have + participio).
4. You’d better don’t spend all your free time on TikTok.
   Correction: You’d better not spend all your free time on TikTok. (La negativa de ‘had better’ es ‘had better not’).
5. You didn’t need have waited to start the party.
   Correction: You needn’t have waited to start the party. (O también: ‘You didn’t need to wait’).

Advanced Sentence Rewriting Techniques

4. Rewrite the sentences using the cues, making the necessary changes so that their meaning doesn’t change:

1. Western pilots of the 12th century didn’t dare sail across the ocean because they hadn’t even heard of the compass. (Therefore)
   Answer: Western pilots of the 12th century hadn’t even heard of the compass; therefore, they didn’t dare sail across the ocean.
2. The supermarket is offering their fidelity card holders a 35% discount on many fresh products during this weekend.
   Answer: A 35% discount is being offered to fidelity card holders on many fresh products by the supermarket this weekend. (Nota: Se transforma a voz pasiva).
3. It is widely believed that Tom Cruise, that billionaire superstar, is not very good at acting.
   Answer: Tom Cruise, that billionaire superstar, is widely believed not to be very good at acting.
4. Marty hired some guys to scare Dirty Johnny because he had forgotten to give him that week’s earnings. (Causative)
   Answer: Marty got Dirty Johnny scared by some guys because he had forgotten to give him that week’s earnings.
5. We’ll meet in that lovely coastal village on 23rd June. Exams will have finished by then. (Relative)
   Answer: We’ll meet in that lovely coastal village on 23rd June, when exams will have finished.
6. We started up a company in Liverpool. The port of Liverpool is important for international trade. (Relative)
   Answer: We started up a company in Liverpool, whose port is important for international trade.
7. Sally is going to do an internship at the CERN. Quantum physics has no secrets for her.
   Answer: Sally, for whom quantum physics has no secrets, is going to do an internship at the CERN.
8. Mental health is a crucial issue for our society. We must raise awareness about it.
   Answer: Mental health is a crucial issue about which we must raise awareness.
9. This new law will be passed today. Consequently, more natural areas will be protected. (Due to)
   Answer: Due to this new law being passed today, more natural areas will be protected.

Vocabulary and Word Formation

Unit 5: Word Families

• Appeal: (Verbo: atraer-gustar) / Appeal: (Sustantivo: atractivo-petición) / Appealing: (Adjetivo: atractivo-tentador)
• Rate: (Verbo: tasar-valorar) / Rating: (Sustantivo: puntuación-valoración) / Overrated/Rated: (Adjetivo: sobrevalorado-valorado)
• Follow: (Verbo: seguir) / Following/Follower: (Sustantivo: seguidores-seguidor) / Followed: (Adjetivo: seguido)
• Tend: (Verbo: tender a-soler) / Tendency: (Sustantivo: tendencia)
• Queue: (Verbo: hacer cola) / Queue: (Sustantivo: cola-fila)
• Expend: (Verbo: gastar) / Expense/Expenditure: (Sustantivo: gasto-desembolso) / Expensive: (Adjetivo: caro)

Unit 6: Word Families

• Manage: (Verbo: gestionar-dirigir) / Manager/Management: (Sustantivo: gerente-gestión) / Manageable/Managerial: (Adjetivo: manejable-directivo)
• Employ: (Verbo: emplear-contratar) / Employee/Employer/Employment: (Sustantivo: empleado-empleador-empleo) / Employed/Employable: (Adjetivo: empleado-empleable)
• Dismiss: (Verbo: despedir-descartar) / Dismissal: (Sustantivo: despido) / Dismissive: (Adjetivo: despreciativo-desdeñoso)
• Resign: (Verbo: dimitir) / Resignation: (Sustantivo: dimisión) / Resigned: (Adjetivo: resignado)
• Excel: (Verbo: sobresalir) / Excellence: (Sustantivo: excelencia) / Excellent: (Adjetivo: excelente)
• Acknowledge: (Verbo: reconocer-admitir) / Acknowledgment: (Sustantivo: reconocimiento) / Acknowledged: (Adjetivo: reconocido)