Mastering English Grammar & Reading Skills
English Grammar Essentials: Tenses, Conditionals & Reported Speech
Verb Tenses: Structures and Examples
Present Simple
Affirmative: Subject + verb (base form or -s/-es for third person singular)
Negative: Subject + do/don’t + infinitive
Interrogative: Do/Does + Subject + infinitive?
Present Continuous
Affirmative: Subject + am/is/are + verb(-ing)
Negative: Subject + am/is/are + not + verb(-ing)
Interrogative: Am/Is/Are + Subject + verb(-ing)?
Present Perfect Simple
Affirmative: Subject + have/has + past participle
Negative: Subject + haven’t/hasn’t + past participle
Interrogative: Have/Has + Subject + past participle?
Past Simple
Affirmative: Subject + verb (past form)
Negative: Subject + didn’t + infinitive
Interrogative: Did + Subject + infinitive?
Past Continuous
Affirmative: Subject + was/were + verb(-ing)
Negative: Subject + wasn’t/weren’t + verb(-ing)
Interrogative: Was/Were + Subject + verb(-ing)?
Past Perfect Simple
Affirmative: Subject + had + past participle
Negative: Subject + hadn’t + past participle
Interrogative: Had + Subject + past participle?
Used To
Affirmative: Subject + used to + infinitive
Negative: Subject + didn’t use to + infinitive
Interrogative: Did + Subject + use to + infinitive?
Future Simple: Will
Affirmative: Subject + will + infinitive
Negative: Subject + won’t + infinitive
Interrogative: Will + Subject + infinitive?
Future Simple: Going To
Affirmative: Subject + am/is/are + going to + infinitive
Negative: Subject + am/is/are + not + going to + infinitive
Interrogative: Am/Is/Are + Subject + going to + infinitive?
Future Continuous
Affirmative: Subject + will + be + verb(-ing)
Negative: Subject + won’t + be + verb(-ing)
Interrogative: Will + Subject + be + verb(-ing)?
Future Perfect Simple
Affirmative: Subject + will + have + past participle
Negative: Subject + won’t + have + past participle
Interrogative: Will + Subject + have + past participle?
Conditional Sentences
First Conditional: Real or Possible Situations
Structure: If/Unless + Present Simple, will / can / may / must + infinitive
Second Conditional: Hypothetical Situations
Structure: If + Past Simple, would / could / might + infinitive
Third Conditional: Hypothetical Past Situations
Structure: If + Past Perfect Simple, would/could/might have + past participle
Reported Speech: Time and Place Changes
When reporting speech, certain words indicating time and place often change:
- here – there
- this – that
- these – those
- now – then
- next week – the following week
- today – that day
- tonight – that night
- tomorrow – the following day
- yesterday – the day before
- last week – the week before
Reading Comprehension: Google Self-Driving Car
Questions and Answers
Fact Check: Google Self-Driving Car Testing
Statement: While testing the Google car, humans never had to take control and drive it.
Answer: FALSE. With someone behind the wheel to take control if something goes wrong, seven test cars have driven 225,000 kilometres with only two human interventions.
Statement: Since robot cars can be made to weigh less, they will use less petrol.
Answer: TRUE. Because the robot cars would eventually be less likely to crash, they could be built lighter, reducing fuel consumption.
Understanding Robot Car Features and Advantages
Question: According to the text, what does a Google self-driving car look like?
Answer: It is small and carries peculiar technical equipment on top.
Question: Give at least three advantages of robot cars.
Answer: Robot cars offer several advantages, including:
- Their reactions are swifter than those of humans.
- They can see in all directions.
- They do not suffer the physical problems a human driver might.
- They would allow twice as many vehicles on the roads.
- They consume less fuel.
Vocabulary from the Text
Meaning: more difficult (paragraph 1)
Word/Phrase: harder
Meaning: in fact (paragraph 1)
Word/Phrase: actually
Meaning: decreasing (paragraph 2)
Word/Phrase: reducing
Meaning: evidence (paragraph 3)
Word/Phrase: proof
Grammar and Vocabulary Practice
Match the following pairs:
- bought – hasn’t stopped complaining
- than – are lost
- are – driving
- by – an
Reading Comprehension: What’s in a Name?
Questions and Answers
Fact Check: Naming Rules in the UK
Statement: There are no rules about what you can call your children in the UK.
Answer: FALSE. In Britain, you can call a child almost anything you like; the only restrictions on parents relate to offensive words.
Statement: Some children in the UK now have names of fictional characters.
Answer: TRUE. For example, there have been six boys named Gandalf after the character in The Lord of the Rings novels and films.
Understanding Naming Regulations and Cases
Question: What was the New Zealand couple’s problem and how did they solve it?
Answer: They did not get permission for their first choice of name for their son, so they chose another one.
Question: Explain at least three different regulations on naming children mentioned in the text.
Answer: Regulations on naming children include:
- Names cannot start with a number.
- Taboo words are not allowed as names.
- Names must be chosen from an official list.
- Names must not contain certain characters.
Vocabulary from the Text
Meaning: trend (paragraph 2)
Word/Phrase: fashion
Meaning: select (paragraph 2)
Word/Phrase: choose
Meaning: in the same way (paragraph 2)
Word/Phrase: equally
Meaning: like (paragraph 4)
Word/Phrase: such as
Grammar and Vocabulary Practice
Match the following pairs:
- the most important – for
- if – searching
- likes – mispronounced
- baby’s – whose