Mastering English Grammar Transformations

Posted on Aug 15, 2025 in English

1. Modal Verb Rewriting: Expressing Necessity, Possibility, and Advice

• Original: It isn’t necessary for her to phone me back.
  Corrected: She doesn’t need to / doesn’t have to / needn’t phone me back.
• Original: Perhaps we’ll go swimming tomorrow.
  Corrected: We may / might / could go swimming tomorrow.
• Original: I’m sure Mary was at home because the windows were open.
  Corrected: Mary must have been at home because the windows were open.
• Original: Perhaps John knew about the trip, but I’m not sure.
  Corrected: John may / might / could have known about the trip.
• Original: Perhaps we’ll rent our house in summer.
  Corrected: We may / might / could rent our house in summer.
• Original: It’s absolutely necessary that we finish the article today.
  Corrected: We must finish the article today.
• Original: You cannot smoke in the underground; it’s forbidden.
  Corrected: You mustn’t smoke in the underground / Smoking is not allowed in the underground.
• Original: It is essential that we talk before the meeting starts.
  Corrected: We must talk before the meeting starts (strong advice).
• Original: I’m sure they didn’t go on the camping trip.
  Corrected: They can’t have gone on the camping trip.
• Original: It wasn’t necessary for us to book a table; I know one of the waiters.
  Corrected: We didn’t have to / didn’t need to book a table.
• Original: It’s forbidden to drive without fastening your seatbelt.
  Corrected: You mustn’t / can’t drive without fastening your seatbelt.
• Original: If I were you, I’d do some more exercises.
  Corrected: You should / ought to do more exercises.
• Original: I regret not booking the hotel room in advance, the offer was a great opportunity.
  Corrected: I should / ought to have booked the hotel room in advance.
• Original: I’m sure something is happening tonight.
  Corrected: Something must be happening tonight.
• Original: It’s compulsory for all students to attend lessons.
  Corrected: All students must / have to attend lessons.
• Original: It’s possible that they move to Australia.
  Corrected: They may / might / could move to Australia.
• Original: I’m sure Helen knows about the accident. She looks very unhappy.
  Corrected: Helen must know about the accident.
• Original: You are not allowed to use the phone without permission.
  Corrected: You mustn’t / can’t use the phone without permission.
• Original: I regret selling the house. (regret + -ing → past action)
  Corrected: I shouldn’t / ought not to have sold the house.
• Original: It’s compulsory for all visitors to show their ID card.
  Corrected: All visitors must show their ID card.
• Original: It was wrong of you to wear those clothes to the job interview (formal).
  Corrected: You ought not to have worn those clothes to the job interview.
• Original: It’s great he managed to get the job (succeed) in + -ing.
  Corrected: He succeeded in getting the job.
• Original: He didn’t have the ability to cook when he was younger.
  Corrected: He couldn’t / wasn’t able to cook when he was younger.
• Original: They are certain that bringing up children is not easy.
  Corrected: Bringing up children can’t be easy.
• Original: Tom knows how to speak Spanish, but it was impossible for him to do so when he visited Valencia.
  Corrected: Tom couldn’t / wasn’t able to speak Spanish when he visited Valencia.
• Original: I wish I had read the book before the exam, but I didn’t.
  Corrected: I should / ought to have read the book before the exam.
• Original: Did you manage to stop the car?
  Corrected: Did you succeed in stopping the car? Could you stop the car? Were you able to stop the car?
• Original: John understood very little of what the teacher said.
  Corrected: John could understand very little of what the teacher said.
• Original: I advise you to ask first before going without permission. You may get into trouble.
  Corrected: You should / ought to ask first before going out without permission.

2. Verb Suffixes: -ize, -en, -ify

Base Word ➜ Suffixed Verb

• class (n) ➜ classify
• light (adj) ➜ lighten
• simple (adj) ➜ simplify
• special (adj) ➜ specialize
• symbol (n) ➜ symbolize

3. Verb + Object + Infinitive Constructions

• Original Sentence: We want that our results are good.
  Corrected: We want our results to be good.
• Original Sentence: My parents didn’t want that I drop out of school.
  Corrected: My parents didn’t want me to drop out of school.
• Original Sentence: The teacher would like they all pass their exams.
  Corrected: The teacher would like them all to pass their exams.
• Original Sentence: Do you want we to go with you?
  Corrected: Do you want us to go with you?
• Original Sentence: I’d like that he appoint me as captain.
  Corrected: I’d like him to appoint me as captain.

4. Participle Usage: Completing Sentences

• Original Sentence: … more and more tired with every step, they finally reached the village.
  Corrected: Getting more and more tired with every step, they finally reached the village.
• Original Sentence: … full-time for the last ten years, I think I’d rather … be at school.
  Corrected: Having worked full-time for the last ten years, I think I’d rather not work at school.
• Original Sentence: Did you really see Jake … in the exam?
  Corrected: Did you really see Jake cheating in the exam?
• Original Sentence: … in the 98th century, my school is almost a monument.
  Corrected: Built in the 98th century, my school is almost a monument.
• Original Sentence: … and …, the triathlete still carried on running.
  Corrected: Injured and bleeding, the triathlete still carried on running.
• Original Sentence: … with her result, she tried harder in the next exam.
  Corrected: Disappointed with her result, she tried harder in the next exam.

5. Participle Usage: Rewriting Sentences

• Original Sentence: After he had left school, he went travelling.
  Corrected: Having left school, he went travelling.
• Original Sentence: Hannah felt confident, so she didn’t worry about the interview.
  Corrected: Feeling confident, Hannah didn’t worry about the interview.
• Original Sentence: Because he had broken his leg, Sam couldn’t play in the match.
  Corrected: Having broken his leg, Sam couldn’t play in the match.
• Original Sentence: Anna was shaking with anger. She tried to breathe more slowly.
  Corrected: Shaking with anger, Anna tried to breathe more slowly.
• Original Sentence: Jorge felt nervous in the dentist’s waiting room. He looked at the poster on the wall of a beautiful beach.
  Corrected: Feeling nervous in the dentist’s waiting room, Jorge looked at the poster on the wall of a beautiful beach.
• Original Sentence: As she had been taught some French as a child, she found the classes easy.
  Corrected: Having been taught some French as a child, she found the classes easy.

6. Negative Prefixes: Un-, In-, Dis-, Ir-, Im-

Base Word ➜ Prefixed Word

• decisive / efficient / articulate / secure ➜ Indecisive / inefficient / inarticulate / insecure
• organized / honest / loyal / agreeable ➜ Disorganized / dishonest / disloyal / disagreeable
• enthusiastic / imaginative / sociable / reliable ➜ Unenthusiastic / unimaginative / unsociable / unreliable
• perceptive / mature / patient / precise ➜ Imperceptive / immature / impatient / imprecise
• rational / responsible / resistible / replaceable ➜ Irrational / irresponsible / irresistible / irreplaceable

7. Modal Verbs: Choosing the Correct Form

• Original Sentence: I have a feeling that stripy, stylish suits come back into fashion soon.
  Corrected: I might have a feeling that stripy, stylish suits come back into fashion soon.
• Original Sentence: You have an eyebrow piercing. It would look really cool.
  Corrected: You should have an eyebrow piercing. It would look really cool.
• Original Sentence: You be rich to be stylish.
  Corrected: You don’t have to be rich to be stylish.
• Original Sentence: My sister’s son read or write yet.
  Corrected: My sister’s son can’t read or write yet.
• Original Sentence: Heart go out last night because he was babysitting.
  Corrected: Heart couldn’t go out last night because he was babysitting.
• Original Sentence: That have been Ania. She’s staying with her aunt this week.
  Corrected: That can’t have been Ania. She’s staying with her aunt this week.

8. Advanced Modal Verb Rewriting

• Original Sentence: It wasn’t necessary for you to drive me home.
  Corrected: You needn’t have driven me home.
• Original Sentence: It’s probably best if we leave now.
  Corrected: We should leave now.
• Original Sentence: I’m certain he’s at the beach.
  Corrected: He must be at the beach.
• Original Sentence: I think she’s a designer, but I’m not certain.
  Corrected: She might be a designer, but I’m not certain.
• Original Sentence: I had the chance to buy a vintage designer jacket, but I decided not to.
  Corrected: I could have bought a vintage designer jacket, but I decided not to.
• Original Sentence: I went to the party. I was too tired to enjoy it.
  Corrected: I shouldn’t have gone to the party. I was too tired to enjoy it.