Unit - 6

Grammar
Future forms – 6.1
Be going to

Use be going to + infinitive to:

 Express personal intention. The action has been considered in advanced and some
plans have already been made.

We’re going to stay with John next summer.

 Make a prediction based on present evidence.

I think she’s going to fall (She is off balance.)

Will

Use will to:

 Make predictions. We’ll win the Cup this year.

 Talk about future facts. He’ll start school next year.

We often use will with adverbs of probability.

I’ll probably see you tomorrow.

We also use will for decisions made at the moment of speaking. I think I’ll have a nap.

Present continuous

Use the present continuous to talk about a pre-arranged action in the future. Be going to is
for inventions, while the present continuous is for planned events or arrangements for a
specific time.

I’m visiting Sheila on Sunday.

1
Present simple

Use the present simple to talk about fixed future events in timetables or programs.

My train arrives at 5.00

Future continuous

Use the future continuous to:

 Talk about an action that will be in progress at some time in the future.

This time next week I’ll be lying on a beach.

 Make a deduction about the future based on normal practice.

I expect the Smiths will be having their annual party soon.

 Talk about something that will happen as part of the normal course of events, not
because you planned it.

I’ll be seeing Jackie at college, so I’ll give her the note.

Future perfect and future perfect continuous

Use the future perfect to talk about a future event which will be finished at a certain point in
the future. Use the future perfect continuous to talk about the length of an action as seen
from a moment in the future.

The builders will have finished our house by January.

By 2018, I,ll have been studying French for twenty years.

Modal verbs

Could, might and may are also used to make predictions. They have similar meanings, but
may is more formal.

2
Be to

Use be + to + infinitive to describe official plans and arrangements.

The company is to provide insurance for all of its workers.

Be due to

Use be due to + infinitive to describe a formal arrangements.

The plane is due to land at 6.00.

Summary
a) Use be going to + infinitive to make a prediction based on current evidence.
b) Use will + infinitive to make a prediction.
c) Use the future continuous to describe an activity that will be in progress at some time
in the future.
d) Use the future perfect to describe something that happens before a time in the future.
e) Use the future perfect continuous to describe something in progress for a period up to
a specified time in the future.
f) Use could/might/may + infinitive to describe a prediction that is not certain.
g) Use be due to + infinitive to describe something that is expected to happen or arrive at
a particular time.
h) Use be + to + infinitive to describe an official arrangement or order.

3
 Concession clauses – 6.2

 Use concession clauses to give information that contrasts with the information in the
main clause.
 The clauses can be introduces with conjunctions such as although, however, even
though, etc.

Although he was a good linguist, he took five years to learn Mandarin.

 We can also use while and whilst (formal) to replace although.

While/Whilst I’d like to be with you, I have to attend a meeting.

 Use much as to replace although with verbs of linking and hating to talk about strong
feelings.

Much as we appreciate your efforts, sadly we won’t be able to use the report.

 Use adjective/adverb + as/though + subject + verb clause for emphatic sentences.

Hard as we tried, we failed to get hold of anybody.

Difficult though it was, we eventually secured the premises.

 Use however/whatever/wherever, etc. to express the idea of ‘no matter

what/who/where’, etc.

Whatever he says, I’m going anyway.

 Use in spite of and despite + noun phrase/-ing form to express contrast.

In spite of the fact that we had no ID on us, the porter let us in.

Despite feeling awful, we stayed until the end.

 Note: Sentences using in spite of/despite are not concession clauses, as the linker is
not followed by a verb clause, but is followed by a noun/- ing form.
We can use adverbs and adverbial phrases to introduce contrast.

We were exhausted but we carried on all the same.

We were exhausted. Nevertheless, we carried on.

4
 Describing cause and effect – 6.3
 Cause

Informal and neutral formal

It all started…. It has its origins/roots in…
It originated in/form It can be traced back/attributed to…
It’s because of… It stems from…

Informal and neutral formal

It led to… It resulted in…
It has caused It gave rise to
Because of this It brought about…

Unit - 7
Grammar
Cleft Sentences – 7.1
Cleft means ‘divided’. In cleft sentences, one sentence is divided into two parts, each with its
own verb. This adds emphasis to part of the sentence.

John loves Mary. (one verb)

It’s Mary that John loves. (two verbs, emphasises Mary)

The following structures are commonly used to begin cleft sentences.

It + … What + …
It was a … who… What I like about … is
It was in … that … What they didn’t realise was
Other structures
The person who… The reason why… is/was
The place that… The only thing that… is/was
The thing that… is/was… All that I would… is/was…
Something that… is/was

5
Note: We use the singular form after It + … and What + … sentences.

It was my parents I had to thank for this. NOT It were my parents…

What is really annoying are the arguments. NOT What are really annoying…

We can use Wh – words with cleft sentences. To emphasise the action, we use a form of do.

Jane invested well. What Jane did was invest well.

 Emphasizing with what, all and it

To emphasise an action or series of actions, we can use sentences beginning with What.

He dropped the vase. What happened was (that) he dropped the vase.

We can use Wh-clauses as introductory phrases.

What I would like to know is where the money went.

We can use all instead of what.

All I’d like to say is that the company appreciates your work

Use It + be + that/who to emphasise parts of a sentence.

Karin left her bag on the train. It was Karin who left her bag on the train.

(Karin – not Fatima)

It was her bag that Karin left on the train. (not her umbrella)

It’s because you have such a good sense of humour that I enjoy your company. (emphasizing
reason)

It was only yesterday that I discovered the documents were missing. (emphasizing time)

It was in Paris that they first met. (emphasizing place)

6
 Participle clauses – 7.2

Participle clauses are used to make our writing and speaking more economical, efficient and,
sometimes, more elegant. They can also be used to add information about reason, condition
and result.

Past participles

Past particle clauses have a passive meaning. Use past participles to add extra information.
They sometimes serve the same purpose as adjectives (describing a noun)

Loved by everyone, Don was a wonderful character. (describes Don)

Exhausted from her efforts, she struggled on. (describes ‘she’)

Present participles

Present particle clauses have an active meaning. Use present participles (- ing form):

 As reduced relative clauses. Here the present participle serves the same purpose as an
adjective.

The woman who is smiling in the photo is my grandmother. The woman smiling in
the photo is my grandmother.

I smelt the bread that was burning. I smelt the burning bread.

 As adverbial clauses (like adverbs):

Expressing manner, conditions, cause, result, literary texts. To make the negative, use not
before the present participle.

Moving silently, the lion follows its prey.

Lying face down in the sand, he looked like some strange sea beast.

Not being qualified, she couldn’t work there.

There was a fire, resulting in serious damage.

Having + past participle

7
Having + past participle is used:

 To show the cause of a second action.

Having won every competition, he decided to retire.

 To show a sequence of actions.

Having made breakfast, she sat down and read the paper.

Summary

Participle clauses can:

a) Replace relative clauses.

- … a CD (that was) lent to me by a friend …
b) Have an active meaning (when they begin with a present participle).
– Not wanting to give up, I decided to take matters into my own hands.
c) Have a passive meaning (when they begin with a past participle).
– Encouraged by my teacher, I went to a café where you could hear the music.
d) Describe actions happening around the same time or one immediately after another.
– I felt excited walking into my first tango class.
e) Having + past participle can be used to give background information or show the
cause of a second action.
- Having listened to the music as a child, I already knew the rhythms.
f) The past participle can be used as an adjective to add extra information.
- Armed with nothing but a love of Argentinian culture, I decided to learn the
tango.

8
 Exchanging opinions – 7.3
Agreeing
1. That’s absolutely right.
2. I couldn’t agree more.
3. Absolutely ! I’m with you 100 percent on that.
Agreeing in part
1. I agree with you up to a point.
2. I suppose you’ve got a point, but…

Questioning someone’s opinion

1. Oh come on, you must be joking.
2. Surely you don’t think that…
3. That goes against my better judgement because…
4. How can you say that?
5. Where’s the logic in that?
6. You can’t honestly think that…
Strongly disagreeing
1. It just doesn’t make sense to me.
2. Oh that’s ridiculous!

 In order to disagree politely, ask questions, for example:

Do you really think so?
Don’t you think it’s a bit long?
Isn’t that rather extreme?
 To make your disagreement seem less forceful, use Well, Right, or Yes, but at the
start of the sentence.

9
 Unit - 8
Grammar
Future in the past
Sometimes when we’re talking about the past, we want to mention something that was in
the future at that time. To do this. Use future structures but make the verb forms past, e.g.

Is going to was going to

I was going to help you, but I didn’t have time.

Present continuous past continuous

They were hoping to have a picnic, but it rained all weekend.

Will would*

I arrived in Recife, where I would spend ten years of my life*

This is a different use from would for repeated actions in the past. Compare:

At sixteen I got a job at Limo Company, where I would later become CEO.

(future in the past)

For years, I would go running at 5.00 a.m. every morning.

(repeated actions in the past)

We can also use was/were to + infinitive and was/were to have + past participle. These are
quite literary and more commonly found in writing than speech. The expression was to have
is usually used when the plan did not become a reality.

They told me I was to give a speech the following day.

I was to have taken a job with my father’s company, but it went bankrupt.

10
Other expressions to talk about the future in the past

To describe a plan that did not become reality, use:

 Was/were supposed to.

I was supposed to go to Nick’s house, but my car broke down.

 Meant to.

I meant to mention the cost of tickets, but I forgot. (active)

We were meant to check in an hour ago! (passive)

For events that very nearly happened, use:

 Was/were on the verge of + gerund.

She was on the verge of giving up her dream when she received a letter from an agent.

 Was/were on the point of + gerund.

They were on the point of leaving when the boss arrived.

 Was/were about to + infinitive.

Hi! I was about to text you!

Future Future in the past

Am/is/are going to Was/were going to
Am/is/are to + infinitive Was/were to + infinitive OR
Was/were to + have + past participle
Am/is/are meant to Was/were meant to
Am/is/are supposed to Was/were supposed to

11