Writing Skills

Grammar
Carmen Sbarna
Senior Certified Translator
KPMG Romania
20-21 May 2009

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Writing Skills

Contents

Tenses
Conditional
Reported/Indirect Speech
Preparatory “IT”
Modals
Inversion
Time clauses
-Ing forms / Infinitive
Misrelated participles

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Writing Skills

Agenda

Wednesday 20 May Thursday, 21 May

14.00 – 15.00 14.00 – 15.00
Tenses; Modals;
Conditionals Inversion
COFFEE COFFEE
15.15 – 17.30 15.15 – 17.30
Reported speech; Time Clauses
Preparatory “IT” -Ing forms / Infinitive
Misrelated participles

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Writing Skills

Tenses - Present - Simple & Progressive

Uses

We appraise our employees Why are you sitting at my desk?

once a year.

Alice works for an insurance I’m working in Paris at the moment.

company.

Managers plan, organize, lead We are running a training seminar

and control next Monday.

He is always coming late for work.

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Tenses - Present - Simple & Progressive

Uses

Present Simple Present Progressive

1. Habitual actions 1. Actions happening now
We appraise our employees Why are you sitting at my desk?
once a year. 2. Temporary present actions
2. Permanent situations I’m working in Paris at the moment.
Alice works for an insurance 3. Planned future actions
company. We are running a training seminar
next Monday.
3. To describe a truth or current
4. Frequently repeated actions that
belief
annoy the speaker
Managers plan, organize, lead
He is always coming late for work.
and control
Vbs used only in the simple:
understand, know, belong
etc. 5
Writing Skills

Tenses
Past Tense Simple & Progressive

Uses
Simple Past Past Progressive
A past action when the time is To provide a past time frame for
given or asked about another activity
Last week the ABC Group took Our overseas sales were
over our company increasing when the GM resigned
An action that clearly took place While we were discussing cost-
at a definite time although it is not cutting measures, the GM was
mentioned presenting the poor results
How did you get your present job? To indicate gradual development
He worked in that bank for 4 Years. It was getting more and more
difficult to find new customers
Past time markers: yesterday, …
ago, on+day/date; in+month/year
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Writing Skills

Tenses
Present Perfect (1)

(1) Used when we talk about a period of time that continues from
the past until now
e.g. Have you ever eaten caviar? (in your life)
We have never had a car.
It is the most boring film I have ever seen.
Markers: recently, in the last few days, since breakfast, so far
e.g. Have you heard from George recently?
I have met a lot of clients in the last few days.
We haven’t had any problems so far.
I’m hungry. I haven’t eaten anything since breakfast.

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Writing Skills

Tenses
Present Perfect (2)

2. Used with unfinished periods of time

Markers: today, this morning, this evening, this year
e.g. I have drunk four cups of coffee today (perhaps I will drink more
before the day is finished)
Have you had any holiday this year?
Note: we say “ It’s the first (second, third) time something has happened
e.g. It’s the first time he has driven a car (not “drives”) or
He has never driven a car before.
Bill is phoning the client again. That’s the third time he has phoned
him this afternoon.

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Writing Skills

Tenses
Present Perfect (3)

3. Used when there is a connection with now or the action in the

past has a result now
e.g. He told me his name but I have forgotten it (I can’t remember it now)
The road is closed. There’s been an accident.
The police have arrested two men in connection with the robbery.
Markers: just, already, yet
e.g. Would you like something to eat? No, thanks, I’ve just had lunch.
What time is Mark leaving? He’s already gone.
Yet = ‘until now’ used only in questions and negative sentences
e.g. Have they stopped talking yet?
I’ve printed the letter but I haven’t posted it yet.

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Writing Skills

Tenses
Present Perfect (4)

4. For & Since

For + period of time (two hours, Since = start of a period still
six weeks) continuing
e.g. We have worked for this client e.g. We have worked for this client
for two years. since 2007.
I haven’t seen Tom for three days. I haven’t seen Tom since the day
before yesterday.

For Since
two hours a week 8 o’clock 1977
20 minutes 50 years Monday Christmas
five days a long time April lunchtime
Six months ages 12 May they were at
school
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Writing Skills
Tenses
Present Perfect Simple & Progressive
Uses
Present Perfect Simple
activity taking place at some non-
specific time in the past with an
impact or result in the present or
future
We have completed the feasibility
study.
We have raised our prices.
activity taking place within a
period of time which is not yet
finished
Sales have increased this year
Present Perfect Progressive
activity taking place at some non-
specific time in the past with an
impact or result in the present or
future BUT which happens over a
period of time
Here’s the report. I’ve been reading
it all morning.
Sales have been falling recently.
We have been developing this
product for 3 years.
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Writing Skills
Tenses
Present Perfect Simple & Past tense
Present Perfect
I have done a lot of work today.
It hasn’t rained this week.
He has lived in London for seven
years.
I have never played golf.
Past Tense
I did a lot of work yesterday.
It didn’t rain last week.
He lived in London for seven
years.
I didn’t play golf last summer.
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Writing Skills

Tenses
Present Perfect Simple & Past tense

Do not use the present perfect when you talk about a finished
time (yesterday, ten minutes ago, when I was a child)
When…? What time…? + Past tense

Present Perfect Past Tense

I have done a lot of work today. I did a lot of work yesterday.
It hasn’t rained this week. It didn’t rain last week.
He has lived in London for seven years. He lived in London for seven years.
I have never played golf. I didn’t play golf last summer.

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Conditionals
Type 1: Probable : if + present + future/present

If clause Main clause

Present tense Future (will) or present

If he runs (no future after “IF”) he will get there in time / he may
get there in time.

If there is a shortage of any product prices of the product go/will go up.

If you help me move tomorrow I will buy you dinner

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Conditionals
Type 2: Improbable : if + past + would

If clause Main clause

Past tense would
If I had time I would come to your party.

If I lived near my office I would be on time for work.

If I had time I would come to your party.

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Conditionals
Type 3: Impossible/unreal : if + past perfect + would have

If clause Main clause

Past perfect Would have
If we had found him earlier we would have saved his life

If you had worked harder you would have passed your exam

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Conditionals

“if you will/would” – polite requests / willingness

e.g. If you will/would wait a moment I’ll see if Mr. Jones is free.
If you will come this way, the manager will see you now.
I would be grateful if you would give me a little help.
“if + should” - to suggest something is unlikely to happen
e.g. If you should run into Peter, tell him he owes me money.
but
Should you be interested in further details, please feel free to contact
us.

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Conditionals

If, supposing, provided, on condition that ( + similar verb

forms)

e.g. Supposing you fell in love with your neighbour, what would you do?

You can borrow my book provided you bring it back.

I’ll give you the day off on condition that you work on Saturday
morning.

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Writing Skills
Reported / Indirect speech
Direct
He said: ‘I want to go home” and just
walked out
She asked “What do you want?”
And then I thought “Well, does he
really mean it?
Bill (on Saturday evening): I don’t like
this party. I want to go home now.
He said: The exam will be difficult.
She said: My English is getting better.
Peter said: This has been a wonderful
holiday.
Indirect
So he said (that) he wanted to go
home, and just walked out.
She asked what I wanted.
And then I wondered whether he really
meant it.
Peter (on Sunday morning): Bill said
(that) he didn’t like the party and he
wanted to go home.
He said the exam would be difficult.
She said her English was getting
better.
Peter said (that) it had been a
wonderful holiday.
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Writing Skills
Reported / Indirect speech (2)
Direct
Ann grew up in Kenya.
I can fly!
We may come back early.
I arrived late because I had lost the
address.
It would be nice if we could meet.
It would be best if we started early.
If I had any money I would buy you a
drink.
Indirect
I found out that Ann had grown up in
Kenya.
Poor chap – he thought he could fly.
They said they might come back early.
He said he had arrived late because he
had lost the address.
He said it would be nice if we could
meet.
He said it would be best if they started
early.
She said if she had had any money
she would have bought me a drink.
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Writing Skills

Reported / Indirect speech (3)

Direct Indirect
will would
simple present simple past
present progressive past progressive
present perfect past perfect
can could
may might
past perfect no change
would, could no change

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Reported / Indirect speech: Questions

Direct
Where’s Alice?
When are you leaving?
What do I need?
Where are the President and his
wife staying?
Who is the best player here?
What’s the matter?
Which is my seat?
Indirect
I asked where Alice was.
He wanted to know when I was
leaving.
She asked what she needed.
I asked where the President and
his wife were staying.
She asked who was the best
player / who the best player
was.
She asked what was the
matter / what the matter was.
She wondered which was her
seat / which her seat was.

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Reported / Indirect speech: time and place;

this and these

Direct Indirect
today that day
yesterday the day before
the day before yesterday two days before
tomorrow the next day/the following day
the day after tomorrow in two days’ time
next week/year, etc. the following week/year etc.
last week/year, etc. the previous week/year etc.
a year etc. ago a year before/the previous year
* *
this, these it, they, them

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Writing Skills

Preparatory “IT”

I find to talk to you difficult I find it difficult to talk to you

Object of sentence = infinitive / that clause
There is an adjective connected to object
!! This structure is nor normally used when there is no adjective or noun
complement after the verb.
I cannot bear it to see people crying – Wrong !!
Structures:
I love it when you sing.
I take it that you won’t be working tomorrow.
I found it strange being in her house.
I would appreciate it if you would keep me informed.
We owe it to society to make our country a better place.
I’ll leave it to you to decide.
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Writing Skills

Modals – Can / Could

1. Ability (knowledge, skill, strength)
Can you speak French?
Henry can lift 100 kilos (able to is also possible)
2. (asking for and giving) Permission
Can/Could I ask you something?
Can everybody park here?
3. Requests, orders suggestions
Could you lend me 5 pounds?
When you’ve finished washing up you can clean the
kitchen.
If you haven’t got anything to do you could sort out
your photos.
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Modals – Must and Have to

Must – obligation comes from speaker

I must do some more work, I want to pass the exam
Have to – obligation that comes from ‘outside’
In my job I have to work from nine to five.
This is a terrible party. We really must go home.
This is a lovely party but we have to go home because of the
baby-sitter.

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Modals – Can’t /Must - deductions

Mary must have a problem – she keeps crying.

She can’t have a problem, I saw her laughing these days.
There’s the doorbell. It must be Roger.
It can’t be Roger. He’s gone abroad
It can’t have been her husband who answered the phone.
It must have been a relative.

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Modals – Mustn’t / Needn’t / Don’t have to

You must not drink while driving - interdiction

You needn’t work tomorrow if you don’t have to.
You don’t have to work tomorrow ….
NOT
You mustn’t work tomorrow if you don’t want to.
You don’t need to get a visa to go to Scotland.
You don’t have to get a visa …
NOT
You must not get a visa to go to Scotland.

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Modals – May / Might

1. To express formal permission: You may go now.
2. May / might + pres.infinitives = possibility in the future (might = greater
doubt)
e.g. He may/might come tomorrow.
3. Might must be used when the vb of the main clause is in the past tense:
e.g. I thought she might like the concert, so I bought two tickets.
4. May / might + perf. Inf. = speculations about past actions
e.g. He may / might have read the book.
5. In conditional clauses to express a possible result
e.g. If they live in the same building, he may know her.
If he came to our party he might enjoy himself.
6. May not can express prohibition = must not

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May / Might - Possibility

We may go climbing in the Alps next summer.

I think it’s going to rain. You may well be right (stronger
possibility)
I might go to London tomorrow (less definite, smaller
chances).
May/Might not = it is possible that … not…
Can’t = It is not possible that…
She may be at home = perhaps she is at home
She may not be at home = perhaps she is not at home
She can’t be at home = she is certainly not at home

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Writing Skills

May / Might - Permission

1. Asking for permission

May I put the TV on?
May I borrow your car?
2. Giving and refusing permission
May I put the TV on? Yes, of course you may.
May I borrow your car? No, I’m afraid you may not.
Students may not use the staff car park.

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Inversion

1. Never / rarely / seldom + Present Perfect / Past Perfect

e.g. Never has there been so much protest against terrorism.
Rarely have we seen such public interest.
Seldom had they had to deal with such a case.
2. Hardly … when / scarcely… when / no sooner… than / + Past Perf.
e.g. Hardly/scarcely had I arrived when we heard a strange noise.
No sooner had he put down the receiver than it rang again.
3. Only / not only (usually + Past tense)
e.g. Only after leaving the house did she remember to lock the door.
Not only did we lose all our money but we also lost our car.

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Inversion

4. No/not; under no circumstances; on no account; at no time; in no

way; on no condition; not until; not only (+but also);
e.g. Under no circumstances can we cash cheques.
On no account should we drink and drive.
Not until many years later did the whole truth become known.
At no time was he in a position to complain.
5. Little
Little does she realize what problems she creates for others.
6. If
If I had known you were ill, I would have visited you.
Had I know that you were ill, I would have visited you.
If you should need my help, just give me a ring
Should you need my help, just give me a ring.

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Time Clauses

Introduced by: after, as, as soon as, before, hardly,

till/until, when, whenever
NO future or conditional in time clauses
Instead of future we can use:
a) Present simple
e.g. Soon after he jumps his parachute will open.
b) Present Continuous
e.g. While the children are playing, we’ll go to the beach
(Pres. Cont)
c) Present perfect
e.g. As soon as I have finished I’ll give you a call.

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-Ing forms

After prepositions:
e.g. I have no objection to hearing your story again.
He is good at driving.
She disapproves of jogging.
After phrasal verbs (give up, look forward to, care for, put off, take to):
e.g. I am looking forward to receiving your response.
He put off making a decision.
Note: He is used to working in shifts / He used to work in shifts.
After some verbs: admit, consider, enjoy, fancy, keep, remember,
start,
e.g. He admitted taking the money.
Would you consider selling the property?

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-Ing forms

Remember, forget, stop, regret

a) Remember + -ing = what one has done or what has happened
Remember + inf = remember what one has to do
e.g.I remember posting the letter
Remember to go to the post office.

b) Forget + -ing = what one has done or what has happened

Forget + inf = remember what one has to do
e.g. I’ll never forget seeing the Queen.
She’s always forgetting to give me my books.

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-Ing forms

c) Stop + ing = stop what one is doing, or does

Stop + inf = make a break, or pause to do something
e.g. I really must stop smoking.
Every half hour I stop work to smoke a cigarette.

d) Regret + ing = be sorry for what has happened

Regret + ing = be sorry for what one has to say
e.g. I don’t regret telling her what I thought.
I regret to inform you that we cannot offer you employment.

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Misrelated participles

Compare the following sentences:

Climbing down the tree, one of the eggs broke.
Climbing down the tree, he broke one of the eggs.
Note:
A participle is considered to belong to the
noun/pronoun that immediately precedes it (usually
the subject of the main verb). If there is no
noun/pronoun in this position, the participle is
considered to belong to the subject of the following
main verb.

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