University of 20 August 1955 Skikda English: First year (MI)

Some grammar rules II

Conditionals
Conditionals describe the result of a certain condition. The if clause tells you the
condition (If you study hard) and the main clause tells you the result (you will pass your
exams). The order of the clauses does not change the meaning.
If you study hard, you will pass your exams.
You will pass your exams if you study hard.
Conditional sentences are often divided into different types.
Zero conditional:
We use the zero conditional to talk about things that are generally true, especially for
laws and rules.
If I drink too much coffee, I can't sleep at night.
Ice melts if you heat it.
When the sun goes down, it gets dark.
The structure is: if/when + present simple >> present simple.

First conditional:
We use the first conditional when we talk about future situations we believe are real or
possible.
If it doesn't rain tomorrow, we'll go to the beach.
Arsenal will be top of the league if they win.
When I finish work, I'll call you.
In the first conditional sentences, the structure is usually:
If / when + present simple >> will + infinitive.
It is also common to use this structure with unless, as long as, as soon as or in case
instead of if.
I'll leave as soon as the babysitter arrives.
I don't want to stay in London unless I get a well-paid job.
I'll give you the key in case I'm not at home.
You can go to the party as long as you're back by midnight.
Second conditional:
The second conditional is used to imagine present or future situations that are impossible
or unlikely in reality.
If we had a garden, we could have a cat.
If I won a lot of money, I'd buy a big house in the country.
I wouldn't worry if I were you.
The structure is usually: if + past simple >> + would + infinitive.
When if is followed by the verb be, it is grammatically correct to say if I were, if he were,
if she were and if it were. However, it is also common to hear these structures with was,
especially in the he/she form.
If I were you, I wouldn't mention it.
If she was prime minister, she would invest more money in schools.
He would travel more if he was younger.

Third conditional:
The third conditional is used to imagine a different past. We imagine a change in a past
situation and the different result of that change.
If I had understood the instructions properly, I would have passed the exam.
We wouldn't have got lost if my phone hadn't run out of battery.
In third conditional sentences, the structure is usually:
If + past perfect >> would have + past participle.

Mixed conditionals:
We can use mixed conditionals when we imagine a past change with a result in the
present or a present change with a result in the past.
1. Past/Present:
Here's a sentence imagining how a change in a past situation would have a result in the
present.
If I hadn't got the job in Tokyo, I wouldn't be with my current partner.
So, the structure is: If + past perfect >> would + infinitive.
2. Present/Past:
Here's a sentence imagining how a different situation in the present would mean that the
past was different as well.
It's really important. If it wasn't, I wouldn't have called you on your holiday.
And the structure is: If + past simple >> would have + past participle.
“wish” and “if only”
We use wish and if only to talk about things that we would like to be different in either the
present or the past. If only is usually a bit stronger than wish.

In the present:
We can use wish/if only + a past form to talk about a present situation we would like to
be different.
I wish you didn't live so far away.
If only we knew what to do.
He wishes he could afford a holiday.

In the past:
We can use wish/if only + a past perfect form to talk about something we would like to
change about the past.
They wish they hadn't eaten so much chocolate. They're feeling very sick now.
If only I'd studied harder when I was at school.

Expressing annoyance:
We can use wish + would(n't) to show that we are annoyed with what someone or
something does or doesn't do. We often feel that they are unlikely or unwilling to change.
I wish you wouldn't borrow my clothes without asking.
I wish it would rain. The garden really needs some water.
She wishes he'd work less. They never spend any time together.

“as” and “like”

as and like are often confused since they can both be used for comparisons. There are,
however, important differences.

Making comparisons
“as” + adjective + “as” and “as much as”:
We often use the structure as + adjective + as or as much as to say if something has, or
doesn't have, the same amount of that quality as something else.
She loves curry as much as I do.
He's not as tall as his brother.
It's not as expensive as the other hotel.
That dog is as big as that child!
You also have to use as in the expression the same as.
Your phone is the same as mine.
Texting is not the same as speaking in person.
like + noun:
In the following comparisons, like is followed by a noun or a pronoun to say that two
things are similar.
He's like a father to me.
She's acting like a child.
It's like a burger but with big mushrooms instead of bread.
There are lots of people like us.
It is also common to make comparisons using like with verbs of the senses.
She looks like her mother.
It sounds like a cat.
Nothing tastes like homemade lemonade.
It smells like medicine.
It feels like cotton.

“as if” / “as though” + clause:

As if and as though can be used to compare a real situation to an imaginary situation.
They are followed by a clause (a subject and verb).
You look as if you've seen a ghost.
I felt as if I was floating above the ground.
You talk as though we're never going to see each other again.

Giving examples
We can say like or such as to give examples.
You could try a team sport like football, basketball or hockey.
You should take something soft, such as a towel, to lie on.

Talking about a job or function

We can use as + noun to talk about a job or function.
I worked as a shop assistant for two years.
He used his coat as a blanket to keep warm.

“as” to connect two phrases

as can be used as a conjunction to connect two phrases. It can have different meanings.

as = 'because':
All the tickets were sold out as we got there too late.
As the road was closed, I had to park on the next street.
as = 'while' or 'during the time that':
He called as I was getting out of the bath.
As they were arriving, we were leaving.
as = 'in the way that'
As we expected, it started to rain.
As you know, classes restart on 15 January.
As I said, I think this project will be a challenge.

“Enough”
“enough” means “as much as necessary”. It can be used with an adjective, an adverb, a
verb or a noun. It can also act as a pronoun.

With adjectives and adverbs

“enough” comes after adjectives and adverbs.
I'm not tall enough to reach the top shelf.
Your marks are good enough to study engineering at university.
I couldn't write quickly enough, and I ran out of time.
I've helped at conferences often enough to know what can go wrong.

With verbs
“enough” comes after verbs.
I make sure I drink enough during the day.
I don't read enough but I'm going to start downloading books to my phone.

With nouns
“enough” comes before nouns.
There isn't enough bread to make sandwiches.
Have you got enough money?

As a pronoun
“enough” can also be used without a noun.
I'll get some more chairs. There aren't enough.
A: Do you want more coffee? B: No, I've had enough, thanks.
We know what the noun is because of the context.

With an adjective and a noun

When “enough” is used with an adjective and a noun, two positions are possible but the
meaning changes.
We haven't got big enough envelopes.
We haven't got enough big envelopes.
 When “enough” is after the adjective (big enough envelopes), it describes the adjective –
the envelopes are too small. When “enough” is before the adjective (enough big
envelopes), it describes the noun phrase – we have some big envelopes, but we need
more.

enough of
We normally only use enough of when it is followed by a determiner or a pronoun
(a/an/the, this/that, my/your/his, you/them, etc.).
There isn't enough of that bread to make sandwiches for everyone.
I've seen enough of his work to be able to recommend him.
There's enough of us to make a difference.

“just”, “yet”, “still” and “already”

We often use just, yet, still and already with the present perfect because they are related
to the present moment. This page focuses on the meaning and use of these words when
they are used with the present perfect.

just
Just used with the present perfect means 'a short time before'.
I've just seen Susan coming out of the cinema.
Mike's just called. Can you ring him back, please?
Have you just taken my pen?
Just comes between the auxiliary verb (have/has) and the past participle.

yet
Yet used with the present perfect means 'at any time up to now'. We use it to emphasize
that we expect something to happen soon. Yet (in this context) is only used in negative
sentences and questions.
Have you finished your homework yet?
I haven't finished it yet. I'll do it after dinner.
A. Where's Sam? B: He hasn't arrived yet.
Yet comes at the end of the sentence or question.
still
Still used with the present perfect means that something hasn't happened. We use it to
emphasize that we expected the thing to happen earlier. Still (in this context) is only used
in negative sentences.
I've been waiting for an hour and the bus still hasn't come.
They promised me that report yesterday, but they still haven't finished it.
She still hasn't replied to my email. Maybe she's on holiday.
Still comes between the subject (the bus, they, etc.) and auxiliary verb (haven't/hasn't).

already
Already used with the present perfect means 'before now'. We use it to emphasize that
something happened before something else or earlier than expected.

I've already spent my salary and it's two weeks before payday.
He wanted to see Sudden Risk, but I've already seen it.
The train's left already!
Already can come between the auxiliary and the main verb or at the end of the clause.

“So” and “such”

We can use so and such to intensify adjectives, adverbs and nouns.

Adjectives and adverbs:

We can use so with an adjective or adverb to make it stronger.
It's so hot today!
She looks so young in that photo.
He walks so slowly. It's so annoying!
If we are using the comparative form of the adjective or adverb, we use so much to make
it stronger.
They were so much more innocent when they were younger.
I work so much more quickly when I can concentrate.

Nouns:
With a noun or adjective + noun, we use such to make it stronger.
 You're such an angel!
It's such a hot day today!
They're such lovely trousers. Where did you buy them?
However, when we use much, many, little and few with a noun, we use so to make it
stronger.
There are so many people here!
I've had so little time to myself this week.

Saying the result:

We often use these so and such structures with that and a clause to say what the result
is.
It was so cold that the water in the lake froze.
He was such a good teacher that we all passed the exam.
There's so much noise that I can't think!