GRAMMAR

WORKSHOP III

For upper intermediate and advanced

students
By Mrs. Carmen Pacheco
 Present &
past habits

Formation of
adjectives

Verb patterns:
infinitives & -ing

Modifiers for
comparison
Be used to

Get used to

Used to

Would
Be used to vs get used to

Which of the
structures in bold
refers to familiar
situations?

Which of the
structures in bold
refers to
new/strange things
you have to adapt
to?

What do you use

after the structure?
 Be used to or get used to?

o You have a big family so you ___________________ in a noisy

place.
o I can’t __________________ the noise in the flat. It’s driving me mad!
o Tony lived in Alaska for about 15 years so he _________________ to
the cold.
o I’ve just bought an Apple computer, and I think it will take me some
time to ________________ the new operating system.
o After 10 years living in Egypt, I can say I’ ___________________ in
this hot weather. I don’t mind it anymore.
o I don’t think I’ll ever ____________________ on the left. It’s really
weird.
 Past states and habits
I used to be a sporty person, but things have changed now. I’m not keen on
doing exercise anymore.

I remember that when I was at school, I would run for an hour before
breakfast.

At that time, I used to like spending at least 2 hours playing tennis every
day. I’m a couch potato now.

I also remember that I didn’t use to watch cartoons, I preferred to do any

kind of exercise.

When I was 15, I won the marathon organised by my school. I still keep the
medal.

o Which verbs in bold describe a past habit?

o Which verbs in bold describe a past state?
o When do we have to use the past simple instead of used to or would?
 Would, used to or past simple?

I __________ a cat called Matty.

a. would have b. used to have c. Either one is possible

After school we _____________ play in the park.

a. would b. used to c. Either one is possible

I __________________ like swimming then but I like it now.

a. wouldn't b. didn't used to c. didn't use to

We ____________ a VW when we lived in Berlin.

a. would have b. had c. Either one is
possible

At weekends we ________________ go fishing in a lake near my house.

a. would b. used to c. Either one is possible.
 Key Transformation
Word
• Sentence How it works
followed by a
key word and a
second one
with a gap in it.
• Use the key
word to
complete the Every weekend when I was younger, I played tennis. WOULD
second
sentence so Every weekend when I was younger, I ________________.
that it means
the same as
the first
sentence.
• Use between 2
and 5 words.
Key Word Transformation
Common
Mistakes
I find it difficult to sleep in my new bed. SLEEPING
I can NOT SLEEP in my new bed.
• Changing I can NOT GET USED TO SLEEPING in my new bed.
the key
word. In the past, I played tennis more often.
• Using more I don't play tennis AS MORE OFTEN AS I USED to.
than 5 I don’t play tennis AS OFTEN AS I USED to.
words.
• Neglecting
Mandy visited her grandpa when she was a kid. USED
pronoun
gender/ SHE USED TO VISIT HIS grandpa when she was a kid.
agreement MANDY USED TO VISIT HER grandpa when she was a kid.
• Not
checking She doesn’t smoke anymore. TO
tense. She IS USED TO SMOKING.
She USED TO SMOKE.
 Key Word Transformation
Let’s practise
Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence,
using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between two and
five words, including the word given.

1. Getting up early for work is something Tony is accustomed to.

USED
Tony _________________________________ early for work.

2. My brother is used to talking to foreigners.

OFTEN
My brother ___________________ foreigners.

3. We’re no longer surprised by the traffic here.

USED
We ______________________________ here.

4. It is strange for me to drive on the left side of the road.

DRIVING
I’m trying to __________________________ on the left side of the road.
 Key Word Transformation
Let’s practise
Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence,
using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between two and
five words, including the word given.

5. I don’t run as fast as I did when I was younger.

USED
I __________________________I do now.

6. I lived in Madrid as a child, but now I live in Barcelona.

LIVE
I live in Barcelona now, but I ___________________ in Madrid as a child.

7. As a child, I disliked doing exercise, but now I enjoy it.

USE
I __________________________ doing exercise, but I enjoy it now.

8. When I was working in London, I went to the museums every weekend.

WOULD
Every weekend ________________the museums when I was working in London.
 WORD
FORMATION
Adjectives …
… add a description to a sentence and alter
nouns.

… are one of the important parts of speech.

…are single or compound.

… can be formed from nouns, verbs or other

adjectives.
Forming adjectives
Forming adjectives

https://wordwall.net/play/55012/153/630
Read the text for general understanding.

Decide what type of word you need for

each gap (e.g. noun, adjective, etc.).

Read the whole sentence, not just the

line containing the gap.

You may need to add a prefix or suffix to

some words. (careful with negative
prefixes/suffixes)

Read through the text and check that

your words make sense.

Check your spelling.

Word formation
Let’s practise
Change the words in CAPITALS to adjectives.
o My level was a lot ___________than hers in the first set. HIGH
o The rainfall activity is ____________ to continue until May. LIKE
o Mark is very ______________ and will tell you where to find HELP
what you want.
o Buying and selling antiques can be a very _________ hobby. PROFIT
o Your father must be the most ______________ person in the
FASHION
world wearing those old sweaters all the time.
o Anyone being rude and _____________ to our staff will be ABUSE
asked to leave the premises immediately.
o We are tired of their ______________ games. CHILD
inaccurate
o Unfortunately, his quotations are sometimes ___________.
ACCURACY
Word formation – Let’s start with
adjectives
Read the text below. Form a suitable adjective with each word in capitals.
Hanging out
Do you prefer your own company or are you a _________ person? There are SOCIAL
many things you can do with your friends, but the __________ is to do what GOOD
you enjoy and have in common. This article is going to look into some of the
options we have on hand to gather with others. Firstly, let´s take a look at
sport. Many sports as a requirement need more than one person, climbing for
example. Working out with others has its _____________ effects as well as BENEFIT
social interaction. Next, cooking is also a _______________ activity, which COLLABORATE
could help us create a nice and _____________ atmosphere. FRIEND

Lastly, there are arts and crafts. An awesome way to hang out is to do something
___________ like painting or model making. This way we can share our ideas in a RELAX
_______________ way and it will also help you to open your mind. This form of
NATURE
relaxation is ____________ to avoid stress and health problems. Our friends ESSENCE

are important and you should spend your priceless time with them.
Word formation – Use of English

Read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of some of the lines to form a word
that fits in the gap in the same line. There is an example at the beginning. (0)

The Joy of Travel

Traveling can be an (0) ____________ rewarding and fascinating experience. Not only INCREDIBLE
does it give you the chance to explore new places, but it can also (1) __________ your RICH
life and broaden your horizons. One of the most exciting things about travel is the
opportunity to try new foods and experience new flavors. There's nothing quite like
the (2) ___________ and exotic dishes you can discover while traveling. TASTE
You also have the chance to see some of the world's most amazing (3) ___________ NATURE
wonders. From the Grand Canyon to the Great Barrier Reef, there are (4) ___________ COUNT
stunning landscapes to see.
Of course, travel isn't always easy, and there can be some challenging aspects to it as
well. Language barriers, cultural (5) ____________, and logistical issues can all make DIFFER
travel difficult at times. But (6) _____________ these challenges and pushing yourself OVERCOME
out of your (7) __________ zone can also be incredibly rewarding and help you grow COMFORTABLE
as a person.
Finally, travel is all about adventure. Whether you're exploring a new city or
Trekking through the wilderness, there's always something new to learn when

you're on the road. So pack your bags and start an (8) ________________ journey! FORGET
How much do you remember?

Write C beside the correct sentences and I beside the incorrect ones. Make all the necessary
corrections
Example: ______ He agrees speak at the convention.
I to speak

o ______ It’s worth to do exercise.

o ______ I regretted to give her another opportunity.
o ______ Would you please stop to talk? I cannot hear the
presenter.
o ______ I stopped to have a coffee on my way home.
o ______ Mr and Mrs Hunter are keen on doing water sports.
o ______ Please remember paying attention in class.
o ______ Mary tends to exaggerate when she tells a story.
o ______ I don’t mind to arrive a little late to the meeting.
o ______ They can’t afford taking a trip to the Caribbean this year.
o ______ He made me to clean all the garden.
MOST COMMON VERBS FOLLOWED BY INFINITIVE OR -ING

INFINITIVE GERUND
Afford
INFINITIVE OR
Admit
Agree Appreciate
GERUND
Appear Avoid (with little difference in meaning)
Arrange Be worth
Ask Consider Begin
Attempt Delay Can’t bear
Choose Deny Can’t stand
Consent Dislike Hate
Decide Enjoy Like
Expect Feel like Love
Fail Finish prefer
Happen Give up
Hope Imagine
Intend Involve (with a different meaning)
Manage Mind
Offer Miss Forget
Prepare Postpone Go on
Promise Practise
Regret
Refuse Remember
Put off Stop
Seem Recommend
Tend try
Risk
Want Suggest
Wish
Would like
 Open cloze

The second part of the Use of English paper in the B2 First is open cloze.

You are given a piece of text.

8 words in the text are omitted.

Use one word to fill each space.

The required words are usually grammatical, such as pronouns, articles,
determiners, linkers, prepositions, wh-words, auxiliary verbs and so on.
Before completing, think about the meaning and the form.
Let’s practise
Read the sentence on the left. Complete the one on the right with only
ONE word so that both have sentences the same meaning. Be careful
with the form.

We will probably visit our relatives in We ___________ likely to visit our relatives
December. in December.

I’d rather you didn’t come tomorrow. Would you mind not _________ tomorrow?

It’s my responsibility to prepare the files. I am responsible _______ preparing the

files.

It takes me ages to correct your I spend ages ___________ your exercises.

exercises.
Rose didn’t mean _______ break the glass.
Rose accidentally broke the glass.
Open cloze – Use of
English to
Read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only ONE
word in each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0).

Approaches to learning
to
People appear (0) _______ learn in different ways. Some people expect to
make mistakes in their studies and are capable (1) ______benefiting from their
mistakes. They don’t mind (2) _________ corrected by their teacher and
indeed often ask to be corrected.

Others, (3) _________, dislike making mistakes. They try to avoid (4)
__________ anything which they might do badly. They would (5) ________
perfect something in small steps and be sure they have got it right than attempt
to do a task based on a subject they don’t feel they have finished exploring yet.
(6) ___________ ways of learning seem to be equally valid, but a combination
of the two may be the best solution. In (7) _______ to learn effectively,
students have to remember to take risks sometimes. But they also have to feel
comfortable and secure with what they’re doing so (8) ________not to become
demotivated. All students should at least think about questioning the way that
they approach learning.
Modifiers for
comparison

Much
Slightly
Far
A lot
A bit
Not quite
Easily
By far
Not nearly
almost
Emphasizing a big difference

France isn't nearly as big as Russia.

France is nowhere near as big as Russia.
Russia is much/a lot/far bigger than
France.

Emphasizing a small difference

Modifying superlatives
My flat isn't quite as expensive as Mandy’s.
My flat is nearly as expensive as Mandy’s. I’m by far the fastest runner in my
My flat is almost as expensive as Mandy’s. team.
Mandy's flat is a little / a bit / slightly more Skydiving is easily the craziest thing
expensive than mine. I’ve ever done in my life.

Showing there is no difference

My old neighbourhood looks exactly the

same as when I was a child!
A new phone can be just as expensive as a
new computer these days.
 Key Word Transformation
Let’s practise
Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence,
using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between two and
five words, including the word given.

1. Everyone works much harder than her.

FAR
She’s __________________________ else.

2. There are fewer teachers in my school than there were last year.
NOT
There ___________________ teachers in my school as there were last year.

3. The film wasn’t nearly as good as I thought it would be.

MUCH
The film ___________________________ I thought it would be.

4. Raul’s not quite as lazy as he used to be.

SLIGHTLY
He’s ______________________________ than before.
 Key Word Transformation
Let’s practise
Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence,
using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between two and
five words, including the word given.

5. Nobody in the group dances as well as Sarah.

BY
Sarah is __________________________ in the group.

6. My mum is a bit taller than my sister.

NEARLY
My sister is ___________________ my mum.

7. Your French isn’t nearly a good as my sister’s.

LOT
My sister’s French is ___________________________

8. Raul’s not quite as lazy as he used to be.

SLIGHTLY
He’s ______________________________ than before.