Future arrangements and plans: present continuous or going to?
A booked appointment and a personal intention can call for different future forms, though both forms can describe some plans.
Read and practiseAdventure journal
English grammar
Understand English sentence patterns and verb forms with examples, explanations and exercises you can use.
Adventure journal
English grammar
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A practical choice with may or might as well
Suggest a reasonable action when no better option is apparent, using two informal expressions followed by a base verb.
Read and practiseExpectations and arrangements with supposed to
A bus due at noon or a rule about helmets can be described as an expectation, even when events turn out differently.
Read and practiseAdjectives in -ed and -ing: feelings and their causes
Was the talk fascinating, or were you fascinated? Distinguish English emotion adjectives in -ed and -ing, including people who cause a reaction.
Read and practiseBe allowed to: permission across tenses
Permission can change with time: describe what people may do now, what they could do before and what they will be permitted to do later.
Read and practiseBe likely to: express probability
A delayed train or an early closing can be probable without being certain. Express expectations with likely to and likely that.
Read and practiseComparative adverbs: faster, more carefully and better
Compare how actions are performed with faster, more carefully and better. Learn English adverb forms, than phrases and lower degrees with less.
Read and practisePresent and past inability with negative modals
A high shelf today and a locked gate yesterday call for different negative modals when describing inability.
Read and practiseModal continuous: possibility in progress
A light is on or a person is missing: describe what may be happening now and distinguish a possibility from a strong deduction.
Read and practiseAdjectives after look, feel, sound, smell and taste
Why does soup smell delicious, while a chef tastes carefully? Choose English adjectives for a subject's qualities and adverbs for performed actions.
Read and practiseShould I and should we: asking for advice
A decision can prompt a question with should. Ask for guidance about your own actions or a choice shared with others.
Read and practiseWhy don’t we and how about: making suggestions
A shared plan can begin with a friendly question. Compare two common suggestion patterns and choose the right verb form.
Read and practiseGerund clauses as subjects
An activity can be the subject of a sentence: form a clause with a verb ending in ing and give it singular agreement.
Read and practisePresent perfect or past simple: choose the time frame
Compare a present result or experience up to now with an event in a finished past period. Practise last month, so far and follow-up questions with when.
Read and practiseEvaluating actions with introductory it
An adjective can evaluate an action before the action is named. See how introductory it and an infinitive work together, including patterns with people.
Read and practiseAdjectives with prepositions and ing forms
An adjective and its preposition can introduce an activity: explore patterns such as interested in learning and good at making things.
Read and practisePresent perfect continuous: activity up to now
Form have or has been plus -ing for ongoing or recent activity. Describe duration, repeated routines and visible evidence without claiming a task is finished.
Read and practiseVerb plus preposition and -ing
Some verbs take a particular preposition before an action. See how the following verb takes the -ing form in everyday sentences.
Read and practiseWho performs an ing action?
Possessive and object forms before an ing clause identify its actor, with a difference in formality and sentence position.
Read and practisePerfect simple or continuous: result, activity and state
Choose a completed total, an activity in progress or a continuing state. Compare repaired with been repairing and learn why lived can work in either form.
Read and practiseAllow and permit with infinitives and gerunds
Permission can name the person involved or describe an activity in general. See how the verb pattern changes in each case.
Read and practisePrefer and rather than: comparing preferences
From drinks to daily activities, compare two choices with matching forms and express what you would rather do in a particular situation.
Read and practisePast perfect: look back from a past moment
Use had plus a past participle to connect an earlier event or state to a later past moment. Practise questions, time order and before with an unfinished action.
Read and practiseWould like or like: wishes and preferences
A cup offered now and a favourite drink express different ideas. Compare specific wishes and offers with general preferences.
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