UNIVERSIDAD TECNOLÓGICA DE LA MIXTECA
CENTRO DE IDIOMAS, DIVISION DE ESTUDIOS DE POSGRADO
ENGLISH LANGUAGE READING PROGRAM:
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL
MODULE 1: GRAMMAR
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Postgraduate Intermediate Reading program
Module 1: Grammar
The Grammar module is module 1, and the compulsory module, for the Postgraduate Intermediate
Reading program. All students must complete this course, and pass the exams for this module,
before they can complete the other readings for the Reading program.
Information about the teacher
My name is Maria Pinto. I am in Office 12 in the new Centro de Idiomas building.
Email: mariapinto@mixteco.utm.mx
Web page: www.utm.mx/~mariapinto/Lectura.html
Course information
To successfully complete the Postgraduate Intermediate level Reading program, students must:
1. Complete the activities and pass the exam for module 1 (this module). The pass grade is 6.0.
2. Complete the readings and pass the exam for three (3) other modules. The pass grade for each
module is 6.0. [Note: Students can choose to complete the readings and present exams for more
than four modules, if they so choose.]
Students can choose to complete all the modules in one semester, or to complete the modules over
several semesters. When they have completed the packet of readings for each module, they must
contact the course coordinator, Maria Pinto, to arrange to present the exam for that module.
There are no face-to-face classes for this course. Students are expected to download the packet of
readings from Maria’s website, and work through them. Please visit Maria in her office, or send her an
email if you have any questions or need help with the readings.
Please make sure Maria has an up-to-date, working email address for you, so that she can contact
you when necessary!
Exam information
You need a promedio of 6.0 to successfully complete the Intermediate level course. To successfully
complete the course, you must pass Module 1 (Grammar), and three (3) other modules. You must get
a promedio of 6 (or more) out of 10 in each module to pass the course.
Exam for the Grammar module
The exam for the grammar module has three sections. Section 1 requires you to identify the verb
tense. In Section 2, you will be asked to convert sentences from one tense or form to another. In
Section 3, you will be asked to answer comprehension questions on a reading.
You will have one hour to complete the exam.
Exams for the other modules
Exams for the other modules consist of two readings, and three activities for each reading. The first
reading uses informal language, while the second uses technical or formal English. There is one
vocabulary and two comprehension activities for each reading.
When should I do the exam for this module?
Do the exam when you think you are ready to do it. You will have one hour to complete the exam.
When you have worked through the packet of readings, and feel that you are ready to do the exam,
send Maria an email, stating which day, and at what time, you would like to do the exam. (You can
write in English or Spanish.) Come to Maria’s office at the Centro de Idiomas on the appointed day, at
the appointed time.
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Table of Contents
Information about the teacher ........................................................................................................... 2
Course information ........................................................................................................................... 2
Exam information ............................................................................................................................. 2
Part 1: Definitions................................................................................................................................. 5
Day 1: Definition of terms and sentence word order ......................................................................... 5
Definition of terms ......................................................................................................................... 5
Word order in sentences ............................................................................................................... 5
Day 1 practice activities .................................................................................................................... 7
Activity 1: Put the parts of these sentences into the correct columns. ........................................... 7
Activity 2: Join the words in the examples together to make five sentences. ................................. 7
Day 2: Explanation of terms.............................................................................................................. 8
Tenses .......................................................................................................................................... 8
Forms ........................................................................................................................................... 8
Verb forms .................................................................................................................................... 8
Day 2 practice activity....................................................................................................................... 9
Activity 3: Tell me about yourself................................................................................................... 9
Part 2: Revision of Basic level grammar ............................................................................................. 10
Day 3: Revision of the past and present tenses .............................................................................. 10
Rules of usage of past and present tenses ................................................................................. 10
Day 3 practice activity..................................................................................................................... 10
Activity 4: Which tense would you use? ...................................................................................... 10
Day 4: The grammar of the past and present tenses ...................................................................... 11
Day 4 practice activity..................................................................................................................... 11
Activity 5: What’s the correct verb tense and form? Write the answer. ........................................ 11
Day 5: Past and present tenses in use ........................................................................................... 12
Example, using the verb to eat, of the past and present tenses .................................................. 12
Day 5 practice activities .................................................................................................................. 13
Activity 6: Change the sentence to the form and tense indicated. ............................................... 13
Activity 7: Write the correct tense for each sentence. .................................................................. 13
Day 6: The future............................................................................................................................ 14
Revision of the future with ‘will’, and with ‘(be) going to’ .............................................................. 14
Day 6 practice activity..................................................................................................................... 14
Activity 8: Complete the conversation using the future with ‘will’ OR with ‘(be) going to’.............. 14
Part 3: Intermediate level grammar .................................................................................................... 15
Day 7: The zero and first conditionals............................................................................................. 15
The first conditional ..................................................................................................................... 15
The zero conditional.................................................................................................................... 15
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Day 7 practice activities .................................................................................................................. 15
Activity 9: Put the words in order to make first conditional sentences. ......................................... 15
Activity 10: Match the first clause with the second clause. .......................................................... 15
Day 8: The second and third conditionals ....................................................................................... 16
The second conditional: The unreal conditional .......................................................................... 16
The third conditional: The impossible conditional ........................................................................ 16
Day 8 practice activities .................................................................................................................. 17
Activity 11: Write a second conditional sentence to comment on the following situations. ........... 17
Activity 12: Complete the sentences with your own ideas. .......................................................... 17
Day 9: Reported speech ................................................................................................................. 18
Tense changes in reported speech ............................................................................................. 18
Day 9 practice activity..................................................................................................................... 19
Activity 13: Circle the correct option in the reported speech column. ........................................... 19
Day 10: Other changes in reported speech .................................................................................... 20
Word order changes in reported speech questions ..................................................................... 20
Person, place, and time changes in reported speech .................................................................. 20
Day 10 practice activity................................................................................................................... 21
Activity 14: Complete the sentences using reported speech. ...................................................... 21
Day 11: The passive voice ............................................................................................................. 22
Summary of verb tenses ............................................................................................................. 22
Day 11 practice activities ................................................................................................................ 23
Activity 15: Complete these passive voice sentences with the correct form of the verb ‘be’. ....... 23
Activity 16: Convert the sentence. Write the missing form. ......................................................... 23
Part 4: Consolidation and exam preparation ...................................................................................... 24
The Grammar module exam ........................................................................................................... 24
Section 1: Identifying verb tenses ............................................................................................... 24
Section 2: Sentence conversions ................................................................................................ 24
Section 3: Comprehension .......................................................................................................... 24
Day 12: Grammar module exam practice ....................................................................................... 25
Reading 1: Stella McCartney (part 1) .......................................................................................... 25
Day 13: Grammar module exam practice ....................................................................................... 26
Reading 2: Stella McCartney (part 2) .......................................................................................... 26
Day 14: Grammar module exam practice ....................................................................................... 27
Reading 3: UNICEF (Part 1) ....................................................................................................... 27
Day 15: Grammar module exam practice ....................................................................................... 28
Reading 4: UNICEF (Part 2) ....................................................................................................... 28
Answers ......................................................................................................................................... 29
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Part 1: Definitions
Day 1: Definition of terms and sentence word order
Definition of terms
Terms
Definition
Examples
Adjectives
Words that modify nouns
Pretty, big, old, angry, smelly,
interesting, good
Adverbs
Words that modify verbs, or other adverbs
Interestingly, quickly, intelligently, well,
badly, slowly
Conjunctions
Words that join two words, phrases, or clauses
And, but, because, so, either, or
Determiners
Words that show that the next word is a noun
A, an, the, this, that, my, your, his, her,
one, many, a lot of, some
Prepositions
Words that come before a noun, and express a
relationship between that noun and another word or
part of the sentence
On, in, under, behind, before, in front
of, beside, across from, next to, around
Pronouns
Words that replace nouns
I, he she, him, her, their, you, it, they,
we, us.
Nouns
Words that name people, places, things or ideas
Susana, Robert, book, train, knife,
bread, cheese
Verbs
Words that express an action or state
eat, play, read, hold, have, take, make,
think, ask, feel, like
Word order in sentences
The most basic sentence structure in the English language is Subject + Verb. Sentences like I run.
Mary drives. Kelly is reading. are complete sentences in the English language.
A more complex sentence, adds an Object or a Complement (something that answers the question
“what” or gives more information). So we have sentences such as:
I run marathons.
Mary drives her car.
Kelly is reading a book.
[Note: We add an article before a singular noun, and an ‘s’ to form a plural noun. We use a
possessive adjective (my, his, her, its, our, your, their) before a noun to show that this object belongs
to that person or group.]
Sentences can be made longer and even more complex by adding more sections (the technical terms
are phrases and clauses), each giving more information. These extra sections are usually joined on
using prepositions and conjunctions.
I run marathons twice a year for fun.
Mary drives her car to work at 7 o’clock every morning.
Kelly is reading her book and eating an apple.
We can also add more information to sentences by using adjectives and adverbs. Adjectives describe
a noun (they define the type of noun), and adverbs define how something was done. The table below
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shows what the adjectives and adverbs do in a sentence by breaking them down into the questions
they answer.
Sentence
Question the adjective or adverb answers
I run short marathons.
What type of marathons do you run?
Mary drives her old car slowly to work.
1) What type of car does Mary have?
2) How does Mary drive her car to work?
Kelly is reading a boring book and eating a big red
juicy apple.
1) What type of book is Mary reading?
2) What type of apple is Mary eating?
Understanding the word order in sentences helps us break sentences down into comprehensible
sections.
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Day 1 practice activities
Activity 1: Put the parts of these sentences into the correct columns.
Example: Susan lives in China.
Example: Environmental obstacles are found at all levels of society.
1. Gerald is a good friend.
2. David has been playing with the children since midday.
3. The wolf ran swiftly through the wood.
4. False-negative cases are known to occur.
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Susan, China
Lives
environmental, all
obstacles, levels,
society
are found
Conjunction
Determiner
Preposition
Adverb
Pronoun
in
at, of
Activity 2: Join the words in the examples together to make five sentences.
Look at the examples given in the Definition of terms section on page 6. Join words to make
sentences. Your sentences can be short or long.
Example: Susana is slowly eating bread and smelly cheese on the train.
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Day 2: Explanation of terms
Tenses
When talking about grammar, the word ‘tense’ refers to the way the verb is conjugated, to locate the
utterance in time. Tenses can be simple, continuous, perfect, or conditional, and in the present, past,
or future.
Forms
The words ‘affirmative’, ‘negative’, ‘question (or interrogative)’, and ‘short answer’ are used to describe
the four types of forms a spoken or written utterance can take. Here’s what they mean:
Affirmative
A sentence that states what happens, is
happening, will happen.
I am a student.
My parents have gone to Huatulco.
A sentence about feelings that does not use the
negative form. (The sentence could talk about
negative feelings.)
Negative
Kelly is studying Mandarin in China.
Kate likes chocolate and hates chips.
A sentence that states what has not happened or
will not happen.
The book isn’t in my bag.
A sentence about feelings you do not feel.
Kayla and Bob aren’t going to the cinema.
Nelly hasn’t done her homework.
I don’t like doing Maths homework.
Question /
Interrogative
Asks for information or clarification
Did you do your homework?
Have you seen my book?
Where is Nina?
Are you going to the cinema?
Will you marry me?
Short
answer
Responds to a question that starts with the
auxiliary verb (or with the verb ‘be’ in the simple
present tense).
Starts with Yes or No, and ends with the auxiliary
verb.
Yes, I am.
Yes, she has.
No, we don’t.
No, they haven’t.
Can be affirmative or negative.
Verb forms
English verbs can be conjugated in five different ways. We form different verb tenses, and affirmative,
negative, and question forms by using the verb form alone, or combining it with an auxiliary verb. The
five different verb forms in English are:
Imperative
Simple present affirmative
(third person singular)
Simple past
affirmative
Present participle
(Gerund or verb+ing)
Past participle
to do
(he/she/it) does
did
doing
done
to have
(he/she/it) has
had
having
had
to eat
(he/she/it) eats
ate
eating
eaten
to study
(he/she/it) studies
studied
studying
studied
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Day 2 practice activity
Activity 3: Tell me about yourself.
1. Write five affirmative sentences about events in your life.
Example: I was born in 1972. I have three sisters. I like reading books. …
2. Write three negative sentences about events in your life.
Example: I don’t live in Acatlima. I haven’t been to Egypt. I don’t like horror movies. …
3. Write three questions you like to ask people when you meet them for the first time. (Do not
use the example questions!)
Example: What is your name? Where are you from? What are you studying? …
4. Answer the questions with (truthful) short answers.
Example: Is this explanation easy? –Yes, it is. …
1. Are you from Huajuapan?
2. Do you have any brothers or sisters?
3. Have you ever eaten tlayudas?
4. Are you going to watch a movie tonight?
5. Can you speak Mixteco?
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Part 2: Revision of Basic level grammar
Day 3: Revision of the past and present tenses
In this section, we revise the tenses that were presented in the Basic level Reading course, and add
the Past perfect tense.
Rules of usage of past and present tenses
Simple
Past
Present
PAST SIMPLE
PRESENT SIMPLE
To talk about events that started and finished
in the past. (e.g. I walked home yesterday.
We went to the movies last Friday.)
To talk about things that are generally true
(We have Science class on Tuesdays. The
sky is blue.)
To talk about habits and everyday routines
(I get up at 6am every day. I phone my
mum in the evenings.)
Continuous
PAST CONTINUOUS
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
To talk about what was happening at a
particular point of time in the past (usually
because the action was interrupted by
another action). (e.g. I was watching TV
when I heard about the accident. My
boyfriend was kissing my best friend when I
walked into the room.)
Perfect
To talk about what is happening right now.
(I am reading about grammar. My
grandfather is sitting in a chair. Kayla and
her little brother are fighting.)
PAST PERFECT
PRESENT PERFECT
(This tense is not taught at the Basic level.)
To talk about events that occurred in the
past, before other things that happened in
the past. (I felt very tired yesterday because I
hadn’t slept much the night before.)
To talk about events that occurred in the
past, before another date in the past. (By
2011, Mexico had been independent for 200
years.)
To talk about events that occurred in an
(unspecified) past. (I have climbed Mt
Kilimanjaro. Caitlin and Paul have lived in
Chile. José has had three wives.)
To talk about events that started in the past,
but are still true now, specifying duration
using ‘for’ or ‘since’. (Julia has lived in
Tlaxiaco since 2005. Patrick and Ben have
worked together for four years.)
Day 3 practice activity
Activity 4: Which tense would you use?
Example: You are talking about a movie you saw last night.
1. You are telling someone about things you have done.
2. You are talking about what you are doing now.
3. You are talking about what you do every day.
4. You are talking about what you wore to your friend’s wedding, last week.
5. You are talking about what your boy/girlfriend had done to you while you
were still dating that made you break up with him/her.
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Past simple tense
Day 4: The grammar of the past and present tenses
Let’s look at the grammar of the six tenses. The table below summarizes the grammar forms. Use the
table to check which auxiliary verb to use, when to use the auxiliary verb, and what other changes (if
any) you have to make to the verb when using this form.
Simple
Past
Present
PAST SIMPLE
PRESENT SIMPLE
Auxiliary verb ‘do’  did
Auxiliary verb ‘do’  do / does
Auxiliary verb used in negative, question and
short answer forms.
Auxiliary verb used in negative, question
and short answer forms.
Verb changes to the simple past affirmative
form (add ‘ed’ to regular verbs, memorize
irregular verb forms) in affirmative sentences.
Verb changes to the simple present
affirmative form (add ‘s’ to the third person
singular) in affirmative sentences.
Continuous
PAST CONTINUOUS
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
Auxiliary verb ‘be’  was / were
Auxiliary verb ‘be’  am / is / are
Auxiliary verb used with all forms.
Auxiliary verb used with all forms.
Main verb changes to the verb+ing form.
Main verb changes to the verb+ing form.
Perfect
PAST PERFECT
PRESENT PERFECT
Auxiliary verb ‘have’  had
Auxiliary verb ‘have’  have / has
Auxiliary verb used with all forms.
Auxiliary verb used with all forms.
Main verb changes to the past participle
form.
Main verb changes to the past participle
form.
Day 4 practice activity
Activity 5: What’s the correct verb tense and form? Write the answer.
Tense = simple past, past continuous, etc
Form = affirmative or negative
E.g.: was playing
past continuous affirmative
6. has watched
1. didn’t see
7. wasn’t
2. has written
8. have
3. does
9. had studied
4. is
10. weren’t meeting
5. are reading
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Day 5: Past and present tenses in use
Example, using the verb to eat, of the past and present tenses
Simple
Past
Present
PAST SIMPLE
PRESENT SIMPLE
Mary ate an apple yesterday.
Mary eats an apple every day.
Joe and Tina didn’t eat apples yesterday.
Joe and Tina don’t eat apples.
Did you eat an apple yesterday? – No, I
didn’t.
Do you eat apples? – No, I don’t.
Does Bill eat apples? – Yes, he does.
Did Bill eat an apple yesterday? – Yes, he
did.
Continuous
PAST CONTINUOUS
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
Mary was eating an apple when I found her.
Mary is eating an apple.
Joe and Tina weren’t eating apples while
they shopped.
Joe and Tina aren’t eating apples.
Were you eating an apple when the phone
rang? – No, I wasn’t.
Is Bill eating an apple? – Yes, he is.
Are you eating an apple? – No, I’m not.
Was Bill eating an apple when his girlfriend
saw him? – Yes, he was.
Perfect
PAST PERFECT
PRESENT PERFECT
Mary had eaten apples in the past (but she
doesn’t eat them now).
When they were found, Joe and Tina hadn’t
eaten the apples in the box.
Mary has eaten apples.
Joe and Tina haven’t eaten apples.
Have you eaten apples? – No, I haven’t.
Has Bill eaten apples? – Yes, he has.
Had you eaten Fuji apples before you
moved to Japan? – No, I hadn’t.
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Day 5 practice activities
Activity 6: Change the sentence to the form and tense indicated.
Sentence
E.g. Joe lives in China.
1. Bill has read the book ‘War and
Peace.’
2. Mary has three sisters.
Change to this form / tense:
simple past question
Did Joe live in China?
present continuous affirmative
Simple present negative
3. Kara watches TV with her
friends.
Past continuous question
4. Did Julian and Lucy make the
cakes?
Present perfect affirmative
5. Katie was reading a book.
Changed sentence
Simple past question
Activity 7: Write the correct tense for each sentence.
E.g. Neelam has bought a house.
Present perfect affirmative
1. Caleb doesn’t want a party for his birthday.
2. Harrison hasn’t spoken Chinese for three years.
3. Was Patrick parking his car?
4. Kendra is a teacher.
5. When did the accident happen?
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Day 6: The future
We talk about the future using the modal verb ‘will’, or using ‘(be) going to’. The table below
summarizes when we use ‘will’ and when we use ‘(be) going to’, and gives examples.
Revision of the future with ‘will’, and with ‘(be) going to’
Tense
Usage
Explanation
Examples
Future with ‘will’
The auxiliary verb is the
modal verb ‘will’
Used to make predictions,
to talk about things when
we are not sure (usually
using ‘I think,’ ‘maybe,’
‘perhaps’), to make
sudden decisions.
England will win the
World Cup.
To talk about definite
future plans.
Are you going to visit
your brother next month?
The auxiliary verb is
always used.
The main verb is in the
infinitive, without ‘to’.
Future with ‘(be) going
to’
‘be´’ is the auxiliary verb,
and is always used.
Pedro won’t visit Ireland.
Will you buy chocolate?
Maybe we’ll visit my
sister.
‘going to’ always comes
before the verb.
Alice is going to have a
baby in February.
The main verb is in the
infinitive, without ‘to’.
Mary and Joe aren’t
going to buy the house.
Day 6 practice activity
Activity 8: Complete the conversation using the future with ‘will’ OR with ‘(be) going
to’.
Martha:
What horrible weather today. I'd love to go out, but I think it (1)
_____________________ just continue raining.
Jane:
Oh, I don't know. Perhaps the sun (2)_____________________ come out later this
afternoon.
Martha:
I hope you're right. Listen, I (3)_____________________ have a party this
Saturday. Would you like to come?
Jane:
Oh, I'd love to come. Thank you for inviting me. Who (4)_____________________
come to the party?
Martha:
Well, a number of people haven't told me yet. But, Peter and Mark
(5)_____________________ help out with the cooking!
Jane:
Hey, I (6)_____________________ help, too!
Martha:
Would you? That would be great!
Jane:
I (7)_____________________ make lasagna!
Martha:
That sounds delicious! I know my Italian cousins (8)_____________________ be
there. I'm sure they (9)_____________________ love it.
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Part 3: Intermediate level grammar
Day 7: The zero and first conditionals
The first conditional
The first conditional is used to talk about what could happen in the future. Each first conditional
sentence has two parts (called ‘clauses’): the ‘if’ clause, and the main clause. The ‘if’ clause is in the
present tense, and the main clause uses the future tense (usually with ‘will’, occasionally with ‘(be)
going to’). If you start a sentence with the word ‘if,’ use a comma to separate the ‘if’ clause from the
main clause.
Example:
‘If’ clause
Main clause
If we study,
we will pass the exam.
If it doesn’t rain,
we’ll go on a picnic.
If Joe’s parents don’t lend him money,
he won’t be able to study at university.
The zero conditional
(This is also referred to sometimes as a special case of the first conditional.) The simple present is
used in both parts of the sentence. It is usually used to talk about things that automatically follow one
another.
Example:
If you heat water, it boils.
If prices go up, sales go down.
Day 7 practice activities
Activity 9: Put the words in order to make first conditional sentences.
E.g. exam. If pass study, the we we’ll
If we study, we’ll pass the exam.
1. bus get If is late, on school the time. to we won’t
2. Bill comes dinner. early, go home If out to we’ll
3. a buy car. don’t I I If lottery, new the win won’t
Activity 10: Match the first clause with the second clause.
1. If you lose your credit card,
a) I won’t be able to sleep.
2. If you get promoted,
b) you get a warning letter.
3. If I drink coffee late at night,
c) you have to phone the bank.
4. If you don’t pay the bill,
d) your salary increases.
5. If I try to run fast,
e) the alarm goes off.
6. If someone enters the building,
f) I get out of breath.
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Day 8: The second and third conditionals
The second conditional: The unreal conditional
The second conditional is used to talk about imaginary or unreal situations. Each second conditional
sentence has two parts (called ‘clauses’): the ‘if’ clause, and the main clause. The ‘if’ clause is in the
past tense, and the main clause uses would+verb. If you start a sentence with ‘if,’ use a comma to
separate the ‘if’ clause from the main clause.
Example:
‘If’ clause
Main clause
Why is it unreal / imaginary?
If I lived in South Korea,
I would eat kimchi for breakfast everyday.
I don’t live in South Korea.
If I were you,
I’d buy the car.
I’m not you.
If Tim got up at 6:00,
he wouldn’t get to work late.
Tim doesn’t get up at 6:00.
The third conditional: The impossible conditional
The third conditional is used to talk about things that can never happen. It talks about imaginary
situations in the past. Each third conditional sentence has two parts (called ‘clauses’): the ‘if’ clause,
and the main clause. The ‘if’ clause is in the past perfect tense, and the main clause uses would+the
present perfect. If you start a sentence with ‘if,’ use a comma to separate the ‘if’ clause from the main
clause.
Example:
‘If’ clause
Main clause
Why is it impossible?
If we had met four
years earlier,
we would have travelled to Chile
together.
1) We didn’t meet four years earlier.
If the mechanic had
fixed the car well,
the car wouldn’t have broken
down.
1) The mechanic didn’t do a good job fixing the car.
2) We didn’t travel to Chile together.
2) The car broke down.
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Day 8 practice activities
Activity 11: Write a second conditional sentence to comment on the following
situations.
Situation
Comment
E.g. I’m very busy, so I don’t write to my friends.
If I had more free time, I would write to my friends.
1. I can’t play tennis because my back hurts.
2. Nick can’t find the house, because he hasn’t got a
map.
3. Claire won’t marry Henry because she doesn’t love
him.
4. I don’t know what this word means. I don’t have a
dictionary to look for the meaning.
5. Andrew works all the time. He’s a boring person.
Activity 12: Complete the sentences with your own ideas.
E.g. If I had had children,
If I had had children, I wouldn’t have travelled so much when I was
younger.
1. If I had been able to fly,
2. If I hadn’t been born,
3. If I had been born to a rich family,
4. If my family had moved to the US
when I was a child,
5. If it had rained yesterday,
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Day 9: Reported speech
We use reported speech to (1) tell someone what someone else said, or (2) to remind that person of
what they said at a different time.
Example:
Direct speech
Reported speech
Situation 1 (tell
someone what
someone else said)
Bob: “I want to marry Ellie.”
Mary (to her friend Sarah): “Hey, I talked with Bob
today. He said he wanted to marry Ellie!”
Situation 2 (remind
someone of what they
said at a different
time)
Bob: “I want to watch CSI.”
Mary: “Wow, really?”
A few hours later. CSI is on on one channel. Bob is
watching a football match on another channel. Mary
says, “Bob! You said you wanted to watch CSI!
Change the channel!”
Mary: “Me too.”
Tense changes in reported speech
DIRECT SPEECH
REPORTED SPEECH
Imperative
Infinitive
The teacher said, “Open your books.”
The teacher said, “Don’t talk in class!”

The teacher asked us not to talk in class.
Present Simple
She said, "I am happy".
He said: "I work everyday".
Present Progressive (Continuous)
You said, "They are swimming".
Present Perfect Simple
He said, "I have bought a car".
Past Simple
He said, "I bought a hamster".
Past Progressive (Continuous)
You said, "I was working".
Future of Intention ("going to")
She said, "I am going to win".
Future Simple
They said, "We will lose".
Present Perfect Continuous
She said, "I have been painting the ceiling".
The teacher told us to open our books.
Past Simple








She said that she was happy.
He said that he worked everyday.
Past Progressive (Continuous)
You said that they were swimming.
Past Perfect Simple
He said that he had bought a car.
Past Perfect Simple
He said that he had bought a hamster.
Past Perfect Progressive (Continuous)
You said that you had been working.
Past of Intention ("going to")
She said that she was going to win.
Conditional
They said that they would lose.
Past Perfect Continuous
She said that she had been painting the ceiling.
[From: Think in English]
18
Day 9 practice activity
Activity 13: Circle the correct option in the reported speech column.
Direct speech
Reported speech
E.g. Bill said, “I like this song.”
Bill said that he like / liked / has liked that song.
1. Kelly said, “I’m watching TV with John.”
Kelly said that she watched / was watching / had watched TV
with John.
2. Kayla said, “Don’t talk to my son!”
Kayla asked us not to talk / wasn’t talking / didn’t talk to her
son.
3. Mary said, “I love chocolate!”
Mary said that she loves / loving / loved chocolate.
4. Paul said, “I’m going to go to Long Beach.”
Paul said that he is going / was going / went to Long Beach.
5. Jill said, “I have never been to London.”
Jill said that she had never been / wasn’t going / doesn’t go to
London.
6. Neville said, “I was swimming last night.”
Neville said that he has been swimming / had been swimming
/ have been swimming last night.
7. David said, “I eat popcorn.”
David said that he eat / eating / ate popcorn.
8. The teacher said, “Hurry up!”
The teacher told us hurry / is hurrying / to hurry up.
9. Ann said, “My sister needed a car.”
Ann said that her sister needed / had needed / had been
needing a car.
10. Neira said, “We’ll get married in June.”
Neira said that they were getting / had gotten / would get
married in June.
19
Day 10: Other changes in reported speech
Word order changes in reported speech questions
Use sentence order for question-word questions. Change the verb to the correct tense. For example,
DIRECT SPEECH
REPORTED SPEECH
Patrick asked, “Where is Bill?”

Patrick asked me where Bill was.
Julian asked Tim, “How many books do
you want to buy?”

Julian asked Tim how many books he wanted to buy.
Use ‘if’ or ‘whether’ and then sentence order for yes/no questions. Change the verb to the correct
tense. For example,
DIRECT SPEECH
REPORTED SPEECH
Katie asked, “Is this your car?”

Katie asked me if that was my car.
Bela asked Nicki, “Does your husband
work in a factory?”

Bela asked Nicki whether her husband worked in a
factory.
Person, place, and time changes in reported speech
Changes from direct speech to reported speech often require changes to the person, place, and time
used, depending on the situation.
Example: Joe says to Mary, at Sunny Daze café: “I eat breakfast here in the morning.” Mary then
goes home and tells her husband what Joe had said. “Joe said that he ate breakfast at Sunny Daze
café every morning.”
Changes:
I  he;
eat  ate;
here  at Sunny Daze café;
in the morning  every morning (because simple present tense ’eat’ plus ‘in the morning’ means that
this is Joe’s habit, and therefore a repeated action)
Some typical changes include:
Person changes
Place changes
Time changes
I  he / she
Here  there, at the bank, in the restaurant, ...
Now  then, at that time
we  they
Today  that day, Monday
my  his / her
Yesterday  the day before
our  their
Tomorrow  the next day
An hour ago  an hour earlier
20
Day 10 practice activity
Activity 14: Complete the sentences using reported speech.
1. He said, "I like this song."
He said
2. "Where is your sister?" she asked me.
She asked me
3. "I don't speak Italian," she said.
She said
4. "Say hello to Jim," they said.
They asked me
5. "The film began at seven o'clock," he
said.
He said
6. "Don't play on the grass, boys," she
said.
She told the boys
7. "How have you spent your money?"
she asked him.
She asked him
8. "I never make mistakes," he said.
He said
9. "Does she know Robert?" he wanted
to know.
He wanted to know
10. "Don't try this at home," the stuntman
told the audience.
The stuntman advised the audience
21
Day 11: The passive voice
With the passive voice, the focus is on the action being carried out, instead of on who performed the
action. The passive voice is often used in academic articles, and frequently used in newspaper
reports.
Form
Examples
Active voice
Passive voice
Subject Verb Object
Object Verb (by/to/for Subject)
Who did what
What was done (by/to/for whom)
E.g. Bill made a cake.
A cake was made by Bill.
I put Chemical A in Test Tube B.
Chemical A was put in Test Tube B.
We interviewed fifteen people.
Fifteen people were interviewed.
Summary of verb tenses
We will focus on the three forms of the verb that are taught at the Intermediate level: the present and
past simple, and the future with ‘will.’ The passive voice is formed by using the verb ‘be’ with the past
participle of the main verb.
Present simple
Past simple
Active voice
Passive voice
We buy bread here.
Bread is bought here.
People eat burgers in the food court.
Burgers are eaten in the food court.
You don’t find diamonds in Scotland.
Diamonds are not found in Scotland.
What do you call this in English?
What is this called in English?
The teachers bought sweets for the posada.
Sweets were bought for the posada.
We served cake at the party.
Cake was served at the party.
My brother didn’t write that book.
That book was not written by my
brother.
When did Julian bring the present?
When was the present brought?
Future with ‘will’
I will invite you to my birthday party.
You will be invited to my birthday party.
Bill will wash his clothes tomorrow.
Bill’s clothes will be washed tomorrow.
Katie won’t make bread next week.
Bread will not be made by Katie next
week.
When will they celebrate their wedding
anniversary?
22
When will their wedding anniversary
be celebrated?
Day 11 practice activities
Activity 15: Complete these passive voice sentences with the correct form of the verb
‘be’.
be
am
is
are
was
were
1. ____________ any classes taught last Wednesday?
2. Byl’s name ____________ spelt with a ‘y’ and one ‘l’.
3. How many kilos of coffee will ____________ drunk by Mexicans this year?
4. I ____________ paid twice a month.
5. More soft drinks ____________ drunk in Mexico than in any other country.
6. My house ____________ cleaned once a week by the cleaning lady.
7. The Big Bang Theory and CSI are programmes that ____________ watched by millions of people
all over the world.
8. The police said yesterday that nothing ____________ known about the child’s family.
9. We went on holiday to Fiji last month. We ____________ woken by the birds every morning.
10. When will the cafeteria ____________ reopened?
Activity 16: Convert the sentence. Write the missing form.
Active voice
E.g.
Passive voice
The mechanic repaired the car.
The car was repaired by the mechanic.
1.
2.
Tea is grown in India by farmers.
The tourists photographed Angelina Jolie.
3.
4.
The tree was hit by a car.
The villagers built the church in 1927.
That bird isn’t usually seen here.
5.
6.
The President will open the new library.
23
Part 4: Consolidation and exam preparation
The Grammar module exam
The Grammar module exam will consist of three sections.
Section 1: Identifying verb tenses
In section 1, you will be asked to identify verb tenses in a paragraph. (Reading 1, section 1.1,
Reading 2, section 2.1, Reading 3, section 3.2, show what the activities in this section of the exam
might look like.)
Section 2: Sentence conversions
You will be given a verb or a sentence in one tense or form, and asked to change it to a different tense
or form. (Reading 3, section 3.3, and Reading 4, section 4.1 show what the activities in this section of
the exam might look like.)
Section 3: Comprehension
You will be required to answer comprehension questions on a reading. (Reading 1, section 1.2,
Reading 2, sections 2.2 and 2.3, Reading 3, section 3.1, show what activities in this section of the
exam might look like.)
24
Day 12: Grammar module exam practice
Reading 1: Stella McCartney (part 1)
[1] Stella McCartney was born in 1971, the daughter of pop star Sir Paul McCartney. [2] She is
the youngest of three sisters. [3] One sister is a potter, and the other sister does the same job
as their mother used to do – she works as a photographer. [4] Stella first hit the newspaper
headlines in 1995 when she graduated in fashion design from art college. [5] At her final show,
her clothes were modelled by her friends, the models Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss. [6]
Unsurprisingly, the student show became front page news around the world.
1.1. Grammar. Which tense is each sentence in? Circle the correct answer. (All tenses are in
the active voice, unless otherwise specified.)
E.g. Sentence 1
a) Simple present
b) Simple past
c) Simple present (passive)
Sentence 2
a) Simple present
b) Present continuous
c) Present perfect
Sentence 3
a) Simple past
b) Simple present
c) Future with ‘will’
Sentence 4
a) Present continuous
b) Future (passive)
c) Simple past
Sentence 5
a) Simple past (passive)
b) Simple present (passive)
c) Past perfect
Sentence 6
a) Present perfect
b) Simple past
c) Past perfect
1.2. Comprehension. Look at Sentence 6. Answer the questions.
1. What type of news did the show become?
2. Who was surprised?
3. What type of show was it?
4. Where did the show become front page news?
1.3 Grammar. Look at your answers to 1.2. Circle the correct part of speech.
1. The word that answers this question is a/an:
a) noun
b) adjective
c) adverb
2. The word that answers this question is a/an:
a) adverb
b) conjunction
c) noun
3. The word that answers this question is a/an:
a) adjective
b) noun
c) preposition
4. The phrase that answers this question starts with a:
a) verb
b) preposition
c) noun
25
Day 13: Grammar module exam practice
Reading 2: Stella McCartney (part 2)
[7] Stella hadn’t been in the news before as a fashion designer, but she had spent time working in
the fashion world since she was fifteen. [8] In March 1997, Stella went to work for the fashion
house Chloe. [9] People said the famous fashion house had given her the job because of her
surname and her famous parents, but Stella soon showed how good she was. [10] She designs
clothes which she would like to wear herself, although she’s not a model, and many famous
models and actors choose to wear them. [11] In April 2001, Stella went to work for another
famous fashion house, Gucci. [12] In November 2010, the Stella McCartney Kids collection was
launched for newborns and children up to age 12. [13] We know we will hear more about Stella in
the future!
2.1. Grammar. Write down the tense for each of the underlined verbs.
E.g. hadn’t been (Sentence 7)
Past perfect
1. had spent (Sentence 7)
2. went (Sentence 8)
3. designs (Sentence 10)
4. was launched (Sentence 12)
5. will hear (Sentence 13)
2.2. Comprehension. Put the events in order.
Stella showed she was a good designer.
Stella started designing clothes for children.
Stella started working for Gucci.
Stella turned 15.
Stella worked for Chloe.
2.3. Comprehension. Answer the questions.
1. When did Stella start working in the fashion world?
2. What did people say about Stella?
3. What type of clothes does Stella design?
4. Which fashion houses has Stella worked for?
5. Name four types of people who wear Stella’s clothes.
26
Day 14: Grammar module exam practice
Reading 3: UNICEF (Part 1)
UNICEF is committed to giving young children the best start in life. Through early
childhood development programs, UNICEF works with governments and other
partners to ensure young children good health care and proper nutrition, to protect
children from violence and exploitation, to promote the participation of children in the
lives of their families and communities at the youngest ages.
When the child reaches school-age, the role of the family remains critically important.
Every child has the fundamental right to a quality basic education. UNICEF devotes
special efforts to giving girls and boys equal learning opportunities.
When the child reaches adolescence, the family continues to play a protective role.
Adolescents are making decisions that have lifelong consequences. It is precisely at this
time that adolescents need the continuing support and guidance of their family in order
to achieve their rights of development and participation.
[This reading is adapted from “The child in the family”, by UNICEF. Downloaded from: http://www.unicef.org/childfamily/]
3.1 Comprehension. Answer the questions.
1. What will UNICEF give young children?
2. Who does UNICEF work with?
3. What is a child’s fundamental right?
4. Who do adolescents need support and guidance from?
3.2 Grammar. Which verb form is it? Circle the correct answer. (The verbs are underlined in the
passage above. See page 8 for a summary of verb forms.)
E.g. (is) committed
a) simple present affirmative
b) past participle
c) simple past affirmative
1. works
a) simple present affirmative
b) simple past affirmative
c) present participle
2. to promote
a) simple present affirmative
b) past participle
c) infinitive
3. has
a) simple present affirmative
b) infinitive
c) present participle
4. giving
a) past participle
b) present participle
c) infinitive
5. to achieve
a) infinitive
b) present participle
c) past participle
3.3 Grammar. Change the sentence to the tense and form indicated.
Sentence
Change to:
Changed sentence
E.g. UNICEF works with governments.
Simple past question
Did UNICEF work with governments?
1. When the child reaches school-age.
Present passive
affirmative
2. The family continues to play a
protective role.
Present perfect
affirmative
3. Adolescents are making decisions.
Present continuous
negative
27
Day 15: Grammar module exam practice
Reading 4: UNICEF (Part 2)
UNICEF is also committed to promoting gender equality and eliminating gender disparity.
Through health care and basic education programs, UNICEF supports women’s full
participation and empowerment in the community and within their families; UNICEF works
to end violence against women and girls, particularly violence within their families.
Finally, the family’s protection is especially important for children who are exposed to
natural disasters, war or armed conflict. When families are under stress, children are more
likely to fall prey to exploitation and abuse. UNICEF has developed strategies that help to
preserve families under stress and strengthen family capacities, as well as to protect children
without parental care.
Even with efforts to ensure that children remain with their family, there are times when
children become separated from their families. UNICEF attempts to reunite these children
with their families, whenever possible, and as quickly as possible. UNICEF seeks to ensure
that children separated from their families are cared for by extended family members or other
caregivers who will provide as close to a family experience as possible, until it is possible for
them to return to family life.
[This reading is adapted from “The child in the family”, by UNICEF. Downloaded from: http://www.unicef.org/childfamily/]
4.1 Grammar. Change the sentence to the tense and form indicated.
Sentence
Change to:
Changed sentence
E.g. UNICEF works to end violence.
Present perfect
affirmative
UNICEF has worked to end violence.
1. UNICEF supports women’s full
participation in the community.
Past passive
affirmative
2. UNICEF has developed strategies.
Present continuous
question
3. UNICEF attempts to reunite children
with their families.
Present perfect
question
4.2 Grammar/Comprehension. Look at the last paragraph. Match the clauses.
1. UNICEF tries to ensure
a) become separated from their families.
2. But children sometimes
b) care for children separated from their parents.
3. UNICEF tries
c) that children remain with their families.
4. UNICEF tries to ensure that extended family members
d) to reunite these children with their families.
4.3 Comprehension. Answer the questions.
1. How does UNICEF support women’s
participation in the community?
2. Write down four ways in which children can be
placed in danger (according to the article).
1. natural disasters
3.
2.
4.
3. When are children more likely to be abused?
4. What type of strategies has UNICEF developed?
28
Answers
Activity 7
1. simple present negative
Activity 1
Nouns: Gerald, friend; David, children, midday;
wolf, wood; cases
2. present perfect negative
Verbs: is; has been playing; ran; are known to
occur
3. past continuous question
4. simple present affirmative
Adjectives: good; false-negative
5. simple past question
Adverb: swiftly
Conjunctions: with
Activity 8
1. will
Determiners: a, the
2. will
Prepositions: since, through
3. am going to
Activity 2
(Your answers)
4. is going to
5. are going to
Activity 3
(Your answers)
6. will
7. will
Activity 4
1. present perfect
8. are going to
2. present continuous
9. will
3. present simple
5. past perfect
Activity 9
1, If the bus is late, we won’t get to school on
time. / If the bus is on time, we won’t get to
school late.
Activity 5
1. past simple negative
2. If Bill comes home early, we’ll go out to
dinner.
2. present perfect affirmative
3. If I don’t win the lottery, I won’t buy a new
car.
4. past simple
3. simple present affirmative
Activity 10
1. c
4. simple present affirmative
5. present continuous affirmative
2. d
6. present perfect affirmative
3. a
7. simple past negative
4. b
8. simple present affirmative
5. f
9. past perfect affirmative
6. e
10. past continuous negative
Activity 11
1. If my back didn’t hurt, I’d play tennis.
Activity 6
1. Bill is reading War and Peace.
2. If Nick had a map, he’d find the house.
2. Mary doesn’t have (three/any) sisters.
3. If Claire loved Henry, she’d marry him.
3. Kara was watching TV with her friends.
4. If I had a dictionary, I’d look up the
meaning/word.
4. Have Julian and Lucy made the cakes?
5. Did Katie read a book?
29
5. If Andrew didn’t work all the time, he
wouldn’t be boring.
Activity 16
1. Farmers grow tea in India.
Activity 12
(Your answers)
2. Aneglina Jolie was photographed by the
tourists.
Activity 13
1. was watching
3. A car hit the tree.
2. not to talk
4. The church was built in 1927, by the
villagers.
3. loved
5. We don’t usually see that bird here.
4. was going
6. The new library will be opened by the
President.
5. had never been
Reading 1: Stella McCartney (part 1)
6. had been swimming
1.1:
7. ate
Sentence 2: a
8. to hurry
Sentence 3: b
9. had needed
Sentence 4: c
10. would get
Sentence 5: a
Activity 14
1. He said that he liked the/that song.
Sentence 6: b
2. She asked me where my sister was.
1.2
3. She said she didn’t speak Italian.
1. front page
4. They asked me to say hello to Jim.
2. noone
5. He said that the film had begun at 7 o’clock.
3. student
6. She told the boys not to play on the grass.
4. around the world
7. She asked him how he had spent his money.
1.3
8. He said he never made mistakes.
1. b
9. He wanted to know if she knew Robert.
2. c
10. The stuntman advised the audience not to
try (the stunt) at home.
3. b
4. b
Activity 15
1. were
Reading 2: Stella McCartney (Part 2)
2.1
2. is
1. past perfect
3. be
2. simple past
4. am
3. simple present
5. are
4. simple past passive
6 is
5. future with ‘will’
7. are
2.2.
8. was
9 were
10. be
30
3
Stella showed she was a good designer.
5
Stella started designing clothes for children.
4
Stella started working for Gucci.
3.3
1
Stella turned 15.
1. When school age is reached (by the child).
2
Stella worked for Chloe.
2. The family has continued to play a protective
role.
2.3
3. Adolescents aren’t making decisions.
1. When she was fifteen. / In 1986.
Reading 4 (UNICEF Part 2)
2. That she got the job because of her surname
and famous parents
4.1
3. clothes she’d like to wear herself
1. Women’s full participation in the community
was supported (by UNICEF).
4. Chloe, Gucci, Stella McCartney Kids
2. Is UNICEF developing strategies?
5. models, actors, newborns, and children up to
age 12
3. Has UNICEF attempted to reunite children
with their families?
Reading 3 (UNICEF Part 1)
4.2
3.1
1. c
1. UNICEF will give young children the best
start in life.
2. a
2. UNICEF works with governments and other
partners.
3. d
3. A child’s fundamental right is to a quality
basic education.
4.3
4. b
1. UNICEF supports women’s participation in
the community through health care and basic
education programs.
4. Adolescents need support and guidance
from their family.
3.2
2. natural disasters, war or armed conflict,
exploitation and abuse, violence within their
families
1. a
2. c
3. Children are more likely to be abused when
families are under stress.
3. a
4. b
4.UNICEF has developed strategies to help
preserve families under stress and strengthen
family capacities, as well as strategies to
protect children without family care.
5. a
31