INDEX

Adjectives with preposition

Basic verbs with preposition
Reporting verbs
Verbs followed by verb

The passive voice

Linking words
Writing remarks

ADJECTIVES WITH PREPOSITION

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(main menu)

Notes from Class

English Grammar in Use 1
English Grammar in Use 2
Adjectives with preposition list

Notes From Class

(index)

Nice / kind / good / stupid / silly / intelligent / clever / sensible / (im)polite / rude /
unreasonable OF someone (to do something)
-

Thank you it was very nice / kind of you to help me.

Its stupid of her go out without a coat.

Nice / kind / good / (im)polite / rude / (un)pleasant / un(friendly) / cruel TO someone.

-

She has always been very nice / kind to me.

Why are you so rude / unfriendly to Ann.

Angry / furious ABOUT something or WITH someone FOR something.

-

Why are you angry about it?

They were furious with me for not inviting them to my party.

Pleased / disappointed / satisfied WITH something (but disappointedIN someone).

-

I was pleased with the present you gave me.

Were you disappointed with your examination result?

Bored / fed up WITH something.

-

You get bored / fed up with doing the same thing every day.

Surprised / shocked / amazed / astonished AT / BY something.

-

Everyone was surprised at/by the news.

Excited / worried / upset ABOUT something.

-

Are you excited about going on holiday next week?

Afraid / scared / frightened / terrified OF someone / something.

-

Are you afraid of dogs?

Proud / ashamed OF someone / something.

-

Im not ashamed of what I did.

Good / bad / excellent / brilliant / hopeless AT (doing) something.

-

Im not very good at repairing things.

(In)capable OF (doing) something.

-

They dont think I am capable of learning how to do this properly.

Marriage TO someone.
-

Linda is married to an American.

Sorry ABOUT something or FOR doing something.

-

Im sorry about the noise last night.

Im sorry for shouting at you yesterday.

Be / feel sorry FOR someone.

-

I feel sorry for George.

Famous FOR something.

-

Florence is famous for its art treasures.

Responsible FOR something.

-

Who was responsible for this noise last night?

Im responsible to my immediate superior.

Interested IN something.
-

Are you interested in art?

Fond OF something / someone.

-

Mary is fond of animals.

Full OF something.
-

The letter was full of mistakes.

Short OF something.
-

Im a bit short of money.

Keen ON something.
-

We stayed at home because Mary wasnt very keen on going out in the rain.

Similar TO something.
-

Your writing is similar to mine.

Different FROM something.

Their lifestyle is different from ours.

Crowded WITH (people,)

-

The city was crowded with tourists.

UNIT 130 OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR IN USE INTERMEDIATE 4TH EDITION

Adjetive + preposition 1

(index)

lt was nice of you to ...

nice I kind I good I generous I polite I stupid I silly etc. OFsomebody (to do something)
-

Thank you. lt was very kind of you to help me.

lt is stupid of me to go out without a coat in such cold weather.

but
(be) nice I kind I good I generous I polite I rude I friendly Icruel etc. TO somebody.
-

They have always been very nice to me. (not with me).

Why were you so unfriendly to Lucy?

Adjective + about I with

angry I annoyed I furious I upset.

o

ABOUT something.

WITH somebody for doing something.

Theres no point in getting angry about things that dont matter.

Are you annoyed with me for being late?

Lisa is upset about not being invited to the party.

Excited / worried / nervous / happy etc. ABOUT a situation.

-

Are you nervous about the exam?

Pleased / satisfied / happy / delighted / disappointed WITH something you receive, or

the result of something.
-

They were delighted with the present I gave them.

Were you happy with your exam result?

Adjective + at / by / with / of

Surprise / shocked / amazed / astonished / upset AT or BY something.

-

Everybody was surprised at (or by) the news.

I hope you werent shocked by (or at) what I said.

Impressed WITH or BY somebody / something.

-

Im very impressed with (or by) her English. Its very good.

Fed up / bored WITH something.

-

I dont enjoy my job any more. Im fed up with it. / Imbored with it.

Tired / sick OF something.

-

Come on, lets go! Im tired of waiting. / Im sick of waiting.

Sorry about / for

Sorry ABOUT a situation or something that happened.

-

Im sorry about the mess. Ill clear it up later.

Sorry about last night. (= sorry about something that happened last night).

Sorry FOR or ABOUT something you did.

-

Alex is very sorry for what he said. (or sorry about what he said).

Im sorry for shouting at you yesterday. (or sorry about shouting)

You can also say Im sorry I (did something):

-

Im sorry I shouted at you yesterday.

Feel / be sorry FOR somebody who is in a bad situation.

-

I feel sorry for Matt. Hes had a lot of bad luck. (not I feel sorry about Matt).

UNIT 131 OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR IN USE INTERMEDIATE 4TH EDITION

Adjetive + preposition 2

(index)

Adjective+ of (1)

afraid I frightened I terrified I scared OF

-

'Are you afraid of spiders?' 'Yes, I'm terrified of them.'

fond I proud I ashamed I jealous I envious OF

' Why are you always so jealous of other people?

suspicious I critical I tolerant OF

-

He didn't trust me. He was suspicious of my motives.

Adjective+ of (2)

Aware I conscious OF ...

-

'Did you know he was married?' 'No, I wasn't aware of that.'

Capable I incapable OF ...

-

I'm sure you are capable of passing the examination.

Full I short OF ...

-

Amy is a very active person. She's always full of energy.

I'm short of money. Can you lend me some?

Typical OF ...
-

He's late again. it's typical of him to keep everybody waiting.

Certain I sure OF or ABOUT ...

-

I think she's arriving this evening, but I'm not sure of that. or ... not sure about
that.

Adjective+ at I to I from I in I on I with I for

good I bad I brilliant I better I hopeless etc. AT ...

-

I'm not very good at repairing things. (not good in repairing things)

married I engaged TO ...

-

Louise is married to an American. (not married with)

Louise is married with three children. (=she is married and has three ch ildren)

but

SimilarTO ...
-

Your writing is similar to mine.

Different FROM or different TO ...

-

The film was different from what I'd expected. or ... different towhat I'd expected.

Interested IN ...
-

Are you interested in art?

Keen ON ...
-

We stayed at home because Chris wasn't very keen on going out.

Dependent ON ... (but independent OF .. . )

-

I don't want to be dependent on anybody.

Crowded WITH (people etc.)

-

The streets were crowded with tourists. (but ... fuLL of tourists)

Famous FOR ...

The Italian city of Florence is famous for its art treasures.

responsible FOR . ..
-

Who was responsible for all that noise last night?

Lista de adjetivos con preposicion.

(index)

accustomed to acostumbrados a
accused of acusado de
acquainted with se usa para decir que alguien es conocido
addicted to adicto a
annoyed about/with/at molesto por / con / en
allergic to alrgico a
Amazed at/by sorprendido por
anxious about preocupados por
appreciated for apreciado por
ashamed of avergonzado de
associated with asociado con
astonished at/by asombrado de / por
aware of consciente de
angry with enojado con
afraid of miedo de
attached to unido a
bad at malo
based on basado en
beneficial to beneficioso
boastful for jactancioso for
bored with aburrido por o con
brilliant at brillante en
busy with ocupado con
capable of capaz de
careful with/about/of cuidadoso con / sobre / de
certain about seguro de
characteristic of caracterstico de
clever at inteligente en
connected with conectado con
conscious of consciente de
content with contenido con
crazy about loco por
crowded with lleno de
curious about curiosidad por
dissatisfied with insatisfechos con
doubtful about dudas sobre
delighted at/about encantado con / sobre
derived from derivados de
different from diferente de
disappointed with decepcionado con
eager for vido de
eligible for elegible para
enthusiastic about entusiasmo
excellent in/at excelente en
excited about entusiasmados
experienced in experimentado en
exposed to expuesto a
envious of envidioso de
faithful to fiel a

familiar with familiarizado con

famous for famoso por
fed up with harto de
free of/from libre de
frightened of miedo de
friendly with amigable con
fond of aficionado de
furious about furioso por
furnished with amueblado con
full of lleno de
generous with/about generoso con
guilty of/about culpable de
gentle with suave con
good at bueno en
grateful to Agradecido por
happy about feliz por
hopeful of/about esperanza de / sobre
identical with/to idntica a
immune to inmune a
impressed with impresionado con
inferior to inferior a
indifferent to indiferente a
innocent of inocente de
interested in interesado en
involved with involucrado con
incapable of incapaz de
jealous of celoso de
kind to amable en
keen on interesados en
late for tarde por
limited to limitado a
lucky at Se refiere a tener suerte
nervous of/about nervioso de / sobre
notorious for conocido por
opposed to opuesto a
patient with paciente con
pessimistic about pesimistas sobre
pleased with satisfecho con
polite to corts en
popular with popular con
presented with presentado con
proud of orgulloso de
punished for castigado por
puzzled by/about desconcertados por / sobre
qualified for calificado para
ready for listo para
related to relacionado con
relevant to pertinente a
respectful for respetuoso para
responsible for responsable de
rid of deshacerse de
sad about triste por algo
safe from a salvo de
satisfied with satisfecho con
scared of miedo
sensitive to sensible a
serious about en serio
sick of enfermos de
similar to similar a
shocked by conmocionado por
skilful at hbil en
slow at lento en
sorry for/about lo siento por / sobre
successful in exitoso en
suitable for propicio para
sure for/about Seguro de / sobre

superior to superior a
surprised at sorprendido por
suspicious of sospechoso de
sympathetic with
terrible at terrible en
terrified of aterrorizado de
tired of cansado de
thankful to/for agradecido a / por
trilled with
troubled with preocupado con
typical of tpico de
unaware of No tener conocimiento de algo
upset about molesto por
be used to acostumbrado a
wrong with/about mal con / sobre
worried about preocupado por

VERBS FOLLOWED BY PREPOSITION

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1.

AGREE WITH = Acordar con

2.

ACCUSE SB OF STH = Acusar a alguien de algo

3.

LOOK AT = Mirar a

4. APPLY FOR = Solicitar algo

5. APOLIGIZE FOR = Disculparse por
6. ASK FOR = Pedir
7. ARRIVE IN/AT = Llegar a una ciudad/lugar concreto
8. BELONG TO = Pertenecer a
9. BORROW FROM = Pedir prestado a
10. CONSIST OF = Consistir en
11. HAPPEN TO = Pasar/ocurrir a
12. REMIND SB OF STH = recordar a alguien algo
13. DIVIDE INTO XX = Dividir en x partes
14. DIVIDE IN X = Dividir en un lugar
15. WORRY ABOUT STH = Preocuparse por algo
16. SPEAK /TALK TO / ABOUT = Hablar con / Hablar acerca de
17. LAUGH AT (someone) / ABOUT (something) = Rerse de
18. LOOK FORWARD TO = Desear con ganas

19. LISTEN TO = Escuchar a

20. WRITE TO = Escribir a
21. THINK ABOUT (something) = Pensar en
22. SHOUT TO (SB) = Gritar a
23. EXPLAIN (STH) TO (SB) = Explicar a
24. APLOLOGIZE TO = Disculparse a
25. DISCUSS ABOUT = Discutir (debatir) acera de
26. ARGUE ABOUT = Discutir (enfadado) acerca de
27. WAIT FOR = Esperar para
28. LOOK FOR = Buscar
29. LEAVE FOR = Salir para
30. DREAM ABOUT = Soar acerca de
31. COMPLAIN TO = Quejarse a
32. COMPLAIN ABOUT = Quejarse de
33. THINK OF (the idea suddenly comes to your mind) = Pensar en
34. COMPLAIN ABOUT = Quejarse de
35. HEAR ABOUT = Oir acerca de
36. HEAR OF = Saber algo de
37. PAY FOR = Pagar para / por
38. BLAME (SOMEBODY) FOR = Culpar por
39. SUFFER FROM = Sufrir de
40. DEPEND ON = Depende de
41. CONGRATULATE ON = Dar la hora buena en / por
42. BELIEVE IN = Creer en
43. SPECIALIZE IN = Especializarse en
44. SUCCEED IN = Tener xito en
45. TRANSLATE INTO = Traducir al
46. PROVIDE WITH = Proporcionar con
47. INSIST ON = Insistir en

48. SPEND (MONEY) ON = Gastarse dinero en

49. CONCENTRATE ON = Concentrarse en
50. READ ABOUT = Leer acerca de / sobre
51. THANK (SOMEBODY) FOR = Dar las gracias a alguien por
52. WARN ABOUT = Avisar de
53. CRASH INTO = Chocar contra
54. FLY TO = Volar a / para
55. GET ANGRY ABOUT, WITH = Enfadarse por / con
56. KEEN ON = Aficionado a
57. GO INTO = Entrar en

Reporting verbs
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(main menu)

Summary
Verb + infinitive
Verb + Object + infinitive
Verb + gerund
Verb + object + preposition (+ gerund)
Verb + (that)
Basic reporting verbs
Say / tell
Ask
Exclaim
Some common patterns for reporting verbs.

Grammar notes: reporting verbs

(index)

The most important basic aspects of reported speech that you have to remember are:
changes in verb tenses
"I'm going home"
He said he was going home
changes in expressions of time
"I'm going home tomorrow"
He said he was going home the following day
changes in personal pronouns and possessive adjectives
"I'm going to my uncle's home tomorrow"
He said he was going to his uncle's home the following day
When you first learn reported speech these are the aspects you need to practise. The verbs
you use, therefore, are basic ones like say, tell, reply and ask.

However, if you had to interview someone, for example, and then wrote about what the
person said, it would be very boring and repetitive if you used only these verbs.
There are a lot of other verbs you can use to describe or summarise what people say without
repeating the same thing over and over again. These verbs give us the meaning of the
original words without actually using them all.
The section below shows some of these 'reporting verbs' with their meanings and
grammatical structures. You can often use verbs you wouldn't normally associate with
reported speech, but if they describe the meaning of the original words then use them.

Summary of reporting verbs

(index)

Note that some reporting verbs may appear in more than one of the following groups.
1.

Verbs followed by 'if' or 'whether' + clause:

a. Ask, know, remember, say, see

2.

Verbs followed by a that-clause

a. Add, admit, agree, announce, answer, argue, boast, claim, comment,
complain, confirm, consider, deny, doubt, estimate, explain, fear, feel, insist,
mention, observe, persuade, propose, remark, remember, repeat, reply,
report, reveal, say, state, suggest,, suppose, tell, think, understand, warn

3.

Verbs followed by either a that-clause or a to-infinitive:

a. Decide, expect, guarantee, hope, promise, swear, threaten

4.

Verbs followed by a that-clause containing should

(but note that it may be omitted, leaving a subject + zero-infinitive):
a. Advise, beg, demand, insist, prefer, propose, recommend, request, suggest

5.

Verbs followed by a clause starting with a question word:

a. Decide, describe, discover, discuss, explain, forget, guess, imagine, know,
learn, realize, remember, reveal, say, see, suggest , teach, tell, think,
understand, wonder

6.

Verbs followed by object + to-infinitive

a. Advise, ask, beg, command, forbid, instruct, invite, teach, tell, warn

7.

Para decir las palabras que alguien dijo en algn momento y queremos parafrasear,
es necesario que esa frase en estilo indirecto se introduzca mediante un verbo. Este
tipo de verbos son los reporting verbs.
Veamos unos cuantos de estos verbos, centrndonos en los ms usuales, con la
forma correcta de usarlos y algn ejemplo de los mismos.

verb + infinitive:

(index)

agree, decide, offer, promise, refuse, threaten

acceder, decidir, ofrecer, prometer, rechazar (negarse), chantajear

They agreed to meet on Friday.

Accedi a quedar el viernes.

He refused to take his coat off.

Rechaz quitarse el abrigo.

verb + object + infinitive :

(index)

advise, encourage, invite, remind, warn

aconsejar,animar, invitar, recordar, advertir

Verbo + objeto + (not) to + infinitivo (adems de tell y ask)

Direct Speech (Estilo directo)
Reported Speech (Estilo indirecto)
He said to us, "If I were you, I'd called her."
(l nos dijo: "Si fuera vosotros, la llamara.")
He advised us to call her .
(l nos aconsej que la llamramos.)
He said to Jane, "Would you like to come to the cinema?"
(l le dijo a Jane: "Te gustara venir al cine?")
He invited Jane to go to the cinema.
(l invit a Jane a ir al cine.)
He said to the boy, "Don't touch that switch!"
(l le dijo al chico: "No toques ese botn!")
He ordered the boy not to touch that switch.
(l orden al chico que no tocara ese botn.)
Tom advised me to go home early.
Tom me aconsej que me fuera a casa temprano.
She reminded me to telephone my mother.
Me record que llamara a mi madre.

verb + gerund:

(index)

deny, recommend, suggest

denegar, recomendar, sugerir

Verbo + verbo acabado end -ing

Direct Speech (Estilo directo)
Reported Speech (Estilo indirecto)
He said to Tom , "You cheated at the exam."
(l le dijo a Tom: "Copiaste en el examen.")
He accused Tom of cheating at the exam.
(l acus a Tom de copiar en el examen.)
He said, "I've forgotten it, actually."
(l dijo: "Lo he olvidado, en realidad")

He admited forgetting it.

(l admiti haberlo olvidado.)
He said, "I'm sorry, I'm late."
(l dijo: "Lo siento, llego tarde.")
He apologised for being late .
(l pidi perdn por llegar tarde.)
He said, "As I've already said, we should go all together."
(l dijo: "Como ya he dicho, deberamos ir todos juntos.")
He insisted on going alltoghether.
(l insiti en ir todos juntos.)
He said, "You'd better take an umbrella."
(l dijo: "Ms vale que cojis un paraguas.")
He recommended taking an umbrella.
(l recomend coger un paraguas.)
He said, "Why don't we meet at the restaurant? "
(l nos dijo: "Por qu no quedamos en el restaurante?")
He suggested meeting at the restaurant.
(l sugiri quedar en el restaurante.)
She said to him, "It's your fault if we are lost."
(Ella le dijo: "Es tu culpa si estamos perdidos.")
She accused him of being lost .
(Ella lo acus de estar perdidos.)
They recommended taking the bus.
Ellos recomendaron coger el bus.
She suggested meeting a little earlier.
Sugiri quedar un poco ms temprano.

verb + object + preposition (+ gerund):

(index)

accuse, blame, congratulate

acusar, culpar, felicitar
He accused me of taking the money.
Me acus de coger dinero
They congratulated me on passing all my exams.
Ellos me felicitaron por aprobar todos mis exmenes.

verb + preposition + gerund:

apologize, insist
disculpar, insister

They apologized for not coming.

Ellos se disculparon por no venir.
He insisted on having dinner.
Insisti en cenar.

verb + (that):
Verbo + that clauses expresan la intencin del hablante.
admit, agree, decide, deny, explain, insist, promise, recommend, suggest
admitir, acceder, decidir, denegar, explicar, insistir, prometer, recomendar,sugerir

Direct Speech (Estilo directo)

Reported Speech (Estilo indirecto)
He said, "All right! I'll talk to them."
(l dijo: "Est bien, hablar con ellos.")
He agreed that he would talk to them.
(l estuvo de acuerdo en que hablara con ellos.)
He said, "I'm sure I've lost it."
(l dijo: "Estoy seguro de que lo he perdido.")
He claimed that he had lost it.
(l asegur que lo haba perdido.)
He said, "It's too hot in here."
(l dijo: "Hace demasiado calor aqu dentro.")
He complained that it was too hot in there.
(l se quej de que haca demasiado calor all dentro.)
He said, "I can't go because I've got a meeting."
(l dijo: "No puedo ir porque tengo una reunin.")
He explained that he couldn't go because he had a meeting.
(l explic que no poda ir porque tena una reunin.)
He said, "I'll learn it, I promise."
(l dijo: "Lo aprender, lo prometo.")
He promised that he would learn it.
(l prometi que lo aprendera.)
He said to us, "Don't forget that you have to finish early."
(l nos dijo: "No olvidis que tenis que acabar temprano.")
He reminded us that we had to finish early.
(l nos record que tenamos que acabar temprano.)
He said to them, "I'm busy."
(l les dijo: "Estoy ocupado.")
He replied to them that he was busy.
(l les contest que estaba ocupado.)
He said to her, "There's a diversion ahead."
(l le dijo: "Hay un desvo ms adelante.")
He warned her that there was a diversion ahead.
(l le avis de que haba un desvo ms adelante.)

Sarah decided (that) the house needed cleaning.

Sarah decidi que la casa necesitaba limpieza.
They recommended (that) we take the bus.
Ellos recomendaron que tomramos el autobs.

Some basic reporting verbs

(index)

The grammar structures I've shown with these verbs are not necessarily the only structures
possible. I've tried to show the ones I think are the most usual. The meaning of some verbs
changes according to the structure used, so I've only included structures that have the same
meaning.
accuse
to accuse someone of doing something
"It was you who ate my chocolate, Elvira, wasn't it?"
He accused Elvira of eating his chocolate.
admit
to admit doing something
to admit that...
"OK, it was me. I ate your chocolate"
Elvira admitted eating the chocolate.
Elvira admitted that she had eaten the chocolate.
Advise
to advise someone to do something
"Well, if I were you I'd start saving for my retirement."
He advised me to start saving for my retirement
agree
to agree that...
"Yes, you're right, it's a terrible problem."
She agreed that it was a terrible problem.
announce
to announce that...
"I'm afraid I've got some bad news. The company's closing."
The manager announced that the company was closing.
apologise
to apologise (to someone) for doing something
"I'm sorry I didn't get to the meeting."
He apologised for not going to the meeting.
ask
to ask someone to do something
"It's very hot in here. Would you mind opening the window?"
She asked him to open the window.
blame
to blame someone for doing something
"We lost the match because you didn't save that penalty."
He blamed the goalkeeper for losing the match.

complain
to complain about something
"The electrician said he was coming at ten o'clock so I took time off work and waited in all
morning...."
She complained about the electrician.
congratulate
to congratulate someone on doing something
"Well done! I knew you'd pass your driving test this time."
She congratulated him on passing his driving test.
deny
to deny doing something
to deny that...
"It most certainly wasn't me that left the front door open."
He denied leaving the front door open.
He denied that he had left the front door open.
explain
to explain why...
to explain that...
"Sorry I'm late. The traffic was bad and then I couldn't find a parking space."
He explained why he was late.
He explained that the traffic was bad.
forget
to forget to do something
"Oh no, I haven't got any money. I didn't go to the bank."
He forgot to go to the bank.
invite
to invite someone to do something
"Would you like to come to our house for dinner on Friday?
He invited them to come to dinner on Friday.
offer
to offer to do something for someone
"Those bags must be heavy, John. Shall I take one?"
She offered to carry a bag for him.
promise
to promise to do something
"Yes, honest, I'll be there on time. I won't be late."
He promised not to be late.
refuse
to refuse to do something
"Well I'm not washing up. I did it last time."
He refused to do the washing-up.
remind
to remind someone to do something
"Remember you have to go to the bank. You forgot yesterday."
She reminded me to go to the bank.

suggest
to suggest that someone should do something
to suggest that someone do something
"Why don't you go to the dentist if your tooth hurts?"
She suggested that he should go to the dentist.
She suggested that he went to the dentist.
threaten
to threaten to do something
"If you're late again we'll start without you."
They threatened to start without him.
warn
to warn someone about something
to warn someone (not) to do something
"Don't drive too quickly. The streets are very icy."
He warned him about the ice.
He warned him not to drive too quickly.

Say or Tell?

(index)

Aunque ambos verbos significan en espaol lo mismo , hay

una diferencia muyimportante:
-

SAY para resaltar lo que se dice. He said (that) he was happy. (l dijo que era
feliz.)
TELL para enfatizar a quin se le dice algo. He told us (that) he was happy
(l nos dijo que era feliz.)

En el estilo directo se pueden utilizar indistintamente siempre

que recordemos su distinta estructura sintctica :
TELL someone something = SAY something TO someone (decirle algo a alguien)
He said to us, "I'm happy." (l nos dijo: "Soy feliz.") / He told us, "I'm happy." (l nos dijo:
"Soy feliz.")
PERO: En el estilo indirecto SLO podemos utilizar TOLDcuando 'decir'
lleva complemento indirecto :
-

He told us (that) he was happy.

(He said to us (that) he was happy.)

En las rdenes y sugerencias SLO se puede usar TELL:

He told me to wait a moment. He said to me to wait a moment.
(l me dijo que esperara un momento.)
He told them (said to them) not to disturb the meeting with questions.
(l les dijo que no interrumpieran la reunin con preguntas.)
Con algunas expresiones, solo TELL
-

tell
tell
tell
tell
tell
tell
tell

(someone) a story /stories (contar[le] (a alguien) un cuento / cuentos)

(someone) a lie / lies (decir[le] una mentira / mentiras (a alguien))
(someone) a joke / jokes (contar[le] un chiste / chistes (a alguien))
(someone) the truth (decir[le] la verdad (a alguien))
the difference (decir la diferencia, distinguir)
the future / fortunes (predecir el future)
(someone) the time (decir (-le a alguien) la hora)

can tell con sentido de notar:

-

I can tell that you are tired. (Noto que estas cansado)

I dont think he is worried but you can never tell. (No creo que est preocupado pero
nunca lo notas).

Con las siguientes expresiones, solo SAY

-

say
say
say
say
say

hello / goodbye (decir hola / adis, saludar /despedirse)

a name decir un nombre
something/ anything /nothing decir algo / algo / nada
a prayer decir una oracin
a word / a phrase / a sentence decir una palabra / una frase / una oracin

Hay muchos verbos que pueden ser usados en lugar de say y tell.
said, mentioned, explained, pointed out, agreed, promised, threatened,
She pretended, claimed, recommended, suggested, admitted, denied, boasted, that ...
complained, insisted, proposed, replied
She told, promised, advised, warned, reminded
Him that ...

Ask para preguntas y peticiones.

(index)

Direct Speech (Estilo directo)

Reported Speech (Estilo indirecto)
He said to her, "Are they working?"
(l le dijo: "Estn trabajando?")
He asked her if/whether they were working.
(l le pregunt que si estaban trabajando.)
He said to Jim, "Where do they work?"
(l le pregunt a Jim: "Dnde trabajan?")
He asked Jim where they worked.
(l le pregunt a Jim que dnde trabajaban.)
He said to us, "Help me, please."
(l nos dijo: "Ayudadme, por favor.")
He asked us to help him.
(l nos pidi que le ayudramos.)

Exclaim para las exclamaciones

(index)

Direct Speech (Estilo directo)

Reported Speech (Estilo indirecto)
He said, "How beautiful!"
(l dijo: "Qu bonito!")
He exclaimed it was beautiful.
(l exclam que era bonito.)
He said, "What a beautiful house!"
(l dijo: "Qu casa ms bonita!")
He exclaimed it was a beautiful house.
(l exclam que era una bonita casa.)
He said, "What beautiful houses!"
(l dijo: "Qu casas ms bonitas!")
He exclaimed they were beautiful houses.
(l exclam que eran bonitas casas.)

Common patterns

(index)

With some verbs, you can use other structures. If someone says "I'll help you", normal
reported speech is:
She promised that she would help me.
But you can also use the verb promise with to + infinitive.
She promised to help me.
Here are some common patterns for reporting verbs.
verb
offered
agreed
refused
promised
threatened
pretended

She

verb
told
ordered
asked
begged
advised
reminded
persuaded
encouraged
invited

She

to do
the shopping.

who?

to + verb

to do the
shopping

him

verb
admitted
denied
suggested
recommended

to + verb

verb-ing
eating all the cake

Finally, there are a lot of reporting verbs which use

prepositions. Again, you have toremember all these patterns.
I
I
I
I
I
I

blamed him for

accused him of
congratulated him on
confessed to
apologised for
insisted on

VERBS FOLLOWED BY VERB

doing it

(main menu)

INDICE
-

Summary

Cuando se utiliza un infinitivo seguido de to?

Cuando se utiliza un infinitivo sin To?

cundo se utiliza una forma terminada en -ing?

cuntos tipos de infinitivos existen?

qu verbos pueden ir seguidos de un infinitivo o de un gerundio sin que

cambie su significado?

qu verbos y expresiones cambian de significado segn vayan seguidos de

un infinitivo o de un gerundio?

Summary

(index)

VERBOS SEGUIDO DE TO + INF

-

Expresar Finalidad

Despues de algunos verbos (advise, agree, appear, decide, expect,

hope,promise, refuse)

Despues de adjetivos (angry, happy, glad, bad, good) tambin estos adjetivos
pueden ir precedidos por enough y too.

Depues de una question Word (excepto why

Despues de would love, would like, would hate y would prefer (para expresar una
preferencia expecfica, no general)

Despues de sustantivos.

Con la estructura it + be (conjugado) + adj + to + obj.

Despues del adverbio only

VERBOS SEGUIDO DE INFINITIVO SIN TO.

-

Despus de los verbos modales.

Despues de las estructuras had better y would rather.

Despues de los verbos let, make, see, hear, watch y feel seguidos de un objeto.
o

En las oraciones pasivas, estos verbos van seguidos de to masinfinitivo.

Los verbos de percepcin (sentidos) van seguidos de infinitivo sin to

cuando la accin que vemos u omos es completa, desde el principio hasta el
fin.

CUANDO SE UTILIZA FORMA TERMINADA EN ING.

-

Como sustantivo.

De verbos tales como: admit, avoid, consider, continue, delay, deny, enjoy,
escape, excuse, fancy, finish, forgive, imagine, involve, kkep, look forward to,
mention, mind, miss, object to, postpone, practise, prevent, report, resist, risk, sabe,
stand, suggest, understand

Despues de love, like, dislike, hate, enjoy y prefer.

Despues de las siguientes expresiones.-

VERBOS Y EXPRESIONES QUE CAMBIAN DE SIGNIFICADO SEGN SEAN SEGUIDOS

DE INF. O GERUNDIO.
-

Remember, forget, regret, go on, Stop.

o

Seguidos de to + infintivo.- La actividad mental ocurri antes de la accin.

Seguidos de gerundio.- La actividad mental es posterior a la accin.

Try.o

Seguido de to + infinitivo.- Intentar algo, pero en la misma direccin.

Seguido de ing.- Probar algo pero en una direccin distinta.

Mean.o

Seguido de to + infinitivo.- implicar, suponer, significar.

Seguido de ing.- tener la intencin de.

Want y need.
o

Want seguido de to + infinitivo.- Querer (desear)

Want seguido de ing.-

To be affraid.
o

Seguido de of + -ing.- que alguien tiene miedo a que ocurra lo descrito en

el gerundio.

Seguido de to + infinitivo.- Que alguien esta demasiado asustado como

para hacer algo.

To be sorry.o

Seguido de to + infinitivo.- Igual que regret (lamentar)

Seguido de for + -ing.- Disculparse por algo. Apologise.

VERBOS SEGUIDOS DE INFINITIVOS O GERUNDIOS SIN QUE CAMBIE SU

SIGNIFICADO
-

Begin, start, continue (no pueden aparecer dos ing seguidas en la misma oracin)

Advise, allow, permit, forbid, recommend y encourage, except en:

To + inf cuando vayan seguidos de un objeto o esten en forma pasiva.

ing cuando no vayan seguidos de un objeto.

Despus de las estructuras it needs, it requires e it wants, pondremos una

forma terminada en -ing.

A) CUNDO SE UTILIZA UN INFINITIVO SEGUIDO DE TO?

(index)

I) Cuando queremos expresar finalidad, como en este ejemplo:

He went out tobuy some milk (Sali a comprar algo de leche)
II) Despus de algunos verbos como advise, agree, appear, decide, expect,
hope, promise, refuse, etc. Ejemplo: She promised to be back by10 oclock (Prometi
estar de vuelta antes de las 10).
III) Despus de adjetivos como angry, happy, glad, bad, good, etc. Ejemplo: I
am happy to see you (Me alegro de verte)
IV) Tambin utilizaremos un infinitivo seguido de to inmediatamente despus de una
question word (excepto de why): I dont know where to go(no s a dnde
ir),pero I dont know why she left so early (no s porqu se march tan temprano).
V) Despus de would love, would like y would prefer para expresar una
preferencia especfica, no general: Id love to go for a walk (esta oracin no significa
que, como norma general, a m me guste salir a pasear, sino que simplemente, me apetece
en este momento).
VI) Despus de sustantivos: It has been a pleasure to meet you (ha sido un placer
conocerte).
VII) En oraciones con enough y too. Presta mucha atencin a estos ejemplos, ya que

es muy comn cometer errores con este tipo de estructuras:

- The child is too short to reach the shelf El nio es demasiado bajo como para llegar a la
estantera.
-He isnt tall enough to reach the shelf No es lo suficientemente alto como para llegar a la
estantera.
VIII) Con la estructura it + be (en el tiempo que corresponda) + adjetivo + of +
objeto:
It was very nice of him to remember my birthday (fue muy amable por su parte el
acordarse de mi cumpleaos).
IX) Despus del adverbio only, para expresar un resultado que no nos
satisface: The boss called me only to put off the meeting (el jefe me llam nicamente para
cancelar la reunin).
B) CUNDO SE UTILIZA UN INFINITIVO SIN TO?

(index)

I) Despus de los verbos modales. Ejemplo: I must be back at 10 o clock (debo estar de
vuelta a las 10)
II) Despus de las estructuras had better y would rather.
Ejemplo: Id ratherhave stayed in last night (preferira haberme quedado en casa anoche).
III) Despus de los verbos let, make, see, hear, watch y feel, seguidos
de un objeto:
- His parents made him apologise (sus padres le hicieron disculparse)
- They dont let him watch TV (no le dejan ver la televisin)
IMPORTANTE: con los verbos de percepcin (los de los sentidos, como watch,
see, etc.) utilizaremos un infinitivo sin to cuando la accin que vemos u omos
es completa, es decir, cuando la vemos o la omos desde el principio hasta el final:
-I watched Mike paint the kitchen (vi a Mike pintar la cocina, desde que empez, hasta que
termin). Compara este ejemplo con los del apartado VIII de la siguiente seccin.
Excepcin: en las oraciones pasivas, los verbos de este apartado irn seguidos de un
infinitivo con to: He was made to apologise.

C) CUNDO SE UTILIZA UNA FORMA TERMINADA EN -ING?

(index)

I) Una forma terminada en -ng puede utilizarse como un sustantivo, desempeando

en la oracin las funciones propias de este tipo de palabras. En el ejemplo que os ofrecemos
a continuacin, la forma terminada en -ing funciona como sujeto de la
oracin: Smoking is bad for your healt (fumar es malo para tu salud).
II) Utilizaremos una forma terminada en -ing despus de verbos como lossiguientes:
start, begin, continue, finish, end, resume, admit, avoid, consider, delay,
deny, enjoy, escape, excuse, fancy, finish, forgive, imagine, involve,
keep, look forward to, mention, mind, miss, object to, postpone, practise,
prevent, report, resist, risk, save, stand, suggest, understand, etc.
III) Despus de love, like, dislike, hate, enjoy y prefer para expresar una
preferencia general. Compara estos ejemplos con los del apartado V de la seccin A:
IV) los verbos like, love, hate y prefer pueden ir tambin seguidos de to + inf para
una preferencia especfica.
I like cooking (en general, me gusta cocinar), pero I like to eat a healthybreakfast (en
este caso, estamos expresando una preferencia especfica, me gusta tomar un desayuno
saludable porque me parece bien o me parece correcto, no necesariamente porque disfrute
hacindolo, algo que s ocurre cuando cocino).
V) Despus de las siguientes expresiones:
- Im busy
- Its no use : no sirve de nada
- Its (not) worth : merece / no merece la pena
- Whats the use of?: qu sentido tiene? / de qu sirve?
- Cant help : no poder evitar
- Theres no point (in): no tiene sentido
- Cant stand: no poder soportar.
- To be used (or accustomed) to: estar acostumbarado a.
- To get used (or accustomed) to: acostumbrase a.
- Have difficulty in: tener dificultades en.
- Apologise for: disculparse por.
- Accuse + object + of: acusar a alguien de algo.
Ejemplo: They were accused of distorting the facts (les acusaron de tergiversar los hechos)

- Prevent + object + from: impedir a alguien que haga algo.

Ejemplo: They tried to prevent her from leaving (trataron de impedir que se fuera)

VI) Despus del verbo go, para indicar actividades fsicas: We go jogging everySaturday.
VII) Despus de waste time o spend time: they wasted their time playingvideo games.
VIII) Despus de una preposicin (con lo cual, debemos incluir en este aparatado a los
phrasal verbs): he entered without knocking at the door (entr sin llamar a la puerta).
IX) Despus de los verbos de percepcin (hear, see, listen, watch, etc) cuando lo
que vemos o escuchamos es una accin incompleta:
- I saw Mike painting the kitchen (vi a Mike pintar la habitacin, pero no desde que empez
hasta que acab, sino solamente durante un rato).

D) CUNTOS TIPOS DE INFINITIVOS EXISTEN?

(index)

Segn lo visto hasta ahora, podemos diferenciar al menos dos tipos de infinitivos.
I) Infinitivos sin to: We must leave.
II) Infinitivos con to: They want to leave.
Sin embargo, existen otras variantes que conviene sealar:
III) Passive infinitive: The work will have to be left until tomorrow (el trabajo tendr que
dejarse - ser dejado- hasta maana.
IV) Perfect passive infinitive: The building seems to have been
destroyed (eledificio parece haber sido destruido)
V) Continuous infinitive: Our guests seem to be leaving now
(parece quenuestros invitados van a marcharse ahora).
VI) Perfect infinitive: They seem to have left (parece que se han marchado)
VII) Perfect continuous infinitive: They seem to have been waiting for a long time
(parece que han estado esperando durante mucho tiempo).

E) QU VERBOS PUEDEN IR SEGUIDOS DE UN INFINITIVO O DE UN GERUNDIO SIN

QUE CAMBIE SU SIGNIFICADO?

(index)

I) Begin, start y continue. Sin embargo, no pueden aparecer en

la oracindos formas terminadas en -ing seguidas:
- John began to sing (correcto)
- Jonh began singing (correcto)
- Its beginning to get cold (correcto)
- Its beginning getting cold (incorrecto)
II) Advise, allow, permit, forbid, recommend y encourage. En el caso de estos
verbos, su significado no vara con independencia de que vayan seguidos de un infinitivo o
de una forma terminada en -ing. Sin embargo:
a) Cuando van seguidos de un objeto o estn en forma pasiva, irn seguidos de un infinitivo
con to:
They dont allow us to smoke here (seguido de un objeto).
We are not allowed to smoke here (en forma pasiva).

b) Cuando despus de estos verbos no aparece un objeto, irn seguidos de una forma
terminada en ng:
They dont allow smoking here.
III) Despus de las estructuras it needs, it requires e it wants, pondremos una forma
terminada en -ing.
No es lo mismo decir:
I want to paint the kitchen (quiero pintar la cocina) que The kitchen needspainting.
Evidentemente, no es que la cocina necesite pintar nada, sino que la cocina necesita que
alguien la pinte.
Otro ejemplo:
I need to repair my car (Yo necesito arreglar el coche. No puedo ir a trabajar).
The car needs repairing (El coche no necesitar reparar nadar; necesita que alguien lo
repare).

F) QU VERBOS Y EXPRESIONES CAMBIAN DE SIGNIFICADO SEGN VAYAN

SEGUIDOS DE UN INFINITIVO O DE UN GERUNDIO?

(index)

I) Remember, Forget, Regret, Go on y Stop. Para saber cundo cada uno de

estos verbos debe ir seguido de un infinitivo o de una forma terminada en -ing, podemos
aplicar una regla bastante sencilla.
Fjate en los siguientes ejemplos:
I remembered to buy the tickets
I remembered buying the tickets
En ambas oraciones hay un proceso o una actividad que podramos denominar mental
(recordar) y una accin propiamente dicha (comprar las entradas).
En el primer ejemplo, la actividad mental ocurri antes que la accin. Es decir, primero me
acord de algo. De qu? De comprar las entradas. Luego:
I remembered to buy the tickets = Me acord de comprar las entradas (Me acord de que
tena pendiente comprarlas).
Sin embargo, en el segundo ejemplo sucede lo contrario. Es decir, me acord de algo, s, pero
de qu me acord? De que ya haba comprado las entradas, luego:
I remembered buying the tickets = Record haber comprado (anteriormente) las entradas.
Es decir, primero las compr y luego record haberlo hecho.
Vamos a ver un ejemplo con el verbo forget:
I forgot to buy milk. Me olvid de algo que tena pendiente de hacer, comprar leche.
Ill never forget flying over the Alps. Nunca me olvidar de algo que hice en elpasado, volar
sobre los Alpes.
De la misma forma:
I regret to tell you that you have failed. Lamento algo. Decirte que has suspendido. Primero
lo lamento y luego te lo digo.
I regret telling you that you had failed. Lo que lamento ahora es algo que te dije en el
pasado. Que habas suspendido (no era cierto, era solo para que estudiases ms la prxima
vez).

Algo similar ocurre con stop y go on:

I stopped to buy the newspaper: iba en mi coche y me detuve. Y, tras detenerme, compr
el peridico.
I stopped buying the newspaper: dej de hacer algo que, hasta entonces, haba hecho.
Dej de comprar el peridico porque slo publican noticias del corazn y no me interesan.
II) Try. Para explicar este caso en particular, recurriremos a un par de ejemplos:
I tried to lift the suitcase, but it was too heavy. Intent coger la maleta, pero era demasiado
pesada. Lo intent, hice un esfuerzo, pero no pude.
Why dont you try adding some salt to the meat? Its tasteless. En este caso, la carne est
sosa, as que voy a probar a echarle algo de sal. No me cuesta ningn esfuerzo hacerlo, lo
hago por probar, a ver si sabe mejor.
III) Mean. Los significados de este verbo son completamente distintos.
a) Cuando va seguido de una forma terminada en -ing, mean significa implicar,
suponer, significar, etc.
- Finding a job means attending many interviews Encontrar un trabajo supone o implica
tener que acudir a muchas entrevistas.

b) Seguido de un infinitivo con to, mean significa tener la intencin de:

- I never meant to hurt you Nunca tuve la intencin de hacerte dao
IV) Want y need. Ya hemos visto la diferencia en un apartado anterior:
- I want to buy a new car Quiero comprarme un coche nuevo (es mi deseo)
- This house needs / wants painting once again La casa no quiere nada. En todo caso,
necesita que alguien la vuelva a pintar.
V) To be afraid:
a) Seguida de la preposicin of y de una forma terminada en -ing, esta expresin significa
que alguien tiene miedo de que ocurra lo descrito precisamente por el gerundio:
- Im afraid of losing my job - Tengo miedo de perder mi trabajo.

b) Seguida de un infinitivo con to, expresa la idea de que alguien esta demasiado asustado
como para hacer algo:
- Im afraid to climb up that tree Me da miedo subir a ese rbol (estoy demasiado
asustado como para hacerlo me dan miedo las alturas)
VI) To be sorry. Tambin esta expresin puede tener significados distintos. As:
a) Im sorry to hear she has been fired. Seguida de to, el significado de esta expresin es
similar al del verbo regret (lamentar): lamento saber que la han despedido. As:
Im sorry to hear she has been fired = I regret to hear she has been fired
b) Im sorry for being so unfair to you. En este caso to be sorry + for significa
disculparse por algo. Luego:
Im sorry for being so unfair to you = I apologise for being so unfair to you.

THE PASSIVE VOICE

ACTIVE and PASSIVE VOICE

(main menu)

INDEX:
Active and Passive Voice
When to use the Passive Voice
Verb with two objects
Passive Voice + basic modal forms
Facts about Passive Voice

Active and Passive Voice

(index)

An idea can be expressed in two different ways. We can do it by using a verb to indicate
whether the subject performs an action (active voice) or receives the action (passive
voice).
Active voice: The verb is in the active voice when the subject does the action.
EXAMPLE: A cat ate the fish. (Subject: cat / Verb: ate / Object: fish)
Here, the doer of the action is a cat and the verb "ate" is in the active voice. The object
comes after the verb.
Passive voice: When action is done to the subject, the verb is in the passive voice. The
previous object (fish) is now used as the subject.
EXAMPLE: The food was eaten by a Ahmad. (Verb: eaten / Subject: Ahmad)

Here, action is done to the subject and the verb "was eaten" is in the passive voice. The
subject comes before the verb.
In changing a sentence, as above, from active voice to one in the passive voice, we make
the object of the active voice sentence the subject of the passive voice sentence. The verb
used in a passive voice sentence is formed by adding the past participle to "to be" (am, is,
are, was, were, has been, have been, will be, etc.) Passive verbs have the same tenses
(simple present tense, present continuous tense, present perfect tense, etc.) as active verbs.
Only verbs which take on an object can be changed to the passive. (Example: He runs
away. This sentence has no object, so it's not possible to turn it into a passive sentence.)
When we choose passive sentences, we use the preposition 'by' to show who or what does or
has done the action (as shown above: The food was eaten by Ahmad.) We use 'by' only when
we have to.
When to use the Passive Voice

(index)

We use the active voice whenever we can. We use only the passive voice:
when we don't know who performs the action;
Example: The bank was broken into last night.
When we know or it is important to know who performs an action.
Example: This painting was done by my grandmother.
When the action itself is more important than the doer.
Example: Siblings were tragically killed in a road accident.
When we are interested only in what happens rather than who or what did it.
Example: The giant snake was killed in that village.
When we choose not to name the one who performs the action.
Example: The work was poorly done.
When it is not important to know who does, or did the action;
Example: All these wares were imported from Hong Kong.
When we don't want to take responsibility for something;
Example: The matter is currently dealt with by someone.
When we wish to emphasize the person or thing acted on rather than the one who
does it.
EXAMPLE: John was presented with a bravery award yesterday.
Verbs with two Objects

(index)

A verb can have two objects a person and a thing. Such a verb can have two
possible passive voices.
EXAMPLE:
Active: The salesman shows Nick a new computer. / The salesman shows a new computer to
Nick.
Passive: Nick is shown a new computer.
Passive: A new computer is shown to Nick.
EXAMPLE:
Active: We lent Bob some money. / We lent some money to Bob.
Passive: Bob was lent some money.
Passive: Some money was lent to Bob.
Passive Voice + Basic Modal Forms
-

Affirmative

(index)

Negative
Interrogative
Imperative

Basic modal forms can be used in the passive voice by combining:

modal + to be/to have been + past participle:
EXAMPLE:
will
may
may have

I will write
I may write
I may have written

AFFIRMATIVE SENTENCES

it will be written
it may be written
it may have been written, etc.

(Basic Modal Index)

We form the passive voice with the verb 'to be' and the past particle.
The passive forms are:
Simple present tense
EXAMPLE:
Active: She writes the letter.
Passive: The letter is written by her.
Present continuous tense
EXAMPLE:
Active: She is writing the letter.
Pasive: The letter is being written by her.
Present perfect tense
EXAMPLE:
Active: She has written the letter.
Passive: The letter has been written by her.

Simple past tense

EXAMPLE:
Active: She wrote the letter.
Passive: The letter was written by her.
Past continuous tense
EXAMPLE:
Active: She was writing the letter
Passive: The letter was being written by her.

Past perfect tense

EXAMPLE:
Active: She had written the letter.
Passive: The letter had been written by her.

Simple future tense

EXAMPLE:
Active: She will write the letter.
Passive: The letter will be written by her.

Future perfect tense

EXAMPLE:
Active: She will have written the letter
Passive: The letter will have been written by her.
Infinitive:
EXAMPLE:
Active: She has to write the letter.
Passive: The letter has to be written.
Modals:
EXAMPLE:
Active: She will/may write the letter.
Passive: The letter will/may be written.
NEGATIVE SENTENCES:

(Basic Modal Index)

In negative sentences not is used after the to be verb.

Simple present tense:
He does not write a letter.
A letter is not written by him.
past indefinite tense:
He didnt write a letter.
A letter was not written by him.
Future indefinite tense:
He will not write a letter.
A letter will not be written by her.
Present continuous tense:
He is not writing a letter.
A letter is not being written by him.
Past continuous tense
He was not writing a letter.
A letter wan not being written by him.
Future continuous tense:
( Normally the passive voice of Future Continuous Tense is not used but if a sentence is given
the exams you can use it as follow:
He will not be writing a letter.
A letter will not be being written by him.)
Present perfect tense:
He has not written a letter.
A letter has not been written by him.
Past perfect tense:
He had not written a letter.
A letter had not been written by him.
Future perfect continuous tense:
He will have written a letter.
A letter will not have been written by him.
INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES

(Basic Modal Index)

An interrogative sentence in active voice will remain interrogative in passive voice

The following example show how the voice of interrogative sentences is changed>
Present indefinite tense:
Does he write a letter?
Is a letter written by him?
Past indefinite tense:
Did he write a letter?
Was a letter written by him?
Future indefinite tense
Will he write a letter?
Will a letter be written by him?
Present continuous tense:
Is he writing a letter?
Is a letter being written by him?
Past continuous tense:
Was he writing a letter?
Was a letter being written by him?
Future continuous tense:
(Normally the passive voice of Future Continuous Tense is not used but if a sentence is given
the exams you can use it as follow:
Will he be writing a letter?
Will a letter be being written by him?)
Present perfect tense:
Has he written a letter?
Has a letter been written by him?
Past perfect tense:
Had he written a letter?
Had a letter been written by him?
Future perfect tense:
Will he have written a letter?
Will a letter have been written by him?
IMPERATIVE SENTENCES

(Basic Modal Index)

An imperative sentence expresses an order, a request, an advice or a suggestion. The subject

is hidden in the imperative sentences so the same formula for changing the voice cant be
applied.
Active: verb+ object
Passive: Let + object + be +past participle
Example:
Do it.
Let it be done.
Open the door.
Let the door be open.
Dont open the door.
Let the door not be opened.
3. Facts about Passive Voice

(index)

Note the following:

As evidenced above, in converting a sentence in active voice to a sentence in the passive
voice, the object of the active voice sentence becomes the subject of the passive voice
sentence.
Example: He drew the picture. / The picture was drawn by him.
Sentences in the passive voice do not make sense if the "doers" are not mentioned.
Example: "The match was won." ('doers' left out) as opposed to "The match was won by
Liverpool"
A transitive verb is a verb that has an object that comes after it and so can be changed
into the passive voice.
Example: "Lee throws a ball." can be changed to "A ball is thrown by Lee".
An intransitive verb is a verb that does not have an object following it and so cannot be
changed into the passive voice.
Example: Lee walks away. (INCORRECT: Lee was walked away.)
The passive voice is often used to evade responsibility by people or organizations.
Example: The report was lost by somebody. (Who is that 'somebody'?)
Example: All workers are encouraged to work overtime. (Encouraged bywhom?)
Notices often use the passive voice.
Example: Customers are advised to leave all their belongings here.
An active sentence when changed to a passive sentence conveys the same meaning. The
only difference is that the object in an active sentence is repositioned to become the subject
in a passive sentence, and the subject in the active sentence becomes the object in the
passive sentence.
We need to be sure of what we are saying. If we are not sure of our facts, we can exercise
caution by saying: It is said that he is the culprit. /He is said to be the culprit.
It is possible to use 'get' instead of 'to be', especially so in our everyday conversation.
Example: I got cheated by the salesman. / They think he will get beaten in the race.
Note: The present perfect continuous, the past perfect continuous, the future
continuous, and the future perfect continuous tenses are not normally used
in thepassive voice.

LINKING WORDS / PHRASES

(main menu)

INDEX
-

Personal opinion.
To list advantages and disadvantages.
To list points.
To list points in a specific sequence.
To add more points at the same topic.
To refer to other sources.
To express cause.
To express effect.
To express purpose.
To emphasise what you say.
To express reality.
To express the difference between appearance and reality.
To give examples.
To make general statements.

To make partially correct statements.

To express limit of knowledge.
To state other peoples opinion.
To making contrasting point.
To express balance (the other side of the argument).
Negative addition.
To express exception.
To clarify / rephrase.
To express similarity.
To give an alternative.
To express condition.
To express the consequence of a condition.
To express comparison.
To conclude.
Time.
Relatives.
Reference.
Summarising.

Personal opinion:
-

(Linking words index)

In my opinion, / In my view, / To my mind, / To my way of thinking, /

Personally I believe that / It strikes me that / I feel very strongly that /I am
inclined to believe that / It seems to me that / As far as I am concerned, / I
think that the world would be a much better place without nuclear power.

To list advantages and disadvantages.

-

One advantage of / another advantage of / the other advantage of / a

further advantage of / the main advantage of / the greatest advantage of /
The first advantage of travelling to work by bicycle is that it is cheap; you dont
have to pay for fuel.
One disadvantage of / another disadvantage of / the other disadvantage of /
a further disadvantage of / the main disadvantage of / the greatest
disadvantage of / The first disadvantage of travelling to work is that you have
no protection from the win or rain.

To list points:
-

(Linking words index)

Firstly, / first of all, / in the first place, / Secondly, / Thirdly, / Finally, / to

start with, people who live in the country suffer far fewer health problems than
those who live in the city.

To list point in a specific sequence:

-

(Linking words index)

Beginning First, / to start with, / to begin with, / First of all, wash the wound
with cold water.
Continuing Secondly, / After this/that, / Afterwards, / then, / next, wrap a
bandage around the cut.
Concluding Finally, / Lastly, / Last but not least, place the patient in a
comfortable position and allow them to rest.

To add more points on the same topics:

-

(Linking words index)

(Linking words index)

What is more, / furthermore, / apart from this/that, / In addition (to this), /

moreover (this), / not to mention the fact that cars are extremely expensive
to maintain.
Cars are also extremely expensive to maintain.

Cars are extremely expensive to maintain too.

Not only are cars harmful to the environment, but they are extremely expensive to
maintain as well cars are both harmful to the environment and expensive to
maintain.

To refer to other sources:

-

With reference to / according to the article in yesterdays Guardian, the

unemployment rate is falling in Britain.

To express cause:
-

(Linking words index)

The government decided not to fund the scheme because / owing to the fact that
/due to the fact that / on the grounds that / since / as it seemed likely to fail.
In view of / Because of / Owing to the schemes chances of failure, the
government decided not to fund it.
The scheme is likely to fail; for this reason the government has decided not to fund
it.
Seeing that the scheme is likely to fail, the government has decided not to fund it.
The government has decided not to fund the scheme now that its planners have
redesigned it.

To express effect:
-

(Linking words index)

He passed his exams; thus, / therefore, / so /consequently, / as a result, / as a

consequence, / for this reason, he was able to go to the university.

To express purpose:
-

(Linking words index)

(Linking words index)

The government decided not to introduce

people would die.
The government decided not to introduce
would not die.
The government decided not to introduce
avoid the deaths of innocent people.
The government decided not to introduce
death of innocent people.

To emphatise what you say:

-

the death penalty so that innocent people

the death penalty so as to / in order to
the death penalty in case it resulted in the

(Linking words index)

Clearly, / Obviously, / Of course, / Needless to say, if everyone were allowed to

carry a gun, the crime rate would rise considerably.

To express reality.
-

the death penalty for fear (that) innocent

(Linking words index)

It is a fact that / In effect, / In fact, / As a matter of fact, / The fact of the

matter is (that) / Actually, / In practice, / Indeed, / to tell you the truth, a
crash helmet would be quite useless in the event of serious motorcycle accident.

To express the difference between appearance and reality:

-

Initially, / At first, / At first sight, his injuries seemed minor, but when the doctors
examined him, they discovered he had fractured his skull.

To give examples:
-

(Linking words index)

(Linking words index)

For instance, / For example, by reducing your intake of red meat you can decrease
your chances of having a heart attack in later life.
By reducing your intake of foods such as / like beef and lamb you can decrease your
chances of having a heart attack in later life.
If you want to decrease your chances of having a heart attack in later life, you should
reduce your intake of meat, particularly / in particular / especially red meat.

To make general statements:

-

(Linking words index)

As a general rule, / Generally, / In general, / On the whole, people who

exercise regularly suffer fewer stress-related problems than those who dont.

To make partially correct statements:

-

Up to a point, / To a certain extent, / To some extent, / In a sense, / in a way,

this is true as women in society are far less likely to use physical violence than men.

To express limit of knowledge:

-

(Linking words index)

It is popularly believed that / People often claim that / It is often alleged

that / some people argue that / many argue that / a lot of people think that /
a lot of people believe that the earth is the only planet in our solar system that
has ever supported life.

To make contrasting point:

-

(Linking words index)

To the best of my knowledge, / As far as I know, there is no firm proof of the

existence of aliens.

To state other peoples opinion:

-

(Linking words index)

(Linking words index)

It is a known fact that smoking causes cancer, yet / however, / nevertheless, / but
/ at the same time / even so, / still, / nonetheless millions of people around the
world continue to smoke.
Although / Even though / Regardless of the fact that / In spite of the fact
that / Despite the fact that / While it is a known fact that smoking causes cancer,
millions of people around the world continue to smoke.

To express balance (the other side of the argument):

-

Dogs are good pets in that they provide companionship; however, / but / on the
other hand, / although / yet, / at the same time, / in contrast, feeding and
grooming a dog can be expensive and time-consuming.

Negative addition:
-

(Linking words index)

Neither the prime minister nor his deputy knew anything about the experiment.
Neither of them knew anything about the experiment.
The prime minister didnt know anything about the experiment; nor/neither his
deputy.
The prime minister didnt know anything about the experiment and his deputy didnt
either.

To express exception:
-

(Linking words index)

In other words, / That is to say, / To put it into another way, if people made
more of an effort to protect the environment, the world would be a much healthier
place to live in.

To express similarity:
-

(Linking words index)

He read all the books but /apart from / except (for) one: Oliver twist

To clarify/rephrase:
-

(Linking words index)

(Linking words index)

Alcohol reduces our ability to concentrate on our work; similarity, / likewise, / in

the same way, it reduces our ability to concentrate while driving.

To give an alternative:

(Linking words index)

We could switch to (either) solar power or wind power

We could switch to solar power. On the other hand, / alternatively, wind power is
environmentally friendly option.

To express condition:
-

(Linking words index)

I told him that I could borrow my car on the condition that / provided (that) /
providing (that) /only if / as long as he didnt drive too fast.
In the event of trouble, / In the event that trouble should start, / if trouble should
start, lock all the doors and windows.
Take an umbrella in case of rain / in case it rain.
He wanted me whether (or not) I wanted to go.
You had better lock all the doors otherwise / or (else) you will be in trouble.

To express the consequence of a condition:

-

The company is hoping for a government loan; consequently, / then / so / in

which case, it will be able to provide fifty new jobs.
Im hoping the club will be open tonight; if so, well have a great time, if not, /
otherwise, well have to go home.

To express comparison:
-

Time:
-

(Linking words index)

Press the button when / whenever / before / until / till / after the light comes on.
I havent seen him since June.
I saw him as I was leaving the shop. / I saw him while I was doing my shopping.
I never see him now that he lives in Canada.
(Linking words index)

Thats
Thats
Thats
Thats
Thats

Reference:
-

(Linking words index)

Finally, / Lastly, / above all, / all in all, / Taking everything into account, / on
the whole, / all things considered, / In conclusion, / As I have said, / As was
previously stated, / to sum up, it is unlikely that mankind will ever bring an end of
all wars.

Relatives:
-

the
the
the
the
the

man who/that gave me the bag.

man whose the bag it is.
dog which/that bit me.
place where I live.
woman who/whom/that I live with.

(Linking words index)

I wish to make a complaint regarding / concerning one of your shop assistant.

Im writing with respect / regard / reference to / in regard your recent letter of
application.

Summarising:
-

(Linking words index)

This car is as fast as / more comfortable than / twice as fast as / less comfortable
than mine.

To conclude:
-

(Linking words index)

(Linking words index)

In short, / Briefly, / to put it briefly, the film was the best Ive ever seen.

WRITING REMARKS

(main menu)

INDEX
-

Name

Name
Previous contact
Reason for writing
Informing
Attachments
Ask for information
Request
Promise action
Offer help
Final comments
Close

(Writing remarks Index)

Formal / neutron
-

Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms Depuis,

Dear Mary,

Informal
-

Hi/hello Mary,
Mary, (or no name at all)

Previous contact
-

Formal / neutron
o Thank you for your email of
o Further to your last email,
o I apologise for not getting in contact with you before now.
Informal
o Thank for your email,
o Re your email, (re= with reference to)
o Sorry I havent written for ages, but Ive been really busy.

Reason for writing

-

(Writing remarks Index)

Formal / neutron
o I am writing in connection with
o I am writing with regard to
o I reply to your email, here are
o Your name was given to me by
o We would like to point out that
Informal
o Just a short note about
o Im writing about
o Heres the you wanted.
o I got your name from
o Please note that

Informing
-

(Writing remarks Index)

(Writing remarks Index)

Formal / neutron
o I am writing to let you know that
o We are able to confirm that
o I am delighted to tell you that
o We regret to inform you that
Informal
o Just a note to say

We can confirm that

Good news!
Unfortunately,

o
o
o
Attachments
-

(Writing remarks Index)

Formal / neutron
o Please, find attached my report,
o I am sending you as a pdf file.
Informal
o Ive attached
o Here is the you wanted.

Ask for information

-

Formal / neutron
o Could you give me some information about
o I would like to know
o I am interested in receiving/finding out
Informal
o Can you tell me a little more about
o Id like to know
o Please send me

Request
-

(Writing remarks Index)

Formal / neutron
o Id be grateful if you could
o I wonder if you could
o Do you think I could have?
o Thank you in advance for your help in this matter.
Informal
o Please
o Could you ?
o Can I have?
o Id appreciate your help on this.

Promise action
-

(Writing remarks Index)

Formal / neutron
o Would you like me to?
o If you wish, I would be happy to
o Let me know whether you would like me to
Informal
o Do you want me to?
o Shall I ?
o Let me know if youd like to

Final comments
-

(Writing remarks Index)

Formal / neutron
o I will
o Ill investigate the matter.
o I will contact you again shortly.
Informal
o Ill
o Ill look into it.
o Ill get back to you soon.

Offer help
-

(Writing remarks Index)

(Writing remarks Index)

Formal / neutron
o Thank you for your help.

Close
-

o Do not hesitate to contact us again if you require any further information.

o Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. My direct line is
Informal
o Thank again for
o Let me know if you need anything else.
o Just give me a call if you have any questions. My number is
(Writing remarks Index)
Formal / neutron
o I am looking forward to (+ -ing)
o Give my regards to
o Best wishes,
o Regards,
Informal
o Looking forward to (+ -ing)
o Best wishes to
o Speak to/ see you soon
o Bye (for now) / all the best / love