Language Practice

Intermediate

Grammar reference    Intermediate 01 Trends

State verbs
We usually use state verbs to express states, such as thoughts, feelings,
possession and things we experience. We most often use these verbs in
simple tenses, even if we mean ‘just now’.
• How we think
I believe you.
He agrees with her.
• What we feel
She loves fashion.
That looks delicious!
• What we possess
They have a beautiful home.
That bag belongs to me.
• What we experience
Do you hear that?
Look over there!
Examples of state verbs for how we think are: Examples of state verbs for how we feel are:

think prefer realize like want appear

know understand remember dislike feel (to have an look
believe mean forget hate opinion) sound
agree imagine recognize love seem need

Examples of state verbs for what we possess are: Examples of state verbs for what we experience are:

have (got) own be hear smell seem

belong include see look taste
When we want to emphasize that the feeling or attitude is temporary,
we can sometimes use some state verbs in continuous tenses, particularly
with verbs that express how we feel. For example, I’m feeling tired.
State verbs can also be used in informal speech as a modern idiom.
For example: I’m loving this pizza.
State verbs can have different meanings if they are used in the present
simple or present continuous. For example:
I have a headache. (illness)
I’m having lunch. (action)
I think it’s a great idea. (opinion)
I’m thinking of getting a new phone. (consider)
I wasn’t thinking about what I was doing. (pay attention)
Language Practice
Intermediate

Grammar reference    Intermediate 01 What a story

Past tenses
Past simple
enjoyed, picked, opened, etc.
We use the past simple for finished actions in the past. We say or know when
these actions happened.
When I was young, I really enjoyed reading.

Past continuous
was or were + a verb + -ing
We use the past continuous to talk about an unfinished action which was in
progress at a specific time in the past.
At six o’clock last night, I was watching the news on television.
We can also use the past continuous to talk about an action in the past that was
interrupted by another action. The second action uses the past simple.
I was walking along the street when it started raining.
We use the past continuous at the beginning of the story to set the scene.
It was a cold winter day and I was walking home after a long, hard day at work.

Past perfect
had + a past participle verb
We use the past perfect when we are talking about an action in the past that happened
before another action in the past.
When I returned home, I found out that my mother had given my books to a charity shop.

Linking words
Linking words are useful when we talk about the past. Examples of linking words are:

after meanwhile
as soon as once
before until
by the time when
during while

As soon as he saw me, he started running.

By the time we arrived, the party had finished.
There was a terrible storm during the night.
Janice laid the table. Meanwhile, John and I prepared the food.
We didn’t know how hot it would be until we got there.
Language Practice
Intermediate

Grammar reference    Intermediate 02 Spending power

can / can’t
You can park outside the bank.
Can you lend me £50 until Saturday?
When we talk about things that are possible, or things that are allowed,
we use can + an infinitive verb.
Adverbs like usually and always go between can and the main verb.
We can usually afford to eat out once or twice a week.
We use can’t for things that aren’t possible or aren’t allowed. We
usually use can’t when we speak or when we are writing something
informal and cannot in more formal situations.
I’m afraid I can’t pay you this week.
We regret that customers cannot return goods to the shop unless
they have a receipt.
The past tense of can is could. It is usually used for general ability or general
permission rather than for specific actions.
We could wear whatever we liked to school.
Could can be used for specific actions when we use ‘sense’ verbs like
see, hear and smell.
We could see a long queue outside the shop.
The past tense of can’t is couldn’t. It can be used for both general and specific
ability and permission.
I couldn’t afford to go out much when I was a student.
For specific actions in the past, we usually use was / were able to or managed to
+ an infinitive verb. These expressions suggest that the action was quite difficult
to achieve.
We were able to take three holidays last year.
I managed to pay the money back on time.
Able to can also be used for general ability and permission.
He was so rich he was able to buy whatever he liked.
Can and will be able to can be used to talk about future ability, but only when
we are talking about ourselves.
When I get paid, I can / will be able to buy a new computer.
For general ability, we only use will be able to.
In the future, people will be able to buy things without cash or cards.
Language Practice
Intermediate

Grammar reference    Intermediate 02 Our planet under threat

Future probability
will, might and may + infinitive verb
When we are very certain about the future, we usually use will.
Climate change will have a major impact on our planet.
The opposite of will is will not, but we usually only use this in formal writing.
We usually say won’t instead.
There won’t be enough food to feed everyone by 2050.
The adverbs definitely and probably can be used with will and won’t to add
more information about how certain we are.
definitely = very certain
probably = quite certain
In positive sentences, they come after the modal verb.
Climate change will definitely have a major impact on our planet.
Sea levels will probably rise several metres.
In negative sentences, they come before the modal verb.
Things definitely won’t improve in the future.
We probably won’t get there on time in this traffic.
When we think there is a chance of something happening, we can use may, might or could.
It may rain later. There might be a storm. It could even snow.
May and might can be made into negatives by adding not.
The results may not be very good.
We might not get the chance to do anything about it.
We cannot use couldn’t to talk about something happening in the future.
When we speak, we sometimes say mightn’t instead of might not.
! We cannot say mayn’t instead of may not.
We can also use the adjectives likely and unlikely to say how certain we are about something in the future.
These adjectives are followed by to and an infinitive verb.
We’re likely to see some big environmental changes in the next few years.
The government is unlikely to do anything about environmental problems in the country.
Likely and unlikely can be made stronger by using the adverbs very, highly and extremely before them.
Highly and extremely are stronger than very.
We’re highly likely to see some big environmental changes in the next few years.
Language Practice
Intermediate

Grammar reference    Intermediate 03 Entertainment

-ing form and infinitive with to
Natalie suggested trying out the new Italian restaurant.
I am thinking about travelling to Paris next summer.
Ryan forgot to tell me that class was cancelled.

-ing form after certain verbs

We use the -ing form after the following verbs:

admit finish miss

avoid hate practise
consider help recommend
deny imagine suggest

We also use the -ing form after verbs that talk about likes and dislikes. For example:

can’t stand like

enjoy love
feel like (don’t) mind
hate prefer

He practises playing piano every day.

Arielle finished studying for the exam.
I can’t stand going to the gym.

-ing form after prepositions

We use the -ing form after prepositions such as:

about in
after on
at to
before without
by

You should read the book before seeing the film.

She was talking about going to the party this weekend.
Please carry on telling the story.

Infinitive with to after certain verbs

The infinitive with to is used after the following verbs:

afford choose hope promise

agree decide intend seem
aim demand manage start
appear expect need tend
arrange fail offer want
attempt forget plan would like

Unfortunately I can’t afford to buy this watch.

Susan plans to meet us here at 5:00.
I would like to order a small coffee, please.

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Language Practice
Intermediate

Grammar reference    Intermediate 03 Entertainment (continued)

Infinitive with to or -ing with little or no change in meaning
The following verbs can be followed by the -ing form or the infinitive with to
form with little or no change in meaning:

attempt like
begin love
can’t stand prefer
continue start
hate

My sister likes to cook Japanese food.

My sister likes cooking Japanese food.
I prefer to study at the library.
I prefer studying at the library.
Language Practice
Intermediate

Grammar reference    Intermediate 03 Looking for clues

Relative clauses
Defining relative clauses
The doctor who examined Julius Caesar after he had been murdered discovered
there were 23 stab marks on his body.
A relative clause uses a relative pronoun like who, which or where. When we want to
identify who or what we are talking about, we use defining relative clauses. The bold part
of the example sentence above is the defining relative clause. It tells us which doctor we
are talking about. The word who is the relative pronoun in this sentence.
We use who for people.
Valentin Ross was a German chemist who developed a method of identifying the
poison arsenic in a human stomach.
We can also use that instead of who for people.
There’s the man that stole my mobile phone!
We use which or that for things.
The tools which/that make gun barrels never leave the same marks.
We use when for dates and times.
1784 was the year when we first heard of physical evidence being used to solve a crime.
We use where for places.
San Francisco was the place where police first took photographs of criminals.
We use whose for possessions.
He’s the man whose car was stolen last night.
When the relative pronoun is the object of the verb, we can leave it out of the sentence.
Think of all the criminals that DNA has helped to catch.
1784 was the year when we first heard of physical evidence being used to solve a crime.

Non-defining relative clauses

Modern computers, which can collect and study information very quickly, are now one of the most important
crime-solving tools we have.
When we give extra, non-essential information about somebody or something, we use non-defining relative clauses.
The bold part of the example sentence above is the non-defining relative clause. It gives us more information about
modern computers. We could remove it, and the main meaning of the sentence would remain.
Modern computers are now one of the most important crime-solving tools we have.
We cannot leave out the relative pronoun in non-defining relative clauses.
We use commas on each side of the relative clause to show that we are giving extra information.
Polygraphs, which can tell whether someone is telling the truth or not, were developed for use in crime
detection.
We cannot use that instead of who or which in non‑defining relative clauses.
We can use which (for things) and whom (for people) to add extra information at the end of a sentence. When we do
this, we use determiners like none of, both of, all of, some of, etc., before these words.
He has three brothers, all of whom are in the police.
I watched two programmes about crime, neither of which were very good.
Whom is usually used more formally. In informal speech, we often use who instead.
He has three brothers, all of who are in the police.
Language Practice
Intermediate

Grammar reference    Intermediate 04 Make yourself at home

used to
used to + an infinitive verb
1 The hall used to be bigger than it is now.
2 The sisters used to walk around the table and tell each other about their plans
and ideas.
We use used to + an infinitive verb for something that happened or existed in the
past and has finished now.
1 for past situations
2 for past habits
For negatives, we use didn’t use to + an infinitive verb.
People didn’t use to spend as much time in their living room as they do now.
For yes / no questions, we use did + a subject + used to, followed by an infinitive verb.
Did you use to be an actor?
Did they use to work in Oxford?
If we feel quite certain that something was true, we can use didn’t instead of did.
Didn’t your living room use to be smaller?
We can also use use to in information questions.
Where did you use to live?
How did people use to keep warm in winter?
We can use would and wouldn’t instead of used to and didn’t use to, but only for repeated actions.
The young sisters would sit around the fire.
Each morning, I would get up early and go running.
He went out a lot, but he wouldn’t go into town on Friday night.
We can’t use it for situations:
He would live in a large house in the country.
Adverbs of frequency like often, sometimes and never go before used to and after would:
He never used to clean his room.
We would often hear strange noises in the attic.
! Do not confuse used to + an infinitive verb with am used to or get used to + an -ing verb.
We use these to talk about things that we found difficult or strange but now find easy
or normal.
Did you find it difficult when your company reduced your salary?
At first, yes, but I soon got used to living on less money, and now I’m used to living quite cheaply.
Language Practice
Intermediate

Grammar reference    Intermediate 04 City life

Conditionals
Future conditionals
present simple + will or won’t and an infinitive verb
If people continue to move to towns and cities, the number of megacities will rise to 36.
When we talk about a situation in the future and its likely result, we can use a future
conditional sentence with if.
If people continue to move to towns and cities (= the situation), the number of
megacities will rise to 36 (= the result).
The situation and the result can be reversed with almost no change in meaning:
The number of megacities will rise to rise to 36 (= the result) if people continue
to move to towns and cities (= the situation).
When the situation comes first, there should be a comma between the situation and the result:
If people continue to move to towns and cities, the number of megacities will rise to 36.
When we are not sure about the result, we can use may or might instead of will.
If I go to London next week, I may visit some old friends.
She might move to the city if she can’t find a job here.

Present / unreal conditionals
past simple + would or wouldn’t and an infinitive
If everyone in the countryside suddenly moved to the city, it would cause big problems.
If conditions in the countryside were better, people wouldn’t move to cities.
In unreal conditionals, we usually use were instead of was.
If I were you, I’d look for a job in the city.
If there were more jobs in the city, I’d move there.
Some people use was instead of were when they are speaking informally. However, other people
think this is bad English.
If I was you, I’d look for a job in the city.
When we are not sure about the result, we can use might instead of would.
If the government provided better services in the countryside, people might stay there.
Could can be used to mean be able to.
If I moved to the city, I could find a better job.
Could can also be used in polite requests.
It would be great if you could lend me some money.
Unreal conditionals are often used for giving advice or suggesting a solution to a problem.
If we improved the traffic system, there would be fewer traffic jams.
We can sometimes use unless instead of if in future and unreal conditionals. Unless means the
same as if not or only if.
Unless something is done to reduce the number of people moving to cities, there will be
millions of people fighting for limited resources.
People wouldn’t move there unless they knew there were jobs for them.
Language Practice
Intermediate

Grammar reference    Intermediate 05 Life skills

Comparatives and superlatives
We use comparative and superlative adjectives to compare people, places or things.
Sharing photos with your friends online is easier, quicker and cheaper than sending postcards.
Is reading a map more difficult than using sat nav?
The internet is the fastest way to find information.
Skills like sewing aren’t as important as knowing how to type.

Comparatives
We use comparative adjectives with than to compare things and people with other
things and people.
Home-cooked food is nicer and healthier than fast food.

Superlatives
We use the and a superlative adjective to compare a person, place or thing to all
of their group.
Marion’s handwriting is the neatest.

Comparative and superlative adjectives

adjective comparative superlative
light lighter the lightest one-syllable: add
cheap cheaper the cheapest -er / -est

safe safer the safest one-syllable ending

nice nicer the nicest in e: add -r / -st
one-syllable ending
in one vowel + one
thin thinner the thinnest
consonant: double
hot hotter the hottest
final consonant +
-er / -est
easy easier the easiest two-syllables ending
busy busier the busiest in y: y + -ier / -iest
the most two or more
important more important important syllables:
difficult more difficult the most more / most +
difficult adjective
good better the best
bad worse the worst irregular adjectives
far further the furthest

as (adjective) as
Use as (adjective) as to say that two things are the same.
Knowing how to type is as important today as it was in the past.
Use not as (adjective) as to say that two things are different.
A map isn’t as expensive as a sat nav.
Language Practice
Intermediate

Grammar reference    Intermediate 05 The silver screen

Passives
We use the active voice when we describe what someone or something does.
The director makes changes to the script.
The film company advertises the film.
We use the passive voice when we describe what happens to someone or something.

Passive voice: be + a past participle:

Changes are made to the script.
The film is advertised.
In passive voice sentences, we don’t usually say who or what does the action: either we don’t know or we don’t need
to say who or what does the action. The action, rather than the person or thing doing it, is important. In some cases,
we do say who or what does the action. When we say who does it, we use by.
Changes are made to the script by the director.
The film is advertised by the film company.
In active voice sentences, the subject is more important to us than the object. In passive voice sentences, the object is
more important to us than the subject.
The film company advertises the film. = The film company is more important to us than the film = active
The film is advertised by the film company. = The film is more important to us than the film company = passive
When modal verbs like must, may, can’t, need to and ought to are used, they are followed by be and a past participle.
Special effects can be added after the filming is finished.
The camera ought to be handled very carefully.
The passive voice is used a lot in describing processes and in news story reporting.
The film is copied and then it is packed and sent to cinemas around the country. Before it is shown, the actors
are interviewed on television.
The actor Terrence Bradbury has been arrested for hitting a fan.
We can use the passive voice with all tenses except for the present perfect continuous and the past perfect
continuous:
• The present simple:
They pay the actors a lot of money. = The actors are paid a lot of money.
• The present continuous:
He is making the film in Spain. = The film is being made in Spain.
• The past simple:
They filmed the scenes again. = The scenes were filmed again.
• The past continuous:
They were spending a lot of money on the film. = A lot of money
was being spent on the film.
• The present perfect simple:
The film company has hired a new director. = A new director has
been hired.
• The past perfect simple:
They had offered him a part in a film. = He had been offered a part in a film.
• The future with will or going to:
We will release the film on 5th August. = The film will be released
on 5th August.
They are going to show the film in London. = The film is
going to be shown in London.
Language Practice
Intermediate

Grammar reference    Intermediate 06

If at first you don’t succeed …
Past conditionals
if + had + a past participle, would + have + a past participle
I wanted to tell Michael about my new job. I didn’t see him, so I didn’t tell him about my new job.
If I had seen Michel, I would have told him about my new job.
When we want to talk about a situation in the past where one event did or didn’t
happen because of another event, we use a past conditional.
Past conditional sentences are divided into two clauses.
The conditional clause uses if + had + a past participle.
If I had seen Michael,…
The main clause uses would + have + a past participle.
…I would have told him about my new job.
When we speak, we usually shorten had and have.
If I’d seen Michael, I would’ve told him about my new job.
The two clauses can come in either order, without any change in meaning. When the
conditional clause comes first, we need a comma between the clauses.
If I had seen Michael, I would have told him about my new job.
I would have told Michael about my new job if I had seen him.
Notice how the objects (Michael and him) move from one clause to the other.
If I had seen Michael, I would have told him about my new job.
I would have told Michael about my new job if I had seen him.
We can’t use would in the conditional clause
If I would have seen Michael, I would have told him about my new job.
Past conditional clauses can have negative clauses.
If you had come on time, we wouldn’t have missed the beginning of the film.
If you hadn’t been late, we would have seen the beginning of the film.
If you hadn’t been late, we wouldn’t have missed the beginning of the film.
We don’t usually use the full forms had not and would not in negative conditionals.
We can use the modal verbs might, may and could in the main clauses.
If I had earned enough money, I could have taken a holiday.
If she had worked harder, she might have been more successful.
We can ask past conditional questions.
If I had called you last night, would you have answered the phone?
We can omit if from past conditionals. We begin the sentence with had instead.
If she had worked harder, she might have been more successful.
Had she worked harder, she might have been more successful.
Note how the subject (she) and had change position.
If she had worked harder,…

Had she worked harder,…

Language Practice
Intermediate

Grammar reference    Intermediate 06 Living together

Reported speech
Reported speech statements, orders and requests
“It’s a great place to live.”
She said that it was a great place to live.
We use reported speech when we report what people said.
“I live in a multicultural city.” (= direct speech: the words that were
actually used)
He said that he lived in a multicultural city. (= reported speech: we are
reporting what the person said)
“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with living in a multicultural society.”
(= direct speech)
He said that he didn’t think there was anything wrong with living in a
multicultural society. (= reported speech)
In reported speech, tenses usually move one tense back:
• Present simple and present continuous become past simple and past
continuous.
“Everyone gets on well.” = He said that everyone got on well.
“I’m going to an international festival.” = She said that she was going to
an international festival.
• Present prefect simple and present perfect continuous become past perfect
simple and past perfect continuous.
“I’ve lived in the city all my life.” = He said that he had lived in the city all
his life.
“I’ve been working for my father’s company.” = She said that she had been working for
her father’s company.
• am going to for the future becomes was going to.
“We’re going to meet him later.” = She said they were going to meet him later.
• will for the future becomes would.
“I’ll call you after work.” = He said he would call me after work.
• Past perfect sentences cannot move back a tense, so when the past perfect is used in direct speech, it is also used
in reported speech.
“I had arrived a few hours early.” = She said that she had arrived a few hours early.
We usually use said, told or asked in reported speech.
Said is not followed by a pronoun.
He said (that) he liked living in a multicultural city.
( He said me that he liked living in a multicultural city.)
Told must be followed by a pronoun.
He told us (that) he liked living in a multicultural city.
That is optional with said and told.
He said (that) he liked living there.

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Language Practice
Intermediate

Grammar reference    Intermediate 06 Living together (continued)

Told can also be used for instructions. It is followed by an object and an
infinitive verb.
She told me to come early.
She told me not to be late.
For requests, we use ask. It is usually followed by an object and an
infinitive verb.
They asked us to help them.
He asked me not to tell anyone.

Reported speech questions

“Where do you live?”
She asked me where I lived.
Asked is used for reported questions. It is usually followed by a pronoun.
Asked can be used for reported information questions.
“Where do you live?”
She asked me where I lived.
She asked me where did I live?
It can also be used for yes / no questions, where the question does not begin
with a question word. We use if or whether in the reported question.
“Are you from London?” = He asked me if / whether I was from London.
“Do you like living there?” = He asked me if / whether I liked living there.
Sometimes, words that are used to talk about time and place (for example,
yesterday, here, etc.) change. This depends on when the original sentence was
spoken and when it was reported.
“Where were you yesterday?” = He asked me where I had been the day before / the previous day.
“What are you doing here?” = She asked me what I was doing there.
Other verbs that can be used in reported speech include: advise, apologize, agree, argue,
complain, doubt, persuade, reply, suggest and warn.
“I’m sorry I broke your camera.” = She apologized for breaking my camera.
“Ok, we’ll help you.” = They agreed to help us.
“You were rude.” = They complained that I had been rude.
“I don’t think the plan will work.” = He doubted that the plan would work.
“Let’s go to the carnival.” = She suggested going to the carnival.