Grammar Flashcards
(18 cards)
What is the First Conditional?
The First Conditional is used to talk about real and possible situations in the future.
Structure:
If + present simple, will + base verb
Example: If it rains, I will stay home.
What is the structure of a First Conditional sentence?
If + present simple, will + base verb
Example: If you study, you will pass the test.
Give an example of a First Conditional sentence.
If she eats too much, she will feel sick.
Translate into English:
Если он опоздает, мы начнём без него.
If he is late, we will start without him.
Many
We use many to refer to a large number of something countable. We most commonly use it in questions and in negative sentences:
- Were there many children at the party?
- I don’t have many relatives. We’re a small family.
Сan — what tense?
Present Simple
Used to talk about ability or possibility now.
I can speak Chinese. -Ability
I can’t come to the party next week. Possibility
You can’t smoke in the house. -Permission
Can you help me? -Requests
Can you hear that? -Sense
I can swim.
Could — what tense?
Past Simple
Used for ability or possibility in the past.
Examples:
– When I was 6, I could read.
– He could run very fast.
Be able to — when to use it?
Be able to is often similar to can and we may use it instead of can to talk about ability. But be able to is more formal and is not as common.
But can only has present and past forms: can–could. For all other verb forms (infinitive, gerund, present perfect, etc.), we should use be able to.
They will be able to come.
He has been able to find it.
may / might (modal verbs)
What do they mean and how are they used?
To indicate possibility in the future: It may be too late when we arrive.
To speculate about the present: I think they may be sisters.
Only may: To give, deny, or ask for permission: You may sit anywhere you like.
may vs. might
What is the difference between them?
May:
- Slightly more certain.
- Use for permission
Might:
- Slightly less certain
- Sometimes used as past of may
May:
She may join us later. (a bit more likely / more formal)
Might:
She might join us later. (a bit less likely / neutral)
Permission (only with may):
May I use your phone?
❌ Might I use your phone? → very old-fashioned or poetic
Have to
meaning
External obligation. Another person thinks it’s necessary.
worker: I have to be there at 7 a.m.
smoker: I have to stop smoking (The obligation comes from the doctor. The doctor thinks it’s necessary
Must
meaning
Obligation that comes from the speaker. The speaker thinks it’s necessary.
Mananger: You must be here at 7.
Smoker: I must stop smoking.
The obligation comes from the smoker. The smoker thinks it’s necessary
Have to
Have to is NOT an auxiliary verb. We need do/does/did to make negatives and questions in the present and past.
We can use have to in all the verb forms (present, past and perfect tenses, gerund, to infinitive, etc.)
It is used to describe an obligation, a rule, or something that is necessary.
What does Have got to mean and how is it used?
It means the same as “have to” — to express obligation or something you need to do.
Example: I’ve got to finish my homework.
→ (This means: I need to finish it. It’s necessary.)
Used mostly in spoken English and only in the present tense.
Must
Must is a modal verb, and it has a present form, which can be used to talk about the present or future. The negative form is must not or mustn’t, and the question is must I, must you, etc.
- I must get up early tomorrow.
It is used to describe something that the speaker thinks is necessary to do.
- I must try to do more exercise.
We can also use must to express strong advice.
-* You must see the new film; it’s amazing!*
Must or Have to?
Must only has a present form, so we need to use have to for all other verb forms (past, future, perfect forms, infinitive, etc.).
- You will have to come with me.
- We had to drive very fast.
We normally use have to for questions. Questions with must are not common.
But we normally use have to when there’s an external obligation and must when the obligation comes from the opinion of the speaker.
Mustn’t or Don’t have to?
Don’t have to and mustn’t have opposite meanings. We use don’t have to when we don’t need to do something, when there’s no obligation, and we use mustn’t to talk about prohibition, when there is obligation not to do something.
You mustn’t wait here. (=it’s not allowed)
You don’t have to wait here. (=you can do it, but it’s not necessary)
If you don’t have to do something, it means that you can do it if you want, but you don’t need to do it.
Can’t/be not allowed to = mustn’t
We can use can’t or be not allowed to instead of mustn’t.
Should, shouldn’t
Should is used to give advice or an opinion about what we think is right or wrong.
*- You should go to a therapist.
- I think schools shouldn’t offer soft drinks to their students. *
Should is not as strong as must or have to.
You should be patient with me. (=advice)
You must be patient with me. (=strong advice)
I should go to bed earlier.
