Contextual Grammar

•Sequence of tense
•Voice
•Subject-verb agreement
•Conditional sentences
•Preposition
 Sequence of tense

• Twelve structures related to tense

• Whatever sentence we produce there is at least the presence
of one tense
• Sometimes tense comes in simple sentence (single) &
sometimes in a combined form (complex & compound
sentence)
• Example:
1) When + simple past+ simple past ( when two actions
happened at the same time )
2) When+ simple past+ past continuous (one completed while
the another action was going on)
 Sequence of tense

3. (a) Before + simple past +Past perfect ( both completed but not
simultaneously)
(b) After + past perfect+ simple past
Example, Before the doctor came, the patient had already died.
or After the patient had died, the doctor came.

Some more example of tense:

a. The carpenter…………….been working in this office since she left
the village. (have , has)
b. I consulted the banker after he………..the job. (quitted, had quitted)
c. The teacher said that water………….at 0o C. (freezed, freezes)
 Sequence of tense

d. She says that she ………………more food. ( wants, wanted)

e. The teacher said that we……….mortal. (are, were)
f. She………… been living here for decades when I first came here
in 2010. (has , had)
g. …………marry me if I asked? (would you, will you)
h. I met him after he…..the job. (lost, had lost)
I. He told me that she………….many books. ( had written,
wrote)
j. He liked books that………….moral lessons. ( gave, gives)
 Sequence of tense
Some more structures
 Subject+ used to +V1 ( past habit)
 Sub+ ‘be verb’+ used to+ V4 ( present addicted
habit)
 If I were you, I would buy a car. ( “I” with
plurality)
Example:
 I smoke cigarette.
 I used to smoke cigarette.
 I am used to smoking cigarette.
 voice
• Can all the tenses be translated into Passive? ( no, only 8)
• What are they?
• What is the difference between active & passive voice?
• Example: she wrote a creative letter. (into passive)
Passive: A creative letter was written.
 Formula: sub+ V2 + obj
Passive: obj + was/were+ V3 +by + sub
Questions:
a. I’ll see you soon…….(I’ll be seen, you’ll be seen)
b. Who did it?................( By whom was it done?, who is it done
by?
 voice
c. Nobody heard a sound. (no sound was heard, A sound was
heard)
D. Give the order. (The order is given, Let the order be given)

I had my car cleaned= I employed someone to clean my car

I'll have my hair cut
I've had my roof repaired
Verbs with two objects
They told me a secret. A secret was told to me = I was told a
secret
 Voice
• They say (that) he is ill. It is said (that) he is ill
He is said to be ill
Serve the best wine. Let the best wine be served
Don't speak a word here. Let a word not be spoken here
 Subject -verb agreement
• Subject must agree with the verb.
• Singular subject= singular verb (eg. He goes)
• Plural subject= plural verb (eg. They go)
• If you add s/es at the end of the noun, it becomes plural, but it is
just opposite in case of verb. Eg cow= cows (plural noun)
eat= eats (singular verb)
• Someone, somebody, everything, everyone takes singular verb. Eg.
Someone is coming.
• If two subjects are joined by along with, in addition to, as well as,
together with, verb is taken according to the first subject.
Eg. My friends as well as I……..joining the IELTS class. (am, are)
• In case of either…..or & neither….nor proximity matters.
Eg. Neither the farmer nor the businessmen…..accepting it. (is, are)
But, Neither of them……..showing their presence. (was , were)
 Subject -verb agreement
• A number of students= plural verb
• The number of students= singular verb (definite one)
Case of two common nouns ( single or double article)
• The writer and the editor……coming to us. (is, are)
• The principal and accountant………on leave.( is, are)
• Police, scissors, trousers, committee,cattle, etc. are always taken
as plural.
Eg, The police…..very sharp in detection. (is, are)
• One of my students......given a nice presentation.(have, has)
• The rich…………………helpful. (is, are) the + adjective
• The injured ………………..been hospitalized. (has have)
• Every/Each student…….coming to the queue. (is am are)
 Conditional sentences (If/whether/provided
that)
1. If + sub+ V1/V5 , sub + V1/V5 (real facts)
eg. If water is heated, it evaporates.
2. If + sub+ V1/V5 , sub + will/shall+ V1 (cause &effect relation)
eg. Unless you listen carefully, you won’t easily comprehend.
3. If + sub+ V1/V5 , sub + may/can/must+ V1 (Imperative form)
eg. If you have a severe headache, you must go to the doctor.
4. If + sub+ V2 , sub + would/could/might/should+ V1
(possibility)
Eg. If you worked hard, you would pass the exam. (unreal past)
If I were a bird, I would fly in the sky.
I would attend the party provided (that) you invited me.
 Conditional sentences (If/whether/provided
that)
5. If + sub+ had+V3 , sub + would/could/might/should have+ V3
(impossible action)
Eg. If you had lengthened your stay in the US, you would have
gained perfection in English.
Had I been there, I………..every part of the city. (had visited,
would have visited)
She would have handled perfectly provided she………good
support from the peers. ( got, had got)
 Prepositions
• Preposition in isolation
At, in, on, between , among, beside, besides, for, since, etc.
Example: a) Sheela dwells…….Baudha……Kathmandu. (At, In)
b) Divide it…….two boys. ( between, among)
c) The novice speaker delivers the speech…… many people. . (
between, among)
d) Students should be in time./ you should be on time.
Beside & besides
a. Sit …….me.
b. ……..water there was nothing.
 Prepositions
• For, since
For= period of time, a month, a week/day/year
Since= point of time, January, last week
The nun has been here ………..she left her native land.
All the participants have been listening ……..2 hours.
I have been living here…….decades.
Idioms & phrasal words ( two or more word give a single
meaning)
Put on, put out, put off, out of the question, give up, rely on
Eg. He died……T.B. last year. (with, of)