GRAMMAR & RULES & EXERCISES
COLLECTED BY"GUELLIL MABROUK"
Contents (click below links).................................pro. English/high education
I/exercises
Unit One: articles and NounsII/answers key
Unit One: articles and Nouns
Unit Four: Modal Verbs
Certain words in English (called “modal verbs”) are used in front of verbs in English to indicate the following
meanings:
1) will (future): I will call you tonight.
2) can (ability or permission): Can I borrow your pen?
John can play the guitar.*
* Note that we usually would say “John plays the guitar (with the “third person s,” but we don’t use an “s” with
the modal verbs. Note also that the expression be able to is sometimes used to indicate ability, as in “John
is able to play the guitar.”
3) may (permission or possibility): May I speak to you about this problem?
I may go out tonight.
4) might (weak possibility): I might go to John’s party.*
* Note that may indicates about a 50% possibility (50% yes/ 50% no), whereas might indicates about a 30%
possibility (30% yes/ 50 % no - I probably won’t do this).
5) must (necessity): You must go to the doctor if you are very sick.
* Note that the expression have to has the same meaning as must, so we can also say “You have to go to
the doctor if you are very sick.” Note also that although must and have to have the same meaning, must not
and don’t have to have different meanings, as in the following sentences:
You must not cross the street when the light is red.
(indicates that it is necessary not to cross the street)
I don’t have to do any homework tonight.
(indicates that there is no necessity - I can do homework tonight but it is not necessary.)
6) should (advisability): I should write to my parents more often.*
(indicates that this would be a good thing to do, but is not really necessary)
* Note that the expression ought to is sometimes used to indicate advisability, so we can also say “I ought
to write to my parents more often.”
Using modals about past action
1) Would is sometimes used as the past of will (as a sort of “past-future” tense):
Alberto said that he would call me yesterday.
2) Could is sometimes used as the past of can:
Viktor asked if he could borrow my book.
3) Might is sometimes used as the past of may:
Rosa told me that she might be able to help me yesterday.
4) We do not use must in the past: instead, we use had to:
My boss told me that I had to work last week.
5) We can use should in the past:
I thought that I should read that book for my research paper.
Using “should have done” and “shouldn’t have done”
1) We use the expression should have done to indicate that I am sorry that I didn’t do something (to
indicate a “past mistake”), as in the following sentences:
I should have studied harder for my English test.
Jean should have done his homework last night.
2) We use the expression shouldn’t have done to indicate that I am sorry that I did something:
I shouldn’t have stayed up so late last night.
Jorge shouldn’t have eaten so much.
Using “could have done”
We use the expression could have done to indicate that I had the opportunity to do something, but didn’t do
it. Unlike with should have done, this expression does not indicate that I am sorry or feel any regret:
I could have gone to the movies last night, but I decided to stay home and go to
sleep early.
(I do not feel any regret about this decision).
Igor could have taken classes last summer, but he decided to take a break from his studies.
Using “may/might/could” and “must be”
We sometimes use may/might/could be to indicate that we are not sure about something in the present
(“present possibility”). For example, if I can’t find my car keys, I could say
They may be in my car.
They might be in my coat pocket.
They could be in my bookbag.
We use the work must to indicate that we are almost completely sure of something (about a 90%
probability). If I am almost sure that I left the keys on my office desk, I could say
They must be on my office desk.
Using “may/might/could” and “must have been”
We use may/might/could have been to indicate that we are not sure about something in the past (“past
possibility”). For example, if Maria was absent from class yesterday, we could say
She may have been sick.
She might have been visiting a friend in the hospital.
She could have been at the movies.
Again, we use the word must to indicate that we are almost completely sure of something. For example, we
could say about Maria
She must have had a good reason for being absent from class.
Grammar Observation Exercise
Notice the use of modal verbs in the following sentences (These are not errors, but examples of correct use
of grammar by students):
1. In the past, even if women didn’t love their husbands, they couldn’t get a divorce.
2. After half an hour of fighting, we were crying that we would never ever quarrel again.
3. In ancient China, some governors would punish people who did not let their daughters marry them.
4. I will be a mother in the future.
5. Not for any money can we buy somebody’s life.
6. We can feel empty when we know that somebody we used to love has died.
7. A good father must provide a good living environment for his family.
8. The time that my father could stay at home became less and less.
9. When I was with my father, we couldn’t find any topic to talk about.
10. Despite this problem, she must continue with her normal life.
11. We should learn how to overcome a problem with courage.
12. Normally, Chinese girls have to do all the housework.
13. When we have trouble with electronic equipment, my father is able to fix it.
14. When we look at the story “Girl,” we can see how the mother is trying to be overprotective.
15. In the East, children must obey their parents.
16. There may be danger in the forest.
17. People cannot come back if they take a wrong path.
18. In my country, we would keep babies wrapped tight so they would have a healthy spine.
19. My cousin has to do everything that her mother says.
20. Immigrant parents will have problems if they try to force their children to follow the old ways.
Proofreading Exercise
Correct the errors in the use of articles, nouns and verbs (indicated in the margin) in the following essay:
a-2 Mother-daughter relationship is the problem at all times. Since appearance
of mankind, problems in relations between parents and kids, fathers and sons,
v mothers and daughters, are exist. Some parents are trying to force their will on
a their kids, to suppress their kids’ will, like mother in Amy Tan’s “Two Kinds.”
a Others are just trying to teach their kids different things, which will make them a
v, a good people, but not breaking their personality, like mother in Jamaica Kincaid’s
“Girl.” But in both cases, relations are not easy.
“Only two kinds of daughters: those who are obedient and those who follow
their own mind! Only one kind of daughter can live in this house. Obedient
daughter.” This phrase in Amy Tan’s story “Two Kinds” accurately describes
a mother-daughter relationship. Jing Mei’s mother wants her daughter to do
v, a everything her way. She never asks Jing Mei what she interested in. Mother of
Jing Mei doesn’t care about her daughter’s opinion. She makes her daughter do
v things she doesn’t wants to do, makes her play piano, tries to make her a prodigy
for others: “Of course you can be prodigy, too … .“ Jing Mei’s mother wants
her daughter to become famous, so she can brag to her friends and relatives. She
v doesn’t hear her daughter. She doesn’t see her. Instead, she sees herself and want
pl-2 to realize all her dream and hope in Jing Mei. Jing Mei tries to fight back. She
tries to make her mom like her the way she is: “Why don’t you like me the way I
am? I’m not a genius. I can’t play the piano. And even if I could I wouldn’t go on
a TV if you paid me a million dollars.” Then Jing Mei realizes she has the power:
“ ‘I won’t let her change me,’ I promised myself. ‘I won’t be what I’m not.’ ”
a-2, v In Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl,” author is also discusses mother-daughter
relationship. The girl’s mother wants her to follow her rules. She gives her
commands. Like Jing Mei’s mother, she is also tough. She even humiliates her,
saying, “Not like the slut you are so bent on becoming.” But despite all that,
a, v girl’s mother, unlike Jing Mei’s mother, not trying to force her daughter to do
something against her will. She is just trying to teach the girl how to be a real
lady and a good wife from her point of view. The girl’s mom is afraid that after
all, her daughter is not going to become a good wife and a real lady. You can see
in end of the text that she is afraid. Her last words are “You mean to say that after
all you are going to be the kind of woman who the baker won’t let near the
v bread?” The girl is trying to defend herself, but she doing this mostly because she
wants her mom to stop talking at least for a minute. Unlike Jing Mei, she doesn’t
v have anger against her mother. She never felt hate against her
a After I read these two stories, I felt more sympathy for girl’s mother. Maybe
she is too tough, from the first impression, but analyzing the story and thinking
about this, you can feel that she cares about her daughter. Another reason why I
a feel sympathy for girl’s mom is because she is, unlike Jing Mei’s mom, not
a trying to transform girl’s personality. Not trying to break daughter’s individuality
by totally fastening her will to her daughter. I think that putting too much
pressure on your kid is going to make things worse. The only thing you have to
v teach your kid is that he or she have to try the best he or she can, and your child
v have to know that you are going to love and accept him or her no matter what.
v Amy Tan’s “Two Kinds” and Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl” touches the deep theme
of mother-daughter relationship, which is not easy, and it gives a lot of material
to write about.
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