Pre Intermediate

GRAMMAR AND STRUCTURES

WHAT ARE THEY USED FOR?

SOME EXAMPLES

VERBS

The passive voice

Talking about a process, 
Omitting the active subject.

The best computer games are made in Japan. 
The new church was built last year.

The second conditional –  
if / past tense + would / non finite verb

Talking about hypothetical situations 
musing.

If I worked harder, I would get higher marks. 
If I won some money, I would buy a new car.

Present perfect continuous

Expressing unfinished or recently completed actions.

How long have you been living in London?

The gerund after certain verbs

I enjoy learning English. 
I hate eating spaghetti.

Non finite verbs in particular phrases: e.g. make someone do something, let someone do something

Expressing persuasion and permission.

Mary’s parents let her drive their car. 
My father made me do my homework.

I’ would rather + non finite verb 
I had better + non finite verb 
(Both of these in contracted forms too: I’d better, he’d better, we’d rather etc

Expressing preference and advice.

I would rather eat fish than meat. 
You had better take an umbrella or you’ll get wet. 
I’d rather eat… 
You’d better take…

ADVERBS

For and since   More adverbs of frequency, manner, time or degree

Expressing time periods from a point in the past, relating them to the present.
Describing how often, when, how, and how much people do something.

I have lived in this house for five years. 
I haven’t swum in the sea since last summer. 
I’m still here. 
He’s already finished. That bird rarely visits Britain. 
We hardly knew him.

CONCURRENCE

Neither do I/so do I

Expressing concurrence with a positive or a negative statement. Expressing concurrence within a positive or negative statement.

I don’t like playing computer games. 
Neither do I. 
I like eating chocolate. 
So do I.                      
Jane loves chocolate and so do her friends.                   
I don’t like cabbage and neither does my sister.