See you soon!!

You may want to use the Blog during the summer. Feel free to add comments or interesting links.

Thanks to all of you.

Hope you enjoyed the blog and the course.

Keep on practising!! and Get some REST!

Julia

Indirect Questions

http://perso.wanadoo.es/autoenglish/gr.inqu.p.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/episode46/languagepoint.shtml

Indirect Questions

Indirect questions are polite, longer forms of normal questions. For example:
- Where's the department store? - Direct question
- Could you tell me where the department store is, please? - Indirect question
- What's his name? - Direct question
- Do you know what his name is? - Indirect question

Form

Indirect questions are formed of two parts: a polite expression, and a question which has no subject/verb inversion like a normal question . For example:
- What's his name? >>
- Do you know what his name is? - Indirect question
Here the polite expression is "Do you know...", and the question part is "...what his name is?". Note that the subject and verb have not changed place in the question part. So if you said "Do you know what is his name?", this would be incorrect.

Another example:
- What's the time? >>
- Do you have any idea what the time is? - Indirect question
The polite expression is "Do you have any idea...?", and the question is "...what the time is?".
The question is not "...what is the time?" - you don't invert the subject and verb kike a normal question.

Auxiliary Verb "To do"

The auxiliary verb "to do"is used in questions when there is no other auxiliary verb. For example:
- You like Chinese food. >>
- Do you like Chinese food?

Indirect questions do not use the auxiliary verb "to do" in the main question. For example:
- When does the next train arrive? - Direct question
- Do you know when the next train arrives? - Indirect question
- Do you know when does the next train arrive? - Incorrect

Another example:
- When does the restaurant close? - Direct question
- Could you tell me when the restaurant closes? - Indirect question
- Could you tell me when does the restaurant close? - Incorrect

There are infinite ways to make indirect questions. Not all indirect questions are questions at all, rather they are polite statements which encourage some kind of response. Some common polite expressions include:
- I wonder if/whether...?
- I can't remember if/whether...?
- Could you tell me if/whether...?
- Would you mind telling me if/whether...?
- Would it be possible for you to...?
- Is there any chance you could...?
- I don't suppose you could...
- I'd like to know if/whether...
- I can't remember...

Bulats on line , Technical Specifications

http://fr.bulats.ch/default.asp?V_ITEM_ID=5593

Conditionals

Plenty of exercises on conditionals

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises_list/if.htm

From www.e-anglais.com

Les 3 conditionnels

Il y a trois conditionnels : le premier est pour parler des choses qui sont susceptibles de se produire ; le deuxième est pour parler des choses qui pourraient se produire mais ne sont pas très probables ; et le troisièmeest pour parler des choses qui auraient pu se produire mais en fait ne se sont pas produits. Examinons cela :

Le 1^er conditionnel

• La forme :
  • Condition : if + présent simple
  • Conséquence : will + base verbale
• Exemple :
  • If I see John, I will tell him you are looking for him. Si je vois John, je lui dirai que tu le cherches.
  • I will tell John you are looking for him if I see him. Je dirai à John que tu le cherches si je le vois.

Il y a une réelle possibilité que je vois John, par exemple parce qu'il travaille avec moi. Notez que tout de suite après if on ne met pas le futur bien que l'on parle de l'avenir ; on le met seulement lorsqu'on parle des conséquences.

Comme vous pouvez le voir dans l'exemple, on peut mettre la condition en premier (c'est-à-dire commencer avec if), ou on peut inverser l'ordre (conséquence, puis condition).

Le 1^er conditionnel peut aussi être utilisé pour faire une promesse ou une ménace (ou un avertissement) :

• Une promesse : If you help me wash my car, I will buy you lunch. Si tu m'aides à laver la voiture, je t'achéterai un déjeuner.
• Une ménace : If you damage my bicycle, I will never speak to you again. Si tu endommages mon vélo, je ne te parlerai plus jamais.

Il y a un exercice sur le 1^er conditionnel.

Le 2^ème conditionnel

• La forme :
  • Condition : if + prétérit modal
  • Conséquence : would + base verbale
• Exemple :
  • If I won a million dollars, I would buy a yacht. Si je gagnais un million de dollars, j'achéterais un yacht.
  • I would buy a big yacht if I won a million dollars. J'achéterais un gros yacht si je gagnais un million de dollars.

Il est peu probable, hélas, que je gagnerai un million de dollars comme prix, donc au lieu de mettre le présent simple, je mets le prétérit modal ; je dit 'modal' parce qu'il s'agit de l'emploi du prétérit, non pas pour parler du passé, mais pour parler d'un présent imaginaire ou d'un avenir imaginaire. Dans sa forme, le prétérit modal est le même que le prétérit réel sauf dans deux cas qui concernent le verbe to be : on peut dire I were et he/she/it were où d'ordinaire on met was (mais cela n'est pas obligatoire). Donc, If I were rich ou If he were rich parce que ni moi ni lui ne sommes riches.

Dans la partie de la phrase (après la virgule) où je parle de la conséquence, j'utilise would au lieu de will. Je fais ceci parce que wouldest le prétérit de will, donc il correspond au prétérit dans la première partie : I won est concordant avec I would buy, tout comme I see l'est avec I will tell (dans le 1^er conditionnel ci-dessus).

En français, on parle de l'iréel du présent.

Il y a un exercice sur le 2^ème conditionnel.

Le 3^ème conditionnel

• La forme :
  • Condition :
    • if + plus-que-parfait modal (past perfect modal), ou
    • had + sujet + participe passé (sans if)
  • Conséquence : would have + participe passé
• Exemple :
  • If I had gone to the party, I would have met Burt. Si j'étais allé à la fête, j'aurais rencontré Burt.
    • Ou : Had I gone to the party, I would have metBurt.
  • I would have met Burt if I had gone to the party. J'aurais rencontré Burt si j'étais allé à la fête.
    • Ou : I would have met Burt had I gone to the party.

Je ne suis pas allé à la fête mais je peux imaginer ce qui aurait pu se produire si j'avais décider d'y aller : j'imagine le passé autrement. Pour le passé imaginé, on n'emploie pas le prétérit comme on fait pour le passé réel ; on emploi le past perfect (ou plus-que-parfait) pour signaler que l'on parle d'un passé imaginaire. Dans la partie de la phrase où l'on parle des conséquences, on emloie would + have + participe passé.

En français, on parle de l'irréel du passé.

Prefer and Rather

PREFER AND RATHER

You can use "prefer -ing" to say what you prefer in general:

• I don't like cities. I prefer livingin the country.

Study the differences in structure after prefer. We say:

§ I prefer something to something else.

§ I prefer doing something to doing something else.

• I prefer this coat to the coat you were wearing yesterday.
• I prefer driving to traveling by train.

Would rather (I'd rather...)

Would rather (do) = would prefer (to do). After would rather we use the infinitive without to.

Compare:

• "Shall we go by train?"
	"I'd rather go by car. (not to go)

• "Would you rather have tea or coffee" "Coffee, please."

The negative is "I'd rather not (do something)":
• I'm tired. I'd rather not go out this evening, if you don't mind.
• "Do you want to go out this evening" "I'd rather not."

Study the structure after would rather:

I'd rather

do something

than (do)

something else.

• I'd rather stay at home tonight than go to the cinema.

I'd rather you did something

When you want somebody to do something, you can say "I'd rather you did something":

• "Shall I stay here?" "I'd rather you came with us."
• "Shall I tell them the news?" "No. I'd rather they didn't know."
• "Shall I tell them or would you rather they didn't know?"

In this structure we use the past (came, did etc.), but the meaning is present or future, not past.
Compare:

• I'd rather cook the dinner now.

but • I'd rather you cooked the dinner now. (not "I'd rather you cook")

The negative is "I'd rather you didn't...":
• I'd rather you didn't tell anyone what I said.
• "Do you mind if I smoke?" "I'd rather you didn't."

Inversion with negative expressions

1 Questions and sentences that might look like questions

The ECPE grammar section might try to trick you with a sentence that might look like a question when it isn't.

They are bound to ask us _____.

1. if has been cancelled the order
2. why the order was cancelled
3. why did we cancel the order
4. the reason to be cancelled the order

W

e need "why" to complete this sentence but option c is wrong because this sentence is not a question (so we don't want the inverted verb-subject word order). The correct answer is b.

Don't be caught out by longer questions that have the inversion in an initial phrase such as: "Could you tell me..." "Would you mind..." etc. If there is an inversion at the beginning like this, there won't be another inversion in the main part of the sentence. For example:

Would you be so kind as to tell me where the money is? (Not "...where is the money")

And don't be caught out by sentences used to make enquiries that are not really questions.

"I wonder if you could tell me when the next train to Houston is due." (Not "...when is the next train to Houston due")

2 Inversions with "so", "neither" and "nor"

When "so", "neither" and "nor" are used to make short agreements they are followed by an inversion.

"I am not into hip hop."
"Neither am I." (Or: "Nor am I.")

"I am fond of flamenco dancing."
"So am I."

Or they can be used in the following way (also including an inversion).

Jennifer buys only organic fruit and vegetables, and so does Hugh.
They don't mind the higher prices, and neither do we. (Or: ...nor do we.)

3 Inversions after negative adverbials

There are some words and phrases that function as adverbials that sometimes need an inversion. Look at these two sentences.

Bob rarely speaks to himself.
Rarely does Bob speak to himself.

The adverb here is "rarely". If it comes after the subject, there is no inversion (as in the first sentence), but if it comes before the subject, we need an inversion. The word order is inverted and in the case of the sentence about Bob we use the auxilliary verb "does" in the same way we do in questions (although this isn't a question).

The sentence with the inversion sounds more formal or more literary, and sentences like this are less common in ordinary conversation.

Here are some examples with other phrases used in the same way.

Seldom does Bob get invited to parties. (seldom = rarely)
Never have we seen such a breathtaking view.
At no time did the prisoner look as if he might confess.
Not only is she a great dancer but she is also an amazing mathematician.
Not until she took up rock climbing did she overcome her fear of heights.
Under no circumstances* will prisoners be allowed to give interviews to the media.
Little** did she realize that her grandmother was really a wolf.

* This is used to describe rules for which there are no exceptions. The alternative without the inversion is:Prisoners will not be allowed to give interviews to the media under any circumstances.

** This means that the girl didn't realize at all that her grandmother was really a wolf.

N.B. Remember that no inversion is possible if the adverbial doesn't come before the subject. Compare the following sentences with the corresponding sentences above.

She is not only a great dancer but she is also an amazing mathematician.
It was not until Effie left Brooklyn that she realized how attached she had become to the place.

The following three are used to describe an event that happened immediately after another.

Hardly had he stepped outside when it started to rain.
Scarcely had he stepped outside when it started to rain.
No sooner had he stepped outside than it started to rain.

Note that the past perfect tense is used to describe the event that happened first.

The following sentences with "only" include inversions. Note that it is not always the first verb that is inverted.

Only after he arrived at the airport did he look for his passport.
Only if you look through this dark glass will you be able to see the spots on the sun.
We accepted the invitation. Only later did we suspect it might be a trap.
Only by threatening extreme physical violence was the teacher able to control the class.

Note that there is no inversion when "only" is used in the following way.

Only Fiona knew the answer to the question.

3 Conditionals with inversions

In conditional (hypothetical) sentences we can sometimes drop "if" and use an inversion.

Should you see Nigel, give him my regards.
Were I in your shoes, I would make a formal complaint.
Had I known it was her birthday, I would have bought her a gift.

Note that "should", "were" and "had" are the only verbs that can be inverted in this way. (And "were" is also used with he, she and it.)

4 Inversions with "as"

Elisabeth was too shy to dance, as was Gerald.
She decided to leave early, as did Gerald.

In these sentences "as" indicates the similarity between two things.

5 Inversions with "so" and "such"

So excited were they that they couldn't sit still.
Such was their excitement that they began to jump up and down.

Note that "so" is followed by an adjective and "such" can be replaced by "so great" (So great was their excitement that...).

6 Inversions after adjectives

A few very literary sentences begin with an adjective and include an inversion.

Blessed are the children who are still unaware of what the future holds.
Gone* are the days when I could have been happy.

* Here the past participle is used like an adjective.

However there is no inversion in the following sentence.

Strange as it may seem, we were sorry to leave in the end.

Do the exercise :

http://www.fullspate.net/grammar/inversionsquiz.html

Questions in English

Questions or Interrogative

What is a question?

A statement is a sentence that gives information. A question is a sentence that asks for information. Questions are also called "interrogative".

Statement:	I like EnglishClub.com.
Question:	Do you like EnglishClub.com?

A written question in English always ends with a question mark: ?

In this lesson we look at basic questions in English, followed by a quiz to check your understanding:

• Basic Question Structure
• Basic Question Types
• Questions Quiz

Basic Question Structure

The basic structure of a question in English is very simple:

auxiliary verb + subject + main verb

auxiliary verb	subject	main verb
Do	you	like	Mary?
Are	they	playing	football?
Will	Anthony	go	to Tokyo?
Have	you	seen	ET?

Exception!

For the verb be in simple present and simple past, we do not use an auxiliary verb. We simply reverse the positions of be and subject:

Statement:	He	is	German.
Question:	Is	he	German?

Basic Question Types

There are 3 basic types of question:

1. Yes/No Questions (the answer to the question is "Yes" or "No")
2. Question Word Questions (the answer to the question is "Information")
3. Choice Questions (the answer to the question is "in the question")

1. Yes/No Questions

auxiliary verb	subject	main verb		Answer Yes or No
Do	you	want	dinner?	Yes, I do.
Can	you	drive?		No, I can't.
Has	she	finished	her work?	Yes, she has.
Did	they	go	home?	No, they didn't.
Exception! verb be simple present and simple past
	Is	Anne	French?	Yes, she is.
	Was	Ram	at home?	No, he wasn't.

2. Question Word Questions

question word	auxiliary verb	subject	main verb		Answer Information
Where	do	you	live?		In Paris.
When	will	we	have	lunch?	At 1pm.
Who	did	she	meet?		She met Ram.
Why	hasn't	Tara	done	it?	Because she can't.
Exception! verb be simple present and simple past
Where		is	Bombay?		In India.
How		was	she?		Very well.

3. Choice Questions

auxiliary verb	subject	main verb		OR		Answer In the question
Do	you	want	tea	or	coffee?	Coffee, please.
Will	we	meet	John	or	James?	John.
Did	she	go	to London	or	New York?	She went to London.
Exception! verb be simple present and simple past
	Is	your car	white	or	black?	It's black.
	Were	they	$15	or	$50?	$15.

Adapted from englishclub.com

Exercise on Questions I

Arrange the words below to make questions.

1. she / to collect / stickers -
2. they / to play / a game -
3. the cat / to sleep / in the cat's bed -
4. she / often / to dream -
5. he / to play / streetball -
6. you / to be / from Paris -
7. the pupils / to wear / school uniforms -
8. you / to go / to the cinema -
9. she / to have / friends -
10. he / to read / books -

Simple Present

Exercise on Questions with Interrogatives

Ask for the bold part of the sentence.

1. Julia likes pop-music. -

Maria comes from Spain. -

1. They play in the garden. -
2. Rick rides his bike. -
3. I go to the cinema on Saturdays. -
4. We go to Mallorca because it is warm there.. -
5. Joe repairs his bike. -
6. Robin drives his car carefully. -
7. Peter runs with his dog every day. -
8. Eric goes to Italy for a holiday. -