English Sentence Patterns

Sentence patterns.

*** N.B. :- The lessons consists in this page are published in line with the syllabus of the English Vision Programme as well as the obtain subjects to change according to the updates of the site .

* Reference practice  - Essential English Grammar ( Raymond Murphy) present edition 

Will have done

We can use 'will have done' to talk about what will have been achieved by a certain moment in time.

·         We'll have been in these offices for eight years next month.

·         She'll have visited ten countries in twelve days by the time she gets back.

·         I'll have finished this project by Friday.

If we want to emphasize the continuity of the activity, we can use the continuous form.

·         I'll have been working here for 35 years by the time I retire.

·         She'll have been driving for more than fifteen hours straight by the time she gets here.

·         They'll have been working with us for 15 years by the end of this year.

We can also use 'will have done' to predict what we think has already happened at present.

·         He'll have already read the report by now. Too late to change it.

·         She'll have boarded her plane. It's too late to contact her.

·         They'll have decided by now. We should hear the result today or tomorrow.

Will be doing

We can use 'will be doing' to talk about something that will be in progress at a particular moment in the future.

·         This time next week, I'll be sitting on the beach in Nilaveli.

·         I'll be thinking about you all back in the office – and I'll be laughing.

·         We'll be enjoying ourselves too, boss. We won't be doing any work while you are not here.

We can use 'will be doing' to talk about future events that are fixed or decided.

·         I'll be visiting your country on a regular basis. In fact, I'm going to be coming next month.

·         He'll be looking after the factory until we can appoint a new manager.

·         They'll be thinking about this very carefully over the next few months.

We can use 'will be doing' to predict what is happening now.

·         Try phoning his hotel. He'll probably still be having breakfast.

·         They'll be deciding who gets the contract at this very moment. I'm very nervous.

·         She's not in her office. She'll be having lunch in the canteen.

We can use 'will be doing' to ask extremely politely, and with no pressure, about future plans.

·         Will you be eating with us this evening?

·         Will you be needing anything else?

·         Will they be joining us for dinner? 

Can have / Could have

We can use 'could have'  to talk about something somebody was capable of doing but didn't do.

·         I could have gone to Oxford University but I preferred Harvard.

·         She could have married him but she didn't want to.

·         They could have bought a house here 20 years ago but chose not to.

Often, there is a sense of criticism.

·         You could have phoned me to let me know.

·         They could have helped me instead of just sitting there.

·          I could have done more to help you. Sorry.

We can use 'couldn't have' to talk about something we were not capable of doing.

·         I couldn't have managed without you.

·         I couldn't have got the job. He was always going to appoint his nephew.

·         I couldn't have enjoyed myself more. Thank you for a lovely day.

We can use 'could have' to speculate about what has happened. (We can also use 'may have' or 'might have' in these situations.)

·         She could have taken the earlier train.

·         Simon could have told her.

·         They could have overheard what we said.

We can also use 'can have' to speculate about what has happened but only in questions and negative sentences and with words such as 'hardly', 'never' and 'only'.

·         Can she have forgotten about our meeting?

·         He can't have seen us.

·         They can hardly have thought that I was not interested in the job.

We can also use 'could have' to speculate about something that didn't happen.

·         You could have broken your neck, jumping out the window like that.

·         He could have hurt somebody, throwing a bottle out of the window like that.

·         I could have done well in my exam if I'd worked harder.

You can also use 'could have' to talk about possible present situations that have not happened.

·         I could have been earning a lot as an accountant but the work was just too boring.

·         He could have been Prime Minister now but he got involved in a big financial scandal.

·         They could have been the market leaders now if they had taken his advice.

Should have

We can use 'should have' to talk about past events that did not happen.

·         I should have let her know what was happening but I forgot.

·         He should have sent everybody a reminder by email.

·         They should have remembered that their guests don't eat pork.

We can also use 'should have' to speculate about events that may or may not have happened.

·         She should have got the letter this morning. I expect she'll give us a call about it later.

·         He should have arrived at his office by now. Let's try ringing him.

·         They should have all read that first email by this stage. It's time to send the next one.

We can use ' should not have'  to speculate negatively about what may or may not have happened.

·         She shouldn't have left work yet. I'll call her office.

·         He shouldn't have boarded his plane yet. We can probably still get hold of him.

·         They shouldn't have sent the report off for printing yet. There is still time to make changes.

We can also use 'should not have'  to regret past actions.

·         I shouldn't have shouted at you. I apologise.

·         We shouldn't have left the office so late. We should have anticipated this bad traffic.

·         They shouldn't have sacked him. He was the most creative person on their team.

 

Have something done

If you 'have something done', you get somebody else to do something for you.

·         I'm going to have my hair cut.

·         She's having her house redecorated.

·         I'm having a copy of the report sent to you

In informal English, we can replace 'have' by 'get'.

·         We're getting a new telephone system installed.

·         They will be getting the system repaired as quickly as they can.

·         I got the bill sent direct to the company.

We can also use 'have/got something done' in situations where something bad has happened to people or their possessions. This is not something they wanted to happen.

·         John had all his money stolen from his hotel bedroom.

·         We had our car damaged by a falling tree.

·         I got my nose broken playing rugby.

Suppose

We often use  'suppose' to mean 'imagine' or 'guess'

·         I suppose you'll be meeting Danielle when you go to Paris?

·         When you weren't there, I supposed you must have been held up.

·         I suppose you two know each other?

Notice that 'suppose' is not normally used in the continuous form. We do not usually say 'I am supposing'.

·         Now I suppose we'll have to do something else.

·         We're waiting for John and I suppose he must be stuck in traffic.

·         At this moment I suppose it doesn't matter.

Notice that for 'imagine not' or 'guess not' that we make 'suppose' negative, not the other verb.

·         I don't suppose you know where Mary is?

·         I don't suppose he'll do anything.

·         I don't suppose you  have a Nokia phone charger here?

When responding to an idea with 'suppose', you can use 'so' to avoid repeating the idea that has already been expressed.

·         Is Susan coming to this meeting? ~ I suppose so.

Suppose 2

'Supposed to be' can be used to mean 'it is said/believed'.

·         The new James Bond movie is supposed to be excellent.

·         He is supposed to have been rude to Mark but I don't believe it.

·         It is supposed to be the best restaurant in town.

'Supposed to be' can also be used to talk about what is arranged, intended or expected. It is a bit like 'should'.

·         I'm supposed to get to work by 8.

·         John is supposed to turn off all the lights when he leaves.

·         I'm supposed to pay my rent on the first of the month.

·         It's not supposed to be here.

Often there is a suggestion that the action 'supposed to' happen does not actually happen.

·         I'm supposed to be there before 8 but I'm often late.

·         You were supposed to phone me.

·         I'm supposed to be getting on a plane to Tokyo at this very minute.

'Not supposed to' often suggests that something is not allowed or prohibited.

·         You're not supposed to smoke in here.

·         I'm not supposed to tell you.

·         We're not supposed to use the Internet for personal reasons at work.

'Suppose' can also be used as a conjunction to mean 'what if'. Notice that the verb which follows it is sometimes, but not always, put 'more in the past'.

·         Suppose we take the earlier train to Munich? It would give us more time there.

·         Suppose we took the plane instead? That would give us even more time.

·         There's nobody in reception to let our visitors in. Suppose I sit there until somebody comes?

·         I'm going to ask him for a pay increase. ~ Suppose he said 'no'? What would you do?

 

Used to

Used to do

We use 'used to' for something that happened regularly in the past but no longer happens.

·         I used to smoke a packet a day but I stopped two years ago.

·         Ben used to travel a lot in his job but now, since his promotion, he doesn't.

·         I used to drive to work but now I take the bus.

We also use it for something that was true but  no longer is.

·         There used to be a cinema in the town but now there isn't.

·         She used to have really long hair but she's had it all cut off.

·         I didn't use to like him but now I do.

'Used to do' is different from 'to be used to doing' and 'to get used to doing'

to be used to doing

We use 'to be used to doing' to say that something is normal, not unusual.

·         I'm used to living on my own. I've done it for quite a long time.

·         Hans has lived in England for over a year so he is used to driving on the left now.

·         They've always lived in hot countries so they aren't used to the cold weather here.

to get used to doing

We use 'to get used to doing' to talk about the process of something becoming normal for us.

·         I didn't understand the accent when I first moved here but I quickly got used to it.

·         She has started working nights and is still getting used to sleeping during the day.

·         I have always lived in the country but now I'm beginning to get used to living in the city.

Had better

We use “had better” plus the infinitive without “to”  to give advice. Although “had” is the past form of “have”, we use “had better” to give advice about the present or future.

·         You'd better tell her everything.

·         I'd better get back to work.

·         We'd better meet early.

The negative form is “had better not”.

·         You'd better not say anything.

·         I'd better not come.

·         We'd better not miss the start of his presentation.

We use “had better” to give advice about specific situations, not general ones. If you want to talk about general situations, you must use “should”.

·         You should brush your teeth before you go to bed.

·         I shouldn't listen to negative people.

·         He should dress more appropriately for the office.

When we give advice about specific situations, it is also possible to use “should”.

·         You shouldn't say anything.

·         I should get back to work.

·         We should meet early.

However, when we use “had better” there is a suggestion that if the advice is not followed, that something bad will happen.

·         You'd better do what I say or else you will get into trouble.

·         I'd better get back to work or my boss will be angry with me.

·         We'd better get to the airport by five or else we may miss the flight

Wish

Let's start off with the easy part. ' I wish to' can mean the same as 'I want to' but it is much, much more formal and much, much less common.

·         I wish to make a complaint.

·         I wish to see the manager.

You can also use 'wish' with a noun to 'offer good wishes'.

·         I wish you all the best in your new job.

·         We wish you a merry Christmas.

Notice that when you want to offer good wishes using a verb, you must use 'hope ' and not 'wish'.

·         We wish you the best of luck.

·         We hope you have the best of luck.

·         I wish you a safe and pleasant journey.

·         I hope you have a safe and pleasant journey.

However, the main use of 'wish' is to say that we would like things to be different from what they are, that we have regrets about the present situation.

·         I wish I was rich.

·         He wishes he lived in Paris.

·         They wish they'd chosen a different leader.

Notice that the verb tense which follows 'I wish' is 'more in the past' than the tense corresponding to its meaning.

·         I'm too fat. I wish I was thin.

·         I never get invited to parties. I wish I got invited to parties.

·         It's raining. I wish it wasn't raining.

·         I went to see the latest Star Wars film. I wish I hadn't gone.

·         I've eaten too much. I wish I hadn't eaten so much.

·         I'm going to visit her later. I wish I wasn't going to visit her later.

In the case of 'will' , where 'will' means 'show willingness' we use 'would'.

·         He won't help me. I wish he would help me.

·         You're making too much noise. I wish you would be quiet.

·         You keep interrupting me. I wish you wouldn't do that.

Where 'will' means a future event, we cannot use 'wish' and must use 'hope'.

·         There's a strike tomorrow. I hope some buses will still be running.

·         I hope everything will be fine in your new job.

In more formal English, we use the subjunctive form 'were' and not 'was' after 'wish'.

·         I wish I were taller.

·         I wish it were Saturday today.

Must or have to

We can use 'must' to show that we are certain something is true. We are making a logical deduction based upon some clear evidence or reason.

·         There's no heating on. You must be freezing.

·         You must be worried that she is so late coming home.

·         I can't remember what I did with it. I must be getting old.

·         It must be nice to live in Florida.

We also use 'must' to express a strong obligation. When we use 'must' this usually means that some personal circumstance makes the obligation necessary (and the speaker almost certainly agrees with the obligation.)

·         I must go to bed earlier.

·         They must do something about it.

·         You must come and see us some time.

·         I must say, I don't think you were very nice to him.

We can also use 'have to' to express a strong obligation. When we use 'have to' this usually means that some external circumstance makes the obligation necessary.

·         I have to arrive at work at 9 sharp. My boss is very strict.

·         We have to give him our answer today or lose out on the contract.

·         You have to pass your exams or the university will not accept you.

·         I have to send a report to Head Office every week.

In British English, we often use 'have got to' to mean the same as 'have to'.

·         I've got to take this book back to the library or I'll get a fine.

·         We've got to finish now as somebody else needs this room.

We can also use ' will have to' to talk about strong obligations. Like 'must' this usually means that that some personal circumstance makes the obligation necessary. (Remember that 'will' is often used to show 'willingness'.)

·         I'll have to speak to him.

·         We'll have to have lunch and catch up on all the gossip.

·         They'll have to do something about it.

·         I'll have to get back to you on that.

As you can see, the differences between the present forms are sometimes very small and very subtle. However, there is a huge difference in the negative forms.

·         We use 'mustn't' to express strong obligations NOT to do something.

·         We mustn't talk about it. It's confidential.

·         I mustn't eat chocolate. It's bad for me.

·         You mustn't phone me at work. We aren't allowed personal calls.

·         They mustn't see us talking or they'll suspect something.

We use 'don't have to' (or 'haven't got to' in British English) to state that there is NO obligation or necessity.

·         We don't have to get there on time. The boss is away today.

·         I don't have to listen to this. I'm leaving.

·         You don't have to come if you don't want to.

·         He doesn't have to sign anything if he doesn't want to at this stage.

·         I haven't got to go. Only if I want to

Going to

There is no one 'future tense' in English. There are 4 future forms. The one which is used most often in spoken English is 'going to', not 'will'.

We use 'going to' when we want to talk about a plan for the future.

·         I'm going to see him later today.

·         They're going to launch it next month.

·         We're going to have lunch first.

·         She's going to see what she can do.

·         I'm not going to talk for very long.

Notice that this plan does not have to be for the near future.

·         When I retire I'm going to go back to Barbados to live.

·         In ten years time, I'm going to be boss of my own successful company.

We use 'going to' when we want to make a prediction based on evidence we can see now.

·         Look out! That cup is going to fall off.

·         Look at those black clouds. It's going to rain soon.

·         These figures are really bad. We're going to make a loss.

·         You look very tired. You're going to need to stop soon.

We can replace 'going to go' by 'going'.

·         I'm going out later.

·         She's going to the exhibition tomorrow.

Can

We use 'can' to talk about 'possibility'.

·         Can you do that?

·         I can't manage to do that.

·         You can leave your car in that parking space.

·         You cannot smoke in here.

Notice that there are two negative forms: 'can't' and 'cannot'. These mean exactly the same thing. When we are speaking, we usually say 'can't'.

We use 'can' to talk about 'ability'.

·         I can speak French.

·         I can't drive.

We use 'can' to ask for and give permission. (We also use 'may' for this but is more formal and much less common.)

·         Can I speak to you or are you too busy?

·         You can use my phone.

·         You can't come in.

We use 'can' in offers, requests and instructions.

·         Can I help?

·         Can you give me a hand?

·         When you finish that, you can take out the garbage.

We use 'can' with 'see' 'hear' 'feel' 'smell' 'taste' to talk about something which is happening now . (Where you would use the present continuous with most other verbs.)

·         I can smell something burning.

·         Can you hear that noise?

·         I can't see anything.

We can use 'can't' for deduction. The opposite of 'can't' in this context is 'must'.

·         You can't be hungry. You've just eaten.

·         You must be hungry. You haven't eaten anything all day.

·         He was in London one hour ago when I spoke to him. He can't be here yet.

Could

'Could' can be used to talk about the past, the present or the future.

'Could' is a past form of 'can'

·         When I was living in Boston, I could walk to work.

·         He phoned to say he couldn't come.

·         I could see him clearly but I couldn't hear him and then the videoconference line went dead.

'Could' is used to make polite requests. We can also use 'can' for these but 'could' is more polite.

·         Could you help me, please?

·         Could you lend me some money?

·         Could I have a lift?

·         Could I bother you for a moment?

If we use 'could' in reply to these requests, it suggests that we do not really want to do it. If you agree to the request, it is better to say 'can'.

·         Of course I can.

·         I could help you if it's really necessary but I'm really busy right now.

·         I could lend you some money but I'd need it back tomorrow without fail.

·         I could give you a lift as far as Birmingham.

'Could' is used to talk about theoretical possibility and is similar in meaning to 'might'.

·         It could rain later. Take an umbrella.

·         He could be there by now.

·         Could he be any happier?

·         It could be Sarah's.

May / might

may

We can use 'may' to ask for permission. However this is rather formal and not used very often in modern spoken English

·         May I borrow your pen?

·         May we think about it?

·         May I go now?

We use 'may' to suggest something is possible

·         It may rain later today.

·         I may not have time to do it today.

·         Pete may come with us

might

We use 'might' to suggest a small possibility of something. Often we read that 'might' suggests a smaller possibility that 'may', there is in fact little difference and 'might is more usual than 'may' in spoken English.

·         She might be at home by now but it's not sure at all.

·         It might rain this afternoon.

·         I might not have time to go to the shops for you.

·         I might not go.

For the past, we use 'might have'.

·         He might have tried to call while I was out.

·         I might have dropped it in the street.

Should

We use 'should' for giving advice.

·         You should speak to him about it.

·         He should see a doctor.

·         We should ask a lawyer.

We use 'should' to give an opinion or a recommendation.

·         He should resign now.

·         We should invest more in Asia.

·         They should do something about this terrible train service.

'Should' expresses a personal opinion and is much weaker and more personal than 'must' or 'have to'. It is often introduced by ' I think'.

·         I think they should replace him.

·         I don't think they should keep the contract.

·         Do you think we should tell her.

Should 2

We can use 'should' after 'reporting verbs' such as
demand  insist  propose  recommend  suggest

·         He demanded that we should pay for the repair.

·         She insisted that she should pay for the meal.

·         I have proposed that he should take charge of the organization.

·         The committee recommends that Jane should be appointed.

·         We have suggested that Michael should be given a reward for his hard work.

However, it is also possible to say exactly the same thing by omitting the 'should' and just using the infinitive form without 'to' . Some people call this the 'subjunctive' form.

·         He demanded that we pay for the repair.

·         She insisted that she pay for the meal.

·         I have proposed that he take charge of the organization.

·         The committee recommends that Jane be appointed.

·         We have suggested that Michael be given a reward for his hard work.

We can use 'should' after various adjectives. Typical examples are :
funny  interesting  natural  odd  strange  surprised  surprising  typical

·         It's funny that you should say that. I was thinking exactly the same thing.

·         It's interesting that they should offer him the job. Not an obvious choice.

·         It's natural that you should be anxious. Nobody likes speaking in public.

·         Isn't it odd that he should be going to the same tiny hotel? What a coincidence.

·         It's strange that you should think so. Nobody else does.

We can use 'should' in 'if clauses' when we believe that the possibility of something happening is small.

·         If you should happen to see him before I do, can you tell him that I want to speak to him urgently?

·         If there should be a problem, just give me a call and I'll sort it out.

·         If anyone should ask where I am, say I'm in a meeting.

We use 'should' in various fixed expressions.To show strong agreement

·         They're paying you compensation?   I should think so.

To express pleasure when you receive a gift

·         What a fantastic present. You really shouldn't have.

To emphasize  a visible emotion

·         You should have seen the look on her face when she found out that she had got the promotion. 

    Feel like

Subject + feel like + verb (ing) + …………..

Ex : I feel like learning English.

        He feels like staring a business.

        We feel like going to a class.

Subject + don’t/ doesn’t + feel like + verb_(ing) + …

Ex : I don’t feel like disturbing others.

        Father doesn’t feel like selling car.

        We don’t feel like blaming parents.

Do/Does + Subject + feel like + verb (ing) + …?

Ex: Do you feel like loving me?

       Does he feel like join our party?

       Do you feel like drinking water?

     Can’t help

Subject + can’t help + verb_(ing) ………….

Ex : I can’t help bathing.

        Doctors can’t help serving society.

        We can’t help treating parents.

I can’t help laughing when you dance .

                                             

 Seem to be

               Subject + seem to be + verb + ing+………………

 Ex:   Bus seems to be going                                                 

       Ruwan seems to be doing it.                                                  

       Devotees seem to be offering flowers.                                         

                                                                      (Singular subjects  + seems to be)            

   Let me see

Ex-  Let me see where the note book is?

        Let me see the phone…

   Rather than
 It is better to  +  v ₁ + rather than + V₂ ing + …………..

Ex – It is better to die rather than living.

       It is better to beg rather than stealing.

       It is better to help rather than disturbing.

       It is better to advice rather than punishing.