The Grammaring Guide to English Grammar with Exercises

Symbols used in this book

Italics indicate examples:

Can, could, will and would are used to express requests.

The book will be published. (an example of the passive voice)

Boldface in examples highlights the words or phrases under discussion:

A few minutes ago, they were still dancing. (past continuous tense)

An asterisk [ * ] indicates that a word or phrase is inappropriate or incorrect:

*I am needing a new phone. / I need a new phone.

*The woman who she answered the door was about forty years old. / The woman who answered the door was about forty years old.

Brackets ( ) in examples indicate that the word or phrase in brackets can be omitted. It's (high) time means that both it's time and it's high time are acceptable.

A slash [ / ] in examples indicates an alternative between words or phrases. As if / as though means that either as if or as though is acceptable.

The symbol » indicates a relationship between two items:

look » looked (the base form and past tense form of the verb look)

I have » I've (the latter is a contracted form of the former)

Symbols used in the timeline diagrams

indicates the time of speaking.

indicates a specific point in time: What were you doing when you heard the explosion? They got home at 10 o'clock.

indicates a period of time: I haven't smoked today. Joe lived in Boston for ten years.

indicates a completed action: I bought a car yesterday.

indicates an action in progress or happening over a period of time: It's raining. Soon, he'll have been running for 4 hours.

indicates a state: George likes pudding. I was happy.

indicates repeated or habitual actions: I go to the gym twice a week. I've been coughing all day.