ENGLISH 2 THE BIG SUMMARY
GRAMMER
• Active and passive voice
• Formal and informal English
• Conjunctions
• Conjunctive adverbs
• Collocations
• Idioms
• Simple sentence
• Compound sentence
• Complex sentence
Active and passive voice
Active Passive Passive -
Interrogative
Present simple They make these These products are Where are these
products in France. made in France. products made?
Present They are selling the The company is being When is the company
continuous company. sold. being sold?
Past simple They sent the leaflets The leaflets were sent When were these
last week. last week. leaflets went?
Past continuous They were signing the The contract was being When was the contract
contract. signed. being signed?
Present perfect They have evacuated all All travellers have been Why have all travellers
travellers. evacuated. been evacuated?
Past perfect They had sold the The tickets had been Why had the tickets
tickets. sold. been sold?
Future They will inform all All clients will be When will the clients
clients. informed. be informed?
Modal auxiliaries They should replace the These brochures should Why should these
brochures. be replaced. brochures be
replaced?
Page 1
,ENGLISH 2 THE BIG SUMMARY
Formal and informal English
Informal English Formal English
Aspect Example Aspect Example
Use of contractions I’m, can’t, won’t, she’s Use of full forms I am, will not, she is /
she has
May use colloquial Kids, guy, awesome, a Avoid using colloquial Children, man/boy,
words/expressions lot words/expressions wonderful, many
May use first, second You can find nice Write in neutral third One can find
or third person. things here. person (except in interesting objects
business lets where here.
first person may be
used)
May address readers You might think… Avoid addressing Use: one, one’s or
using second person readers using second specify the subject
pronouns person pronouns (the reader, the
reader’s)
May use clichés Loads of, nice, things Aviod clichés Many, interesting,
objects
May use abbreviated Photo, TV Avoid using Photograph,
words abbreviated words television
May use imperative Remember to… Lock Aviod iterative voice Could you please…
voice the door…
Passive voice is less We have noticed May use passive voice It has been noticed
commonly used that… that…
May use very short, Hope you’re fine. Complex structures I hope you are fine.
simple and are used, all
incomplete sentences are
sentences. complete.
Difficulty of subject State your points
may be confidently and offer
acknowledged and your argument firm
empathy shown to support.
the reader.
Page 2
, ENGLISH 2 THE BIG SUMMARY
Conjunctions to create complex sentences
Contrast Although The US failed to ratify the Kyoto treaty although/
Though though it supported the UN’s objectives on global
Even warming.
Though
While Clean water is scarce in the poorest countries while
Whereas Western consumers have abundant supplies.
Reason Because Dolly the sheep was unique because she was
Since cloned from an adult cell.
As The findings were flawed since the data were
inaccurate.
Time When Sea water evaporates when the sun radiated heat.
As soon as
While The water vapor cools while it is rising.
As The water vapor condenses as it cools.
Once Clouds begin to form once condensation start to
occur.
Until The could move until they reach high land.
After
Before
Purpose So that Tourists visiting Antarctica are required to clean
their footwear so that contamination can be
avoided.
Page 3
GRAMMER
• Active and passive voice
• Formal and informal English
• Conjunctions
• Conjunctive adverbs
• Collocations
• Idioms
• Simple sentence
• Compound sentence
• Complex sentence
Active and passive voice
Active Passive Passive -
Interrogative
Present simple They make these These products are Where are these
products in France. made in France. products made?
Present They are selling the The company is being When is the company
continuous company. sold. being sold?
Past simple They sent the leaflets The leaflets were sent When were these
last week. last week. leaflets went?
Past continuous They were signing the The contract was being When was the contract
contract. signed. being signed?
Present perfect They have evacuated all All travellers have been Why have all travellers
travellers. evacuated. been evacuated?
Past perfect They had sold the The tickets had been Why had the tickets
tickets. sold. been sold?
Future They will inform all All clients will be When will the clients
clients. informed. be informed?
Modal auxiliaries They should replace the These brochures should Why should these
brochures. be replaced. brochures be
replaced?
Page 1
,ENGLISH 2 THE BIG SUMMARY
Formal and informal English
Informal English Formal English
Aspect Example Aspect Example
Use of contractions I’m, can’t, won’t, she’s Use of full forms I am, will not, she is /
she has
May use colloquial Kids, guy, awesome, a Avoid using colloquial Children, man/boy,
words/expressions lot words/expressions wonderful, many
May use first, second You can find nice Write in neutral third One can find
or third person. things here. person (except in interesting objects
business lets where here.
first person may be
used)
May address readers You might think… Avoid addressing Use: one, one’s or
using second person readers using second specify the subject
pronouns person pronouns (the reader, the
reader’s)
May use clichés Loads of, nice, things Aviod clichés Many, interesting,
objects
May use abbreviated Photo, TV Avoid using Photograph,
words abbreviated words television
May use imperative Remember to… Lock Aviod iterative voice Could you please…
voice the door…
Passive voice is less We have noticed May use passive voice It has been noticed
commonly used that… that…
May use very short, Hope you’re fine. Complex structures I hope you are fine.
simple and are used, all
incomplete sentences are
sentences. complete.
Difficulty of subject State your points
may be confidently and offer
acknowledged and your argument firm
empathy shown to support.
the reader.
Page 2
, ENGLISH 2 THE BIG SUMMARY
Conjunctions to create complex sentences
Contrast Although The US failed to ratify the Kyoto treaty although/
Though though it supported the UN’s objectives on global
Even warming.
Though
While Clean water is scarce in the poorest countries while
Whereas Western consumers have abundant supplies.
Reason Because Dolly the sheep was unique because she was
Since cloned from an adult cell.
As The findings were flawed since the data were
inaccurate.
Time When Sea water evaporates when the sun radiated heat.
As soon as
While The water vapor cools while it is rising.
As The water vapor condenses as it cools.
Once Clouds begin to form once condensation start to
occur.
Until The could move until they reach high land.
After
Before
Purpose So that Tourists visiting Antarctica are required to clean
their footwear so that contamination can be
avoided.
Page 3
