B2 transformation

W3 transformation exercise

B2 GRAMMAR

wishes and regrets

conditionals

perfect modals

W3 transformation

contents

Causative

General

Reporting verbs

passive voice

Reporting verbs

General

Reported speech

Advanced structures

General

negative inversion

W3 transformation

contents

I regret buying cryptocoins two years ago

If only I hadn't bought cryptocoins two years ago

I regret not studying English when I was young

I wish I had studied English when I was young

If only I hadn't bought an electric car

I regret buying an electric car

I wish I had studied more for the exam

Examples:

I wish + subject + past perfect (had/hadn't + past participle)If only + subject + past perfect (had/hadn't + past participle) I regret + (not) -ing verb

wishes and regrets

I regret not studying more for the exam

about the past

When we regret something about the past, we can use these structures:

To give the same meaning, we need to change the verbs (affirmative to negative ; negative to affirmative) or the sentence's order.

Present simple

Present simple

Modal perfect

Modal simple

Past perfect

Past simple

Past simple

Past simple

If I wasn't on a diet, I would eat the chocolate cake.

I don’t eat the chocolate cake because I’m on a diet.

If she had studied, she would have passed the exam.

She didn’t pass the exam because she didn’t study.

WOULD +INFINITIVE

Third conditional

WOULD + HAVE +V3

We use it to talk about situations that could be true in the past and its consequences. Normally we use it to regret about sth.

If +PAST PERFECThad + V3 hadn't + V3

If +PAST SIMPLEdiddidn't

Second conditional

We use it to talk about imaginary or hypotetical situations in the present or the future.

Past and present

conditionals

Emily might have taken the wrong bus.

Perhaps Emily took the wrong bus.

Jake can't have seen us; he was at work.

It’s not possible that Jake saw us; he was at work.

Mia must have forgotten her wallet at home.

We can't use the negative couldn't to expreess Uncertainty about sth. not happening in the past

Modal verb + have + past participle

Must Certainty or strong deduction about the past. "She must have left early to catch her flight" Might/may/could Past possibility or uncertainty "He might have forgotten about the meeting" Might not /may not Uncertainty about sth. not happening in the past "He might not have recieved the message" Can't Impossibility in the past "He can't have finished the task that quickly"

Modal verbs can be used in perfect tenses to talk about past actions, regrets, speculations or deductions.

Certainty

Impossibility

Uncertainty

I’m sure Mia forgot her wallet at home.

deduction and speculation

perfect modals

He soid they'd been revising for weeks.

'We've been revising for weeks.'

Past perfect continuous

Present perfect continuous

The most common are 'say and tell. They mean the same, but tell is followed by an object. He said (that) he loved her = He told me (that) he loved her.

He said thot they had viewed their video.

'They have viewed our video.'

Past perfect

Present perfect

She said he had been driving too fast.

'He was driving too fast'

Past perfect continuous

Past continuous

He said they had swum a lot.

'We swam a lot.'

Past perfect

Past simple

He said l was wearing his hot

'You're wearing my hat.'

Past continuous

Present continuous

She soid she was excited.

'l'm excited!'

Past simple

Present simple

When we use a past tense to report speech, there is usually a 'backshift' in the tense:

general

reported speech

The Past perfect and the modals could, might, mustn't, needn't, ought to and should don't change in reported speech.

was/were going to

am/is/are going to

She soid we must/had to be hungry.

'You must be hungry.'

must/had to

must (certainty)

He said he had to tidy up.

'l must tidy up,'

had to

must/ have to (obligation)

She said she couldn't hear me.

'l can't hear you.'

could

can

They said our room might not be ready

'Your room may not be ready'

might

may

They said they'd meet us at the cinema.

'We'll meet you at the cinema'cinema.'

would

will

She said she was go¡ng to visit her mum

'l'm going to visit my mum'grondr.'

Direct speech

Reported speech

other changes

• ln reported speech, we often have to change pronouns and possessive adjectives.

'l'll call you on your mobile.' She said she would call him on his mobile.

• When we use a past tense to report what someone said, expressions of time and place often change.

'Don't run!' Mum told us. Mum told us not to run.

• We report commands using subject + tell + object + (not) to infinitive.

I asked her,'Could you wait a moment, please?'I asked her to wait a moment.

• We report requests using subject + ask + object + (not) to infinitive.

'Do you play basketball?' George asked me. George asked (me) if I played basketball.

'Do you want to come?' I asked her.I asked (her) if/whether she wanted to come.

• To report a Yes/No question, we use if or whether.

'When will you be home?' Lia asked Eva. Lia asked Eva when she would be home.

• Direct question with who, why, when, how, which, where or what:

• We usually report questions using the verb ask.
• We use the same word order as in positive sentences (subject + verb).
• We don't use the auxiliary verb do/ does/did in reported questions and we don't use a question mark.
• We have to make a backshift in the tense:

Questions

Reported speech

Commands

He denied copying her friend's essay.Poppy recommended this film..

verb + noun/ -ing admit, deny, recommend and suggest

'He apologised for damaging my bike'Everyone complained about the poor service'

verb + preposition + noun/ -ingaccuse of, admit to, apologise for and complain about

'Carl advised me to get to the concert early'The government warned everyone not to travel in the bad weather.

verb + object + (not) to infinitiveadvise, ask (command), beg, encourage, force, invite, order, permit, persuade, remind, rely, urge and warn

He promised me that it was a good ideaTom reminded Dad that we'd run out of milk

verb + object + (that)persuade, promise, remind, tell and warn

My mum's agreed to teach me how to drive'I promised not to be late.

verb + (not) to infinitiveagree, offer, promise, refuse and threaten

we have to do a 'backshift' in tense

Tom agreed thot the tickets were too expens¡veThe teacher exptained that there would be a quiz the following week. We promised that we'd clean up after the party

verb + (that)add, admit, accept, agree, argue, complain, deny, explain, insist, point out, promise, protest, recommend, say, suggest and warn

reporting verbs

'The project had been finished'

'He had finished the project'

had + been + past participle

Past Perfect

We include by + the agent only if it is important to say who or what does the action.

'The car has been repaired by the mechanic'

'The mechanic has repaired the car'

have/has + been + past participle

Present perfect

'The house was being cleaned'

'They were cleaning the house'

was/were + being + past participle

Past continuous

IT was written by Stephen King'

'Stephen king wrote IT'

was/were + past participle

Past simple

'The walls are being painted'

'She is painting the walls'

am/is/are + being + past participle

Present continuous

'Homeworks are done by the students'

''The students do homework'

am/is/are + past participle

Present simple

We create the passive by using the correct form of he verb be + the past participle (+ by + the agent).

general

passive voice

gerund + object + being + past participle

infinitive + object+ to be + past participle

should + be + past participle

can + be + past participle

will + be + past participle

Practically all modal verbs can be used in passive (can, could, must, may, might, should, would, shall, ought to, have to, need to and used to) they follow the same structure modal + be + past participle

be going to + be + past participle

be going to

'They enjoy movies being watched'

'Spectators enjoy watching movies'

gerund

'He wants a house to be built'

'Joe wants to build a house'

infinitive

'The documents should be checked'

'They shuld check the documents'

should

'The exam can't be finished by Karl'

'Karl can't finish the exam'

can

'A cake will be baked by Sophie'

'Spohie will bake a cake.'

will

'My house is going to be painted'

'They're going to paint my house'grondr.'

past

present

He was known to be a good writer It was thought that they had broken up He is understood to have run a marathon It is believed that he discovered the crime

• ln both personal and impersonal constructions, we can use the reporting verb in the past if we are referring to sth people expected/knew/thought, etc.

• However, if the action was done in the past, and we are reporting it now, the verbs must reflect this.

She is thought to be planning a crime.

They are believed to have been cheating

to + perfect continuous infinitive

They are rumoured to have a secret

to + perfect infinitive

to + continuous infinitive

He is known to be a thief

to + infinitive

• With a personal reporting structure, beginning with l/you/he/she/it/we/they, we use the past participle of the reporting verb, followed by to + inflnitive.

It is understood te be a cormplícated situation.It ts understood that the sítuation is complicated.

'It is rumored that the manager wíll announce his resignation

• Some verbs, such as allege, assume, believe, expect, know, say, report, rumour, suppose, understand, are often used in the passive as reporting verbs.

Impersonal passive

• We often use the impersonal lt with these verbs.

• With an impersonal lt passive, we can follow the reportlng verb with either an infinitive or that.

Personal passive

• We can build personal or impersonal structures with those verbs.

Reporting structures

passive

Examples of Negative Inversion:

Negative inversion occurs when a negative or restrictive word (such as never, rarely, hardly, little, not only) begins the sentence, causing the auxiliary verb to come before the subject. This structure makes the sentence more dramatic or formal.

general

negative inversion

✅ She rarely goes out at night. → Rarely does she go out at night.✅ I had hardly left the house when it started to snow. → Hardly had I left the house when it started to snow. ✅ A short time after he arrived, the show started. → No sooner had he arrived than the show started.

Common structures

We add 'does'

Present simple

Present perfect

In this case, we add the negative adverb at the first part of the sentence and we change the order of the subject and the auxiliary verb. Using the same tense. Notice that in the past simple and the present simple, we have to add "do/does, did"

Never ➡ Never have I seen such a talented musician. Rarely ➡ Rarely does she watch TV.Hardly ➡ Hardly had he begun his speech when the microphone turned off. Seldom ➡ Seldom do they go on holiday. Little ➡ Little did she know how difficult the exam would be. Scarcely ➡ Scarcely had she finished her meal when the waiter took her plate.

negative inversion

• I have not once seen such a talented musician.

• She hardly ever watches TV.
• He had barely begun his speech when the microphone turned off.
• They rarely go on holiday.
• She barely knew how difficult the exam would be.
• She had hardly finished her meal when the waiter took her plate.

No sooner is always followed by 'had'

optional

These sentences have two clauses and they require a conjunction (but also; tan) to connect them.

• She as well as passed the test, she also got the highest score.
• He had hardly entered the house when the lights went out.
• When it started to snow, I had hardly left the house.

Not only... but also ➡ Not only did she pass the test, but she (also) got the highest score.Hardy... when ➡ Hardly had he entered the house when the lights went out No sooner... than ➡ No sooner had he left the house than it started to snow.

Under no circumstances ➡ Under no circumstances should you speak with him. At no time ➡ At no time was she aware of the danger. On no account ➡ On no account must you open this door for strangers. Never before ➡ Never before have I seen such an amazing performance

Other structures

negative inversion

• You should by no means speak with him.
• She was never at any moment aware of the danger.
• You must under no condition open this door for strangers.
• I have not ever seen such an amazing performance.

We do the inversion using the same auxiliary verb / verb tense.

We need to find the same time expression: Not since = after

With these negative phrases we do the inversion in the second part of the sentence.

Present perfect

Present perfect

Second part structures

negative inversion

• I have never visited my hometown after I moved abroad

• I really believed he was safe when I saw John with my own eyes.
• She understood the exercise just when the teacher explained it again.
• They apologized only after I confronted them.
• Then she realized the truth.
• We succeeded just by working extremely hard.

Not since ➡ Not since I moved abroad have I visited my hometown. Not until ➡ Not until I saw John with my own eyes did I really believe he was safe. Only when ➡ Only when the teacher explained the exercise again did she understand it. Only after ➡ Only after I confronted them did they apologize. Only then ➡ Only then did she realize the truth. Only by ➡ Only by working extremely hard did we succeed.