Use complex structures to speak with precision
This lesson will show you how to use complex grammar points to help you communicate big ideas with precision.
How do you feel about grammar? How important is it?
Some people hate grammar, while others really hate it. But it is important in everyday life.
A lot of students will not be confident with grammar in general. But using some complex patterns correctly gives a strong positive impression, so this lesson should help everyone—those who are good at grammar and those who aren't.
Answer this question:
If you won the lottery, what's the first thing you would do?
You can follow up this question with:
If you had won the lottery when you were a university student, how would your life be different?
This lesson is to practice sophisticated grammar patterns and open up the possibilities of what a student is able to say.
NOTE
Grammar should be learned fairly slowly with a lot of practice and focus on original output.
Your student may want to pursue more grammar studies in the Grammar in Use or Oxford Grammar books.
This lesson will focus on two specific grammar patterns.
1. The future perfect continuous
With the future perfect continuous, we are looking from the past to a certain point in the future. The form is:
[subject] will + have + been + present participle
We often use a time expression with it.
- Next year, I will have been working for my company for 5 years.
- In April next year, I will have been living in my apartment for 3 years.
- Soon I will have been playing golf for a decade!
Now, talk about your work or studies, living situation and a hobby. Use the future perfect continuous.
2. The third conditional
With the third conditional, we can talk about the past. Using this negatively is a very common way to say that you are happy about what happened. The form is:
if + had not + past participle … would + not have + past participle
- I lived in America for a year. It was tough because my English was terrible, but I'm happy because it motivated me to study! If I hadn't lived abroad, I would not have improved my English!
- In my first job after university, I had a really tough boss. His expectations were so high! It was tough, but if I hadn't had a strict boss, I would not have learned to work hard.
- If I hadn't taken lessons here, I wouldn't have met you!
Practice using the third conditional to talk about one of the important experiences in your life.
1. The future perfect continuous
This is often used with the verbs: working, studying, living, playing (hobbies) or practicing.
Memorizing phrases with the future perfect is a good way to seem impressive quickly.
Don't force this pattern too much, it's not useful in every context, but it's great if you can use it.
2. The third conditional
We use the negative structure to express a good outcome:
- You take lessons here, so you met me. ➝ If I hadn't taken lessons here, I wouldn't have met you.
- I studied, so I improved my English ➝ if I hadn't studied, then I wouldn't have improved my English.
It can also be used with a positive structure to express a regret ➝ If I had studied, I would have improved my English.
Now, practice using these grammar structures in your answers to some questions.