Direct and Indirect Speech

When using indirect or reported speech, the form changes. Usually indirect speech is introduced by the verb said, as in I said, Bill said, or they said.

Passive

Passive sentences in the Simple Past - Exercise

Explanation: Passive

Rewrite the given sentences in Passive voice.

Example:
Frank built a house.

Hortatory Exposition

A Hortatory exposition is a type of spoken or written text that is intended to explain the listeners or readers that something should or should not happen or be done. To strengthen the explanation, the speaker or writer needs some arguments as the fundamental reasons of the given idea. In other words, this kind of text can be called as argumentation. Hortatory exposition text can be found in scientific books, journals, magazines, newspaper articles, academic speech or lectures, research report etc. Hortatory expositions are popular among science, academic community and educated people. The generic structure of Hortatory exposition usually has three components: (1) Thesis, (2) Arguments and (3) Recommendation.

tenses

tense Affirmative/Negative/Question Use Signal Words
Simple Present A: He speaks.
N: He does not speak.
Q: Does he speak?
* action in the present taking place once, never or several times
* facts
* actions taking place one after another
* action set by a timetable or schedule

always, every …, never, normally, often, seldom, sometimes, usually
if sentences type I (If I talk, …)
Present Progressive A: He is speaking.
N: He is not speaking.
Q: Is he speaking?

* action taking place in the moment of speaking
* action taking place only for a limited period of time
* action arranged for the future

at the moment, just, just now, Listen!, Look!, now, right now
Simple Past A: He spoke.
N: He did not speak.
Q: Did he speak?

* action in the past taking place once, never or several times
* actions taking place one after another
* action taking place in the middle of another action

yesterday, 2 minutes ago, in 1990, the other day, last Friday
if sentence type II (If I talked, …)
Past Progressive A: He was speaking.
N: He was not speaking.
Q: Was he speaking?

* action going on at a certain time in the past
* actions taking place at the same time
* action in the past that is interrupted by another action

when, while, as long as
Present Perfect Simple A: He has spoken.
N: He has not spoken.
Q: Has he spoken?

* putting emphasis on the result
* action that is still going on
* action that stopped recently
* finished action that has an influence on the present
* action that has taken place once, never or several times before the moment of speaking

already, ever, just, never, not yet, so far, till now, up to now
Present Perfect Progressive A: He has been speaking.
N: He has not been speaking.
Q: Has he been speaking?

* putting emphasis on the course or duration (not the result)
* action that recently stopped or is still going on
* finished action that influenced the present

all day, for 4 years, since 1993, how long?, the whole week
Past Perfect Simple A: He had spoken.
N: He had not spoken.
Q: Had he spoken?