Lesson 2

Personal Qualities: adjectives

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Adverbial clauses of time

By the time: used for saying what has already happened at the time that something else happens Example: By the time we arrived, the other guests were already there.

The moment: As soon as Example: The moment Emanuel got married, he felt like an adult.

Before: It suggests that the second event happened soon after the first one. Example: Before I finished high school, I had already learned the importance of studying.

Once: used for saying that as soon as one thing happens, something else happens Example: Once we were through the gates, she went off and left me on my own.

After: when a particular time has passed, or when an event or action has ended Example: After the war, I went back to work on the farm.

As soon as: it’s used when something happens immediately after some other event. Example: As soon as he finished his work, he went out.

Until: indicates when something will happen, begin, or end. Example: Until I got a full-time job, I never felt financially independent.

Gerund phrases

A gerund phrase is created when a gerund – a verb that takes an –ing form and functions as a noun – has a modifier, object or both. That sounds quite technical, so let’s break it down for a simple explanation of a gerund phrase.

First, here is an example of a gerund phrase in a sentence:

• Eating a slice of pie quickly is a recipe for disaster.

So, we can breakdown the gerund phrase like so:

• The gerund in the sentence is eating. (Remember, a gerund is a noun that is formed by adding the –ing suffix to a verb.)
• The Gerund phrase object in the sentence (the thing being acted upon, in this case by eating) is a slice of pie.
• The modifier in the sentence is quickly.

More examples:

• Working in the media could be fun.
• Designing interactive media seems challenging.
• Working with computers sounds interesting.

Expressing Regrets

Regret means to feel bad, sad, or sorry about your behavior or actions in the past. We can feel regret about things we did and things we did not do. Now, let’s see some different ways that we can express regret. All of these are very common in spoken and written English.

Should have + past participle

I should have gone to bed earlier last night. I am so tired today.

I shouldn’t have quit school before I graduated.

If i + past perfect + conditional perfect (third conditional)

If I had known that you were sick, I would have gone to see you.

If I hadn’t studied really hard, I would have gotten terrible grades in school.

I wish + could have + past participle

I wish (that) I could have traveled more.

I wish + past perfect (had) + past participle

I wish (that) I hadn’t spent so much time at home.