English Grammar Revision:

Subjunctive Mood

# Use the subjunctive in a ‘that’ clause after ‘verbs of suggestion or advice’.

Note that the verb in the ‘that’ clause stays the same even though the tense
of the verb suggest is different in each sentence.
 Her mom suggested that she get a job.
 Her father demanded that she turn off the TV.
 Her hairstylist recommended that she stop dying her hair.
 We insist that he call us as soon as he gets home.
 He suggests that she study hard.
 He suggested that she study hard.
 He is going to suggest that she study hard.
 I suggested that he be Harry Potter for Halloween!
 I insist that she stay at my house when she visits Toronto.
 The boss proposed that he take a 3-week vacation.

# Verbs of advice or suggestion:

Advise, ask, demand, insist, prefer, propose, recommend, request, suggest,
urge,

# Use a special subjunctive form of the verb ‘be’ after ‘if’ in the second
conditional sentence structure.
 If I were you, I would wear something else.

# Use a special subjunctive form of the verb ‘be’ in ‘that’ clause after the
verb ‘wish’.
 I wish I were a princess.

# Use the subjunctive in a ‘that’ clause after ‘adjectives of importance’ in a

specific sentence structure.
 It is crucial that he call me as soon as he gets home.

# Other ‘adjectives of importance’:

It is best (that), It is crucial (that), It is desirable (that), It is essential (that),
It is imperative (that), It is important (that), It is recommended (that), It is
urgent (that), It is vital (that), It is necessary (that)

# The subjunctive is also used in some fixed expressions.

so be it, be that as it may, as it were, God save the Queen, Long live the
King, God bless Bangladesh, Heaven forbid etc.

# Negative subjunctive form:

Add ‘not’ before the verb to make the subjunctive negative. Don’t use ‘do’.
 I suggest that she not go out tonight.
 We ask that she not call after 9pm.
 We insisted that he not pay for anything.
English Grammar Revision:
Question Tags

A tag question is a special construction in English. It is a statement followed

by a mini-question. We use tag questions to ask for confirmation. They mean
something like: "Is that right?" or "Do you agree?" They are very common in
English.
If the main part of the sentence is positive, the question tag is negative and
if the main part of the sentence is negative, the question tag is positive.
Example:
 You have to go, don't you?
 I have been answering, haven't I?
 He'd better do it, hadn't he?

# The question tag for ‘‘I am’’ is ‘‘aren’t I’’?

 I am late, aren’t I? (NOT …ain’t I?)

# Imperatives can be followed by will you / would you / can you / can’t you /
could you?
 Keep quiet, can’t you?
 Give me a hand, would you?
 Open a window, will you?
 Take a seat, won't you? *polite invitation
 Help me, can you? *quite friendly
 Help me, can't you? *quite friendly (some irritation)
 Close the door, would you? *quite polite
 Do it now, will you? *less polite

# After a negative imperative, we use ‘will you?’.

 Don’t forget, will you?

# The question tag for “let’s” is “shall we?”

 Let’s go for a walk, shall we?

# Negative words:
Sentences containing negative words like never, no, nobody, hardly, scarcely
and little are followed by non-negative question tags.
 You never let me finish a sentence, do you? (NOT …don’t you?)
 She hardly steps out of her home, does she?
 There is little we can do about it, is there?
 He never came again, did he?
  She can rarely come these days, can she?
 You hardly ever came late, did you?
 I barely know you, do I?
 You would scarcely expect her to know that, would you?

# ‘It’ is used in question tags to refer back to ‘nothing’ and ‘everything.’

 Everything is alright, isn’t it? (NOT …isn’t everything?)
 Nothing came in the post, did it?

# We use ‘they’ in question tags to refer to ‘nobody’, ‘somebody’,

‘everybody’, ‘no one’ etc.
 Nobody came, did they?

# After ‘have’
When ‘have’ is used as a principal verb, question tags with both ‘have’ and
‘do’ are possible in British English. ‘Do’ is more common in American
English.
 She has a boyfriend, hasn’t / doesn’t she?

Intonation
Question tags can either be ‘real’ questions where you want to know the
answer or simply asking for agreement when we already know the answer.
We can change the meaning of a tag question with the musical pitch of our
voice.
If the question tag is a real question we use rising intonation and our tone
of voice rises.
If we already know the answer we use falling intonation and our tone of
voice falls. It sounds more like a statement that doesn't require a real
answer.
 You don't know where my wallet is, do you? *rising (real
question)
 It's a beautiful view, isn't it? *falling (not a real question)

Same-way tag questions

Although the basic structure of tag questions is positive-negative or
negative-positive, it is sometimes possible to use a positive-positive or
negative-negative structure. We use same-way tag questions to express
interest, surprise, anger etc., and not to make real questions. Look at these
positive-positive tag questions:
 So you're having a baby, are you? That's wonderful!
 She wants to marry him, does she? Some chance!
 So you think that's funny, do you? Think again.
Negative-negative tag questions usually sound rather hostile:
 So you don't like my looks, don't you? (British English)
Causatives: Have and Get

We use a causative verb when we want to talk about something that

someone else did for us or for
another person. It means that the subject caused the action to happen, but
didn't do it themselves.
Maybe they paid, or asked, or persuaded the other person to do it. For
example, we can say:
 I cleaned my house. (This means I cleaned it myself).
If I paid someone to clean it, of course I can say:
 A cleaner cleaned my house.

But, another way is to use a causative construction. So I can also say:

 I had my house cleaned.

In a sense, using a causative verb is similar to using a passive. The

important thing is that the house is now clean. We don't focus on who did
the cleaning.

Have + object + past participle (have something done)

We usually use 'have something done' when we are talking about paying
someone to do something for us. It's often used for services. The form is
'subject + have + object + past participle'.
 I had my car washed.
 John will have his house painted.

Get + object + past participle (get something done)

We can also use 'subject + get + object + past participle'. This has the same
meaning as 'have', but is
less formal.
 The students get their essays checked.
 I'll get my hair cut next week.
 He got his washing machine fixed.

Have someone do something (have + person + infinitive)

We can also use the construction 'subject + have + person + infinitive'. This
has a very similar
meaning to 'have something done', which we've already talked about, but
this time we say who did the
thing - we talk about the person who we asked to do the thing for us.
 I had the electrician look at my broken light.
 The doctor will have the nurse call the patients.
 The teacher had the students write the answers on the whiteboard.

Get someone to do something (get + person + to + infinitive)

Finally, we can also use the construction 'get + someone + to + infinitive'.
Again, this means that you cause the other person to do the action, maybe
by paying them to do it, or by asking them to do it, or by persuading them to
do it.
 She gets her son to do his homework by promising him ice cream when
he's finished.
 I got the cleaner to clean under the cupboards.
Sometimes, this construction has the feeling that we needed to convince
someone to do something,
while the other constructions on this page are neutral.

The English verbs let, make, have, get, and help are called causative verbs
because they cause something else to happen.

Here are some specific examples of how causative verbs work in English
sentences.

How To Use Causative Verbs In English

LET = Permit Something To Happen
Grammatical structure:

LET + PERSON/THING + VERB (base form)

Examples:

I don’t let my kids watch violent movies.

Mary’s father won’t let her adopt a puppy because he’s allergic to dogs.
Our boss doesn’t let us eat lunch at our desks; we have to eat in the
cafeteria.
Oops! I wasn’t paying attention while cooking, and I let the food burn.
Don’t let the advertising expenses surpass $1000.
Remember: The past tense of let is also let; there is no change!

Note: The verbs allow and permit are more formal ways to say “let.”
However, with allow and permit, we use to + verb:

I don’t allow my kids to watch violent movies.

Our boss doesn’t permit us to eat lunch at our desks.
MAKE = Force Or Require Someone To Take An Action
Grammatical structure:

MAKE + PERSON + VERB (base form)

Examples:

After Billy broke the neighbor’s window, his parents made him pay for it.
My ex-boyfriend loved sci-fi and made me watch every episode of his
favorite show.
The teacher made all the students rewrite their papers, because the first
drafts were not acceptable.
Note: When using the verbs force and require, we must use to + verb.

The school requires the students to wear uniforms.

“Require” often implies that there is a rule.
The hijacker forced the pilots to take the plane in a different direction.
“Force” often implies violence, threats, or extremely strong pressure
HAVE = Give Someone Else The Responsibility To Do Something
Grammatical structure:

HAVE + PERSON + VERB (base form)

HAVE + THING + PAST PARTICIPLE OF VERB
Examples of grammatical structure #1:

I’ll have my assistant call you to reschedule the appointment.

The businessman had his secretary make copies of the report.
Examples of grammatical structure #2:

I’m going to have my hair cut tomorrow.

We’re having our house painted this weekend.
Bob had his teeth whitened; his smile looks great!
My washing machine is broken; I need to have it repaired.
Note: In informal speech, we often use get in these cases:

I’m going to get my hair cut tomorrow.

We’re getting our house painted this weekend.
Bob got his teeth whitened; his smile looks great!
My washing machine is broken; I need to get it repaired.
GET = Convince/Encourage Someone To Do Something
Grammatical structure:

GET + PERSON + TO + VERB

Examples:

How can we get all the employees to arrive on time?

My husband hates housework; I can never get him to wash the dishes!
I was nervous about eating sushi, but my brother got me to try it at a
Japanese restaurant.
The non-profit got a professional photographer to take photos at the event
for free.
HELP = Assist Someone In Doing Something
Grammatical structure:

HELP + PERSON + VERB (base form)

HELP + PERSON + TO + VERB
After “help,” you can use “to” or not – both ways are correct. In general, the
form without “to” is more common:

He helped me carry the boxes.

He helped me to carry the boxes.
Reading before bed helps me relax.
Reading before bed helps me to relax.

CAUSATIVE VERBS – GET, HAVE, MAKE, LET, HELP

We use causative verbs to show that someone or something caused
something to happen. Causative verbs are: get, have, make, let and help.
Causative # 1 – HAVE/GET SOMETHING DONE
This means that someone does something for you because you pay or ask
them to do it , but you don’t say who this person is.
Examples:
HAVE / GET SOMETHING DONE
He had / got his hair cut.
She didn’t
her teeth checked.
have / get
I had / got the leak in the fixed.
 roof
Did you
the TV repaired?
have / get

Causative # 2 – HAVE SOMEONE DO SOMETHING

This means that someone does something for you because you pay or ask
them to do it, but you also say who this person is.
Examples:
DO
HAVE SOMEONE
SOMETHING
The teacher
the students write a test.
had
call you with the
I’ll have my assistant
details.
I had the handyman fix the leak.
Did you have the electrician repair the TV

Causative # 3 – GET SOMEONE TO DO SOMETHING

This means someone does something for you because you persuade (=
encourage, tell them that you’d like them to do something) them to do it. So
this construction feels less neutral than the previous ones.
Examples:
TO DO
GET SOMEONE
SOMETHING
I (finally) got my kids to go to bed.
I can never
my wife to cook dinner.
get
Can you ever
your sisters to stop fighting?
get
to take him on
Kevin got his brothers
an adventure.

Causative # 4 – MAKE SOMEONE DO SOMETHING

This means that you force someone/something to do something for you.
Examples:
SOMEONE/ DO
MAKE
SOMETHING SOMETHING
You make your hips sway.
Don’t make her (Sarah) cry.
The teacher
him (Peter) work hard.
made
Why do you them (your worry so much
make parents) about you?
Causative # 5 – LET SOMEONE/SOMETHING DO SOMETHING
This means that you allow ( = let, give permission to do something)
someone to do something or you allow something to happen.
Examples:
SOMEONE/
LET DO SOMETHING
SOMETHING
She let the kids stay up past midnight.
I let the chicken burn in the oven.
Why did
this happen?
he let
Let me go!

Causative # 6 – HELP SOMEONE (to) DO SOMETHING

This means that you help ( = assist) someone (to) do something. This
structure is most often used without ‘to’.
Examples:
(to) DO
HELP SOMEONE
SOMETHING
Milk can help you fall asleep.
Could you
me carry my bags?
help
I don’t see understand the
them
how this helps lesson.
Can computer
kids learn to read?
games help

If half is followed by a singular noun, use a singular verb.

e.g. Half of the pepperoni is ruined.
If half is followed by a plural noun, use a plural verb.
e.g. Half of the tomatoes are missing.

Causative verbs: Have, Get, Make, Let, Help

------------------------------------------------------
# Causative, passive, passive causative
Causative: The manager had the assistant write the report.
Or, The manager got the assistant to write the report.
Passive: The report was/got written (by the assistant).
Passive Causative: The manager had/got the report written (by the
assistant).
------------------------------------------------------
# have/get + object + past participle (have/get something done)
 I'll have/get my hair cut next week.
 I’m going to have/get my hair cut tomorrow.
 We’re having/getting our house painted this weekend.
 My washing machine is broken; I need to have/get it repaired.
------------------------------------------------------
# have + person + infinitive (have someone do something)
 The doctor will have the nurse call the patients.
 The teacher had the students write the answers on the whiteboard.
 I’ll have my assistant call you to reschedule the appointment.
------------------------------------------------------
# get + person + to + infinitive (get someone to do something)
 He is work-shy, but we got him to do the work.
 How can we get all the employees to arrive on time?
 My husband hates housework; I can never get him to wash the dishes!
 I was nervous about eating sushi, but my brother got me to try it at a
Japanese restaurant.
------------------------------------------------------
# make + person + verb (base form)
 After Babul broke the neighbor’s window, his parents made him pay
for it.
 My friend loved sci-fi and made me watch every episode of his favorite
show.

*** Note: In passive structures the infinitive with ‘to’ is used.

Causative: They got her to repeat the whole story.
Passive causative: She was made to repeat the whole story.

 I am made to discount him. (not correct)

 I am made to give him a discount. (correct)
------------------------------------------------------
# let + person/thing + verb (base form)
 Mary’s father won’t let her adopt a puppy because he’s allergic to
dogs.
 Our boss doesn’t let us eat lunch at our desks; we have to eat in the
cafeteria.
 Don’t let the advertising expenses surpass 1000tk.
------------------------------------------------------
# help + person + ‘verb’ / ‘to+verb’
This structure is most often used without ‘to’.
 Reading before bed helps me (to) relax.
 Could you help me (to) carry my bags?
 I don’t see how this helps them (to) understand the lesson.
 Can computer games help kids (to) learn to read?
------------------------------------------------------