MUST- KNOW STRUCTURES

1. SV + TOO + ADJ/ ADV + ( FOR Sb ) + TO INF

e.g. The furniture was so expensive that I couldn’t buy it.
→ ____________________________________________________________
The trip was so amazing that we will never forget it.
→It was _______________________________________________________

2. SV + TOO MANY + PLURAL NOUN + ( FOR Sb) + TO INF.

SV + TOO MUCH + UNCOUNTABLE NOUN + ( FOR Sb ) + TO INF.
e.g. There are a lot of mice. The cat can’t catch them all.
→ _____________________________________________________________
The article contains too much information. We can’t remember all of it.
→ _____________________________________________________________

3. SV + ADJ/ ADV + ENOUGH + ( FOR Sb ) + TO INF.

e.g. The bread was so stale that we couldn’t eat it.
→ _________________________________________________________
He couldn’t persuade us to invest his business.
→ _________________________________________________________

4. SV + ENOUGH + NOUN + TO INF .

e.g. He’s always pressed for time.
→_________________________________________________________

5. SV + SO + ADJ/ ADV + (THAT) + SV

SO + ADJ/ ADV + INVERSION + ( THAT) + SV
e.g. The cinema was such a long way from the city center that no one went there.
→_____________________________________________________________________
→So __________________________________________________________________

6. SV + SUCH + A(N) + ADJ + SINGULAR NOUN + (THAT) + SV

ADJ + PLURAL NOUN
ADJ + UNCOUNTABLE NOUN
SUCH + BE + NOUN + (THAT) + SV
SV + SUCH THAT + SV
e.g. The tea was too hot for him to drink. →________________________________________
 She was so disappointed that she burst into tears.
→ Such________________________________________
→ Her________________________________________
It was so hot that I nearly fainted.
→ The heat ___________________________________

7. SV + SO + ADJ + A(N) + SINGULAR NOUN + THAT + SV

e.g. He drives so carelessly that he often has accidents.
→_______________________________________________
He played tennis so well that he won the championship.
→________________________________________________
Frederick is such a talented artist that most critics respect him. (LOOK) (ĐỀ CHUYÊN ANH
2011-2012)

→Frederick is so_____________________________________________

8. SV + SUCH A LOT OF + NOUN + THAT+ SV

e.g. It snowed so much that we couldn’t go out.
→There______________________________________________________

9. SV + SO MANY + PLURAL NOUN + THAT + SV

SV + SO MUCH + UNCOUNTABLE NOUN + THAT + SV
e.g. I have a lot of students. I can’t remember all their names.
→____________________________________________________________
e.g. The procession attracted such a crowd that the traffic came to a standstill.
→So ___________________________________________________________

10. SV + SO FEW + PLURAL NOUN + THAT + SV

SV + SO LITTLE + UNCOUNTABLE NOUN + THAT + SV
e.g. We don’t have enough flour to make a cake.
→There________________________________________________________

11. IT + TAKES/ TOOK + Sb + TIME + TO INF.

e.g. They were on the moon 24 hours later. (FOOT)

→______________________________________________________________

12. IT + BE + ADJ + (FOR Sb/ Sth) + TO INF.

e.g. Roses can’t possibly grow in such poor soil.
→It is __________________________________________________________
 Students don’t need to wear uniform today.
→________________________________________________________

13. S + BE + ADJ + (THAT) +SV

e.g. You didn’t study hard. You made me disappointed.
→_______________________________________________________
He knew a lot about Vietnamese food. That amazed me.
→I ________________________________________________________
→He ______________________________________________________

14. THAT
IF/ WHETHER + SV + V ( Singular verb) ( Noun clause function as a subject)
WH-
e.g. He knew a lot about Vietnamese food. That amazed me.
That____________________________________________________
What___________________________________________________
It’s up to you to decide the way you want to live your life. (DEPENDS)(ĐỀ CHUYÊN ANH 2013-
2014)
How ________________________________________________________

15. ALTHOUGH
THOUGH + SV, SV
EVEN THOUGH

DESPITE
IN SPITE OF + NOUN/ V.ING, SV

ADJ/ ADV + AS/ THOUGH + SV, SV

HOWEVER/ NO MATTER HOW + ADJ/ ADV + SV, SV

e.g. In spite of the noise , we kept studying.
→ Although ______________________________________________
She can’t speak English, but she’s getting married to an English man.
→Despite her _____________________________________________
He was rich, but he was still unhappy.
→Rich ____________________________________________________
I couldn’t open the door although I tried hard.
→Try_____________________________________________________
 →No matter___________________________________________________
It was raining hard, but he still waited for her.
→However____________________________________________________
The committee had a long discussion but they could not make up their mind. (REACH)
→Lengthy _______________________________________________________
Sam tried extremely hard to convince her, but it was no use. (BRING) (ĐỀ CHUYÊN ANH 2014-
2015)
→Hard_______________________________________________________________

16. HAVE Sb DO Sth

HAVE Sth DONE
GET Sb TO DO Sth
GET Sth DONE
e.g The garage is going to repair our car.
→______________________________________________________________
In the afternoon a photographer is taking my photograph.
→In the afternoon I _______________________________________________
Someone broke Tim’s nose while he was playing football.
→Tim __________________________________________________________
“ Why not call in a plumber to check the plumbing?” Tom told me (CHECKED)
→Tom suggested _________________________________________________

17. SV + BECAUSE OF + NOUN/ V.ING

DUE TO
OWING TO
ON ACCOUNT OF
e.g. The workshop was successful because she had prepare carefully.
→_______________________________________________________________
He was sacked because he was irresponsible.
→On ____________________________________________________________

18. SV, SO + SV
SV. Therefore, SV
e.g. They stayed home because of the heavy rain.
→__________________________________________________________
The river is too dirty for us to swim in.
→__________________________________________________________
19. DO YOU MIND IF + SV ( Present simple) ?
WOULD YOU MIND IF + SV ( Simple past) ?
e.g. Is it all right if I smoke? → Would _______________________________________

20. DO YOU MIND + V.ING?

WOULD YOU MIND + V.ING?
e.g. Could you possibly turn off the fans?→ _______________________________________

21. WHAT + A(N) + ADJ + SINGULAR NOUN ( +SV)!

WHAT + ADJ + PLURAL NOUN (+ SV)!
WHAT + ADJ + UNCOUNTABLE NOUN (+SV)!
HOW + ADJ/ ADV +SV (+ SV)!
e.g. They are just naughty boys.
→______________________________________________________________
→______________________________________________________________
How hot it is to day!
→ What__________________________________________________________

22. SV ( Present Perfect ) + SINCE + SV (Simple Past)

e.g. The last time I met her was when we attended an English course.
→____________________________________________________________

23. IT + IS / HAS BEEN + TIME + SINCE + SV ( Simple past)

e.g. I haven’t spoken French for ages.
→_________________________________________________________

24. THE LAST TIME + SV (Simple Past) + WAS + TIME + AGO

e.g. I haven’t ridden a bike for 2 years . → ________________________________________

25. THIS IS THE FIRST/ SECOND/ THIRD TIME +SV ( Present Perfect)
e.g. This is my first visit to China.
→_______________________________________________________________________
e.g. This is the first time I have tasted turkey.
→I have _____________________________________________

26. HOW LONG IS IT SINCE +SV (Simple Past)?

e.g. When did you buy this house? →___________________________________________
27. HOW LONG AGO + DID + S + V.bare?
e.g. When did you buy this house? →______________________________________

28. SPEND / WASTE + TIME/ MONEY + V.ING

SPEND / WASTE + TIME/ MONEY + ON Sth
e.g. It took me half an hour to go to school.
→______________________________________________________
Fashionable clothes cost her a fortune.
→______________________________________________________

29. USED TO + V.bare

BE USED TO + V.ING
GET USED TO + V.ING
BE ACCUSTOMED TO +V.ING
e.g My American friend finds using chopsticks difficult.
→____________________________________________
We left Vietnam 10 years ago.→____________________________________________
My mother doesn’t wash the clothes by hand any more. →____________________________

30. HAVE/ FACE (NO) DIFFICULTY / TROUBLE (IN) + V.ING

e.g. Tom passed the test easily. →Tom had no ______________________________________
I am not used to driving on the left. → I have ______________________________________

31. BE USED TO + V.bare

BE USED FOR + V.ING
e.g. We used money to buy and sell goods.
→____________________________________________________________

32. S + NEED + V.ING

S + NEED + TO BE + P.P
e.g. My house is deteriorating. →__________________________________________

33. Peter is the tallest boy in his class.

→______________________________________________________

34. Nam and Lan sing very well.

→Nam and Lan are ____________________________________
→ Nam studies hard.
 →Nam is __________________________________
He participates actively in every classroom activity.
→He is ______________________________________________

35. MAKE Sb + V.bare

BE MADE + TO INF.
e.g. They used to make the boy work hard.
→The boy _________________________________________

36. SUGGEST + V.ING

SUGGEST + THAT + S + SHOULD + V. bare
SUGGEST + THAT + S + V. bare
e.g. ‘ Why don’t you do morning exercise and eat less meat ?’ said my doctor.
_______________________________________________________________

37. IT’S TIME + SV ( Simple past)

IT’S ABOUT TIME + SV ( Simple Past)
IT’S HIGH TIME + SV ( Simple past)
e.g. My teacher said that I should study harder.
‘__________________________________________’ said my teacher
You’ve got to accept that you are too old for that sort of activity. ( GROWN ) ( ĐỀ CHUYÊN
ANH 2013-2014)
 It’s time you ___________________________________________

38. S1 + WOULD RATHER + S2 + V ( Simple Past) ( present situation)

S1 + WOULD RATHER + S2 + had + V3 ( past situation)
e.g. I don’t want you to smoke in my room.
______________________________________________________
I regret lying to my parents.
______________________________________________________

39. S + WOULD RATHER + (not) V.bare (present situation)

S + WOULD RATHER + (not) have + P.P ( past situation)
e.g. I regret not attending the lecture. I’d rather ___________________________________
I’d prefer to stay at home now. I’d rather _____________________________________
We really loved to have a chance to visit the Colosseum but we couldn’t. (FOOT)
 We would sooner _____________________________________________________
40. S + WOULD RATHER + V.bare + than + V.bare
= S + WOULD PREFER + to infinitive rather than + V.bare
e.g. Reading books is boring. I prefer to watch films.
_____________________________________________________

41. THE + COMPARATIVE, THE + COMPARATIVE

e.g. If you run a lot, you’ll get fitter. ________________________________________
I work harder when I’m short of time. _____________________________________

42. NO SOONER THAN

HARDLY + had + S + P.P + WHEN + SV 2
SCARCELY WHEN
BARELY WHEN
e.g. As soon as I left home, it rained cat and dog. ___________________________________

43. NOT UNTIL

ONLY WHEN +SV + Inversion
ONLY AFTER
ONLY IF

IT WAS NOT UNTIL ……………………… THAT + CLAUSE

e.g. When he was 18, he knew that he had been adopted.

Not until______________________________________________
It was ________________________________________________
We realized what had happened a week later. ( FOLLOWING) ( ĐỀ CHUYÊN ANH 2013-
2014)
It wasn’t ___________________________________________________

44. SV, WHICH + CLAUSE

e.g. Their constant encouragement made her job easier.
They ____________________________________________________

45. SV + IN ORDER TO + V.bare

SO AS TO
TO
SV + IN ORDER NOT TO + V.bare
 SO AS NOT TO
SV + WITH A VIEW TO + V.ING
SV + FOR FEAR OF + V.ING
SV + FOR FEAR THAT+ SV
SV + WITH THE AIM OF + V.ING

SV + LEST + S + ( SHOULD) + V. bare

SV ( Present) + SO THAT + S + WILL/ CAN + V.bare

IN ORDER THAT
SV ( Past) + SO THAT + S + WOULD/ COULD + V.bare
IN ORDER THAT
e.g. She studied hard because she wanted to pass the entrance examination.
She ________________________ so that ____________________________.
___________________________ lest_______________________________.
She wore sunglasses so that no one could recognize her.
_____________________________ in order not to _____________________
_____________________________ for fear of ________________________
In order to _____________________________________________________
We never buy things in small quantities as we would make a profit.
With a ________________________________________________________

46. S + MUST HAVE + P.P # S + CAN’T/ COULDN’T HAVE + P.P

S + COULD/ MAY/ MIGHT (NOT) + HAVE + P.P
S + COULD HAVE + P.P
S + SHOULD ( NOT) + HAVE + P.P
S + NEEDN’T + HAVE + P.P
e.g. Perhaps Ms. Lan was the person who spoke to you.
Ms. Lan might__________________________________________
It was wrong of you to leave early.
You __________________________________________________
You bought a lot of food, which was unnecessary.
You __________________________________________________
I’m sure she didn’t remember your birthday.
She __________________________________________________

47. PASSIVE WITH TWO CLAUSES

e.g. They rumor that he will be promoted soon.
 It ___________________________________________________
He __________________________________________________
People estimate that the company manufactured more than 5,000 small planes last year.
It ___________________________________________________
The company _________________________________________
More than 5,000 small planes_______________________________________

48. V3/ed , SV ( 2 clauses have the same SUBJECT)

V.ing, SV
e.g. After he had sent me the note, he left the town forever. (GOOD) ( ĐỀ CHUYÊN ANH 2013-
2014)
Having ______________________________________________
Lucy left her job because her boss treated her badly.
Badly _______________________________________________

49. IT IS/ WAS …. THAT + SV : CHÍNH LÀ…. MÀ

e.g. I was unwilling to buy the product because it was too expensive. (PUT)
It was the _________________________________________________
Overpopulation leads to a high rate of unemployment. ( RISE)
It is _______________________________________________________