L A N G U A G E G U I D E

L E S S O N 3

MAKING METAPHORICAL DEFINITIONS

:: USE AND STRUCTURE

Using a metaphor to make a definition means to define one thing by comparing it to another.

Definition of world using a metaphor:

All the world is a stage, and all the men and women merely players.
William Shakespeare

Definition of conscience using a metaphor:

Conscience is a man’s compass.

Vincent Van Gogh

Definition of religions, arts, and sciences using a metaphor:

All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree.
Albert Einstein

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Metaphors We Use in our Everyday Life

Time is money. Love is what makes the world go Life is like a box of chocolates.
round.

:: EXAMPLES IN CONTEXT

Leaving for Work

Brad – 
Emma, hurry up. I have to go to work.
Time is money.
Emma – 
Hold your horses, big brother. I need to finish
my make-up.
Brad – 
Emma, we are going to work. You are not
going to meet Prince Charming.
Emma – 
Well, who knows? Life is a box of chocolates.

MODALS + PERFECT INFINITIVES: MAY AND MIGHT

:: USE AND STRUCTURE

• Use

Modals + Perfect Infinitives → Used to talk about modality with a past reference. We use May/Might + Perfect
Infinitive to make possible assumptions about the past. The difference is the
degree of certainty you assume.

• Structure

Subject + May/Might + Have + Main Verb in the Past Participle + Complement

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Mr. Coleman said he would call to give us feedback

on the meeting, but he didn’t. He might have
forgotten. Or he may have left the meeting too late
to call. That’s more likely due to the time difference
between California and New York.

I haven’t talked to Mr. Coleman, but I think

there is a slight chance that he forgot to call.

I haven’t talked to Mr. Coleman, but I think there is a

good chance that he left the meeting too late.

I’ll take King to the vet. He’s been too quiet.

He might have eaten something weird on the
street. Or he may have drunk chlorinated water
from the pool again, which is more likely.

I don’t know whether he ate it or not, but I

assume there is a slight chance that he did.

I don’t know whether he drank it or not, but I

assume there is a good chance that he did.

:: EXAMPLES IN CONTEXT

Lucy’s Party

Diana – Did you go to Lucy’s party yesterday? I was so

sorry I couldn’t go, it must have been great!
Claire – Yes, it was great! Everybody was there; we
just missed you and Tom.
Diana – Tom didn’t make it either? Weird, he had
mentioned he was going to go. He might
have had some kind of emergency at work.
Claire – He had told me he was coming back from a
business trip and was going to go straight to
the party. He may have missed his flight.

:: STAY ALERT

It must have been difficult to do it alone. It may have been difficult to do it alone.

It might have been difficult to do it alone.

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L E S S O N 3

:: COMMON MISTAKES

INCORRECT CORRECT
Mia may thought we were not home. Mia may have thought we were not home.
That was the reason she may didn’t call. Maybe/Perhaps that was the reason she didn’t call.

PASSIVE VOICE: REVIEW

:: USE AND STRUCTURE

• Use

Focus on the action, not on the doer:

Our house is being painted by my husband.

The report has been written by Sarah.

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The doer is irrelevant, impossible to know, or well-known:

The meeting was canceled. → Doer is irrelevant.

The traffic sign has been damaged. → It is impossible to know the doer.

Taxes were raised. → Doer is well-known.

• Structure

Active Voice: Subject + Main Verb + Object

The board canceled the meeting.
Someone has damaged the traffic sign.
The government raised the taxes.

1. Object in the 2. Keep the auxiliary from the 4. In the past participle.
active voice. active voice if there is one.

Passive Voice: Subject of the Passive Voice + Verb To Be + Main Verb + By + Agent of the Passive

3. Conjugated in the same form as 5. Subject of the active voice

the main verb of the active voice. preceded by the preposition by.
It's optional in the passive voice.
The meeting was canceled.
The traffic sign has been damaged.
Taxes were raised.
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:: EXAMPLES IN CONTEXT
Tomorrow's Meeting

Jonathan – T he presentation for the meeting is

finished. It was revised by Sarah.
Marianne – For tomorrow's meeting? Haven't you
heard? The meeting was canceled.
Jonathan – Really? No, I didn't know that. Has a new
date been scheduled?
Marianne – No, not yet. But as soon as it's scheduled,
I'll make sure you are informed.
Jonathan – Thank you, Marianne.

:: STAY ALERT
Passive Voice is commonly used in headlines with the omission of the verb to be:

Major cities were destroyed by the hurricane. → Passive Voice Sentence

Major cities destroyed by hurricane. → Passive Voice in Headline (without verb to be)

:: COMMON MISTAKES

INCORRECT CORRECT
I was interesting in the conference. Active Voice: The conference was interesting.
Passive Voice: I was interested in the conference.

REPORTED SPEECH: REPORTING QUESTIONS

:: USE AND STRUCTURE

• Use

Reported Speech → Used to report to a third party what you were told. The speaker often paraphrases the
original words changing verb forms, pronouns, and time expressions. When reporting
questions, we should introduce the reported sentence with the verb to ask and turn the
question to the affirmative form.

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• Structure

Reporting Interrogative Form

Direct Speech: “Do you want to see a movie tonight?”

Reported Speech: Jonas asked me if I wanted to see a movie tonight.

Sentence in the AFFIRMATIVE FORM.

Include IF.
Use the introductory verb TO ASK

Direct Speech: “Mom, can you stay with the kids on the weekend?”
Reported Speech: Laura asked me if I could stay with the kids on the weekend.

Sentence in the AFFIRMATIVE FORM.

Include IF.
Use the introductory verb TO ASK

Direct Speech: “What time do we have to be here tomorrow?”

Reported Speech: Andrew asked me what time we had to be here tomorrow.

Sentence in the AFFIRMATIVE FORM.

Include the QUESTION WORD.
Use the introductory verb TO ASK
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:: EXAMPLES IN CONTEXT

Tomorrow's Meeting

Wife – John, Maggie asked me if she could go to a rock concert with her friends.
I don’t know what to answer.
Husband – Well, she is fifteen now. We have to get ready for that. Who is going with her?
Wife – That’s the point, I asked her who was going to the concert and she told me
a bunch of names I’ve never heard. I also asked her where the concert was
and how they were going to go, but she had very little information.
Husband – I see…we could tell her that she can go as long as we drive her and her
friends there and then pick them up.
Wife – Excellent idea, honey!

:: COMMON MISTAKES

INCORRECT CORRECT
She asked me where were the kids. She asked me where the kids were.
He asked me when did you travel. He asked me when you traveled.

L E S S O N 4

IMPLIED MEANING: PROVERBS

:: USE AND STRUCTURE

Proverbs →
 Repeated sayings that reflect basic truths or cultural beliefs
→ Commonly used to give advice
→ Carry implied meaning

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