He ____ (usually, doesn't) go to bed late.
✅ doesn’t usually ❌ usually doesn’t
- In negative sentences the adverb of frequency goes after don’t/doesn’t.
- In questions, adverbs of frequency go after the auxiliary verb + subject.
Are ____ (you, sometimes, tired) at the end of the class?
✅ you sometimes tired ❌ you tired sometimes
- In questions, adverbs of frequency go after auxiliary verb + the subject.
The place ____ I love is the long beach outside the city.
✅ that ❌ where
- We can focus on an element of the sentence by using these structures such as the reason why, the thing that, the person/people who, the place where, the day when… with a relative clause.
- We need that and not where because we are focusing on an object, not on an adverbial of place. Compare:
- I love the beach ⇒ The place that I love is the beach. (the beach= direct object)
- I met her at the beach ⇒ The place where I met her was the beach. (the beach= adverbial of place)
What I want ____ fame and money, among other things.
✅ is ❌ are
- We can also use what or all (more emphasis) instead of the thing/s that to focus on an element of the sentence.
- The things that I want is fame and money, among other things. ⇒ What I want is fame and money, among other things.
___ (focus on when) I read the email that I realized she was leaving me.
✅ It was when ❌ When ❌ Not until
- Instead of the person who, the thing that, etc. we can also use an introductory it, the verb be in any verb tense that we may need, and the element that we want to focus on.
- The moment when I realised she was leaving me was when I read the email ⇒ It was when I read the email that I realised she was leaving me.
What we did is ____ (write) a letter to apologize.
✅ (to) write ❌ writing ❌ wrote
- We can use what + subject + do/does/did/ + is/was + (to) infinitive when we want to focus on the verb or verb phrase.
The reason why he left ____ (avoid) the embarrassment.
✅ was to avoid ❌ was avoid ❌ was avoiding
- To focus on the reason why we do something we can use the reason why … is/was + to infinitive.
- We need to include to before the infinitive because it’s an infinitive of purpose.
____ I don't like about the place is the weather.
✅ What ❌ The reason
- We can also use what or all (more emphasis) instead of the thing/s that to focus on an element of the sentence.
- The thing that I don’t like about the place is the weather. ⇒ What I don’t like about the place is the weather.