One common grammatical error that learners make, and which stands out in written texts, is forgetting to use past participles after modal verbs combined with the verb "to be." This results in sentences like "should be change" instead of the correct "should be changed" or "must be announce" rather than "must be announced." Understanding the Structure: The structure in question is about the
To recall simply, modals are these verb forms: can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, must. Also included are the phrases ought to, used to, need to, had better, and be supposed to. They are all used with other verbs to state possibility, permission, opinion, or intention. The passive modal is used specifically to make recommendations or instructions, to state opinions, and sometimes to state rules, such as in the following sentences:
As previously stated, the past participle form of the verb is used with passive modals. The past participle is the form of a verb used with the verb ‘have’ in perfect tenses. For example in the sentence, ‘I have chosen to start over', the word 'chosen' is the verb in past participle form. The past participle is also used with the passive voice. For example in the sentence, ‘It was wrapped in delicate tissue paper’, the past participle verb is 'wrapped'. Here are more examples of verbs in their base form and past participle form: After defining modals and past participles, let's look at examples of mistakes where the writer or speaker forgets to use the past participle when making a passive modal:
1. Should be + past participle - Incorrect: "The policy should be change." - Correct: "The policy should be changed." 2. Must be + past participle - Incorrect: "The decision must be announce to the public immediately." - Correct: "The decision must be announced to the public immediately." 3. Can be + past participle - Incorrect: "The process can be improve." - Correct: "The process can be improved." 4. Will be + past participle - Incorrect: "This issue will be discuss in the next meeting." - Correct: "This issue will be discussed in the next meeting." Recognizing and rectifying errors in the modal + be + past participle structure is fundamental for learners seeking to refine their English language skills, especially since this is a common pattern to use when making recommendations and posting announcements at work. Practice this structure by doing the writing activity below: You're going on a sudden business trip and need to leave instructions to someone about chores that need to be done at your house while you're away. Use the passive modal structure (modal + be + past participle) to give instructions to this person. Examples:
Enjoy your writing practice and don't hesitate to leave a comment for any questions.
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Visual information that you could be given in Task 1 of IELTS Academic Writing include line graphs, bar graphs, pie charts, tables, processes, maps, or a combination of two types. Below is a basic structure that applies to most types of questions.
*The overview could come at the end, but because it is a very important assessment criteria identified in the band descriptors, it's a good idea to ensure that it gets done by writing it immediately after the opening statement. What skills then do you need to get good at?1. For the introduction, you need to be able to:
2. To write an effective overview, you need to know how to:
3. To write the main text, you ought to be able to:
4. Finishing Writing Task 1 within the allocated time.
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