AGO to SINCE/ SINCE to AGO

SINCE to FOR / FOR to SINCE

Ago and Last are used with the simple past (I moved to Rome five years ago/last month).

For is used to talk about something that happens/happened over a period of time
● I've been painting this wall for three hours.
● We've known each other for at least 10 years.
● I've worked in this company for more than 20 years.

Since is used when we state when something started.

● I've been painting this wall since 8 a.m.
● We've only known each other since /Monday / last week/ last month /2005.
● I've worked in this company since 1995.
As a preposition, Since cannot be used with duration.
We cannot say: since 20 minutes, we will say for 20 minutes (duration is expressed with for.)

1. It's been a long time since I last played football. FOR

I................................................................................. a long time.

2. It's been two years now since he started working for us. BEEN

He..................................................................................for two years.

3. They moved to England nine years ago. SINCE

It's .................................................................................moved to England.

4. It's four months since I last visited my uncle John. LAST

The ................................................................................uncle John was four months ago.

5. Adolf Hitler has been dead for over 70 years. BEEN

Adolf Hitler ................................................................................ 1945.

6. They have been dating for a week. LAST

They ................................................................................week.

TOO to ENOUGH / ENOUGH to TOO

TOO FORMULA: TOO + ADJ/ ADV

Too comes before adjectives and adverbs:

It's too hot to wear that coat. / He finished his exam too quickly.
Too + adj Too + adv

ENOUGH
FORMULA: ENOUGH + NOUN
I didn't have enough time to finish the report. (Enough + noun)

FORMULA: ADJECTIVE/ ADVERB/ VERB+ ENOUGH

I didn't work hard enough so I failed the exam. (Adj+ enough)
I couldn't write quickly enough and didn't have time to finish. (Adv + enough)
I didn't revise enough so I wasn't able to pass the exam. (Verb + enough)

1. The player was too slow to stop the ball. ENOUGH

The ..................................................................................... to stop the ball.

2. The weight is too heavy for me to lift. NOT

I'm ................................................................................ the weight.

3. The water wasn't clean enough for us to swim. WAS

The................................................................................ for us to swim.

4. I didn't want to drink the tea because it was too cold. FOR

The tea ................................................................................ me to drink.

5. That smartphone was too expensive for me to buy it. HAVE

I didn't ..................................................................................that smartphone.

6. They thought he wasn't tall enough to play basketball with his friends. WAS

They thought...................................................................................play basketball with his

friends.

VERBS FOLLOWED BY GERUND (ING)

1. He said he didn't steal the car. DENIED

He ...................................................................................the car

2. She said she was the one who had made the mistake. ADMITTED
She ................................................................................. the mistake

3. If only I had not waited for so long. REGRET

I ................................................................................. for so long.

4. I try no to eat too late at night. AVOID

I try..................................................................................too late at night.

5. When the wall is finished, I'll let you know. FINISH

When ................................................................................., I'll let you know.
6. He barely managed not to be run over by a bus. ESCAPED

He................................................................................... over by a bus.

7. Is it OK if I smoke here? MIND

Do .................................................................................. here?

8. I like to play football at the weekend. ENJOY

I.....................................................................................football at the weekend.

9. I find it difficult not to laugh every time I remember what happened. HELP

I ..................................................................................every time I remember what happened.

10. I had to control myself not to buy a new computer. STOP

I had.................................................................................a new computer.

11. I didn't feel like drinking out of such a dirty glass. FANCY
I ................................................................................. out of such a dirty glass.

KEYWORDS: deny, admit, regret, stop, prevent, cannot help, enjoy, mind, escape, finish,
avoid, always…

NEGATIVE WORDS
No, not, neither, never, hardly, no one, nobody, none, nor, nothing, nowhere:
● They've never tried apple pie before.
● None of my friends came to the party.
● There was no food left in the fridge.
● Nobody helped me to do the dishes.

1. Susan is much more interesting than Jane. NOTHING

Jane is………………………………………………......as Susan.

2. There are many other girls that are just as beautiful as she is. ANY

She isn't.………………………………………………......most other girls.

3. I only just managed to pass the exam. HARDLY

I .………………………………………………......pass the exam.

4. You can't expect to pass your exam if you don't study. HARDLY

You ………………………………………………......to pass your exam, if you don't study.

5. It so dark in the room that I almost couldn't see anything. BARELY

It was so dark in the room that I……………………………………………….....

6. Julie and he husband don't like playing chess. NOR

Neither………………………………………………......like playing chess..

7. Learning Judo and BJJ is similar in terms of difficulty. MORE

Learning Judo is.……………………………………………….....learning BJJ.

8. Your computer isn't nearly as good as mine. NEAR

Your Computer………………………………………………........good as mine.

9. I don't want anybody to overhear what I'm saying. NOBODY

I ………………………………………………..... what I'm saying.

KEYWORDS: as ..as, much more, almost, nearly, anybody, ever, similar, can't expect, only
just, isn't nearly as, anyone, anything / Not anything: nothing/ Any: Anybody, anyone : no
one, nobody / Not ever: never / Not any: none
 VERBS FOLLOWED BY A TO-INFINITIVE
Afford, demand, pretend, fail, promise ,arrange, forget, manage, refuse mean (= intend),
remember, help, need, choose, hope, offer, try, intend, plan decide, learn

1. His GP advised him against drinking alcohol. NOT

His GP advised him…………………………………………………………….alcohol.

2. He acted as if he had not seen me. PRETENDED

He…………………………………………………………….me.

3. We are thinking about going to London next month. ΤΟ

We are.…………………………………………………………….London next month.

4. He said that he would help with the project. PROMISED

He..……………………………………………………………..with the project.

5. He said he would lend me some money. AGREED

He has..…………………………………………………………….me some money.

6. People need to acquire new skills. IMPORTANT

It's.…………………………………………………………….new skills.

7. I'm looking forward to visiting you next month. WAIT

I ..……………………………………………………………..you next month.

8. Telling him that the meeting has been cancelled. TELL

I …………………………………………………………….the meeting has been cancelled.

9. After six years of training of training, he became really good at playing tennis. LEARNT
He……………………………………………………………., after six years of training.
 KEY WORD TRANSFORMATION
1. It's possible that she has injured her arm in the accident.
HAVE
She…………………………………………………………….her arm in the accident.
CLUE: MODAL VERB + PERFECT INFINITIVE

2. John replaced his father as head of the company.

PLACE
John…………………………………………………………….his father as head of the company.
CLUE: Paraphrasing with a SYNONYMOUS PHRASE (SET PHRASE)

3. His father doesn't like him to go clubbing so much.

APPROVE
His father doesn't…………………………………………………………….clubbing so much.
CLUE: VERB + PREPOSITION + PRONOUN + GERUND

4. Jim father's didn't let him play with his smartphone until he had done his homework.
MADE
Jim's father's…………………………………………………………….before he played with his
smartphone.
CLUE: FROM UNTIL TO BEFORE = CAUSATIVE VERB + PRONOUN + VERB

5. Would you mind taking care of my suitcases while I go to the toilet?

AFTER
Could you…………………………………………………………….while I go to the toilet?
CLUE :CHANGE OF VERBAL (gerund into infinitive) + SYNONYMOUS PHRASE

6. It wasn't necessary for him to bring a present, but he did.

NEEDN'T
He…………………………………………………………….a present.
CLUE NEEDN'T + PERFECT INFINITIVE
7. The suitcase was so heavy that I can only just lift it into the taxi.
ANY
If the suitcase had been………………………………………………..been able to lift it into the
car.
CLUE COMPARATIVE + CONDITIONAL CLAUSE

8. Mike said he was coming to the party with us tonight but it seems he has decide not to.
CHANGED
Mike appears.………………………………………………....coming to the party with us tonight.
CLUE PERFECT INFINITIVE + SYNONYMOUS PHRASE

9. The engineer wore gloves so that the fragile parts he was working with would not be
damaged
AVOID
The engineer wore gloves………………………………………………..…..the fragile parts he
was working with.
CLUE INFINITIVE + GERUND

10. When Billy went to Tenerife, he wished he had learnt some Spanish beforehand.
REGRETTED
When he went to Tenerife, Billy..………………………………………………..some Spanish
beforehand.
CLUE NEGATIVE + PERFECT PARTICIPLE

11. I haven't seen John for eight years.

LAST
It's five years………………………………………………..…...John.
CLUE: SINCE + CHANGE OF VERB TENSE

12. Perhaps he missed the train this morning.

MAY
He……………………………………………………..…..the train this morning.
CLUE MODAL VERB + PERFECT INFINITIVE