Grammar · Last Day Revision

Read this first

The bac tests a short list of grammar

You do not need every rule in the book. You need these. They come up in the tense and form task, in "circle the option", and they keep your writing correct.

The big one

Past simple, present perfect, past perfect

Tense	How to build it	Use it for	Time words
Past simple	verb + ed (or V2)	a finished action at a known past time	yesterday, ago, last, in 2019, when
Present perfect	have / has + past participle	a past action linked to now, or with no time given	since, for, already, yet, just, ever
Past perfect	had + past participle	the first of two past actions	by the time, before, after

The French trap. The passé composé is not always the present perfect. With a finished past time, English uses the past simple: I have seen him yesterday → I saw him yesterday.

have lived. "since" links the past to now, so use the present perfect.

Two structures the bac loves

Passive and conditionals

Passive voice: be + past participle

Use it when we do not know or do not care who does the action. Keep the same tense in the verb "be".

Active	Passive
They build houses.	Houses are built.
They cancelled the flight.	The flight was cancelled.
They have given 50,000 euros.	50,000 euros has been given.

Conditional type 2 (the unreal one)

If + past simple, then would + base verb.

Example: "If this rule were adopted, it would reduce pollution." With I, he, she, it, use were: "If I were you…". This is also the shape for the personal answer in Reading.

taught … would be. Type 2: "if" + past, then "would" + base verb.

Reported speech and wishes

Reported speech, wish, unless

Reported speech: move one step back

Direct words	Reported
"I am tired," she said.	She said she was tired.
"I will help," he said.	He said he would help.
"I saw it," she said.	She said she had seen it.
questions: use "if" or "whether" and normal word order	He asked if I was ready.

Wish and unless

wish + past simple = a wish about now: "I wish I had more time."
wish + past perfect = a regret about the past: "I wish I had studied harder."
unless = if not: "You will not pass unless you revise."

Word forms

The "ing" form and word building

Use "ing" after a preposition

After a preposition, the verb takes "ing": "good at writing", "the key to passing", "without looking", "interested in learning".

Word building: change the kind of word

To make a…	Common endings	Examples
noun	ness, tion, ment, ity	aware → awareness, explore → exploration, commit → commitment
adjective	ful, ous, al, ive, ing	benefit → beneficial, adventure → adventurous, consume → consuming
adverb	ly	distinct → distinctly, active → actively

The bac's real list. aware → awareness, athlete → athletic, distinct → distinctly, benefit → beneficial, explore → exploration, adventure → adventurous, active → actively, consume → consuming, fit → fitness. Know these. They come back often.

⭐ Fix the mistake

The most common errors, and how to repair them

These four mistakes cost real marks. Look at the table, then fix the sentences yourself.

Mistake	Wrong	Right
Missing "is" or "are"	The problem very serious.	The problem is very serious.
Missing "a" or "the"	She is student.	She is a student.
No "s" on he/she/it	He play football.	He plays football.
Wrong word order	a car red	a red car

Now you try. Type the missing or correct word in each box.

The weather ______ very hot today. (missing verb)

My brother is ______ engineer. (missing article)

She ______ (work) in a hospital. (right form)

Your last check list. In your final 10 minutes, hunt for these four things only: a missing "is" or "are", a missing "a, an, the", a missing "s" on he/she/it, and the wrong tense. They are the most common, and the easiest to fix.

Grammar in one line

Time words choose your tense. Use "be + past participle" for the passive. Use "if + past, would + base" for the unreal. Move back for reported speech. Endings change the kind of word. And never drop your "is/are", articles, or the "s" on he/she/it. Now stock your words in Vocabulary.