BỘ NỘI VỤ
TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC LAO ĐỘNG XÃ HỘI
Ban biên soạn:
1. Chủ trì: ThS. Lại Minh Thư
2. Thành viên: PGS.TS. Đặng Nguyên Giang
ThS. Nguyễn Thị Minh Huyền
BÀI GIẢNG
NGỮ PHÁP TIẾNG ANH THỰC HÀNH
ENGLISH GRAMMAR IN USE
(Dùng đào tạo trình độ Đại học ngành Ngôn ngữ Anh)
LƯU HÀNH NỘI BỘ
HÀ NỘI, NĂM 2025
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PREFACE
The textbook English Grammar in Use has been carefully developed to support the
teaching and learning of English grammar for students of the Faculty of Foreign Languages
at the University of Labour and Social Affairs. It is used directly in classroom instruction
and provides a systematic, practical approach to essential grammar topics. The content is
organized into thematic units that cover key areas such as verb tenses, auxiliary verbs, the
passive voice, conditionals, reported speech, relative clauses, infinitives and gerunds, and
comparative structures. Each unit offers clearly structured practice exercises that reflect
typical test formats, helping students to consolidate their understanding and prepare
effectively for exams. The focus on realistic and academic usage supports learners in
developing both accuracy and fluency in communication.
This textbook is the result of the dedicated efforts of English lecturers from the
Faculty of Foreign Languages at the University of Labour and Social Affairs. While every
attempt has been made to ensure the quality and usability of the material, we warmly
welcome all comments and suggestions from colleagues and readers to help us continue
improving future editions.
Hanoi, July 2025
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE ............................................................................................................................ i
UNIT 1: THE PRESENT TENSES................................................................................... 1
1. The simple present tense .......................................................................................... 1
1.1. Form ................................................................................................................... 1
1.2. The simple present used to express habitual action ........................................... 1
1.3. Other uses of the simple present tense ............................................................... 2
2. The present continuous tense ................................................................................... 3
2.1. Form ................................................................................................................... 3
2.2. Uses of the present continuous tense ................................................................. 3
2.3. Verbs not normally used in the continuous tenses ............................................. 5
2.4. feel, look, smell and taste used in the continuous forms .................................. 6
2.5. see and hear used in the continuous forms ........................................................ 7
2.6. think, assume and expect used in the continuous forms .................................. 8
3. The present perfect tense .......................................................................................... 8
3.1. Form ................................................................................................................... 8
3.2. Uses of the present perfect tenses ...................................................................... 9
3.3. The present perfect used with for and since .................................................... 14
4. The present perfect continuous .............................................................................. 16
4.1. Form ................................................................................................................. 16
4.2. Use of the present perfect continuous tense ..................................................... 16
4.3. Comparison of the present perfect simple and continuous .............................. 16
FURTHER PRACTICE – UNIT 1 .................................................................................. 18
UNIT 2: THE PAST TENSES ......................................................................................... 25
1. The simple past tense .............................................................................................. 25
1.1. Form ................................................................................................................. 25
1.2. Uses of the simple past tenses .......................................................................... 25
2. The past continuous tense ...................................................................................... 26
2.1. Form ................................................................................................................. 26
2.2. Main uses of the past continuous tense ............................................................ 27
2.3. Other uses of the past continuous .................................................................... 28
2.4. Past continuous as an alternative to the simple past ........................................ 28
3. The past perfect tense ............................................................................................. 29
3.1. Form ................................................................................................................. 29
3.2. Uses of the past perfect tense ........................................................................... 29
3.3. Past and past perfect tenses in time clauses ..................................................... 31
3.4. Use of the past perfect in indirect speech ........................................................ 33
4. The past perfect continuous tense .......................................................................... 33
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4.1. Form ................................................................................................................. 33
4.2. Uses of the past perfect continuous tense ........................................................ 34
FURTHER PRACTICE – UNIT 2 .................................................................................. 34
UNIT 3: FUTURE FORMS ............................................................................................. 42
1. An overview of future forms ................................................................................... 42
1.1. Future forms ..................................................................................................... 42
1.2. The simple present used for the future ............................................................. 42
1.3. A note on the meaning of future with intention ............................................... 43
2. The use of ‘will’ ...................................................................................................... 43
2.1. will + infinitive used to express intention at the moment of decision ............. 43
2.2. will contrasted with want/wish/would like ..................................................... 44
3. ‘be going to’ and present continuous .................................................................... 45
3.1. The present continuous as a future form .......................................................... 45
3.2. ‘be going to’ form and uses ............................................................................. 46
4. The ‘future simple’ ................................................................................................. 49
4.1. Form ................................................................................................................. 49
4.2. First person will and shall ................................................................................ 50
4.3. Uses of the ‘future simple’ ............................................................................... 51
5. Other forms of the future ....................................................................................... 53
5.1. The ‘future continuous’ .................................................................................... 53
5.2. The ‘future perfect’ .......................................................................................... 55
5.3. The ‘future perfect continuous’ ....................................................................... 56
FURTHER PRACTICE – UNIT 3 .................................................................................. 56
UNIT 4: AUXILIARY VERBS – PRINCIPAL AUXILIARIES ................................. 63
1. be as an auxiliary verb ........................................................................................... 63
1.1. Form and uses in the formation of tenses ........................................................ 63
1.2. be + infinitive ................................................................................................... 64
2. have as an auxiliary verb ....................................................................................... 65
2.1. Forms and uses in the formation of tenses ....................................................... 65
2.2. have + object + past participle ........................................................................ 66
2.3. had better + bare infinitive ............................................................................. 68
2.4. have + object + present participle ................................................................... 68
3. do used as an auxiliary verb ................................................................................... 69
3.1. Form ................................................................................................................. 69
3.2. Uses .................................................................................................................. 70
FURTHER PRACTICE – UNIT 4 .................................................................................. 71
UNIT 5: MODAL AUXILIARIES .................................................................................. 78
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1. may and can for permission ................................................................................... 78
1.1. may used for permission: forms ...................................................................... 78
1.2. may is followed by the bare infinitive ............................................................. 78
1.3. may and can used for permission in the present or future .............................. 78
1.4. could or was/were allowed to for permission in the past ............................... 79
1.5. Requests for permission ................................................................................... 80
2. may and can for possibility ..................................................................................... 80
2.1. may/might for possibility ................................................................................ 80
2.2. may/might + perfect infinitive ......................................................................... 82
2.3. could as an alternative to may/might .............................................................. 83
2.4. can used to express possibility ........................................................................ 83
3. can and be able for ability ...................................................................................... 84
3.1. can and be able: forms .................................................................................... 84
3.2. can/ am able, could/ was able ........................................................................ 85
3.3. could + perfect infinitive .................................................................................. 86
4. ought, should, must, have to for obligation ........................................................... 86
4.1. ought, should: forms ....................................................................................... 86
4.2. Difference between must and have to in the affirmative ................................ 90
4.3. need: forms ...................................................................................................... 92
4.4. need not and must not in the present and future ............................................ 92
4.5. Difference between need not and the other forms .......................................... 93
4.6. needn’t have (done) compared with didn’t have/ need (to do) ..................... 94
4.7. must, have to and need in the interrogative.................................................... 94
4.8. needn’t, could and should + perfect infinitive ................................................ 95
FURTHER PRACTICE – UNIT 5 .................................................................................. 96
UNIT 6: THE CONDITIONAL AND WISH SENTENCES ...................................... 103
1. The conditional tenses .......................................................................................... 103
1.1. The present conditional tense ......................................................................... 103
1.2. The perfect conditional tense ......................................................................... 103
2. Conditional sentences ........................................................................................... 104
2.1. Conditional sentences type 1: probable ......................................................... 104
2.2. Conditional sentences type 2 ......................................................................... 105
2.3. Conditional sentences type 3 ......................................................................... 107
3. Modals and variations in If-clauses..................................................................... 108
3.1. Special uses of will/would and should in if-clauses ..................................... 108
3.2. if + were and inversion of subject and auxiliary ........................................... 110
3.3. Alternative conditional structures .................................................................. 110
4. Emphatic and reported conditionals .................................................................... 111
4.1. if and in case .................................................................................................. 111
4.2. if only ............................................................................................................. 112