Constructions

Textbook basis

• Goldstein Ben, Jones Ceri, McKeegan David, Anderson Vicki, Higgins Eoin «Eyes Open 4 for Kazakhstan (Grade 8) Student's book», 2019, Kokzhiek-Gorizont, pp. 7, 9, 49, 89, 91
• Ben Goldstein, Ceri Jones with Emma Heyderman. «English. Student's Book, Grade 6 for Kazakhstan», Cambridge University Press, 2019, pp. 32, 37, 33, 39
• Jenny Dooley, Bob Obee. «Excel for Kazakhstan (Grade 9) Student's book», Express Publishing, 2019, Module 1 "Hobbies & Qualities", pp. 10, 11, 12
• Dooley Jenny, Obee Bob «Action for Kazakhstan Grade 11 (Science Schools) Student's Book», 2020, Express Publishing / Atamura, pp. 10
• Dooley Jenny, Obee Bob «Action for Kazakhstan Grade 11 (Science Schools) Student's Book», 2020, Express Publishing / Atamura, pp. 85, 87
• Goldstein Ben, Jones Ceri, Anderson Vicki, Higgins Eoin, Akysheva Raisa, Tutbayeva Nazerke, Shaik Aidana, Tsoy Nataliya «English Eyes Open 3 for Kazakhstan. Grade 7 Student's book», 2025, pp. 9, 11, 41, 107, 110
• Goldstein Ben, Jones Ceri, McKeegan David, Anderson Vicki, Higgins Eoin «Eyes Open 4 for Kazakhstan (Grade 8) Student's book», 2019, Kokzhiek-Gorizont, pp. 75, 77, 89, 91, 101

Key points

• Verb + infinitive: decide, want, hope, would like + to do. Verb + -ing: enjoy, mind, finish, imagine + doing. Preposition + -ing: interested in learning.
• Adjective + infinitive / that / wh-: happy to help, It's best to watch it in the dark, I'm sure that …, unsure whether ….
• too / enough + infinitive: It's too cold to swim. I'm not old enough to see the film.
• It / there: it for weather, time, opinion (It's dark); there is / are for existence (There's no night for 85 days).
• Passive: be (in the needed tense) + V3: are made, was demolished, had been won, will be announced.
• Emphasis: impersonal It is said that …, cleft What … is …, It was … that ….
• Future forms: will, be going to, present continuous, present simple, will be doing, will have done.

Theory

1. Infinitive or -ing

+ to-infinitive	+ -ing	preposition + -ing
decide to come	enjoy going	thinking about having a party
want / hope to …	don't mind waiting	interested in learning
would like to …	finish / imagine doing	good at drawing

If you decide to come and see the festival for yourself, bring warm clothes. — I enjoy going to parties. — I'm thinking about having a party.

2. Adjective complements

• adjective + infinitive: We're just glad to be of help. They were relieved to find the paper. It's best to watch it in the dark.
• adjective + that-clause: I'm sure that …, Aizhan was devastated when she learned the result.
• adjective + wh-clause: Professor Bolat is unsure whether our research is worth publishing / unsure how to apply for funding.
• too + adjective + infinitive (more than needed): It's too cold to swim. Adjective + enough + infinitive: not old enough to see the film.

3. Impersonal it and there

• It has no real meaning, but the sentence needs a subject: weather / time (It's warm and sunny in the summer), evaluation (It was quieter and more relaxing).
• There is + singular / uncountable, there are + plural: There wasn't any electricity. There are lots of little paths. Question: Is there a bank near here?

4. The passive voice — the action is important, not the doer.

Tense	Form	Example
present simple	am / is / are + V3	Wood sculptures are made by hand.
past simple	was / were + V3	The stadium was demolished in 2007.
present / past continuous	is / was being + V3	The road is being repaired.
present perfect	has / have been + V3	The tickets have been sold.
past perfect	had been + V3	The match had been won four times before the new season.
future	will be + V3	The new clubs will be announced tomorrow.

The doer is introduced with by: written by a famous author.

5. Emphasis: impersonal and cleft structures

• It is said that the brain feels no pain. (general opinion, formal)
• What animals really need is space to be free. (cleft with what)
• It was the storm that caused the damage. (cleft with it was … that)

6. Pseudo-modals and past modals be supposed to (expected), be bound to (certain), be due to (planned), be willing to (ready): You were supposed to have paired the smartwatch already. Past deduction: This must have caused the problem. ≠ obligation had to do.

7. Future forms

• will: prediction, promise, decision at the moment of speaking — It's hot. I'll go for a swim.
• be going to: plan, prediction from evidence.
• present continuous: arrangement — Aidar is starting a new hobby this weekend.
• present simple: timetable — The train leaves at 9.
• future continuous (will be doing): action in progress at a future moment.
• future perfect (will have done): finished before a future moment — By the time he arrives, we will have finished our class.

Examples

1. She decided ___ abroad. A) studying B) to study. Answer: B.
2. I don't mind ___ for you. A) to wait B) waiting. Answer: B.
3. The bridge ___ in 1990. A) built B) was built C) has built. Answer: B — past simple passive.
4. The water is ___ to drink. A) too dirty B) dirty enough. Answer: A — it cannot be drunk.
5. ___ is a lot of traffic today. A) It B) There. Answer: B — existence.
6. By 2050 most electricity ___ from renewable sources. A) will come B) will have come. Answer: B — future perfect with by.

Common mistakes

• decide going, enjoy to read, good at to draw.
• Missing be or been: The tickets sold yesterday, The match had won, The clubs will announced.
• Is snowing without it; There is two ducks; It have a big park.
• What I need space — a cleft without is / was.
• Confusing must have done (deduction) and had to do (obligation).

Check yourself

1. What form follows a preposition? — The -ing form.
2. Make passive: They will announce the results tomorrow. — The results will be announced tomorrow.
3. Which future form expresses an arrangement? — Present continuous.
4. Complete: I'm not tall ___ to reach the shelf. — enough.
5. Turn into a cleft sentence: Animals need space. — What animals need is space.