In the last decades, a cosmological model that fits observations through a vast range of scales emerged. It goes under the name of ACDM. However, there are still challenging questions that remain unanswered by this model, such as what causes the observed accelerated expansion of the universe. Hence, many alternative models have been proposed. This thesis concerns an approach to test such models known as “Effective Theory of Dark Energy” . It applies to all models where general relativity is modified by adding a single scalar degree of freedom, called “ scalar-tensor theories”. In Chapter 1 I introduce the most general classof such theories currently known. In Chapter 2, I resume the Effective theory of dark energy. The inclusion of a genera...