English Grammar Essentials: Tenses, Modals & Structure

Mastering the Verb "To Be"

Present Tense: "To Be"

• Affirmative: he/she/it is, you/we/they are
• Negative: he isn't, I'm not, you aren't
• Interrogative: Is he...?, Are you...?

Past Tense: "To Be"

• he was
• we were

Understanding "Have Got"

Present Tense: "Have Got"

• Affirmative: he has, you have
• Negative: he hasn't got, we haven't got
• Interrogative: Has he got...?, Have you got...?

Comparatives and Superlatives

Comparative Adjectives

• For adjectives with one or two syllables, add -er than.
  • Example: Óscar is stronger than Pepe.
• For adjectives with three or more syllables, use more than.
  • Example: The flower is more beautiful than the plant.

Superlative Adjectives

• For adjectives with one or two syllables, use the -est.
  • Example: the biggest building
• For adjectives with three or more syllables, use the most.
  • Example: the most incredible thing

Present Simple Tense

Forming the Present Simple

• Affirmative: For he/she/it, add -s to the verb.
  • Example: he plays
• Negative: he doesn't play, you don't play
• Interrogative: Does he...?, Do you...?

Adverbs of Frequency

Placement and Meaning

Adverbs of frequency are typically placed after the verb "to be" but before other main verbs.

• never (nunca)
• hardly ever (casi nunca)
• not often (de vez en cuando)
• usually (normalmente)
• occasionally (ocasionalmente)
• always (siempre)
• sometimes (a veces)

Present Continuous Tense

Actions Happening Now

Used for actions occurring at the moment of speaking (often with "now").

• Affirmative: he is playing
• Negative: he isn't playing
• Interrogative: Is he...?

"There Is/Are" and "There Was/Were"

Present Existence

• there is: used for singular nouns (hay)
• there are: used for plural nouns (hay)

Past Existence

• there was: used for singular nouns (había/habían)
• there were: used for plural nouns (había/habían)

Past Simple Tense

Completed Past Actions

Used for actions that started and finished in the past.

• Affirmative:
  • Regular verbs: add -ed
  • Irregular verbs: change form (e.g., swim/swam/swum)
• Negative: I didn't swim
• Interrogative: Did you swim?

Past Continuous Tense

Actions in Progress in the Past

Used for actions that were ongoing in the past, often when another action occurred.

• Affirmative: I was playing
• Negative: I wasn't playing
• Interrogative: Was I playing?

Quantifiers: Much, Many, Too, Enough

Using "Much" and "Many"

• much: used with uncountable nouns
• many: used with countable nouns

Expressing Quantity: "Too" and "Enough"

• too much: (demasiado) used with uncountable nouns
• too many: (demasiado) used with countable nouns
• enough: (suficiente)

Present Perfect Tense

Recent Past Actions

Used for actions that happened at an unspecified time in the past or started in the past and continue to the present.

• Affirmative: he has done, you have done (requires past participle)
• Negative: he hasn't done
• Interrogative: Have you...?

Adverbs with Present Perfect

• still: (todavía) placed after the subject (e.g., He still hasn't arrived.)
• already: (ya) placed between have/has and the past participle (e.g., I have already finished.)
• yet: (todavía) placed at the end of the sentence, typically in negative or interrogative sentences (e.g., Have you finished yet?, I haven't finished yet.)
• just: (acabar de) indicates a very recent action.
  • Example: I have just seen your friends.

"For" and "Since"

• since: (desde) used for a specific point in time.
  • Example: I have lived in Valencia since 1999.
• for: (durante) used for a duration of time.
  • Example: I have lived in Valencia for 5 years.

Modal Verbs: Should, Must, Have To

"Should" (Advice)

Used for giving advice or recommendations.

• Meaning: deberías (you should)

"Must" (Obligation)

Used for strong obligations or necessities.

• Meaning: debes (you must)

"Have To" (Necessity)

Used for external obligations or necessities.

• Meaning: tener que (to have to)

Future Tenses in English

"Will" for Future Actions

Used for predictions, spontaneous decisions, or promises.

• Affirmative: I will play
• Negative: I won't play
• Interrogative: Will you play?

"Might" for Possibility

Used to express possibility or uncertainty.

• Meaning: I might play (perhaps)

"Be Going To" for Plans

Used for future plans or intentions, or predictions based on present evidence.

• Meaning: be going to (plans)

Conditional Sentences

First Conditional

Used for real or very probable situations in the future.

• Structure: if + present simple, will + base verb
  • Example: If I study, I will pass.

Second Conditional

Used for hypothetical or unlikely situations in the present or future.

• Structure: if + past simple, would + base verb
  • Example: If I studied, I would pass.

Modals of Ability: Can, Could, Will Be Able To

"Could" (Past Ability/Possibility)

• Meaning: podría

"Can" (Present Ability)

• Meaning: puede

"Will Be Able To" (Future Ability)

• Meaning: capaz de