English Grammar Tenses, Reported Speech and Vocabulary Essentials

English Verb Tenses

• Present Simple: I take
• Past Simple: I took
• Present Continuous: I am taking
• Past Continuous: I was taking
• Past Perfect Simple: I had taken
• Present Perfect Simple: I have taken
• Future Simple: I will take
• Conditional: I would take
• Modal Verbs: I must take / I had to take
• Past Perfect Continuous: I had been taking

Reported Speech Transformations

• Time/Place: Here to there, this to that, these to those, now to then, next week to the following week, today to that day, tonight to that night, tomorrow to the following day, yesterday to the day before, last week to the week before.

Usage of Say, Speak, and Tell

• Say: Used for sorry, thank you, hello, goodbye, nothing.
• Speak: Used for languages (e.g., speak English).
• Tell: Used for a joke, a story, or telling someone what to do.

Grammar Rules

• Gerund (-ing): Used at the beginning of a sentence or after prepositions like by or of.
• Infinitive: Used after to or it's.
• Enough: Placed before nouns; always at the end.
• Too: Used with much, many, or adjectives.
• So: Used with adjectives, much, or many.
• Such: Used with a followed by a noun.

Communication Vocabulary

• Answer the phone: Responder el teléfono
• Post a message: Anunciar un mensaje
• Send a text: Enviar un mensaje
• Leave a message: Dejar un mensaje
• Talk face to face: Hablar cara a cara
• Make a call: Hacer una llamada
• Agree with somebody: Estar de acuerdo con alguien
• Argue with somebody: Discutir con alguien
• Thank somebody: Agradecer a alguien
• Chat with somebody: Hablar con alguien
• Fall out with somebody: Enfadarse
• Ask somebody: Preguntar o pedir
• Apologize: Disculparse
• Warn somebody: Avisar o advertir

Common Expressions

• Has she? That’s fantastic news: ¡Eso es una noticia fantástica!
• Well done, I’m really happy for you: Bien hecho, estoy realmente contento por ti.
• Did you? Wow, congratulations, that’s amazing: ¿En serio? Guau, felicidades, es increíble.
• Oh no, how did it happen?: Oh no, ¿cómo ocurrió?
• I don’t believe it, what bad luck, that’s awful: No me lo creo, qué mala suerte, es terrible.
• Really? No way, you’re kidding: ¿De verdad? No puede ser, estás bromeando.

Passive Voice

Example: Tom and Amy bought Susan a box of chocolates.

Passive: A box of chocolates was bought for Susan by Tom and Amy.

Note: Always use the verb to be.