English Grammar Tenses and Structures Cheat Sheet

Conditional Sentences

• Zero Conditional: Always true. (Present Simple + Present Simple).
• First Conditional: Probable things. (If + Present Simple, will + base form).
• Second Conditional: Unlikely situations. (If + Past Simple, would + base form).
• Third Conditional: Past hypothetical situations. (If + Past Perfect, would have + past participle).

Verb Tenses and Aspects

• Past Continuous: Was/were + verb-ing (e.g., James was writing).
• Present Perfect Simple: Have/has + past participle (e.g., We have done).
• Present Perfect Continuous: Have/has been + verb-ing.
• Past Perfect Simple: Had + past participle.

Passive Voice

• Passive Structure: Be + past participle.
• Causative: Have something done (Have + object + past participle).

Gerunds and Infinitives

• Forget/Remember: 1. Memory of the past (gerund); 2. Task to do (infinitive).
• Go on: 1. Continue (gerund); 2. Change to a new task (infinitive).
• Regret: 1. Something you did (gerund); 2. Announcing bad news (infinitive).
• Stop: 1. Forever (gerund); 2. Interrupt an action (infinitive).
• Try: 1. Experiment (gerund); 2. Make an effort (infinitive).

Modals of Possibility and Deduction

• Can't, Could, May, Might, Must.

Reported Speech

• Tense Shifts: Present Simple to Past Simple; Past Simple to Past Perfect; Can to Could; Will to Would; Is/Are going to to Was/Were going to.
• Reported Statements: Jack admitted that he had done a poor job.
• Reported Requests: Jake asked if I could drive Suzy to work.

Future Forms

• Be Going To: Predictions based on evidence, intentions, and plans.
• Will/Won't: Predictions based on belief, spontaneous decisions, promises, and offers (often with: I think, I hope, probably, perhaps).
• Present Continuous: Fixed future plans (e.g., I am playing tennis tomorrow).
• Present Simple: Timetable events (e.g., The train leaves at 12:00).
• Future Continuous: Will + be + verb-ing. Used for actions in progress at a future time.
• Future Perfect: Will + have + past participle. Used for completed actions by a future time.

Relative Clauses

• Defining/Non-defining: Use pronouns (who, that, which, whose) or adverbs (when, where). Note: Non-defining clauses never use "that".

Comparatives and Superlatives

• Comparative: Older than.
• Superlative: The oldest.