Essential English Grammar Rules and Verb Tenses

English Verb Tenses Summary

Present Tenses

• Present Simple (Habitual actions): I/you/we/they → go/have. He/She/It → goes/has.
  • Example: Every day I go to school.
  • Time Markers: sometimes, usually, never, always.
• Present Continuous (Temporary actions): Are/is + -ing.
  • Example: She is eating an ice cream.
  • Time Markers: At the moment, tomorrow, today.

Past Tenses

• Past Simple (-ed / 2nd column irregular verbs). Used with When.
  • Example: He went to school.
  • Regular Verbs: Affirmative (-ed), Negative (didn't + base verb), Interrogative (Did + base verb).
  • Irregular Verbs: Affirmative (Past Simple form).
• Past Continuous (was/were + -ing). Used with While.
  • Example: He was painting his bedroom.
• Past Perfect (had + past participle).
  • Example: We had finished our meal when we went to the cinema.

Perfect Tenses and Usage

• Present Perfect Simple: Have/has + past participle (3rd column). Used for actions that finished previously.
• Present Perfect Continuous: Have/has + been + -ing. Used for actions that started previously and have not finished.
• Time Expressions:
  • For: Duration (e.g., Three months, five days).
  • Since: Starting point (e.g., June, 1890).
• Adverbs with Present Perfect:
  • Ever (Interrogative) and Never.
  • Just (Recently finished, placed between have/has and past participle).
  • Still (Negative, placed before have/has).
  • Already (Affirmative, placed between have/has and past participle).
  • Yet (Negative and Interrogative, always placed at the end).

Habitual Actions and Future Forms

• Past Habit (Used To):
  • Affirmative: Used to (e.g., When I was ten).
  • Negative: Didn't use to.
• Present Habit (Use To):
  • Affirmative: Use to (e.g., Nowadays...). (Note: This structure is non-standard for present habits.)
  • Negative: Don't use to.
• Future Plans: Be Going To (is/are + going to).

Essential Grammar Concepts

Question Words (WH-Questions)

• What? (Què?)
• Where? (On?)
• Who? (Qui?)
• Why? (Per què?)
• When? (Quan?)
• How? (Com?)

Modal Verbs

• Ability: Can (Present), Could (Past), Will be able to (Future).
• Possibility and Certainty:
  • May (Possible)
  • Might (Less possible)
  • Could (Conditional possibility)
  • Must (Strong deduction)
  • Can't (Impossibility)
• Advice and Obligation: Should, Must, Have to.

Pronouns and Conditionals

• Reflexive Pronouns:
  • I (myself), You (yourself), He (himself), She (herself), It (itself)
  • We (ourselves), They (themselves)
• Indefinite Pronouns: Some- (something, somewhere, someone, somebody), Any-, No-, Every-.
• Relative Pronouns: Who (People), Which (Objects or ideas), Where (Places).
• Causative Verbs: Make and Let.
• Conditionals:
  • First Conditional: If + Present Simple // Will + Base Verb.
  • Second Conditional: If + Past Simple // Would/wouldn't + Base Verb.

Key Vocabulary

• Comb (pinte)
• Razor (navalla)
• Border (frontera)
• Currency (moneda)
• Ban (prohibir)
• Build (construir)
• Lower and Raise (baixar, augmentar)
• Chain (cadena)
• Dreadlocks (rastes)
• Sideburns (patilles)