Essential English Grammar Structures and Verb Patterns

Narrative Tenses

• Past Simple

  I did (yo hice)

  Used with specific past time markers: last summer, three years ago, in 1998, when I was twelve.

• Present Perfect Simple

  I have done (he hecho)

  Used with: for five years, since March, since 1998, how long?, yet, just, already, ever, never.

• Present Perfect Continuous

  I have been doing (he estado haciendo / llevo haciendo)

• Past Perfect Simple

  I had done (había hecho)

• Past Perfect Continuous

  I had been doing (había estado haciendo)

Gerunds

The Gerund (Verb + -ing) is used:

1. After Prepositions

   Examples: think of, interested in, tired of, talk about.

2. As a Subject

   Example: Working is necessary.

3. After Certain Verbs and Expressions

   Verbs: appreciate, like, imagine, postpone, resent, delay, enjoy, keep, practise, risk, discuss, feel like, finish, miss, prefer, suggest.

   Expressions: can't help, be worth, there's/it's no use, put off, be used to, look forward to, can't stand, give up, get used to.

Infinitives

The Infinitive (to + Verb) is used:

1. After Adjectives

   Examples: difficult to understand, interesting to see, easy to...

2. To Express Purpose or Intention

   (Infinitives de finalidad o intención)

3. After Certain Verbs

   afford, agree, appear, arrange, choose, decide, mind, hope, manage, plan, prepare, promise, refuse, turn out, volunteer, want, be about.

   Verbs often followed by Object + Infinitive: advise, allow, convince, enable, forbid, force, tell, invite, order, permit, persuade, remind, teach, warn, make up (your) mind, do (your) best, be up to (you), leave it up to (you).

Verb + Object + Infinitive

• Want: I want you to...
• Advise: They advise me to...
• Need: I need you to...

Verb + Bare Infinitive (No "to")

• Modal Verbs
• Let (someone) do: (to allow or permit someone to do something)
• Make (someone) do: (to make or force someone to do something)

Verbs Followed by Infinitive OR Gerund (Change in Meaning)

• Stop

  • To do: Stop doing something in order to do something else.
  • Doing: Stop or quit doing something permanently.

• Remember

  • To do: Remember a duty or task before doing it.
  • Doing: Remember having done something (a memory).

• Forget

  • To do: Forget a duty or task before doing it.
  • Doing: Forget having done something (forgetting a memory).

• Try

  • To do: Attempt or make an effort to do something.
  • Doing: Try something as an experiment (to see if it works).

• Regret

  • To do: Regret what you are about to say (usually formal announcements).
  • Doing: Regret having done something already.

Modal Verbs

Past Forms: Modal + have + Past Participle

• Must: Obligation (deber)
• Mustn't: Prohibition (no deber de hacer algo)
• Should: Advice (debería) = ought to
• Can: Possibility, Ability (poder)
• Can't: Deduction/Impossibility (no poder)
• Could: Past ability, Possibility (podía/podría)
• May: Possibility (puede que)
• Might: Weaker Possibility (podría ser que)
• Couldn't: Impossibility
• Have to: Obligation (tener que)
• Don't have to: Absence of Obligation (no tener por qué)
• Need: Necessity (necesidad)
• Needn't: Absence of Obligation

Equivalents

• Can → to be able to
• Must → to have to