Essential English Grammar: Verbs, Modals, and Relative Clauses

1. Essential English Verb Tenses: Conjugation Patterns

The following examples use the base verb listen to illustrate conjugation across various tenses:

• Present Simple

  • I, You, We, They: listen
  • He, She, It: listens

• Past Simple

  • All subjects: listened

• Used To

  • All subjects: used to + Base Form (Bf)

• Continuous Tenses

  • Present Continuous: I am listening; We, You, They are listening; He, She, It is listening.
  • Past Continuous: I, He, She, It was listening; You, We, They were listening.

• Perfect Tenses

  • Present Perfect: I, You, We, They have listened; He, She, It has listened.
  • Past Perfect: All subjects had listened.
  • Present Perfect Continuous: I, You, We, They have been listening.
  • Past Perfect Continuous: All subjects had been listening.

• Future and Conditional Tenses

  • Simple Future: All subjects will listen.
  • Conditional: All subjects would listen.
  • Perfect Future: All subjects will have listened.
  • Perfect Conditional: All subjects would have listened.

2. Understanding English Modal and Auxiliary Verbs

Modal verbs modify the main verb, expressing necessity, possibility, or ability. Auxiliary verbs help form complex tenses or the passive voice.

• Be (Ser/Estar)

  • Gerund: Auxiliary for continuous tenses. Example: I’m reading a book.
  • Past Participle: Auxiliary for the passive voice. Example: I was arrested.

• Can (Poder)

  Uses the Base Form. Expresses capacity or ability. Example: I can jump one meter.

• Could (Poder)

  Uses the Base Form. Expresses possibility or past ability. Example: When I was four years old, I could already read.

• Have (Haver)

  Uses the Past Participle. Auxiliary for perfect tenses. Example: I have just arrived from Madrid.

• Have To (Haver de)

  Uses the Base Form. Expresses obligation. Example: You have to study harder.

• Must (Haver de)

  Uses the Base Form. Expresses strong obligation. Example: You must listen to your parents.

• Should / Ought To (Hauries de)

  Uses the Base Form. Expresses advice or recommendation. Examples: You should stop smoking. You ought to stop smoking.

• May (Pot ser que)

  Uses the Base Form. Expresses probability. Example: I may go to your party, but I’m not sure.

• Might (Podria ser que)

  Uses the Base Form. Expresses lower probability or possibility. Example: FC Barcelona might win the match if Messi played.

• Will (Future Particle)

  Uses the Base Form. Used for requests or expressing a future action. Example: Will you open the door, please?

• Would (Conditional Particle)

  Uses the Base Form. Used for polite requests. Example: Would you mind helping me?

3. Relative Clauses and Pronouns

Relative pronouns introduce relative clauses, providing additional information about a noun.

• That: Que (Used for people or things in defining clauses)
• Which: Que / Cual (Used for things, often in non-defining clauses)
• Who: Que / Quien (Used for people)
• Whom: Que / A quien (Formal object pronoun for people)
• Whose: Cuyo (Indicates possession)
• Where: Donde (Indicates place)
• When: Cuando (Indicates time)
• What: Que (Refers to 'the thing(s) that')
• Why: Por qué (Indicates reason)