Essential English Grammar: Verbs, Tenses, and Linking Words

Verbs with Gerund or Infinitive Differences

• Go On:
  • (G) Continue doing the same thing.
  • (I) Change the activity.
• Need:
  • (G) Passive meaning (e.g., The bedrooms need painting).
• Regret:
  • (I) To inform.
• Mean:
  • (G) Has to be done to get a result.
  • (I) Intend to do.
• Try:
  • (G) Experiment with different methods.
• Stop:
  • (I) Takes on the meaning of "in order to."
• Forget:
  • (G) To forget that you have done something (memory).
  • (I) To forget that you need to do something.
• Remember:
  • (G) To remember that you need to do something (memory).
  • (I) To remember that you have done something.
• Hate/Love/Prefer:
  • (G) Emphasis on the action (e.g., like making jam).
  • (I) Habit (e.g., I like to make).

Verb Forms: Infinitive, Gerund, and Bare Infinitive

The Infinitive

Used for: Purpose (why), nouns, used to (past habit/action), would like/love/prefer, adjectives.

Verbs commonly followed by the infinitive:

• Advise, Afford, Allow, Arrange, Appear, Ask, Beg, Begin, Choose, Decide, Deserve, Expect, Force, Happen, Help, Hope, Intend, Invite, Learn, Like, Love, Manage, Offer, Pretend, Refuse, Start, Want, Say.

The Gerund

Used as: Subject, to be used to (accustomed to), confessed to, look forward to, it is no use, it's worth, can't stand/help, feel like, it's no good, there's no point, have difficulty.

Also used after a preposition: on, by, in spite of, before, without, since, until.

Verbs commonly followed by the gerund:

• Admit, Advise, Allow, Anticipate, Appreciate, Avoid, Begin, Continue, Delay, Deny, Detest, Dislike, Enjoy, Fancy, Feel like, Finish, Forgive, Give up, Imagine, Intend, Involve, Keep, Love, Mind, Miss, Postpone, Prefer, Recommend, Risk, Start, Suggest.

The Bare Infinitive

Used after modal verbs and certain other verbs:

• Can, could, may, might, will, shall, should, ought to, must, have to, would.
• Let, had better, make, would rather.

Linking Words and Phrases

• Introduction

  • To start with, At first sight.

• Adding Information

  • And eventually, Moreover.

• Similarity

  • In the same way, Likewise.

• Contrast

  • Nevertheless, Conversely.

• Causes

  • Due to the fact that.

• Results

  • Therefore.

• Rephrasing

  • In other words.

• Facts

  • As a matter of fact.

• Personal Opinion

  • As far as I'm concerned.

• Examples

  • For instance, Such as.

• Sequencing

  • After that, In the end.

English Verb Tenses

• Present Simple

  Habits, timetables in the future, to express a condition (e.g., if it...).

• Present Continuous (+ing)

  Happening at the moment of speaking, new habits, definite future arrangements (plans).

• Present Perfect Simple (have + -ed)

  Actions started in the past and continuing to the present, life experience (e.g., I haven't seen her this month), something that happened recently.

• Present Perfect Continuous (have been + -ing)

  Actions which started in the past and continue to the present, actions which have recently stopped.

• Past Simple (was/were / -ed / did)

  Completed actions in the past.

• Past Continuous (was/were + -ing)

  Actions ongoing in the past.

• Past Perfect Simple (had + -ed)

  Actions completed before another past action.

• Past Perfect Continuous (had been + -ing)

  Actions ongoing before another past action.

• Simple Future (will/won't)

  Predicting the future, spontaneous decisions.

• Future Continuous (will be + -ing)

  Actions ongoing at a specific time in the future.

• Shall

  Asking for others' opinions, offers, suggestions.

• Be Going To

  Plans, predictions based on present evidence.

Reported Speech Tense Changes

When reporting speech, the tense often shifts back:

• Present Simple into Past Simple
• Present Continuous into Past Continuous
• Present Perfect into Past Perfect
• Present Perfect Continuous into Past Perfect Continuous
• Past Simple into Past Perfect
• Past Continuous into Past Perfect Continuous
• Past Perfect into Past Perfect (no change)
• Future Simple (will) into would
• Future Continuous (will be) into would be
• Future Perfect (will have) into would have