Master English Grammar: From Modals to Tenses

Unit 8: Modal Verbs

Modals of Ability

• Can, Could, Be Able To - Express ability

Modals of Permission

• Can, Be Allowed To, Could - Express permission

Modals of Advice

• Should, Ought To - Give advice and make recommendations
• Had Better - Give advice, express intentions, and make warnings

Modals of Necessity, Obligation, and Prohibition

• Must - Express obligation
• Mustn't - Express prohibition
• Have To - Express obligation
• Don't Have To - Express no obligation
• Needn't - Express no obligation

Modals of Possibility and Certainty

• May/May Not/Might/Might Not/Could - Express possibility (present and future)
• Can't - Express that something seems impossible
• Must - Express certainty that something is true

Modals + Perfect Infinitive

• Might/May/Could + Have + Past Participle - Express a possibility in the past
• Could Have + Past Participle - Express an alternative possibility in the past
• Must Have + Past Participle - Express certainty or logical deduction about the past
• Can't Have + Past Participle - Express that something was impossible in the past
• Should Have + Past Participle - Express an opinion about past events
• Shouldn't Have + Past Participle - Express regret or criticism of past events

Unit 7: Reported Speech

Statements

• Present Simple becomes Past Simple
• Present Continuous becomes Past Continuous
• Present Perfect becomes Past Perfect
• Past Simple becomes Past Perfect
• Past Perfect remains Past Perfect
• Will becomes Would
• Can becomes Could
• Must becomes Had To

Questions

• Present Simple becomes Past Simple
• Past Simple becomes Past Perfect (If it's not a Wh- question, add If)

Orders

• Use To + Infinitive
• Use Not + To + Infinitive

Suggestions

• Use That + Person + Verb in Present Simple

Reporting Verbs

• Explain/Declare + That + Clause
• Apologize (For) + Gerund (ing)
• Invite/Order + Object + To + Infinitive
• Offer + To + Infinitive

Unit 6: Passive Voice

• Present Simple: Is/Are + Past Participle
• Present Continuous: Is/Are + Being + Past Participle
• Past Simple: Was/Were + Past Participle
• Past Continuous: Was/Were + Being + Past Participle
• Present Perfect Simple: Have/Has + Been + Past Participle
• Past Perfect Simple: Had + Been + Past Participle
• Future: Will + Be + Past Participle
• Modal Verbs: Should Be + Past Participle

Unit 5: Conditionals

• Zero Conditional: If + Present Simple, + Present Simple
• First Conditional: If + Present Simple, + Will + Infinitive
• Second Conditional: If + Past Simple, + Would + Infinitive
• Third Conditional: If + Past Perfect Simple, + Would Have + Past Participle

Unit 4: Future Tenses

• Future Simple: I + Will + Infinitive
• Future Continuous: I + Will Be + Verb-ing
• Future Perfect Simple: I + Will Have + Past Participle
• Going To: I + Am + Going To + Infinitive

Unit 3: Relative Pronouns and Comparatives

Relative Pronouns

• Who: Refers to people
• Whose: Shows possession
• Whom: Refers to people (object of the verb)
• Which: Refers to things or animals
• Where: Refers to places
• When: Refers to time
• That: Refers to people, things, or animals

Comparatives and Superlatives

Comparatives

• Adjectives ending in -e: Add -r
• Adjectives ending in a consonant: Add -er
• Two-syllable adjectives ending in -y: Change -y to -ier
• Adjectives with two or more syllables: Use More + Adjective

Superlatives

• Adjectives ending in -e: Add -st
• Adjectives ending in a consonant: Add -est
• Two-syllable adjectives ending in -y: Change -y to -iest
• Adjectives with two or more syllables: Use The Most + Adjective

Irregular Forms

• Bad: Worse - The Worst
• Good: Better - The Best
• Far: Farther/Further - The Farthest

Unit 2: Perfect Tenses and Gerunds

• Present Perfect Simple: I + Have + Past Participle
• Present Perfect Continuous: I + Have Been + Verb-ing
• Past Perfect Simple: I + Had + Past Participle

Gerund Usage

• As the subject of a sentence
• After prepositions
• After certain verbs

Unit 1: Past Tenses and 'Used To'

• Past Simple: I + Past Simple Verb
• Past Continuous: I + Was + Verb-ing
• Used To: I + Used To + Infinitive
• Be Used To: I + Am + Used To + Verb-ing / Am + I + Used To + Verb-ing
• Get Used To: I + Get Used To + Verb-ing / Did + I + Get Used To + Verb-ing

Unit 0: Present Tenses, Gerunds, and Infinitives

• Present Simple: I + Infinitive
• Present Continuous: I + Am + Verb-ing

Gerunds and Infinitives

• Gerunds (Verb-ing): Used after verbs like Enjoy, Don't Mind, Can't Stand
• Infinitives (To + Verb): Used after verbs like Want, Agree
• Both Gerunds and Infinitives: Used after verbs like Like, Love, Hate, Prefer