Mastering English Verb Tenses and Grammar Rules

Reported Speech

Verb Tense Changes in Reported Speech

• Present Simple becomes Past Simple
  • -s/-es changes to -ed or irregular verb form
• Present Continuous becomes Past Continuous
  • am/is/are + verb-ing changes to was/were + verb-ing
• Past Simple becomes Past Perfect
  • -ed or irregular verb form changes to had + past participle (3rd column)
• Present Perfect becomes Past Perfect
  • have/has + past participle changes to had + past participle
• Past Perfect remains Past Perfect
  • had + past participle remains had + past participle
• Present Perfect Continuous becomes Past Perfect Continuous
  • have/has + been + verb-ing changes to had + been + verb-ing
• Past Perfect Continuous remains Past Perfect Continuous
  • had + been + verb-ing remains had + been + verb-ing
• Future Simple (will) becomes Conditional (would)
  • will + verb changes to would + verb

Orders in Reported Speech

• Affirmative Orders: Use to + infinitive
• Negative Orders: Use not + to + infinitive

Suggestions in Reported Speech

Subject + suggested + verb-ing (e.g., She suggested going to the park)

Questions in Reported Speech

• Yes/No Questions: Use if
• Wh- Questions: Use the question word (where, when, etc.)

Passive Voice

• Present Simple: am/is/are + past participle (e.g., is driven)
• Past Simple: was/were + past participle (e.g., was driven)
• Present Continuous: am/is/are + being + past participle (e.g., is being driven)
• Past Continuous: was/were + being + past participle (e.g., was being driven)
• Present Perfect: have/has + been + past participle (e.g., has been driven)
• Past Perfect: had + been + past participle (e.g., had been driven)
• Future (will): will + be + past participle (e.g., will be driven)
• Going to: am/is/are + going to + be + past participle (e.g., is going to be driven)
• Future Perfect: will + have + been + past participle (e.g., will have been driven)
• Conditional Simple: would + be + past participle (e.g., would be driven)

Conditionals

• First Conditional (Possible): If/Unless + Present Simple, will + infinitive
• Second Conditional (Improbable): If/Unless + Past Simple, would + infinitive
• Third Conditional (Impossible): If + Past Perfect, Conditional Perfect

Relative Clauses

• Who: Refers to people - who + verb
• Which: Refers to things/animals - which + subject + verb
• That: Refers to people/places/things - that + subject + verb
• Where: Refers to places - where + subject + verb (Do not use "there")
• When: Refers to time - when + subject + verb (Do not use "then")
• Whose: Refers to possession - whose + noun + verb (Remove possessive adjectives like my, your, his, its, our, their)

Defining vs. Non-Defining Relative Clauses

• Defining: Essential information, no commas
• Non-Defining: Extra information, separated by commas (Do not use "that")

"I Wish" and "If Only"

• Regret about the Present: I wish/If only + subject + Past Simple
• Regret about the Past: I wish/If only + subject + Past Perfect
• Future Desire: I wish/If only + subject + could/would + infinitive