GRAMMAR

EXPLANATIONS
NOTEBOOK

Marina Domínguez Sánchez

 INDEX
1. Present tenses
1.1. Present simple
1.2. Present continuous
1.3. Present perfect
1.4. Present perfect continuous

2. Past tenses
2.1. Past simple
2.2. Past continuous
2.3. Past perfect
2.4. Past perfect continuous

3. Future tenses
3.1. Future simple
3.2. Future continuous
3.3. Future perfect
3.4. Future perfect continuous
3.5. Be going to / present continuous / present simple

4. Conditional tenses
4.1. Zero conditional
4.2. First conditional
4.3. Second conditional
4.4. Third conditional

5. Reported speech
6. Prepositions

ACTIVITIES
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1. PRESENT TENSES
1.1. Present simple

AFFIRMATIVE: Subject + Verb + ….

NEGATIVE: Subject + don’t / doesn’t + verb + ……
INTERROGATIVE: Do / Does + subject + verb + ……?

*Do / Don’t: I / you / we / they

*Does / Doesn’t: 3rd person (he / she / it)

Examples:

+ I go to the dentist every year / She goes to the dentist every year
− I don’t go to the dentist every year / She doesn’t go to the dentist every year
 Do I go to the dentist? / Does she go to the dentist?

Use:

- Habits, general truths, timetables, giving directions, permanent situations

Key words and expressions:

- Adverbs of frequency

- Every year / day / hour / month….

- Once a….. / Twice a…..
- This morning / evening / afternoon…
- At 8:30 pm…..

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 - Stative verbs:

Verbs of the senses Thinking and feeling Others

Appear, feel, look, seem, Believe, dislike, know, like, Agree, be, belong, disagree,
smell, sound, taste love, hate, prefer, realise, need
recognise, remember,
suppose, think,
understand, want, wish

*Clasificación de los verbos dependiendo de sus terminaciones en 3ª pers:

-s -es -ies
Como norma general se le Si el verbo acaba en: Si el verbo acaba en:
añade S s /ss / sh / ch / o / x y
Works Catches Tries
Comes Watches Carries
Plays Does Studies
Buys Goes Cries
Reads Kisses Flies
Has Washes
Lives Brushes
Starts Teaches
Eats Matches
Feels Dresses
Likes
Wins
Gives

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1.2. Present continuous

AFFIRMATIVE: Subject + verb TO BE + verb – ing + ….

NEGATIVE: Subject + verb TO BE NOT + verb – ing + …

INTERROGATIVE: Verb TO BE + subject + verb- ing + …?

*Verb TO BE: I am / You are / He is / She is / It is / You are / We are / They are

*Verb TO BE (not): am not / aren’t / isn’t

Examples:

+ You are eating pizza now / He is eating pizza now

− You aren’t eating pizza now / He isn’t eating pizza now
 Are you eating pizza now? / Is he eating pizza now?

Use:

- Activities that are happening at the moment of speaking

- Future plans or arrangements
- Temporary situations

Key words and expressions:

- These days, tomorrow, next weekend…

- At the moment, now, right now
- Forever, constantly

*Clasificación de los verbos dependiendo de sus terminaciones en -ing:

- ing e≠ Double consonant

Cooking Driving Putting
Eating Sharing Swimming
Going Writing Travelling
Doing Having Sitting
Playing Moving Getting
Speaking Taking Running
Studying Living Stopping
Listening Riding Planning
Watching Digging
Flying
Crying
*Others
Die: dying Lie: lying Tie: tying

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 1.3. Present perfect

AFFIRMATIVE: Subject + verb TO HAVE + verb (past participle) + …

NEGATIVE: Subject + verb TO HAVE NOT + verb (past participle) + …
INTERROGATIVE: Verb TO HAVE + subject + verb (past participle) + …?

* Verb TO HAVE: I have / You have / He has / She has / It has / You have / We have /
They have

*Verb TO HAVE (not): haven’t / hasn’t

Examples:

+ They have won the match / She has won the match
− They haven’t won the match / She hasn’t won the match
 Have they won the match? / Has she won the match?

Key words and expressions:

Yet - Negative sentences and questions - To talk about something that you expect to
- It is placed at the end of the sentence happen

Already - It is placed between the auxiliary and the - An action has happened sooner than expected
main verb or at the end of the clause
Still - It is placed between the subject and the - Situations that continue to the present time
auxiliary verb - Actions that is not expected because of
something else
Just - It is placed between the auxiliary and the - Something happened a short time ago
main verb

For + Period of time Ex: for six years, for a month, for two hours
Since + Specific moment Ex: since this morning, since 1997, since I was a
child

Ever - Questions, negative questions, nobody/nothing -It is placed between the auxiliary and
Never - Affirmative sentences with negative meaning the main verb

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1.4. Present perfect continuous

AFFIRMATIVE: Subject + verb TO HAVE + TO BE (past participle) + verb -ing + …

NEGATIVE: Subject + verb TO HAVE NOT + TO BE (past participle) + verb -ing + …
INTERROGATIVE: Verb TO HAVE + subject + TO BE (past participle) + verb -ing + …?

Examples:

+ We have been waiting for 2 days / He has been waiting for 2 days
− We haven’t been waiting for 2 days / He hasn’t been waiting for 2 days
 Have we been waiting for 2 days? / Has he been waiting for 2 days?

Use:

- Express long actions that started in the past and continue until now
- Express recent actions that have clear evidence or results now
- Used for shorter, more temporary situations

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2. PAST TENSES
2.1. Past simple

AFFIRMATIVE: Subject + past simple verb + ….

NEGATIVE: Subject + didn’t + infinitive verb + ….
INTERROGATIVE: Did + subject + infinitive verb + ….?

Examples:

+ I played tennis yesterday / I went to the cinema last week

− I didn’t play tennis yesterday / I didn’t go to the cinema last week
 Did I play tennis yesterday? / Did I go to the cinema last week?

Use:

- Completed actions, states or habits in the past.

Key words and expressions:

- Yesterday, a year ago, last month…

REGULAR VERBS

-ed -d -ied -ed (double consonant)

Played Phoned Hurried Planned
Listened Liked Cried Travelled
Jumped Danced Studied Stopped
Watched Lived Carried Begged
Finished Loved Tried
Walked Arrived Tidied
Washed Invited Copied
Helped Hated Married
Stayed
Visited
Cleaned
Disappeared
Finished
Opened
Wanted
Worked
Enjoyed

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 IRREGULAR VERB LIST

INFINITIVE PAST SIMPLE PAST PARTICIPLE MEANING

Be Was / were Been Ser o estar
Beat Beat Beaten Vencer o ganar
Become Became Become Llegar a ser
Begin Began Begun Comenzar
Bend Bent Bent Doblar
Bet Bet Bet Apostar
Bite Bit Bitten Morder
Bleed Bled Bled Sangrar
Blow Blew Blown Soplar
Break Broke Broken Romper
Bring Brought Brought Traer o llevar
Build Built Built Construir
Buy Bought Bought Comprar
Catch Caught Caught Coger
Choose Chose Chosen Elegir
Come Came Come Venir
Cost Cost Cost Costar
Cut Cut Cut Cortar
Do Did Done Hacer
Dig Dug Dug cavar
Draw Drew Drawn Dibujar
Dream Dreamt /ed Dreamt/ed Soñar
Drink Drank Drunk Beber
Drive Drove Driven Conducer
Eat Ate Eaten Comer
Fall Fell Fallen Caer
Feed Fed Fed Alimentar
Feel Felt Felt Sentir
Fight Fought Fought Luchar

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 Find Found Found Encontrar
Fly Flew Flown Volar
Forget Forgot Forgotten Olvidar
Forgive Forgave Forgiven Perdonar
Freeze Froze Frozen Congelar
Get Got Got Conseguir
Give Gave Given Dar
Go Went Gone Ir
Grow Grew Grown Crecer
Have Had Had Haber o Tener
Hear Heard Heard Oir
Hide Hid Hidden Esconder
Hit Hit Hit Golpear
Hold Held Held Agarrar
Hurt Hurt Hurt Herir
Keep Kept Kept Mantener
Know Knew Known Saber
Lay Laid Laid Poner o extender
Lead Led Led Guíar o dirigir
Leave Left Left Abandoner o irse
Lend Lent Lent Prestar
Let Let Let Permitir
Lie Lay Lain Mentir
Light Lit Lit Encender
Loose Lost Lost Perder
Make Made Made Hacer o fabricar
Mean Meant Meant Significar
Meet Met Met Conocer a / quedar
Pay Paid Paid Pagar
Put Put Put Poner
Read Read Read Leer

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 Ride Rode Ridden Montar
Ring Rang Rung Sonar
Rise Rose Risen Subir
Run Ran Run Correr
Say Said Said Decir
See Saw Seen Mirar
Sell Sold Sold vender
Send Sent Sent Enviar
Set Set Set Poner o colocar
Shake Shook Shaken Agitar
Shine Shone Shone Brillar
Shoot Shot Shot Disparar
Show Showed Shown Enseñar o mostrar
Shut Shut Shut Cerrar
Sing Sang Sung Cantar
Sink Sank Sunk Hundirse
Sit Sat Sat Sentarse
Sleep Slept Slept Dormir
Smell Smelt Smelt Oler
Speak Spoke Spoken Hablar
Spend Spent Spent Gastar
Spread Spread Spread Extender
Stand Stood Stood Estar de pie
Steal Stole Stolen Robar
Stick Stuck Stuck Clavar
Swim Swam Swum Nadar
Take Took Taken Coger
Tear Tore Torn Rasgar
Tell Told Told Contar
Think Thought Thought Pensar
Throw Threw Thrown Lanzar

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Understand Understood Understood Entender
Wake Woke Woken Despertar
Wear Wore Worn Vestir
Win Won Won Ganar
Write Wrote Written Escribir

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2.2. Past continuous

AFFIRMATIVE: Subject + past simple TO BE + verb- ing + ….

NEGATIVE: Subject + past simple TO BE NOT + verb- ing + ….
INTERROGATIVE: Past simple TO BE + subject + verb- ing + …...?

* Past simple form of verb TO BE: was / were

* Past simple form of verb TO BE (not): wasn’t / weren’t

Examples:

+ You were watching TV / She was watching TV

− You weren’t watching TV / She wasn’t watching TV
 Were you watching TV / Was she watching TV?

Use:

- To describe parallel actions

While I was washing the dished, I heard a loud noise
- To describe wat someone was doing at a particular point in time
I was working in the garden all day yesterday
- To express interrupted actions in the past
I was driving to work when I crashed my car
- To describe repetition
He was always talking in class

Keywords:

- While

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2.3. Past perfect

AFFIRMATIVE: Subject + past simple HAVE + verb (past participle) + ….

NEGATIVE: Subject + past simple HAVE NOT + verb (past participle) + ….
INTERROGATIVE: Past simple HAVE + subject + verb (past participle) + …?

*Past simple form of verb HAVE: had

*Past simple form of verb HAVE (not): hadn’t
Examples:

+ She had finished the test

− She hadn’t finished the test
 Had she finished the test?

Use:

- To describe an action finished before another past action

- To emphasize the result of an activity of the past
- To describe cause and effect (with Past Simple)

2.4. Past perfect continuous

AFFIRMATIVE: Subject + past simple HAVE + TO BE (past participle) + verb -ing + …

NEGATIVE: Subject + past simple HAVE NOT + TO BE (past participle) + verb -ing + …

INTERROGATIVE: Past simple HAVE + subject + TO BE (past participle) + verb -ing + …?

*Past simple form of verb HAVE: had

*Past simple form of verb HAVE (not): hadn’t
*Past participle form of verb TO BE: been
Examples:

+ They had been watching TV

− They hadn’t been watching TV
 Had they been watching TV?

Use:

- Something that began in the past, continued in the past and also ended at a
defined point in the past

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3. Future tenses
3.1. Future simple

AFFIRMATIVE: Subject + will + verb (infinitive) + ….

NEGATIVE: Subject + won’t + verb (infinitive) + …

INTERROGATIVE: Will + subject + verb (infinitive) + …?

Examples:

+ I will live in Barcelona

− I wonI’t live in Barcelona
 Will you live in Barcelona?

Use:

- To talk about a time later than now

- Instant or spontaneous decisions
- Promises, offers, requests, threats

Keywords and expressions:

- Tomorrow, tonight, next year, next month…

3.2. Future continuous

AFFIRMATIVE: Subject + will + be + verb (-ing) + ….

NEGATIVE: Subject + won’t + be + verb (-ing) + …

INTERROGATIVE: Will + subject + be + verb (-ing) + …?

Examples:

+ She will be working

− She won’t be working
 Will she be working?

Use:

- To talk about things in progress at a particular time in the future

- An action we see as new or temporary

Key words and expressions:

- In two weeks, in six years, in four days…

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3.3. Future perfect

AFFIRMATIVE: Subject + will have + verb (past participle) + ….

NEGATIVE: Subject + won’t have + verb (past participle) + ….

INTERROGATIVE: Will + subject + have + verb (past participle) + …?

Examples:

+ They will have finished the exam

− They won’t have finished the exam
 Will they have finished the exam?

Use:

- To talk about a completed action before a specific time in the future

Key words and expressions:

- By the time, in two weeks’ time, in a day’s time…

3.4. Future perfect continuous

AFFIRMATIVE: Subject + will have been + verb (-ing) + …

NEGATIVE: Subject + won’t have been + verb (-ing) + …
INTERROGATIVE: Will + subject + have been + verb (-ing) + …?

Examples:

+ You will have been driving

− You won’t have been driving
 Will you have been driving?

Use:

- Something will continue up until a particular event in the future

- To emphasize how long will have been happening for

Key words and expressions:

- By then, by tomorrow, by the time…

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3.5. Be going to

AFFIRMATIVE: Subject + verb TO BE + going to + verb (infinitive) + ………

NEGATIVE: Subject + verb TO BE NOT + going to + verb (infinitive) + ……

INTERROGATIVE: Verb TO BE + subject + going to + verb (infinitive) + …...

Examples:

+ You are going to visit Manuel / He is going to visit Manuel

− You aren’t going to visit Manuel / He isn’t going to visit Manuel
 Are you going to visit Manuel? / Is he going to visit Manuel?

Use:

- To talk about a time later than now

- Instant or spontaneous decisions
- Promises, offers, requests, threats

Keywords and expressions:

- Tomorrow, tonight, next year, next month…

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4. Conditional tenses
4.1. Zero conditional

If + subject + verb (present simple) + ……., subject + verb (present simple) + …...

Example:

- If you heat water at 100 degrees, it boils.

Use:

- To talk about things that are always true, like scientific facts
4.2. First conditional

If + subject + verb (present simple) + ………, subject + verb (future simple) + …...

Example:

- If it is sunny, we will go to the park

Use:

- To talk about possibilities in the present or in the future

4.3. Second conditional

If + subject + verb (past simple) + ……, subject + would + verb (infinitive) + ….

Example:

- If I won the lottery, I would travel a lot

Use:

- Hypothetical or unlikely situations now or in the future

4.4. Third conditional

If + subject + verb (past perfect) + ……, subject + would + verb HAVE + verb (past
participle)

Example:

- If you had studied, you would have passed the exam

Use:

- Imaginary situation that did not happen

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5. Reported speech
- Use:

Reported speech is simply when we tell somebody what someone else said. You can do
this in your writing, or in speech. Reported speech is very different from direct speech,
which is when you show what somebody said in the exact way that they said it. In
reported speech though, you do not need to quote somebody directly.
VERBS TENSE CHANGES

DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH

Present simple Past simple
Present Present continuous Past continuous
Present perfect Past perfect
Past simple Past perfect
Past Past continuous Past perfect continuous
Past perfect Past perfect
Will Would
Will be Would be
Future Will have Would have
Will have been Would
Can Could
May Might
Must Must / Had to
Modal
Have to Had to
verbs
Should Should
Might Might

Time and place references changes

DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH

Now Then
Today That day
Tomorrow The following day /the next day / the day
after
Next week The following week / the next week / the
TIME week after
Yesterday The previous day / the day before
Last week The previous week / the week before
Ago Previously / before
Tonight That night

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PLACE Here There
This That

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 6. Modal verbs

Modal verbs are different from normal verbs:

→ They don't use an 's' for the third person singular.

→ They are followed directly by the infinitive of another verb (without 'to').

Probability Ability Obligation and Permission Habits

Deduction advice
Certainty
They can be used To talk about a To say when To ask for and give To talk about
when we want to skill or ability. something is permission. We habits or things
say how sure we necessary or also use modal we usually do, or
are that unnecessary, or to verbs to say did in the past.
something give advice. something is not
happened / is allowed.
happening / will
happen.

Must Can Must Can Will

Can Could Have to Could Would
Could Should May

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7. Prepositions

BEFORE / AFTER

+ pronoun

- I arrived before you

- You arrived after me

+ gerund

- I usually have a drink before going to bed

- After having a drink, I usually go to bed

IN / ON / AT

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 Place Time Movement
Above About Across
Across After Along
Along Around Around
Around Before Away from
Against By Down
At During From
Behind For Into
Beside Past Off
Below Since Onto
Beneath Throughout Out of
Between Until Over
By Past
Close to To
In Towards
In front of Under
Inside Up
Near
On
Opposite
Outside
Over
Under
Underneath
Upon

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 ACTIVITIES

-PRESENT SIMPLE:

→ Clasificar los verbos dependiendo de la terminación en 3ª persona

-PAST SIMPLE:

→ Clasificar los verbos en regulares e irregulares:

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→ Clasifica los verbos regulares dependiendo de su terminación

→ Escucha el audio del verbo y ponlo en pasado (regulares e irregulares

mezclados)

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 KEY WORDS

Past Present Future

Simple Past Simple Present Simple Future

yesterday every morning / day / etc. tomorrow

Simple last year/ month/ etc. always tonight
before usually next week/month/etc.
for five frequently soon
weeks/days/etc. sometimes in the future
one year/ month ago
Past Cont Present Cont Future cont

Continuous while now when

when right now after
this week/minute/etc. as soon as
before
Past Perfect Present Perfect Future Perfect

before until now by the time you go

Perfect already since (somewhere)
by the time ever by the time you do
until then/last never (something)
week/etc. many times/ already
after weeks/years/etc.
for three hours/
minutes/etc/
Past Perfect Cont Present Perfect Cont Future Perfect Cont

before for the past year/ month/ by the time

Perfect for one etc. for ten days/weeks/etc.
Continuous week/hour/etc. for the last 2 months/ by
since weeks/etc.
up to now
for 6 weeks/hours/etc.
since