English Grammar Rules: Tenses, Conditionals, and Speech

Posted on Mar 25, 2025 in English

English Grammar Rules

Present Perfect Progressive

Subject + have/has (have not/has not) + been + verb + -ing

Example: She has been travelling.

Present Perfect

Subject + have/has + verb (past participle – third column)

Past Progressive

Subject + was/were (was not/were not) + verb + -ing

Conditionals

Zero Conditional

Actions that are always true.

If + simple present, simple present

Use if or when.

Example: If I study a lot, I pass the exam. / When I study a lot, I pass the exam.

First Conditional

The result of a future possible event.

If + simple present, future (will)

Example: If I study a lot, I will graduate from the university.

Second Conditional

Unlikely or imaginary situations.

If + simple past, would + verb in base form

Example: If I won the lottery, I would buy a BMW.

Adjectives

To change verbs to adjectives:

Add:

  • -ed: describing persons, describe emotions
  • -ing: describe things or situations, characteristics of things or persons

Examples:

  • Karla is bored.
  • Today is a very irritating day.
  • Cristina is an interesting girl.
  • Cristina is interested in having a car.

Reported Speech

When we repeat what someone said, it generally changes to the past tense.

Examples:

  • Charly: “I love you” -> Charly said (that) he loved me.
  • Monse: “I am tired” -> Monse said she was tired.
  • Rico: “I worked yesterday” -> Rico said that he had worked yesterday.
  • Maria: “What is the time?” -> Maria asked what the time was.


Verb to be present

Verb to be past

Am

Was

Is

Was

Are

Were

Do not/don’t

Did not/ didn’t

Does not/doesn’t

Tense Changes in Reported Speech

DIRECT SPEECH

REPORTED SPEECH

Present

I love you

Past

She said she loved me

Present perfect

I have known her for years

Past perfect

He told me he’d known her for years

Simple past

We were in school together

Past perfect

He said they had been in school together

Modal Changes in Reported Speech

DIRECT SPEECH

REPORTED SPEECH

Can/ can’t

Could/couldn’t

Must

Must/ had to

Will

Would

May

Might


Would, could, might, should do not change.

Gerunds and Infinitives

When we have two verbs in a sentence:

I like dance – incorrect. It must be one of the following:

  • I like to dance
  • I like dancing

Verbs followed by gerunds (-ing form)

Admit, avoid, can’t stand, deny, dislike, enjoy, feel like, finish, imagine, justify, keep on, mind, miss, practice, quit, recommend, regret, risk, suggest.

Examples:

  • I admit loving so much.
  • I recommend eating in Martins.

Prepositions followed by gerunds (-ing form)

Angry about, fond of, good/bad at, interested in

Example: I am bad at studying English.

Verbs as subjects followed by gerunds (-ing form)

Examples:

  • Cooking is my favorite hobby.
  • Smoking is a reason for having cancer.

Verbs followed by infinitives (to + verb)

Agree, arrange, attempt, choose, dare, decide, expect, help, hope, intend, learn, manage, need, offer, plan, pretend, promise, refuse, seem, want

Examples:

  • I decided to have a house.
  • I hope to see you soon.

Adjectives followed by infinitives (to + verb)

Difficult, easy, happy, pleased, possible.

Example: It’s difficult to bake a cake.

Verbs allowing an object + infinitive

Example:

  • She allowed me to take the book.
  • The teacher let me leave early.

Infinitives expressing purpose

Example: I bought a book to learn more.

Verbs followed by either gerund or infinitive with similar meaning

Begin, continue, hate, like, love, prefer, start.

Examples:

  • Pablo likes dancing.
  • Pablo likes to dance.