English Verb Tenses and Grammar Recap

Posted on Feb 8, 2025 in Other subjects

Present Simple (Third Person Singular)

Structure: Subject + Verb (infinitive) / Subject + don’t/doesn’t + Verb / Do/Does + Subject + Verb

Present Continuous

Structure: Subject + be (am, is, are) + Verb (-ing) / Subject + be (negative) + Verb (-ing) / Be + Subject + Verb (-ing)

Present Simple vs. Present Continuous

Present Simple is used for routines.

Present Continuous is used for temporary situations (now, at the moment).

Past Simple

Structure: was (1st and 3rd person singular) / Subject + Verb (-ed) / Subject + didn’t + Verb (infinitive) / Did + Subject + Verb

Past Continuous

Structure: was (1st and 3rd person singular) / Subject + was/were + Verb (-ing) / Subject + wasn’t/weren’t + Verb (-ing) / Was/Were + Subject + Verb (-ing)

Past Simple vs. Past Continuous

  • When + Past Simple
  • While + Past Continuous

Conditionals

First Conditional

Structure: If + Subject + Present Simple, + will/won’t + Infinitive

Second Conditional

Structure: If + Subject + Past Simple, + would/wouldn’t + Infinitive

Quantifiers

  • Many: Used with countable nouns in questions and negatives.
  • Much: Used with uncountable nouns in questions and negatives.
  • Too: Too many (before a countable noun), too much (before an uncountable noun), too (before an adjective).
  • Enough: After an adjective, before a noun.

Present Perfect

Structure: (For irregular verbs, use the 3rd column) Subject + have/has + Verb (-ed) / Subject + haven’t/hasn’t + Verb (-ed) / Have/Has + Subject + Verb (3rd form)

  • Still: Placed before haven’t or wasn’t.
  • Yet: Used in negative sentences and questions, placed at the end.
  • Already: Placed between have/has and the main verb (like just).

For vs. Since

  • For: Used for periods of time (e.g., 4 hours, 5 days).
  • Since: Used for exact points in time (e.g., 1980).

Present Perfect and Past Simple

  • Present Perfect: Uses time expressions like just, never, ever, still, for, since.
  • Past Simple: Uses time expressions like 3 years ago, yesterday, in 1965.

Modal Verbs

  • Should: Used for advice.
  • Must: Used for obligation.
  • Have to: Used for obligations (external necessity).

Future Tenses

  • Will: Used for predictions, offers, and when we are sure something will happen.
  • Be going to: Used for plans and intentions for the future.