English Verb Tenses, Grammar, and Usage
Present Simple vs. Present Continuous
Present Continuous (P.C.): I am reading. (Actions happening at the moment, for this summer.)
Present Simple (P.S.): I read. (Habitual actions. Non-action verbs.)
Past Simple vs. Past Continuous
Past Simple (P.S.): I read. (Completed past action.)
Past Continuous (P.C.): I was reading. (Action that was happening in the past. When there are two actions, P.S. describes the completed one, and P.C. the one that was happening when the first one started.)
Past Simple vs. Past Perfect
Past Simple (P.S.): I read. (Completed action in the past.)
Past Perfect (P.P.): I had read. (Action completed before a specific time in the past.)
Past Simple vs. Present Perfect
Past Simple (P.S.): I read. (Completed past action.)
Present Perfect (Pr.P.): I have read. (Past action that continues or has just finished.)
Present Perfect Simple vs. Present Perfect Continuous
Present Perfect Continuous (Pr.P.C.): I have been reading. (To emphasize the action rather than the result; to indicate duration.)
Present Perfect Simple (Pr.P.S.): I have read. (An action that started in the past and has just finished. Non-action verbs.)
Key Time Expressions
Past Simple (P.S.): until, after, before, when, as soon as, if, unless.
Future Forms
- Be going to: Future actions with intention from the speaker.
- Will + infinitive: Spontaneous decisions or actions not dependent on the speaker’s will.
- Present Continuous (Pr.C.): Scheduled actions.
Used to
Used to + infinitive, didn’t use to + infinitive, Did…use to + infinitive / get/be used to.
Passive Voice
- Subject + Verb + Object = Object + be (in the correct tense) + past participle + by Subject.
- It’s said that… / Subject + is said to + infinitive / be + -ing / have + past participle + Object.
- I + have + object + past participle.
Relative Clauses
Non-Defining (N.D.): Use commas, do not use “that”, cannot be omitted.
Defining (D.): No commas, “who” or “which” can be omitted when the verb after the relative pronoun has a subject.
Comparatives and Superlatives
Regular: -er, the -est; -y: -ier, the -iest; More than one syllable: more/less…, the most/the least.
Describing Trends
- Verbs: increased, rose, declined, grew, fell (by % or from…to).
- There was an increase/rise/growth/decline/fall/drop in sales, of %. Level off, fluctuate.
- Adverbs: dramatically (dramatic), sharply (sharp), rapidly (rapid), gradually (gradual), slightly (slight).
Verbs Followed by Gerunds or Infinitives
Verbs + gerund (-ing): admit, appreciate, avoid, can’t help, consider, delay, deny, dislike, enjoy, finish, imagine, mind, postpone, propose, recommend, risk, spend time, suggest.
Verbs + gerund/infinitive (-ing or to): love, hate, like, prefer, stop.
Verbs with preposition + gerund: apologize for, be accustomed to, be for/against, be good/bad at, be interested in, be used to, have difficulty in, insist on, look forward to, object to, succeed in.
Telephoning
Common Phrases:
- Good morning…, can I help you?
- Hello! This is …speaking, Could I speak to…?
- I would like to speak to…
- Could you hold the line, please?
- Yes, hold on, please.
- I’m afraid that…is in…
- Would you like to leave a message?
- I’m calling because of…
- Yes, tell him/her that I will call later…
- Can I help you with anything else?
Email Reply Structure
- We are pleased to receive your inquiry…of 15th Feb/about….
- In this email, you can find attached our catalog and price list of our… / We can offer you the quantity discount you asked for, which would be 5% off net prices for orders over… / I’m pleased to inform you that all our products have a 2-year warranty. / You will be able to make the payment by bank transfer. / We guarantee that our products are high-quality ones.
- Thank you again for your interest. / I’m looking forward to hearing from you. / Do not hesitate to contact us if you need more information. Yours faithfully,