• Present simple
• Present progressive
• Past simple
• Past progressive
• Used to / would
• Present perfect
• Future with will
• Future with going to
• First conditional
• Some / any / no / every and compounds
• Past perfect
  • Conversation
• Present perfect continuous
  • Conversation
• Second conditional
  • Conversation
• Relative clauses
  • Conversation
• Passive voice
  • Conversation
• Gerund vs. infinitive
• Phrasal verbs

Present simple

Habits, routines, facts.

🔹 Hábitos, rutinas, verdades atemporales.

I work every day. She speaks three languages. Water boils at 100 degrees.

Present progressive

Actions happening right now. Confirmed future plans.

🔹 Acciones que ocurren ahora mismo. Planes futuros confirmados.

I am reading right now. She is flying to London tomorrow.

Past simple

Completed actions at a specific time in the past.

🔹 Acciones completadas en un momento concreto del pasado.

Yesterday I went to the gym. She called me last Monday.

Past progressive

Descriptions in the past. Interrupted actions. Simultaneous actions.

🔹 Descripciones en el pasado. Acciones interrumpidas. Acciones simultáneas.

It was raining. I was eating when she called. I was reading while she was cooking.

Used to / would

Past habits no longer true. Would for repeated actions only (not states).

🔹 Hábitos pasados que ya no son ciertos. Would solo para acciones repetidas (no estados).

I used to live in Madrid. She would always cook on Sundays.

Present perfect

Life experiences (no specific time). Recent actions with present results. Duration with for/since.

🔹 Experiencias de vida (sin tiempo específico). Acciones recientes con resultado presente. Duración con for/since.

I have visited Paris. She has lost her keys. I have lived here for five years.

Key words: ever, never, already, yet, just, for, since.

Future with will

Predictions, spontaneous decisions, promises.

🔹 Predicciones, decisiones espontáneas, promesas.

It will rain tomorrow. I'll help you. I'll call you later.

Future with going to

Plans already decided. Predictions with evidence.

🔹 Planes ya decididos. Predicciones con evidencia.

I'm going to visit my parents. Look at those clouds - it's going to rain.

First conditional

If + present simple, will + infinitive. For possible or probable situations.

🔹 If + present simple, will + infinitivo. Para situaciones posibles o probables.

If it rains, I'll stay home. If you study, you'll pass.

Some / any / no / every and compounds

Some for affirmative, any for questions and negatives, no as a determiner. Compounds: something, anything, nothing, everything, someone, anyone, no one, everyone, somewhere, anywhere, nowhere, everywhere.

🔹 Some para afirmativas, any para preguntas y negativas, no como determinante. Compuestos: something, anything, nothing, everything, someone, anyone, no one, everyone, somewhere, anywhere, nowhere, everywhere.

Someone called me. I don't know anyone here. Nobody came. Is there anything in the box?

Past perfect

Had + past participle. An action before another past action.

🔹 Had + participio pasado. Una acción anterior a otra acción pasada.

When I arrived, she had already left. (Cuando llegué, ella ya se había ido).

I had never eaten sushi before I went to Japan. (Nunca había comido sushi antes de ir a Japón).

By the time [baɪ ðə taɪm] (para cuando) we got to the cinema, the movie had started. (Para cuando llegamos al cine, la película ya había empezado).

Conversation

Rita: Why were you late to the meeting yesterday?

George: When I got to the office, the meeting had already started. My alarm hadn't gone off, so I woke up late. By the time I left home, it was already 9:30.

R: That's terrible. Had you set the alarm the night before?

G: Yes, I had set it, but my phone had run out of battery during the night.

Present perfect continuous

Have/has been + verb-ing. Duration from the past to the present, with emphasis on the ongoing process.

🔹 Have/has been + verbo-ing. Duración del pasado al presente, con énfasis en el proceso continuo.

I have been studying English for two years. (Llevo dos años estudiando inglés).

It has been raining all day. (Lleva lloviendo todo el día).

She has been working at that company since March. (Lleva trabajando en esa empresa desde marzo).

The present perfect emphasizes the result: I have read three books. The present perfect continuous emphasizes the process: I have been reading all day.

🔹 El present perfect enfatiza el resultado: I have read three books. El present perfect continuous enfatiza el proceso: I have been reading all day.

Conversation

Luis: You look tired. What have you been doing?

Andrea: I've been cleaning the house all morning. I've been washing the windows, organizing ['ɔrgənaɪzɪŋ] the garage, and doing the laundry.

L: How long have you been at it?

A: I've been working since 7 AM! I haven't even had lunch yet.

Second conditional

If + past simple, would + infinitive. For imaginary or unlikely situations in the present.

🔹 If + past simple, would + infinitivo. Para situaciones imaginarias o improbables en el presente.

If I had more money, I would travel the world. (Si tuviera más dinero, viajaría por el mundo).

If she lived closer, we would see each other more often. (Si viviera más cerca, nos veríamos más a menudo).

If I were you, I would accept the offer. (Si fuera tú, aceptaría la oferta).

In formal English, we use were (not was) for all persons in the second conditional: If I were rich... If she were here...

🔹 En inglés formal, usamos were (no was) para todas las personas en el segundo condicional: If I were rich... If she were here...

Conversation

Clara: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

Daniel: If I had to choose, I would live in New Zealand. What about you?

C: If money weren't a problem, I would buy a house in the south of France. But if I'm being realistic [riə'lɪstɪk], I would stay right here.

D: If you had a million dollars, what would you do?

C: I would quit [kwɪt] (dejar) my job and open a bookshop. What would you do?

D: I would invest [ɪn'vɛst] (invertir) half and travel with the other half.

Relative clauses

Who (people), which (things), that (both), whose (possession), where (places).

🔹 Who (personas), which (cosas), that (ambos), whose (posesión), where (lugares).

The man who lives next door is a doctor. (El hombre que vive al lado es médico).

The book which I bought yesterday is great. (El libro que compré ayer es genial).

That's the restaurant where we had dinner. (Ese es el restaurante donde cenamos).

The woman whose car was stolen called the police. (La mujer a quien le robaron el coche llamó a la policía).

Conversation

Marta: Do you know the woman who just moved into apartment 3B?

Hugo: Yes, she's the person who I told you about last week. She's a journalist [ˈdʒɜrnəlɪst] who works for the local newspaper, which is the one that my mother reads every day.

M: And the man whose dog is always barking?

H: That's her husband, who works from home. The dog, which is a golden retriever [rɪ'tri:vər], is actually very friendly.

Passive voice

Be + past participle. We use it when the action is more important than who does it, or when the agent is unknown.

🔹 Be + participio pasado. Lo usamos cuando la acción es más importante que quién la realiza, o cuando el agente es desconocido.

Hamlet was written by Shakespeare. (Hamlet fue escrito por Shakespeare).

English is spoken in many countries. (El inglés se habla en muchos países).

My car was stolen last night. (Mi coche fue robado anoche).

The bridge is being built right now. (El puente se está construyendo ahora mismo).

Conversation

Patricia: Did you hear about the museum?

Felipe: No, what happened?

P: Several paintings were stolen last night. The police were called immediately, but nobody was caught [kɔ:t] (atrapado).

F: That's terrible! Were the cameras checked?

P: Yes, the security footage ['fʊtɪdʒ] (grabaciones) was reviewed, but the thieves [θi:vz] (ladrones) were wearing masks [mæsks] (máscaras). The museum has been closed until further notice ['noʊtɪs] (aviso).

Gerund vs. infinitive

Some verbs take the gerund (verb + -ing): enjoy, finish, avoid, suggest, keep, mind, consider, imagine, practice.

🔹 Algunos verbos van con gerundio (verbo + -ing): enjoy, finish, avoid, suggest, keep, mind, consider, imagine, practice.

Some verbs take the infinitive (to + verb): want, decide, plan, hope, expect, offer, agree, refuse, learn, seem, promise.

🔹 Algunos verbos van con infinitivo (to + verbo): want, decide, plan, hope, expect, offer, agree, refuse, learn, seem, promise.

After prepositions, we always use the gerund: interested in reading, good at cooking, tired of waiting.

🔹 Después de preposiciones, siempre usamos el gerundio: interested in reading, good at cooking, tired of waiting.

I enjoy reading. I want to read. I'm interested in reading.

Phrasal verbs

Verb + particle with a new meaning. They can be separable or inseparable.

🔹 Verbo + partícula con un significado nuevo. Pueden ser separables o inseparables.

Turn off the TV. = Turn the TV off. = Turn it off. (separable)

I'm looking for my keys. (inseparable - cannot say looking my keys for)

Common phrasal verbs:

turn on / turn off - encender / apagar
pick up - recoger
give up - rendirse / dejar de
look for - buscar
find out - descubrir / enterarse
get up - levantarse
put on / take off - ponerse / quitarse (ropa)
look after - cuidar
go on - continuar
come back - volver