• 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
• Present perfect continuous
• Second conditional
• Relative clauses
• Passive voice
• 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. By the time we got to the cinema, the movie had started.

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. It has been raining all day.

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.

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. If I were you, I would accept the offer.

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. That's the restaurant where we had dinner.

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. English is spoken in many countries.

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.

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