• 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. Would for repeated actions only (not states).

🔹 Hábitos pasados. 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 ongoing nature of the activity: I have been reading all day.

🔹 El present perfect enfatiza el resultado: I have read three books. El present perfect continuous enfatiza la naturaleza continua de la actividad: I have been reading all day.

Second conditional

If + past simple, would + infinitive. For imaginary or hypothetical situations.

🔹 If + past simple, would + infinitivo. Para situaciones imaginarias o hipotéticas.

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 (people or things), whose (possession), where (places).

🔹 Who (personas), which (cosas), that (personas o cosas), 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

In English, two conjugated verbs cannot go together. The second verb must be either a gerund (verb + -ing) or an infinitive (to + verb), depending on the first verb.

🔹 En inglés, dos verbos conjugados no pueden ir juntos. El segundo verbo debe ser un gerundio (verbo + -ing) o un infinitivo (to + verbo), dependiendo del primer verbo.

Verbs that take the gerund: enjoy, finish, avoid, suggest, keep, mind, consider, imagine, practice.

🔹 Verbos que van con gerundio: enjoy, finish, avoid, suggest, keep, mind, consider, imagine, practice.

Verbs that take the infinitive: want, decide, plan, hope, expect, offer, agree, refuse, learn, seem, promise.

🔹 Verbos que van con infinitivo: 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