Key English Grammar Points
English Grammar Essentials
Simple Present Tense
Verb “To Be”
Affirmative:
- I am
- He, She, It is
- You, We, They are
Negative:
- I am not (I’m not)
- He, She, It is not (isn’t)
- You, We, They are not (aren’t)
Other Verbs
Affirmative:
- He, She, It + Verb + -s
- I, You, We, They + Verb (infinitive)
Negatives
- I, You, We, They + do not (don’t) + Verb (infinitive)
- She, He, It + does not (doesn’t) + Verb (infinitive)
Example: I don’t like soccer (A mí no me gusta el fútbol).
Verbs Followed by -ing
Some verbs, like “like,” are often followed by a verb in the -ing form.
Structure: Verb + Verb + -ing
Example: Do you like dancing? I like dancing.
Agreements with So and Neither
Use So for positive agreements and Neither for negative agreements.
Positive Agreements (So)
Structure: So + Auxiliary Verb (be, do, does) + Subject
- I am intelligent. So are they.
- I like soccer. So do we.
- She is a good student. So am I.
- I like soccer. So do Britney and Lauren.
Negative Agreements (Neither)
Structure: Neither + Auxiliary Verb (am, is, are, do, does) + Subject
- They aren’t in Cabo. Neither am I. (or Neither is my mother.)
- I don’t like basketball. Neither does my sister.
Simple Past Tense
Regular Verbs
Add -ed to the base form.
- Compose → Composed (Componer)
- Influence → Influenced (Influenciar)
- Record → Recorded
- Work → Worked
- Play → Played
- Study → Studied
- Travel → Travelled (Viajar)
- Look → Looked (Mirar)
- Watch → Watched (Ver)
- Talk → Talked (Hablar)
- Clean → Cleaned (Limpiar)
- Repair → Repaired (Reparar)
Irregular Verbs
Forms must be memorized.
- Sing → Sang
- Write → Wrote (Escribir)
- Be → Was/Were (Ser/Estar)
- Speak → Spoke (Hablar)
- Eat → Ate (Comer)
- See → Saw (Ver)
- Give → Gave (Dar)
- Go → Went (Ir)
- Do → Did (Hacer)
- Make → Made (Hacer)
- Cut → Cut (Cortar)
- Hit → Hit (Golpear)
- Put → Put (Poner)
Affirmative Form
Structure: Subject + Verb in Past + Complement
- I played soccer yesterday. (Yo jugué al fútbol ayer.)
- She ate a sandwich last Sunday. (Ella se comió un sándwich el domingo pasado.)
Interrogative Form (Yes/No Questions)
Structure: Did + Subject + Verb (infinitive) + Complement?
Short Answers: Yes, Subject + did. / No, Subject + didn’t.
- Did you study for the test? (¿Estudiaste para el examen?) Yes, I did. (Sí, lo hice.)
- Did she cook at night? (¿Ella cocina por la noche?) No, she didn’t.
Interrogative Form (Wh- Questions)
Structure: Wh- word + did + Subject + Verb (infinitive) + Complement?
- How was it? (¿Cómo fue?) It was excellent. (Fue excelente.)
- Where was the concert? (¿Dónde fue el concierto?) It was at the municipal stadium.
- How long was it? (¿Cuánto tiempo duró?) It was more than 2 hours.
- What time did it start? (¿A qué hora empezó?) It started at eight thirty. (Empezó a las 8 y media.)
- Where did you go on Saturday? (¿Dónde fuiste el sábado?) I went to a pub. (Yo fui a un pub.)
- What did he do last month? (¿Qué hizo el mes pasado?) He travelled to Stgo. (Viajó a Stgo.)
Used To (Past Habits)
Used to describes actions or situations that were true in the past but are not true now.
Affirmative: Subject + used to + Verb (infinitive)
Negative: Subject + did not (didn’t) + use to + Verb (infinitive)
Interrogative: Did + Subject + use to + Verb (infinitive)?
Example Questions and Answers:
- Where did Roberto use to live? (¿Dónde solía vivir Roberto?) He used to live in Costa Rica.
- Where did you study? (¿Dónde estudiaste?) I studied in Stgo.
Be Going To (Future Plans)
Used for future plans or intentions.
Structure: Subject + be (am, is, are) + going to + Verb (infinitive)
- (+) I am going to Stgo next week.
- (-) She isn’t going to travel to her work next month.
- (?) Are you going to the party next Saturday? Yes, I am.
Have To / Has To (Obligation)
Used to express obligation or necessity.
Structure: Subject + have to / has to + Verb (infinitive)
- I, You, We, They + have to
- She, He, It + has to
Example: She has to study tonight.