Essential English Grammar: Verb Tenses, Comparisons, and Question Structures

Subject and Object Questions in English

Understanding how to form questions about the subject or the object of a sentence is crucial.

Example Sentence: John sent a letter.

• Subject Question (asking about who performed the action):
  Who sent a letter?
  Answer: John.
• Object Question (asking about what received the action):
  What did John send?
  Answer: A letter.

Past Simple Tense

The Past Simple tense is used to talk about completed actions in the past.

Structure:

• Affirmative: Subject + verb (2nd form, regular verbs end in -ed).
• Negative: Subject + didn't + verb (infinitive/base form).
• Question: Did + subject + verb (infinitive/base form)?

Common Time Expressions for Past Simple:

• yesterday
• a month ago
• a year ago
• two weeks ago
• last year
• ...and other specific past time markers.

Past Continuous Tense

The Past Continuous tense is used to describe actions that were in progress at a specific time in the past.

Structure:

• Affirmative: Subject + was/were + verb-ing.
• Negative: Subject + wasn't/weren't + verb-ing.
• Question: Was/Were + subject + verb-ing?

Using 'When' and 'While' with Past Tenses

These conjunctions help connect actions in the past:

• WHEN is often followed by the Past Simple (for a shorter, completed action that interrupted a longer one).
  Example: I was watching TV when the phone rang.
• WHILE is often followed by the Past Continuous (for an ongoing action).
  Example: While I was studying, my brother was playing video games.

Present Simple Tense

The Present Simple tense is used for habits, routines, general truths, and facts.

Structure:

• Affirmative: Subject + verb (add -s/-es for he, she, it).
• Negative: Subject + don't/doesn't + verb (infinitive/base form).
• Question: Do/Does + subject + verb (infinitive/base form)?

Common Adverbs of Frequency for Present Simple:

These adverbs usually go before the main verb (except with 'to be'):

• always (siempre)
• usually (usualmente)
• often (a menudo)
• sometimes (a veces)
• hardly ever (casi nunca)
• never (nunca)

Present Continuous Tense

The Present Continuous tense is used for actions happening now, temporary situations, or future arrangements.

Structure:

• Affirmative: Subject + am/is/are + verb-ing.
• Negative: Subject + am not/isn't/aren't + verb-ing.
• Question: Am/Is/Are + subject + verb-ing?

Note on Verbs Followed by Gerunds (-ing form)

Certain verbs like like, love, hate, prefer, don't mind (no importar), and enjoy (disfrutar) are typically followed by another verb in the -ing form (gerund) when it acts as the object of the first verb.

Example: I enjoy learning English. She hates waiting for the bus.

Present Perfect Tense

The Present Perfect tense connects the past with the present. It's used for experiences, recent past actions with present results, or actions that started in the past and continue to the present.

Structure:

• Affirmative: Subject + have/has + past participle (3rd form of the verb, regular verbs end in -ed).
• Negative: Subject + haven't/hasn't + past participle.
• Question: Have/Has + subject + past participle?

Common Time Expressions and Adverbs for Present Perfect:

• ever (alguna vez - in questions)
• never (nunca)
• for (durante períodos de tiempo - e.g., for two years)
• since (desde fechas concretas - e.g., since 2020)
• just (precisamente ahora, hace poco)
• yet (ya o aún - typically in questions and negative sentences)
• already (ya - typically in affirmative sentences)
• How long...?

Expressing Past Habits: 'Used To'

Used to is employed to talk about habits or states that were true in the past but are no longer true.

Structure:

• Affirmative: Subject + used to + verb (infinitive/base form).
• Negative: Subject + didn't use to + verb (infinitive/base form).
• Question: Did + subject + use to + verb (infinitive/base form)?

Comparatives and Superlatives

These forms are used to compare adjectives and adverbs.

Comparatives (of Superiority)

Used to compare two things/people.

Structure: Subject + verb (e.g., am/is/are) + comparative adjective + than + object.

• Short adjectives (one syllable, or two ending in -y): Add -er (e.g., taller, happier).
• Long adjectives (two or more syllables): Use more + adjective (e.g., more beautiful, more interesting).

Superlatives

Used to compare one thing/person with a group, indicating it is at the upper or lower limit of a quality.

Structure: Subject + verb (e.g., am/is/are) + the + superlative adjective + (complement/noun group).

• Short adjectives: Add -est (e.g., the tallest, the happiest).
• Long adjectives: Use the most + adjective (e.g., the most beautiful, the most interesting).

Irregular Comparatives and Superlatives:

• good - better - the best (bueno)
• bad - worse - the worst (malo)
• far - farther/further - the farthest/the furthest (lejos)

Comparisons of Equality/Inequality

• The construction as + adjective + as is used to show that two things or people are equal in some quality.
  Example: She is as tall as her brother.
• The construction not as + adjective + as (or not so + adjective + as) is used to show inequality.
  Example: This book is not as interesting as the last one.

Using 'So' and 'Such' for Emphasis

• So + adjective/adverb: Used to add emphasis to the quality described by the adjective or adverb.
  Examples: The weather is so nice. He speaks so quickly.
• Such + (a/an) + (adjective) + noun: Used to add emphasis to the noun, often highlighting a quality described by an adjective.
  Examples: It is such a lovely day. They are such kind people. This is such good advice.

Common Question Words (Wh- Questions)

These words are used to ask for specific information.

• How? (¿Cómo?)
• How many? (¿Cuántos/as? - for countable nouns)
• How much? (¿Cuánto/a? - for uncountable nouns)
• How often? (¿Con qué frecuencia?)
• What? (¿Qué? / ¿Cuál?)
• When? (¿Cuándo?)
• Where? (¿Dónde?)
• Which? (¿Qué? / ¿Cuál? / ¿Cuáles? - when choosing from a limited set)
• Who? (¿Quién? / ¿Quiénes? - as subject)
• Whom? (¿A quién? / ¿A quiénes? - as object, formal; often replaced by 'Who' in informal English)
• Whose? (¿De quién? / ¿De quiénes?)
• Why? (¿Por qué?)