Gramática inglesa: tiempos verbales, condicionales y modales explicados paso a paso

Gramática inglesa

Unit 1: Present simple y present continuous

Present simple: Do I live? / Does she live? No, she doesn't. He gets up at eight o'clock every morning (always, often, in general...). Everybody sees* she is always late for class*.

Present continuous: Am I living? / Aren't we living? / Isn't he living? (now, right now...). He is living with his sister this week*. You're always arriving late*. I'm thinking of a visit to the cinema*.

Present perfect simple (acciones no terminadas)

They've seen; have I seen; has / hasn't he seen? Yes, he has (started past). This has been a big problem up to now. He has read three books so far (up to, up till, till, until now, so far). I've played; she has walked.

Present perfect continuous (acciones no terminadas)

We've been living, she has been living, hasn't he been living? They've been living in France for two years. I've been coming here every summer since 2003 (for a long time, since yesterday). I have been playing; she has been walking (continuous in the present).

Unit 2: Pasado

Past simple

They lived, they didn't live, did they live? I didn't go*. I saw a film yesterday (two years ago).

Past continuous

I was living, you were living. While I was cooking, it was raining very hard outside. I was watching TV last night.

Past perfect simple

I had* lived, she had* lived. When I arrived, she had already gone to bed. By the time she had finished her homework, it was ten o'clock (already, just, not...yet, after, as soon as, by the time, not...until). Acción que pasa antes de otra en el pasado.

Present perfect simple y continuous (repaso)

They have lived; it has lived. I have been living. He's been reading a lot recently (lately, today, this morning).

Used to

I used to live; I didn't use* to live; did I use to live? I used to play football twice a week (soler).

Unit 3: Futuro

Be going to

I'm going to try (tomorrow, this weekend, soon...).

Will

I will see; you won't see. I think I'll go for a walk.

Future perfect

They'll have travelled; they won't have travelled. We'll have completed the routine by the end of this week (by..., in...): acción que se completará.

Future continuous

They'll be travelling. This time next year he'll be working in NY (acción que sabemos que pasará en un futuro): this time next..., next weekend, in a year, in a week's time.

Unit 4: Oraciones de relativo

London, which*; this is a place that*; she is the person that*; this is the place where*; this is an idea whose*; I don't know whose* coat this is (cuyo); 1994 was the year when*; can you tell me the reason why*; he moved to England, where*; Einstein, whose father was an engineer, was born in 1879. The dog, which was sick yesterday*... (entre comas no es información esencial).

Adverbs of manner

He sings beautifully*; she is behaving very selfishly*.

Unit 5: Condicionales

Zero conditional

If people like their work, they are usually happy (verdades generales, ambos verbos en presente).

First conditional

If I study a lot, I'll pass the exam.

Second conditional

If we had* more money, we'd live in a better house (hipotético).

Third conditional

If she had arrived earlier, she wouldn't have missed the bus (hipotético, en el pasado).

Otras expresiones condicionales

Unless = if...not. Unless* you read more, your spelling will never improve (first conditional).

As long as (mientras), provided that (siempre que), providing that (siempre y cuando): se usan con todos excepto con el third conditional.

Uses of the gerund

Smoking* is bad for you; she is used to working*; you get used to getting; he is good at doing*.

Unit 6: Modal verbs

• Ability: can, be able to (ser capaz de)
• Possibility: could (podía), may (poder), might (puede que)
• Positive deduction: must
• Negative deduction: can't
• Obligation: must, have to
• Necessity: need to
• Positive recommendation / mild obligation: should, ought to (debería)
• Prohibition: mustn't, can't
• No obligation / no necessity: don't have to, don't need to, needn't
• Negative recommendation: shouldn't, oughtn't to
• Permission: can, could, may

I've been able to walk since I was two. He'll have to pay the rent tomorrow.

Modal perfects

• Positive deduction sobre evento pasado: must have entered*
• Negative deduction sobre evento pasado: he can't have committed*
• Speculation sobre evento pasado: may / might have + participio
• Hipotética habilidad: could have + participio
• Crítica: should have + participio

Unit 7: Voz pasiva

Passive: simple tenses

• Present simple: the ads are designed by James
• Past simple: the ads were designed by James
• Future simple: the ads will be designed by James
• Conditional: the ads would be designed by James

Passive: perfect tenses

• Present perfect: the ads have been designed
• Past perfect: the ads had been designed
• Future perfect: the ads will have been designed
• Past conditional: the ads would have been designed

Passive: continuous tenses

Present continuous: are being designed; past continuous: were being designed.

Passive: modal verbs

• must design → must be designed
• must have designed → must have been designed
• has to design → have to be designed
• is going to design → are going to be designed

Unit 8: Reported speech

I work in a school → he said that he worked in a school. I worked in a school → he said that he had worked in a school.