English Grammar

The Tenses
Verbs - An Overview

Verbs are a class of words used to show the performance of an action (do, throw, run),
existence (be), possession (have), or state (know, love) of a subject. To put it simply a verb
shows what something or someone does.

Most statements in speech and writing have a main verb. These verbs are expressed in
tenses which place everything in a point in time.

Verbs are conjugated (inflected) to reflect how they are used. There are two general areas in
which conjugation occurs; for person and for tense .

Conjugation for tense is carried out on all verbs. All conjugations start with the infinitive form
of the verb. The infinitive is simply the to form of the verb For example, to begin. The
present participle form (the -ing form), is formed by adding ing to the bare infinitive. For
example, the present participle of the verb to begin is beginning. There are two other forms
that the verb can take, depending on the tense type and time, the simple past form (began)
and the past participle (begun). See here for a list of irregular verbs.

Conjugation for person occurs when the verb changes form, depending on whether it is
governed by a first, second, or third person subject. This gives three conjugations for any
verb depending on who is acting as the subject of the verb. For example, we have: to begin,
you begin , and he begins. Note that only the third conjunction really shows a difference.

While most English verbs simply do not show extensive conjugation forms for person, an
exception is the verb to be.
Things can happen now, in the future or in the past. The tenses show the time of a verb's
action or being. The verb ending is changed (conjugated) to show roughly what time it is
referring to.

Time can be split into three periods The Present (what you are doing), The Past (what you
did) and The Future (what you are going to do).

The tenses we use to show what time we are talking about are split into the Simple,
Continuous and Perfect tenses.

In English we use two tenses to talk about the present and six tenses to talk about the past.
There are several ways to talk about the future some of which use the present tenses, these
are:

Present Simple Present

Present Continuous
Past Simple Past
Past Continuous
Present Perfect Simple
Present Perfect Continuous
Past Perfect Simple
Past Perfect Continuous
Future Using the Simple Present
Using the Present Continuous
Using the Present Perfect Simple
Using the Present Perfect Continuous
Using going to
Using shall/will
The simple present tense is used to discuss permanant situations and the frequency of
events.

To have Short form Other Verbs (to work)

I have I've I work

he has he's He works

she has she's She works

it has it's It works

you have you've you work

we have we've we work

they have they've they work

Statements Statements Short answer Short answer

Questions
+ - + -

I work. I don't work. Do I work? Yes, I do. No, I don't.

He works. He doesn't work. Does he work? Yes, he does. No, he doesn't.

She works. She doesn't work. Does she work? Yes, she does. No, she doesn't.

It works. It doesn't work. Does it work? Yes, it does. No, it doesn't.

You work. You don't work. Do you work? Yes you do. No, you don't.

We work. We don't work. Do we work? Yes we do. No, we don't.

They work. They don't work. Do they work? Yes they do. No, they don't.

Regular or permanent situations

When something happens regularly or is a permanent situation we usually use the simple
present tense. When using the simple present the verb (with the exception of the auxiliary
verbs) remains in the dictionary form (verb + s with he/she/it).

Simple Present Timeline

For example:

Q) "Where do you live?" A) "I live in Germany."

Q) "Where does he live?" A) "He lives in Germany."

Q) "What do you do?" A) "I'm a teacher."

Q) "What does he do?" A) "He's a teacher."

Frequency

The simple present tense is also used to show how often something happens with adverbs of
frequency - always, usually, often, sometimes, occasionally, seldom, rarely, never, etc.... And
when discussing daily, weekly, monthly etc. routines.

For example:

"I always get up at 6.00."

"I never drink coffee before 12.00."

"I work on my website every day."

"Every Monday and Thursday I go to the gym."

We also use the simple present to ask for and give instructions or to discuss a series of
actions.

For example:

Q) How do I make pancakes?" A) Well, first you take 4 eggs and crack them into a bowl,
then you weigh out 4 oz. of flour and sieve it into the eggs. etc.

The simple present tense can also be used to discuss future events.
The simple past tense is used to talk about actions that happened at a specific time in the
past. You state when it happened using a time adverb.

You form the simple past of a verb by adding -ed onto the end of a regular verb but, irregular
verb forms have to be learned.

To be To be
Statements Statements Questions ?
+ -

I was. I wasn't. Was I?

He was. He wasn't. Was he?

She was. She wasn't. Was she?

It was. It wasn't. Was it?

You were. You weren't. Were you?

We were. We weren't. Were we?

They were. They weren't. Were they?

Regular Verb (to work) Regular Verb (to work) Short Short
Statements Statements Questions answer answer
+ - + -

I worked. I didn't work. Did I work? Yes, I did. No, I didn't.

He worked. He didn't work. Did he work? Yes, he did. No, he didn't.

Did she Yes, she No, she

She worked. She didn't work.
work? did. didn't.

It worked. It didn't work. Did it work? Yes, it did. No, it didn't.

Did you Yes you No, you

You worked. You didn't work.
work? did. didn't.

No, we
We worked. We didn't work. Did we work? Yes we did.
didn't.

Did they Yes they No, they

They worked. They didn't work.
work? did. didn't.
 Simple Past Timeline

For example:

"Last year I took my exams."

"I got married in 1992."

It can be used to describe events that happened over a period of time in the past but not
now.

For example:

"I lived in South Africa for two years."

The simple past tense is also used to talk about habitual or repeated actions that took place
in the past.

For example:

"When I was a child we always went to the seaside on bank holidays."

We use the past continuous tense to describe a past action over a period of time.
 Past Continuous Timeline

For example:

Q) "What were they doing yesterday?" A) "They were working all day."

It can be used to describe what someone was doing at a particular point in time.

For example:

Q) "What were you doing at 7.30 last night?" A) "I was watching television."

The past continuous can also be used to show that an activity frequently took place over a
period of time.

Q) "What did you do on holiday?" A) "I went skiing a lot."

Often the past continuous is mixed with the past simple to show what was happening when
something happened. The past continuous refers to the longer event and the simple past to
the event that interrupted it.

For example:

"I was driving to work when I crashed my car."

or

As I was driving to work, I crashed my car."

The present perfect simple tense is used to talk about a past time, which has very strong
meaning for the present.
 Present Perfect Simple Timeline

For example:

Q) Where's Jane?
A) She has gone out. She should be back in an hour.

We form the present perfect simple by using the auxilliary verb have/has and the -ed form of
the regular verb (the past participle) irregular verb forms have to be learned:

Statements Statements Short answer Short answer

Questions
+ - + -

I've worked. I haven't worked. Have I worked? Yes, I have. No, I haven't.

He's worked. He hasn't worked. Has he worked? Yes, he has. No, he hasn't.

She's worked. She hasn't worked. Has she worked? Yes, she has. No, she hasn't.

It's worked. It hasn't worked. Has it worked? Yes, it has. No, it hasn't.

You've worked. You haven't worked. Have you worked? Yes you have. No, you haven't.

We've worked. We haven't worked. Have we worked? Yes we have. No, we haven't.

They've worked. They haven't worked. Have they worked? Yes they have. No, they haven't.

The present perfect simple is used to discuss events that have just been completed at the
moment of speaking.

For example:

Q) Have you done your homework?"

A) "Yes, I've just finished it."

It is often used to suggest that a past action still has an effect upon something happening in
the present.
For example:

"The pound has fallen against the dollar."

It is also used to discuss unfinished time.

For example:

Q) Have you done your homework today?

A) No, I haven't done it yet.
Note - You are talking about today and today isn't finished, so you may do your homework
later!

Q) Have you ever been to England?"

A) "Yes I have."
Note - You are talking about something that has happened in your life and your life isn't
finished!

You can also use the present perfect to discuss something from the past but you don't want
to say exactly when.

For example:

Q) "Are you learning any languages?"

A) "Yes, I've begun to learn English."

This tense is often used to discuss events that have been happening over a period of time,
but aren't finished yet.

For example:

Q) "How long have you studied English for?"

A) "I've studied English for 2 years now."

However it is better (grammatically speaking) to use the Present Perfect Continuous to

express yourself in this way.

For example:
Q) "How long have you been studying English for?" A) "I've been studying English for 2
years now."

!Note It is always for a length of time and since a point in time.

The present perfect simple tense is used to talk about a past time, which has very strong
meaning for the present.

Present Perfect Simple Timeline

For example:

Q) Where's Jane?
A) She has gone out. She should be back in an hour.

We form the present perfect simple by using the auxilliary verb have/has and the -ed form of
the regular verb (the past participle) irregular verb forms have to be learned:

Statements Statements Short answer Short answer

Questions
+ - + -

I've worked. I haven't worked. Have I worked? Yes, I have. No, I haven't.

He's worked. He hasn't worked. Has he worked? Yes, he has. No, he hasn't.

She's worked. She hasn't worked. Has she worked? Yes, she has. No, she hasn't.

It's worked. It hasn't worked. Has it worked? Yes, it has. No, it hasn't.

You've worked. You haven't worked. Have you worked? Yes you have. No, you haven't.

We've worked. We haven't worked. Have we worked? Yes we have. No, we haven't.
They've worked. They haven't worked. Have they worked? Yes they have. No, they haven't.

The present perfect simple is used to discuss events that have just been completed at the
moment of speaking.

For example:

Q) Have you done your homework?"

A) "Yes, I've just finished it."

It is often used to suggest that a past action still has an effect upon something happening in
the present.

For example:

"The pound has fallen against the dollar."

It is also used to discuss unfinished time.

For example:

Q) Have you done your homework today?

A) No, I haven't done it yet.
Note - You are talking about today and today isn't finished, so you may do your homework
later!

Q) Have you ever been to England?"

A) "Yes I have."
Note - You are talking about something that has happened in your life and your life isn't
finished!

You can also use the present perfect to discuss something from the past but you don't want
to say exactly when.

For example:

Q) "Are you learning any languages?"

A) "Yes, I've begun to learn English."
This tense is often used to discuss events that have been happening over a period of time,
but aren't finished yet.

For example:

Q) "How long have you studied English for?"

A) "I've studied English for 2 years now."

However it is better (grammatically speaking) to use the Present Perfect Continuous to

express yourself in this way.

For example:

Q) "How long have you been studying English for?" A) "I've been studying English for 2
years now."

!Note It is always for a length of time and since a point in time.

The past perfect simple tense is used to go further back in time when we are already talking
about the past. It can make it clear that something had already happened at the time we are
talking about.

Past Perfect Simple Timeline

We form the past perfect simple by using the auxilliary verb had and the -ed form of the
regular verb (the past participle) irregular verb forms have to be learned:
 Short answer
Statements Statements Short answer
Questions
+ - -
+

I'd worked ... I hadn't worked ... Had I worked ...? Yes, I had. No, I hadn't.

He'd worked ... He hadn't worked ... Had he worked ...? Yes, he had. No, he hadn't.

She'd worked ... She hadn't worked ... Had she worked ...? Yes, she had. No, she hadn't.

It had worked ... It hadn't worked ... Had it worked ...? Yes, it had. No, it hadn't.

You'd worked ... You hadn't worked ... Had you worked ...? Yes you had. No, you hadn't.

We'd worked ... We hadn't worked ... Had we worked ...? Yes we had. No, we hadn't.

They'd worked ... They hadn't worked ... Had they worked ...? Yes they had. No, they hadn't.

For example:

"I had already done the shopping by the time she came home."

"I was late for work, by the time I arrived the client had already left."

The past perfect simple can be used to show how often something happened in the past.

For example:

I'd visited the city many times before.

It can also be used to express unfulfilled wishes or dreams. Sometimes called the Third
Conditional.

For example:

"If I had won the lottery I would have bought a new car." Note: If I had done something I
would have done something else.
The past perfect continuous tense is used to talk about longer situations that continued up to
the moment in the past we are talking about.

Past Perfect Continuous Timeline

For example:

"By the time I left England we had been living in Bristol for five years."

"Her back was sore because she had been sitting at the computer all day."

It is also used to say how long something went on for, up to a time in the past.

For example:-

We apologised because we had kept them waiting for 3 hours.

We apologised because we had kept them waiting since lunchtime.

!Note It is always for a length of time and since a point in time.

We sometimes use the simple present form to discuss future events. Especially when talking
about official events that happen at a set time such as timetables, meetings, itineraries,
programmes etc.

For example:

Q) "What time does the train leave?" A) "It leaves at 17.30."

Q) "What time does the meeting begin tomorrow?" A) "It begins at 8.00am."

Q) "What time do you arrive at the airport tomorrow?" A) "I arrive at 6.30pm."
Using the present continuous for the future

The future continuous tense is the present continuous tense recycled. It is often used to ask
about and discuss future arrangements or plans with just the addition of a future time, but
you only use it when these arrangements are certain.

For example:

Q) What are you doing next week?" A) "I'm working."

Q) What's he doing tomorrow?" A) "He's playing tennis."

The present continuous tense is also used to talk about and make future appointments and
arrangements using the words go or come....

For example:

Q) When are you coming to see me?" A) "Next week."

Q) What are you doing tomorrow?" A) "I'm going to the dentist."

...and using verbs of arrival and departure.

"We're arriving in London at 2.30."

"The train leaving from platform one is the 2.45 to Edinburgh."

The Future Continuous (will be doing)

The use of 'will be doing' in a sentence is often referred to as the future continuous. It is used
to talk about activities that will be happening at a particular time or over a particular time in
the future.

For example:
Next week we will be having a party. Can you come?

You can also use it (or the present continuous form) to talk about future plans.

For example:

We will be leaving here at 7.30pm.

Discussing the future using the present perfect simple form

You can use the present perfect simple form to say that something will have happened by a
certain time in the future.

"This time next year I will have finished my exams."

Discussing the future using the present perfect continuous form (also
known as the future perfect continuous using will have been
doing).

You can use the present perfect continuous form to say how long something will have been
happening by a certain time in the future.

"This time next year I will have been teaching English for 9 years."

Discussing the future using the present perfect simple form

You can use the present perfect simple form to say that something will have happened by a
certain time in the future.

"This time next year I will have finished my exams."

Discussing the future using the present perfect continuous form (also
known as the future perfect continuous using will have been
doing).

You can use the present perfect continuous form to say how long something will have been
happening by a certain time in the future.

"This time next year I will have been teaching English for 9 years

Discussing the future using going to

We say something is going to happen when it has already been planned.

For example:-

Q) Are you going to fly to Germansy?

A) No, we're going to drive.

We also use it to show something has already been decided.

For example:-

"We're going to buy a new car next year."

We also use going to when we can see something is about to happen.

For example:-

"Look at that cloud. I think it's going to rain."

"Watch out! He's going to crash into that tree!"

You can also use going to to predict the future based upon the evidence now.

For example:-

"It looks as though Manchester United are going to win the European cup.

"I think my friend Louise is going to have a baby."

!Note
Thanks to Ken Anderson for pointing out the following:-

"I'm going to Germany." isn't really the future tense. You would have to say "I'm going to go
to Germany."

Discussing the future using shall/will

When we give information about the future or predict future events that are not certain we
usually use shall/will.

For example:-

Q) Who do you think will win the election?" A) "I'm not sure but I think the current party will
win."

We can also use shall/will to make promises for the future.

When leaving work I would say - "Goodnight, I'll (I will) see you tomorrow."

Shall/Will is often used when we just decide to do something.

For example:-

The phone is ringing - If I decide to answer the phone I would say - "I'll (I will) get it."

It can also be used in formal situations to express planned events and is preferred in formal
written English.

For example:-
The party will start at 10.00pm.

Discussing the future using going to

We say something is going to happen when it has already been planned.

For example:-

Q) Are you going to fly to Germansy?

A) No, we're going to drive.

We also use it to show something has already been decided.

For example:-

"We're going to buy a new car next year."

We also use going to when we can see something is about to happen.

For example:-

"Look at that cloud. I think it's going to rain."

"Watch out! He's going to crash into that tree!"

You can also use going to to predict the future based upon the evidence now.

For example:-

"It looks as though Manchester United are going to win the European cup.
"I think my friend Louise is going to have a baby."

!Note
Thanks to Ken Anderson for pointing out the following:-

"I'm going to Germany." isn't really the future tense. You would have to say "I'm going to go
to Germany."

Discussing the future using shall/will

When we give information about the future or predict future events that are not certain we
usually use shall/will.

For example:-

Q) Who do you think will win the election?" A) "I'm not sure but I think the current party will
win."

We can also use shall/will to make promises for the future.

When leaving work I would say - "Goodnight, I'll (I will) see you tomorrow."

Shall/Will is often used when we just decide to do something.

For example:-

The phone is ringing - If I decide to answer the phone I would say - "I'll (I will) get it."

It can also be used in formal situations to express planned events and is preferred in formal
written English.

For example:-

The party will start at 10.00pm.

Simple Tenses

The simple tenses are used to show permanent characteristics of people and events or what
happens regularly, habitually or in a single completed action.

Continuous Tenses

The continuous tenses are used when talking about a particular point in time.

Perfect Tenses

Sometimes you need to give just a little bit more information about an action or state...and
that is where the perfect tenses come in.

The perfect tenses are used when an action or situation in the present is linked to a moment
in the past. It is often used to show things that have happened up to now but aren't finished
yet or to emphasize that something happened but is not true anymore. When they end
determines which of them you use.

Perfect tenses are never used when we say when something happened i.e. yesterday, last
year etc. but can be used when discussing the duration of something i.e. often, for, always,
since etc..

The Future Tenses

Discussing the future in English can seem complicated.The present simple, present
continuous, present perfect simple and the present perfect continuous can all be used and
often it is possible to use more than one structure, but have the same meaning.

AUXILIARY VERB

Definition: Auxiliary verbs are used together with a main verb to give grammatical
information and therefore add extra meaning to a sentence, which is not given by the main
verb.

Be, Do and Have are auxiliary verbs, they are irregular verbs and can be used as main verbs.

Modal verbs are also auxiliary verbs, but will be treated separately, these are can, could, may,
might, must, shall, should, will, and would.
To be: Be is the most common verb in the English language. It can be used as an auxiliary
and a main verb. It is used a lot in its other forms.

Present tense form Past tense form

am/is/are was/were

Uses:

Am/Is/Are:

Question Positive Statement Negative Statement

Singular
Am I? I am (I'm) I am not (I'm not)
Are you? You are (You're) You are not (You're not/You aren't)
Is He/she/it is He/she/it is not (He/she/it isn't// He/she/it's
he/she/it? (He's/She's/It's) not)
Plural

Are we? We are (We're) We are not (We aren't/We're not)

Are you? You are (You're) You are not (You aren't/You're not)
Are they? They are (They're) They are not (They aren't/They're not)

Examples:

Am/Are Is
Question - ? "Am I disturbing you?" "Is this your coat"
Positive Answer - Yes "Yes you are." "Yes it is"
Negative Answer - No "No you're not." "No it isn't"
Note: The auxiliary verb 'be' can be followed either by the -ed form or by the -ing form.

To do: The verb do is one of the most common verbs in English. It can be used as an auxiliary
and a main verb. It is often used in questions.

Uses:

Do / Does

Question Positive Statement (spoken) Negative Statement (spoken)

Singular
Do I? I do I do not (I don't)
Do you? You do You do not (You don't)
Does he/she/it? He/she/it does He/she/it does not (He/she/it doesn't)
Plural
Do we? We do We do not (We don't)
Do you? You do You do not (You don't)
Do they? They do They do not (They don't)

Examples:

Do Does
Question - ? "Do you always take the bus "Does she ever do her homework
 to work?" on time?"
Positive Answer -
"Yes I do." "Yes she does."
Yes
Negative Answer -
"No I don't." "No she doesn't."
No

Note: The auxiliary verb 'do' is always followed by the base form (infinitive).

To have: Have is one of the most common verbs in the English language. Have is used in a
variety of ways.

Uses:

Have/Has

Positive Statement
Question Negative Statement (spoken)
(spoken)
Singular
Have I? I have (I've) I have not (I haven't/I've not)
Have you? You have (You've) You have not (You haven't/You've not)
Has he/she/it? He/she/it has (He/she/it 's) He/she/it has not (He/she/it hasn't)
Plural
Have we? We have (We've) We have not (We haven't/We've not)
Have you? You have (You've) You have not (You haven't/You've not)
They have not (They haven't/They've
Have they? They have (They've)
not)

Have is often used to indicate possession (I have) or (I have got).

Examples:
Have Have got
"Do you have a car?" or "Have you a
Question - ? "Have you got a car?"
car?"
Positive Answer -
"Yes I have a car." "Yes I've got a car."
Yes
Negative Answer - "No I haven't got a
"No I don't have a car."
No car."

Have is also used to indicate necessity (I have to) or (I have got to).
Have to Have got to
Question - ? "Do you have to leave early?" "Have you got to leave early?"
Positive Answer - Yes "Yes I have to." or "Yes I do" "Yes I've got to."
Negative Answer - No "No I don't have to." "No I haven't got to."

Have is used to show an action.

Question - ? "Have you washed your face?"
Positive Answer - Yes " Yes I have."
Negative Answer - No " No I haven't."

Note: When showing an action the auxiliary verb 'have' is always followed by the past
participle form.
 COPULA VERB

Definition: A copula (or copular) verb is a verb that connects the subject to the
complement. They are sometimes called linking verbs. Linking verbs do not describe action.

Formation:
subject + linking verb + information about the subject

For example:

• That food smells nice. ('Smells' connects the subject to the adjective that describes it.)

Some verbs are always linking verbs because they never describe an action. Other verbs can
be linking verbs in some sentences and action verbs in other sentences.

Verbs that are ALWAYS LINKING verbs

The following three verbs are always linking verbs:

to be (is, am, are, was, were, has been, have been, had been, is being, are being, was being,
will have been, etc.)
to become (become, becomes, became, has become, have become, had become, will become,
will have become, etc.)
to seem (seemed, seeming, seems, has seemed, have seemed, had seemed, is seeming, are
seeming, was seeming, were seeming, will seem)

For example:

• The dog became thin after his surgery. ('Became' links the subject, the dog, with
information about him (that he became thin))

Verbs that can be both ACTION and LINKING verbs

There are verbs that can be linking verbs in SOME sentences, but are action verbs in other
sentences. One way to determine if the verb is functioning as an action verb or a linking verb
is to substitute the word “is” for the verb in question.If the sentence still makes sense, then it
is probably a linking verb. If the sentence would not make sense with the word “is,” then it is
probably an action verb in the sentence.
Examples:

look prove remain

smell sound taste
appear feel grow

For expample:

• Jhon appeared uninjured after the accident.

In this example you could substitute the word 'is,' for the word 'appeared' and the
sentence would still make sense: "Jane is uninjured after the accident." This lets you
know that appeared is a linking verb in this sentence.
• Before I could leave, Jhon appeared.
In this sentence, appeared is not linking anything. It is telling the action that Jhon did.
He appeared, or showed up.

DITRANSITIVE

Definition: A ditransitive verb is one that takes two complements, a direct object and an
indirect object at the same time.

Examples

• He gave her the letter.

* "The letter" is the direct object, what he gave, and "her" is the indirect object, the
person he gave it to.

Examples

• He gave her the letter.

* "The letter" is the direct object, what he gave, and "her" is the indirect object, the
person he gave it to.
• Robin gave Linda a book.
• The teacher asked James a question.
• That horrid music gave me a headache.
 DYNAMIC VERB

Definition: A dynamic verb is one that can be used in the progressive (continuous) aspect,
indicating an unfinished action. Dynamic verbs have duration, that is, they occur over time.
This time may or may not have a defined endpoint, and may or may not yet have occurred.

• Jhon plays soccer every Saturday.

=> Jhon is playing soccer right now.
• The snow melts every spring.
=> The snow is melting right now.
• When one boxer hits another, brain damage can result.
=> When one boxer is hitting another, brain damage can result.

Dynamic verbs, can be used in the simple and perfect forms, for example: plays, played, has
played, had played, as well as the continuous or progressive forms, for example: is playing,
was playing, has been playing, had been playing.

The progressive forms occur only with dynamic verbs, that is, with verbs that show qualities
capable of change as opposed to stative verbs, which show qualities not capable of change.

For example:

• He is being tall. (incorrect)

=> He is tall. (correct)
• He is resembling his mother. (incorrect)
=> He resembles his mother. (correct)
• I am wanting spaghetti for dinner. (incorrect)
=> I want spaghetti. (correct)
• It is belonging to me. (incorrect)
=> It belongs to me. (correct)

Sometimes verbs can be used in progressive forms when they have certain meanings. In
another meaning it is not possible to use them in progressive forms.
For example:

Verb Simple Forms Progressive Forms

feel (to have an opinion)
feel (to feel sth.)
have (to possess)
have (to eat)
see (to understand)
see (to meet someone)
think (to believe)
think (to think about)
I feel I should go on holiday. ---
How do you feel when you are
How are you feeling today?
on holiday?
I have a new computer. ---
I always have a cola for lunch. I am having dinner right now.
Oh, I see. ---
I often see Mandy at the disco. I am seeing Peter tonight.
I think you should see a doctor. ---
I am thinking about my girlfriend
I have to think about it.
now.

Examples:

• She's lying on the bed.

 GERUND

Definition: A Gerund is the form of a verb when it acts as a noun; a gerund (often known as
an -ing word) is a noun formed from a verb by adding -ing.

For example:

• Studying is good for you.

Formation: Base Form + ING

Gerunds can act as the subject or object of a main verb.

For example:

• Going to parties is fun.

• Hunting elephants is dangerous.
• Flying makes me nervous.
* Here, gerunds are subjects
• I enjoy reading.
* Here, gerund is object

Use
Certain words like adjectives, prepositions, verbs, nouns are followed by an Ing-Form.

Use after certain adjectives

Adjectives (with Prepositions) followed by the Gerund

afraid of crazy about

angry about / at disappointed about
bad at excited about
busy famous for
clever at fond of
interested in sorry about
proud of worried about

For example:

• He’s afraid of going by plane.

• I am interested in visiting the museum.
• He is clever at skateboarding.
• The girl is crazy about playing tennis.
• I'm worried about making mistakes.
Use after certain prepositions
Prepositions followed by the Gerund

about by
after in
apart from instead of
because of on
before without

For example:

• Before going to bed he turned off the lights.

• She avoided him by walking on the opposite side of the road.
• We arrived in Madrid after driving all night.
• He told the joke without laughing.

Use after certain verbs

Verbs followed by the Gerund

admit consider
advise delay
allow deny
appreciate dislike
avoid enjoy
suggest resist
understand imagine
miss permit
reject practise

For example:

• I enjoy cooking.
• He admitted having driven too fast.
• Ralph is considering buying a new house.
• I delayed telling Max the news.
• They miss playing with their friends.

Use after certain nouns

Nouns with Prepositions followed by the Gerund

advantage of idea of
alternative of interest in
chance of opportunity of
choice between pleasure in
danger of problem
doubt about reason for
experience in trouble in
fun use
hope of waste of money
 point in waste of time

For example:

• We had problems finding our way back home.

• There's no point in waiting any longer.
• What is the advantage of farming over hunting?
• He is in doubt about buying the correct software for his computer system.
• There's a real reason for winning the contest.

Rules:

• If a verb ends with -e, it loses the last letter before adding the -ing suffix.

INFINITIVE

Definition: Infinitive is the base form of the verb. The infinitive form of a verb is the form
which follows "to".

For example:

 (to) go, (to) be,(to) ask, (to) fight, (to) understand, (to) walk .

Infinitives may occur with or without the infinitive marker "to". Infinitives without "to" are
known as "bare infinitives".

For example:

 Help me open the door.

OTHER FORMS
The infinitive can have the following forms:

1. The perfect infinitive

to have + past participle

For example: to have broken, to have seen, to have saved.

This form is most commonly found in Type 3 conditional sentences, using the
conditional perfect.

For example:
 If I had known you were coming I would have baked a cake.
 Someone must have broken the window and climbed in.
 I would like to have seen the Taj Mahal when I was in India.
  He pretended to have seen the film.
 If I'd seen the ball I would have caught it.

2. The continuous infinitive

to be + present participle

For example: to be swimming, to be joking, to be waiting

Examples:
 I'd really like to be swimming in a nice cool pool right now.
 You must be joking!
 I happened to be waiting for the bus when the accident happened.

3. The perfect continuous infinitive

to have been + present participle

Examples: to have been crying, to have been waiting, to have been painting

Examples:
 The woman seemed to have been crying.
 You must have been waiting for hours!
 He pretended to have been painting all day.

4. The passive infinitive

to be + past participle

For example: to be given, to be shut, to be opened

Examples:
 I am expecting to be given a pay-rise next month.
 These doors should be shut.
 This window ought to be opened.

NOTE: As with the present infinitive, there are situations where the "to" is omitted.

Examples

• He claimed to be an expert.
• I managed to reach the top of the hill.
• Don't pretend that you know the answer.
• She failed to explain the problem clearly.
• The customs man demanded to search our luggage.
• I can't afford to go out tonight.
 IRREGULAR VERB

Definition: A verb in which the past tense is not formed by adding the usual -ed ending for
the Past Simple and Past Participle forms. Some irregular verbs (like put) do not change; while
others change completely (like buy). Irregular verbs have no rules for conjugation. These can
only be learnt in context.

List of irregular verbs:

Base Form Simple Past Tense Past Participle

awake awoke awoken
be was, were been
bear bore born
beat beat beat
become became become
begin began begun
bend bent bent
beset beset beset
bet bet bet
bid bid/bade bid/bidden
bind bound bound
bite bit bitten
bleed bled bled
blow blew blown
break broke broken
breed bred bred
bring brought brought
broadcast broadcast broadcast
build built built
burn burned/burnt burned/burnt
burst burst burst
buy bought bought
cast cast cast
catch caught caught
choose chose chosen
cling clung clung
come came come
cost cost cost
creep crept crept
cut cut cut
deal dealt dealt
dig dug dug
dive dived/dove dived
do did done
draw drew drawn
dream dreamed/dreamt dreamed/dreamt
drive drove driven
drink drank drunk
eat ate eaten
fall fell fallen
feed fed fed
feel felt felt
fight fought fought
find found found
fit fit fit
flee fled fled
fling flung flung
fly flew flown
forbid forbade forbidden
forget forgot forgotten
forego (forgo) forewent foregone
forgive forgave forgiven
forsake forsook forsaken
freeze froze frozen
get got gotten
give gave given
go went gone
grind ground ground
grow grew grown
hang hung hung
hear heard heard
hide hid hidden
hit hit hit
hold held held
hurt hurt hurt
keep kept kept
kneel knelt knelt
knit knit knit
know knew know
lay laid laid
lead led led
leap leaped/lept leaped/lept
learn learned/learnt learned/learnt
leave left left
lend lent lent
let let let
lie lay lain
light lighted/lit lighted
lose lost lost
make made made
mean meant meant
meet met met
misspell misspelled/misspelt misspelled/misspelt
mistake mistook mistaken
mow mowed mowed/mown
overcome overcame overcome
overdo overdid overdone
overtake overtook overtaken
overthrow overthrew overthrown
pay paid paid
plead pled pled
prove proved proved/proven
put put put
quit quit quit
read read read
rid rid rid
ride rode ridden
ring rang rung
rise rose risen
run ran run
saw sawed sawed/sawn
say said said
see saw seen
seek sought sought
sell sold sold
send sent sent
set set set
sew sewed sewed/sewn
shake shook shaken
shave shaved shaved/shaven
shear shore shorn
shed shed shed
shine shone shone
shoe shoed shoed/shod
shoot shot shot
show showed showed/shown
shrink shrank shrunk
shut shut shut
sing sang sung
sink sank sunk
sit sat sat
sleep slept slept
slay slew slain
slide slid slid
sling slung slung
slit slit slit
smite smote smitten
sow sowed sowed/sown
speak spoke spoken
speed sped sped
spend spent spent
spill spilled/spilt spilled/spilt
spin spun spun
spit spit/spat spit
split split split
spread spread spread
spring sprang/sprung sprung
stand stood stood
steal stole stolen
stick stuck stuck
sting stung stung
stink stank stunk
stride strod stridden
strike struck struck
string strung strung
strive strove striven
swear swore sworn
sweep swept swept
swell swelled swelled/swollen
 swim swam swum
swing swung swung
take took taken
teach taught taught
tear tore torn
tell told told
think thought thought
thrive thrived/throve thrived
throw threw thrown
thrust thrust thrust
tread trod trodden
understand understood understood
uphold upheld upheld
upset upset upset
wake woke woken
wear wore worn
weave weaved/wove weaved/woven
wed wed wed
weep wept wept
wind wound wound
win won won
withhold withheld withheld
withstand withstood withstood
wring wrung wrung
write wrote written

Examples:

• Mary became a star tennis player.

• She gave her old car to her younger brother.
• We have seen the secret maps.
• The author wrote several books and many more short stories.

REPORTED SPEECH

Definition: Reported Speech (also called Indirect Speech) is used to communicate what
someone else said, think or believe, but without using the exact words. A few changes are
necessary; often a pronoun has to be changed and the verb is usually moved back a tense,
where possible.

For example:

• He said that he was going to come.

* The person's exact words were "I'm going to come".
Reported speech is usually used to talk about the past, so we normally change the tense of
the words spoken. We use reporting verbs like "say", "tell", "ask", and we may use the word
"that" to introduce the reported words. Reported speech doesn't use quotation marks to
enclose what the person said.

For example:

• Direct speech:
- "I'm going to the cinema", he said.
• Reported speech:
- He said he was going to the cinema.

 Direct speech:
- "I'm going to come", he said.
 Reported speech:
- He said that he was going to come.

• Direct speech:
- She said, "I saw him."
• Reported speech:
- She said that she had seen him.

Indirect Questions
When reporting questions, it is especially important to pay attention to sentence order. When
reporting yes/ no questions connect the reported question using "if". When reporting questions
using question words (why, where, when, etc.) use the question word.

• She asked, "Do you want to come with me?"

=> She asked me if I wanted to come with her.
• Dave asked, "Where did you go last weekend?"
=> Dave asked me where I had gone the previous weekend.
• He asked, "Why are you studying English?"
=> She asked me why I was studying English.

Examples:
The following chart includes sentences changed from direct speech to reported speech using a
past form. Note Simple past, present perfect, and past perfect all change to past perfect in the
reported form.

Direct speech Reported speech

He said, "I live in Paris."
He said, "I am cooking dinner."
He said, "I have visted London twice."
He said, "I went to New York last week."
He said, "I had already eaten."
He said, "I am going to find a new job."
He said, "I will give Jack a call."
He said he lived in Paris.
He said he was cooking dinner.
He said he had visited London twice.
He said he had gone to New York the week before.
He said he had already eaten.
He said he was going to find a new job.
He said he would give Jack a call.