GRAMMAR

-ING FORM VS INFINITIVE

 

 

 

PRESENT TENSES

This website by the British Counsil will give you a deep explanation about the four presente tenses in English:

Tense	Form
Present simple:	I work
Present continuous:	I am working
Present perfect:	I have worked
Present perfect continuous:	I have been working

PAST TENSES 

Click here for past tenses. And here for more activities

Tense	Form
Past simple:	I worked
Past continuous:	I was working
Past perfect:	I had worked
Past perfect continuous:	I had been working

 

 

PHRASAL VERBS

 

 

These videos can help you understanding some of the most frequent phrasal verbs.

MODAL VERBS

Modals are different from normal verbs. In what way?

1.  They don't use an 's' for the third person singular.
2.  They don't use auxiliaries (do/does/did) for interrogative or negative sentences.
3.  They make questions by inversion ('she can go' becomes 'can she go?').
4.  They are followed directly by the infinitive of another verb (without 'to'). Except "ought to".

These are the modal verbs, the most difficult part of this grammar point is to know how to use them.

Can	Could
Will	Would
May	Might
Must	Ought to
Shall	Should
* Need
Substitutes
Have to	Be allowed to
Be able to

This website may help you to understand and use them in an appropriate way. These pages can also  be helpful in your struggle with modals.
To see modals in action, watch this video.

THE PASSIVE VOICE

Why the passive voice? Is it common in English? When do I have to use it? Is it too different from the Spanish passive sentences? In what way?
You can find the answer to some of these questions on this website.

WHAT is the passive voice?
The passive voice is used when the speaker wants to change the focus of attention. Passive focuses on action, not on who or what performs the action. Active sentences focus on who or what does the action. That's the difference. It is the speaker's choice.

WHY do I need to manage the passive?
Be careful, the passive voice is much more common in English than in Spanish!!!! Most of the times when we use a reflexive verb (se vende oro) in English we use a passive sentence (gold is sold).

WHEN do I have to use it?
-When 1.we do not know who or what does the action (He was given a dog as a present), 2.the performer of the action is obvious (The thief was arrested) or 3. we are not interested in who or what carries out the action .