GRAMMAR SUMMARY

Grammar and Use of English – Unit 1 and Unit 2

Present simple
FORM: SUBJECT + VERB (PRESENT)
 To talk about habitual events and fixed truths: “Most authors write about 1,000 words a day. Violins have
four strings.”
 To talk about how often you do something. Frequency adverbs (always, usually, often, sometimes, never)
are often used: “Carla checks her text messages every few minutes.”
 For states that imply permanence or for those that are true for a long time: “The President of the United
States works in the White House.”
Present Continuous
FORM: SUBJECT + TO BE (AM, IS, ARE) + ING
 For temporary states: “He is acting as manager while his boss is away”.
 To talk about an activity that is taking place when you speak or around the time of speaking: Listen! This
computer is making a strange noise. He's studying at evening class at the moment.
Present Perfect
FORM: SUBJECT + HAVE/HAS + PAST PARTICIPLE
 When there is a connection between the past and the present. The connection can either be implied or
obvious. The exact timing is not important. “The explorers have just reached the North Pole. He's lost a lot
of weight in the last few months.”
 For things that have just happened or when the event is still relevant or is still 'news': “Oh, no! The wheel
has fallen off!”
 You must use the present perfect simple form when you mention the number of times: “That train has
broken down three times so far this week.”
 The event might have started at some time in the past and still continues: “I have known about the
problem for a long time, but I haven't done anything about it yet”.
 This is to give general news or information. This is followed by more detail using the past simple: “A new
zoo for endangered species has opened in the Lake District.” “It took five years to build and runs entirely on
solar energy.”
Present Perfect Continuous
FORM: HAVE/HAS + BEEN + VERB (ING)
 For events that began in the past and continue into the present. Like the present perfect simple, it is often
used with since (+ starting point), for (+ period of time) and how long: “They have been going out with each
other since Christmas. That dog has been chasing its tail for about ten minutes.”
 To talk about long or repeated actions that have just finished, but where the consequence is still clear: “-
You're late for the meeting! - Sorry! I've been trying to park my car.”
Present
(present simple)

Present Perfect Present Perfect Continuous Present Continuous

Past simple
FORM: SUBJECT + VERB (PAST)
 Use the past simple to express an event that took place at a definite past time. Past time words are often
used to fix the action or state in the past. For example, when, yesterday, last week, three months ago, etc.
“- When did you last write a letter by hand? - I think it was about a year ago.”
 When there are no past time words, the context often places the action or event in the past (either the
recent past or the more remote past): “Where did you learn to do those magic tricks?” “Karl Benz invented
the first motor car”.
 The action can either last for a period of time in the past or finish at a fixed time in the past: “Henry ran 15
kilometers every day for 60 years.” “He gave up running in June and died in July”.
Past Continuous
FORM: SUBJECT + TO BE (WAS/WERE) + VERB IN ING
 To talk about things that were in progress in the past. They may or may not be finished: “Last week, the
police were watching the house on the corner.”
 To talk about a background activity: “We were lying on our backs looking at the stars.”
 A single past event often interrupts the background activity, so the past continuous and the past simple
are used together: “We were lying on our backs looking at the stars when a comet flew across the sky.”

 But when two or more past events happen consecutively, the past simple is used for both: “The Titanic hit
an iceberg and sank a few hours later.”
 Note: Don't use the past continuous to talk about past habits or to say how often something happened in
the past. Use the past simple: “They phoned the zoo three times yesterday. (Not: They were phoning...)”
Past perfect simple
FORM: SUBJECT + HAD + PAST PARTICIPLE VERB
 Use the past perfect to talk about what happened before a certain point in the past: “The robber had run
away by the time the police arrived.”
 Use the past perfect simple to say 'how many times': “By the time he was 25, he had already been married
twice.”
Past perfect continuous
FORM: SUBJECT + HAD + BEEN + VERB (ING)
 Use the past perfect continuous to emphasize a longer action. This action continues up to the time of the
main action (expressed by the verb in the past simple): “I wasn't surprised that Dave and Amy emigrated.
They had been thinking about it for years. But use the past perfect simple to say 'how many times': “By the
time he was 25, he had already been married twice.”
Past Perfect
Continuous Past Continuous Present

A
Past Perfect Past simple

Present perfect simple or past simple?

 We use the present perfect simple for actions in the past, when we don't know/mention the time. When
we know/mention the time, we use the past simple.

My sister's won a singing competition. (PRESENT PERFECT)

My sister won a singing competition last month. (PAST SIMPLE)

Past simple or past perfect simple?

 We use the past simple, not the past perfect, if the order of events is clear or if one action happens
immediately after the other.

They reached the mountain top then started to climb down again. (It’s clear that after reaching the top of the
mountain they started to climb down).

Write down examples:

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Used to and Would
FORM: USED TO + INFINITIVE – WOULD + INFINITIVE
USED TO WOULD
PAST HABITS I used to visit my grandma on When we were at primary school,
(Go, read, sing, visit, ride etc.) Fridays. we would play soccer every
playtime.
FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS I used to love pizza.
(Like, love, hate etc.)
PAST SITUATIONS AND STATES In the 1900’s Argentina used to be
THAT NO LONGER EXIST OR ARE one of the most powerful countries
NO LONGER TRUE in the world.
SAY HOW LONG SOMETHING
LASTED IN THE PAST

Write down examples:

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Comparatives and Superlatives

COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE EQUALITY
(TO BE + ADJ/ADV + THAN) (THE + ADJ/ADV + OF/IN/etc.) (AS…ADJ/ADV…AS)

Comparative adjectives compare Compare one person or thing in a Compare equal things or aspects
two people or things group with others in the same
group.
FOR SHORT ADJ/ADV FOR SHORT ADJ/ADV
+ER +EST
(ADV +ly) (ADV +ly)
FOR LONG ADJ/ADV FOR LONG ADJ/ADV
MORE + MOST +
(ADV +ly) (ADV +ly)

Irregulars
ADVERB COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE
WELL BETTER THE BEST
BADLY WORSE THE WORST
FAR FARTHER/FURTHER THE FARTHEST/THE FURTHEST
LITTLE LESS THE LEAST
(NOT) MUCH/A LOT MORE THE MOST

Suffixes (+able/ible)
They change the meaning of the word.
ABLE/IBLE:
 (ADDED TO A WORD IT MEANS THAT IT CAN BE, EASY TO BE, POSSIBLE TO BE)
UNDERSTAND-ABLE (that can be/easy to be/possible to be understood)
MEMOR – ABLE (that you can/is easy to/is possible to save it in your memory)
SENS – IBLE (that it can have sense)