ENGLISH 2025/07/06 17pm

DISCLAIMER

I prepared this short English grammar references for my own use. The focus is on my own weak points and gaps. However, I believe it could be taken as a plan or roadmap for those two will be preparing English tests like me.

I’m not English teacher. English is not my first language. Mistakes and typos are possible in this document. You have been warned.

You are welcome to improve this document if you wish. If you familiar with github, you can edit the source online, styles are nearby.

1 Present

1.1 Present simple

1.1.1 Usage

Words:

1.1.2 Positive

1.1.3 Negative

1.1.4 Question

1.1.5 Spelling

1.1.5.1 most

1.1.5.2 s, sh, ch, x

1.1.5.3 ended consonant-y

1.1.5.4 other

1.1.6 Short answer

1.2 Present continuous

1.2.1 Usage

Not use:

Types of verbs:

1.2.2 Positive

Am/are/is:

1.2.3 Negative

1.2.4 Question

1.2.5 Contractions

1.2.6 Spelling

1.2.6.1 Most

1.2.6.2 ended e

1.2.6.3 ie

1.2.6.4 consonant-vowel-consonant (c/v/c)

1.2.7 Short answers

1.2.8 Mistakes

1.2.9 Diffs and tricks

1.2.9.1 Present vs Present continuous

1.2.9.2 Verbs: action

1.2.9.3 Verbs: stative

2 Past

2.1 Past simple

I worked.

2.1.1 Usage

With time expression:

Without time expression: I cooked dinner.

Many actions: They invited friends, ordered pizza and watched TV.

2.1.2 Positive

I worked.

2.1.3 Negative

I didn’t work.

2.1.4 Question

2.1.5 Spelling

2.1.5.1 usual (+ed)

2.1.5.2 ended e (+d)

2.1.5.3 ended consonant-y (ied)

2.1.5.4 consonant-vowel-consonant (c/v/c)

2.2 Past continuous

2.2.1 Usage

Don’t use with stative verbs: know, hate, own, want, need, believe.

But it’s ok: He was having a party. Actions meaning. (Not: He was having computer. Stative meaning.)

2.2.2 Positive

2.2.3 Negative

2.2.4 Question

2.2.5 Contractions

3 Future

3.1 Future simple

3.1.1 Usage

3.1.2 Positive

I’ll do. (I/You/He/They/He/It/…)

3.1.3 Negative

I will not work. (won’t)

3.1.4 Questions

3.1.5 Before- expressions

3.1.6 Shell/will in polite questions

3.1.7 Short answers

3.1.8 Mistakes / conditions

3.2 Future in informal communications

3.2.1 Usage

Important: We must add time marker: in July, next week, etc.

3.2.2 Positive

I’m going to work next week.

3.2.3 Negative

I am not going to the work next week.

3.2.4 Questions

Where are you going to work? When is he going to contact you?

Important: time marker.

3.2.5 Contractions

3.2.6 Combinations plans for sure and not sure

I’m going to prepare for exams (for sure) and maybe (uncertain) I’ll watch a TV.

3.3 Future continuous

3.3.1 Usage

Restrictions:

3.3.2 Positive

I will be working.

3.3.3 Negative

She won’t be working. (will not)

3.3.4 Questions

3.3.5 Contractions

3.3.6 Short answers

4 Perfect tenses: overview

5 Present (perfect)

Have/has:

5.1.1 Usage

Finished:

Unfinished:

For + period of time, since + point in time

Markers:

Examples:

5.1.2 Positive

Subject + have/has + past participle.

5.1.3 Negative

5.1.4 Questions

Question words: not ‘when’

5.1.5 Tricky

Been/gone (be like go):

He/she/it — has:

Suggestion: If you are not sure, use Past Simple.

5.1.6 Contractions

Have/has:

Meanings of ’s (context):

Not:

5.1.7 Short answers

5.2 Past simple vs Present perfect

5.2.1 Comparison

Taking about past vs connection past+present

Action+focus in past vs action in past, but focus on now

Defined time vs undefined

Finished time vs unfinished time

5.2.2 Questions

Rule: ‘when’ → past simple. Not present perfect.

5.3 Present perfect continuous tense (connect present and past)

Subject + have/has been + verb+ing

Start in the past and is still going now.

5.3.1 Usage

5.3.2 Tricks

5.3.3 Positive

5.3.4 Negative

5.3.5 Questions

5.3.6 Short answers

5.3.7 Mistakes

6 Past (perfect)

6.1 Past perfect tense (past of the past)

6.1.1 Usage

6.1.2 Positive

6.1.3 Negative

I had not worked. (hadn’t)

6.1.4 Questing

6.1.5 Tricks

6.1.6 Contractions

Had:

Had/would:

6.1.7 Short answers

6.2 Past simple vs Past perfect

Past simple:

Past perfect:

What happen before then.

6.3 Past perfect continuous tense

I had been living in Florida before I moved to California.

6.3.1 Usage

6.3.2 Positive

Subject + had been + verb+ing

I had been working.

6.3.3 Negative

I hadn’t been working. (had not)

6.3.4 Question

6.3.5 Contractions

6.3.6 Short answers

6.4 Present perfect continuous vs past perfect continuous tense

Link past+present (started in the past and continuous in present) vs past+past (started in the past and continued in past).

7 Future (perfect)

7.1 Future perfect

7.1.1 Usage

7.1.2 Positive

7.1.3 Negative

I will not have arrived. (won’t)

7.1.4 Questions

7.2 Future perfect continuous

7.2.1 Usage

Before particular time or event in the future.

By next July, I will have been working here for one year.

7.2.2 Positive

I will have been flying for 2 hours.

7.2.3 Negative

I won’t have been working.

7.2.4 Questions

7.2.5 Tricks

You have to provide time context:

By November (time marker), I’ll have been studding hire.

8 Conclusion

Simple:

Contractions:

Perfect:

Perfect continuous:

9 Appendix A

9.1.1 Rules

9.1.2 Exceptions and tricks

9.2 Conditionals

9.2.1 0 (real, general true)

if + present simple + present simple

We can use imperatives (commands) with 0:

9.2.2 1rd (possible)

if + present simple + will/can/may/… + infinitive

‘Unless’:

9.2.3 2rd (unreal)

if + past simple + would + infinitive

Contractions:

9.2.4 3rd (impossible, everything in past)

if + past perfect + would have + 3rd form (have only, no has)

9.2.5 Combinations (2rd+3rd)

Examples:

9.3 Used to

9.3.1 used to (past)

9.3.1.1 Positive

9.3.1.2 Negative

I didn’t use to smoke. (use — without -d) Now I do.

9.3.1.3 Questions

Did you use to smoke? (no -d)

9.3.2 be + used to + noun/-ing (things normal for us)

9.3.2.1 Positive

9.3.2.2 Negative

9.3.3 get + used to + noun/ing (getting comfortable with something)

9.3.3.1 Positive

You’ll get used to teaching online. (promise)

9.3.3.2 Negative (sort of)

I just can’t get used to the smell.

9.4 Passive voice

Verb → be + 3rd-form

Be forms:

9.4.1 Simple present/past/future

9.4.2 Continuous tenses

9.4.3 Perfect tenses

9.4.4 Perfect continuous tenses

9.4.6 Imperative

9.5 Reported speech (indirect speech)

9.5.1 Reporting verbs

9.5.2 Backshifting

9.5.3 Exceptions

9.5.4 Modals

9.5.5 Questions

She asked me if/whether I was a student of this university. (‘I was’, not ‘was I’, it is not true question)

Where do you live? → She asked me where I lived. (backshifting in time, not question word order)

Who will be at your party? → She asked me who would be at my party.

9.5.6 Imperatives

Sit down. → She told me to sit down.

10 Appendix B

10.1 Time prepositions

10.1.1 at — times (wall clock) and holidays

10.1.2 on — days, days+, dates

10.1.3 in — years, months, seasons, decades, centuries

10.1.4 no prepositions

10.1.5 Tricks

10.2 Place prepositions

Related

Things like positions

Just useful

10.3 Irregular verbs

10.3.1 all the same

let         let         let
set         set         set
put         put         put
cut         cut         cut

10.3.2 2nd equals 3rd

say         said        said    (/sei/ /sed/ /sed/ | not /said/)
pay         paid        paid
tell        told        told

win         won         won

buy         bought      bought
think       thought     thought
bring       brought     brought
teach       taught      taught

get         got         got     (US gotten)
build       built       built
keep        kept        kept
leave       left        left
feel        felt        felt
mean        meant       meant
meet        met         met
sit         sat         sat
send        sent        sent
lose        lost        lost
spend       spent       spent
learn       learnt      learnt  (US learned)

find        found       found
stand       stood       stood
understand  understood  understood
lead        led         led
hold        held        held
read        read        read    (/ri:d/ /red/ /red/)
hear        heard       heard

make        made        made

come        came        come
become      became      become

10.3.3 total mess

go          went        gone

run         ran         run

eat         ate         eaten   (** /i:t/ /et/ /iːtən/)
wear        wore        worn
take        took        taken
see         saw         seen
know        knew        known
give        gave        given
show        showed      shown
begin       began       begun
write       wrote       written
speak       spoke       spoken
lie         lay         lain
grow        grew        grown
fall        fell        fallen
draw        drew        drawn
break       broke       broken
rise        rose        risen
drive       drove       driven
choose      chose       chosen

10.3.4 regular (but slightly confusing)

happen     happened     happened  (is regular!)

11 Appendix C: Summary

11.1 Tenses and forms. All together

11.2 Verbs spelling exceptions

12 Appendix D: talking about picture

Linking words and conjunctions:

Advanced linking words (contrast/purpose/addition/results/consequences/…):

Taking time (avoiding hesitations):

Useful words examples:

Have only one central topic per paragraph.